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#it was funny actually more superheroes should be handed a baby and told its the antichrist
traincat · 5 months
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controversial opinion but we need to get kevin smith back in spider-man comics. yes I read guardian devil and you can't look me in the eye and say it's as bad as what's going on right now.
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whythinktoomuch · 3 years
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Andrea sighs. “I hate this part.”
“And what part would that be?” Kara spares a small glance for her, but continues to tug on her socks, her shoes, and anything else that she might need on her way out of Andrea’s apartment without a second thought. Again.
“The part where you make me sleep alone.”
Kara whips her head around. “… I’m sorry?”
“Nothing.”
Andrea regrets everything as she buries her head underneath her pillow. Maybe she can blame this sudden onset of weakness on her most recent trend of foregone sleep, or maybe even the very reason for said lack of sleep now standing at the foot of her soon-to-be half-emptied bed. But it certainly isn’t something that deserves any more elaboration, much less voiced.
Unfortunately though, Kara’s never been one to let something go. The rustle of clothing dies away, leading to a padding of steps which leads to the sagging of Andrea’s bed as Kara sits down beside her. “Hey, what’s going on?”
--
“Nothing,” Andrea repeats, her voice firm despite being muffled under her pillow. “Make sure to lock the door on your way out.”
“No, come on…” Kara’s tugging on Andrea’s arm, thumb rubbing gently into her skin. “Talk to me. Please? I’m right here.”
Groaning to herself, Andrea finally sits up, frown deeply set and disgruntled. “Where are you even going anyway?”
Kara takes a deep breath before answering, and Andrea hates how these are the kinds of things that refuse to escape her notice now. “I told you,” Kara says slowly. “I’m meeting a source downtown.”
“Right now? After midnight?” Andrea says with a scoff. “You don’t have a better, more business-friendly time—I don’t know—during the day to be meeting up with these people?”
“I have to go where the story takes me! And I also have to meet my sources on their own terms if I want to cultivate a lasting sense of trust and profess—”
“But for what article?” Andrea demands. “You’ve already met all your deadlines for this week. You wouldn’t be here”—she gestures aimlessly about her bed—“otherwise, so what else could you possibly be researching right now?”
“It’s…” Kara stumbles slightly, and Andrea wills her heart to harden into something that can never sink. “This is for a new story. One that I’m thinking about pitching. Soon.”
“Okay. What story?”
“I can’t tell you yet! It’s not ready,” Kara says, and Andrea just scoffs again. “Hey, seriously. What’s really bothering you? You never care about my work.”
“I’m your boss, Kara. It’s literally my job to care about your work.”
“Just tell me what’s actually bothering you, and I’ll fix it.”
Andrea rubs at her face. “I’d just… really like to know what it’s like to sleep next to my girlfriend for once…”
“Your girlfriend?” Kara echoes. “Who’s your girl—oh!” Her eyebrows nearly shoot up to her hairline. “Wait, oh…”
Groaning once more, now about ready to bury her entire body beneath her pillow if possible, Andrea just waves her hand. “Never mind, okay? Just go.”
“No, hey, hey, hey…” Kara tugs on Andrea’s wrist, refusing, per usual, to let an unwieldy moment die down on its own. “Girlfriend?”
“Forget I even said anything…” Andrea starts, but Kara seems quite unwilling to. In fact, she’s looking at Andrea in complete awe, and Andrea can’t help but straighten up at the attention. Maybe even pushing out her chest a bit just to make a point. “All right, fine, we can talk about this. But you should know right now, that I can’t date anyone who refuses to sleep with me.”
“Pfft, what do you mean? We literally sleep with each other all the time,” Kara protests, until Andrea shoots her a meaningful look—glare. “Oh… Right. You meant, just sleeping, sleeping. Um. Okay. Well, I guess that’s something we can try if you really want…”
Andrea rolls her eyes. “I don’t want you to try it just to appease me, Kara. I want you to want it too. For your own sake.”
“I do want it too! I just didn’t realize that it was something that you’d want. From me, especially.”
“Why the hell not?” Andrea says. “I’m sorry—was the past hour and a half not convincing enough for you?”
Kara flushes all over, sputtering, “No, what I meant was… I didn’t realize that you actually liked me like that?”
“Again. Was the past hour and—”
“I get your point,” Kara says, flapping her hands. “And okay. I, you know… like you too.”
“Oh, how promising,” Andrea mutters, but her nerves were undeniably starting to settle. The flow of conversation now comfortably in her favor.
“And I do want that too,” Kara continues, cracking a smile. “So… let’s do it. Let’s be girlfriends who, you know, sleep together.”
“Deal.” Andrea clears her throat, fidgeting with her sheets. “I imagine that it’ll have to start another night though, no?”
Kara rubs at the back of her neck. “I’m sorry. I just really have to meet this source tonight. It’s really important, I swear.”
“Fine,” Andrea says in a sigh. “It’s not like I don’t understand the need to put one’s career first.”
Kara pouts. She reaches out to cradle Andrea’s face, thumb tracing down her cheek, and Andrea’s not melting, she’s not melting, she’s not.
“I’ll come back,” Kara says at last. “No matter how long this meeting goes for, I promise to come straight back here and sleep with you.”
“Oh, you promise?” Andrea laughs, but there’s a serious glint to Kara’s eyes, twinkling in the way that they do in the strangest moments sometimes.
“Absolutely. I’ll be right back. And I’ll be right here for you, okay?”
Andrea lets out another laugh, ducking her head slightly. “Okay. I guess we’ll see how you do then.”
“Thank you,” Kara says, beaming. “But for now, I really do have to go. I’m actually kinda late now.”
“Then go. I ain’t keeping ya.”
Kara leans in, clearly in askance of a goodbye kiss, but when Andrea goes to cup her face, Kara resists just a tad. “Trust me,” she says. “You kiss me like that, and I’ll never make it out of here.”
“Want to test that little theory?” Andrea asks, her voice dropped into huskier territory, and Kara accordingly flushes pink cheek to cheek.
“Oh… boy…” Kara says in a hushed whisper. “I… er, I gotta go though, so…” She quickly shakes her head. “Yup, gotta go, gotta go. So sorry, but bye!” Pecking at Andrea’s cheek, Kara all but bolts out the door.
With a tiny unseen pout, Andrea sinks back into her bed, her moment of vulnerability already regretted with that aching part of her chest. But Kara promised to come back, and she seems the type to keep promises like that—the girlfriend type, that is.
Andrea’s final thought as she’s drifting off is a fleeting hope that wherever Kara’s rushing off to meet her source wouldn’t be anywhere near the sirens that have been going off. The last thing this would-be relationship needs is for Andrea’s would-be girlfriend to get stuck in traffic this late at night because of fire trucks or something.
//
Andrea wakes up to a sudden dip in her bed, coherent thoughts still slow to return as a column of warmth wraps around her middle from behind. She blinks blearily into the darkness. The sharp bite of smoke lingering in the air somehow only seems to get stronger the clearer her vision gets.
“Sorry I’m late, baby,” comes a sleepy mumble close to her ear, and Andrea starts to chuckle, her surprise melting into blessed relief.
There’s a wry comment sitting on Andrea’s tongue as she glances over her shoulder, but the specifics of it all gets lost when she sees Supergirl curled up against her. “Whoa. W-wait…”
“Oh, m’s’rry…” Supergirl says softly, eyes still squeezed shut. “Forgot to ask… Can I call you ‘baby’ now, since we’re girlfriends who sleep together and stuff…?”
Andrea is reeling, as she takes in the sight. That is to say, the sight of National City’s darling and daring hero rapidly passing out in her bed, blonde hair strewn across Kara’s go-to pillow like a golden halo, her bulk scrunched up into a tiny ball of warmth pressed into Andrea’s side, cape splayed out without a care.
“You’re…” Andrea clears her throat, hopefully ridding herself of the dry stutter caught within. “Excuse me, you’re wearing boots in my bed.”
Supergirl lets out a small whine—there’s a literal, bona fide superhero whining all disgruntled in Andrea’s bed right now—and kicks out her feet. “But I’m so tired, maybe-baby.”
“Maybe-baby,” Andrea echoes, rolling her eyes, because okay, this is definitely Kara all right.
She manages to extricate herself from Kara’s embrace with surprising ease, considering, then manages to tug Supergirl’s boots off one by one with far less ease. But the sight that Andrea’s greeted with startles her into soft laughter.
“Hey. What’s so funny…”
“I like your socks,” Andrea says, slipping back under the sheets, eyes fluttering shut when Kara sidles right up against her once more. “You know, you weren’t wearing those when you left me.”
“Is it really leaving when I come right back?”
“Yes.”
Kara snorts, burying herself into Andrea’s hair with a sigh. “Mm, I like my socks too. Was a gift from Santa,” she says, and Andrea can almost feel Kara wiggling her toes. “I like the smilin’ fruits…”
“Yes, I figured you would.”
Kara lets out a mock scandalized gasp, “It’s s’pposed to be secret Santa, you know…”
“You know what else is supposed be a secret?” Andrea shoots back, arching an eyebrow that is of course lost on her half-asleep almost-girlfriend. But Kara seems to know, because she grins.
“Hm. We can talk about it in the morning, mm’kay?”
“Oh, we most certainly will,” Andrea says, turning on her side, allowing herself to be happily spooned. “Good night, Supergirl.”
“Yeah, yeah, good night, maybe-baby.”
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angelkurenai · 3 years
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Wish upon - Bucky Barnes x Reader
Title: Wish upon
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Warnings: None
Summary: You were close when Wanda’s grief took over and she inevitably started controling an entire town, including you. Being her closest friend, though, instead of simply playing along, you were given a normal life of your own, with a daughter and husband whom you knew very well but never thought you had feelings for. Months later as you try to figure out your emotions for Bucky, the man seems to be trying to find every reason to stay close to you. Including asking you to join him when he’s ready to follow Sam in his adventures.
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“Is that... Is that what I think it is?” you blinked several times, head tilted as you took in the object your husband was, full of pride you could clearly tell, holding and showing off to you.
“You bet it is. Polished, glittered or bedazzled, I can never tell the difference it's equally sparkly anyway, but above all ready to deliver justice. It's finally finished. Right on time at that.” he set the small pink and sparkly shield on the kitchen counter, right next to the baby bottle you'd just filled, because he knew just as well as you did that it was honestly the only way you'd keep looking at the toy and hoped that you'd like it. Which you did, sure, but not in the way Bucky hoped. “Well, what do you say about it?”
“I say that it would certainly deliver justice, no doubt by dazzling the bad guys first and foremost. Besides-” you tore your eyes away from the toy to narrow them at your husband “Just on time for what?”
“Halloween, of course.” he shrugged casually as he slowly made to reach for a piece of the potatoes you'd cooked to have on the side for dinner, but you noticed him and slapped his hand away, earning a not-so-innocent smile in return “I mean... What else is there else to talk about, of significance, in a small town like Westview besides holidays and who the new otherworldly couples in town are. The second having little to no point when one's wife can read minds, amongst so many other things, and said one is a metal-armed 106-year-old.” he sighed, raising his metal arm which he usually kept covered when outside “Honestly, I don't know who're gonna get called out on it first. Wanda and Vision or us.”
“We're handling it great. Besides, oh well a 15 year old gap is so overrated anyway. I tell you, 106 is the new 30, don't you worry a second, dear. You don't look a day over that.” you smiled sweetly, leaning in to peck his lips as he grinned.
“Ah yes, coming from the woman who last time we fought you told me that it's time to stop mourning over my buddy Rexi the dinosaur cause they're all gone now.” he said with a raised eyebrow and you shrugged.
“I don't see what you mean, I was still right.” you brushed him off, checking once more the temperature of the milk “Besides, getting off track here? You still haven't explained to me how that lovely and sparkly shield is of any use to us in Halloween?”
“Well, not us, obviously.” he turned to, according to everyone including him, his little princess “Jean of course!” he picked one of her hands and let her tiny fingers wrap around one of his as she let a giggle when he kissed her belly “It's all you've been talking about with Wanda these days. Her boys have their suits already in mind, it wouldn't be right for Jean to not have hers. It's her first Halloween anyway, even if she can't do any proper trick or treat yet.”
“I'm well aware of that, seeing as I've been planning all of ours suits. And no-” you raised a finger when you saw him raise an interested eyebrow “No, I'm not wearing the skirt version of it. Besides, what we're talking about here is Jean and I still fail to see how a shield will be any part of our little Phoenix's suit.”
“Well, because it's Halloween and she's- Well, she's part of this and she'll- The shield is part of the suit, honey. Obviously. I don't see what confuses you so much as to-”
“And I don't see what confuses you so much that you'd make a shield for her, beautiful as it might be, even though it has no place in all of it. Especially after I made it quiet clear on what costume will be.” you pointed out, baby bottle back on the counter as you crossed your arms over your chest “Honestly, I would rather her have a sparkly version of Sam's redwing before incorporating the shield in her phoenix look.”
He let silence fill the room, save for your daughter's adorable baby noises, before he finally spoke in all seriousness “No, no you wouldn't. You hate that thing too... It was the main reason that made me ask the question, like when you realize you've met your soulmate.”
“I-” only half a pause before you nodded “Yeah, you're right. I hate it... although I can't really remember how it looks like sometimes to be honest. Huh weird.” you let out a breathless laugh, frowning nonetheless.
“Oh how I'd wish for that sort of blessing.” he huffed “Including its owner.”
“Hush you love him!” you hit his shoulder “And, well, that's still all besides the point. Because Jean is not going to have a redwing or shield to her phoenix look in any sort of way. Maybe next Halloween if you wanna choose the costume, fine by me. But this year I am following through with my plans and not changing my mind.”
“Plans of what? Her being a phoenix bird? I get it, it's all magical and what not but-”
“Not just any phoenix bird, geez weez, do you not even listen when I speak, Mr Barnes?” you shook your head with a roll of your eyes.
“Well, sometimes it gets impossibly hard when you look as stunning as today, Mrs Barnes. Sadly all words fade away and as I am captured by your beauty all I can seem to hear is kiss me. How can I not comply?” he said so innocently and with such an adorable smile you couldn't help your fond one in return.
Seeing such adoration and love written all over your face had your heart on overdrive again, as if it was the first time you realized you were in love with him again. It was incredible how you could barely remember that moment whenever you thought about it, however you didn't care. You couldn't find yourself to care when looking at him had your chest fill with warmth, a pleasant buzz all over your body and no weight dragging you down. He made things more simple, having his love and having him by his side made life have meaning and your future full of hope. It hadn't been easy, that much in a way you could remember, but you knew it was worth it because he was worth it. You wanted to give him all your love, wishing that it could live up to the one in his eyes for you in return, so that he could understand what you did from the first moment you met him: he deserved it.
And even if- you couldn't explain why you thought so, but even if there were ever people that would willingly leave him behind, even if you'd never understand that, you were ready to show to him that you could and would be with him till the end of the line. This love you had in you for him had sealed the deal long before you even knew about it.
If anything, you were more than willing to live in this small town, heavens in these four walls of your house, so long as you had him by your side and were able to give him all the love you didn't know you had for him.
You shook your head lightly and gave him “Sweet talking me will get you nowhere, darling. Or rather-” you paused, smirking at him “It might get you in one place. The bedroom.” you grinned when you saw his eyebrows raise in interest “To get Jean's suit. Cause I remember I have some adjustments to make.”
“Bet you do.” he huffed like a little child “Cause she'll be a bird and not a superhero who-”
“Not just a phoenix bird, Buck. The phoenix, that's different.” you pointed out, making him frown.
“How is that different? And what... is the phoenix?”
“Well, it's-” you started but paused abruptly, frowning at your own thoughts “It's actually-” you blinked several time and let out a nervous laugh “Funny thing, I... can't remember. Wow that's... it happens all the more often lately.”
“Can't be important then, right?” he brushed it off casually even though you kept frowning in deep thought which for some reason didn't lead anywhere “Certainly no more than Jean's suit that it... And how we could incorporate a shiel-”
“No.” you cut him off before he could get to complete his sentence “Not gonna happen. I've already got everything planned, you're not going to ruin my plans.”
“Is this how it's gonna go every Halloween now? Us fighting over what Jean's costume will be until she's old enough to choose herself?”
“Oh dear, of course not. It's not fighting when you don't stand a chance against me in the first place.” you shrugged innocently and he tried to look stern by narrowing his eyes at you but you smiled and pecked his lips before speaking “I mean, you could never say no to these pretty eyes, could you?” you batted your eyes at him and he very fast, much faster than last time, sighed in defeat and nodded his head “Besides, you don't have to worry. Next Halloween we'll make her a costume that incorporates the shield too, happy?”
“Always.” he breathed out with such ease that it took a few seconds for you to not openly stare at just how much relaxed he looked, how he truly meant it and how shockingly different he looked while admitting it compared to only a few months ago... months, you weren't sure of the time anymore but truth was that you didn't care, because if there was one thing you could remember was that he had not always been like this and to have him truly happy made everything worth it.
“However-” he cleared his throat, as if noticing how you'd zoned out “That doesn't really solve the problem. Having to compromise, you know. Why should any of us have to? However, if we were to have more than one option...” he trailed off, leaning in closer without any regard for your personal space, not that he needed to, as you narrowed your eyes suspiciously at him “Say... if we were to have more than one options then things wouldn't be this hard, right? Just... to make it easier on ourselves?”
“Make it easier... how exactly?”
His hands found your hips, earning a small giggle from you as he pecked your neck once, twice and three times before he kissed your cheek and the temple, whispering in the end “Let's make more.” it earned a squeal from your as your eyes widened but he grinned even more widely “Come on, think about it. A little boy or maybe another baby girl, Jean would make a great sister. And we wouldn't have to argue about the Halloween costumes. Besides... would be a fun process either way.”
“You have to be kidding me.” you gave him a serious expression but his hopeful smile- no, scratch that. His smile that was bordering that of an idiot, if not lovesick one (but you were on the same boat on that), didn't fade in the least bit “Oh you have to- Alright, Mr Barnes, how about you learn how to feed your daughter without making a mess first and then you can come and talk to me about a second or third one hm? Cause, good as you might be at changing diapers, it ain't just that.”
“She just makes a mess because she enjoys to laugh at my expense, just like you and Sam.” he pointed out and you fought back a smile “And- Hold up a second... did you just say third? You think you're gonna let me ask for a third one too?”
Your eyes widened when you realized that he was really considering the prospect before your lips parted, you being ready to retort-
Only for no words to be uttered after that from your lips. The only sound being a deep intake of air as you were startled awake. Soon followed by a groan as you took in your surroundings and realized you were sadly still in your room. Sadly? Really? You didn't know if that was the case but even if it was, you didn't want to think even more about it. You buried your face in your pillow, not ready to face the day yet because... who were you even kidding? You wanted to go back to it. If not that fake reality, if not the playhouse that Wanda had built out of her grief and had dragged you into it as well - and maybe you hated yourself for how part of you did want that - then at least your dream would be nice.
It's been months and yet it feels as if it's been just yesterday that you were all released from her control. How could you not feel that way after all? When you were awake, the fake reality you'd thought your life was constantly on your mind, and when you were asleep even if you were not thinking of it, you were dreaming about it. It was constantly on your mind. And as if the experience itself, mind-control and all, hadn't left you with a few mental scares to add to your already existing ones to take care of, then the realization of the truth that lay within your own heart, was more than enough to keep the events replaying on your mind day and night.
To put matters simply: when you had followed your best friend, Wanda, after seeing her so distraught, leaving SWORD, you had never thought you'd find yourself playing house with a fake copy of one and only James Bucky Barnes thanks to said best friend. But while there was a chance for that, you never thought there was a chance that you'd realize you had feelings for the man all along.
Your life had been different there. Maybe because you were always close with the other Avenger, who knew. While there were times where you'd experience Wanda's grief, her nightmares from time to time came to haunt you at night just like it did with the rest of the town, your life was mostly... good. No, forget that, your life was nearly perfect. You had everything you wished for and things you didn't even know you had wished for. Maybe deep down you had always wanted it, a normal life, peace and calm, a kid whether it was yours or not... Bucky. You had probably always wanted him but didn't know it yourself, no doubt you were too busy crushing over Steve.
If only your current self could see your past self, or at least self of barely a year ago, you'd have smacked some sense into your stupid self who thought Steve Rogers was the only man you could ever have eyes for. While you had come to be very close with the Captain and ended up doing almost everything together, everyone thought there was much more to the two of you, that it hadn't even occurred to you to think that Steve wasn't really the one you wanted. Maybe you had convinced yourself so, in a way that now that he was no longer there you were more shaken by the fact that you were not shaken by how he had decided to live his life with Peggy in the past than his absence itself.
You had not felt any sort of betrayal, nor that you were suddenly all alone, certainly not as if anything was missing from your life. Granted, you had plenty to think about most of the time, day and night, but that didn't change things. You wished Steve had had a happy ending and you would on the occasion miss him the way you'd miss... a brother. You were always calm, no worries or fears, content with the fact that you knew he had been happy even if it was away from you because, in a way, you wanted it to be that way, it was natural. However, the mere thought of someone else leaving, someone that you thought far too often about, made your heart leap to your throat and your stomach tie in knots. The mere thought that Bucky could leave the way Steve had done made your throat close in a painful way and your eyes burn with tears, making you realize just who mattered the most.
If, again, Wanda plucking the truth about your feelings for the man to give you a life with him wasn't proof enough.
Your phone buzzing made you jump once more, eyes landing on the device on the nightstand. Reaching for it you were not surprised to see the messages that were pilled in your inbox. All from the same specific someone. A specific someone you had found yourself speaking with all the more often lately. Each time successfully managing to make you smile in one way or another, without fail.
Good morning. :)
Did I use that one correctly? I keep forgetting them, no matter how many times you show me.
And show him you had, just like that there was an option for him to choose from different ones instead of having to type them, but that was still work in progress. So even if Bucky learning emojis was a memory that you'd cherish forever, it wasn't the only important one at the moment.
On second thought, it's a bit too early.
You're probably still asleep. Nevermind. Sorry for bothering you.
And then more, shortly afterwards.
I only wanted to know if you're alright, that's all.
Anyway, hope I didn't wake you up.
He, much like everyone else, thought it was hard on you to deal with Steve being gone so he did his best to keep in touch and being as selfish as you were, you didn't bring yourself to tell him the truth that you cared more to know about how he was and wanted the contact for that. Maybe he was also worried about you after Wanda's mind-control too. But if Sam's words were anything to go by, then it was all an excuse for Bucky to stay close with you. You didn't let your hopes get up for that reason though. You could gladly take whatever you got without wondering.
Again it was followed not much later by another message.
I've actually got something to talk to you about. Something happened, though you could already know if you saw the news. Can I come over to talk with you? I need your opinion on the matter.
And shortly afterwards came.
I've already got your favorite breakfast. To make up for, probably, waking you up. :)
The next one had taken longer, he had probably been waiting for an answer all that time. You couldn't help but feel bad about it. That and the fact that the reason behind you not replying earlier was because of how immensed you were in your fantasy life with him that you had not told him a thing about.
(Y/n)... are you sure you're alright? It's getting late even for you.
Truth was you had more trouble waking up after having a dream of that time. But you couldn't tell him that. And then there was the latest one.
Alright, I'm coming over. I really hope you're not dead in there. I'm not going to let you hear the end of it if you are. Oh dear, I sound like Sam right now. Forget I ever said that. Both of it.
Before you even had the time to think about what he could mean, because no you had really not seen the news yet, let alone type back a reply, the door to your bedroom burst open. It earned a squeal from you as you looked with wide eyes at Bucky standing on the doorway. You weren't even surprised how you hadn't heard him, not when he already had keys to your apartment and could easily sneak up on you. Not that him surprising you was what you cared about at the moment. It was, and you could only admit it to yourself, more important how you looked at the moment – and having just woken up you weren't sure just how attractive you looked – than anything else. Especially when Bucky looked better than ever with that new haircut that you were sure he'd gotten on purpose, just to test how much your heart could take.
“I thought doors existed back in your days, Barnes. Maybe knocking was an option too.”
You saw him let out a sigh of relief, shoulders relaxing “What would have been the point if you were dead? You wouldn't have replied anyway.”
“Bold of you to assume I would miss on another chance to lecture you about the proper use of emojis, Mr Barnes. Even death could not stop me.” you broke into a grin and he chuckled.
“What, did I really mess it up?” he asked with a small, far too adorable for your own good, frown.
“Oh no you got it just right.” you said softly, adoring the proud look on his face before you added “However, I've told you, you don't have to type them anymore. There is an option on your keyboard with that kind of stuff for you to-”
“Eh alright, alright I get it. I suck at it. I'm not even gonna try using them anymore.”
“Wha- No!” you whined softly “No, Buck, I didn't mean that. Come on, you're good. You just... have a lot to learn still.” you shrugged “That's all. We didn't do great at first either. Nobody really got emojis a first, but you'll get the hang of it.”
“But you still think I am a grandpa when it comes to technology. And my age doesn't help on that case either.” he shrugged, as if he meant it casually as a joke but you could see a small hint of self-consciousness there as well.
“Nonsense.” you said softly, finally throwing the blankets off you “You're far from a grandpa, Buck. In fact, I strongly believe that 106 is the new 30, and you don't look a day over that.” the words were out of your lips before you could even think about it and when you realized what you'd said, your smile flattered a bit. You were glad his back was turned to on that second that he didn't notice. You cleared your throat, sobering up “Besides, new things are not everyone's cup of tea anyway.”
“Uh yeah...” you notice the relaxed, and almost happy, look fade away from his face as his eyebrows pulled back into a frown. He looked down for a second, leaning against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets “Things do change. Sometimes faster than we can adapt to the new world around us.”
“Alright, unless you're channeling Charles Darwin right now, which I don't think you are, care to explain to me what's wrong? Because... I am guessing something is, judging by your expression.” you got up and approached “Is this... about the shield? I- I don't know if Sam giving it up is that much of a good choice however... he must have his reasons, right?”
“Well, yes, but- this is not just about that.” he sighed, finally looking up to meet your eyes “Something happened and I've been thinking about it, I wanted your opinion on it. You know it matters to me.”
“...And? There is more to that, come on. Tell me.” you knew him too well and you hadn't even realized when that happened too “You know you can... Always.”
“I do.” he paused for a moment, holding your gaze before he let a soft sigh “It's just, I am going to go find Sam and... I want you to come with me. If you're up for it, I would like you to be there with me... maybe?”
“You know... I should punch you just for doubting whether I'd follow you or not. But just because it won't lead anywhere for me-” you smirked at him “Buy me dinner too and consider yourself excused and me up for any challenge. Strongest Avenger at your disposal, Mr Barnes.” you patted his shoulder, enjoying the deep chuckle that came from him. Even if his next words made the air get caught in your throat.
“It's a date then.”
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flourgirl · 3 years
Text
Sleepyhead
Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader
Summary: Peter will try just about anything to help out the very pretty insomniac from his math class.
Work Count: 11.2k
Warnings: Just some sweet, pure fluff with a few curse words every now and then.
A/N: Either the tags aren’t working for me or you guys just didn’t like it, but the final part of “Even If It’s a Lie” has been out for a few days now if anyone’s interested in reading it 🥺 Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this super long piece I’ve been working on to help me get through finals <3
“Touch you softly I call you up late at night No doubt it isn't right But you could be my one and only” -Softly, Clairo
Peter had seen you around campus a few times, but it wasn’t until you started sitting two rows ahead of him in his linear algebra class that he really started to notice you. 
He thought you were really pretty, and he liked how cozy you always looked in the puffy winter coat you kept on in the perpetually freezing lecture hall. You took a lot of notes, which told him that you cared about the class, and never showed up without a giant cup of iced coffee.
You’re being a creep, Peter told himself. He had thought about switching seats to somewhere in front of you, so he could actually listen to his professor discuss permutations instead of staring at how you chewed on the end of your pen when you were thinking.
It was even worse when you started sleeping in class, your soft hair falling around your shoulders as you leaned your head against your desk. It seemed like all the coffee in the world couldn’t keep you awake, and Peter wondered if he should ask if you wanted to borrow his notes or something. But that would mean him admitting to looking at you way more than he needed to, and that was weird, so he quickly dropped the idea.
Still, he was worried about you. So when he came back from patrol in the middle of the night and bumped into you outside of the dorm kitchen, he figured it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce himself and maybe even find out why you were so tired all the time. 
The only problem was that he had accidentally knocked your pan of banana bread out of your hands, and you were currently staring at it laying on the floor with your sleepy eyes, not saying anything.
“Shit, uh, I’m so sorry,” he told you, crouching down to scoop up the remnants of your late-night snack into the pan. “Were you really up baking at 3 a.m?”
You blushed a little, starstruck that the cute guy from your math class was talking to you. “Um, yeah. I couldn’t sleep, so I figured I’d come down to the kitchen while nobody else was here and make something. Baking always helps me calm down, and so here I am. And here we are. And there’s my bread, all covered in whatever kind of dust the custodians refuse to sweep down here.”
He offered a soft smile, and it made you feel better about the fact that you were rambling way more than you wanted to.
“I’m Y/N,” you continued, gently taking the pan from his hands. “You’re in linear algebra with Professor Meyers, right?”
“Yeah, you, um, you sit right in front of me. Well, not right in front of me. Two rows in front of me. Shit. I’m not creepy, I promise. It’s just… uh… My name is Peter and I’m going to stop talking now.” 
That couldn’t have possibly gone any worse, he thought. You were probably thinking he was a serial killer or something.
“It’s okay. I know you sit behind me,” you reassured him. “You answer a lot of questions.” He was cute and smart, and you hoped he couldn’t notice how flustered you were to be this close to him.
“What are you doing up so late?” he asked, which made you laugh at how ironic his concerns were, considering he was also wandering around the dorm basement at this hour.
“I could ask you the same thing,” you replied, sitting on one of the benches that jutted out of the walls of the corridor. “I mean, you’re here too. At least I was baking. What’s up with you?”
You had a point. “I had an emergency… with my internship. I work for Stark Industries, and Mr. Stark rang me in the middle of the night to come to the lab immediately for something, so, yeah. That’s why I’m awake right now.”
“Okay,” you said, not buying his story. “So that’s why you have a black eye and you’re lurking in the basement hallway? Did Tony Stark punch you?”
Fuck. Did he really have a black eye and not notice? He didn’t think that Doc Oc’s stupid mechanical arm had punched him that hard, but apparently, he was wrong. And now he had to come up with some reason as to where it came from, although he could already tell that you were about to call his bluff.
The only solution he could think of was to change the subject. “Why are you always asleep during class?” he blurted out, causing you to give him a funny look before frowning down at your slippers.
“Isn’t it obvious,” you yawned, stretching your arms out in front of you. “I’m an insomniac. It’s actually kind of funny. I never really had any problems with falling asleep until I moved here. Maybe it’s the cold weather or the constant pressure to get good grades, but I just can’t sleep anymore. It sucks.”
Normally, you’d never tell this much about yourself to somebody, let alone a complete stranger. But somehow, you felt really comfortable around Peter. There was just something about him that made you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Peter caught himself staring at you again, your baby pink pajamas a far departure from how put together your usual outfits were. Even without your makeup or hair done, you were still the prettiest girl he had ever seen. For some reason, even the dark circles under your eyes were really cute to him.
“You never answered my question,” you reminded him, hoping that he’d say something to fill the awkward silence. “What’s with the black eye and wandering around in the middle of the night? Are you some kind of superhero?”
“What? No! That’s crazy. Me, a superhero,” he laughed awkwardly, wondering if you had somehow figured out his secret identity. Had you spotted him that one time he made sure that you and your friends got home safely from a late-night study session? Even so, you totally couldn’t have known it was him, right?
“Relax, I’m just joking,” you giggled, thinking about how cute he looked when he was flustered. “Although my friend did tell me she thought she saw Spider-Man a few weeks ago on her way back from a party.”
“Haha, yeah,” he breathed out, a wave of relief washing over him. It was times like these that he really started to appreciate how well-hidden his muscles were underneath all of his oversized sweaters.
“Does that hurt?” you asked, bringing your hand up to lightly brush his lip, which was bleeding. He flinched instinctively before settling under your touch, your eyes focused on the small cut. “I have a first aid kit in my room if you want some help cleaning it up.”
“Oh, no, it’s cool. I wouldn’t want to bother your roommate,” Peter told you, scooting further away on the bench, nearly falling off the edge of it. Ned hated it when he stumbled in at some ungodly hour after patrol and woke him up. 
“Don’t worry about it,” you said, standing up and gesturing for him to follow you. “I have a single.”
Peter looked at you in awe. Freshmen never got rooms to themselves, and yet somehow you had one. “Okay, fine. But only because I’ve never actually seen a single in this building before.”
“That’s cool with me,” you smiled, reaching for his hand so he could keep up with your pace. He noticed that you were chewing some of the banana bread, which he really hoped was from the part that didn’t fall on the floor. To be fair though, it did smell really good.
Not only did you have a single, but you lived on the first floor. Peter couldn’t believe how lucky you were, considering the building that the two of you lived in didn’t have any elevators to traverse its seven floors.
He was even more shocked when you opened your door, revealing the coziest dorm room he had ever seen. How on earth did you transform the glorified prison cell into something that felt so... comforting? From the twinkling lights that were wrapped around everything and the soft rug under his feet, Peter found it really hard to believe that you had trouble sleeping here.
“Sorry, it’s a bit messy,” you apologized, piling your many throw pillows and blankets into a basket to clear up some space on your bed. “You can sit here.”
If this was messy, then Peter and Ned’s room needed some serious help. “No worries,” he said, watching as you rummaged around your drawers in search of your first aid kit.
Eventually, you found it hidden under a bunch of graph paper and colored pencils, untouched ever since your overprotective grandparents had helped you move in. “Here we go,” you mused, now looking inside it for alcohol wipes and band-aids.
He winced as you rubbed the little cloth against his lips, and you made sure to be more gentle as you cleaned up the other cuts on his face. Thankfully, nothing was bad enough to require stitches, something you were seriously under-qualified to do.
All Peter could focus on the entire time was how close you were and what it would be like to just kiss you right then and there, but he knew that was way too forward of him. Plus, he didn’t even know if you liked him like that. Surely you were just being nice.
Still, the way he caught you staring into his brown eyes after smoothing a band-aid on his forehead made him think otherwise.
“You’re going to have to tell me eventually who beat you up,” you sighed, gathering up wrappers to throw away and tucking the first aid kit back into its place in your drawers.
“It’s a long story,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding your stare.
“I’ve got time,” you replied, climbing onto your lofted bed to sit next to him, innocently brushing your bare leg against his jeans, which made his breath hitch. “Tell me about it.”
“Uh, how about another time?” he stammered, hopping off the bed and running his hand through his hair. “After class tomorrow, or something. It’s getting pretty late. We should, um, go to sleep.”
“You can stay here if you want,” you offered, his eyes widening at your invitation. “On the bean bag, I mean. It’s actually really comfortable. You mentioned something about bothering your roommate and I figured that maybe you’d like to avoid the trouble tonight.”
“Oh…” Peter hesitated, looking for a reason to say no. He knew he’d never be able to sleep knowing that you were in the same room as him. “I don’t have any pajamas.”
“True,” you agreed, a little disappointed that he wasn’t interested in sticking around.
“I don’t actually even wear pajamas to sleep,” he continued, making you look back up at him instead of playing with the hem of your shirt. “It’s just… I sleep in my boxers.”
“I’m sorry for asking. I didn’t mean to put you in an uncomfortable situation,” you sighed, your face hot with embarrassment.
“It’s not that! I mean, I do want to stay here. But, uh, you… well, you make me really nervous, Y/N,” he muttered, his glance bouncing around the room.
“Why?” you asked, your brows furrowing. “Did I do something?”
“No, no! Nothing at all. I promise, okay?”
“Okay. You can, um, get ready for bed, I guess. I promise not to look,” you assured him, turning on your side to face the wall.
“Thanks. Yeah, alright.” You heard him fumbling with his clothes, his sneakers making a soft thud on your floor. You did your best to resist the urge to glance back at him.
“Can I just use any of these?” he asked, although you had no idea what he was talking about.
“Peter, I’m not looking, remember? You’re going to have to be a little more specific than that.”
“The blankets. Do I just pick one, or are you particular about them?”
“Oh. You can use whichever one you want to. But the coral one’s the softest and my personal favorite.” Peter stared at the basket in confusion. To him, they were all just pink. But based on touch alone, he pulled one out that he figured was a little more orange than the others.
He walked over to the light switch and flipped off the overhead fluorescents, letting the room be illuminated by the warm glow of your fairy lights, which weren’t too bright, but still twinkly and beautiful.
“Goodnight, Peter,” you whispered, snuggling into your comforter in the hopes that your heartbeat would slow down and let you fall asleep for once.
“Goodnight, Y/N.” In a matter of minutes, you could hear his soft snoring, and you figured that it would be okay just to take a quick peek since he’d probably be bundled up in one of your blankets.
His hair was perfectly messy, and he looked so cozy wrapped up in the blanket you had recommended. Still, as much as you could stare at his adorable face all night, you were exhausted. Burying your face under the covers, you did your best to calm your nerves and get some rest before class tomorrow.
----------------
“Peter,” you whispered, jostling him lightly by the shoulders in the hopes of waking him up. “Uh, we have an hour before class. I was thinking that it would be enough time for you to go shower and change, and then we could go get coffee or something.”
He blinked back up at you, amazed at how well he slept on your bean bag. You had already gotten ready for the day, doing your makeup and picking out one of your many fluffy sweaters to keep you warm in the New York snow.
“Thanks, that sounds awesome,” he yawned, accepting the hand you held out to help him up. The blanket fell, and you stared at each other in shock, having forgotten that Peter was in nothing but his underwear.
You dropped his hand as fast as you could, covering your eyes. “Oh my god! I’m sorry. Shit, I completely forgot, Peter. I’m so sorry. I’ll let you get dressed.”
Peter watched as you stumbled around the room, your eyes squeezed tightly as your hands attempted to guide you away from him.
“Y/N,” he started, catching your attention as you nearly ran into your bed frame. “You can open your eyes. Really, I don’t care if you see me like this if it means I can keep you from breaking your nose.”
You hesitantly opened your eyes, relieved that Peter had already managed to pull his pants back on. Still, he was completely shirtless, and you found yourself staring at the abs you would have never expected to be hiding underneath his clothes.
Moments later, you averted your gaze, although you knew that he probably noticed you looking at where was now covered by his plaid button-down and dark blue sweater.
“I’ll, um, be right back,” he muttered, before practically sprinting out of your room and up the stairs. You groaned in embarrassment, burying your face in a pillow before attempting to take a quick twenty-minute power nap.
Peter couldn’t believe it. Sure, he had thought one time about you seeing him without clothes on, but this wasn’t how he thought it would go at all. Still, the image of you staring at him shirtless, your face flushed, made him feel like he was going to have a heart attack.
“Dude! There you are,” Ned screamed, startled at his roommate’s unexpected entrance. Peter panted, having run up four flights of stairs as fast as he could. “Wait a second. Did you finally get laid? Is this a walk of shame?”
Before Ned could praise him any further, Peter was grabbing a change of clothes and sprinting towards the bathroom. Don’t think about her, he begged himself.
The memory of your leg touching his last night immediately came to mind, and Peter was so angry at himself for being this starved for physical intimacy. To be fair, though, you were the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and so he cut himself some slack.
Shit, he told himself, making sure the water was set to cold. He needed to calm down, but instead, his thoughts were stuck on how good you looked in your pajamas, but also how good you would look without them and—fuck it. 
Peter liked you a lot, and if thinking about you like this in private kept him from being a complete weirdo in person, then maybe he just needed to get his feelings of desperation over with.
When he came back down to your room about thirty minutes later, you were still super tired. You trudged your way towards the door, your hair now noticeably messier than earlier, but at least that meant your nap had been a success.
His hair was still damp and this time he was wearing yet another blue sweater, which made you wonder if he ever wore any other color. He had his backpack slung over one of his shoulders and a nervous smile on his face as he locked eyes with you.
“Hey,” he said, pushing some of his hair out of his face. “Are you ready to go?”
You leaned against the doorway a little bit, letting out a yawn that was literally the cutest noise Peter had ever heard in his life. “Yeah, let me get my backpack.”
“It’s so heavy,” you continued, rightfully complaining as the weight of all its contents practically pulled you downwards. “I think it’s so stupid how almost every professor bans computers from class. Like, it’s not fair that I have to lug around three textbooks every day. I don’t have time to run back to my dorm in between classes like some people!”
Peter frowned. Three textbooks were nothing to him, but he knew that you didn’t have spidey-strength and that you were also pretty tiny compared to him. It must’ve been hell on your back to be carrying all that stuff around every day.
“I can carry it for you,” he offered, holding out his hand to switch with you. “Here, you can take my backpack if it’ll make you feel better. I have a lot of programming classes today, so I’ve only got my laptop and a notebook in there.”
You gave him a look of gratitude as he traded bags with you, literally taking the weight off your shoulders. He was right. His backpack was much more manageable for you, even if the dark grey contrasted with the light colors you always wore.
In contrast, it looked kind of odd for him to be walking around with a backpack that was covered in a soft pink floral pattern, much like everything else you owned, but the sight of him carrying your books brought a smile to your face. 
It was one of the sweetest things a guy had ever done for you, and Peter wasn’t even your boyfriend. He probably didn’t even think of you in that way.
“Uh, where do you usually get coffee?” he asked, slowing his pace so you could keep up. He felt bad seeing how tired you were, no doubt due to the lack of sleep you got last night.
“The Starbucks next to Hendrie Hall,” you replied, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. “You?”
“I don’t drink coffee,” he admitted. “I’m actually more of a tea person.”
“Oh,” you hesitated, wondering if it was worth it to walk all the way across campus just for a caramel ribbon crunch frappuccino. “We could go somewhere closer then.”
“It’s okay,” Peter reassured you, grabbing your hand and pulling you along to your destination. “I like walking.”
----------------
You hadn’t really talked to Peter since that morning before class, but sometimes you would peek behind you and catch him stealing glances at you. Eventually, he had started to feel brave enough to give you a little wave whenever you caught him looking at you. Well, at least the times when you were awake.
One day, not even the loud shuffling and growing chatter of your classmates exiting the lecture hall could wake you up, and Peter figured he better do something before you got chewed out by one of the TAs.
“Y/N?” he said, leaning closer so that you could hopefully hear him. “Y/N. You gotta wake up. Class ended three minutes ago.”
He shook you a little bit, nervously hoping that you wouldn’t mind him touching you. Your eyes fluttered open, and you smiled softly as soon as you realized it was Peter. 
“Oh. Thanks,” you said, standing up to slide your empty notebook into your backpack. Your hand brushed the side of your mouth, making sure you hadn’t drooled onto yourself.
“You can borrow my notes,” he offered, glancing at you sheepishly as you gathered up your coat and fixed your hair. “If you want to.”
“That’d be great,” you sighed, wondering whether you should skip your next class and just go take a nap. At this point, you weren’t even bothering to put on makeup and you basically wore whatever clothes you had that weren’t already sprawled across your room.
“Are you alright?” Peter asked, walking close to you to make sure you didn’t fall over. He knew you were an insomniac, but you looked seriously sleep-deprived today. “Have you been sleeping at all lately?”
“Nope,” you huffed, lugging your perpetually heavy backpack along. “But I’m skipping the rest of my classes today. I’d rather lie that I’m sick through an e-mail than have to explain to my professors why I was sleeping during their classes.”
“Fair enough,” he agreed, stopping you in your tracks to take your backpack from you. “I’ve actually got some time before my next class. I can walk you back to your room and give you my notebook if that’s okay with you.”
“You don’t have to do that,” you told him, reaching to take your bag back from him, although he didn’t let you. 
“Y/N. Come on, you’re exhausted. At least let me carry your stuff, alright?” He had such a kind look in his eyes, and you certainly didn’t have the energy to keep arguing for no reason.
“Okay.” You crossed your arms, the cold air slowly waking you up as the wind hit your face. Your ears were super cold, but you were glad you had pulled your hair into a quick braid to keep it from flying everywhere.
It wasn’t long before you were kicking your boots off in your dorm room, your teeth chattering as you wrapped yourself in a blanket. 
“Do you want some tea?” you asked Peter, inviting him to sit down wherever.
“Sure, but I thought you drank coffee,” he reminded you, watching as you pulled an assortment of tea bags for him to choose from.
“I do,” you said, handing him the box and running to your bathroom to fill up the electric kettle. “But you drink tea.”
Peter’s ears suddenly felt hot. You had gotten tea just for him. Or maybe you were just a really good hostess and kept some around for all of your visitors. Probably the second option, he thought.
“Are you even allowed to have one of those?” he asked as the two of you waited for the water to boil.
“No,” you laughed, sitting next to him on your bed. For someone with so much space to themselves, you really needed to invest in more places to sit. “But you can’t have candles or fairy lights either, so I guess I’m just a rule breaker.”
“Guess I’ll just have to report you to the RA,” Peter teased, getting up to make himself a cup of earl grey. “Do you have any sugar?”
“Top drawer on the right,” you replied. “Do you have a sweet tooth?”
“Yes.” You watched as his lips blew on the tea to cool it down before remembering that it was weird to stare.
“You should let me bake something for you. What’s your favorite dessert?” You were kicking your dangling legs, suddenly feeling a lot more awake than this morning.
“Chocolate cake. With chocolate frosting,” he said in between sips, walking back over to you. With you on the tall bed and him standing, your faces were level with each other.
“I’ll have to make you one to thank you,” you smiled, peering into his eyes. Peter felt your heartbeat quicken, and the grin on your face as you stared at each other made him weak in the knees.
“Can I get those notes?” you asked, making him remember that people don’t just look at each other and say nothing like that.
“Oh! Yeah, definitely.” He quickly set the mug down on your nightstand to rummage through his backpack, flipping one of his notebooks open before handing it to you. “There are the ones from today, but all of the ones I’ve taken this semester are in there too.”
“Wow,” you laughed, making a worried expression form on his face.
“What’s wrong? Are they not good?”
“No, it’s not that. They’re just, uh, very thorough.” He had basically transcribed your professor’s lectures onto the pages. “You must write really fast. But thank you, Peter. I really appreciate it.”
Peter nodded before nervously gulping down the rest of his tea, not even noticing how hot the liquid still was as it nearly burned his throat. 
“I should go now,” he started, looking around the room for his things. “I want you to get some rest, Y/N. Please.”
He had this look in his eyes that was so genuine—so full of care and concern—that it made you want to do whatever he asked you to.
“I’ll try,” you told him, awkwardly rubbing the top of your arm in the hopes that you could actually fall asleep after he left. “Have a nice day, Peter.”
“Bye, Y/N. I’ll stop by later,” he said, already halfway out the door. “For the notes, I mean! Uh, bye. Again. Okay. I’m going to go now.” 
You giggled, giving him one last wave before he left. Like magic, the more you thought about how Peter was worried about you, the easier it was for you to drift off into a peaceful sleep, finally feeling at ease for the first time in weeks.
----------------
You woke up later that day to Peter knocking on your door, this time standing next to some guy in a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt.
“Hi, Y/N,” Peter greeted you. You looked a lot less tired than when he saw you this morning, which relieved him. “This is my roommate, Ned. He just wanted to know who I’ve been hanging out with, so I hope it’s okay that I brought him here to prove you’re real and not a figment of my imagination.”
Ned leaned closer to you, your hair still a little messy from your nap. “Blink twice if he’s paying you,” he whispered, causing you to giggle. Peter looked on nervously, unsure of what his best friend had just said to you.
“What did you say!?” he asked, lightly pushing Ned on the arm, knowing that it was probably something meant to embarrass him.
“Ow! Okay, now I’m really not telling you,” Ned replied, rubbing the spot where Peter had just hit him.
“Y/N, what did Ned say to you?” He turned to you, a worried look on his face as you and Ned held back your laughter. Peter’s face turned as red as a tomato, making you instantly feel a little bit bad. 
“It was nothing, Peter. Really,” you said, pulling him into the room with you. “It was nice to meet you, Ned. I’ll make sure he’s back before curfew.”
Ned laughed, offering a quick thumbs up and mouthing “I like her” to Peter before you shut the door on him.
“I knew that was a mistake,” Peter sighed, his back against the door. You were still a bit giddy from the exchange, giggling softly as he slowed his breathing.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed around me,” you reassured him. “We’re friends, right?”
“Yeah, of course. It’s just that…”
“What?” You could barely hear him as his voice trailed off.
“Well, uh, not all of my friends are, you know…”
“Spit it out, Peter,” you said, leaning closer so that you could hear him better.
“They’re not as pretty as you,” he muttered, making you blush at his words. Did he really think you were pretty?
“Oh. Thanks,” you smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear. Peter lifted his head up, relieved that you didn’t think he was a creep or something.
“Your notebook’s on my desk,” you continued, stepping back a little to give him some space. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding as the distance between you and him grew. “I just took a bunch of pictures, so I can look at them on my computer whenever.”
“Alright, awesome,” he said, walking over to collect it before turning back to you. “How’d you sleep?”
“Pretty well, actually. The best I’ve slept in a while. I think you’re some kind of good luck charm.”
“Really?” he asked, a little surprised that he had been helpful.
“Really. You know, I’ve been thinking…”
“Yeah?”
“Maybe it’d be nice if we hung out somewhere that wasn’t my room all the time,” you said, a hopeful look in your eyes. “If you want.”
Peter had never noticed it before, but the two of you really did spend most of your time together in your room. It really was a nice room, but it made sense that you’d want to get out of it every once and a while.
“I’d like that. What did you have in mind?” Play it cool, Parker, he told himself. You can freak out with Ned later.
“How about ice cream on Friday?” you suggested, which came as a bit of a surprise to him.
“In the middle of winter?” As far as Peter could remember, you were always cold.
“Yeah. I really love ice cream,” you added, smiling up at him.
“Okay, then. Ice cream it is,” he agreed. There was absolutely no way he could ever say no to you when you looked at him like that.
----------------
“May! No, it’s not a date. She’s just a friend. Yeah, I got it. Open the door, pay for her, don’t be an idiot!” Peter sighed into his phone, hoping his aunt’s unwarranted crash course on first dates would be over soon. “Yes, I’m wearing the green sweater. Thanks, love you. Bye!”
“I have no idea who told her I had a date tonight,” he groaned, slumping down onto the couch next to his best friend.
“I texted her,” Ned replied nonchalantly, not even looking away from whatever video game he was playing. “Knew you’d need some kind of pointers. Y/N is way out of your league.”
“Hey!” Was he right? Yes. Did Peter need to be reminded of it right before his not-a-date date with you? Definitely not.
“Come on, you know I’m right. It’s Liz Allan all over again. I have no idea how you keep pulling all of these pretty girls, but hey, credit where credit is due.”
“You’re so mean.”
“I keep it real and you love it. Good luck, man.”
“Bye,” Peter grumbled, slipping on his coat and walking out of their room. Four flights of stairs later, he was at your door.
“Hi!” you squeaked, wrapping your arms around him. This was the first time the two of you had ever hugged and Peter was not going to forget about it anytime soon. “Come in. I have a surprise for you!”
“Here,” you continued, holding out a blue and white beanie for him. “I made it for you. To match all those blue sweaters you wear all the time.” Except this time, he was wearing a forest green one, which brought out the slight hazel tinge in his eyes.
“You made this for me?” he asked, eyeing the different stitches you had used and fiddling with the pom-pom on top. It looked store-bought.
“Well, yeah, silly. I just said that,” you replied, hoping that he liked it. With all the time you didn’t sleep, you were knitting anyway, but this was a special present for him. “Try it on.”
“I didn’t get you anything,” he sighed, pulling the hat onto his head. He looked really cute, the ends of his wavy hair peeking out from underneath the brim.
“Don’t worry about it,” you said, pulling him out of your room and towards the front of the dorm building. “Getting to hang out with you is good enough for me.”
“Where’d you learn how to knit?” Peter questioned, walking alongside you on the snow-lined sidewalks. With how cold it was, and considering he didn’t have a hood on his coat, it seemed like perfect timing that you had given him a hat.
“My grandma taught me,” you shared, taking in the twinkling of the streetlamps and how they bounced against the snow. In New York, that was practically the closest you could get to stargazing. “My, uh, grandparents actually raised me.”
“Oh. I was raised by my aunt and uncle,” Peter confided. It made you feel not so alone to find out that he didn’t grow up with his parents either, even though you knew firsthand just how hard it was.
“Do they live around here?” you asked, stealing glances at him and how rosy his cheeks were in the cold air.
“Yeah, my aunt lives in Queens,” he told you, staring at his feet to both avoid eye contact and make sure neither of you accidentally slipped. Not that he wouldn’t catch you, but he wanted to be safe. “My uncle actually passed away a couple of years ago.”
You stopped walking, immediately feeling a sense of regret. “I’m sorry, Peter. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s okay, Y/N. There was no way for you to have known that,” Peter reassured you, his warm breath coming out in clouds, and he reached for your hand to run his thumb across your knuckles. He gently pulled you along, keeping you from dying of embarrassment in the middle of campus.
“What about you? Are you from around here?” he asked, hoping to break the silence and make you feel a little bit better.
“No, I just moved up here for college. I grew up in Texas but moved to North Carolina when I was 13, so I finished school down there,” you explained, Peter suddenly noticing a slight Southern twang to your voice. “I just really wanted to go to school in a big city and not next to a farm for once in my life.” 
“That makes sense,” he laughed, wondering what it would be like to live somewhere else. “I’ve only ever lived in New York City.”
“Do you like it here?”
“I love it. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, to be honest.”
“Me either,” you sighed, squeezing his hand tighter as the two of you enjoyed your walk in the snow.
It seemed like forever before you reached the ice cream shop, but you didn’t mind. That just gave you and Peter more time to get to know each other better. Turns out you both competed in academic decathlons, although you were more of a math person and he preferred science.
“Okay, you’re wrong. Night at the Museum 2 is so much better than the first one. I mean that kiss between Ben Stiller and Amy Adams? The Jonas Brothers as little cherub angels? Name one thing from the original that tops that,” you ranted in between spoonfuls of peppermint ice cream.
“I just really like when the little cowboy and gladiator are driving that toy car around,” he reasoned, subtly admitting defeat.
“Don’t even get me started on why the second Shrek movie—”
You were interrupted by the sound of Peter’s phone ringing, and you immediately recognized his ringtone as the Coconut Mall theme from Mario Kart. He peered down at his phone screen, sighing and mouthing an apology to you as he accepted the call.
“Uh, hey, Mr. Stark. Did you need something?” Well, at least you knew he wasn’t lying about his internship at Stark Industries. “Toronto? Tonight? I’m kind of busy.”
There was a long pause as Peter mentally kicked himself for talking back to Tony, resulting in an earful about how being an Avenger should always be at the top of his priorities.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I’ll be right over… but I need a favor. Could you send Happy to pick my friend up? Yeah, it’s the ice cream shop on 1st. Thank you so much, Mr. Stark. Bye.” He frowned at you, and you could tell from what you had heard that he had to go.
“I’m sorry, Y/N. It’s just, something came up last minute and Mr. Stark really needs me to go on this business trip with him,” he apologized, pulling his coat on. “But, uh, he’s sending a car for you. So don’t worry about walking back alone, alright? I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you when I get back, okay? Bye!”
“Oh, okay. Bye!” you managed to call out before he was running out the doors and down the street. Lots of customers were staring as you awkwardly gathered your things and went to go wait on the sidewalk.
A few minutes later, a shiny black car had pulled up to the curb in front of you, a man rolling down the window.
“Miss Y/N? I’m Happy Hogan. Mr. Stark sent me to drive you home,” he called from the driver’s seat, before getting out to open your door for you. You stepped in, a little starstruck at how nice the car was. You had never been in anything this expensive before. 
The two of you were sitting in silence until you finally got the courage to speak up. 
“Mr. Hogan,” you started, causing him to turn down the smooth jazz that had been playing on the radio. “Do you know why Peter has to go to Toronto?”
“Yes,” he replied, glancing at you in the rearview mirror. “But I can’t tell you that.”
“Oh, okay,” you accepted, shifting to look out the window at all of the places in the city that you hadn’t yet gotten the chance to explore. 
Eventually, he was dropping you off in front of your dorm, and you were trudging inside to your room to sulk about how your not-a-date date with Peter had gotten interrupted. You stared at your ceiling all night, wondering when the next time you’d see each other would be, and whether or not he’d come back with the same cuts and bruises as when you had first met.
----------------
Peter had been gone for six days and counting, and you were starting to worry that he might never come back. You had already started missing him the night he left, and now it was just some agonizing waiting game for him to return.
You must have spent hours in the basement kitchen before deciding to visit the fourth floor where Peter lived. You knocked on the door and was quickly met with Ned’s shocked expression.
“Uh, hi, Y/N. Peter’s not here right now. Did you need something?”
“I know,” you acknowledged, holding up the plate in your hand. “It’s just, well, I’ve been baking a lot and I didn’t really know who to give all of these cookies to, so I was wondering if you wanted any.”
“Oh, in that case, sign me up!” You watched as his face lit up as he noticed the assortment of chocolate chip, sugar, and snickerdoodle cookies all still warm from the oven. He offered his hands out to take the plate from you, which you happily relinquished. 
“These are really good,” he complimented, his mouth full of a sugar cookie. “Can I keep the rest of them?”
“Yeah, of course,” you answered, doing your best to smile despite how much you wished it had been Peter opening the door. “I’ll see you around, Ned.”
“Hey, Y/N,” he called out to you, making you turn around on the stairwell. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Peter’s going to be back any day now.” You nodded, offering him a wave and walking back down to your room.
Turns out Ned had been right. The strange noises outside of your window were masked by how loud you were jamming out to We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel, jumping around and listing off the lyrics that had never made much sense to you. Peter knocked louder on the glass, startling you as you quickly switched off the music to investigate.
“Holy shit,” you whispered, squinting your eyes to make sure you weren’t hallucinating. “Spider-Man? Is that really you?”
You fumbled to push up your window, extremely confused as to why one of the Avengers was outside your bedroom this late at night.
“It’s me, Y/N,” he explained, his voice suddenly becoming extremely familiar. Your eyes widened as you realized who was behind the mask.
“Oh my god! PETER?” you screamed as he slipped through the window, pulling off his mask and clapping a hand over your mouth.
“Don’t freak out. It’s okay. It’s just me, okay?” he stammered in an attempt to get you to calm down before an RA heard. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I really wanted to tell you, but we were in public when I left, and I couldn’t risk it. And I didn’t want to text it or do it over the phone because it’s kind of a big deal, so I figured I’d just come to see you as soon as I got back and Mr. Stark said that you have to promise—”
“It’s okay, Peter,” you interrupted, wrapping your arms around him and burying your face into the very weird material of his spider-suit. “I won’t tell anybody.”
He softened under your touch, resting his head on top of yours. “I like your dance moves,” he whispered, making you glare up at him, your face suddenly very red.
“How long were you watching?” you groaned, dramatically throwing yourself onto your bean bag, your face covered by your hands.
“Only for about a minute,” he answered, pulling your hands down so you could see him grinning at you. “I especially liked how you used your hairbrush as a microphone. Plus, I thought we agreed to stop being embarrassed around each other?”
“Well, that was before I knew you were freaking Spider-Man!”
“Okay, fair enough,” he agreed, nudging you to scoot over and make room for him.
“So, that’s what that whole Toronto thing was?” you asked as he sat next to you, your knee touching his.
“Yep. There was this thing about aliens and these guys that could shapeshift. It’s a lot to explain.”
“Are you going to keep that thing on all night?” you asked, gesturing at his outfit, which was very tight and very distracting from whatever alien story he had to tell.
“Oh. Yeah, I guess so,” he shrugged. “I don’t have anything on underneath it.”
“How scandalous,” you teased. “Not so family-friendly after all, huh, Spidey?”
“Oh, shut up,” he quipped, rolling his eyes as you let out a long yawn.
“Have you been sleeping much?” he continued, suddenly remembering the issue that had brought the two of you together in the first place.
“Of course not. I’ve been too busy worrying about my classes and, oh, just some idiot I know that abandoned me in the middle of an ice cream shop. Pretty sure he said he’d make that up to me, by the way.”
“Okay, okay. Message received. What would you like?” Please say a kiss. Please say a kiss. Please say a—
“Can I meet them? The Avengers, I mean. It’s not like anyone else really has a secret identity except for you.”
“Oh. I mean, I’d have to ask Mr. Stark and the rest of the team and see if they’re cool with it, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Awesome! You’re the best,” you chimed, wrapping your arms around him and planting a kiss on his cheek.
It was then that Peter decided he would just never be able to wash that side of his face again, his heart nearly skipping a beat.
“Peter,” you said, breaking the silence he had left the two of you in. “I’m tired.”
“Me too,” he sighed. “I should head up to my room. Gotta make sure Ned knows I’m still alive.”
“Yeah, of course,” you agreed, standing up to see him out. “Aren’t you worried somebody will see you, though?”
“Y/N, it’s 4 a.m. I’m pretty sure that you and I are the only people on campus that are awake right now.”
“Oh, right. Still, be careful, okay?” you told him, slightly worried at his secret identity being found out by some college kid that just couldn’t stay off Twitter.
“Will do,” he said, smiling and giving you a little salute before leaving.
----------------
A few days later, before you could even greet him, Peter was already walking into your room. It was 10 p.m., a little earlier than when he usually came over, but by now you were used to him showing up at your door unannounced.
He was already wearing his pajamas, a t-shirt with a science pun and some flannel pants that he had invested in to avoid any more awkward moments between the two of you. You were dressed in leggings and a sweatshirt, the clothes you usually threw on after class just in case you fell asleep on accident. There had been more times where you had woken up sweaty with your jeans stuck to your legs than you were willing to admit.
“Okay, so I asked Mr. Stark about your request and he told me he doesn’t think now is a good time, but…” he grinned, holding out a giant cardboard box with some kind of minimalist home appliance on the front for you to look at.
“Am I supposed to know what that is?” you blinked back, trying to figure out what the hell you were staring at, considering that all of the text written on it was in a language you didn’t know how to read.
“It’s some fancy white noise machine from Japan. If I remember correctly, Mr. Stark said he made Pepper order it because I wouldn’t shut up about you, and it would be in everybody’s best interest if you got some sleep, so I could stop annoying him and the rest of the team.”
“Oh. That’s pretty thoughtful, I guess,” you said, gathering things off your floor to make space for it.
He set the box down on your rug and got to work opening it. Meanwhile, you were busy translating what exactly Tony Stark had so generously gifted to you.
“Peter, wait. This thing is like $300. Doesn’t he know that you can just look up whale noises on YouTube for free?”
“Yeah, but this one adjusts its volume based on the noises around it, has a light that simulates the sun rising, and has an alarm noise that’s supposed to support healthy cortisol levels.”
Peter peered up to see your arms crossed and brows furrowed, it suddenly becoming clear to him that the things he had just listed meant very little to you.
“Plus, he’s a literal billionaire, so I don’t think it was that big of a loss for him,” he added.
“Fine. Let’s just hope this thing works,” you sighed, watching as Peter leafed through the instruction manual before tossing it behind him. “It’s a little early to go to sleep, though.”
“Y/N, plenty of people go to sleep at 10. Not everybody is nocturnal like you.”
“I guess you have a point,” you agreed, kneeling down beside him as he fiddled with all the settings.
“I know,” he said with a smirk as you rested your chin on his shoulder to get a better look at what he was doing. “What time do you want to wake up? 7 a.m. would give us time to go get breakfast before class, but we could do 8 if you wanted to sleep in.”
“We?” you mused, liking the sound of that. “I guess that means you’re staying here tonight?”
“Well, yeah. I’m not letting you have all these overpriced rainforest noises to yourself.”
“Do 7. We can go get those blueberry muffins that you like,” you decided, standing up to get Peter’s makeshift bed on your bean bag ready. “Do you actually like sleeping on this thing, or were you just trying to be polite the first time I asked?”
“Dude, that thing is awesome. It’s like I’m on this little cuddly cloud, and then you add all those warm blankets and the twinkly lights and it’s the perfect recipe for me to fall asleep.”
“Wow,” you nodded, looking around your room to see all of the things that Peter was talking about. “I wish it worked that way for me.”
“Maybe it will, tonight.”
It didn’t. You were tossing and turning for nearly an hour to the agonizing sounds of birds cawing and the occasional monkey chatter, all set against the backdrop of a heavy thunderstorm. To be honest, it was something that would’ve given you nightmares when you were little.
“Y/N?” Peter whispered from the floor. “Are you sleeping?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
“Could you turn that thing off? It’s really distracting me.”
“Yeah, of course,” he said, leaning over to switch the noise machine off. “Can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything.”
He hesitated, not really sure if he should ask the question that he had been thinking about for a while now. “How old were you when your parents died?”
You had to think for a moment, not really sure about the answer. For as long as you could remember, you just lived with your grandparents. “Um, well my mom left when I was a baby. And I think my dad passed away when I was four.”
“Oh,” Peter mumbled. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a parent leave you, but he didn’t want to pry just in case it was a sensitive topic. “Are your grandparents from your mom or dad’s side?”
You rolled over to rest your head on the edge of your bed so that you could see him better. He looked so cute bundled up in all of your blankets, his hair already a bit messy. “They’re my mom’s parents. It’s weird. I see a lot of pictures of her from when she was growing up, and I look so much like her, but she’s basically a stranger to me.”
Peter opened his mouth to say something else, but there was a long pause and he decided not to.
“What about you? How old were you when your parents passed away?”
“Five or six. They met while working at the C.I.A. together, but most of my memories are from the stories my aunt and uncle told me when I was growing up.”
For a moment, neither of you could find the right words to say to each other.
“Peter,” you spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. “I’m really glad I met you.”
“I’m really glad I met you too.”
----------------
Peter’s next plan of action involved even more advice from his fellow Avengers, and you were not looking forward to trying out any of their suggestions. 
“Okay, so, Steve—I mean Captain America—said that when he was little, you know, in the 1940s, all he had to do was drink a glass of warm milk before bed.”
“I’m lactose intolerant,” you groaned, crossing your arms.
“I just saw you eat an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s in one sitting the other day.”
“Regular milk has almost 15 times more lactose than ice cream. You’d think a science nerd like you would know that.”
“I’m a geek,” he scoffed, clearly a little bit offended. “Not a nerd.”
“Yeah, I can see that now. It’s okay, though. At least you’re pretty,” you said, pinching his cheek.
“Just try it,” he grumbled, handing you the warm glass and waiting impatiently for you to take a sip. If anything, the milk did a better job at keeping you up that night than putting you to sleep. Not even thirty minutes after you had gone to bed, you were feeling sick to your stomach.
“I hate milk,” you gagged, Peter holding your hair back as you kneeled over the toilet bowl. “My grandpa could never get me to drink it as a kid.”
“Is that why you’re so short?” he laughed, helping you up. You glared at him as you moved to the sink to wash the acidic taste out of your mouth.
“Shut up, Parker,” you quipped, tired and grumpy from how terrible you felt. “Let’s just go back to sleep.”
“Alright, munchkin,” he smiled, pulling you out of the bathroom and back towards your bed.
Somehow, the warm milk wasn’t even the worst of Peter’s ideas, because a few days later, he was standing at your door with a bottle of some Asgardian sleep aid from the lightning god himself.
“Are you sure this is safe for me to drink?” you asked, your eyes widening as you stared at the silvery liquid that was almost shimmering.
“Uh, I’m about 87% confident you’ll live,” he said, “But I’m 100% sure that it’ll work.”
“Gee, thanks. Now I really want to drink this weird alien potion,” you sighed, looking at him nervously.
“Just drink a little bit and see if you feel anything,” Peter encouraged, leaning over your shoulder. You nodded, hesitantly bringing the drink up to your lips to take a sip.
“This stuff tastes amazing,” you mused, taking a bigger gulp this time. “Like a blue raspberry slushie.”
“Whoa, that’s enough,” he warned, taking the bottle from your hands before you could drink any more of it. “We don’t want you to go into a coma.”
“I don’t feel anything,” you shrugged, frowning back at him. “Maybe I should—”
You stopped mid-sentence to let out a loud yawn, the potion starting to take effect. Peter caught you as you slumped down in your chair, helping you into bed.
“Okay. I definitely feel it now,” you admitted, already half asleep. Peter tucked you under your blankets, placing a kiss on your forehead as your eyes fluttered shut.
“Sweet dreams, Y/N,” he whispered, turning off your lights and softly closing the door behind him. 
For a moment, Peter had thought he had finally found a solution to your insomnia. At least before you slept through class the next morning. And then the day after that. But it wasn’t until the third day that he really started to freak out.
“Where’s Thor!?” he panted, having run all the way from his class over to the Avengers Tower. Wanda and Vision stared back at him from the kitchen, very confused at what he was so panicked about.
“He’s in his room,” Bucky called from the couch, his mouth full of popcorn as 13 Going on 30 played on the big screen. “What’s going on, kid?”
“No time to explain. Gotta go!” Peter called, sprinting up the stairs towards Thor’s room. He knocked frantically until the door finally swung open.
“Greetings, young Spiderling. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Thor smiled, his long, golden hair shiny as ever.
“I think I killed my almost-girlfriend!” Peter blurted out, practically sweating from how stressed out he was. “She drank that stuff you gave me and she hasn’t woken up in three days now!”
Thor chuckled, patting Peter on the head. “Do not worry, my brother. I’m sure she will wake up given time. It was a very potent drink, after all. Calm yourself.”
“Okay,” he sighed, relieved to know that he hadn’t poisoned you to death. “Cool. Cool, cool, cool. She’s fine. Everything’s fine. Thanks, man. I’ll, uh, I’ll see you around.”
“Farewell, Peter. May we meet again soon,” he grinned before closing the door in Peter’s face.
On the way back down the stairs, Peter figured he’d give you a call and see if you were still sleeping.
“Hello?” you groaned, your throat dry from just waking up. “Peter, what the hell happened to me?”
“THANK GOD YOU’RE ALIVE!” Peter yelled into the phone, making you recoil from the volume of his excitement. “You’ve been asleep for three days, Y/N. I thought you were dead.”
“I am very much alive,” you laughed, slowly feeling the potion wearing off. “Where are you?”
“Uh. I may have run all the way to Midtown to ask Thor if I had killed you,” he admitted, feeling you roll your eyes through the screen. “I was worried, okay?”
“Now you know how I feel whenever you leave for a mission,” you countered, glad that Peter couldn’t see how much you were blushing. “Hurry up and get your butt back over here. I have the weirdest dream to tell you about.”
----------------
Even if you still weren’t getting a full eight hours of rest at night, it was obvious that all of Peter’s efforts had vastly improved your sleep schedule. Over the past few months, you had gone from staring at your ceiling all night to actually being able to stay asleep for small periods of time.
“Your eyelashes are so long,” you mused, playing with Peter’s hair. He was sitting in between your legs and How the Grinch Stole Christmas was playing on your TV.
“Really?” He tilted his head back to look at you, batting his eyelashes and making you giggle.
“Yes. It’s not fair that boys get all of the pretty eyelashes,” you pouted, watching as the Grinch explained his plan to steal all of Whoville’s presents to his dog.
“I think yours are pretty,” he replied, a soft smile on his face. “But there’s a rogue one just hanging out on your face right now.”
“Can you get it?” you asked, your eyes still glued on the TV screen. Peter nodded, twisting around to gently brush the eyelash from your cheek.
“Do you want to make a wish?” he laughed, holding the little eyelash on the tip of his finger in front of you.
“Okay,” you agreed, squeezing your eyes shut and blowing it away. When you opened them, Peter’s face was only inches away from yours.
“What did you wish for?” His gaze shifted downwards to look at your lips for a split second, before returning to look into your eyes.
“I can’t tell you, dummy. Then it won’t come true.” You weren’t about to tell your best friend that you wished for him to kiss you. At least not now, while the two of you were stuck in this really weird “not dating, but more than just friends” limbo.
“Fine,” he frowned, crossing his arms and pouting in a way that you recognized had been mimicked after you.
“Don’t make fun of me,” you said, mirroring his stance. Your puppy dog eyes were definitely a lot more convincing than his.
“I’m not.”
“Uh-huh, sure. You smell really good, by the way. Well, your hoodie does. I could just wrap myself up in it and fall asleep.”
“How come you’ve never mentioned that before? You could’ve been out cold every night months ago!”
“Guess I was just too distracted by your dreamy face,” you teased, causing Peter to blush.
“Whatever. Seriously, though. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know. I think it took me a while to realize how sleepy I got whenever you were really close to me,” you shrugged. “You’re not mad at me, right?”
“Of course not. But if I had known sooner I would’ve just given you one,” he said, slipping the hoodie over his head and handing it to you. “Here, put it on. You better fall asleep instantly or I’m calling bullshit.”
“You caught me, Peter. This was all some elaborate plan for me to steal one of your hoodies.”
“Just put it on. The suspense is killing me.”
You rolled your eyes and pulled his hoodie on. Just from looking at Peter and how slim he was, you never would have guessed that it would be this oversized on you.
“How do I look?” you asked, striking silly poses in front of him. Peter involuntarily licked his lips and he knew he’d be replaying this image of you in his head for the next few weeks.
“You’re going to have to keep that,” he stammered, doing his best to hide how much he really liked seeing you in his clothes. “It looks a lot better on you. I, um, have to go do my homework. And call my aunt. And walk my roommate.”
Peter stumbled to his feet, staring at his wristwatch to maintain his act that he was late for something before grabbing his things and heading out the door, making sure to hold his backpack in front of him. “Let me know if the hoodie thing works. Bye!”
----------------
Brushing off Peter’s strangely abrupt departure from last night, you nuzzled into your pillow, the warm morning light spilling through your curtains. Last night had probably been your best sleep in months, and you even got to wake up late since it was Saturday. Things probably couldn’t have gone any better.
Before you knew it, you were running up to Peter’s room and banging on his door. He opened the door on your fourth knock, right after Ned had chucked a pillow at him, and you were met with his sleepy eyes and messy hair.
“It worked!” you yelped in excitement, twirling around and still wearing his hoodie. “Well, kind of. I fell asleep after about an hour, and then I slept for maybe three after that. But I had to pee in the middle of the night, and when I got back into bed I couldn’t fall back asleep until 6 a.m.”
“That’s some good progress,” he yawned, stepping out into the hallway to keep your little celebration from bothering Ned too much. “If only we could get you to sleep the entire night.”
“I know right. But I’m so happy!” you cheered, wrapping your arms around him. “We finally did something right!”
“We need to celebrate!” you continued, grabbing Peter’s hand and dragging him down the stairs. “Come on. We’re making you a chocolate cake!”
You stopped by your room on the way to the kitchen, piling a bunch of ingredients into Peter’s arms from your mini-fridge and various shelves.
“Okay, eggs, flour, butter, sugar, chocolate. Damn it. We’re all out of milk.” You side-eyed him, remembering the whole Captain America induced fiasco from a couple weeks ago. 
“I think we might have some in our room,” Peter laughed. “Ned drinks a lot of milk mixed with Milo powder. It’s some obsession he picked up when his family took a vacation to Australia. I’ll go get it.”
He set all of the ingredients you had given him on your desk and sprinted back up the stairs to raid Ned’s stash, already thinking of ways to apologize for it later.
A few minutes later he was knocking on your door, out of breath, and dressed to brave the many inches of snow that had fallen overnight. 
“We didn’t have any milk,” he panted. “But I can run to the dining hall and get a few cartons.”
“I’ll go with you.” You quickly pulled on your snow boots and layered your puffer coat on top of Peter’s hoodie, wrapping a hand-knit scarf around your neck just to be safe. “All ready.”
Getting the milk was the easy part. Making sure you didn’t die of frostbite was another story. By the time you and Peter got back to your room, your nose was super red and you couldn’t feel your toes.
“Okay,” you said, your teeth chattering. “I thought I was used to the snow by now, but that was something else.” You dropped your coat on the ground and climbed into your bed, burying yourself under your comforter.
“I thought we were making a cake,” he laughed, walking over to see you peeking out of the pile.
“Cake will have to wait,” you whined, your voice slightly muffled by the blanket. “Come here. I need some of your body heat.”
“Okay,” he stuttered, kicking off his sneakers and climbing in beside you. He had sat on your bed a lot since the two of you met, but this was the first time that he was actually laying in it. You snuggled up to him, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around you.
“This is nice,” you sighed, nuzzling your head into his chest. “Is this one of your superpowers? Spidey-warmth?” Peter let out a soft laugh. It was silly but true. Ever since the bite, he never really noticed how cold it was outside anymore.
“Y/N,” he whispered, tightening his grip around your waist. Your head was nestled underneath his chin, and he could smell the faint citrus scent of your shampoo. “I need to tell you something.”
“What is it, Pete?” you yawned, your eyelids heavy from how comfy Peter’s cuddles were.
“I love you.” He held his breath, nervously waiting for you to respond.
“I know,” you giggled, intertwining your legs. “Sometimes, you talk in your sleep. You’ve probably professed your love for me at least eight times by now.”
“Oh.” Peter had no idea how he was supposed to respond to that.
“Don’t worry. I love you, too,” you assured him, grinning and placing little kisses on his jawline. “I thought that was obvious.”
“Maybe you could make it a little more obvious,” he mumbled, his heartbeat getting quicker as you shifted up to kiss him on the lips, your hand running through his hair.
“I will,” you smiled, your forehead resting against his. “But after we take a nap, okay?”
“Okay,” Peter agreed, snuggling as close as he possibly could to you, never wanting to let go. In no time at all, he watched happily as you fell asleep in his arms, wondering how the two of you hadn’t thought of this sooner.
----------------
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jessbakescakes · 3 years
Note
random prompt: donna’s niece/nephew has to stay with her for some reason and josh drops by her apartment randomly so they all end up spending the day together :) thanks!
This took me an age and a half, but here it is. Let’s call this sometime post-snowballs, pre-finale Season 4 Josh/Donna. Also, it got ridiculously long and I have no idea why, but... yay?
Josh tries to be productive on his first Sunday off in recent memory. He gets a few things done around the house, and then he finds himself feeling bored. That feeling is rare; he hasn’t been this bored since he was recovering from his injuries after Rosslyn. There’s no shortage of things to do in the office, but Leo has banned him (and Donna) from the property for the day after a 38-hour shift. Soon the feelings of boredom propel him out of his apartment, and he finds himself standing outside of Donna’s place about fifteen minutes later without a plan. There’s a part of him that wonders if she’d even want to hang out with him on her day off, but all the other people he would invite are at work. 
So, Josh knocks at the door. 
They could always go to the movies; Donna’s been mentioning a new movie she’s been wanting to see. The thought of the two of them sitting in the back of a darkened movie theater while she gets invested in some sappy chick flick isn’t exactly his idea of fun, though, so his mind wanders to other possibilities. 
The plan is almost formulated in his head when she opens the door, but it all goes out the window when he notices a little girl run toward the door and wrap herself around Donna’s legs. “I can’t come into work today,” Donna insists.
“Hi, Josh, it’s so great to see you,” Josh says in his sarcastic ‘imitating Donna’ tone.
She sighs. “Hi, Josh. You shouldn’t be going into work, either.”
“I wasn’t gonna ask you to come in today. Who’s this?” he asks, glancing back and forth between Donna and the little girl, who looks like a miniature version of Donna, but with brown hair instead of blonde.
“This is my niece, Caitlin.”
“Francesca’s daughter?” Josh confirms, ensuring that his memory of Donna’s conversations about her nieces and nephews was correct. He vaguely remembers Donna telling him something about a political argument that her sister Francesca got into with another parent while she was chaperoning a trip for Caitlin’s kindergarten class a few weeks ago.
Donna nods. “She had a last-minute meeting with a client she’s trying to land for the D.C. branch of her company. So Caitlin and I get to spend the day together. Caitlin, this is my friend Josh.”
Caitlin gives Josh a toothless grin and a giggle. “Hi.”
“Hey, Caitlin,” Josh says to Caitlin, giving her a wave. He turns his attention to Donna. “I was thinking about how I owed you a new shirt after the coffee catastrophe. Figured I’d come by and ask if you’d like to collect on that today. But...”
“Well, you can help me babysit, and we’ll call it even,” she says, motioning for Josh to come into her apartment.
“Your sister won’t mind?” Josh asks, crossing the threshold and taking off his coat.
“She’s met you,” Donna reasons. “You work for the President of the United States. I think you’ll pass muster. And besides, I’m here for when you inevitably screw up.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he sighs. 
He looks toward Caitlin, who has abandoned Donna in favor of what she’s working on at the coffee table. There are art supplies everywhere; markers are scattered across the table (and a few have rolled onto the floor), a pair of child-sized safety scissors sits on the corner next to some tape, and tubes of glittery glue in several different colors are gathered in a pile in the middle. “What’s your favorite color, Josh?” she calls, without lifting her gaze from her project.
“Uh… blue, I guess,” Josh answers, approaching the couch and taking a seat.
Caitlin reaches for a blue sheet of construction paper and begins to cut an unrecognizable shape into it. She pauses after a moment, then lifts the paper and wraps it around Josh’s wrist, attempting to ensure that the piece she has cut is big enough. “I’m making a superhero bracelet,” she declares, making a face when she realizes it’s too big. “You can shoot stuff out of it and get the bad guys.”
Josh glances toward Donna, suddenly conveniently busy in the kitchen, and then back at Caitlin. “Sounds… interesting.”
He’s never been bad with kids. In fact, kids seem to like him, as a general rule. He’s just never been entirely sure what to do to replicate that experience from one kid to the next. This is Donna’s niece, so there’s a little extra pressure to seem impressive and interesting.
Donna is a natural with kids, at least from Josh’s perspective. Working in the White House doesn’t really give them a lot of opportunities to spend time with kids, of course, but the few times he’s seen her interact with them, it seems to come easily to her. They’re drawn to her in an inexplicable way.
Caitlin returns to her work. “This can be your bracelet. I made Aunt Donna a crown. Wait! Do you want a crown or a bracelet? Boys can wear crowns, too. They can be princes.”
“I’ll take the bracelet,” Josh says, motioning to the mangled piece of paper she has in her hands. “Did you say you made Aunt Donna a crown?”
He says the last part loud enough for Donna to hear in the kitchen, so Donna looks up at him and shrugs. “I’m a princess, apparently.”
“Don’t you think you should be wearing it?” Josh teases.
“It’s drying,” Donna says, motioning behind her to the counter, where she’s placed a crown made of pink construction paper covered in glitter.
Josh darts into the kitchen and gingerly lifts the crown, poking at various spots with his index finger. “Hmm, seems dry to me. What do you think, Caitlin, should she wear it?”
“Yeah!” Caitlin agrees enthusiastically. 
“You want to come in here and put it on her?” Josh offers, holding out the crown.
Caitlin shakes her head. “You do it.”
Donna slides a finished grilled cheese sandwich onto a plate and turns around. “Don’t you dare squish it on my head,” she warns under her breath, her arms crossed. “If you get any glitter in my hair…”
“Donnatella, this isn’t my first coronation,” Josh huffs.
She rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling at him. “Where was your last one, Burger King?” 
“Medieval Times, actually,” he says, gently securing the crown on Donna’s head. “There.”
Donna reaches up and pats her head. “He didn’t give me a bump in my hair, did he?” she asks, turning around to allow Caitlin to check.
“Nope,” Caitlin confirms, approaching Josh with his superhero bracelet and about a dozen long pieces of Scotch tape. She attaches it to his wrist and steps back to admire her handiwork. “Now you both have something!”
“We certainly do. Come wash your hands and we can have some lunch,” Donna instructs.
Caitlin, Josh, and Donna chat over grilled cheese and tomato soup. When they finish, Donna clears the table while Caitlin pulls Josh into the living room to clean up the crafting supplies. Caitlin is entertaining to talk to, as far as six-year-olds go. Of course, she’s not about to debate the intricacies of domestic policy with him, but she asks questions about the President - she seems primarily interested in the idea of him being funny. Caitlin also wants to know if the President has a dog (she seems disappointed when Josh tells her he doesn’t) and if he intends to get a dog (she seems even more disappointed when she hears this answer). 
Soon there’s a lull in the conversation. Caitlin seems to be focused and hard at work, slowly gathering the art supplies to clean up. 
“Your Aunt Donna told me that you went to the aquarium a couple of weeks ago,” Josh says tentatively, unsure of what topics are interesting for six-year-olds, but making an effort anyway. 
“I got to pet a stingray. You do it like this,” Caitlin explains, holding up her index and middle fingers together and sweeping them in the air.
“Oh, yeah? That must have been cool. What did it feel like?”
“He was kinda slimy. But there was an otter that was swimming up near the spot where I was standing at the otter place,” Caitlin says, shoving some markers into their box. “I love otters.”
“Oh, really? Otters are nice. What do you like about otters?”
“Otters… the otters hold hands while they’re sleeping so they don’t float away,” Caitlin explains as she clears the last of the paper off of the table. “Then they would be sad and all by themselves.”
“That’s smart of them,” Josh answers. “Don’t want them to be lonely.”
Josh discovers that Caitlin knows a lot about otters. She explains that she checked out several books from the library about otters after her trip to the aquarium, and has done some extensive internet research. By the time the living room is clean, Josh has been informed that otters have the thickest fur of all mammals in the animal kingdom, and baby otters are not able to swim on their own. 
Caitlin is about to explain the ins and outs of keeping a baby otter safe and secure while its mother goes out hunting when Donna enters the living room with a bowl of water in one hand and a Ziploc bag in the other. “What are we up to in here?”
“Otter discourse,” Josh says, stacking the newly collected art supplies in a pile. 
“They hold hands,” Donna says with a knowing nod, as though she’s heard this piece of trivia before. “Okay, Caitlin, you wanted to look through my stash of tattoos, right?”
Caitlin nods and takes the bag from Donna’s hand. She dumps out the bag and looks through the temporary tattoos that Donna has acquired. There are flowers, hearts, butterflies, and various animals and characters to choose from. Caitlin flips over each tattoo, grouping them by color as she deliberates. 
Josh looks to Donna. “Does this sort of freakish organizational skill run in the family?”
Donna pokes him in the arm and Josh yelps, rubbing the spot as Donna moves to expedite the process by flipping over the tattoos. 
Caitlin finally selects several different tattoos, sliding one in front of Donna and another in front of Josh. “Those are for you,” she says.
Josh shoots Donna a look, but Donna rolls up her sleeves. “Where should I put mine? On my hand, or on my arm?”
“Hmm,” Caitlin says. “Your hand.”
“Do you need help with yours?” Donna asks. 
Caitlin nods. “The last time Mommy and I did these, mine got all messed up ‘cause I pulled it off too fast.”
“Oh, well we can’t have that,” Donna insists, dipping a washcloth in the bowl of water. “Josh, start thinking about where you want your tattoo.”
“I think he should do it right here,” Caitlin says, tapping the inside of her forearm.
“You think so?” Donna asks. 
“You have to do it on this arm though,” Caitlin says, grabbing Josh’s left hand. “That one has your superhero bracelet.”
Josh sighs. “Do I get a say in this at all?”
“No,” Donna insists, turning his arm over so his palm is facing upward. She grabs his left hand in hers and pushes up the sleeve of his sweater with her right hand.
“You’re holding his hand. Kind of like the otters,” Caitlin points out.
Josh is certain that what Donna was doing was entirely platonic, operating on instinct under the watchful eyes of an observant kindergartener. But he wonders if she can feel his pulse hammering the same way it did outside her apartment in the snow a few weeks prior. 
“Well, we wouldn’t want him to float away, would we?” Donna teases before letting his hand go and removing the plastic cover of a purple butterfly tattoo.
Caitlin approaches them and supervises as Donna applies the temporary tattoo, impatiently waiting for the reveal. Donna is about halfway through peeling the paper backing away when Francesca walks in the door. 
“Mommy!” Caitlin shouts, launching herself at Francesca.
“Looks like I’m interrupting the makeover portion of the afternoon,” Francesca says. “Hey, Josh, it’s good to see you.”
“Hey, Francesca,” he says. “It’s good to see you too. I didn’t know you were coming to D.C. this weekend, or I’d have given Donna a chance to spend some time with you.”
Francesca waves her hand. “It wasn’t planned. I had a thing come up, and I was going to leave both the kids with Chris, but Caitlin heard me mention D.C. and all bets were off when she remembered that’s where Aunt Donna lived.”
“I made Josh a superhero bracelet,” Caitlin says. “And Aunt Donna has a crown.”
“I see that,” Francesca smiles. “Why don’t you and I head back to the hotel for a little bit? I’ll take you swimming at the hotel pool before dinner if you want.”
Caitlin darts across the apartment, gathering all of the things she brought over earlier in the day. “Can Josh eat dinner with us?”
Francesca grabs Caitlin’s pink backpack that’s sitting by the door and turns to Josh. “You’re welcome to join us, I was taking Donna out to dinner as a thank you for spending some time with Caitlin while I was in that meeting.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll let the three of you spend some time together,” he says.
“Next time,” Francesca says. “Caitlin, what do you say to Aunt Donna and Josh?”
“Thank you!” she says, nearly knocking Donna over with a hug and climbing onto the couch to give Josh a hug with equal enthusiasm.
“Thank you again. Both of you. Six-thirty?” Francesca asks Donna.
Donna nods. “Perfect. You don’t have to run off, though, I don’t mind --”
“No, no, I know,” Francesca interrupts. “It’s totally fine. We’ll see you at dinner.”
Francesca helps Caitlin get her coat on and Donna sees them out. As Donna says goodbye and Caitlin and Francesca leave the apartment, Josh can hear Caitlin chatting to her mom.
“Aunt Donna was holding Josh’s hand, like the otters.”
Donna shuts the door and turns to look at Josh. Her cheeks turn pink and her eyes dart to the floor. “She really likes otters.”
“I gathered that.”
“Probably should have warned you about that.”
Josh laughs. “You could have warned me that I’d be peeling pieces of tape off my arms, too, but you just threw me to the wolves.”
“Hey, now. You survived!”
His forearm is still stretched out as the temporary tattoo dries and becomes less sticky and more prickly-feeling. “I also wasn’t exactly planning on getting a tattoo today. Or… probably ever.”
“Not a tattoo guy, huh?”
“Why, are you a tattoo girl?” Josh pushes his sleeve down over his forearm.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Donna says, a hint of teasing in her voice. 
Josh stands up from the couch. “Want me to, uh…” he gestures around the living room, not sure where to dive in to help clean up.
“I think I can manage,” Donna says. “Thanks for today. Caitlin had fun.”
“Yeah. It’s no problem. Just remember that next time when Aunt Donna isn’t the favorite anymore and she goes on and on about how great Josh was,” Josh teases.
Donna crosses her arms and lets out a laugh. “Like that would ever happen.”
“You underestimated me before,” Josh points out. “You’ll see how popular I am when Caitlin asks you about me at dinner tonight.”
“And you think if she did, I would actually tell you about it?” 
“I know when you’re lying, Donna. Your mouth does this weird thing.”
“A weird thing?”
“I don’t know how to explain it, but I know it when I see it,” Josh insists, putting on his coat. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Donna says, opening the front door for him.
Josh stands there for a moment before he leaves, looking at Donna. The pink crown is still on her head, and her shirt has spots of pink glitter on it, presumably from aiding in the decoration of the aforementioned crown. For the briefest of moments, he wonders if this can’t be their future - if it can’t be their kid who tapes a superhero bracelet around his wrist with too many pieces of tape or insists on giving him a butterfly tattoo.
He pushes the thought out of his mind until later in the shower when he attempts to scrub the tattoo off his arm. He’s had more moments like this since he took a cab to throw snowballs at her window -- or more accurately, ever since Commander Wonderful and his thirteen buttons showed up. The images, oddly domestic compared to most of his fantasies, play on a loop in his brain.
He knows he can’t indulge them, can’t enjoy these fantasies. She’s his assistant; he’s her boss. They’re friends, and that’s all they can be for another four years. Of course, that’s assuming that some gomer doesn’t sweep her off her feet and give her what Josh can’t, at least not yet. But he doesn’t know how to stop them, and they’re coming with more frequency than the nightmares he’s grown accustomed to having.
The idea that she could have all this with someone else is more terrifying than the nightmares.
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unmaskedagain · 5 years
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Five boys the Batfamily scared off (And the one boy who helped Marinette get revenge on them all)
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This is actually based off a prompt/ask I got by #vixen-Uchiha
Okay, believe it or not, I’ve in history of all my days writing fanfiction (I just turned 27 and have been writing since I was sixteen); I started when Twilight was still at the height of its popularity. (All that work has been deleted, burned, and doused with holy water; don’t ask questions) But even with almost a decade of writing fanfiction, I never even considered approaching this fanfiction classic.
Until now.
Wish me luck. And don’t judge me too harshly.
Note this was also inspired by a poem I loved called To the Boys Who May One Day Date My Daughter by Jesse Parent
 Marinette always knew Tom was her step-father. Sabine and he married when she was three after all. And while she considered the great cuddly bear to be her dad, she still had a great relationship with her actual father: Bruce Wayne. And all her brothers and Sister.  She spent every summer with them and every other Christmas in Gotham. She loved her family. She just wished they take a chill pill.
And stop scaring away her freaking boyfriends.
Lê Chiến Kim: The Boy who swears Marinette’s related to the Boogieman
           If anyone asked Marinette now if she would ever date Kim, she’d have died of laughter. Kim was like a goofy cousin. They were great friends. Their moms were best friends. She just didn’t see him like that.
           However, it wouldn’t have been so funny to six-year-old Marinette who ran from school with a Daisy in her hair and a big smile her face.
“Daddy, Daddy,” She’d squeal to her Papa later that day. She barely noticed he was still wearing bat uniform, except the mask. Or all her brothers were with him.
“Hey Sunshine,” Bruce smiled lovingly at his youngest daughter. “You have a good day at school.”
“Give ‘em hell, firecracker,” Jason called from the background.
           Tim and Dick laughed. Bruce just shook his head amused.
“I got a boyfriend!”    
           Silence.
           That day would forever be known as the day all the smiles died. Seven-year-old Damian just blinked in confusion. He didn’t know what had happened but he knew it was bad. And that it involved his sister. Was she in danger? Did she need help?
           Before Bruce could process or respond to his precious, baby girl, who was way too young to date (And what the hell was Sabine thinking?). Dick literally pushed him out of his chair like it was nothing. “What’s his name? Who are his parents? Where does he live? And where can I find him right now?”
           Marinette, being too young didn’t notice the threat in her eldest brother’s voice and the look of murder in his eyes, had no problem telling Dick all about her best friend Kim, who was super nice, and gave her a Daisy, and kissed her cheek.
           When the call ended, Bruce brought up the picture of the boy in question. A nice-enough looking boy to most, but he knew the truth. He knew the evil in his heart.
I have been waiting for you, Bruce thought, not just to Kim but to all the boys who would day date his daughter, since before she was even born. Before you took your first steps, I was preparing to make it so you’d never walk again.
           However, Kim was still just a child. He needed a kinder touch. He looked back at his children: Dick, Jason, Cassandra, Tim, and Damian, and made his choice.
           When Dick showed up to walk her to the school the next day, Marinette didn’t think to question how her brother got from Gotham to Paris so quick. (Cough, misuse of Zeta beam). Or why he was dressed in all black with a scary biker jacket on. She just shrugged and let him help her tie her shoes and carry her bright pink, hello kitty, and backpack.
           He held her hand the entire way to school, where Kim and his dad were waiting by the doors. Kim had another daisy in his hand that he gave to Marinette.
“This is Dick,” Marinette introduced her brother. “My biggest brother. This is Kim, my boyfriend,” Kim preened. “Look, Dick, Kim got me another daisy.”
           Dick beamed at his sweet little sister, “I see. Hey! Isn’t that you’re friend Rose? Why don’t you go show her?”
“Okay!” And she ran off.
           As soon as she was gone, Dick’s smile quickly disappeared and he glared at the little Casanova, and his father, who felt like someone had just walked over his grave.
“My sister is a little young for a serious boyfriend,” Dick hissed. “Don’t you think? Don’t want her to grow up too fast, right?” The two could only nod in fear. “Good. Don’t hurt her. Don’t make her cry. Because I’d hate to have to have another talk with you, Chiến. It might not go as… nicely.” And with that, he left to go find his sister, leaving two terrified people in in wake.
           That conversation would be the reason Kim broke up with Marinette over recess but to the girl’s dismay and why the boy wouldn’t allowed to date for another ten years.
           Looking back Kim would swear darkness and shadows started to fill the schoolyard. That Marinette’s older brother’s voice got deeper and his eyes turned completely black. He had been a living nightmare, one that would haunt his dreams for years.
Marinette wouldn’t get another boyfriend for years.
 Chat Noir aka Adrien Agreste; The Boy who just didn’t want to Get Neutered
           Marinette never considered Adrien or Chat Noir her boyfriend. He had been her best friend, her partner, and for a long time, her crush. However, before Marinette found out who was behind the mask, and he earned the title of her best friend in the whole world.
Chat Noir had the title of Guy who can’t take a hint.
           They had been just thirteen at the time. Chat had been spending for more and more time flirting with Ladybug and joking around then actually taking the fight seriously. And when he wouldn’t get the response he wanted from his Lady, he’d pout or throw a tantrum and storm off. It had been getting to be a real hassle. And as much as she liked Chat, she had been seriously considering Master Fu’s offer of getting her a permanent partner to replace him.
           Then one day if all change. All the silly behavior, most of it anyway, and the constant flirting all stopped and never started back up. It would take Marinette months to find out why.
           Unbeknownst to Marinette, her Papa, Bruce had been keeping a watchful eye on the deteriorating situation. The flirting, his daughter’s frustration, the lack of care. It had to be stopped. Chat Noir had a few lessons to learn.
           Bruce glared harshly at the image of the cat-themed Superhero. He was proving to be a useless partner for Ladybug. And a prime example for a sexual harassment claim. “You’re sure you can handle this,” He asked son.
           Damian scoffed, “I will teach that alley cat the true meaning of fear.”
“Go.”
           When his son was gone and Bruce was once again alone in the Batcave, he smirked darkly at Chat Noir and all other boys who would come and go. “When you were still playing war in the school yard, I was perfecting headshots. You can’t catch up at this point.”
           One night, after a particularly hazardous fight with an Akuma, Chat Noir had been running home when suddenly everything went dark.
           He woke up, tied upside down, and gagged. For a few moments he thought Hawkmoth had finally gotten, wondered if this was the end.
           When a sword pressed against his throat, and a chilling voice whispered in his ear, “Care to find out just how many lives you really have, fleabag?”
           At the moment, Chat Noir no longer wondered if it was the end. He knew it was.
           A boy, Robin, he realized glared fiercely at him.
“I should kill you,” Robin sneered. “I should rip you limb from limb and leave your head mounted on a spike to show the next fool who thought he was worthy of my sister’s hand. Ladybug is too good for the likes of scum like you.”
           Chat Noir gulped. Sister? Ladybug was Robin’s sister. Adrien’s eyes widened, that meant Ladybug was Batman daughter. He was going to die. He was just going to disappear and his father, or most likely Nathalie, wouldn’t even notice until he failed to show up for his next appointment.
Gorilla would notice though, Adrien thought, he’d miss me.
           Robin pressed the tip of the sword to Adrien’s face until blood was drawn. “You will cease your incessant flirting with my sister. You will train harder for your battles. And you never, ever, leave Ladybug to fight alone again. Am I clear?”
           Adrien nodded his head earnestly. He’d never flirt with anyone again, he swore. He wouldn’t even celebrate Valentine’s Day. Or anything.
“And if for some miracle,” Robin hissed, “My sister deems you suitable to date, you will treat her will respect. You will never touch her without permission. And if you hurt her, Consider my genes a mark of Cain; you will suffer seven times whatever you do to her.”
           Chat Noir whimpered.
           A smoke bomb later. Chat Noir’s bonds were released and Robin was gone.
           It took a long time for him to stop shaking.
           He never flirted with Ladybug again. He worked harder and became the partner she deserved.
           And when Adrien discovered Marinette was behind Ladybug’s mask, he only managed to stumble a little.
           However, when Marinette told him that her brothers was coming for a visit; she couldn’t understand why he paled and stuttered out excuses for photoshoot he never mentioned before in far, far away countries. That same day, Adrien had his father taken them to Australia for vacation under the threat of Adrien dying his hair pink. He wouldn’t return for a month.
Jon Kent: The Boy who, in retrospect, really should’ve known better.
           Marinette’s first real boyfriend was the son of her father’s best friend, Clark Kent, otherwise known as Superman.  She had been only fourteen and it had been a summer romance while she stayed in Gotham. She had thought Jon was perfect; handsome, kind, funny…
           Invulnerable to most weapons and had amazing healing factor.
           Plus it’s not like her papa would kill the son of his best friend, right?
           Right.
           It had all been going great… until it wasn’t.
“I welcome you in my home,” Bruce hissed at the picture of Jon Kent on the bat computer. “I trained you. I trusted you. And you betrayed me.”
“Let me speak with him, father,” Damian demanded. “He is my friend. He will listen to me.”
           Bruce shook his head, “That’s why I can’t send you. You’re too close to the situation. He snuck past all our defense. Now I have no choice but to do same. J?”
           The Asian girl smirked, “Little Superboy will know dread.”
           Jon had been visiting the fortress of Solitude when… it happened.
           Before that day he had never dreamed the place would be anything less than safe, anything other than secure.
           His dad had just flown off to help someone in Brazil. Jon waited patiently for him to come back while he dreamed of his beautiful new girlfriend. Marinette was amazing, perfect, and the nicest, sweetest girl ever.
           When suddenly he felt a tickle in his throat, and he tried his best to clear it but it just got worse and worse. Until Jonathan Samuel Kent, Superboy (now that Connor was going as Krypton), fell to his knees as he struggled to breath.
           No matter what he did, the more breaths he took, the worse he felt. It was like his lungs were on fire.
“Do not struggle,” A voice said. Jon looked up see Blackbat, Cassandra, standing above him. How did she get into the fortress? Not only could only a Kryptonian open the doors but only a member of El could be let in. It was impossible. “Struggling makes it worse.”
           Jon coughed, “What?”
“The air,” Cassandra waved her hand around. “It is filled with dust. Green dust of Kryptonite. It has disable you and your powers. It’s concentrated. You will not die. The alerts of the fortress were disabled. No one is coming to help you, villain.”
           Jon shook his head frantically. He wasn’t a villain. He wasn’t a bad guy. This had to be some mistake.
“No, not villain,” Cassandra corrected. “Not yet. A thief who thought he could earn my family’s trust and then steal away our most precious jewel; our princess. And do it without consequences. I am here to teach you better.”
           Superboy flinched at her words.
“You will not pressure my sister,” Cassandra hissed. “You will be the gentleman we believed you to be. If you cheat on her, I will ensure you never have children. If you strike her, I will know. She will not keep your secret. You can’t make fire feel afraid. And I will come for you. Do you understand?”
Jon nodded, fear in clear in his eyes.
“Good.” She leaned forward, right into the young superhero’s face. “Some say you and your father, your cousin Kara, and Connor, are invincible. That you can’t be stopped. That you are gods among us.” She scoffed. “Let me make this, if you break my sisters’ heart, you will learn, boy of steel, that even gods bleed.”
           And then she was gone, and with her all traces of kryptonite. It didn’t stop the chill that filled Jon to the core.
           It was to no one’s surprise when Superman showed up at the Batcave not long after. “Bruce,” Clark asked with his arms out. “What the fuck?”
           Marinette’s relationship soured when suddenly Jon was too scared to hold her hand, her be alone with her, or kiss her. She got the hint that he just wanted to be friends and broke it.
           She found out a year later what really happened.
Luka Couffaine: The Boy who decided he didn’t want to sing his tune yet.
           Luka had been Marinette’s first serious boyfriend. She was sixteen. They had been together for months and were getting to the ‘I love you’ stage.
           He was cool. He was funny. He was a budding Rock star. He had dyed green hair, tattoos and earrings. Luka went onto tour with his band every summer. He was older than Marinette by two years. He had quite a few previous girlfriends. And he hadn’t been scared off by the normal attempts by his other kids.
           In other words, he was Bruce Wayne’s worst nightmare.
           And the nightmare got worse, when for the first time ever, Marinette was bringing a boyfriend home for Christmas. It was all the confirmation he needed that the things were serious.
           It was why he knew he had to send the greatest soldier he had. Luka Couffaine would rue the day he decided it was good idea to ask his princess out. “Are you ready?”
           Tim nodded. “I’ve done my research,” he declared. “I know what makes him to tick. I. Will. Break. Him.”
“Excellent,” He drawled out the word like it he tasting fine wine. Not caring at all that he sounded like a superman.
“You really think he’s a threat, dad?” Tim asked. “Because I can take care of it. I can have him eliminated. Ra's al ghul owes me a favor. It’ll look like an accident,” He promised. “It’ll look like he just… disappeared.”
A sense of pride filled Bruce. Tim was his most capable and resourceful soldier. He would make a great batman. Any of his kids would.
Batman stared the picture of the boy on his phone as he fought the urge to crush it in his hands. “No,” he finally answered. “I’ve known plenty of rock stars and so called bad boys in my day.  Angel’s smart,” he said using Marinette’s codename. “I have been routing out indifference apathy from her life, her childhood was filled with love and affection. There are no daddy issue for his teenage talons to latch upon. Just… make sure he understands who he is dealing with.”
“Understood.” And then call ended.
           He looked up and saw all the other Justice League members staring at him with expressions of awe, fear, and confusion.
“…Marinette’s got a new boyfriend, huh?” Diana asked when the call disconnected. Amusement in her tone, she knew Bruce would never seriously hurt a kid.
“Poor guy,” Barry said with a shake of his head.
           Clark pinched his nose, “You can’t keep scaring guys away from her forever. Eventually, she’s going to find one who isn’t afraid of you.”
“And then she’ll marry him out of spite,” Dinah added.
           There were snorts from the other league members.
“Like that’ll ever happen,” Oliver said with a shake of his head. “That kid would have to be the biggest moron in the universe. I’ll pity his family.”
           Marinette had constantly warned Luka about how overprotective her family was. Luka hadn’t thought much of it. He dealt with overprotective fathers and brothers before. Eventually they grudging begin to like him. Or realize that if they actively hated him, it would just make the girl get attached.
           He was excited for Christmas, excited to prove himself to the girl of his dreams, and impress her by dealing with her entire family. Luka didn’t understand why Adrien looked so afraid when he told him. Or why he asked what type of flowers he liked.
“For the funeral,” Adrien shrugged. “I need to know what to buy.”
           Luka had laughed, thinking the blond was joking. He had already met a two of her brothers; Dick and Damian. They had been growls and threats but nothing he couldn’t handle. But Adrien didn’t laugh. He just shook his head and promised he’d be there for Juleka. Luka thought he was overreacting.
           However, nothing. NOTHING. Could have prepared Luka for the first time he met Tim.
           Luka had been walking home with Kagami, his long-time friend and one-time rival for Marinette’s affection. It was board daylight, there were tons of people around, and then they had made the apparent mistake of walking by an alley, when suddenly they were pulled into the back of a van, hoods thrown over their heads, and their hands bounds.
           He didn’t know how much time had passed. Or where they were being taken. All he saw was darkness. All he felt was fear. Was this how died?
           When the hoods were finally removed, the two teenagers found themselves in what looked to be a deserted warehouse, bound to their chairs, with a teenage boy not much older than they sitting across from them, looking absurdly comfortable given the situation.
My name is Timothy Drake-Wayne. I am Marinette’s older brother,” He said. “Let me make something clear before we begin. The last hour never happened. This conversation never happened. We never met. And if you say otherwise,” Tim’s eyes narrowed.  “No one will believe you. I was just by dozens of witnesses in Mexico with my boyfriend less than two hours ago. But if you do tell anyone, there will be consequences. Do you understand?”
           They nodded not daring to say a word.
“Luka, Luka, Luka.” Tim smiled an eerie grin that should look more at home on the monsters from Horror movies, and not on such a handsome face. “I hear you’ll be visiting us over the holidays. Must be so exciting for you, meeting your girlfriend’s family. Are you excited, Luka?”
           Luka swallowed hard. He never thought he’d hate the way his own name sounded. “I was- I mean I am. I am.”
“Good,” Tim said. “I just wanted to offer you a bit of advice. So you can know to expect. You see it call all be a bit… daunting to newcomers. Some people don’t understand the Wayne family’s unique tastes. Okay?”
           He nodded.
           Tim still smiled. In fact he never lost his smile the entire time. Yet his eyes were empty like there was no real life in them. “When you first come to my home, you will see the bone carving over the doorway. It will be hard, but try not to imagine your own femurs so expertly carved.”
           At this Kagami’s eyes widened. She had done her best to remain calm but somethings were too much.
           Tim smile widened, “There are one or two rooms you will not be allowed in. However, accidents happen and we understand. But we do ask that you pay no attention to our… ample crawl space. Or the smells that can sometime come from it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Luka stuttered. “Sure, no problem. Man.”
“Try not to go into Father’s playroom,” Tim continued on. “It will be easy to spot. It’s mostly empty, apart from a rubber mat and a drain. He gets so testy when stranger go in there. You’ll hear strange noise from time to time but just ignore them. That is just father… playing.”
           The green-haired boy just stared. Because what the fuck.
“Just follow that advice, and you should be fine,” Tim promised. “Though you are a pretty one.  You both are. And we like pretty ones. Oh the things we do to pretty ones”
Luka whimpered. Kagami felt tears build in her eyes.
           Tim laughed, “Now, now, none of that,” He said channeling his inner Brucie. “We’re not going to hurt. We’d never hurt Marinette’s friends.” He promised. “We would hurt people who hurt Marinette because people who hurt Marinette are not her friends.”
           Red Robin looked over the two, “What I’m trying to say is. Break my sister’s heart, and we will kill you. I will kill you. You won’t see if coming. You won’t know we’re there. And if you’re lucky, you might not even feel it. Clear?” They nodded. “Excellent. Now you’re going to leave the same way you came. Remember not a word.” He smiled got even bigger.
           They felt hands on their shoulders.
“Oh and Kagami,” Tim’s voice rang. “Should romantic feelings spring to life between you and Marinette again, just know our sister Cassandra is much scarier than I. And a much better shot.”
           Then the black hoods and complete darkness came gain.
           When they were finally let go, in the exact same place they had been taken, neither Luka nor Kagami spoke for what seemed like forever. Their minds still wrapping around what had just taken place. However, it was Kagami who finally broke the quiet.
“Well, it appears I dodge a bullet, huh,” She shrugged, her face not betraying the fear she still felt. “Sucks for you. I’m going to go propose to Chloe. I know can I take her mom in a fight. And that she’s not a serial killer.” Kagami then gave him a grave look. “Happy holiday, Luka. I’ll send best flowers to your funeral.” And the she was gone, literally fleeing down the crowded street, leaving Luka alone with his thoughts and sense of his impending doom.
           He broke up with Marinette an hour later.
           It would take weeks before he would willingly be in a room with her again.
Kaldur'ahm: The Boy who regretted ever walking on land.
           Marinette had met her next boyfriend through her brother Tim. Ironic, considering she had just found out what he did to Luka. She had gone in for some extra training with the Black Canary when she spotted him. Kaldur; aqualad. Marinette had never talked too much with him before but found he was a very calm person and level-headed. A good leader, no matter how much Tim complained.
           They had spared together one day. And another. And Another. Then he asked her out. It was sweet… While it lasted. And it didn’t last long.
           Batman had looked at Kaldur’s picture, scoffed, and said, “Jason?”
           The sound of a gun clocking was heard, “Little Mermaids going down.”
           Unlike his brothers, Redhood had no time for mind games. He went for the quickest route.
           Aquaman burst into room where the justice league meeting was, “He shot Kaldur,” He roared to Batman. “The Red Hood shot Aqualad!”
           Bruce didn’t bat an eye, “Is he alive?”
“Yes,” The King of the seas said quickly. “But that’s not point.”
“Seems like it is,” Bruce said and went on with the meeting leaving a stuttering, red-faced Aquaman still standing there.
It was to one’s surprise when Kaldur dumped Marinette and was gone. Disappeared to the safety of Atlantis. And when he came back, Marinette was barred from Young Justice Headquarters.
It was on that day, that Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Wayne decided enough was enough.
 Roy Harper-Queen: The Boy who should start making better life choices
           It was weird to say but Marinette met the boy who would turn out to be the love of her life when she was ten-years-old. And then sometime after her eighteenth birthday, she would team up with his clone to go rescue him. They became friends, went on missions together. It was a year later that he asked her out.
           Roy was pissed at the world, ready to die for anything if it meant he’d went fight, had a rude mouth, feared nothing and no one, and didn’t play by anyone’s rule but his own. In other words, he was perfect.
           Marinette just never meant to fall in love. She certainly didn’t expect to say yes when proposed.
           They had been keeping their relationship a secret from both their families for over two years. They were happy together. They loved each other.
           But more importantly, they could plot revenge together.
           And revenge was sweet.
           It all played out during a Justice League meeting. Roy, Red Arrow, and Ladybug had been full members for quite some time. The meeting was just about to close, when Roy stood up, “I have an announcement to make,” He said. “Red Arrow will be withdrawing from missions for the perceivable future. As will Ladybug,” He looked at Marinette who nodded firmly.
“What’s going on, Roy?” Oliver asked his once wayward son, with a frown.
           Batman eyed them suspiciously. As did the other members of the batfamily, all were present. Apart from Alfred because Marinette liked Alfred.
           Wonder Woman frowned, “Are you going solo again, I thought you were happy.”
“We’re fine. We’re very happy,” Roy said slowly before taking a deep breath and doing the bravest thing he ever would in his entire life. “Ladybug’s pregnant and I’m the father.”
           A few seconds passed before the words were processed in the Superheroes mind.
           Bruce’s eyes widened, his mind stopped working, and then a snarl ripped form his throat as he moved to attack. The batkids joining him.
“Alpha Code Angelbug” Flash shouted.
           That was all the other league need to go into defensive positions around Roy, against the batfamily. Marinette remained where she was with glee in her eyes. Superman stood in front of Roy, blocking him from view and potential danger.
           The Flash, Cyborg, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, and the Green Arrow stood in front of them. Oliver aimed at arrow at Batman, “Don’t move!” He yelled. “Don’t you dare move, Bruce. I’ll do it. Roy’s my son. And I won’t let you hurt him.”
           Batman growled, “He. I. My daughter!”
“Get Roy out of here, Superman,” Wonder Woman ordered. “We’ll hold him off but we can’t do it for long.” She stepped towards Bruce. “Marinette’s a grown woman. She makes her own choices.”
           Dick shook his head, anger clear on his face, “Dude, you were my friend.”
           Damian snarled, “Harper’s a sneak and a coward.”
“No honor,” Cassandra agreed.
           Jason just looked at his best friend, “I love you…. But you’re dead.”
           Tim just growled.
“No one’s dead or dying,” Marinette said as got up. “Because I’m not pregnant,” She said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. She walked to her boyfriend and pulled him out from behind his shield. “But Roy and I have been dating for almost three years. And we’re getting married. You can be happy for us. Or I can never talk to you again.”
           Roy grinned, “Pops,” he said to Oliver, whose face was torn between relief and fury at it was prank. “We thought you and Bruce could be the main wedding planners. With the rest of the Queens and Waynes helping out; you know now that we’re going to be family. ”
           With that the two lovebird left the room, leaving the chaos they had created.
           Silence filled the room as Batman and Green Arrow stared at the other.
           Oliver gulped. He let out a breathy chuckle, “So I think a wedding in Star City would be great. Lots of Lilies. The Queen family loves lilies.”
           Batman’s eyes narrowed, “Gotham, roses.”
           Black Canary crossed her arms, “Star City would be safer.”
“Gotham is far more beautiful,” Tim snapped back.
           And just like that, battle lines were drawn. Justice League members’ face turned weary.
           Whether they knew it or not, that was Marinette and Roy’s last act of revenge.
           Forget Batman vs Superman.
           Try Bruce Wayne versus Oliver Queen: billionaire against billionaire, father against father. Elsewhere, thousands of journalist, photographers, florists, and caterers trembled and they didn’t know why.
3K notes · View notes
purplesurveys · 3 years
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1279
Are you and the last person you kissed in a relationship or just friends?  I don’t keep contact.
Has anyone ever pointed out that your laugh was unusual?  Hmmmm, I don’t think so. I feel like that would be the type of comment that would get to me so I definitely would’ve remembered it.
Would you get a lip piercing?  I don’t plan on getting any piercings.
Nose piercing?  Nopes.
What are you currently waiting for?  For this fucking day to end so I can be closer to Thursday and to the weekend.
Do you have feelings for anyone?  Nah.
Have you ever run over an animal?  Nope. I’ve had extremely close calls with animals who suddenly dart into the road, but fortunately these have all been situations wherein I got to hit the brakes with nobody behind me.
Have you chewed gum after someone else already has?  That’s disgusting, no.
When people sneeze do you say ‘bless you’?  Sure, out of habit and just to be polite.
When was the last time you were on a bouncy castle?  I don’t think I’ve ever been on a bouncy castle, but I’ve been on a lot of bouncy other things haha, like inflatable slides, soccer balls, Anpanmans, etc. The last time would probably be a nearly a decade ago; I definitely haven’t been near one in a while.
Have you ever went on a bouncy castle whilst drunk?  Well no, because the ones I’ve been on were situated in school fairs, which is the last place I would want to be drunk in.
Have you ever entered an art competition?  No, I have no justification to join one haha.
What is one thing you will never do? Try hardcore drugs. < Same. 
What is one food that you detest?  Pineapples.
Did you have a rebellious phase growing up?  Yeah I was a bit of a handful to raise, but I’m in firm in my stance that it had a lot to do with the way I was raised. I grew up mostly without a father figure because my dad worked abroad and I felt neglected by my mom who had her own shit to deal with. There was no stable support system to lean on, so I ended up lashing out a lot in my puberty years. Unfortunately everyone else just saw a rebellious child and not a plea for help.
These days when I show off my achievements on social media, I’ll see congratulatory comments from my mom’s friends and she’ll usually go on about some “late bloomers grow with time” narrative and it pisses me off because nobody knows how much I’ve had to grow and mature and learn how to be happier all by myself, all from scratch. If I had just received the proper care and attention early on, I wouldn’t have had to do any catching up to begin with.
What religion were you brought up with? Roman Catholic.
Are you still that religion?  Jesus no. I darted out of there as soon as I gained the consciousness to think about these sorts of things.
Do you often find yourself questioning your future?  Sometimes, but I do my best to not let it get to me.
How many friends do you have on Facebook?  Over 670.
What sort of music did you listen to when you were in high school?  I started with punk rock in the first half of high school, so I had my Rancids, H2Os, Against Me!s, Cro-Mags, etc on my iPod. It evolved a little bit towards more indie, folksy sounds towards the latter half - Banks, alt-J, Hozier, Twenty One Pilots - which I largely attribute to the crowd I was part of at the time.
What pet names do you use with your significant other?  I’m pretty straightforward so baby works out for me. Other, more specific pet names just grow naturally with the relationship, I think.
What’s the name of the store you usually get your groceries?  S&R.
Have you ever seen a theatre show?  Yeah. Most of them have been required.
What’s your favourite vegetable?  Broccoli or bell peppers.
Have you ever missed a flight?  Never. I’ve experienced several delayed flights, though, which is always such a hassle especially if the delays happen in provincial airports since they never have any recreational offers to keep passengers from getting bored other than TVs that run the same damn five ads.
Do your neighbours have any pets? Have you ever met them?  Yeah, a lot of have dogs. I’ve met some.
What color is your bedroom door?  Brown.
If you were ever to become famous, would you grow annoyed at fans?  Only towards obsessive ones who wouldn’t give me time to breathe or would go so far so as to stalk me or my loved ones. But I am a fan too, so I imagine I would actually be understanding of those who would ask for pictures or whatever as long as they were polite and not at all intrusive.
Have you ever met your favourite band/singer?  Nah. I am terrified of meeting celebrities HAHA so I’ve always shut down the chance. I’m pretty sure I would actually turn down the chance to meet BTS if I hypothetically suddenly got the magic keys to that door.
Are you embarrassed by any of the songs/singers/bands you like?  No. I feel like that sort of thing just happens in like high school, when your friends are still a bit judgmental. Nowadays I don’t see why I should be embarrassed of anything I like, especially if it’s not hurting anyone.
Have you ever written a story?  I’ve made attempts but was always terrible.
Think of the last poem you wrote: What inspired you to write it?  My homework that required me to write said poem hahaha.
Do you have a chance with the person you like right now? 
What’s the weirdest thing you were scared of as a child?  Watching commercials at night. It’s still a slight fear of mine but it’s mostly dissipated now.
Are there any embarrassing stories your family tells about you?  About me? No. I don’t have a lot of those since I was a really shy kid who barely moved a finger anyway.
In your opinion, what is the funniest TV show?  I have a *really* soft spot for Perfect Strangers, which I actually revisited yesterday :) The show was never super popular so it’s near impossible to find clips online, but when I checked YouTube I did see a slight increase in short snippets from the show so I had a really fun time binge-watching yesterday.
What is the maximum number of children you’d ever have?  Three, but that’s pushing it. Ideally, I’d have two so my first would have company.
Have you ever been concerned you had a serious illness?  Mental ones, yes.
Are you comfortable with who you are?  For the most part, yes.
Would you date someone even if you knew you’d get made fun of for it?  No. Why would it be any of their business?
Does popularity matter to you at all?  I mean, yeah in the sense that I honestly aspire to be well-liked by as many people as possible. But I don’t necessarily want to rub shoulders with popular kids.
Would you ever consider homeschooling your children?  Continued from sometime this week ider. No. I don’t think I’m capable of teaching, and generally I’d want them to be able to learn in a more open environment where they can have regular contact with different kinds of people.
Who told you about the band/singer you are currently listening to?  Well Angela got into them first and since we’re best friends, there was a certain point where she just decided to loop me into conversations that involved them. I was impossible to sway for a long time, but then one day a video compilation of them showed up on my feed, and for some reason I actually watched it, and I watched all the way through, and I was immediately intrigued – particularly by J-Hope haha. I then asked Angela to tell me more about them and the rest was...financially irresponsible history HAHAHAHA
Do you ever read fanfiction?  OMG yes. Funny you should mention that because my favorite author uploaded a brand new fic this morning, which I obviously couldn’t get to all day because I had to go to work. I’ll be reading it in all its 44,000-word glory tonight :D
Would you rather die in a plane crash, ship wreck or fire?  Plane crash. Instant and mostly painless.
What are your top five favourite TV shows?  Breaking Bad, BoJack Horseman, Friends, The Crown even though I was never able to continue it since...andddd that’s all I got.
What is your favorite superhero movie?  Not a fan of superhero movies.
If you died next week, what would be the cause of death?  Stress from overworking. I’ve FINALLY started to consider taking a leave for the first time this year because I’ve just realized just how fucking exhausted, burned out, and overwhelmed I actually already am from having no rest at all in the last 13 months.
Have you ever taken a break from Facebook or other social media? Why?  Yes, I do mass deactivations when I’m severely depressed. These days I can’t really afford to that anymore, though, since my work is closely tied to social media.
Who is the most talented person you know?  Probably Andi.
Are you currently platonic friends with anyone you’ve had sex with?  No.
Where did you and your current interest go on your first date? 
Have you ever experienced two people fighting over you (physically or mentally)? What happened?  Nah. I’ve had two people like me at the same time, but there was never any tension to watch out for since they mostly didn’t know each other.
Have your parents ever thought you were gay? What happened?  I think they know I dated Gabie and that we broke up because they’ve stopped asking about her. Everyone knew we were best friends, so the fact that they’ve avoided her as a topic for a whole year is able to tell me something.
Are your parents more liberal or conservative?  Dad’s on the liberal side, mom dances around on the spectrum a little bit. I know she’s fine with things like tattoos and having LGBTQ+ co-workers, but she’s also conservative especially towards matters like religion.
What year are you going into at the beginning of the next academic year?  No longer in school.
How far away does your closest family member live?  A few footsteps away.
If you’ve seen both, did you prefer the Disney version or the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland?  It’s not my type of movie/genre to begin with.
Would you have sex before marriage? Why or why not?  Yes. I don’t see the big deal; I’ve already done it anyway.
Are you more liberal or conservative?  Liberal.
Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?  Ooh not sure. I haven’t gone back to the books in a while, so I don’t remember if there was anyone I had an attachment to.
What’s the worst that could come out of letting gays marry?  Nothing.
What’s the most sexual thing you’ve done?  Had sex...I guess? And a bunch of stuff that comes with it.
Name something that you are against.  Racial discrimination.
Why are you against it?  Because it is infuriating to see, and it shows me the very same treatment can happen to me or my family as well and that scares me, especially since some people turn particularly violent towards people of color.
Have you ever played the Tomb Raider games?  No.
Do you like it or hate it when your partner is clingy?  I imagine I wouldn’t enjoy it if I’m not as into whoever my next partner would be.
Beatles or Rolling Stones?  I don’t listen to either.
When was the last time you changed your opinion on somebody?  Not so sure about a whole change in opinion because that hasn’t happened in a while, but I grew more grateful for my manager today because I finally mustered the strength to tell her that I’m begin to struggle mentally with work and she not only encouraged (read: begged) me to file a damn leave for once, but she also got sushi delivered to my place.
What was the last thing that made you feel proud and why?  Andi was telling me about their day today and how they handled being misgendered by a prof, who then proceeded to throw a fit when he got corrected, and how they, again, maturely handled said fit. I was proud of them because there are a million ways that incident could’ve turned out, but they dealt with it in an extremely mature and calm manner considering they were the one who was wronged.
Do you feel uncomfortable when people you hardly know confide in you?  If it was about an extremely personal problem I would probably be taken aback at first, but I still would definitely make some time for them and help in however way I can, since they apparently trust me enough to confide.
What was the last thing to fascinate you?  The music video for My Universe! Super cool to watch and I love that they made a short film out of it too.
Is there a certain noise/sound which scares you?  Doors being slammed shut, because that’s what my mom does when she’s furious. She did that when I was a kid and she does it to this day, so I get extremely nervous when I hear the sound, even if it happens by accident.
Do you have a favourite microorganism? Nope.
Out of the people you know, whose birthday is next?  My cousin Bree.
If you have pet fish do you bother to name them?  I did when I had them as a kid.
Do you keep your eggs in the fridge?  Yes?
Have you ever owned chickens?  Nope.
When did you last listen to music?  Like five minutes ago. I tried to have a jazz playlist on but I realized I wasn’t in the mood for music so I changed my background noise to have a random VLive on instead. 
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talatomaz · 4 years
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jinx | kara danvers x arias!reader
a/n: i decided to just combine both these requests and I had fun writing this :)
requested by @babyydanvers and anon:
“hi, could you write something where kara x fem reader go on a date for their 2 year anniversary together & then they go back to their apartment & the reader & kara propose at the same time thank youuu.”
“can i make a request for either kara or laurel? i don’t care what it is lol you just write good quality fics. i know it’ll be good”
warnings: none
word count: 2.1k
masterlist | request list | request rules
i do not give you permission to repost or translate my fics on any platform - likes/reblogs are okay and are much appreciated
Tumblr media
“Will you marry me?”
12 hours earlier
“Would you stop pacing?”
“I can’t. I’m too anxious about tonight.” You said, as you walked back and forth in Lena’s office.
“She’s gonna love it, y/n.” Lena said, admiring the ring you had bought.
After 2 years of being together, you had decided to propose to your girlfriend, Kara. And you were extremely scared, to say the least.
What if she said no?
What if she didn’t like the ring?
What if-
“Y/N, it’s beautiful. So how are you gonna do it?” Lena asked as you put the ring back in it’s respective box and pocketed it in your coat.
“I was planning to take her out to dinner. Make it extremely romantic and then when we get back to the loft, I’ll propose. It’ll just be us two which is better because we’re both private people and it’s more personal that way.”
“That’s gonna be awesome. And she doesn’t suspect a thing?”
Your best friend asked as you both turned to look at Kara through the glass doors. She was sitting at her desk, typing away on her laptop, presumably preparing her next article.
“No. At least I don’t think so.”
Saying goodbye to Lena, you walked out of her office and made your way behind Kara. Moments before you were beside her, she closed her laptop and turned to face you.
“Hey, baby. You okay?” She asked sweetly, standing up to kiss you.
“Yeah, I’m good. What are you doing?”
“Oh, I-I’m just writing an article.”
“Oh, what about?”
“I-I, uh, can’t say. It’s top secret.” She said, readjusting her glasses.
“Okay.” You said, eyes narrowing at her behaviour. “I should be getting back to L-Corp. I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah, I’m excited for our dinner tonight.” She beamed.
“Me too, love.”
You kissed your girlfriend goodbye and then caught a cab back to work.
***
Stepping into the office, you greeted your sister.
“Hey, Sam.”
“Hey. I know you’re gonna be leaving soon for the thing tonight but I need you to do me a favour.”
“Yeah, sure. What’s up?” You asked, leaning on Sam’s white desk, arms folded.
“Ruby left her USB with Alex. And it has her homework on it. She’s freaking out and I’m not going to let her go alone but I’m super busy here. I’ve got back to back meetings and-”
“Sammy, breathe. It’s fine. Just tell Ruby I’ll be at yours in a hour or two and I’ll give it her then.”
“God, you’re a life saver. Anyway, how are you? You nervous?” Sam asked, a smile replacing the worry on her face.
“Extremely. I just love her so much and I can’t wait to ask her but I’m just scared she’ll say no.”
“Of course she wouldn’t. I know she wouldn’t. She loves you, y/n.” Sam reassured you.
“Yeah, I know. It’s just my anxiety. Anyway, I better get to the DEO now if I’m gonna be ready for tonight.”
“No worries. Good luck, sis.” She said with a look in her eye that you couldn’t distinguish.
“Thanks” You replied before hugging her.
You then drove your car to the DEO. You had left it at L-Corp before visiting Lena at CatCo but you knew that you couldn’t catch a cab to the DEO. It was a secret Government organisation after all.
Walking into the DEO, you greeted Jonn and a few other workers you were familiar with when you noticed Alex speaking to Brainy.
“Hey, Danvers. Hey, Brainy.” You greeted the duo when they turned to face you.
“Hi, Y/N. Here’s Ruby’s USB.” Alex said, handing you the small memory stick which you put in your pocket.
“Thanks, Rubes was losing her mind according to Sam.”
Alex laughed in response before smiling.
“So...everything set for tonight?”
Alex was one of the very first people who knew about your proposal as you had asked her for permission considering she was the most important person in Kara’s life. Of course, when you had asked, she immediately gave her blessing and then gave you her whole ‘If you hurt my sister, I’ll hurt you’ speech.
“Yes. I think I’m good. Just hope everything goes to plan and Kara loves it.”
“I know she will.”
It was funny. Both Lena and Sam had said that too, as if they knew Kara would definitely say ‘yes’.
“Yes. Did you know that 1 in 4 women actually turn down a marriage proposal? I’m sure Kara won’t be that one.”
“Brainy!” You and Alex exclaimed as Alex hit him upside the head.
“Ow. That was insensitive of me. I apologise.” The intellectual said.
“It’s fine, Brainy.” You sighed and when you lifted your head, you noticed Kara in one of the labs.
“See you guys.”
You made your way to the lab and when Kara saw you, she closed the door to the lab behind her and walked up to you.
“Hey, we keep bumping into each other.” Kara laughed.
“Yes, we do. What are you up to?” You asked curiously.
It was the second time today that she was acting suspiciously.
“Oh, just Supergirl stuff. Anyway, we should be getting ready. Meet me by the stairs and we can go home together?”
“I drove so just meet me outside.” You countered.
“Okay, let me just pack up.”
Kara nodded and as you walked away, Kara re-entered the lab but her cape cloaked what she was doing.
***
“That was delicious.”
Kara said, unlocking the door to the loft. You both had had dinner at an infamous restaurant and after sharing dessert, you decided to come back home.
In the cab, your nerves had started to bubble but now that you were home, they were at an all time high.
Kara dropped her keys on the table and she grabbed your hand and pulled you to the sofa. You both sat on it but you couldn’t stop fidgeting.
“Kara?”
“Yes, baby?”
“I need to ask you something.” You stood up and held Kara’s hands in yours.
“I think you’re amazing. You really are the best person in my life. Before I met you, I was a mess. I didn’t really know how to live until I met you. I love the way you see the world from a different perspective. I love that you give life a new meaning.”
“I love that despite everything that has happened in your life, you still care so much for other people and it physically hurts my heart to see you cry. That is how amazing you are. That is why I love you. That is why I have something important to ask you.”
You continued before letting out a breath when you saw tears in Kara’s eyes.
It was now or never.
“Will you marry me?”
“No.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“No.”
12 hours earlier
Kara paused typing on her laptop and peered over her shoulder where she saw you and her best friend, Lena, in deep conversation. She was going to use her super hearing to listen in on your words but stopped herself. She promised you that she wouldn’t use her powers on you.
She looked back at her laptop and scrolled through the images on her laptop. She had already chosen the perfect one and seeing all the options available reconfirmed her initial choice.
She stopped when she heard the door open and footsteps nearing her. Shutting her laptop to hide its contents, she turned around to face you.
“Hey, baby. You okay?” She asked sweetly, standing up to kiss you.
“Yeah, I’m good. What are you doing?”
“Oh, I-I’m just writing an article.” Kara stuttered.
“Oh, what about?”
“I-I, uh, can’t say. It’s top secret.” She said, readjusting her glasses. She was now getting flustered.
“Okay.” You said and Kara saw your eyes narrow at her behaviour. “I should be getting back to L-Corp. I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah, I’m excited for our dinner tonight.” She beamed.
“Me too, love.”
Kara reciprocated your kiss and watched you step into the CatCo lift.
That was close.
***
“Maybe next time you should rethink robbing a bank.” Kara said, handing the handcuffed criminals to Maggie and another detective.
Before Maggie left, she gave a quick thumbs up to the superhero and Kara flew back to the DEO.
When she arrived, she greeted Alex with a hug.
“Where is it?”
Alex nodded in the direction of the lab so Kara made her way to it. Upon entering the lab, she saw what she was looking for in the centre of the table.
Looking behind again, she saw you speaking to her sister. Quickly moving a set of beakers in front of the box, she left the lab to greet you.
“Hey, we keep bumping into each other.” Kara laughed, hands on her hips.
“Yes, we do. What are you up to?” You asked curiously. Kara could tell you were suspicious.
“Oh, just Supergirl stuff. Anyway, we should be getting ready. Meet me by the stairs and we can go home together?” Kara hated lying but it was necessary.
“I drove so just meet me outside.” You countered.
“Okay, let me just pack up.” Kara nodded and as you walked away, Kara re-entered the lab and grabbed the box, concealing it in her cape.
***
You and Kara had now had an amazing dinner at the restaurant and were back at your loft.
Kara watched as you began to pace before kneeling in front of her and listened as you told her why you loved her causing tears to fill her eyes.
“Will you marry me?”
Kara looked into your eyes and saw that they were dark. Stark. For all you’d endured, you were a nurturing soul with a full heart. That was the quality that first attracted her. Breathing deeply, she built up her courage.
Now or Never. She thought to herself.
“No.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Present Time
Your heart dropped into your stomach as you knelt on the ground.
“What? Why?”
You watched as Kara slid off the sofa and kneeled in front of you. Pulling a small box from her pocket, she opened it and stared at you lovingly.
“Because I wanted to propose to you.”
You stared in shock at the ring in the velvet box as she did the same to yours.
You both were tearing up before Kara laughed through her tears, “so...are we gonna answer?”
“Yes, you fool. I love you and I’d love to marry you.” You chuckled.
“I love you too and can’t wait to marry you either.”
You both then took your rings out of their respective boxes and placed them on each other’s fingers. Kara then grabbed your face and pulled you in for a deep kiss.
When you pulled away, you jumped at the sound of applause behind you.
You both turned and saw Lena, Sam, Maggie and Alex standing in your bedroom; Lena and Maggie were holding up phones, presumably videoing you.
Your mouth dropped and you looked at Kara in surprise.
“Did you-?” Kara shook her head.
“You?” You shook your head.
“Where the fuck did you guys come from?”
“You said we’d be alone.”
You and Kara said at the same time.
Then you both looked at each other again,
“Wait, you told them you were going to propose?” You asked, looking at Kara.
“Yeah, and I asked Sam, sort of for her blessing. Wait, you told Alex?”
“Yeah, I asked Alex for her blessing.” You replied.
You both turned to face your family again.
“You guys fucking knew Kara and I were going to propose to each other at the same fucking time and you said nothing?” You shouted.
“Yeah, we thought it was going to be both hilarious and romantic.” Sam snorted causing everyone to laugh.
You and Kara looked at each other and nodded then you both picked up the pillows on the sofa and ran straight for the small group. You began hitting them until you, Sam and Maggie fell on the bed and Kara, Alex and Lena fell on the floor.
You started laughing and once you started, everyone joined in.
You whacked your sister’s head before leaning over the bed and meeting your fiancée’s eyes. She kneeled and kissed you lovingly once more.
Pulling away, she winked.
“Jinx.”
318 notes · View notes
tirednotflirting · 4 years
Text
haunting me forever from the start
some spooky season Cake for @ashesonthefloor‘s halloween fic event :) 
so so much thanks to ainslee for organizing such a fun event !! i feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to take part in something with some of my favorite writers and people and if you haven’t dug through everyone else’s posts i recommend checking out the event masterlist here !!
alright you’re gonna have to forgive me because i have never been to a haunted house and i wrote most of this in the middle of the night after work and I was always too scared to find haunted house pov videos at that hour. so i took some creative liberties on some of this.
also this is likely pushing the limits of how much fluff i should be allowed to fit into something but i promised miss meg Cake fluff after the other piece i posted of them earlier this week sjdflksdj
soooooo my prompt was: “We’re part of the same group in this haunted house, and you won’t stop clinging to me every time we get spooked.” Or, one person is really clingy with someone else in their group. It’s a good thing they’re cute. They can either know each other or not.
okay enjoy the silly fun and happy halloween !!!
{read on ao3 here}
Genuinely, Calum should have expected this when he told Michael he could pick out their Friday night activity.
Or well, Calum really hadn’t gotten the choice in picking what they did since he only got out of his calculus midterm probably forty-five minutes earlier and Michael picked him up, and rather than driving back to their shared apartment for another movie night, they’re now somewhere on the north side of town in a parking lot. It’s the parking lot at the fairgrounds which at first had Calum confused because Michael hasn’t been a fan of this fair since the trouble he had with the corn dogs here about a year ago. But then Michael asks him to grab the folded papers out of the glovebox and after just a bit of inspection, Calum learns the real reason they’re here.
“No. No way.” Calum shakes his head, his arms folding across his chest, defensively.
“Come one, Cal,” Michael whines. “You’ve barely left campus or the apartment in weeks because of midterms. You can’t tell me that you really wanted to spend another night watching superhero movies in the living room.”
“That’s literally exactly what I wanted to do tonight. Mikey, my brain basically melted during that exam.”
“Great,” Michael starts as he swipes the papers from Calum’s hand and moves to open his car door. “Then this haunt probably won’t even scare you too bad like the ones we tried last year.”
Calum huffs out a breath as he opens his own door, slamming it closed a bit harder than probably necessary and joins Michael in front of the car. It’s early October so the air in their college town is cool but not yet cold. Either way, he’s thankful for the hoodie he had decided to bring to campus that morning. They head up in the direction of the fairgrounds and Calum lets Michael lead since he obviously has a bit more of an idea about where they’re headed.
“Or that’ll just make it even worse.” Calum tries to argue. “I’m barely a functioning human right now. My head is filled with integrals and fear, Michael.”
“You’ll be fine. I’ll be right there with you the whole time and if it really is that bad, I’ll owe you a hot chocolate and funnel cake once we get out, okay?”
Calum purses his lips in thought for a moment because that is a pretty good deal, all things considered. Plus he hasn’t had anything to eat since the late lunch he had a few hours before his exam and his stomach is yelling at the mere mention of junk food. “Fine.” he concedes. “But you aren’t allowed to make fun of me like last year if I get freaked out in there, okay?”
“You got it.”
They continue through the fair, the bright lights around the food and game booths starting to light up all colors of the rainbow as the sun makes its final descent below the horizon. It’s an awfully cheery prelude to a haunted house, Calum thinks, and he’s kinda surprised Michael somehow found a haunted house nestled into the middle of a fall fair. Around them, families and groups of high school kids wander with bright eyes and smiles from booth to booth. Kids clutch sugary treats and oversized stuffed animals while parents follow closely behind. Young couples wait in line for the ferris wheel and share clouds of cotton candy. It’s all such a rosy picture of an autumn evening and Calum wishes he were taking part in this rather than heading up toward the nightmare factory Michael is leading him towards.
Eventually, they reach a barricade where some kid in a neon t-shirt with the name of the haunted house printed across the front scans the printed tickets that Michael has and they’re pointed toward a line forming outside of the metal building that’s likely has some other not-so-spooky purpose outside of the month of October. In front of Michael and Calum are a group of boys probably around middle school age, if Calum had to guess. He’s considering how mortifying it’s going to be when a bunch of actual children hear him scream when Michael chimes in, as though hearing Calum’s thoughts.
“See, Cal,” Michael lets his elbow drop to lean on Calum’s shoulder. “These kids aren’t even scared of this. You’ll be totally fine.”
Calum is moments away from giving a snarky response when he catches a glimpse of the people in line behind them as he turns in Michael’s direction.
And of course the most beautiful boy he has ever laid his eyes on is just steps behind him and also about to witness Calum shriek like a baby at the sight of a clown or something.
The boy is accompanied by another (though their body language seems to be mimicking Calum and Michael as they laugh at something on a phone screen so for the time being he decides they are not on a date) and he’s tall, taller than Calum by a few inches probably. He’s got curly blonde hair tied up back into a little bun though the cool evening breeze has some of the hair around his face blowing into his blue eyes. Calum is trying not to be overdramatic but he thinks he might be looking at an angel. (Or a really pretty demon. He is like, seconds away from walking into one of his greater fears, after all.)
He shakes his head before abruptly turning back toward the front of the line to avoid staring when Michael, of course, decides to take a look at what Calum had been glancing towards. His face lights up and Calum assumes he’s about to be teased until they head into the haunt when Michael himself blushes just slightly across his nose before speaking. “Ashton! Is that you?”
The boy walking up with the angel pulls the hood from his sweatshirt off from around his head and smiles brightly. “Michael, funny seeing you here. How’s it going?”
“Doing well. Finally got the roommate out for an evening on the town since he’s been studying like it’s his full time job for the last three weeks.”
“Michael, we’re sophomores. Studying actually is my full time job,” Calum pouts. Great, he thinks, now the cute boy is going to think he’s a total nerd. Which he absolutely is but that’s not the point.
Ashton laughs at the exchange. “He’s got you there,” he starts while extending a hand out toward Calum. “I’m Ashton. Michael and I took developmental psychology together during summer session. This is my roommate, Luke.”
Calum accepts Ashton’s hand and smiles shyly first at him and then Luke, who holds his hand up in a short wave as Ashton introduces him. “I’m Calum. It’s nice to meet you guys.”
Similar greetings are exchanged among the four of them as they go through obligatory What’s your major? Where are you from? undergrad small talk as the line inches toward the entrance.
Michael and Ashton eventually pull the conversation toward what they’re taking in their psychology classes this semester (Ashton is a year ahead of the rest of them and Michael very obviously wants the low down on the finals he’ll be taking at the end of the semester but also Ashton’s number if Calum is reading the signs correctly). Luke laughs and turns his eyes toward Calum's as they’re shut out of the conversation.
Suddenly Luke is leaning in toward Calum's ear and he swears his heart skips a beat because Luke is very cute and smells very nice. Luke giggles softly before speaking quietly enough that it’s obvious he’s trying to avoid the other two hearing him. “Ash used to come home from that class with heart eyes, I swear. If he doesn’t get the guts to ask Michael out before the end of the night, we may need to take matters into our hands.”
Calum grins, feeling accomplished that he read the situation correctly. “You like playing matchmaker then?”
“Only when it’s for people being that dumb.” Luke gestures over to the blushing pair standing a couple feet away from them. He’s got a point, Calum admits silently. He’s been friends with Michael since they were kids and he knows that flirty face anywhere.
“Alright so if we get to the other side of this and they’re not exchanging numbers, how subtle do we go about suggesting they get together again to geek out about psych theories?”
Luke shakes his head, a playful grin playing at his lips. “Oh no, I’ve always found greater success with a more direct approach. It’s the engineering major in me. We like to face our problems head on.”
Calum is opening his mouth to make another comment back (though he will admit, trying to fit flirting into an exchange about setting up his best friend is a bit of a challenge he’s realizing) when the line starts moving again, bringing them just about to the front of the line. And of course, Calum was too distracted by the short banter the line allowed to pay attention to how much time had passed and now he’s just about to step into this mess of an idea of Michael’s.
The group of kids that had been in front of Michael and Calum are let in with the family that had been just before them, and the person running the door lets the four of them along with the couple behind Ashton and Luke know they’ll go through the haunt as a group. Ashton lets out a short laugh once the kids head off into the darkened doorway. “Honestly, glad we’re not going through with them. Love a haunted house but I swear kids will just scream so loud for fun in these things.”
Calum watches the three of them agree and he finds himself nodding but also silently preparing himself for being the annoying kid screaming. Though in his case it’s more because he’s a bit of a wimp and not just doing it for fun.
He chats back and forth with Luke for a few more minutes while they wait for their turn to head inside. Luke’s telling him about some ridiculous thing that happened in one of his labs the week before and Calum finds himself a little shocked at how quickly their conversation has become so comfortable. He’s not used to feeling so at ease with people so quickly that aren’t Michael or maybe his sister. He would sit with the feeling for longer, really let himself think on why he might be feeling that way, but then the kid at the door is telling them to head on inside.
The haunt starts basically in Calum’s least favorite kind of way. (Though given his disdain for these things, it’s not like he has a favorite but that doesn’t change how this is his least favorite.) It’s nearly pitch black as the group of six step inside and it’s just a little bit too quiet, the only sound in the room being the wind blowing against the metal roof of the building. He hears some snickering coming from the group that he tries to focus on as he squeezes his eyes shut and wills them to adjust to the lack of light.
Soon enough though there’s some scratching noises coming from the corners of the room and a couple actors in dark, obscure costumes pop out in the direction of their group. Calum contains most noises of panic, really just gasping as his feet stop short. The chest of the person walking behind him collides with his back while a gentle hand grabs onto his shoulder as the person steadies. Automatically, Calum assumes the person to be Michael since he’s typically the one jumping to comfort Calum with such little hesitation.
But then just in front of him he hears a giggle that he knows belongs to his best friend and he feels his forehead scrunching up in confusion until a voice speaks quietly near his ear. “You good?” Luke asks him, his hand still placed comfortingly against his shoulder. Calum feels his face relax then, his mind just a bit more at ease knowing that it’s not that other couple with them stuck behind his panicked body.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.” Calum whispers back to Luke after clearing his throat. Luke’s hand drops from his arm after what feels like a gentle squeeze and they continue on ahead. Calum takes a deep breath both in an effort to calm himself and in annoyance. Not only is he going to have nightmares for weeks after this but there’s also no way in hell he’ll be able to make eye contact with Luke once they’re out of this thing.
The scary noises drift in and out and Calum finds that those aren’t too bad. The hissing of a smoke machine lets him anticipate the floor of the next room being covered in a fog and he feels pretty proud of himself when he gets it right. The room isn’t too bad; the actors in there are obviously meant to be some brand of zombie and it was only about a week earlier that Michael and Calum did a rewatch of Zombieland for movie night so the memory leaves him giggling along with everyone else for once.
Calum is just starting to believe that maybe he’s got a grip of things this time around in terms of containing his fear at the whole situation when suddenly the room is filled with strobe lights and loud noises (chainsaws, maybe?) and Luke’s chest is once again colliding with Calum’s back as he shoots back some at the noise. This time around Calum feels gentle hands moving to hold onto his arms, the touch instantly one that calms him and gets his feet to start moving in the direction of the rest of the group again. Calum focuses on the feel of Luke’s warm hands tapping out a beat against the fabric of his sweatshirt and his view of the back of Michael’s head as they move down the path set out in the room to avoid looking at his surroundings too much.
The haunt isn’t a long one and according to what Calum had heard Michael saying about this place on their walk into the fairgrounds earlier in the night, there should only be a couple more rooms before their group reaches the end. Calum continues to jump at most of what is set up throughout them but he feels a lot more grounded and at ease than he typically would since about 75% of his attention is laser focused on the hand that Luke eventually moves to rest between Calum’s shoulders.
Soon enough though they’re back outside in the cool fall air and under the colorful lights of the fair. The settings oppose each other quite extremely, Calum thinks while he makes a little huddle with the other three boys. He can’t help but notice how Luke’s hand has yet to drop from his back and he leans just slightly back into his touch. Michael and Ashton are babbling along together and don’t notice the silent actions of the other two but when Calum turns toward Luke, their eyes meet and Luke’s already blushy cheeks go just a bit more pink.
Luke’s hand drops away from Calum’s back then and a confused look drops to his face. Luke looks toward the ground, a nervous smile playing at his lips. “Sorry I didn’t like, ask before trying to comfort you in there. Not exactly appropriate of an almost stranger, I guess.”
Calum shrugs. “It was welcomed, honestly,” he starts, his grin growing as Luke looks up at him a bit shocked. “I mean, I was very obviously ready to run out of there like two minutes in. You’re basically the only reason I didn’t turn and immediately head out. So, thank you.”
“Any time.” Luke smiles brightly.
They continue to just stare at one another for a few moments, neither really knowing what to say next, when Ashton clearing his throat pulls them out of it. Calum turns his face toward the other two and tries to control his shock when he sees Michael’s lazy grin and strong grip on Ashton’s hand. Ashton gives them a knowing smile.
“We’re gonna go grab some snacks and maybe try out some of the games. Meet back at the entrance to the fairgrounds in an hour?” he coordinates, already starting to walk backwards away from the two of them.
“Sounds like a plan,” Luke answers for them. “Have fun, boys.
Ashton raises his free hand to give a short salute before turning and pulling Michael toward the row of food booths. “So they figured things out then?” Calum says as they watch their friends walk off.
“Apparently.”
Calum laughs quietly and moves to step in front of Luke. He’s not that great at being bold (especially after being terrified for twenty minutes straight) but he figures he could at least give it a shot. “Guess it’s our turn?”
Luke’s gaze pulls away from their friends to meet Calum’s eyes again. “What?”
“Let me buy you a hot chocolate as a thank you for protecting me in there?”
Luke smirks and replies quickly with his own request. “Only if you’ll let me take you out for coffee next week.”
Calum sticks his hand out between the two of them. “Deal.”
They giggle as they shake on it and then start off in the direction that their friends went just a few moments before them. Luke is quick to reach for Calum’s hand and weave their fingers together as he starts a rundown of questions that should feel like small talk but for some reason they don’t. Calum figures it has to do something with the attentive look in Luke’s eyes or the smile pulling across his face as Calum speaks about something as mundane as the calculus exam he took earlier in the night. Though it also again feels like it could be something more, something bigger than that.
But Calum’s mind is a crazy mix of adrenaline from the haunted house and endless thanks to Michael for bringing them out tonight and trying to pick out the perfect way to describe the blue of Luke’s eyes. For now, he decides, it’s enough to squeeze his palm against Luke’s to pull him in the direction of the hot chocolate with sprinkles and worry about the bigger stuff another day.
*
It’s a year later when Calum is sitting at the kitchen counter, staring at his statistics homework like it’s in another language and Luke is laying on the couch scrolling through his phone, his homework already finished. The university was closed that day due to the snow so Luke had decided it wasn’t worth it to go back to his own apartment after reading the email notification that morning.
Calum is too focused on the problems on the page in front of him to hear Luke pad over into the kitchen so he jumps just the slightest bit when he feels a pair of warm arms wrap around his middle. Even on the coldest days Luke is warm like sunshine, Calum has come to know and love in the last year. He lets his pen drop against the counter as he lifts a hand to play with the curls around Luke’s ear when he leans down and lets his chin rest against Calum’s shoulder. “What’s up, love? I’m almost done with this and then we can watch a movie or something while we get dinner going.”
Luke hums in agreement with the plan, his face turning a bit to press a kiss against Calum’s cheek. “I was thinking about date night next week. And I think we should do that haunted house at the fair again.”
Calum sighs and turns his head then. “Luke, I love you but despite the incredibly cute, horror loving boy that guided me through half of that thing, I still really don’t like haunted houses.”
Luke pouts then and huffs out a little sigh. “Fine,” he starts, his arms wrapping a bit tighter around Calum. “We should do something special though. Think anniversaries are supposed to be celebrated, right?”
“We could still go to the fair if you want?” Calum suggests with a shrug. “I’ve always wanted to be kissed at the top of a ferris wheel.”
“I think that could be arranged,” Luke smiles before pressing another quick kiss against Calum’s hair.
Luke stands up straight then, not giving Calum more than a moment to respond to the sweet words, and heads into the kitchen. Calum lifts his arm to rest against the countertop and lets his chin fall into his hand as he watches while Luke starts pulling things out of the fridge to make dinner. (It’s my night to cook, Cal, don’t you dare try getting up.) He decides then that he’ll probably go ahead and buy a couple tickets to the haunted house as a surprise for when they go to the fair the following week. Because if there’s anything Calum has learned in the last year, it’s that nothing can ever feel too scary or unsafe with Luke at his side.
*
10 notes · View notes
purrincess-chat · 4 years
Text
Love Squared CH2: Baby, We’re the New Romantics
I’ve updated @lnc2‘s birthday fic! Enjoy more Ladrien and girl squad shenanigans and TS chapter titles to add to the fun. I am hoping to finish this fic before the end of the month. It’s gonna be short and sweet and funny and wholesome. And Ladrien! All of my favorite things. 
Read on AO3
Chapter 2
Of all the people Ladybug expected to find in the park, Adrien Agreste was not one.
Well, to be fair, she only expected to find one person in the park that afternoon. When she’d found the rose with a note attached at her usual meeting place with Chat Noir with a request to meet in the park, she figured it was another one of his schemes to woo her, but she’d never been happier to be wrong.
He seemed just as shocked to see her, his cheeks darkening three shades before he swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair, and Ladybug did her best not to stare like a weirdo.
“Um, hi,” he said looking too cute for words. “I got your note. You wanted to meet up?”
“Wait? What?” She blinked.
“I found this note in my locker,” he said, holding up a note similar to hers. “You didn’t leave it?”
“No, I’m here because I found a note too,” she said, retrieving it from her yoyo. “I thought it was Chat Noir.”
“I didn’t-” he started, and at Ladybug’s raised brow, quickly cleared his throat. “I- don’t understand then. We both got the same note to meet here, so who sent them?”
“Good question.” She pursed her lips and glanced around with narrowed eyes until she spotted a picnic set up on the other end of the park. “But I have a feeling it has something to do with that.”
“What is all of this?” Adrien asked when they approached as Ladybug picked up a card addressed to the both of them.
“Dear Ladybug/Adrien,
Don’t panic. We couldn’t help but notice that you two seem to like each other, so we’ve arranged a romantic picnic for the two of you. Don’t be shy, just enjoy it!
-The Ladrien Support Squad
P.S. Don’t deny your feelings. They’re obvious.
P.P.S. Ladrien is the couple name we made up for you two!”
When Ladybug finished reading, she glanced up at Adrien whose cheeks were as red as her suit, and she had a feeling hers were the same. Something in the handwriting was familiar, but she would investigate later.
“So,” Adrien said, clearing his throat. “Do you really- I mean, you know?”
“I-” Ladybug looked into his eyes, prepared to lie, but the timid, almost hopeful glint in them made her brain malfunction.
Because she didn’t want to lie to him. Of course, she knew that she should. A superhero couldn’t be in a relationship with a civilian. It was too dangerous, and as she opened her mouth to say as much, Adrien spoke first.
“I do,” he said, and she felt goosebumps race up her back as her heart took off into a sprint. “I love you, Ladybug.”
“I…” She didn’t know what to say.
Adrien was in love with her! She could tell him she was in love with him too. He’d probably kiss her afterward, and she really wanted to do that. But…she shouldn’t. But she wanted to. Could she? No. It was out of the question obviously. If Hawkmoth targeted Adrien, she’d never forgive herself.
“Sorry,” she said, closing her eyes and breathing a sigh. It was for his safety. At least, that’s what she told herself to lessen the pain. It didn’t work very well.
“Oh,” he said, and when she opened her eyes again, she saw his shoulders slump, the light in his eyes dimming. “Um, that’s okay. I- we barely know each other, so of course you’re not in love with me.”
Ladybug’s heart dropped to her feet as those sad green eyes lowered to his shoes. Then again, she thought, if Hawkmoth laid a single finger on those golden locks, she’d end him herself.
“No, I- do,” she said before she could think better of it, and now committed to the truth, added with a sigh, “I do love you, Adrien. It’s just that I-”
At her declaration, Adrien stepped forward and placed a kiss on her cheek, and she felt them warm under the softness of his lips. Adrien’s lips. On her cheek. Adrien in love with her. Was this another daydream? Adrien pulled back and flicked his gaze down to her lips, silently asking for more, and as she stretched up to meet him, she swiftly learned that this was far too vivid to be a daydream which could only mean that it was real.
Adrien was really kissing her! It was enough to distract her from the fact that someone out there set this up, and if someone could observe her feelings for Adrien by watching news footage then Hawkmoth probably could too. They’d have to tread carefully.
“I can’t believe this is really happening,” Adrien said with a dreamy sigh when they pulled away, and she let out a breathy laugh.
“I certainly didn’t expect it myself,” she said, biting her lip.
“I wonder who set this all up,” he said, glancing around at the candles and rose petals.
Yes, who indeed.
“No matter. I’m really glad they did.” He smiled at her. “Shall we?”
Ladybug couldn’t be too annoyed. Not when she spent the next hour and a half leaning against Adrien’s chest while they fed each other grapes and talked about how long they’d had their feelings. Of course, she couldn’t exactly tell him the whole truth since it would give away her identity, but she made up a believable enough story.
It was funny to her now, knowing that she’d been worried all this time about him being in love with someone else, never once believing that the other person could also be her. It wasn’t the her she’d imagined, but she’d take what she could get. Because she was Ladybug even without the mask, and one day she’d be able to tell him that. Then they’d get married, have three kids, a house, and a hamster named-
“I want to be with you, Ladybug,” Adrien was saying as he trailed his thumb along her jaw. “Earlier before I cut you off, you were going to say how dangerous this is, right?” He flicked those green eyes down to meet hers with a somberness she’d never seen before. “I didn’t want to hear it because I’ve wanted this for too long, and I don’t want to give you up now. Not when I know you love me back.”
“I just don’t want anything to happen to you,” she said, and the somberness went away, an almost amused glint taking its place.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I promise, I’ll be careful,” he said, tilting her chin up. “Besides, I know you’ll protect me.”
The kiss made her head spin, and more than anything, she didn’t want to let go. Everything she’d always dreamed of had been handed to her out of nowhere, and she didn’t care how selfish it was to kiss him back. She sacrificed so much for this city every day. Wasn’t it time that she got something in return? Couldn’t she have this?
Adrien seemed to think so as he held her close and kissed her deeply, delicately. He held her as if she were a precious, fragile doll, and Ladybug could tell that he was holding back, not wanting to be too forward or overly passionate. Always the gentleman.
“I promise, I won’t let anyone harm you,” she breathed against his lips, and she felt his curl into a smile.
“I know. I trust you.”
When Adrien left for his piano lesson, Ladybug let a breath pass her lips, glancing down at the card resting on the picnic basket. She picked it up again, examining the handwriting with pursed lips before tossing her yoyo across the street and pulling herself up into the rooftops with one tug.
 Across town, the girls had gathered at Alya’s to celebrate their victory. They’d actually done it! Marinette was finally getting to be with her prince, and it was all thanks to them!
“They just looked so cute together,” Rose squealed, squishing her cheeks together.
“Imagine how cute they’re going to look when they find out! I can’t wait until they defeat Hawkmoth,” Mylene added.
“Okay, but just remember that this is all on the major DL. They can’t know that we’re the ones behind this, and no one else can know that we know. We’ve sworn a vow,” Alya said sternly, flicking her gaze to each of the girls in her room.
“Yeah, duh, we know.” Alix rolled her eyes. “We’re just happy that our friends are happy.”
“We just have to be extra careful and do everything we can to keep them together,” Alya said, holding out her hand. “Ladrien Support Squad, on three?”
The other girls all placed their hands in a circle, ready to recite their chant until a red and black spotted hand joined the mix, and they all scattered with shrieks. Ladybug crossed her arms over her chest and cocked a hip to one side.
“So, is anyone going to tell me why you’ve all decided to meddle in my love life, or am I going to have to guess?”
97 notes · View notes
evien-stark · 4 years
Text
✧I Need You✧ Chapter 172
Wherever you were, it was warm and comfortable. Memories of the horrors in Sokovia were fading. Sleep had been blissfully long and uninterrupted. An almost impossible task, considering you’d had to board the helicarrier and be taken home. Somewhere in the middle of all that you’d slipped unconscious, and hadn’t woken back up. At least until now. And wherever changed its definition as you returned in small bits and pieces. 
You were home. You were safe. One of the things not always assured. 
Tony’s voice was a low murmur in the next room. You wished he was in bed alongside you. Realizing that that spot that belonged to him was empty pulled you slowly from the sleep you’d been enjoying. Tony was working. You were lazing. That was probably unacceptable. But almost as if he somehow realized you were stirring, the door of the bedroom opened and you turned on your side, meeting his gaze with your own pair of sleepy eyes. His smile warmed you straight through and he held a finger up to signal- at least you thought- not to move, and that he’d be with you in a minute. 
“Well. Don’t wait up for me. I’m not planning on a ribbon-cutting or anything, but if I was I’d want it in a week.” He came further into the room, pacing in lingering steps towards the center, one hand in his pocket. You sat up just a little, blinking to better adjust your eyes. He was half well-dressed. Suit slacks, an ice-blue button up with the sleeves rolled up to his arms, and a loose black tie. You imagined a waistcoat and suit jacket were sitting on the back of a chair somewhere near the front elevator. “Sure. Look. I gotta go. Keep me updated.” 
When he turned, you patted the spot next to you on the edge of the bed. Your beckoning worked, he moved as if you’d thrown a lasso around him. Tilting your head up, “What’s going on?” 
He sat down on the edge of the bed. “A million things. Nothing terribly important.” Grinning just a little. “The new facility is on schedule- at least they are now.” Facility… oh. He was talking about the new Avengers Facility upstate. They must have put work on hold while deciding whether or not the Avengers were actually going to be alive, and Tony had to come in and kick them back into gear. Something that was kind of important. 
“And it’ll be done in a week?” It was difficult to remember the last time the two of you had talked about it. He’d already had it half in the works then. 
His shoulders came up in a weak shrug, and he threaded his fingers loosely together over his lap. “They’re placating me. We’re probably looking at something closer towards the end of the month.” 
“Just in time for your birthday.” 
“Lucky me.” Said flatly with a little roll of his eyes. Once he was done he turned a little more towards you, reaching out to slide some hair behind your ear and then cup the side of your face. “You alright?”
This was something you probably should have been expecting him to ask. Something you should have had an answer for. But the question left you a little stunned until you finally decided on, “I have no idea.” 
For one reason or another this seemed to amuse him, if only lightly so. “Yeah. That’s probably fair. Seems like there’s been a lot of that lately.” The fall of your face hit him, and he quickly went to nervous correction. “Not that- not that that’s your fault.” 
Had it even been one entire week since your life had started falling apart? Tony had told you you had absolutely no idea about yourself in the lab. JARVIS had died. Ultron had  been born. Fury was an alien- and the real one confirmed you knew even less than Tony had gathered. JARVIS had been found- and nearly died again- only saved by some efforts of yours- and then been reborn. The Infinity Stones had been revealed. Six in all. And no telling where they were, or why suddenly they’d become important. Tony had almost died. And had told you to leave him- and you had. Sokovia had been utterly destroyed. You’d kept Pietro from dying. Somehow. At the behest of powers beyond your comprehension. You’d been burning up, and your gamma pulses had been out of control. Ultron had died, and in his last moments had sought out your comfort in a realm you understood very little. You had offered him peace in his final flicker, and then sent him off. And JARVIS had helped you come down off that edge somehow.
...did that about cover everything? 
“Honey?” Tony’s quiet pang of nervousness brought you out of your cloud. “You still with me?” 
Your eyes lowered from the thousand yard stare you’d assumed and you put a hand to your forehead. “I hate to do this. Can you- ...can you debrief me?” It was such a cold and removed way of doing things. Of listening to the things that had happened to you. To your team. Just asking for a recap of events was never enough. But it was what you needed. 
He gave a weak nod and then cleared his throat. “Well… Sokovia is gone. The Relief Foundation is working on helping everyone that was displaced which is- ...well. Everyone. Casualties are still being counted. Ultron’s presence has been wiped clean. The press wants a statement. Bruce is gone.” 
That last bit of information struck you hard and fast. “What do you mean gone?” 
A terrible blue took over him. Heavy sorrow that he was reluctant to show. “Gone. Hulk took over the quinjet. Nat tried to get him to come back but he turned off all the comms. He put it in stealth mode and- thanks to me- that means it’s untrackable. So. He’s gone.” There was a soft flicker of resentment but it was mostly buried by guilt. 
Reaching out you put a hand over his. “That’s not your fault.” 
He scoffed with a bitter smile. “That’s not the way everyone else feels. Which is fine. Maybe they’re right. You know, I had redundancies for this kind of thing- but I had no idea the big guy was that smart.” Speaking quickly. Always a sure sign that he was struggling. 
“Bruce knew all of your protocols. Are we sure it wasn’t him?” Not really sure what the point of arguing who had taken off was. Maybe just to get an idea of who had really left. Hulk? Or Bruce? 
Tony just shrugged weakly. “There’s no way of telling. At least not until he comes back. I’ll do my best to find him but. He’s gonna have to meet me halfway.” Bruce taking the quinjet was something else entirely. Maybe if it was just Hulk, there was a chance he’d crash it somewhere. But if Bruce had run off? 
...why? Why would he do that? You remembered overhearing him and Natasha, but Natasha was still here. So Bruce had just ran away? It was nearly unfathomable. ...and an incredibly painful thought. To think that he thought his only means of contrition after what happened in Johannesburg were to just disappear off the face of the earth... You would have protected him from the media. From accusations that it was his fault- it hadn’t been. He had a life here. Family.
Which made all the more sense why Tony was taking this so hard. You found yourself sad, too. There was so much more to say here- so much more that you should have said. Things you should have done to try and help Tony process this, even when you couldn’t do it yourself. But he moved on while you fumbled with your own sudden grief. “The Facility is getting its roots settled- like I said. It’ll be a little while yet. But the team knows about it and they’re starting to migrate that way. Surprisingly had no qualms. For once.”
“It’s out of the way. They probably like the idea of being a little more protected. Less in the public eye.” The Tower was great. You remembered a long time ago when it had been your baby. And the new face of justice after just being the new face of clean energy for barely a day. But. It was time to- 
“And I’m working on a speech that goes with our two week notice.” 
Retire. Funny. You were just about to think that. “A speech, huh? You wouldn’t happen to be planning some annoying retirement party, would you?” 
His face fell just a little and then he moved quickly to looking insulted. But only jokingly so. “Okay, well, now that you called it annoying-” 
“Tony-” 
“Look. I just think it’s fair. We put in a ton of work. The least they can do is drink champagne from an open bar and- I don’t know- is it too much to ask for one of those oversized cards?” The sight of his grin encouraged your own smile. 
Something you hid as you bent forward, nuzzling your forehead against his shoulder. “Maybe asking a little too much from them, yes. They’re not really that socially coordinated.” 
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” 
The thought buzzed around in your head. Not angrily. But it did make you slightly nervous. Your tone backed off. Quiet and thoughtful. Not really wanting to invite the universe to give you ten more reasons that you couldn’t. “You really think we’re allowed to retire?” 
That question had been out there for much longer now than was fair. The both of you had had long discussions- too many at this point- about what an actual life looked like. One with each other. That you were in control of. No more of this superhero business that Tony had thrown himself into. ...it still didn’t seem possible. 
His own voice lowered to match yours. “That’s not a question I can answer on my own.” 
Meaning… he needed you there with him. He needed your agreement. Your consent. He needed you to walk along this path with him. He couldn’t decide to retire on his own and have you work. Nor could you walk away with him still on the frontlines. It just didn’t work that way. 
“How do you feel about it, Tony?” Sitting back again just so you could look at him. Have a real conversation with him about this. About the fate of your lives. The next chapter. 
He looked at you for a long time. Really thinking. And you appreciated it. “Well… Vision is no Ultron. Maybe he’s better for it.” The whole reason this had started. The one thing Tony had promised you. Ultron was what he’d been working on. To protect the earth. And to give you both the ability to feel safe. To… do exactly what you were talking about now. “He’s ready to be part of the team. And, don’t tell him I told you, but I think he’s our ringer right now.” 
JARVIS certainly seemed extremely powerful. It was hard to even label what it was he could do. But he was also holding an Infinity Stone. Whatever they were. Something also incredibly powerful. With it in his hands- good hands- the world did seem a little safer. Like he would come to challenge whatever tried to hurt it. Like an Avenger. 
You caught Tony looking at you. Waiting. Waiting for your judgment. You felt your brows knit. “You trust him? With our future?” Not just the world’s future. A little more selfishly so… you were asking if Tony could turn his back on the Avengers knowing JARVIS (or Vision, as they kept calling him) was there. That he trusted JARVIS to keep everyone safe, so that no matter the crisis, you and Tony didn’t have to come back onto the battlefield. 
“Next to you? JARVIS was the only other person I trusted that much. Vision might not be entirely JARVIS but. You’re right. There’s part of him there. Enough of him.” Talking himself through that thought until finally he nodded. “Yeah. I trust him.” 
This was a lot. This was saying more than a lot, in fact. Tony was ready to give up this life. He was ready to move on. He had been for a long time. But he knew the importance of what the two of you were doing. Of what the team was doing. He’d seen the horrors that you would never understand. He’d sat in space for a full minute- sometimes it still haunted him. Yet despite all that… he was ready. 
The question now was, were you? 
He startled you from your thinking when he raised a hand, the backs of his fingers brushing gingerly down over your temple and then traced the line of your jaw. “If you want me to beg, just say the words.” 
“Beg?” It was too much to ask that you didn’t fall immediately to pieces with the way he was looking at you. The way he was touching you. It was hard to think beyond that. “I don’t want you to beg-” 
“But I will. Whatever it takes to get you there- whatever I need to do- if I need to beg for you to run away with me- to start a life with me- I will. I want this. I want a home. I want stability. I want you. I want you to be happy. I want you to be safe. With me. And- frankly- I’m getting tired of sharing you with everyone else. So if you want me to beg-” 
His silence was easy to earn. You reached over, securing your hand around the middle of his tie, and drew him in with a pointed pull. He went very easily. Words stopping in a catch of breath, eyes lowering and then closing just as your lips connected. His palm went flat against the side of your neck. Against your wishes he broke back, so you chased him, and it was the parted lips, the small brush of tongues that made your muscles go slack. 
Which seemed to be fine. With another tug as you fell back, he followed you in, keeping close. His knees went to the sides of your thighs on the bed, while his hands reached out to steady himself over you. While you had him, you looped your arms around his neck, drawing him further. Kissing him harder. Leaving the two of you breathless. He was panting as he asked, “Is that a yes?” Smile the next thing pressed against your lips. 
But it didn’t stay. He was on the moved, dragging fleeting kisses down from your jaw and over your throat as your head tipped back all the way to give him access. “Tony- please-” The tingly scratch of his beard and mustache had you writhing beneath him.
An amused hum bubbled out from him, “I thought I was the one doing the begging?” A warm glow bounced back and forth between the two of you. Easy to acknowledge. Happiness.
Nothing simpler and yet somehow still nothing more complex. Almost strange to be able to access the feeling after everything the both of you had been through. But when you were together- like this- ...it was so easy. 
His teeth at the juncture of your shoulder and neck sparked a pleasurable thrum that had your hips lifting to meet him, a soft noise leaking from you. You were getting lost. So was he. You had to make sure you put a cap on this before it was too late. “Yes-” It came out in a quiet hiss, a half moan as he nipped again, working his way out towards the round of your shoulder. You tried again for something less salacious. “Yes- Tony- let’s do it-” 
At this he really did chuckle, a dark and loving noise that rumbled out against your skin and shot straight through you. “We’re about halfway there.” Teasing you so easily. “Though I’m not sure about the crass language. Usually you’re much more eloquent-” That smirk he was suddenly pressing onto your collarbone lit up all your hot points. “Tony-” Warning him. Liar that you were. Not even his smart-mouth sass would stop this. He probably knew that. “-but I’ll forgive you, considering...” Deciding better safe than sorry. Smart man that he was. His right hand moved down, cupping the back of your thigh, hefting you up into another press of hips that had your mind reeling- especially with the quiet groan it urged from him. 
“Yes- please-” Losing the thought again. Having to struggle to get it back. You settled your hands on the sides of his face, tugging him back up to look at you. His eyes were darkened with lust, but after only seconds of looking at you he eased into something far softer. “Tony- let’s retire. Let’s start our lives.” Agreeing. Finally. 
Your moment was now. You were finally going to have a life with him. An actual life. 
His smile was nothing short of enamored. “I love you.” He didn’t give you a chance to echo the sentiment as he closed in on another heated, deep kiss. Not with words- so you let him know anyway- 
I love you more. 
The message hit its mark almost instantly, and he went a little weak over you for just a handful of seconds. Then it seemed to renew his drive all the more. Yet he was moving in slow motion compared to after- when your hands moved down and you ruined his shirt. Ripping it open with a quick yank, sending torn buttons scattering. 
I need you. 
Another thing he needed to know. And as always, he was up to the task. 
It took no time at all after that- part of you wished you’d savored the moment- but the rest of you was intensely grateful when you were able to rid him of his clothes, and he of yours. His hand gripped your hip tight, and you pressed yourself against his warm body, legs locked around his waist, drinking in every moan between you as he fucked you senseless. As the two of you finally found time for each other. Found comfort in each other. 
Finally had time for each other. Finally were committing to each other.
Finally. Finally. 
8 notes · View notes
yoon-kooks · 5 years
Text
Witch Hazel- Pt.4
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Pairing: Jungkook x Reader
Genre: FanficWriter!Jungkook, Idol!Reader, College!AU, Angst, Fluff
Summary: There are two students in your art class with a secret: you and the quiet Jeon Jungkook. You’re a problematic idol singer, infamous for your ice cold reputation and perpetual resting bitch face; he’s the artist and author behind the viral comic series based on a certain ice queen idol. After a blowup of destructive rumors, lost motivation and inevitable solitude, you stumble upon Jungkook’s comic and find a new and unexpected light.
Word Count: 3.5k
Warnings: none
Parts: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // ?
A/N: my hope is that the idol industry can one day become a safer place for those who have dedicated their lives to making others happy ❤️
-
“Let me guess, you’re the type who needs to feel needed but also pushes people away?”
“How would you know that, Bunny Boy?”
“It’s my power.”
“You have powers too?” Snow blinks her pretty blue eyes. “Can you read minds?”
“I certainly can’t read minds,” Bunny Boy laughs. “But I am pretty good at reading hearts.”
“Oh yeah? What’s my heart feeling right now?”
“Well for starters, you seem to be annoyed by me prying too deep.”
“You are annoying.”
“And you also think I’m kinda cute.”
“I do not!”
You giggle into your phone screen for the hundredth time as you read through the latest Witch Hazel update. With the reveal of another character with secret powers, you wonder what Snow will make out of him. A friend? An ally? Or perhaps just someone who gets her.
Beneath the last comic panel of Snow rolling her eyes at the unofficially named Bunny Boy, you find cute little comments from the author.
“all i hope is for snow to take care of herself during this hiatus”
“even if it’s only a tiny amount, maybe witch hazel can help supplement as new snow content for now;;;;;;”
“ah i didnt mean to sound as if i were anywhere near snow’s level or anything;;;;;;”
“i just hope she knows she doesnt have to carry any burden all on her own”
“she has people on her side”
Your face doesn’t know whether to smile or shed tears, so you do a combination of both. It’s true, you’ve always felt alone. Always. No matter how many staff members it takes to produce an album or how many fans buy that album, you’ve never once felt that people could look beyond your idol music, your icy eyes, your mask.
But that’s exactly why you’re taking a break. You need to separate your worth from the music attached to your name. You need to prove to yourself that you’re more than what the critics and magazines say. And you’re only realizing it now that you can’t do it alone.
If only you had your own jk.seagull in your life. You’re sure the two of you would mesh well together.
-
“Where is that kid?” Taehyung pats the empty seat next to him before class starts. “He never skips class. I remember one time he literally rejected a date with a super cute girl because he ‘had to get to class’. Can you believe that?”
“Knowing Jungkook, I’d believe it,” you shrug. It does feel oddly empty without his presence, though.
“Oh really? You know all there is to know about the mysterious phenomenon that is Jeon Jungkook? It sounds like you guys got real acquainted on that date the other day.”
“It wasn’t a date, Taehyung. It was a meeting for a group project that you didn’t show up to.”
“Well it all evens out since Jungkook didn't show up today. Who knows, maybe you won’t show up tomorrow.”
“I’m sure he has a good reason for being absent. Unlike you.” You have to admit, it does worry you a little. Especially after the hints of doubt Jungkook expressed about his own beautiful art. You wish he knew how amazing of an artist he really is.
“What are you talking about? My reason was valid.”
“Having your cock sucked for five hours straight is not a valid reason, by the way.” You roll your eyes. “Let me guess, today you have a threesome scheduled after class and dinner date at 5?”
“Ouch, you don’t have to be so harsh, Y/N.” Taehyung pretends to be offended, but he doesn’t deny your comment either. “You’re really his type, you know.”
“I’m whose type?”
“Jungkook’s.”
“Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”
“I’ve said this before, but you’re a lot like Snow.”
“How?”
“In how you present yourself,” Taehyung says. “You and her both come across as cold and heartless, but somehow I don’t buy it.” He doesn’t buy what? That you’re just as much of a bitch on the inside too? Ha.
“Jungkook must have weird taste then,” you shrug. Because in your opinion, you’re not exactly an easy person to love.
“But-” Taehyung is cut off by the professor starting class. You don’t know what more he could’ve said to make you change your mind anyway.
“There won’t be any lecture for today’s class.” Your professor is busy typing away at her computer, perhaps trying to get caught up on paperwork and grading old assignments. “Instead, I want you all to take this time to work on your group projects. You may leave the classroom if you must, but remember to stay on task!”
With that, your classmates jam out of the room as if they were just freed from prison. You hear a couple of friends deciding which boba place to try out. Another group, the overachievers of the class, head somewhere outside to actually work on the project. Taehyung, too, looks as if there’s somewhere else he needs to be.
“So I-”
“Go ahead and get laid,” you sigh, shooing the boy away with your hand. “We’ll work next time when all three of us are here.”
“Thanks, Y/N! You get me,” Taehyung waves bye before dashing off.
You wave back as the hall clears out around you. It seems everyone else has found somewhere to go. Everyone except you.
But it’s fine. You’re fine.
Buzz! You jump at the sudden phone notification that seems to echo off the walls of the empty hall. Oh look, it’s a text from your only friend.
10:32AM jinnie❤️ “good morning ^O^// just checking in on you”
10:33AM jinnie❤️ “how are you holding up with everything?”
“I’m fine!” you mumble rather aggressively to yourself, sliding your ass down onto the filthy hallway floor before texting back. Your chunky guitar case sits in your lap like a baby so it doesn’t get dirty.
10:34AM Y/N “i miss seeing you at work everyday :((((”
10:34AM Y/N “lololololol jk”
10:35AM Y/N “fuck work, am i right”
10:36AM jinnie❤️ “Y/N”
10:37AM Y/N “😒”
10:37AM Y/N “im fine”
10:38AM jinnie❤️ “thats exactly what people say when theyre not fine”
But you are fine. You’re completely fine with sitting all alone in an empty hallway, texting your only friend who also happens to be your manager.
10:39AM jinnie❤️ “what are you doing now?”
You pick up your guitar and start walking away. Obviously, you can’t tell him what you were actually doing because it would worry him too much. But you can’t lie to him either.
10:41AM Y/N “if you really must know”
You wait until you arrive at your new location before answering Seokjin’s million-dollar question. You’ve found your place.
10:45AM Y/N “im practicing in the music room before my theory class starts”
He sends you the Surprised Pikachu meme but also a few supportive comments.
10:46AM jinnie❤️ “good luck!”
10:46AM jinnie❤️ “and if you ever need something, please reach out to me!”
10:47AM jinnie❤️ “ill be checking in on you every now and then, but please enjoy your time off~”
10:48AM Y/N “thank you seokjin”
With your manager off your back, you settle into the empty music classroom and pull your trusty guitar out of its case. The flat and out of tune strings remind you of how long it’s been since the last time you touched the guitar. Because despite carrying it around wherever you go, it’s all for show.
In all honesty, you’re too afraid to let others hear, and yet, part of you wants them to know. You want them to know you’re an artist in your own right—without the judgment. But that’s asking for too much from this cruel world. Especially when you know you aren’t there yet.
One by one, you turn the pegs on your guitar, fine tuning each string by ear. That’s always been your secret talent, and maybe that’s how you’ve never been off-key since the moment you said your first words. If there was one thing you had going for you as an idol, it was that.
Once all the strings are tuned, you just sit there, staring at your fingers curved naturally in the C chord position. The muscle memory is still very much ingrained in you, but so are the scars. The last time you actually held your guitar, you were told you weren’t good enough. So you ended up settling for something else.
Today, however, you want to change that. You shouldn’t let several people’s opinions determine what you can or can’t amount to just because they were the professionals of the industry who supposedly “knew” what they were doing. They didn’t know you then, and they certainly don’t know you now. They don’t even know your real name.
But that’s okay. Having a secret identity makes you feel as though you can someday become a true superhero, someone who makes the world a better place from behind the scenes. In that sense, you want to be someone like your current favorite person on the internet, jk.seagull. You don’t know him, nor do you know his real name.
All you know is that his craft makes you happy.
With the funny fanfic boy in mind, you glance up to make sure the coast is clear before taking your first strum. Despite the dullness of your old worn-out strings, what your ears hear is crisp and bright.
-
You aren’t sure how much time has passed since you began singing along to a melody only you know, but you’re suddenly pulled back into reality with a single mention of her from outside the classroom.
“What do you think about the Snow news?”
“It’s honestly sad.”
“With how little she contributes to her music, I really don’t think she deserves a break.”
“She should just keep going. How hard is it to sing a few songs? I hope she knows she’s letting a lot of people down just so she could relax.”
“Or better yet, she should just retire early.”
You set down your guitar on the piano bench. You’ve heard quite enough and you’re ready to slam the door on the noisy group passing by. But by the time you peek your head out from the crack, the group is already at the other end of the hall. You do, however, find a surprise sitting right outside the music room.
The boy who was supposedly too sick to come to class is too busy sketching away to notice you staring at him.
“How long have you been sitting out here?”
The tiny hairs on the back of the boy’s neck stand up as his drawing hand freezes at the sound of your voice. He turns around, looking up at you as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing.
“Since I started sketching.” Jungkook shows you a simple yet pretty drawing of a flowery spring field. By his art standards, it couldn’t have taken him long to draw that one page.
But it isn’t until you start flipping through the rest of the pages in the sketchbook that you realize he’d been sitting there for quite a while. Each page is similar to the last with only slight differences in between. When you fly through the pages like a flipbook, you see the whole picture.
From the first sketch of spring flowers, snow slowly covers the field until only a single flower remains in a winter wonderland. If you go in reverse, you can watch as the snow melts away until that one flower disappears amongst its brethren.
“What kind of flower is that?” You point to the one that somehow managed to blossom through the thickness of the snow. Maybe if it were colored in, you’d have a better idea.
“A strong one?” Jungkook shrugs as if he’s not the artist who knows the the answer. You hate yourself for cackling along at his lousy joke. He closes his sketchbook as a way to change the subject. “Why aren’t you in class?”
“Funny you should ask. The professor dismissed our class to work on the group projects. And then Tae ditched to go do his usual skirt-chasing shenanigans because somebody in our group didn’t show up.”
“Sorry,” the boy bites his lower lip with a hint of regret. “I didn’t really feel well enough to sit in class today.”
“Then why didn’t you just stay at home?”
“I still had this project to turn in and finish for my other class.” He raises his sketchbook. “And besides, music is the best medicine.”
You feel your cheeks burning up. The last person you expected to catch you messing around with your guitar in the music department was the art student who was supposed to be out sick. “How much did you hear…?”
“All I heard was one song…” He assures you for a slight second before going in for the kill, “…that you kept replaying over and over and over-”
“I get it. You heard a lot,” you hiss. “You better not tell anyone! Not even Tae.”
“I won’t,” he promises, chuckling at your distress. It seems the kid’s gotten comfortable enough around you to start clowning you. “It’s a nice song, by the way.”
“Really?” You want to believe him, but you have a hard time doing so. When all you’ve heard was brutal criticism for the past few years, it’s difficult to accept any compliment without feeling like there’s ill intent behind it. It feels wrong to feel good about yourself.
Besides, maybe he’s just complimenting you out of obligation. Like he’s trying to be nice, even if he doesn’t actually feel that way about your song.
“I’ll burden the pain so you don’t have to,” he says.
“What?”
“That’s a line from the lyrics, right?”
You nod.
“It’s a very Y/N thing to say.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jungkook shrugs and swirls his Sailor Venus keychain around his index finger. “Just take it as a compliment, Y/N.”
If not for his soft teasing smile, your mind would still be filled with doubt. Instead, you accept the compliment and gain a tiny bit of confidence back.
“Come in for a second,” you start walking back inside the music room. “And close the door behind you.”
Jungkook does as he’s told, his eyes glued to your guitar as you pick it up off the piano bench. There, you do something you’ve never practiced but had always hoped to perform as Snow—your own acoustic version of one of your songs.
It doesn’t matter that you’ve never practiced or touched your guitar in years. You know the key, the chords, the strum pattern. And you know how to make it your own. Not Snow’s or anyone else’s.
When you’re done with your mini acoustic performance, the boy can’t help but chuckle. He’s about to clown you again. You can feel it.
“What??”
“It’s nothing.”
“Jungkook.”
“It’s seems like you don’t hate Snow as much as you lead on.”
“I was only trying to show how I would’ve done the song if I were her.”
“Ah, so you criticize Snow so much because you think you can do better?”
“Not necessarily better… just differently.” You hope that answer is enough to satisfy the boy. But it’s not. He only nods with an awfully suspicious smirk. “What now??”
“It’s cool that you want to be a songwriter.”
“I never said that I did,” you say with a slight pout and hmph. You’ve never once mentioned your true dreams to anyone besides maybe some random kid at camp when you were ten. You’d hate to announce your bold aspirations with the utmost confidence, only to flop and fail before achieving anything. You’d rather keep it a secret until you perhaps “pop-off” as the kids say.
“Sure.” He doesn’t believe you.
“Are you always this sassy when you’re sick?”
His long locks flow as he shakes his head. “I’m feeling better now, actually. Thanks to your medicine.”
Maybe the kid was faking his sickness all along. Then again, Taehyung did say Jungkook wasn’t the type to skip class under most circumstances. Perhaps there was something else that was bothering him.
“Wait, you weren’t upset about Snow’s hiatus, right?” You remember the gossip from the noisy group that had passed by earlier. The beating you took from their words still stings.
“To be honest, I was worried about her at first with everything that went on,” Jungkook says. “But I think she probably just needed some time away from all that.”
“Probably,” is all you say, doing your best to downplay the amount of relief his words gave you. He isn’t upset or let down; he just wishes the best for your well-being. And as an idol, that’s all you’ve ever asked for. “You know, you’re the nicest Snow fan I’ve ever met.”
“You know a lot of other Snow fans?” Jungkook tilts his head at your odd statement. Oh right. You’ve only really met other fans as Snow, not as Y/N. Now you sound suspicious.
“Oh yeah, for sure. My friend, Seokjin, reads Snow smut all the time,” you force out a laugh while making a mental apology to your manager. Then you decide it’s best to change the subject before you blow your cover. “Speaking of fanfiction, I need your opinion on Witch Hazel!”
“What about it?”
“The new bunny character.” You whip out your phone for direct reference of the comic. “He’s funny, right?”
“He’s good at teasing Snow,” Jungkook looks at your phone screen of the bunny saying that Snow thinks he’s cute. “I wonder if he’ll make her fall for him.”
“I want him to.” Your eyes light up without knowing. To have Snow fall in love is wishful thinking, but a large part of you craves romance deep down—even if it’s only for the fictional version of yourself. “But at the same time, he’s not Snow’s type.”
“What’s Snow’s type?”
“Huh?” You somehow managed to fuck up again, so you shrink yourself and hope to disappear. “I don’t know… Why would I know what Snow’s type is…? It’s probably not a playboy like the bunny, but I wouldn’t know that…!”
“So you think she’d like someone more… considerate?”
You nod. “Probably just someone who takes the time to get to know her.”
“I guess we’ll see in the upcoming chapters.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” You can’t quite hold back a smile. After all, your day always feels a lot better when it involves your favorite little comic.
Jungkook must’ve noticed your face because he makes a comment. “I am curious, though, as to why you like Witch Hazel so much when you clearly don’t care for Snow herself.”
“For me, it has nothing to do with Snow.” To mask your smile, you make a cute duck face instead. “Reading it just… makes me happy.” As much as you’d hate to admit it, it’s been a long time since anything has given you good vibes the way that one comic does.
“That’s good,” the boy says, gathering his things to head to his next class. “It’s the same for me with Snow’s music… in case you were wondering.” And with that, he leaves you with something to think about.
If Snow’s music is Jungkook’s medicine, Witch Hazel is yours.
-
By the time you get home from school, you’re still smiling like an idiot after what Jungkook had said. Snow’s music makes him happy, and the mere thought of that makes you happy. It’s in (very rare) times like this that you remember why you chose to become an idol in the first place. It’s why you endure the pain.
With your mind clouded in an unfamiliar wave of emotion, you pull out your phone and tap on Jungkook’s contact information. After changing his contact name to something cuter, you start composing a casual message just to say hi.
Jungkook. What if I told you a secret?
Delete. You’ve never deleted a message so quick. You don’t even know which secret you would’ve told the boy. That you’re his crush, Snow? Or that he’s yours? Not that you have a huge crush on him… You swear it’s just a tiny one!
Regardless, you shouldn’t be sharing any of your deepest secrets with him—at least not for now. It’s not that you don’t trust him. It’s just that it’s a tricky situation to be in.
Your eyes move from your guitar, to the stacks of handwritten sheet music beside it, to the album that won you your first award—where the pain all began. Even the most supportive fan could not imagine what you’ve given up to be the idol that you are, to be someone with a name.
The only thing you can do now is take it all back. And only then will you let Jungkook in. But until that time comes, you don’t belong to him or anyone else.
4:44PM Snow “Are you free to talk?”
4:46PM Jimin “Yeah”
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timeisacephalopod · 5 years
Text
Have a TonyRhodey AU in which Tony is complaining about his children to Rhodey, who is not at all lost on the fact that Tony’s kids act like him so its kind of funny that he’s mad about it.
*
Rhodey laughs, hand covering his mouth and Tony lets out a noise of frustration. “Stop that! You don’t get it, Peter was being deliberately stupid. Like who decides to walk up to the cops with information on the asston of property damage and say ‘do you want the tea?’ instead of just telling them what happened?”
He doesn’t say anything about that time he and Tony got into a nasty car wreak that neither of them should have survived let alone come out untouched only to tell the cop that he’d rather be eating a burger than talk to them. And he did this for an hour until he got the damn food, then he continued to purposefully badger the cop because he thought it was funny. So its really not shocking that Peter thinks irritating the cops is funny too, he comes by it honestly. “That’s pretty funny,” he says and Tony’s eyes bug out of his head.
“No! Give him those ‘respect cops’ talks you always gave me, shithead!”
Rhodey squints, “I gave you ‘don’t torment cops with your black friend in shooting range’ lessons, lets not twist things. And no, parent your damn self you were the one that adopted like fifty kids.”
“Excuse you we have three and one is part time Pepper’s so she barely even counts so really we have two kids and a pest,” Tony says. “Fifty kids my ass. And you’re his parent to, do parent things,” he says, poking Rhodey in the side.
He smacks Tony’s hand away, “stop that. And Morgan is your actual child, how’s she count less?”
“Because Pepper has her equal time, Rhodey. And they’re all my actual kids, just because one was once a sperm that was-”
“Okay, you don’t need to finish that sentence. Peter sassing the cops is so not the worst thing he could be doing. Remember that ridiculous Jake Gyllenhaal looking bastard with the fish bowl head? Absolutely worse shenanigans than asking the cop if he wants the tea. Just saying.” And Peter is a good kid too, the least troublesome one they have and the little bastard got bit by a radioactive spider and became a superhero. But he’s the least troublesome kid they have. Sometimes Rhodey wonders if Tony is secretly Harley’s actual father because they share way too much in common and how come none of the kids are like him? Rude.
“Fine, Peter being a dick to cops is fine. Harley nearly died twice because, and this is a quote, ‘I wanted to make a cool Tik Tok.’ I had to look up what the fuck that was,” Tony says, exasperated.
Yeah, Harley is a certified Dumb Bitch but if Tik Tok and superheroes had been around in their youth he knows he’d have to find a way to save Tony’s dumb ass as he made videos in the middle of superhero battlefields. Shit, if that was the case in their youth deciding to make cool videos would have been Iron Man’s origin story instead of the terrorist thing.
“Tones you know you’d do the same thing, you can’t really judge the kid,” he says reasonably.
If it were possible for steam to blow out of Tony’s ears it would have. “He almost died twice under crumbling buildings for a twelve second video with Mii music in the background captioned ‘my last brain cell trying to avoid death while I ruin my life.’ He almost died twice for that,” Tony says like he didn’t once give out his personal address to terrorists only to be surprised when they blew up his house. And that’s one of the less dumb things Tony has done that’s nearly resulted in his death.
“Uh huh. Baby I hate to tell you this, but he’s just acting like you,” he says, wincing a little as he says it.
Tony reacts exactly how he thinks he would, mostly offended about it. “Rhodey, that is the problem. I’m an idiot, I like to think I have raised my kids to not be idiots.”
“Eh,” Rhodey says, waving hand. Tony smacks him playfully.
“Don’t be rude and talk to the kid, he listens to you,” he says like Harley doesn’t listen to him too.
“Its a phase, he’ll get through it,” Rhodey says.
“He almost died for a twelve second video that is an insane phase! Why are you not worried about his safety?” he asks, confused.
“I’m assuming this was the same event where Peter asked the cops if they wanted the tea, yeah?” he asks.
Tony huffs, “that’s not the point.”
“Is so. I know you wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him and neither would Peter, he was fine. Stupid, but fine. Besides, I can’t talk braincells into the kid,” he points out. “Didn’t work on you anyway.”
“Well... can you just talk to him?” Tony asks, shoulders slumped.
Rhodey shrugs, “yeah, alright. I doubt I’ll do more than you did but I can talk to the kid.” Tony nods, visibly relieved and Rhodey waits for him to go on but he doesn’t. “And Morgan?” he asks, figuring she’s gotten into some kind of something this week. Last time he got an update she tried to bleach her hair so she could dye it pink except she’s five so that didn’t go well and Tony spent a lot of time yelling about potentially going blind while Morgan watched on. Her only defense was that she’s not dumb, she knows not to bleach her eyes.
He’d had to leave that alone too and he and Pepper had a quiet moment about how Tony one hundred percent would have done the same thing. Kind of did in college when he decided to go blond and he looked awful. Then he decided the solution was shaving his hair short, which mostly made him look like a skin head so Rhodey told him to dye his hair back but Tony’s dramatic ass hid under the bed for a month until it grew out enough to leave for more than a few hours at night to eat, shit, and shower. So really, Morgan was just reaching out to some Stark genes there and she was fine, if sporting some awful hair, so he and Pepper got a good laugh out of Tony’s reaction.
“Oh she’s fine, turns out she’s a music prodigy so there's that. But I’m sure she’ll do some stupid thing soon. In the meantime though she’s not doing anything particularly stupid so that’s nice, I’ve got my hands full with Harley and Peter anyway.”
That doesn’t surprise Rhodey much, she insults Tony’s music taste too much to not know things about it. “Guess she had some insight when she told you Alice Cooper was worse than Barney,” he says and Tony makes an offended noise.
“She did not!”
*
Rhodey looks over the kids sternly until Morgan raises her hand. “I didn’t even do anything so can I leave?” she asks. He nods and she grins, taking off presumably to go harass Tony about his music that she’s deemed awful. Tony has threatened to disown her four times today alone.
Harley and Peter wilt a little and Rhodey sighs. “Harley, nearly dying for a Tik Tok is not nearly a cool enough death to risk it. Peter, that’s hilarious. Keep pissing off New York’s finest, you’re bullet proof anyway. Stop doing it in front of your father though, I’m tired of Tony losing his ass about it.”
Peter frowns, “I’m not bullet proof.”
“I rescind that, stop pissing off New York’s finest, I don’t put it above at least one of them to shoot Spiderman. Harley, learn how to edit, man. What the hell are you doing running around in superhero battles for? Go ask Ned if you need help with it, you know Ned is good at editing and he’s a good boy, I’m sure he’d help you.” Helped Peter hack into his suit and they both thought Tony didn’t know right away like he didn’t plan for the possibility that someone would tamper with the suit Peter or otherwise. Ned got himself a job out of it and Peter got grounded, which meant no Spiderman.
“Please don’t call Ned a good boy,” Peter says, wrinkling his nose.
“Hey, I found another Spiderman and his suit is way cooler than Peter’s!” Morgan says from behind them. Rhodey turns to find a kid standing there in an admittedly very cool design but its clearly painted over one of Peter’s suits. He’d recognize one of those suits anywhere the design is so unique. He turns to Peter, who smacks Harley.
“You said he was well hidden!” he hisses.
“Morgan’s a busybody, you know that!”
“He was in your closet, that’s not well hidden. You should have hid him under the sink,” Morgan tells them, hands on her hips.
Rhodey lets out a long suffering sigh. “Alright kid, who are you?”
“I’m not Miles Morales. I’m some other guy,” he says, looking away and Rhodey hopes this kid has loving parents because he’s absolutely dumb enough for Tony to adopt.
“Yeah alright, lets get you to the lab so you can get your own suit. Peter, you can explain yourself to your father and Harley, you too. Morgan... good work,” he says awkwardly but Morgan looks proud of herself so at least there’s that. Miles looks upset that he’s outted himself but it does seem like Peter is incapable of finding friends who are good liars. Better for him and Tony though so he’ll take it.
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synkiller82 · 5 years
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Collapse Into Me Chapter 18 - Representative
The restaurant Marinette's dress The Necklace: I took some liberties with this and changed everything to gemstones...it's more Adrien. ;-) Nathalie worked over the next three days to get everything ready for Adrien’s dinner date with Marinette.  She had reserved a table at Restaurant Guy Savoy for Thursday night. The dress Nathalie had picked out had been sent over to the bakery, and the jewelry Adrien ordered would be arriving this afternoon.  She smiled as she worked on the details, happy that Adrien finally had someone who could openly show they cared.
Nathalie knew that Gabriel cared deeply for his son, but he had changed since Emilie fell ill.  She had been a light, happy presence in the house, as well as Nathalie’s best friend. Adrien reminded her so much of Emilie, which she knew was part of the reason Gabriel avoided Adrien.  He wasn’t ready to give up, to let go of his wife. So, Nathalie tried to be there for her ‘nephew’, helping him get into school and telling little white lies to allow him more freedom. It wasn’t much, but she did as much as she could without losing her job.
“Has it arrived, Nathalie?” Adrien’s worried voice broke into her reverie.
“It hasn’t, but I will look into it now,”  Nathalie answered in her stoic tone, though her heart melted when Adrien’s worried expression softened around the edges and he gave her a glimmer of a smile before he bounded upstairs to practice his piano.  Nathalie noticed he was at his piano every waking moment he could be, learning a song she didn’t recognize. She could only assume it was something special to Marinette.  
Within the hour, she knocked on Adrien’s door, delivering his highly awaited package.  He carefully opened the black jewelry case and gasped at the necklace inside. He closed the case and placed it on his desk.  “It’s perfect, Nathalie! Thank you!”
“I’m glad it meets your expectations.  I’m sure it will be well received.”
“Is everything else ready for tomorrow?”
“Your reservations are for 6 p.m. and her dress was delivered this morning.  Your suit was cleaned and pressed today, and the limo will be sparkling tomorrow.”
“Great!  Now, if I can calm my nerves enough to get through to the dinner, everything will be perfect.”
Nathalie was about to respond when Gabriel called through her earpiece.  She turned on her heel and made her way to the atelier. “You needed something, sir?”
“Was there a package delivered just now?”
“Yes, sir.  A present Adrien ordered for his dinner with Marinette tomorrow.”
Gabriel glanced at Nathalie.  “What dinner?”
“He asked her to go to dinner with him.”
Gabriel nodded.  “Very well. Now, about the Spring line—”
---
Marinette stood in front of her mirror, unable to believe it was her reflection looking back at her.  The dress Adrien had chosen—a baby pink dress, the lace bodice coming to a jeweled neckline and a knee-length skirt with a chiffon overskirt that cascaded down one side—fit her like a dream.  Her mother pulled her hair into a bun, decorated with a cherry blossom comb. She put on the black heels Monique had given her and walked downstairs to meet her date.
Adrien arrived at the Dupain-Chengs’ about 30 minutes before their reservation and headed upstairs after saying hello to Tom.  Sabine answered the door and welcomed Adrien inside. “You look wonderful, Adrien. Marinette will be down in one minute.” She walked to the living room to retrieve her camera.  “I would like to get some pictures of you two before you go.”
“That would be wonderful.  Thank you, Mrs. Cheng,” Adrien answered, trying to keep the nervous wobble out of his voice.  He adjusted his navy blue coat, brushed off his matching pants, checked to make sure the buttons on his cream-colored dress shirt were done properly and his tie, silk with a navy and cream diamond pattern, was tucked into his navy vest.
He heard movement above him and stopped his nervous fiddling to look up and see Marinette slowly making her way down the stairs.  He stepped forward and offered his hand to help her down the last few stairs. “You look radiant,” he whispered as she took her place beside him so Sabine could take photos.
“You’re looking pretty good yourself,” she retorted as they headed downstairs to tell Tom goodbye before getting into the black limo.  “So, where are we going?”
“A place I’m sure you will love,” Adrien began as he tried to relax.  “The owner loves fashion and art. Father used to have meetings at his restaurant all the time.  I remember him telling Mother he always loved the atmosphere and it helped him get through some of his creative blocks.”
“Wow, that is some high praise.  I can’t wait to see it.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing we are here.” Adrien stepped out of the car once the door was opened and turned to help Marinette out.  Once inside, they were greeted by the maître d′, and shown to their table.  
They had a wonderful view of the sunset over the river and Marinette couldn’t take her eyes off it.  “I can see why your father found inspiration here. It’s beautiful.” Their server brought water, as well as the first course.  Marinette looked at her plate confused, “We didn’t order yet.”
“I had Nathalie order the restaurant's specialty when she made the reservation,” Adrien explained.  “It is a multi-course meal called ‘Colors, Textures, and Flavors.’ I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh,” Marinette replied. “No, that’s fine.  I was just confused.”
“Good,” Adrien let out a breath he had been holding as the plates were taken and the next course was brought.  “So, how are the designs coming along?”
Marinette sighed.  “Not as well as I had hoped, but I’ve made progress.  Hopefully, they will translate well enough to move forward.”
“You can always practice with me,” Adrien offered.  “I do know a few things about fashion.”
Marinette giggled.  “I’m sure you do.” She looked over the Seine and watched as people walked along its banks.  “As I told you before, I want my designs to be worn by everyday people. The human figure is diverse and every shape should be celebrated.  I thought a nice way to illustrate this was with the Parisian heroes. Each one has unique skills and abilities, but they are all superheroes.  Does that make sense?”
“Yeah,” Adrien affirmed.  “I love the idea, actually.”
She turned back to look at him.  “Really?”
“Yes.  I hate that only certain body types are used for modeling.  Your line of thinking is a breath of fresh air into the industry.”
“Thanks, Adrien!”  Marinette grinned. “That means a lot coming from you.”
A few more courses transpired as she went into more detail about the designs.  Adrien was entranced with the way her eyes sparkled as she spoke of her passion.  She was truly meant to be in the world of fashion and he knew he had to help her in any way he could.
“Marinette, I was thinking,” Adrien started as the first of their desserts were presented.  “Maybe we could go on a walk before I take you home.”
“I would love that.”  Marinette smiled.
---
“Did you enjoy yourself?”  Adrien asked as he walked with Marinette, arm-in-arm, toward a local park.
“I did.  That was amazing, though I told you not to go overboard.” She swatted playfully at his shoulder, causing them both to giggle.
Adrien threw his hands up.  “I know, but I wanted tonight to be special.”
Marinette glared at him but gave in to his sweet, innocent face.  “It was lovely.” She leaned into his shoulder as they walked.
“I will,” Adrien whispered.  
They entered Gabriel-Pierné park and sat on one of the benches.  “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me since I entered public school.  You were willing to give the 'spoiled teen supermodel' another chance. I didn’t know how important that day was going to be until now.  You made my world so much brighter, just by being there. Now that we have become so close, my days shine like the sun and no amount of clouds can darken them for long.”  He took her hand and lay a gentle kiss on her knuckles before rubbing them with his thumb. “Marinette, you mean the world to me and I never want you to doubt my feelings for you.  I want to show you each and every day how much you mean to me. I want you to know you can come to me with anything, as I am able to do with you. I can’t imagine my world without you in it.”
Marinette gasped as she looked at Adrien, tears gathering in her eyes at his words.  “Adrien, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I love you, Marinette.”  He leaned in his face inches from hers. “I’m asking you to be my girlfriend.”
“I love you too, Adrien.”  She closed the distance and their lips met.  The kiss was short and sweet, but the butterflies that erupted in her stomach continued to flutter.  She smiled shyly as she tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear.
“So, ah,” Adrien stuttered as he tried to get his bearings.  “Was that a yes?”
Marinette nodded.  “Yes.”
Adrien scooped her up and twirled her around while shouting happily into the night.  When he put her back down, he pulled something out of his jacket pocket. “I have something for you.”
Marinette gasped as he opened the velvet case to reveal a cherry blossom charm made from heart-shaped baby pink sapphires for petals and a dark pink sapphire in the center, set in rose gold and hanging from a matching chain.  “Adrien, it’s beautiful.”
He took it out of the case and placed it around her neck, admiring how it caught the light.  “It looks perfect on you. I remembered how much you loved cherry blossoms, so I thought it would be fitting for tonight.”
She leaned in and kissed his cheek.  “How did I get so lucky as to catch your eye?”
“Funny,” he countered as he leaned in again.  “I’ve been asking myself the same question for weeks.”  He kissed her again, happy to get lost in the moment.
Adrien’s driver came around shortly after and they were driven back to Marinette's house.  Adrien escorted her to the door and kissed her cheek before walking back to the car. He sighed as he leaned against the back of the seat.  He placed a hand to his lips, where they still tingled from their contact with Marinette’s. This still felt like a dream to him, but if it was, he never wanted to wake up.
---
The restaurant Marinette's dress The Necklace: I took some liberties with this and changed everything to gemstones...it's more Adrien. ;-)
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My Thoughts on Endgame
Major spoilers and a TL;DR on how it all collapsed under its own wibbly wobbly timey wimey logic
So, to start, it was fine.  Like, it was just fine.  There were parts I liked, parts I hated, parts I refuse to except as canon (and may not have to), and parts that just didn’t make any damn sense.
And at the bottom of it all, is how the movie was “a gift to the fans” and, while unspoken, a swan song.  The fan service was TOO heavy, and it really felt as though they thought of their fanservice moments, and then built the story around those, rather than building a story and finding fanservice moments to sneak in.
Ok, things I liked:
There were genuinely funny moments, most of which didn’t feel smushed in.  Nobody likes the stairs Hulk, and I’m glad that Steve has accepted that sometimes his Cap lines are a little Too Much.
While I hated the death, I do like that Tony Stark is literally the messiah of the universe.  He didn’t owe anybody anything anymore, but he still took the step and made the sacrifice to protect his wife and his reality and his children.  Plural.
I did like Tony being done, wanting out, yelling at the group.  He was at his end and couldn’t do it anymore, and while there are legit discussions to have about CW--I think they were both wrong in a way--but the fact is he was right about the greater threat and nobody believed him.
I can’t believe a dorky photo of Peter Parker looking like a fish and messing up bunny ears and Tony Stark not smiling saved the universe.
Tom Holland is gonna win an Oscar some day.  I knew what happened going in--I HATE not knowing--so while I got teary during several points, I started blubbering when he said, “we won, Mr. Stark.  Mr. Stark, we won.  You did it, sir.”
RDJ should win an Oscar for this.  There were moments that were OOC but he still put everything into it.  Him, Nat, and Peter were really the only ones I *felt* in this movie.  
Their reunion hug--Peter coming back and being Purely Peter, and Tony looking at him, like oh my god, he’s exactly the same and I can’t believe he’s rambling like this I missed him so much.”
“Activate Instant Kill!”  Oh, my sweet baby boy Peter.  You kept the gauntlet safer than longer than anyone.
Tony Stark has been my Pretend Superhero Dad since I first saw Iron Man in 2008 in a dollar theater while munching on a sneaked-in Whopper.  He is Iron Dad, both to Morgan and his Spider-son and he took an extra step, one he didn’t have to do, to make sure they both made it ok.
Also, and I love Carol, but Thanos yeeted her the fuck off the field with the power stone.  Tony Stark withstood the power stone using his nanotech shield on Titan.  Most Powerful Avenger.
Scott is a joy.  
Cap and Mjolnir was an okay scene I enjoyed, but it was a prime example of writing the story around fanservice.  Yeah, it was fun, but it was better to imagine he couldn’t fully lift it in AoU because he knew about Bucky and the Starks, so he wasn’t fully worthy.
Now, the things I *didn’t* like:
How did Carol find the Benetar?  And how did she get it back?!  Like, I know because she’s the embodiment of the Space Stone she technically has omnipresence and/or is capable of light speed, but does that extend to other objects?  Wouldn’t it have torn the Benetar apart?  
The time jump was *off.*  And I have a hard time believing Tony would have just moved on like that.  I think he would have tried, but it was too easy, considering.
The strange mismatch between desolation--NYC, arguably the most important city in the world, is a ghost town, while other places are fine?  More on infrastructure problems later.
Hulk dabbing.  Come on.  Was that a joke on Bruce being old and out of touch, or are people still dabbing in 2023?
Thor.  Oh Thor.  His PTSD was treated as a joke--save his convo with Frigga--and it sucked, especially since they did so well with Tony’s PTSD.  That’s the writers, who we all know have had their noses up Cap’s butt since forever.
The fact that it’s implied Pepper knew Tony wasn’t really happy when he went to talk to her about solving time travel.  That he wasn’t settled, that this still weighed on him, even when it was hopeless.  Why’d she let him build that life then?  
“You can rest now.”  Yeah, ok.  Suffer so much, finally get what you want in your grasp, then your reward is death.  See above.  It cheapens his sacrifice because it’s implied he was never fully immersed and happy with his life.
Nat got done dirty.  I wasn’t ok with it.  I know it was supposed to be the final, “erase the red in her ledger” moment but why?  Like Tony, she already had. 
The infrastructure issues.  The universe was halfed, then doubled, five years apart.  Even if we accept that all of Peter’s friends and Flash were snapped, still doesn’t fly.  See below for a possible out.
Cap.  Oh Cap.  My guy is dead but at least he’s The Hero.  But they ruined Cap’s character.  I don’t for a second believe he’d just sit and hide with Peggy.  And they discussed heavily what happens when you subtract something from a timeline, and the splits, but what happens when you ADD something?  I know the implication is that he was always Peggy’s husband, but it still doesn’t work, for the timelines stuff AND his character.  And who’d he steal the shield from?  He took something!  And I don’t for a single second believe he went to Vormir.  Nope.   This was Steggy fanfic.  And I don’t honestly care, but the fact is that he’s been working on moving FORWARD.  A man out of his time trying to find himself.  He literally took a step backwards.
Ok, adding on to that, the timey wimey nonsense.  The movie spent SO MUCH TIME explaining the logic of their own rules and then don’t follow them.  Here are some diagrams from my childhood bestie who gets time shit more than I do.
Apparently here is what they were trying.
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They seesaw back and forth, but in the end Timeline F is the same as Timeline A, or the one they started from.
BUT, here’s her diagram of what actually happened:
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It’s a big fat mess, and if the End Timeline is F, then the timeline where Tony snaps is D, and it got very confusing very fast.  She’s going to type it up for me, but apparently the last third of the movie can’t exist per their own logic, least of all the end, especially because we don’t know exactly what Tony wished for.  Was it the destruction of Thanos?  What happens when you add a past to a future then delete that past?  Where’s that timeline?  What happened with Steve’s stuff?  LOKI? A1 never ended because they literally took it. It’s not there anymore.  Steve stealing the Pym Particles?!  He took something and didn’t put it back. Another branch off.  Did Tony wish, “give me what I need to fix this?”  IF he did that, she posits, he smushed the timelines together to make everything coherent, AND potentially fix the infrastructure issues, so while A Tony’s BODY may have died, which Tony was it?  Did he have a moment in the soul stone, like Thanos?  Is that a requirement?  What did he do/say there?  (Also, just pointing out, never trust a funeral without a body, and the power of the Soul Stone is literally that no death is permanent.  That’s its canonical power!!)
There’s so much mess and I’ll have more when my friend sends along her stuff.  But I have NO problem deleting most of this from my mind, and I already have ideas to fix it, but I’ll leave those stories in the hands of people better able to tell them (I’m looking at you, @iron--spider) because I’m a dialogue bitch myself. 
I told @iron--spider last night I felt adrift, and typing this out I know why.  I’m not mourning, I’m not excited.  I’m devastated by Tony’s death but there’s so many logic holes my brain isn’t even struggling to see a way around it.  I’m livid about Steve, because he went backwards.  Thor’s trauma was played for laughs.  I have no satisfaction because of ALL THE HOLES, and because they literally wrote a story around fanservice--a huge amount of it their own--instead of writing the story and then adding fanservice to it.  
It was fine.  I’ll probably buy it when it’s released, but I don’t need to see it again.  And I’m curious about Far From Home because of the infrastructure but I don’t know if I’ll wait until it’s out on video just because I don’t have any urge to watch Peter Parker mourn another parent.
In the meantime, until the fix-its start rolling in, here’s a ready-made fix-it that Iron--spider wrote last year, to hold us through:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/15183011/chapters/35211239
It was fine.  And so full of holes it doesn’t even cement its own canon, despite what Disney officially decided to put on the big screen.  
“I recognize the council has made a decision, but given that it’s a stupid-ass decision, I’ve elected to ignore it.”
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kamino-ink · 6 years
Text
Behind The Mask | Lee Felix
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✧ Genre: Spiderman!au, fluff, angst
✧ Summary: You’ve started to notice how your friend has begun to show up to class absolutely exhausted, always falling asleep - he claims it’s just his schoolwork and his internship, but what you don’t know is that his so-called “internship” is actually his duty to serve the people of Queens as Spiderman.
✧ Word Count: 3.2k
✧ Check out my masterlist!
                                         ✧
 “So, class, as you can clearly see on the board, there are about four key reasons why water is so vitally important to us, as human beings, and the planet itself-”
 “Do you think this is how he dirty talks to his husband in bed?” Jisung whispered to you across the lab table, leaning dangerously close to a stray beaker on the edge of the desk.
 “Dude, I didn't need that image in my mind. Thanks a lot.” You groan sarcastically to the amused boy, discretely reaching over to slide the beaker closer to the middle of the table so the clumsy kid would (hopefully) not somehow manage to break it.
 Jisung sticks his tongue out at you before turning his attention to a very dazed looking blonde beside you. “Come on, it was funny - right, Lix…? Felix? Hellooo?”
 You tilt your head slightly in curiosity as to why the boy next to you wasn’t answering his other friend, your gaze drifting over to his slumped over form. He was just barely holding his head up with his chin resting on the palms of his hands, though his legs drooped down to the floor, the bottoms of his shoes swaying above the ground. His black turtleneck was covered up by the plaid shirt draped over it’s material, though spots of the coal colored cloth was made visible by the odd tears in the overlapping shirt.
 Lately, you’ve begun to notice something... off, about your close friend. He was mostly quiet, unless he was with you or Jisung, choosing to crack stupid jokes around the two of you instead of trying to amuse a larger crowd. That hadn’t changed, really, but Felix was starting to make weird excuses to not hang out with either of you after school some days - this didn’t happen every single day, of course. Though, whenever you saw him again either at school or outside of it, the teenage boy would be covered in spots of dark bruises or little cuts protected from the outside air by bandages (usually Star Wars or Hello Kitty ones, curtesy of his aunt.)
 Needless to say, you were starting to wonder if maybe Felix had somehow managed to have a run in with a bad crowd - perhaps he had been influenced by them, hence the cuts and bruises.
 “Yo Felix, wake up,” you grunt, noticing how your teacher had paused for a split second in his lecture to send a heated glare to the dozing boy, “what’s up with you? This is the third time you’ve nearly fallen asleep in class just today. It’s not even eleven.”
The blonde slowly adjusted his position on the stool, now choosing to let out a whine as he let his tired body lead him to lean on your shoulder for support - mostly for his head. “s’ the Stark Internship, Y/N, I already told you guys like a miiiilion times.”
 “I am going to personally beat Tony fucking Stark up if he keeps making you work so hard. Does the man have his head so far up his ass that he can’t see how exhausted you are?”
 “Look, I swear he isn’t overworking me. I’ll be on a break soon, promise.”
 “Pinky promise?”
 He lets out a soft sigh, begrudgingly bringing up one of his hands from his lap to link his pinky finger with your own.
 “Pinky promise.”
 “Fuck me!” Felix screamed into his pillow, completely ignoring a smirking, amused Jisung sat at his own desk just a mere few feet away.
 “Eh, I think I’ll pass,” the cheeky teen snickers, dodging a pillow that the younger had thrown violently at him from his spot on the bottom bunk, “you kind of did this to yourself, Lix. You pinky promised Y/N that you wouldn’t let Stark overwork you-”
 “But it isn’t Mr. Stark telling me to do all these jobs, Jisung! I’m the one who keeps putting myself in these shitty situations.” The blonde shot back almost too quickly in his hero’s defense, throwing his legs over the edge of his bed so he could properly sit up and face his friend.
 An entire week had since passed the day in chemistry class where you had made Felix pinky promise to take a real break from his “internship.” What you obviously didn’t know was that Tony Stark had little to no time to direct Felix’s superhero antics each and every day or night; it was all him, for the most part. In fact, you weren’t even aware of Felix’s superhero alter ego - Spiderman. Only Jisung was aware of his otherwise secret identity, not including the amazing scientist himself. Sure, he sort of felt guilty about not telling you of his secret, especially since he knew you would support him through thick and thin, no matter what - the only thing that might change or, well, increase is your babying of him. You already worried enough about his consistent injures, why should he put that burden of knowledge on your head?
 But now, the injures had gotten worse - he had a run in with some ragtag gang of robbers at a convenience store a couple nights ago, and one of the bastards had managed to slash through his suit deep enough to leave a mark on his arm. The following day, he had neglected to wear longer sleeves, which meant that his bandaged wound was open for anyone to see - and boy had you seen it.
 “Felix, what the fuck happened to you?” The burning question had been on the tip of your tongue the entire day at school, only you had decided to wait to confront Felix about it until you both began to walk home.
 “I uh - nothing, I swear - I just got... mugged?” He lied to you through gritted teeth, the following laugh stained with awkwardness.
 “How the fuck were you mugged in broad daylight?”
 “Well, um it was actually like... around eleven, I guess?”
 “What - Lix, why in the world were you out so late? There is no way in hell May would’ve let you out at that time for no reason.” You whirled around on him now in the middle of the otherwise deserted sidewalk, crossing your arms over you chest impatiently.
 “S-Stark Internship? Yeah! I was supposed to get some field work done before the next morning and I forgot the other half of the day, s-so I had to finish it really late.”
 Needless to say, you had quickly snapped in a blind, chilling rage, badmouthing the multi-millionaire in front of his nervous intern, who first came to you as your best friend. You brought up the fact that Felix had promised to take a break from the exhausting internship, to which the already perplexed, panicked teenager had then snapped at you of all people, saying that this internship was basically his duty - his life. Since then, you had been silent towards the boy all week, refusing to speak to him out of pure agitation, worry, and hurt.
 “Listen, I know that this entire ‘I’m a superhero’ thing is really, really important to you. But you have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture sometimes; clearly you’re working too much, and between school and your spidey-shit, I’m honestly surprised you haven’t collapsed yet.” The brunette admitted bluntly. “This isn’t healthy like, at all. I doubt Stark would appreciate you getting hurt so often just because you feel obligated to make him proud.”
 Before Felix could even get a word of retaliation out, he heard his phone’s ringtone faintly going off somewhere on his mess of a bed. He was about to just ignore whoever was calling at such an ungodly hour, but after a sharp glare from Jisung, he tossed a pillow and curled up blanket from the corner of his bed onto the floor to reach his still ringing phone.
 A picture you had taken of all three of you huddled together during Christmas last year displayed itself on the bright screen, showcasing your bright smiles and red cheeks from the cold day last year. The time read one-thirteen in the morning.
 Why were you calling so late?
 “Hello-”
 “L-Lix?” Your voice comes out as a stuttered whisper, immediately grabbing his rapt attention as he presses a button on his phone and puts you on speaker.
 “Y/N, why are you calling?” He notices Jisung shake his head from his seat, clearly wanting you to keep talking considering the dangerously low, nervous tone you were using.
 “I fell asleep on the train and m-missed my stop a while ago. I started walking home, b-but now these two people are following me. I - I think I’m close to the bank down the street, could you - could you come get me?”
 Felix shoots out of his spot on the comfy bed, tossing his phone onto the comforter while he darts over to his closet in a hurry. “Y-yeah, of course! Just don’t stop walking, okay? And stay on the phone-”
 “-Felix!”
 The line cuts off.
 Jisung throws himself up from his seat by the desk and grabs Felix’s phone from his bed, turning his back to the boy as he starts to slide his suit onto his body in a rush. “Felix, she won’t pick up the phone now!” He says quickly, continuing to spam your contact even when they run out of the apartment - not bothering to see if May was awake or not.
 “She said that she’s by the bank, right? I’ll swing over there and take care of the creeps, you call the police and meet me there.” The superhero tells the following boy his plan, already shooting out a splatter of webs onto the side of the building so he can swing into the air.
 He knew that you wouldn’t hang up on him, especially after calling him for help. It was likely that you had already called the authorities beforehand just in case, but he was too worried that they wouldn’t be able to get to you in time. Felix had already lost too many people that he loved in his life, he wasn’t about to risk losing you too.
 The city of Queens was relatively peaceful during the darkest hours of the night, with a good handful of its otherwise lively residents choosing to stay in the comfort of their homes rather than walking around at that vulnerable time slot. While everyone was more than aware of the superhero presence in their world and, specifically for them in the case of the web-slinging hero, city, the rising danger of criminal activity pushed them to refute from stepping outside when the villains might be lurking about in the shadows. This left the city of Queens to be oddly silent during those particular hours, which is why Felix would so easily hear your desperate screaming even before he had turned the next corner that led to the closed bank.
 “Let go of me, you assholes!” You shout at the perps, your voice coming out strangled in taut pain from how the manicured nails of the woman dig into the skin of your neck, her wrist pressing down harshly onto the front of it to regulate your pained breathing. Fighting back had proven useless, as each time you even tried to swing a leg at the powerful woman she would only further intrude onto your sensitive skin, drawing copious amounts of blood that dribbled down your neck and onto your exposed shoulder, the sleeve of your shirt having been ripped in the initial struggle.
 “No one is coming to save you, angel,” the man taunts you from a few feet away, cracking his neck, “not the cops or whoever you called. They won’t be able to piece your damn body back together - you see, my sister here has an acquired taste for blood, but mostly from pretty little girls like you.”
 “-Hey now, isn’t that cannibalism or something? Cause’ let me tell you, drinking human blood is not normal. Dude, that is so messed up.”
 In sync, all three of you twist your heads to look to wherever the sudden voice had come from in the dead of the night, the nails digging into your skin in the back of your mind the second someone else had suddenly appeared.
 Perched on top of a dimly lit lamppost was a figure you never would have thought you would be able to see in person - or in a sticky situation like the one you were currently tied into.
 It was him - Spiderman.
 The young superhero casually hopped off of the lamppost and onto the sidewalk, the pads of his covered feet soundless even then - it was no wonder that none of you had heard him approaching. “Alright creepy lady, if you could let my fr- erm, my little buddy go it would be greatly appreciated. Kinda makes my job easier.” He hums nonchalantly, his bug-eyes seeming to move with his suit as he analyzes the situation at hand.
 The redhead practically strangling you lets out a growl, sounding eerily similar to a wild dog, and easily releases her grip on your neck. Your back slumps against the brick wall as you take deep breaths, your throat sore from the strong pressure, stinging pain from her long nails ringing in your head.
 “A spider, huh?”
 “Everyone has a gimmick these days.” The brother retorts sourly, twisting his neck to make it ‘pop’ again while his sister steps up beside his shorter form. “Come on, Spiderboy, I would love to dissect your organs and the girl’s!”
 “I mean, you guys totally brought this onto yourselves.” He quips, not even hesitating to sling out four splotches of his webbing onto the creepy criminals, effectively ensnaring them into the sticky substance.
 But it could never be that easy, and Felix probably should've been expecting that much.
 While he had been making his way towards your shaking body still leaning against the wall for support, he had left his back turned to the two perps. Because of his keen focus on making sure you were still, you know, breathing, he hadn't noticed that the woman had tore through the web - not until he felt an all too familiar tingling sensation run up his arms, sending his hairs flying under the tightness of his suit.
 Before he could spin around and protect the both of you, she had snagged her nails - more like claws - underneath the hem of his mask, pulling it completely over his head and slinging it to the ground. The next few seconds were like a blur to you as Spiderman turned on his heels and threw the woman back onto the concrete with a sickening thud, splaying his web all over her from head-to-toe, including her entire skull so she couldn't catch a glimpse of his exposed face.
 But it was too late - you had already seen him.
 “F-Felix?”
 Said teenage boy whips his head around the second you utter his name in a shaky, bewildered tone. He sees the confusion, hurt, and complete awe in your glazed over eyes; you had seen him, you had figured it out without even needing to try.
 Lee Felix was Spiderman.
 “... so what you’re saying is I have even more reason to beat the ever living shit out of Tony Stark?”
 The blonde hisses a word of protest at your monotone grunt, accidently pressing down a bit too hard on the gauze he was using to wrap up your bloodied neck, which made you whimper softly in pain - almost immediately the boy bandaging you up paused in his movements, the tips of his cold fingers grazing your skin midair.
 “You’re fine, Lix. Keep going.” You uttered to the cautious boy quietly, watching his every hesitant move in the reflection painted on his bathroom mirror.
 When he had heard the sound of police sirens and the frantic shouting of Jisung approaching the bank a few minutes ago, Felix had panicked and grabbed his mask, slipping it over his head before he had scooped you up into his arms and swung back to his apartment. Luckily May had been in a deep sleep, so she wasn’t there to pester you two about your shared injuries.
 Jisung was on his way back, of course, since Felix had texted him a quick sentenced summary of what had happened.
 “Are you not - how are you not angry at me right now, Y/N?” Your best friend questioned you, guilt seeping into his soft, broken voice so much that it made your heart squeeze in your chest.
 “I’ll admit, I’m kind of ticked off that Han fucking Jisung knew before me, but I suppose I can forgive you for, you know... saving my life.” You laugh weakly, blinking slowly at the reflection of the boy, still clad in his blue and red suit, carefully finishing off the bandaging on your neck. While it most certainly was not the appropriate time for your pitiful heart to start racing in your chest at his close proximity and soft breaths fanning out onto your chilly skin, you couldn't help but fall into a short-lived daze when the boy grabs onto your thighs and turns you to face him.
 “I - I did want to tell you Y/N, I swear,” he mumbles, “Jisung found out on accident, and uh, obviously Mr. Stark knows because he gave me this suit n’ all. Don’t - don’t be pissed at him for encouraging me to do this, please? I was already sort of doing this stuff before he found me.”
 “But why, Lix?” You huff a bit selfishly, looking down at the floor of his tiny bathroom. “You could seriously get hurt doing this - we’re just kids, we’re supposed to be doing stupid shit like - like falling in love, going to the arcade with friends, and going to dumbass parties just for the free food.”
 “Because I’m the friendly neighborhood Spiderman, Y/N. I want to protect the people of Queens, and outside of it - I wasn't able to save my uncle, but... I have helped so many other people doing what I’m doing. I mean... I was able to save someone else I love, for once, tonight.” He whispers to you softly, lifting your chin with a single finger so you can meet his steady gaze.
 In all your time being friends with him, you don’t recall ever seeing Lee Felix looking so serious.
 “I was actually able to save you, Y/N - god I was so fucking worried when you called because y-you sounded so scared and I wasn’t there to prevent any of it from happening. I’m so thankful that I got to you before something terrible happened.”
 “I-”
 “Please don't interrupt, for once I’m actually talking about how I feel without chickening out like I usually do,” Felix laughs quietly, watching as your lips twitch into a small smile at his truthful words, leaving him to keep speaking, “I like you - love you, so much, Y/N. S-so, if you don’t mind, could I - could I possibly kiss you?”
 You nod with no hesitation, feeling your cheeks heat up when he gulps and starts to lean in, closer and closer until you lips are brushing against each other.
 “... so should I shut the door before May inevitably wakes up and potentially sees you two kissing? It might weird her out since Spiderman is kissing her nephew’s best friend.”
 “Jisung-”
 “I’ll take that as a yes.”
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