#loki is just rubbing his eyes as Steve asks ''how long have you spent spying on our team meetings''

[wanda-little-baby]

In action - Wanda x Reader

Summary: You prepare yourself for a mission like any other right? Or maybe not...

Warnings: No more traces of angst, just a little Avengers life (obviously under the eyes of a 18-year-old), and a nice bond with Nat

A/N: So, I've been pretty sick in the last week so I decided to take a little break but now I'm here, ready and energized to continue

Words: 2.546

Italics = thoughts

Okay, I just got out of a hot shower and headed to the kitchen to play the most important role in the Avengers in my opinion, the cook.

Since yesterday in the air it is as if I perceive something big coming and this is not good, Thor is back from some other place in space he has been and even if it is always a feast for the eyes he eats too much and a fridge would not be enough whole to feed him.

However, I spent most of the time left cooking to prepare 6 obviously personalized breakfasts (I'm pretty sure that after 2 years I know their eating habits well in the morning) and a mega breakfast for the god.

"Good morning Nat" I exclaimed obviously surprising the red shadow behind me.

"Tell me how you always know, in short, I should be one of the spies if not the best spy in the world" replied a shocked Natasha to have discovered her.

"Do you know that I can feel you? You know, with my powers, those strange things I do with my hands right?" I replied continuing to churn out an endless row of pancakes.

"Right, anyway I smell good here" said the widow getting closer and closer to the stove "Am I wrong or are those pancakes? Is Thor here?" she asked curious about this morning news.

"Yes, he arrived last night when you were still down training" I said placing all the portions meticulously calibrated freeing myself to be able to continue talking "Anyway, I heard Steve and he said he is waiting for us at 8 for another of his famous debriefings, who knows what the new mission will be" with my arms crossed and a thoughtful look I confided to the redhead intent on munching some cereals from the box

"The newbie is excited eh, remember whatever it is there are people in danger, they are the top priority" she said in his usual wise old tone. "I know I know, this is what we do here, protect people from things they can't protect themselves against" exhaling in defeat to her inevitable intellectual superiority, I headed for the bedrooms.

"I'm going to get ready" were the only words Nat heard as I ambushed my room. And within 15 minutes I was back out beautiful and bright in the ordinary way to enjoy the sleep-distorted faces of my teammates.

"Lady Y/N! Well awakened, your beauty shines like the gold that covers the Asgard palace!" greeted the mighty god of thunder with his peculiar ways. "Thor, I see you're in a good mood today, ready for the meeting?" I replied making faces at a Natasha pleased with the embarrassment of the conversation. "It's very ready, Stark and Steve are already waiting for us in the "meeting room"so it will be better not to keep them waiting, you know Steve how annoying it can be for punctuality" she replied taking her arms off the counter and walking towards the meeting room "Yeah, it's better go. Thor, with me" I continued following Natasha in line and calling back the Asgardian.

——————————————————————

Once inside Steve started talking

"So, last night the Shield gave us the position of Loki's scepter in the hands of the Hydra" Steve began speaking to the four of us seated by a long table.

"And where is it?" Nat asked as he read the digital file

"Sokovia, near the city of Novi Grad. It's one of the last remaining Hydra bases so it's not sure if the scepter is right there" sighed Bruce as he rubbed his temples with his fingers.

"Yeah, it's not sure if the scepter is there, but we're sure to kick Strucker's ass before shutting him in a 4x4 cube of reinforced concrete" Tony came up with his usual way of speaking

"Finally!! Screams of pain and death will follow our path" Thor exclaimed with too much enthusiasm.

This was certainly the most tragic-comic moment since I am an Avenger because after this particular observation we all turned with mixed looks of confusion and disgust towards the Asgardian.

"Ok, but no, no rivers of blood will flow in Eastern Europe. They may also be Hydra soldiers but they are still civilians so unnecessary bloodshed must be avoided." with a few words still perplexed I tried to bring the situation back to a level of oddities within the norm. "Y/N is right, we need a plan, a very strong plan" continued the archer supporting the newborn conversation "Thanks Clint" I replied in a tone of response but also of thanks for the support (I'm not at all good at talking to more than two people at a time without being embarrassed); promptly without saying anything, with only two fingers he made a gesture as if it were a "please"

"That's why we're here, we have to come up with a strategy to infiltrate without getting noticed and possible alternative plans in case things go wrong." Steve continued the conversation "WHEN things get wrong" with his usual teasing ways Tony tried to do something that doesn't even come close to a joke

"Ehm, I was saying ..." the captain pointed out in a rather annoyed tone "we split into three teams:

- Tony and Thor will give us cover from above and go first;

- Me, Clint and Natasha will take care of the soldiers ;

- Y/N and Banner will remain behind as in the event of an ambush

Once inside, the main targets are Strucker and the scepter, the other things have to be picked up and brought back to New York"

"You know it won't be easy to get in there?" Clint pointed out in a very impertinent way. "That's why we need more plans, to prepare for the worst. And that's why I have a stealth plan. From what I read on the file there are deliveries with a couple of trucks every day, maybe Nat and I can infiltrate one of these. and enter without being noticed, make our way and disable the shields that will surely be around the base and allow you others to enter and make a big boom!" All in one breath I presented with great anxiety all around my newly studied plan.

"Well, this is a plan, now only the worst option is missing. In the worst case, we stay on the ground to take out as many as we can by eliminating the surprise factor and Tony breaks these hypothetical shields." at the end concludes the redhead, putting an end to the briefing

"Okay then, we have the plans, now we have to get ready. We'll meet you on the landing pad tonight at 10pm, so we'll get there early in the morning," Steve said, getting up and dismissing everyone in the room.

"OK rookie, with me now, training room, I have to drop you a couple of times before I go to war." completely excited Natasha said with a smile from ear to ear. "It's been two years now, when are you going to stop this rookie thing?" with a smiling but also a little annoyed look, I replied to the widow's words.

Raising her eyes to the sky, the slightly annoyed redhead replied "I'll stop when you finally win a training session", "Yes, as if I haven't won one, right? Bah, you know it's there, now let's go down and I'll fuck your ass!" I concluded in a playful tone with a beautiful tongue as I made my way to the elevator.

——————————————————————

"I don't know Nat, I've been feeling something bad and big in the pot since this morning" I expressed my opinion before kicking the head of the "mentor" unfortunately saved. "I honestly think you are worrying unnecessarily" punch on my dear ribs (it hurts a lot I still remember the pain) "You may be right but I say that it is better to worry, and not because I feel it but because it is my powers to tell me" I don't know why but I left the fighting position while I say this (I will regret it within 10 seconds) and..." Yes but for the moment worry about this..." total darkness for a few milliseconds and then I find myself lying in ground with Nat's legs around my head as he tries to choke me "but then I still haven't figured out what kind of powers you have" he says just before loosening his grip "I have no idea, just these little balls of energy come out of my hands and sometimes if I concentrate I can make a barrier, but nothing more, even if I have no idea what a long way to go." finally we return to an upright position and sincerely with our hands against our hips and completely sweaty I look at a thoughtful and equally sweaty Nat "some times though, it seems as if you were talking and I heard you but you didn't speak at the end" with an increasingly sulky look at the end she spoke "As if you read minds?", "Yes, that's right, I have to practice maybe I could understand what is in your head Natasha Romanoff" with a smiling grimace I hit Nat's arm as a sign of challenge and she to counter instead she says "Would you like to understand me? Don't think about it, instead think about going to take a shower and eat something because it's almost time to leave", ah the famous worried Natasha I will never tire of seeing her but I have to answer her so "Yes mom!" I say sneaking out before being chased by a very angry redhead

——————————————————————

Maybe training all day was not a good idea because now I'm really tired and I still have to prepare for the mission and I think I'll spend all night sleeping on the Quinjet

Looking back, I would like to know how to make things fluctuate, it would be easier to pack. Maybe this way... "What? I thought about floating the bag in front of me, I pretended to lift it and finally in my hands my powers manifested and the bag went up in the air!" I honestly have to train more to maneuver this thing, once back from Sokovia I have to pause the spy in me and focus only on the magic in me "Wow, I will never stop surprising myself" but I absolutely have to use this thing to annoy Nat , I don't think I've ever seen her scare and I can't wait to play a lot of jokes

After this profound inner monologue, wanting to carry the floating bag up to the Quinjet at a weighted pace, I head to the elevator to leave the bedroom area

"Wait, wait wait !!!" Nat says in a panic just before the elevator closed. "Who can I see !! Do you need a ride?" I ask with a very happy look at the agitated expression on the older woman's vault

"Yes, I need a ride, ROOKIE" she replies trying to compose herself for the race and leaning an elbow against one of the elevator walls "And what is that?" she exclaims, pointing to the bag still in the air next to my hands covered with red wips of magic

"Oh, this is something I learned five minutes ago, apparently I can make things float" I said dropping the bag to the floor and putting it on my shoulders.

"Cool! But just as creepy" answered the widow with a disgusted frown "but now try to float your ass on that Quinjet and come back here whole, because I'm not going to find a new protege" she added pointing at the exit of the lift to the take-off platform

"Yes Madam!" I said, turning to look at her as I walked backward toward the flying vehicle.

——————————————————————

Once we were all seated in our seats, the captain explained the plans for the umpteenth time and then recommended us to rest because it was going to be a long journey. And so I did, I slept, and I immediately regretted it.

I was sleeping peacefully (as much as a girl can be when she's about to storm a "Nazi" base), when suddenly flashes of light, some quick images as if it were a blink of an eye and a phrase repeated over and over - You and I are the same - . And then again those images, a brunette girl (Who is she? I can't see her well! Do I know her? Why do I feel a connection with this person?), So many but so many robots (Why do they lgook like Tony's armor?), and finally a sound, as if it were a rustle of the wind (Bho?).

"Hey Y/N, wake up we're about to arrive," Bruce said suddenly, bringing me back to reality with a gasp

"Wa-" were the first words I said still in the dream, which among other things also made the doctor in front of me worry (I still had to metabolize that there was someone in front of me). "Everything is OK?" added a voice, intruding into the conversation (after unraveling that remaining veil of sleep I realized it was Clint! I just go haywire when I wake up, huh!). "Sure, just a strange dream" (No look, I just dreamed so many things that I don't understand and I keep a weight on my stomach for no reason, I'm not well at all)

After securing the two men I decided to get up and go talk to Steve who was standing on the edge of the "pilot area".

"So cap, what's the weather like out there?" I asked jokingly on the clouds clearly present trying in vain to remove the nail of the last five minutes, obviously in my mind I was thinking only of one thing: what did I dream? "Cloudy, why?" at this point he replied clearly confused by the question.

"Oh Steve, I love your ability to not understand sarcasm" I said laughing out loud as I saw the blond man put his hand on his face "See captain, today's young people doesn't respect you anymore, you have lost your charm!" Tony said turning in his chair to watch the conversation

"Ok! We understand, I don't recognize all these humorous jokes, but now is not the right time to talk about it-" the "golden boy" interrupted pointing to the castle in the distance from the glass of the Quinjet "-because we are just arrived"

Then, all the others approached the three of us listening to the captain's "profound" speech. "Let's proceed with the Y/N plan, activate the communicators, always stay in touch and pay attention" he finally pronounced (mostly facing me and Nat, but we think it is in a general tone).

"Ready to infiltrate a top secret Hydra base?" I said (obviously to the creator of the newbie's nightmare) finally opening the door of the aircraft. "Sure, as always, no?" in response the redhead came up and put a hand on my shoulder "Yep, let's go" I moved away at a lightning speed from the touch (I'm still afraid of hurting others, and I don't know if I'll ever stop having it).

[worstloki]

Concept: post IW, pre EG. Thor finds a cat on his doorstep, injured and weak, and decides to take it in. He names it Loki, for its deep black fur and its brilliant green eyes, and its mischievous nature. The cat is actually Loki, stuck in Cat form while he heals both seidr wise and physically wise. When EG rolls around, Loki is almost completely healed. Thor brings him along and every meeting thingy has Lokitty in his lap, while Loki is debating if shifting back is wise in a room of the Avengers

Loki changes back during a particularly boring meeting and just sits in Thor’s lap hugging him so that he’s facing away from the Avengers and if he can’t see them they can’t see him, right? It doesn’t work.

[veliseraptor]

I hope this doesn’t come out the wrong way but I think I have a withdrawal for your Loki stuff,,,, I know you’re into other fandom right now and gosh I feel bad for even sending this bc my intention is not to make you feel bad or to rush you, I just want to ask, could I pretty please get a little snippet for whatever Loki fic you have in process? No ass kissing but I haven’t seen anyone write him better than you do and I miss you and your Loki fic. Again I hope this doesn’t sound like I rush you

It’s okay, anon! I mean, I feel guilty but that’s not your fault, that is my fault for the ways in which I feel obligated toward people in fandom and I’m. Trying to not do that and just focus on what Brings Me Joy and whatnot. But I’m truly flattered by the sentiment and also sorry that you’re missing it. 

But I’ve got plenty of Loki fic floating around here that I can share with you, so here, have a long snippet that’ll hopefully give you a little bit of ease in this time of me being thoroughly sucked into another fandom.

this being the first three scenes of the fic the first steps stumbling forward, sometimes known as “100 pages of ostensibly Steve/Loki fic and not only no kissing, but also Loki is still solely referring to Steve by his last name only.”

A ship full of Aesir landing on Midgard’s northern hemisphere was, apparently, “a humanitarian crisis.” From what Loki gathered, that meant mostly a great many arguments ensuing about who was going to deal with them, which really seemed to be about if anyone was going to.

Loki almost wanted to see what would happen if someone tried to tell Thor they had to leave. At least so far, though, no one actually had. Perhaps they recognized that there was no one on their planet with the means to actually enforce that decree. At least not for certain.

Not that their entire reception was hostile. Almost as soon as the situation became clear humans began arriving, some simply to gawk but others seemingly with intent to help. Crews of camera-people and reporters swarmed - mostly around Thor, but others like flies around the miserable remnants of Asgard’s people.

Loki, for his part, kept his distance from them. Eventually he supposed someone might mention his name, but until then he planned to avoid that particular difficulty.

He did go to spy on Thor’s meeting with Stark, who had arrived with much fanfare, stepping out of his suit with a too-wide grin and turning to wave before turning to Thor and promptly doing a double-take.

“Buddy,” he said. “What happened to your hair? Also your eye-”

A small smile played around the corner of Thor’s mouth. “That’s a long story.” He glanced past Stark like he was looking for someone else. “You’re alone?”

Stark’s expression did something tight and complicated. “Long story.” He glanced over his shoulder at the snapping cameras. “Can we go somewhere else? Talk in private?”

“Yes,” Thor said. “This way.” He gestured Stark toward the makeshift headquarters they’d set up back inside the ship, and he walked inside fiddling with the bracelets on his wrists. Loki slipped in after Thor and took up a position in the corner of the room to listen.

The moment the door closed the last of Stark’s bravado fell away and he turned to Thor looking exhausted. “As good as it is to see you, and as much as I’m - really sorry about--” He gestured awkwardly at their surroundings, “--I gotta tell you that you have the worst timing.” He walked over to the table and sat down. “Where’ve you been? Caught some selfies of you on Instagram the other week - in New York, and you didn’t come say hi - but you still had two eyes at that point.”

One of Thor’s hands rose briefly, still self-consciously, to touch his eye-patch. “Yes,” he said. “I was on Earth. Briefly. As I said, it is a long story. Why do I have poor timing?”

Stark rubbed his eyes. “So, uh, right now? There’s this thing called the ‘Sokovia Accords.’ Basically the idea is to make sure superhumans are, uh, supervised.” Thor’s expression remained impassive. Stark glanced away. “So, see, then you show up with a whole...whole bunch of homeless superhumans, superaliens, and everyone’s not quite sure how you fit into this, what kind of compliance they should be demanding...it’s a whole thing. Secretary Ross - you’ll meet him, he’s awful - he says that Asgard should be under US protection because you were an Avenger and the Avengers were a US team, sort of-”

“‘Were’?” Thor said, just as Loki was thinking it, but he thought he’d already figured it out.

“Yeah,” Stark said after a beat. “There was a bit of a falling out. The point is...you and your people are a problem with a capital ‘P’, as far as the governments on Earth are concerned. And I swear to god I heard something about you bringing the Hulk with you too, which is just - hang on, you’re not serious.”

Loki had gathered enough from this conversation, so as much as he wanted to see Stark’s expression he slipped out. He felt Thor glance toward the door opening, but Stark was too busy making incoherent noises that were either excitement, horror, or both, to notice.

**

Thor came and found him paring slices out of a small and slightly sour apple. The taste wasn’t pleasant, but at least it was fruit.

“You were eavesdropping,” Thor said, not quite an accusation. Loki gave him a quick, wry smile.

“And?”

Thor sighed, but he didn’t actually seem upset. After a moment he sat down next to Loki. “What did you think?”

“I think,” Loki said, “that your friends have done a better job of tearing themselves apart than I ever could have.” Thor gave him a hard look and Loki raised his eyebrows. “What? It’s true, isn’t it?”

“Loki,” Thor said chidingly. Loki shrugged.

“I think it doesn’t change much,” he said. “Midgard’s governments were never going to be happy. They still can’t do very much about it.”

“It also means they won’t help. Or are reluctant to help.”

“True.” Loki glanced down at the half eaten apple in his hands. “Not quite the welcome you expected, hm? Almost makes you wish someone had already conquered this planet.”

Thor’s jaw tightened. “Our people are suffering, Loki.”

Loki held up his hands. “I wasn’t being flippant. Or, I was, but not because I miss the gravity of our situation.” He sighed. “You are just going to have to convince them of our good intentions. While maintaining our independence from the kind of control Stark was describing, as I doubt that would end well.”

“Simple enough,” Thor said.

“And I,” Loki said, “will continue to stay out of the way. If you are now a possible threat…”

Thor rubbed his remaining eye. “Tony thinks that they will ask that the Hulk be turned over.”

Loki barked a laugh. “I’d like to see someone tell Hulk that. From a distance.” Thor’s lips twitched like he was trying not to smile. “Is Stark planning to try?”

“No,” Thor said, sounding faintly puzzled. “I asked if he wanted to speak to the Hulk, but he refused. I have no idea why.”

“He’s ashamed of something,” Loki said promptly. “I’d really like to know what. Though not enough to actually pursue it.” Thor frowned at him again. “What?”

Thor shook his head and then pushed himself to his feet. “I have another meeting with this ‘World Security Council’,” he said. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” Loki said. “Perhaps you should remind them that you’ve saved their planet...how many times is it, now? It’s always possible someone will remember to show some proper gratitude.” He pared another slice off the apple and popped it in his mouth. “If not, you could always set a few nearby trees on fire.”

Thor frowned. “I’m not going to threaten them into submission.”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t been tempted.”

Thor gave him an exasperated look and left. Loki eyed the rest of the unappetizing apple and almost threw it away, only to remember that their food stores were pitifully limited and largely reliant on the relief crews.

Waste not, he thought wearily, and ate the rest of it. It was almost a pity he’d had a solid three years of soft living to get used to luxury again. He’d lost all the good lessons of the three before that.

By the looks of things, he’d have plenty of time to get them back.

You could always leave, whispered a faint voice, not for the first time. There’s a whole universe to wander.

But if he walked away now, Loki didn’t think he’d ever be able to come back. He’d made his decision, for better or for worse. Besides, it wasn’t as though he had a whole lot of options for other places to go where he wouldn’t be risking his neck just by showing his face. Which...was the case here, too.

Loki made a face at the core he was holding and bit it in half hard enough that his teeth clicked together.

**

The trouble with having to avoid any and all public appearances was that it severely limited what Loki could actually do. He was skulking about like a thief, confined to administrative tasks behind the scenes.

A not insignificant part of him resented it. He wasn’t proud, but there it was: he had always hated feeling invisible, and now more than ever. He’d gotten too used to the spotlight, just as he’d gotten too used to comfortable living. He should have known neither would last.

He reminded himself it was his own fault. That did not particularly help.

Valkyrie seemed to be having the opposite problem. Asgard’s people were in awe of her. The humans were even more impressed. She, meanwhile, appeared to be trying to avoid both.

This meant they spent a fair amount of time together, since her green best friend was a bit of an attention-getter. (Thor had tried to get him to stay out of sight, but it hadn’t gotten him very far. Still, based on Stark’s reaction, someone was suppressing that bit of news. He had to wonder who.)

“You look cheerful,” Loki said when he found her in - surprise, surprise - the ship’s bar. It was empty, but she seemed to find it comforting just the same. She scowled at him.

“Some Midgardian reporter wants an interview. An interview.”

“Are they going to shoot photos of you? Ask about your fashion sense?”

Valkyrie narrowed her eyes. “Is that what they do?” She paused. “How do you know anything about Midgardian news?”

Loki shrugged. “I stole some magazines from one of our generous volunteers. They’re appalling. I don’t recommend them.”

Valkyrie shook her head and stared at the empty bar. “You’re lucky,” she said. “No one’s trying to talk to you.”

Loki barked a laugh. “Yes,” he said, a little bitterly. “Lucky.”

“You are,” Valkyrie said. “If they were trying to talk to you they’d probably be trying to kill you. Right?”

Loki gave her a flat stare. “Thank you for that.”

She shrugged. “Just saying. You should be ready for that to change at some point. Someone’s going to start talking about Prince Loki and then you’re going to have some problems.”

Loki knew that was probably true. He’d thought about it a few times - he was almost surprised it hadn’t come up. Thus far the limited contact between most of the Aesir and any reporters - Thor had been careful about limiting access to their camp - and Thor’s explicit request to the Asgardians that they were to keep Loki’s name off their tongues had spared him, but that wasn’t likely to last forever. At that point...there would be some difficult decisions to make.

Some bleak part of him wondered what Thor would choose to do if Midgard’s authorities asked for his head.

“Thor’s not going to let them kill you,” Valkyrie said, apparently guessing his thoughts.

“Mm,” Loki said. “Even if it is me or Asgard’s safety here?”

“Thor doesn’t like ultimatums. He really wouldn’t like that one.” She leaned back. “I get all the fretting about that. ‘Oh, Valkyrie, what am I going to do about Loki? We can’t keep him secret forever!’”

Loki had to snort at her imitation, but he didn’t know how to explain to her that he was too aware of the fact that Thor had reached the end of his rope with him, the feeling that he was still walking a narrow bridge above a chasm and there was nothing to catch him if (when) he fell.

“You look like you could use a drink,” Valkyrie said.

“Have you left any alcohol in a five mile radius?” Loki asked caustically. She smiled a little toothily.

“I said you could use some,” she said. “Not that I had any.”

“Helpful.”

The toothy smile faded. “Make you a deal,” she said. “You come up with a way that I can avoid all these people who want me to be a hero, and I’ll threaten anyone who comes after your head with Dragonfang. Sound good?”

Loki gave her a crooked half smile. “I think I can figure something out.”

[sparkliingdust]

No Place Like Home (Modern AU Peggy x Steve)

Summary: Peggy surprises Steve and their children by coming home early from S.H.I.E.L.D.. She is treated to a simple yet surprisingly meaningful movie night. ABSOLUTE domestic fluff in a modern alternate universe.

Rating: General Audiences. Safe for everyone.

             Free to be with her family. Peggy couldn’t think of anything more blissful as she stomped her sleek boots up the house pathway. Any frustration she felt from working dissipated on her drive home. As she’d imagine, the front lawn had traces of Sarah and James’ sleighs being dragged around and once-empty snow angels nearly filled with fresh cascading snow. If her car lights in the driveway hadn’t given her arrival away, she was well on her way to surprising her precious trio as she gently jingled her keys into the front lock. Glimpsing into the front hallway, a pine garland with ribbon wrapped around the stairwell with paper snowflakes attached to the walls with tact. She heard Steve in the kitchen asking the kids helping him make a plate for their mother. The house immediately warmed her frozen bones as she inched towards the front cupboard. Peggy barely managed to remove her shoes before footsteps against the hardwood floor bounded closer to her.

              "Mama!“ a small voice beckoned boisterously - little James, only five years old.

              The jig was up before it even began. Even for such an experienced spy as she, nothing passed a child’s intuition of their parents. Sometimes she’d wondered if her little tyke had a super sixth sense. "Oh my darling, hello!” Peggy nearly squealed with delight as she picked him up into her arms with flurries of snow now melting and wetting her attire.

              Her red lipstick left small evidence on his cheek as she gave him a big walloping kiss. She’d almost uttered she was home, if Steve hadn’t heard yet, when he turned the corner from their dining parlor. Evidence of their dinner stained a few wet spots on his buttoned-down shirt and pants. Sarah, a year older than James, following close behind and clapping as she did so.

              He missed her as much as she did with them. His eyes brightened with delight and a gentle smile crossed his face as he strolled up to her and wrapped his bulging arms around her and James for a big hug. Sarah wrapped her arms at the foot of their legs. Steve planted a kiss on his wife’s lips; gentle and affectionate but nevertheless one that nearly took her breath away.

              "Work call off early?“ he inquired with a slight tone of surprise.

              "Case we were working on was handed over to the FBI. It’s all in their hands now,” Peggy explained with a sigh as James played with her hair and scarf. Sarah tugged on Steve’s pant legs and her skirt, fearing she was being forgotten. "Yes, I know my darling. You three get many kisses over the course of this weekend. If the snow doesn’t let up, it’ll be until New Years too,” Steve lifted their daughter up effortlessly into his arms before his lips staked claim on Peggy’s once more.

              "Imagine what we could do in a weekend,“ Steve stated quietly, a small blush working its way up his neck. "Let’s help Mama out of her wet clothes,” he instructed happily, unintentionally licking his lips.

              Peggy grinned, as she wiped her lipstick from James’ face before setting him down and giving Sarah a big kiss as well. Steve let Sarah down and then helped Peggy remove her scarf and jacket, hanging it up on the coat rack. “Dinner is ready. And, we were just about to start movie night.”

             Her eyebrows shot up in anticipation of what she’d expect they’d be watching. “And, no - it’s not A Christmas Story. But it is a surprise,” Steve answered before she had a chance. He knew of her distaste with the film, trying to ignore it was unintentionally all of his doing.

             “Why doesn’t Mama get ready for movie night and she’ll join us in a few minutes?” Steve asked their kids, as they squealed excitedly. She moved up the stairs as he encouraged them to bring their toys into the living room.

              Since they’d both been woken up nearly a decade ago, they’ve worked their way through a scroll’s length of suggestions made by friends and colleagues of events and public figures they’d miss. Artwork and literature to politics and most especially film and television was nearly a blur. One of Steve’s favorite pastimes, and quickly becoming their children’s, was watching A Christmas Story marathon, a tactile suggestion she couldn’t help but wonder if Tony had made in an effort to test her wills.

             She’d remembered the first time they’d attempted the “great” marathon as she began undressing from work and freshening up. When they married, a portion of their first Christmas was spent allowing the television to play the same movie for nearly twenty-four hours.  One viewing was plenty for her, but Steve couldn’t seem to get enough. But that marathon became a tradition that Peggy was willing to sit through because Steve enjoyed it so. Now pulling on a modest pair of pajamas, she wondered what was on the program for the evening.

             Peggy descended the stairs and walked into the living room parlor, a grin spreading across her face at the sight of their tinseled Christmas tree flickering with multi-colored lights.  Handmade and vintage ornaments hung gently off of its branches. Of some of the Christmas memories she may have missed out on this year, she was grateful decorating their tree was not one of them. Peggy watched with amusement and a bit of pride as Steve readied their home entertainment system.

             The convenience of television was something they first learned of when they moved in together and Tony had sent over the best set imaginable; one with speakers which created a surround sound on a large wooden entertainment center, which was now covered with cards from friends and stockings. Though they both still made it out to the theaters every so often with Natasha or Sam watching over their children, they easily grew accustomed to setting up lovely movie nights at home. Advanced technology was once so new to them, and now they both had a knack for everything.

             On the coffee table, dinner awaited, warmed and ready for her. Steve really did manage to do it all. The kids gathered on the floor in a fort pile of blankets and pillows and stuffed animals.

              “What’s on the program this evening, my love?” Peggy asked with genuine interest. If A Christmas Story was out of the picture, and they both deemed It’s A Wonderful Life might fail to capture the children’s attention, she struggled to brainstorm what other holiday titles were left. Peggy made herself comfortable on the couch as Steve joined her. She normally didn’t eat in the living room, and she always protested it even for the children, but tonight, rules could be bent a little.

              Steve grinned as he sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, not giving even the slightest hint. “You’ll see,” was all he uttered. She eyed him suspiciously and delicately began sifting through the turkey, mash potatoes, and vegetables Steve had prepared. Peggy’s inquisition grew as previews played one after another, none of them matching their other dvds. A green menu with illustrative, Technicolor faces appeared behind a beautiful cursive title: The Wizard of Oz.

“Well, this is a new one!” Peggy couldn’t help but exclaim. “Well, for them anyways.”

             Steve shuffled around and was silent for a moment before pressing play. The movie began. “To be honest, we were going to watch A Christmas Story at first. But we’ve been waiting to watch this one with the kids, and tonight couldn’t be more perfect,” he finished rubbing her back.

             Peggy smiled at him, and noticed a wary expression on his face. She finished her meal in due time as the kids settled on the floor, watching a twister whisk a young auburn girl from Kansas into a mysterious emerald land.

             She settled back on the couch with him, leaning close into Steve’s shoulder. “The Wizard of Oz isn’t a new one for you, is it?” Peggy asked gently, as Dorothy skipped down the yellow brick road with a crowd of little people cheering her on.

              Steve’s clamped his lips shut for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh. “Bucky and I saw it at a movie house together…” he paused, “a few months before my mother passed away.” Peggy looked up at him. His face was still but that everlasting light shone through his eyes. “It gave me hope. Still does.”

              Peggy reached her arm around his neck, and planted a kiss on his lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever asked. Did you see movies while you were training at the academy?” he asked.

              “We were given permission to leave on weekends and evenings every so often. Quite a few of the cinemas were still operating, surprisingly, before they were closed and then opened later over the years. But I preferred breaking codes as much as I could,” Peggy admitted, as her hand lightly played with his air and Steve grabbed her feet to rub.

             The movie progressed further with James at one point bouncing towards them on the couch as the wicked witch attempted to attack Dorothy and her new friends. When the story settled down and the group was contemplating how to meet the Great and Powerful Oz, he retreated on the floor with his sister. They sat close before lying down and clutching their stuffed teddies. Peggy knew they fell asleep when they didn’t make a stir as flying monkeys swarmed around the Wicked Witch and jettisoned off into the night sky.

              “This was the reference,” Peggy interrupted him with one finger to his mouth and the other hand pointing to their children, “Fury used it when Loki was set to attack New York City. The only one I actually got,” Steve murmured with a hint of prideful charm.

              Throughout the rest of the film, her mind wondered intermittently about the Second World War. For too long it darkened the world into a stark, cold and empty place. Color managed to seep in, like the first time she and Steve met – witnessing him never being bullied into submission by his fellow comrades or Colonel Phillips, and then their relationship growing. Neither one of them expected to be alive, let alone awake, nearly eighty years later – Steve surviving the dive into the ice caps while crashing the Red Skull’s jet and Peggy having undergone one of Howard’s experimental sleep serums to aid her grief.

            I think I’m going to miss you most of all, Dorothy sobbed in a hushed tone to her friend the Scarecrow before she and her dog Toto departed.

              Peggy wasn’t known beyond closed doors as a woman who was affront with her emotions; the war shielding how she felt. Slowly over the years, and perhaps even first when they met, Steve’s gentle good heart awakened a deep, personal love within her that was absent. And, her children even more so. Slowly, she wiped her eyes as a few brisk tears made their escape as Dorothy finally made it home to her family. The little girl realized that her heart’s desire was no further than her own backyard.

              “Thank you, my darling,” Peggy said, her heart full of gratitude. She leaned over to Steve and planted a kiss on his cheek as they slowly stood and stretched up from the couch. His reflective silence was a sign of emotions pooling within as the brief credits played.

             She had been right – their little James and Sarah fell asleep. Steve slinked around the room turning off the television and lights in the nearby rooms as Peggy carefully lifted Sarah into her arms. James soon joined Steve’s into his. Peggy was only a step behind him as they ascended the stairs.

              For such a melodic movie full of wonder and magic, Peggy’s mind struggled to settle as they situated their children into their beds. Dorothy exuberantly deciding that there was no place like home overwhelmed her thoughts. The declaration struck a deep chord. Her own words to Steve when he made a choice to end the Red Skull’s attempted wrath seemed to play just as clearly. Just be there. Three words Peggy used when they split up during the war; a code to meet at the Stork Club when all hope was lost; when they assumed Steve would never be recovered. It was a simple promise that in the immediate future they’d be together, unharmed, and hope carrying them into the next day.

             Peggy paused watching Steve as she brushed her teeth and he pulled on his own pajamas. He talked idly about how the movie still held up after all this time before moving on about the day he and the children had. He pulled them around in their sleighs – just as she pictured. The kids wanted to make snow-people this weekend when she was home. When she finished they united in bed, and Steve’s arms pulled her close. She filled him in on some details from work, but still her mind was miles away.

             They’d made it through their own long, brick road and were graced with lives they fought valiantly to achieve for others long ago. Snow blanketed the house. A Christmas tree sat in the bay window all decorated with their children’s ornaments. Its string of multicolored bulbs lighting up the living room. Stockings hung from the unlit fireplace. For the night, they were safe with their children and the past had become sepia memories. It was good just to be here. As Steve’s arms tightened around her, and they both dozed off: alas, there was no place like home.

[diinofayce]

White Elephant Stampede

This was a request from @tatertot1097 . They wanted the Avengers playing White Elephant presents. I hope this was what you were looking for!

Pairing: None, Just Avengers | Word Count: 1.7k | Warnings: Lack of reader or OC, non-canon, fluff, some language | A/N: I went without a reader or OC for this one because it just fit better I thought for this. So most of it is kind of from Pepper’s perspective.

“Wait, what is this?” Steve asked as the large red stocking with the fur lining was passed to him.

“I’m not reaching my hand into your weird…play time sock,” Bucky grumbled crossing his hands over his chest and levying Tony with an icy stare.

“Pull a name out of the stocking, keep it a secret. Playtime sock? What weird Christmas porn did you find?” Tony’s nose crinkled and he whirled around to look at Bucky with confusion before raising a silencing hand. “On second thought, please don’t tell me.”

Beside him, Natasha rolled her eyes at Pepper who giggled - a pleased blush rising high on her cheeks.

Steve pulled a slip of paper from the stocking and peeked at it before passing it to Sam who followed suit.

“Who’d you get,” Sam whispered, passing the stocking to Bucky and leaning to peek over Steve’s shoulder who pressed his slip of paper to his broad chest.

“You’re bad at secrets,” Steve admonished.

“Guys, it’s called Secret Santa for a reason,” Pepper chuckled, swatting at Sam’s knees playfully.

Natasha took the stocking from Bucky and pulled a name, looked at it, then pulled it back and pulled another one.

“Cheater! You’re cheating,” Wanda called out, pointing at her friend and laughing.

Natasha stuck her tongue out at Wanda and winked. “I pulled my own name, otrod’ye.”

Wanda gasped and snatched the stocking from the redhead, pouting as she shook the stocking and pulled a name from the bottom, examined it and then handed it to Vision.

“What is a secret Santa?” Vision asked carefully, peeking into the mouth of the stocking before reaching it and pulling out his own slip.

“You just have to get a gift for the person on your slip. It takes away the pressure of having to get something for everyone, we’re a big family. But you don’t tell anyone who you got so then when you open your gift you guess who gave it to you,” Pepper explained simply, rubbing her hands together with an excited smile.

Bruce took a slip of paper and finished the loop with the Asgardians behind him.

“We should probably put a dollar limit on gifts,” Bruce said softly casting his eyes over to Tony.

Tony scoffed as the rest of the group mumbled in agreement.

“We could always do a white elephant,” Pepper suggested and a bunch of confused gazes swung her way. Pepper blinked in surprise for a moment and shrugged. “You know silly gifts. Gifts that aren’t exactly practical.”

“Like that time Bucky thought a good birthday present was a paperclip wrapped in two rolls of duct tape?” Sam muttered and Bucky smiled fondly at the memory.

“I never said it was a good present,” Bucky quipped and Steve frowned at his best friend, mouthing ‘behave’ behind Sam’s back which caused Bucky to roll his eyes.

“You could have at least put like a gift card or something in there!” Sam accused.

“I used up the dollar limit we were given that time on duct tape,” Bucky shrugged innocently, wincing as Steve punched him on the shoulder.

The stocking finally made it’s way back to Pepper through all the chattering and petty quarreling. Pepper looked over this little haphazard family that was formed through blood and tears and smiled to herself. They weren’t a traditional family, but they were hers.

~*~

They had decided to unwrap presents on Christmas Eve, Pepper had organized for them all to go to the Children’s Hospital on Christmas morning to visit the kids and bring presents so they chose to have the evening to themselves. There hadn’t been a mission in a while so everyone was in good spirits and happy to all just be with each other.

Bucky sat between Sam and Steve, grumbling murderously under his breath at the itchy ugly sweater that Steve and Sam had forced him into. Wanda and Natasha were whispering mischievously as Wanda used her magic to float a mistletoe above the heads of random duos, Clint and Tony being the most amusing one so far because neither man was the type to back down from any sort of situation. In the end, Pepper had to pull her husband back into her arms and threaten Clint with castration if he kept getting hot and heavy on her man. Thor and Loki had returned from some sort of adventure and they were speaking in hushed voices with Bruce in the far corner, looking serious, but broke apart with smiles when Rhodes beckoned them over to join the festivities.

The small shoddily wrapped pile of presents sat on the coffee table in the middle of them all.

“Who wants to play Santa’s elf?” Pepper asked the group and was met with a handful of confused faces.

“Oh! I can!” Wanda squealed excitedly and red magic enveloped the presents, they floated out and found the laps of their receivers.

They went around in a circle, starting with Steve who unwrapped a little book the size of a breast pocket titled ‘The C.I.A. Manual of Treachery and Deception’. Steve raised one blond eyebrow before looking around the circle at the group, his baby blue eyes landing on Natasha. “Seriously, I could be a spy if I wanted to,” Steve moaned and Natasha laughed, clutching her sides in glee.

“No, you couldn’t. So study up.” Natasha grinned wickedly.

Bucky went next, unwrapping a jug of motor oil, a large bottle of KY Jelly, and a car wax kit. Bucky blinked at the items in the box on his lap, Steve looked hesitantly between the gifts in his best friend’s lap to his face waiting for the potential meltdown, but Bucky simply tipped his head back and let out the most genuine laugh anyone had heard from the man in a long time. It took a minute for Bucky to calm down and wipe away the tears that were streaking down his cheeks.

“Was this you?” Bucky asked Sam, elbowing the man in the ribs.

“No, but I wish it had been,” Sam said picking up the large bottle of lube in his hand. “I don’t understand what the lube is for, though.”

“That is for both the Sergeant and the Captain,” Vision piped up looking stoically between the two men.

There was a pregnant pause before the entire room burst out into fits of hysterical laughter, Steve and Bucky looking positively pink in the face with embarrassment.

Eventually, Sam unwrapped his present, guessing correctly that the old Walkman with Marvin Gaye’s ‘Troubleman’ cassette in it was from Steve. Thor unwrapped a little snake Beanie Baby and after deciding that Loki would have given him a real snake correctly guessed Bruce as the gift giver. Rhodes got Loki an old Swiss Army knife that had all the other attachments replaced so that it was just little daggers no matter what he pulled out. Loki gave Natasha an actual Black Widow spider and Thor gave Tony a screwdriver, but when Tony went to pick it up it gave him a sharp zap of electricity. Thor laughed harder than any of them. Clint gave Rhodes a pair of roller skates and earned a new pair of headphones from Tony. Clint and Rhodes spent the rest of the night pretending to enjoy the gifts that opposed their disabilities. Wanda unwrapped a little charm bracelet that had both a red glass stone that reflected the light and on the opposite a silver heart charm, with tear-filled eyes she looked up at Pepper questioningly and when Pepper shook her head she looked around the circle before landing on Sam.

“I was never good at giving white elephant gifts,” Sam murmured and let out an ‘oof’ when the small girl tackled him deeper into the couch in a tight hug. Pepper had given Bruce a series of meditation CDs with the Blu-Ray of Wreck-It Ralph tucked in the middle, which he thanked her for softly.

When it was Peppers turn she carefully tore away the wrapping because out of all of the presents it looked to have been wrapped with care and had a large white and gold glitter bow on top. Under the wrapping was a small garment box and she smiled wryly imagining what gaudy outfit Wanda had probably picked for her. Wanda was always teasing Pepper on how pristine and uptight she always looked, knowing that Pepper was anything but. What she didn’t expect when she pulled away the tissue paper was a little white newborn sized onesie that said: “My Mom Is A Superhero” on it in black writing.

Pepper’s hand fluttered to her tummy as she looked up with watery eyes at Wanda. “Did you read my mind?” Pepper whispered, her voice cracking.

Wanda looked confused, her brows pinching. “I didn’t have you,” Wanda answered, shaking her head just as Vision opened his brand new spice wrack with all the spices in their jars labeled.

Pepper’s gaze swam to Bucky, who was the only one left. His cheeks a soft blush and he shrugged his shoulders slightly, his eyes casting downwards.

“How did you know?” she asked and Bucky scoffed, rolling his ice blue eyes.

“I’m a spy, doll. I knew weeks ago.”

“Knew what?” Tony asked, bouncing over to peek over the couch at the present on Pepper’s lap that she still hadn’t shown the group. “Wait. What? Is this…is this real? Pepper? Honey? Is this real?”

Bucky’s eyes got round and he looked between Pepper and Tony with horror. “Oh god, Pep, you hadn’t told him yet?” Bucky asked sounding chagrin.

“I hadn’t told anyone,” Pepper answered before holding up the onesie to the group. The group blinked, jaws dropping before everyone erupted into cheers and congratulations. Everyone jumped to their feet to give hugs and pull out the alcohol in celebration.

“I’m going to be a dad! Holy fuck…I need to sit down. I’m going to be a dad,” Tony started cheering before growing a little faint.

Pepper stood and crossed the seating area to Bucky who stood to greet her. Slowly she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered into his shirt.

“Yeah. Sorry, I ruined you getting to tell him,” Bucky apologized, gently hugging the petite woman back.

She leaned back and shook her head. “No, Bucky, this was absolutely perfect.”

[lady-thor-foster]

Asgardian Valentine // Thor x Reader

Pairing: Thor x Reader (POC), Slight Winter/Widow and Scarlett/Vision, Bonus Steve, Tony, Bruce, Pietro and Sam. Word Count: 2.2k+ Warning: Super cute Valentines fluff, pls enjoy this holiday fluff. Summary: Despite not being one to celebrate the holiday, Reader is a big help to the others. Vision still can’t cook by himself. Pietro is precious. Feelings are hard. Thor is a sweet giant dork, pass it on.  

A/N: Okay I was really inspired to write this because I don’t see a lot of Thor fics (that aren’t Loki centered) and the LOML needs more love ya know? Also look a that gif. Look at him. I love him send help. 

Inspiration: “Roses” ~ Shawn Mendes “You can tell me to stop if you already know Though I’m not sure my heart can take it But the look on your face says don’t let me go … And I have to be honest with you baby Tell me if I’m wrong and this is crazy But I got you this rose and I need to know Will you let it die or let it go?”

You’d completely forgotten about Valentine’s Day. Hell, someone in your line of work never had much time for the smaller holidays anyway. The heightened antics around the Compound clued you in; romance was in the air.

Eating breakfast in the Team kitchen was always eventful. Today was no exception. Despite the fact that you weren’t an official Avenger, the Team still considered you a member of the family, however reclusive you may be. Fixing yourself a small bowl of cereal for breakfast you settled in at the island. Vision was frantically trying his hardest not to burn the surprise waffles he was making for Wanda. He was veritably perfect in nearly every way, but cooking was the only thing that escaped him.

“I followed the recipe exactly, I don’t understand why they keep burning,” he mumbled mostly to himself. You couldn’t help but giggle; his dedication was certainly impressive. Finishing your breakfast, you decided to help him out.

“Would you like some help, Vis?” Despite your best efforts, you couldn’t keep the smile out of your voice.

“Yes, if you please. You’re very kind to offer.”

“The secret is to veer off recipe. Every waffle maker is different.” He smiled warmly at you.

Under your tutelage, Vision managed to make a very delicious breakfast tray for Wanda. He thanked you profusely when you offered to take care of the cleanup while he surprised the still sleeping witch. Smiling to yourself, you set to work on cleaning the kitchen.

————–

You were nearly done with kitchen clean up when Bucky wandered in the kitchen with a bouquet of roses looking frazzled. You were half tempted to chuckle but something stopped you. He paced frantically, mumbling quietly to himself. Rose petals began falling to the floor.

“Something wrong, Barnes?” you asked. He didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to stare completely through you. Sometimes those clear blue eyes of his were unnerving.

“I just…need everything to be perfect, you know? Natasha, she’s—I mean, she’s everything and I just need everything to be perfect.”

A wave of understanding coursed through you. He and Natasha had been a couple only a few months but the way they were together seemed as though they’d been that way all their lives. Setting aside the last of the dishes and drying your hands, you moved to stand in front of Bucky. Gripping his worried face in your hands, you forced him to stop pacing and look at you.

“Barnes, I’m sure whatever you have in mind will be absolutely flawless. She’s going to love it just because you took the time and effort to plan it out. Trust me, it’ll be fantastic,” you said. He visibly relaxed under your assurances. Suddenly his lady-killer smile lit up his entire face; with a wink he thanked you. You watched him saunter off to impress the love of his life. With a small smile on your face, you couldn’t help but feeling a little envious; you missed Thor.

—————-

Unbeknownst to you, Thor had enlisted the help of Steve, Tony and Bruce to plan your Valentine’s surprise. The boys were working as quickly as they could to cover your room in the thousands of Asgardian flowers Thor brought back from his secret trip. It was his first Valentine’s with a Midgardian and he wanted it to be the best one he could create. Tony and Steve spent the last two weeks teaching Thor different romantic techniques they thought would help him impress you. Bruce stood off to the side laughing at their collective ridiculousness. Romance had never been his forte.

“[Y/N] is approaching the room, sir,” alerted FRIDAY. Thor froze in panic. They weren’t ready yet!

“Quick, Steve, go distract her!” Tony half whispered.

“Me? Why me? Why not you? Everyone knows you’re the king of distractions,” Steve sassed back.

“That’s not—that’s a very good point actually. Thor needs me and Bruce here to set up the projection system, so it has to be you.” Bruce was busy setting up the laptop to stream Thor’s surprise to the silk screen Tony was currently installing in your ceiling. Steve sighed in resignation. He left your room only to collide with you in the hallway.

“Oh shit, are you okay, Cap?” you asked rubbing your nose.

“I’m alright, [Y/N]. Seems like I should be asking you that question,” he laughed. You shot him half a smile; the pain in your nose faded quickly. Wait…what was Steve doing in your room?

“…Isn’t that….my room?”

“Uh yeah, Tony needed my help with some of the upgrades he’s doing,” he half lied. Lucky for him, he was believable.

“Oh…okay.”

“Have you had lunch yet?”

“It’s only 11 am, Steve.”

“All I’m hearing is ‘feed me, Steve’.”

“Hahaha, okay. What did you have in mind?” He led you away from your room and back to the kitchen. Even though Steve was doing his best to distract you, the feeling he was hiding something was unshakable. What was going on??

When the sound of voices faded away completely, Bruce gave the all clear sign. A uniform sigh of relief echoed through the room. Tony finished installing the screen and was showing Thor how to work the remote to raise and lower it. Bruce put the final touches on the laptop projection set up. The flowers were beautifully arranged around your room. An assortment of chocolate kisses and jolly ranchers were scattered across your bed. A stack of your favourite movies and a large bowl of popcorn were set up on your nightstand. Everything was perfect.

“You sure you got it, ThunderBoy? I’m happy to give you another tutorial,” Tony teased.

“I’m from another world, Tony. I’m not an idiot.” Between Thor’s annoyed stare and Tony’s shocked face, Bruce couldn’t help but laugh out loud.  

“I keep telling him that, but his ego prevents him from believing people can be smarter than him,” laughed Bruce.

“Okay, okay. That’s enough making fun of Tony. I get it, I’m an ass sometimes. You want me to go get her?”

Thor nodded graciously, “Please.”

——-

Who knew Steve Rogers was such a crack up? Your lunch was long forgotten since you, Sam and Pietro were doubled over with laughter.

“Did you really tell him ‘I can do this all day?’” Your sides and cheeks ached; Steve was doing a damn good job of cheering you up.

“What can I say,” Steve replied, “I’ve never been one to back down from a bully.”

At this point Pietro had fallen to the floor laughing uncontrollably. You weren’t sure what was funnier: Pietro making a complete fool of himself, Sam laughing like an idiot at him or Steve’s beet red face as he was telling embarrassing stories from his pre-serum days. Tony strode into the room, clapping his hands for attention; even in his pjs he had to make an entrance. Bruce trailed in less ostentatiously behind him. You rolled your eyes at his antics.

“What’s up, Stark?”

“A certain Asgardian deity as requested the presence of [Y/N] in her chambers,” he said with a sly smirk. Your face lit up like a Christmas tree. Thor was back!

“If you lovely gentlemen would excuse me,” you stated. They grinned mischievously at you. Something was definitely up.

Thor paced your room nervously awaiting your arrival. He’d never been lucky enough to plan something so extravagant or romantic for someone. Even though the two of you were just friends, he hoped you would be open to something a little more. He hoped you’d love it. He hoped you’d love him. Your heart raced in anticipation; your friendship with your favourite Avenger was arguably the best thing about living on the Compound. If you were more honest with yourself, you’d admit friendship wasn’t the only reason you loved spending time with him. Nothing could have prepared you for what awaited you in your room.

Thor heard the door open and glanced up anxiously. You were utterly frozen in the doorway. Your spy training made your face nearly impossible to read; Thor’s enhanced hearing picked up the pounding of your heart. He hoped that was a good thing.

“Holy…” you breathed. The sight of nearly two thousand Asgardian lilies covering the entirety of your room stole your breath away. It only seemed to get better from there. A trail of petals formed a path from the door to the bed. Two kinds of your favourite candy decorated the mattress. Your eyes finally settled on a nervous Asgardian in the middle of the room. You gasped softly. Standing before you, dressed in a red v neck and faded jeans was the man who had somehow managed to build a home in your heart. He looked beautiful.

“Do you like it?” he whispered.

Words were lost to you. Your mind was blank with shock. Reacting on nothing but pure instinct, you launched yourself into Thor’s arms. A gentle ‘oof’ escaped his mouth when he caught you; he laughed and picked you up easily. Burying your face into his neck, you wrapped your legs around his waist. You could feel his heart pumping in rhythm with yours. Home.

Thor wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he’d get from you when you finally saw your surprise. This was everything. Holding you in his arms, your heartbeat in total sync with his was nothing short of perfection. If this is the kind of reaction he’d get then Valentine’s Day was definitely a Midgardian holiday he’d have to celebrate more often.

“I missed you so much, Thor,” you murmured into his neck.

“I missed you too, Princess,” he said into your hair. He shifted underneath you and you became painfully aware that you were indeed wrapped around his waist like a child. Way to go, [Y/N]. That’s not obvious at all. Quickly dislodging yourself from your friend, you stepped back and grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry,” you mumbled. His deep laughter echoed through the room. Hooking his finger under your chin, he lifted your embarrassed face to meet his gaze. You were thankful your dark skin prevented you from visibly blushing. A warm smile and eyes you could absolutely get lost in greeted you kindly.

“Please don’t be embarrassed. I don’t mind.” He pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head. Oh no, you were already addicted to the feeling of his lips on your skin. Oh no.

Clearing your throat, you gestured around the room. “Did you really do all this for me?”

“Yes. I did however, have some help. I was told grand gestures of romance were the best way to tell someone how you feel about them.” He watched your perfectly groomed eyebrows furrow in confusion. Did he just say…?

“How you feel…?” You couldn’t bring yourself to cross that bridge just yet.  Feeling slightly lightheaded, you decided sitting down was the safest option to receive his news. Thor sat next to you, taking your hands in his. His oceanic blue eyes were hopeful; you could stare at them until the end of time. He opened his mouth to speak but the words escaped him. For once he wished he had Loki’s gift of word craft or Baldr’s gift for poetry. He saw your face fall. Surely you couldn’t think he didn’t love you? Since words failed him, he decided to do what he’s always done best: take action.

To say you were stunned when Thor kissed you was the understatement of the century. His massive hands dwarfed your face as he softly pressed his lips to yours. An astonished squeak escaped your throat. He pulled away quickly, searching your face for any kind of rejection.

“[Y/N]?”

In moments like these, you were horrendously notorious for putting your foot in your mouth. So, you did the only thing you could think of; you kissed him back. Thor’s eyes widened briefly in surprise before shutting in relief; you wanted him too. Kissing Thor was definitely better the second time around. His lips were impossibly soft against yours. Your fingers found their way into his hair and he nipped your bottom lip in response. Happy Valentine’s Day to you. Much to your disappointment, Thor pulled away again.

“As much as I would greatly enjoy a continuance, there is more to your surprise,” he said breathlessly. Cocking your head to the side, you looked at him in confusion. What more could he have? He pulled a small silver remote from his pocket and pressed a few buttons. The windows were suddenly darkened with black out shades and an illuminated silver screen lowered itself from your ceiling. He pressed more buttons; the faint whirring of a projector echoed softly.   The opening credits of a favourite movie of yours glowed brightly on the screen. Tony had outdone himself!  Clearing away some of the candy, you and Thor got comfortable on your bed. He tucked you into his side and handed you the bowl of popcorn. He really planned it all.

“Is there anything else that’s supposed to appear from the ceiling or did we cover everything?” you asked with a cheesy grin on your face. His responding laughter shook the mattress, dislodging some of the candy.

“That is indeed everything,” he grinned. Satisfied there weren’t any more hidden surprises, you pulled him in for another kiss.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Thor.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Princess.”

END

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