#the blue pens have been avenged

[leclerc-s]

paint the town red - bonus part

series masterlist

EPISODE 10 - AN UNEXPECTED PURCHASE

charles stands with max, before their final press conference of the season, when lance approaches them. he greets both of them before turning to charles, "what happened? twitter is losing it's mind."

charles laughs, max also looks visibly confused, "oh mate, the craziest thing happened."

"STARK!" lando is heard shouting before he appears in the camera's view. he crashes into charles, gripping his shoulders, "TONY FUCKING STARK JUST BOUGHT THE TEAM?"

"what?" max questioned, "who bought what team? and what are you doing here, you're supposed to be in the media pen?"

"TONY STARK JUST BOUGHT FERRARI MAX!"

"oh," lance said, "that's why twitter is losing it."

"losing it?" lando questioned, "twitter is in shambles lance. it's not everyday a fucking avenger buys an f1 team."

"correct me if i'm wrong," daniel says, approaching the group, "but didn't tony stark get attacked at the monaco grand prix ages ago?

"you should ask fernando about that," charles told lance. the canadian looked confused before realization hit him, "right, fernando's been driving as long as oscar's been alive."

"we are completely and utterly fucked if tony stark just bought ferrari. you think the red bull dominance was bad, ferrari is about to completely annihilate us," lando complained.

daniel laughed, "well, i'm sure you guys will enjoy fighting for that p3. my tractor and i will enjoy fighting for points."

will buxton sits in front of the camera, "there's not many times when the world of formula one falls silent. in 1994, it fell silent to mourn the death of ayrton senna, then again in 2014 to mourn jules bianchi. zhou's nearly fatal crash and romain's near death experience rendered it silent for a moment before it all went back to normal. but this, this is one of those moments where it all falls silent before exploding. no one saw this coming, that's how unexpected this was. we never thought we'd hear the news that a billionaire had purchased the oldest standing team in formula one. let alone an avenger."

we now see christian horner in front of the camera, “i think i’m more so upset about the fact that ferrari will now be able to steal the championship from us. if there’s one thing i know about tony stark is that he is one competitive son of a bitch. there will be no more half-assed pit stops and strategies from ferrari, that you can count on. and with his daughter as one of the race engineers and a lead engineer, that car is going to be a rocket ship. it just means the rest of us will have up our game.”

toto wolff sits in front of the camera, replacing christian horner, “this is not the first time someone has purchased a formula one team. i do not know why they are acting like this is a first. yes, ferrari will be difficult to beat next year. they will know what they are doing, but we will not give up without a fight. next year will be an interesting year for us all.”

in front of the camera now sits tony stark, his signature blue tinted glasses sit on his face. he smiles at someone off camera, before turning to the producer, "need me to take off the glasses?"

"if you would," the producer answered, "name and title please."

tony looks at the camera, "my name is tony stark and i am the new owner of scuderia ferrari's formula one team. oh! and i am iron man!"

"mr. stark, what led you to purchase the team?"

tony clears his throat, "my mother was italian and a big tifosi, she bled rosso corsa proudly. she never got the opportunity to see michael schumacher lead the team to the greatness he did. i kept up with the team in her memory, and in recent years the team hadn't been performing as well as a fan would've liked. i knew the current drivers, charles and carlos, were championship material. that much was obvious to me when sainz became the only non red bull driver to win a race in the 2023 season. for leclerc, well, there's a reason they call him il predestinato right? he won monza his maiden year with ferrari, that alone put him into the tifosi's good books. speaking of, i knew they were furious and after austin, i knew something had to be done. and if nobody else was going to do it, i was, so i bought the team."

"how confident are you that you can restore ferrari's old glory?"

"i trust my drivers and i trust my team, i think that says enough."

in front of the camera now sits an old face. sebastian vettel smiles brightly at the producer. the last time they had seen him he was in a green shirt and he looked tired, but the time away did him some good. he's happier now and back in ferrari red, back where he had started when the show first began.

"did you ever think you'd be back here?" the producer asked him. sebastian smiled, "honestly, no. i had left this all behind and i told myself i was never going to return to this sport. but when an opportunity like this comes around, you don't say no."

"are you happy with this new position or would prefer to be back in the car?"

"i'm happy with my job now."

“do you think you can help restore ferrari to its old glory?”

“yes,” sebastian quickly answers, “in the past ferrari had been stuck dwelling too much on its history. being stuck in the past for so long leads to no results. it leads to people demanding your first driver leave the team after constantly getting screwed over. we want the championship back in maranello and we will take it back. next year ferrari will put up one hell of a fight.”

“you’ve got a great team mr. vettel.”

“i know, i don’t plan on wasting it.”

charles smiles brightly at the camera, “hello.”

“hi charles,” the producer replies, “do you mind telling us what your first thought were when you heard the team had been bought? how did you find out?”

“i found out on twitter along with everyone else,” charles replied, “my first reaction was to text carlos to see if he knew, he was just as shocked as i was. no one had informed us the team had been bought much less who it had been bought by.”

“and how did you find out the team had been bought by tony stark?”

“when there was an emergency meeting called at maranello right before abu ahabi. carlos and i walked in to the factory and it felt like a different environment, people were excited and whispering to each other. you can imagine our surprise when we walked in to that meeting to see seb sitting with tony stark of all people.”

“i imagine it was a big shock?”

“yes,” charles answered, “mr. stark explained to us what he had done and told us that we should be expecting a whole new team when we arrived back from the final race of the season. it is exciting to know that things are changing.”

"is change a good thing?"

"in this case, it is. things needed to change if ferrari wants to be a championship contender once again. and this will be good for my friendship with carlos."

"are things strained between you two?"

"the truth? yes," charles replied, "it is difficult to go online and see people saying that you don't deserve your seat or that your teammate is better simply because he won a race when you haven't been able to do that this season. it places a sort of- tension? is that the word?" he looks at someone off camera, the person must nod because he turns to face the camera again, "carlos and i are good drivers, there is a reason we are formula one drivers. but the team, it has- it pit us against each other, that was what strained our friendship."

"what are your wishes for this upcoming season?"

"to win the championship." charles laughs.

carlos looks at someone off camera, nodding at whatever they're saying, before turning to look at the producer, "hello," carlos greeted.

"hello carlos," the producer greeted, "can you tell us what your initial reaction was to learning the team had been bought?"

"i was shocked, i did not think it was possible for someone to buy the team, it's ferrari. but i also felt a bit relieved? i hope maybe things will change and we can have a decent shot at the championship."

"relieved? i don't think i've heard that one yet."

carlos chuckled, "my friendship with charles was strained after this season. i hope that with mr. stark as an owner we are able to put aside our work and our friendship to achieve the goal we have in common. to bring the championship back to ferrari."

"is it difficult to separate work and life off the track?"

"sometimes, yes. after singapore was when our friendship truly hit rock bottom. i think it was difficult for us to accept that only one of us was the 1st driver. everyone knows that it's charles, it has been since 2021, but i think after a while it was difficult for me to accept that. he's- charles is loved by the tifosi, he's loved by everyone because he's charles leclerc. sometimes it is difficult to be his teammate knowing people will always see me as second best."

"i see."

"i love the kid, trust me, i do. i value his friendship very much, but sometimes it is difficult. with stark as the owner, and sebastian as the new team principal, i am hoping things will change. even if charles is still first driver, i hope i am not treated as second best by my own team. sometimes change is good, this time i think it is."

"what are your wishes for this upcoming season?"

"to win the championship." carlos answers.

will buxton is in front of the camera once again, "it will certainly be entertaining to see what ferrari manage to do next season. the lingering question that remains is, will the starks live up to the hype surrounding this purchase? i guess we'll just have to wait and see."

series taglist: @celesteblack08 @be-your-coffee-pot @evans-dejong @elliegrey2803 @bingewatche @arkhammaid @sunflower-golden-vol6 @lorarri @melanier7 @ironspdy @mypage-myfandoms @vellicora @you-bleed-just-toknowyouarealive @enchantedthoughts @stopeatread @hobiismyhopeu @lilsiz @alessioayla @niniluvsainz @au-ghosttype @fulla02 @cowboylikemets1989 @six-call @embrosegraves @justtprachisblog @bionic-donut @rmeddar123 @nichmeddar @landonorizzz @unluckyyoshi @raizelchrysanderoctavius @burningcupcakefire @spilled-coffee-cup @jamie-selwyn @cool-ultra-nerd @kami10471633 @int3rnetgf @fernandoswarcrimes @skynel09 @arieltwvdtohamflash @mimolovescookies @brekkers-whore @camdensreg @mycenterfold @dear-fifi @chiliwhore @tygecjjd @nothaqks @nataliambc @formulaa1d @prongsvault @kaa212 @julesbabey1 @julesbabey @georgeparisole

strikethrough means i couldn't tag you

¡leclerc-s speaks! once again, merry christmas to those of you celebrate and a very wonderfully normal day to those of you who don't. either way, my gift to you is this bonus episode for paint the town red, i hope you enjoyed it. it is a pain figuring out how to write netflix style, it's over 1.7k words, although it may not look like it.

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

[smileysuh]

roommates

🌙 staring. Hyuck & Mark x afab!Reader

🔮 synopsis. as Jungwoo's best friend, you have your pick of fratboys to date, including Jeno, who has a huge crush on you. But you're only attracted to Lee's that come in pairs, and you can't get roommates Mark and Hyuck off your mind.

cw/ tw. drug use (weed), threesome, pet names: baby & kitten, praise, degradation, dirty talk, spanking, fingering, oral (f/m receiving), hand job, anal, double penetration, unprotected sex, edging, body worship, cumplay/creampie, etc…

👹 rating. 18+ explicit I wc. 8.3k

🍭 aus. frat au, stoner au, poly au

☀️ mlist + an. stoner frat boy roommate MarkHyuck- what else can I even say

It’s halfway through the annual Halloween party when a battle of ‘who’s the strongest Avenger’ breaks out amongst a group of frat boys all dressed the part. And soon, the room is watching an arm wrestle between Sungchan and Jeno, two of last years ‘beffiest pledges,’ who are now eager to make a name for themselves amongst their elders.

Jungwoo takes a sip of his drink, and then, in classic best friend fashion, he asks you for the umpteenth time; “Are you sure you don’t want Jeno?” 

“Yeah,” you respond, swallowing thickly and tearing your gaze off of beautifully sculpted biceps- “Are you sure you don’t want Jeno?” 

The tall engineering major rolls his eyes at the insinuation, clicking his tongue. “I know who you want instead,” he reminds you, “and I don’t like it.”

“What’s not to like?” you laugh, enjoying the way Jungwoo reacts every time he remembers your most recent ‘campus crush’ is not one, but two of his frat brothers- and they’re roommates.

“Mark is a great guy,” your best friend says smoothly, taking a large sip of his drink while he scans the crowd- “Hyuck is a fuck.”

Your grin widens, and you watch Jungwoo down the rest of his mystery fruit punch - which had mostly been vodka - then you hold out your own cup of water for him when he immediately teeters over, grabbing at your shoulder to steady himself.

“And you, my friend,” - you say, a determined devil intent on leading the man dressed as an angel up to his room sooner rather than later - “are drunk.”

It’s past midnight by the time you leave Jungwoo’s room, and you immediately head off towards the place you know you’ll find Mark and Haechan.

The stoners are predictable by now; they hang out at a party, heading outside or up to their room for a hit from various bongs, dab rigs, vape pens, joints and the like- until slowly- they just stay in their room. 

The last time you’d come through here with Jungwoo, Mark had been kind enough to show you how to take a hit from the bong, and you’d ended up hanging out for a while. To your disappointment that night, Haechan hadn’t arrived until later, Jeno in tow-

But this time, you’re surprised to find Mark and Hyuck alone in their room. 

The first of the two is splayed across his bed, arm bent, hand behind his head- he looks comfortable, a casual dude listening to music while he toys with the little fidget he’s playing with between his fingers. He’s still wearing blue jeans and his hockey jersey- Mark’s never been known to go to extremes for Halloween. 

Hyuck, meanwhile, is at the desk by the window, seated in his gaming chair with his head back- eyes closed- he’d come to the party as Joaquin Phoenix's ‘The Joker’, and while his makeup has been removed, the red suit is still an attention grabber. 

“Are you two busy?” you ask.

Now you have their attention, and while Mark licks his lips, opening his mouth like he’s about to say something- Hyuck beats him to the punch: “Not busy. Come in, what’s up?”

“Jungwoo fell asleep and I just- are you sure you’re not busy?” you honestly can’t believe they don’t have at least one girl in the room already- 

Mark and Haechan have to be two of the hottest guys in the frat- or, while you’ve heard some people don’t instantly find themselves attracted to Mark - he’s been voted ‘most husband’ by the sorority girls at Winter Formal for two years in a row for a reason-

“We’re seriously not busy, come in,” Hyuck laughs, flashing you a grin. “Jungwoo fell asleep?”

“Uh huh,” you step into their bedroom, closing the door gently behind you. Then you head to the foot of Mark’s bed, continuing, “I thought he’d pass out easy, but tonight he took a while, needed head scratches and everything-”

“I’ve heard about the head scratches,” the Canadian smiles softly, sitting up and tucking his feet closer to himself so you can have at least half of his bed to sit on. 

“Jungwoo doesn’t keep his mouth shut about anything,” you say fondly- of course he’d tell his friends about your ‘cuddle time’.

“He’s also still very serious every time he tells us the two of you aren’t dating,” Hyuck muses, “despite the head scratches, cuddles and matching halloween costumes.” 

You settle against the wall with a laugh- the matching angel/devil costume had been fun to do this year with Jungwoo- he’d even bleached his hair blonde for it- “And I’ll be serious right now when I also tell you we’re not dating.” 

“Okay- and what do you think about Jeno?” 

The sudden shift in Hyuck’s questioning has you nearly gasping in shock- and you end up laughing again. “You are not wingmanning Jeno at me right now-”

“Okay,” Haechan holds his hands up, “I’m not.”

“Now’s probably a good time to tell you,” Mark speaks up again, “we broke our bong and we only have the dab rig tonight.”

“Sure Mark- go straight to the fact that we don’t have the one thing that she’s here to get from us-” Hyuck rolls his eyes.

And now it’s Mark’s turn to hold his hands up in defence- “I’m just saying-”

“I’ll try the dab rig,” you tell them, which immediately breaks up the commotion, and draws two pretty sets of brown eyes to you again. “If that’s okay.”

“Have you ever tried one of these?” Hyuck asks, lifting the glass device much smaller than the bong you’d used last time. 

You shake your head.

“Have you seen one used?” Mark questions next.

Another shake of your head.

“You’re in for a treat tonight then,” Hyuck grins, dipping into the Halloween spirit.  

“And no tricks,” Mark adds, but it feels more like a warning directed towards his roommate than an assurance for you. “Here, he’ll get a dab ready for himself, and I’ll talk you through what he’s doing.”

Sometimes you forget that Mark is older than Haechan- who is the type to demand to have the last say in most things. Mark, meanwhile, generally seems happy to blend in with everyone else, following the flow of things-

It’s nice to see him step up like this, even while obviously high.

Or perhaps it’s the weed that’s giving the generally anxious frat boy a boost of ego?

“So instead of grinding up weed, like with a bong, for the dab rig, we have use what we call shatter- but there’s a less intense version called butter that I’ll give you when you try-” Mark explains as his friend presses a thin metal tool to a tiny, fragile sheet of orangey crystallines on a piece of parchment. “Hyuck doesn’t clean his tools, so usually they’re sticky enough for him to just touch the shatter and have them stick-”

“I don’t clean them specifically so they do stick,” retorts the man who does his craft diligently, lifting the metal tool with the shatter attached to one end before setting it to the side. 

“Sure you do,” Mark laughs, and you see - for a brief moment - the glimmer of affection in his eyes. 

This must be something they disagree on often. 

“Then this,” Hyuck continues, lifing the next tool involved in this insanely complicated ‘dab rig’ process, “is the flamethrower instead of a lighter.” 

“Watch how he’s gotta press down on the button, and then the notch, then hit the safety lock-” 

“This is so complicated-” you laugh, knowing there’s no way you’re going to be able to replicate the process-

“Nah,” Hyuck shrugs, “you just gotta hold it under this thing here: on a bong it’s the bowl where you put the weed, but on the rig it’s called a banger and basically what we do - once this is hot - is put the shatter into it, and it will evaporate from the heat and turn into smoke, which we breathe in-”

“But the banger has to be hot enough or the hit won’t be as good,” Mark warns you, “so we heat it for like, thirty seconds, or until it’s hot-”

“Who knew there were so many details to being a stoner,” you muse in shock, blinking at the instructions that just fly by you-

“It’s okay,” Mark says, offering you a smile, “I’ll help you when you take your hit, all you’ll have to do is breathe and I’ll tell you when to stop.”

“Like last time,” you nod, transfixed when Hyuck finally takes his hit.

There’s quite a lot of smoke that fills in the tiny glass contraption, and lots of bubbles- Hyuck breathes everything in, and he props the window open, letting out a massive cloud that disappears into the cold, dark night-

“Fuck-” he says, letting out a dry cough before reaching for his water. “Don’t-” cough, “forget-” cough, “to have your water ready.” The man they call ‘Hyuck’ takes a large swig from his bottle before pushing away from the table and standing up. 

He turns, takes two steps, and faceplants onto his bed, letting out a groan.

“It’s that strong?” you ask in shock.

You’ve seen Hyuck take some pretty big bong rips- 

“We’ve been going at the rig all night,” Mark tells you, replacing Haechan in the gaming chair so he can get a dab on the go for you. 

You like the idea of the two of them going at something… together. 

“So this is butter,” Mark holds out a small blue canister, showing you the buttery texture of the product inside when you come to sit closer. “Scooping it out is easy, here, we’ll use my clean tool-” 

You watch him pull out a little yellow, glass wiggly stick with a hand on one end, and a point on the other.

The butter is scooped up easily, gently sticking itself to the glass tool in a way that shatter could never- 

“So I’ll heat up the banger again, and we don’t have to rush it or anything- the glass stays hot, so, I’ll hold it up for you and yeah-” Mark rambles off while he gets the torch going, and his eyes are fixed on his task. “When you breathe in, we use the flat hand part of the tool overtop of the banger to help you inhale easier- and the most important part, is  just remember,” he looks up at you with a smile, “All of this is legal in Canada.” 

“You’re cute,” you grin, unable to help yourself from verbalizing the comment that so often passes through your thoughts during your dealings with Mark lee. 

He’s visibly taken aback by your comment, lips parting, ears turning pink-

And you’re quick to rectify yourself,  “I mean- that’s funny. It’s cute when you’re funny-  I mean, you’re funny when you’re Canadian- so I guess, you’re cute when you’re Canadian, and you’re always Canadian so just… take the compliment-” you groan, “Jeez, I’m not even high yet-”

 Mark laughs, shaking his head and looking down as he flicks off the torch.

“Okay, are you ready?” he asks, adjusting the dab rig on his left palm, the mouth piece presented to you while he holds the buttered tool in his right hand. 

“Yes,” you respond, leaning forward, briefly looking down at the way your knees press together- painfully aware of the stoner’s thighs unintentionally caging you in-

“Let out a deep breath,” Mark instructs, “and when you’re ready, bring your mouth to the mouthpiece to breathe in, I'll do the rest.” 

You hold eye contact with Mark while you follow the instruction, bringing your lips to the rig as he lowers the yellow glass wrapped in buttered weed into the banger.

“Breathe in,” he says calmly, and you can’t help but reach out a hand, gently placing your fingers on his left forearm to steady yourself whilst you inhale the driest air ever- 

You can’t help but close your eyes and you see Mark quickly adjust the tool in between his fingers, the flat hand coming atop the banger- suddenly, breathing in is a little harder-

“Okay,” the rig is pulled away from your mouth, “you got it all-”

You quickly release the cloud of smoke you’d just inhaled. 

At first, you’re struck by the sensation of being hot. Then your throat is constricted, tightening- like you’re being choked, and you let out a gasp-

“Water- here’s the water-” Mark Lee’s voice is in the periphery of your awareness, and something is placed in your right hand- “straw-” something touches your lips and you recougnize the plastic- sucking at it-

The feeling of cold water streaming down your throat allows you to breathe again, and you take a struggled gasp-

“That’s it-” you feel the bed dip next to you and a hand rubbing at your back- which helps you ground yourself as you get your breathing right- coughing roughly-

“You gave her too much,” Hyuck calls distantly, and the rubbing at your back intensifies. 

“I’m ok!” you insist weakly, eyes still closed, body overwhelmed by sensations- “I just gotta-” you choke again and take another sip of your water-

Things are slowly starting to be less hot, and you’re able to take a better breath-

A tingly sensation begins in the tips of your fingers, and you let out a small sound-

The hand on your back removes itself, and you have the brilliant idea of laying down, head swirling in an eyes closed darkness as you flop yourself backwards onto the bed, letting out a sigh-

“You’re gonna feel real good now,” Hyuck’s laughter is delightful, and it makes you laugh too, enjoying the feeling of being enwrapped by- air?

“Your water is still in your hand if you need it,” Mark’s soft reminder makes warmth spread through your chest, and a moment later the bed dips again, signalling the Canadian has left your side-

But you don’t want him to go.

So you open your eyes for the first time since taking your dab, and are shocked to find your vision at first blurred by tears-

You blink them away-

“Fuck are you okay?” Mark’s in front of you again, sitting in his gaming chair, a look of concern on his face.

“I’m okay,” you tell him, shocked by the sound - by the feeling - of your own voice. Things feel fuzzy when you lift a hand to wipe away the tear track- “I think I coughed up a lung.”

Beyond Mark, Hyuck has sat up. “At least you’re pretty when you cry.”

Of course he has a dacriphilia kink-

“Ignore him,” Mark says, “here,” and then he’s reaching out, cupping the side your cheek and brushing his thumb against your skin, brushing away the tears you’d missed when you’d dragged your own hand across your face. 

You watch Mark, holding your breath- entire body focused on the warmth of his palm- and then his hand is pulling away and you’re missing him again. 

“You good?” Mark asks- and you realize you’ve just zoned out a little while staring at his pretty brown eyes and kissable lips-

You swallow thickly and nod, the weightless feeling returning when you pull your gaze from the Canadian to look around the room. 

It’s a pretty standard frat house bedroom- but it’s unique to the two men who live in it. Haechan’s side is messier, which doesn’t come as much of a shock. His walls are covered in layered posters of all sorts of things- video games, cars, women, movies-

“We should watch a scary movie.”

Two pairs of eyes swing to you, then Hyuck and Mark exchange a glance-

“I’m not too great with horror movies, if I’m being honest-” Mark admits, setting a dab of butter down in favour of rubbing the back of his neck with a hand.

“But we could watch something scary-” Hyuck says, “I could grab Jeno-”

“No-” you’re quick to shut the idea down, “I’m sure Jeno’s busy- and I want Mark to stay-”

“Even if Jeno’s busy, he’d come watch something,” Hyuck tells you. 

“What’s with everyone and Jeno tonight?” you ask in exasperation. “First Jungwoo- now you-”

Mark’s eyes widen. “Jungwoo was trying to set you up with Jeno too?” 

“So you are trying to set me up with Jeno!” 

“The dude has a massive crush on you-” Hyuck says- realizing his mistake the moment the words leave his mouth.

You groan. “We’re not that close-” 

“You don’t have to be that close to someone to see their value,” Mark notes thoughtfully, turning the torch on to begin to heat the dab banger. 

“Yeah but it sounds like she doesn’t see Jeno’s,” Hyuck snickers.

“Maybe he’s not my type,” you suggest, heart thumping loudly in your chest at the turn this conversion has taken-

But luckily- instead of asking for a description of your type, Hyuck simply says “Jeno is everyone’s type” and lays back down with a groan. 

Your eyes find Mark, and the two of you exchange a glance and knowing smile, then Mark returns his attention to the dab rig. 

“By the way-” you find yourself saying, “I don’t mean to intrude- if you guys need to kick me out to sleep-”

“Nah,” Mark is quick to shake his head,  “you’re good, Hyuck’s bed time is three am.”

“Haven’t even had dinner yet,” the younger of the roommate stoners agrees. 

“You should eat then,” you suggest, looking at the pretty man lying on his bed while Mark takes a hit from the rig.

“Who are you, my mom?” Hyuck scoffs loudly- only for both of your attention’s to be captured by the coughing Canadian- 

“Water-” you say, handing the bottle to him-

“I’ll grab something to eat in a bit,” Hyuck says, standing up from his bed, “after another hit.”

You watch with a smile as Hyuck forces a very blatantly high Mark out of the gaming seat, and the stoner joins you on the bed, lids droopy, grin dopey-

“You okay?” you ask when Mark sways slightly-

He nods. “M’ perfect.”

“Mark’s a dopey stoner,” Hyuck states, which earns him the grand reaction of: Mark slowly and gently pushing at his leg and muttering ‘hey’ meekly.

“I like the vibes of dopey stoners,” you retort, feeling the need to defend the very soft boy sitting next to you.

“And dopey stoners must just love you-” Hyuck sighs, “Jungwoo, Jeno-” he takes a hit from his rig, letting out a big puff of smoke a moment later, “Milk-”

“Milk?” you ask.

Hyuck points at Mark with a lazy grin, repeating the word “milk” with an emphasis on the K. 

“Okay!” Mark stands up suddenly, “time for another dab!”

“Yeah- dopey stoners think you’re the greatest,” Hyuck concludes with a sly smirk before he belly flops onto his bed again, grabbing at his phone-

The music plays louder, and you don’t mind. 

Your attention shifts to Mark while he gets another dab ready, and you enjoy the pinkish tint to his ears. He really is the cutest little stoner-

“Do you want another hit before I do mine?” Mark asks. “I’m probably going to take enough to just- lay back and look at the ceiling for a bit-”

“That sounds nice,” you smile.

“Dope,” the Canadian adjusts the amount of butter he scoops with the tool, taking substantially less for you than he would for himself. 

He repeats the process he had before, and within no time at all, you’re once again getting prepped to take a hit.

“Breathe out,” Mark’s calming instructions aren’t needed, but they’re welcome all the same. “And when you’re ready…” 

You’re very aware of his gaze on your lips when you take the hit, and Mark helps you clear the smoke like last time, pulling the rig from you with a “done” when you’ve inhaled all there is to inhale.

This time, you cough through your release of the smoke- it’s more painful, your lungs and throat constricting- but when you take a sip of water, it helps, taking away the choking feeling to leave you with nothing but warmth.

You lay down softly on Mark’s bed with a hum of affirmation, and a moment later, you hear the torch fire up again. 

It’s nice to just- let yourself drift away for a bit.

You’re in a good place, with two people who - all things considered on Hyuck’s end - are safe.

You can just exist for a while, with no stress.

Life is nice.

Life is happy-

The bed dips and you feel Mark Lee lay down next to you, a small sigh of relief just audible over the music. 

It feels so good to be with people like this. 

Simply existing-

“Maybe I do need food,” Hyuck says suddenly.

Both you and Mark lift your heads to watch the younger frat boy get off the bed and go to the door. 

“Where are you going?” Mark calls.

“Mcdonalds- maybe the kitchen-” Hyuck considers it for a moment, “who knows.” 

He closes the door behind him when he’s gone and Mark laughs, leaning back against the bed and letting out a sigh. Then he turns to you. “Are you comfortable?”

“We could lay down on the bed properly instead of with our knees bent off the side like this,” you suggest. 

Mark swallows. “Do you- uh, do you want to be against the wall or-” his skin flushes that pretty pink shade, “I mean- I dont want you to feel trapped- against- against the wall- cuz-”

You giggle a little at the man who’s now motioning with his hands, trying to visually show you what he’s not able to communicate so well with his words-

“Cuz when you lay down-” 

You place your hand on his forearm again, and he’s quick to stop speaking, giving you his attention.

“How about you just sit up, I’ll get comfortable and you can do whatever after?”

“Good idea,” he nods, following through and giving you the space to lay down properly on his small, twin sized bed. 

You turn so your back is to the wall, and then you let out a contented sigh, snuggling against one of Mark’s pillows. “Okay, you can come now.” 

It takes you a second to see the second meaning of your words, and you realize that while high, you’ve fallen into the same trap as Mark had earlier when he’d gotten flustered about having you against the wall. 

“Are you gonna lay on your side like that?” Mark asks, looking down at you.

You can tell from the flush of his skin that he’d heard the double entendre in the statement ‘you can come now’, and it’s affected him the same way it’s flustered you. 

“Yeah-” you blink, “is that okay?”

“Yeah,” the frat boy mirrors your position, adjusting his own pillow before meeting your eyes. “Is this okay?”

“Uh huh,” you smile. 

“Can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me anything, Milk.” 

You enjoy the gentle little grin- the way he averts his eyes at the teasing nickname.

“You know how, earlier,” - Mark swallows to compose himself - “you said that Jungwoo can’t keep his mouth shut about anything?”

“Uh oh-”

“Trust me it’s not bad-”

“It better not be-” you groan, already moving to cover your face with the pillow- “What did he say?”

“Just that- hey, take that away for a sec-” he tugs at the thing shielding him from seeing the embarrassment on your face, because you know where this is going-

Maybe you’re just paranoid from the weed- maybe he’s not about to tell you that your best friend spilled his guts about your crush on him-

“Seriously-” Mark laughs, “come on- you said I could tell you anything, right?”

You sigh, moving away the pillow. 

“There we go,” he smiles. “Look- I was with Jungwoo, one on one-”

“You were cuddling, weren’t you?” you tease immediately- knowing exactly how Jungwoo gets when a little drunk and cuddled- he’ll spill all the secrets-

“Maybe we were cuddling…” - Mark’s cheeks flare with colour - “but I asked about you and Jeno- you know Jeno has a thing for you- and Jungwoo just kind of let it slip that you only have a thing for Lee’s that come in pairs-”

“He said what?!” you bolt upright in shock, eyes widening-

This is so much worse than you could have imagined-

“Yeah, I thought it was weird at first too- and, he told me to forget about it- but, I mean,” Mark sits up, clearing his throat before he concludes, “the only Lee’s that really come in a pair are me and Hyuck, cuz we’re roommates.”

“Mark, I-” you bite at your tongue, “I’m not sure what to say-”

“You don’t have to say anything-” Mark assures you, “I guess- could I ask you something?”

“Go for it.”

“I can’t speak for Haechan- but,” the Canadian wets his lips with that anxious tongue of his, “I mean, I know I’m interested- and I guess I’m trying to figure out if the whole line about ‘Lee’s that come in pairs’ means you’re a threesome kind of person or-”

“What are we talking about in here?” Hyuck asks as he barges into the room again, a bag of chips in hand. 

After recent hits of a dab rig, and being already struck by this interaction with Mark- Hyuck’s sudden reapperance makes you short circut, and you sit there, blinking at the man staring you down-

“God, how high are you fuckers?” Haechan is quick to close and lock the door behind him, and a moment later he’s pulling up beside Mark’s bed, seated in the gaming chair. “Is one of you going to say something?”

Hyuck is really pretty too, actually-

“I heard the word threesome-” he says, looking between you and Mark like a detective-

“Jungwoo told Mark I only like ‘Lee’s that come in pairs’ because you guys are roommates, and Mark was just saying he’d be down to fuck me-” 

The man sitting next to you gasps in shock- “What? I didn’t say-” 

“You said you’d be interested,” you correct yourself, “same thing.” 

“That’s a super oversimplified retelling of events-” Mark insists-

“Jesus Mark, what are you, an English Major?” Hyuck laughs, “a ‘super oversimplified retelling-’ dude, it’s Halloween, and Jungwoo’s hot best friend is propositioning us-”

“Mark propositioned me by bringing it up-” you correct.

“Right-” Hyuck nods, turning to his friend with a grin, “Nice going, Milk.” 

The stoned music theory student blinks. “Thanks?”

“So,” the younger of the two focuses his attention on you again, “you only like Lee’s that come in pairs, huh?”

Your mouth suddenly feels dry, and you choke a little before sipping at your water, clearing your throat before responding in a similar way to Mark- with a confused, “Yes?”

“You guys act like these are hard questions,” - you hate it when Hyuck laughs at you, because he shouldn’t be this pretty while chuckling at your expense - “I’ll make it easy on everyone. Do either of you think you’re too high to make decisions?”

After a quick glance at Mark, both of you shake your heads.

Hyuck eyes you both- gaze lingering on your red costume. “So you’re both good?”

This time, it’s a nod, and it makes the gemini grin, shifting closer to the bed. 

“And if I take another hit, then go down on the devil-” his hand strokes your thigh, “that’s okay too, yeah?”

“Yes please-” you breathe, shocked at how fucking suave Hyuck can be, utilizing your costume in a pickup line and everything- 

“You should give Markie some attention first, though-” the gemini’s tone quickly shifts, and the Canadian next to you let’s out an annoyed sound at the nickname- shifting in a way that has Hyuck scattering to the table for his dab like the mischievous gremlin he is. 

Then Mark turns to you- lips parting to say something-

But you cut him off with a kiss before a word can leave his mouth- 

Because Hyuck is right. If he’s going to get to eat you out in a moment- the least you can do is get a taste of Mark first. 

While sitting side by side doesnt make for the easiest position to kiss the pretty frat boy, it only takes Mark reciprocating for a few seconds before you decide to swing your leg over his hips and straddle him instead. 

Mark let’s out a small groan, his hands finding your hips, “Is this really happening?” 

You laugh, grinding down against him- and the feeling of his cock pressing hard against the confines of his jeans has you letting out a happy sound next. “Yes- Mark, this is really happening,” you assure him. 

“I love how he’s the one acting shocked when he’s the one who propositioned us.”

“I didn’t proposition you-” Mark groans, looking past your shoulder at the man turning on the torch to heat the banger.  

“Sure you didn’t.”

“Mark?” you nip at his earlobe and the man beneath you shudders, fingers flexing against your hips. “Aren’t you going to pay attention to me instead of arguing with Hyuck?”

“Yeah, Mark.” 

With a groan of annoyance, the elder Lee cups your jaw, bringing your mouth to his again. 

The kiss is deeper this time, his tongue swiping across your lower lip before teasing past your teeth. His hands shift you on his hips, forcing you down while he pushes up-

You release a groan of pleasure, tanging one hand in his hair while the other grabs at the jersey keeping his body from you-

But you can feel the muscle under your fingers- and you’re reminded that Mark’s costume isn’t really a costume at all; it’s his own jersey.

He might look and act like a sweetheart, but this guy is a frat boy hockey player-

You hear Hyuck exhale at the same time you feel his breath against the back of your neck, and when you pull away from kissing Mark to open your eyes, you see that the youngest Lee has taken it upon himself to create a dab cloud around your bodies-

“Dude-” Mark groans from below you, immediately waving a hand to clear some of the air-

“What?” Hyuck plays innocent even while caging you against Mark, his lips teasing past your throat- “You guys looked like you were having so much fun- I got eager to join.” 

This feels like a partial truth. Hyuck’s hands are certainly eager as they play with the fabric of your shirt, but you have no doubt he could have exhaled his smoke out the window before coming to join on the bed. 

“Look- I had a great idea,” Hyuck insists, nosing at your jaw. “Come on- someone ask me what the idea is.”

Mark takes the bait with a sigh; “What’s the idea?” 

“Well I was thinking,” - Hyuck begins to slide your shirt up your torso - “seeing as our little kitten likes both of us so much- she might enjoy having you in her mouth while I eat her out.”

The idea has your pussy throbbing with need-

“Are you into butt stuff, baby?” Hyuck asks as he pulls your shirt off. “Gonna get on your knees and suck on Mark while I lick this pretty pussy-” he slips a hand between your legs, “but you’ll let me fuck with your ass too, yeah? You’re besties with Jungwoo, so I assume you know all about butt stuff-”

“Oh my god-” you groan-

You feel like maybe you should defend your friend a little- but this is what you get for being besties with a known ass eater-

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Hyuck prompts, and you feel him grin against your throat before he licks a stripe of your skin happily, “that’s what I thought.” 

“Fuck-” you whimper at the feeling of being caged in between two of the hottest guys on campus, and you can’t help but be greedy, hand seeking out the front of Mark’s pants-

“Shit-” now it’s Mark’s turn to cuss as you cup at him through his jeans, outlining the hard cock pressing against it’s confines-

“Aw, you’re both feeling pretty sensitive, huh?” Hyuck chuckles; “Cute.”

Mark cups your face, bringing your lips to his for a fevered kiss while he grinds forward, rutting against your hand-

“Take this off-” you groan, tugging on Mark’s jersey- breaking your kiss with him in favour of turning your head to the side-

Hyuck picks up on your motion and meets you half way, shifting behind you- his hand leaves your pussy to press two fingers to your jaw, helping you turn so your lips can finally meet-

The grip on your jaw intensifies and Haechan groans, mouth opening, tongue tasting past your own-

And you can feel Mark removing his shirt, his hands finding your hips to alert you when the task is complete, and a moment later, he’s pressing open mouthed kisses to your throat-

It feels amazing to be needed.

Hands are everywhere, Hyuck and Mark playing a tug of war like game with your body and attention.

Despite Hyuck being a fabulous kisser, now that Mark’s shirtless, you’re more than eager to get to work, to get your mouth on Mark-

To get Hyuck’s mouth on you. 

Breaking the kiss with Hyuck makes the man behind you groan, but as you lean in to worship Mark’s chest, and begin your descent, Hyuck’s mouth finds your shoulder, and you know he’s about to embark on a similar trajectory- 

You’re struck by Mark’s body, and you can’t help but trace the lines of muscle on his abdomen while dragging your tongue across his pectoral-

Mark shivers when you brush by his nipple, and you can’t help but giggle, triggering Hyuck into a chuckle too- “I forgot Mark has sensitive tits.”

“Hey-”

You enjoy the banter between the two of them, it takes some of the pressure off while you work on undoing Mark’s fly-

“What else is sensitive, Mark?” you toy, hooking your fingers in the waistband of his jeans to shimmy them down-

“Holy shit-” 

“You can say that again,” Hyuck breathes from behind you, and he grabs at your ass, squeezing it- “Are you into pain?”

You’re aware that he’s asking if you’re up to be spanked, but the way he’s phrased the question- ‘are you into pain-’ it has your toes curling with sinful delight. 

“Yes- Hyuck- please-” 

Even though you’ve already undone Mark’s jeans, and are working on getting them down- Hyuck tears your own pants down your legs in record time, and you’re the first person to be bare to the room.

The impact on your ass comes immediately after, the sting of skin on skin contact making you jolt, a gasp tumbling out of you. 

“Yeah- of course you’re into pain,” Hyuck says smoothly, brushing over your stinging skin with newfound gentleness- “I always knew you would be-”

“Always?” Mark gasps when you finally get his briefs down, his cock springing to attention by his abdomen-

“Uh huh, always,” Hyuck confirms, and you feel the bed shifting behind you- then his hot breath fans across your entrance, making you twitch-

“Even though you were trying to set her up with Jeno until like- twenty minutes ago?” Mark asks, stuttering a little over his words when you grab the base of his cock-. 

“Oh, so I can’t be a good friend and a dirty fuck at the same time?” the gemini counters, spreading your ass cheeks with two hands before kitten licking at your folds-

“Hyuck-” you gasp, arching your back in an effort to push your pussy closer to his face while you wrap your mouth around Mark-

“Fuck-” hands brush the hair out of your face, and you enjoy the soft touch-

It’s hard to know where to focus- on your worship of Mark, or Hyuck’s worship of you- his tongue pressing into your hole-

“Feels so good-” Mark breathes from above you as you bob your head on his length. 

It does. 

There’s nothing like the feeling of having both Mark and Hyuck- 

To please while being pleased-

Lips suction around your clit and you whine, mirroring the motion by suckling on the head of Mark’s cock, which earns a groan from him too-

“Oh my god-” Mark’s noises are having a growing impact on you- the way his voice dips, the way he continues to help you with your hair, warm, gentle hands guiding your head-

Hyuck’s tongue leaves your pussy in favour of burrying two fingers into you, and you moan louder around the cock in your mouth. 

“Fuck- look at you kitten- such a pretty little cock whore for Mark-” Hyuck groans, “and squeezing my fingers so good when I call you names- you were made for this, huh? Made to be fucked?”

You're delirious with need, and with your mouth stuffed, all you can do is make whimpery noises of affirmation while your pussy squelches from Hyuck’s fingers and words. 

“Dude-” 

“What, Mark?” Hyuck toys, but you already know what Mark’s going to say-

Because the same thought is running through your head-

“If you keep dirty talking- we’re going to cum way too quick-”

“Yeah?” Hyuck laughs. “If you want me to stop, you’ll have to beg for me to stop, Mark.” 

He-

“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” Hot breath fans across your pussy again, and Hyuck’s mouth is on you a moment later, tongue flicking at your clit-

“Fuck-” Mark groans, hips jolting when you suck on him harder- 

Then Hyuck’s wet muscle is at your other hole, and the feeling of a wet stripe being licked around your ass has you tingling with a foreign type of pleasure-

“That’s it,” Hyuck grunts behind you, and you hear him spit before you feel it land on your skin, quickly collected by a finger that he easily dips past your tight ring of muscle- “relax for me, baby.”

You pull your mouth off of Mark to take a breather, wrapping your hand around his cock to languidly stroke him while Hyuck works a digit in and out of you. 

Mark’s breathing gets a little steadier too, but your attention is keeping him on edge, keeping him flooded with just enough pleasure-

“Fuck, your ass is so fucking nice-” Hyuck’s spare hand lands on your skin again, making you gasp in surprise- and you push your hips back, eager for more.

“You like that, baby?” Hyuck prompts, adding another finger. “Like having me knuckles deep in your ass while you edge Mark like a little fucking devil?” he grabs the backstrap of your red bra, pulling it back so when it’s released, it slaps to your skin, another hit of pain that has your toes curling. 

“God, I love it so much-” you whimper, closing your eyes and nestling in against Mark’s thigh, continuing to work your hand up and down his hard length-

“Yeah? Should I make you cum like this?” Hyuck asks, “Or are you gonna be nice to Mark and let us fuck you now?” 

“Fuck-” Mark groans above you- “I can- I can wait- make her cum-”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Hyuck’s mouth is on your clit a second later, two fingers continuing to work open your ass while he tongue fucks your pussy- 

“Holy shit-” you whimper, clenching your eyes shut-

“Cum for us- you can do it, cum,” Mark’s soft voice gives you something like whiplash given the situation, and the soft graze of his fingers past your cheek feels just domestic enough to throw you over the edge.

The sound that leaves you as you cum is practically primal- a cross between a whine and a moan that only gets louder as Hyuck works you through your orgasm, his mouth unrelenting on your core, fingers buried in your ass-

Waves of wonderful, warm, sensation wash over you-

As you start to come down, Hyuck’s tongue leaves your clit, but his digits continue in your hole- “Was that good, kitten?” he practically purrs. “And now that I’ve stretched you out- you’ll let me fuck you, right?” his lips tease your asscheek, and he bites at you gently, letting out a growl. “Let me fuck you in the ass while you give Mark a taste of this perfect fucking pussy-”

“Please-” 

“That’s our girl-” Hyuck breathes, finally relenting behind you. “You two should get naked- it’s gonna take me a sec… and I’m going to have another hit, are you guys good?”

“I’m good,” Mark says, “wanna remember all of this-”

“Trust me, I’m planning on remembering this too-” Hyuck laughs, “just- magnified. You want anything, kitten?” his hand gently taps by your ass.

Like Mark, you say no, already too focused on the Canadian laying down and kicking off his jeans- 

“You don’t want anything?” the man who’s gotten off the bed continues to press- “not even like- a condom?”

You’re already practically mounting Mark now- and the two of you stop momentarily, eyes meeting- then you’re laughing because “out of the two of you, I had not expected Hyuck to be the one reminding us about protection-”

“Yeah, sorry-” the frat boy below you says, “I was gonna ask- I’m clean-” 

“And I’m on the pill,” you assure him, grabbing Mark’s face so you can press your lips to his own. 

His cock is caught between your bodies, and your rub your pussy against him, satisfied that he’s still a little lubed by left over spit from when you’d had him in your mouth- 

It’s as simple as reaching a hand between your bodies and lining him up with your entrance, then you sink down on him, earning a groan that you eat up-

Hyuck let’s out a whistle, “Fuck, this is so hot-” and you hear the torch turn on.

He’s watching you ride his best friend while he heats up his rig to take a dab.

“Can we take this off?” Mark asks, tugging at your bra- the one thing you’d forgotten to remove before straddling him. 

“Yes- anything you want-” you tell him, moving your lips to his neck while he undoes the clasp by your spine. The fabric falls to the side a moment later, and then you’re sitting up and tossing it away, giving Mark complete access to your boobs.

“Fuuuuuuuck-” Mark groans, swallowing thickly as his gaze drags across each strip of newly exposed skin- “you’re so pretty-”

“You think?” you ask, grabbing one of the hands on your hips so you can raise it to your breast-

His palm is warm, his hand much larger than your own, and his fingers instinctively knead at your flesh, earning a groan from both you and Mark-

Then Mark’s eyes shift past your shoulder- “Haechan, I swear to god-”

But it’s too late, you’re already being breathed on by the world’s most annoying frat boy wanna-be smoke machine-

“I’m a dragon.”

Scratch that- the world’s most annoying frat boy wanna be - mother fucking - dragon.

“Oh my Jesus,” Mark mutters bellow you, shaking his head before burying it in your chest, lips latching onto your nipple.

You tangle your hands in Mark’s hair while Hyuck adjusts behind you, pressing a few kisses of his own to your neck, even suckling on your sweet spot. Then, there’s pressure between your shoulder blades, and Hyuck helps you and Mark back down to the pillows before turning his attention to your newly displayed ass. 

“Do you think you can fit me?” Hyuck questions, one hand settling on your hip to keep you still on Mark, while the other returns two spit lubed digits to your hole. 

You groan at the feeling of Mark in your pussy and Hyuck’s fingers in your ass, and you’re quick to nod. “I can take you-”

“Yeah you can,” Hyuck echoes your sentiment happily, scissoring his digits a few times before pulling them out. “Stay still for me, just gotta get some lube and then I’ll slip into you, okay?”

Mark’s lips are on yours, and you make a sound of affirmation for Hyuck, allowing yourself to get lost in the Canadian while patiently awaiting his roommate-

You’re not sure what you were expecting- but it had definitely been substantially smaller than the feeling of the head of the cock that presses against your ass, and the shock at Hyuck being big has you tensing up-

“You okay?” Mark’s quick to break your kiss in favor of checking on you, his hands smoothing up and down your sides soothingly.

“Yeah-” you groan, “It’s just-”

“If you don’t think you can take me- I can stop-” Hyuck is next to reassure you, and the fact that they’re both being considerate and slow about this has a new wave of wetness flooding through your core. 

“I can- just-” you rest your head against the crook of Mark’s neck, trying to relax- “can you say some nice things to me?”

“Nice things?” Mark lets out a small laugh- “Fuck- you’re so cute-”

“She is,” Hyuck agrees. “Our cute little baby,” his warm palm glides over the rump of your ass, and he pushes into you a little more- “that’s it-” 

“You feel so good,” Mark says, turning his head a little so he can brush his mouth by your ear, prompting you to come out of your hiding spot by his throat. “And these lips-”

Kissing Mark is as easy as breathing. 

Before you know it, Hyuck’s hips are flush to your ass, and you feel what it’s like to be truly, completely, full. 

“Feels good?” Hyuck double checks on you as he takes a test thrust, his hands settling on your waist.

“So good-” you confirm, and from the sounds Mark is making, you can tell he feels just as good as you do. 

“Fuck-” the man behind you cusses. “Maybe taking a hit wasn’t a good idea-”

“Why?”

“You literally feel-” you hear him swallow thickly, and he fucks you harder when he says the word “insane.”

“Like-” Hyuck continues, “I could fuck you forever- but also, not forever, cuz you feel so good- you’re obviously gonna make me and Mark cum stupidly fast-”

“I am?” 

“Yeah-” Hyuck practically purrs, and Mark lets out his own groan of affirmation. “Our good little cock slut, making us cum so fast-”

“And you’re gonna cum for us too, right?” Mark’s lips are on your neck, breath hot against your skin. “You sound so perfect when you’re about to cum-”

“Mark-” your hands are braced against his chest, and you can feel the two fratboys everywhere whilst being caged between them-

He’s right; you’re so close to cumming you can almost taste it- can feel the cry of pleasure building in the back of your throat-

“Just like that-” Hyuck groans behind you, hips moving erratically- “just like that-”

Two sets of hands manuver your body, lifting you up and down on Mark’s cock while also keeping you in a good spot for Hyuck- whose hand comes down sharply onto your ass-

“I’m-” the word comes out choked, and you can’t even finish your sentence, your body clamping down on both intrusions, entire form flooded with pleasure-

“Fuck-” fingers dig into your waist and Hyuck presses himself flush to your ass-

“God-”  Mark’s also twitching beneath you, hips continuing to rut up, pushed on by adrenaline-

“Take it-” Hyuck mutters- “take it, take it, take it-”

Mark groans loudly at the idea of you taking their cum- and he shivers with an aftershock of euphoria, heart racing loudly in his chest. His lips seak out yours, and he enjoys the way you let out strangles gasps, just as breathless as him. 

Things slowly come to a stop, with Hyuck’s hands settling on your hips while Mark kisses you, and for a little while, you simply stay that way.

Then Hyuck lets out a groan, pulling out of your ass. 

“Fucking hell-” he says breathlessly, and you hear him swallow, still catching his breath. “Messy kitty.”

You can feel his cum dripping out of your ass already, and Mark must feel it too, because he’s the next to grunt, adjusting you on his hips- “seriously dude?” 

“Yeah yeah, I’ll grab a fucking cloth-” the bed dips as Hyuck moves away, and you allow yourself to relax against Mark’s chest in the few seconds it takes for the younger Lee to return with a wetcloth to wipe away his cum.

“Your turn.” 

Hyuck puts the cloth on Mark’s leg when he’s done with it, and the man beneath you groans in annoyance before asking you, “can I get you on your back?”

One nod has Mark flipping you, pressing you into the mattress briefly before lifting his weight off of you completely, cock slipping out of your core-

The wet towel is swiping across your entrance a moment later, and you relax against the pillows, enjoying the simple aftercleaning-

“You gonna stay here tonight?” Mark asks, pressing a kiss to the inside of your knee that has you opening your eyes to look at him again.

“Can i?”

Mark laughs, “Of course-”

And Hyuck grins from the gamer chair, his dab rig tool already loaded up and ready to go- “As if we’d fuck you then kick you out-” he chuckles, shaking his head. When he looks up at you again, there’s a fondness in his eyes that’s unmissable. “Now you just gotta decide who’s bed you’re sleeping in.”

Oh, first-world problems.

✘ thanks for reading :) ✘ Please find the teaser for the accompanying patreon exclusive extension bonus of this fic below :)

Patreon Bonus Details

✘ [synopsis]: a month or two after your first fuckfest, you're getting settled into dating Mark and Hyuck ✘ [warnings]: threesome, oral (f/m receiving), fingering, praise, degradation, dirty talk, pet names, unprotected sex, jealousy, etc…

✘ [word count]: 2.2k - 200 shown in teaser

Jungwoo feels bad for Jeno.

As the men square up for an impromptu snow ball fight, spurred on by cold weather, there feels to be something like a hole in the team-

Or at least, Jungwoo can feel the incompletion of his friend group; Mark and Hyuck have been increasingly distant, spending more and more time with you, their new girlfriend.

So, in a way, Jungwoo has lost something too, although, it’s much easier for him to join you on a night with your boyfriends than it is for Jeno, who is still holding obvious feelings for you-

In Jungwoo’s periphery, a frat house window opens, and the massive cloud of smoke released is yet another reminder of the two men choosing to skip the frat fun in favour of fuck time-

“Fucking Haechan-” On Jungwoo’s other side, Jeno throws a snowball.

Jungwoo doesn’t feel so bad for Jeno when the snowball lands its mark- but Jungwoo does feel bad for the fact that, as far as he could tell, it hadn’t been Hyuck at the window.

✘ To read the full bonus, subscribe to my Patreon - then - click here ✘ or check out what else is on my patreon in the masterlist here

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[mrs-elsie-barnes]

The Old Gods and The New - Chapter 12

Black White and Midnight Blue | Loki x Reader

You and Loki repay your debt to the Avengers by attending Baron Zemo's exclusive Hampton's dinner. But when an unexpected guest arrives, you find yourself the centre of attention.

Warnings: Baron Zemo chat (I hate that guy), mention of PTSD and anxiety for reader, angst, whump/hurt (the comfort comes next chapter!)

A/N: I'm so sorry this has taken ages and it's not the extra long chapter I promised because, in the end, the extra bit just made sense further along in the story telling. We're really moving the plot along at pace in this chapter and revealing a bit more about our antagonists so I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for sticking with this!

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Series Masterlist | Loki Masterlist | Masterlist

There was a time in your life when you had only ever dreamt of sitting beside the Avengers in their luxurious top floor office, discussing plans to save the world. Like everyone else, you’d seen the news, watched the footage of them battling in New York and been awed by their bravery and prowess. But now, seeing them argue and having felt their fear and wrath, you only felt cold. 

Their icy demeanors hadn’t thawed since you returned, the truce between the heroes and Loki was dangerously thin, held together only by Thor’s surprisingly adept diplomacy and their need for you. 

Below the table you felt the only warmth in the room, Loki’s hand on your thigh, pressing his fingertips just a little harder than normal, to help you feel grounded. Below the surface you could feel his magic thrumming, restrained in its frustrations, straining against its bonds in an attempt to be freed. It was a feeling you could empathise with, your magic called back to him, coiled inside of you ready to strike. 

The poor weather of mid autumn had kept you trapped inside and unable to practise the depths of your magic as you wanted to. But when you were alone together, your sedir tangled with his and had allowed you to make and support illusions both beautiful and romantic. 

You sighed, bathing in the memory of Loki twirling you around his bedroom, transformed for the evening into a miniature Asgardian ballroom.

Hands clasped, one steadying palm at the small of your back as the waltz rose around you. His intricate steps leading you into dizzying turns. 

Your memories blurred together, dances from aeons past melting into this perfect evening. 

“Are you two listening to me?” Steve barked, hands on his hips as he commanded the room, a large leather binder spread open on the table in front of him. 

“Of course we are, Captain.” Loki drawled, a note of disdain lingering in the otherwise quiet room. 

“Yes, Captain Rogers.” You answered, earning a tickle of long fingers along the inside of your knee from Loki. 

Such a good girl 

A teasing warmth spread over your skin, starting in the dimple of soft flesh that Loki had pinched and up your spine. 

I just want to get this done with

“As I was saying,” he coughed, flipping a page in his folder, “Loki and Estrid -” 

“Oh, you don't have to start using that name-” you interjected. 

Since returning from Tønsberg you’d shared your new name with the group for clarity. But it still felt odd to have an entirely different identity. Though there were things you could become accustomed to, your new name was proving to be a sticking point. 

“Loki and Estrid -” Steve continued. 

“Lady Estrid,” Loki interrupted, leaning forwards across the table and flourishing a gold pen from the thin air around his hand, “if you're going to ignore her wishes, you could at least be correct, Captain, allow me to update your little record for you. It’s Lady Estrid, Princess of -” 

“If you want to use it, then just Estrid is fine.” You took the pen from his hand and placed it carefully on the table where it melted into the surface leaving a faint trace of gold.  

“Darling you should -” 

“It’s fine, Loki, let’s just-” you tipped your head towards the waiting team and raised your eyebrows. 

Please, let it go

Never, you deserve to be treated with respect, especially from these cretins

I know, I know, but the sooner we’re done here the sooner we can just leave

Loki scowled, but turned back to Steve, “continue.” 

Steve returned the scowl and went back to his book, “Loki and Estrid will use their powers to infiltrate the party and separate at the bar, your new identities will be in your briefing packs and outfits will be provided. Although I suppose, should the need arise, you will both be able to create disguises. Should you be compromised this will be key to your escape. 

“Loki, you’ll head to the office room so that you can break into the safe. There should be a laptop in there with - well, possibly best if you don’t know. But it’s important. Estrid you’ll be keeping people away, providing cover as this is your first op. Loki, you should hand the laptop over to Natasha who’ll be waiting here -” a map flashed up above the desk in the same, obnoxiously bright blue and orange that all of Stark’s designs seemed to favour.

You and Loki leant back in your chairs to get a better look. “Natasha will be waiting in the first of the get-away vehicles. It’s important that you both stay at the party for at least a short while so as to not raise suspicions. When it’s time for you to leave we’ll let you know through your comms. Understood?” 

“Understood,” you nodded at Steve. 

“Loki?” The Captain stared pointedly at the Prince sitting next to you who had become so bored he’d produced a nail file from somewhere and was carefully tidying up the edge of his middle finger.  

“You understand that I’m a God? This is not the first time I’ve been in a raiding party.” Loki raised one eyebrow, “I think between us we’re perfectly capable. Now, my darling, can we leave?” Loki had a way of speaking to you as if there was no one else in the room, clear and direct, his eyes focussed on you entirely and it made you tingle all over. 

“Yes, we can go.” You allowed yourself a small smile at his impatience and took his outstretched hand, allowing your gaze to rise up his lean, muscular body. 

The two of you had barely left Loki’s rooms since your date, snuggled together in blissful solitude morning and night. Just being in the conference room felt painful and you longed to return to the comfort of Loki’s bedroom. 

“But we still have -” Steve started. 

“My Ásynja has said that it’s time for us to go,” Loki cut off Steve’s protests and turned his back on the Avengers, tucking your hand into his elbow and leading you back to his quarters. 

The light glimmered off your dress as you stepped from the dark interior of the limo and out onto into the softly lit courtyard of Baron Zemo’s Hampton’s residence. Behind the tall gates and stone walls, New York’s most wanted were being wined and dined while the Avengers set up their checkpoints in the inky darkness of the beach and grassland that surrounded the vast estate. 

Loki kept hold of your hand once the door closed behind you, tucking your fingers into the crook of his elbow, the soft wool material of his suit warmed your palm while you looked up at the towering mansion. Behind the stone walls the home itself looked almost cosy, warm lights detailing the traditional white wood and blue accents. Who could have known that behind the white linen curtains lurked so many criminals, the blood on their hands enough to fill the tinkling fountain in the centre of the courtyard. 

You squeezed Loki’s arm to get his attention. 

“Yes, darling.” His voice was a low purr against the backdrop of muffled string music and laughter. 

“I don’t know if I can do this.” You whispered, stepping closer to him, “what if I can’t hold this shape?” 

The entire operation was dependent on you and Loki pretending to be a minor couple from one of the European crime families trying to break new ground in America. When you’d questioned where the real couple would be, Steve had told you not to worry about it. But Tony gleefully explained that he had arranged for Natasha to pay the mysterious pair a visit just before their limo was due to arrive. You hadn’t dared to think about where she’d put them for the duration of the evening. 

“You can and you will,” he assured, tugging you closer, “and then we can be free of this nonsense, Ásynja, and we can return to Tønsberg together.” Behind the illusion, you saw the flash of Loki’s blue eyes, a shimmer of gold, of promise, and you straightened yourself. “It doesn’t hurt that you look absolutely radiant, my darling.” He grinned, appraising the black cocktail dress that had been chosen for you. It was a very beautiful dress, and although you’d become rather accustomed to wearing green and blue, you had accepted that it was your job to blend in tonight and not stand out. 

“Loki,” you gave an embarrassed whisper. 

“Well, you do.” He said, matter of factly. “It’s incredibly distracting.” 

You grinned back, “you look very handsome too..”

“Then let’s make our entrance.” Even under his vanir the same mischievous look past over his eyes. 

Loki gave your hand one last squeeze before guiding you up the steps and into the foyer, ready for your first mission. 

Inside, the party appeared to be in full swing. The host, Baron Zemo, held court at the centre of the room, talking animatedly with a large group of men all dressed almost identically in luxurious looking black tuxedos. Hanging off their arms were some of the most beautiful women you’d ever seen, the jewels dangling from their ears catching in the soft lighting, their tinkling laughs cutting through the gruff bluster of their dates. 

Loki had already clocked at least two doors that he would need to check, you could tell by the way he squeezed your arm as you passed by the quiet porter who took your coats at the door. He would have to sneak off soon, but it was your job to stay at the bar installed in the corner of the large dining room, to talk to anyone leaving the Baron’s circle of confidence who might become suspicious about Loki’s whereabouts and, in the event anyone left the room, you could alert Loki or try to cause a diversion to allow him time to secure the laptop and escape.

Together you made your way across the crowded room to the bar and ordered drinks, taking only the barest sip to keep sober. Although the sedatives that you were used to taking had completely worn off, you were liable to get very drunk, very quickly, when you were nervous and you had never had to maintain a completely different body while drinking. You hoped that twirling your straw flirtatiously would be enough to look natural while Loki scoped out the room. 

“It’s time, darling.” He whispered in your ear, his familiar scent ghosting over you, despite his unfamiliar appearance. He traced the shell of your ear with the tip of his nose and then kissed your cheek, leaving you with goosebumps appearing on your arms. 

Loki siddled away from the bar, blending into the shadowed edges of the room and vanishing from sight as he rounded the corner into the area roped off as ‘private’. 

Alone, you surveyed the room again, watching as the Baron captivated his laughing audience with another tale of his debauchery, the crispness of his starched shirt hiding the clearly healing cuts and bruises below.

 You’d heard stories about him, mostly from the Avengers themselves, about how he had tried to break them, how he had manipulated his way into the compound and triggered Bucky. The super soldier hadn’t been around for that conversation, but Steve had looked over your shoulder as if he could still see the image of his best friend, snarling like a feral beast as he tore his way through the compound. Natasha had reassured you that it couldn’t happen again, but it wasn’t Bucky you were afraid of. He seemed to be as much a victim as circumstance as you, always grimacing before a fight and never bragging about his victories. He was trapped in that compound just as you had been, his only comfort the red headed spy that he was dancing around approaching. 

The reassurances of the Avengers meant nothing to you, because it wasn’t Bucky or the Winter Soldier you were afraid of. It wasn’t even necessarily the Baron and his despicable friends, although the easy way he spoke about death had sent a chill down your spine. 

The people you were really afraid of, who made your skin crawl and your head hurt. The people you really wanted to be away from... It was the Avengers and Agents that swarmed the compound, the way they recited their allegiance to each other and bowed down to Stark and his wealth. 

That scared you more than anything else, because it left you with no one to trust. 

No one but Loki. 

It brought a familiar, nagging, question back to the front of your mind. If the Baron had been neutralised, why were you even here in the first place? No one had told you and it was really the last place you wanted to be while you were still recovering from your ordeal. 

What if the kidnappers were here, what if he was part of it? Your heart beat sped up, your chest feeling tight as your breath became shallow. 

You turned away from the bar and carefully dabbed at your tearline, catching the tears before they fell and tucking your now mascara stained handkerchief back into your clutch bag, allowing yourself time to play with your bracelet, hidden inside, flashing in the candle light as the only way to sooth your fractured nerves. For the first time you’d do anything to go back to your slow and steady life from before, to not know about this world or any of these so called powers, if this is where it got you. 

Risking a look up at the room you were relieved to see no one had even noticed you, and you allowed yourself to think of the one thing that was keeping you going, Loki. If none of this happened, there’d be no Loki and, powers or not, he was the first positive thing to come into your life in a long time. Or, if your memories were right, to come back into your life. 

Your breathing evened out at the thought of him, the way he’d smiled so softly while helping you shift into this new form. How he’d kissed your temple while waiting for the limousine and held your hand the entire way. He’d promised to reward you for your bravery as soon as the laptop had been handed over and, if it was anything like his other ‘rewards’ it was certainly worth looking forward to. 

Just as you were settling into the thought of falling into bed with Loki, a ripple of fear rolled up your spine and a scream cut through the gentle tones of the string quartet. You span around, leaping to your feet, your hands held in front of you just as Loki had taught you, ready to defend yourself against the mobsters. 

But there was no gun fight, no knives drawn, instead the room began to fill with blinding light, so white you had to cover your eyes with your hands, pressing so hard you could see stars as the other guests began to scream and shout. 

“Estrid, are you there?” Natasha’s voice crackled in your ear, so far away and useless as you backed away to crouch down behind the spindly barstool. Suddenly this entire operation seemed like a terrible idea. 

“I’m here, but so is something else, where’s Loki?” Your voice cracked, hoping he was close by. 

“He secured the item, it’s with me and he’s heading back to the party-” Natasha’s response was cut off by the familiar feeling of Loki’s presence entering your thoughts. 

I’m here, I’m safe, are you?

It floated to you through the chaos, anchoring you to your spot. If he was coming then you could hold yourself for now, though you were too scared to even breathe properly. Each inhale felt jagged, like ice in your lungs. 

There’s someone here, it’s so bright, I can’t see, I don’t know what’s happening

“Estrid, come in? - Report? - Estrid!” Natasha shouted, the distinctive click of her trying different channels before returning to yours made your head ache. Slowly, trying not to draw attention to yourself, you popped out the earbud and placed it in your bag, silencing the electric hum of the comms. 

Everything else went silent then and, for a few seconds, you thought it might be over, but then there was a hand on your elbow, pulling you up and out from your hiding place. You hoped it was Loki and that the change in his cologne was due to his needing to hide, but an uneasy feeling had already settled over you. 

“Loki?” You whispered, “can I open my eyes?” 

“You can open your eyes, child.” The speaker had a deep, rough voice, as if it hadn’t been used in many years, the words jagged and jarring, pulling at your memories. 

“Child?” You cracked one eye open enough to see who had spoken, the room was still white, but between the two of you it flowed as a golden river, dust motes dancing in the air and rather than being blinded as you imagined, it made you think of your Grandfather and hazy summer afternoons with the windows open wide and the dust motes dancing in the air.

Around you the party goers were locked, stock still, in time, their hands over their faces as yours had been. 

“Come, Estrid, I have been looking for you.” He moved his hands to cup your cheeks, turning your face up to him as you opened your eyes. In slow motion he smiled down at you and you felt a strange sense of peace wash over you. 

The man before you was tall and fair, blonde curls fell in perfect tendrils over his broad shoulders and the green cloak that fell to the floor in waves. On one shoulder a silver pin kept his cape attached to his tunic, as if he’d stepped straight from a history book into the party. Although the room was already bright, he seemed to be lit from within, like he was standing in the summer afternoon sun. His eyes were bright too, but not with anger. 

“Who are you?” You asked, though it was clear this was another god, you willed Loki to arrive, none of these mortals would be able to help you now and despite your training you felt powerless. All of your energy was focussed on maintaining your illusion, just in case there was someone looking. 

“Ah, child, of course, you do not remember. I forget myself, that we have not seen each other these past centuries. It is I, Lugh.” He stepped back and placed his hands back on the pommel of the broad sword hanging from hip and nodded his head politely. “I knew your mother, long ago, she was dear to my heart and I had searched for you, her beloved daughter, for many years. I have sent for you, though you escaped my man.” He smiled at you indulgently, “you always were such trouble, Estrid. Whatever will we do with you?” 

His words were soft and he was honest and friendly as if he knew you well, but all you could hear were the shouts of your memories. 

Insolent welp

Disgusting

Fallen

You’d been dragged around, half starved, poisoned and beaten. The anxiety that had gripped you so tightly just moments before morphed inside of you, a tight, heavy rage bubbled and filled every pore. How dare he. How dare anyone. Turn up now and play nicely after you had been passed around like a spare part.

“Get away from me.” You kept your voice low, clenching your fists at your side as your anger bubbled within. “Get away from me, right now.” Your rage, like lava, moved in slow motion, rising slowly and heavily. 

“Child, it is imperative you -” 

“No!” You shouted, the light blared brighter, the bulbs smashing around you like fireworks. 

The man reached forwards, and as his fingers touched your own the bubble inside burst and your magic took over, wrapping you in leather and velvet, a shining silver breastplate and epaulettes were revealed by the shimmering blue flame that danced over your body. The meagre outfit you’d once conjured with Loki and Thor was a mere memory compared to the battle ready armour. In your hand you now held a long spear and, as you watched, the flame danced to it’s place upon it, flaring and then dancing in the air. 

But he didn’t let go and as he tightened his grip you were overtaken by the memory of winters in front of a huge fire, piles of furs surrounding you and your mother, sipping wine in a cup and laughing. The snow beyond the entrance of the room fell in soft flakes and the fire smelt of pine and peat. The man was there laughing too, toasting with your mother. 

“You are truly a kind friend, Lugh, to host us so.” Your mothers voice was warm and rich, like sweet chocolate and spice. 

“Brigid, my dearest friend, it is an honour to have you and your beautiful daughter stay with me on your journey home.” 

“Ah, we should discuss that later,” your mother nodded towards you, “I have been planning for Estrid’s future and I fear - sweet girl, perhaps you should go and play a while.” Your mother pointed towards a neat looking pile of woollen capes and a young boy, so familiar, with bright eyes. 

“Go, Estrid, enjoy the snowfall.” Lugh touched the top of your head as he passed and you were thrown back into yourself. 

The man took a step back, his own five pointed spear tapping the floor and, behind him, Loki stood aghast but smiling only for you, his own battle armour shimmering gold and his horns brushing the doorframe. 

“You heard the lady, back away, now.” Loki strode forwards, twin daggers appearing in a flash of magic, he turned his head away from the bright light of the stranger, only facing him when his magic had conjured a pair of black sunglasses to protect his eyes. 

The man sighed and banged the end of his spear on the floor again, a red flame appearing which he swung in a wide arc creating a barrier between himself and Loki. The wall of flames reached almost to the ceiling, blocking your escape and your rescue. 

“Loki!” You cried out, making your first move away from your position at the bar towards him, a hand reaching out, almost touching the flame.

 “Leave him!”

 You rounded on the man, your spear tipped forwards in front of you, half defensive and entirely furious, your teeth ground together. “I don’t know who you are but I won’t go with you, leave me alone!” 

The man rushed forwards, knocking your spear to the side in one deft movement and grabbing your hands, “you must listen you’re in danger. You are being hunted, you must stop using your magic and hide yourself.” 

“By you!” You fought against him, “I won’t be put back there, I won’t.” But something nagged at you, that was why the boy was so familiar, you’d seen those eyes before as the boy, now a man, had earnestly begged for you to stop using your magic. You hadn’t listened, you’d carried on and then - and then you’d been taken again. 

The man began dragging you towards the windows, the too bright light that had kept the guests subdued parted around him like smoke revealing the dark parquet floor.

“I can remove you from this place, but you must stop manifesting this armour, you do not require it and it will only draw their attention.” 

“Let her go!” Loki projected himself across the room, his body still stuck behind the flames but multiple versions of himself appearing in a semi-circle and hemming your kidnapper in. The man glowed brighter, blurring his features beyond recognition. 

With one last attempt to free you Loki, your real Loki, pushed at the flame, shooting his own magic through in one huge green blast, and knocking the man backwards and away from you. 

But you fell too. 

You cried out, rolling on the floor and landing heavily against the doorframe with a sickening thump.

<<Chapter 11

Chapter 13>>

God mentioned

This is just from my own reading, I'm by no means an expert! This is also a fictionalised version of actual mythology, just like Loki & Thor in the MCU.

Lugh: A figure in Irish mythology and belongs to the Tuatha Dé Danann. He's portrayed as a warrior but is also linked to artistic skills as well as truth telling and oath taking.

Lugh and Brigid are similar in that they are linked to many attributes.

In the Irish mythology Lugh challenges Brigid's husband, Bres, who is king. So. Take from that what you will! In this story I will be portraying Lugh and Brigid as friends and kindred spirits.

[espinosaurusrexex]

Flooded

SteveRogers x Female!Reader

summary: There was something off in the air that morning - Y/N should have known. But bad things always happen when you least expect them. The life she was living was threatened by the one secret she hoped would never be revealed. And now that it had, there was no going back.

a/n: Welcome to heartbreak city! This is dedicated to my 2015 teen wolf obsession (make sure to tell me when you find the passage). I know it's sad and angsty; but I put a bunch of fluff in there too. I hope you enjoy - as always, feedback is appreciated!

word count: 5.5k

warnings: torture, trauma, drowning, experimenting on people (in flashbacks), mentions of abuse, mentions of dying, angst (in case that wasn't clear), swearing, idiots in love, fluff, and a happy ending :)

I don't think the bad parts are super descriptive, but please do not read if anything mentioned in the warnings makes you uncomfortable (18+ only!).

･ﾟ✫* 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 ｡✭･ﾟ✶ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐎𝟑 ✧*･ﾟ

This just captures the vibe too well. You'll know the passage... i'll never fall in love with myself - Zeph

It’s normal to feel your heart in your head right? Like it’s pounding so hard that it literally makes your veins jump beneath your skin? There was a rush of adrenaline shooting through Y/N‘s Body. Pain sharp as lightning zickzacking its way down her spine and up again. Her lungs felt tight. Solid. As if they were of stone weighing her down and not giving in to her urge to breathe. It felt like that. And the look at the rusted metal door with the white number ’15’ brought back an awful lot of pain. Blue and green splashing their way through her brain, voices layering over one another, and a distinct smell of chemicals in her nose. Oh no. She was back there. Right now. How was that possible? How did it get that far? Were there not a bunch of people making sure that this would never happen to her again? A shiver overtook her but at the same time, sweat assembled on her skin. The room was wet and moldy and sterile all at once. No. No. No. She escaped, she was safe - fought her way through hell to get there. There was no way this was really happening.

Dull voices broke through to her. “We’re at 12 Minutes”. “180, going down”. Beeping of sorts and then - somehow, through all the water and noise, the unremarkable sound of pen on paper. What an odd thing to remember, right? But Y/N recalled thinking ‘what an odd thing to hear’ back then. Not now, though. Now it was… normal. But that day it wasn’t. It was in fact the very first time it had ever happened and the moment everyone had seemed to work towards. Even if Y/N didn’t know it back then, she was the breakthrough Hydra needed to create yet another group of human weapons. One that luckily never saw the light of day.

They didn’t know. And it should stay that way. Y/N didn’t want to be associated with Hydra anymore. She never did. She wanted to be herself when she joined the Avengers. A woman with power and endurance and, well, certain enhanced abilities. There was one person that knew how she got them, and that person was Nick Fury. But he had promised to keep his mouth shut. Y/N held onto that promise because it kept her from losing her mind - reminded her that she became who she was without their help. She had escaped, and fought, and grieved, and wept in order to get over that old self. And yet, despite all the hard work, she was in that old skin again.

It shouldn’t be possible though. She had put a recognizable amount of time into burying every piece of evidence of her past life - Her dumb anxiety included. But here it was: dark and strong and the thing that would ruin everything, every piece of harmony she had associated with its absence. 

Y/N was frozen to the ground, the image of the door branding itself into her mind and leaving a burning hole in its wake that made her head feel blank. Because that’s how it had always been: at first there is so much going on in your head that it feels like exploding and then, all of a sudden, it's wiped off everything. And all you are left with is this shell of a body that is not responsive to anything.

She didn’t know how long she had been standing in that hallway. A minute? Maybe an hour? Time moves differently when you’re not really there. But after whatever amount of time had passed, another voice rang through to her. A deep, and reasoning one, pressing and dripping of worry, though. Y/N shook her head. Steve. Steve was here.

❁ ❁ ❁

“I can’t have my team zoning out on missions.” The impatient voice echoed through the room accommodated by an expensive pair of shoes clicking on the polished floor. “We’ve had the problem before and I don’t like being lied to. Tell me what’s going on or she’s off.” Toni was pacing the floor of the common room until he came to a stop in front of Fury with his hands resting on his hips impatiently. But the man dressed in black didn’t do so much as move a muscle. He was casually lounging on the cushioned chair, waiting for his employee to finish.

“This might not feel like a big problem to you, Nick, but wait until half the Avengers are wiped out because Will Byers over here risks their lives by not cooperating.” Fury’s eye twitched when it lifted to the woman tugged into the corner. She had already been staring at him, trying to drag out the unavoidable, but there was no stopping this. She knew that, and he knew that too. 

“I can’t.” He said while still staring at Y/N. Nick would have done everything to prevent this very moment from happening, he had kept his promise for years. But this - this was the signal for her to know: ‘It’s on you now. You make the call.’

Y/N stared down at her hands that were nervously fumbling in her lap. Though from a distance it might have looked like she was disinterestedly avoiding everyone's eyes on her. Because they were - especially a specific pair of blue ones. Every single person in the room was expecting her to say something. Even more so the man whose worried expression hadn’t faded ever since he had dragged her out of that base hours ago. And even now - away from harm and safely huddled in the confines of the compound, his unrelenting stare was drenched in fear and urgency. Y/N didn't even have to look up to confirm her suspicions. Steve had not moved ever since she sat down in that chair, his arms crossed, shoulders hunched, and eyebrow furrowed as his gaze locked on her. He probably tried to find something - a twitch of a brow or the corner of her mouth - something to tell him that she was okay. But Y/N fought with everything she had not to give him that - because she was in fact not okay. She was far from it, and the storm of emotions rioting through her stomach did very well prove it as nausea crept up her throat.

She was about to reveal the very thing she had kept hidden for years - something she never thought would get dug up again. But here she was: moments away from having every assumption about her changed for the worse. And Y/N hated it. She hated that this would be defining who she was from now on. Because it always did. It happened with Bucky and it happened with Wanda, hell even Steve didn’t get away without being associated with Hydra. Even if his story bore a different relationship to the World War II organization. 

Y/N didn’t want to tell them, but deep down she knew that she would. Because what were her other options? Leaving the Avengers and drowning in sorrow over the lost family she had gained not too many years ago? God, that sounded like the villain origin story. No, she had to come clean, even if it hurt her and her status and possibly every other person surrounding her right now.

A wave of heat overtook her body, but her hands were cold. There was no going back - Y/N owed it to the team. Tony had every right to know what had put his people in danger today, but that didn’t change the fact that it would hurt nonetheless. Because she would be brought back there in her mind. And when she slowly inhaled to talk again, she tried to remember what it felt like to be free, even if the rushing of water already flooded her ears.

“You know when you’re drowning you don’t actually inhale until right before you black out.” Y/N was still staring at her fingers, desperately holding onto something she could feel. She was nervous to say the least, even if she knew exactly what her next words were going to be. 

“It’s called voluntary apnea.” She had known it for years, starting with picking up pieces of conversation in the labs and ending with a reality-shattering file search that settled the gravity of what had actually happened to her. Y/N closed her eyes as she remembered that day, trying to hold the hot tears pooling in her eyes at bay. 

“It’s like no matter how much you’re freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won’t open your mouth until you feel like your head’s exploding.” We’re at 12 minutes. 180, going down. Just fucking breathe. “Then when you finally do let it in, that’s when it stops hurting.” Her voice was shaky now but she was determined to pull through. Though her head was still hanging low - almost ashamed at what she was going to say next. “It’s not scary anymore, it’s… it’s actually kind of peaceful.” She shrugged weakly. “At least that’s what I told myself.” 

She paused then, mentally preparing for the next part was impossible, but for some reason, she still couldn’t get it over with. This was it. This was the moment she was going to change in their eyes. The moment she would turn into a charity case that deserved nothing but sad looks and encouraging shoulder taps. And the thought of that made the lump in her throat grow. One last shaky breath and then she finally looked up, eyes locking with that of a blonde Super Soldier whose posture had faltered drastically since she last looked at him. A grey and brooding shadow had overtaken his cerulean orbs and it was shaking with the plead that settled in between: ‘Please tell me that’s not true.’ 

The first tear found its way down Y/N’s cheek, goosebumps rippling through her but her next words were said steadier than ever before. “I drowned in that room. One hundred and eighty-six times.”

And there it was: pity. Thick and unmistakable - smeared all over their faces. Y/N didn’t want it - dismissed it like a hot plate, pushing it further and further away from her on the table until she, herself, was backed up against the wall. They should stop pitying her. Try to feel what she felt but that proved itself difficult. Because Y/N didn’t feel anything. She’d expected to hear the voices in her head shouting numbers or smell the sterile smell of sanitizer or be unable to move - anything. But her mind was blank. It had all stopped buzzing as soon as she had stopped talking. With that last syllable, all the flashbacks faded into darkness and all that was left was this huge empty space. And she reveled in the calmness in her head for a second, but then Steve stepped forward with a heartbreaking look on his face and when he said her name and reached out his hand, that’s when her pulse picked up.

Y/N couldn’t do this - not from Steve, who was the only person whose opinion really mattered to her. Those dreadful eyes bored into hers when she sprung up from the chair, legs screeching over the dark floor, and then, she bolted. 

❁ ❁ ❁

Steve watched as Y/N ran out of the common room, a blank stare covering his features while his heart grew heavy with every step she took from him. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?!” Tony screamed.

“She didn’t want you to know.” Fury answered, and his voice hosted a sense of sadness.

Y/N. A Hydra experiment. And Steve hadn't known. He would have never known had they not happened to raid the base she had been kept at. It killed Steve to know that he could have prevented today from happening. He could’ve told Fury what a bad idea it was had he just known. But he didn’t. Somehow it unsettled him that Y/n chose not to tell him. It was traumatic and painful but did she really think that he would judge her for it? He of all people. No, he would never.

A look at Bucky rattled another zap of pain through his bones. His friend had this distinct mystery etched on his face. And when Steve shot him a questioning glare, Bucky jerked his head to the side, signaling for the blonde to follow him. 

Bucky’s shoulders were stiff when Steve watched them leading the way to a private lounge area and the spring in his step slightly faltered. 

When he had woken up that morning, Steve would have never guessed that the day would bring such dramatics. It was a simple mission - one he had done several times, too. And yet it could have not gone worse than today. Steve couldn’t let his emotions get the better of him, he knew that. His position as Captain didn’t allow him to let them lead his choices. But right now, with Bucky visibly agitated and Y/N clearly upset as well, that duty seemed near impossible. He cared too much for both of those people. 

Bucky stopped by the window, his gaze focused outside where the rain pattered aggressively against the concrete. He swallowed thickly before his head turned to his best friend.

“I think I remember her, Steve... I remember seeing her in the base.” Bucky finally confessed, though there was a distance in his words. And despite the information doing fairly little to calm Steve’s nerves, he was glad that his friend condoned in him. 

“You do?” A hopeful wave of emotions washed him over, suggesting that he might get a little more information about Y/N’s situation. And that maybe... he had been looking out for her back then. Yes, Bucky was most certainly sedated by hydra at that time, but the Winter Soldier had proven time and time again that he was not completely clouding Bucky and his sense for the good.

“I was there. I was-“ Bucky stopped as if he had suddenly said too much. A dreadful look overtook his eyes before his jaw wired shut and Steve’s hopeful feelings vanished.

“What? What is it?” He pressed, but his friend remained silent. 

Panic rose in his chest with every second filling the quiet and Steve couldn’t help but feel like the words Bucky had withheld from him drew far heavier consequences than he had anticipated.

“I - I can’t tell you that, Steve. I think you should talk to her.” 

Why did everyone decide they had to hide things from him today? What could have possibly been so bad? 

“Anything else I should know?” Steve asked stiffly, a slight coldness overtaking his mind.

Bucky shook his head with what looked like guilt. Nonetheless, after a frustrated huff, Steve thanked Bucky and made his way to the dormitories.

❁ ❁ ❁

Steve leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed before his chest and a worrisome look pressing on his features. But Y/N just stared blankly ahead, ignoring the boring stare from the hallway. She didn’t want him to be here. Because he was - and that Y/N was 100 percent certain of - here to tell her things she didn’t want to hear. 

Their relationship had just recently reached the brooding edges of the pot. So close to overflowing into uncharted territory for the both of them. But for once in her life, Y/N had been excited about where it spilled. She wanted to feel the burning hot sensation on her skin and be dragged down into its endless abyss of warm feelings and excitement. But the information she had just dropped had taken the pot from the flame. She knew it the moment her eyes met Steve’s. They were dull, and lifeless, and sad. He had probably registered how much work she would be - would not see her as equal anymore. More of a menace than someone he could actually enjoy life with. And it broke her heart.

To say the least, there were far more parts of hers broken than her heart at this point. But Y/N didn’t know how to cope with them. For all her life, she had pushed it away. Brushed it off like it was nothing except a memory destined for her past, only allowed to creep to the surface when the dark corners of her mind leaked into the rational part of her. These times were not with people, especially not Steve - who was her captain and something more... up until now, that was.

Nonetheless, she needed a friend and Steve was the closest thing to that. Since more was probably not within her reach anytime soon, she decided to give into the nagging urge to spill every feeling on the floor before her. She looked up at him when he walked into the room and that’s when a dam of tears broke. She was ready to lay it all out bare for him. She had to, because for some reason - from one second to the other - all the things she had kept hidden for the past years felt unbearable to hold in. They seeped through her eyes in form of salty water and leaked through her nose and eventually built a big fat lump in her throat, one that was not possible to swallow. She had to get it out, along with all the other things hiding beneath.

Steve laid a warm hand on her trembling shoulder. A soft stroke pushed the last bit of reluctance from her body and prepared her to make it all go away. He was so close, but for some reason, she felt further away from him than ever before.

“You know I never stopped counting,” she whispered through ragged breaths. The nights in the dark cell encased her like a fog. Cold and moldy smells and the sound of dripping water echoed through her skull with every word she revealed to Steve. 

“I thought I would lose track at one point - maybe die,” she huffed, bitterness seeping through her tone, “but they pulled me back from the dead so many times… sometimes I feel like I got stuck somewhere in between.” Not really living - not really there. But she wouldn’t say that out loud. Not again, at least. She did it once - to the Winter Soldier, when she had thought to see a glimpse of humanity seeping thought the tough exterior. But it didn’t change a thing then too.

The movement of Steve’s hand stopped but he caught himself after a beat. He probably knew what she was thinking. And he probably also thought that dying was the cowardly way out of her situation, which was why a wave of shame came over her. 

“You know what’s funny? I’ve tried so hard to keep this a secret in order to have people like the real me and now... I feel like the only way I have any chance with the people I love is by giving this all away.” And it was true. Y/N felt like the last thing keeping her connected to Steve and the others was her cooperating and coming clean. She would be the prettied avenger, the one they always felt like they had to look out for - and she hated that because, really, the last thing Y/N wanted was to be babied - but if it was the last chance of keeping even a piece of them within her reach, she would have no choice but to take the deal. She would never be seen as an equal again. Always the inferior that never got over her trauma but if it meant staying with her family, she would be just that. Even if it was not even half of what she had made herself to be.

Steve’s eyes softened but at the same time, they filled with worry. His shoulders looked like they urged him to speak but his mouth closed as soon as it opened. And the last shimmer of hope vanished from Y/N’s consciousness. She wasn’t ready to let him go into pure friendship again, not when they had been dancing around the edge of something more for so long now. And she realized that now. So much, in fact, that she decided it would be better to just shut the whole thing off before the situation played out the way it was doomed to. Maybe that way she had a little more time to dwell in her fantasies. 

With that thought in mind, she licked up the last pieces of pride she had and patted her hand on Steve’s knee.

“Don’t worry about it, Captain. Thank you for checking in but I’m okay.” She said steadily, though she couldn’t help but notice the slump in the man’s shoulders beside her when she led him to the door.

❁ ❁ ❁

Captain, she had called him Captain. Steve exhaled on his way to his room. For some reason, he was devastated by that even more than the events that had taken place just half an hour prior. She didn’t trust him. She never trusted him enough, for that matter, to tell him about her past. A past he very well shared and understood better than any other person on the team - well, except Bucky... and Wanda.

He had wanted to tell her that she was okay now. That she should not let her past define her. That he would never in a million years even consider neglecting her because of it. But he couldn’t. For some reason, he had been still beside her like a stupid puppet. 

Tears brimmed in his eyes when he defeatedly sunk onto his bed. He wanted to stay rational. He wanted to think it through before burning up into flames, but his heart was pounding like a sledgehammer and his brain was running a mile a minute in opposite directions. There was no possibility to think straight. 

His body felt torn between the two most powerful organs within him and they were fighting like there was no tomorrow. He wanted to punch the wall and lay the softest kiss on Y/N’s lips at the same time. It was infuriating. 

For the first time in a long time, Steve had no idea what to do, or how to behave. There were no rules in the territory he and Y/N had created for themselves. There were times when he could come up behind her and press her into his chest and others when he wouldn’t even dare look at her. Right now, neither of these were an option, unfortunately. 

Of course, deep down Steve knew that he had to talk to her again. Make sure she knew where their differences lay and clearly state what he had been thinking about the whole situation. But his heart was screaming so loud into his head that that thought never reached his ears. 

It was strange, Steve was never the one to lose control over his emotions like this. But this situation felt as though it deserved every last drop of the feelings he had to offer. It was because of Y/N, of course. She tumbled up his feelings every time she looked at him. And to say that the look she had given him in the meeting room had shattered all his perceptions regarding her and her wellbeing was an understatement. He had been worried about her before. But never like this. Never in a way that had both his and her identity questioned. 

For some reason, he could deal with death threats and vital injuries - it was sadly a normal routine in his line of work - but the added emotions that came with everything concerning Y/N ordered a whole new level of consciousness to his duties. He no longer felt the need to care for his team and make sure they got out of and through missions unharmed because it was his job, he now had to care for them because his heart was involved if anything were to happen to any of them. And he had to care more about himself, too because there were people who would get hurt if he were to. Y/N did that - she had sucked him into her warm and welcoming self and Steve had embraced it with all his being.

Now, he saw how dangerous that was. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. Getting closer to her was the best thing that had happened to Steve in a long time. He was happier and more energetic.

It dawned on him, then, that he had to tell her that. No matter how rage fed his brain or love blinded his heart was in the moment. Y/N deserved to know. Much like he had deserved to know about her secret much sooner. This thought sent another wave of frustration through his body. Steve tried to push it away, but it lay heavy on his heart when he stepped into the hallway, trying to suppress the nervousness brooding up within him.

❁ ❁ ❁

Y/N twitched up when the door slammed into the wall. When it bounced back from the gray concrete, there was a sizable hole visible where it jammed. But as her ears picked up on something else, that’s when her eyes wandered past the door to the heaving man within its frame. Steve’s eyes were dull, his shoulders hunched but his heart was beating at a rapid speed. He must’ve heard it in his head from the pressure with which it traveled over to Y/N. 

Thumb, Thumb.

Steady and yet rapidly pounding. And for some odd reason, it had a soothing aspect on the woman. But before Y/N could register and ask what was going on, Steve stepped into the room. He was hesitant but still carried himself with a familiar confidence she’d only ever seen from him.

“I’m sorry,” he straightened up, “...for the door, I- I dint think it would open that easily.”

“It’s okay.” Y/N was still seated on her bed - hadn’t moved a muscle since Steve left.

“Y/N...” His voice was heavy with sadness, though she didn’t dare look at him. There was no going back. He would be saying what she had been dreading from the second she confessed. She didn’t also need to watch the disappointment in his eyes when he told her that itwas over - whatever it was. “I know what happened to you can’t be changed.” He sat down beside her, though there was a significant distance between the two Avengers now. “And I can only imagine how hard today has been for you. I don’t think I would be as strong as you are keeping this for yourself for so long. But you don’t have to shut us out. Please don’t shut me out, Y/N. We can help you, we can be there for you. Just... please. I don’t know how to-” he inhaled deeply but his speech didn’t continue like she had expected it to.

Y/N just sat there, her fingernails suddenly the most interesting thing to ever exist, even though there was a distressed man sitting inches away from her. Whatever he had said, because frankly, the words had swayed by her like a breeze, sounded like heartbreak to her - for her. There was pretty clear that Steve didn’t see a future for them. And if Steve thought this - the person she had grown closest to over the years - she could only imagine what the rest of the team was thinking. 

Tears burned in Y/N’s eyes and when the first one fell in her lap, she closed her eyes in pain. “You pitied me..,” she whispered, the burning in her throat threatening to swallow her whole, “You felt bad for me... you of all people, you decided I need comforting.”

Steve sent a confused look at her once her eyes met his. He was looking through her gaze as if the answer to his questions lay beneath them.

“Of course I do.” He spoke calmly but irritated. Y/N shut her eyes again, trying to ignore the confirming string of pain wash over her. Somehow hearing him say it out loud was worse than she imagined.

“It shouldn’t even concern you, Steve. I’ve managed very well on my own over the past years. There is no reason for anyone to pity me-”

“Not pity,” he interrupted, “concern, yes. Pride, worry, fear... I feel all of those things for you. But not Pity.”

“But why.” The words were barely audible through the stream of tears that had broken loose by now. Y/N couldn’t possibly comprehend why Steve would say that. Because she didn’t see how Steve could see anything but her past from now on. She had struggled to do so herself at first. It had taken years to finally become herself again, even if that self bore a terrible secret for everyone else.

“Because I admire your strength. And I care about you.” His hand hovered over hers, but he didn't dare touch her just yet. “I care about you more than I probably should.” He closed his eyes and retracted his hand when he saw the dread in her eyes. “And I try to ignore it, I really do but then you come at me with that smile and with your wit, and I... I can’t stop my heart from racing.”

“I know I can hear it.” She was whispering again, feeling like an intruder for listening in on something as personal as his heartbeat.

Steve looked at her with an indescribable look on his face. “I hear yours, too, you know? But for some reason, it’s telling me other things than your eyes are.”

“What are my eyes telling you?”

Steve’s fingers grazed her chin, moving upward until his thumb stroked the skin on her cheek. “That you are afraid of something. That you are waiting for something bad to happen... but I don’t know what.” Y/N nodded in awe - somehow this man could read her better than she could herself, which was scary and comforting at the same time.

“And what is my heart telling you?” She took his hand and placed it upon her chest, where a steady rhythm pushed through her skin.

“The same thing I’ve been trying to say.” His heartbeat was steady and sure as well. It was fast, yes, but not in a bad way. There was an unfamiliar glimmer in his eyes when they softened upon her love-dazed face. Maybe her intrusive thoughts had blinded her after all...

“And what-”

Suddenly, his soft lips pressed to hers. A warm and tingling feeling traveled over Y/N’s body as her arms almost automatically reached up to his shoulders. Steve pulled her closer by her waist, deepening the kiss with the lean of his head. He was warm and he felt like the hug she had subconsciously craved ever since staring at that white number ’15’ in the base hours ago. All the tension drained from her like a waterfall. Steve pulled the fear from her body with every stroke of his tongue against hers. And for the first time in a while, Y/N felt as though everything had fallen into place. She was right where she belonged. The squeeze of Steve’s fingers reminded her of that.

When they pulled apart, breathless and floating, she tightened the grip on his collar.

“But- I thought...” Y/N breathed out shakily. Her forehead was firmly pressed against Steve’s and her lips were grazing his with every word she whispered, sending waves of shivers down her spine.

“What? That I’d sign you off as a charity case?” Steve locked his eyes on hers for the hundredth time. There was so much emotion in them. “I would never underestimate you. I know you are stronger than half the people on this team... well mentally that is.”

“Stop,” she chuckled before pressing her face into his chest. Steve kissed the top of her head as his hand began to soothingly stroke up and down her back, leaving a warm trail of comfort in its wake.

“I really like you, Y/N... and if you’d let me, I would like to take you out sometime.”

Y/N smiled. It seemed silly how worried she had been about his feelings now. Considering hers were just as strong for the man in her arms, there had not been a reason to believe it was different for him. Though the edges of self-consciousness nipped at her brain every now and then. Those were the monsters pushing intrusive thoughts into her heart - convincing her of things, for which there was no indignation. She would learn it with time - that her past didn’t define her. It did to some extent, but it would never become her entire identity. And until she could tell herself that alone, she would have Steve to help her remember.

“I would love to, Steve.”

Steve pulled back and held her by her shoulders before leaning in again. A content smile etched on his lips before they sealed to hers again, capturing her in another searing kiss.

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[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

I Don't Miss You At All (ITA One Shot)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Warnings: tears, trauma, therapy

Word Count: Thank you Tari for being such a nice friend. For reading all that I blurt out here. Thank you for being my reader and supporter even though I have been so inconsistent as a writer and as a friend.

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

"Looking for something?" Your attention is brought back by the gorgeous olive-skinned lady in her late forties sitting before you. "Hmm?" is all that comes out of you while you are biting the dead skin on your lower lip. "You were looking around for something on the ceiling and-" she points at the French doors opening to the porch outside with the pen in her hand- "the doorway." Your crinkled brows relax and go up a little. "Oh. Right. It was...I was looking for cameras." Now lady furrows her brows even though she is smiling at you. "It was on involuntary." You shrug casually. The lady does not react. "I am used to cameras in my vicinity." you try to summarise. She opens the notebook in her lap. "Nothing negative. Just a project my father has going on." Now her lips make that straight line and you suddenly feel like you've failed a test. "So there is an entire crew-" "Miss Y/N, breathe." she tries to calm you down.

You breathe in, hold the air and let it out slowly, taking in your surroundings again. The beige-coloured room is well-lit- thanks to the abundant sunlight coming through the French doors. You sit on a cream-coloured velvet sofa, wearing your oversized shirt with a happy Tony Tony Chopper eating candy on the front and a pair of blue mom jeans. "So-" the lady starts, seeing that your nerves seem better- "why did you come in today?" "Doctor I-" "Jane. It's Jane. Please call me Jane," she urges with a smile before settling on her cream sofa. "Okay...Jane." You nod.  "So, tell me why you are here today." Pressing your hands between your thighs and letting the warmth seep in, you feel your chest tighten. The air that goes in to help you form the words suddenly feels heavy in the lungs. Your eyes seem to betray you a little too. You smile, trying your best to let your facial muscles close your eyes as much as possible and wipe away the moisture by some miracle. But they fail. A tear falls down your cheek, falling right through the smile. "Because I'm not okay," your voice croaks. Your shivering hands try to wipe away the tears that now seem endless. "Sorry," you whisper an apology. "It's okay," Jane soothes you, pouring a glass of water from the jar sitting in front of you on her coffee table, "let it out. That's good. We're halfway there already because you are aware you are not feeling okay. So, no need to rush. Crying is also a part of it. It is okay to cry." You gulp down the water in seconds before pouring yourself another round. "Okay," you announce softly, nodding in Jane's direction. "Take a minute if-" "No, I'm good," you confirm and settle back down in your seat with a sigh. Jane's eyes smile their kindest smile at you. "Okay. let's begin."

"Yeah-" you nod- "so, it's been a few weeks now..."

The six am alarm starts to buzz on your phone and before the alarm tone can even begin to ascend, your fingers are stopping the buzz. There is no point in the alarm when you lay wide awake in your bed in the dorm room, your eyes looking at infinity in the sky outside as they have watched it break from dawn to a proper sunny day. The constant throbbing in your head has become a part of your existence now. You lay in your bed for another hour and you would have laid there for two more had Yusuf not knocked at your door. "Y/N! We have a lecture in twenty minutes. Please tell me you are still not sleeping." You have heard him, but your body lays in bed, still looking at the sky. Yusuf knocks again. Silence. "Okay, I'm coming in," he shouts, "you better be decent because we cannot miss today's lecture." You groan and crinkle your nose when Yusuf pulls you up by your arms. You protest, not wanting to attend today's lectures. But Yusuf's begging techniques seem to be your weakness. Deodorant under your armpits and a change of shirt later you are sitting through the day's lectures, pretending to write in your notebook. Everything around you is on the move- the professors, the students, the assignments leaflets, the laptops, even the bugs crawling on the class's windows outside- while you sit in one place. Nothing seems to grab much of your attention. Except for that one whiff of jasmine, lily and a mix of spices that sometimes travels through the air and fires up the wrong wirings inside you. Some days it just makes your heart race up a bit, making you short of breath for a while. On other days, you sweat through your body, unable to breathe, looking for the washroom to run into before crumbling down in there. Today it makes your hands shiver. Your back can feel the cold sweats coming in. "I'll just come back," you mumble to Yusuf and rush to the washroom from the back door of the lecture hall. .

"All good?" Yusuf's concerns are always transparent. "Yeah. I think the dinner from last night was acting up." You smile at him through the lie.  More lectures start and finish before it is time for lunch. "Don't feel like it," you declare, "not hungry." "Have some juice still," Yusuf presses, already having brought you a glass of fresh pressed juice. "Dude, that shit's expensive," you state before sliding it back to him. "I can't. I don't feel so good." But Yusuf does not give up. You take three sips before your stomach begins to feel the nausea. You sit in the grass looking at the endless stream of students going about their day with no thought going inside your brain. And then you see those pair of green eyes. Your heart starts to race again. Only to find it is someone else. But it is already too late. The tears have begun to form. And it is starting to get hard to hide them. Taking out your earphones and plugging them in, you press play on a random tutorial on how to make rice in ten different ways and lie down on the grass with your eyes closed. Some days it works.

.

It's four in the evening and you have volunteered to get dog food for Yusuf's pitbull. You have your car now to drive you through the city, a second-hand ocean-blue Honda.  Your mind knows that dog food is an excuse. But no arguments are made. You sit in the city traffic, waiting for the light to turn green. Some random radio channel is turned on in your car. You have never bothered to set it up before. They start to play a familiar song.

Wind blows Blew me to where I belong It was you A home I came into the night

The cold sweats start again. It gets harder to breathe. The light has turned green but the vehicles in front of you are not moving. You shut down the radio and press the horn into infinity. Your car revs and breaks into a spree, only stopping at a spot where there aren't any eyes and you can finally hit your steering wheel as much as you want before you break down into an ugly cry. Two hours pass before you text Yusuf you cannot find the specific brand of dog food and return to the campus. Parking your car near your department building, you walk to the dorms. It's a thirty-minute walk.  Sometimes you feel like you hear the familiar soft British accent on your way. Your chest feels the heaviness again, but your brain simply makes it for another student on campus. You don't have any more tears left to shed for the day.

.

Back at the dorm, you stand under the shower for ten minutes doing nothing. The shirt and PJs you had on last night are what you wear again. You come down to the dining area to see if you have any appetite. You smile at the familiar faces that greet you. You know your smiles are growing weaker every day. But there is nothing you can do about it. Salad. Soup. Bread. Pasta. Fruits. Ice cream. A tiny leaf of lettuce. A finger-sized slice of bread. Two pieces of penne with barely any sauce on them and a slice of apple. That is all that goes onto your plate. Even the lady serving you is concerned for her favourite student who used to leave the dining hall only after stuffing down two huge servings of everything. You sit on the table in the corner right by the window. It is a cold spot so no one ever prefers to sit there. Even as you sit down to eat the contents on your plate, you are not able to finish the bread and the pasta.

.

Back in your dorm room, you sit in the dark on your bed for about an hour before your phone rings. It's Tony. You look at the time on your phone. It's time for the usual call. You switch on the study light to accept the video call but your fingers never touch the accept button. Finally, you accept the voice call, putting it on speaker. "Hey, sweetie," Tony's voice greets from the other end. "'Sup," you greet back, not truly matching the enthusiasm. "How was college today?" "It was fine." "..." "..." "Okay. Cool. How's that car doing?" "Doing okay." "Because I can send you a better-" "It's doing okay." "...okay," Tony's voice goes down an amplitude, "that's good to know. So...did they have anything good in dinner today?" "Same old." "Did you eat?" you can hear the concern in his voice. "Mm-hmm." Silence. "Are you in your lab?" you finally say, wanting to prevent any more questions that you did not have the strength to answer. "Yeah. Working on a special suit right now. For a special someone." There is a pause for a moment. "Can you...can I hear you work? I have to work on an assignment and I need some sort of background noise to help me get it done faster." "Oh, okay." The amplitude is a little better now.  You lie down on your bed, your legs bent close to your chest, keeping your phone next to you. Tony goes on with this work, chatting with Friday. You continue to listen to him, never consciously feeling the tears fall from your eyes, wetting your pillow. Bruce joins Tony sometime later. You don't know how long has it been since you've been lying there. But you can hear Bruce tell Tony it's two in the morning so they should call it a night. "Y/N, sweetie? You asleep?" Tony whispers through the phone. You say nothing. "I guess she's asleep. Good night, goose," Tony hums before ending the call. You do not wish for the sleep to come, for it has not visited you for quite some days now. But the fear of seeing a familiar face when you fall asleep is also the reason you do not want slumber to hit you. But it comes tonight. Bringing with it reasons you are going to feel the numbness, the hole in your chest, the cold sweats all over again tomorrow.

Loki only visits your dorm when you are not there. You are gone early from the room because you have an eight am class today. The room reeks. Used tissues lie on the floor, below the study table, overfilling the dustbin. There are half-eaten packets of chips sitting on the desk along with half-finished cans of soda. Your hoodies, sweat pants, shorts and undergarments lie in a crumpled mess in the cupboard as well as the laundry basket. He opens the windows first- noticing the dead succulents on your window sill that Yusuf has brought as a 'dorm-warming gift'- before getting to work. He clears the trash, cleans the floors, disinfects the desk, changes the bedsheet and duvet, and replaces the dirty laundry with clean ones. Taking one last look at the room, he makes sure to leave your clothes just as he had found them to not raise any suspicion. He replaces your bottles and mugs with fresh water, praying that you will drink as much as possible. Then he leaves.

.

He disguises himself as another student to watch you from afar. Sometimes he catches you lost in a thought in the window of your lecture hall. On other days he sees you looking at the void while sitting in the campus grounds. It is visible you have lost weight. Your eyes have bags under them. Your signature smile that went up to your eyes is not there. Twice he has witnessed you rush into the washroom with great urgency, and both times he has stopped himself from following you, for multiple reasons. Both times he has waited outside in the corridor, pacing back and forth. Both times you have come out with a freshly washed face, red eyes hiding behind spectacles and a smile for whoever greeting you in the corridor.

.

He keeps a good distance whenever you walk back from your department to your dorm building. The way back is dimly lit and you prefer to walk alone, no matter the time. Sometimes he watches you stop abruptly in your path. Sometimes you sniffle and wipe something off your face. Other times you take your phone out and look at something on it for a long time before closing it and resuming your walk.

.

He avoids the nights. They do not bring the best of him. Because they are not the best for you.

"Jane, is it? You do realise I would not be here had those two baboons not tricked me into walking into your office on the pretext of an emergency." Loki huffs and rubs one hand on his face while the other rests on his hips. Jane purses her lips and shrugs in agreement before sitting down on her sofa. "Must have been an emergency for your friends to bring to a clinical psychologist, right?" Loki chuckles sarcastically. Jane is unbothered. "Oh, Miss Clinical Psychologist-" Loki's eyes have nothing but pity as he looks in the doctor's direction- "you are talking to a thousand-year-old being infamous for the art of manipulation. So, no offence, but I am pretty sure I can diagnose myself better than any doctor on this planet. Let alone this galaxy." This time Jane is the one chuckling. "I am two hundred per cent sure no one has the knowledge of psychology on this planet as much as you. And I take your word for all that you said. But-" she takes a tiny remote from the coffee table in front of her, points and clicks it to the opaque window separating her room from the reception outside, revealing Peter Parker and Scott Lang pacing the length of the reception hall- "for the sake of those two worried souls, why not humour me for...twenty minutes? Not to mention, even the best of psychologists need another experienced person to help them out in desperate times." Loki looks out at the two figures who have no clue they are being watched. He can't hear but Peter is saying something to Scott with a look of anxiousness, to which Scott simply keeps his hands on Peter's shoulders for a moment, telling him something, and finally taking him into his embrace. The window goes back to white. Loki comes back into the room. He is lost in a thought for a moment. "Well played, Jane," Loki announces in a mumble. "Had it been any other day, I would not give a damn about any of this." Jane simply gestures to the seat kept for Loki with both her hands. The God sits down and sighs.

"Why do you think they are so worried about you?" Loki raises his hands in defeat. "Beats me." Loki notices Jane has not touched the dairy kept in front of her. Neither her pen. She simply sits there for the God to elaborate. After a prolonged moment of thought, and the presence of zero judgment on the doctor's face, Loki gives in. "It's their friend. She...and I are not on speaking terms anymore." Loki's voice has gone soft. Jane nods. "Is their friend not your friend?" "...she was. Till she confessed that she liked me." Loki huffs the 'liked' part as if it were an insult. "Okay." Jane nods, adjusting herself a bit towards to edge of the seat, interested in knowing more. "Nothing more to it, Jane," he points out, averting his gaze, "she's gone...a bit far so we don't see each other much." "So, you do see each other." Loki takes in a long breath, furrowing his brows as if trying to push something away. "No. I go see her. She is staying in the city. I-" Loki's gaze goes down to his fingers that have started playing with the velvet on the sofa- "check in on her. Sometimes." "Why do you need to check in on her?" Even if that question is out of curiosity, Jane makes no effort to react in any way. Loki scoffs. "Because she is wasting away, Jane. A woman like her, who is capable of changing worlds is wasting away in a box half the size of the room we are sitting in because she was rejected by the God she fell for." Jane pours herself a glass of water. "You still haven't answered my question, though, Loki." Loki looks at her in confusion. "Why do you need to check in on her?" She picks the glass up. "What do you mean- I just told you she is-" "Wasting away, yes. That's the choice she made. Why do you feel the need to go there?" Jade sits back with the glass still in her hand. "Because I am the reason she is in this mess." Loki cannot understand what is so hard to understand. Jade turns her head a little. "So are millions of other women after a breakup. Why is it so important for you to go back to her? You have already told her how you feel." Silence. The glass is sitting in her lap. Loki can feel an unnerving feeling in his chest as he glares at that glass of water.

"Because I love her," he finally admits. "Because I cherish her. Because she nearly died because of me." Jade does not speak in the silence that comes after. "Because it is preposterous to think I could ever be with her." The confidence and anger with which Loki had entered the room has dissolved into the sea of certain new emotions; emotions that seem to be taking over his features gradually. The previously poised glare has turned into a fragile pair of eyes blinking a bit faster than before. "And why-" Jane's voice is soft as it stresses her words- "do you think you cannot be with her." Jane raises the glass to her lips, drinking the water, giving the room a good long pause. At that moment, the God feels the rush of tears in his eyes, the onset of a slight quiver building in his lips, the shakiness of his breath as his throat tries to bring out what has been sitting inside that little boy for ages. "Because I'm a monster." his voice breaks as he looks back at Jane. "Because I don't deserve that love." He tries to breathe in to compose himself only for his throat to shake. "Because I am scared of not being worthy. Because I am scared she will find out it is all a facade and I am nothing but a spineless pawn. Because I have only been loved on conditions and am afraid to get hurt again." Tears fall frantically through Loki's eyes. He does not bother to wipe them off. Jane pours Loki a glass of water and hands it to him. "Must have been hard to say it out loud," she states. "I can assure you if you choose to sit with me to figure it out, it will be a bit easier than it is right now. It won't be a smooth sail, but it will hurt less. And you just want the pain to stop, don't you?" Loki takes in a lungful of breath. "I want it to stop." Janes nods in reassurance. "Please make it stop."

[animatorweirdo]

Imagine being a witch like Wanda and coming to Middle earth.

(I changed the concept a little, and it turned out pretty much living with the hobbit ancestors and eventually meeting some elves. I hope you still enjoy,) 

Requested by Anonymous

Warnings; mentions of capture, forced experiment, death, distress, violence, plague, healing and adopting some creatures. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-You were an experiment. Modified from Wanda’s blood to make another like her, to create a soldier like her. 

-However, your magic was blue instead of red, and you were much weaker than Wanda. 

-You could barely lift a toy cube, and too much usage would exhaust you severely. The best you could do was raise a pen, but that didn’t satisfy your captors. 

-They were constantly unsatisfied with you, concluding you were a failure. So you didn't receive the best treatment. It has always been like that – ever since they kidnapped you and forced you to become a lab experiment. 

-Wanda and her brother Pietro were friendly to you, at least. They treated you like a third sibling and took care of you when experiments became too much for you to handle. 

-You hated your life. You were not confident, robust, or helpful in anything, while they could do all kinds of things with their powers. 

-You loved Wanda and Pietro, they were the only ones who made your life much more tolerable, but you felt more like a burden to them than a sibling. 

-You sometimes wished you would disappear and stop bothering them. 

-Things looked up when you got out and joined the avengers, but after Pietro’s death, everything fell apart for you. His death broke your spirit, and you couldn't handle the sorrow that encased you from within like a snake. 

-He always looked out for you, made your days better with kind words and jokes, and protected you from the harsh world. Now, he was no more. 

-Your sorrow caused your powers to overrun and open a portal. You did not mean to do it, and you did not know how you did it — one moment, you were mourning, and your emotions conflicted with each other, opening the portal. You remember it was during the full moon. 

-You got pulled into it, and it closed right behind you. You remember hearing Wanda’s horrified scream when she saw you get sucked into the deep blue vortex. 

-You got taken to a new world. It did not have great cities with advantaged technology, Hydra, or superhumans.  It was vast land with forests everywhere. 

-You are frightened like always when you get pushed into a situation alone, especially when it was your doing this time. It made you go into a hysterical panic attack. 

-You tried to open the portal again, but with no success. You cried, screamed, and tried to use your magic but to no avail. You only managed to exhaust yourself to the extent where your nose began to bleed. Still, you tried, wanting to return to the safety and comfort of your sister. 

-Your panic and overuse of your powers exhausted you physically and mentally, so you eventually fainted, falling onto the ground as everything turned dark. 

-You woke up later in a tiny cart, covered in blankets. You were frightened, especially when you saw people outside. They dressed strangely and held weapons and armor you had seen in medieval setting movies. 

-Your heart was beating like crazy, so when you saw a chance to take off, you took it. 

-You tried to be silent when sneaking out of the cart, but your clumsiness allowed you to trip, alerting the people of your escape. 

-You got up, ready to bolt into the woods. However, your confusion got the best of you when you saw the people who took you were short, like very short. They could barely reach your waist, and they had hairy feet. 

-You were so confused that you froze in your place, too afraid to move. 

-A short woman arrived. She spoke softly to you and tried to calm you down since you were shaking and staring at them with terror. She also calmed down her people, who were cautiously holding their weapons up, ready to attack if needed. 

-She explained she and her family found you alone in the woods, unconscious and bleeding, so they decided to help and take you along till you woke up.  

-You barely calmed down as you were still shaking with anxiety, and you couldn't bring yourself to speak when the woman tried to ask for your name. 

-They considered leaving you behind since you were awake and an outsider, but the woman didn’t like the idea and wanted to bring you alone –saying they couldn't leave you alone like this. You would be easy prey to the dangers. 

-She offered her hand to you, saying you can come along and she will look after you for the rest of their journey. You don’t have to be alone. You felt safe and didn’t want to be alone, so you took her hand, and she guided you along like a mother with a lost child. 

-The short people turned out pretty okay. You were still frightened by them because some didn’t trust you and gave you threatening looks. 

-You kept yourself curled up in a lonely corner most of the time with the woman and her family who tried to speak to you and get to know you better since you were traveling with them for now. 

-You were silent the entire time because you were a mess inside. You tried to process things, and as a result, you felt sick most of the time. You felt like vomiting at some point.

-You didn’t like to be alone among strangers. You always had Wanda and Pietro as your comfort and mental support whenever you talked to strangers. 

-You were grateful the woman seemed to understand your inner turmoil and often told everyone and her family to leave you be and not pressure you to talk. You will speak when you feel ready and comfortable enough to speak. 

-You got used to her, so you mostly stuck with her. She called herself Rosalia Baggins, and she was a hobbit. She and her people were searching for a home while trying to avoid dangers like humans, elves, and hideous creatures called orcs. 

-You first thought she was a dwarf, but a hobbit sounded much more pleasant and somewhat familiar – like you have read about them before in a book somewhere. 

-You felt guilty when you heard it was her who suggested taking you in while others protested the idea, so it was thanks to her you weren’t possibly dead on the forest floor somewhere. You decided to make yourself useful and try to help as much as possible. 

-You used your height to your advantage to help reach fruits and things from higher places, and you often pulled the carts when someone got too tired. 

-You still didn’t speak much, so the hobbits nicknamed you the silent Magpie Sally. You didn’t mind the nickname because you thought it was funny, and you were quiet most of the time, and it was enough to make you finally open up to Rosalia and tell her your real name. 

-She was proud of you, and her family was happy that you spoke for the first time, so you slowly started to talk more, and finally, you chatted more often about random things with them. 

-You slowly adapted to the hobbit’s lifestyle, and Rosalia’s people got used to you, considering you one of them. You even started walking barefoot but had to switch back to wearing shoes most of the time since your feet weren't durable as the feet of the hobbits.  

-They taught you many things, like how to craft with your hands, gather food, and even hunt, which consisted of fishing most of the time. You enjoyed cooking with Rosalia and even tried recipes from your world, which got the hobbits enamored with your cooking. They especially loved the pastries and little desserts you made. 

-You also got into knitting. It was stress relieving, and you genuinely loved it, making little hats, scarves, and mittens for the hobbits and their children. You loved how the children would laugh and show their parents, and you soon started getting requests for more handmade clothes. 

-It made you feel helpful for the first time in your life. 

-You didn’t tell them about your powers, feeling anxious about how they would react, not that you ever needed to show them. You were happy keeping them tucked away in the deepest darkest corner of your existence.

-You did notice your powers had changed over time. 

-You found two abandoned wolf pups. They were dark-colored and angry, threatening to bite you at any moment. There was something sinister about them. They looked infected with a twisted disease, which caused them to be in pain and deform. 

-The hobbits wanted to leave them behind because there was no reason to deal with evil wolves, but you hesitated. Something within you didn’t want to leave these poor pups to suffer alone, so you tried to help them. 

-The hobbits thought you were crazy when you gave the pups some food and tried to gain their trust. You got bitten once and twice, but you did not give up. 

-Over time, the wolf pups became accustomed to your smell and slowly showed trust toward you. When they allowed you to touch them – love and adoration filled your heart. 

-You were gentle when you stroked their fur, and suddenly – your powers activated right before your eyes and the hobbits. 

-The blue light of your magic healed the deformities and changed the color of their fur into snowy white. Their gray eyes filled themselves with color and life, and soon they were healthy again. 

-They jumped on your lap, wagging their tails and showing you trust and love. They even allowed the hobbits to pet them. 

-You fell in love with them and decided to name them Skoll and Hati, after the wolf brothers you once heard from Thor. 

-Rosalia allowed you to adopt them if you took good care of them, and you nodded like an excited child. You fed them, taught them some tricks, and they soon grew friendly with all the other hobbits. 

-You were surprised and realized your powers cured them, so you began experimenting with your newfound ability. 

-You looked and tested your ability on things with the same condition as the wolves, and you managed to be successful without exhausting yourself. 

-You finally told the hobbits about your powers, and they didn’t seem to mind since your ability cured the wolves from the darkness. It was doing more good than harm, so they had no reason to fear you. 

-You managed to cure plants that seemed to be poisoned by the same essence that had once controlled your wolves and make them edible again. You could even heal the trees and other animals. 

-You found out your powers would be stronger during the night when the moon was out and less effective during the day. You never realized your powers resonated with the moon, so maybe that is the reason why your abilities never grew during your captivity. 

-One night, you and the hobbits arrived at a remarkably polluted lake. A foul smell lingered in the air, and the surface was disgustingly gray.

-Many of the fish were dead or deformed beyond recognition. It was like you were staring into a lake of monsters.  

-According to hobbits, the water was corrupted by darkness and thus undrinkable. It was a shame because they needed water after the long hike for the day, but it looked like they needed to make an extended trip to another water source. 

-You decided to put your healing ability to the test and pushed your hands into the polluted water. 

-It took you some strength since you were trying to purify a whole lake, but you succeeded as the water began to glow with moonlight, changing the water back into its natural blue color, and the fish returned to normal, swimming back into the depths. 

-Your nose began to bleed, but the water was crystal clear, which made you happy that your hobbit friends could drink from it again. 

-You went to celebrate with your friends, but you had not realized someone was watching you from afar. An elf had witnessed your magical purification of the lake no one had been able to cure from its plague before. 

-The elf was shocked by what had happened and wished to talk to you. The elf tried following you and your hobbit companions but soon lost sight of you to the dark of the night and the forest. 

-The elf had to return to their kin, but it turned out: the mysterious light that emanated from the lake had purified the darkness away from the faraway rivers as well –which many had the chance to witness as they were there when it happened. 

-From then on, the mysterious figure the elf saw at the lake became known as the moon witch.

-On the same night, you had a terrifying encounter with the orcs. 

-You had wandered away from the camp with your hobbit friends and got lost. You tried to find your way back when a hideous creature appeared from the shadows and almost decapitated you. 

-You had no fighting experience, and when more of them came. The best thing you managed to do was use your magic to uproot a tree and let it fall on them. 

-It slowed them down, so you and your hobbit friends got time to escape. 

-You ran around, trying to find your camp while breaking the trees to slow the orcs from pursuing you. Your heart was beating against your ears, and you could slowly feel yourself getting exhausted over the use of your magic. 

-You eventually got to a dead end. It was a cliff with a far drop to the ground. You and your friends got trapped between the fall and the orcs, who were dangerously approaching you. 

-It was a terrifying experience, and you had made a mistake stepping over the edge, but something prevented you from falling.  

-You noticed a light under your feet, keeping you from falling. You tested it, and it felt like solid ground under you. You tried it again and saw it was keeping you up. 

-You realized it was the moonlight that kept you from falling.

-You decided to make a risky decision, grabbing your hobbit friends and jumping off the cliff. 

- Your feet stepped in the moonlight, which gave you a platform to jump and run. Your run through the sky lost the orcs, who could not follow you over the edge to the forest below.

-You safely landed on the ground and finally found your way back to the camp. Rosalia was worried sick for you and scolded you for getting into danger. 

-You told her what happened, and she lectured about the orcs. They were troublesome and dangerous, so hopefully, the night was a good lesson on why people avoided them. 

-You tried to promise her to be more careful in the future. Still, you couldn't stop thinking about the encounter.

-Your powers had significantly grown because you had no idea you could fly and walk in the moonlight. It excited you yet made you feel sad when you thought about Wanda. Her presence close to you and within reach would have made you – excited to tell her about your progress. 

-She would have been proud and happy for you. She would have been smug about it since she always believed your powers would grow one day. 

-You had yet to discover how to open a portal back to your world, but you doubted you would ever reach that level. 

-After some time, traveling through Middle Earth, you and the hobbits settled down in a place called the Shire and made your home there. 

-You got your own home under the hill, and Rosalia and her family were happy to help you decorate it and design it suitable for you and your creatures. They even helped you build a stable for your horse companion. Her name was Freya

-She was a beautiful white mare you saved from a similar situation like Skoll and Hati. She used to be different colored, but your magic turned her fur white when you healed her. 

-You’re not sure why your powers turned your creatures white, but as long as they were healthy and happy. You were happy. You wouldn't choose any other way. 

-You did encounter a dragon once, and he didn’t turn white when you healed him from the corruption. He wasn’t fond of staying around, so he flew off after thanking you.

-It was exciting to meet a talking dragon, but disappointing you didn’t get to learn his name, so you called him Fafnir after the dwarven dragon. 

-One night, you were spending time with your creatures, enjoying the calm silence of nature and the moonlight that embraced you with power. Your beloved wolves played while Freya lay beside you. 

-You played a little with your magic — letting the blue energy flow through your fingers like a dark blue river with twinkling stars. You never thought you would grow to love your power and learn to accept yourself. 

-You sometimes thought coming to Middle Earth might not have been so terrible. You missed Wanda and hoped she was doing okay, but you felt more at home in Middle Earth than in your world, so you didn’t consider returning anymore. 

-You didn’t want to leave behind Rosalia and the hobbits. They were your family now, so you wished by the stars that Wanda’s life was better and well in your old world. 

-Skoll and Hati were suddenly alerted. They growled with intensity as they stared at something in the forest. You stood up with fright when you saw an elf. 

-Skoll and Hati protectively stood in front of you, growling at the elf, ready to fight as they have grown in size from pups into mighty wolves. 

-The elf tried to appear harmless, coming out with his white steed. His voice was soft, and his golden locks glimmered with the moonlight. 

-He was ethereal to your eyes as you have never encountered an elf before, but you were still hesitant to talk to him when he spoke to you. 

-You could feel your social skills lacking. You told the elf your name before making an excuse and mounting Freya. You apologized for the short encounter and told Skoll and Hati to follow as you let Freya gallop away from the meadow. 

-You heard him call out to you, calling you the moon witch before his voice left your earshot. 

-You couldn't stop thinking about it after you returned home. You might have been hasty as the beautiful stranger didn’t seem to mean any harm, but you had past experience with terrible people, so it might have been best to leave it there. 

-You were a bit confused why he called you a moon witch. It was a strange word, but you didn’t mind since your powers resonated with the moon. It wasn’t the worst nickname since you got called Glowyfingers and Moonfoot since the incident with the orcs. Hobbits and their creative names.

[raithwithwings57]

Bits of Stucky fic drafts

Posting bits of my angsty fic pieces that have been floating around unfinished and therefore unpublished for a hot minute now. Context Bucky works with the avengers but Steve is still frozen somewhere in the Atlantic.

From his place on the counter he could see the entire room, and no one could sneak up on him, even though he left space behind him instead of a wall because he didn’t like looking paranoid. But there were enough reflective surfaces around him that he could see behind him easily enough.

He was just thinking that the only thing the blue ink of his pen was good for was rendering Steve’s eyes with any degree of accuracy when he vaguely noticed the conversation of the room turning. They started talking about how some gay couple had gotten married, and then their conversation was trailing into light joking about gay people in love in general. It was kind and friendly, and it made Bucky’s heart ache. Ache that people could joke about queer people like there was nothing wrong with them, and nothing bad would happen to anyone because of it. Ache because he’d give anything to sit here on this counter with Steve leaning against his chest.

[sambuckylibrary]

In honor of the 2023 TFATWS Anniversary Event, below is a list of AU SamBucky fic recs for your enjoyment!

you're my river running high (run deep, run wild) by notcaycepollard

M | 9.9k | nwa | shapeshifter AU

The third day after SHIELD falls, Sam finds a crow with a broken wing on his doorstep.

What My Hands And Body Done by Fool_for_love

NR | 10.3k | ccntw | soulmates AU

Bucky had resigned himself to a life without a soulmate. After Steve, he didn’t really want another one. Even though Steve had moved on with Peggy, Bucky didn’t see himself doing the same.

After all, if the damage done by Hydra had been enough to scare off Steve, make their soulmarks fade, how the hell was someone else supposed to accept him? Who would even want to?

The universe seemed to think Sam might want to. Bucky disagreed. He and Sam tolerated each other. Sam was funny, sure, loyal, definitely, attractive, no doubt. But none of that screamed soulmate... right?

Ye Cannae Change The Laws Of Attraction by velvetjinx

E | 3.9k | nwa | star trek AU

There's a lot of friction--in more ways than one--between First Officer Bucky Barnes and Chief Science Officer Sam Wilson of the USS Avenger. But in space, things can change in a heartbeat.

we're awesome, totally genius by napricot

T | 3.9k | nwa | meet-cute, no powers AU

At this point, Sam’s scanning the coffeeshop for an exit strategy from this terrible date; maybe he can trip a customer into spilling coffee on one of them, or pretend like he’s seen a friend, something, anything. His eye lands on the white guy sitting at the table behind Mike, directly in Sam’s line of sight, but not visible to Mike himself. And okay, hello, stranger. He’s gorgeous, and he’s looking up from the stack of papers on his table, right at Sam. Hot Stranger’s thick-lashed blue eyes are wide, and a pen is dangling from his fingers as if the nonsense happening at Sam’s table has shocked him into interrupting his work.

What the fuck, mouths Hot Stranger.

Sam's on a first date that starts weird and only gets weirder. Thankfully, there's a hot bystander who's ready to be a hero and save Sam from the horrors of app-based dating.

A Chance by Siancore

E | 20.8k | ccntw | social media AU

Bucky Barnes is a Fuckboy. He exhibits Fuckboy Behavior. Everyone knows it. Especially his best friend, Steve Rogers. Then, one day, he sees one of Steve's social media post with a gorgeous guy named Sam Wilson. Steve's friend is hot and Bucky's interested, but the dude is still Steve's friend. Can Bucky quit his Fuckboy ways to have chance with Sam? Dad Friend Steve doesn’t think it’s such a good idea that they hook up because he doesn’t think Bucky can or wants to change, and more importantly, Steve doesn’t want to see Sam get hurt. Can Bucky change his ways and prove Steve wrong or is the whole thing a disaster waiting to happen?

Not Like I'm Counting the Days by yammz

E | 13.9k | nwa | civilian!bucky/cap!sam AU

Sam takes a deep breath, then nods, and Bucky feels like he just stumbled upon the combination for a lock that he hadn’t known was there. Sam nods as though he’s making the decision right then and there that this is happening, that they’re actually going to hook up instead of just talking about it. Maybe he is actually making that decision right then. He looks Bucky in the eyes. “Tomorrow, I’m being named Captain America.”

(The one where Bucky starts casually dating Captain America)

Sports AU by funsized-loser

M | 1.1k | baseball AU

Bottom of the 8th inning, runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs; the Avengers have a 1-0 lead over the Hydras

The Valk’bhòid by eden22

E | 20.2k | nwa | medieval AU

Uneasy is the head that wears a crown.

The First Gentleman by glittercake

M | 55.7k | gdv | first gentleman!sam/bodyguard!bucky AU

Sam knew what he was signing up for when he married a senator running for Office. He knew what Riley’s job demanded. He knew the hours, the stress, the milling, and the perpetual buzz. Living his life constantly surrounded by everything, by an entire nation.

But he had always dreamed of a quiet life. A place in the country with the man he loves, acres of greenery and trees, and flowers around them. A long winding road they could drive down on a warm Sunday afternoon. A big old farmhouse with a wraparound porch and a French kitchen. Some horses and a stable, and a little creek covered with a blanket of mist in the mornings.

He gets what he wants in the most horrible of ways.

Any Port in a Storm by swiftrax (wildtrak) for GodsDoggy

E | 9.4k | nwa | abo AU

Sam is the first to admit that he and Bucky have got issues. It would be fine if they could just ignore each others' existence and didn't keep getting paired up on missions... but the universe (and Steve Rogers) isn't going to let them off the hook that easy. Being an Avenger means sucking it up and pretending they can both be professionals to get the job done.

When a mission goes awry in the middle of the ocean, Bucky and Sam are forced to take shelter in a remote lighthouse as a storm rolls in.

Can they survive each other long enough to be rescued, or will their interpersonal friction come to a head...

there's a war inside of me by CapnWinghead

T | 5.5k | nwa | multiverse AU

When a portal drops another version of Bucky Barnes into their universe, Sam's adamant about helping her. Bucky's a lot less welcoming.

The Way Out Is Through by samwontshare (Attaining)

E | 12k | gdv | zombie apocalypse AU

Sam and Bucky's love story in Wakanda is interrupted when Sam contracts a virus that makes him crave human flesh. Bucky will do anything to keep him safe. And fed.

Instead of The Blip, Thanos' minions brought the zombie apocalypse.

more TFATWS anniversary themed fic rec lists to come!

[holdmytesseract]

A Loki prompt I recommend:

"I missed your snoring."

I love that! 😂🥰 Okay, here we go...

"I hate it when you're on 'promo' tour..." Loki sighed, running a hand through his luscious hair. "I know, babe, I know..." "I mean... Who needs that anyway? It's not like the Avengers aren't popular enough already..." Loki's words caused you to giggle. "Says you." The god rolled his eyes and adjusted the position of the laptop in his lap. "I think it's just so unnecessary. I'd rather have you here, and so does Ella." "Aww, I know. I'd rather be with you two as well." As if on cue, Loki could hear quick, tiny footsteps approaching. "Dada!" Ella squeaked out, before she reached the sofa and went to climb on it. "I think someone managed to climb out of the play pen - again..." Loki chuckled, eyes travelling to his daughter. "Over here, princess." With a huff, Ella had climbed 'the mountain' and went to crawl over to her dad. "C'mere, sweetie. Mama's on video call." The little girl crawled on Loki's stomach, big blue eyes scanning the strange little monitor in front of her. You smiled brightly, waving at the camera. "Hiii, baby girl!" Ella's face contorted into a bright smile. "Mama!" "Hiii! I miss you, sweetie!" "She misses you, too, I can tell. Right, Ella?" Loki said, tickling the baby's stomach and causing her to erupt in giggles.

While you and Loki talked, Ella stayed the whole time in her father's lap, playing with the cords of his hoodie, or even with his long raven locks from time to time - until she was so tired, that she fell asleep against his chest. No wonder. It was already quite late. He tucked Ella in then and got together with you ready for bed. Today, you and Loki decided to just stay on the line while you both slept; unable to say goodbye. It had been long three weeks... "Good night, darling. I love you." "Night, babe." You answered with a yawn, while cuddling into the sheets on the lonely bed in the hotel room. "I love you even more."

On the next morning, Loki was the first to wake up. He realised quickly that you were still asleep. With a smile, he decided to just let you sleep and watch, but that quickly changed when he heard your soft snores. He hadn't heard that in a long time... The god couldn't help the giggle which escaped his lips, causing you to finally wake up. Still somewhat half asleep you frowned at your husband. "Wha's so funny?" You asked, rubbing your eyes. "Nothing, love. I just missed your snoring." You scoffed. "Pfft, I don't snore." Loki laughed, looking at you adoringly. "Oh yes, you do."

I chose BabyFever!Loki, 'cause I know you like the AU. I hope you like this, friend! ☺️

[justjams2003]

So many allergies

I am hard at work with my studies and also the Galaxy of Stars series. But while you guys wait for all that, here is a little one-shot for my girlies with way too many allergies.

Pairing: Thor x little!reader

Summary: During a party, you become small and eat something you shouldn’t and have an allergic reaction. Thor has to come in and save the day

Warnings: Little!reader, needles (epi-pen), fluff

Word Count: 600

The first time Thor heard about your allergies; he’d felt so bad. It had been one of the first times you were little around him and had completely forgotten to tell him about your 6 different allergies. You’d been just too excited to have a daddy after all this time. However, the rest of the avengers were quite used to it.  

“What are you eating, sweet pea?” Nat asks, watching you swing your legs back and forth, while sitting at the bar table. You give your big doe eyes to the red-haired women and grin like never before. “Daddy gave me ice-cream and some juice! He said I’ve been a good girl.” Even if you were grinning like crazy, Nat could already see the red rash coat your chin.  

You are entirely unaware of the complete look of terror on her face. “Okay, baby, I’m going to take this away and get you some of your special cookies. And some ice-tea, okay?” You give a pout, “No, daddy said I get ice-cream!” You’re ready to throw a fit, crossing your arms in defiance. Thor had said you’d been such a good girl, all week too!

“I know that, but aren’t you feeling itchy?” She questions, already plating your new snacks. You can only roll your eyes at her, because it’s true. You can feel the coughing fits coming on, your chin itchy and your tummy already felt funny. “Where is your daddy?” She asks, knowing she needs to get some allergy meds.  

You just shrug, nibbling on your specially made cookie. “Baf’oom.” Exactly where the pills are.  

After Nat had properly scolded Thor, he had memorized each one of your allergies. He also made sure that either he or one of the Avengers were the ones too be feeding you when you are small. But it was a party and you hadn’t been little all day and to be honest, he was just a bit tipsy. After all, he brought his own mead.  

“Daddy, I feel funny.” You tug on his denim jacket. At the beginning of the night, you looked ravishing in the lowcut dress you were wearing. But now all he can see is your soft, flushed cheeks and just how uncomfortable you looked. What was worse, is the red rash covering your lightly swollen neck.  

He immediately sets his drink down, picks you up and places you on the coach. “Oh, my babygirl, what did you eat?” His eyes search around to see a waiter carrying away an empty tray of plates. “Um...” You let out a heavy cough and scratch at your inflamed neck.  

“My poor girl,” he mutters, pulling out his emergency epi-pen, from his jacket. Then placed the jacket over your shoulders. “Look away, my little one, this is going to hurt.” His sweet voice is so soothing, you barely even notice when he pierced the needle into your thigh. Nat had showed him how earlier.  

He sighs with relief, hearing you breathe a little easier. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” your lip quivers, knowing you just broke the most important rule he has. You can see in his beautiful blue eyes just how stressed he looks. “It’s alright, my little girl, we’ll talk about it when we get home. How does that sound?” You can only nod as he wipes away your tears.  

Thor then scoops you up into his arms. His big jacket covering you up, as he says goodbye to his friends. Both of you weren’t even finished saying your farewells before you fell asleep in his arms.  

[bulkyphrase]

Fluffy Steve Fest Rec List Day 2 - Hurt

@fluffystevefest week continues! The theme for Tuesday is hurt, and I've got a list of some lovely, soft, hurt/comfort fics today.

Two Shades of Blue by @azuretiger (Thundershield, Mature, 32,283 words)

Summary: A hiker tumbles into the company of a mountain dweller on a stormy December evening. Both of them planned to spend Christmas alone, but neither of them are complaining about the unexpected company.

on the mend by @meidui (Gen, General Audiences, 1,438 words)

Summary: Steve rarely feels this awful after a fight, but then again, he hasn’t been on a solo mission in months.

Dizzy on You by cryogenia (Samsteve, General Audiences, 2,660 words)

Summary: The headlights have hurt his eyes since mile marker sixty, and the insides of his throat seem to have been replaced by sandpaper. His head hasn't hurt this bad since he literally brought a helicarrier down on top of him, and in another two hours he's probably not going to be fit to sit up, let alone drive. That's not the worst part. The worst part is, Sam's figured it out.

To the Grave by @mcnamcj (Gen, General Audiences, 1,682 words)

Summary: After a mission gone awry, Thor carries an injured Steve through freezing terrain. Cuddling and comfort ensues.

Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart by BlossomsintheMist (@cherryblossomsmist) (Gen, Teen And Up Audiences, 7,866 words)

Summary: Steve gets hurt, and the team bands together to make him feel better. Set in the early classic days of 616 canon, not long after Steve joined the Avengers; written for Project Happy Steve.

The Healing Properties of Felt-Tip Pens by Echo (@echo84) (Gen, Teen And Up Audiences, 3,464 words)

Summary: Rapid healing has worked wonders on Steve Rogers' body, but occasionally it really screws with his head. In the aftermath of torture, Bruce Banner helps Steve to reconcile mind and body.

[emberedroses]

Hands that Heal [Bucky x Reader]: Prologue

Masterlist

Summary: You're the Avengers newest all-star Medic. Your life changes when you meet the infamous Bucky Barnes, who is unlike any veteran you've met before in your career.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Doctor!Reader

Word Count: 3.9k

!! Warning: 18+; Minors DNI !!

Holy Shit, You're Iron Man

Your vision blurred under the white office lights. You wrist and hand strained as you held the pen you were working with. You had been sitting down for so many hours you felt that you would buckle under your weight if you decided to stand up. 

'What time is it?'

Your tired eyes darted toward your phone that was turned over next to you. You reach to turn it over and lazily tap on the screen twice. The blue light illuminates over your glossy eyes and you forced a painful breath out at the sight of the hour.

'11:12 p.m.'

You sighed and returned your attention back to the mountain of charts and forms in front of you. You have been in your office since seven in the morning and you hadn't had a break since one that afternoon. You were used to staying an hour or two after closing, but because of a bad hiring decision, you were stuck doing the paperwork of the five new staff hires. You were close to finishing, but what really got to you is that, no what what time you finish, you were still expected to show up at seven a.m. to open tomorrow.

'I told them it was a bad idea to hire so many interns! But no, it's 'good business',' You felt the heat go to your face as you chugged the rest of your (favorite flavor) energy drink. You shook you head and resumed your internal argument. 'They get paid peanuts so of course I'm not going to let them stay any overtime no matter how much the boss pressures them into doing so. Even if they did, it's not like it would be any good for our patients. They don't have enough experience to be giving complicated treatments to these people, why does he insist of letting them be in charge of doing anything other than paper work?' 

If it were any other day, the senior therapist, Liliana, would be here with you, but she had stayed up with you for the past two weeks and you say how badly it was starting to effect her. You managed to convince the boss to have her leave early. It was a miracle within itself that he said 'yes' at all. 

'Thirty more minutes. I can hold out for another thirty minutes.'

Your eyelids might as well have been bricks as you struggled to keep them open. You eyes fixated on the white page in front of you, but your vision began to blur and your mind was cloudy from exhaustion. You couldn't even make out the words in front of you.

'Just thirty more minutes.'

"Dr. Delmar?" 

You yelped and your body literally jolted itself into awareness. You turned your head towards the source of the robotic voice calling you. Your skin grew cold as your recognized who was at your door. 

"Holy shit!" You quickly cover you mouth, mortified that you dared to utter profanity at the man in front of you. "I am so sorry, Mr. Iron Man, sir!" 

You wanted to sink down to your knees before the man in the glistening crimson and gold suit. It wouldn't erase what you said to him, but you thought the gesture would have at least made him go easy on you.

'Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, what did I do to get IRON MAN's attention?'

Deciding against embarrassing yourself further, you removed your hand from your mouth and shakily place your hands on your desk.

"Well, Dr. (y/n), you have no idea how many of my resources I've exhausted into finding you, my dear." 

"O-oh, re-really? Me? Wow," You didn't know whether to be flattered or deathly afraid. You knew the type of people Iron Man and his team of Avengers hunted. No matter what, if they were looking for you, it meant nothing good. "He-hey, I'm not in any trouble, am I?" 

A robotic laugh echoed through the room. Your shoulders raised slightly, unsure of how to interrupt it. He tapped on the side of his head, and the armored mask he was wearing disappeared and collapsed into the metal hem of his suit. Out of you own exhaustion you gasped seeing the man hiding in the 'iron' suit.

'Fuck, it's him.'

Before you knew it, the myth himself smiled at you. Your cheeks grew warm at the sight of his pearly white teeth. The effect Tony Stark had on others astounded you since you first day you ever saw him on TV. You never thought that the same man who had you starstruck as a teenager would be standing in front of you. 

"Trouble? No, no, no, don't get this twisted. It wasn't 'that' kind of looking for. No, you see, you've peaked my interest for quite some time. In fact, ever since I first saw your picture in the paper," Tony raised his wrist toward his chin and began typing something onto it. A blue holographic image projected a newspaper article with your picture in it along with the headline, 'NEW YORK NATIVE BECOMES DOCTOR AT 23.' "You have quite the resume too. You were a high school graduate at fifteen, yet you still went to a community college and was a licensed physiotherapist at nineteen. I'm sure it didn't surprise anyone when you received your doctorates at twenty-three. That's the average age of a medical student in the United States, I assume you know that, right?"

"Y-yeah, it took a lot of hard work to get to where I am."

 You tried not to sound too arrogant in front of Tony Stark. The last thing you wanted was to bite the hand that served you so many nice compliments. At the same time, you couldn't stop stuttering as your words dragged themselves out because of your own exhaustion. 

"I'm sure," He chuckled lightly. "I read your thesis on the healing properties of water and cold therapy. Quite interesting."

"That is a huge compliment coming from you, sir," His eyebrow raised as you sputtered out the sentence. You've always wanted to talk to the one and only Tony Stark, but never thought he would be handing you so many compliments at once. Which begged the question, 'What is it that he wants?' "I-I did want to thank you for something though. My major didn't qualify for a grant under Stark Industries, but I still used the open textbook resources from your foundation that saved me hundreds of dollars. If it weren't for you, I don't know how much debt I would be in." 

"Funny you bring that up. You're a doctor, yet, you're almost four-hundred thousand dollars in debt, nearly twice the national average for someone at your level." 

Your felt something in your chest twist. A shiver prodded at your spine. No one, not even your own dad, knew about your loan debt. How was it that Tony Stark, Iron Man himself, knew?

"H-how did you-?"

"Likely, it's because you hold employment here. Hell, you're basically volunteering your time since you get paid pennies a week compared to what you could be making opening a private practice or working through insurance."

"I-I," You stood up quietly, the room filing with the sound of your own joints popping from how long you have been sitting down. You cringed slightly. You wanted to defend yourself and the people you work for. But you find that hard to do when you own patients tell you that you work too hard or your co-workers try to convince you that you are far too overqualified for this place. You eyes dart to a framed photo at the corner of the desk, and you remembered why you could never part from this place. "I can't leave."

"Can't?" You gulped. He shook his head and gave you a look that said 'you have to be kidding me'. The corners of your mouth formed an uncomfortable frown as he continued to speak. "From testimony from your boss and co-workers, you do a pretty damn good job given the shitty pay."

'The boss said that? About me?' You refrained yourself from bursting out laughing. 'Well, I'd sing praises too if Iron Man was in front of me.'

"Hence why I'm here. Look, Dr. Delmar, I would like to give a job opportunity you can't refuse."

"What?"

"I tend to scout only the best of the best. Which is why I employ the people that I do. The best spies, the best scientists, the best medics. We at the Avengers only want the BEST so we can do the BEST work for the world," Your eyes felt shaky. You never knew they could vibrate against your skull like they did. Then again, you've never felt an emotion like this before. A brew of excitement and guilt. You clung onto his pausing breath like a nervous child latched onto their parents legs. You and this child  had something in common: you both fear what come next if you let go. "Which is why I want you to work for my team." 

"You-you have to be joking?" 

'Right?' 

"Our employee benefits are amazing too, may I add. Having a billionaire philanthropist for a boss has its unspoken perks," He seemed to be proud of that sentence as place a hand over his right collarbone. "You get all the basic stuff, medical and mental health services, and amazing retirement plans," He looked up, seemingly lost in his own words. "Oh, dental, that one is important nowadays!"

'He's not joking.' 

"We offer generous maternity leave, paid leave, paid vacation time, paid overtime!" 

'Paid overtime? I-I could get out of debt with that!'

You looked over at the picture again. His face haunted you. You sighed in defeat.

"T-this is a great honor to be offered a position like this from you of all people," You shook your head. Your chest felt heavy, as you looked over at Tony's patient face. "But I'm sorry, I can't go through with it."

"There is one more benefit that I haven't mentioned. Under Stark Industries, and working for the Avengers, you access to top-tier lawyers in case of any-" Tony paused to look at you. You averted his gaze for the first time in you two talking. Law talk always made you uncomfortable. "Mishaps that happen in and out of Avengers Headquarters. You know how damaging it could be to a reputation if something where to come out about you and your practices." 

"What are you saying, Mr. Stark?"

"See, I didn't just find out about you through the paper. It was through an underground investigation done by a private investigator employed by me. From what I was able to gather, you've been busy in places outside of the Veteran's Center,"

'What?'

"I have hundreds of pages of evidence that you have the unique ability to heal using water." 

"No, wh-what are you talking about?" 

"For instance, the Gabrielle Salazar case."

It was a name you knew well. A name you associate with your greatest feat: healing what cannot be healed.

Gabrielle's father, Moses, was an active-duty Marine and a friend of your dad's. His daughter is nearly eight years younger than you and only a toddler when you first met her. As you both grew up, you were always too busy with school to get to know her well, except when you would overhear a conversation between Moses and your dad about Gabrielle's muscle condition that was slowly killing the girl. When you began to first use your abilities to heal, your parents ensured that they kept their circle small and only allowed you to heal people within the family. Even that came with its restrictions, as they only let you cure minor injuries like the occasional scrap or minor burn. You were only months away from receiving your license when your dad came to you asking if you could attempt to heal Gabrielle as her condition was on the verge of worsening. It took a week of small and straining sessions, but you got her to walk again.

'What does he know about Gabbie?' 

"She was diagnosed with minor form muscle dystrophy that effected her ability to walk. She was wheelchair bound and because of lack of money from her parents, her condition was worsening. In the matter of one week, to the surprise of her doctors, she walked into their office for a general check up. She hasn't had any complication since,"

'How does he know about her story?'

"They cited physical therapy as the cure to their daughters condition, but failed to say who they went to go see. Here," It was a video of you helping Gabrielle walk. Your breath hitched as you heard your dad laughing at the miracle that was happening before everyone's eyes. "That's you, isn't it?"

You stared at Tony, who was still watching the video. You didn't know what to do, nor say, nor think. You're mind was foggy. So many emotions were rising within you, that all you could do was stare.

'What is he planning to do with that video? With Gabrielle?' 

"H-hey, look, I'm licensed, you can't put anything on me." 

"Not at the time. You were given your license in July of XX15. The Gabrielle case took place two months prior. You can go to jail for upwards of sixty years for practicing without a license as well as medical malpractice. Or worse, get you licensed suspended indefinitely." 

"How did you-?" 

"We like to keep track of those with special abilities in the area. It's a precautions we have to take to ensure there is no abuse done by those with said powers,"

'Abuse? I don't abuse my abilities?' You thought back for a moment, thinking of every patient you have healed. You shook you head softly and held back an annoyed huff. 'I would rather die than abuse my powers.'

"Your powers caught my attention. The ability to heal with water? Why would I not want that on my team?" 

"Mr. Stark, is this-?" 

"What, blackmail? No, my dear, I wouldn't dream of such a thing!" His empty chuckles rattled your core. You hated being this powerless. But you knew better than try to pick any argument with an Avenger. You had to measure out your words, especially since you were so exhausted, you couldn't afford to ruin your life over a couple of petty words. "But I am saying that I am a technical mandated reporter. Being one of the heads of the Avengers after all. I can't condone crimes as serious as this one. I know you heard the government isn't too kind with those with special powers."

You paused. Weighing your options.

Option One: You refuse, and lose your license and possibly go to jail for the crime of treating someone without a medical license. Not only that, since you also have 'crazy' abilities. You know more than anyone that the American Government doesn't take kindly to that sort of thing. You'd be put away in a special holding facility for the rest of your days.

Option Two: You go into an environment where you are free to openly use your power of healing for the Avengers. 

It seemed so simple to you, but there was still another thing holding you back. 

'Apa,' A smiling face beamed at you from the frame. You can see your own waist in the reflection. 'Your eyes hold so much life in this shot. Why can't you be here to tell me what to do?'

"Um," You hesitated voice broke the silence. "The folks at this center need me. I can't abandon them like this." 

"Oh, not to worry. I'm ensuring that there are qualified therapists to take your place and make sure the quality for care is improved for every veteran who walks in here to seek care. As of now, I donated a sum of money for this center to add a new mental health wing."

"What?" You squeaked. "Are you serious? That's amazing!" If it weren't for your own body aching with sleep depravation, you would have been jumping for joy at the news. For years, you and the other staff that would come and go would advocate for a mental health center to be added to the center, and hearing that it would finally be a reality nearly brought a tear to your eye. "Mr. Stark, you didn't have to do that, but thank you! I know that everyone here appreciates what you're doing!" 

"I'm aware. It pleases me to know that you deeply care about the patients at this facility. I could tell you care a lot about this place."

"More than you'll know, Mr. Stark."

"I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure this place is improved when you leave."

'I'm really going through with this, aren't I?'

"So," Tony stuck out his hand and the armor over it recoiled and stopped just above his elbow. "What do you say?" 

'There is no reason in me staying if there are going to better staff,' You eyed the picture again. A soft smile appeared on you lips at the sight of it. 'It's not like I'll be gone forever. No one can pull me away from this place.'

You approached Tony who was still near the door with his hand out. You felt him flinch underneath you as you shook his hand. The warmth soothed your whole being, making you more tired. You were so sure you would collapse, but the excitement of a new path kept your still. 

"You have a deal," He smiled again. "Just give me two weeks to put in my notice." 

"Perfect, that gives me ample time to set up your office," 

'An office? Of my own?'

"We can schedule a time for you to come by and have some input on the interior design of it, but for now, you can choose some staff to help you run the place. Just forward their information to me so they can properly be vetted out by my team," 

'My own staff? That I can choose on my own? It's like I'm a real doctor!' You nearly collapsed within yourself at the painful revelation appearing in your own thoughts. 'I am a real doctor. I hadn't realized how restricted I've been for the three years I've been in practice.'

"Other than that, leave me your contact information and we can schedule a meeting with the Capitan and I. That way we can properly go over your duties at Avengers Tower, as well as get your contract and base pay sorted out."

"Of course," You went back to your desk and opened a drawer. You pulled out three business cards and almost tripped over your own feet when walking back over to him. "Here's my information. I gave you three just in case." 

"I look forward to speaking to you in the future, Doctor." 

"As do I, Mr. Stark." 

He smiled and pressed a button on his suit that secured his mask back on. You could nearly see your own reflection in the golden face plate.

"Have a good night." 

"You too!"

You waved your new boss goodbye, and as soon as you saw his silhouette disappear, you nearly lunged yourself towards your phone. You pressed the green 'telephone' icon and quickly dialed a number you knew by heart.

"Cristóbal? Are you busy?" 

'Eh, um, es que estoy con mis jefes ahorita, porque?*

"I have an offer for you."

~~ ~~

The past two weeks were a blur. You already signed a contract with Mr. Stark, your office at Avengers Tower was ready to be used, and you already had your assistant nurse ready for when you begin on Monday.

For now, you were relishing the last time you would come into the Veteran's Center as an employee.

You stood in the center of a room a room full of former and current patients as well as your co-workers and boss. Everyone had already had time to pull you aside and say their goodbyes. You held back tears hearing some of the stories your former patients have told you because of what you did for them. Even better, your usually bitter boss unexpectantly gave you a nice bottle of wine to celebrate your new job venture. 

You kept saying to yourself that things would be okay, but you still felt a sense of guilt by leaving this place. 

'This was his place too. And it will always be apart of me,' You took a sip of sparking apple cider. Due to there being a presence of veterans, alcoholic beverages were prohibited on the property. Not that it mattered. No one could turn down a crisp sip of sparkling cider. 'I could never leave forever.'

One of the newer interns, Asia, got up on a white folding chair and banged a spoon against a plastic champagne cup.

"I propose a toast, to our favorite doctor," Another intern, Jackson, handed her a glass of sparkling cider. "So cheers, to Dr. (y/n) Delmar!"

"FOR DR. (Y/N) DELMAR!"

"Yay!"

"Don't go!"

A collective laugh erupted in the office. You couldn't help but speak up at the sentiment.

"You all act like I'm leaving forever, you know I'll be back in no time to visit and volunteer when I can."

A blonde woman still decked out in her fuchsia scrubs approached you, crying. Liliana was a good friend to you, as well as your mentor. You've known her since you were a child sitting by yourself in the waiting room and she took you under her wing when you began your career as in intern at the Veteran's Center. Seeing her pale face flushed red because of her crying made some tears prick in the corners of your eye. 

"We know, but it won't be the same!" A blonde woman still decked out in her nurse uniform approached you, crying. Liliana was a good friend to you, sticking by you since the moment you were an intern. Seeing her crying made some tears prick in the corners of your eye. "Let us have this moment, (y/n)!"

You laughed at some tears rolled down your warm cheeks. She place the ginger ale she had been sipping on atop of one of the party table. She made you take a few steps back as she threw her arms around you. You, instinctively, wrapped your arms around her waist. 

"Okay, Liliana," She buried her wet face in the crook of your neck. If it weren't for the navy blue turtleneck you were wearing, she would have gotten slobber all over your skin. Your face warmed as you patted her back. "Whatever you want."

Memories of the endless days and nights you would spend in the office together poured over you. You gripped her tighter and whispered some faint 'thank yous' into the air between you.

"Me llamas, y no te olvides de nosotros, okay?"*

"Ya se, nunca olvidaré de todo este lugar me ha dado,"* You whispered into her ear. "Thank you for getting me here."

"Stop!" She stepped back to face you. Her black mascara and some of her blue eyeshadow was smudged around her tired, aging eyes. Still, her beauty shined through her wide smile. "You'll ruin my make up again!"

"Sorry!"

"I forgive you," She pulled you again, even tighter this time. You felt her love illuminating through each beat of her heart. You sunk, limp in her presence. "Just visit us soon, okay?"

You breathed out a breath you've been holding in all night. Finally, you felt at peace in her warm embrace.

'A new start.'

=== 

Translations (in order of appearance)***:

1. 'Well, um, I'm with my parents right now, what's up?'

2. "Call me, and don't forget about us okay?"

3. "I know, I could never forget what this place has given to me."

[blessyourhondahurley]

Suptober day 2 - Great Eggs-pectations

A fluffy little epilogue to last year's Fowl Play series, in which Dean and Cas take a big scary exciting step together as husbands and farmers.

Suptober prompt: Pumpkin Patch

(Read on AO3)

“Son of a bitch,” Dean hisses, careful to keep his voice too soft to reach the ears of his son, who's happily engrossed in killing some video game demons in the next room. He sighs and tosses his pen across the kitchen table. The terrifyingly official form laid out in front of him is pristine, untouched.

“Do you really think we can pull this off, babe?” he asks his husband for the fifth time in an hour. “We've been gettin' by alright just doing the farmer's market every week, and the pumpkin patch and the hay rides and stuff here every fall. What if we go all in on opening up this store and it flops?”

Even though he would be well within his rights at this point to roll his eyes or snap at Dean to just fill out the damn form already, Cas simply takes his hand and gives him a soft smile. “I never said it would be easy, darling,” he murmurs. “There are no guarantees for us in this life, of course. But we've gotten nothing but encouraging feedback about our plan from our customers at the market, the loan manager at the bank, our family, friends, loved ones... People are excited for us to open. I'm ready to make the leap. Will you leap with me?”

Dean looks into fathomless blue eyes and feels his world wobble on its axis. It's a familiar sensation, the dizzy wash of love and abject gratitude that he feels whenever he realizes once again that this is his life now: his gorgeous husband, their wonderful son, this thriving farm. It's been over a year since he's touched a gun, and even then he was using it to ping empty soup cans out back with Jack. The last time he bought a bag of rock salt, it was for their old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream maker.

He's a retired hunter. He's a loving husband. He's a father. He's a farmer. He's alive, and he's here, and he's happy, so fucking happy. It feels dangerous to try for more, greedy. And no matter how hard he works to bury them, those old feelings of being a fraud refuse to lay down and stay dead. Does Dean Winchester deserve to thrive like this? Surely not.

He gulps, feeling the hot sting of tears behind his eyes. Cas stands, then tugs on their still-joined hands to pull him to his feet as well. Then he's being held, snug and warm in his beloved's strong arms. He rests his head on Cas's shoulder and breathes out as his tears begin to flow.

“Don't worry,” comes a whisper in his ear. “I've got you.”

“I know, baby,” he replies hoarsely. “I've got you,too.”

He pulls away just far enough to plant a soggy kiss on his husband's cheek.

“Thank you for putting up with me,” he says. “It's gotta be rotten work.”

“Not to me,” comes the reply with a quirk of those full lips. “Not if it's you.”

Dean huffs a laugh and swipes at his eyes with his free hand. “Okay,” he says firmly. “We're doing it. This is happening. We're gonna open our own little store. We're gonna sell honey and eggs and flowers and preserves, and your knitting and Jack's pipe cleaner spiders with the googly eyes and my hand pies, and it's gonna fucking rock. We're gonna pay back our small business loan and the mortgage on the storefront, and we're gonna put money aside for Jack for if he decides to go to college in a few years. And in the fall we'll have pumpkins and apple cider donuts and horseshoes and hay rides and the corn maze and make-your-own scarecrows. We're doing this.” As he speaks, he feels his own words buoying him up, filling him with a surge of confident energy. He sees this energy reflected back to him in his husband's gaze.

“Yes, love, we are,” comes the certain reply. The expression on Cas's beautiful face is resolute. He looks every inch the avenging angel he once was. Dean can never resist teasing him a little bit when he gets his serious face on like that.

“It's gonna be take a lotta elbow grease, though. You know?” Dean says with a grin. “We're gonna have to... work around the cluck.”

Cas does roll his eyes then, and shove him away. Dean goes with the push and pivots back into his seat at the table. Reaching for his pen, he fills out the top line in neat caps: FOWL PLAY FARMS MARKET.

[tobiasdrake]

Back to work. There are ingredients to gather.

Something about this place has a very Trials of the Elder Mist vibe to it. I wonder if the Ovates created him too?

I said back on Watcher Island that I love light puzzles.

I stand by that. Light puzzles, block puzzles, I'm a sucker for the classics.

Looks like this will be our key to shattering those blue crystals. I'll need to make a note to go back to the Moorlands with it. Betcha there's a Rainbow Conch behind that wall.

Huh, Coral Hammer got an upgrade. Now it can do more than make squishy paps against giant bells! It can also shatter gemstones.

Not from its hardness but because of its frequency.

It kinda looks like those heart cores that Dwellers leave behind when they die. Garl said we're supposed to put it in a bottle?

Oh. Right. Of course the alchemist knows how to bottle wind.

...but that's not the method Garl had in mind, because he wasn't expecting TIA to help us. I genuinely wonder what he expected Zale to do.

Meanwhile, on Team Serai:

I shouldn't be surprised that Hortence also knows how to conjure the Ruler of Tides. She knew Stormcaller for centuries.

It does not look happy to see us again. You think it's mad that we killed its undead bestie?

Its beak looks like a fountain pen. I wonder if it can write with that? Does its body produce ink that it can then press into surfaces to form its own Hydralion language?

I dunno. What i do know is that Bird > Seahorse

There's something very familiar about the concept of an eagle carpet-bombing an enemy target over a grudge that's really just a pretense for seizing control of a valuable resource. Something... recognizable in terms of symbolism. I can't quite place my finger on it though.

YEAH HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT ASSHOLE

My charred flesh has been avenged. Thank you, Serai. That was incredibly cathartic.

Fucker will think twice before he starts shit again. ...I mean, we started this shit. But that's how it goes. You and your bros jump the asshole in the parking lot to teach him to not start other shit.

Honestly, I don't know what crawled up his ass and died. We gave him an immaculate pearl and he wanted to fight about it? Seems to me that the Hydralion's just a prick.

Serai got the most manually intensive job of the lot. Hers has a second step attached to it, plus transporting all of those crops.

Things are going well with Garl and Malkomud. It's a huge ask, but someone of Malkomud's talents is perfect for the job.

I thought Malkomud was the person whose heart Garl would heal but it turns out it's the Sleeper. But, in a way, it's still also Malkomud. Kind of a one-two punch of healing there, giving Malkomud an incredible project to make him feel valuable by solving his people's greatest ordeal.

Aww, he has so much faith in me. ^_^

Even after I cost him his eye. ._.

...and got him mortally wounded. T-T

But I suppose it doesn't matter because the task I've been given has nothing to do with my questionable judgment skills! Garl has asked me to do violence. If there is one thing I'm confident in my ability to do, it's violence.

Who built these staircases? Because their presence here implies sentient civilization once occupied this volcano. Did the lava monster take this place from the Ovates? Is it an Ovate elemental experiment gone wrong?

I wonder if Teaks knows anything about the lava monster?

Resh'an is probably fine because he's an immortal undead being. No idea how I'm handling the intense convection. Maybe my lunar powers give me super-cooling.

That is a rock. I'm gonna be so mad if the oh-so-hyped-up lava monster is just a mini-volcano rock spewing magma. I was promised a fight against a living creature, not a geographic feature.

I mean, now that I say it like that, I would be willing to fight the volcano itself if--

Oh. No. There we go. That's much more of a "lava monster".

But not by much. Don't know what those Cloud Giants were worried about because this guy didn't have shit. Though, admittedly, it would have been a lot harder without Resh'an having my back.

There you go, Garl. One last spontaneous outburst of overwhelming violence for the road, to see you on your way.

Apparently Teaks's part of the plan was telling the story of everything that's transpired to the people of Mirth. Garl didn't mention that, but it's correct nonetheless.

For Garl.

[andreafmn]

12 Days of Ficmas - Day 11

Prompt (by @12-days-of-ficmas): someone answered my daughter’s ‘dear santa’ letter and it’s actually super sweet how kind they’re being

Word Count: 3.1K

Story Description: It's hard being a single mom, especially during Christmas when all you wanna do is give your child a day to remember. But Ellie, (Y/N)'s daughter writes a letter for Santa that somehow falls into the hands of an Avenger.

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Bruce Banner x Female!SingleMom!Reader

A/N: Back to not being caught up, but life happens 😅🫣 anywho, Merry Christmas everyone!! Thank you for following along with my stories, it truly has made my year 💖💖

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Dear Santa

Christmas was a hard time for many people. (Y/N) being one of them.

Though she loved her daughter more than anything in the world, it was tough being a single mother. During the holiday of giving there were certain expectations to provide your child with a day to remember. And although she did the best she could every year, she always felt like it wasn’t enough.

It was hard being by herself and doing everything in her power to provide for her daughter. She worked as much as she could without missing important moments with her daughter, Ellie. It was hard but she had managed it for six years already.

“Alright, dude, ready to make your list for Santa?” (Y/N) asked her daughter, sitting down next to her on the floor. “We can make it really pretty.”

“But I don’t want you to see this one, mommy,” the girl said covering the paper. “This one goes straight to the North Pole.”

“Okay, baby. I won’t peek.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, dude,” she laughed. “I promise I won’t look at this one. But I need to at least know what you’ll be asking for Christmas; cause I have to consult with Santa what the budget is.”

“I know, mommy,” Ellie smiled.  “Now, go! I gotta finish this.”

“Geez, you’re pushy today. But, fine. I’ll go to the kitchen and bake some brownies just for me, then.”

“That’s not fair! You have to share.”

“I’ll consider it,” she laughed. “Finish your letters and then we’ll talk.”

(Y/N) left her daughter for the kitchen, watching how she lost herself writing. She uncapped markers and pens, sharpened colored pencils, and brought out the crayons. She did everything to make this the best letter to Santa she had ever written.

Curiosity peaked in the woman as her daughter put her whole energy into the piece of paper in front of her. But she had promised the girl that the letter would remain between Ellie and Santa, and she meant to keep that promise. It would simply get lost in the sea of letters to the North Pole that would never reach the imaginary old man dressed in red.

The next morning, before dropping the girl off at school, they stopped at a blue mailbox. The little girl excitedly dropped both letters into the receptacle and went on with their day, thinking nothing would come out of the secret letter.

At least she had been able to see the one with her list. A couple of dolls, a couple of cars, a science kit, and other things (Y/N) could simply not afford yet. She would work as much overtime as she could at her job and hoped the Christmas bonus at the office would be enough to make rent and have left over for the presents.

A week later – after completely forgetting about the secret letter – (Y/N) was looking at her mail when a bright red envelope caught her attention. The letter was embossed in gold and the penmanship seemed expensive. Nothing she would receive from any of her friends or her family.

It was addressed to her and her daughter, which struck her as odd. Especially since there was no return address on the letter. Taking a knife, she sliced the top of the envelope open, pulling out a thick cardstock invitation from inside and a smaller envelope addressed only to Ellie.

On one side, it simply read:

You are invited to the

Avengers Winter Soiree

December 24th at 7 o’clock

at Avenger’s Tower

Dress Code | Formal

On the other side, in a handwritten font:

 A town car will be around to pick you and your daughter up at 6:30 pm on the 24th

(Y/N) didn’t understand how this invitation got to her, or even why. It wasn’t like she had entered a contest or met any of the members of the team. Receiving that letter was quite a peculiarity. But Ellie seemed to know exactly why they were the recipients of the letter.

“It was Santa, mommy!” Ellie exclaimed after reading the letter that was just for her. “We’re gonna meet the Avengers! Look. Look!”

The girl waved the piece of paper around as she ran to her mother to show her the letter written with the same lettering behind the invitation. Excitement overflowed from the child as she waited for her mother to finish the card that read,

Dear Ellie, I would like to let you know that we got your letter for Santa. It seems some envelopes got mixed up in the mail, and we just so happened to get yours in our mail. But, don’t worry! We had a talk with Santa and he said it was okay for us to help him with it. That’s why you and your mom were invited to the Christmas party in the Avengers Tower. You’re gonna be able to tour places no one is allowed in, join us in the lab, and be able to spend some time with the Avengers. We truly hope you are both able to join us on that day and that you enjoy your Christmas with us! Hope to see you soon, Bruce Banner Merry Christmas!

It was a heartwarming letter and it made her eyes well up with tears. The response was kind and completely out of the blue. And it made the woman all that more curious as to what her daughter had asked Santa for.

They were both excited about the party for the rest of the week, giddy to finally meet the valued heroes of New York. When the night came, (Y/N) and Ellie got clothed in their new dresses. The woman did both of their hair, put a bit of makeup on Ellie upon her request, and did her own.

Waiting for the clock to hit six-thirty was excruciating, their excitement too high to let them sit still. They were minutes away from the most sensational night of their lives, and they still could not believe it. Luck didn’t normally change for people like them.

As soon as the clock shifted into those awaited for three numbers, a knock rang out through the small apartment. The sound made Ellie jump to her feet, her sky-blue dress bouncing as she got up. The girl pulled at her mother’s arm, beckoning for her to move faster.

With a chuckle, (Y/N) gathered her things – keys, phone, purse, and coats. She turned off the lights in the apartment, making sure everything was off and their home would be there when they came back.

“Ready to go, dude?” 

“Yes!” Ellie screamed. “Let’s go!” 

On the other side of the door, they were met with a man in an all-black suit. He had a kind smile as a perfect accessory to his outfit, a pin with the Avengers’ symbol on his lapel.

“Ms. (Y/L/N?” he asked before she confirmed with a nod. “Well, my name is Lucas Miller and I’m here to escort you to the Avengers’ Tower.” 

“I’m Ellie,” the girl chimed in.

“Hello, Ellie,” he smiled. “Are you both ready to go?”

“Yes,” they chorused.

Mother and daughter followed Lucas out of the building and into a black town car. Inside, he told them they could help themselves to any food or drink that was in the back. But they were both too nervous to take anything. It was the nicest car they had ever been in, and they had no idea what to do with themselves.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the heart and soul of New York and park right in front of the tall tower where the world’s mightiest heroes resided. Rare was the time that the duo came into the city, and each time they did they were reminded of why people gravitated so much to the place.

Especially in the wintertime, New York City was a sight to behold. In between the white blanket of snow that always rested on the pavement, the lights and decorations made the whole grandeur of the city seem even bigger. For the time being, they were lucky to call that place home.

Lucas directed them both into the building and to the last floor.

“Well, this is where I’ll leave you,” he announced. “Just stay put and someone will be out to greet you in just a second. Have fun, and Merry Christmas.” 

“Thank you, Lucas,” (Y/N) responded. “Merry Christmas.” 

The man disappeared into the elevator, out of sight until the next day when he came to take them home. After the elevator dinged, the big doors in front of them opened, and a man walked out.

(Y/N) recognized him instantly. She had seen him in the news, rarely, but she had. He had been the same man to respond to her daughter’s letter.

“Hi,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Bruce.” 

“(Y/N),” she smiled, taking his hand in hers. “Nice to meet you.” 

“And you must be Ellie,” Bruce directed himself to the girl. “We’ve all been very excited to finally meet you.”

“Can we see the labs?” the girl burst.

“Dude, manners,” (Y/N) reprimanded her daughter in whispers.

“That’s quite alright,” he chuckled. “I can tell you’re excited. So, why don’t we go on a tour of the place first?” 

The pair followed the man as he directed them through the place. Bedrooms, kitchen, training rooms, med bay, and simply any place that Ellie was simply not interested in – and she made that known many times. The girl wanted to rush through every spot that wasn’t their research lab, so all she did was peak in as Bruce talked and moved onto the next thing.

When they finally made their way to the labs, Ellie’s face lit up brighter than the city that doesn’t sleep. She stared in amazement as Bruce explained what every machine was for, the type of research he did there every day, and the things they had already accomplished with said research.

(Y/N) couldn’t help but smile at her daughter as she spoke to the man about things she could barely comprehend. The girl went on and on with questions the woman had no idea one could have. She was the most excited her mother had ever seen — going to museums was the second closest. It was the sort of happiness (Y/N) could give her every day.

What did surprise her was Bruce’s attentiveness to Ellie. He was patient with her, listening attentively to everything she said, and making sure she was satisfied with the answers before moving on to the next thing. When his attention wasn’t on Ellie, he would turn to (Y/N) and try to explain in simpler words what they were speaking of, making sure she felt part of the conversation.

Bruce was charming. Quiet, but very charming. There was something about him that made it easy to gravitate toward him. It did help that he was easy on the eyes, (Y/N) thought. But it was the fact that he was being so kind that made him the most attractive.

After being in the labs for over an hour, the three of them moved to where the Christmas party was in full swing. It was a small enough gathering. (Y/N) was able to point out the most known heroes quickly, some of the others were hazy but she knew their faces.

“Hey, Ellie,” Bruce said as he motioned for the kids in attendance to come closer. “Why don’t you play with the kids? These are Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel. Guys, this is Ellie.”

Quickly, the kids ran off to play whatever it was they could, falling into a friendship as only children could. It was heartwarming how easily her daughter fit in, her happiness the only thing the mother cared for.

The man introduced the woman to the group, going around the room and making sure everyone knew who she was. (Y/N) couldn’t help but feel a mixture of intimidation and awe. She was sharing the same space with people that saved lives whilst she wasted away in an office. Yet they all seemed… normal. When they spoke to her she felt she was their peer rather than a random civilian.

After an hour of socializing in a group, Bruce and she were left by themselves as everyone carried on in their own conversations. He ordered a drink for them both as they stood at the bar, chatting with each other.

“So, I’m still wondering,” (Y/N) started as she took a sip of her glass. “Why were we picked to come here? I don’t see anyone else here that had no connection to the avengers. So, why us?”

“Well, what I told Ellie in the letter was true,” he responded staring down at his glass, too nervous to look her in the face. “Her letter did get mixed up with our mail. When I read it, I just felt the need to reach out. Have you not read it?”

“Ellie didn’t want me to read it, actually,” (Y/N) chuckled. “Said it was a secret between her and Santa. I promised her I wouldn’t read it, so I didn’t. And, somehow, now we’re sharing a space with the people that have saved the world a couple of times now. So, it had to be a hell of a letter.”

“Would you like to read it?” Bruce finally looked into her eyes, staring at the glimmer that was in them.

She was an attractive woman, that he could admit. But what intimidated him was her kindness. Ellie had made sure to paint her mother in a beautiful light in her letter. And though, mostly, he invited them to the party to fulfill Ellie’s wish, he also wanted to meet the mother of such a bright girl.

“I-I shouldn’t,” she stammered. “I promised her I wouldn’t. But you could tell me the gist of it. That’s a loophole, right?”

“Mostly she spoke about you. She said she had the most kind, hardworking, loving mother in the world,” he started as a dark red hue washed over her. “Ellie wrote that she knew how hard you tried to give her the best life you could. That being by yourself was hard, but you never put that on her – always trying to appear strong so she doesn’t know when you’re struggling. But she does.

She sees the nights you don’t sleep, the things you renounce for yourself so you can give to her. So, she asked for a Christmas when you didn’t have to stress over that. She said she wanted at least one day where you could feel as special as you made her.

And she said she really wanted to see the labs in the tower one day and learn about everything we – or rather I – did here. You have a very loving and bright kid, (Y/N). You should be proud.”

“Oh, I am,” she said as she wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes. (Y/N) took Bruce’s hand in hers. “Thank you for this, Bruce, truly. It’s been hard being just the two of us, but somehow we’ve made it work.”

“To be perfectly transparent, her letter made me want to meet you. It was so genuine that I couldn’t help but be curious as to who had raised such a smart young girl.”

“Are you saying you had ulterior motives, Mr. Banner?” she teased. “That you didn’t do this out of the pure kindness of your heart?”

“W-well, y-you know,” he struggled to speak. Though he had started the flirting, he had never thought she would reciprocate.

“I’m only teasing, Bruce. I am actually glad I got to meet you,” she smiled. “If I am being perfectly honest, you are my favorite Avenger.” 

A look was exchanged between them, one that made everyone stare at them. It was no secret that Bruce lacked in the socializing department, but he had been very adamant to invite this seemingly random woman to their Christmas party.  

“Kiss her!” Thor yelled out, faking a cough.

 “Make a move, Banner!” Steve joined in.” 

“If you won’t,” Tony said passing behind them. “I will.” 

“Stop it, guys,” Natasha chimed in. “You know he’s a slow burner.” 

As everyone chuckled, Bruce guided (Y/N) out onto the balcony. As soon as the cold air hit them, he took off his blazer, draping it over her shoulders to cover her from the weather. Their hands brushed for a split second, and they felt it. A spark. Unlike when she had laid a comforting hand on him when he told her about the content of her daughter’s letter, this was purely done randomly.

“So, your favorite avenger?” Bruce smiled, breaking the silence. “I think you mean the Hulk is your favorite.”

“Nope. Dr. Bruce Banner is,” (Y/N) corrected, wearing the same teasing smile he did. “Ellie and I are fans of what happens behind the scenes rather than the fights. It takes a different kind of strength.”

“Well, I’m always happy to meet my fans,” he chuckled. “Although, I think you’re hurting the big guy’s pride.”

“Thankfully, I’m not interested in the big guy. But I am interested in a 5’9,” brown-haired, brown-eyed man with a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics.”

“You’ve really done your research,” he smiled proudly.

“I told you, me and my daughter are big fans of yours.”

He took a second to respond, staring deeply into her (Y/E/C) eyes, before he asked, “Would you like to be my dare to our New Year’s Party?” he blurted. “Obviously with Ellie, of course.”

“Only if you take me on a date without Ellie.”

“I think I could swing that,” he chuckled.

(Y/N) couldn’t wait any longer and stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Bruce’s lips. After getting over being startled, he kissed back. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer to him. She could feel his warmth even in this weather and she wanted more.

“What was that for?” he asked pulling away out of breath.

“Well, didn’t have time to get you a Christmas present as a thanks for this invitation,” she grinned. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“As far as I know, this is the best Christmas present I’ve gotten.”

Taglist: @avis15@honeylovemoon@wonieeee@supernaturalwriter@beckiej0073-blog @skyesthebomb @cecehensonn @krazyk99 @klf1999 @ilikepunsbeth @magimtz23 @adaydreamaway08 @hufflepuffobsessedwithmarvel @thatgirljayy @laylaskywalker @winter-soldier-101 @zheezs14 @clementinesjourney @DyslexicCatterpillar @cevans-winchester @sirenheadenby @sunsetcurvej @sapnapsbandana @esposadomd @this-is-a-bad-idea @nocturnalherb16 @blueshoelaces @then-worship-at-my-altar​ @six-call @nyenye​ @lunaOoO @captainrogers-19 @fandomonetwo @fruitylilfuck @a-slut-for-Loki-Bucky

[tllgrrl]

Welcome Home: Ch 2 - Safe and Home: Special Delivery For Sarah

Relationship: Sarah Wilson / Bucky Barnes | Rating: M

Summary: Team Cap has been away on a mission for 3 months. They—he—will be back, safe and home, in 3 days. 3 more days…

* * * * * * * * * *

Sarah turned off the TV, calling it a night after attempting a 3-episode mini-binge of Great British Bake-off.

She’d started to doze off in the middle of the first episode because it had been a busy day at work, not only doing the day-to-day operational stuff, but also making sure everything was in place and set to run smoothly for the next week while she was going to be on call, working from her home office.

Having a brother who’s an Avenger definitely has perks.

His friend and predecessor, Steve Rogers, liked the Internet well enough. It helped him catch up to modern times. Sam Wilson, however, completely embraced modern technology and wanted to have access to everything at a moment’s notice, even when he was at Sarah’s for some R&R.

And to that end, she and the kids benefitted from having excellent, dedicated, encrypted WiFi in their home, through StarkTech.

Now she was relaxed from the shower she took before hunkering down on the couch for a little Netflix and the half glass of beer left over from dinner.

Noticing that there was only one note taken: “Nadiya – Iced Buns”, she stood up, put her notepad and pen on the coffee table, picked up the empty glass and took it to the kitchen, not bothering to turn on the light there.

She rinsed the glass, put it in the dish rack, closed her eyes in the dark, and…

…feels a solid warmth against her back, a scratchy stubble and soft lips on her neck, an arm on either side of her, and both of their hands resting on the edge of the sink.

One arm, warm flesh.

The other arm, being metal, would be a little bit cooler. Not quite the same temperature of his body. But not…cold.

She feels his arms encircle her waist, his mouth on the nape of her neck, as the shining dark metal hand inlayed with gold slides up, cups her breast and—

The soft clatter of cubes from the ice maker in the freezer jolts her out of her reverie.

She shakes her head and sighs.

“Dammit.”

(3 more days.)

The kids were at a birthday party weekend sleepover, so she was having some final Me Time before all her Men returned: the Little Men, her sons Cass and AJ, and also the Big Men, Sam (just wanting to take a break and go fishing with the kids), and Bucky (craving “properly seasoned food”, the kids…and her), who were due in 3 days, after being gone for 3 months.

(3. Whole. Months.)

Cass and AJ were practically bouncing off the walls in anticipation of when their uncles came back from the latest Captain America mission.

They were planning some kind of “special celebration” that involved the uncles’ favourite cookies—that she’d bake—and a special “Welcome Home” banner that they’d make.

But Cass and AJ weren’t the only ones.

She was starting to bounce off of the walls, too.

Yes, she was looking forward to having her brother here for a few days, but she was bouncing off of the walls in anticipation of the return of the man who she was going to—among other things—let put his hands—among other places—in her hair.

As soon as he’s safe and home…

She checked the downstairs doors and windows, turned off the living room lamp, headed upstairs to the bathroom to brush her teeth, etc., and was on her way up the smaller second set of steps to the attic when her phone rings.

(Right on time.)

“Hello, Gorgeous.”

There he was…the piercing, but soft, smiling, blue-grey eyes. The dark hair, looking a little long and kinda shaggy but in a good way. The beard, also a little on the scruffy side, but still fetching in that way.

(And…be still my heart…are those a few grey hairs??? Yummmm…)

He and Sam would most likely stop off at the barbershop before they come home, or hopefully wait a day or two because she’s gonna want her hands in that hair.

(He’s gonna want my hands in that hair, too.)

She couldn’t tell exactly where he was, but it seemed like he was en route to somewhere, who knows where in what part of the world.

It looked like he was in the back seat of a vehicle and it was dark outside.

She opens the door to his room, walks in and, closing the door behind her, heads straight for the bed.

“Hey there, Handsome! How you doin’?”

“Aside from missing you with my whole body and soul? Fine and dandy. You?”

“Aside from missing you with my whole body and soul? Swell.” She climbs onto his bed, lays there on her back, and inhales his scent while looking into his eyes there on the phone in her hand framed by the starry sky outside of the skylight.

Seeing him right now, she feels something she hadn’t felt since she first started seeing—and after she lost—her late husband, the father of her boys. Cassius.

It was a feeling she thought she’d closed the door on and would never feel for someone again.

She’d missed Mama and Daddy when they passed. She still misses them. She’d missed Sam after The Snap. And, yes, she still misses Cassius.

This wasn’t…isn’t…that.

Eventually, after Cassius passed, this feeling lessened because she had 2 babies here who needed her.

And in addition to raising these two children, she had a generations-old family business to keep afloat, bills and bill collectors to keep at bay, food to keep on the table, and a roof to keep over their heads.

She’d been on a couple of dates, even tried a “relationship” that didn’t last past a few months, and when it ended, she didn’t feel anything even near…this.

And now, here it is again. It sneaked up on her, all stealthy, and it grabbed her by the heart as she looked into those piercing, but soft, smiling, blue-grey eyes.

That…feeling:

Longing.

“Thought I’d give my baby a quick call before she turned in...”

He looks up, gets closer to his phone and whispers, “…an’ it looks like ya’exac’ly where I can’t wait ta see ya.”

(Old School Brooklyn accent’s sneaking in. He’s tired…or anxious. Or both. Just 3 more days, sweetheart.)

“I was missing you, sithandwa, and so here I am…in your bed…”

“In my…mmmmm…are ya now. Well…before I get distracted thinkin’ about all o’ that, I wanted to give you a heads-up.”

“A heads-up…for what?” (Please, Lord, not a mission extension…)

She holds her breath, waiting to hear the exact number of days to be added to the 3 she’s already trying to get through before he’s home.

“I got a little something for ya. Had to call in some favors to have it delivered to the base and then brought directly to you…tonight. Hold on…”

He leans away from his phone, talking to someone in the front seat.

“Sorry about that. Team member talk. Map stuff. Anyways…”

“So…someone is delivering something here…tonight?”

“Yeah. Driver notified me that he should be there in about…5 minutes. Sorry for the last minute late night delivery, but I just wanted to get it there to ya sooner, rather than 3 days from now.”

“3 more days. I can’t wait to see you, James. How you been sleeping, baby?”

“Surprisingly well. Especially when I get ta talk to you before turning in. Just a second…ETA about…2 minutes.”

“Is this package big?”

Bucky’s face breaks out into a huge, mischievous grin. “Well…um…I been told—“

She faintly hears it, a knock on the front door.

“That’s probably the driver.”

“You heard that…? Wait. Who am I talking to?! Of course you heard that! Super-hearing-ability, you!” They both laugh.

“You look beautiful, by the way. So help me, Sarah…I can’t wait to hold you.”

She’s wearing some men’s PJ bottoms and one of his t-shirts, over a lace bralette. Her hair is in 4 twists and covered with one of her her satin-lined bandanas.

She’s decent, but puts a silky robe on over the t-shirt because what some young recruit from the base doesn’t need is to see her in this t-shirt without a proper bra on underneath.

Especially when she’s just been talking to her lover, and it’s…obvious.

She goes downstairs to the living room, makes sure the baseball bat is behind the front door, and the doorstop is in place, looks through the peep and sees someone standing on the porch, holding…what the…?

(Is all…that…flowers?)

“Baby…did you—James. Hello? Did you send—Dammit. Wouldn’t you just…”

Her phone screen now reads CALL ENDED - LOST CONNECTION, and he’s no longer there.

“He’s probably trying to call back...”

She quickly goes to her speed dial contacts, pulls up the special In Case of Emergency Group, turns on the porch light, opens the door a crack…

“Hi, Sarah...”

And there’s that little 3-finger wave.

“Wh—?!? WHAT?!? “

(Welcome Home is on The AO3. All of it.)