#there were ONLY STRAIGHT WOMEN I FELT LIKE A SPY

[gay-bowl-ofcereal]

being a fem-passing enby at the gym is so fucking funny. I was at a workout class bc I'm a fitness girly 💅 (/s) and there was ONLY WOMEN THERE. (I mean as far as they knew but still.) and every time the instructor said "LET'S GO LADIES YOU GOT THIS" I was kinda just in the corner like

[onyxrider]

Cursed obsession -*Part 1*

✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~✧~✴~

Synopsis: Your soldier Sukuna defies and attempts to murder you, his ruler. Put him in his place.

Content/Warnings: Smut 18+, MDNI, restrains, plot with porn, choking, double dicks, oral, coarse language, partly consensual, hair pulling, anal play, use of the word master, true form, attempted murder

Word count: 1,578 (will most likely be a 3 part series, part 2 is already in the works. )

In the world of Caedes, you were a powerful and merciless ruler seeking to expand your control over the rest of this world, other worlds and conquer all who stood your way. You pretended to be kind and benevolent towards civilians and soldiers of Caedes, but in reality, you only saw them as pawns to be used for your own benefit. You demanded unwavering loyalty and obedience from them, knowing that their labor and sacrifices would aid you in your ultimate goal.

Among your soldiers was Sukuna, a fierce sorcerer stronger than the rest who envied your position and wanted it for himself, but since you were able to awaken your full potential and learn the ultimate void, he knew he couldn’t overtake you. As Sukuna continued to challenge your authority, whether it be by rebelling to take on requested high priority missions or refusing to fight with other soldiers, you became intrigued by his defiance. You saw in him a spirit that mirrored your own: unwavering and a desire for power and control that burned fiercely. Despite his opposition, you knew that his strength and skills could be useful in your quest for total destruction.

When Sukuna could take your orders no longer, he snuck through an unguarded crawl space outside your castle near the dungeon and made his way into the torture chambers. 

“Please! Let me go, I didn’t find out anything, I swear!” You were torturing a spy from a distant land who was trying to seek out your war strategy to come. As you reveled in the spy’s suffering, a sense of unease crept over you. A presence,dark and malevolent as yours, lingered in the shadows, you knew without a doubt it was Sukuna. You run into the other chambers, turning your attention towards the shadows, eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of him. And then suddenly, he appears before you. Within milliseconds, Sukunas arm swung with an unleashed dark bolt of energy straight to your jaw, causing it to drop. 

“Open up your majesty” sukuna smirked. You see him pull out a vial of liquid. Wait, you recognize this, its the king of deadly poisons, 1 milliliter alone and thats enough to kill. Quickly, while he attempts to open the vial, you quickly run and grapple his legs out from under him, resulting in you tackling him to the ground. 

“Give me one good reason i don’t kill you now!” you snap. Silently, he lay before you, his determination wavered. He was entranced by your presence, by the raw power that emanated from you. You see his eyes devouring you like a vulture. He found himself unable to deliver a fatal blow, trapped in a web of lust and desire that he could not escape. You could see the conflict in Sukuna's eyes, staring into yours as if he was puzzled by something, the struggle between his need to destroy you and the undeniable attraction he felt towards you. There was a primal urge between us, a magnetic pull that neither of us could resist, which Sukuna found himself hating a weakness such as that to surface

"You may try to kill me, Sukuna," you whispered, eyes locked with his while sitting on top of him, "But deep down, you want a taste of this power and control”. You slowly put your lips closer to the nape of his neck “You want the same control I have over my people, except I’m the one you want to dominate. You want a taste? Lets see if you can try indulging yourself” you whisper “Fuck women, why would i want a weakling like you? You call yourself a ruler, and yet you cant even notice an intruder coming in your fucking window” Sukuna snaps back.

You quickly grasp your hand around his neck and start choking him. “Weakling you say?  Im sure from that spy’s perspective over there he would say you are the weakling” Sukuna's power was steady, but not growing stronger, his muscles tense with conflicting emotions. I could see the struggle in his eyes, the battle between his pride and his desire.

“Whats this I wonder?” you use your cursed speech and are making him immobile momentarily while you reach for the vial of poison he had earlier. You know that he is immune to all poison, so of course hes not scared. Instead, you decide this is a great chance to teach him a lesson. You rip his pants in half, exposing two erect cocks. You then rip off his shirt, seeing a crease  where a mouth may be? On his stomach? With the vial in hand, you sit backwards on his stomach and slowly lick the bottom of the vial while glancing back at him, then you lean over and slowly start prodding his ass with it, circling and entering. You see his lower cock start throbbing. “They say you have ‘bottomless’ cursed energy, but they clearly haven't seen this ass” you chuckle at him.

“What the hell are you doing! You have a death wish?!” sukuna exclaimed, he sounded enraged, yet his eyes were brimming with pleasure. “No, I just have to punish my soldier since he's been bad as of late” 

“Damn women, just wait till I get my hands on you!” He says that, but then he starts rocking his hips back and forth, the vial getting stuffed in and out of him, keeping him wanting more with each plunge. You take the vial out of him and wait for him to respond. He starts thrusting his hips again, hes horny, erect and also angry. “Mmhm-you’ve gone this far, why stop now?” he snarled. 

“You need to start apologizing to your master”, you undress and sit back backwards on his stomach again, rubbing your clit on him when the mouth in his stomach appears. 

“Perfect time to apologize, how about you put that mouth to use” The tongue slowly circles around your clit, drool collecting a pool underneath you. The tongue starts to speed up, flicking up and down, making your now soaked pussy aching for more.Its tongue enters inside you, the course yet slimy tongue thrusting again and again to your cervix, and curling upwords, pushing harshly on your G-spot “I-ughh, I need more..than this damn vial” sukuna sighs

With his tongue still inside you, thrusting so hard it lifts you up a bit, you lean over again and start swirling your tongue around his top dick, savoring every lick of pre cum. You then spit on his dick, and shove it in your mouth while gripping and stroking the base of it, while your other hand strokes his second one. His tongue going faster and deeper now, a second tongue protrudes out, rubbing your clit now too. “Mmmhm!, fuck..you still have to do much more to atone-mmhm!" Your almost at your limit, you can feel his dick pulsing and throbbing in your throat with now 2 tongues in your pussy, one rubbing on your G-spot and one hitting your cervix, alternating times. You then grab the bottle again, coating it in the pool of spit from sucking on his dick, then start thrusting it deep inside of him with his dick still in your mouth

“Deese dicks….. meed to kmow ..who bare master is *gasp* and not just the two right here” you smirk with his cock half in your mouth. “You damn bitch, you think your so powerful, but look at how meak you are wanting to savor every bit… of this powerful body…mmhm!” 

Grabbing your hair - he pushes and pulls your head harshly up and down: "Ahh fuckkk, Im gonna….MMHM”, an explosion of hot cum gushes down your throat while his second dick spurts up in the air landing on your face and back. Lifting yourself away and licking the hot cum off your face, you slowly pull the vial out of him and stand up. “Well that was disappointing, my strongest soldier came before satisfying his ruler” you sigh and decide you should use your cursed speech again. 

“Why are you using that annoying curse again?!” sukuna asked angrily. “Because I’m not done with you yet, you weren’t even able to finish me and you certainly haven’t learned your lesson. Plus there are quite a few things we need to discuss that I’m sure you won’t willingly partake in. Now, let’s get you a new outfit” 

Sukuna still paralyzed, you go towards a crate in the corner of the room which had many energy suppressing ropes. “Ah, these will work nicely” you say happily as you walk back to him.

“How about you use that in your mouth since it don’t know when to shut the hell up” Sukuna snaps. “There wasn’t a problem with my mouth a minute ago though, was there? Yours on the other hand desperately needs this” You slowly, somewhat loosely gag him and proceed to box tie him, arms now back and feet together. You then decide to wrap the rope around the crease of his balls and wave the rope around the bases of both his dicks, turning them slightly red. 

“Are my dicks that much of a weapon?” Sukuna chuckles “Quite the opposite in fact, they are just too ‘quick’ to act and annoyed me, so I thought it best to help them out.” you chuckle back. Sukuna rolls his eyes and accepts his position, well aware that he can’t escape, but has a feeling you won’t kill him…well...most likely.

[laceyjane44]

GaaSaku 2023 Day18

Prompt: Secret Relationship/Masquerade

“Do not go too far, dear,” her mother scolded. “You must dance with a few of your bachelors this evening.”

“But, Mother,” her daughter whined. “The youngest among them is six years my senior, and the oldest would be comparable to dancing with Uncle!”

With a flick of her wrist, her mother folded her fan closed, using it to point at her daughter. A bejeweled and feathered mask, pinned perfectly to her hair and wrapped in a vibrant green silk, covered her mothers face though it was unable to cover the intensity of her glare. “And his fortune is comparable to that of a duke,” she hissed under her breath. “You are the only child of our name, and your uncle heads the family; without marriage, you’ll get nothing when your father and I are gone.

“I can manage my–”

“We cannot allow your youth to waste away while the prospect of your future remains destitute.” There was no room for rebuttal; there never was. “Understand?”

Sakura lowered her gaze, her voice quieting. “Yes, Mother.”

Another flick of her wrist, her fan was open again and she was waving the curled tendrils of her updo away from her face, the ballroom could be stifling at times. “Good, you behave as though you’d prefer a convent.”

“No, Mother.”

Observing her daughter for a moment, she sighed and waved a hand. “Go, mingle with the rest of the young women, perhaps they can assist you in narrowing down your choice. Duke Uchiha’s second son is quite the suitor, catching his attention would benefit the entirety of House Haruno.”

Sakura curtsied to her skirt and dipped her head. “Yes, Mother.”

With that, her mother; standing so straight and so refined, turned impeccably on a heel and joined her husband for the upcoming waltz. Sakura gripped her fan in her gloved hand, her mask feeling itchy against her face, her dress too ornamental and heavy for her liking, even her jewelry felt especially weighted today.

The grand hall was alight with the glow of the many sconces, candelabras and the chandeliers sparkling above. Music and dancing filled the space, a breathtaking display of fashion, etiquette, and beauty. The Masquerade ball, hosted by the palace and second only to royal celebrations, from the lowest of barons to the highest of grand dukes; all were in attendance, and all hid their faces for the chance to play the pauper and the stag.

Dress unlike her usual colors, mask that hid her face, and being one of the lowly barons’ daughters herself, she hadn’t needed a disguise for anonymity, her name and standing alone ensured no one – save for those who knew of her unique hair color – would distinguish her. She’d been approached by a few young men, though unfortunately for them she had recognized them despite their attire and had navigated her way out of a dance with them all thus far. Her mother had noticed, however, and she found her chances of avoiding the unwanted attention better on the terrace.

With a shawl wrapped over her arms and the heels of her shoes quietly clacking as she exited the hall, she climbed the grand staircase to the second floor where she hoped a balcony could be left empty for her. A guard stood near the terrace doors, and as she passed through into the evening air, the soldier didn’t even turn to glance at her. The door shut behind her, the sounds of the orchestra and the dancing sounded so far away now, only the starry sky and glowing moon were witness to her retreat. The gentle evening breeze of summer enveloped her as she leaned on the stone railings overlooking the central garden below, she had begun to wonder if he was even going to show –

“They’re relentless, aren’t they?”

Sakura gasped, spinning around spying a man stood near the door. He was a tall man, broad shoulders, crimson robes draped over his shoulders and belted at the hips with the ornaments of his nation. Even though that lavish and extravagantly embroidered fabric draped over his head and obscured his features, he hadn’t gotten memo of deception. Anyone to glimpse the exposed skin of his chest through his robes or see the adornments strung about his attire would have known of his name.

Her heart sprung to life within her chest, like a songbird with visions of freedom just beyond the bars of its cage, and she went to him. “Gaara!” she breathed as she leaned into him and he slipped his arms around her; strong, warm, and he always squeezed her more than the bachelor lords had ever dared to.

He lifted his arm and drew her to his side, the robe he wore inviting her into the warmth that always kept close to him. She shivered, in part because the air always felt colder when he was near, as if the sun of his homeland had followed him to this kingdom, and in part because of how the unabashed nakedness of his skin – no matter how modest – set her flesh alight.

“I loathe to have kept you waiting,” he said, ducking his head to whisper at her ear. She shivered at his breath along her neck.

“Did your session with the King go accordingly?” she asked, a life and an excitement breathing into her each time his deep blue eyes locked with her own.

Gaara nodded, admiring the beauty hugged against him, and he couldn’t help but tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, then continue to tickle her neck to deepen that color on her cheeks. “Exceedingly so,” he boasted, always proud of his achievements through his skills in diplomacy. “My siblings and I will bring news of enriched trade and commerce to the Sultan upon our return. The end of this conflict will belong in your history books,” he teased.

“Your father will be pleased with you?” she asked, her own eyes searching his for the signs of truth behind his response.

“Yes,” he agreed, smiling at the way her face lit up at telling of his victories. “And he will likely offer me reward,” he continued, his gaze traveling down her figure to the attire that had been weighing her down all evening.

He could never wrap his head around their peculiar customs of dress in this land, the women especially. Hoop skirts and corsets, stays and petticoats, all they did for him was cover up the beauty of feminine form, one that his people were wont to praise and admire. Though, he had caught on to certain customs, and he could not be caught unaware of the one currently employed by the flame of his heart.

The colors he often wore were too dark for a complexion such as hers, she was a fair woman, with pale skin and light hair, though he noticed some familiar accents on her gown this evening. When he had spied her in the ballroom, ascending the stairs to the terrace as if beckoning him to follow, the burgundy color of her eye mask and the accessories of the same hue called out to him across the crowded ballroom. “Who are you matching this evening?” he asked, his hand at her waist slipping up her boddice and enticing a blush on her cheeks. “I haven’t seen any men wearing this color.”

Sakura peered up at him before the intensity of his gaze caused her to look away. She brought her fan up to her lips, tapping it against her chin. “Have you seen a mirror?”

He didn’t answer, though something about the way that he held himself shifted slightly, and soon the hand at her waist was guiding her to turn toward the door again. “Come,” he invited her. “I wish to dance with you.”

Sakura nodded, quieting her heart and stealing her will; she had expected this, she was counting on it even, and it was precisely why she had attempted to match his color. Perhaps a dance with him would give tell of their romance, maybe her suitors would take that smart step back she’d been begging of them, or finally be able to kiss him and not be obscured by shadows to do so.

They entered the ballroom and descended the stairs, a few masks tilted their way, curious as to why they matched though she knew no one questioned their identity.

“Do you see my sister?” he asked when he leaned down. Sakura scanned the floor below, finding the familiar blonde surrounded by the usual number of men that followed her. She nodded. “What do you think of her attire?”

“She is stunning as always,” Sakura replied with a smile, though she had sung the praises of his sister’s style to him before. “Even among the nobles attending, her visage and apparel are radiant beyond compare.”

Gaara smiled, the draping of his robes obscuring his face as he and his family had forgone the traditions of masks in leu of what their own wardrobe contained. On the dance floor, Sakura took her place in his arms, her eyes shining up at him though he wished that embellished mask hadn’t obscured her feature from him.

“When I return home,” he began as they started their dance; her hand in his, his palm molded to her hip. “I will have secured a name for myself outside of the throne’s succession.”

Sakura nodded, her heart fluttering. He had come here for that very reason; to be an ambassador for his father, to show his support to his sister as the heir to their family throne, and to ensure that he had no need for such a seat in order to make himself known and respected. She had been awed by his willpower and conviction, he’d been so bright and well spoken; the moment she met him was the moment that all other suitors fell short and were found lacking. She didn’t want to think of what would become of her after his return, this illation and happiness she had found was nothing more than a dream she would ultimately wake from, and when she did; he would be gone.

She smiled as she looked down, bittersweet and hoping the mask would catch any tears to fall. They had never been meant for one another, they came from different worlds, and even though she had tried insisting on the very same from beginning, she had fallen so deeply for him, for the way that he admired her in all that she was, and all that she wished to become.

“I hope your journey is a safe one,” she said, unable to lift her gaze, certain that her eyes would betray her.

Gaara twirled her around, basking in the jealous looks and sidelong glances from the men she’d spurned in favor of him, and bent down to speak softly in her ear, rasping his voice in the way he knew would excite her. “I always thought you would be beautiful in Sunesion robes.” Just as he had hoped; goosebumps.

“You have?” she managed to say, her voice almost lost among the sweeping crescendos of the orchestra.

“The vision of you in such a way has a habit of keeping me awake,” he admitted, enjoying the way her features flushed when he wooed her.

He hadn’t known if she had fallen for his appearance or his eccentricity, for his mannerisms or his foreign alure as a man that had journey across the kingdoms from the far away sands and mystifying dunes. He did know, however, that he was not above using any of these qualities to his advantage when vying for the heart of his conquest. He could be bold if she needed, he could romance her if she preferred, he could lay waste to her suitors in combat as were his own customs; it didn’t matter, so long as she continued to choose him.

“I will send for you,” he spoke quietly to her, the vibrancy of her green eyes shining at him from behind her mask as she caught his gaze. “Deeds, dowry, land,” he listed, admiring the way she hung off his every word. “Your family can have it all, so long as they give me you.”

She couldn’t speak at first, her lips parted in stunned disbelief, and he mused that if she didn’t use them momentarily, he gladly would. Soon her brows pulled together beneath her mask, her shock burning away to hesitation. “You jest,” she accused, resisting the urge to turn from him. She needed to see his eyes as he answered, he could lie to anyone else with that iron stare, but he’d never done so to her.

“Only if this be your refusal,” he countered, his heart skipping a beat as he offered her escape from this dalliance they’d fallen into together. He’d chase after her if she ran, and he’d fight for her, if need be, but he had hoped that she would welcome his proposal. “Though, if it isn’t,” he said, his fingers plucking the pins affixing her mask in place. He removed it from her face, allowing him to drink in her beauty as the drapery of his robes slipped down his shoulder as he did so, and she took in the fullness of his features as if the rest of the world had fallen away. “I’d be tempted to steal you away.”

“Must you send for me?” she asked, her pulse thrumming in her veins, her thoughts now filled with visions of a foreign land and a man to love her there. Her hand rested on his shoulder gripped the fabric of his robes, scanning his face and succumbing to the softness of his gaze. “Can you not take me?”

Gaara smiled and shook his head. “Let me build a place for you,” he urged her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face and she frowned. “I want to do this right.”

The song was coming to an end, their dance concluding, and even as the music began to fade and their steps slowed, Sakura could hear nothing but his professions, could see nothing but the truth in his eyes, and could feel nothing but the desire for more of him.

“What of my suitors?” she challenged.

Admiring the way her expression reflected the racing thought within her mind, Gaara closed their dance amidst the pairs of couples swaying to the subsiding tune. He could feel the eyes on them as their dance ended, gazes hidden behind a sea of ambiguity, and he knew precisely how to thwart the abundance of admirers vying for her hand. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Kiss me,” he said. “Be mine.”

Sakura leaned in, pressing herself against him and encircling her arms around his neck when he bent down to her. She nodded; she’d been his since the day she met him, had fallen for him more deeply with each time they spoke, and henceforth she wouldn’t hide her love for him. “Yes,” she agreed, eyes fluttering closed as their lips met during the crowded masquerade ball, their faces bared and their intentions known.

Forever.

Thanks for reading!

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaceyJane

FanFiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2120361/WiccadBaltane0501

[stitching-in-time]

Voyager rewatch: season 2 recap

Voyager's second season was a real mixed bag. Numbers wise, I actually ended up liking more episodes than I disliked, but the ones I disliked, I really hated. In fact, some of my most hated stories in the whole series were this season. But it says a lot about how strong the show's concept and characters are that all the bad apples in this bunch couldn't put me off the show. In fact, despite only liking half the episodes, I still finished this season loving this show just as much, if not more, than last season. I have to give so much credit to the actors for that- the writers don't seem to have thought very hard about these characters in a lot of places, but the actors held some of these stories together seemingly through sheer force of will. Their charisma and chemistry with eachother in the little moments made the bad stories worth watching, and I'm very grateful for that.

Interestingly, appparently episodes 1-10 were actually filmed during season one, and meant to be the end of that season, but for some reason were held back and aired as the beginning of season 2. The original order is included on the DVDs:

Projections ep 17

Elogium ep 18

Twisted ep 19

The 37s ep 20

Initiations ep 21

Non Sequitur ep 22

Parturition ep 23

Persistence of Vision ep 24

Tattoo: ep 25

Cold Fire: ep26

Since five of my most hated episodes are on that list, I know it would have lowered my esteem for s1 if they had aired then, so in hindsight, I'm glad they were held back until the audience had time to build up more goodwill for the characters and the show.

Things I liked this season:

B'Elanna at her little engineering station on the bridge- I love that she had this during early seasons, why did they do away with it later?? it was nice to get everybody on the bridge together during important scenes.

Tom Paris getting a more heroic plotline and some respect at the conclusion of the Kazon spy arc. There's been a lot of disconnect on the show so far between how everyone talks about Tom versus how he actually behaves, and it's nice that he actually got some recognition from other characters for his many good qualities. Everyone needs to appreciate Tom more tbh!

Captain Janeway's bun hair continues to be a delight; keep slaying, Queen!

While the Kazon are not my favorite antagonists, and I don't like where Seska's storyline went, I do actually kind of appreciate that they tried an ongoing story arc this season. The way it was woven as a subplot through otherwise standalone episodes and then picked up on as the main plot in later episodes was a nice way to do it. It found a nice balance between standalone and serialized formats that gave us the benefits of each.

Things I disliked this season:

We still can't manage to have a story where B'Elanna and Kes interact beyond two or three words?? I think every character has been in at least a scene or two one on one with all the other characters, except for them. On a show with only three women in the main cast, not having two of them even talk to each other, let alone develop a friendship, is an egregious omission. They could have had at least one episode where they went on an away mission together or something. It would have been way better than all the episodes where men treat Kes like an object to possess, which leads into my next point of dislike:

Way too many romantic subplots. It felt way too high-school with all the secret crushes and jealousy and rivalry nonsense. Kes was the writers favorite target, with a grand total of 4 romantic subplots, including Neelix, plus another guy who was just straight up obessesed with her kinda counting as 5? At any rate, she had the most romances, and she's clearly older mens vision of a manic pixie dream Ocampa, which is super gross. Watching Kes get treated like crap by almost every male character she comes in contact with, and yelled at by Neelix, wasn't pleasant either, and kind of ruined Neelix for me. I'm glad that they decided to finally give it a rest this season, but the way they attempted to resolve it wasn't believable, and actually very misogynist, and thus not a satisfying conclusion. Neelix was nice to Kes in a few eps here at last, and it would have been fine if he'd been like that from the start, but the memory of him yelling at her, and her crying over it, is kind of in my head now, and I can't shrug it away. It makes me sad how they saddled these characters, and consequently, us as the audience, with all this unnecessary baggage.

Janeway and the Doctor both clock in at number two in the romance derby, with three romantic subplots each this season. The character with the most on screen kisses is the Doctor though, with three this season. (Giving the middle aged bald guy all the chicks sure makes it feel like there's some wish fulfilment going on in that writers room lmao)

Season stats:

They started the season with 154 crew in 'The 37s'

Crewmembers killed: 6

Crewman Kurt Bandera and 2 more unnamed (Alliances)

Lt. Darwin (Meld)

Crewman Michael Jonas (Investigations)

Ensign Bennet (Innocence)

Romantic subplots:

The Doctor: 3 with kiss (Projections) (Twisted) (Lifesigns)

Kes: 1 with kiss (Projections) 1 without kiss (Parturition) 1 with cheek kiss (Tuvix) [I'm not counting her ongoing romantic subplot with Neelix since it's been a main part of her plot since the beginning of the show]

Harry: 1 with kiss (Non Sequitur)

Tom: 1 without kiss (Parturition)

Captain Janeway: 2 with kiss (Persistance of Vision) 1 without kiss (Resolutions)

B'Elanna: 1 with kiss (Persistance of Vision)

Chakotay: 1 without kiss (Resolutions) [I'm not counting Persistance of Vision on Chakotay's list, since it was a hallucination of him and not the real Chakotay that kissed B'Elanna]

Number of shuttles destroyed/lost: 3 (1 for sure, 2 probable)

1 (Initiations) [destroyed]

1 (Non Sequitur) [presumably destroyed, since Harry is beamed off shuttlecraft Drake before imminent hull breach, though whether the shuttle actually exploded and/or was unsalvageable isn't made clear]

1 (Parturition) [again, presumably destroyed, since it crashed and was damaged, and recovering the shuttle was never mentioned]

[shuttlecraft Cochrane was presumably recovered intact from the planet of lizard babies in Threshold, though we never saw it]

Number of episodes I liked/disliked/mixed reaction:

Liked: 13

Disliked: 9

Mixed: 4

[reawritestoo]

Broken Wings - Part 2

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Spy! Female OC

Warnings: Torture, like rough grueling torture, not for the faint of heart, light swearing, character death, fictional wars

Word Count: 984

Summary: Jake is captured after being shot down by the enemy. He survives but that doesn’t mean he is safe. He is captured and forced to do the unthinkable. Not only does he have to survive being tortured but he also has to protect an inside spy from death. 

A/N - I got too excited to I'm releasing another one today. Don't worry I'll release one tomorrow and next Wednesday.

__________________________________________

Jake let out a grunt as he fell to the ground of a dirt covered cell. His leg was throbbing, any movement he made shot unbearable pain through his leg. It didn’t help that there was no heat in the cell. It felt exactly like outside, cold chipping away at his body heat. His hands were still handcuffed behind his back, his arms ached from the tension. The barred door of the cell slammed shut. Jake jumped at the sound. 

“Now tell us who you are, and you won’t get hurt,” The man spat out. 

“Like I believe you,” Jake grunted out. The pain from his leg felt even worse from speaking. How was that possible?

“Ok,” The man spoke out, next giving an order in Korean. Another man came in with a cattle prod. Jake let out a heavy sigh, tensing even more, his arms becoming increasingly stiff. 

“많이 아플 거야!” (manhi apeun geoya) The man yelled. Without warning Jake felt his body convulse and his teeth clatter against each other. His calf vibrated, releasing more blood. His green flight suit pant leg is covered in blood by now. The crimson red being renewed with every convulsion the man gave him. He screamed out and cried. 

“Please, please stop,” Jake sobbed out. He was curled up in fetal position, shaking from the shocks sent through his body. 

“What is your name?” The man that Jake just assumed was the leader, asked. 

“I’m not telling you,” Jake spat out. 

“Continue,” The leader muttered, “Do it as long as you would like,” The sound of his footsteps were faint in Jake’s ringing ears.

The man probed him in the right shoulder at least ten more times, five minutes of relief between each poke. The pokes lasted thirty seconds, but they felt like an eternity. Jake didn’t know if it was because the man enjoyed watching Jake convulse or he was hallucinating. Smoke came out of Jake’s skin, there was no way he was getting out of this without a scar. 

“STOP!” A female voice came out of nowhere. 

Jake looked up and around but darkness enveloped him. All he could see was the crackling of electricity coming out of the cattle prod. 

The man immediately dropped his cattle prod without a thought. It landed straight onto Jake's shot calf and he screamed louder than he thought he could. 

“Holy hell!” The woman screamed out, she rushed over and pulled the prod off of Jake. 

Jake was shaking, and couldn’t stop. Electricity and pain continued to course through his body. 

“What are you doing? Get the medical kit!” The women yelled out. The man immediately obeyed. Jake felt as if he almost could identify the voice. 

“Who are you?” Jake whimpered out, his eyes were blurry and bloodshot. He couldn’t make out the face of the woman. 

“Get the kit. NOW!” She screamed again, this time with more results. 

The man brought over a flimsy little first aid kit that looked to have little to no bandaids. Jake let out a tear. He was going to die right here and right now. If anything he wanted to die from all the pain he was feeling. 

He started to fade and his breathing got deep and slow. He could feel commotion by him but nothing seemed to keep him from going into the light. He could feel all the muscles in his body relax and his wrists becoming free from the handcuffs. He snapped open his eyes one last time to see the woman insert a shot into his forearm. He could feel his body tensing up again. He forced his eyes closed, letting a tear fall out. He felt himself black out.

“Shit,” He breathed out, waking up, he had been tense for the past two hours, he didn’t know if he could do this again. But strangely his senses came back to him and his leg wasn’t hurting. His eyes were clear and his electrocution points were dull. 

“Wha-” He slowly sat up and propped himself up against the back wall to see his leg was bandaged and in a brace. He looked around to see he was still in the cell but no one was around. This was the first time he could actually see his surroundings. They left a light on above him and it gave him a small glimmer of hope. 

The cell was about ten by ten feet with little to no room for anything. He had a slim pad with a tiny blanket for a bed and a bucket to relieve himself. It took everything in himself not to scream again. He wanted to leave, see Rooster again, see Mav. Mav had become like a father to him since their mission to take out the uranium enrichment plant. Rooster had become a brother, and his wife a sister. She was expecting. He smiled at the memory of finding out. It had become a surprise to everyone but the feeling of pure joy filled the Hard Deck when they dropped the bomb. 

Rooster always joked that Jake wouldn’t be able to find a wife good enough for him. Being in this cell feeling every breath he felt coming out of him he was glad he didn’t have a wife. She would be in more torture than him knowing he was in danger. His leg started to throb again and he let out a groan. He moved his hands to hold his leg. The pressure made him let out a hiss. Blood still stained the bandages. But yellow was starting to show with the blood as fluid came out with it. 

“I was wondering when you would wake up,” The female that took care of his wounds said just outside his cell. 

Jake’s head snapped up and it finally occurred to him who she was. She was a spy for Top Gun.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

I wanted to know your opinion of this comment that I found on YouTube: "naruto could of ace all the fights he's been in if he was appropriately trained and not neglected by everyone Kakashi never cared about Naruto in the sense of student-teacher he only cared about Sasuke and his growth that's why he told guy he was just like him, Kakashi only focused on Sasuke growth and never trained sakura and naruto like other sense do you see this when naruto trainers under pervy sage more and sakura under Tsunade and they both show explosive growth", I wanted to know if at any point you felt that Kakashi was negligent with Naruto in the first part of the anime. Imo that person saw Naruto with his ass, also I feel that they don't know what it is to be negligent..

Kakashi did not neglect Naruto’s training

Neglect means ‘looks at Naruto, shrugs his shoulders and does absolutly nothing’

Kakashi knew he needed to hyper focus on Sasuke’s trianing in the chunin exam (the only time he put any one student’s training over the others) because Sasuke was facing gaara. Gaara, the guy who almost murdered Lee in their fight.

Even recognizing he needed to focus on Sasuke more in that moment, Kakashi went and found Naruto a sensei for the time. Not just any sensei, but the best sensei in the village. Ebisu was a Jonin based soly on his teaching abilities (his fighting capabilities are chunin level at best from what we see and he’s not even a part of the war, which would require all hands on deck)

He chose Ebisu because Ebisu’s specific teaching capabilities were with chakra control, something Naruto needed a lot of help with. Ebisu was only replaced cuz Jiraiya knocked him out for calling him out on being a creepy perv (ebisu is a perv but he doesn’t spy on women at least.)

When Naruto went to train with Jiraiya it was about protecting naruto. The akatsuki was after him and the best place for him to be was under the protection of a Sannin (aka Jiraiya). Naruto spent two years training (mostly on his own from what we see) and had a huge amount of growth. This was not Jiraiya’s training as we really don’t see him actually train naruto. It was Naruto’s determination to grow stronger and train on his own

Sakura is the only one that’s a little allowable and that’s straight up to kishi neglecting her even though she’s the main female. She should have been sasuke and Naruto’s equal at the end but they got god status buffs while she did not. It’s sexism pure and simple and no amount if training from Kakashi or Tsunade was going to save her on that front.

The problem is a lot of the training is skipped. Sakura is said to have grown a lot as a shinobi between becoming a genin and fighting in the chunin exams. This was due to Kakashi’s training. Same with Naruto. Both of them grew much more confident and powerful under Kakashi’s teaching, we just don’t see any of it. It’s all skipped over for the big important missions so Naruto and his team can show off.

Had Naruto and Sakura been the exact same level as when they graduated, they would have died. Naruto against Haku (were it was sasuke and the kyubi chakra that saved him from getting his ass kicked) and Sakura in the chunin exams.

Sakura stood against three foes and not only didn’t die, but held up long enough for help to arrive. She even tricked said foes into falling into one of her traps she set to protect the boys.

Naruto also improved exponentially specificlly because of Kakashi’s teaching. Without Kakashi telling him about using the shadow clones to train and retain info faster, Naruto would not have grown as quickly as he did.

He would not have made his rasenshuriken in under a week

He would not have achieved sage mode by the time pein attacked Konoha

He would have stull grown, but at a much slower pace. It was Kakashi’s genius and use if Naruto’s specific skills and chakra abundence that allowed Baruto to go from the level he achieved under Jiraiya’s training, straight to sage mode. A perfect sage mode, which not even Jiraiya had been able to achieve (and which minato achieved but couldn’t use the same because it took him so long to activate)

And well, yes, Kakashi didn’t teach Sakura as much as he should have he DID teach her. Only sakura knew the qi release on team seven, a jonin rank technique. Kakashi pointed out her impressive chakra control and skill with genjutsu. Kakashi was the one who talked up her skills to Tsunade. Kakashi paid attention but he was also being pulled between ‘angsty kid hyper focused on revenge’ and ‘ticking tomb bomb who refuses to listen to anyone but his own feelings’. There was really no hope for sakura as long as she had to share a team with those two boys

Anyone saying Kakashi only payed attention to Sasuke 1) ignored the context of the story 2) ignored every instance he focused on the others.

[thin-line-between-us]

Morals

Alexis Drazen x Reader

Word count: 2924

Pt. 2 of what is now definitely turning into a series

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I sat up startled in bed, panting and covered in a light sheen of sweat, he died. I could’ve sworn that that felt real and he died in my living room. The early morning sun shone right at my eyes and I hurried into the room, finding not one trace of the man I had left sleeping on my couch last night. Did I dream the whole thing? No, the folded up bedding was still on the armchair where I had left it. Did he leave? Maybe. Only after my thoughts had stopped running at the speed of light did I notice the smell, that delicious mouth watering smell of coffee and eggs. Turning around I saw the delicious looking food and a small folded paper with a simple thank you. I guess he had left, but the food was getting cold and I was hungry so I sat and enjoyed every bite of it letting out shameless sounds at how good it tasted. 

“Usually I get those sounds from women in the bedroom, but the kitchen works for me too” I choked on the piece of deliciousness in my mouth at the sudden intrusion of what I thought was a private moment. Catching my breath and trying to control the blush on my face from his comment I finally manage to croak out “Where were you? I thought you were gone since you scrubbed the place clean.” He leaned on the wall with a cup of coffee in hand “I was on your balcony, it’s warm outside, needed the fresh air” he replied nonchalant as if he wasn’t on the verge of death less than 12 hours ago, his face was less ghastly now and the shirt had loosened around his shoulder getting stretched out over night. “But that’s in my bedroom… Didn’t I tell you specifically to not go into my bedroom?!” I tried to stifle a laugh since I really didn’t like my personal space invaded. “You drool when you sleep” he smiled as he looked away, probably picturing the ridiculous scene he sneaked past to get to the small balcony with one chair and a pot of flowers desperately begging to be watered. “And that’s exactly why you stay out!” I felt bad wasting such perfect food but I flicked a piece in his direction hoping to hit him in his distracted phase.

He caught it. It was a good shot going straight for his cheek and he was not looking, but somehow his hand had quickly caught the small piece of seasoned egg before it could make contact and threw it in his mouth. “See now I’m pretty sure you’re either a russian spy or a ninja” my speculations got his attention for a solid second before he chuckled and shook his head at my ludicrous accusations. “I’m Serbian, actually” it was my turn to tilt my head with a perplexed expression “Okay, Serbian spy or ninja?” I was still trying to crack through his defenses but it didn’t seem to be working as he simply sat down on a chair next to me fiddling with his half finished cup of coffee. Behind all my jokes was still amazement at his skills. I was a light sleeper so knowing he managed to get into my room without waking me was a tad concerning, but I chose to focus back on my meal.

Before I knew it I was all out of food and the silence got heavy with unanswered questions once again. “So… how long you planning on staying on my couch? Not that I mind the company, wouldn’t want you running into crazy stabbing lady and have to save your ass again” I felt the awkwardness radiating off of myself. I didn’t know why but I didn’t want him to leave, his presence made the morning a little better even if our meeting was a little sketchy. “As long as you let me? I made some calls this morning and it seems I’m out of a job and out of a home, my father always said that I would get in trouble with women” he half smiled before bringing his eyes up to mine “he was right” something in his eyes portrayed sadness. Once again I let the instinct to make people feel better take over and pulled him in for a hug before thinking about what I was doing. He stiffened and his hands ghosted over my back telling me to let go but right before I could his arms tightened around me in a way that knocked the breath out of me and his head dipped down to rest on my shoulder. We held on for what seemed like forever but when his grip loosened it still felt too soon. “I really did want to thank you, no one has looked out for me like you did in a long time” he said as he picked up the now empty dishes and brought them to the sink turning his back to me. It gave me a moment to recover from the sinking feeling that the loss of contact and his words had caused to stir up deep inside me. “Hey if the food is always this good I might have to keep you, a stay at home Alexis? Feels right” I tried laughing it off until he peeked over his shoulder as if to tell me that he knew what was going through my head.

I sat and watched him wash up for a moment before a god awful yawn escaped me and told me that that was not enough sleep, “I think I can permit you in my bedroom this once but on one condition” his eyebrow quirked at my dramatics “I get to pick the movies and you keep those” I point very closely to his hands “you keep them to yourself, personal space and all. Deal?” I extend a hand for him to shake as he’s wiping his on a towel. “I’m not supposed to touch you but you seem to want to touch me” he looks at my extended hand with a smirk on his face “deal” he shakes my extended hand before I can take it away from him. Next thing you know I’m searching through my extensive DVD collection for the one movie I had in mind “Ah! Found it! I knew I had it. What do you think?” I held out the case for him to look at and hopefully approve, even if the deal was that I get to pick the movie I didn’t want him to be bored.

“License to kill? Haven’t watched it, I never really had the time before” he leaned back into the ridiculous amount of pillows on my bed looking around himself and touching the different fabrics before squeezing one. “Oh I think you’ll love it, you radiate James Bond with all your sneaking around and superhuman reflexes. I can see you in a suit with a gun already” I ramble as I put in the CD and press play before settling in under the covers knowing I might fall asleep due to my constant lack of sleep. The silence lasted a few seconds and the movie began.

I realized how right I was about being tired when I opened my eyes and found that the sun had begun to set. What I didn’t expect was to find half my body on top of the gorgeous man in my bed. I took a minute to admire his features before carefully starting my escape from my own bed “For someone who likes her personal, you seem to really enjoy mine too” I scrunch my face finally sitting up fully to look at the slightly disheveled man, “I was just resting my eyes, don’t worry you didn’t wake me” I swore at that moment he had read my mind. “I wasn’t- I didn’t mean to- You need a shower” I got up before I tried to deny what I obviously did do again. “Is that your way of telling me I stink?” he had raised himself slightly now resting on his elbows and tilted his head. Adorable, I thought and just as quickly proceeded to scold myself for not staying focused. “No, just that you still have a giant wound on your body and it needs regular cleaning to prevent infection. I thought you’d know that but I guess dumb blonde comes in male form too, now go, there’s a clean towel in the bathroom and I’ll find you something new to wear” I promptly turned to walk to my closet and started looking for a fresh set of clothes. 

A sudden knock at my front door had all my thoughts instantly out of my head. Alexis was already in the shower and I was still wondering who would be here at this time, but the nagging feeling that I had forgotten something was growing stronger with every step towards the sound. I didn’t even hear the absence of running water as I swung the door open to find Mark, flowers in hand and dressed for what was supposed to be our first date. I did forget something, not like I was preoccupied at all. “Shoot, hi if you could give me a couple of minutes I’ll be ready” I rubbed my temple, moving to the side and letting him walk over to the couch. He just nodded, placing the flowers in an empty vase on my coffee table before sitting down. Realization finally set in as I looked down at my wrinkled sleep shirt and shorts and after shooting Mark a smile I quickly retreated to the bathroom. In there I found a mostly naked and very confused looking Alexei. “Who-” I abruptly placed my hand over his mouth not wanting to make the whole thing more awkward for Mark than it already was, “Keep it down and stay here for now, I’ll be back in a couple of hours at most. I have a date that I completely forgot about thanks to you mister” I whispered an explanation and moved onto washing up myself trying to keep my eyes off the looming figure next to me.

Letting my hair down and slapping on the best makeup I could in a rush did a lot to improve my sleepy appearance. I could feel a pair of blue eyes boring into me the whole time and he seemed to take the quiet part seriously as he didn’t say a word the whole time, gently resting against the counter with a smirk on his face. I passed him a fresh bandage before turning to leave. I paused for a moment to take in the image of Alexis in nothing but a towel and wondered how bad it would sound if I canceled now at the last moment. I couldn’t, I wouldn’t have a good reason and worst case scenario he suggests staying in, leaving Alexis stranded in the bathroom even longer. Snapping myself back to reality was hard and obviously the blonde before me had noticed, shaking his head with a full smile on his face now. I finally stepped out of the bathroom and into my bedroom, grabbing the first clean and wrinkle free dress I could find and slipping it on. A pair of strappy heels and some accessories later I was ready to go and it had only taken me about 20 minutes. The click of my heels had Mark’s head spinning towards me and a soft wow left his mouth. “You look amazing. Ready to go? Our reservation was for…” he took a moment to look at his watch “10 minutes ago, but I called to tell them we’ll be late” his smile was dazzling and not one feature on his face was off which made sense considering every person at work had swooned over Mark at one point or another. 

“I need another moment, would you mind waiting downstairs?” I stepped closer and played with the loose collar of his button up to hopefully persuade him to do as I say. It worked like a charm and I was left alone in seconds which allowed me to step back into the bathroom. “We’re leaving, I left you clothes on the bed” I turned to Alexis as I closed the door behind me. His bottom lip was between his teeth and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, there was a glint in his eye that made heat rise inside me but I wouldn’t dare to let that show. I turned around slowly showing off the dress since he was staring. “What do you-” this time his hand was over my mouth and his hand was tight around my waist to keep me stable. He leaned down and I could feel his hot breath on my ear “Stunning, now go. Wouldn’t want your boyfriend getting suspicious” and just like that he had let me go causing me to stumble over my own feet. A couple deep breaths later I felt stable enough to stand without clinging to something, “He’s not a boyfriend” was all I said feeling the need to clarify, before turning on my heel and leaving, not bothering to lock the door behind me knowing my apartment was still occupied by someone. 

“I’m starving” I said, stepping up to Mark’s car and patiently waiting whilst he opened the door “what a gentleman”I sat and placed the seatbelt on. Once he had situated himself in the driver's seat we took off. “I had to ask around to find the best place in town, hopefully it’s as good as they say” a hand was now on my thigh and all of a sudden the man sitting next to me didn’t seem as enticing as he did when he asked me out. I pulled my crossed legs over to the other side causing his hand to drop and gave him the sweetest smile I could muster up to hide the fact I had just shook him off. He didn’t seem too bothered by my actions and soon enough we were at our destination. The restaurant was luxurious, definitely out of my price range and suddenly I felt underdressed for my environment. The host had seated us by a window that had a wonderful view, champagne was already in our glasses and the menus in our hands. “So tell me about yourself?” It was my attempt to fill the tense silence that turned into a mistake. Once he had started, not a minute went by where Mark wasn’t talking about himself and whilst my glass of champagne was already getting refilled before our food had even arrived I had a feeling this was going to be a very long dinner.

Two bottles of champagne and a mediocre dinner later I was stumbling back into my apartment, disappointed at myself for wasting 2 hours of my free time entertaining a scumbag trying to get into my pants. With the door now closed behind me I leaned back on it letting a giggle out at the whole situation “Honey, I’m home!” I purred, hoping Alexis would come out of whatever corner he was hiding in. He sure did with his hands behind his back and in only the boxers I had left on my bed earlier in the evening. “What have we got here?” I try to snatch whatever was behind his back but he’s faster to duck down and tuck it into his waistband “Nothing you should worry yourself with sweetheart” he’s still squating as he starts undoing the strap on my heels and I use his shoulder for support as he gently slides the shoe off. “You still don’t know my name do you? That’s what all those cute nicknames are about. Wow, how long have you been here already? That’s kinda rude” I had lost my filter due to the intoxication and words were coming out before I could stop myself. “Almost exactly 24 hours and I do know it, I just like seeing you get flustered” there was that look again that made the blood rush everywhere but my brain. 

“How?” was all that came out as he stood up to his full height, both of my heels dangling in one of his large hands for a second before he placed them in the overfilled shoe rack by the door. I got no answer as he looked over my body slowly head to toe and back up “How do you know? I didn’t tell you” I pressed harder wanting an answer this time and took a step away from the door still supporting me. Another mistake as my legs felt like jello and I was expecting to land on my ass, but as I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact all I felt were firm arms lifting me with little to no effort. He was soft and warm which was a nice contrast to the chilly air I experienced outside, so I didn’t fight or question him as he carried me to what I assumed was my bedroom. My sheets felt great against my skin but they were cold, I missed the warmth I felt from Alexei and again I couldn’t stop my mouth from moving. “Stay” came out as a quiet plea. “I was not leaving, I will be right back” I hummed in response to his answer, but sleep overtook me before he had returned.

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The story is now also on AO3. I will try to keep it updated frequently as long as life doesn't get in the way.

Morals by Gaelic1216 on AO3

Isn’t he just gorgeous? How could they?

[babeyvenus]

Wakanda's Princess

Nakia's pregnant with T'Challa's daughter. What will these two do with the new princess?

Chapter 2: Introductions and Discoveries

T'Challa brought the curious girl within the palace, leading up to the throne room where his mother awaited.

He stood, greeting her royally before standing straight. "My son.", Queen Mother greeted with a kind smile.

T'Challa returned it. "I have someone I want you to meet.", he says. The older woman raised an eyebrow. Usually, he was up to his light, little schemes he and his sister occasionally played on their mother, but he seemed… happy. Happier than usual, actually.

T'Challa looked over his shoulder, watching as the small girl behind him peeked around him at the older woman before him. Queen Mother's head tilted in curiosity.

The young girl's features caught her eyes, however. Her shy smile gave way of her dimples that she knew so well. Though she questioned it, her mother's intuition was never wrong.

A softened smile played on her lips as she looked at her son. "She's grown so big. Why am I just meeting her?", she asked.

It was like T'Challa to hide something so big from her. "Actually, you'd have to ask Nakia. I had just found out today as well.", the prince admitted.

The older woman's eyes laid on the shy girl once more, watching as she looked around timidly. She reminded her of her when she was her age. The throne room was definitely intimidating, very big and very important. She was sure the girl felt out of place.

Queen Mother sucked her teeth in slight disapproval of her favorite spy's behavior of keeping this secret for so long. "I'll have a talk with her soon. For now, I want to know about my grandchild.", she says, smiling at T'Kia.

T'Kia gave her a smile, stepping around her father and stepping up to her grandmother.

T'Challa smiled proudly, and left them alone. He went down to his sister's lab, informing her of their mother's delight.

He was still nerved about having a daughter– no, a child at all. He wasn't prepared, but he did not regret meeting her in the slightest; no matter how late.

"You haven't stopped smiling yet.", he hears Shuri say. "Your niece is to thank for that. Mother is talking to her at this moment.", he responds, making his sister's eyes widen.

"Already? How'd that go?", Shuri asked. He could only shrug. His mother loved the girl the moment her eyes landed on her and he could just tell.

"It's wonderful that she knows.", T'Challa says. Though, as he looked at her projects. She was in the middle of making another suit for the Dora Milaje, except… this suit was a little smaller.

"You're already preparing her??", he asked. Shuri nods. "She's been training since the age of 10. It was her choice."

T'Challa frowned. Her choice? She wants to fight? He supposed she already had her mother's fighting spirit, but this early? It wasn't apparent to him. She was so shy compared to the women's behavior.

"She'll be fine.", Shuri says. "You were fine when you first started to train. You still need practice but, y'know.", Shuri laughs.

T'Challa frowns then smiles. "I still need practice?", he asked.

"You get distracted sometimes. It's about time you stop that.", she says, putting things away.

T'Challa scoffs. "I don't."

"You do too. And you know it.", she says, smiling back.

The older brother rolled his eyes and the siblings stopped as they heard their mother arriving.

Shuri grinned as she saw her mother and niece's smiling faces. T'Kia looked less shy now, which relieved Shuri greatly.

"Mother, you never come down here.", Shuri greeted and hugged her mother.

"Can't I come see my own daughter?", Queen mother asks.

T'Challa chuckled and looked at his daughter. "Ingaba uye wayonwabela?"

T'Kia nods, smiling at him. "I heard that she wants to fight with the Dora Milaje.", Queen Mother says, making the girl look at the woman in disbelief.

"Umkhulu!", she exclaims. "Shuri already prepared a suit for her.", T'Challa confessed.

T'kia eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked over the suit. Her very own suit.

T'Challa walks up to her. "In due time, you'll be queen." T'Kia frowns. "I don't think I'm up for that, Baba.", she says.

T'Challa's eyebrow raises. "And why not?"

"I want to stay a Princess. I don't think I could be Queen.", she says.

Queen Mother smiles. "It is a lot of work. But it is worth it to see your people smile and be safe."

"And plus, I can't be Queen. Your father already had to be king.", Shuri says, with an emphasis of wide eyes.

Shuri moves around her brother and places her hands on her niece's shoulders. "You're going to find a boy to love soon and–"

T'Challa stops her. "Wait, wait, wait. Do not tell her that.", he says, frowning deeply.

Shuri rolls her eyes. "Okay, not too soon, but as you get older.", she explains.

"Better.", T'Challa adds.

Queen Mother shakes her head and chuckles.

"Do I have to?", T'Kia asks, much to her father's appreciation.

"That's exactly the mindset I want you to have, Princess.", T'Challa says, smiling. "Not at the moment, but when you're ready."

T'Kia smiles in relief. She's seen the boys in the village, up to the middle of the city, to the palace. Not one has caught her eye yet.

She turns back to the suit in her arms before turning to her father. "Can I try it on?", she asks.

He sighs and nods. It couldn't hurt.

The girl smiles and goes to try it on. She admired the strength of the Dora Milaje. Their strong statures, their useful agility and quickness. It was amazing to watch at first, but to be trained by them, especially Okoye, she was excited.

As she walked back to the lab, the adults' eyes peered at her with surprise. Shuri squealed, rushing to hug her niece, "It fits! Thank goodness."

T'Kia smiles and hugs her back. "Thank you for this.", she says.

Shuri pinched her cheeks, grinning. "Now, you're ready."

Queen Mother walked up to her granddaughter, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You wear this with pride. Pride, honor, and responsibility."

T'Kia stood straight and nodded. "Yes, my Queen.", she says.

T'Challa smiled proudly. For now, he had nothing to worry about.

The adults left the girl to explore after changing out of her uniform. She was introduced to her room that was next to her father's room.

"T'Kia!", the girl heard a familiar voice in the hall and left her room to see her mother.

"Mother!", she ran to hug her as Nakia hugged her back.

"Where's your father and what are you up to….?", she asks.

"I think he's still in Aunt Shuri's lab. I got my first suit for the Dora Milaje!", T'Kia says with pride.

Nakia smiled. "I'm happy for you. And so proud. You've become so strong, it's amazing."

T'Kia grins. "I have you to thank for that.", she says and gives her mother a tight hug. Nakia returns the hug and sighs. The girl has come a long way.

Though, she wasn't there for most of it. She was always on missions, so she was sure she missed a lot. It displeased her, but it was a relief to see her daughter so happy to be a warrior. Much more of a relief to know her royal family loved and quickly accepted her.

"Okay, I'll go talk to him. You be careful and behave.", she said and went about her way.

T'Kia looks at her father's room and walked inside, looking around. She came across a desk, cluttered with weird articles of paper on his desk.

'King T'Chaka Dead At The Scene Leaving Prince T'Challa and all of Wakanda In Shock'

T'Kia frowns. She didn't see articles like that here…

Everyone knew. It was a horrible thing to know, but it wasn't just broadcasted like a critical weather report.

It was… disrespectful to see it as some measly, random citizen that had died. It was more than that. It was more to T'Kia. She had never met the man and she wished she had sooner.

She couldn't imagine how heartbroken her grandmother was, much less her father who had to watch.

As she finished looking over the articles, she quickly left, frowning in sadness.

"Your Highness, what were you doing in there….?", she hears Okoye and freezes in her spot as she had just been caught.

T'Kia frowns at the warrior, not saying a word. "What's the matter??", Okoye asked.

"I just don't understand. How could they just broadcast my grandfather's death as if it was something to just get over?", T'Kia whispered.

Okoye frowned. Everyone in Wakanda knew that death wasn't the end, which was understandable as to why the princess was confused with the simplicity of America's tradition to just move on.

"I didn't even get to know him. It's not fair…", T'Kia muttered in sadness.

Shuri walks up to them as if on cue. "What's going on?", she asks.

"She's upset over King T'Chaka's death.", Okoye whispers to the older princess.

"Ohh." Shuri looks down at her niece. "Saw something you didn't like, didn't you….?", she asked and T'Kia nodded.

Okoye sighed. "Even though you never knew the King, he didn't know about you and didn't even have time to come home. He…didn't have the chance to. I'm sure he would've loved to meet you", she explained.

"Your father was busy as well. A lot has happened, so it may not have been too much of a disappointment to you until now.", Shuri says.

"So, does that mean that America is dangerous?", T'Kia asked. Shuri and Okoye looked at each other before looking back at the young princess. "Not entirely. At least, from what my brother has told me.", Shuri says.

She walks up to T'Kia. "But Americans are selfish at times which is why our weapons, our technology, everything we own including the nation is to be hidden under any circumstances. Do you understand?"

T'Kia nodded firmly and the two walked into her room. T'Kia laid down on her bed. She had to think this through. She wanted to know more.

"Curtains open or closed…?", Shuri asked.

"Closed, please.", T'Kia said.

Shuri activated her curtains to close and to reveal purple and white tiny stars around the girl's room, creating a galaxy atmosphere.

"Next time you want to go snooping, bring me with you.", she says and leaves with Okoye.

"I wish to be like Baba….strong, dependable, reliable….I'm not any of those things…", T'Kia whispered to herself before falling asleep with a small tear escaping her eye.

Hours later, she wakes up to see her father sleep in a chair and her curtains pulled back making her room engulfed in orange sunlight.

"Baba…", she softly called.

T'Challa woke up and looked at her with a small smile.

"You're awake.", he said and sat up.

"And in trouble, right?", T'Kia asked.

He sighed and closed his eyes. "You're not exactly in trouble…", he said. "Just a scolding…and an explanation.", he says.

She frowned slightly.

"So, no more snooping in my room. As you saw, you found something you did not like.", he said and T'Kia nodded.

"As for your grandfather…. I've stuck with him for a while. Just mere hours ago, I was informed that you existed. I didn't know your mother had you. She ran away with Shuri helping her with you, so I was busy with your grandfather.", he explained.

"So, you went outside of Wakanda and he died.", T'Kia says.

"He was killed. Purposely.", he says. "Someone had the intent of killing him. I didn't see who it was but I think I know who it was.", he says with a deadly expression.

T'Kia frowned in thought. "Baba… Will you take me outside of Wakanda…?", she asked.

His eyebrows rose. "To America, you mean?"

His daughter nodded.

He frowned and closed his eyes for a moment, sighing.

"Alright.", he said suddenly. They weren't going there to fight, no matter how "ready" she was. Just a quick visit. Nothing more. "I'll take you. Only because I know you will find some way of going anyways.", he says, smiling.

T'Kia hugged him and laughed. "Thank you."

T'Kia frowned mentally. The man who killed her grandfather and almost destroyed her family has only waged war.

[winxrewritingsandfictions]

Time of Wars Part 5

Stella was coming back from the northwest side of the city. She had met up with a few smugglers with the help of Musa. These men were criminals, but anyone here was a criminal. This society was upside down. Being a criminal meant being against the rules, rules set up by the archaic and diabolical king. Both women were walking back to the headquarters, blueprints in one hand, a satisfied smile on their lips. Stella looked indecently proud of herself. She felt confident in her wetsuit and her messy ponytail. Of course, glossy lips and orange eyeshadow were still mandatory for the princess.  

Musa, next to her, looked relaxed and smug. Walking with her hands behind her head, she was humming a song. She was wearing baggy leather pants and a few chains circled her waist. Her red top covered her breast and a ripped leather jacket fell on her pale shoulders. She wore sneakers with cleats, which were really useful when it came to spying. These shoes gripped any material. Her hair was shorter, right under her breast. They were perfectly straight. Half of her face was hidden behind it. She had red eyeliner and blue mascara. Stella had told her a million times how it suited her new style. Musa had only shrugged.

A few people saluted the two fairies while they entered the headquarters' main room. Tecna was sitting there, her purple hair standing out around the futuristic, rather dark, decoration. The room contrasted drastically with the one shown on the gigantic screen. On the right, they could see a picture of Bloom. Right under it, there was a blueprint of the building she and Aisha had infiltrated. Next to Tecna was Marcus. The man looked unpleased, even pissed.

True to herself, Stella decided to interrupt the quiet meeting:

“Isn't that our sweet, gentle Marcus?” Said the blond. “What do you think Musa. Doesn’t he look stunning?”

“Totally! What a womanizer…” said Musa in return, laughing a little.

Their sneaky grin and insolent attitude got them a glare from their boss. He turned toward them and bite his tongue.

“Girls! I hope you manage to get the blueprints I asked you to… Get.”

“Steal is the world you are looking for,” said Stella.

“Who do you think we are!” Said Musa, smugly. “A little distraction and the fools were at our feet.” She looked toward the blond who shared a knowing smile with her. “Like stealing candy from a baby, really.”

On the other side of the screen, Sky and Brandon couldn’t believe their eyes. First Bloom, now them. Were they really the Winx? Both friends looked at each other, then arched an eyebrow toward the rest of the people in the room. They all shared a surprised expression. Samara gasped a little bit at how the girls were dressed. Bloom had worn something sexy indeed, but seeing Musa’s outfit, the queen had a little stroke. She was certainly not used to these sorts of outfits. They were far from classy.

“Perfect!” said Marcus shortly.

“Where is Flora?” Asked Musa,

“With Tejanos and Zyrah. They are dealing with the new ships for the drones and making sure our shipments are secured and on the road.”

Both fairies nodded their head. Tecna just held her hand toward her friends, not taking her eyes away from Bloom’s screen.

“We have company girls.” She finally said while dropping a new page on the screen. A few seconds later, the Winx could see a room full of people, and then, in front, three well-built men. Stella's eyes instantly glimmered. A sly smile appeared on her lips, and she winked at Musa who snorted, already amused by her friend’s behavior.

“Well, isn’t that Heraklion’s royal council?” Sneakered the fairy.

“Still alive?” Added Musa, still looking away.

Both men couldn’t believe their hears. And their eyes. They looked so nonchalant. Musa’s remark. Stella being… Not already all over Brandon? Yes, they were different. But who wouldn’t change after so much time and war?

“Does Bloom know?” Musa asked, talking about the group from Heraklion.

“As if I wouldn’t!”

The screen opened once again Bloom’s window. She was walking down a corridor.

“Wait so she could hear everything?” Said Brandon.

“She is still able to hear everything. Hello to you too, Brandon.”

Stella laughed out loud. She was enjoying the turn of events. After what the boys had pulled on both princesses, they had it hard. They were still salty about being left behind, once again!  

Sky focused back on her screen. She was now alone. But for how long?

“Well, congratulations Bloom. Your last demonstration was impressive. You left a room full of knights and soldiers dumbfounded.” Told her Marcus.

“You are welcome.” Said the redhead, not caring much.

“Bloom, according to the blueprints Stella and Musa just stole, you need to go to the east wing," said Tecna, "it shouldn’t be too difficult. I’m sending the itinerary to your eyeShip.”

“What am I looking for?”

“The routers' room. From there, I will be able to hack their system. But remember, once inside, you will only have a few minutes.”

“Right.”

“Good luck!”

As soon as Tecna pronounced those words, Bloom received the right itinerary on her eyeShip. Without any hesitation, the young woman took the right path. It would take her at least half an hour to reach it. The site was gigantic, but she wasn’t worried. Soon enough she would make it and Tecna would be able to hack anything she needed. And Bloom wasn’t alone. Darius and Aisha were close too.

Speaking of the water fairy, Bloom received a call from her.

“What’s up?”

“You better come to the north wing. We found something very, very interesting.”

“Aisha, I just got the itinerary for the routers room, I can’t.”

“Believe me when I say this is more important!” declared Aisha.

“What is it?!” added Bloom, annoyed.

“Kids.” Said Darius.

“Kids? Kids as in children?”

“Yes!” replied the young man.

“What the hell?!”

“All of those kids were listed in the folders where you found Sky’s name…” Added Aisha.

“Kidnapped?”

“Well, from the look of things, I doubt they chained themselves to the walls and starved themselves on purpose.”

Bloom was thinking fast… They did plan on kidnapping heirs of other kingdoms!

“She is coming.” Said Darius. He knew the woman well enough to know that she would never abandon children.

On Heraklion, no one uttered a word. They knew exactly what this meant.

“There is something that I don’t get,” said Musa, suddenly much more serious than earlier, “if they were all kidnapped, why is Sky still on Heraklion when, literally, he was on top of the list?”

All were silent. That was an excellent question.

“I hope for you all that this really isn’t a trap and that they really want Sky’s skin and not Bloom’s, because, if you needed a reminder, Bloom is also a powerful heiress in our dimension. And let’s face it, from our experience and a bit of common sense, what sounds more interesting to you? A powerful army or the Dragon Flame?”

 Sky had to exhale loudly, rubbing his face. Musa was right. This could go really badly.

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

Tadaaa! Hehe, what do you think? I'm working on the last chapters.

Here are a few of my stories :

Game of Minds Part 1

Witch love : Part 1

coffee break : Part 1

[stuckyfingers]

We need to talk about bi-demisexual Steve Rogers.

It fits him so well. I can easily see him going through the utter confusion of bisexuality that's so much worse because of being demi.

(by my fanon) he becomes friends with a girl in elementary and suddenly develops a huge crush on her. She seems to like him too, and even kisses him. He thinks he's straight and hopes he'll find someone like her.

Two years later, he meets his first real friend Bucky. It takes years for feelings to form and surface, but when they do, Steve forgets how he ever saw him as a friend. By the time they're fifteen, Steve is in love and he can no longer deny the fact that he was a queer. His dreams that shook him awake with damp underwear and the images that his brain chose to focus on while jerking off were of the same person.

He's convinced that he's a homosexual, as he doesn't find a single girl attractive in those years.

Then, he gets closer to Rebecca Barnes- which was a weird relationship, because he saw her as something of a sister in law. But she was also the only girl of his age he could call a real friend. And so he tried to also encourage the part of him that found her pretty- it was a better explanation of his love for a boy that shared much of her looks.

It's not until 1943 that he's reunited with his middle school crush by incident of chance. He's not the one to jump into a woman's bed before marriage, but the fact that he found himself attracted to her made it a better prospect than coming to terms with his homosexuality. Especially since the serum cured all his ailments, right? He was no longer sick in the mind.

He lets go of his Catholic values for a night, if it meant coming closer to heterosexuality. And that's how he loses his virginity to a girl on the USO tour in 1943.

He knew he was attached to people, and that his love didn't light up at first sight. And the only woman he had romanced up to this point was his literal middle school crush.

Until Peggy. He didn't feel much for Peggy, especially in the relief he felt at having Bucky at his side again... but he had a admiration for her that he didn't have for most other women. It never felt like what Bucky did to him, but he took it as it went. A badass British spy who taught him to fight like a soldier: He let her pull him into kisses. He let her make dates with him. He just didn't have the heart to stay in this world once Bucky had left it.

Out of the ice, romantic relationships were the last thing on his mind. Until Sam Wilson. It was a brief, but fiery spark that ended up with his first kiss since 1945. He was shaking, because his encounter only proved that he was a homosexual. But Sam had more comforting words on the matter. He shared his own story of coming to terms with it. It made Steve feel better.

Steve didn't know why he never felt attracted to any other man if he was a homosexual. Thor's impressive muscles and noble bearing, Bruce's shy demeanor and quiet intelligence. He could appreciate them, but he never found himself getting hard for someone he didn't know for more than at least a month. The time period varied, but there was something in common. He had to get emotionally close to them before his dick would even twitch. He thought he was old fashioned.

Then came Natasha. After saving her and taking her to Sam's place, he felt a jolt of butterflies and heat in the place of indifference when she stripped off her clothes between battles. As more intimate and heartfelt things passed between them, he felt like he was getting these rare tastes of heterosexuality.

But he also liked Sam. In nights after being fished out of the Potomac, he guiltily jerked off to Sam's beautiful landscape of muscles crafted from hours of flying and doing combat mid-air. There was something about the man's smile, jokes and quiet kindness that made Steve swoon.

And this was not made better by the memory of Bucky's tortured expression bungee jumping on his heartstrings.

He felt so close to his friends. And he felt so guilty for how he jerked off to every one of them.

He still had a complicated way of seeing sex, and the fact that he also wanted to do it with men.

He tried his best to be straight. Sam was alright keeping it platonic after the few nights, because it was objectively better that way. Steve never mentioned it to Bucky even when he technically had the chance to.

Steve settled for kissing Sharon Carter. It felt logical in some way, but he had no idea what he was doing. Nat seemed to be okay with inserting some benefits into their friendship when they were on the run with Bucky still frozen in Wakanda.

Steve actually loved the no strings kinda thing. He made sure to treat her with a consciously large amount of respect, because he didn't want to use her- but she didn't seem to be worried about whether he would respect her or not.

[lady-charinette]

Roommates + Fake Dating for Eden Academy AU Twiyor

Usually students didn't get rooms with mixed genders, but the academy heard about students achieving greater academic success with mixed genders so they rolled with it with the higher grades

Yor was excited if she would share the room with one of the girls but instead of any one of them, Loid came through the door with his bags

Loid offered to talk to the staff and change rooms but Yor admitted she felt more comfortable with Loid than she would with Camila, Sharon or Milie (Loid knows its bc they bully her, but he said nothing)

Franky teases the living shit out of them

It's been weeks since they started sharing space, Loid learned and took over cooking so they both didn't die from Yor's creations ("Didn't you say you had a little brother?" "Y-Yes! But he eats everything off his plates!" "YOR,

rumors of different people hooking up with the mixed gendered rooms began circulating around campus

Camila kept making fun of Yor for being so ugly she couldn't even attract a fly let alone a guy from their year

Out of righteous and protective rage for Yor, Loid accidentally let it slip that they, in fact, dated

(Shocked pikachu Eden Academy students)

Yor and Loid were panicking on how normal couples behaved, they rented all the rom-com movies they could find and binged all of them after studying for exams

Students began being envious of them for being such a good-looking couple straight out of (k)dramas

Loid was an oblivious, popular bachelor and Yor was sought after from many suitors due to her beauty (many dared not approach her due to her brute strength, but they were there)

The only one who didn't buy into their act was their history and ethics teacher, Sylvia Sherwood, who saw through their charade but also recognized the early signs of blossoming, genuine affection

Mr. Henderson was their 1# supporter lmao

They didn't know or noticed late how their pretend romantic interactions slowly became a part of their daily life even when away from campus' eyes

Loid would cook them both breakfast while Yor would keep their rooms spotlessly clean and tidy

They would practice self defense together, go out for a morning and evening run

They would practice things couples did but would get easily embarrassed bc these kids are touch-, affectionstarved to death (holding hands? 100% blushing!)

It were the quiet nights when they would have tea or coffee together that they would open up about their families and pasts to each-other

Loid respected Yor for raising Yuri on her own like that and Yor felt nothing but admiration for Loid for living all on his own

Whenever Yor would come home to Yuri, she would invite Loid over for dinner

Little Yuri didn't like him one bit

"Yuri! Please be respectful, he's a very dear senior and friend to me!" Yuri:"But sis, he looks like some shady spy!" "Spy?"

Loid would try to befriend Yuri but the little boy was quick witted, "You just want my sister for other reasons, don't you? I know your kind!" Loid:"What? No! (And you're only 10!)"

Whenever Yor wasn't looking, Yuri would kick at Loid's shin under the table. Loid would have trouble walking sometimes but Yor always either bandaged his leg or helped him get home, much to Yuri's chagrin

Yuri burned every gift Loid would give him

It wasn't until Loid very passionately defended Yor's honor during the ceremony at the end of the semester where he gained Yuri's respect (according to some dumb superstition; young women who lived alone were omens of bad luck ...etc.)

Franky felt like Yor was stealing Loid from him, Loid tried diving his time to spend more time with Franky

Loid would sometimes fall asleep on the couch bc he didn't get enough at night. Yor would always tuck him in and bring him a pillow so his neck didn't hurt in the morning.

A thing Loid never expected when living alone with Yor: she was unexpectedly cute in PJ's

[plaid-shirtsandvibranium-arms]

Nemesis: Retribution (2)

Summary: 10 years after the Avengers had left you for dead during a mission gone wrong, you unexpectedly re-enter their lives. Wholly unrecognizable from the person they used to know and now with a new team behind you, they ask for your help to stop a chain of syndicates who were manufacturing and peddling the super soldier serum. You were determined to say no until the chance at the vengeance you had been chasing for years was added to the offer.

Fandoms: Avengers, Marvel, MCU, The Punisher, Daredevil

Pairings: Female Reader x (Frank Castle, Billy Russo, Matt Murdock, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Pietro Maximoff)

Warnings: MENTIONS OF SMUT FOR THIS CHAPTER. SHAMELESS SEXUAL BEHAVIOURS. (18+ ONLY), polyamorous relationships, reverse harem, blatant disregard for canon timelines and events, mentions of illnesses, momentary fluff, bit of angst care of Bucky, Punisher canon level of violence and gore, rejection, bullying, heartbreak, character death

A/N: I couldn’t resist not posting this early. Here you go. Next ones will probably take a while coz I have to be an actual adult for a bit. 

No permission is granted to repost, steal, or translate my work. Not even a credit makes it okay. Tumblr is the only place I post my writing. If you see it anywhere else please report it.

Series Masterlist | Full Masterlist

1:2 Dark Chocolate

A few days of rest was required to recover from a super soldier's punch. The doctors had said that you were lucky Steve hadn't punched you with full strength or else you would probably have a whole cracked rib cage. You were anxious to jump back in to training, not used to being idle for very long.

You were given some painkillers at the clinic and ordered to stay there for the rest of the afternoon for monitoring. When you woke up, it was early evening and a blonde super soldier was napping on a steel chair next to your bed. He jumped when you moved to sit up, his heightened senses alarmed and disoriented for a second before he quickly switched to repeatedly apologizing to you. You laughed out loud. It was just a little ridiculous to you to see such a commanding presence in the field so charmingly boyish and adorably embarrassed.

Steve was a comforting presence but to be honest you were hoping to see Bucky. You didn't get a chance to thank him since he left immediately after the doctors had ushered you into the examination room. Once you were cleared to return to training, you caught sight of his long brunette hair and the bright smile on your face couldn't be stopped. It was the glare he pinned you with that made you halt your approach.

He was back to his disapproval of your very existence.

You had to admit that it stung. You thought that you were getting somewhere with him after he helped you. At least somewhere outside of the realm of outward disdain. And maybe you were hoping just a little bit that it could lead down the road to him feeling the same about you.

The timing was perfect when you were assigned to your first official mission with the Avengers. It was a chance to prove your worth to the team and to Bucky in particular. A chance to maybe make him see you as more than just a troublesome recruit.

You came back from the mission with your head held high and absolutely glowing with confidence at the kudos from Sam and Natasha. The great Natasha Romanoff had complimented your sniping skills, picking off enemies in her area even before she could aim her own gun at them.

The first thing you wanted to do after getting back to the Compound was to tell Bucky. You wanted to brag a little bit and maybe even thank him for the mentoring. If he hadn’t been so hard on you then you wouldn’t have pushed yourself to be at this level. You were skipping down the halls of the Compound in search for him, clutching the bullet casing from your first official Avenger kill.

FRIDAY had informed you that he was in the training area and you were bouncing on your feet with excitement. As you entered though the place was empty, the rest of the agents having retired to the mess halls. You ventured further in, trusting FRIDAY’s intel until you heard some noises coming from the adjacent armory. You smiled, he must be cleaning his guns again.

As you got closer, the noise began to get louder until you could make out what was undeniably pleasured moaning, one low and gravelly while the other more high pitched. You should have turned away, if only for the privacy of the couple who was wrapped up in their passion, but your curiosity pushed you to come closer and peak through the small crack in the door.

The brief image that you saw made you instantly draw back, a shaking hand pressed to your mouth to silence the shocked gasp. You backed away slowly, your mind struggling to process what you had just seen, then your flight response kicked in and you ran like hell out of there. The scene was burning a hole in your brain and caused your skin to grow cold. Sergeant Barnes rutting hard against a woman wrapped around his waist, his glinting eyes locked with yours, and a cocky sneer on his face.

You didn’t go to dinner that night or to the team celebration for a successful first mission. You chose instead to lay in your bunk with tears burning in your eyes and trying to erase the memory of your discovery. Of course he was already dating someone. A man of his caliber was sure to have a line-up of gorgeous eager women at his disposal. He probably had no interest in boring recruits like yourself. The woman he was throwing into bliss must be some supermodel or high ranking spy. How did you even end up deluding yourself that you could possibly catch his eye?

The rest of your roommates filtered in after a few hours, chatting away noisily about the party. Anna had come to sit on the edge of your bed and ran a comforting hand along your arm, concern clearly etched on her face.

“I’m fine. Just tired. The mission really wore me out,” you muttered with a small smile. You weren't ready to talk about it yet.

“Personally I think I had better success today than all of you,” Kim’s shrill voice cut through the good natured conversations in the room.

She wasn’t part of the group taken on the mission, claiming beforehand that she was ill. A chorus of curious why’s rang out through the group and she preened at once again being the center of attention.

“Well I just had the fuck of a lifetime from none other than Sergeant James Barnes.”

The room of women burst into chaos; squeals of disbelief, rapid fire questions on how big he was and how good of a lay was he, were they dating now or was this a fuck buddy situation. Of course Kim was more than happy to entertain each question.

You tuned all of it out, the noise turning into an annoying ringing in your ear. You turned around to face the wall as the silent tears that refused to be contained any longer fell to wet your pillow. You barely registered Anna squeezing your shoulder or the words that Kim threw your way.

“Sorry, Y/N. I guess I was just more Bucky’s type.”

You curled yourself into a tighter ball as the pain in your chest radiated across your whole body. You had assumed wrong about Bucky. It seemed that he wasn’t opposed to dating new recruits.

He was just opposed to you.

The taunting from Kim continued on and you just couldn't take it any longer. You brushed the tears away, grabbed your sweater, and marched yourself to the door. You needed to get some air. You needed to get away. Anywhere but there. You wrenched open the door and almost came crashing straight toward a solid chest. Your eyes travelled up to lock with the kind blue gaze of Captain America. You wondered why Steve was standing at the doors of your bunkers holding a pack of beer in his hand.

"Good evening, ladies," he said to the room of now suddenly speechless females. "I'm just going to borrow Y/N for a bit."

The crowd remained in shocked silence while you stared at him in confusion as he smiled sweetly down at you. He had gone looking for you when he didn't see you at the celebration after Natasha and Sam had sang your praises to him at your performance. He wanted to congratulate you and bring you a drink for a job well done.

"Come on. I know a good spot," he said, placing a hand on your back and guiding you out.

Steve brought you to the top of an observatory in the Compound. It was quiet, peaceful, and offered a great view. He cracked open a bottle for you and the conversation just flowed naturally. He kept making you laugh until your sides hurt with stories about his time as a performer in the military and all the unfortunate videos that came with it. You were crying with pure joy when he relented and re-enacted his buy military bonds act, your earlier darkened mood forgotten for the moment.

Steve felt like he did something right when your glassy eyes and defeated expression was replaced with clear amusement. Even if it was at his expense. He wouldn't ask what the reason was, but he felt happy he made you feel better.

"Thank you, Steve," you muttered before you parted ways. Somehow both of you understood that it was more than just for the drink.

You promised yourself then that you would give yourself tonight to weep over your unfortunate romantic feelings. Only for tonight. Come morning you would focus all your energy on what you actually came here to do; become an Avenger. You slept fitfully that night, the shell casing from your first mission still gripped in your hand.

You made a conscious effort after that day to limit your interactions with Bucky and Kim to polite clipped conversations. At first Bucky had been surprised at your change in attitude, your blank expression and sparse words causing a momentary guilt to flash in his eyes. You had chosen instead to spend more time with Steve and the twins, your mood obviously brighter around them.

You were sitting now in a large conference room for a briefing on the next mission with a handful of other recruits when Sam Wilson sent you out to fetch the rest of the Avengers who were running late and not responding.

"Can you get them for me, sweetheart?" he chuckled, knowing that you blushed uncontrollably each time he used a nickname on you.

FRIDAY had directed you to the private common room exclusive for their use. You were about to knock on the door when you heard your name in the middle of what sounded like a heated argument. Against your better judgement, you leaned in closer.

"I don't think Y/N's cut out to be part of this team."

Your heart dropped. The conviction in Bucky's voice was clear. It was one thing for your infatuation with him to be forcefully thrown back at your face, but for him to explicitly state to a set of people that you held at such high esteem that you were not good enough was a whole other vicious heartbreak.

Lily was wrong. This time you should have known when to quit.

You forced yourself to crack the door wider and step inside, clearing your throat to announce your presence. You didn't see the startled look on their faces or the guilty one that followed when they realized that you had heard. One look at your sad glistening eyes that refused to look up confirmed it. Natasha and Steve both threw Bucky a deadly glare.

"Sam wants you all at a briefing. I was sent to come get you."

Your voice was so small and unsteady, none of the easy happiness and optimistic determination that it usually carried. Bucky felt the shame burn through him, the guilt drowning him in an instant. You weren't supposed to hear that. He took a step towards you, instinct driving him to do anything to wipe that defeated look off your face, but a threatening look from the twins pinned him in place.

"We'll walk back with you, little star," Pietro said softly, appearing beside you and wrapping an arm around your shoulder. Wanda came on the other side, looping your arm with hers.

For the rest of the briefing, you strained with the effort of focusing on Sam while blatantly ignoring Bucky. You knew he was staring a hole at the back of your head, but you couldn't allow yourself to give him any satisfaction by looking back. You were soon assigned your tasks, you being placed on sniper duty again having performed well the last time.

It was supposed to be a run of the mill mission for intel and taking out a criminal base, but with the expectation of more hostiles so a slightly bigger team was necessary. You practically flew out of the room when you were dismissed, not giving anyone a chance to talk to you. A decision was solid in your mind now for when you got back.

This would be your last mission.

The ride on the jet to the location was spent with you cleaning your gear and checking your weapons. You were sliding a few knives in place when Bucky came in front of you holding out another set of knives for you to take.

"You know if you tilt the hilt to the left you can fit more in one holster," he said.

It was odd hearing him with almost warmth in his tone toward you. If it had happened yesterday, you probably would be celebrating this fact. You nodded at him, but didn't say a word.

"Remember to keep your head low and stay on your post. Okay, doll?"

You nodded wordlessly again. Because you made a point not to look at his face, you missed the way he was struggling to say more to you and the disheartened look when you obviously weren't going to answer him. You ignored him for the rest of the ride, choosing to focus on reviewing the intel.

As far as bad intel could go, this had to be the worst. You were perched up on a densely covered hill a good distance away from the base that the rest of the team were storming. You were picking off as many hostiles coming out of the base as quick as your hands would allow. Your fingers were starting to ache from the constant reloading, your eyes stung from the gunpowder, and your lip was already bleeding from biting down on it.

The noise in the comms was pure mayhem. Each team member trying to ask for help, for backup, for a plan. You had all come expecting a fight but not an army prepared to defend. You were certainly not expecting HYDRA.

"They have Bucky."

Three words spoken that sent a cold dread to wash over all of you. HYDRA couldn't be allowed to take Bucky. You abandoned your post without a second thought and sprinted down toward the base, pistols at the ready for anyone coming your way.

"Last location," you asked urgently as you slipped into the building shooting down two agents immediately.

"West wing. Near the last corridor," Steve grunted, clearly having a hard time on his end. "Y/N, do not engage!"

"I'm the closest one, Cap."

"I'm close too. Just a little busy," Natasha huffed. "I'll follow, Y/N. Steve, we need to get the hell out of here."

Steve had reluctantly agreed, seeing that there was no other choice. He quickly barked orders and commanded you to keep safe. You nodded although he couldn't see it as you wove through the corridors at full speed in search of your teammate. The moment you barged into that last room, your eyes found an unconscious Bucky immediately.

Seeing him in that chair horrified you; shirt ripped, bleeding in several areas, skin pale and cold with sweat, chest rising and falling far too rapidly, and eyes that were unresponsive. You were so distracted by the jarring image that you failed to notice the operatives across the room until the bullets were burning through your soft flesh.

You screamed from the pain, but raised your gun and fired back until you heard their bodies thud heavily on the floor. You clutched at your side, the amount of wet blood pouring out was alarming. You pushed your own welfare aside and hurriedly undid Bucky's restraints. It was a struggle to sit up a semi-conscious super soldier and when you took his weight on your shoulders, you collapsed to the floor at the intense pain in your arm. You hadn't realized that you had multiple shots there too.

You gritted your teeth and groaned at the effort of lifting you both up, your blood soaking through your gear as well as Bucky's. You huffed painfully with each step but you just had to get him out of there. You could have kissed Natasha square in the mouth when you saw her come barreling towards you.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Y/N!" she winced at your state before taking Bucky's other side. Apparently you looked as bad as you felt. "We gotta move fast. I hear more of them coming up this way. This path is clear."

Having Natasha's help in carrying Bucky alleviated some of the burden from you and made you all move faster, but the blood loss was already starting to make your vision blurry and the adrenaline was wearing off. Through the haze, you could also hear the rapidly approaching footsteps. Soon you would be basically useless and you knew there was no way Natasha could carry you both out while fighting off a hoard of enemies.

"Natasha," you said quietly, your steps faltering.

"No. Keep going goddamn it!" Natasha cried.

She knew what you were thinking. She had assessed the situation too and come to the same miserable conclusion. You smiled sadly at her angry eyes and shaking head as you let go of your hold on Bucky. Her eyes widened further as you limped toward the doors behind you and locked them tight before raising your guns to aim right at anyone who would come through them.

She didn't miss how your hands were shaking and your shot arm could barely hold up, the way you scowled deeper in pain with each movement, or how your uniform was soaked in your own blood and slowly forming a pool at your feet. Ghastly as you looked, you turned your head and tossed her another gentle smile. You were basically going to use yourself as a human shield for them and yet you were comforting her. You were reassuring her.

"Check on my sister for me, yeah?"

Natasha wanted to insist on another plan. Anything other than leave you behind to hold off the nearing enemy units. Shouting and gunfire from the other side of the door forced her to make a decision. She cursed sharply under her breath and dragged Bucky away with her, the regret heavy on her heart for having to leave you behind.

You stepped further back and supported your weak body against the wall after Natasha had thankfully left. The enemy was trying their hardest to barge through the door, ramming into it and shooting their guns at the locks. It wouldn't be long now before they manage to breach it.

You took a moment to spare a thought for your sister. A part of you was saddened to think of her grief after she finds out that you had done the most heroic thing anyone could ever do.

Sacrifice.

Another part of you was relieved knowing that she had Jill and she wouldn't be alone in that grief. When you decided this morning that this would be your last mission, you didn't necessarily expect it to be in this way.

"I'm sorry, Lily."

Natasha managed to get Bucky back to the jet where the rest of the team were all converging, still fighting off operatives chasing after them. There just didn't seem to be any end to them.

"I'm going back for Y/N!" she yelled to the team as she dropped Bucky on the floor of the jet. There was no time to be gentle, she had to hurry back to help you out.

"What do you mean? Where the hell is Y/N, Nat?" Steve shouted as he grabbed her arm.

"She stayed behind to hold off the ones chasing us so we could get out. I have to go back!"

"I will go. I can get her out," Pietro volunteered at once but he doubled over immediately from the extensive wounds on his torso.

Natasha was already sprinting back into the compound, not willing to waste another minute. She made it only a few feet before the entire facility exploded into a fiery inferno that quickly ravaged it and threw her farther back.

The entire team watched in horror as the explosions continued on several parts of the structure. The area was quickly getting engulfed by the flames and smoke. Steve had to force everyone onto the jet and bodily carry a shell shocked Natasha.

No one could have possibly survived that.

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

Natasha steadied her breath as she quietly landed on a perch high above in the rafters of a seedy warehouse. Wanda joined her seconds later, weaving her magic to better cloak them. The other twin was running a lap around the perimeter and would join them later.

She was assigned weird missions all the time. Missions that had very little to doubtful intel was common. This mission though was by far the strangest she's ever gotten. There was a very small list of vague things that were told to them; the time and location, not to intervene, to remain unseen until the target was ready, bring the target to the Compound.

She was slightly annoyed, but she complied anyway. She was curious too as the mission was given in secret to only the three of them. A million questions was speeding through her mind as she observed the activity below. It looked like a regular run of the mill drug den filled with busy workers and roving guards.

"How many, Wanda?" Natasha whispered.

"I sense more than 25 of them. All armed, but with much fear."

A gust of wind signaled the return of the other twin. He had a frown on his face and a concerned look in his eyes. "There is another one, but this one does not seem to be with them."

Natasha was starting to sincerely doubt this mission when a fast movement from the shadows caught her eye. By the way the twins perked up too, they surely had seen it. They followed the figure as it slipped through the darkness, almost losing track if they hadn't noticed that the guards were quickly dwindling in number. Natasha was growing worried, this was surely a highly skilled group of assassins. Pietro must have been mistaken. They were clean and efficient too.

All of a sudden a gunfight broke out below them. A figure completely clad in black, strolled casually out from the shadows with a pistol in each hand firing precisely at their targets. They confidently charged closer, unfazed as they greeted the gunfire. They continued to tear viciously through the crowd with a deadly mix of combat, bullets, and blades. 

The workers had drawn their weapons by now as well, but they were quickly killed off with barbaric aggression. It did not take long for the floor below to become a sea of blood and lifeless bodies. One person remained barely alive, hanging on to his middle to keep his internal organs from spilling out from the wide gash. The attacker came to him, nonchalantly stepping over decimated bodies. They couldn't hear what was exchanged from this distance, only the choked scream that followed as he was stabbed straight through the throat. His blood spurting out like a broken faucet.

Natasha had been in this profession for a while, but she has never seen this level of unrestrained violence.

One person.

One single person had cleared out a base of approximately 30 people. Natasha was growing more and more worried. Clearly this person was at the very least an enhanced and even with the twins with her, they were not prepared to face someone powered.

What kind of bloodthirsty lunatic does this?

"You can come down now."

All three of them froze in place. Looking down, the attacker was staring right at them with cloaked eyes. Reluctantly and very slowly, Wanda used her powers to float them down carefully keeping a good distance from this murderer.

From this close they could now see that they were in full military tactical gear in what was originally all matte black, but now had an explosion of dripping red. Combat boots, fitted cargo pants, a long sleeved shirt underneath a tight bulletproof vest, gloves, a loose hood over their head, and a cloth mask around the lower half of their face.

"Should have known something was up when my team mentioned seeing a really fast man."

The shivers that travelled through every expanse of skin on Natasha, was a reaction to that voice. It sounded strangely familiar yet unknown, but something in her mind was denying her from piecing it together. The moment the hood was dropped to reveal their eyes was when she spiraled into a complete icy shock. They were eyes that had haunted her for the past ten years. Haunted all of them. The only difference was that the eyes in her memories were smiling warmly.

The bloodied face mask was lowered to reveal a face they mourned, unmistakable and yet completely different. White raised scars branched out like weaving vines from the right side of the neck to just above the jaw and the ears. They were obviously old and healed but still raised and prominent, adding an even more dangerous edge to the menacing look on their face.

Your face.

"Hello, Natasha. Pietro. Wanda."

10 years after they had watched you tragically perish in a burning HYDRA facility, you stood before three of a group of people you had unknowingly tormented all these years.

The earpiece you wore crackled to life. "Blackbird to Hedwig. I have a visual. Should I shoot them?"

You smirked. There was no need for that. At least not right now.

"Hey, Blackbird. Tell Raven I'll be late for dinner. I have a reunion to get to."

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

A/N: Tell me which pairing or combination in this harem you’re most looking forward to. Smut or otherwise. I’m still rearranging scenes and working out smut. There is a long list of kinks. I need help.

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[medicetwork]

How the mercs found out they were gay Pt.1

These are my own headcanons about how the mercs found out they were gay. They’re all gay asf and if you dont think so that’s gay erasure-

Medic:

He always knew he was a little different, in more ways than one. It didn’t take long for him to learn that he favored men over women. He never felt bad about himself, not even with the knowledge that it could get him killed if he made that fact about himself known. He’s proud of who he is, and always has been. Always will be.

Many a homophobe has gone missing by his hand.

Sniper:

He doesn’t remember when he realized he liked men, if he had to guess it was some time in his late teens. He doesn’t care what any one really think of it. Why are they so worried about what goes down in his bedroom? Weirdos. The problem lies with this parents. It’s just another thing for this to be on his case about- not in a hateful way but being asked when he’s going to settle down with a wife and kids because they “forgot” he was gay again is very tiring.

Soldier:

I hc that Soldier lost his memory and went crazy after a very serious car accident. In addition, before the accident and memory loss he had no interest in men but in recent years- more specifically after starting work with Mann.Co. He’s realized he’s bisexual. Or pansexual? GODDAMN IT HE DOESN’T HAVE TIME FOR ALL THESE COMMIE LABELS. It was mostly after living with all these other men that he realized he may have a thing for other men. He went to medic thinking it was some kind of illness causing him to stutter and get hot whenever Demoman walked by but after some reassurance and explanation he realized it’s perfectly normal.

30 minutes after that conversation he proposed to Demoman.

Engie:

Engie comes from Texas and was raised by christians with strong family values. Their ideal family was a nuclear family with a white picket fence and cute puppy dog. Wife, husband, kids. That’s it. But somewhere into his college years he…made some decisions and one thing led to another and he had a boyfriend for a short time. Redhead guy that he sat next to in math club. He was cute and funny and oh my god what will mama think? They only lasted like 5 months before the redhead realized he didn’t like men as much as he once thought and that was that.

Engie has never told anyone that he’s gay, not his family and will only tell friends if they ask. This being said, he isn’t ashamed of himself he just doesn’t want to deal with the fallout this might cause between him and his family. So he’s Dell, The perfectly straight straightman that loves women and totally didn’t just kiss that Spy.

Heavy:

His realization is probably the most recent besides one other. He realized he was gay when he and Medic became friends. He can’t even describe why he loves the doctor so much but he does, more than he’s loved anyone besides his family. In Russia he would probably be in serious danger but he’s not there and he’s not going back any time soon. Luckily, his family doesn’t mind this. His sisters were very excited to learn he’d found someone he loved and are already making them marriage arrangements.

Spy:

Spy found himself having a strange attraction to the other boys in spy training when he was a young lad. He never thought much of it, he never acted on it and he kept it to himself. It wasn’t a fact about himself that he thought ever mattered. He has a job to do. In recent years he’s acted on it, had one night stands and flirted in male strip clubs and even has a few old friends that are drag queens. He doesn’t have pride for who is he but it’s only because he doesn’t think it matters all that much.

Many homophobes have died by his hand.

[jimblejamblewritings]

not a soldat | part 12.

Summary: Y/N L/N is not a superhero. No serums, no agencies. Just a civilian from a long line of family that’s served in the military. Y/N’s a history buff and bit of a spy in her own special way. This somehow lands her in trouble she never saw coming and straight into the hands of Falcon, Captain America, and Black Widow… if she doesn’t get caught in the unbreakable grasp of the Winter Soldier first.

Warning for the Series: violence, angst, slow burn

Pairing: Bucky x black!reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Previous Part | (Series Masterlist)

Steve hugged Bucky as you two stepped off of the quinjet. The Avengers’ compound was very impressive. Tony and the others escorted you two around, giving the grand tour. You actually liked that everyone stayed together. Of course it was easier when each room was practically an apartment. You were also grateful that no one new was added since you’ve been gone— you had shed your more quiet ways with the team, especially after having to always ask Shuri or the Dora Milaje for help with translations; but you were still an introvert at heart and new people in your intimate settings made you feel some type of way. You were the only non-Avenger, S.H.I.E.L.D. worker that would be staying in the compound housing and not just leaving when office hours ended.

“So we have Buckaroo on Steve’s floor and Caliber, Nat and Wanda called you on their floor.”

“Oh, we’re not in the same apartment?” Bucky asked.

“You two?”

“It’s just we lived together in Wakanda, we both kind of assumed.” Bucky shrugged.

“We can always change that, Pepper and I are together on the top floor. What size bed, I’ll have F.R.I.D.A.Y. put in an order. Queen? King? I suggest California King, that’s what we have.”

“Um, we still need two rooms,” you said. “If it’s work don’t bother, Tony, it’s fine.”

“Yeah, I think I can take two floors up to see printesa. Not sure if she can handle the walk though,” Bucky said, cheekily.

“Love you too,” you said before muttering under your breath. “Cur.” (Ass)

“Ce?” (What)

“Hmm, nimic.” (Hmm, nothing)

You squealed when you felt yourself suddenly in the air, looking at the floor. Bucky had lifted you over his shoulder. The tags almost hit the floor as you kept dangling but you managed to catch them in time.

“Bucky, pune-ma jos!” you said, lightly hitting his back— no real feeling behind it. (Bucky, put me down!)

“Ia înapoi ceea ce ai spus.” (Take back what you said)

“Nu.” (No)

“Atunci nu te pot da jos, printesa.” (Then I can’t put you down, princess)

“Buck, everyone can see up my skirt.”

Instead of putting you down, Bucky adjusted his hold and used his free hand to cover the space where anyone could potentially see up your dress. He turned around to Nat and Wanda, asking what floor they were on. You screamed as Bucky jostled you a bit.

“Let’s go find your room, printesa.”

The other Avengers watched you two disappear towards the elevator down the hall.

“They do know what friends means, right?” Wanda asked.

Steve laughed. “If they were together, Buck wouldn’t hesitate to let everyone know. I’m just glad she’s got Buck back to the one I remember.”

~~

Tony helped you set up your office very easily. You worked anywhere and everywhere but needed a place to store boxes and loose papers, not really wanting it all in your room. Bucky started training again, deciding to take Nick’s offer and sign to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. Much to Sam’s joy, Bucky at least tried to run at his pace or closer to it instead of being like Steve who constantly lapped them. Because you lived with them, you let the rest of the Avengers see you a little dressed down.

Since you and Bucky had returned, Tony wanted to throw a party to celebrate the homecoming. Rhodey told you it was better if you just rolled with it so you were on your way to the mall with the women of the team to buy a fancy dress. The men were also there too in the suits department, Tony insisting new outfits were necessary for everyone.

“I’ve been to a few military balls but nothing quite as fancy as this.”

“Yeah, that’s Tony for you. Too much money, no clue what to do with it,” Nat said.

“Charity?”

“Already has five.”

“Oh, wow, okay.”

Sharon and Wanda found their dresses, leaving you, Nat, and Maria to keep looking. Your hand brushed along so many dresses. A few you liked but most weren’t your taste. While Nat was trying on dresses, you excused yourself for a minute from the group. Following the store employee’s instructions, you took the escalator to the lower floor where the suit department was. The men in their boxers tried to cover themselves as best as they could when your face peered from around the corner— except for Thor. You rolled your eyes.

“You boys aren’t that much of a sight, please.”

“You’re not looking at us even a little bit, darlin’?” Bucky leaned against the door frame of the dressing room, while the others still kept themselves covered.

“Lots of military men look like that. Just another set of muscles. Anyway, what color is your tux?”

“They showed me a dark green one, might go with that or just a black one. Is that helpful?”

“Yeah, I can’t find a dress but I figured I could start by matching it to your suit. I think we should complement each other.”

“Why?”

“Cause I like when dates match.”

“And you just knew I was going with you, printesa.”

“Do you know anyone else?”

“I know Stevie, Sam and I have been getting pretty cozy on our runs.”

“Hmm, okay, Buck.”

“Is that the sound of jealousy?”

“Of who? Sam and Steve having to stare at your ugly face all night instead of me?”

“I love you, too.”

Bucky lifted up the tags around your neck, pulling on them slightly that it moved you forward and closer to him. You had to place your hands on his torso to balance. You patted Bucky’s abs as you stood back up with proper balance.

“Okay, I’m gonna go find my dress now, I like the green idea, so you boys can stop huddling in the corner like school children.”

Bucky pulled you back in for a hug, your back against his chest, threatening to keep you hostage in the dressing room. You laughed as you struggled to get out of his grasp.

“Eww, you’re half naked,” you whined. “Let me go get my dress!”

He laughed but let you go. You playfully hit him and then bounded out of the dressing room to go back upstairs and continue looking now that you had some sense of direction. The others looked at Bucky once you had left.

“So, Caliber?” Tony asked.

“Yeah, guess I’m being forced to go with the green tux now,” Bucky huffed out a laugh while putting on his street clothes.

They all looked at each other, that wasn’t what they meant. Either Bucky was thick skulled or avoiding. Someone was going to have to take one for the team. Clint sighed, deciding he would be the one to do it.

“How long have you two been together?”

“Me and (Y/N)? Ha, we’re not together. You know you’re not the first to say that, think I heard one of the scientists say it while in cryo. Weird.”

“Yeah…” Steve wasn’t sure how to go about what he wanted to say next.

“I mean, I think we just all notice you two wouldn’t look bad together you know.”

“Hmm, I mean I guess. She’s just… my person, trust her with everything. Ha. Together, crazy. You guys are funny.”

They stood there as Bucky chuckled and walked out of the room, shaking his head.

The girls clapped as you exited the dressing room. You were in a body hugging champagne colored dress, the neckline plunging. Nat forced you to do a spin and added a pair of heels she thought would go great. You looked at yourself in the big mirror, nodding in approval.

“The slit in the dress is nice,” you said.

“Makes you look hot.”

“I just like that I can still wear the knife.”

“Right, Barnes’ knife,” Maria said. “So when did you two become a thing?”

“We didn’t?”

“Oh, no?”

“Does Bucky look like my boyfriend?”

“You two are just so close.”

“Of course, he’s my guy. Ha, together, that’s a good one. K, let me take this off and we’ll head to check out.”

The other four women looked at each other in disbelief as you headed back into the dressing room. Nat shook her head. You left the changing area and met up with the boys downstairs to pay for the dresses and suits. While in line, you were behind Bucky. He felt your head hit his back and reached behind him to pat your back as best as he could. You slipped your hand into the metal one hanging at his side.

The team watched as you two walked ahead of them out of the mall and into the parking lot. You were holding both of the bags while his arm was around your shoulder, tapping the door knock pattern. He stopped tapping your shoulder and moved to tap on your temple just to mess with you. You swatted his hand the first two times before stopping, forcing him to stop too. You tapped the door knock pattern back to him, on his forehead.

“Mai bine fugi, printesa.” (You better run, princess)

The team watched you throw the bags at him and start to run to the car. Bucky shook his head and picked up the bags before running after you. His pace was clearly a lot slower to give you a chance; but he caught up to you anyway and grabbed you. You took the bags back and you two walked like normal.

“So those two are idiots, agreed,” Tony said.

“Agreed.”

~~

Of course, you had heard of Stark’s infamous parties but there was something about being there in real life. Despite living at the compound, Tony made you all enter from the outside via limo. He also forced you all to go through the big gates and the security checks like everyone else just for the formality of it all. Everyone knew who the Avengers were so pictures and a red carpet were a must. At one point, they used to hate it, especially Nat and Clint who started as secret spies. But the team accepted it and left secret missions to the CIA or other units and now dealt exclusively with HYDRA and other threats that required more than just regular humans to stop— of course there was always cloaking technology if absolutely needed.

Bucky didn’t expect people to want to talk to him but lots of people were intrigued by the Winter Soldier. More than once throughout the night he was pulled from your side by some senator or even a socialite. However, no matter how many people pulled him away, almost every slow dance was reserved for you.

You were sitting at the bar alone while Bucky was talking to someone. You smiled at the bartender, thanking her for the drink she handed your way when you felt a hand on your back. You turned to see who it was. No one you knew. The man talked and you tried your best to have a conversation but it was a struggle, he was clearly very outgoing and since you didn’t know him you felt yourself retreating again. Sam rushed in to save you, making you get up for a dance.

“It’s great to have you back.”

“It’s nice to see your face again, Sammy… and eat your breakfast.”

He laughed. “Did you just miss me for my cooking?”

“Would you be upset if I said yes?”

“A little.”

“Then it’s totally not.”

He smiled and dipped you. Sam was always so much fun to be around. On some days you wanted to curse him for ever bringing you into this Avenger world but at the same time you wouldn’t change it for the world and that was all because of Sam.

“Can I be honest with you, Caliber?”

“Is it bad?”

“No, but it’s about you and Bucky. I know you two can’t see it but we do, the entire team. You two have something between you guys.”

“Yeah, I mean we’re f—”

“No. Friends is Clint and Nat, me and Sharon, you and me. Even Tony and Nat in their own way. You and Bucky go past that.”

“Alright, Sam.”

“Just think about it.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Both you and Sam knew you probably weren’t going to think about it at all. Bucky was just your Bucky. Sam finished your dance, it being the last dance of the night. Happy and the other bodyguards helped clear out all of the other guests until it was just the Avengers on the balcony. There was no music, just a small fire and the conversations of the team.

“Manchurian Candidate.”

“Yes, Tony,” Bucky said with a roll of his eyes.

“I think your princess is knocked out.”

Bucky looked down at where your head was laying in his lap, he was gently stroking your cheek with his hand. The team collectively took a sip of their drinks to refrain from saying anything as they watched Bucky lean in close enough that his nose brushed against yours. You reached your hand up to tap the side of cheek twice. Before you got out the last tap, Bucky tapped your cheek instead.

“You tired?”

It was phrased as a question but Bucky knew the answer already. In the prime of Winter Soldier days he was a lot like you, instead of being the usual extroverted Bucky from the 40s. Lots of people could be draining. The rest of the team was still on high from the party and the mingling but you were officially on empty.

“Tony, why are your parties so big?” you asked, turning your head to where you assumed he was but still refusing to open your eyes.

“How else am I supposed to go, Caliber?” He chuckled as you groaned in defeat.

“Do you want me to take you up, now?” Bucky asked.

“Nah, enjoy your talking. Just take me up when you leave the balcony,” you mumbled as you turned over and wrapped yourself around him as best as you could in the tight dress. The last thing you heard was Bucky apologizing to Natasha about the Red Room.

Once they left the balcony, Bucky scooped you up and carried you towards the elevator.

“Can I stay in your room, Buck? I’m tired.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, I wouldn’t want to wake you with the nightmares.”

You sat up in his arms as best as you could. “Nightmares? When did this happen?”

“First day back in the compound. The fight in Wakanda triggered it all at once.”

“Bucky, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I’ll be fine. Didn’t want to worry you, printesa.”

(Part 13)...

[solinarimoon]

On Raven’s Wings - chapter one

A/N: Slow burn, angsty OC character insert for portions of season 3 for The Last Kingdom. The moodboard is mine with images from Pinterest.

Warnings: Canon violence, implied sexual mistreatment

Word Count: 4,280

Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flames danced and sent shadows across the faces of the people huddled around its warmth.  The approaching winter air sent chills and shivers along the skin of the Danes in the camp.  A promise of the cold season to come.

Sihtric sat quietly, listening. Observing.  Most of the conversation surrounding him was menial, inconsequential.  But the dark-haired Dane made sure his ears were ready to tune into any important details.  Anything that might be useful to him and his cause.

Across from him, the witch, Skade sat watching too.  Her piercing gaze content to be focused on others for the moment.  Whenever her eyes did land on him, he had to suppress a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold.  Her stare gave the eerie sense of piercing through to someone’s core and seeing them for all their fears. Their hidden secrets.  

She made him uneasy.

“Who is that, Bloodhair?” Haesten’s words seized Sihtric’s interest, “She joined us with your men from the south, did she not? Have you another witch you’ve been hiding?” 

Casually, so as not to rouse any suspicion, Sihtric turned to stare along with the rest of his companions across the width of the camp where Haesten had gestured.

A woman sat, alone and huddled near a small fire, her flaxen hair whipping in the growing wind.

Unable to resist further agitating Bloodhair’s ire, Haesten continued, “Have you kept another Seer hidden away from us so someone would not steal her too?”

Bloodhair had made no indication of answering Haesten’s questions.  Nor had his eyes traveled to look across the camp at the woman in question.  His stare was fixed as it had been all night.  Expressing unspoken words across the flames.

Skade stared back at him as she replied, “Muninn is no Seer.”

Feeling compelled to break his reserve, Sihtric questioned, “Muninn.  Like Odin’s raven.  Why do you call her that?”

“Because she has been useful.  She provides information,” Bloodhair broke his silence, his voice dark and full of frustration.  Still, he did not let his eyes leave Skade.

Sihtric turned his attention back to the young woman, his ears still trained on the conversation around him.

“A spy?” Cnut questioned, joining the conversation and staring at the woman before turning to look at Bloodhair.

“Like Odin’s Ravens, she has fed us information about the Saxons.  And in return we have let her live.” Skade sneered the response, her mouth quirking upwards in a crooked smile.

“Is she Saxon?” Haeston questioned, “She has a strange look.”

Indeed, the woman did seem out of place clashing with the Danish camp.  Her hair, the color of sand on a beach, was partially pulled back in a loose braid.  A bow and quiver rested at her side, of Saxon make.  And her dress was similar in design to those Saxon women wore, having none of the ornament or decoration often adorning Danish garb.  

Yet something in the set of her shoulders felt familiar.  At ease in her surroundings, if not unhappy with them. 

“She does not know what she is,” Skade smirked back at Bloodhair as she answered Haesten’s question, “She does not know who she is.  And she will serve her purpose.”  The Seer’s words were cryptic as ever.

“And what purpose would that be?” Cnut’s question hung in the air.

 “It will reveal itself,” Skade answered, her words biting like the cold, “in time.”

Slowly, conversations melted into other topics. Sihtric allowed his eyes to wander back to the young woman.  

As the hour grew late, more and more of the camp retired to their tents for warmth and rest.

When Sihtric finally stood to walk to his own tent, she was still there, watching the flames.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fight did not last long.  All of the odds were in Bloodhair’s favor as he attacked and beat Haesten down.

The hulking Danish warlord had grown tired of Haesten’s insults and jibes. His constant picking. They had made the square. They would settle the bad blood by shedding one another’s until one remained alive. The victor. And Bloodhair was a great fighter. 

As expected, he held Haesten under his thumb. Poised to humiliate and defeat.  Until Bloodhair began to falter.  As if struck by a spell.  Staggering, the towering warrior no longer had the wits to fight back, instead only able to block and deflect Haesten’s blows. 

He reeled around on his knees, the snow and mud sliding underneath him.  His eyes scanned the crowd. Sudden and clumsy, Bloodhair lurched towards Skade, a look of betrayal lining his face.  And Skade did nothing but smirk at his distress from her place in the crowd.

Sihtric watched along with the gathered men, in grim understanding.  Skade was the orchestrator of this dance.  And she led the steps, ending with her knives striking the life from Bloodhair’s flesh.  

Sihtric had quailed at the swift movements and sudden appearance of her knives, the action ended before he could even register it. 

As the fallen warrior’s life flowed from his body, Haesten stepped forward.  Kneeling, he placed Bloodhair’s blade in his hand.  A final gesture of respect for a fallen warrior.  The two men had begrudged each other throughout their campaign.  Chided one another.  But a warrior deserved a warrior’s death.  

Sihtric stared on at the grim display.

“She is poison to all men,” he whispered his thoughts to the wind while the crowd dispersed.

A quiet voice spoke, low and full of scorn, “Her malice reaches beyond men.”  

Muninn had materialized as if vapor at his elbow. 

The woman’s face betrayed a deep hatred, a rage burning under her surface. 

Attempting to mask how startled her appearance made him, Sihtric turned on his heel to look at her, assessing her. 

Her long blonde hair, soft and wind-swept.  Her head was of a height with his chin and her shoulders were set firm, arms crossed, wrapping herself in her cloak. 

“You are the one Bloodhair called Muninn,” Sihtric gauged, noting how she flinched at the name, her mouth pursed and nose creased, “his Saxon spy.”

“I am neither,” she whispered, voice laced with scorn, “and that is not my name.” 

“Is it not true that you fed him information about the Saxons, about your own people.”

“Half truths.  He was meant to be a means to an end,”

She huffed, before breathing out, weakly, “An end that can no longer be.”

Sihtric frowned. There was a slight quaver in her voice. A wavering. Very slight. But he heard it. 

She did not look at him. But continued to stare at the corpse of Bloodhair before shifting her head up, eyes focusing on something else. Sihtric turned to follow her eyes and saw Skade watching them. One brow raised and that daring smirk gracing her lips before Haesten took the witch by the arm and escorted her away from the crowd.

A shift in the air at his side let him know Muninn was gone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You were Uhtred’s man?”

Her voice broke the silence that permeated between them.  The pair sat watching at the edge of the camp, while Skade gathered her herbs and leaves from beneath the tree in the field.

Sihtric had been shadowing the witch, learning her routines when he had come upon Muninn.  She sat, legs crossed beneath her on the ground, a bundle of sticks and some bird feathers at her side.  He watched as she used a knife to shape the sticks, molding them as if they were clay.  He was supposed to be learning about Skade, but the rhythmic sound of her knife scraping along the sticks, whittling them into straight shafts was mesmerizing.  

The constant vigilance and scouting throughout the camp wore on him. And the sound of her knife against the wood was like a mother’s gentle humming. A rhythm that sets one to ease and calms the nerves. He was entranced. 

Until her voice roused him.  He did not even know she was aware of his presence behind her.  He closed the distance between them and walked up to stand beside her.

“Uhtred Ragnarson?” she questioned again, “You were his oathman?”

He turned his eyes to look down at her, still working at the wood in her hand.  When he did not answer her, she paused, turning her head up to meet his eyes waiting for his reply.

“It is true, I was,” he conceded.

“Your name is Sihtric.” This time it was not a question, but he answered anyway.

“That is my name.”

Muninn continued to look at him, before probing, “Sihtric…” 

She let his name hang in the air.

“Sihtric Kjartanson,” he replied, giving her his father’s name.  He could not be sure, but he thought he saw something in her face when he spoke the name Kjartan.  A flicker of something, beneath her surface.

“Why are you watching her?”

He furrowed his brow, caught off guard by her probing. He felt immense scrutiny from others in the camp for his abandonment of his lord. But the calculating looks from these two women were the only ones that made his lies falter. 

Returning his eyes to watch Skade in the distance, he still felt her scrutiny. He huffed before finding his reply. 

“In truth, I do not know what I wish to find by watching her.” It was not a lie. He didn’t know exactly what he needed to find but knew he needed to watch her to find it. To have something to bring to Uhtred. 

“Like many poisons, she can be addicting,” at her words, he cut his eyes to see the woman had returned her attention to fletching her arrows with the feathers at her side. Her fingers moved deftly, with purpose.  After a few moments pause, she continued her thought, “but I do not think that is what brings your eyes to her, Sihtric. Son of Kjartan.”  

Now he heard it.  The scorn and anger lacing her words.  The disdain he had detected earlier now plain.

Before he was able to register her anger and form a reply, she had gathered her arrows and was gone.

Sihtric was left standing, watching as she strode back through the camp, her honey blonde hair flying in the cold and her cloak billowing behind her.  She did not look back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walking briskly along the corridor of tents and cookfires, she pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, bracing from the cold.

She had been skirting the edges of the camp, trying to remain away from questions, away from prying eyes and wandering hands.  Hidden.  But still she needed to get to her tent for the night.  

In the weeks since Bloodhair’s death, she had to ferret out the safest times for her to move through the camp without drawing attention to herself.   

Better to exist along the edges. The periphery. Like a ghost. 

Attracting the eyes of the men in the camp would not help her cause. 

But neither would skulking along from shadow to shadow like an assassin. 

“I cannot appear as a threat,” she thought to herself continually, “Better to be a mouse. A casual presence that does not bring one's focus when you are quiet and keep away from the crowd.”

“The bear cub disguised as a mouse,” she mused. Her lips curled into a small, sad grin at the thought. 

“Muninn!”

The shout startled her, stopping her feet fast to the ground. 

“Damn that Raven,” she cursed under her breath before turning towards the voice. “I am no Raven,” she finished in her head while scanning to her right for the voice.

“Over here, little Raven,” it was Haesten, leering at her from across a table, “Bloodhair’s other pet.”

Several others were scattered around the table. Cnut at one end, a knife in his hand.  Casually he balanced the tip against the wood, toying with the hilt. Not putting enough pressure to scar the wood but not letting the knife fall either. 

“Not threatening,” the young woman thought, “but accessible.” 

Skade sat next to Haesten, her body turned slightly towards the hulking man yet somehow still detached.  It was clear to the young woman that though Skade was with Haesten since returning to camp, the seer did not deign the man worthy of her full devotion.  The seer’s gaze followed the woman as she approached the table, cold and calculating.

The final men at the table had their backs to her.  One with long dark hair, scattered with braids and matted knots.  His head was slumped forward across the wood, a forgotten cup of ale nestled loosely in his sleeping hand.  

But the other man was awake, a cup grasped in an arm draped over the table and the other resting on his lap, close to his own knife.

She noticed how Sihtric’s shoulders tensed as she drew close to the table before he shifted his posture to cover his discomfort at her presence near him.

But she could not allow herself to linger on her own displeasure of the company. 

Haesten leered at her, “Where have you been hiding since your Lord’s,” he paused, clearly punctuating his perceived victory, “death?”

Muninn stood still, meeting his eye, offering no response.

“Well, Muninn,” Cnut joined in, “have you no tongue to answer?”

The young woman shifted her eyes towards the red haired Dane and back to Haesten.

“I have been here, lord.  In the camp.”

“Ah yes, but where have you squirrelled yourself away to hide?” The hulking Dane leaned forward on his arms, before shifting a hand over to grasp at Skade’s arm posessively.  His voice was thick with the sluggish effect of drink.

“Skade has told us that you made yourself useful to the late Earl Sigird.  I wonder, girl, if you could make such a bargain again?”

Haesten’s tone suggested to the woman and all those at the table what use he thought she could be.

“Muninn is not to be touched.”

Skade’s words rang firm in the night air.

Breathing a slow sigh of relief, the young woman’s hand slowly relaxed, still gripping her cloak against her for warmth.  All eyes turned towards the witch.

“She has a role to play in our fight.  And it is not to be humped by a man.”

Sighing, weary of the intrigue, Cnut leaned back in his chair, before looking back at Muninn.  The young woman still stood, cloak pulled tight across her chest, bow and quiver of arrows slung across her back.

“Well Muninn,” she bristled at the name, but said nothing as Cnut continued, “if you are not for humping, how did a Saxon woman come to be held in such regard for Bloodhair?”

The young woman turned her head to stare at Cnut, her mouth a thin line.

“Bloodhair raided my home.  He killed my family,” but Muninn’s scorn was interrupted by Skade.

“They were not your family.”  The witch spoke loud, clear, and with a laugh.  Muninn’s eyes snapped back to meet Skade’s.  

She could feel the eyes of the table on her.  She did not need to turn her head to know Sihtric’s gaze was watching her too.  

Muninn battled within herself over how to respond before finding her wits to reply aloud, “In this you are wrong, witch.”

Then choosing not to linger on the topic, she returned her attention to Cnut, “after the raid, I was left alive.  I did not wish to die and the witch offered Bloodhair a vision.  She told Bloodhair I was to live.  So I live.  If you are asking me to earn my place here, I can hunt.”

Her words left no argument over whether she would willingly submit to any less favorable treatment to earn her place in the camp.

“And you know information about the Saxons,” Haesten interrupted her.  “Is that not how you earned your name, little Muninn?  By whispering words of your people into Bloodhair’s ear?”

Scanning the faces watching her, she replied, “It is true.  But I do not know what information I can provide any longer.  I was offering ideas of trade routes and hunting paths that would go undetected for travel.  Or villages that often had good crop stores.”

“It was Muninn’s knowledge that helped us move swiftly and unhindered into this position.  She has value.  And a fate that has not come to pass.” Skade spoke, growing more impassioned with each word.

“I grow tired of you, witch.  You speak in riddles and I am not under your spell,” Cnut sighed once more, running a hand over his face, exasperated.

Haesten bridled, “No Cnut, you are under Brida’s spell.  Tell me where is she?  Why has she not returned to lead her men with us?  Are they your men now?”  Each question he asked, Haesten’s frustration grew.

At the mention of Brida’s name, Muninn felt her arms tense and her fists ball tighter in her cloak once more.  She didn’t dare interject, but stood listening.  She was aware of Sihtric’s sidelong glance at her shift in posture.

“Brida still mourns,” Cnut said, dismissively, “She will return soon.  And soon after that, her men will become my men.”

The two warriors stared at one another, tense and poised, before both broke out into raucous laughter a moment later.

The tension relieved and conversation shifting, Muninn tried to steady her breath, which had grown stuttered and shallow,  before stepping away.  But Cnut’s voice drew her back.

“We may call on you yet, girl.  You could be of use.”  

“I do not know how my knowledge of the area or my people, simple farmers and merchants, can be of use.  But if you feel it can, I will provide. And my father taught me to hunt.  Even in the winter cold.  So I can provide food as well.”  She was surprised at how steady her voice sounded.  Inside her heart was hammering and she felt a gnawing pang gripping her chest.

“Very well,” Cnut dismissed her waving his hand.

As she turned, Muninn caught Sihtric’s eyes, watching her turn to leave.  Making her retreat, she still felt those eyes watching her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She watched as Sihtric left the edge of the camp.  She had been watching him through the lines of tents all morning.  

Cnut’s men had been preparing their departure to head to the village of Crueland. The word had spread that Uhtred was besieged there by the local theign. And the camp activity had been busy.  A change from the restless idle energy they had dealt with for weeks.

But Sihtric’s energy had caught her attention.  She watched him from the shadows while he thought no one was aware.  His gaze and attention continually shifting from Cnut’s warriors’ preparations to the treeline along the eastern edge of the camp.   

Cnut’s men were preparing to march south, deeper into Mercia.  But Sihtric was looking to the east. The young Dane put on a convincing act amid the hustle and commotion.  He lent a hand when it was needed but did not interject himself overly into the way and draw attention.  But he found ways to keep his hands busy and appear engaged, while he was observing.  Replacing a torn up tent stake or taking a seat to sharpen the edge of his axe.

It was casual and he was at ease.  The young woman could not help but be impressed with his skill at blending in and observing.

Finally, after all morning spent preparing, Cnut’s men rode out of camp.  And still, Sihtric stood lingering on the edge of the tents.  Waiting for Cnut’s warriors to be out of sight.

Then she watched as he stalked off, away from the camp, towards the line of the trees.

Slowly, she gathered her quiver and bow and made for the treeline to the north of Sihtric’s path.  Once she’d broken through into the forest, she changed directions.  Her course now aiming to intersect Sihtric’s path and see what he had been concealing.

Her steps were slow and cautious. But it was difficult to mask the crunch of her boots in the snow. The powder muffled all sounds but did not hide them. 

She could hear voices up ahead and hoped their conversation would be enough to distract from the sounds of her footfalls. 

But nevertheless, the young woman notched an arrow to her bow, keeping it down and to her side, ready to pull it taught if the need should arise. 

Crouching awkwardly low, she slowed her steps further as the voices grew more recognizable. 

She heard laughter followed by a tone more serious. She was not sure, but she thought she heard the low rumbles of Sihtric’s voice, words indistinguishable. He was then answered by a second voice, louder but still muffled to her ears. 

Following the voices, she came around a copse of trees and stopped short. Beyond she could see a group of men, four or five maybe with backs turned to her. All except for Sihtric. His face still continued scanning his surroundings while conversing with his companions, but he paused as his eyes drifted across her. She darted to her left, fully concealing herself behind the trunk of a large oak. 

The voices paused before continuing after several heartbeats. 

The woman’s pulse quickened as she strained to hear the conversation from behind the tree. 

Then, reflexively, she stepped into view pulling the string of her bow taught, her arrow trained at the face of a man a mere two or three paces from her. 

His sword raised defensively, the man stepped back a pace and she walked around him, bringing herself into view of Sihtric and the others. 

“What is this you have found, Finan?” The voice came from her right, commanding and strong. 

“I couldn’t say, Lord? Some sort of huntress perhaps.” There was a careful humor and an Irish lilt in his words. 

The man, Finan, stepped farther back, retreating towards his men, his sword lowering slightly. 

Her arrow and stance shifted, following him. 

“Lord, that is a woman of Bloodhair’s.” Sihtric’s eyes met hers as he spoke, piercing. Challenging perhaps. “She is called Muninn”

“I was never his woman,” she fumed, her arm shaking from the tension in the bowstring.  Slowly, she lowered the bow, letting the arrow fall loose in her hand, “And that is not my name.”

These last words she whispered.

Her gaze had found their lord and she swallowed, a lump lodging in her throat at the sight of him. A heaviness in her chest returning.

“Uhtred,” his name fell from her lips as a sigh.

The wind blew through the trees, swirling the snow around her feet and lifting loose strands of hair from her face.  The lump in her throat grew larger as Uhtred stalked forward, studying her.

His face was unreadable as he stopped an arm's reach away from her.

“Who are you, woman?” The bite of his question made her flinch and a stray tear slip down her cheek.

Searching his eyes, she answered, “You would know me as a girl who pulled at your hair and followed your games in the woods, you used to call me little bear cub.”

She watched the lines in Uhtred’s face shift.  The furrow’s along his brow eased and his eyes widened while he took in her appearance.  

“Show me your arm then,” he whispered. Then finding his voice, he pushed, “if you are her, show me the scar?”

She let her bow and the arrow drop into the snow.

Slowly, she lifted her left arm, pulling back the sleeve of her dress.  Along the inside of her forearm, running several inches was a purple line.  Evidence of a deep wound, long ago healed.

She left her eyes downcast staring at the scar, unable to meet his eye as Uhtred reached out his hand, gloved fingers tracing the line.

He took a step forward, dropping her arm to gently grasp her chin in his hand.  Cautiously, Uhtred tilted her face to meet her eye.  He searched her face, eyes roving along all her features.  

“Liva?” 

He breathed her name as if she would disappear if he spoke too loud.  His face was filled with shock.

She closed her eyes, allowing the tears to fall and giving a single nod.

A sob escaped her and she opened her eyes to watch him when she felt his hand leave her face and he took a staggering step back from her.

The distance did not last long before her feet were lifted off the ground as Uhtred grabbed her into a crushing embrace. She flung her arms around his shoulders and clung to him with all the pain and echoes of her past.

“Am I seeing a spirit?” She heard him laugh through choked tears, his face buried in her shoulder.

“No,” she sobbed, her words muffled and trembling, “I am no spirit.  I am flesh and blood.”

Uhtred placed her back on her feet and took her face in his hands, scanning and searching her over once more, studying the features he had missed grow up to become the woman before him.

“How?” 

His question was simple.  The answer would not be so simple.  Before Liva could reply, their reunion was interrupted by the Irishman’s rough brogue.

“Lord, what is this?” he questioned.  “Who is she to you?”

Uhtred tilted his forehead down to rest on hers before pulling back and looking at his companions.

“Her name is Liva,” he turned back to her smiling, tears blurring his vision, “we thought she was lost in the hall burning.  She is Ragnar’s daughter.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[ficsandgiggles]

Difficult Day, Giggly Night

I am dedicating this fic to my big sister @pegasusflight77 because she’s had a rough day and she deserves all the love and positive vibes. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for being such a ray of sunshine in my life! 💗

(Please excuse the mess of this fic, it’s not edited or proof read bc I’m kinda still going through things myself, but I wanted to write something!)

“Ugh.” You groaned as you stormed through the door and slammed it shut, throwing your bags down and storming straight up to your room, grunting at Wanda who tried to greet you softly.

Wanda looked over at Nat, concerned as she heard you slam your door shut. “I’m guessing it was another rough day at work…” Nat told Wanda quietly, looking over at your bag which was dumped on the floor. She reached in and grabbed your phone, looking at Wanda. “Shall we go and check on them?” She asked quietly, hearing your wardrobe slam shut whilst you were changing out of your work uniform.

Wanda nodded and headed up to your room, giving Nat a look before knocking on your door, hearing a grunt in response, but Wanda took that as a sign to open the door, heading inside as Nat followed, handing you your phone.

“Hey, tough day?” Nat asked gently as she sat down on your bed, handing you your phone as she put a hand on your arm gently as Wanda sat on the floor next to your bed.

You nodded silently in response, curling up on the bed as you took your phone from Nat, relaxing a little as you felt Nat’s hand on your arm, it was a simple yet comforting gesture.

“Anything you want to talk about?” Wanda offered gently as she tried to turn your head so you could face her, but you buried your face into the pillow, shaking your head in response.

The three of you remained there in a comfortable silence, but the silence was quick to take over you, and you tensed up whilst pretty much let your thoughts drown you. However, Nat could tell that something was up, and began spidering her fingers up and down your back in an attempt to relax you. “We’re here for you, Y/N, no matter what.” Wanda whispered gently, joining in and running her fingers through your hair, feeling you sink into the pillow slightly.

Another silence brushed across you, but you weren’t sure if you liked it or not, but there was no way you were going to talk about the day you had because you knew they’d go and find the people who bullied you at work and go on a killing spree, and as much as you hated being picked on, you didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

The uncomfortable silence didn’t last for long as you felt Nat’s nails lightly brush against your side, you didn’t expect the motion, so you flinched a little and bit back a tiny gasp. You turned your head to see Wanda look up at Nat with a small smile on her face, as if she was exchanging a silent conversation with her.

“I think we know what to do to cheer you up…” Wanda murmured quietly as she crawled her fingers towards your ribs. “Are you ticklish, Y/N?” She asked quietly, but didn’t give you time to answer as she gently scribbled her fingers into your ribs. Nat smirked and Wanda’s eagerness to attack you and joined in by gently skittering her nails up and down your sides, looking down at you as you broke into hysterical giggles.

“I’m guessing that’s a yes.” Nat smirked fondly, giggling and watching as you buried your face into your pillow. You shook your head in response as you tried to slam your arms down to against your sides in an attempt to bat their hands away.

“No? But you’re giggling!” Wanda smirked a little, as she tried to gently scribble under your arms. “And it’s sooooo cute!” She added, smiling as she watched you giggle hysterically, which was a change compared to how you were earlier, and it made her and Nat feel relieved.

The two kept gently attacking your ribs and sides, and didn’t notice that Yelena was peering through the doorway to watch what was going on, she had heard you slam the door and was going to check on you.

As Nat kept scribbling in, she caught her sister in the corner of her eye. She paused her attack for a second and looked over at Yelena. “Hey, is everything okay?” She asked, smiling as she still heard your giggles since Wanda was squeezing rapidly into your sides.

“I heard Y/N’s door slam and I got concerned. But I can see that everything is okay.” Yelena replied as she stepped back for a moment, but Nat smirked and put a hand on her shoulder. “Come join us, we’re just cheering Y/N up.” She replied casually.

Soon enough, Wanda, Nat and Yelena were sat on your bed, Wanda had turned you over and dragged you gently onto her lap, holding your hands gently away from you before giving Nat and Yelena a smirk.

“Wait, nonono-“ you gasp, looking over between Nat and Yelena nervously as they slowly moved their fingers towards you, Nat was heading towards your upper body and Yelena was moving towards your legs and feet.

There was a short pause before you quickly burst into hysterical giggles. Nat’s fingers quickly skittered up your top and into your belly whilst Yelena squeezed into your knees, making you squeal and arch your back away from Wanda’s lap. “NOHOHOHO!” You yelp out, trying to twist away as the spy sisters attack you gently, smiling at your giggling self. You heard Wanda coo fondly blow a tiny raspberry into your neck.

“Aw, but you’re so cute!” Wanda smiled fondly as you saw Nat giggle along with you, scribbling into the middle of your belly to really make you giggle. “Yeah Y/N, how else would we cheer you up?” She asked casually.

You shrugged, squealing with laughter as you felt Yelena squeeze just above your knee. “It seems that this is the only solution.” She told you casually, holding your leg down gently as she kept squeezing, making sure you couldn’t move.

“NOHOHOHO IT REHEHEHEALLY ISNT!” You protest, trying to pout, but you couldn’t help but continue to squeal with laughter, you were way too ticklish to not react to this torture. You would never admit it, but this was taking your mind off today’s events, and you were actually having fun. Nat and Wanda had tickled you before, to distract you from doing some uni work, but never as full on as this. You remembered thinking that you wouldn’t hate it if they done this again, and thankfully, your secret wish came true, and you are loving it.

“Y/N, you’re so cute but you’re so ticklish it’s ridiculous.” Wanda smirked fondly as she nuzzled her face into your neck, all the while Yelena made herself at home near your feet, scratching up and down your soles gently as Nat gently scribbled up and down your sides.

You were in ticklish heaven, you had basically slid off Wanda’s lap at this point, and you didn’t even notice that she had let your hands go, you felt pinned anyway, as if your own laughter was holding you down.

Soon enough though, the three of them exchanged looks and let you go, smiling as you collapsed into a fit of giggles, you curled up and took in deep breaths in an attempt to recover.

“Feel better?” Nat asked as she rested her hand on your arm, you nodded in response and relaxed into the gentle comforting motion once again after being convinced that Nat wasn’t going to attack you again. You loved it, but you needed a break for now.

“Yeah… thanks guys…” you reply, sitting up after you recovered and leaning your head on Wanda’s shoulder. Nat pulled Yelena close and cuddled into you and Wanda.

“You’re welcome, Y/N. The four of us have each other’s backs, always.” Yelena reassured you. Despite not being a part of the team for long, she was quickly welcomed as a member of the family, and was determined to share the same love to you as she got from the others.

“Now, I think we need a movie night.” Nat suggested, and the three of you nodded eagerly, and got up to head towards the lounge.

So for the rest of the night, the four of you were snuggled up together, watching all of your favourite films. You noticed that you got the occasional side squeeze whenever you were physically or mentally drifting away, but you didn’t complain. You felt comfortable with these women, and for that, you were forever grateful.