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Pulling the helmet from his head, Pietro ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. He loved his job-he did. Working for SHIELD was more than he could hope for. And once things with his undercover assignment settled down, his life was back to a sense of normalcy. But nothing would ever beat coming home.

Thankfully, he managed to negotiate with one of the other agents to cover his shift tomorrow, so even though he couldn’t spend today with his husband, he could at least spend the next. Tucking his helmet under his arm, he made his way through the front door, hearing the familiar sound of paws against the floor. No sooner did he set the helmet to the side did Luna and Star come around the corner, tails wagging when they saw him.

“Hey girls!” Kneeling down, he scratched behind their ears as they performed their usual ‘sniff check’, Luna hopping up to lick the side of Pietro’s face. “Look at these bows--don’t you two look pretty? Did dad do that? Huh? Where is he?” The quiet clatter that came from the kitchen answered his question, Pietro pulling a single rose from the bag he carried in. Tthe speedster gave each dog a pat on the head before darting into the kitchen. Standing beside his husband, he rest his hands on Cole’s shoulders, pressing a kiss to the other’s cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Seacrest.” Grinning, he took a step back, holding out the rose. “It’s a touch cheesy--but I couldn’t help it.” Blue eyes looked around the kitchen. “Everything looks amazing, per usual. I think Luna want to eat her bow, though.” He fought the urge to eat one of the strawberries now. His gaze settled on the covered doorway, a brow arching slightly. “Are we redecorating?” He asked, turning to face Cole.

Everyday’s the 14th | Sonic Clone

Cole knew Jubilee was planning to come by tonight but the rest of the day was theirs to enjoy. Ever since he and Pietro had managed to reconcile–to truly talk out everything and come to understandings to help keep their relationship in tact–Cole gained a new appreciation for their time together even more than before. 

Their home still wasn’t completely unpacked and decorated yet, and the exterior renovations weren’t starting until the weather improved; irksome as all of this was for Cole, the home was plenty livable for the time being. After getting home from work that morning, he napped for an hour, showered and then prepared some of his Valentine’s Day gift, hoping that most of it might be done before Pietro got home. 

Still currently without cohesive couch furniture for the living room (he was still determined to get rid of what they had from the penthouse and purchase a new set), Cole pulled nearly every pillow in the home, along with several blankets and comforters and transformed the space into a giant fort. The bluetooth speakers were synced to his phone, softly playing some acoustic covers and ballads just outside of the fort itself. He managed to find a couple of strands of white lights from Christmas, and pulled all of the drapes shut on the room’s window. The entrance to the room had been somewhat sealed off by a couple of old blankets currently pinned above the entryway.

His back was to the kitchen’s entrance as he finished arranging a few platters of food for them to enjoy. Some of it had been purchased goods at one of the local marketplaces, fresh fruits with dips, sliced salami, crackers and a few different types of cubed cheeses; Cole cut the stems off of a bowl’s worth of strawberries and was standing over the stove, currently stirring some heated dipping chocolate. As he purposely dripped a bit of chocolate on his finger, he heard the familiar growl of Pietro’s motorcycle just outside, followed by Star and Luna’s routine trots to the front door, ready to greet their dad.

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[delivered to him]

Card: 

Dearest Pietro, 

I wish nothing but the best for you this Christmas and I hope that this new year brings you all the happiness and blessings you deserve. 

Love, 

Jubs

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[individually gift wrapped]

[sealed in a manila envelope]

[folded and taped to a second ticket]

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[2 tickets to The Lego Batman Movie left inside the note card; written inside the card]

I couldn’t make you breakfast in bed at breakfast time, or else I’d be up at some ungodly hour cooking and it would wake you up before Jesus and who wants to start their birthday out like that? So consider this brunch in bed. The movie tickets are half of the dinner/movie plans for later. Happy birthday, Sonic.

With love, –OB

P.S. this is compliments of an e-card that I couldn’t pass up: I’m so glad we’re going to grow old together and that you’ll always have a head start.

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“You know--I’m tempted to say you are being over dramatic, but I have known you long enough to know otherwise. Why I never seem to get it is beyond me.”

“I’m beginning to wonder if there’s some unwritten law in the universe I wasn’t privy to that says I need to get food poisoning at least once a year.”

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cookiecuttercole:

Cole had time to take a deep breath and sigh most of it back out before getting an answer on the phone. It had been a while since hearing Pietro brought about a reaction from within him. Yet hearing those questions fire out of the speedster’s mouth, Cole felt an involuntary leap inside his chest. Leaning forward, he reached for his wine, “I’m fine, relax,” and brought it to his lips. “I’m at home…at the penthouse,” he added, speaking into the tilted, bulbous glass. Once he had a healthy amount down his throat, he added, “I don’t know what your…what your schedule is, but I thought we should talk sometime soon. Not… like last time, but really talk whenever you’re free.” 

He took another long sip of his wine while his own phone quietly buzzed in his back pocket. Adjusting his sitting position and pinning the other phone to his shoulder, he pulled the phone out to find an email notification from his home inspector. Cole opened the email and only skimmed it in the moment, long enough to see if any red flags stood out about the home. He couldn’t find any which felt like a strange relief as he sat on the phone with his husband. Shutting his eyes, Cole slipped his cellphone back in his pocket. Regardless of how this eventual conversation with Pietro would go, his mind was made up: he wasn’t going to live here any longer than absolutely necessary. 

While Pietro was relieved that Cole was safe, he couldn’t resist the urge to roll his eyes when told to ‘relax’. “Sorry, ‘relaxing’ is a little easier said than done these days.” He stared at the ground, an aching in his chest at Cole’s next words. “I’m free now.” He turned and grabbed a nearby hoodie, throwing it on as he walked out of the room. “Jay, I’ll be back.”

“No, Pietro we have to-” But he was already gone, blue and silver streams in his wake. Jay fell back into his chair, running a hand down his face. “I’ll just---wait here then.”

It took Pietro about half a minute before he was opening the door to the penthouse, ending the call as he cast a glance around the space, taking in the sight of several boxes, frowning slightly. The clinking of dog tags brought a smile to his face as he was all but tackled by the two dogs. “Hey girls!” Kneeling down, he pet both Star and Luna, both dogs jumping up to lick at his face. “How’ve you been, huh?” Small yips were given in response as Pietro stood, both dogs still walking around his legs as he moved to the living room, looking for Cole until he spotted his husband on the porch. “Hey.” He called out, patting Luna on the head as he moved to stand in the doorway. He glanced around, clearly a little uncomfortable, unsure of where to start. He was just hoping this talk would start better than their last one, his jaw aching at the memory. “You wanted to talk?”

Bent Not Broken | Sonic Clone

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itsajubilation:

“Haha you could say that.” She was fully aware of how busy she always was. Jubilee was starting to think this was just the way she liked it. Idle hands were always a terrible thing anyway. She chuckled along with him and listened as he spoke. “Ah. Two peas in a pod we are.” The corner of her lips rose into a smile. It was like having a mutual understanding with someone and it made talks like this one a lot easier. She caught his expression and bit her lip. “Sorry. But then you had gone missing and I was terrified. I wanted to make sure you were okay. They took Alana and I felt like I needed to do something about it.” A pause. She took a deep breath before adding, “I’m out patrolling at night mostly. Anything I see that’s shady, I look into it. I do some investigation before I go in. I know there are others like me. Like the guy in the mask but…one more won’t hurt, right? It was a rough start at first. I’d get home all bandaged up a lot of the times but it got better. I got better. Even ran into your old partner Aiden before he took off. He helped me get home after a Hydra agent beat the crap out of me.”

“Aren’t we always?” Even more so now that Pietro knew just what Jubilee was up to--vigilantes weren’t uncommon, they were all over--but this was different. This was someone Pietro cared for. He wasn’t about to tell SHIELD, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be keeping an eye on her--make sure SHIELD stayed off her tail. He sighed, shooting Jubilee a pointed look, shaking his head. He couldn’t blame her-Pietro joined SHIELD to protect people, he wasn’t about to lecture Jubilee for doing what she thought was best for the same reasons. “I’m not---I understand. Just--be careful, promise?” At the mention of Aiden, Pietro visibly stiffened, hands clenching before he caught himself, eyes darting to the right. “Did he now?” Exhaling slowly, he turned his gaze to the ground, thinking carefully. “Jubilee--about Aiden. We need to talk.” He moved to sit on a nearby bench, gesturing for his friend to sit next to him. “I knew that you two were---close. So trust me when I say I kept this from you for good reason.” He finally looked up at her then, seemingly still looking for the right words, the best way to put this. But there was nothing, there was no good way to put this. “Aiden didn’t--leave. He wasn’t who we thought he was. Any of us. He worked for SHIELD too---but it wasn’t the only person he worked for.” A pause. “You remember when I was in the hospital? Aiden’s the one who put me there. We fought after I found out he was a double agent--Ju, he worked for Hydra.”

Old Friend, New Information | QuickFire

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itsajubilation:

Jubilee smirked and thanked him for the fries, plucking one almost immediately. “My favorite. Thanks, Pet.” She cast him a soft smile. “Yeah… a lot has been going on with what happened to Eva and trying to help Nadia out. Alma has been staying with me too and Clint has a lot going on as well. As for me, I’ve been working like mad as usual. Still recovering from Fashion Week. I have a couple of shows to set up to keep me busy well into the winter so there’s that.” Jubilee took another fry. “Yeah, I miss you. Things have been insane, huh? How are you? How are things since we last saw each other?” Jubilee looked out to the river again. “I brought you here because you shared something super secret with me and I wanted to do the same. You and Cole are my best friends and I can’t keep anything from you guys. Remember last year we got ourselves into some trouble with those HYDRA agents? Remember the thing you told me not to do after that? Don’t go an try to be a hero or something like that? Well…” She bit her lip and paused for a few seconds. “I didn’t quite listen…” 

“You’re welcome.” He grabbed one for himself, popping it into his mouth as he listened to his friend. “Another busy week in the life of Jubilation Lee.” He commented with a quiet chuckle. “That’s a good word for it.” Brows rose as he turned to stare at their surroundings. “I’ve been okay-busy.” But that was all he could say about it--he told Jubilee about his job, but the details? That was something he couldn’t disclose. Especially when it came to who he would have to visit. That got a laugh out of him, but he shot Jubilee a questioning look. “Yeah, but what are you--” It took him a second before he realized, eyes narrowing somewhat. “--I should’ve guessed you wouldn’t listen to me.” He sighed heavily, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. He didn’t look angry or annoyed, his expression softened as he looked back at Jubilee. “What exactly are you doing?” He needed to hear the details--mostly to make sure she was staying safe.

Old Friend, New Information | QuickFire

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cookiecuttercole:

Cole lay out on one of the terrace couches of the Baxter Building penthouse, his attention to the sun setting on another comfortable, Autumn day. He’d grown sick of staring at the boxes stacked around the penthouse but had been waiting on the results of an inspection for a property. There had been a discussion of lease-to-own, but Cole refused to sign anything before having the place thoroughly inspected first. Occupying his thoughts more, at the moment, was one of the two items he’d brought outside with him. The barely touched glass of Merlot stood toward the center of a nearby lounge table–lest Star or Luna wander out and knock it over, or attempt to help themselves to it. Turning over and over in his hand, however, was the small cell phone Pietro had given him.

Countless times, Cole considered using it, but each time the idea rose in his head, it was quickly followed by an internal debate that ended in him not using the device. Deep down, he knew that the two of them needed to talk–that their previous conversation couldn’t be left as though it would be their last. As much as the hurt had been eating him up, and the anger and resentment still lingered like the heat from hot coals, Pietro’s final words rang in his head as clear as day. He was trying. There were moments were Cole truly wanted to be comforted by that and other remarks Pietro made that day, but there were just as many times where Cole just didn’t know what that meant–trying at what? How long would all of this go on? How long could it go on before–

Sitting up with an exasperated sigh, Cole went to the phone’s contact list, finding only one: “Me”. He shot a glance up at the sky, thinking, Creative, to himself before hitting the ‘Call’ button and holding the device to his ear as it rang.

Pietro stared intently at the computers, Jay going on about something that the speedster had blocked out long ago. His partner was fretting, something that would not help their mission in any way. Besides, as Pietro had pointed out several times--he was capable of thinking on his feet and handling himself. Besides, he had several other things to worry about. Running a hand through messy, silver locks, Pietro turned on his heel, pacing the room when the vibrating phone caught his attention.

“All I’m saying is that you can’t just charge in and talk to this guy like nothing-” He was caught off by a raised finger as Pietro stared at the number that flashed across the screen.

“Later. I have to take this.” Throwing his hands in the air, Jay shook his head, muttering an acknowledgment before beginning to tinker with a device he was working on.

Walking into the next room, Pietro quickly answered the call, casting a glance behind him. “Where are you? Are you alright?”

Bent Not Broken | Sonic Clone

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“Yeah, but you start rumors abut muffins laced with hallucinogens and this place will get packed with people who suddenly think they are Captain America or something and that won’t be fun for anyone.” Pietro pointed out, tone matter-of-fact as he leaned back in his seat, finally moving to take a drink from the mug in front of him. “Surprised to see you guys out this late. Or see you at all with how busy everyone seems to be.”

“I’ll grant yours is the more likely answer to our present conundrum, but it’s hardly the most interesting story that we could weave from our present circumstances. And why shouldn’t we strive to be interesting?” Esme asked, passing a mobile phone to Irma so that she could pay for their drinks.

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“I don’t know about that.” Piero chuckled at Pheobe’s question, brow arching. “I am inclined to agree with Esme though. Or it could be a ply to get you to buy more.” He shrugged, glancing at the pastry in question.

“My big theory? It probably isn’t the freshest muffin and they just want to get rid of it. Not nearly as exciting as your theory, I know.”

“You just got a free muffin?” Sophie asked, leading the small procession of identical blondes that had stopped beside Pietro’s table.

“Usually that’s a big markup item,” said Celeste.

“Is it secretly laced with hallucinogens?” Phoebe asked him.

Esme smirked slightly and shook her head at her sister. “That would be cause for a shop to charge even more if they knew what they were doing.”

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“You are a decent friend. Sass, snark, and all, Tink.” Pietro reassured with a smile. His expression wavered at their words--not necessarily because he was upset, but because part of him knew Tandy might be right. “That’s a had decision for me to make.” He responded, voice a quiet mutter as he seemed to look anywhere but at his friend. 

“Among other things. SHIELD has always been a problem when it comes to my personal life. Namely their apparent---” He hummed, trying to find the right word. “--disregard for it. I can--I see where Cole is coming from and I understand his concern but---I just wish we could see eye to eye on this.”

“Aw, I love you, too,” Tandy told him in amusement, pushing him back gently. She glanced away at his next question, and shrugging, before meeting his gaze again. “Yes, it was. Want to be a decent friend and all.” It was still new to her to have friends to talk to about less shallow matters. 

They waited for Pietro to gather his words, ready to listen to whatever he did say. When he did begin to explain, their eyes widened, and they tilted their head. It took a lot for them to wait until he finished. Their confusion was replaced with sympathy for Pietro’s conflict. “I’m sorry, Pietro,” they murmured. “Doing what’s right…is always a good thing, but if it means you could get hurt or worse…Sometimes you have to be selfish. Especially for the people who care about you.” They bit down on their bottom lip. “I saw Cole recently. I know you two…are taking a break. Is this cause of the thing your job wants you to do?” 

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“I wan’t trying to scare you.” Pietro spoke up, eyes narrowing almost playfully as he moved to stand next to his friend, offering the small container of fries to her as he stared at the river. While he was undoubtedly curious about the reason Jubilee called him here, there was an almost restless air about him, hoodie pulled up to cover silver locks as he stuck his hands in his pockets. The investigation hadn’t made much leeway yet, it was a slow and lengthy process and it wasn’t like Pietro was known for his patience. While he was eager to dive back into work, he tried to calm himself in order to talk to his friend. “So--what’s up? It seems like we’ve both been busy lately-” At least now Jubilee knew the reason why Pietro was constantly disappearing. “-I barely get the time to talk to you anymore.”

Old Friend, New Information | QuickFire

Things had gotten better. They weren’t the best right now but they were certainly better. Clint was trying to get the help he needed, Eva was awake, and Jubilee was keeping herself busy preparing for Alma’s party. She had gone to the movies with Cole in hopes to help him get his mind off things which of course, wasn’t an easy or even doable feat. He was still hurting. It still felt strange–knowing her two best friends were going through this bad time. She wished she could make it all better but knew that not only it wasn’t her place but that they needed to sort things out together. She had asked Pietro to meet her by the piers in Long Island City. It was the bottom of the bridge–their spot for racing and the spot where she realized that being a hero was what she wanted to do. It was the spot where she had seen Aiden for the last time before he drove her home after her fight. There were not words exchanged during that time just a strange knowing feeling it would be goodbye. It was the spot she read her acceptance letter into J.Crew after her internship. All important moments–good and bad and all moments that she took with her for Jubilee was never one to regret a decision. Stuffing her hands into the front pockets of her leather jacket, she looked out into the East Side River and took a deep breath. She had promised someday to speak to Pietro about her current activities and there was plenty they needed to catch up on. “I know you’re behind me.” She grinned. “Can’t scare me when I can smell the french fries you have in your hands.” @thefastermaximoff

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And just like that, his expression fell--the speedster suddenly reminded of the current situation with his husband. “You’d be surprised.” Was all he offered in response, hand rising to rub the back of his neck. “You say that like it’s a given that I’d miss him.” He pointed out with a dry chuckle. “It isn’t like we were the closest.” Perhaps that is why Pietro was so surprised by the pain he had felt when he learned of his father’s future. “I believe you. Are you just talking about dad? Or about registration too?”

‘I don’t know, man, you’re the one who’s married and shit. All you need is a white picket fence and for some young ones running around, then it’d be pretty sunshine and rainbows now wouldn’t it?” Lorna still didn’t understand marriage and what came after it. It was too much to ask for in a world like this. “Yeah, I don’t doubt that. Of course you missed him.” She chuckled at that, still able to remember the pain she felt at finding out her father passed. “The future will change if I have anything to do with it.” Her next words didn’t hold the same light tone she always had, but this was also something she felt very strongly about. Changing the future.

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Despite Pietro looking like he needed to drink the coffee that was in front of him--he seemed more interested in staring at it as he thought, absentmindedly picking at a muffin. Glancing up at the other’s arrival, he gave the muffin a small shove towards them. “Want it? It came with the coffee and I’m not really feeling it.”

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Pietro had just stepped out to grab a cup of water, he hadn’t had a lot of free time to check on Eva, so he was relieved when he was finally allowed a reprieve to visit his friend. Moving to take a drink, he stilled as he heard movement, the cup lowering as Eva spoke. “Hey.” His gaze darted to the door, did he get a doctor or someone now that she was awake? Deciding against it, he offered the cup of water to her with a shrug. “Oh, you know--just the past thirty hours. Drew a mustache on you while you were sleeping and everything.” He gave a chuckle and leaned back in his chair. “Joking. How’re you feeling, Sleeping Beauty?”

The doctors and nurses had finally stopped buzzing around her like locusts and Eva was enjoying a moment of quiet.  She lay with her eyes closed, thinking back on the night she had just spent with Nadia - she had refused to cooperate with anyone unless her girlfriend could stay with her all night and had eventually gotten her way.  Smiling at one particular memory she rolled onto her side and opened her eyes, surprised to see someone else with her.  “Hey,” her voice was hoarse and strained with lack of use.  “Have you been there long?”

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“Pain.” Pietro gave her a light shove, rolling his eyes at her comment. But his expression changed a little at her offer, a genuine smile crossing his features. “Was that--a lack of sarcasm I heard? Wow, you just might be growing up on me.” 

He ran a hand through silver locks, clearly thinking about something. “Well, it’s kind of hard to explain.” It took him several seconds to find his words. “I-uh--I work for SHIELD.” His gaze dropped at the confession. “Have been for years now. I didn’t question it--didn’t question what I did--but now? They’re asking me to do something dangerous. Really dangerous. And I want to do what’s right but---it’s kind of hard to tell what that is--where to draw the line, I guess.”

“So would I. It’d be annoying to hear your voice in my head.” Tandy shuddered for effect at the thought. They noticed his brow raise at their passive comment, but realized if he was going to talk about it, it’d take them bringing it up directly. The question was whether they would or not. 

Her mouth quirked up in a smile at her own answer repeated back to her. “You trying to say life is outrunning you now? Damn,” she quipped. “But…I’m here if you wanna talk. It looks like something’s wearing you down.”