#rebel-author-chick

[lady-of-the-spirit]

Does Marianne have a favorite person to hang out with among the other mutants?

- @rebel-author-chick

While Moira is her favourite person from the team to hang out with - because women support women in this house and I love Moira Mactaggert - Marianne's favourite mutant is Sean. She's been looking out for him since he was a kid. They live in the same neighbourhood and Sean wandered into her store one day when he was little and they've been good friends ever since. She definitely mom friends him the most because of their history, but their history makes it easy to just hang out with him. (Charles and Erik might become good friends with her as well, but no one else on the team will ever replace Sean as her favourite and everyone knows it.)

[stitchlingbelle]

Watching Halo, episode 1

Things I Know About Halo:

The Master Chief is a badass supersoldier who Doesn't Take Off His Helmet.* (I thought it had turned out he was a woman and the fan base rioted but apparently I mixed him up with Samus Aran?) There's a couple AI people, Roland the orange dude and Cortana the hot chick. There's a guy named Arbiter, I think he's an alien? Aliens destroy a lot of planets. There's some sort of mystical Old Ones leftover tech? (Is that the Halo part?) Names I have heard: Miranda Keyes, Dr. Halsey, Makee, Thomas Lasky, Chyler Silva**

That established, let's give this thing a go!

Nice opening scene. The costuming and set design are good, definitely have that Star Wars-esque vibe but are doing some of their own specific things that ground the world. The characters definitely gave you that lived-in-universe feel of established relationships and community right away. (Also I'm delighted by their use of Korean and their made-up alien language. Again, nice worldbuilding.) I am, however, confused. There's also an entire rebelling against the galactic empire thing going on? No one told me this. How do these people find the time with all the aliens?

Oh shit, THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE ALIENS. Oh noooo.

The violence is really well done. The explosion plus blood splatter shot was great. Good use of camera work to minimize the more difficult to pull off FX shots while still getting the brutality across. The helmet-cam shots are a good storytelling choice while also being a fun nod to the games. I do not envy the stunt people fighting in these suits, though. They made them look powerful. They did not make them look dexterous, graceful or effectively designed for hand-to-hand combat.

Noooo they killed the little kid! ...and everybody else. Man, I liked those guys. Poor Kwan. (Is she in the games? Is she this ineffective? She was like, I'm going to help! and then just... didn't.) And then the Spartans just... walk off?

DO NOT TOUCH THE WEIRD ALIEN TECH. You're a Master Chief! I have it on good authority that keeping people from touching things they shouldn't is a major part of your job! Set a good example for your troops! Also, check your six.

It's Dr. Halsey! Mad scientist alert, this woman does NOT seem to adhere to ethical guidelines. Nice lab coat. I don't trust you. Why do you have a person in a pod? (Why do you have them right where your boss can see them if they're not supposed to exist?) Who's Miranda Keyes and why do you have beef with her? Departmental rivalry?

Wow, Miranda is a lot younger than I expected. Also, that was terrible. Take care of the girl, butter her up, THEN ask her for shit. And do it in person, the hologram thing was weird and off-putting. Not sure that Kwan thought this through-- there's a happy medium between agreeing to be their propaganda mouthpiece and openly threatening to lie and say they caused the massacre, sweetie.

Alien homeworld (or homebase, idk)-- very cool design, good effects-- why is there a human here? Oh, THIS is Makee? What is her deal? Great costuming.

HALSEY IS MIRANDA'S MOM??? Wtf. Also I like Miranda, I don't think she knows what she's doing outside of her (own) lab but it sounds like her heart's in the right place. Great parting shot at dad, but also, maybe that's why your parents worked (for however long. Are they still together or not?)

Great scene with Kwan and Master Chief over the meal. Humanize him with a joke and then WHAM, dead mom story. I like how they're not letting you assume that Madrigal's people were just wrong about the Spartans. Nope, straight up, this guy commits atrocities because he never questions his orders. (She implied that she was there? How did that part go down?) Fortunately teenagers question everything, especially orders! Just in time to make you question this one...

From here on out it's action action action, with a lot of quick character bits mixed in (Halsey and Captain Keyes exchanging looks, the Spartans all listening to Halsey above their orders, high command doesn't trust their own creations-- how many different ways of monitoring their own ships do they have? This is taking surveillance state to a whole new level.)

YAY for Kwan getting a useful moment! If human strength does not avail, use guns tools, that's what we invented them for. No, Kwan, this man does not have a plan. I'm kinda sad the alien artifact activated, it would have been entertaining to watch the other Spartans get involved. (John: "This is our new pet. No, we will not be handing her over to be executed. Yes, she hates us all for very specific valid personal reasons. Roll with it.") Aaaand off they go, escaping to where? Not sure they know and I, with approximately 1% knowledge of this universe, certainly do not.

Finally, hopping back to address the One True Issue that divides the fandom: the helmet scene. It depends on how much the Never Remove the Helmet thing is an irl game artistic choice vs an in-universe character choice. If it's not an actual THING for John-117 himself, then I don't have any problem with it. Different mediums and all that. If it's like the Mandalorian thing, then yeah, it felt a little rushed, but still a necessary moment for humanizing him and building trust ASAP with a hostile teenage girl with a gun.

In conclusion: this was much better than I was expecting! I really enjoyed it and will probably watch the rest of the season while I bake today. And honestly it's been so long since I watched scifi on TV that it was sort of nostalgic? I was just ridiculously pleased by things like establishing shots of Reach and futuristic teenager haircuts.

Thanks so much to ATBNL and @sarnakhwritesthings for talking me into this!

*Has anyone done a 'John-117 is a Mandalorian' crossover yet? Someone definitely has, right?

**The last two do not appear in the TV show and also one is dead, except they're actually alive and married because @authortobenamedlater is in charge here.

[auradon-bore-a-don]

20 Qs for fic writers

I was tagged by @benjaycaptain to do this and it looks like fun plus I'm definitely not procrastinating anything either so im definetly not avoid other things

1. How many works do you have on A03?

12 total, 5 on this pseudo and 7 on my other pseudo

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

20,637

3. What fandoms do you write for?

On Auradon-bore-a-don - Descendants

On Rebel-Author-Chick - Marvel, DC, Supernatural, Lunar Chronicles and whatever current fandom I'm in. (though I haven't written for any of these fandoms in a few years)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

As of right now (on both Pseudos):

Harley, We're Lesbians (DC)

The Perfect Christmas (Descendants)

Better Than That (Marvel)

A Hard Day's Night (Marvel)

A Gift Fit for a Princess (Descendants)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try and reply to all comments, but there are some that I just forget to rely to, but I save all the email notifications of comments to look back on later!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oof, I write fluff 99% of the time and haven't actually posted anything angsty yet. The closest I've come is probably Detectives but that's barley angst.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All my fics have happy endings in some way (usually open ended) but I suppose Into the Woods as it ends in engagement?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, I haven't received any hate.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I've written 1 smut story - Better Than That - and I'm not opposed to writing more (probably not on this account tho).

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No, not really, I don't usually read crossovers either except for when i was in high school - I was BIG into Rise of the Brave Tangled Guardians lol.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No I haven't.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope, wouldn't be opposed though.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I'm a big shipper so it's hard to choose just one. In Descendants though it definitely Huma.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have so many WIPs and have no idea if I'll write any of them tbh. I really need to just start writing.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told I'm good at writing dialogue by my teachers and class in college.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Showing and not telling and probably grammar/tenses.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I wouldn't do it justice - the most I could do is use google translate and I know that is barley accurate in the best situations. If I ever write in another language it'd be a sentence or phrase and I'd probably preface it with saying it's translated.

19. First fandom you wrote for? ever?

Teen Titans (2003)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Either Harley We're Lesbians or Better Than That - HWL because it was really fun to write and BTT because it was my first smut fic and I was really proud of myself writing it.

Tagging @lady-of-the-spirit, @panthera-tigris-venenata and anybody who wants to do this meme!

[growup-thatbeautiful]

The Proposal Headcannons

Series Masterlist

Taglist: @timmyslover @fayhar @username23345 @natashalovers @tasteslikeicedcoffee @hoeforwandanat @angie-1746 @steveharringtonisadisasterdotcom @whore4nat @romanoffswrld @marrymemcgrath @pawiie @sapphosclosefriend @fabgronsky @tastingcevans @kawaiitoga @xxsekhmet @natblackwidow2 @silver-lotus @m-zne237 @imnotslouching @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @wildnightadventures @m4ddie3 @natflough04 @losethetimewqr @rebel-author-chick @333hhm @mrscromanoff @imobsessedwithmilfss @unexpected-character

A/n: hi guys! i have been completely unable to write anything more based on The Proposal, but i’ve gotten a few requests. while i’m not really up to writing the epilogue (yet, i promise i’ve been trying very hard to find some direction. it’s just…been hard), i would love to share a few little headcannons about this story that’s meant so much to me.

idk how many of you know this, but the proposal was my first series i wrote period, so it’s got a very special place in my heart. enjoy <33 without further ado,

the proposal headcannons

after the events of the proposal, you and natasha have a lot of catching up to do

needless to say, you don’t regret anything at all, and neither does natasha. technically you’re married, but you hardly know other

your first real date would be breakfast before work because, let’s be honest, you don’t have a lot of time. natasha’s started working less, which is amazing for both her and you, buy the schedule is still fairly rigorous

anyway, you’re first date is at the coffee shop where you usually pick up her coffee. she’s never actually been there despite the fact that she’s had their coffee for years. there’s a small table in the corner up against the window where you can watch people pass by the busy streets

for the first time, she orders coffee and brings it to you, and you drink what you actually like (not a second drink of hers unless you spill it)

across from you, natasha looks just like she always does. hair pulled half up and half down, there’s a golden flower clip holding her hair up. her white short sleeved dress shirt is tucked into a grey pencil skirt. you still haven’t been able to convince her to stop wearing insanely high stiletto heels

that first date is where you make a rule about no work-related talk on dates, which makes the beginning a little awkward, but it’s easily overcome when you spill coffee all over yourself

afterwards, you walk together to work, and it’s actually really nice to just walk along with her presence beside you

your third date is wedding ring shopping. legally, you’re already married, but neither one of you has a ring. you don’t go for anything traditional, because so far none of the rest of it has been traditional either

it’s natasha who suggests in a quiet voice when you’re sitting in the couch together at her apartment that you pick out each others rings

when you first arrive at the jewelry store, you’re a little overwhelmed because there are so many options, but natasha is there by your side, holding your hand

“it’s okay, love. i’m sure whatever you pick out is going to be beautiful. and if jt isn’t, then i’ll wear it proudly anyway. not everyone can say that their wife picked their ring out three dates after they were married, huh?”

she kisses you on the cheek and sets determinedly on her way to find your ring, and you wander around looking for hers

nothing sticks out to you at first, all diamonds and twisted bands that look the same to you, but you’re passing by the back counter something sticks out

it’s a bright red gem placed in the middle of a rose gold and diamond lining, shaped circularly and attached to a similar rose gold band. you immediately know it’s perfect for natasha. it’s her fire, her hair, her passion. it’s perfect.

you pick it out and pay for it then wait by the door for natasha. she doesn’t take much longer, and you two head to her apartment together

over the time you’ve spent with her, you’ve become much more comfortable in her living space. part of that, you’re sure, is that it’s bigger than yours used to be, but it’s also a mix of both of you’re styles, natasha’s modern-comfortable furniture clashes wonderfully with your many blankets and brightly colored pillows.

tonight, you sit together on the floor by the wall of windows that overlook the city, facing each other crossed-legged. she’s got a famaliar looking red dino in her lap and you have a blanket thrown over you shoulders. in between you are the jewelry boxes of both of your rings

you go first. with shaking hands, you give natasha her box. her smoothing smile does little to calm your nerves.

“if you don’t like it we can take it back,” you say quickly, praying that she does like it.

“calm down,” she chides, reaching across the space in between you for your hand. “i trust you.”

you had absolutely no reason to worry. when she sees the ring, she covers her mouth with her hand and her gaze flits excitedly between you and the ring. “love,” she breathes, taking it out of the box carefully, “it’s beautiful. thank you.”

once she has it on her finger, your box is handed to you and you open it slowly. inside, nestled between black velvet is a vintage blue stone, outlined by rose gold and diamonds.

“i picked it because it matches the necklace your grandma gave me,” natasha explains softly. “i love having part of your family around my neck, and i want you to be part of that too.”

(natasha always wears the baby blue necklace around her neck. since she’s gotten it, you haven’t seen her without it, and it’s become a habit of hers to take it between her fingers and play with it)

it’s so completely well thought out and picked with such sentiment that you feel tears spring in your eyes. natasha takes your newly ringed hand and kisses the ring in your finger gently, and you can’t help but get closer to her.

your hands go around her neck and you wrap your legs around her waist. natasha laughs and brings her hands to cup your face.

“i guess we’re really married, huh?” she asks, running her thumb across your cheekbone. the metal of the ring on her finger is cool against your skin and you lean into it.

“i guess so,” you grin. with her hands holding you and her body underneath you, there’s no where else you’d rather be.

p.s. here are the rings that i had in mind for you and natasha :))

[ironverseocs]

Hello! I'm @rebel-author-chick and you are on my bingo OC Creator Bingo card. Your OCs look so cool, I can't wait to learn more about them!

1. How close is William to Pepper and Happy? What about Peter?

2. What does Melissa think of Kirk? Does she take after her dad in personality?

3. Has The Soldier ever come across The Doctor? What do they think of each other?

4. Out of her parents who does Lana take after more?

5. Out of all your OCs, who is your favorite to write for? Which is the hardest to write for?

I know this is LONG passed Bingo, looong overdue, and I apologise for that. However, I still want to give your ask the love and attention it deserves, so here goes me answering all your lovely questions. :)

—

Happy Hogan is close to both the Stark-Potts kids due to the nature of his relationship with their parents, Pepper and Tony. I would say he has more inside jokes with Morgan who spends a little more time with him, but he loves William just as much. Will, being an introverted ADHDer, chooses to spend most of his time hyperfocused on his projects as he prefers the stimulation he receives from them as opposed to other people. He is also close to Pepper what with her being his mom and all. She makes sure to keep a closer eye on her son to make sure he doesn't forget TOO much of life while holed up with his projects. As Will grows closer towards adulthood, Pepper has had to prod him into the "real" world more and more frequently.

Melissa likes Kirk. For the longest while, she and him had a solid platonic relationship, and she held strongly to the word platonic as that's where she both felt they were best and also where she felt most comfortable with men in general (regarding her ambitions and her personal life matters she was mindful of at the time). Around the end of Into Darkness, however, she and him do get together romantically.

The Soldier has come across the Doctor before and they are surprisingly neutral looking on their fellow kin. Of course, they are glad that they aren't the only Timelord anymore, but they don't feel much of a connection between their mentality/outlooks on the universe's happenings, and they don't judge the difference either. Unlike The Doctor, who does passively wrinkle his nose at The Soldier's tendency to jump in with a fight instinct instead of a figure it out one. When they do have to work together, however, they can flow rather well. There is a string of respect tying between them, and if one needed help, the other would assist.

Lana takes after her mother more in personality. She exhibits Nora's form of practicality and cunning over Ray's, as in she holds herself with an air of individualism and is first and foremost a self-possessed, self-aware person. While of course she cares for other people, Lana thinks of her own needs and wants before that of others.

I have two favourites and can't narrow it down any further. My favourites are Stephen Knope-Wyatt and Jared Williamson. The hardest muse to write for is probably Shiloh, my son of Tyche from the Percy Jackson fandom. He's probably the hardest because I don't really know what kind of story he's best suited for and can't really think up a plot (still) for him.

Thank you for the ask, @rebel-author-chick! Hope you had a great time during Bingo while it was still happening, and sorry again for answering your questions super late.

-

Forever tag list: @arrthurpendragon @foxesandmagic @shrinkthisviolet | if you'd like to be added, send me an ask or dm!

[littletonpace]

Second and Third bingo!

Completed:

This one for @rebel-author-chick This one for @dolce-elegy This one for @thecaptainsgingersnap This one for @darknightfrombeyond This one for @curiousdamage This one for @nixdragon This one for @supermarine-silvally This one for (my Free) - @jemmalynette This one for @bravelittleflower This one for @avatarskywalker78 This one for @come-along-pond This one for @lady-of-the-spirit This one for @the-lastcall This one for @that-demigirl This one for @aquillis-main This one for @spirit-animal-sisters-official This one for @wordspin-shares taglist: @jemmalynette , @allaboutocs, @ochub, @arrthurpendragon, @ocappreciationtag, @oc-challenges

[bravelittleflower]

Hello! I'm @rebel-author-chick and you are on my OC Creator Bingo card!

1. What is Bobbie's relationship with Bruce like?

2. What does Sign do after the events of Ragnarok when Thanos comes across the ship?

3. What powers does Thea have?

4. How involved was Sophie during the events of Iron Man?

5. Which OC do you want to write more about but haven't had the chance yet?

Hello, thank you for the asks!

1. Bobbie and Bruce dint have much of a relationship besides strictly professional tbh. Neither of them find a common ground where a friendship could start and they stayed aonly as collegues.

2. Tbh sigyn is still on earth when Thanos attacks the Asgardian space ship. So she only gets the news after the incident. She was always terrified of Thanos and that fear never went away.

3. Thea doesn't have any powers. But she is a person that got reincarnated and has her memories intact which means she knows what needs to be done to avoid the apocalypse which is why the commission is after her.

4.sophie was always a target because Sophie is Tony's sister therefore pretty much everyone knew that she was also one of his weaknesses.

5. Currently I'm trying to focus on Nora Osborn a "into the spider-verse oc" and Grace Salvatore an TVD oc

[come-along-pond]

Hello! This is @rebel-author-chick and you are on my OC Creator Bingo card! I gotta say your OCs sound amazing and I will definitely be checking out their stories!

1. Florence Hargreeves, what are her powers? Which sibling does she get along with most? What did she think about Vanya's book?

2. What are Carola's thoughts about Thor? Does Loki trying to take over earth cause a rift between them? Does she have any powers?

3. What are Olive's hobbies? How did she feel seeing Steve for the first time after he got frozen? Did she and Bucky have a favorite thing to do together?

4. What is AU!Rain's relationship with Audrey? Who are her closest friends at Auradon (besides Ben)?

5. How does Rain feel when she meets Rapunzel and Eugene for the first time after finding out the truth? How much does she take after Gothel? Does she ever get to express her feelings about being taken away from her family to Gothel?

omg hi!!!! im so glad you like my ocs and i love the ones you chose, super excited to talk to you more if you wanna stick around my blog! answers below the cut!

1. Florence Hargreeves, what are her powers? Telekinesis and mind control! Which sibling does she get along with most? Klaus! They had similar coping mechanisms and personalities! What did she think about Vanya's book? Hm, she understood why they wrote it, but was really hurt by what was said about her and her everyone else’s trauma was ignored.

2.What are Carola's thoughts about Thor? Besties!!! In another life they so get together. Does Loki trying to take over earth cause a rift between them? Yes!!!! Cara is on earth at the time and he tries to get her to join him and she’s like ‘no lol’. Does she have any powers? no! but she does know a few spells! im thinking she lowkey becomes an asgardian witch

3. What are Olive's hobbies? In the 40s, she was really interested in cosmetology, now she likes journaling. How did she feel seeing Steve for the first time after he got frozen? Oh she threw up. She saw him on TV and was so shocked and anxious she had to go to the loo. Did she and Bucky have a favorite thing to do together? Bucky liked dancing, Liv liked the cinema. They LOVED people watching.

4. What is AU!Rain's relationship with Audrey? They’re friends, in the most basic way. Audrey thinks she’s better than Rayne, Rayne thinks Audrey needs to go to therapy. Who are her closest friends at Auradon (besides Ben)? Jane! I’m thinking of maybe giving her some oc besties but shes a bit of a loner, some could say she was destined to be with Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay.

5. How does Rain feel when she meets Rapunzel and Eugene for the first time after finding out the truth? How much does she take after Gothel? Does she ever get to express her feelings about being taken away from her family to Gothel?

Okay imma answer this one as a chunk because they all link together really well! I’m a firm believer in nurture over nature, but that includes the society you grew up in. So Rain learnt a LOT from her friends. But still, before going to Auradon, she has no problems manipulating and using people, she got that from Gothel.

So! at the end of D1, Rain is skeptical about Gothel (and so is everyone else lol), and has spent the weekend with the a Fitzherberts cos Ruby is her roommate, and that family is like 👀. SO she goes to the isle and confronts gothel and there’s a screaming match. Rain returns to o her dorm and Ruby us in bed and she just gets in next to her and SOBS.

Rain is avoiding it all for a month lol, and Ruby is still her roommate, and Ethan is still running photography club, and Ben is trying to get her to see her parents. She’s confused and upset, but also comforted when she meets them again.

[lady-of-the-spirit]

Hi, you're on my OC Creator Bingo card!

What is Joan's favorite era of history she's been alive for?

- @rebel-author-chick

Hello!! :)

Not to give a completely boring answer, but Joan's favourite era of history is probably been contemporary history - so the 20th century and further forward. While she's been alive so long she barely recognizes what time periods actually are, because everything to her has just been her living her life, in the past century she's seen a lot of developments that historically, people have only dreamed of. There have been horrors and failures beyond her wildest imagination, but there has also been blessings and improvements. Humanity fucking walked on the moon! People have become more connected than ever! Indoor plumbing! Movies! While she recognizes how bad things are and were, she also recognizes how much good has been done. (The fashion has been really cool, too.)

(This also puts her at odds with Andy. not in actions, but more in philosophy.)

[fattybattysblog]

Hello there, this is @rebel-author-chick! I have you on my OC Creator Bingo card! You have a lot of cool ocs, since there are so many, its hard for me to choose just a few so I'll keep it general.

1. What are some of your OCs favorite things to do in their off time?

2. Which OC is your favorite to draw?

3. Which OC was the most fun to create?

4. Which OC was the hardest to create?

5. Which OC do you create things for the most?

I'll have to pick a few per answer or we'll be here all day, lmao. Thanks for asking BTW!

1. Who hasn't been given a pasttime yet... hm...

- Saphira likes to sit with her friends doing whatever they want to do.

- Velka sits with her reflection, wondering why it feels so off.

- Arin plays with her younger Pokemon.

- Amea wanders the twilight realm where she feels alone but more at home.

2. Saphira, easily. She's a very simple design and she looks cute in everything she shows up in~

3. Cedric was the most fun to create design wise. He's way more intricate than what I'm used to. Opia might be the most fun story wise. I spent a long time fitting her into her source game. Or Amea for same reason.

4. Valus and Judge were really hard to make. Valus underwent 4 previous designs before I found an eyeless Incubus I liked. Judge still doesn't have a portrait, lmao.

5. Saphira. She has like 4 AUs, a bunch of fanfics, working on a book, countless drawings, commissions bought by others, 1 previous design and several alternate forms (not even including her shifted forms).

[thechaoticfanartist]

I was tagged by @rebel-author-chick and @shrinkthisviolet do this uquiz as my OCs but for me that's just Grim lol.

fervently.

you crave a hug that cracks your ribs... the feeling of your wandering soul being crushed back into the bones that can't seem to hold it. you need a hand gripping yours so tightly you almost fear it may leave a bruise, a reminder that you are here. and that you are not alone.

I'm tagging anyone who wants to do this!

[growup-thatbeautiful]

Read the other parts here!

A/n: guys…it’s here. the last part. thank you so much for staying with this. shoutout to my amazing betas: @mrscromanoff @natashalovers i love ya’ll <333

Word Count: 7k

so, there are a few warnings for this chapter! take care of yourself, please. if you want to skip a part feel free to message me. warnings: drowning, homophobia, dads, angst, past trauma, light kissing, cold

Taglist: @mrscromanoff @timmyslover @fayhar @username23345 @natashalovers @tasteslikeicedcoffee @hoeforwandanat @angie-1746 @steveharringtonisadisasterdotcom @whore4nat @romanoffswrld @marrymemcgrath @pawiie @sapphosclosefriend @fabgronsky @tastingcevans @kawaiitoga @xxsekhmet @natblackwidow2 @silver-lotus @m-zne237 @imnotslouching @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @wildnightadventures @m4ddie3 @natflough04 @losethetimewqr @rebel-author-chick @333hhm @mrscromanoff @imobsessedwithmilfss @unexpected-character

The Proposal Part Six

The boat cuts through the icy waters like a knife, deep blue rushing underneath you. Beside you, Natasha is sitting in one of the front seats, hair whipping around her head, red strands flying everywhere. After your realization on the dock, the two of you decided to just head home. Neither one of you is emotionally equipped for such deep conversations today, and the temptation of doing nothing is too much. Somehow, you even convinced Natasha to come on the boat with you in a matter of seconds.

You want to memorize the moment, and keep it with you forever. You don’t know how to do that, though, so you resign yourself to making it the most memorable you can. This won’t be just another magical, supposed life-changing memory that you forget the next day. No, this will be with you. It’s a plea, a dedication you tell yourself instead of accepting the inevitable bad ending of this all.

“Do you want to learn how to drive the boat?”

“Fuck no,” laughs Natasha. “I’m not an advocate for water sporting.”

“Obviously I know that,” you say. “But isn’t it better to face your adversary and take control of the situation? Show it who’s the boss?”

“I can literally show you that I’m your boss and don’t have to listen to a word that you’re saying right now,” suggests Natasha helpfully, raising an eyebrow at you. You choose to ignore the butterflies in your stomach at the way she’s looking at you. For now, at least.

“Very funny. Sounds to me like you’re just scared.”

“Obviously I’m scared. The ocean is fucking terrifying. We know more about space than we know about the ocean. Even shallow parts are mysteries to us, not to mention the bottom where fish bigger than your house live. So, yeah, I’m scared.” Fortunately, you know Natasha well enough to know when you can push her further. Now is one of those times, especially since you two have opened up to each other so much recently. Maybe you can have another, albeit minuscule, effect on her life. She will not forget you or this if you have anything to say about it.

“You don’t seem like the person to let a little bit of fear control you.” The taunt does the job. With a perfected glare and an overdramatic sigh that might have worked as a fear tactic for someone else, she gets out of the passenger seat.

She sits in the seat and you stand behind her, slowing the boat down to a learner's pace. Then, slowly, you take her through the steps that you’ve known your whole life. It’s strange to be teaching them because they’re embedded so far into your nature. Things you do naturally you now have to explain and think about. Now you understand why Natasha always went so slow when she was helping you improve your editing skills. What you thought had been her underestimating you really had been like this. Teaching something so closely aligned with your heart isn’t easy. She’s always been trying to help you, even when she didn’t use the best words or tone.

Predictably, Natasha is a fast learner. She quickly picks up the details, which shouldn't surprise you as much as it does. You know for a fact that she has at least three different types of licenses for motorcycles, helicopters, and, for some reason and despite her fear, planes.

“I’m doing it! Look!” You’re pulled back out of your thoughts by Natasha’s voice, clear and cutting through your distracting haze. The excitement in her voice is enough to make you cry. Honestly, you can’t really believe that she’s even doing this. For an unexplained reason, one that you hope to learn at some point, she’s never gotten close to any large bodies of water without you forcefully dragging her across them. Her hair is flying across her face hiding the huge grin you get glimpses of.

“Natasha, keep your eyes ahead,” you laugh, reaching over her to straighten out the wheel. She looks forward again, and you miss seeing her joy, but you’d rather not crash the boat today.

Everything is going smoothly when another boat comes up beside you. With horror, you realize that it’s someone you know from high school. This particular person never appreciated your honesty or, well, anything about you, not that you ever cared. People always talked, you just learned not to listen. Unfortunately, that gave the impression of over-confidence or superiority, a blatantly false perception of you.

All to say, he holds a bit of a grudge against you and is the type of person to hold said grudge. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when in true asshole fashion, he swerves in front of your boat. Running on pure instinct and survival, you grab the wheel and yank it to the side roughly. For a moment, you feel suspended in the air, and then there’s the rushing feeling that nothing is beneath you. Everything else returns with a crack of your head against the inside of the boat. There’s a ringing noise in your ears that fades with his laughter. With dulled senses, you look around for Natasha, hoping she didn’t get hit any harder than you.

Things come crashing back down when you realize that she’s not on the boat. You don’t see her red hair anywhere besides you or across from you, not even dangling on the side. If your hearing wasn’t so messed up you probably would have heard the calling of your name or the frantic crashing. Stumbling around to get to the wheel, you stop the boat abruptly and lunge over the side of the boat, looking for Natasha. A few meters away, you see her, fighting with water with everything she has.

“Shit, Natasha get in the boat!” It’s not the calmest thing to say, or the most helpful. In fact, it might be one of the worst things you can say, but it seems like all rational thinking has left your brain.

“What the fuck do you think I’m trying to do?” she sputters, arms flailing. Without a second thought, you fling your sweatshirt off and throw it to the side, hopping out of your shoes. You dive into the water, the cold hitting you a moment after you tell yourself to brace for it. With practiced movements you swim over to her, your arms hooking around her chest and pulling her back to the boat. She’s flailing wildly, trying her best to help.

“Natasha, stop moving. I can’t help you if I’m getting kicked and punched constantly. Please, come on, help me out, please,” you beg, voice breathy and shaking. It works, though, because she goes still in your arms as the water slides by you and you finally feel the smooth material of the boat behind you.

“Climb up.” You try to help as best you can, but you don’t really have too much leverage from treading in the water. As long as she gets in the boat and you aren’t sitting idly by. Or, rather, swimming idly by. You follow up after her and flop onto the deck of the boat, breathing heavily. Natasha is right beside you, just as wiped out as you are.

She’s wet all over, the cold water soaking into every part of her. You know the feeling well, but you’ve had your whole life to get used to freezing waters. Natasha doesn't even swim at the beach, where the water is warm and inviting. You’re not sure she even takes baths. You can’t even feel the cold seeping through your own skin, being too focused on her.

You don’t hesitate to take her sweatshirt off of her and give her yours that you took off earlier. The soaked one hits the floor with a satisfying noise.

“Try to stay warm. I’m driving us home.”

“You aren’t cold?” Natasha asks. It doesn’t contain her usual menace, though, because her teeth are chattering loudly. “I mean, I almost drowned and all, but you were in the water as well.”

“Why are you worrying about me right now?” you reply incredulously. “Natasha, I grew up falling off the dock at my house at least twice a year. I’ve had my whole life to prepare for things like this.” While you’re talking you set up the boat to go back home as soon as possible.

“You remember I grew up in Russia, right? One of the coldest places?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Still, I’m not taking any chances. Who would want frostbite the day before their wedding?” Natasha hums and curls tighter around your sweatshirt. Despite her words, you don’t believe for a second that she’s actually okay. You don’t know the reason behind her fear of the water, or her fear of planes, but you can’t imagine it steps from nothing. She hasn’t had the easiest life, as you’ve learned, so there’s probably an amount of trauma behind her fears. You want to give her the shortest opportunity possible to think about what just happened before you distract her with warm clothes and a scalding hot shower.

You arrive back at the house in a few minutes and do exactly that. Of course, you two fight about who goes first, being more concerned about the other person instead of yourselves. In the end, you convince Natasha to go, claiming that she’s the guest and it’s your high-school misgivings that technically led you here. Her counter that her bad driving was the cause is unheard by you as you push her into the bathroom.

While she showers you collect the warmest and comfiest clothes you have, rustling through sock drawers. You hear the water turn off and knock on the bathroom door gently.

“Natasha, I know you didn’t pack any warm clothes so I got some of mine out for you.” The door opens enough for you to pass her the items and shuts back closed. After some time, she comes out, dressed in your hoodie and sweatpants, wet hair lying across her shoulders in loose waves.

“Your turn,” she smiles. You nod and go into the bathroom.

The shower helps you warm up as well as clear your mind. Steaming water runs down your back and you think about everything that’s happened today. The intense high of talking with Natasha before getting on the boat, and then the terrifying moment when you couldn't find her. Followed by seeing her in the water, struggling more than you’ve seen her before, knowing that she can’t swim. She was powerless for the first time, and you were right there beside her, just as powerless for a second. A second that seemed like it lasted forever before you jumped into action and saved her.

It’s impossible not to think about all the other ways it could have gone today. You could have crashed the boat, or capsized. Natasha could have gone too far under, far enough that you can’t be there to save her. You couldn’t swim with her. The water was too cold. Ice in the water hit one of you. The scenarios run through your head rapidly, and you shake your head, trying to clear them away. It works well enough, but you can’t get rid of the emotions.

Natasha can help. Just seeing Natasha will help, you’re sure of it. There’s nothing like the comfort Natasha provides.

You get dressed quickly and make your way back into the bedroom, towards where Natasha is sitting in one of the large armchairs, legs curled up underneath her. Her face is still pale, and you can see her shaking, but you know it’s not from the cold.

“I know you won’t talk about it if you don’t want to,” you start. “But if you do want to talk, you know I’m here. Whatever you need, Natasha. Even if it’s hot cocoa or extra blankets.”

Natasha nods and looks at you where you’re seated across from her. “I never had anyone teach me how to swim. I don’t think Alexi knows how, and Melinda hates the beach. So I already didn’t really like being by the water, but then when I was with Yelena one day she fell into the water. I couldn’t help her, so I ran and found someone else. After that, I never wanted to be by any water. I guess I thought I would grow out of it, but I never did. Couldn’t get that image out of my mind, my baby sister so alone and helpless.”

“I’m so sorry, Natasha.” It feels like you’ve been saying that a lot to her, and it still doesn’t seem like enough.

“It’s fine,” she says, standing up. You mirror her, not wanting this to be brushed aside like it doesn’t matter.

“No, it’s not,” you protest quietly.

“Right, it’s not,” she agrees. “But it’s not something anyone can fix except for me, which I don’t really need. Not in the midst of everything else.”

You’re hesitant to ask, but you can’t help yourself. “Are you okay, though?”

“Probably, or at least I will be eventually. These things get better.” You don’t know what to say again. All words seem insignificant at the moment. So, in two steps you reach out and hug her tightly. After a moment of internally debating, she wraps her arms around you, locking them tightly.

You don’t know how long you stay like that. At some point, Natasha rests her head on your shoulder, her neck craned at an awkward angle. You can’t feel the telltale shaking of her shoulders to know if she’s crying, but you don’t think she is. This feels more relieved and calming than that.

“Honey, can I talk to you?” Your dad is knocking on the door, talking through it without opening it.

“Now’s not really a good time, dad,” you call, holding Natasha tighter. She does the same to you, her arms around your waist

“It’s important. We need to talk.”

“You should just go,” suggests Natasha.

“Yeah, but I really don’t want to. Are you sure you don’t need more hugs to warm yourself up?” Reluctantly, you let go of Natasha and flop onto the bed. Natasha follows you and lays beside you, pushing you off to the side.

Natasha laughs. “I’ll be fine, I can just ask your mom. She gives the best hugs, I’ve heard. Good try, though.”

“It was worth a shot.”

“It was a pretty lousy shot,” fires back Natasha.

“Are you coming?” calls your dad. “We really have to talk.”

“He’s persistent, I’ll give him that. Reminds me of someone,” notes Natasha. You glare at her and roll off the bed dramatically.

“Yeah, I get it. I’m just like my dad. Very funny.” With that, you walk out of the room and greet your dad.

“What’s up? Something you wanted to talk about?” He puts a hand on the small of your back and guides you to the back door, where he keeps going to the barn. He doesn’t say a word until he opens the barn door.

“I believe you two know each other,” says your dad, gesturing to a person in the shadows.

“How are the wedding plans going?” he taunts. You recognize the voice from that terrible meeting. It’s Mr. Smith.

“This gentleman has been telling me all about your situation with Natasha. How she’s going to be deported very soon, and how this marriage to her is nothing more than a ploy to keep her in the country. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“Dad, why are you believing a stranger over me? I’ve told you that I love Natasha and she loves me. Nothing about this is fake.”

“Well that’s simply not the truth,” scoffs Mr. Smith. “And your father asked you to be here. He said there was something slightly off about the way things are going on around here. Just a few calls, and then he finds out everything he needs to know. The deportation, your job is on the line, the fact that not one person thought of the two of you as romantic partners.”

“Obviously we had to hide it. You don’t date your boss and not keep it a secret, for reasons I don’t need to explain.” The lie slips off your tongue easily. “And you can ask anyone in the office. Natasha and I spent more time with each other than with anybody else. At some point, all those late nights can’t be explained by new books coming in. No one’s that busy.”

“You go through with this, and we can’t secure your safety. Just admit to what you’re doing and we can figure out the best-case scenario for you. Don’t waste your position in the world for her. I can assure you, you can find someone better who’s not your boss and not-“

“Not a woman?” Your dad has the decency to look abashed at that. “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but my homosexual tendencies aren’t going anywhere. And neither is Natasha. You can believe what you want to believe, but I’m marrying Natasha because it's what I want. She’s the one I’ve chosen to spend the rest of my life with, and you can process that by accusing us of lying to everyone I love, or you can accept the fact that someone loves me for who I am.”

“I find it hard to believe that Natasha is that person. Kiddo, she doesn't love you. At best she’s just using you. You’re a smart girl, so I don’t need to explain to you again how dire the consequences of, this can be.”

“I don’t need you to explain anything to me. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me to know that you don’t think anyone could marry me because they love me, but here we are. I thought you were trying to make things better between us, but I suppose that was fake too.”

You need to get out of this room as fast as possible. There’s nothing by danger in here. Danger and pain, which isn’t a combination you particularly enjoy.

Making up your mind, you shove past the two men in front of you and slam the door behind you, which is way more satisfying than it should be.

Immediately, you run into someone, stumbling, losing your balance, and landing ever so gracefully on the ground. Looming over you is your mother, who sees you and says, “There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you. I have a surprise for the brides to be.”

“Mom, you’ve already done enough, there’s no need for anything else,” you protest, knowing full well that it will get you pretty much nowhere. Your mother is nothing but stubborn, in the best way.

“Nonsense. If I can’t spoil my daughter on her wedding weekend, when can I possibly spoil you? Plus, I think you’ll like this surprise.” With that, she takes your hand and drags you off the ground, pulling you behind her.

Before you can enter through the porch door, your mom stops you and puts her hands on your shoulders. “Now, I know you don’t want to hear this, but from my experience, the best way to proceed in a situation like this is to just be yourself. There’s no need to be nervous at all, I’m sure she’ll love you.”

“What are you talking about?” you ask skeptically. “You aren’t making any sense.” She sighs and takes your hand, opening the door and pushing you in.

“It’s easier to show you.” Still confused, you dutifully let her guide you into the living room, where a woman you don’t recognize is sitting on the couch. She’s well dressed in an oversized brown corduroy jacket and matching pants, with chain jewelry and long blonde hair, half up in a clip. She looks vaguely familiar, but you can’t place from where. She stands and walks over towards you, looking you up and down. There’s something that reminds you of Natasha in the way she walks, the same confident and calculated walk.

The woman smiles and holds out a ringed hand for you to shake. “I’m Yelena. I’ve come to be at my sister’s wedding.” You stare at her for a moment, looking like an idiot, before you take her hand into your own. She’s wearing an array of rings, and her bracelets jingle as you introduce yourself to her.

It makes sense now that you thought she looked familiar. While you’ve never actually met her, or even seen a picture of her, she has the same air as Natasha, The killer smile and noticeable glint in her eye area a dead giveaway of her relation to her sister, and the idea that you can identify her simply due to her likeness in spirit to Natasha is a scary thought.

“Hi,” you finally respond, trying to regain your footing. “I’m Natasha’s fiancė.”

“Yes, I know who you are. Natasha has been telling me all about you for a while.” Yelena puts her hands on your shoulders and holds you away from her, looking you up and down. “I see why she chose you. From what I’ve heard you’re very much her type.”

“I am?” you ask warily. This is not what you were expecting when your mom said there was a surprise.

“Yes. You are very accomplished, I know that. Natasha has always been drawn to people that whom she can argue. That’s why she’s such a perfect sister for me.”

“What exactly has she told you about me?�� You’re genuinely curious, especially if Natasha’s been talking about you for “a while” as Yelena said.

“Everything and nothing,” shrugs Yelena. “She says you’re a pain in her ass and you talk back too much, but she couldn’t get anything done without your help. You’re scared to stand up to people you think are smarter than you, but you do it anyway when they insult something you love, which takes courage. Even I’ll admit that. But most of all she talks about how all you want to do is guide other people to reach their dreams, and how that is your own dream. It’s quite a noble thing to do, isn’t it?”

“Not if it’s something I love,” you answer simply. “It’s not really a noble thing because it makes me happy beyond anything else.” That’s always been true for you, but when you say it a thought crosses your mind, unwelcome but true. Natasha makes you happy in the same way. Like it doesn’t matter that your dad doesn’t approve or there are a million ways for it to go wrong. All that matters is the story ahead of you, the pages yet to be written, and the mistakes that you made on the way to get there.

Before Yelena can answer, the front door opens and Natasha walks in. “Yelena? Сестра, is that you?” Natasha’s voice cracks at the end, and she doesn’t wait for an answer before she takes a few bounding steps and envelopes Yelena in a bear hug.

They don’t stop hugging for a long time. When they do, you see tears in both of their eyes. It doesn’t seem like a moment you want to be in the middle, so you excuse yourself politely.

“I’ll be right back, I just need to grab something in the room.” Of course, you don’t really have any intention of coming back soon, but you know Natasha won’t let you just leave.

“I’m coming with you,” says Natasha.

“No, you don’t have to, I'll find it on my own.” Natasha shakes her head defiantly and looks at Yelena, who shrugs and gestures to you. Natasha follows you down the hallway and fear sets in. Was it overstepping? While you were the one to make the decision to bring Yelena here, you did bring Natasha here. Family, as you know, isn’t something to mess

with, and it seems like you’ve done exactly that.

You have yet to get a real reaction out of Natasha, her face unreadable. That does nothing to calm the raging anxiety inside you, so you start talking, saying words that probably mean nothing, “I’m so sorry, I had no clue that they would be here for this. My mom has done some surprising things in the past, but nothing like this. Shit, Tasha, I’m so sorry, I-“

“Stop talking,” Natasha orders softly. “Stop talking before you make me do something I’ll regret.” She closes the door to your room, facing you fully.

“What?” Of their own accord, your eyes drift down to her lips.

“You brought me my family, something I haven’t been able to do on my own. You gave me a whole new family. You’ve saved my life. You think I’m mad at you?” With every declaration, she steps closer to you, slowly, like she’s approaching a scared animal.

“The things you’ve given me this weekend- -I can’t thank you enough. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“You don’t have to,” you whisper. “It’s nothing less than you’ve given me.” She’s even closer to you now, and you’re pretty sure you’re breathing her air now. You’ve never been this close to her without fighting. Your eyes glance down to her lips, lighting fast and hopefully unnoticed by Natasha.

Then she takes another half-step closer. And it makes your whole world tilt on its axis, overtaken by the presence of Natasha. You can’t be imagining this, not the way her head tilts ever so slightly to the side and her hand comes up to cup your face, so gently.

“Tell me to stop,” she urges. You don’t say a word. You don’t think twice about your silence, accepting whatever Natasha wants, because it’s what you want too. You’ve wanted this, with her, ever since these feelings came crashing down over you, at some undefined point this weekend.

Then she’s leaning in, and her lips touch yours in a hesitant kiss. You’re surprised to see that you don’t want it to be anything more than that. Natasha is fire, is passion, she always has been, but like this it's different. Impossible to control, unthinkable to stop.

You pull away from Natasha to just look at her. There’s a flush high on her cheeks that you want to memorize and be the cause of again.

“Girls, come out for dinner?” sing-songs your mom. Your family seems to have a special sense for when you’re having a moment with Natasha so they can interrupt it.

A second person shuffles outside the door and bangs on it loudly. “Hurry up. I’m hungry.” Natasha breaks apart from you with laughter, her head going into your neck.

“That would be Yelena.”

“Yeah, I figured. She has the same charm as you. It really shines through when you’re together,” you joke back.

The dinner passes with relative ease, with light conversations, and jokes bouncing back and forth between you. Your father chooses not to make an appearance, which just makes it all the easier.

Afterward, Natasha decides to stay up and talk with Yelena while you clean up in the kitchen and then go to sleep. Your mom graciously reminds you that you have a big day tomorrow and need sleep. You choose to ignore the insinuations about the wedding night.

When you climb into bed, somehow, you fall immediately to sleep, mind at ease. It’s the best night of sleep you’ve gotten in a long time. The only time you stir at all is when you feel Natasha slip into bed next to you, whispering goodnight.

The morning comes a lot faster than you want it to. Natasha isn’t there when you wake up, but there’s a note taped to the mirror that tells you she’s off getting ready. You guess you should probably be doing the same.

It seems like there’s no one else in the house, or at least you can’t find anyone. You assume your dad is keeping his distance still, and you don’t blame him. While you make coffee you get a text from your mom giving you a list of chores to do around the house like she did when you were a teenager. It fills you with a strong sense of nostalgia, one that you figured you would get today anyway, just not so early in the morning.

The wedding preparations go by with a blur, and time passes quicker than it ever has before, but at the same time, it feels like you’re waiting forever. You haven’t seen Natasha the whole day, and it’s driving you crazy. The chores pass in mindless busyness, but the moments of rest are almost unbearable. Your mom’s constant chatter fills the silence well, though, so you listen to her ramble about where the flowers are going to go and which guests can’t sit next to each other because of a petty fight. If you weren’t so distracted you would be much more interested and your mom would be a lot less forgiving the third time she has to tell you to stop staring off into space.

“This is a big day, for all of us. Are you sure you want to do this? We didn’t rush you into it too fast?” It’s almost comical, the idea that your mom was the one to rush this.

“No, mom. We did plenty of rushing on our own. If you hadn’t pushed us to get married here it probably would have been a courthouse wedding with someone we pulled with us after work. Really, I should be thanking you. This is way better than anything Natasha and I could have pulled together.”

“It would be a lot better if you had given us a little heads up before,” dismisses your mom with a wave of her hand. She continues stringing lights to the rafters of the barn while you hold the ladder underneath her.

“Come on, mom. Give yourself a little bit of credit, this is gorgeous. Who knew a barn could be so romantic?”

“I did. That’s why I suggested it.” You laugh at her bluntness, being used to it by now, and help her off the ladder. Before you can get another word in, she’s being whisked away to go help someone with something. Then, Grammy is taking your arm and leading you into the small room at the back of the barn. Your hair is brushed roughly, your makeup is applied by someone you don’t know, and the dress is shoved into your hands, the others leaving so you can change.

Grammy is the only one who comes back in after you announce you’re done changing. She takes one look at you and clasps her hands in front of her, the universal Grammy signal for something beyond words. You can count on your hands the number of times you’ve seen it.

“Oh, honey,” she gasps, “you look beautiful. I can see why that other beautiful bride fell in love with you.” There’s a characteristic gleam in her eyes.

Everything else passes without any drama, which is unsurprising for your family. In a short time, you’re at the back of the barn, surrounded by fairy lights and swinging ivy. It’s more than you ever dreamed of yourself, and definitely a lot more than you imagined in a barn, of all places. Your hands are shaking, the dress you're wearing is heavy, and your hair is uncomfortable with styling products.

The music starts.

The lights dim.

Grammy gives you a huge grin and two thumbs up from her spot in the front row.

And Natasha starts to walk down the aisle.

If you thought Natasha was beautiful the first time she tried on the dress, she’s nothing short of angelic now. You can’t ignore the hope in your heart, or the butterflies in your stomach, and you can’t remember why you ever tried. It’s so much easier like this, to accept your feeling for her out front, as they come. There’s never been an escape from the overwhelming atmosphere that is all of Natasha Romanoff, and fighting it was probably just making it harder. She’s inescapable at the worst of times, and immensely present at the best of times.

In her hair are small white flowers that you recognize from your parents' front yard, years of growing up with them in front of your house making them recognizable from anywhere. You’re elated to see that her hair is down around her shoulders, burning red strands a contrast to all the other white colors she’s wearing. With the alterations, the dress fits her perfectly. She looks like royalty. Angelic. Perfect in every conceivable way.

And she’s about to be yours. Maybe it won’t last, but maybe it will. Maybe the two of you can work this out, and find some way to keep the momentum you've started building on this trip moving forwards.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of these two people.” The ceremony starts, and to be honest, you don’t listen to anything the officiator says. That’s not the important part. You only start listening when he says our name.

“Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, until death do you part?”

Your answer comes off your tongue before you have to think. “I do.”

“Natasha Romanoff, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, until death do you part?” Natasha looks at you, then at the officiator. There’s an edge to the way she’s glancing, something tinged with a little bit of hysteria. You don’t like that look on her.

“Natasha?” You look into her eyes again, hoping to show her that there’s no need to be nervous.

“I can’t do this. I’m sorry, I thought I could pretend, but I can’t. You don’t deserve this.” She turns to the rest of the crowd, at your family, and at hers. “None of you deserve this.“

“What are you doing?” you ask, hating the broken tone in your voice.

“None of this is real. This marriage, this wedding, this isn’t real,” she confesses. “It’s basically a green card. I’m so sorry to put you all through this, so I won’t put you through hearing the whole story, but I can’t do this to you. I really thought I could, but it’s so much harder than I thought it would be. You all welcomed me and I lied and lied and lied.” Natasha takes a single unsteady step away from you and towards Mr. Smith.

“You can take me to New York, I’ll accept the consequences. Don’t put anything on the rest of them, though. They just did what I asked them to do. I’ll get my things and go.” Her voice is void of any emotion, and she walks out of the church, Mr. Smith following behind.

“What just happened?” asks your mom, tears in her voice. You don’t want to see the tears you know are on her face. “Why did Natasha leave?”

“This is very unlike her,” agrees Yelena. “I don’t know why she’s doing this.” You don’t have it in you to explain everything that’s going on to them. Slowly, you turn to your dad.

“Are you happy now?” you ask, pained. “You got what you wanted. She’s gone, and now you’ve hurt everyone else here.” He stands up and starts to speak. You cut him off before he gets the chance to try and justify. “Don’t.”

You try to follow Natasha out the door, try to push past the stares, but you end up stuck in that room for ten more minutes, calming other people more than you’re calming yourself. Any hope of catching up with her is gone.

When you finally get an excuse to leave, you pull up your skirt and try to get out of there as fast as you can. You lose your shoes on the way running to the house and almost pull the door off of its hinges when you rip it open. It’s a miracle you don’t fall when you’re running through the halls, and even more of a miracle when you don’t start sobbing immediately upon seeing Scarlett the dino laying on top of your bed and her wedding dress laying on the center pillow.

You stand there in the middle of the room for a long time, staring at the lack of Natasha in the room. It must be a while because the next thing you know there’s a weathered hand on your shoulder and someone hugging you.

Your mom is the one hugging, effectively giving you a shoulder to cry on while Grammy tries her best to find the right words.

“I really liked her, mom,” you admit, hiding in her embrace.

“I know you did, sweetie. I know.”

“If you liked her that much, then why are you letting her go?”

“Mom!” reprimands your dad, who’s standing in the doorway

“No, you got us into this mess in the first place. You don’t get a say in this. I’ll have to deal with you later,” snaps Grammy. She turns back to you. “If you love her, fight for her. Love isn’t something you give up that easily. I know you don’t want to go through it again, don’t want to go through the pain, but there’s so much left between you. Don’t let that go to waste.”

“What do you want me to do? She’s gone!” you say, gesturing wildly around you.

“You’re right,” says Grammy solemnly. “There’s no way we could possibly find any way to follow her to one of the biggest cities in the world. I guess we should accept defeat now.“

“There’s someone I know who can get you in the air,” adds Wanda. You look up and see a whole group of people in the room, apparently rooting for you and Natasha.

“I knew I liked you,” says Grammy, hitting her on the shoulder. “You should go to New York, that’s where all the girls are, apparently. Well, they might bail at your wedding, but the rest will be fun.” You glare at her and Wanda beams.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.” Someone grabs your hand, muscling people out of the way. You don’t even know who it is until you pass the doorway, and then you still don’t know the name of the person.

You’re followed out by most of the people in the room, who have started whispering and cheering you on. The airport isn’t too far away, and you’re followed by a whole parade of boats. Once the plane is loaded with all available seats, meaning you and Yelena only, the same group of people screaming in unison for you to go get your girl. It’s nice, to see that they all actually do support you. Even your father was there, although he wasn’t quite as loud as the rest of them until Grammy hit him upside the head and told him to.

You make it to New York, hopefully not too far behind Natasha. It only occurs to you at the airport that, in the whole city, you have no idea where she is. She could be at her apartment, at the park, or at work.

“Shit, Yelena, do you know where Natasha is?” Yelena raises an eyebrow at you, an expression you’ve seen countless times with her sister. She sighs and taps a few buttons on her phone

“She’s at work.”

“I’m not going to ask how you know that, I’m just going to thank you.”

“I wouldn’t tell you even if you did ask,” replies Yelena. “Now go find your future wife.”

You do exactly that, even though it seems like everything is fighting against you. It’s impossible to hail a cab, first, and then you realize that you don’t have your work badge with you. After what feels like an eternity of waiting at the door for someone to walk out, you finally make it into the building. The elevator takes forever, and the hallway to her office is busy like it never had been before.

And there she is. Standing tall, in ridiculously high heels, a cardboard box in her hands. Even in the circumstances, your heart jumps at the sight of her, apparently unaware of the stakes.

Then, Natasha looks up and sees you, mouthing your name, her brow furrowed. You can’t help your reaction. You run to her, ignoring the stares of everyone else.

“Natasha, I need to talk to you. Don’t-“you hold up a hand”-say anything until I’m done. There are some things I need to say.”

“Is that Yelena here?” Natasha asks, surprise written all over her face.

“That’s what you’re surprised about? I just flew across the United States to convince you to marry me, and you’re asking about your sister?”

“Well, I mean,” she starts, then pauses to take a break. “Did you say you want to marry me?”

You sigh and throw your hands up. “This is why I told you not to interrupt. Look, there are a lot of things I could tell you. I could say that your laughter is the sound that makes me the happiest above everything else. Your smile, though rare, gets me out of bed in the morning, even when it’s aimed at torturing me. When I’m not with you, I see a flash of red hair and go a little bit crazy thinking it’s you. You are my north, east, south, and my west. You guide me home because you are my home.” At this point, pretty much everyone is looking at you, and Yelena is videoing on her phone, a grin on her face.

“So, Natasha Romanoff, will you marry me so that you can date me?”

A moment passes. A terrible, long-lasting moment where you’re sure that she’s going to say no. The truth that you’re going to be alone forever, pining after her seems imminent. Fear that you’ll use your job is a crushing weight, only for a tortured second.

But it passes and you make it back to the reality where Natasha is standing in front of you, tears in her eyes, hand covering her mouth.

And then she’s nodding her head furiously and jumping into your arms. “I would love to.”

[arrthurpendragon]

OC Creator Blog Recommendations #2 (9/1/23)

@darsynia

@dolce-elegy

@dream-beyond-the-fantasy

@foxesandmagic

@karimac

@lady-of-the-spirit

@missunderstoodxoxo

@nixdragon

@prosemoireia

@raging-violets

@rebel-author-chick

@starknstarwars

@starryeyes2000

@thecharmedburrowspn-files

@thornofarose01

@vxntxque

@witchofinterest

@whizzbees-ocs

*get on this list by either being recommended by another creator OR recommending other OC blogs (and I know you're an OC creator)

[nixdragon]

Hi! This is @rebel-author-chick and I got you on my OC Creator Bingo card! I love the variety of fandoms for your OCs.

1. How is Genevieve and Bella's relationship? Do they get along? If not, do they eventually or do they never get along? What about with her dad? What does she think about the Cullen's?

2. How close is Carly to her dad? When she's not hunting, what does she like to do? Who is her favorite Winchester?

3. Who is Kyja closest to in the resistance? Can she use the force at all? What does she do when not fighting the first order?

4. How is Aldrif's relationship with her family? Does she have a favorite family member? Does she have any powers?

5. Which OC was your favorite to create? Which was the hardest? Do you have a favorite (don't worry I won't tell them lol 😉)

I want them to get along. It's like herding cats though. Some day. Some day they will agree and then Bella will probably die maybe no promises.

Now that she's met him, he is like the most important person in her life. She likes music-eventually she'll get into singing. Sam starts as her favorite but that's gonna be a rollercoaster.

Poe, no one else really knows what to do with her. No, for some reason my ocs are always less magical then canon mcs... i think I have a unexamined fear of mary seeing. She's into the mechanical stuff; if she were ever free of fighting, she'd build ships.

Aldrif is the one desperately trying to keep them all together lol; she's currently the only one who hasn't done anything to piss anyone else off but is seeing her family become strangers anyway. She'll figure it out, I think. She likes both her brothers: Thor's about to become the favorite in canon lol but growing up she was closer to Loki. She has shadow powers; like she can create and control shadow tentacles/ropes.

So I think Gen was the most fun. I'd been writing a HP fanfic (decade ago) and really struggling so @arrthurpendragon was like try writing fic for a really bad book and fix it and then we mostly joked around coming up with Bella's opposite. My newest 3 Musketeers OC was the trickiest; she's more morally grey than I usually go. My favorites are Kyja and Aldrif lol but they are the least popular so I never write them.

Thanks again!

[avatarskywalker78]

My very first moodboard created as part of the OC Creator Bingo 2023, and this is for @rebel-author-chick's OC Danielle Jackson-Stark! I hope you like it!

[littletonpace]

First bingo!

Completed:

This one for @rebel-author-chick This one for @dolce-elegy This one for @thecaptainsgingersnap This one for @darknightfrombeyond This one for @curiousdamage This one for @nixdragon This one for @supermarine-silvally This one for (my Free) - @jemmalynette

taglist: @jemmalynette , @allaboutocs, @ochub, @arrthurpendragon, @ocappreciationtag, @oc-challenges