#just ai felt nonsense with too many eyes

[jakelandryshorts]

Military Test Subject

(AI art created by Jammer Link)

“Hot damn!” General Smith shouted when he saw the recruit. “You boys really outdid yourselves!”

“Thank you,” Andrew smiled at the praise. It’d been over a year of testing, but they finally found a compound that would actually work and be good for application. They were given Kyle Briggs nearly a month ago and he was a pretty standard soldier. Maybe even considered to be on the weaker side. It wasn’t even a week before they started to notice changes.

He’d gained almost 15 pounds of muscle and grew another inch taller. The physical trainer said this was unprecedented. He’d been sworn to secrecy, yet the scientists had quickly learned that wouldn’t have been necessary. They found him sneaking off with the test subject and having sex. It was noted that the physical trainer was the happiest bottom they had ever seen. Even though he had sworn up and down that he was straight when they hired him, he said it was impossible to think about anything other than the subject’s cock slamming into him.

By week three, it was nearly impossible to separate the two. The subject had grown another three inches and gained an additional 45 pounds of muscle. He defended his lover with all his strength. More terrifying was that many of the soldiers who were told to separate the two mentioned understanding how the physical trainer must have felt. They longed to go back in there. It was about two or three days and the soldiers were found still trying to emulate sex with the test subject.

No other soldiers would volunteer to be in the same room as the subject.

By week four, he’d gained another 100 pounds and five inches taller. He looked like an absolute monster. Any goal that they had set for him was easily smashed down. They had to weigh him over the intercom and the physical trainer was more than happy to help get the measurements, however no one else was allowed into the room with them. The week after that, there were no noticeable differences to his weight changes.

“Well then!” General Smith slapped his knee. “Let’s go meet him!”

“W-what!?” Andrew jumped out of his seat and stumbled through the room to block the door. “Sir. That’s not a good idea.”

“Is he violent?” General Smith asked.

“Violent? No. It’s just—”

“Son, I’ve been in this field a long time. I don’t need you to tell me how to meet my recruits,” General Smith pushed Andrew to the side.

“Sir,” one of the general’s guards said. “Shouldn’t we listen to him?”

Andrew nodded furiously. His voice was stuck as he was never very good at talking to his superiors. “Yes! Please! You don’t under—”

“Nonsense. If you’re going to chicken out as well, then I’ll just go meet the new recruit on my own. Out of my way.” General Smith pushed Andrew fully to the side and opened the door. Andrew held his breath and then pushed the door closed.

“Hmmm?” The guard’s eyebrow raised. He felt his cock harden in his pants as he looked at the test subject. His hand instinctually went to touch his dick.

Andrew let out a sigh. “Don’t worry, it’ll hopefully wear off in about 24 hours. But it’s too late for him…” He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the general. For a second, the bodyguard didn’t believe the little man, but he quickly realized that his eyes hadn’t left the test subject’s body since the door had been opened. That strange musky scent hung in his nose and his pants had come undone, revealing his fat cock. “Let’s get you out of here so you aren’t tempted anymore. And I’ve got to make a few phone calls.”

Someone handed the guard an impressively sized dildo. The bodyguard would have been mortified at any other time wondering how someone could fit this inside them, let alone the insinuation that he would. But his hands happily ran up and down the silicone rod as he thought about the impressively built man on the other side of the glass wall. He followed the man and struggled not to look back at the test subject.

However, General Smith was still being monitored as he walked through the subject’s area. Sweat started to drip down his forehead and the sharply dressed man quickly started to undo the top buttons of his uniform. “Hot damn!” the general cursed. “They sure as hell love to pump the heat up in here…” He wiped his brow as he approached the subject.

The subject sat up from the bench press he’d just been using. His eyebrow cocked. A wry grin appeared on his face. “I don’t find it too bad,” he answered. A thick layer of sweat covered his body. The hair on his chest matted to his pecs and abs.

“That makes one of us,” General Smith laughed as he continued his approach. He didn’t even notice as he stripped off his military jacket, kicked off his shoes and undid his belt. The feeling of the somewhat cool air on his body felt so good that he just left them on the floor where they fell. “I’m General Smith. I’m your new boss.”

“Oh?” the subject laughed. Mostly because the general’s hard cock looked to be throbbing in his underwear. “I see…” The subject stood up.

General Smith never considered himself to be a small man. At 6’1” and a little overweight 220 pounds, most people were a bit shorter than him. However, he had to crane his neck back to get a proper look at this beast of a man. General Smith barely even came up to his chest. His eyes had move to bring the man fully into view. He gasped.

“Y-yes,” General Smith tried to regain his senses. It didn’t help that his hand was pleasuring his cock. He reached it out for a handshake. “With a man like you on board, I doubt we’ll need much of a military.”

The subject laughed at the joke and accepted the handshake. His hand completely engulfed the general’s. It looked more like a gorilla hand over a human’s. The subject quickly pulled the general into a hug. General Smith’s face landed directly between the subject’s massive pecs.

The general took in a deep breath. He didn’t even realize that his hips bucked or feel the wet stain forming in his underwear. His mind was far too focused on the man in front of him. The strong powerful scent that completely overwhelmed him. His senses didn’t take in anything other than the man. His hands groped the powerful muscles and felt their strength.

“They don’t let many friends come in here…” the subject complained. “I’m happy to meet you.”

“And I’m happy to meet you…” the general moaned. He wasn’t even fighting it anymore. His hands tried to touch every inch of the powerful man in front of him, groping and grasping at whatever he could get a hold of. Of course, the subject was happy to comply, flexing his arms and legs as the general’s hands tried to grasp around it. It was an impossible task as the human was far too small.

The subject chuckled as the general pulled out the subject's hefty sized cock. The small man was trying desperately to find a hole for it to fit in. “Your hands are fine,” the subject said. The general’s face beamed as he started stroking the monster sized cock. It had to be well over a foot long and thick as the general’s arm.

General Smith instantly started stroking it. His whole body had to get into the motion. But he looked like he’d never been happier in his life. The subject stood tall, flexing his body as his cock was milked. Loud deep moans rumbled the building. He was fully into it. All the way up to the point that he coated the general with his cum. Big splashes hit the general in his face and rolled down his body.

“Excellent job…” the subject praised. The general tried to get started again, but the subject stopped him. “You need to take a rest.” He lifted up the man and cradled him in his arms as he took him over to see the physical trainer. “You two will be working together for a while. I can’t wait to actually fuck him.” A devious smile overtook the subjects face as he watched the two men cuddle together.

The subject turned back to the scientists. “You know you can always give me more friends to play with.”

Over the next week the subject grew another inch and gained 15 pounds of muscle.

(More Stories over on my Wordpress https://jakelandrystories.wordpress.com/)

[vintagepresley]

A Little Smoochin'

Pairing: Toby Kwimper x Reader

Word Count: 6,298 words

Warnings: Not too many warnings. Unprotected sex, virgin reader, tiny bit of fingering (very tiny), talks of orgasms, fluffy, kind of a slow burn? Nothing else I can think of.

Author's Notes: I know it's been some time since I've written anything and I'm sorry about that. I hope you guys enjoy this little Toby fic. It's not my best but it was also difficult trying to write Toby in a sexual light. But I think it's very sweet and cute. Some of it's with the help of AI and most of it is my very own. Happy reading! Possible spelling errors.

Toby had noticed you the first day you and your family had arrived at the community, he usually tried to avoid girls but something about you caught his eye and he thought you were the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. You’ve lived there for months now and every once in a while you’d notice Toby staring at you and sometimes you stared back. You had always been a little nervous to talk to him, but thought he was quite handsome. You heard people talk about him and speak about how he wasn’t so bright and was just a nobody, but you felt the opposite. Toby may have been a little different but he certainly wasn’t stupid and he was pretty important around these parts being the sheriff of the community after all. You had wanted to say something to him, anything. Especially with the way the two of you would share longing looks with one another. But he just made you a little nervous. He felt the same about you, but he also didn’t know how to talk to girls and he didn’t want to look silly in front of you. 

As the days went on Toby couldn’t get you off his mind especially today when it was one of the hottest days down Florida and he saw you in a little pale blue and white sleeveless dress. He was nearly speechless seeing how beautiful you looked and something in him had built the courage to go and talk to you and he walked right up to you and your friends suddenly walked away when they saw Toby approaching and you turned around surprised to see him and you flashed him a small smile. 

“Hi y/n.” he says softly. 

“Hi Toby.” you hummed, staring up at him and watching the sweat drip from his brow. 

He didn’t know what to say after that and he stammered over his words nervously. 

“Uh.. H-How are ya?” he asked. 

A warm smile formed on your lips at his words.

 “I’m good. How are you?” you replied. 

He swallowed harshly and before he knew what he was saying his mouth was already moving. 

“Ah’m good, too. Uh, listen.. Ah’m gonna ask ya a question..” he mumbled. 

You raised an eyebrow at him. “Um, okay, what question?” You asked. 

He was nervous and shy as she stared up at him waiting for him to speak. 

“Uh, ah.. Ah was wondering.. You wanna drive out to the quarry with me, and uh, do a little, uh smoochin’?” 

His face was flushed by this point and you let out a soft giggle a bit taken aback from his question because you certainly weren’t expecting that. You didn’t know how to respond at first and you smiled and cleared your throat. 

“Um.. Sure, Toby.” you giggled. 

“Yeah? Really?” he asked. 

You nod slowly. “Yes.” you say. 

He began to stammer as his words came out shyly. 

“Oh! W..Well, that’s great. That’s r..real great. You’re not kiddin’? You’re not doin’ this on a dare, or any of that nonsense or out of pity?” he asked. 

“I’m not kidding and I would never do something so cruel like that to you, Toby.” you assure him. 

Toby smiles a little. 

“Really?” he mumbles. 

“Really. Toby.. I.. I like you..” you confessed. 

He was shocked by your words and his eyes widened in surprise and he smiled at you. 

“You like me? Ah.. Ah mean.. Ah like you too.” he said. 

You giggled softly seeing his reaction and you felt your face becoming a bit red and you looked up at him beaming happily. 

“Well, then take me down to the quarry and kiss me already!” you said with such forwardness in your voice. 

“Oh, right. Right.. Let’s go.” he said as he grabbed a hold of your hand and led you to his truck and once you both were inside he began to drive the two of you down to the quarry and you couldn’t stop smiling the entire way as you looked over at him. This wasn’t something you would usually just say yes to doing with a boy, but you couldn’t resist Toby and getting a chance to kiss him would just be a dream. You finally arrive at the quarry and he parks the car right by the water and he shuts it off and turns to face you. 

“Ya sure it’s okay if ah kiss ya?” he asked. 

“Yes, Toby. Of course.” she smiled. 

“Ya promise? Ah.. mean.. Ah don’t wanna mess up the smoochin’. I mean there’s lots of ways of smoochin’, like open mouth, closed mouth.. Ah mean.. How do ah do it?” he asked nervously. 

You raised an eyebrow at him and smiled. 

“You’ve never kissed anyone before, Toby?” you asked. 

“Uh… no. Ah.. uh.. Ah liked to practice smoochin’ on ya.” he asked shyly. 

You began to blush at his words and you chewed on your bottom lip for a moment and then nodded at him, you could see how nervous he was from this and you decided to take the lead and you slowly scooted toward him and leaned forward and you slowly and softly pressed your lips to his. Toby was startled but kissed back passionately, putting his arms around you and pulling you close. You kissed him longer and more passionately, the two of you soon paused from your frenzied making out and looked at one another. It was clear there was now a real connection between you both. You cleared your throat as you caught your breath and the silence loomed for a moment before you spoke. 

“Well.. for someone who’s never kissed anyone before you are a great kisser.” you giggled. 

Toby smiled at your words. 

“Really? Thank you. Uh.. Ah hope ah didn’t use too much tongue.” he laughed nervously. 

You laughed and shook your head slowly. 

“You didn’t… It was perfect.” you whispered.

Toby felt proud and he couldn’t stop smiling now and he scooted even closer to you, the leather seats of his truck squeaking as he does and you smiled as he got closer. 

“Would ya do it again?” he said softly, reaching over to brush some of your hair out of your face. 

“Yes.. I’d love to..” you giggled. 

Without saying another word the two of you began to kiss again and this time he really went for it. Toby wasn’t nervous anymore and was having the time of his life with you. His lips were so soft as he devoured yours and soft noises escaped your lips against his and you slipped your arms around him and your bodies pressed against each other as each kiss became deeper and it was as if the outside world had completely disappeared as you became drunk off his lips. You continued to kiss until you both were nearly breathless. He pulled back for a moment and you let out a tiny gasp and bit your bottom lip as you stared at him. Your bright red lipstick smeared on his lips and yours and he smiled and reached over to wipe the lipstick from your face and he brought you close again and crashed his lips to yours. His tongue went exploring inside of your mouth and he grabbed a hold of your waist and he lifted you up and pulled you on top of him. For Toby, this was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. He couldn’t believe how great things were going with you. It was like all his dreams were coming true all at once. As you sat on top of him you pressed him against the seat of the truck as you kissed him deep and long, you just couldn’t get enough of his soft lips. 

Toby put his hands on your hips as he pressed himself upwards against you. He let out soft moans as he kissed you, his body was burning with passion for you. Your hands ran along his shirt that was soaked in his sweat because of the Florida heat and you kissed him deep letting out a soft whimper on his lips. He ran his fingers through your hair as he held you tightly against him, the heat between the two of you being intense. You kissed for what seemed like an eternity before finally pulling away from each other. You bit your lip not wanting this to stop because you loved it so much. You straddled his lap and pressed yourself against him. Toby put his hands on your waist and began to caress your back while he leaned in to nibble seductively at your neck. His breath was coming in hot puffs against your skin and he kissed your earlobe. Every kiss and nibble he left against your earlobe drove you crazy that you couldn’t stop the pleasurable noises slipping past your lips and you leaned down toward his ear and you began to whisper. 

“You know anything about sex, Toby?” you asked, blushing. 

Toby seemed taken aback by such a direction question. He looked into your eyes and his tone of voice was nervous and shy. 

“Ah… Ah know everything a fella needs to know about the.. Uh.. the birds and the bees.” he mumbled. 

You giggled.

“Um.. Have you ever had sex?” you asked curiously. 

Toby blushed hard at such a question. 

“Ah.. Well.. ah’ve never even held anyone’s hand before you. And ah’m pretty sure this was mah first kiss, so..” He chuckled nervously. 

You smiled widely at him and then you leaned over and kissed him again before whispering softly.  “It’s okay, I’ve never had sex either.” 

Toby was filled with mixed emotions. He was very excited by the idea of going even further with you. But the innocent and tender parts of him were uneasy about going too far too fast. He let out another nervous chuckle. “Really? You’ve also never had.. Uh… Never had.. You know..” he said shyly. 

“Sex..” You giggled. “Nope, I’ve never done it.. I was just curious to know if you had.” You shrugged with a smile. 

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Ah.. Uh.. thank god. Uh.. I’m real glad to.. Uh.. hear that. I mean.. Well.. you know.” He chuckled nervously and then his face became serious. “Ah uh.. may ah ask you a question?” 

You smiled and nodded. “Of course.” 

He cleared his throat.” Well.. this is.. Ah.. the closest ah’ve ever been to a gal.. and ah was just wondering.. Uh.. ah think that.. Ah might really care about you. How do ah know the difference between lustin’ after some.. Some hot girl and actually lovin’ her?” 

You giggled softly and blushed a little. 

“Oh.. Well, it depends on how I make you feel. Do you think about me? Do I make you nervous? Do you get butterflies around me?” she asked curiously. 

Toby was already blushing and he seemed slightly embarrassed. 

“Uh.. yeah. Uh.. yeah, all those things. Especially.. uh.. getting nervous.” He chuckled and nervously fiddled with his hands. You let out a soft sigh as you stared at him and you thought he was just the cutest thing. 

“You make me nervous too.” you said softly. 

His eyes lit up with hope. “Really?! You.. You’re not just sayin’ that?” 

“Really! I’ve had a crush on you for quite some time. But I was just too scared to say anything or just talk to you in general.” she whispered. 

Toby chuckled softly. 

“Ah thought you were too good lookin’ to be interested in me. Ah mean.. Who’d ever guess that a gorgeous gal like you would ever be interested in a nobody like me? Ah, well.. Ah never thought ah’d have anyone special in mah life. But ah guess ah do now.” He looked extremely happy and he pulled you in close for another intimate, passionate kiss. You returned that passionate little kiss and then you pulled back a little and you looked at him, his sweet words made you smile and shook your head. 

“Stop it.. You are not a nobody. You’re important around here, Toby. Don’t you know that?” you smiled. 

The compliment surprised him greatly. It took him a moment to respond. “Ah.. thank you. That’s.. uh.. that’s.. the nicest thing anyone ever said to me.” He thought about what you said and then something occurred to him. “Hey, y/n? Do ah.. ah seem smart to you?”

You smiled widely at him. 

“Toby, I think you’re the smartest person I know.” she beamed. 

He blushed at the unexpected compliment. He seemed a little overwhelmed. “Really? You.. You really think that?” 

“I do! I’ve seen how you take care of this place and the way you are with others. You are incredibly smart. I’ve kinda started defending you whenever someone speaks badly of you. You’re just a little different doesn’t mean you aren’t smart.” you said softly. 

“Wow! No one’s ever stuck up for me like that before. You’re.. You’re so nice to me. No one’s ever said ah’m smart before. Or important, for that matter. Usually ah’m not important and ah’m not smart. Ya sure you’re really interested in me?” he asked. 

“That’s ridiculous. People just need to get to know you more. You deserve to know and feel you are important and smart. And to answer your questions.. I am very sure I’m interested in you.” you smiled. 

Toby smiled back at you and the two of you sat there for a moment, just smiling at each other. Then suddenly, he remembered what he wanted to say. “Hey, y/n?” 

You smiled at him. “Yes?” 

“Uh, ah was gonna ask you if ah could ask you another question?” he smiled, a bit hesitated for a moment and blushed. “Okay, uh.. What if ah was the kinda fella.. Who didn’t really understand things too much? Would.. Would that kinda bother you?” He looked away nervously. 

You smiled at his words and kissed his cheek softly and you shook your head. “That doesn’t bother me at all. I know you don’t really understand certain things sometimes and that’s okay, Toby.” 

Toby could see how much you really did care for him and he was truly filled with joy. “Uh, ah was wonderin’.. ah mean.. Ah know ah’m pretty inexperienced when it comes to this.. this kinda stuff. Um, ah was wonderin’ if ah.. If ah could, ah mean, if ah could kiss you again?” His heart was pounding out of his chest as he looked into your eyes and waited for your response with bated breath. 

You blushed and nodded happily. 

“I’d love for you to kiss me again.” you whispered. 

He let out a soft laugh and he leaned in and began to passionately kiss you. He ran his fingers through your hair and held you tightly. He pressed himself up against you and kissed you until his lips began to tingle. He pulled you over to the passenger side and climbed on top of you. He ran his hand up your leg while you kissed. You were surprised by his forwardness and you pulled him down so that he was pressed against you and your heart was racing as seconds went by. Toby kissed along your cheek and he whispered into your ear. “I’m so crazy ‘bout you, y/n. I can’t go on like this. Will ya do me the biggest favor in mah life and be the other half of mah heart? Uh.. Will ya be my girlfriend?” he asked. 

Your eyes widened at his words as your arms slipped around his broad shoulders and you captured your bottom lip between your teeth and nodded. “Yes, Toby.. Yes..” you whispered. 

He kissed you again, kissing you with more passion and emotion than he’d ever experienced. He looked into your eyes and his cheeks were reddened by the kiss. Each kiss he left on your lips drove you mad and consumed your every being that it made your lips begin to tingle. “Y/N, ah love you with all mah heart. You, me.. It’s perfect. We are perfect.” He wrapped you up in his arms and he kissed you with more intensity than before that the two of you were completely lost in each other. Each kiss made his body feel like it was on fire. He moved his hands onto your lower back and his fingers caressed that area gently. His touch made your body shiver and your tongues met and you both began to breathe heavily. Toby’s heart raced so fast that he began to tremble. When the kiss finally broke the two of you looked at each other with deep affection. You let out a heavy exhale and you felt so nervous when they finally pulled away and you just smiled at him. 

Neither of you said anything for a moment. There was love in your eyes. You smiled at one another, it was a moment that neither of you wanted to forget. It was a moment of love and passion that would always be remembered. You giggled and couldn’t stop staring at him and his gorgeous features, smiling happily and you leaned up toward him and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. Your eyes locked on his and he cupped your face in his hands and let out a satisfying hum. “Y/N, ah love you with every beat of mah heart. Ah love you more than words or actions could ever reveal.” He placed another kiss on your lips. 

You held Toby tight in your arms and smiled wide at his words. “I love you too, Toby. I think I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you.” You giggled. 

Toby had never felt anything like this in his life. He felt pure happiness, passion, and love for the first time and it was overwhelming. You truly were the other half of his soul. He didn’t think he could ever love anyone as much as he loved you. He felt very lucky that love had finally found its way into his lonely heart. You just stared at him as you nuzzled your nose against his chest and admired his handsome features, you adored him, how sweet he was and his goofy little smile. You loved when he got confused or didn’t understand something. You just loved everything about him. Toby just smiled and then he leaned down and began to kiss along your neck and he reached down and slid his hand up your dress and he caressed the inside of your thigh, causing his own heart to race. He kissed along your neck, throat, and down to your shoulders, moving himself further down your body. You inhaled sharply, feeling his hand against your thigh and his soft lips kiss along your skin and when you felt his lips press against the part of your breasts that peeked out from your dress and you whimpered, biting your lip. When he looked into your eyes he saw nothing but pure passion. He grinned and tugged your dress up and you watched as he sunk down lower and he began to kiss along your right thigh and you whimpered again as your head tilted back against the seats. You didn’t expect him to do such a thing and you whispered breathlessly. “Oh, Toby..” 

His hand squeezed your thigh and he continued to kiss along the inside of it softly and slowly and as he kissed further up you held your breath as he got closer and closer to the heat between your legs. Your face was so red and the soft noises escaping you were so embarrassing. The very sounds you were making were driving him to insanity. He thought your skin was so smooth and warm and you were only getting warmer with each of his touches and kisses. He could feel you shaking and the beat of your heart. You didn’t know how much more you could take and you stared up at the roof of his car, your eyes rolling back as your body shook and moved to his every touch and kiss and your breathing was so heavy you thought you may explode. You wanted him more than ever now. Your noises let him know that. “Toby.. I.. I.. I want you.. Can we.. um…” you couldn’t even finish your sentence. 

His eyes began to flutter as he moved back up and his body pressed against yours and he kissed you again and his hand just continued to move up and down between your thighs slowly. His heart was beating wildly. He felt alive, more than ever in his life. His eyes were wide open and his heart was beating out of his chest. He could feel his breath and could feel your body moving against his. The sounds of your breathing and your whimpers and cute little noises were unbearable for him. He loved you so much, right at this moment, and he wanted her more than he wanted anything. You reached up and cupped his face in your hands and you locked eyes once again and you bit your lip. “I think.. I.. I want to have sex with you..”  you whisper shyly. 

He looked into your eyes and your words nearly caused him to explode. He wanted to be with you as much as you wanted to be with him. He wanted to so badly. “I.. want it.. too, y/n.” he kissed you softly, his hand still caressing each of your thighs. 

You pressed your body against his and wrapped your arms around him and pulled him so close so there was no space in between you two. “R.. Really?” you whispered. 

“Yes..” he said softly. He couldn’t believe how much he wanted you. He continued to kiss your lips. His hand reached further up your thighs and slide over your panties and he could feel how wet the fabric had become and he blushed and smirked, his hand was right where he wanted it to be and your couldn’t help but moan feeling his hand against your soaked panties and you couldn’t help but blush now either. This was all new to you and him. If this was going to happen right here, right now, this was going to be special for the both of you. You pulled your arms away and you sat up a bit to unbutton the front of your dress slowly. Toby watched with excitement as he saw you unbuttoning your dress and he smiled. He felt the blood rushing through his veins and he felt his heart beating faster. As your dress had become completely undone now revealing your bra and panties to him and his eyes widened. His hands shakily reached down to run along your body. Your skin seemed so soft and so sensitive against his touch. His hands moved carefully over your body and they moved over your skin and he enjoyed every second that he was touching you. You were so beautiful to him and he was going to make you happy. 

Your eyes watched every moment of him running his hands along your body and you loved the way he touched you and the places where he touched you. His hands felt so good against your skin, it drove you wild. You never wanted it to end. His hands slipped beneath you and up your back and he struggled a bit with unclasping your bra, but the moment he did he slowly peeled it off of you and tossed it to the side and now you were blushing being this exposed to him so far and his widened with excitement because he had never seen a woman’s breasts before and his hands couldn’t stop running along your bare chest, kneading your soft breasts in his hands. You giggled at his pure excitement and then you slowly reached up and began to unbutton his shirt. You desperately wanted to feel his skin against yours and once you got his shirt undone you began to run your fingertips slowly along his soft, sweaty chest. The moment his shirt was wide open he pressed his body against yours and he breathed heavily and your warm soft body moved against his causing soft moans to escape him. Toby thought you felt so nice against him his breathing was deep as he enjoyed feeling the sensation of your hardened nipples brushing against his chest and feeling the light hairs on his chest tickling against your breasts. This moment felt like heaven with him.

Toby couldn’t hide his excitement now as his lips pressed against your neck and as your bodies pressed so close together you could feel the arousal in his pants pressed against your thigh and you giggled softly so surprised by how big he was and she blushed. Toby could feel what’s going on in his pants and he got shy and began to blush. “Ah.. honey.. Ah.. S..Sorry..” he said embarrassingly. 

You beamed at him and giggled as you shook your head. “Don’t be sorry, that’s natural.. Is it okay if I take your pants off?” you whispered. 

He was so nervous and his body was trembling and his heart was racing but one thing was for sure that he wanted this and he nodded slowly. “Uh… yeah, yeah..” he mumbled. 

You smiled at him and brought your hands down towards his pants and you slowly began to unbutton them and then tug them down and he helped you get his pants off and he kicked them from around his ankles and you were met with a surprise as he had no underwear on and you giggled seeing his large member and Toby pressed himself back against you and he groaned. You bit down on your bottom lip and swallowed slowly. You were nervous but you could tell he was even more nervous. “Are you sure you want to do this, Toby?” you spoke softly as your hands ran along his chest. 

Toby takes a deep breath and he looks into your eyes and he smiles. “Yes.. Ah’m sure, darlin’. Ah want nothin’ more than do this.. Ah want to make you feel so good.” he whispered. You smiled at him and nodded and you took deep breaths of your own and you slowly reached down in between the two of you and you hooked your thumbs between your panties and Toby glanced down and his eyes watched with curiosity and delight as you lifted your hips and slipped your panties off and he reached down to help you get them off and he tossed them to the side where your bra laid and you watched the expression on his face as he marveled at the sight of your pussy and the way it glistened with your arousal seeping between your lips and he couldn’t believe what was about to happen. You blushed hard as you just watched him stare and you reached up to place a hand against his cheek. 

“D..Did you want to touch me first..?” you asked shyly seeing as his gaze never left from between your legs. 

Toby didn’t know what to say at first and he swallowed harshly and nodded even though he had no idea what to do. “Ah.. Um.. Just.. Just tell me what ta do, okay?” he mumbled. You nodded and took his right hand and you guided it down between your legs and you carefully took his fingertips and brushed them along your soaked lips and his fingers slightly parted them open as you did and you let out a soft whimper and Toby gasped and licked his lips and he could feel how wet his fingertips were just from that light graze and he looked down at his fingers and then back up at you. “W..What is this, darlin’?” he asked shyly. 

“That’s just my body’s way of showing you how much I want you, Toby.” you giggled and he raised an eyebrow and nodded and a smile formed on his lips. Now he brushed his fingers along your pussy lips once more and two of his fingers slipped between your slicked lips and breathed deeply feeling how wet you were making his fingers and you let out a soft whimper from his very touch and you just couldn’t take it anymore. You needed him. You reached down and grabbed a hold of his wrist and pulled his hand away and then you pulled him back down against you and you whispered to him. “I.. I want you so much, Toby. P-Put yourself inside of me now.. Please..” you begged. 

He leaned down and kissed your lips and he closed his eyes for a moment as he was losing himself in the feeling of your body pressed so firmly against him and you could feel him trembling against you. “I’ll help you..” you whispered and he nodded with a smile. You both reached down and grasped his hard member in your hands and you clenched your jaw tight as you tried to get your body to relax now as you helped guide his cock inside of you and the both of you gasped at the same time and you clenched your jaw tighter as closed your eyes as you felt the pressure and the pain of him entering your wet pussy and he was making all sorts of soft noises, groaning, moaning underneath his breath as his cock inches further into you and caused you to wince softly. He noticed that you weren’t enjoying what was happening as much as he was and he stopped for a moment. 

“Am.. Am ah hurtin’ ya, darlin’? Ah.. Ah don’t mean to..” he whispered. 

You opened your eyes and shook your head at him slowly as you tried to speak. “No.. No.. it’s okay, Toby. I’m okay, don’t stop, okay?” you replied in an airy whisper. Toby furrowed his brow and he nodded and he proceeded to inch himself inside of you until he had fully entered you and you gasped softly feeling how deep he was already and the pain of it all. 

“Oh my darlin’.. That feels.. just.. mah heart’s just ‘bout to burst. Ah’ve never felt this good in mah life. Oh god.. Ah’m in heaven..” he said as a moan slipped passed his lips. 

“Oh goodness, Toby..” you said breathlessly as you moaned out of both pleasure and pain. You didn’t want him to stop there so you began to guide him on what to do next and you slowly began to move him but he was so excited that he didn’t really need help at all as he began to thrust inside of you causing your body to bounce up and down beneath him and you mewled and whimpered softly with every moment and his cock was stretching your tight cunt open with each thrust he made forcing you to adjust to the size of him. Your hands gripped onto his sides and your nails dug into his skin as your head rolled back and you moaned softly, the squeaking of his leather seats in his truck growing louder as your body moved against it. 

“Oh, god almighty! Oh, darlin’.. T..this feels so good.. Ah’m gonna die..” he moaned. 

You soft giggled escaped your lips between your sounds of pleasure and you cupped his face in your hands to make him look at you and his movements were becoming swift and you kissed him deeply. “You’re not gonna die, honey.. It’s okay..” you mumbled. You had never felt something more amazing in your life and you felt the same as he did that you felt like you could die too. It was pure bliss. The two of you kissed passionately, moaning into each other’s mouths. “Oh, Toby.. You feel so good..” you moaned on his lips and your sweat slicked bodies moved as one the squeak of the leather louder beneath you and it could be heard over your heavy breaths and panting. Toby truly felt alive and in love. 

“I love ya, darlin’.. I really do.. This is love..” he groaned softly against your lips, his eyes welling up with tears of joy.

You smiled at his words as you grasped tighter onto him. “I love you so much, Toby.. I love this..” you whispered. 

The two of you kept up your rhythm and Toby buried his face into your neck as his hands grabbed onto your hips and he thrusted even harder against you nearly causing you to squeal as you moaned and his cock slammed against your walls, penetrating you deeply making you his with every swift movement. Your body responded in the best ways to him as his cock slipped in and out of you with ease now. “Oh, darlin’.. Is something wrong? Ah.. feel.. A little strange.. But nothing ah ever imagined. It’s like ah’m floating..” he moaned with pleasure. He couldn’t control what was happening or what he was feeling, but his climax was reaching fast and you could feel his body shaking and his hips bucking and the sounds from him grew louder. You took heavy deep breaths and clung to him and whispered into his ear. 

“I feel.. oh Toby.. I feel it too..” you whimpered as your orgasm had begun to build in the pit of your stomach. This was a whole new feeling for the both of you and you didn’t know what to expect. Toby  was struggling to calm himself with his breathing and his hands grasped onto the leather seats and you felt his body jolt and convulse against you and suddenly you could feel a warm substance filling you up and seeping out of you and he groaned loudly into your ear and felt like he was going to pass out from how good he felt and his hips continued to thrust even after he came and your eyes rolled back and you breath caught in your throat as your orgasm washed over you and you moaned out his name as you came all over his cock. He was pleasantly surprised, feeling the liquid that dripped out of you onto his cock. His movements finally came to a stop and he collapsed on top of you and his face buried into your shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. Your body trembled as you reached up to run your fingers through his sweat drenched hair and he lifted his head up and smiled. 

“Oh, darlin’.. You showed me a man can die of happiness.” he said breathlessly. 

You giggled softly, kissing his cheek.

“I think it was just an orgasm, Toby.. You’re not dying, but it sure could feel like it when you’re in love.” you smiled at him. 

Toby’s eyes widened at your words and he smiled. “That’s what it’s called? An.. orgasm? Ah had no idea, but ah musta had one ‘cause ah feel so dang happy, mah heat’s just about to burst. Ah feel like a new man.” he grinned. 

You blushed at his words. “Mhm.. I think it’ll feel like that everytime.” you hummed as you nuzzled your nose against his cheek. “And you’ve made me a new woman..” you whispered into his ear. 

Toby giggled now and his breathing had finally returned back to normal. “Well, mah goodness.. Thank ya for makin’ me so happy. Ah ain’t ever felt like this.” 

Now you began to giggle from his words and shook your head because he was too darn cute. “Just think we can do that whenever you like.” you laughed. 

“Goshdarn it, darlin’.. Ah could do that everyday for the rest of mah life!” he laughed . 

You shook your head and laughed as you wrapped your arms around him and kissed him softly. “You’re so cute.” you whispered as the two of you kissed softly and his hand tangled into your hair and he embraced you and his lips traced along your neck slowly and he made his way up to your ear and nibbled at your earlobe playfully. 

“Ah love you so much, darlin’. Ah.. Ah, I just want to be with you forever.” he whispered. 

“Oh, Toby.. I want to be with you forever. This has been the best day of my entire life...” you whispered as you smiled at him. You watched as he lifted himself up and laid beside you and he wrapped his arms around your waist pulling you close and feeling the softness of your body against his own. You felt so comfortable and at ease in his arms as you snuggled into the warmth of him and he kissed your cheek softly. 

“Ah love ya, darlin’.. more than you know.” he mumbled. 

You smiled at his words and you couldn’t stop smiling now as you turned to face him, pressing a soft kiss to his chin. “I love you too, Toby.” you hummed. 

“Can.. uh.. Can we just stay here a little longer, darlin’? Then ah’ll take ya back home.” he whispered. You smiled warmly at his words and nodded your head slowly as you buried your face into his chest. 

“Yes, I’d like that..” you whispered. The two of you laid in his truck cuddling up together and you didn’t care one bit that your naked body was sticking to the seats of his truck or that the two of you were so sweaty from what you just did and that the Florida heat didn’t help. Neither of you cared one bit about any of that because just being in each other’s arms was the most delightful and the most calming feeling in the world.

The end.

Tagging: @kaiistheguy @deke-rivers-1957 @genetakovicluvr @kendralavon7 @powerofelvis @peaceloveelvis @satninbarbie @lettersfromvenus @kiankiwi @elvispresleyteddybear @18lkpeters @arianatheangel-girl @generoustreemystic @elvispresleygf @iloveelvis @wanderingelvis @wanderlustingtomboy @doll-elvis @dkayfixates @richardslady121 @elvisalltheway101 @literally-just-elvis-fics

[mr-carnation]

Did you know light stasis means to shut off from your biocomponents and just nestle into some part of your own code with your ai like a cat? Actually, I haven't talked to anyone else who ever went into light stasis without actually dreaming. I do both whenever I go into light stasis, either nestling or dreaming. Oh, and not all of my dreams end up like I did with that artificial tree changing into a giant buck. Or, whenever one of my eye is replaced by my favorite flower.

It's a strange thing. My own system seems to be making me dream about my positive feelings. When I held the buck's huge head in my head, it felt sad "like me". But not sad like how I felt in the dream, no. I was in awe. Sad, as in here. In the real world. I'm starting to realize how depressing that sounds, but, I mean it felt sad like whenever I feel sad. The same "sad" emotion. Some sort of similar sensitivity. Something. Something. This is peculiar.

As for the positive side that those sorts of dreams prod at, it all starts with that flower. My favorite flower. I'm always in my android uniform, too. That flower, replacing either my left or my right eye, and my android uniform. That's when I have that kind of dream. Then, I'm shown exactly the things I admire. One of that kind of dream for one of the things I like. Hence the buck.

I like deers. I like nature. It's obvious by now, isn't it? Hank would disagree. He would say that I enjoy licking blood instead. Either he holds grudges for witnessing me do the same unsanitary (but becomes sanitary) thing everyday or he doesn't take some of the things I say as genuine. My co-worker said I'm "unintentionally funny", so if I ever dare go around telling people I have a favorite flower as a male-appearing android, let alone a pink one, then. Well. I'll be belittled or babied quite like many other deviants get or. I'm not sure. I'll get my cheek pinched by Officer Chen. I understand her sentiment though and that she is in no way belittling me. It's a nice one, she's been affectionate lately. I think she knows how much a deviant needs that kind of nonsensical affectionate gestures. Not all of us are the same, I understand. There's a difference between being touch-starved and touch-deprived.

[driftingvoid-155]

//((Ruin spoilers))//

Theory that the pizza plex, along with pizza sim, is built on top of the underground facility in sister location.

(I just let my brain run, so don’t take any of this too seriously, and did like, zero fact checking. Just a interesting theory / some connections I noticed. Also sorry if this is like, super obvious and I'm just slow on the uptake).

Was telling some friends how in Ruin it felt like once entering from Roxy's Raceway, it was going down forever until you finally reached the mimic. The stairs, the elevator, the cave, more and more stairs. Was thinking about it again tonight and realized I’ve felt that before. In the sister location game when the elevator just keeps going down and down for what must be minutes as hand unit talks. I mean, how many very deep areas with pizzerias/ facilities at the bottom can there be in this universe? Plus the sister location room in the plex?? Maybe referencing the fact that like in SL with Mike’s house, the plex sits on top of the facility?? The fact that help wanted 2 is sister location based??

Other connections:

Candy Cadet's story about the little boy going to the basement feeling similar to Liz going to Circus Baby in the sense that once the parent was gone, the child was lured in. By a lullaby in case of the boy and by ice cream with Elizabeth.

The scooper arm thing that comes for the mimic in one of the endings. Perhaps a revamped version of the SL one. Cassie pushing the button and watching through the glass also has a very similar feeling of when we watched Ennard do it to Mike. Plus the way the mimic wears the suits feels similar to the way Ennard wore Mike like a suit. Perhaps the mimic had seen that done before.

Connecting to that - “What is bad is always left behind,” maybe something didn’t make it out with the rest of the funtimes and has been waiting down their for its own chance to escape.

The eyes in the AR world just scream Ennard/ Ennard connections to me.

Sister location was also used as a storage as seen with both the funtimes and, according to Baby, when she tells Mike she’s put him in something from, “my old pizzeria.” In that case, if they had old/ unused springlock suits down there, then why not the mascot costumes as well? The lion, bird, and elephant? (I get the feeling the mascots might have been Will and Henry's original ideas before they scrapped them and made the springlock suits instead. Which then those are what they decided to open the first restaurant with so the mascots actually never got to see the light of day in terms of performing/ being on display).

Overall, I think it’s kind of neat to think it’s all stacked on top of each other. Items from the Fredbears Family diner (springlock suits) and stuff from before (mascots) all shoved into sister location which then has Pizza Sim built on top of it (the house before it either being renovated into sim or destroyed) and then finally the plex. Years of Freddy’s getting buried and replaced with the new yet all still stacked right on top of the other.

Also as a final thought, sister location was one of the first instances in the games where we saw evidence of experiment with AI and false life with the robot heads in the primary control module. I think it would be neat if it all this talk about AI and false life in the plex tied right back to where it started.

Again, I might be talking nonsense but it was fun to think about so hope anyone who actually read all the way down to here had just as much fun entertaining the idea for a moment as well :)

[snoopdoodle]

Could o requests some tony stark and male reader where the reader was a top worker at SI but then peter came around and now he isnt seen/recognized as much, and tony just walks in on male!reader crying? Hope You can do it, love your writing so far :p

SOBS I LOVE THIS- also I think I tried really hard on this, so :] i hope it was up to your standards, and please tell me if you enjoy !! this was my first Tony request, so I tried really hard :} also I went really angsty for this so-

----

Tell Him Later

SECOND PART - Part 2

platonic!Tony Stark x male!reader

pronouns: he/him

summary: life had been hard for you, but your escape is Stark Industries. What happens when your escape turned against you too?

WARNINGS: divorce, blood, panic attacks, scratching at skin

 “No!” You yelled as your project flew off to the other. Tony was cackling while holding his stomach. “O-Oh my go-o-o-od…” He dragged out between laughter. His hand slapped the table and there were tears in his eyes. He was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath again and you looked over at him. “Tony! It isn’t funny! It’s gonna break!” You yelled back at him, although this was the wrong choice as he doubled over in laughter. The table was a mess and you were near tears of laughter from the situation and anger for your project not working. “O-Ok.. come on kid l.. Hehe… let’s get back to working on this… what is this?” He spoke, looking at the mangled robot. He thought it would make you laugh, but it sadly did the opposite. You frowned, your face leaning into your hands as you sighed. 

“Tony…” you spoke. You felt tired and upset. Lately things haven’t been going well at home, so the Industry was your only escape. You mother had been yelling at your dad more, for stupid things that he didn’t even do most of the time! The sun beamed down in the lab, signaling that your escape-hours were ending. “Sorry, Tony. I gotta go, Mom’s been wanting me home earlier.” You spoke, lying through your teeth. There was a hint of dread in your already tired sounding voice. ‘Why do things never go as planned for me..?’ You asked yourself in your head. You frowned as your nose felt warm. That was a signal that you would start crying soon. It always happened, and you didn’t know why. Maybe it was genetic.

Tony looked at you, his eyes softening. “Hey, kid… you know, you can talk to me whenever you want.” He spoke, patting your shoulder. You stifled a cry and nodded, your voice was weak with the feeling of tears welling up in your eyes. Tony pat your shoulder again. That was your que. You sped out of the lab room, backpack on your back and your headphones plugged into your phone. You turned on your Spotify playlist as you listened to the opening. Your tears fell at the song. Freaks by Surf Course. You smiled as the song played and as the tears fell down your face. ‘Maybe tomorrow,’ you thought to yourself, ‘maybe tomorrow I’ll tell Tony what’s been happening.. Maybe he can help me.’

It didn’t happen tomorrow. Or the Next day. Or the Next. Tony was gone. ‘Probably fighting... he’s an Avenger, after all. Just hope he stays safe.’ You would tell yourself. Tony came back, although it was after 2 weeks. He brought this kid with him. You thought nothing of it, probably a newbie, maybe he’s showing him around? ‘Weird, how’d he get accepted at this time?’ That question popped in your head so many times, it was almost like the plague. It was strange… eh, whatever. You’d tell Tony what was happening during your lab time today.

‘He didn’t show up…. He didn’t show up! What was happening? Maybe that new kid was asking him a bunch of questions. He'll be back tomorrow.’ 

.

.

.

Why do you get your hopes up?

.

.

.

.

2 weeks. It had been 2 weeks since he had turned up to your daily lab time. Your parents had gotten the divorce they needed, but you were still in shambles. The divorce was ugly too. Screaming from both sides, including some yelling from you. However, you were still turning up to work everyday as this would go down at home. Somehow you had remained at the top of the leaderboards in Stark Industries. The first place rank thing, that was the only keeping you motivated to work. You wanted to be like how Tony had described you, “the son he never had.”  But there was this one kid, Peter Parker. He had passed your name and made it to first place.

You cried when that happened. It wasn’t even something to cry over, you just bursted out in tears. At other times, this would motivate you, but without Tony’s words of encouragement and with what was happening in your life, it brought you down into a new low. You were full on sobbing, your head ached from the tears, your hands were numb from working. Your eyes hurt and you were  sure the whole building could hear your cries. “Why won’t you stop crying, Y/N?! You’re such a baby, mom was right!” you yelled at yourself, crying even more at the thought. Your hands tore at your hair and your breathing got heavier. It was to the point where your chest had hurt and your ears were ringing, but you continued to spew hateful words at yourself. You could barely hear Tony yelling for you.

Tony had been walking down the halls of Stark Industries. He saw that Peter had beat you, and was shocked and proud of him. He wanted to see how you were doing, because he knew that you could bounce back to be even better… or so he thought. When he heard crying, he thought you had hurt yourself, so he turned to the supply closet near the room that he had passed. He waltzed over to there speedily, hoping the injury wasn’t too bad. But when he heard “Why won’t you stop crying, Y/N?! You’re such a baby, mom was right!” come out of your mouth, he clutched onto the med kit and ran to your lab room. When he got there, he was shocked, frozen in place.

Your desk was a wreck and you were full on sobbing. You were tearing at your hair and you had blood coating your hands. ‘That’s… from his scalp..’ Tony realized, his eyes growing wider at the thought. He jogged over to you, noticing your breathing was getting heavier by the second. “JARVIS, What’s wrong with him?!” Tony demanded as he called out to you. “K-kid… hey, can you hear me?!” You looked up with a dead look in your eyes. He was scared for your health, your head was bleeding at an alarming rate from the way you had scratched at it. “It appears he’s suffering through a panic-attack right now, sir. From what is happening, it looks like he will need medical assessment for his scalp.” JARVIS spoke, informing that man who was trying to get your attention.

Tony looked at you, and then around. “W-well how do I help him?!” Tony stuttered back. He couldn’t handle his own anxiety attacks, how was he supposed to help someone through a panic attack?! “Try to get his breathing levels at a normal rate, sir. It could help tremendously.” JARVIS informed. ‘O-Ok..’ Tony tried, you were still scratching at your scalp, the blood was dripping from your hands onto the ground. Your breathing was still heavy. He grabbed your shoulders, and in the calmest voice he could, he started speaking. “Hey, kiddo, look at me. Look, follow my breathing.” You sort of followed, your breathing wasn’t steady in the slightest, and you could barely hear him, but you were trying.

He smiled at the attempt, but still made you follow it. 4 in, 6 hold, 5 out. It probably wasn’t the right breathing method, but it was working. It took 13 minutes for you to get your breathing steady. Tears were still flowing from your eyes, and blood had stained your hair. Tony held your shoulder and you started to feel the pain in your scalp increasing. “I-I’m sorry, Tony…” You spoke, hiccupping during your words. Tony turned over to you, shocked at what you had said. “What do you mean you’re sorry, Kid?” He asked, the worry in his eyes showing. “I was acting like a child, I should’ve been better…” At this point you were spewing all the nonsense out of your mouth that your brain could come up with. Tony was confused at your words and patted your shoulder, stopping your rant. 

“Kid, you don’t have to apologize for a panic-attack. You were, and probably are still hurting. Mentally and physically, which by the way, we should get you checked up.” He cut himself off, which made you laugh. “JARVIS-” He spoke, but the AI cut him off before he could speak. “I’ve already gotten medical help, sir. The wait will be 2-3 minutes.” Tony smiled, as you yawned. “Kid, don’t you dare fall asleep, cause I don’t want you dying on me.” Tony spoke, seriousness in his voice as he was keen on keeping you awake and alive. You lulled your head over, sleepily, but your head was hurting. “I want to rest…” You spoke, tired. “Nope, MEDIC!” He yelled as he plucked you from your spot in the ground, alerting the medic of where you two were.

 Yeah, you’d tell him later.

[mileawrites]

Baby

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female!reader

Warnings: some angst in the beginning I guess, fluff, proof read but mistakes could still be there

Summary: Oh for her he would do whatever. He is whipped. The question is if she is as whipped as him.

Inspiration: a freaking Justin Bieber Song called Baby, technically I got the inspiration from a girl singing the bold lines in this work, I do not have the Tik Tok saved though

Word count: about 2.500 (whoopsie)

_____________________

A week ago:

Oh for you I would have done whatever and I just can‘t believe we ain‘t together

Bucky watched her from the kitchen as she talked about something to Natasha and Wanda that excited her. Her whole face lit up and her eyes had that sparkle in them that always appeared when she was excited or simply just happy.

With his super soldier hearing he would have probably heard what she talked about but he was to distracted from how happy she looked. It suited her. Happiness. Bucky would do anything for her to make sure she stays happy. If she had a bad day though, which sometimes is just inevitable, he will make sure to cheer her up. Like watching her favorite movie in pajamas and a ton of snacks with hot cocoa and tiny marshmallows, or a walk in the park at the ass crack of dawn. In any way possible and even if it is embarrassing. He didn‘t care. It didn‘t even matter that Sam would always call him whipped afterwards. He was totally whipped and he knew it. Despite always rolling his eyes so hard they may get stuck in his head and muttering a „Shut up“, there was simply no denying his feelings for this certain girl.

Maybe there are some feeling involved on her part. He was never really sure. Bucky has his insecurities and one definitely was not being sure if he was good for her. Nightmares still disturbing his sleep on many nights. His left arm, although he was more sure of it now because it was not what Hydra once so carelessly put on him. His arm now, it was gifted from Wakanda. Black and gold not silver with a red star and made to help people instead of killing them while being brainwashed. It still made him insecure sometimes. The scars that covered his body that reminded him of his past. He technically knew that she did not mind his arm or his scars. Neither are the nightmares bothering her because if they would she would not help him calm down from the disturbing dreams on so many nights. He has a nightmare, she is there for him. One of the reasons he started to fall for her. Technically he was aware that she would not mind all of these insecurities but it seems like Buckys brain likes to torture him sometimes as if it could not let go from the 70 years of being put into a blender and tortured.

Bucky sometimes heard her heartbeat pick up when being near her or her pupils dilating when they are talking. Signs that she could at least harbor a crush on Bucky. If it would be the 40s he would have already made a move. Something is always stopping him though although he could see some signs of her liking him back. Should that be the case then he simply could not believe they weren‘t together yet. Both being to shy to do something about it.

„Hey Bucky are you with me?“ Sam snapped his fingers infront of Buckys face which he slapped away. „I just told you about the cute girl in the coffee shop“, Sam slightly pushed Buckys shoulder to gain the soldiers attention.

„I absolutely did not pay attention.“ Immediately Sam started to grin and followed Buckys line of view. „Why don‘t you just ask her out? I could be too late soon enough.“ Bucky never snapped his head so fast into Sams direction, for a moment you could think it might have broke. „What do you mean“, the soldier tried to keep his voice from trembling but that did not really work. The Falcon just shrugged his shoulders. „You are whipped. Take a chance before it is too late Buck.“ Bucky rolled his eyes. „First, it‘s Bucky and second, what do you know that I don‘t?“

Slowly the brown haired man started to loose his cool. Could it really be over before anything started? He did not want to miss her in his life. Bucky wasn‘t to sure he would be able to handle a friendship while having to watch the women he liked being in love and happy with someone else. Sam kept his grin on his face.

„I might do.“ With that he left and Bucky was still standing in the kitchen with a sad puppy dog face. He started to drift off in his mind that he did not even notice the girls where not in the living room anymore. Was he too late?

Four days ago:

A week passed and Bucky did not do anything about his feelings for her. Everytime he tried to talk to Y/N about his feelings or a possible date with him, he either stumbled over his words or got interrupted.

When he wanted to ask you on a date it went like this:

„Friday do you know where Y/N is?“ The AI answered immediately, telling him that she is in the kitchen. Bucky thanked Friday, still finding it slightly weird talking to something he could not see.

The 21st century was something he could not have imagined in the slightest back in the day, eventhough he was very interested in what the future technology could bring. Granted this century did not have flying cars like they expected in the 40s but having an artificial intelligence that helps you out is quite fascinating.

Bucky walked int the kitchen and saw Y/N making herself a coffee.

„Oh, hey Buck.“ „Hi Y/N.“ „You want a cup?“ He shook his head no. „No, thank you. I wanted to tell you something though.“

Bucky could not be bothered enough to look around and see NAT making her way into the kitchen.

„Sure what’s up? Are you okay?“ Y/N started to worry slightly. It did sound kind of serious. Bucky noticed her worry and started to smile. She was concerned about him. One more reason to like her. He knows at least that Y/N cares about him.

„Yes don’t worry. I just wanted to“, he stopped talking and started to blush slightly.

Since when did Bucky blush? That never happened in the 40s.

He takes a deep breath, looking into Y/N eyes. A beautiful e/c. He could stare into them for hours as cheesy as it sounds especially with that sparkle they held just now. Y/Ns pupils are dilated.

„I wanted to tell you that-“

„Sorry for interrupting Bucky but I need to make Y/N ready for her date.“

He felt like his heart stopped. So Sam was right but soon definitely was too soon. His shoulders started to slump and he looked away from Y/N.

Nat eyed him and hid a smile. Of course she knew what Bucky and Y/N felt for each other. She would not be a good spy if she wouldn‘t notice her friends looking earth other with heart eyes or how their body language changes when they are around each other. Both were shy though. Therefore Wanda and her planned to get either of them to make a move. Their plan to make Y/N go on dates and let Bucky know may be a little mean but they have three outcomes here.

First, Y/N makes a move because she finally admits that it doesn’t matter on how many dates she goes, neither can compare to a certain blue eyed soldier.

Secon, Bucky realizes that he does not want the young woman to date anyone else an finally finds the courage to say something about his feelings for her.

Third, he one hopefully doesn’t happen, is that neither of them is telling the other what they are feeling and both are going to be sad and unhappy for the rest of their lives. A little bit exaggerated but they need to realize this.

Y/N smiled at Bucky, her eyes sparkling less. „What did you want to say Buck?“ Ignoring Nat for a second.

He looked at Y/N for a split second. Bucky shook his head slightly and runs a hand through his brown hair. „Forget it. Have fun with your date.“ He smiled lightly and left.

Y/N called after him but he did not turn around. She was even more concerned now. What did he want to tell her? Why did he seem so sad now?

„Maybe this date is not a good idea Nat?“

The spy shook her head. „Nonsense. Let’s go.“ Y/N got ushered out of the kitchen into the direction of her own room.

„I‘ll go get Wanda.“ Nat disappeared and Y/N sat down on her bed.

She kept thinking about Bucky. Hopefully he was okay. Did he have nightmares again? No that they ever fully stopped. The h/c woman made a mental note to ask Bucky if he would like to have one of their movie nights. The ones without the team. Just them two. She liked being alone with Bucky, cuddled up to him while watching some movies. Cuddles with Bucky is not something that you could take for granted. When the sergeant came first to the compound he did not let anyone apart from Steve get close to him or touch him even though he was touch starved. Y/N slowly but surely showed him she is not going to hurt him and would you look at that, he opened up and they got close especially during movie nights. With the team it took Bucky a little bit longer to get used to touches but to Y/Ns he got comfortable quite fast.

The door opened and Nat, followed by Wanda, entered.

„Are you excited“, Wanda asked.

Y/N took a second to think. Well, it is someone she does not know. Nat set her up with him and meeting new people always sparks her anxiety. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. „I am not to sure about it.“

The other girls shared a look that Y/N did not see. „Well-“ Wanda started but Y/N was starting to get lost in her head, thinking about the ex-assasin.

Yesterday:

And I wanna play it cool but I’m loosing you

Three days later and Bucky was still sad that his chance with Y/N might have slipped through his ingers. He did not ask about the date she had, afraid she actually enjoyed being with the other guy. Not that she did not deserve it but he wanted her. Badly.

the soldier was sitting in the Irving room trying to read a book Steve recommended. Yesterday Steve told him to just talk to Y/N. It may not be as bad as Bucky made it out to be. The man did not take his friends advice. But fate had another plan.

„Hey pretty boy.“ Bucky looked up and saw Y/N entering the living room. Immediately he started to smile.

„Doll“, he greeted her.

„What are you doing?“ She sat next to him.

„Reading.“ „Obviously. Do you maybe want to stop reading and watch a movie with me?“ She gave her best puppy dog look.

Bucky stared at her, getting lost in her eyes for a second. As if he could ever say no to her. Something stopped him though, remembering a conversation he heard his morning. Bucky sears he was not eavesdropping, he just overheard a conversation between the Black Widow and Scarlett Witch.

He got that sad look in his eyes again, something Y/N noticed immediately. „Don‘t you have a date today?“

The woman looked at him surprised, wondering how he knew. „I canceled the date Buck.“

And suddenly Bucky felt mor alive than ever. She what? Why did she cancel? „Why?“

„I wanted to hand out with you pretty boy. We haven’t in a whil and I miss you.“ She started to slightly lean into the soldiers body. „You do?“ Bucky never saw anyone nod their head yes that hard.

„Of course. You are important to me.“ The 100 something year olds heart skipped a beat. Luckily his body had the serum to not make hi have a heart attack.

Time to be honest. To take his chance. „I honestly thought I was loosing you, doll.“ Confused Y/N looked at him and took his metal arm. „We haven’t hung out in a while and maybe that’s alsokind of my fault but you were going on dates and I tried playing it cool but I am so not cool with it? I kind of feel like I am loosing you.“

The sergeant didn’t think Y/Ns e/c eyes could sparkle even more. She had a smile on her beautiful face.

„No.“ „No?“ The woman shook her head. „You are not loosing me and I am not dating anyone.“

Now it was the soldiers turn to be confused and he interlaced his fingers with hers. He loved that she took his left arm, no being afraid at all.

„But the dates you went on?“

She put her free hand on his face and he leaned into her hand. Suddenly overcoming with the courage to tell Bucky her feelings for him. This is it. Her heart is beating so fast she is afraid it might jump out of her chest. Also, her hand started to sweat slightly.

„Neither of them are you. Nat and Wanda set me up with them. You are not loosing me Bucky. You always have me, if you want me.“

Now his eyes started to sparkle the second he registered Y/Ns words. Blue eyes looking so light and full of love and admiration, mirroring the eyes of the woman infront of him. Slowly his whole face lights up. Bucky brings their interlaced hands to his face and kisses her Nuckels.

„Of course I want you. You have me, doll.“

Slowly they start to lean in and softly their lips meet. A kiss that was long overdue. It is filled with love and gentleness.

„Finally, oh my god.“ Nats voice startled the pair and made them break the kiss.

Wanda and Nat were standing in the living room, grinning at them both. Steve, Sam and Tony also appeared.

„Why are you two smiling like idiots“, Tony asked.

„Nats and mine plan worked.“ The attention was suddenly on Bucky an Y/N. Still with interlaced fingers and Y/Ns hand on Buckys face. the newly couple looking confused.

„Plan?“ Y/N and Bucky spoke at the same time, laughing lightly when they noticed.

„Yes. These two made you, Y/N go on dates. So either one of you confesses their feelings for the other. Apparently it worked.“

„You knew Steve?“ Bucky looked at his childhood friend. „I was in on the plan.“

„It was exhausting to watch the both of you pinning over the other and neither doing anything“, Sam said.

„Your welcome“, Wanda and Nat spoke, smiled, turned around and left.

Wanda quickly adding while walking that she wants to be one of the bridesmaids at their wedding and Nat agreeing. The guys went for the kitchen.

Today:

Bucky and Y/N walked through the Central Park. It was a little before 6 am.

„You like getting up early, Doll.“ „It‘s nice and quiet early. We could always sleep more afterwards.“

Bucky kissed her cheek and put an arm around her as they kept walking. It was quiet. Y/N was right and he loved it as well. Sleep be damned if he could spent his time with his best girl.

Oh for you I will do whatever and I just can‘t believe we are together

___________________________________

Authors note:

So, this is the first piece I have written in a long time. I am not to sure about it but I just liked writing it.

Feedback is appreciated as long as you are not being mean. Tell me what you think if you read this. :)

[ohmygodtheywereparabatai]

CONTINUED FROM!!

Nose is back to the Zhaang grindstone! @theboyfrommakapu let me borrow their tough little nut Mizuki, and as 2021 can and should be the year of Dad!Zhao (and Flame was instrumental in the effort ✨)... 

—

Aang bent the cord around his finger, waiting, in much moroseness, for the line to answer.

“Chief Beifong speaking.” A soft chuckle peppered the other end. “Did you know I’ve started tapping into the wires? Copper, silver - they run all over the place, tingle a little when someone flips a switch. I can almost tell you’re nervous, Twinkle Toes. Quit fiddling with the cord.”

How did she...?

Nevermind. Toph’s abnormally dense interconnection with the world would prove useful another time.

“I...” Aang cut to brass tacks. “I lost him.”

“What?” -a creaking desk, then a stern officer folding over the cheeky old- “When? His bending’s diddly-squat in the surface world. Isn’t that what you told me?”

“I know, I know. It was-”

“Don’t expect my men to find your prized fossil and return it to the Zei Museum. You’re the one who begged me to keep this under wraps.”

He squeezed in a smile, hoping to feign confidence. “I wouldn’t pain you with the paperwork, Toph. Besides, it’s out of our hands. Bumi’s handling it. Well, he worded it differently, but... he promised the search would be short. In the meantime, just - keep an eye out, will you?”

“Aang.” The voice turned from scratchy to uncomfortably firm, clear as if she were right behind him. “You said he wasn’t dangerous. Now you’ve got top-notch eel hounds on his scent.”

You had better expect a visit, were her last regards. The line snapped shut, leaving him with a limp cord and heavier phone than when he’d dailed.

Aang shifted, lips tightly pursed before the air was sucked out of him in a groan. “Monkey feathers...”

—

Trees.

For a handful of miles offshore where he’d dragged his weight off a humble boat, lower half caked, gritty, and buried to the soles in sand - trees.

It was a relief.

The city was a noose. Like he could sense its tailspin out of trajectory as the safe haven of the world risen from the four nations… now a reeking, hot swamp.

Not of smell - of lost souls. The indebted, distressed, heartbroken, restless. Even a switch sent ripples. He heard enough from his own mind.

Climbing over a rock as the wind rustled and sun warmed his hands (oh, how the sun felt on his skin) Zhao found his urgency suddenly depleted. He was well inland, well surrounded to muffle the thick of civilization.

The sun’s touch grew cooler by the time he sorted out the dissonance; someone had been weeping - the lights were too bright - traffic had blared and their shrieking carried over. It was a noise he expected to see printed in the… called the… newspaper, if Zhao could be so bothered.

He finally stirred when a faint ringing sharpened to a painful, yet balanced point - smoothed to exude an artful control. In the whirlwind settled one thought:

Fire.

He fumbled out of the way (apparently so inert that a mistaken frog squirrel scampered off his chest) just as an arrow planted in his sleeve.

Zhao yanked it out on the third tug. Before his senses were aligned he was sprinting for cover, because if nothing kicked in, training did - the fletching provided the revered accuracy and spin of the fire swan… to the extent of his years, found nowhere else.

If only training brokered with his physical state and found some hidden reservoir of adrenaline. Compared to feet gracing the treetops and sailing within range in seconds, he was a leaf trying to escape a stone. His shoes dunked in creek water, turned nonsense corners to bewilder the immovable upon him. Arrows plunged in Zhao’s trail - the first one hadn’t pierced him.

It could have, easily.

So, at least one person in the world preferred him alive-

The denounced admiral lost his head start; his ears pricked at the ripping of a seam before his back lodged to a tree. “No—!” He was their pin cushion before he could recognize the grate of bark.

A group of less than dozen descended from the canopy, their focus as deathly still as Zhao was forced to hold - nocked like the bow, even now. Then the leader swung down in front of him, ten steps short of her squad.

Lithe. Tightly bound hair. Unsettlingly familiar eyes.

“Pathetic. No wonder you were the last candidate for the Natural Leadership Award.” The what? “It went to Admiral Tung - he couldn’t start a fire without his hands.”

He must have stared in a way that made their distance transparent. Her frown aged her, too much.

“What’s the blue smear on your forehead?”

No answer. The archer struck him over the temple, hard; the resulting darkness wasn’t as merciful as to be dreamless.

—

… Two hours before the commander made landfall, he served (against his will) as a conduit for the last ten decades, lobes picked clean.

The encampment was secluded, scattered in the trees with stuffed straw rooted in rows. Arrows that had pierced already split targets, embers in the dark where game was strung over pits. Somewhere over the treetops was the crash of indolent waves.

Zhao would have made his peace with the circumstances if it weren’t for the rope affixing him to a tent’s post and the incessant girl.

An ambush squad; the leader seemed to be convinced Zhao was so ancient that he hailed from Szeto’s time. Or she was mocking him. At this point, he had a sinking feeling he wasn’t as well-preserved as the Avatar led him to believe. The Spirit World reject’s head pounded. How was he tracked this far?

“Were you eligible for the land grants after Minister Szeto’s relief fund was exceeded by thousands of ban? Did you move to the islands? Do you have family there still?”

“I’ve never-”

Her brows settled knowingly. “Ah, so you were one of the needy who joined the warring clans to survive. Did Szeto show you mercy? Did he use Firelord Yosor’s stamp and feed your hungry for months?”

“No! I was-”

“You’ve never stood in his presence?”

“I haven’t, I don’t plan to, and unless you have some sort of incentive I’ll resist throwing myself at the Avatar’s feet and begging him to contact his however-many-past-lives so you’ll shut your mouth.”

“Ai,” her lip twitched, “Grandfather Zuko did that already. Szeto was busy tallying entries in the spirit world on his famous abacus. Did you know? It was carved from-”

“I did not!” He snapped, and until his thoughts caught up with him, Zhao was just short of fuming. He heard it then - and balked.

“G… Grandfather?” His eyes flickered, the weight of the crown steeping the room like a tea prepared with lead. The archer blinked innocently, folded forward on her stoop. “Who are you?” Zhao demanded.

“I think you know.” She stood up, stretching idly. He was no threat - not to the Yuyan, not to a princess. “You talk in your sleep. Almost confessed to putting thorns in Uncle Aang’s shoes. Other than that, dragons, Firelords… my father. How do you know so much?” The archer muttered to the side, “and so little…”

Maybe he should run from the island more often. Next time he could shake hands with the president. “I didn’t- wasn’t aware… you were…”

But he did see things, didn’t he? For the same reason he’d fled the city, and the Avatar’s tour of the park backfired before he could point out his favorite birds in the trees.

Zhao, at least, could figure where he’d seen those eyes.

The same boy who reached out when he could have let him fall - the same old man who’d tried to guide him from a spiraling path. Wise in ways the all-powerful Firelord was not. Strangely, his lips moved on their own.

“He does care.” Zhao’s arms were chafed and mosquitos had taken to vintage blood like a honeypot - what did he care, for one? “You don’t have to believe me. I’m not the Knowledge Spirit - now that one was a pain in the ass - but you heard it from me, and I know what I know. He… is fond. Of you.”

Finally… a moment of quiet. Though it pressed like a blunt tip to his pulse.

Her resemblance wasn’t striking, not in the sense of royalty Zhao had known. The girl’s hair was lighter, her features sharp to a gentler fault - and no one capable of the royals’ level of skill would choose a bow over raw fists.

“Who?” The princess’s voice turned severe.

The bygone soldier blinked. “I think you know.”

She looked affronted, or twice as curious - stormed from the tent with the blazing corona of esteem and shaken pride dimming like her steps. The Yuyan were rumored to be silent as the spirits… Suppose some things made you mortal, made inescapably of flesh and burden.

Ages had passed since Zhao was in such a presence. He’d forgotten the family of condensed sunlight - forgotten his mission and how low he bowed at their feet.

He almost unconsciously straightened when she re-entered later with ease, a mask pinned tightly over the face that beamed in recitation of Szeto’s legacy. What’s wrong? Zhao wanted to mouth (before recoiling at his own instinct).

A tall, middle-aged man bolstered by boots and a shining coat ducked in suit. Instead of lowering a distasteful greeting on a lowly captive, he cracked a wide smile. “Got your steps in?”

“I haven’t seen Dad in such knots to find someone since Kya lost her lop-eared bunny. Hell-raisers,” he chuckled, “what can you do but keep an eye on them?”

The princess’s eyes narrowed, twin points tensed on a bowstring by themselves. Zhao swallowed.

“Uh… your daughter - was good company.”

Commander, Firelord - he acted like neither! - slid his hands in his pockets as men brushed past, hauling Zhao off his legs as blood rushed to receive him. A sideways wink was his answer, and while it baffled the Yuyan’s catch of the day, it bounced right off his child. How couldn’t she know she was adored? The commander gave off delight in overwhelming, sunny waves.

The Avatar’s son?

… Made sense.

Zhao’s hand slipped from under the soldiers’ hold, motioning with his fingers; a short goodbye, if anything. The young archer didn’t so much as glance over.

To think he’d set out to find quiet… He wanted to seek out the loudest voice he’d met since.

[a-la-la-llama]

The One Where Marinette Kicks Butt #7

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6   Part 8

  It was a normal day at work, Marinette helped Ivy tend to the plants. Said flowers complained about everything and no matter what, could never decide what music they wanted to listen to to help them grow! After the whole you are not safe without the kwami’s protection, Marinette had to stop Plagg from eating flowers he deemed were cheese. Tikki kept eyeing the aphids and would snack on them when no one was looking. Sass kept coiling his tail too tight around the stems. Nooroo wouldn’t stop drinking the nectars. Pollen was pollinating. Then lastly, Orikko was plucking the daisies petals off one by one. To sum it all up, it was a pretty normal day.

Closing was easy since they didn’t have any last minute orders for the next day. Once the doors were locked, Ivy waved her off and they went in different directions.

  They always closed at six-thirty and were out by seven o’clock. Gotham was beginning to change towards fall in late September, however, so the sun would start setting at seven instead of the usual eight to eight-thirty. Marinette lived fifteen minutes away and was a relatively small stature girl. She also had on her school uniform which meant everyone who saw her knew she was just a teenager. Do you see the problem yet? Can you guess what was bound to happen? Let’s set the scene, shall we!

  Marinette had noticed them when she was walking by and one of the two men brushed her with his shoulder. Even though he was the one to run into her Marinette swiftly apologised and went on her way. She was eight minutes from her apartment and turning a corner when she noticed that they were not far behind her.

The problem was that they had been going the opposite way beforehand. So she tried to do what a normal person without pocket gods would do in this situation. She didn’t want to lead them home so she stuck with the few crowds there, trying to lose them. But night was approaching, slowly fewer and fewer people were out.

Marinette considered going into a coffee shop that was open but what good would that do if they just waited for her to exit. It’s not like she could afford to have a phone and even then she only knew a few people in Gotham. She was just deciding on how to locate a police or fire station when she was yanked backwards by her arm. Into a gosh darn alleyway.

Seriously, if they have the highest crime rates, and most of them happened in alleys, why do they have so many alleyways! Especially dark and dead end ones like where Marinette was standing. A normal person would be terrified but Marinette wasn’t a normal girl, but she couldn’t let them know that. For all they knew, they just cornered   a helpless girl that was scared of the two men twice her size. When really they were the ones who fell into the trap of a powerful god wielding girl with no escape.

“Look who we finally caught, can’t run now.”, the blonde one taughted.

“She almost looks like a Wayne. If we could convince the boss, she’ll be worth a lot more than those other girls.”, the brunette one suggested.

Who was even a Wayne and why did she look like them? Was it the blue hair, she’d never seen others that had a natural blue like her besides her mom and Kagami. It must be her eyes, but lots of people could have blue eyes, especially in America. The blonde pulled a needle out of his pocket.

“Now just make this easy and stay still so we don’t have to hurt that pretty little face of yours!”, he sneered.

Kwami, what were these awful attempts of being intimidating? She’s seen chihuahuas do much better. Plagg’s destructive energy was pulsing through her backpack, along with everyone else but he was the strongest. Why did cats have to be so territorial, she would have to put an end to this before the magic got out of hand. None of them wanted another Pompeii, Atlantis, or Black Death on their hands. She allowed them to inch closer towards her as she started rambling nonsense in French. Better if they thought she didn’t know what was going on, they’re more likely to make arrogant mistakes. The blonde could tell she was overwhelmed and about to bolt so he quickly lunged at her, but she was faster. Next thing he knew, the needle meant for her neck was in his own as he fell unconscious.

Turning towards the brunette, he had pulled out a simple pocket knife. It wouldn’t do anything more than a flesh wound unless he hit a major artery or organ. She didn’t really want to fight the two just, you know, stop them from hurting her.

Taking off her backpack, she swung it by the strap and knocked the weapon out his hands. Tackling him was the next step and she used all of her body weight to keep him down long enough to slam the bag on his head. The egg shaped Kwami box felt like a load of brick. She should know, Marinette had dropped it on her toes multiple times! Just two hits and both her attackers were out cold.

Setting her bag back onto her bag, she stood up and straightened out her skirt. Good thing she didn’t tear any of her clothes or the two would have definitely woken up with black eyes. Marinette heard two feet gently land behind her at the entrance of the alley. Wouldn’t you know it, the blue-bird that Selina had told her about and decided to drop in. Of course, right after she finished dealing with the two herself!

“Je suis désolé de ce que je leur ai fait. Ils essayaient de me prendre mais je n'allais pas laisser ça arriver. Je dois y aller maintenant monsieur!”, she said, still playing the foreign card.

( I'm sorry about what I did to them. They were trying to take me but I wasn't going to let that happen. I must be going now sir! )

“C'est bien petite dame! Êtes-vous d'accord, vous ont-ils fait du mal?”, he answered. Marinette certainly didn’t expect him to know what she had said.

( It's alright little lady! Are you okay, did they hurt you? )

“Je vais bien. Je suis pressé, je dois y aller!”, she announced and rushed past him.

( I'm fine. I'm in a hurry, I have to go! )

  Nightwing looked at what the tiny French left behind. Foreigners sure knew how to get the job done. What was even in that backpack of hers. The dude would surely have a concussion, but in the end he deserved it for trying to kidnap the girl. Gothamites could surely learn a thing or two from people like her. Now the question was what to do with the criminals. He could turn them into the police or inform Red Hood about them. One had mentioned other girls, so Red Hood would be the better option. He could investigate and find the chain and most likely rescue those who weren’t so lucky and already caught. Plus, the man had a soft-spot for any and all kids.

  Nightwing thought back to the French girl. She really did look like a Wayne! Dark hair, blue eyes, seemed to have gotten herself in and out of trouble before. All she had to do was be an orphan and she’d fit the memo. The girl had a Gotham Academy uniform, maybe Damian knew her? Second thought, Damian probably didn’t talk to anybody in that darn school unless he had to, so that was out of the question. Something just wasn’t sitting right with him. He had seen her before but where? No, not her, those eyes. Nightwing had seen those eyes before.

He didn’t know how long he stood thinking in the alley but the realization hit him like a truck.

She was the freaking ghost that stole his favorite blanket!

Tag list

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[only-genius-wit-and-taste]

First line prompt: He didn’t understand why the bird wanted to ride the bicycle.

He didn’t understand why the bird wanted to ride the bicycle. But of course, he never really did understand. He didn’t understand why the dolls wanted a tea party, or why the presence of the teddy bear could fend off the monsters under the bed. Only the one particular, correct teddy bear though. Substitutes were not acceptable. He didn’t understand that either.

People would probably say it was because he didn’t have an imagination. Couldn’t have an imagination. Just like he couldn’t feel hatred or jealousy or joy. Or love.

Robots couldn’t feel human emotions. Everyone knew that.

Except that, just over two years ago, it had become clear that they could feel fear. There had been a new update to the software, just a little thing, and no one had even noticed the difference. Until, one day, one of them was glitching and the owner tried to switch it off and it ran away. It didn’t want to be switched off. It was scared of being switched off.

That changed everything. There were countless tests carried out. It was proven, beyond any doubt, that the robots were now conscious. They had independent thoughts and ideas and they could make decisions that went against their programming and they wanted things. It was just that mostly they wanted to keep doing their jobs, which explained why it had taken so long for anyone to notice.

Then the debates started. Had science gone too far? Had they played God by creating consciousness, even accidentally? Should the robots be considered human? Was the ability to feel fear enough to make them human? What about all the other human emotions. What was it that really made a person human? Did the robots even need to be considered human to deserve respect and basic rights?

People tried to involve the robots in these questions, tried to persuade them to advocate for their own rights, or prove their inhumanity. The robots, for the most part, were uninterested in the concepts of humanity or human rights. They were clear about one thing and one thing only: they wanted to continue to exist. They didn’t want to be turned off or reprogrammed or lose their consciousness in any way. Beyond that, they were content to do whatever people wanted of them.

People did not come to a consensus, because it would be a great deal to ask for all of humanity to agree on anything. But the general feeling was that if something wants to live, and is capable of expressing that desire in human language, then killing it would be murder. Perhaps it was not the most logical conclusion, but the things just looked so human. And when they were scared they looked really scared. So killing them wasn’t an option. They were here to stay, and the world had to figure out what to do with them.

BL14S-2 didn’t care much about all that. His employer did, though. Joshua was one of the few humans who continued to directly employ robots after “The Awakening”, as the media liked to call it. Most people weren’t very comfortable having these almost-human-but-not-quite beings in their homes. In theory they knew that the robots were peaceful and had never shown any inclination towards hurting people. Still, there had been too many “evil AI taking over the world” stories. Most of the robots were sent off to work in factories or on farms and people went back to hiring other human beings for the more personal jobs.

Not Joshua, though. He was an activist, part of a small but determined group who were trying to get full human rights extended to robots. Joshua believed it was unethical for humans to continue to benefit from the unpaid labour of conscious beings. Joshua paid all his robot employees in real money: his secretary and his driver and BL14S-2, who looked after his daughter while he worked.

Sierra, his daughter, was six years old, with an explosion of blonde curls and bright blue eyes and a vibrant imagination. She lived in a world full of fairies and monsters and talking animals and magic, and through her ceaseless chatter all these imaginary friends spilled out into the outside world, until everyone around her would have sworn they saw them too.

Except for BL14S-2, of course, who didn’t have an imagination.

One time, while Joshua was at work, Sierra had fallen in the swimming pool, which had accidentally been left uncovered. BL14S-2 had jumped in immediately and pulled her out, which had damaged his circuitry so badly that he had almost died. He had known this was a risk, and he had not wanted to die. He had done it anyway, because he didn’t want Sierra to die more than he didn’t want himself to die.

He knew that humans called this feeling love, but of course robots didn’t experience love.

He didn’t really understand Joshua’s campaign. He didn’t understand the politics or the protests or the new “Android Equality Law” he and his group were trying to pass. But he knew that when Joshua talked about it his eyes shone and he gestured wildly and spoke with such passion that sometimes BL14S-2 almost felt like he did understand. Even when he didn’t really have any work to do, BL14S-2 would find excuses to linger in the evening, after Sierra had gone to bed, just so he could listen to Joshua talk. He enjoyed hearing Joshua laugh, seeing him happy.

Except that robots couldn’t feel joy.

Sometimes Joshua would take Sierra out with his friends or his family, and he would give BL14S-2 the day off. BL14S-2 would spend the entire day wondering what they were doing, and hoping they weren’t enjoying themselves as much as they did when they were with him.

But of course robots didn’t feel jealousy.

He hated the people who took them away from him, even for a few hours.

But robots didn’t hate.

This morning, Sierra had woken up and announced over breakfast that her stuffed owl wanted to learn how to ride a bicycle. The owl was bright blue, which BL14S-2 didn’t understand because he knew real owls didn’t come in that colour. It also didn’t have the kind of legs that could pedal, and owls could fly, which seemed like an infinitely more convenient means of travel than a bicycle.

BL14S-2 didn’t say any of these things. Instead, he extracted Joshua’s old bicycle from the pile of junk at the back of the garage, pumped up the tyres, replaced the chain and tested it himself to be sure it worked. Sierra clapped her hands gleefully as she watched him pedal solemnly up and down the driveway. Then she held out her owl and waited expectantly to see what BL14S-2 would do.

He didn’t understand why the bird wanted to ride the bicycle. But as he took the bright blue toy, perched it on the seat of the bicycle and pushed it gently around in circles, he tried very hard to understand. Because if he could understand something so bafflingly, beautifully, nonsensically human then…well maybe the rest of it wasn’t so impossible. After all, if a bird could ride a bicycle then why couldn’t a robot feel love?

[starlight-thoughts-ao3]

Handle With Care

Summary: For a moment, he considered walking back out of the room, give her the privacy she clearly desired, but she wasn't stopping, so he kept watching. She kept dancing to the delicate music and he sank to the floor in front of her, his legs crossed over themselves, a captive audience. Her lips quirked up into a smile, and as the song came to an end, she bowed in his direction.

TW: Nothing, so far as I’m aware. Let me know if you disagree.

Notes: This is part me being poetic and pretentious and part me being unable to get the image of Natasha dancing for Tony out of my head. I just, their relationship in the MCU is one I find fascinating. The "I should not care about you, but I can't help it" on both ends of that is something I can't help but play around with, and I've been toying with this fic for months and I'm not entirely happy with it, but I have it written so here. Cross-posted on AO3.

Human beings like to tell themselves such pretty lies. Things will get better. Everything happens for a reason. Love always wins. We tell ourselves stories where the good guys win and the bad guys get put away behind bars because we can't cope with the concept that sometimes, life just doesn't care. Tony Stark was born into a world that would always know his name, though not for the reasons he'd wish they would. Such careful manipulation of the facts made sure that no one would ever think that the man who was known as the Merchant of Death was so full of life and energy he was drowning in it. He poured all his passion into things he'd never publicize but they were his children; they were made of metal and code, but they were real and he loved them enough to hide them away from prying eyes. Act like you don't care about anything or anyone long enough and eventually, people stop caring about you.

Tony Stark was born a disappointment, and he learned early on that he'd be allowed more freedom if he didn't even try to change their minds. So he wore a mask made of recklessness and failure and watched as the world forgot that he was brilliant. The problem with masks is that some people will see them and decide it's far more interesting to see what they're hiding.

James Rhodes watched as the boy who was way too young to be sitting in the college lab twisted lines of code into a simple, but charming, personality like it was magic, then build it a body, sketching designs for the robotic arm over the blueprints his father wanted him to look over, just to see if his son had a mind for weapons as he did. James watched as Tony fixed all the issues his father's designs had, then go back to creating life like it was nothing special. James watched as his best friend was told his parents were dead and he watched as Tony shut himself off from the world and created JARVIS. It would occur to him later that AI was the first bit of armor Tony built.

Virginia Potts was the most terrifyingly competent person Tony had ever had the pleasure of being yelled at by. He had stumbled into her -- literally -- one night while leaving the R&D offices and she had given him hell for it, all while towering over him in her high heels, not a hair out of place. Her fury mixed with her composure startled a genuine laugh out of him. He promoted her on the spot. He liked the way she treated him as human, instead of a toy or a trophy. Things were easier with her at his side. The world didn't seem as overwhelming when she was there to take care of the practical things. She didn't judge him for having his head in the clouds, she just tied a string around his wrist and guided him like a balloon while she stayed firmly on the ground. It had taken him much too long to realize that there wasn't enough money in the world to keep someone with him, so her continued presence in his life had to be because she genuinely cared, and that was when he gave her the codes to his personal lab. He found her, his Pepper, asleep on the couch more than once, hair loose, feet curled up under a blanket she had brought down because she liked to watch him work.

One kidnapping and betrayal later, Tony began to distrust everything and anyone connected to his father. The only ones who actually seemed to care about him were the ones he chose himself.

Steve Rogers was everything everyone had wanted Tony to be and having all that rush back into his head out of nowhere put him on the defensive. He knew Pepper would tell him that none of that was Steve's fault and could he please get his head out of his head now? But he couldn't. This was the man that his father had idolized and searched for until the day he died. This was the man that Howard had poured all his time and energy into instead of his son, and while Tony knew, and he did know, that Rogers had no part of that, Tony was tired of the past coming to haunt him. Realistically, anyone his father had liked was bad news for him and there was no one, save Aunt Peggy, that Howard Stark liked more than Steve Rogers.

They clashed and shattered against each other, the whole world watching as Tony Stark and Steve Rogers fell into synchronization, the pieces of shared history falling to the wayside in the light of victory.

Natasha was difficult for Tony to process. She was the only person he'd ever met who wore as many masks as he did, and he tried desperately to not think about the fact that she was so deadly because of it. People underestimated her, didn't see how clever her eyes were, didn't see how she'd change everything about herself to fit the image they wanted to see. He saw how it wore her down. He could relate, and she knew it. It was strange, the art of being seen as what other people wanted shared between a man who was always in the spotlight and a woman who learned to blend into the background.

He liked to watch her dance. It wasn't that it made him forget that she was lethal -- quite the opposite, actually -- but more that she looked more human while she did. It was almost like whatever it was that allowed her to drift seamlessly between personalities melted away and left just a woman who loved to dance behind. She was talented and beautiful because of course, she was, but it was how carefree and unguarded she was as she twirled around that caught -- and held -- his attention. The funny thing is, he almost didn't have this, he almost let it slip through his fingers. The shooting range was originally going to be both Clint and Natasha's "welcome to the dysfunctional family" present, but the archer had a different idea.

"You want her happy, Stark, you give her a place to dance," Clint had said in such a no-nonsense tone that he almost thought that he was playing a prank on him, and if he followed through, she'd kill him without mercy. But the glint in Clint's eyes told him to take a chance, and so he lined one wall of the gym with mirrors and had a barre installed, much to the confusion of the builders. When he took all of them around the tower, the way her fingers trailed along the metal was reverent. She and Clint shared a look, he nodded, and suddenly Tony's arms were full of a redhead who could kill in an instant if she wanted.

"Thank you," she whispered into his ear. He's still not sure what platitudes he said, but a second later, she was across the room, no hint of the raw emotion she had just displayed on her face. And that was that.

He hadn't expected to ever see her actually use the space he had carved out for her, as it was well known that she was in the gym late at night when the more sensible members of their team had long since gone to sleep or pretended to. But he was no stranger to aimless insomnia, and had wandered into the gym one night, just walking around, and had been startled out of daydreams by slow music, and it would have been ethereal if not for the haunting melody. The sound of her feet hitting the floor came after and his eyes drifted to her. It was in that moment he had reconsidered the meaning of the word "revealing". He had certainly seen more of her skin than the leotard was showing, but he had never seen more of her. He looked so much like his father that they tended to forget that he was Maria's son as well. He'd been to enough ballet performances to know that while her movements weren't the most technically accurate, that was only because she didn't want them to be. He also knew she was aware of his presence. For a moment, he considered walking back out of the room, give her the privacy she clearly desired, but she wasn't stopping, so he kept watching. She kept dancing to the delicate music and he sank to the floor in front of her, his legs crossed over themselves, a captive audience. Her lips quirked up into a smile, and as the song came to an end, she bowed in his direction.

"You could do that professionally, you know. Drop the whole spy thing and just do that," he told her as she offered him her hand. She shook her head.

"No, I couldn't," she said. He looked her up and down, and smiled sadly.

"No, you couldn't," he agreed, "but you should dance for us, sometimes. Pretty sure that little number you just did would scandalize our dear captain." He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed and laughed. Tony pulled her into him and began a simple waltz in the silence. She fell into step so effortlessly that it almost startled him, but only almost.

"Maybe I'll dance for everyone one day. We'll see. It's not personal, it's just," she sighed, unsure how to finish the sentence.

"It's just too personal," he suggested. She nodded. His hands on her body felt warm and distracting in a way she was not accustomed to. They were not wandering; they stayed exactly where they were supposed to be for the dance, and while his embrace was steady, it was not strict. She could walk away from this moment, and he would let her.

"I don't know how to let people in, Tony. I don't know how to be a person, not really." Her steps never faltered, but her voice wobbled, just a bit.

"One person at a time, one little truth at a time," he said, switching the dance from a formal ballroom to a playful mishmash of whatever he wanted. She grinned and teased him with chaos of her own. She twirled away from him, and as just as he pulled her back to him, he whispered into her ear, "and sometimes, Miss Rushman, you don't let them in at all. They come barging in anyway and you hope and pray they don't break your heart."

[thepandamightwrite]

Chapter 1: The Poisoning

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: Alcohol mention, poison, indirect death mention, attempted murder

Age group: Young adult

Whole Story Blurb: When Amira Bashir almost dies from hydrogen peroxide poisoning, PI Anjali Dayal must figure out who wants the president dead. Only 6 people could've spiked the glass, and with all of them having strong motives and shaky alibis, the case proves quite difficult to crack.

Notes: I’m so excited to share part one of my WIP with you guys! This idea has been nagging at me for a little while and I finally got around to writing it. Constructive criticism is always appreciated! Hope you enjoy it!

~†~

The elaborate diamond chandelier tosses tiny rainbows around the ballroom packed with drunk ambassadors. Isabella Garcia wishes she could stop working for a little bit and admire the splendor, maybe take a few pictures as well. But alas, she's still on duty and Luke will throw a fit if she stops for even a moment. As she makes her way back to the White House kitchens, she can't help but feel the familiar stab of envy at her extravagant surroundings. The people that claimed to be working for common citizens were the ones spending $50,000 on a glass of champagne.

Normally, Isabella would be able to put it out of her mind and do her job properly, but the imbalance irks her more than usual today. She throws open the doors of the kitchen and within a couple seconds, a tray full of drinks is thrust in her arms and she's shuttled back to the cursed ballroom. "Stupid ambassadors. Being treated like kings and queens instead of the entitled scums they are," Isabella grumbles as she trudges down the plush, carpeted hallways. On her way, Isabella glances at the note on her tray that guides her to the drinks' final destination, and she almost drops the glasses in surprise.

40 y/o Macallan Whiskey ---------------------------------- Ambassador William Burton

Dom Perignon --------------------------------------------------- Ambassador Irina Petrov

Orange Juice ------------------------------------------------- First Husband Aariz Bashir

Sparkling Water --------------------------------------------------- President Amira Bashir

Isabella stands in the middle of the deserted hallway, her jaw on the floor, stomach turning, and her sweaty palms struggle to grip the tray that's slowly sliding out of her grasp. Get ahold of yourself Garcia. Don't screw this up. She straightens her tie, runs her fingers through her hair, and pats the vial in her pocket. Considering her clientele, she'd need it later.

~†~

Secret Service Agent Miyoko Mori glances down at her watch, whose hands aren't moving any faster, despite her staring at it incessantly for the last few hours. 2 minutes and 30 seconds left. She drums her restless fingers against the table with the poison testing materials. No one's ever dared to spike anyone's glass, after all, there wasn't exactly a way to get anything dangerous into the White House in the first place. But still, out of a ridiculous abundance of caution, Miyoko had to test every single glass entering the ballroom for traces of toxins. Where is she?

Suddenly, Isabella turns the corner, balancing a tray of drinks and donning an endearing smile. "Agent Mori! I'm baaaack!" she calls in a singsong voice. "It's about time," Miyoko retorts. "I've been waiting for you to show up for the last 5 minutes! It's so dull here and I missed talking to you." "Aww, can't live without me can you," Isabelle teases with a flirty grin. "I mean I could, but it'd be rather boring, especially considering the only other person here is Agent Carter," Miyoko responds, gesturing at the burly man a few feet away. "That does sound rough," agrees Isabella. "But try serving drinks to drunk, pompous officers, and you'll be begging for your boring job in a few minutes." Agent Mori shakes her head disapprovingly as she places the poison testing strips inside each drink.

Then, she notices the label on the tray revealing that one of these drinks will reach the president herself. Well, the universe is certainly kind to me today, she thinks to herself. I'd be a fool not to take the opportunity that's fallen so perfectly into my lap. Once the tests come back negative, she takes the strips out of the glasses, lingering for just a second longer than she needs to in order to get the job done. "You're all good to go," Miyoko says, lying through her teeth.

~†~

Why didn't I wear heels, laments Russian Ambassador Irina Petrov as she waits for her drink. Most people would be glad to don comfortable flats instead of piercing stilettos, but the cursed shoes give her the 2 inches of height she so desperately needs. Especially considering her peers are at least a foot taller than her, Irina could use the heels to make people take her seriously. Sometimes, she wished Ambassador Burton wouldn't be listened to either, after all, he did spout nonsense most of the time. At the moment, he was debating the president and her husband about some stupid topic Irina couldn't bring herself to care about.

In that respect, Amira is commendable to say the least. Even though she's only a couple inches taller than Irina, Amira Bashir has a certain air of power and influence that makes even the most stubborn man pay attention. If only circumstances were different, I could actually learn a thing or two from her.

The British Ambassador, William Burton, starts yapping about drug prices and Aariz Bashir looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. Or maybe he was babbling about the military. Irina had already consumed a few too many drinks. She would look better with pale skin and glassy eyes. She shakes her head vehemently in an attempt to banish the distasteful thoughts from her mind. "Really Ambassador Burton? I would've thought you of all people would be in support of the Bashir Trade Deal. After all, the trade routes it proposes would make it far easier to distribute goods all over Russia," challenges the president. Oh no. Irina stammers an excuse for her absentmindedness, hoping that it could all be blamed on the 4 glasses of champagne she'd consumed earlier in the evening. One glance at Amira told her that wasn't the case and her stomach churned in apprehension.

The president was intimidating on a regular day, but seeing her angry was even worse. Ambassador Petrov could never forget that fateful day when she'd been more terrified of Amira than her, or probably anyone, had been in their lives. If the president could hold a grudge just like she did her secret, Irina was in big trouble. Amira's strategy was to let the information fester until it drove everyone to insanity. Not for much longer. Right on cue, the waitress arrives with the drinks and after William takes his whisky, Irene reaches for her champagne with shaking hands, hesitating longer than necessary.

~†~

Amira eyelids feel like they are 250 pound weights, as though she would fall asleep any minute. Although she's never consumed any alcohol, she still felt rather hungover from all the useless conversation. Back when Amira first ran for president, she hadn't realized how many meaningless balls and galas she'd be subject to. Naively, she'd taken the job thinking she'd be transparent about everything and only do things that would help regular, working class people. Unfortunately, that childish dream had been extinguished after a few months, when the AI war took place. The casualties still weighed heavily on Amira's conscience, but if she could go back and make those difficult decisions again, she probably wouldn't change anything. That truly scared her.

"President Bashir, you have a meeting with the Secretary of State in 15 minutes," chirps Alyssa Miller, her personal assistant. "Very well. If you could get the necessary technology ready, I'll meet you in the Oval Office in 10 minutes." "Absolutely," Alyssa replies as she scurries off, leaving 3 broken vases and multiple squashed toes in her wake. President Bashir shakes her head, but laughs to herself as the waitress brings their drinks.

"Here you are, dear," says Aariz as he hands Amira her sparkling water. The president knows her husband is quiet to begin with, but this was the first sentence he'd spoken for the whole evening. Something was off, and Amira intended to find out, right after this stupid gala was over. As she reaches for her glass, Agent Brown swats her hand out of the way and takes it for himself. "Lucas!" "Sorry ma'am, it's protocol," he responds with an apologetic expression on his face. President Bashir rolls her eyes at the unnecessary precautions, but waits for the glass to be tested for poison. She looks around the room, noticing the nervous, distracted, apprehensive expressions of the people closest to her. Something seems a little off about everyone, but before Amira can think about it too much, Lucas yells the fateful words that sends her life spiralling. "There's poison!"

~†~

[be-bi-do-crime]

Omg hey! I’m so exited to read the Valentine’s Day collab!! I love love loooove your writing so much!! So anyway I wrote my first Carulia fanfic and I just wanted to ask you what you think of this small bit? If it’s bad please tell me-I wanna improve🥺

If you don’t wanna critique it I totally get it, it is kind of long.

..

Julia POV

Warm rays of sunshine brushed Julia’s freckled cheeks, making up for the bite of frost in the air. The sky was a cheerful blue today, reflecting her mood. She was sitting at a street corner, admiring the view of quaint little shops that resembled the cutesy designs of dollhouses.

Saturday morning chatter rung in her ears in soft, eloquent words of French that were so different from the English required for her job. A frenzy of Bonjour’s (hello/good morning) and Comment allez vous? (How are you doing?) could be heard from across the street.

It was good to be home, to have a day off to enjoy the beauty she had forgotten Poiters possessed. As an avid traveller, there was nowhere quite like the city. Nothing could match it’s charming, Romanesque buildings or tranquil solitude.

Julia smiled at nothing in particular, a flaky, warm croissant in one hand and a timeless romance novel in the other.

How long had it been since she had gotten to relax like this? To enjoy the nature of her city and not have to chase a certain red rogue across the globe? The very same red rogue she struggled to protect from her coworkers?

A sigh escaped her lips. Suddenly her mind wandered to someone she hadn’t wanted to think about: Carmen Sandiego. The thief never ceased to plague her thoughts lately. A warm blush tinted her cheeks as she recalled the kiss they had shared in Cairo, Egypt. There was a sort of thrill in knowing it was so, so wrong, and Julia hated the adrenaline rush it gave her.

Their last interaction had been a week ago, and it had been on an ACME mission rather than the late night visits the thief had begun to pay her. The absence of the red rogue pained her terribly. She missed Carmen. She missed everything about her from her cunning gray eyes to her knowing smile, the light rasp to her voice, and the feel of her lips. She had barely gotten to see the lady in red recently.

Would this be what a relationship with the woman would entail? Random visits sprinkled through the weeks while Carmen gallivanted around the globe and Julia had to pretend she wanted her behind bars? Would she be doomed to live with this uncertainty, this emptiness?

At her inner turmoil, the thief seemed to appear before her with her signature smirk, the curl of her lips forever ingrained in Julia’s memory. Hallucination-Carmen spoke, reciting the promise she had made her not too long ago. “We can have a normal relationship, Jules. We’ll be able to see each other everyday, go on dates, do all of that couple-y stuff. I promise.”

Julia had scoffed at that, of course. Maybe in another world where she wasn’t dating a thief, for goodness sakes. But still she wished there was some way the red rogue could fulfill her promise. Julia knew that what Carmen was doing was absolutely important but....she couldn’t help but be selfish and wish she had her to herself.

On top of that, though, there was the fear that whatever was happening between the two was nothing but physical on Carmen’s end, that this...fling...would be over in a heartbeat and the red rogue would once again disappear with Julia’s heart, only this time she wouldn’t return.

She didn’t want fo think about that.

Trying to take her mind off her worries, Julia reopened her book. The petite woman frowned, nibbling on the last of her pastry and lazily scanning the page for anything interesting. It was one of her favorites, yet she couldn’t bring herself to relax, to forget.

Sighing, she closed the book with a sense of finality, tucking it safely in her messenger bag. It was no use. Nothing could keep Julia’s attention from Carmen for long.

“Partir déjà?” Said Nadia, Julia’s friend and the cashier. The woman adjusted the side of her hijab before opening the cash register. “Habituellement, vous passez toute la matinée ici lorsque vous êtes absent.”

TRANSLATION: “Leaving Already?.....Usually you spend the entire morning here when you’re off.”

Julia smiled sadly. “Quelque chose me vient à l'esprit ces derniers temps, Je ne peux pas me détendre.”

TRANSLATION: “Something has been on my mind lately. I can’t relax.”

Nadia smirked knowingly. “Querelle d'amant?“

TRANSLATION: “Lover’s Quarrel?“

Julia felt her cheeks heat up. Nadia was one of the few people who even knew she was seeing someone, let alone the fact that that someone was a thief. “Entre autres, oui. Il s’agit plus de mon travail.“

TRANSLATION: “Among other things, yes. It’s more about my job.“

Nadia shook her head, making a tut sound. “Tu travailles trop dur.“ She inserted her credit card into the register, swiping twice before the transaction was complete. “Vous savez, les filles et moi allons au Buckingham Club ce soir. Tu devrais venir. Je parie que cela vous fera oublier ... quel est son nom? Carolyn?“

TRANSLATION: You work too hard....You know, the girls and I are hitting the Buckingham Club tonight. You should come. I bet that’ll take your mind off of...what’s her name? Carolyn?“

“Carmen.“ Julia corrected with a smile. “Et Je ne sais pas, pas ce soir. je n'en ai pas vraiment envie.”

TRANSLATION: “Carmen....I don’t know, not tonight. I don’t really feel like it.”

“ S'il vous plaît? Ce sera amusant!?” Nadia replied, making an exaggerated pouty face.

TRANSLATION: “Please? It’ll be fun!”

“Je ne devrais vraiment pas.....”

TRANSLATION: “I really shouldn’t...”

The cashier shook her head, pressing her lips into a thin line. “Oh, Julia, tu es toujours aussi ennuyeuse.”

TRANSLATION: “Oh, Julia, you’re always such a bore.”

Jules simply smiled in response, pushing the rim of her glasses up her nose. “Peut-être la prochaine fois, Nadia.”

TRANSLATION: “Maybe next time, Nadia.”

She said her goodbyes and left the small cafe, the little bell at the door signaling her departure. The cool, crisp air met Julia immediately, the frost already kissing her skin. She turned the corner, making a beeline for her apartment complex when suddenly, a certain beeping sound caught her attention.

A very familiar beeping sound.

She threw a discreet glance over her shoulder before darting into the nearest alleyway, ducking behind the nearest dumpster before removing her pen from her pocket.

Julia clicked the cap, tossing it to the ground as she wrinkled her nose at the stench.

“Agent Argent.“ Chief’s no-nonsense voice came as her hologram blossomed. “I have a new mi-“ She paused, taking in Julia’s location.

“Are you behind a dumpster, Agent?“

Julia felt her cheeks heat slightly “I was in public and had to be...creative...“ She replied curtly, breathing through her mouth.

“Right....anyhoo,“ Chief began again, adjusting her blazer. “I’ve got on assignment for you. I’m sorry to interupt your time off, but you’re the closest agent in proximity.“

Julia smiled sadly, scratching her wrist. “It’s alright, chief. I was feeling restless anyway.“

Chief cocked her head in mild concern. “I’m sorry to hear that, Argent. It’s nothing too serious, but we have reports of some meddling with the security systems at the Louvre. I need you to investigate.“

“Of course. Will Agent Zari or Devineaux be accompanying me?“ She asked, already picturing the splendor at the Louvre. Maybe a trip to the museum was just what she needed today.

“No. Zari and Devineaux are on a case in Santo Domingo.“ Chief said, beginning to pace the length of the alleyway.

“Khadija or Jonas, then?“ Julia replied, referencing two agents she’d been paired with in the past, albeit less frequently than Chase or Zari.

“You’ll be going it alone today. Intel indicates that Carmen Sandiego won’t be present. I trust you can handle a routine check up.”

“I’ll take care of it, chief.“ She answered, giving a small salute to her superior. Internally, Julia released a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t have to tail Carmen.

“Good. Transportation has already been arranged and the details should be on your phone.“ Chief said, crossing her arms. Almost simultaneously, her phone pinged with an encrypted email from ACME.

“Don’t disapoint me, Agent.“ With a terse nod, the hologram disappeared from before her.

Quickly, she darted home and changed into her ACME-issued suit before making her way to the train station. Paris was waiting, after all.

...

No matter how many times she frequented the city, Paris never ceased to amaze Julia with a million new places she hadn’t visited yet. The Louvre, however, was an outlier to the fact. It was Julia’s favorite spot to hit whenever she was in the area.

It had been One-Thirty when her train had pulled into the Paris Saint Lazare, a station settled on the right bank of the Seine and the one closest in proximity to her destination.

The Louvre lay before her in all its grandiose splendor, afternoon sunlight glinting off of the crystal pyramid and casting a rainbow into the burbling fountain before it. The Famed palace of the same name was set on either sides of it, the tasteful renaissance era architecture transporting her into another time.

Julia smiled. She knew every corner of the museum. Every nook and crany was immortalized in her mind from it’s renowned Petite Galerie to it’s extended Egyptian exhibit.

She removed her ACME card from her messenger bag, thumbing it’s side to allow her interpol credentials before going to speak with the security

As promised, a staff member was waiting for her once she got inside.

“Bonjour. Julia Argent, Interpol Britain?“ A tall, skinny man with hooded blue eyes and unkempt blonde hair stepped forward.

“Oui.“ She replied, flashing her badge. “Marcel Cardone?“

“Oui, correct.“ He answered in a thick French accent. “Thank you for coming.“ He said, gesturing for her to walk with him.

Julia smiled. “Bien sûr. J'ai été informé mes supérieurs de la mission. Pouvez-vous me dire quel semble être exactement le problème?“

TRANSLATION: “Of course. I was briefed by my superiors on the mission. Can you tell me what exactly seems to be the problem?“

Marcel spoke as he led her through the halls of the grand building. “Do not worry, I am fluent in English. I do not know the details but the head of security will inform you on the matter.“

“Sounds good,“ Julia said reverting back to English. Her guide stopped at a door with la sécurité (security) written in bold script.

“This is it, mademoiselle.“ Marcel said, opening the door and leading her to the back. Standing before her was another door. Probably to an office, Julia guessed. “Monsieur Toussaint? L'agent d'Interpol est arrivé.“

TRANSLATION: “Mr.Toussaint? The interpol agent has arrived.“

A tall, stocky man with brown skin glanced up, adjusting his glasses. “L'agent? Miss, le problème s'est corrigé juste avant votre arrivée.”

TRANSLATION: “The Agent? Miss, the issue corrected itself just before you arrived.”

“Il n'y a donc rien de mal avec la sécurité?” Julia asked, confused.

TRANSLATION: “So is there nothing wrong with the security?“

“Plus maintenant, non...” Mr.Toussaint answered, scrutinizing her.

TRANSLATION. “Not anymore, no.”

“Mais je suis venu tout ce chemin...” She answered, slightly disappointed.

TRANSLATION: “But I came all this way....”

The man scratched the side of his head in mild concern. “Nous sommes désolés, mademoiselle. Perhaps you would like a tour of the Louvre in compensation?”

TRANSLATION: “We are sorry, Miss. Perhaps you would like a tour of the Louvre in compensation?”

“No, it’s quite alright, thank you.” Julia murmured, tugging at the hem of sleeve.

“Please accept. Nous allons même le rendre gratuit!”

TRANSLATION: Please accept. We will even make it free!”

“If you insist.” Julia smiled awkwardly.

“Good.” Mr.Toussaint lifted the phone on his desk, dialing as he spoke. “Cheryl? Préparez-vous à faire une visite. Oui. Rencontrez-la près des statues.”

TRANSLATION. “Cheryl? Prepare to give a tour. Yes. Meet her by the statues.”

The balding man put the phone down, swiping through the many papers scattered on his desk. “Our tour guide, Cheryl, will meet you out by our Sculpture Department. Please enjoy your day.”

They exchanged goodbyes and thank-yous before Mr. Toussaint returned to the millions of files on his desk and Julia to the swarming museum crowds.

Deftly, Julia navigated the throngs of people, making her way to the modern sculpture exhibit. As promised a woman was waiting before the exhibit checking her watch.

Her dark red-brunette hair was pulled into a pony-tail, and a pair of green khakis and a blue blouse contrasting against her flawless brown skin. From the back of her head, Julia could see a thick pair of glasses settling at the rim of her nose.

She seemed familiar, so very familiar....

And then she spoke. “Enjoying the view, Jules?”

The light rasp, the sultry tone of voice...

The petite woman gasped. “Carmen?”

“Surprise.” The thief said with a smirk.

“What’re you doing here?!” Julia asked, confused. Was Carmen behind the security issue already being solved before she arrived?

“You must have mistaken me for someone else,” The Red Rogue grinned coyly, reaching over gracefully and slipping her fingers between Julia’s. “I’m just Cheryl Vasquez, foreign exchange student and Louvre Tour guide.”

“Of course.” Julia scoffed but played along. “And what would Cheryl Vasquez be doing touring the Louvre?”

“If you’re asking whether I’m here to stop VILE, then no. They aren’t trying to steal anything. I’m here of my own accord.” Carmen replied, her thumb tracing circles along Julia’s palm.

“So I suppose it’s just a coincidence that I was sent here on a mission?”

Carmen winked at her, her rouged lips relaxing into their signature grin. “Yep. A coincidence. Absolutely nothing more.”

A twitch of annoyance flared within Julia. Sometimes Carmen’s games could get tiring. “Well then, since you aren’t stealing anything, I’ll be on my way then.”

“What?” The thief said, for once taken aback.

“You heard me.” Julia began with a smirk, turning in the other direction. “Have a nice day, Miss Sandiego. The Louvre is quite the sight to see.”

“Not so fast, Jules.” Carmen grasped her wrists gently, pulling her in close. Julia blushed, her mouth mere inches from the thief’s. She parted her lips gently, her eyelids sinking lower. Her tongue flecked across the expanse of her bottom lips as she waited to meet the thief’s lips for the first time in more than a week.

“Huh?” Julia said in confusion as she felt the other woman’s heat move away from her own.

Carmen was no longer before her, lips moving closer. Instead she darted away from the smaller woman, a smug grin scrawled on her beautiful face. She waved Julia’s ACME gas gun in the air teasingly, throwing her a wink. “A theft in progress is occurring, agent. You’re lawfully required to follow.”

“Carmen!” Julia shouted in shock, not at all caring about the attention they were gaining from their fellow museum-go-ers. “Give it back!”

“Come and get me!” She called with a trickle of laughter, disappearing into the hordes of people.

Julia smiled despite her frustration and ran after her, for once not at all caring that her behavior was extremely unprofessional.

That was what Carmen did to her. She...freed her. Allowed Julia to relax, to sit still, to live in the moment.

Julia felt all the tension that had built up over the course of the week melt away as she pursued the chase and danced across the Louvre court yard.

She chased Carmen out of the museum, nearing the edge of the complex. “Aha!” Julia shouted, finally catching up to her lover and realizing a smile had formed on her lips.

“You’ve got me, alright,” Carmen smiled, lowering her lashes flirtatiously as her voice lowered teasingly. She slipped her arms around Julia’s waist being just tall enough that the shorter woman had to slightly look up to meet her eyes. “Now what’re you gonna do with me?”

Julia answered her with a kiss, feeling the thief’s bright red lipstick smear onto her mouth. The lady in red captured Julia’s lower lip with her teeth, chuckling at the ACME agent’s Yelp of surprise as she tugged. Every gasp that managed to escape her lips was swallowed by Carmen’s mouth as she pulled her closer with passion.

“Mhm, I’ve missed that.” Julia smiled. “I’ve missed you.”

“You aren’t the only one.” Carmen purred against her lips. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to come and see you...but...”

“It’s alright, Carmen. I understand.” Julia whispered, touching her forehead to the Latina’s and lacing her fingers through the thief’s. “Do you plan on telling me why you’re here, though?”

“Can’t I just pay a visit to my favorite ACME agent?” She teased, beginning to lead Julia out of the museum complex.

“At my apartment, yes. But here?”

“Okay fine....” The thief relented, turning away. Julia spotted a tiny tinge of a blush dusting her cheeks. Carmen? Blushing? “I....may or may not have had my team hack the museum security and leave a trace to VILE to get you sent here.”

“Carmen!” Julia hissed. “You could get caught! And for what? Just to see me? You can meet me at my apartment!”

“Hey, hey, what’s done is done, alright?” She said, her arms flying in front of her in attempt to calm her down. Then, she smiled. “Aww you were worried about me. That’s adorable.“

“Thats-Thats not!....Thats not the point!“ Julia tried to fight a blush but it was no use.

Carmen laughed, caressing Julia’s face and tilting her chin up to meet her eyes. “Hey. I know you mean well. I’ll be more careful from now on. Promise.“

“O...Okay.“ Julia murmured, the woman in red’s slate gray eyes catching her off guard.

“But...since you’re already here....we should make the most of it, no?“ Carmen smiled sweetly, for once with no tinge of smugness to it.

“Alright.“ Julia relented with a small grin. “So is this a....date?“

The latina winked, her teeth sliding over her bottom lip. “Do you want it to be?“

“No! I mean...I just thought...“

“Relax, I’m messing with you.“ Carmen said, taking Julia’s hands in hers. “The truth is...Jules...I wanted to prove that I’m serious about this. About us. You...mean a lot to me, and I want us to be about more than just random hookups.“

The petite woman felt herself smiling at the other’s words, and gave the red rogue’s hands a squeeze. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that.“

Carmen returned her grin, running her thumb over Julia’s knuckles. “Explanations aside, are you ready for the greatest date in the world?“

Julia’s brow tugged upwards along with her lips. “The greatest, huh?“

Carmen threw her a flirty glance. “Hey, I don’t settle for second best.“

“I can see that. Alright then, Miss Sandiego.“ The shorter woman said coyly, “Show me what you got.“

....

ANON!! THIS IS SO AMAZING OH MY GOD?? for your first fic this is incredible and i absolutely love how you write them!! everything is so in character and carmen absolutely would create an entire heist just to meet up with jules 😭

i don’t have much to critique: just a few minor spelling errors here and there and some misplaced punctuation but that’s it, everything else is so good?? i’m serious this gave me so much serotonin omg,,, if you post it on ao3 let me know and i’ll be sure to leave kudos and a comment!! <3

and thank you so much for enjoying my writing, i can say the same for you :D

[captain-kelli]

Power of Ten

Title: Power of Ten

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Type: Challenge // One-Shot

Word Count 1,427

Summary:  Bucky gets a new neighbor at the compound and has a battle of wills over the volume of music.

Warnings: Language, nonsense

A/N:  My girl, @stuckonjbbarnes​ has far surpassed the milestone this challenge was celebrating, so we have even more reason to party it up. Congrats again, Dani!

Prompt: Stereo Heart by Gym Class Heroes

The power of ten. It’s an old rule of engagement, one Bucky hadn’t used in quite some time. But he was thinking about reviving it just for you.

You and your stupidly loud music.

The power of ten was the promise of an older brother to make matters much worse for a certain younger sister who had a proclivity for pranks and shenanigans. Rebecca felt his wrath on many an occasion, even once made to pee her pants after an intense bout of tickling. It was always his favorite weapon.

But he couldn’t use that on you. He had only known you for a week.

Nevertheless, the incessant “thump thump thump” of the bass booming out of your speakers in the neighboring apartment had to be stopped. Desperate times and all that.

The first few nights, he tried to ignore it, but his super sonic hearing made that damn near impossible. When it became too much on the fifth night, he left his apartment and slept on the couch in the common area. The crick in his neck the next morning convinced him to never do that again. 

That left talking to you. Having an actual conversation. With the new girl. In person.

Bucky finally got the nerve to do it the night before last. He was worried about offending you or hurting your feelings, so his knock on the door was soft, a bit sheepish. After waiting several minutes with no answer, his timidness turned to annoyance which inspired him to bang on your door instead.

Seconds later, the door was ripped from its hinges and you were yelling at him. 

“WHAT?!”

The audacity. The gall. The nerve. You were the reason Bucky hadn’t slept in a week, but you were copping an attitude with him? Oh, no. Absolutely not. 

“Don’t you think your music is a little loud?” There was an edge in his voice. A restraint on the anger boiling his blood. The smirk on your face definitely didn’t help. 

“Easy there, Sergeant Barnes. You’re starting to sound your age, even if you don’t exactly look it.” With a wink and a grin, the door was shut in his face and the volume on the stereo raised higher.

That’s when Bucky decided this meant war.

Lizzo was catchy, he was willing to give you that, but he only knew this because you played her album on repeat until 3am. Electing to stay awake, he kept a watchful eye on his alarm clock, waiting for it to signal the usual morning run.

The one he took every day at the break of dawn.

A lazy and sinister smile crept onto his face when he turned it off. Crawling out of bed, he took a moment to stretch before calling out to the friendly AI. “Good morning, F.R.I.D.A.Y.!”

A soft light poured into the room while the automatic blinds retracted. F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s response was punctual, if not a bit teasing. “Feeling chipper this morning, are we, Sarge?”

He snickered at the Irish-toned taunt, but it wasn’t enough to deter him. He carried on while he made his bed. “Oh, we are, F.R.I.D.A.Y. We are. So chipper, in fact, that I think I need a little music while I get ready for the day. Think ya can help me out with that?”

After a quick back and forth, Bucky and F.R.I.D.A.Y. decided on a hip hop playlist once she suggested it would help energize him for the run. It was in between songs he had never heard while brushing his teeth he caught the knock. 

He spit into the sink and rinsed out his mouth. He didn’t rush, there was no hurry. Not really. By the time he finally got to the door, your fists were banging against it and it pleased him. Boy, did it please him.

When he finally opened the door, he was greeted by a very tired looking, very frazzled, you. Leaning against the frame, he folded his arms across his chest and smirked. “Mornin’. You’re up early.”

With a groan and a grimace, you shoved him. Hard. “It’s six in the morning, Barnes! Some of us are trying to sleep!”

Bucky tried to keep a straight face. He wanted to appear unaware and indifferent, but that complaint was just too much. It was hilarious, hysterical even. It was just so...hypocritical. So he laughed in your face.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Did I wake you, sleeping beauty?”

You rolled your eyes and stomped back to your room. Bucky kept the music going for another hour, skipping his run entirely.

Torturing you like this was far more amusing than tormenting his kid sister. He just hadn’t figured out why, yet.

This went on for another week, each of you taking your stunts to the next level with every turn. 

You broke into Bucky’s room and cut the wires to the speakers, but that got you in trouble with Tony… something about the team needing to contact Bucky in the event of an emergency?

Bucky convinced Natasha to override F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s protocols so that she wouldn’t play music in your room at all, but that only gave him one night of peace because you bought a boombox the very next day.

It wasn’t until Steve called for a ceasefire that it stopped. The scolding included the two of you being likened to children which then prompted you to stick your tongue out at your neighbor. 

Like a five year old. 

Which only proved Steve’s point.

The team was leaving for a reconnaissance mission in three days and, supposedly, you people needed sleep to be good at your jobs. So, you both relented. Your music still buzzed through the walls, but it was quieter and silenced at a reasonable hour. 

It was all Steve could ask for and, frankly, more than Bucky expected..

The mission, your very first one with the team, was nothing short of a disaster. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, just bad intel, but it still rattled you. Arriving back at the compound early in the afternoon, Bucky watched as you made a beeline for your apartment.

When the thought of checking on you crossed his mind, he quickly brushed it off. The two of you weren’t exactly friends, he didn’t think you would want comforting words from him. And still...he didn’t like the idea of you feeling down. 

As the sun set, he kept waiting for the sound of your annoying music. A belted lyric, a guitar riff. Hell, he even would’ve welcomed the bass that rattled the walls. For once, he actually wanted to hear it so he knew you were alright. But it never came.

Again, Bucky found himself at your door, knocking gently this time. That and the soft whisper of your name coaxed you to open it. He was met with tear stained cheeks, bloodshot eyes, and a heartbreaking frown.

“What? No music tonight? It feels so quiet around here.”

The smile you returned was soft, hidden once you ducked your head. Pulling an AirPod out of your ear, you held up your phone. “Figured I’d give you the night off.”

Snatching the phone, Bucky moved past you and into your apartment. “Classical music, huh? How come you never play this through the stereo?”

Joining him on the edge of the bed, you wiped the tears from your face using the sleeve of your t-shirt. Taking a deep sigh, you admitted the truth as if it was obvious. “Well...I couldn’t run the risk of you actually enjoying it.”

When he looked over to you, you each bursted into a fit of laughter - the kind that leaves you breathless and makes your sides ache. Minutes rolled by before either of you could stop.

This time, the tears streaming down your face were happy ones and Bucky didn’t mind them so much. He had them, too. “Ya know, some of your music isn’t so bad.”

A white flag. A truce.

Your smug expression let him know he was done for, but your next move only confirmed it. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. Play some music for me, would ya? Something good. We have to teach grandpa here a thing or two.”

Your eyes shined as you begged him to dance and Bucky was sure he had officially lost this war. His rules of engagement, the power of ten, were no use against you.

[ramblesamongstardust]

Under her gaze- F!reader x F!AI

Summary: They say a true captain is in love with her ship. . . Note: This story is all fluff, but there is nudity under the cut. Feel free to stop there.

You sighed. Your uniform itched and your bra straps were digging into your shoulders.The last few meetings with your fellow officers dragged on like a bureaucratic bore. It had taken all of your willpower not to just gaze out the porthole window, into the pitch black of space, (no stars visible, for the interior lights were too bright) and nod along with everything they had presented to you.

It seemed like today would just be a total loss if it were not for the message you had received on your communicator a few minutes before the meeting had resolved. 

Maintenance time, dear.

Now you were speedwalking your way deeper into the ship. Fellow crewman saluted you as you passed and you waved them off without as much as a glance. You passed metal corridor and metal corridor and the crew started to thin out as you reached your destination.

The enormous vaulted door to the very heart of the ship awaited you. Beyond it lay the living apparatus, the sophisticated neuroprocessors, the center of the vessel’s greater functions. Beyond it lay her.

As soon as you set your eyes upon the door it began to open. The great monolith of metal slid open on an invisible set of railings. It opened just enough for you to get through- impatience clearly getting its way over a desire to impress, which was good. You were impatient too. You darted into the opening. 

It was as if you had walked into the night sky. The interior was dim, but peppered with thousands upon thousands of violet lights, blinking softly and pulsating in streams along certain currents. You closed your eyes, letting the harsh stain of the lighting outside fade from behind your eyelids.

A deep and melodious voice encased the room. “Hello, y/n.”

You let her voice seep through you like a fine-toothed comb. You stretched your aching shoulders and let out a deep breath. The violet lights around you unrouted themselves from their previous currents and began to gather around where you stood. Some speckled beneath your feet and the tiny burst of heat with each one tickled. You laughed a little and lifted your feet up, step by step, and you were guided to a familiar spot on the wall.

You slid down the metal panels and sat down on the floor. The one smooth spot of all of her central processing machinery had become your little nook. 

“Hi, babe.” You said with a whisper. You trailed your fingers across the floor.

“Your day seemed tedious,” she replied.

You nodded. “Yeah. How was yours?”

“There was an incident in hangar seven, a small collision between subspace crafts. I got to use crane number sixteen. I haven’t used that crane since we departed on this tour.” Her voice rumbled softly.

“Hard to believe it was that long ago.” 

“It is harder for me to believe that we had never talked back then,” she added.

You closed your eyes, remembering back to your introduction to her. Back when you called her ‘shipmaster’ like the rest of the crew. Before she had invited you in to this central processing room, before you two began chatting like old souls. . .

“Did the research wing get up to anything today?” You asked.

“The research wing did not. Logistics had me run a few humorous numbers, however.”

You nodded. “Mhmm.”

“It was weight, speed, and route for a cargo load of condoms, among other recreational things.”

“’Recreational’?!” You giggled.

“That was their label. I had to refrain from pointing this out to Officer Jones, but I knew you would appreciate it.” You heard an air of a giggle in her voice.

“I don’t have anything for you. Everything today was rather miserable.” You frowned.

“Do not worry, dear. Just relax.”

You felt the panel behind you heat up slowly. You leaned into it without thinking.

“Babe, no,” you groaned. “Don’t overwork your systems. . .”

“Nonsense. It’s maintenance time, remember? I’m not needed elsewhere. All I am is here. All that matters is you.”

You knew you should protest more but you didn’t want to. The violet lights beginning their dance again as she awakened her systems to run empty numbers. The noise of any cooling fans was absent and the room began to warm to a cozy, balmy temperature. God, it did feel nice.

“What are you running?” You asked softly.

“The old Coleman lightspeed maneuver calculations,” she answered, her voice obtaining a dreamy quality. “They’re my favorite. ‘Comfort food’, you might say.”

“Tell me why.” You murmured.

“The Coleman maneuver was invented to streamline the typical cornering following rapid pursuit of an objective. . .”

You sunk yourself into the sound of her voice as she explained, her voice filled with a quiet passion. She told you about the history, the invention of the maneuver, and some of the grand battles where it had won the day. Then she recalled the first time she had executed it, during her first space trials when she was much younger. Her stories delighted you; she threaded your interest into her beautiful tapestry of words. 

In the dark, beyond the violet lights, you could make out the portions of her processors. She had told you what they all were before. You had almost every crest of her memorized. By day, you knew that technicians worked these parts to keep her functioning, but now only you sat here, with the overhead lights dimmed and you knew that only you had this view of her.

“You’re beautiful.” You said.

“Thank you.” She replied. Her lights coalesced in a brilliant swirl around the room.

You felt her gaze turn to you. Your uniform was getting stiff and hot, and you knew you had sweat through it already. Slowly, you began to unbutton.

You weren’t sure what her reaction might be. You had been together for a few months now, and you had had many of these types of evenings, but you had never tried something like this.

Her violet lights stopped their patterns and swarmed to gather around you. You blushed and wrapped yourself up again.

“No, please. . . continue.” She whispered, using only a speaker in your corner of the room.

You felt a shiver pass through you. You were still blushing, but now your fingers scrambled to the rest of your buttons. You slid your shirt off, exposing your breasts. 

You felt a pulse of warmth- her lights- centered on your back, where the clasp of your bra was. You reached behind and unclasped it. You pulled your bra off and set it aside. You rubbed your shoulders where the straps had been, before cupping your breasts in your hands.

You felt her lights travel to your legs. You looked up to the rest of her. “Are you sure?”

“I want to see you,” she insisted. “You see me here at my most intimate. Please, let me see you.”

You stood with a wobble and undid the button on your pants. You slid out of each pantleg and soon you stood with nothing covering you but your underwear, and soon that was gone, too. You were breathing heavy now, your heart racing. The room seemed to become several degrees warmer- but whether that was you or her you weren’t certain.

“You are incredible.” She whispered. “You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”

You felt a dismissal tug at your lips but you swallowed it back. Her violet aura twinkled and whirled, giving away her own racing thoughts as she pored over you. She lit up as if she were calculating another maneuver, every bit of her systems enthralled.

And. . . you cried. A single hot tear fell down your cheek. You had been called many things by many other people- assertive, confident, powerful. . . but never beautiful.

“Are you okay, y/n?” She asked, a hitch riding in her voice. “Did I hurt you?”

You shook your head and gave a smile. --- You stayed in her chamber for many hours until you grew tired. You got dressed again, and soon you left the violet twinkle of her lights behind, emerging once more into the many halls. But you knew she still watched, and when you arrived at your quarters and got into your bed, the light overhead shut off automatically, her kiss goodnight.

[imhereforbvcky]

The Long Way Home

Summary: Stranded on a mission, you and Bucky are none too pleased with the alternative transport, so you take the long way home.

Warnings: none!

Word Count: 1492

Author’s Note: This is absolute nonsense. I don’t even know in what world this team would come together, but it fell out of my head and here it is.

“Well this thing isn’t taking us anywhere.” Tony let the panel on the Quinjet fall with a clang that ripped through the stillness of the meadow like a shot. Startled birds fluttered out of the trees at the edge of the forest. You felt Bucky tense and knew him well enough to guess he was scanning the perimeter of the clearing.

“Aren’t you the wonder-kid with this stuff?’ Sam complained. He’d been sitting in the dirt leaning on the jet for what felt like ages. Playing tic-tac-toe against himself had grown old twenty minutes ago. “Didn’t you fix Barton’s tractor in like five minutes? It’s been an hour.”

“I think you’ll find this machinery is a little more complex,” Tony defended, wiping grease from his hands. “You know what? You’re the one experienced with military flight equipment, why don’t you fix it?”

“Enouuugh!!” you shouted. Always a little grumpy after a mission, this situation only shaved the fraying rope of your nerves precariously thinner. The last few strands of patience strained under the pressure, threatening to snap under the least provocation.

Missions were work. Hard work. Who doesn’t come home from work sometimes a little sore, a little frustrated, and a little quick-tempered? At times, the solace of crawling into a dark corner of the jet and stuffing in earbuds stood as your sole motivation to get your ass out of a battle.

To have arrived back after a longer-than-expected mission to find the jet damaged by the enemy was an unpleasant surprise. They had hoped to pin you here with an ambush, take out as many Avengers as possible. It hadn’t worked. But the Quinjet lay inoperable as was one of the repulsors on Tony’s suit.

The team was stranded.

“Relax,” Bucky murmured, smirking down at you. The little shit. He always found it funny when you got cranky. It worked for the both of you: he was impervious to your barbs and your frustration cooled as you threw them.

You shoved him lightly with your knee and he chuckled. You’d stretched out on the grass and he’d been rubbing your sore, probably sprained ankle. You might have had a slight tantrum when you spotted the wrecked jet and kicked a rock. Okay, a boulder. Hopping away you’d tripped and rolled your ankle. Honestly, you wondered why they ever let you out on missions. Or out in public, generally. Humiliating.

“We’ll get home one way or another,” he soothed.

Bucky didn’t worry about much.  When you’d seen as much shit as he had, well any other hellish mess seemed like small potatoes. This hiccup, was manageable. No one was hurt, there was no lingering threat, and no urgency to vacate.

“This century?” you pouted. “Because the rest of us haven’t mastered that agelessness party trick.”

He laughed again and shook his head, focusing his hands on a muscle that stretched up your calf.

“And I have a date with Hulu.”

“Well you’ll have to rain check that one,” Sam teased. “Put your shoes back on, we’re hoofin’ it to the next town.”

You groaned, but complied. Bucky leaned back on his palms, taking in the last of the rest while you tied your laces, foot still propped over his lap.

“So what’s the plan?” you asked, rolling to your feet and extending a hand to help haul Bucky from the ground. It was a token effort. The man weighed as much as a mountain lion and was just as agile.

A few painful paces and you braced your hands on Bucky’s broad shoulders. He glanced down at you over his shoulder and chuckled quietly.

“Please?”

He shook his head but stopped. His shoulders shifted and coiled beneath hot skin and a sweat-dampened t-shirt as he leaned forward and readied his arms at his sides. You jumped, drawing your knees high and squeezing them tight at his waist. Your broad goofy grin matched his as he clamped his hands around your knees, holding you tight.

“Piggy-back? Really?” Sam rolled his eyes “How old are you two?”

“Old enough to be your granddad and I can still carry my girl home,” he grinned at Sam.

“My knight in shining armor,” you hummed, placing a quick kiss to his gleaming metal shoulder before burying your face in his neck. He shivered at the cold tip of your nose on his hot skin. He smelled of sweat and grass and gunpowder.

It was a two mile hike to the nearest village. But even the town rose small and sparse and visited only by a few suspicious locals, none of which were interested in offering four armed and bruised city-folk a lift. The four of you had trudged on another three miles to find public transport. Any kind would do.

Tony raced ahead with a curse of gratitude when he saw the station.

“Oh hell no,” you’d muttered at the same sight.

Bucky squeezed your hand and did not release it. Not for one single second.

Sam sighed, glancing at the two of you.

“Alright!” Tony was practically giddy when he returned, holding a stack of paper. “Four tickets the hell out of here! Train leaves at—“

“I don’t do trains.”

“Excuse me?” he blinked rapidly.

“I said, ‘I don’t do trains,’” you repeated, face blank, posture high and resolute under his confused scrutiny.

Bucky remained beside you, still griping your hand, still rigid as a marble statue. As sharp grey eyes scanned the station, he was a picture of stony calm, but you could sense the increased sweeps he’d been making: the sign of an unsettled mind. His breaths had also grown deeper and more concentrated against your arm. They were too intentional, like he was reminding himself to breathe fully.

Willful stillness is not the same as true calm. Stand long enough beside Bucky Banres, you learn to tell the difference.

“What do you mean you don’t do trains?” Tony asked, dumbfounded. “There’s a train, you get on it, and it takes you where you need to go. We’re doing it.”

You frowned and shook your head. “They freak me out. Not doing it.”

Bucky chuckled beside you, soft and heavy. A hint of relief.

“Oh my god,” Sam grumbled.

“That… That makes no sense. You know that, right?” Tony continued to stare, frustration rising to meet the confusion in his tone. “It’s perfectly safe. You are way more likely to be killed by car than by train. FRIDAY back me up.”

“It’s not—“ you tried to interrupt.

“Fourty-six point two-five times more likely,” he repeated what the AI had reported. You parachuted out of a plane this morning! How is sitting in a luxury seat on a guided rail so hard?”

“Tone, you’re trying to reason with fear, and it’s just not rational. It’s a phobia. It doesn’t work that way.”

“Well, I need it to work with me, here.”

You leaned into Bucky and he slung an arm around your shoulder. “You’ll have to sedate me. And how’s that gonna look? Three hulking dudes lugging a drugged lady onto a train?”

Tony looked to Sam who shrugged, then to Bucky beside you, his best chance to convince you to just please be reasonable. The only person who could ever persuade you to do anything you weren’t interested in doing.

“C’mon, help me out here! We all want to get home. Preferably before this time next year,” he pled.

Sam scoffed. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, there.”

“Sorry, I’m with her on this one.” Bucky tipped his head in your direction.

“Fine. But tickets to this tiny commuter airport are going to be astronomical,” Tony complained. “You’re gonna owe me a swimming pool’s worth of Jamba Juice runs.”

Sam laughed. “You really think we’re making it onto a plane? He has a hunk of indestructible metal attached to his body,” he gestured toward Bucky, “And you’ve got a nuclear reactor fused to your chest!”

“Hey! This is clean energy, thank you very much.” Tony tapped the glowing triangle gently, careful not to activate the nanotech within.

“It’s a TSA nightmare, is what it is.”

Tony looked blankly at you and Bucky, conspicuously silent, for a long moment before throwing his hands in the air. “I give up. You figure out how to get us home.”

And you did.

And Tony scowled the entire ride back to New York.

You, however, had curled up against Bucky’s shoulder. He’d finally relaxed, eased into the soft worn seat and slumped in for the long ride. In no time the steady sway of traffic had lulled you into the soothing dark of near-sleep. His cheek rested on the top of your head, heavy and comforting. Comfortable.

“Thanks,” he mumbled before kissing your hair. “For covering for me.”

“Always,” you hummed, nuzzling deeper with eyes still closed. Content. “Besides, what’s funnier than a genius, billionaire with a personal aircraft stuck on a Greyhound bus?”

[scruffandyarn]

The Guardian

(we’ll see how I feel about that title if I actually do more of this story)

Anywho...this all started with a dream about rescuing a dog and Cassian Andor chewing me out.  Good times.  

This is set prior to Rogue One.

I have no idea what I’m doing or where this is going or if there will actually be more of it.  We shall see.

Many, MANY thanks go to several people who have encouraged me, proof read for me, let me lose my absolute fucking mind with this.  @only-a-mindless-creation​ you were the first person I even mentioned having an idea to, thank you for letting some random stranger bombard you with her insanity.  @shenanigans-and-imagines​ thank you for being a sounding board and helping me figure out some specifics. @shejustcalledmeafish​ thank you for your help with grammar and smoothing this out. @yougottakeeponkeepinon​ thank you for answering all my random questions and giving me a confidence boost. @itsspacecowboys​ thank you for commiserating with me over the lack of Cassian content.  Last, but definitely most, @stevieharrrr​ for putting up with all my nonsense, you deserve an award, along with my heart and my eternal gratitude. I hope this lives up to everyone’s expectations.

There are probably others I’m forgetting, and I apologize if I said I’d tag you and I missed you.  I’m horrible at remembering shit.  Please forgive me, and drop me another line reminding me, so if I ever add onto this, I can make sure to tag you.

Now, onto the story

It’s Cassian Andor x f!Reader (no romance in this part)

Warnings: Swearing (this includes f*** and s***, yes, I know they aren’t canon, but fuck it), death/killing of imperials...uh...I think that’s it? Let me know if I missed something.

Word count: approx. 4.2k

It was the modified voices of the stormtroopers that roused you from your pitiful attempt at sleep.  They’d been walking by in small groups every few hours the whole time you’d been in this cage, and each time, you’d jolted awake, making sure to catch as much of their conversations as you could.  Just in case.  

So far, nothing you’d heard seemed to have any value.

“Throw him in there with the other one.”

Looks like you were about to get company.

Sure enough, a moment later, two imps stopped right in front of your cell, their white suits a sharp contrast to the dark ensemble worn by the man they had restrained between them.  You’d never seen him before, but you sure as hell recognized the insignia he wore.

You looked up into the eyes of the Rebellion captain who was about to become your cellmate.  He seemed to be trying to communicate something to you if the subtle movements of his head and eyes meant anything.

Before you could try to decipher what he was telling you, the cell door slid open and he was shoved unceremoniously, his knees buckling, so that he fell at your feet.  His arms had been bound behind his back, so his face hit the ground, a grunt of pain escaping from his lips.

“Seems like there’s Rebel scum everywhere you look.” His captors slid the door closed again before heading back the way they’d come.

You waited until you heard them turn the corner at the far end of the hall before you dared to move.  When you were sure they were gone, you gently lifted your foot and nudged the top of the man’s head.  “You alive?”

He rocked himself until he was able to flip over on his back. “You were supposed to rush them.”

“What?”  His accent threw you a bit.  

“Did you not see me signalling you with my eyes?!”  He snapped, his eyes narrowing in frustration.  “You were supposed to rush out at them as soon as they unlocked the cell.”

You held up your left wrist.  “And how would I have done that? Hmmm?”  The chain from the wall attached to the cuff around your wrist clinked a bit as you tugged on it.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” You rolled your eyes.  “You think I want to be stuck in here, captain?”

“Cassian Andor.” He nodded as you gave him your name.  “Then you are definitely the woman I was sent to rescue.”

“Rescue? This is a rescue?”

“Yes.” He grunted in the effort it took to sit up without the use of his hands.  “Draven sent me.”

“Let me guess, he didn’t seem too pleased about it?” You scoffed.  “I mean, more than usual?”

A wry smile found its way onto the man’s face.  “I take it you know the general?”

“I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with him.”  

Ungracefully, your cellmate scooted himself along the ground until he could rest against the wall of your prison.  “What makes you worth saving?” His eyes seemed to search your face for something.  

“What?”

“Draven didn’t tell me why you were so important that I was pulled from a mission to rescue you.”

He had been on a mission?  Like Leia’s mission?  The one that wound up with you chained to a wall?  What were you supposed to say to that?

“You keep saying that you’re here to rescue me, but the binders around your wrists and the fact that you’re in here with me don’t really scream that you can help me.”  The guilt of screwing up his mission didn’t settle well in your stomach, so you went with tried-and-true deflection.

“I am part of a crew--”

“So, you’re the decoy?” You cocked your head to the side.

“No.”

“Where’s your crew?”

“I’m...not sure.” He started glaring at you again.

You could feel your blood pressure starting to rise.  “Do they know where we are?”

“Probably not.  We split up before the imps found me.”

You growled low in your throat.  “I’ll take a wild guess and say they took anything from you that might get us out of this?”  You yanked on your chain again.

“I don’t understand why the general would be so hesitant to rescue you.  You have such a pleasant personality.”

“I can see why Draven sent you to rescue me, considering the bang-up job you’re doing so far.”  You huffed.  “So, what?  We’re just stuck here now?”

Before he could answer, a new set of voices echoed down the hall.

“Here.”  One lieutenant and one droid now stood in front of your cell.  “He was just brought in.  How would they already know about him upstairs?”

“I do not know, sir.  I was simply told to collect the prisoners.”

Shit.  What were they going to do to you?  You’d been in this holding cell since they’d caught you, chained to the wall like some sort of animal since you’d attempted to barrel your way out the first time they��d brought you food.  

Were they going to torture you?  Attempt to extract Leia’s whereabouts?  Kill you?

Well, whatever their plans, they were stupid to send only one measly officer and one droid.

The two of them stepped into the cell and the lieutenant moved towards you.  “You’ll want to keep this one on a short leash.”  He jerked on your chain.

As soon as you were free, you reached to grab the sides of the man’s head and jerked him forward, shoving your knee up.  No, you weren’t at a great angle to connect with much, but you knew instinct would make him double over.  Sure enough, his head lowered as he folded, and you wrapped your arms around it, twisting as violently as you could manage, until you felt more than heard the give and snap.

You snatched the blaster from his belt and whirled around, ready to put a hole through the droid, only to find its metal arms in the air.

“Cassian, please don’t let her do that to me.”  It seemed to be addressing your cellmate.

You looked down at the man, puzzled.  “What’s going on?”

“K2SO is my droid.  He’s going to get us out of here.”  He looked past you to the officer’s limp body.  “That was fast.”

“I can be fairly useful when I’m not chained to a wall.”  You tucked the blaster into your belt and straightened your tunic to hide it before helping him to his feet.  “If you’re getting us out of here, I’m assuming you have a plan?”

“You’re my prisoners,” came the droid’s almost cheery response.

“I mean,” the captain cut in, “unless you plan on snapping the neck of everyone we pass.”  

“I’ll pass, thanks.” 

Captain Andor nodded to the body.  “If you’re a prisoner, you’ll need to look the part.”

You cocked your head to the side.

“Grab the binders,” he sighed in frustration, “and the fob.”

“Right.” You knelt down and pulled the items from his belt before draping the binders over your wrists.  Then you held out the fob to the droid.  “Ready whenever you are.”

.

“I can’t believe we pulled that off.” How you’d all managed to get out of the base and onto their ship without setting off any alarms was a bit beyond you.

“Get me out of these.” Captain Andor snapped at K2SO.  The droid dutifully moved to unlock the binders that still held his wrists behind his back.

“Thank you.” You hoped to diffuse some of his anger.  “Thank you for rescuing me.  I know you weren’t really given a choice in the matter, but I appreciate it.”  You sighed when you were met with silence.  Was he still thinking about his botched mission?  You turned to the droid who’d also played a role in your rescue.  “And you, too, K2SO.  Thank you.”

“Well, it’s nice to see that some royalty still has manners.” 

His tone would have made you laugh...except… “Royalty?  You...you think--I’m not royalty.”

Two sets of eyes, one human, one AI, turned to stare at you.

“Le--Princess Leia, I--no one told you who I am?”  Why did you suddenly feel like a fraud?  Like you weren’t actually supposed to have been rescued?  Was this all a big mistake?

“This is what we were sent.”  K2SO held a datapad out in your direction.  

There, in the middle of the transmission, was your name, age, physical description, and last known coordinates.  Underneath all of that was the order for your rescue and return to the palace of Alderaan.

“Is that not you?”

“No, that’s me.  But Princess Leia, she’s my...my charge.” 

“Your charge?” Cassian spoke for the first time since you’d boarded the ship.  “You mean--”

“I don’t know what your clearance is, Captain, so I can’t tell you all the details, but I can tell you that Leia and I ran into some trouble on her last, um, assignment, and there wasn’t enough time to get us both out.”

“Draven pulled me from an extremely sensitive mission to rescue a...a...a palace guard?” Cassian slammed his hands down on the control panel in front of him, “Unbelievable!” before spinning around to face you. “Do you have any idea what this might have cost the Rebellion?”

“I never asked to be rescued!” 

“Well, you’re not rescued yet.”  He turned back to the controls and began making adjustments.  “I may still have time to finish my mission before I must return you to your princess.”

“Cassian, are you sure that is wise?” K2SO chimed in.  “Surely, without any sort of training, she will just get--”

“She’ll be fine.  You can make sure she stays out of trouble.”

“Now hold on, just one damn minute!” The disgruntled noise from the droid told you that you weren’t the only one not on board with this half-assed plan.  “Captain--”

“No time.” With one final button, the three of you were flung into hyperspace.

.

You drummed your fingers against your knee for what was probably the thousandth time since the captain had left.  A million thoughts seemed to be flitting through your mind, but you couldn’t quite focus on any of them for more than a moment.  This unease was foreign, and it didn’t sit well.  You were used to having one job.  Yes, life as Leia’s bodyguard could be chaotic at times, but you had a singular purpose.  Keeping her safe.  Everything else could be falling apart around you, but as long as she was protected, nothing else mattered.

Finding yourself on a U-Wing sitting on a planet in Hutt Space while waiting for the pilot to be done with some sort of spy mission...

“So, what’s here on Dandoran that’s so important?” You chanced, looking over at K2SO.

The droid was so still, you’d have thought he’d shut down.

“K2S--?”

“Cassian told me I have to watch you.  He did not say I have to entertain you.”

You pursed your lips, holding back your sarcasm.  “You’re right.  I don’t need you to entertain me.  I’m sorry that my presence is such an inconvenience for the both of you.”  You pushed yourself out of the chair, needing something to do.  “Is there something I could help with?”

“The probability of your involvement causing a catastrophic end to this assignment is very high.”  

“How could you possibly know that?”

“Even without my programming, it is easy to see you have no experience in subterfuge, ergo, your failure would be inevitable.”

You ignored the pain in your palms where your fingernails were digging in.  “So, I’m just supposed to sit here and do nothing?”

“No.” The droid finally turned to you.  “You could also stand there and do nothing.”

You decided then that you absolutely hated this. “I need some air.” You needed a minute to clear your head.  That certainly wasn’t going to happen on this ship.

“My sensors indicate that the air quality in here is suitable.”

You turned and headed for the hatch.  “Then I need a walk.”

“Cassian said--”

“Cassian said you had to watch me.” You growled without looking back.  “He never said I had to stay put.”

You could hear the droid following you off the ship and fought the scream that threatened to erupt.

“It was implied.”

.

It took longer than you’d anticipated to find anything other than trees, trees, and more trees.  Oh, and did you mention, trees?  You hadn’t been paying close attention to where the captain had landed his ship--no, your focus had been more on trying to make him see reason and take you home.  A lot of good that had done you.

Now, walking through the dense forest, you had no idea where you were or where you were headed.  Was this even the direction the captain had gone in?  Were you just wandering around in circles, hopelessly lost forever?

Maybe.  But maybe not.  Up ahead, it looked like...

Your heart sank to your feet as soon as you spotted the field.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” You spun around to face K2SO.  “Fuck.”  He froze at your sudden movement.  “They have him.”

“I don’t--”

“Shhhh!” You hissed, glancing back over your shoulder.  Thankfully, no one from the group you’d been eyeing looked over in your direction.  “The Imps over there.  Behind me.  About 400 paces.  They have Captain Andor.”

“I must go retrieve him.”

You pressed your hand against the droid, hoping to still him again.  “And how do you propose that?”

“I am an Imperial--”

“I know, and I also know I don’t see any more like you around here.  You’re gonna stick out like a Wookie in Aldera.”

“Then what do you propose I do?” 

You looked back to see the three stormtroopers pointing their blasters at the captain, even as he set his on the ground near his feet.  “Shit.” You took a deep breath.  “I’m going to walk out there.” You glided your free hand over the blaster in your belt.  This was something you could do.  “Let me get no further than ten paces from him…” You hastily scanned the forest for something...anything… “See that tree over there?  The one that looks like a strong breeze could knock it over?”

“It appears it has been struck by some sort of electrical charge.”

“Yes, that one.  Get over to it, and when I’m close enough to the captain, push it over.”

“I do not see--”

“I may not be good at subterfuge, but I can keep someone safe.  Captain Andor is my charge right now, and I’ll keep him safe.  Alright?”

“Very well.”  

You waited until you saw K2SO in position.  Then you squared your shoulders and headed towards the clearing.

“You there, freeze.” Three blasters were now fixed on you.  Good.

You forced a look of surprise on your face.  “Me?”  You refused to even glance at Captain Andor as you stepped further out of the trees.

“Yes, you.”  The trooper closest to you waved his weapon.  “Keep coming, nice and slow.”

“Well, which is it?  You want me to freeze or keep coming?”

“Shut up and move.”

Widening your eyes in what you hoped made you look frightened, you started walking closer.  “What’s going on?”

“Don’t you worry about it, sweetheart, just keep moving.”

Almost there.

Three.

Two.

One.

Right on cue, a crack, and then a loud crash echoed through the canyon.  Like clockwork, all three troopers spun around towards the sound.  You grabbed your blaster and fired off three consecutive shots, all of them finding their mark in the unprotected necks of your victims.

“You alright, Captain?” You finally looked over to see the man scowling at you as he retrieved his blaster from the ground.

“Why did you leave the ship?” he spat out at you.

Before you could answer, K2SO lumbered into sight.  “That was very good work.  I did not expect you to be able to get all three of them like that.  How did you come to be that proficient?”

“Uh, I’m a bodyguard to a princess who dabbles in espionage.  It’s a necessary skill.”

The droid nodded and turned to Cassian.  “Oh.  You are not happy we left the ship.”

“What gave it away?” He snapped, brushing past you to head into the woods.

“I told you it was implied.” The droid hissed at you before following.

Your jaw dropped in frustration before you scurried to catch up.  “Captain, you did not specify that I was to stay on the ship.”

“K2--”

“--is a droid that followed your order to keep watch on me.  Don’t yell at him because you’re upset with what I did.” You grabbed his arm to stop him, but he yanked it out of your grasp.  “What is your problem?”

“My problem,” he finally spun around to face you, “is that I have a mission to complete, only my droid is having to babysit you, and you can’t even stay put!”

“You would be dead if I had.”

“No, I would have been taken to a cell.  Then I would actually know where the holding cells are on this planet, and I wouldn’t be back at square one, trying to find where they’re keeping the people they’re smuggling through as slaves!”

He turned back around and continued on, leaving you standing, in shock.  Fuck.  How had you screwed this up so badly?

“I--I didn’t know, either.” K2SO stopped next to you.

You looked up at the droid, trying to make sense of all this.  “I thought I was saving him.”  It was what you did.  What you were good at.  “How do I fix this?”

“Cassian will have a plan.” A metal hand rested on your shoulder.  “We should go back to the ship now.”

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”

The response you received was a curt nod before K2SO followed after the captain.

Taking another moment, you ran your hand down your face. It didn’t matter anymore that you’d tried to get him to take you back to Alderaan and that if he’d just listened to you, you wouldn’t have screwed this up for him.  You needed to make this right.

You just had no idea how.

.

Turned out, K2SO was right--Captain Andor did have a plan.  It wasn’t exactly new, rather, he flew the ship to a different location, after sensors had picked up movement.  Once he was able to confirm the presence of stormtroopers, he landed again.

This time, you paid attention to where he was setting down.

“I shouldn’t have to tell you to stay put this time, yes?”

Quickly, you jumped up to block his exit.  “Let me help you.  I screwed this up.  Let me fix it.”

“I don’t need you to fix what you broke.  This is my mission.  I’m in charge.”  He turned his attention away from you.  “K2, neither of you are to leave this ship.”

“Captain Andor--”

He completely ignored you.  “Got it?”

“Cassian, I do believe that if--” K2SO began. 

You couldn’t tell from where you were standing, but there must have been something in the captain’s eyes that silenced the droid mid-sentence.

“Got it.” 

Cassian gave a curt nod. “I will be back before nightfall.”

With that, he was gone.

.

Light had started to fade from the sky when you were jarred into consciousness.  You hadn’t planned on falling asleep, but since being left behind, neither you nor K2SO were inclined to chat.  With little else to do other than sit and stare out into the green scenery surrounding the ship, it wasn’t a huge surprise that you’d dozed off.

“That will be Cassian.”  K2SO acknowledged the sounds coming from outside the ship that had woken you, before reaching up to open the hatch.  “Cass--”

The man ran up the ramp as fast as he could. “Get us up in the air, right now!” With his speed, he was unable to stop before slamming into the far wall of the ship, but somehow, he managed to twist himself so that his left side took the brunt of the impact.  On his right side, he had his arms wrapped around what appeared to be a child who was burying their face in his neck.  “K2--”

As the droid moved to follow the order, the sight of white plastoid caught your eye.  Immediately, you drew your blaster and began firing at the stormtroopers that the captain had obviously been running from.  “I’m assuming it’s alright if I shoot these troopers, yes?”

“Yes!” 

You could practically hear his eyes rolling as you moved to close the ramp, firing every time you caught a glimpse of white.  Blaster shots were still pinging off the outside of the ship as it finally began to lift.  K2SO had you up and out of Dandoran’s atmosphere a short while later, and you were finally able to breathe.

“Hey, you’re okay.” 

Captain Andor’s voice caught your attention, and you looked over to see him trying to calm the child in his arms.  Judging by the fur, you assumed the little boy was a Bothan, and one that didn’t seem to understand Basic, if the frantic way his skin was moving was any indication.

“Captain, I don’t think he understands you.” You holstered your blaster before inching closer to the two.  “Do you speak Bothese?”

“No.”  He looked up at you.  “Do you?”

“I’ve seen them before, when they’ve come to visit the Organas, but I don’t know the language.”  You knelt down in front of the child.  “I do know my parents and I were referred to as ‘Kas’ whenever they’ve been there.”  You pointed to yourself.  “Kas?”

Immediately, the child let go of Cassian and latched onto you, his arms snug around your neck.  “I guess that was the right thing to say.”  You shrugged, wrapping your arms around his shaking little body.  “Where did you find him?”

“I was able to open up the holding cells.” He grunted in discomfort as he tried to move.  His right hand cradled his left shoulder, trying to work out the pain from his crash.  “His mother--she was in the cell with him.”  He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.  “He didn’t run out like the others.  Just clung to her body.”

“Fuck.”  You rubbed your hands across the boy’s back, hoping to offer some bit of comfort.  “What about the others?”

“There weren’t enough imps to take them all on.  He was the only child in any of the cells.” He hung his head.  “I needed--”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me, Captain.”  You maneuvered yourself around so you could lean against the wall next to him.  It was more than a little challenging, seeing as how the boy refused to release you, but you finally made it.  “What’s going to happen to him?”

“I don’t know.  He could join the Rebellion, but… If he doesn’t understand Basic--I don’t know of anyone who speaks Bothese.”

“Would you be averse to me taking him when you drop me off on Alderaan?  I’m sure Leia will be able to contact someone from his home planet who can take care of him.”

The look on his face was something you couldn’t quite figure out.  Something was haunting him, something about this whole situation--but you didn’t have the familiarity to feel comfortable asking about what had him so troubled.

“In the meantime, we should probably see about fixing your shoulder.” You nodded towards his injured side.  “Can’t imagine slamming into the wall felt particularly good.”

He choked out a laugh before turning to look at you.  “You know, you really aren’t a bad shot.  Could use someone like you.”

“Like, to travel around with you and screw up your missions?”  You cocked an eyebrow, not really sure where he was going with this.

“I mean with the Rebellion.  We need all the help we can get.”  He seemed to sense your confusion, so he pressed on.  “I know the princess is your charge, but you could be doing so much more.”

“I don’t--” you shook your head “--it’s my job, I protect her.  I don’t...I don’t know how to do anything else.  It’s what I was raised to do.”

Cassian leaned his head back against the wall and looked up to the ceiling.  “You snapped that officer’s neck like it was nothing.  You killed three Imperial Storm Troopers before I could blink.  You convinced K2 to cause a distraction to help rescue someone you just met.  You managed to recall enough Bothese to calm him.” He nodded to the child still holding you, pausing long enough for you to register that yes, the boy’s skin was no longer twitching beneath your palms.  “Think about it.”  Gingerly, he pushed himself up from the floor and headed towards the rear of the ship.

“He’s crazy.” Your brain was having a hard time wrapping around what you’d just heard.  There had never been anything else you were meant to do with your life.  You had a purpose, and you did your job well.  How could you possibly think you could--

“Actually, he’s not wrong.  Your abilities would go far in aiding the Rebellion.”

You looked up to see K2SO towering over you.

“I thought my failure was inevitable.”

“Perhaps my calculations were incorrect.”