#so I have to keep making a good impression

[traveler-at-heart]

A redhead a day (makes the doctor act gay)

Request by @natromilf - Surgeon!R, who is known for her precision, but acts all clumsy around Natasha.

Natasha Romanoff x F!Reader

Everyone makes mistakes.

Though some people can’t afford them. Like  you, and your line of work. One wrong move can lead to a deadly result.

It almost mirrors the life of the agents you operate on. Bad intel, a wrong turn, an ambush and the whole world can go to shit.

Which is why you take your job so seriously.

If their mission goes wrong, you’ll be there to pick up the pieces and put them back together.

That’s what you trained your whole life for and you were proud to serve SHIELD and the Avengers

Too bad med school didn’t teach you how to keep from acting like a fool when a pair of beautiful green eyes set on you.

The first time you see Natasha, you barely have time to process it was her. The Black Widow, who seems to be visiting someone, instead of looking for medical attention.

Still, you are intrigued by her presence (it was known she’d rather deal with any injuries alone). So much so, that you keep looking at her until you crash against the elevator doors.

“Shit” you mutter, your face burning up with embarrassment.

One of the interns rushes to your side, but her movements only draw further attention to you, and you sigh.

“All good, Elena” you say, hoping the next elevator comes soon.

Still, when you finally get inside and press the button to the second floor, your eyes meet Natasha’s once again.

When she winks at you while sporting a teasing smile, you wonder if she can read your very flustered thoughts.

—

That first impression was bad. You were hoping that if you ever saw Agent Romanoff again, that could be corrected.

Unfortunately for you, that is not the case.

It’s another day, between urgent calls and an extraction mission gone wrong. Three injured SHIELD agents under your care are enough to make the first twelve hours of your shift fly.

By the time you have a minute to sit down and rest, it’s close to midnight, your eyes heavy with exhaustion and missed sleep. But you still have to review charts and follow up with post ops, so going to the cafeteria will have to do.

“What a fucking night” your friend Daphne says, standing next to you as you pour some coffee in a disposable cup. This and the vending machines are your only choices in the middle of the night.

“Tell me about it” you sigh, adding sugar. That won’t make the dark beverage any better, but you gotta try. As you look up, you see Captain America walking down the hallway, face full of soot and suit torn in some places.

Right behind him, Natasha walks with purpose, frowning and reviewing a file. She looks busy enough, so you think you’re free to admire her without the woman noticing. But of course, she’s a trained spy. As soon as she feels someone staring, she turns to look at you.

“Damn, the Avengers are here, this must have been real bad” Daphne says next to you. You don’t listen.

Not when those green eyes are fixed on you, frown softening and the corner of those full, enticing lips turning into a playful smirk.

“Oh, careful. The coffee is super hot…”

It’s obvious you miss that part too, taking a large gulp to hide your blush.

“Fuck” you spit it out. “Oh, God, I have third degree burns, Daphne, help” you say like an idiot, tongue hanging out.

“I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFUL” she barks, making some people stare.

Gosh, you just know Natasha was looking and must think you are a total idiot. Or maybe not, because when you finally recover from the burning sensation, she’s not standing next to Captain America.

Oh, maybe she didn’t see me.

“Hi, there”

You’ve never heard her voice before. And yet, you know it’s her.

You slowly turn to look at Natasha. She’s even more perfect than you imagined.

“Hot” you blurt out.

“Pardon?” she says, her voice dropping an octave.

“Coffe is hot. Uh, just keeping anyone from burning” you mumble, blushing madly.

“Oh, I’m not here for the coffee. I was told you were in charge of the injured agents. Could I get an update on them?”

“Right, of course. Come with me”

You walk next to Natasha, hiding your hands in the pockets of your labcoat.

“Agent Lusaque needed a liver resection. He’ll recover with no issues. Agents Palmer and Bryant, on the other hand…” you sigh, pulling out their charts from the nurse’s station. “Palmer is in the ICU, and Bryant will need a second surgery for that broken leg. But we need her BP to stabilize”

“Did you see anything significant in their injuries? Anything that stood out?”

“I’d say they are consistent with an IED, Agent”

“Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. Old man wanted to wait for intelligence but sometimes you just know” Natasha sighs. You resist the urge to reach out and squeeze her shoulder. Her expression shifts to something neutral, and you know the moment of vulnerability is gone. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your hot coffee”

“Of course. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know”

“Will do. Bye, Doctor Y/L/N”

And with that, she’s gone.

—

For once, it’s a slow day. You discharged the agents that were involved in last week’s mission and are about to take a break, when you hear some cursing in one of the examination rooms.

“Everything ok?”

You’re expecting to see an intern struggling with an IV, but instead you’re greeted with the sight of Natasha trying to stitch herself. She looks from the gash in her leg to you, smiling.

“Yeah, all good”

“No! You’re not even wearing gloves!” you protest, looking horrified at how badly she’s doing. Before she can open her mouth to answer, you push her down the hospital bed, glaring. “Do not move”

“It’s just a small cut. And I don’t need anesthesia”

“Hush, Romanoff. Or I will place you on medical leave” you say, glaring at her.

You expect Natasha to apologize or at the very least look ashamed. But instead, she’s still smiling.

This is a nice change for her. She’s only seen you flustered, being a complete mess when she’s around. Now, though, your movements are calculated as you prepare the sutures and glove up.

“How did you do this?” you ask, your tone even. This must be routine for you.

“That’s classified” Natasha jokes with a little smile. You clear your throat, adjusting the light to focus on the gash.

“Doesn’t stop other agents from telling me”

“Who?” Natasha says, and you can’t help but laugh at her tone. She seems ready to kick their asses for sharing classified information.

“I’m kidding. They tell me family stuff, small things, really. It’s to keep them talking, if only to distract them from the pain. Sometimes I get good gossip, too”

Natasha watches you work in silence for a few moments. Even if she tries to act though, the needle piercing her skin always sends a shiver down her spine.

“I have a cat” she blurts out. For the first time since you started working, you look up. It’s Natasha’s turn to feel like a blubbering mess, admiring your beautiful eyes.

“That sounds nice”

“Do you like cats?” she winces at how lame she sounds, but you mistake it with pain.

“I’m sorry, I’m almost done. Yes. My father is a veterinarian and we had a family farm, so there were all types of animals around” in spite of yourself, you smile.

Now, you live in an all white world of sterile hallways and OR lights. But your days were once spent in the middle of feeding chickens, walking around the muddy fields and checking horses and cows.

“So, why not be a veterinarian?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I remember this one time where a worker fell and hurt his head. It took a while for help to get to us and my father left me alone with him while they found a doctor. But I wasn’t scared. I knew I could keep my cool around blood, unlike my sisters”

“That’s definitely helpful”

“Yeah, except when my Dad figured out I was the only one who’d be able to help so I’d work during school break” you laugh, remembering everything with a new light. You used to hate it back then, because it was early mornings and lots of work. But now it’s a fond memory.

“The rumors are true. Your work is impeccable” Natasha comments when you remove your gloves. “Where were you when that bullet went through my side?”

“That’s classified” you say, and feel a small surge of pride when she actually laughs. You stand up and look around for antibiotics.

“Is that really necessary?” Natasha grumbles, and you roll your eyes.

“An infection in the 21st centhury is the dumbest way to go. Take these for five days. And rest”

“Yes, Doctor”

“If you have any questions, page me” you say. Now that your hands and mind are not focused on the task of stitching her up, you’re aware of the fact you’re alone with Natasha in a room. If you stay here any longer, you’ll probably stab yourself with a needle or something even more idiotic.

“What if you’re not working?” Natasha calls when you walk to the door.

“Well, I’m sure someone else could…” you begin to say, completely oblivious about what she’s really asking.

“Or…”

“Yes?”

“I could get your phone number? For a consult, of course” she adds, smiling as you blush.

“Of course” you echo her words, pulling out a card and scribbling your number. “My personal number”

“Thanks, Doc” she says, lingering in the door for a second too long, and somehow getting out before you, who had been standing next to it for some time now.

Naturally, the second she’s out of sight, you pull the door to exit and it bounces against your foot, hitting your forehead.

“That’s more like it” you mumble, rubbing the spot.

At least she didn’t see it this time.

—

Your name is at the top of a list, but it doesn’t bring you any benefits, or enjoyment.

It means that when an Avenger gets hurt, you’re the first person they’ll page for surgery.

Two days ago, the code appeared suddenly in your pager and your heart dropped. You couldn’t help but think of Natasha, and guilt and shame invaded you in equal parts when you prayed it wasn’t her. The shame hit once you found out it was Barton, and you couldn’t help but feel relieved.

He had a bullet wound that went through and through, but you still decided to operate and clear your schedule to follow up every hour of his recovery. Clint had trusted you enough to introduce you to his family, to the point where you had been their doctor during the birth of Lila and Nathaniel.

Laura knew what happened, and was happy to hear you were overseeing his recovery. Barton was in good spirits, always welcoming any excuse to take leave and be at his farm.

So, as you both waited for his lab results, he began to throw cereal at you, saying he could aim exactly at your mouth even if you moved.

And he proves to be right, most of the time.

Because when Natasha walks in the room, you move your head to look at her and a piece of cereal hits you square in the eye.

“Barton!” you say, covering with one hand. “Oh, my God! I can’t go blind. I won’t operate again”

“You moved!” Clint protests.

“You said I could move!”

“Hey, it’s ok” Natasha says, kneeling in front of you. When you remove your hand and blink several times, you can tell she’s trying to hold back laughter. Glaring, you decide to swat her hand away, but then she’s craddling your face, smiling softly.

“I guess I’ll ask Fury for an eyepatch” you say after looking at her lips for a second too long.

Natasha rolls her eyes, and then turns to look at her friend.

“Maybe you should retire”

“I do more work at the farm than here, Tasha. I’m fine. Tell him, Doc?”

“Through and through, no shattered bones. But he still needs to rest” you say, standing up to take his results. You begin to go through everything, not paying attention to what Natasha and Clint are talking about.

Until…

“The mission can wait” he insists.

“You know I can’t”

“I’d feel better if you had someone with you. Take Steve, Wilson. Even Maximoff could be…”

“I’ll think about it” Natasha interrupts him. But her tone is clear; she’s not changing her mind.

Your stomach twists at the idea of Natasha being in a dangerous situation, which is stupid. For one, that’s her literal job and also, you’re just a doctor from SHIELD. She doesn’t care about you, and your own interest shouldn’t go beyond a professional capacity.

“You’re ready for discharge, Agent Barton” you say, trying to pretend you didn’t hear the exchange. “I’ll get the paperwork ready”

“Thank you, Doc”

You nod, leaving them to their conversation. You hope Clint can convince Natasha to postpone whatever mission she needs to go on, but you can’t say you’re optimistic about his chances.

While you review the paperwork, your mind goes back to the few text messages you’ve exchanged with Natasha ever since she asked for your number. Of course, it started out as a consultation over her stitches. You, checking up on her. Then, some random texts throughout the day. Still, nothing  that indicated she was thinking about asking you out.

Once you’re done with paperwork and run into her, you decide to take your chances.

“Hey, about what Clint said…”

“About working more when he’s home? He’s just being a baby, Laura…”

“No. The mission”

“That’s class…”

“Classified, I know. I just… promise to be careful. Please?” you fidget with your hands, looking at your feet.

“What? You don’t want to see me around?” she jokes.

“Not as a patient” you say, blushing at the way it comes across.

“So, maybe, when I’m back from that mission…” she says, smiling as she inches closer to you. Your breath hitches, but you don’t back down, or look away when her green eyes meet yours. “We can go out for dinner?”

“I’d like that”

Natasha nods, her hand reaching for yours as she leaves the hospital.

All you want is for her to come back, safe and sound.

—

We can’t always get what we want.

When you get paged, and see the code, you know it’s Natasha.

Daphne rushes right behind you, straight to the Medbay where Natasha’s getting evaluated.

Steve, Sam and Wanda are already there, but there’s another woman. She has blonde hair, and is wearing a suit you don’t recognise as something SHIELD agents use.

“Doctor…” Steve rushes to your side, but you shake your head.

“Tell me what happened. Now!”

Nurses and doctors step aside as you look at the X-rays, vitals and injuries. There’s a lot of blood, and Natasha is slipping in and out of consciousness.

“There was an explosion. Please, you have to help her” the blonde finally says. “Help my sister”

Those words make you falter for a second, but then BP’s crashing and you don’t have time to think about the fact that Natasha has a sister.

“We can’t wait. She has flail chest and her lung is collapsed. Page Lane, we’re moving to the OR now”

Everything becomes a blur, with people moving and prepping for surgery. The staff is trained for this and you have everything ready in under 5 minutes.

“Do you need anything else?” the head nurse says as you prepare to start.

“Silence. And focus. All of you. We’re gonna be here a long time”

7 hours, two units of blood and a lot of stitches later, Natasha is transferred to the ICU.

“I should have gone with her” Barton mumbles when you give the team an update. But he’s still wearing an armsling, and there’s no point in thinking about this now.

“Can I see her?” the woman who called Natasha her sister says, eyes red from crying.

“Later. Only staff can be at the ICU. I’ll stay with her, you go shower, eat something. Natasha needs to recover, she’ll be out of it for at least another day”

No one seems pleased with the idea of leaving the hospital, but Steve insists and they follow him, as usual. The blonde girl stays behind, and in that moment you realise she doesn’t even know Natasha’s friends.

To your surprise, she turns around and hugs you.

“Thank you. For saving her”

You wrap your arms around her shoulders, because it sucks that her sister is hurt and you can’t do more for her right now.

—-

For over 22 hours, you’ve been by Natasha’s  side. As soon as she’s out of the ICU, you call Yelena.

You give her an update on her status and what to expect. She listens, only showing emotion when she sees Natasha connected to all those machines.

“Is she… does it hurt her? Is she going to be ok?”

“Her body needs time to recover. But she’ll be fine. Natasha’s strong” you say, pushing back a strand of that fiery hair from her forehead. It’s silly, how much you miss her cheeky smile when you’re doing something stupid because she looks your way.

“So, you must be the girl she likes” Yelena says, making you look up.

“What?”

“While we were hiding, I asked her if she was seeing anyone. She told me she had a date with this cute doctor so we’d better hurry”

“Oh” you say, blushing. “Yeah, we were… going to dinner. When she came back”

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault”

“No, it isn’t. Natasha wouldn’t want you to think that. Come here, sit. You can stay for as long as you want” you lead her to the couch, sitting right next to her.

“I hadn’t seen her in so long” she whispers, a tear rolling down her cheek.

“It’s ok, Yelena. You’ll have plenty of time with your sister. She’s gonna be out of missions for at least a month. But she’ll probably be grumpy about it” you joke, and the blonde laughs.

Exhaustion finally catches up with both of you, and without realising, Yelena ends up asleep on your shoulder. With a sigh, you close your eyes, convincing yourself it will only be for a couple of minutes.

By the time you open your eyes, a raspy chuckle makes you look up.

“I knew Yelena would like you”

“You’re up” you say, letting the blonde rest against the couch and standing up to check Natasha. You go over her blood pressure, the IV and pupils, but are interrupted by her hands holding on to your wrists.

“Hi” she says, smiling up at you.

“Hello, Agent. Can I please finish my examination?”

“What do I get in return?”

“Getting discharged”

“Trying to get rid of me?” she taunts and you have to roll your eyes. It’s been almost two days since she almost died and here she is, being a smartass.

“You’re the one who went through all the trouble just to get out of our date” you joke. Natasha doesn’t get to protest, because Yelena wakes up, rushing to her side.

“Sestra! Are you ok?”

Yelena switches to Russian, talking so fast even Natasha has trouble keeping up with her.

“Let’s just calm down, ok? I’ll give you guys a minute” you say, smiling at Natasha as Yelena drags a chair to sit next to her sister. You have a feeling that there are some things they have to talk about.

—

Time goes by quickly, and before you know it, it’s been three weeks since Natasha’s surgery. You’ve been texting more frequently, but you’re not expecting to see her anytime soon. Between reconnecting with Yelena and recovery, she has more than enough on her plate.

Work is distracting, but not enough. During small breaks you do end up thinking about her, and missing her.

You think nothing of it when you get paged to do a follow up, as it is a slow day and you’re short staffed.

But when you open the door, Natasha is smiling at you, in that way that makes you act like a fool. The shock lasts a second, and then you worry.

“Hey. Are you feeling ok? Why are you here? Are you hurt? I told you not to train for another week” you spiral, getting ready to order X-rays and a CT scan immediately.

Natasha calls your name, once and then louder, when you don’t look up from her file.

“I just wanted to see you” she says, making you blush. “But there’s this thing too. Thought I should get it checked”

“Ok, what is it?”

“Well, in spite of all the rumors, I do have a heart. And it has been beating faster, and I get this feeling in my stomach…” she begins to say. You nod, pulling out your stethoscope.

Natasha watches with a smile as you listen to her heartbeat, thinking how adorable you look when you’re all focused. Without realising, your other hand goes to rest on her knee, and she can’t help but let out a sigh, wishing you could be even closer.

“Ok, I hear it. It’s beating a little bit faster” you say, still oblivious. “Is there anything specific triggering this…?”

“I have an idea” she says, her hands resting on your waist. You finally look up, eyes lingering on her lips. Natasha sees realisation in your features, and takes it as a sign to inch closer, her lips brushing against yours.

It’s quick and tender, but it still makes your knees weak.

Well, this is going to be a problem. No way you can go back to work now that this happened. You’ll be so distracted that you’ll end up running over someone with a wheelchair or something.

“Let’s check again. Just wanna make sure your heart is ok” you say, leaning forward. You feel Natasha smile into the kiss, hands pulling you against her.

“What did the doctor say? Ah, gross!” Yelena walks in a moment later. “I didn’t think you meant this kind of physical exam, Natasha”

“Get out!” Natasha shouts, and you have to laugh.

“Gladly” Yelena huffs, slamming the door. She adds a second later. “And I’m telling everyone at the Compound!”

“So annoying” Natasha mumbles, but turns to look at you with a smile. “Is it anything serious? Will I be ok, Doc?”

“Yeah, you just need to kiss me more so your body gets used to the feeling” you say, meeting her lips in another kiss.

“I can definitely do that”

[lemonfizzyy]

You thought I was done? No, I have more to add.

I never explained exactly how Dick ended becoming Nightwing but it was similar to how Bruce becomes Batman in the OG universe. He's angry at how unjust the world can be, and how his parents' murderer was never caught.

Similarly, he starts to build an idea of a protector, the type who would've stepped in and saved his parents. He still doesn't leave Haly's though. Not because he still wants to be an acrobat full-time, but because leaving the circus behind feels like betraying his parent's legacy.

Now, around the time Dick is like 20, he's still touring the world. Meanwhile, Clark Kent is around his twenties and traveling the world as a freelance reporter. (Yes, I read Superman: Birthright. I contain multitudes.)

Long story short, they run into each other while they're both trying to not get involved but also very much get involved with a local [insert crime here]. In the process Clark accidentally reveals his powers (Something that happens in Superman: Birthright as well.) and after initially being rightfully frightened, Dick is pretty darn impressed and thinks its cool. That never happens to Clark since everyone else who's ever gotten an inkling of his powers reacts with fear and never really warms up.

Even longer story short, they become good friends and exchange information before parting ways. They do a whole email pen pals thing, it's cool.

Blah blah blah, a month or two later, Superman is created and Clark learns more about his heritage and Krypton. He shares this with Dick and... Well, Nightwing. Dick really likes it, and he's further inspired by Clark's initiative to become a hero.

From there it's straight pipeline from leaving Haly's, making the Nightwing outfit and going on a soul-searching training journey that is reminiscent of the one in Batman: The Knight. (Which I read as well. I'm becoming a certified Canon Knower, it's crazy.)

Except Dick's journey includes less dubious teachers and romantic relationships with extremely untrustworthy people. (Dick is older than Bruce was and way less actively-desperate/willingly-emotionally-stunted/sheltered-via-extreme-wealth.) Dick overall has a more soul-searchy/make-a-bunch-of-unlikely-allies type journey that is more befitting of the Nightwing brand.

(You might be thinking: "Oh, is he trained by Slade like in the hit animated tv show Teen Titans?"

And my answer to that would a no. He doesn't give a hoot about Dick because he's not young and impressionable, and a host of other factors. He'd only give Dick a second glance if he were hired to kill him. He'll be a villain later, just not as nemesis level as in the OG universe.)

And the rest is normal nomadic-vigilante shenanigans until he decides to go back to where it all started... Gotham.

Update on Alfie and Dick: Now, I believe, would be a good time to inflict you with some psychic damage in the form of a fact. In this AU, Alfred is around 30 and Dick is like 24... They are only 6 years apart. Only a year more than the age gap between Dick and Jason.

So... yes, Alfred and Dick they become like brothers, as cursed as it is.

Alfred's the dry responsible older brother to Dick's chaotic younger brother, and Dick eventually moves in.

(It's a slow process, first Dick keeps his vigilante stuff in the Manor so he can train Bruce, and then he had to stay there after an injury he needs supervision for and then Alfred angrily insists he actually come for medical help instead of being an idiot and bleeding out somewhere and... Yeah, well, it's a whole thing but yeah now Dick and Alfie are co-parenting this kid while being the strangest pair of brothers you've ever met.)

I’m like 6 days behind on my self imposed AU challenge so I’m gonna queue them throughout the night lol…. Day 4: Bruce and Dick role swap….

Alfred is appointed as Bruce’s guardian like usual but the boy can’t get the man that held him and covered his eyes from his dead parents out of his head. The little detective tracks him down to a gym in the Narrows, where he’s been working since he aged out of the Gotham foster care system. Guess where Bruce wants to take self defence/gymnastics(?) lessons now.

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[overdramaticbaddie]

okokok hear me out this is a biiiiiiiiiiiiit of a reach but I find it interesting anyway (yes it's abt kerdly)

so as we know, when kris picks up noelle's phone after susie throws it; and berdly unknowingly invites kris to go with him, there are two options you can pick: go with him, or just prank him.

What i think is interesting is how he RESPONDS to each option.

Go with Berdly: "K- KRIS!? You... you... the phone, you...!?" "..." "Kris, I have to say. Heh. I am. Flattered." "But if you want my hand... you'll have to fight for it." "On the day of the festival... You, Noelle, Susie..." "The lover who impresses me the most... Will be my date." "Kris, may the best suitor... Epic win." "Good luck."

Wrong number song: "KRIS!? You... you scoundrel!!" "Eavesdropping on my sweet, cartiligienous inner thoughts..." "Hmph. Go ahead and taunt, Kris." "I'M the one Susie and Noelle are falling like dominoes for." "And you know what dominoes means, Kris?" "You're next."

For the wrong number song, he attempts to be smooth and flirts with Kris, saying that they're next in line to fall in love with him. This is similar to an interaction you can have with him in chapter 2, where he basically goes "don't be disappointed kris, but I'm into susie" or some shit; like he thinks kris is flirting with him. This makes sense for his character, since he seems to have a problem distinguishing people being nice from romantic advances.

But what I find REALLY interesting is how that contrasts with when we straight up accept his invitation.

He actually gets kind of flustered, stuttering a little, which i guess is kinda normal for the situation; but the main thing is how he acts like he WASN'T EXPECTING THAT KIND OF THING FROM THEM.

This is strange to me. Like, how do those responses go together? One seems to imply that Berdly thinks that Kris wanting to date him is inevitable, but he acts SUPRISED that Kris wanted to go with him. Like, yeah, he wasn't expecting them to pick up the phone, but he fucking PAUSES and goes "Kris, I have to say. Heh. I am. Flattered." like bro is like trynna process it.

Idk man it's almost like Berdly subconsciously WANTS Kris to like him and while he keeps his ego fueled by thinking everyone is obsessed with him including them he has a biiiit of yearning deep down and it surfaces in an uncomfy way when kris says they'll go with him and he quickly patches it up with "OHO you must FIGHT for my HAND", (also why weren't you considering that when you thought it was just susie and noelle??? Does someone want to feel wanted by a certain human???? hmm????)

Also both dialogues end with a very...... SPECIFIC kind of flirtatiousness he ONLY shows Kris.

With Susie and Noelle, It's pretty much a verbose variation of "You think I'm super hot. Ur cool too ig. I will now grace you with my presence." Which is just an offshooting of how he acts in general, just acting like he thinks everyone can't get enough of him and he's doing everyone a favor by existing.

But with KRIS it's direct. It's an invitation, a challenge, almost.

He's ALWAYS trying to get Kris to engage with him. EVERY TIME he opens his mouth around them it's basically just him trying to get Kris to admit they want him in ANY way. Like You want to join MY side right kris? You WISH you had MY grades and MY gaming skills and just admit you think im cool just tell me im the coolest and smartest and most attractive monster you've ever met because you soooo think that right? RIGHT? TELL ME IM PRETTY!

Like it's crazy how badly he seems to want approval from THEM SPECIFICALLY. How in the beginning of chapter 2 he's jealous of SUSIE. JEALOUS OF SUSIE. FOR BEING KRIS'S FRIEND.

And he's NEVER jealous of Noelle for being friends with Kris.

NEVER jealous of Kris being friends with Susie.

He can't even see that Noelle and Susie are OBVIOUSLY down HORRENDOUSLY for each other much less be JEALOUS of them.

But somebody new is hanging around kris and he gets jealous.

Aaaaannnd then he acts like he has a crush on said friend and rubs that in Kris's face and suggests they're jealous of HER.

BRO.

HOW TF HAS HE NOT FIGURED THIS OUT YET.

[theamberparadise]

Stolen Goods | TICCI TOBY x READER SMUT DRABBLE | mdni!

SYNPOSIS; After Toby gets mocked by Jeff (who has fucked you before), Toby stomps his way to your room to give you the better– if not the best– sex you’ve had in your entire life. He wants to make you scream, to make you realize that he is the better choice for you, not Jeff. Him. Only him.

TW; c*ck1ng, ch0k1ng, m0ck1ng, d3gr4d4t10n, mentions of reader getting pr3gn4nt but not actually happening, toby's jealousy issues lmfao.

A/N; i was writing for toby's thirsts but i got a little sidetracked lmfao. consider this my first separately published drabble.

Jeff’s words rang in Toby’s head.

“You can’t fuck her as good as I can.”

“I doubt you’ll make her scream– or even make any sound at all.”

“What makes you think you’ll even get as close as to making her cum? Or even get her naked at all?”

Those words were injected in his brain like stinging venom.

And Toby was more than ready to prove him wrong.

And one night, Toby couldn’t take it anymore. He knocked on your door– three times, and the second your pretty face showed itself through the cracks, he shoved you back, making you stumble backwards, and when your questions came spilling out your mouth, he gripped your arms and pinned you down onto the stuffy sheets.

That was the only thing you remember before you were shrieking your brains out, your cunt fluttering around Toby’s meaty cock, his angry tip punching at your cervix.

You had no idea why he was doing this– or why you liked it. But from all the things he’s sputtering out of his mouth, you start to gain why he broke in.

“Why– why him of a-all people?” he muttered. “Why him? Why why why–” his words were almost static to your ears, the loud claps of your flesh and the thumping of your blood in your ears muffling out any other noise– or any other bit of your conscience telling you that you were still inside a mansion full of murderers and wanted convicts who might already have heard your wanton cries.

They only got louder when he lifted your hips with his, pushing the back of your knees toward the sides of your ears, forcing you into an aching mating press that only hit your spot even harsher than before.

“T-Tob-Toby–” your weak fingers clawed at him with the strength of a kitten. Toby didn’t budge. “What did h-he have that I d-didn’t?” he growled. “Did my dick n-not look big e-enough? Do m-my muscles not imp-impress y-you enough?” 

A silence consisting of your loud cries pursued for a moment, before his chest snapped and his hands went for your throat, leaving you to wrangle and squirm under him.

“Fucking answer me!” He roared, his cock ramming in your cunt even harder than before. The disgusting squelches of your juices turned filthy. And your moans? Turned unholy.

You were begging– begging for him to let go and give you some air. Begging for him to slow down, you can’t take it.

But all those pleas go unheard when Toby keeps on rambling about his questions– his delusions– his voice getting meaner and meaner from the start of him begging so sweetly to let him fuck you, a drastic change from sweet and yearning, to rough and intimidating.

You and Jeff only had a fling-- a one night stand that felt good, but you didn't think it would mean anything to Jeff. But not to Toby, no. He took it as an insult. An offense made by you. Despite him refusing to make a first move ever since the start of your stay here.

Toby knew this fact as well. And he admits, it's his fault, too. But the thought of you giving your pussy-- his pussy up for grabs to anyone in this damn mansion? Especially to someone Toby could break in half like a stick? Absolutely not.

“How did hi-his dick feel h-huh? Was it good? B-better? Better t-than me?” 

You shook your head. You didn’t want him to be even more rabid than he is now, if he was fueled by even a tad bit of anger any longer, he would kill you.

But clearly, your pathetic attempt didn’t work.

“Then what fucking business do you have with fucking Jeff? Huh?” he hissed. And when you don’t answer, he pulls out, leaving you wriggling on your mattress. You open your mouth to thank him and whoever is up in the clouds listening to you, but are interrupted by him lifting you up, twisting you towards the wall, pinning your poor face against it while your knees tremble against the cotton of the mattress. 

You shriek once again, louder, when Toby thrusts in once again without warning. 

Your poor, bruised wrists are pinned behind you now, the wall pressing against where the underlay of your skin meets his tip, making you feel him intensely more than ever before.

Your sobs are desperate, helpless. And that doesn’t stop Toby.

“Did he make you f-feel like t-this? L-like heaven?” he snickered, in pure pride. “He won’t ever f-fuck you like this. H-he won’t ever m-make you scream l-like this. He won’t even make y-you feel what y-you feel with m-me,” his words cut through like obsidian. “I’m better b-baby, so so much b-better…” Toby leans in and drags his tongue from your chin up to your ears. “He’s a fucking shrimp compared to me, but you d-don’t even seem to co-comprehend that.” he chuckles.

“Y-yknow who’s room this is?” he reaches up a free hand, balled into a fist before knocking against the hollow plywood with his knuckles. “It’s Jeff’s room,” he taunted, a sly grin plaguing his face. “And he’s in there, right now, l-listening to you being a who-whore for me.”

You can only do so much but to whimper like a poor animal, your orgasm being on the edge, like a string ready to be snapped.

“You wanna fuck him? F-fine, you can f-fuck him, date him if y-you want,” he rasped, his pace nothing short of relentless. “But not before I get y-you fucking pregnant,” your eyes widen. “Pregnant with my fucking babies, make h-him raise it,” he giggles. “Watch the life spill o-out of his eyes when he r-realizes it’s not his… fuck, baby, th-the things you m-make me want to do.”

You cringed, cheeks heating up like never before– Toby’s threats pushing you over the edge like a boulder.

The string inside you snapped like nylon, violently shaking your body with one last cry, nails scraping against the paint, eyes shooting open like sex-filled voids, the sound of his name bouncing off the walls.

A buzz from Toby’s very-cracked phone wakes you up. Your body feels… fresh. Relaxed. He must’ve bathed you when you passed out. 

Out of curiosity, you picked up his heavy cell, the bright screen almost blinding you when your eyes take focus.

------

JEFFREY

3 missed calls, 6 unread messages

12:46 AM what the fuck are you two doing

1:28 AM open the fucking door

1:31 AM toby i fucking swear

*2 missed calls*

1:58 AM im going to gouge your brains out OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR

2:01 AM youre gonna pay for this i swear ill leave you for dead you shitty little bitch

*1 missed call*

3:29 AM just you wait, twitch. just you fucking wait ill get her back.

---------

Thick fingers reached from behind you and gently take the phone out of your hands, the feeling of Toby’s stubble grazing on your neck like sandpaper makes you jump a little.

“Schlaf weiter, Engel. Er ist deine Zeit nicht wert. Ich schon. Nur ich. Er ist nicht halb so ein Mann wie ich.” his words sound foreign to you, but you have a mental guess on what it might mean. And one thing is for sure:

It would be evident that you won’t hang out with Jeff ever again.

[baigepueckers]

Nika Mühl X Reader

Partnered Up

You groan under your breath as your professor starts reading off the partner list for the midterm project. Of course, you procrastinated on picking your own partner. Now you’re stuck with whoever didn’t pick fast enough either.

“Y/N… you’ll be with Nika Mühl.”

Your head lifts at the name. Nika? As in…the Nika? Basketball star, walking contradiction, icy stares in class but somehow the loudest laugh in the dining hall? She’s always in athletic gear, AirPods in, half listening to lectures and still managing an A minus on every quiz. Meanwhile, your notes are color coded, margins justified, and your laptop has five folders labeled “Assignments → Week → Class → Sources → Annotated Bibliography.”

You glance over, and she’s already looking at you. There’s a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. You’re not sure if it’s amusement or indifference, but it’s enough to make your throat dry.

She nods once. “Cool with me.”

The First Meeting – Library, Tuesday, 5PM

She’s late. By seventeen minutes. You’ve rewritten the outline twice and started highlighting the case study.

When she finally arrives, she drops into the seat across from you with a smooth, “Hey.” No apology, no explanation…just effortlessly casual in a hoodie and her hair in a low ponytail.

You give her a tight lipped smile. “I wasn’t sure you were coming.”

“Got caught up at practice,” she says, like that explains everything. Then she glances at your notes. “Damn. You work fast.”

“Someone had to,” you mutter, not entirely passive aggressively.

She grins. “I like you already.”

You try not to let that get to you…but it does.

The Second Meeting – Your Dorm

She texts:

“Wanna just do this at your place? My roommate’s loud as hell.”

You hesitate. Then:

“Sure. 7?”

She shows up at 7:13 with a smoothie in one hand and a spiral notebook that looks like it’s been through war. You offer her a snack and she immediately says, “You’re way too nice for me.”

You roll your eyes, but there’s a blush heating your cheeks. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

She shrugs. “Nah. Just not used to it.”

As you sit on your bed, laptops open, she somehow manages to take up more space than the mattress allows. Her knee keeps bumping into yours. Her voice dips lower when she reads aloud. She teases your annotations but compliments your arguments. And you…you start catching yourself staring. Noticing the way her lashes curl, how her hands move when she talks, how sometimes her Croatian accent comes through strong when she’s excited.

She catches you looking once. You look away fast. She doesn’t say anything, but you hear her chuckle softly.

Week Two – Unexpectedly Comfortable

You’re halfway through explaining a theoretical framework when she interrupts.

“Wait. Are you always like this?”

You blink. “Like what?”

She rests her chin on her hand, genuinely curious. “So serious. So focused. Kinda intense.”

“I don’t know. Are you always this… casual about everything?”

She grins wide. “Probably. But I’m learning. You’re making me.”

“Good,” you say, and she tilts her head.

“What if I’m making you relax a little?”

Your mouth opens to argue, but you realize… she’s right. You hadn’t stress planned this meeting. You didn’t even reread your notes before she came over. You’re sitting here in sweatpants and socks, talking with her like it’s easy.

You exhale a quiet laugh. “Touché.”

Week Three – The Shift

It’s late. The room is dim. You’re reading aloud, trying to keep focused, and she’s leaning against your wall, half listening, half watching you.

When you pause to find your place, she says, “You know… when I first saw I was paired with you, I thought you were gonna hate me.”

You look up. “Why?”

“You’re… you. You have your life together. I’m chaos in a hoodie.”

You smirk. “That hoodie chaos just fixed two of our citations.”

She grins. “Maybe I just wanted to impress you.”

There’s a beat. A long, quiet beat that stretches between you.

“I think you already did,” you admit.

Her smile fades to something softer. Something unreadable. And then she looks at you like she’s really seeing you for the first time.

“You’re dangerous,” she murmurs.

You raise an eyebrow. “How?”

“Because I don’t usually care this much about a class project. Or showing up on time. Or if someone likes me back.”

The words hang in the air.

And suddenly, the project doesn’t feel like the reason you’re still meeting. It feels like the excuse.

[seitmai]

Many thoughts

And the world as he knew it ceased to exist. You stood there with the sweetest smile he had ever seen and he thought his heart would beat right through his chest with how hard it pounded. The feeling only intensified when he looked into your eyes and forgot how to breathe, his stomach filled with so many butterflies that he thought he’d leave the ground. Then he felt like he was falling in slow motion before he came back to himself. It was like the world got a little brighter just because you were standing in front of him. Is this love at first sight?

Oh it sure is 🙂‍↕️🥰

“Oh, good! Is he listening? Hey, what’s your name and what are your intentions with my friend?” Bucky cleared his throat, unable to say what his intentions were deep down. “My name is Bucky Barnes and I’m looking for a roommate. She’ll be perfectly safe here whether she accepts or not,” he said, praying that Alpine liked you enough so you’d move in.

What a way to start this 😂

“I’m sorry,” you mouthed to him. “It’s okay,” he mouthed back. He wasn’t at all offended. You never could tell with strangers and it was nice that you had someone looking out for you.

So true!

“She better be safe!” He tried not to laugh at your friend’s tone. It reminded him of Steve, caring and protective. “Is he hot? He sounds hot.” “You’re on speaker,” you reminded her and Bucky tried to keep a neutral expression because, well, he wanted you to think he was hot. “And, yeah, he’s hot. He’s a real stud muffin. Or stud horse? I don’t know, he’s a stud,” you rambled, your eyes wide like you forgot he could hear you, too.

Whoops, but at least the truth is already out in the open 🤭

“About the stud comments, I… Well. Yeah. I mean… Look at you.” You gestured to him and finally looked his way again, making him smile all over again. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I just… say things and I feel like I just made this weird.” “Hey, it’s fine. I appreciate the compliment,” he said easily when he was doing flips on the inside. “You didn’t make it weird,” he added. Not when he was the one staring at you like a creep.

He is giving it his all to hold it together 🤭

“So, not a terrible first impression?” you asked and he hated how worried you looked .“If anything, it’s a great impression,” he promised you, stepping aside again. He’d be thinking about that compliment and you long after you left.

🥰🥰🥰

Alpine gave your hand a sniff and bumped it with her head before she surprised you both and put her paws on your chest. “I… I think she wants you to pick her up,” Bucky said in awe. She isn’t chasing you off. She likes you. This is good. This is really good. You picked her up without hesitation. “Oh, my goodness. I’m already in love,” you said when she purred and nuzzled close. Was it weird to be jealous of a cat? “You want to do the tour of your home with me?”

Instant bonding with Alpine is the only sign Bucky needs

“I think it looks pretty badass.” There was no judgement in your eyes, only openness when you added, “And I’ll argue with anyone who says otherwise.”

Period 👏🏻

“I’ll have my own bathroom, too?” you asked, brushing past him so you could take a quick look inside. It took all of his strength not to push you against the wall and kiss you, which would’ve probably earned him a slap and a call to your friend. “How has no one snatched this place up yet?” “Al hasn’t been a big fan of anyone, except for you,” he said honestly, looking you over once more.

The only criteria that matters

He was going to fall head over heels if he wasn’t careful. Who was he kidding? It was too late.

Oh he is long gone 🤭

“Could you excuse me for just a second?” you asked, slipping back into the bedroom. He poked his head in and watched as you did a little jig. It was the sweetest thing he had ever seen. “If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a huge dork.” “You’re far from that,” he said, leaning on the doorframe. You were perfect in his eyes.

So cute 😍🥰

Orientation

Pairing: Roommate!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: Bucky meets his potential new roommate and is immediately smitten.

Word Count: Over 3k

Warnings: Love at first sight, bits of humor, fluff, tension, sweetness, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?)

A/N: Finally sharing Stud meeting Smartie for the first time. ❤️ Beta read by the wonderful @mumbles411 (and thank you for your help and cheering me on), but any and all mistakes are my own. Divided by the talented @firefly-graphics. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

Bucky let out a deep breath when he heard the knock at the door and looked at his watch before he went to answer it. Another potential roommate, right on time. He hadn’t initially wanted to rent out the extra room since he could’ve made it work with rent going up, but the budget would’ve been very tight and it was better not to risk it since he loved the place. It would’ve also been nice if Steve or Sam could’ve moved in, but they had their own spaces and the idea of sharing his space with a stranger wasn’t necessarily bad. He just hoped whoever ended up renting the space got along with Alpine.

“One sec!” he called out and bent down to pet his cat, the white fur soft against his calloused hand. “Try to be nice this time, okay?” he teased, reminding himself to keep his expectations low when she meowed. Alpine was a wonderful cat, but also particular with the company she kept and she chased off the last person who visited. He trusted her instincts and if she didn’t like someone then that was that.

“Here goes nothing,” he whispered, steeling himself before he opened the door.

And the world as he knew it ceased to exist.

You stood there with the sweetest smile he had ever seen and he thought his heart would beat right through his chest with how hard it pounded. The feeling only intensified when he looked into your eyes and forgot how to breathe, his stomach filled with so many butterflies that he thought he’d leave the ground. Then he felt like he was falling in slow motion before he came back to himself. It was like the world got a little brighter just because you were standing in front of him.

Is this love at first sight?

“Hi! Bucky, right?” you asked, and he knew then and there he could spend the rest of his life hearing you say his name.

“Yeah, that’s me,” he said, his voice husky. “And you must be…” He paused before he said your name, letting it settle on his tongue.

No, he couldn’t flirt with or hit on his potential roommate.

Or can I?

He heard the hitch in your breath before you nodded. “Yeah, that’s me,” you repeated, your voice soft and sugary sweet.

He wasn’t trying to stare like a creep, but he really didn’t expect to see someone so beautiful. So perfect. When you expressed interest in the room since it was close to the nearby university, he refused to look up your social media accounts. He wanted the first impression based on instinct and a face-to-face meeting and not by what was posted online. He hoped he made a good impression, too, especially since he had freshened up after work, wearing one of his many henleys and jeans.

“Would you like to come in?” he asked, stepping back to give you some room. He took up a lot of space with his size and didn’t want to crowd you.

You winced and didn’t move, making him pause, too. “Before I do that…” He raised an eyebrow when you held your phone up and dialed a number. “My friend wants to hear you say that I’m going to be perfectly safe here.”

Both eyebrows shot up. “She wants to hear me say…” He trailed off when he heard a voice on the other end.

“Hey! You at the apartment?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” you replied, biting your lip and drawing his eyes to your mouth.

Focus. Don’t think about kissing your potential roommate.

“Oh, good! Is he listening? Hey, what’s your name and what are your intentions with my friend?”

Bucky cleared his throat, unable to say what his intentions were deep down. “My name is Bucky Barnes and I’m looking for a roommate. She’ll be perfectly safe here whether she accepts or not,” he said, praying that Alpine liked you enough so you’d move in.

“I’m sorry,” you mouthed to him.

“It’s okay,” he mouthed back. He wasn’t at all offended. You never could tell with strangers and it was nice that you had someone looking out for you.

“She better be safe!” He tried not to laugh at your friend’s tone. It reminded him of Steve, caring and protective. “Is he hot? He sounds hot.”

“You’re on speaker,” you reminded her and Bucky tried to keep a neutral expression because, well, he wanted you to think he was hot. “And, yeah, he’s hot. He’s a real stud muffin. Or stud horse? I don’t know, he’s a stud,” you rambled, your eyes wide like you forgot he could hear you, too.

Silence filled the space between you and he took the opportunity to put his hand on the doorframe so you could see just how large he was. “I’m a stud?” he asked, a smile tugging at his lips. The compliment nearly had him preening like a peacock, and there was tension. No one could tell him otherwise.

Your mouth fell open and a sound came out, but nothing else.

“Ooh, he must be really hot if you’re just making noises,” your friend muttered as you stared past Bucky’s frame into the apartment, avoiding eye contact. That only made you look more endearing. “Call me when you leave so I know you’re still safe.”

“I will. Bye,” you said quickly, hanging up before your friend could say anything else. “Um…”

He tilted his head, not pushing for you to talk. He was more than content to look at you. Did you have any idea how enticing you were?

“About the stud comments, I… Well. Yeah. I mean… Look at you.” You gestured to him and finally looked his way again, making him smile all over again. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I just… say things and I feel like I just made this weird.”

“Hey, it’s fine. I appreciate the compliment,” he said easily when he was doing flips on the inside. “You didn’t make it weird,” he added. Not when he was the one staring at you like a creep.

“So, not a terrible first impression?” you asked and he hated how worried you looked.

“If anything, it’s a great impression,” he promised you, stepping aside again. He’d be thinking about that compliment and you long after you left.

“My friend wanted to come here with me so I wasn’t by myself, but I refused. The call was the next best thing,” you explained, finally stepping inside. God, you smelled sweet, too. “I appreciate you being cool with that.”

“No problem.” And he didn’t miss how quickly you changed the subject. Whatever you felt moments ago, if you felt something at all, you clearly didn’t want to dwell on it, and he didn’t want to make it uncomfortable by dragging it on. “Why do I have the feeling you’d do the same for her?”

“Oh, I would,” you said, gasping when you spotted Alpine. “Oh, my god. She’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, that’s Alpine,” Bucky said, holding his breath when you crouched down and held out a hand. You weren’t allergic to cats, he wouldn’t even entertain a potential roommate who was, so that was good. But what would she think of you?

“Hey, Alpine. I’m hopefully going to be your new roommate,” you said, waiting for her to approach. It made Bucky happy that you weren’t forcing her to go to you if she didn’t want to. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

Alpine gave your hand a sniff and bumped it with her head before she surprised you both and put her paws on your chest. “I… I think she wants you to pick her up,” Bucky said in awe.

She isn’t chasing you off. She likes you. This is good. This is really good.

You picked her up without hesitation. “Oh, my goodness. I’m already in love,” you said when she purred and nuzzled close. Was it weird to be jealous of a cat? “You want to do the tour of your home with me?”

Alpine nuzzled deeper into your hold.

“She really likes you,” Bucky said, leading you to the living room and watching you as you looked around. “It’s not much.” It wasn’t the most lavish place, but it was nice, warm, and he had made it a home.

“I like her, too,” you said, smiling as you took everything in. “Are you kidding? This place is great!”

“Yeah?” he smiled, running his metal hand through his hair. He hadn’t noticed he used that hand until your eyes followed the movement. “Oh, yeah. This…” He put his arm out to show you and felt the need to somewhat explain it. “It’s a state of the art prosthetic, in case you were wondering.”

Losing his arm wasn’t a story he was ready to tell, not today anyway. For now, he just wanted you to see the place. And the prosthetic was something he wouldn’t have normally been able to afford, but he had been lucky and was able to be part of a test group of new prosthetics.

“I think it looks pretty badass.” There was no judgement in your eyes, only openness when you added, “And I’ll argue with anyone who says otherwise.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat. Some people asked invasive questions or tried to touch it, but you put him at ease and there was something wonderful in the air between you because of it. “That means a lot,” he whispered, nodding to the space. “So, you like it so far?”

“I love it,” you answered, your eyes now on the bookshelf. “My kind of space right there.”

“Yeah? You like to read?” he asked. He had a decent collection of books.

“Oh, yeah. Probably how I ended up getting a scholarship since I usually had my face buried in them,” you teased.

“That’s right. Academic scholarship,” he said. You had mentioned in your email that you were on a scholarship and that’s why you were going to the university, but you didn’t want to live on campus. “Must be really smart.”

Smart and beautiful.

“Oh, no. No. I wouldn’t say that,” you said dismissively. That wouldn’t do.

“If you got an academic scholarship, you have to be somewhat smart. So just admit that you’re a little smartie and take the compliment,” he said, chuckling when you shook your head. “I’ll bet Alpine thinks you’re a smartie, too.”

Smartie? What the hell am I saying?

You smiled when Alpine meowed in agreement. “Okay, I’m a little smart in some areas,” you said, biting your lip again. Were you doing that on purpose? “Is that braggy? I don’t want it to sound braggy.”

“Not braggy,” he said. Adorable as hell, but not braggy.

“Thanks,” you whispered almost shyly.

Yep, you were adorable. “Kitchen?”

“Oh, yeah. The tour,” you said, following and gasping again. “This is perfect! And is that an old radio?”

He would’ve liked something bigger eventually, but the size was good and the appliances were in great condition. “Yeah, I listen to music here sometimes,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Hey, it’s your space,” you said. It wouldn’t just be his space if you moved in. It would be yours, too. “And I like music.”

“You like pizza and movies, too?”

You stared at him like he suddenly had another head on his shoulder. “Of course, I like pizza and movies! I thought that was a prerequisite to even look at the place.”

He leaned against the counter and folded his arms with a grin. “Except I didn’t ask you about pizza and movies.”

“Touche,” you said, doing a small spin with Alpine still in your arms. Why did he suddenly want to dance with you in the kitchen? “So, you have a great living room, great kitchen. I’m going to guess the bedroom is amazing.”

He swallowed again, trying not to imagine you in his bed. “Yeah, this way.”

Bucky lifted his chin to indicate the direction of the extra bedroom. You immediately went toward it with Alpine still burrowed in your arms, leaving him a few steps behind. He took the opportunity to check you out, his eyes lingering on your ass. You were going to test his resolve if you decided to move in.

You went into the open doorway since the door across from it was closed, your jaw dropping when you looked back at him. “Wow, this is huge!”

Not the only huge thing in this place.

He barely managed to keep that thought to himself. “So, you like it?” he asked. He thought about turning it into an office or workout area or something, but there was no need.

“Yes! I can have my bed here, and put my desk there,” you said, pointing toward the corner. “I could even put a bed in for Alpine if she wanted to sleep in here,” you offered.

“That’s nice of you,” he said. It was very thoughtful.

“Well, it’s her space, too,” you said, nuzzling her before you set her down.

He nodded toward the closed door nearby. “Bathroom is right across the hall, and you won’t have to worry about sharing since my room has an en-suite attached,” he explained. He wasn’t sure how comfortable you would’ve been if you were forced to shower in his bathroom.

“I’ll have my own bathroom, too?” you asked, brushing past him so you could take a quick look inside. It took all of his strength not to push you against the wall and kiss you, which would’ve probably earned him a slap and a call to your friend. “How has no one snatched this place up yet?”

“Al hasn’t been a big fan of anyone, except for you,” he said honestly, looking you over once more.

“I’m honored that she likes me,” you said before you turned to face him, a wide smile lighting up your face. “How soon can I move in?”

He smiled back. “You want to move in?” he asked, those butterflies in his stomach again when you glanced at your feet.

“Only if you want me, too. Oh, yeah, and…” You dug into your purse and pulled out a small notebook, quickly flipping through the pages. “This is the rent price, right? And the estimated amount for the bills? Because I can give you a first and last month if I need to sign an updated lease.”

He looked over the page. Your notes were meticulous. “That’s the right price,” he confirmed, snapping his fingers. “I forgot if I mentioned it in the posting, but I didn’t even show you the washer and dryer. You don’t have to worry about going to a laundromat since I have them here.”

You put the notebook away and pinched yourself. “Nope. Not dreaming,” you said, your smile faltering a little. “But do you really want me living here? I’m boring.”

“I’ve known you for a very short time and I can tell you that you’re not boring,” he said. His life felt more exciting since you showed up today. “And I’m a mechanic, so I’m not exactly living the most exciting life.”

Bucky was proud to be a mechanic, but it was far from glamorous.

“Being a mechanic sounds pretty awesome.” You crossed your arms. “I do puzzles for fun.”

“Sounds like a great Saturday night,” he said without a hint of sarcasm, making you smile again.

“And to be clear, I won’t be bringing guys back here at 3am,” you promised, scrunching your nose. “I don’t know why I felt the need to say that.”

You mentioned in your initial contact that you weren’t seeing anyone, but he felt extra relieved that you didn’t want to bring guys here. “I won’t be bringing guys here at 3am either.”

The giggle you let out warmed his heart. “So, we’re doing this? You really want me to move in?” you asked hopefully. “Because I really will be a great roommate. I’ll clean, cook, and-”

“I want you to move in,” he assured you. He didn’t want anyone else there. “What do you think, Al?”

The feline brushed against your leg with a happy meow, giving you her approval all over again.

You bounced in place and he thought for a second you’d throw your arms around in a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Thank you,” he said. You were doing him a huge favor by moving in. “And just to be clear, you’re comfortable living here with me being a guy?”

Bucky had never been more attracted to anyone as quickly as he was to you, but he wasn’t going to disrespect or make you uncomfortable in what would be your new home.

“You promised I’d be perfectly safe here,” you reminded him. He did say that. “And…” The soft smile on your face was an image he wanted engraved in his mind. “I have a good feeling about you.”

He was going to fall head over heels if he wasn’t careful. Who was he kidding? It was too late. “I have a good feeling about you, too,” he said, gazing into your eyes with a soft smile of his own. “And I can’t wait for you to move in.”

God, Steve is going to come over and demand to meet my new roommate. He better not flirt or lay on his golden boy charm.

“Could you excuse me for just a second?” you asked, slipping back into the bedroom. He poked his head in and watched as you did a little jig. It was the sweetest thing he had ever seen. “If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a huge dork.”

“You’re far from that,” he said, leaning on the doorframe. You were perfect in his eyes.

“I just…” You turned a blinding smile his way. “I feel like I hit the jackpot!”

I’m the one who hit the jackpot.

And we know how the story goes for these two (so far). 🥰 Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[marie-swriting]

Three Years - Emily Prentiss

Masterlist

Summary : Three times Emily flirts with you but you don't notice and one time you do.

Warnings : alcohol consumption (please, be careful with your alcohol consumption), being embarrassed, fluff, happy ending, maybe some grammatical mistakes as English is not my first language, tell me if you see some or if I missed any warnings.

Word count : 3.6k

French version (will be published 29/06/2025 at 9pm)

Request : made by @mrsines here's the link to the request. Thank you for your request, I loved writing it and sorry for taking so long to write it. Promise, I will be writing your other requests very soon. In the meantime, I hope you'll like this one 🫶

Your arms are holding a box filled with your personal belongings while there is a bag on both of your shoulders; all of this weight is starting to be heavy, you don’t pay attention to it, though. You stare at your reflection in the mirror of the elevator very closely. Today is your first day at the BAU and you have to make a good impression.

You struggle to smooth your blouse and then, you check your make up. Your inspection stops when you hear a ding and the elevator doors opening. A woman with black hair and bangs comes in and stands next to you. You stay silent at first, quickly admiring her beauty while she greets you and presses the button of a floor, you don’t notice she is going to the same one as you. You stop staring at her, not wanting to embarrass her. Discreetly, you keep checking your reflection while the bag on your left shoulder slowly falls. You try to move as a way to keep it in place but it just quickens its fall and it finds its way on the crook on your arm. You sigh loudly, accepting your fate.

“I’ll help you,” the woman says with sympathy, putting your bag back on your shoulder.

“Thank you,” you smile.

You look away, however the woman keeps her eyes on you. She admires every inch of your skin, on top of your beauty, she sees your nervousness. She also perceives your annoyance as soon as you realize your necklace is not sitting correctly on your neck, the clasp is in front of it, instead of behind your neck. Full of hope, you try to hold your box on one hand, yet the second you feel it titling, you quickly bring back your hand in its initial place to stabilize it. Noticing your distress, the woman catches your attention.

“May I?” she asks, pointing at your neck.

“Yes, please.”

You gaze at her fingers getting closer to you and delicately, she turns your chain. You hold back your breath until the clasp is in its rightful place. Gazing up, you notice how close her face is to yours, her eyes looking deeply in yours. You can make out her floral perfume, making her even prettier. You clear your throat, trying not to show the effect she has on you before talking.

“Thank you very much, you’re a lifesaver!”

“Don’t mention it. You seem stressed,” she remarks without a trace of judgment.

“It’s my first day and I want to make sure I’m perfect.”

“You are,” she genuinely affirms. “Don’t worry, I’m sure everything will be alright.”

“We’ll see.”

The ding can be heard again, indicating you’ve reached the correct floor. You sigh in relief, happy to get rid of all of this weight from your body. The woman lets you walk out first and you thank her. You’re about to walk through the glass doors, but turn around to the woman to ask her a question.

“Could you show me where Agent Hotchner’s office is, please?”

“Sure. Wait,” she adds, understanding who you are, “you’re the new profiler?”

“That’s me, yeah,” you confirm with joy while your right shoulder is hurting you.

“I’m Emily Prentiss, nice to meet you. Come with me,” she tells you, taking the box from your hands which you’re grateful for. “You’ll see, the team is nice, there’s a good atmosphere. You’ll fit right in, I’m sure. You can put your stuff on my desk in the meantime, you’ll feel lighter.”

Once you’re rid of your bags and your box, you keep following Emily until you read on a door with a plaque with the inscription ‘A. Hotchner’ on it. Automatically, you smooth your blouse.

“Your outfit is perfect, don’t worry,” Emily repeats, hoping to ease your nerves.

“I hope, I spent a whole hour to find the right one,” you explain, laughing nervously. “I want to be taken seriously.”

“And you will. Hotch might look stern but he isn’t,” she informs you. “See you later, Y/N. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

Emily gives a crooked smile and leaves you at the door. You knock and wait for Hotch to allow you in. From her desk, Emily gazes at you and she can’t help but be excited to work with you and discover who you truly are. She hopes that once you’re more at ease, you’ll pay more attention to her flirty looks.

Mics in hands, JJ and Penelope are singing … Baby One More Time by Britney Spears while the lyrics are rolling on the screen in front of them and also on the ones on both sides of the makeshift stage. You stare at them performing and chuckle, the alcohol they drank clearly influencing their singing skills. You shout encouragement and Penelope points at you with a big smile while she sings, or rather screams, “when I’m not with you, I lose you my mind.” A bartender comes to your table and sets a sex on the beach in front of you, interrupting your entertainment.

“I didn’t order anything,” you state, frowning. 

“Someone is offering you a drink.”

“Who?” you sigh, expecting he’ll be showing a random man who only wants to hit on you.

“Her,” he replies, pointing at Emily who is sitting in one of the barstools. 

“Oh,” you say, surprised yet reassured, “very well, thank you.”

You jokingly roll your eyes while Emily gets closer to you, a cocky expression on her face. She sits next to you and leans at the same time, you're mixing your drink with your straw.

“For a second, I thought it was one of those lame guys who wanted to flirt with me,” you laugh.

“It’s only me,” she affirms with eyes full of innuendos which go over your head.

“You know you don’t have to offer me a drink, right? I can pay for a round.”

“I just wanted to do it,” Emily admits, hoping you’ll understand her flirty attitude.

“Anyway, you didn’t have to do it like that,” you insist, taking a sip of your drink.

“It was worth it, the smile that was on your face when you understood it was from me was pretty.”

“You know,” you start, not paying attention to her compliment, “I’m glad I agreed on coming tonight when you asked me.”

“I’m glad you agreed, too, after all these months of asking,” she says before adding with a tone that’s supposed to be light, “and also that you told JJ and Penelope about it, clearly they need to relax as well.”

In truth, Emily thought this night out would be a one-on-one moment, nevertheless she wasn’t explicit enough apparently when she asked you out for a drink. As soon as you accepted, you turned to your two colleagues and asked them if they were also coming to which they said ‘yes’ in a heartbeat. Penelope is always willing to hang after work and JJ needs a break from cases and her personal life.

“Actually, you might need it more than the rest of us,” Emily adds, “You work too much and coming from me, it says a lot! You’re a real workaholic.”

“I know, I’m working on it, ironically,” you joke, realizing your improvised pun. “Anyway, you’ve all helped me to let go more often. I’m so happy I got into this team, particularly with you,” you specify, making Emily’s heart miss a beat, “you’re a really good friend.”

Upon hearing those words leaving your mouth, Emily feels her soul leaving her body. She had hoped the drink and the way she’s leaning toward you would make you understand she is flirting with you, but it seems like you still haven’t figured it out.

At first, she thought you weren’t being reactive to her flirty comments because you were in a professional context, that’s why she bet everything on tonight the minute you finally said yes to her, and yet, it wasn’t enough.

“That, I am!” she states, hiding her pain with a pinched smile. “You like what I ordered you?” Emily asks as she sees you drinking again.

“I love it, you made the right choice.”

Emily is about to add something when Penelope interrupts your moment by joining you.

“Stop looking at each other with puppy-dog eyes and come with us!”

Without giving you the time to protest, Penelope takes your hands and forces you to leave your chairs. She drags you both to the stage where JJ has already found the song you’re about to sing. The bar employee gives you the last mic, you have to share it with Emily, while the first note of Dancing Queen by Abba begins.

You need some time before humming the lyrics, as for JJ and Penelope they are focusing on every single word. Emily takes your hand and forces you to look at her while singing, the mic between your faces. Your eyes gazing deeply in hers, you find the courage to sing more loudly, Emily encouraging you by making you dance.

Emily makes the most of this improvised karaoke to get closer to you, however as every time she makes advances, it goes over your head. Regardless, Emily won’t give up yet, she needs to be more direct, that’s all. One day, you’ll finally notice she wants to be more than just a ‘really good friend.’

You violently drop your pen on your desk and shake your hand as a way to ease the pain. You sigh and throw your head back. You wish you could rub your eyes who are stinging but your make up stops you from doing it so you just massage your temples. You can’t see the end of this paperwork. It really is the part of the job you hate the most! You’ve been focused on this file for so long you can’t even read yourself anymore. You have to correct several mistakes and you struggle to find the right way to form your sentences. You need at least ten seconds to figure out how to write it. 

Bringing your head back again, you see Emily at her desk, yawning, instinctively you do the same.

“It’s almost been three years since I've been here and I’ll never get used to it. This paperwork will kill me,” you complain.

“Tell me about it! I only want to jump in my bed and snuggle with Sergio.”

“Same.”

“We should stop for tonight, it’s getting late,” Emily states, glancing at her watch.

“If I don’t finish it now, I won’t be able to do it later,” you reply as she begins to put her stuff away.

“If you want to give a file full of mistakes, be my guest, but I’m telling you, we should stop.”

You mentally weigh the pros and the cons while Emily stands up from her chair, you glance one last time at the sheet in front of you then close the file.

“You’re right.”

“I’m always right. This is what we’ll do,” Emily continues walking to your desk. “We go home and we rest like we deserve and tomorrow night, you come to my place to eat. Promise, I’ll order food.”

“Yes, that’s better, I wouldn’t want to die,” you joke, putting your belongings in your bag. “Although,” you resume after thinking, “that’d prevent me from finishing this file and you’ll be charged with murder and so you wouldn’t have to do paperwork anymore. On second thought, you should cook, it’d solve all of our problems.”

“I’d like it if I could avoid your death, especially if I’m the cause of it,” Emily retorts, laughing. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without you,” she adds, looking deeply in your eyes.

“You managed just fine before me,” you say, avoiding her eyes, overwhelmed by your proximity.

“Yeah, but it’s different now. Anyway, you come to my place tomorrow night and like this, our brains will be rested and we will be able to work on the file correctly.”

“Works for me,” you smile.

The following day, you go to Emily’s apartment, a bottle of red wine in hand. As soon as she opens the door, you find her beautifully dressed. She is wearing a black loose-fitting shirt and pants, her hair is curled — though you like all of her hairstyles, this one is your favorite — and her make up is natural nevertheless it still makes her face even more breathtaking. You forget how to respire for a second, not expecting to find an Emily this stunning. 

“You…” you start, clearing your throat, “you’re beautiful.”

“So are you.”

“You’re kidding, right? I put on the first pieces of clothing I found.”

“I still stand by what I said,” she insists before stepping aside. “Come in. I ordered Chinese food, it should be here anytime now.”

“Perfect. I've brought this,” you say, giving her the bottle.

“You didn’t have to! I’m gonna open it. Go sit on the couch.”

Emily walks in her kitchen to grab a corkscrew. She opens the bottle and pours two glasses before going to find you in the living-room, a big smile on her face, thinking about the night you’re about to spend together. Though, her smile vanishes the second she sees the file from yesterday on the coffee table.

“Do you want to work before or after eating ? I only have a few things left to write,” you inform her.

“Oh, huh… I’m almost done, too.”

“We’ll do that after eating, then.”

“Works for me,” Emily states, pretending to not be disappointed. 

You thank Emily when she hands you the glass of wine. You take a sip and so does she. Emily is disconcerted. She thought you understood she simply wanted to eat with you, one-on-one. She hadn’t planned to work while you were there. Clearly, she should have been more direct.

Fortunately, during the meal, you don’t talk about work, though the file watches you eat from the coffee table. Emily enjoys learning a bit more about you and the few times you return the questions, she avoids the subject. You quickly understand she does not like to talk about her life before the BAU so you don’t insist.

While you’re eating noodles, you struggle to bring a portion to your mouth, lightly staining your face. Emily chuckles as she watches you moving your head to swallow the rebellious noodles.

“I have it all over my face, don’t I?”

“A bit,” she replies, mocking you nicely. “Wait,” Emily adds before taking a napkin.

She gets closer to you, her knee touching yours. Her left hand delicately grabs your chin to make sure you don’t move while her right hand approaches the corner of your mouth. After Emily wiped everything, she does not back off. You gaze at each other, time standing still, and slowly, your faces get closer. Her lips are only a few inches away from yours when your phone rings, indicating a new text. Instinctively, you back off and grab your phone on the coffee table. Emily, as for her, is cursing whoever dared to interrupt your moment. Sure, you didn’t understand this was more than a random dinner between two colleagues, but she managed to sort it out; until a few seconds ago. 

Upon opening your texts, you discover it’s from Penelope. She sent you a picture of a saucer she crocheted with a message.

Message from Penelope to you, 9:50 P.M.:

[1 picture]

Look at this beauty I just finished! I’m gonna crochet one for you, too!! Xx ❤️

“Look at what Penelope made,” you tell her, showing her the picture.

“Very cute. It’s going to go perfectly with her cups,” Emily exclaims, trying to seem interested.

“It will!” you reply, writing back to Penelope. “Anyway, we should work now,” you resume, grabbing the file, “it’s almost ten.”

“You’re right, I’m gonna go grab mine.”

With an awkward expression on her face, Emily stands up from the couch and goes to search for her work which is on the kitchen table. This moment definitely did not go as planned. Emily is getting desperate. She doesn't know how to flirt with you. Either, you don’t see her making moves or you’re too polite to turn her down. Yet, she’s sure you have a special bond, however maybe it’s only from her side…

The following months, Emily preferred to flirt less with you, undoubtedly, it’s not working so she has to understand what it means. Therefore, she keeps talking to you, but she stops implying things you’ll never catch.

During one of the rare aftertoons you have free, you ask Emily to go drink a coffee and go to a park which she accepted with joy. For once, you’re the one who is making plans! That is how you find yourselves sitting on a bench under a tree with a take-away cup in your hands. As usual, Emily hangs on your every word, half of her body turned toward you. Without realizing, you both started talking about your past relationships.

“My ex didn’t understand why I was working so hard,” you explain to her. “It was one of the main reasons why we used to argue. I mean, I’m not going to pretend I’m all innocent. I know I should have done better and found the right balance between my work life and my personal one, but she didn’t even try to understand me.”

“Now, it’s easier to find this balance, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is, mostly thanks to you!”

“Which is ironic considering I’m like you,” Emily giggles.

“Seems like we needed to meet so we could understand how to do it. Anyway, it wasn’t the only thing,” you resume, sighing. “We broke up because we were together out of habit, not out of love. We stopped going on dates, gifting each other random things. There wasn’t only one problem.”

“You deserve better, someone who will give you the attention you need, who understands you,” Emily affirms with a determined expression on her face. “You know, I would never do what she did. If I was lucky enough to be your girlfriend, I wouldn’t let you slip through my fingers, especially that way.”

Following her sentence,  you stay silent, your brain going a thousand miles an hour. The way Emily is turned toward you, what she just said… ‘Is she flirting with me?’ you wonder. You open and close your mouth several times, not knowing what to say. You feel like you’re reading too much between the lines. Emily cannot be flirting with you. It’s impossible. Surely you misunderstood the situation.

“This sounds like you’re flirting with me.”

“I have been trying to do that for three years now.” she replies with a mocking smile.

“What do you mean three years?” you ask, frowning.

“From the moment I met you in the elevator, I tried flirting with you, you were too nervous to notice, though.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“Nope!” Emily confirms, emphasizing the last syllable. “But I’m glad you finally noticed.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t see anything until today!” you complain, putting your head in your hands. “How many times did I miss it?”

“Oh, I stopped counting!” she laughs while you sink in the bench. “I even thought you were being oblivious on purpose, however considering your current reaction, you really are just oblivious. The most recent moment was four months ago.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I invited you over so we could see each other outside of work and get closer and not to work,” Emily informs and your eyes are wide open.

“And I brought the file! I want to slap myself! Why didn’t you say anything? I’m so embarrassed, you have no idea! At least, I understand better why you were all dressed up that night,” you specify after having an epiphany. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re always beautiful but that night! God, I was struggling to act normally, in particular when we were close before Pen texted me. I wanted to kiss you so much at that moment.”

“Me too,” Emily announces, tenderly gazing at you.

“And I ruined everything…”

“Don’t feel bad, I could have been more direct,” she reassures you, putting her hand on your shoulder.

“Oh, no, all of this is my fault! I’m supposed to be a profiler and I didn’t notice you were hitting on me for three years… Fortunately, I’m better with UnSubs. For my defense, I’m not used to people flirting with me,” you inform, avoiding her eyes.

“I got that. You’re embarrassed, it’s cute,” Emily states with a smile you find adorable.

“It’s not cute, I’m stupid!” you correct, rolling your eyes. “Especially because I’ve been attracted to you since we first met, too,” you add, looking deeply in her eyes.

“I’m happy to know it wasn’t only me. Does that mean you want to go eat together sometime?” Emily asks before adding with a humorous tone, “it’s a date, by the way, in case you hadn’t understood.”

“Ha ha. Very funny,” you retort, deadpan.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” she laughs. “So what do you say?”

“I’d love to go on a date with you,” you say, taking her hand in yours. “Promise, this time I won’t bring work.”

“Glad we’re on the same page.”

Emily squeezes your hand and brings you closer to her. She wants to kiss you so bad, more than usual, except she doesn’t move. You probably want to wait until your first date. Besides, you finally noticed she was flirting with you, she can’t push her luck and ask to get even closer. Though, for the first time, you perfectly guess what she thinks and decide to lean toward her and finally press your lips on hers, breaking three years of romantic tension.

Masterlist

[peasack]

hii i LOVE LOVE LOVE ur work would it be possible to request where shy teen reader actually gets a genuine friend group of extroverts in school but she seems happier and she goes out more and is always texting on her phone it’d be so cute how the thunderbolts would react to that

YESSS. I loved this cause I actually had a bunch of extroverts adopting me and I js turned exroverted cause of them LOL.

Hope you enjoy!!

Thunderbolts x Gn!Teen!Reader

✦ Thunderbolts Getting Extroverted Friends Headcanons ✦

∗ ࣪ ˖༺ ♡ ༻˖ ࣪ ∗∗ ࣪ ˖༺ ♡ ༻˖ ࣪ ∗∗ ࣪ ˖༺ ♡ ༻˖ ࣪ ∗

✦ Alexei Shostakov

So Freaking Proud. The moment he notices you texting more, smiling at your phone, or making plans to go out, he’s beaming. “MY kid has friends now! Real friends! Look at them socializing!”

Immediately Wants to Meet Them. He’s fully invested. “When do I meet them? Should I drive you? I can wear my suit if you want to impress them.” (Please don’t let him do that.)

Lowkey Brags. Alexei starts telling everyone that his kid has a social life now, like he somehow made this happen.

Sends Snacks. Anytime you’re out, he tries to send you with way too many snacks. He just wants your friends to like you and think you’re cool.

Worries You’ll Outgrow Him. Even though he’s proud, there’s a tiny part of him that worries you won’t need him anymore, but he’ll never tell you that.

✦ Yelena Belova

Protective Big Sister Vibes. She’s immediately suspicious. “Who are these people? Do they deserve you?” She absolutely cyberstalks them first.

Pretends Not to Care. She teases you about being on your phone so much, “Wow, look at you, social butterfly,” but she’s secretly so happy you’ve found your people.

Silent Security Detail. The first time you go out, she follows you from a distance. You don’t see her, but she’s there, ready to burn the world if anyone hurts you.

Soft Encouragement. She gives you subtle advice on friendships, like how to spot fake friends or stand your ground, but she does it in the most casual Yelena way.

Happy When You’re Happy. Seeing you light up after hanging out with your friends genuinely melts her heart.

✦ Bucky Barnes

Suspicious but Supportive. His first reaction is to side-eye your new friends. “You sure they’re good people?” He’s not great at trusting strangers.

Watches Closely. He won’t stop you from going out, but he asks a lot of questions: where you’re going, who’s going, when you’ll be back, if you’ve eaten.

Secretly Checks In. He sometimes texts you while you’re out like “U good?” or “Have fun, but don’t do anything stupid.” He’s trying not to hover but he still lowkey is.

Proud Dad Vibes. When he notices you becoming more confident, it hits him hard. He’s proud but keeps it simple: “I like seeing you happy.”

Ready to Fight. The second anyone from your friend group disrespects you? Oh, Bucky is done. He’s driving over there. He does not play.

✦ John Walker

Super Protective. His immediate instinct is: Who are these people? Are they a bad influence? Are they pressuring you into things?

Becomes the Dad Friend. He offers to drive you everywhere. He insists on meeting them first, probably embarrasses you in front of them by being overly dad-ish.

Happy But Nervous. He’s happy you’re making friends, but he worries you’ll get hurt. He sometimes over-lectures you about peer pressure and safety.

Gets Defensive When You’re on Your Phone. He’ll try to hide it, but when you’re texting at dinner, he feels a little replaced. He’ll just grumble, “Oh, so I’m boring now?”

Eventually Relaxes. Once he sees your friends are good to you, he genuinely warms up to them. He’s proud that you’re growing and happy.

✦ Ava Starr

Wary At First. Ava’s been through a lot, so trust doesn’t come easy. She’s a little distant when you start hanging out with your new friends.

Quiet Observations. She’s not the type to ask you a million questions, but she notices everything. She’s the one who catches when your mood shifts, whether you’re stressed or glowing after a hangout.

Protective but Subtle. Ava will sometimes quietly shadow you when you’re out (you never notice). She just needs to be sure you’re safe.

Loves Seeing You Flourish. Once she realizes your friends genuinely care about you, she’s so soft about it. “You deserve people who make you feel seen.”

Might Struggle with Feeling Left Out. She’s not super social herself, so sometimes she feels like you’re drifting away, but she never tells you that.

✦ Bob Reynolds

OVERJOYED. Bob is ridiculously happy when you start making friends. “I knew you’d find your people!” He’s like your biggest cheerleader.

Asks Way Too Many Questions. “What’s their name? What do they like? Can I meet them? Do they have pets? Are they nice?” He’s just excited for you.

Texts You Nonstop. You might have to tell him to chill when he sends “You having fun? :D” every 20 minutes while you’re out. He just really wants you to be okay.

Cries a Little (Probably). The first time he sees you leave the house with a smile, maybe a little more confident than usual, it genuinely makes him tear up. He’s just so proud of you.

Still Insists on Bonding Time. Even with your new friends, Bob always makes sure you still spend one-on-one time with him. You’re still his kid.

∗ ࣪ ˖༺ ♡ ༻˖ ࣪ ∗∗ ࣪ ˖༺ ♡ ༻˖ ࣪ ∗∗ ࣪ ˖༺ ♡ ༻˖ ࣪ ∗

This idea was so cute I love writing about reader having a live outside of the thunderbolts cause like it's just so refreshing to me idk why

HOPE YALL ENJOYEDDDD<333

[wemlygust]

I'm playing it safe and putting my whole dang post under a spoiler warning. Do not proceed if you have not played Slay the Princess.

I'm reblogging this because I love the art, and I love Slay the Princess, although my own playthrough of Slay the Princess ended in me deciding to, well, Slay the Princess. The game was not a love story for me; it was more like a domestic abuse story, and the ending was coming to terms, letting go, and finding freedom and hope. I actually have so much respect for the devs for making the game in a way that allowed me to reach a very different conclusion than the one I believe they intended to be the "best", and while still giving me an absolutely phenomenal experience from start to finish. The game remains extremely satisfying even if you reject the intended meaning and find another. Like, I could still tell "ah, this is for sure not what they want me to do..." but the game let me do it anyway, and the outcome was satisfying and didn't feel like a punishment or a scolding. In my experience, there really aren't very many games that can absorb that kind of disagreement with their own narrative. Usually, games either shove you kicking and screaming into the "good" ending, or they hand you a "bad" ending that is unambiguously awful. Or they express no significant opinions on anything, no real themes, and are only permissive because they are bland and noncommittal. This one, though. This one is afraid of no theme, never hesitates to introduce a strong opinion or idea or moral position. And it yet it also fucking "no, but-" or "yes, and"-ed all my disagreements with it, and then somehow managed to give me an ending that actually fit well with my interpretation of the story. I cannot, CANNOT, get over how fucking incredible that game is. It's like the game is an extremely intelligent and philosophical horror improve partner with the player. I can't ever even talk about it without wanting to go play it again. Yet it's so hard to sell people on, too. 😅 But at least the surprise of discovering what this game is, under its title and marketing and genre expectations, is a joy as well. Anyway, my point, though I wandered far afield of it, is that yours is a really fun crossover idea, but I think I'd prefer it be wildly AU in execution, because the game ending that I think is intended by the devs is one I cannot accept, and the ending I got.... Is way too sad for Danny. >.< Also, I just have trouble imagining Danny committing that much murder and torture, tbh. :P Ultimately, though, this is only a me problem! Write and/or draw whatever ya'll want to, of course. :) Aaaaanyway, you really nailed the Slay the Princess art style, on the dot. Like, I would have known exactly what it was even if you hadn't included the title, or the writing underneath the image, or anything else but Danny chained to the wall. That's really impressive to me. In part because I cannot visual arts, and I don't have a handle on what it is about the Slay the Princess art that makes it so distinct, though I'm now finding it to be an interesting thing to think about. /long rambly post. Your art is great, though. Keep on keeping on, even if you end up slaying Danny or whatever.

”You’re on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin, and in the basement of that cabin is the Ghost king.

You’re here to slay him.”

I like Slay the Princess a lot, and I feel like Danny and Valerie could work in this dynamic. This also gave me an excuse to focus on my line art cause that’s my favorite part, and I hate coloring.

[kimberly-spirits13]

Jason Todd Dating Vigulantee Reader

There's not really a good way for me to label this in my mind. Think of this as childhood assassin (smt like Red Room) pipeline into vigulantee. Maybe reader could have some miltary background, that's up to you if you'd like. I want to write a fic about reader meeting Batfam based on this

The two of you meet because Roy is a mutal friend

Roy asked if you wanted to go hit some target with a friend of his and you accepted quickly

it was difficult to make good friends due to your life experience but Roy was someone that you bonded with over training so you were willing to hang with whoever he thought you'd get along with

You're taking your rifle out of its case and preparing your equipement when tall, dark, and handsome walks in

"Roy, I'll shoot you if you-" His words die off the tip of his tounge when he sees you

"Cat got your tongue?" You quip

"Not at all, just thought Roy's friend was in his imagination" "I'm Jason."

Roy is standing in the corner with a shit eating grin watching this play out

Jason is impressed with you, you're impressed with him

The two of you start hanging out outside of Roy

Personal conversations start out slow and noncommital with a few questions here and there

He learns that you were a child assassin and gained an education through world wide tutoring about whatever subject you were studying

"You know that 10% increase in assassinations in Geneva?" You ask him. There were two copies of Emma sitting between the two of you and an obscene amount of highlighters and pens strewn about for annotation. Jason takes a sip of his coffee and raises a brow before putting the cup back down and thumbing through a few pages of the book. "Yeah?" He answers. "Cause I was studying astrophysics when I was 12 there." You say

Jason catalouges all of this information and knows that you're doing the same for him

When you're on patrol, he can see how the training has shaped you

You take charge of every situation that you're in, calling out orders and throwing yourself in the way of danger for the betterment of others

You communicate quickly and effectively with Jason and those that you're working with

Jason sees that you become a different person when the adrenaline hits, but in those quiet moments during patrol where it's just the two of you sitting on a rooftop and looking after the city, he sees you for who you are

If someone were to quietly observe, they'd hear quiet snickers and playful commentary on the things that you've observed

They'd see Jason throwing his arm around your shoulders and pulling you in close to keep warm in the night's chill

If they were lucky, they'd see when he takes his helmet off to kiss you and let you run your fingers through his hair before placing the helmet back on and continuing on the patrol

When others hears the two of you in public, they may double take at the joke that you're laughing at

It's probably something a bit too colorful for the average person, but something that has Jason wheezing and you clutching onto his arm to keep yourself up

They'd stare as you add onto the joke, knocking the breath out of Jason

Jason admires you when you're sitting at your table scribbling down notes to a case and spinning a butterfly knife around

He talks to you and asks questions about what you're doing and sits like he's never seen anything more beautiful in the world

Jason wants to know everything that's going through your mindm but he also doesn't want to invade

Tows the line sometimes

Jason knows that there are days that you're not feeling well mentally

There are times where you wake up in a cold sweat from a nightmare and Jason pops up from dead sleep, immediately wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a tight grip

Talks you down so that you know where you are

Gives you space when you need it but you know that he's always there

If you have any tats, he asks about them but he knows that they may be personal so he doesn't push

If you were to just tell him or start talking about them, he'd drop everything and pay the most attention, noting everything that you tell him and filing it away as information about you

Likes the training days that you have and learns that you actually could and would take him out based on your training

Getting up every morning at the specified time and running your miles then heading into weight training and then specified training is your morning routine

Even if you have time off, it's something that you're keen on doing since the rest of the day just doesn't feel right without it

Jason gets up and does it with you since he thinks at first that it's a fun couple's bonding thing

He thinks that until he's 10 miles into the ruck and you're chatting away while he's contemplating his life

he's built and very capable, so it's not like he's dying or anything, he's just uncomfortable

like you do this--- for fun?

yeah, duh

He likes that the two of you challenge each other and it's okay to tease the other about training or anything else

His favorite part of training is any hand to hand combat that he will demand volunteer to be your partner in

Knock him down a few times just to keep the man humble, will ya?

Due to your training, you have extensive knowledge of weapons and combat techniques

If there's something that is stumping him in a case, he has learned that the fastest solution is to come and ask you about it first

He sits and listens intently as you rattle off all the information you know about this thought to be dead assassin society that is now running around in Gotham

there are a few times where you may have corrected his form or given him an easier way to do something

Again, he's extremely capable, but take someone who has been training their whole lives vs someone who hasn't and there might be some things that the other can brush up on

There have been a few times where Jason has hurt himself trying to replicate one of your moves

You think it's hilarious, but still chide him about it

"Jay, I do that specifically to take out people your size. Why are you doing it?" You laugh, helping him peel himself off the ground

"Well, by that logic I could do that for Grundy or something. He's huge!" Jason whines

"Hon, you're built like a wall and I'm not. I need to get a bit more creative with take downs. You can't label yourself with my physical fighting needs when you're not built like me at all." "Otherwise, you'll throw something out love"

"Yea, I noticed. Thanks"

When he finally does bring you over to meet his family formally, he's worried that something will go wrong

You have to promise him that you won't be thrown off by anything and that you've seen your fair share of chaos

Jason's worries are easily shattered when you get along with everyone

You're sitting at the dinner tables telling stories of training, laughing about the things you've seen on the feild, and discussing the similarities and differences of childhood and growing up that you shared with his family

He knows that the deal is sealed when Alfred pulls him to the side and praises the partner that he's brought home

Bruce does the same thing, telling Jason that he's proud Jay has been able to create his own found family and that he can see how happy Jason is

You're happy because you've found even more people who get you now and have a whole family of vigulantees that you can consider close friends

idk this was just random ramblings. Thinking of doing some stuff for Kon and, like I said, maybe a fic for this reader meeting Batfam

[616ioi]

❛ #OFALLEYES! KAGURABACHI.

────────── of all people, you wish to be the apple of their eyes, doing whatever it takes to fill that sweet spot .ᐟ.ᐟ

⤿ pairings. kunishige rokuhira, togo shiba, kyora sazanami x afab reader, soshiro azami, moku, sumi, yoji uruha, seiichi samura, yura, kuguri, soujo genichi, hiruhiko, chihiro rokuhira, kashima x gn reader

⤿ contents. twt links, you must have an x acc to access, dom and (mainly) sub characters, very few vids include afab. what you're about to read and watch includes mature content, proceed with caution.

⤿ thoughts. ykw shout out to kashima as well. enjoy.

KUNISHIGE ROKUHIRA # fem.bodied, sub top reader, manhandling.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A sweet guy. Your lovely husband, always so happy, always staring at you with a light in his eyes when he bares you down, but today?

Kuneshige's holding you down as he pounds into your tightening hole, hips thrusting at an unusual, surprising pace. You could only take, body bouncing helplessly in his lap. If you were to even try to grind your hips yourself, he's wrapping his arms around your waist and holding you down.

Those muscles from hammering a blade all day weren't for show, but he has no intention of hiding them after he finds out you liked how big he was — "Are you hearing yourself? Hmphh, you're so wet, and you've never moaned like this before... you really love when I handle you like a doll, don't you?"

KYORA SAZANAMI # dom top character, breeding kink, piv, fem.bodied.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He's a breeder. Maybe amateur-ish, but nonetheless, it's impressive really. He was still able to spurt out so much at his elderly age.

With the size of his fat cock and you're still managing to take him so well. He's got so many kids for a reason. Not because he needs to keep up the family name, no, that's just an excuse. His pull out game is weak, he thinks it's your fault for feeling like heaven.

But, with the way he groans into your chest as he watches his semen drip out of you and how his cock twitches at the sight... he knew it was all him.

"Sorry, my dear." He presses a chaste kiss to your temple, "I couldn't stop myself. Do you think you can handle another kid?"

TOGO SHIBA # fem.bodied, no exact d/s roles, piv, groping.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀''Hah hahh,'' he huffs, taking his bottom lip in between his teeth, holding as still as possible. This is new. He's not allowed to move, no touching, no making noise. Only to move when you tell him to go.

You're using him to your hearts content, rocking your hips into his, whimpering when your clit grinds against the base of his cock.

He likes to pleasure you, touch you, make you sing praises for being so good. He can't help himself with how he gropes at your breasts, groaning into sex filled air. It's not like you hate it, if anything, you seem to want it.

SOSHIRO AZAMI # sub bottom character, prostate massage, vibrator.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He's slipping, body covered in hickeys and love bites from all your previous activities, and you're pushing a toy so deep inside him.

Can't you see he's trying not to fall apart?

Oh, but it's so hard to focus on anything else. Your sadistic laugh rings in his head, and he tries to stop you from raising the vibration, but it's too late — a surprised cry escapes his sore throat, his soft voice dwindling down to shaky breaths.

He arches his back, panting roughly as you manage to hit his favorite spot. A violent shudder takes over his body like a possessed man.

"Urk! S-slow down..!!"

MOKU 'MASUMI' # sub bottom character, shibari, handjob, edging, yo i'm too obsessed with him help me.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He's always taking care of you. Why not return the favor? Take advantage of the fact that he can't deny you the right to make him feel good as his partner.

"Nghh!" Big boy can't handle a bit of teasing. "[N/n].. [name], please. 'can't take it!"

He's crying out, yanking at the rope, squirming under your hand. The fat of his chest jiggles as his breathing quickens. It's so tempting to just nip away at him. To steal a quick kiss and make him forget his own name.

"I.. think..." His body tenses when your palm rubs circles around the fat, swollen head. He can be so sensitive. "C-coming."

SUMI 'MASUMI' # sub bottom character, masturbation, fem solo.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀You're so adorable. So endearing with the way you think of her. She hugs the teddy bear you won for her as her fingers reach so deeply inside her, the pressure she feels is so heavy that she can't help the startled way her legs jump and kick out.

A wanton moan escapes her red stained lips. She eagerly pushes another finger inside, blatantly ignoring the sound of squelching, it's normal, she knows this, however, she hears the sound of you cooing in her ear, babbling about how pretty she looks.

Her slick coated thighs spread open, whimpering when she feels a gust of cold air hit her, it almost feels like your presence...

YOJI URUHA # sub bottom character, guided masturbation using a dildoʻ, slapping (twice, three).

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Smack! Your hand strikes at his inner thigh, stopping him in his tracks with a warning. "Watch carefully, cutie. Let's do it again, 'kay?"

"K-kay." he stumbles out. He squints his eyes, willing them to not roll back from the sheer need. Your fingers wrap around yourself, lightly, barely. He follows in suit with a ghost of a shudder, bucking his hip as he copies your movements.

Your wrist twists at the base, and so does his, but just as quickly as the movement came, it left. Uruha feels himself hesitate, and it earns him a sharp slap once again. He jolts up, alarmed as he chokes on a moan — "ungg, sorryy! Give me another chance, please, I'll do better this time."

He fails to do so.

Afterward, as you bathe together, he kisses you on the cheek, cheeky smirk plastered on his face. He liked it a lot.

SEIICHI SAMURA # sub bottom character, male solo, sensory blindness, vibrator.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"If you don't touch yourself, we'll do it raw." That was your proposal. Samara's cigarette nearly slips from his mouth from shock. The slimy condoms, he hated them, he struggled to put it on and, worst of all, when it slipped from his hands, the mood would quickly dampen because he'd (for some reason) really want to blindly find it.

He later smirked, accepting your challenge. As an older guy, he has a lot of resistance, both of you know so.

Poor old man.

Seiichi didn't expect the amount of blinding he was going under; no hearing, no hands on himself, your underwear stuffed in his mouth, and finally, no eyes.

He can't hear himself, but he knows he's struggling to hold in his noises — constantly curling into himself to hide away in his shame. He feels your sharp gaze on him, it feels so intimate compared to the lack of your touch running over his body. He smells your comforting scent. Oh, you smell so good.

His sturdy thighs clench around your pillow, huffing and wetting your clothing article with his spit and drool. He needs to touch himself. He wants to cum properly.

He needs to.

He doesn't think he can do it. Oh, gods.

YURA # sub bottom character, vibrator, handjob sorta, cock slapping, he's pierced down there I know it.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀You're laughing. Chuckling at him, and he's choking on his own spit, breath hitching as you raise the volume.

He's feeling everything at max. There's no way he can keep it up. He brings his lip between his teeth, hissing.

This is revenge, isn't it? For his performances of submission. You want to see him stutter and cry, don't you?

Yura's abdomen flexes as he starts to pant heavily. He's coming. His eyes roll into the back of his heavy, thighs quivering.

He actually can't warn you.

You've actually caught his tongue. Can barely even speak by the end of it..

KUGURI # sub bottom character, cock polishing, sometimes i like to think that he slips a lot in the shower, don't know really.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Can you be a little quieter, kuguri?" Grey eyes harden your way. He knows this. Can't you tell that he's trying? He's not even being loud — ah, wait, let's backtrack on that. He's shuffling around too much. Lean body twisting and turning as you drag the sheer white gauze against the feverishly red tip that oozes with precum.

He wants to fawn over you. Geek out at how calm you appear in this situation. A light blush coats his face.

Despite your apathetic expression, he knows very well that you're worried.

There are others outside of the bathroom. If one of them overhears, you'll never be able to live this down. "You've got to be quiet!" You shush him in a whisper. He huffs angrily. He knows. He knows already. He's trying.

"Then- ah, then quit moving!" What a whiner. He's seriously considering cutting his own tongue off.

You shift the gauze the slightest bit to the left.

His entire body shivers violently, grunting behind gritted teeth.

"Really?" You tilt your head. You shift to the right, "You really want me to stop?"

Over his dead body.

SOUJO GENICHI # sub bottom character, ball kicking/slapping, nipple play. play, the link might be a bit more hardcore than the others, hints of a threesome.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Like this, [name]?" His favorite concubine calls out for your attention. She pinches at the tattooed man's perky buds, eliciting a gargled cry from him, his bounded arms yanking at the restrictions.

If he was freed, there was no way you wouldn't be dead. Maybe he'd spare his woman, she's good at following orders. But you? You like to see him crying from pleasure.

And it tends to screw him over (he enjoys it too much that it scares him).

"Just like that. Don't you see how he reacts? He's weeping." You put more of your body weight on his cock, your shoe nearly slipping from all his fluids — sweat, cum, spit. You name it. "Hold him down. I'm not finished with him."

And when he starts to sob for a proper release, he starts to bite back out of humiliation, you slap his cock instead. The tips of your fingers scraping against his sensitive balls. He squirms helplessly.

"Soujo..." Calls out another concubine who watches from afar. He surely hears her — them. All of them are here. Observing. Watching as their master falls apart on the very tatami floors of his bedroom. "You're sick if you really like this..."

SOYA SAZANAMI # sub bottom character, impact play, degradation, arranged marriage.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He likes you so much: he wants to marry you, having already proposed the idea to your parents and his father. They've come to an agreement, and you hated him.

You refused to talk to him unless necessary. You can't look him in the eye, and worst of all, you won't let him feed him. Care for you.

Why? He only wants the best for you.

Give him a taste of his own medicine. That way, he can understand why you hate him. That way he can fix himself.

Spit curses at him as he kneels before you. For the first time since your marriage, you looked him in the eyes. And he reacts to your degrading words with a whimper and his hand shoots over his mouth, embarrassed of the sound that escaped him.

But you slapped him.

He reacts to it with scared eyes and a tightness in his pants.

"What did I tell you, sazanami?" Your foot nudges the outline of his boner then gasping when he cries out. He was barely able to reciprocate to your words, body twitching your way.

"Ahnn t-to be still ah!" You're the only one trying to make him a better man.

HIRUHIKO # sub bottom character, ruined orgasm, handjob.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀While he may not have lots of experience, he doesn't want to be taken less serious. I'd say he cums a lot — that release being put on hold for hours now.

He really tried to hold it off, smiling with pleasure when you told him; "don't cum unless I say so." Of course.

He really did try, hips flexing as his chest heaves rapidly, he only wanted to hear those praises of yours so desperately but he couldn't do so well when you pulled away.

"I can do it." He tells you impatiently. A whine rips away from him, "You don't have to watch over me. I'm excited.."

But here he is, twisting, squirming uncontrollably as he arches his back, spurting all over himself. You click your tongue, oh, he doesn't want you to feel disappointed.

"Ngh..!!" He's sorry (not really), "couldn't hold it anymore.."

CHIHIRO ROKUHIRA # clothed dry humping, suit, sub bottom character.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Since chihiro's new to this, extremely unexperienced, you decide to take things slow with him. Though, on some days, the overwhelming urge to tease and make him desire takes over, and you find yourself straddling him, hands running all over his body before rolling your hips tenderly.

"Feel good, chihiro?" You coo down at him.

Feel him wither beneath you at the unimaginable pleasure he receives with just a little weight pressing down on his clothed cock.

He can't even begin to process how he'll feel if you make skin to skin contact.

His red eyes widen, tears building up in his gaze, "uh-huh," he croaks, meeting your hips clumsily. The only way to silence him is with a kiss! Just try to ignore the way he throbs when your lips meet his.

KASHIMA # sub character, public, vibrator.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ice cream date! Oh, he loves to see you happy with him. He's so excited to be played with, pupils dilated as he takes in your every story.

He licks his spoon of ice cream, noting it's sweet taste before his jolts — caught completely off guard. A vrrr noise sounds. And he gasps.

Here?

He tries to warn you to turn it off, at the very least lower the volume. This only eggs you on to heighten it.

"Stop being mean..." he whimpers in your ear. His shoulders trembling.

You've taken advantage of his weak spot for you. Never able to say no to you. He'll now suffer the consequences. Happily, dare he say.

He can't even finish his dessert without shaky hands!

[realitythroughthelensoffiction]

Saraqael is a mystery to me

This post is dedicated to Saraqael. I find her pretty interesting as a character, because I honestly don't know what to do with her.

The fandom in general seems to view her as one of the good guys. She does not participate in the power games of Michael and Uriel, but focuses on doing her job instead. Even lesser angels like Muriel are treated friendly and with respect by her, something we have rarely seen in heaven before.

Moreover, Saraqael is witty and intelligent, and does not hesitate to let other people know it. She is the only angel who is not fooled by Crowley's disguise in heaven and seems suspicious about Aziraphale's explanation for the 25 Lazarii miracle, telling him "We will keep a very close eye on you" (for more about the ways in which Saraqael shows competence, see this post by @ao3cassandraic).

But then again, Saraqael does not seem to question the atrocities of heaven very much, either. In her eagerness to carry out her duties, she seems quick to perform even the most cruel of acts, like erasing Gabriel's memory or turning Nina and Maggie into salt. At first, I thought that she is simply amoral. Not immoral, but amoral, literally having no sense of morality. Like Muriel, who is cute and nice, but does not see what the problem with killing Job's children is.

But when I watched the series again and read some of the opinions about Saraqael (for example this post by @vroomvroomwee), I started to rethink my notions about her. If we take her amorality and her utter obedience to heaven for granted, then it becomes obvious that her behaviour in at least two scenes in the series is pretty much out of character.

The first scene is the one in which she catches Crowley in heaven. Based on what we've seen so far from her, one would imagine her to immediately sound an alert, throw him out etc. But she does nothing of this. Instead she encourages Muriel, whom she has just accused of "collaborating with the enemy", to "go on" and "show him the trial". She intentionally shares confidential information with a demon.

That's not what you would expect a loyal and obedient angel like Saraqael to do, and it's risky for her, too. Crowley would have watched the trial anyway, so even if she wanted him to see it, she could have stayed in the background and pretended that she never noticed him. But it looks almost as if she wants him to be aware of the fact that she is permitting him to know about the trial. Her reminding him of their common past points in the same direction.

And in the scene where the angels are in the elevator with Crowley, Muriel looks nervous, wedged in between their superiors and probably afraid of being punished for helping Crowley. Michael seems annoyed and Uriel has a very stern face. All of them are looking straight, avoiding eye contact with Crowley. But Saraqael's expression is very hard to decipher. Unlike the others, she is openly watching Crowley, and she does not seem upset or worried about the fact that he has just managed to get past heaven's security mechanisms. To me, she looks curious or even amused, as if she were fighting back a smile.

For some reason, Saraqael does not seem to perceive Crowley as a threat. And she is making efforts to show him that there is no need for him to perceive her as a threat, either. Her behaviour towards him gives the impression that she is trying to build trust between them.

The second scene in which Saraqael acts out of character takes place shortly after, when the Metatron enters the bookshop and chastises Michael for talking nonsense. @most-normal-eccles-cake-ignorer analysed it very neatly in this post. Saraqael is the only one besides Crowley who seems to recognize the Metatron immediately, but her reaction is very odd. She looks up and fold her hands, probably silently calling to God. And yet her expression is not one of pure devoutness, but one of fear, and she gives the Metatron an anxious side-eyed look. It appears almost as if she is asking God for succour against the Metatron. And that although whenever she talks to him she shows nothing but reverence.

Taking these two scenes together and seeing how they do not quite align with the initial assumption of Saraqael being a completely submissive angel, I conclude that Saraqael has much more of an own agenda than one would assume at first glance. That would also be more fitting for someone of her intelligence. Her opinion of Crowley is most likely different from heaven's official standpoint, and so is her opinion of the Metatron.

That's why I'm wondering whether Saraqael's obedience is in fact just a strategy to survive in a corrupt system. An user in this Reddit thread on her brought up the idea that she isn't on board with heaven's plans, but is "more politically saavy [sic!] than Crowley" and "knows when to keep her mouth shut". Maybe her tactic is to gain and maintain a position in the celestial hierarchy that allows her to have some important influence. Because since she is so conscientious, she gets assigned many tasks. And we do not know whether she actually carries them out in the way heaven wants. We don't know whether she would have truly wiped out Gabriel's memory and turned Nina and Maggie into salt, or whether she would have just pretended to do it like Crowley pretended to kill Job's goats. But that's just a theory. I'm very curious what Saraqael's actual character arc in the finale will look like.

What are your opinions on this peculiar angel? Let me know in the comments!

[puck-luck]

Hi Andy, me again, coming at you live with another order. BUT it's different from my usual! Cappy and Boldyanon have shown me the way to another 6'2 man who could bench me but that's my kink at this point.

Can I order a cafe latte with cinnamon (marking) + peppermint (established relationship) for Matt Boldy? 👀

for my meg! for some reason i had this marked as an espresso on my list, but i caught the cafe latte bit before writing too much of it. lots of hickeys and a little bit of a challenge for Matt (i know how motivated he is) and the cherry on top: his classic munching is referenced at the end. hope it works!! congrats again on graduating AND i love that cappy and boldyanon have encouraged you to embrace another 6'2" pretty boy ;)

His fingers plunge inside of you, Matt’s last ditch effort to stop you from leaving for post-work drinks with your coworkers. 

“Baby, I told you. You can come with,” you invite again, carding your fingers through Matt’s hair. It’s getting a lot longer on top now that it’s off-season, parting in the middle of his forehead and falling princely over his skin. 

“No,” Matt drawls, pouting into your neck exaggeratedly. “Let’s stay in.”

“Bold. We always stay in.” You drag him from the crook of your neck and land a kiss on his pout. 

Matt changes the playbook and takes your bottom lip between his teeth, sucking on it and licking your lip gloss away.

You fumble for the doorknob, wrapping your fingers around the cool metal. 

Matt seizes your wrist and secures it against the door itself, blocking you in with his body. All the while, he scissors his fingers inside of you. He strokes your inner walls with his deft digits, drawing a moan from your vocal chords.

He releases your lip with a playful growl, nipping at it once more before returning to your neck and licking up the column of your throat. “Don’t want you to leave me,” Matt laments, mouthing over your jugular vein.

You lift your left arm, looking at the watch on your wrist. “If you can make me come in the next minute, I’ll stay home.”

“Ooh, a challenge,” Matt says, smiling to himself. “I accept.”

“You just wasted five seconds,” you reply, clenching down on Matt’s fingers and encouraging him to pick up the pace.

He hums and works a third finger into your heat, flexing them rapidly. His thumb circles your clit, working in a completely different motion from the fingers of the same hand. It’s impressive and it feels good and when he digs his teeth into your neck, you put your full weight on the door. 

Small noises and whimpers fall from your lips and wash over Matt’s ears, his self-important smile coating your neck in smugness. You keep an eye on your watch, seeing the seconds tick away. Matt marks hickey after hickey on your skin, splotchy red bruises blooming over his blank canvas. 

He almost gets you there, truly. 

Your voice is breathy and high when you speak next. “Time’s up,” you gasp, placing your hand on Matt’s chest and pushing him back. 

Matt pouts again. “Let me make you come, at least.”

You fix your clothes and check your hair in the mirror. Matt looks like a mess, cheeks flushed and hair awry, so you can’t be much better. You think of a solution while making yourself presentable– “If you can wait ‘til I get back from happy hour, I’ll let you have your favorite for dinner.”

A slow smile overtakes Matt’s face. “My favorite, huh?”

You peck his lips and confirm. “You can feast for as long as you’d like.”

“Mm, baby, in that case… stay hydrated at the bar,” Matt says. He kisses you again, as a goodbye this time. “I’ll be eating all night.”

[its-just-showbiz]

"You're just having fun with this," he decides. It's the explanation that makes the most sense. He doesn't care. He's not on anyone's side. He's just having fun. "And stop calling me that. You're worse than he is." How long is he going to be here, trapped between two lunatics? "You want to know why I stay there, I'll tell you the real answer. It's because that's all I have. It's all there's ever been, for me. And you two really aren't giving me a good impression of what the rest of the world might look like, so I'll stick to the devil I know. Now I want my question answered:" His eye flicks between the two, mostly regarding Jevil. He'd be the one who decides. "What are you going to do with me? Let's assume that nobody comes to save me for a while. Let's assume nobody's ever going to. Are you gonna keep me here forever, or send me off once you've had your fun? Sustain me, or let me starve? You got a radiator to chain me to while I sleep?"

Finally, a second alone. The boss has been having me help build his little jigsaw traps, just back and forth, back and forth, little to the left, little to the right, for I couldn't even tell you how long. Ridiculous.

But Ramb managed to distract him long enough for me to take my smoke break. Which probably means I'll owe him... whatever.

If there's ever any doubt that Fell sucks, just check back to this post.

[oimoitalaina]

The Emperor Has no Clothes, or, Is There an Opposite of Review Bombing?

The comments @staying-elive left on my last post (which were great thank you!) has made me think more about another strange element of Thunderbolts. That is the fact that despite the movie being objectively a terrible mess and a financial disaster, it got good reviews. And now we’re seeing Ironheart get review bombed, like many projects before it. This makes me wonder, is there such a thing as the inverse of a review bomb? Where a bad movie gets artificially positive reviews?

One of the biggest problems with having a project get review bombed is that it puts anyone with positive things to say on the back foot. The most recent example before Ironheart was Brave New World, and I still see people start any positive take of the movie with something like “don’t believe what you’re seeing online” or “Well I *actually* liked it” or “despite what people say, I think it was good”. Or “I don’t get why people didn’t like it!” (It's racism, keep up). People are always giving ground to the “majority” negative opinion before giving their own positive take. Any praise of Brave New World has had to fight uphill so to speak, it's at a disadvantage because of that damn Rotten Tomato score. Even when sites like Rotten Tomatoes crack down on review bombing like they finally did for Ironheart, it's often too little too late. The first thing many people heard was that there were negative reviews. Even when people *logically* understand that something is incorrect, like an overwhelmingly negative series of reviews, first impressions make a huge unconscious difference on the average fan.

So we know that an objectively good movie can be made to look bad to the average audience if there are negative reviews, no matter how fake those reviews are. My question is - can the opposite happen? And can that help explain the weird case with Thunderbolts? Thunderbolts got good reviews and did terribly at the box office. Now, for many movies, this is not an uncommon phenomenon. The current state of theaters is pretty terrible, and people don’t have the finances to go out to every movie that comes out. We also have streaming now, so most people are willing to wait to watch a movie for much way less money. But while this is the case for lots of movies, it has not been the case for the MCU. These movies have a huge established fanbase, a massive marketing budget, and extra control over the movie theaters themselves. Disney has a huge amount of sway over how many theaters and showtimes their movies get. Thunderbolts had every advantage to do well, even over other MCU movies this year since it had a noticeably larger advertising budget than Brave New World.

The thing is, Thunderbolts is a bad movie. And a bad MCU movie bombing makes sense. The only thing that doesn’t make sense is the positive reviews. So while many people are questioning why a movie with such good reviews did so badly at the box office, I’m instead asking how such a bad movie got such good reviews in the first place. And, as I’ve clearly been hinting at so far, I think it's because the nature of many of these reviews is in some way artificial.

Now before people think I’m some conspiracy theorist about it, I don’t actually think that this is a one to one comparison to the act of review bombing. I don’t think that fans who didn’t watch the movie flooded Rotten Tomatoes with 100% ratings. Instead, I think that the marketing of the film influenced a lot of the reviewer’s opinions. Again, credit to @staying-elive for talking about this, because it is true that Disney made a big push to act like Thunderbolts was some indie film. They did the whole “absolute cinema” meme, and they leaned into the practical stunts involved with the movie. Florence Pugh jumping off that building and the cast talking about Bucky’s stunt double with the wig on his helmet come to mind. The marketing also leaned into the concept of mental health representation. This feels especially odd in hindsight. The depiction of mental health in this movie clearly moved some people, but a great deal of it was fairly one dimensional. Nicque Marina made a great video going into detail about this topic. This movie feels rather patronizing when it comes to the topic of mental health at parts, acting like it can be solved with a group hug.

The highlighting of mental health for this movie also feels odd since other MCU projects have also covered this topic, often with much more care and grace, but the marketing for those projects didn't use the term "mental health" as judiciously as we see in Thunderbolts' marketing. Moon Knight, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Wakanda Forever are great examples. These all do a much more in depth, nuanced look into mental health while also not taking such a patronizing attitude towards its characters. Hell, I’d say that Brave New World covers mental health more than Thunderbolts in a much more detailed and subtle way. It covers Isaiah’s trauma, Sam’s grief and sense of constant pressure as a Black man in such a prominent position. It's about, dare I say it, men’s mental health and how they can support each other by being open and vulnerable in their emotions. Sam and Joaquin’s conversation at the end of the movie does more work in that department than a goddamn group hug, that’s for sure! And, again, its fine if people liked the mental health messaging in Thunderbolts, but to act like its the only project that has covered this topic is questionable in my eyes.

The trailers also did a lot of work to make Thunderbolts look like a Guardians of the Galaxy style scrappy team looking for redemption, with Bucky acting as the mentor and moral center of the movie. The montage highlighting each character, complete with big text of their name, implied that this would be a true ensemble cast movie that would dive into each of their stories. The glimpse of Yelena’s room gave the impression that the story would involve all of the characters needing to confront their demons to defeat an insurmountable foe. By showing their initial confrontation with Val, the trailers implied that this would be a clear Thunderbolts vs. Val story where they reject her and help take her down.

But, much like the indie film comparisons, the theme of mental health and redemption isn’t a legitimate trapping of Thunderbolts. Neither was the whole “future of the MCU” angle I talked about in an earlier post. These were all just straws that the marketing department found themselves grasping at when everyone behind the scenes realized that the movie was a dumpster fire. But of course the initial reviewers didn’t know that at the time. And a lot of these reviewers wanted these things that the marketing promised to be true.

While I think that Disney deserves a lot of blame for how they marketed the movie, especially with regards to how they disrespected every project to come out in phases 4 and 5, a lot of blame also falls on the fans. Because the origin of the idea that the MCU fell off after Endgame was not from Disney itself, that was something that came up on the internet just a few projects into phase 4. And while there were a few missteps in the last six years, most of those were more a matter of issues behind the scenes. Executive meddling, poor organization, and insufficient support for creative teams. Disney not immediately listening to the requests of the writers and actors unions which led to the perfectly justified strikes. These account for most of the issues, and beyond that, there were plenty of disappointing movies before phase 4 that the fanbase has  just conveniently forgotten with time.

But to many of these reviewers, the claim that Thunderbolts was the start of a new era for the MCU, a return to form, was tempting. It didn’t hurt that this movie was overwhelmingly white. There has been an insidious, racist association between phases 4 and 5 being of supposedly lower quality and their push for greater representation. The racists who believe this are of course choosing to ignore that Antman Quantumania and Thor Love and Thunder were not good at all despite having white leads. And while I’m not going to pretend that every reviewer had openly racist motivations behind being excited for Thunderbolts, it was probably the case for a few. And for those who weren’t being actively racist, I think the general feeling online about phases 4 and 5 have spread to reviewers who aren’t aware of the racist undertones. Plenty of people’s ears are too bad to hear dog whistles. 

So, between the work of the marketing team and a general desire for the movie to be good, I think it makes sense that a good deal of reviewers would walk out of the movie having liked it. There was nothing to prime them towards having negative opinions towards the movie other than the actual movie itself. And, well, this is where I get into the kinda conspiracy-esque part. I think that these reviewers really wanted this movie to be good because it fit the narrative that the internet had already decided on. They wanted Brave New World to fail and Thunderbolts to succeed. Brave New World had the rumors about extensive reshoots and a bloated budget, it had a controversial character, it had a moment or two of questionable CGI, and it had a lead who many people can’t stand for reasons they *insist* aren’t racist. In comparison, Thunderbolts was marketed as the creative darling, with actors like Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan who had been having great success with indie movies. This movie didn’t have those pesky reshoots like Brave New World, and it had all those practical stunts! It was moving the plot forward, bringing back these characters who we hadn’t seen in quite a few years confronting a villain who had been set up over multiple movies. It was an ensemble cast, which we haven’t seen since Eternals.

So unlike the victims of review bombing, this movie had nothing but positivity at its back. And so reviewers just kinda rode that wave. Because this is their job, and part of that job is getting attention. A confirmation that the movie everyone wanted to be good was indeed great? That gets views and clicks. So at least a portion of reviewers were just riding off the fun of watching a new MCU movie that they wanted to be good. A  proportion were probably genuinely racist John Walker fans who loved how the movie mocked and erased Sam. But I think there were definitely reviewers who recognized that the movie was bad. I mean, how could anyone with half a brain not notice that? But I think they had good reason to not point it out.

Why would a professional reviewer not take the opportunity to call out a bad movie? Don’t they love doing that? Well, as I said before, it would go against the desired narrative, a narrative that was shared by Disney, fans, and reviewers. And it is genuinely risky to go up against something that powerful. Nobody wants to be the first one to point out that the movie everyone wanted to be good was actually really bad. They don’t want to be the buzzkill, especially since the movie is supposed to be this heartfelt masterpiece about the importance of mental health! To finally reference my title, nobody wants to be the person to point out that the emperor’s beautiful robes don’t exist, that his tailor has been lying to him, that he’s parading through the streets naked.

And so, much like the review bombing we’ve seen directed at recent projects, the reviews for Thunderbolts feel similarly untrustworthy. And while this is a concerning thing to have happened, in some ways it is actually kind of comforting. Because I want the theater industry to survive, and I want the MCU to last and make good movies. If it became a pattern that MCU movies with genuine, overwhelmingly positive reviews bombed in theaters just like every other movie, that would probably spell the end for theaters and the MCU. But in the case of Thunderbolts, it was just a case of a bad movie doing badly. And that is at least something that is actionable, something that can be changed for future movies to ensure financial success. I hope that the lesson execs learn from Thunderbolts is that, at the end of the day, quality is all that matters. No amount of marketing or public perception is going to affect the actual content of the film. Because when the emperor has no clothes, someone will eventually point it out. 

[ghostly-bat]

Been thinking Superfam thoughts.

Supers who are impossibly good actors and even better liars. They have to be, after all

Damian meeting Jon for the first time and he's a bit unnerved.. He asks him questions Damian knows the answers to and tells him to try to lie. And he does and Damian would not be able to tell if he didn't know the answers and he's more than impressed.

Even more so when he actually sees him out and about, lying with a smile on his face, not even a moment of hesitation, not even a flinch.

He's sulky when he finds out their sparring sessions and fights are acted out too. He's embarrassed that it took him so long to figure out that the boy who could lift a cargo ship wasn't actually affected by his hits.

And when he asks him why he just fought he gets

"Because I like our stupid fights, you idiot"

Also, for your "Eldritch Kryptonians for the day", Kryptonians and pain

Pain is a warning signal to keep you alive. But Kryptonians can't die of blood loss (external or internal) their wounds can't get infected, they can't suffocate, they heal quickly and regenerate (yellow sunlight or not) and they aren't affected by extreme temperatures in any way (yellow sunlight or not).

So what would pain be to them?

Not the pain we know. And not accompanied by endorphins or adrenaline either (or, you know, the energy based Kryptonian equivalent). There's no need for that.

It would probably be dull and dry, just a way for their body to say "hey, something happened"

And when there's actually something that can cause pain to something closer that we know of (kryptonite, for example), instincts flare up immediately. The pain is dismissed by the brain and the only objective is to destroy whatever caused it or get you and whoever else is affected the fuck away.

That doesn't mean they're mindless though

One time Jon was stabbed with a Kryptonite knife, so he pulled it out and stabbed his attacker with it.

"Oh, what, it's not fun now?"

Also, here's an interaction between Jon and Clark that popped up in my brain that's been making me laugh

Clark: You lied? Who taught you to lie?

Jon, losing his shit: ....YOU DID!

Yes exactly! People always say Supers are bad liars but like?? You have to be a good actor when you could crush someone by accident. Of course Clark taught Jon how to lie—beautifully. How to make people feel safe around him. How to smile through everything. He’s terrifying and kind and that makes it worse.