#//Or elemental sight—the difference is quite stark through that

[sleep-deprivedracoon]

Pairing: Gojo Satoru x f! reader

word count: 3680 Summary: Satoru doing his best to get you out of your downward spiral. He failed Suguru but he won't fail you. Author's note: based on this prompt. I think I speak for most of the fandom when I say we all need some extra fluff and love from Gojo after the week we've had with the anime and manga. So this one is for all of us Gojo wives. Ngl, I am literally shaking right now as I dare to post this. I don't know if y'all will like this or if this just flops. CW: depression, food habits, angst, implied relationships, patterns of isolation, fluff, angst to comfort, helplessness, mentions of smoking

Satoru Gojo stood before your door, an unusual sense of foreboding gnawing at the edges of his normally self-assured demeanor. It was a feeling he wasn't accustomed to, one that clashed against the confident façade he typically wore like armor. He couldn't shake the nagging sensation that something was terribly wrong with you, something that went far beyond the physical injuries. It had been weeks since you returned from that mission, and something had changed in you—It was as if something was tearing you apart from the inside.

He'd delved into the mission reports, scouring through the details, looking for any signs of what might have transpired. The mission had been a success, technically flawless, with only a handful of unfortunate bystanders caught in the crossfire. You'd managed to take down a first-grade curse with no fatalities—by all accounts, it should have been considered a triumph. So why had it left you so shattered?

As the door creaked open, revealing you on the other side, his sharp eyes caught the flicker of a smile that didn't quite reach your eyes.

Your smile, once a beacon of light that never failed to brighten his day, now seemed a mere shadow of its former self. It was as though the spark within you had dimmed, leaving behind an empty echo of what used to be.

"Toru," you greeted, your voice a little too forced, a little too brittle.

Gojo pulled you into a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around you with a desperation he couldn't quite put into words. He pressed his lips to the top of your head, a gesture that had become second nature to him, a silent declaration of affection. “Hi, sweets.” he murmured, his voice tinged with concern.

As he held you, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was teetering on the edge of a precipice, that the ground beneath him was unstable. He hoped beyond hope that he was merely overthinking, that you were stronger than he feared. But deep down, he knew. He knew something was fundamentally wrong.

You gently pulled away, and he followed you into your apartment, his senses immediately assaulted by the disarray that greeted him. Sure, you were a chaotic person, but there was usually an organized chaos to your living space. Books strewn haphazardly on shelves, art supplies scattered on tables, and the comforting scent of incense in the air—all elements of your usual environment. The chaos was familiar, a reflection of your vibrant, unpredictable personality. But this... this was different. There was an air of neglect, a sense that even your usual disorder had lost its usual rhythm. He took in the scene—the scattered papers, the toppled books, the forgotten articles of clothing strewn across the floor. Each item seemed to whisper a tale of neglect; a story of a mind too preoccupied to care for its surroundings. He saw the remnants of a once vibrant spirit, now muted and worn.

He followed you into the kitchen, concern etched into his features. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine worry.

You mumbled a half-hearted "yes," but he wasn't fooled. He opened your fridge to place a few drinks, and his heart sank at the sight. It hadn't been stocked in a while; the shelves almost barren. It was a stark contrast to the usual assortment of ingredients and snacks he was accustomed to stealing. He glanced at you, silently noting the tired lines etching your face, the weariness in your eyes that belied your attempt at a smile

You stood beside him, trying to deflect his concern with a forced smile and a weak excuse. "I've been lazy, just ordering takeout."

He glanced at the trash can, noting its emptiness. He saw right through the lie, but he didn't push it. Instead, he turned his gaze back to you, taking in the disheveled state of your hair, the dullness in your eyes, the weight loss that had left you looking frail. It was a familiar dance—one he had witnessed before, with someone else he had cared for deeply. That smile you offered him, that empty, hollow smile with closed eyes, it hit him like a tidal wave of dread. It reminded Gojo of Suguru after Amanai's death—their once lively friend reduced to a mere shell, hiding behind a facade. The parallels between you and Suguru's descent sent a shiver down his spine.

The weight of helplessness settled like a leaden anchor in Satoru Gojo's chest. He cursed inwardly, the bitter taste of regret mingling with the dread that had consumed him. How was it happening again? Why was it always the ones he cared for the most? The memory of Suguru, his once-vibrant friend reduced to a mere shadow of himself, haunted him. He had failed Suguru, and that failure still weighed heavily on him.

The mantra of his own strength echoed in his mind, a bitter irony. He was the strongest, but in this moment, he felt powerless. Weak. Useless. Helpless. As you stood before him, offering a smile that barely masked the turmoil within, you felt so distant, so far away. It was as though an impenetrable barrier had risen between the two of you.

It had started weeks ago, with your return from that fateful mission. Even then, something had felt off. You had been fatigued, weary, and Gojo had been there for you, trying to help you unwind and recharge. But you barely spoke of the mission, your words guarded, your gaze distant. In the ensuing weeks, he had watched as you withdrew, not just from him, but from their students. He noticed how you declined Nobara’s invites to go shopping, how the playful banter with Megumi had all but disappeared. Even your calls with Yuta who was overseas had become brief, the once-lively conversations now reduced to strained exchanges.

He caught a whiff of smoke around you one evening, a scent that hung in the air like a lingering secret. He knew then, without needing to ask, that you had turned to cigarettes for solace. There were signs, always signs. The subtle shifts in behavior, the hollow looks, the moments of silence that stretched on longer than they should. But he had chosen to give you space, believing that time would allow you to heal and find your way back. It was a mistake, one he deeply regretted now as he saw the signs he had missed piling up.

Gojo's gaze settled on you once more, his heart heavy with concern. You had lost weight, your eyes dulled, your once-lustrous hair now a tangled mess. It was as though a part of you had withered away, leaving behind a hollow shell. The pain in his chest intensified as he realized that he couldn't afford to stand by and watch you slip away. He had to act, to break through the barrier you had unknowingly erected around yourself. But how? That was the question that haunted him as he searched your eyes for a way to reach you, to pull you back from the abyss you seemed to be falling into.

He turned to you, his eyes tracing the weariness etched into your features, the fragility in your frame. "Sweets," he murmured, his voice laced with a mix of concern and determination. "We can't keep going on like this. You don't have to face this alone.”

As Gojo's concerned gaze bore into you, he couldn't help but notice the immediate defensiveness in your body language. Your chuckle, dry and forced, cut through the air like a fragile attempt to push his worries away. "I'm okay, Toru," you insisted, your voice wavering just slightly.

"(Y/n) …" he urged; his voice gentle but firm. "You don't have to pretend with me. I can see that something's eating at you. You can rely on me, you know that, right? I'm here to shoulder whatever burdens you're carrying."

You met his gaze, eyes guarded, and shook your head, a hint of stubbornness in your expression. "Toru, really, I appreciate it, but I'm okay. You're worrying unnecessarily.”

You remained closed off, a wall of resistance that he couldn't breach. Your insistence that everything was fine felt like a dagger to his heart, but he understood that pushing you further at this moment could risk you shutting him out completely and he couldn't bear the thought of losing you to the darkness.

So, he accepted your words, even as they left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Alright, sweets. Just remember, I'm here whenever you're ready to talk."

Ordering takeout seemed like the most rational thing to do, a glimmer of normalcy in the midst of the storm. He chose a spicy Chow Mein with Gyoza on the side, knowing it was a combination that never failed to put a smile on your face. As the two of you sat in silence, he couldn't help but notice how you toyed with your food, pushing it around on the plate rather than really eating.

He teased gently, "You know, you're starting to remind me of a kid being forced to eat their vegetables. Come on, at least take a few bites for me."

You glanced up, a faint glimmer of amusement in your eyes, and complied, taking a few bites to prove a point. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. It was through these small steps, he realized, that he needed to slowly guide you back from the darkness that threatened to consume you.

After dinner, he bid you farewell, his footsteps heavy as he walked away from your apartment. Once out of your sight, he clutched his hair in frustration, a tumultuous storm of conflicting emotions swirling within him. He couldn't bear to see you like this, not again. He couldn't let another person he cared for slip into the abyss.

With a determined exhale, he removed his shades and reached for the black blindfold that he rarely wore when it was just the two of you. He tied it securely and looked back at the window to your apartment. In that moment, he vowed to himself that he wouldn't let you slip away. He would fight for you, even if it meant stepping into the darkness alongside you.

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

In the days that followed, Gojo remained steadfast in his determination to pull you out of the suffocating depths of depression that had ensnared you. He knew he couldn't do it alone, and admitting that fact was a monumental step for someone as self-reliant as him. It surprised even Shoko, who had known Gojo for years, to witness his newfound vulnerability.

He started with small, manageable gestures, well aware that overwhelming you would only push you further away. Slowly, he began to tidy up your apartment, one step at a time. He organized the scattered papers, straightened the toppled books, and restored a sense of order to the chaos that had overtaken the space. He did it in small iterations, so as to not catch you off guard.  He knew that even the semblance of cleanliness and organization could bring a sense of calm. Another day, he arrived with a bag of groceries, quietly slipping into your kitchen to prepare a meal. At times, he found himself sneaking food into you, taking advantage of moments when your mind wandered elsewhere. He'd feed you, offering fruits and treats while you mindlessly chewed on it, lost in thought. It was a silent promise that he was there to support you, to ensure you took care of yourself.

Then came the day he dragged you out, insisting that you join him and his students for a shopping excursion. It was an attempt to remind you that there was still joy and fun to be had, even in the midst of the world's worries. He made sure to bring his students along, Yuji and Nobara, who shared a single brain cell with their hairbrained schemes, and Megumi, who often found himself the target of their antics. As you wandered through the bustling market, you couldn't help but be drawn into the silliness that surrounded you. Yuji and Nobara's playful banter, Megumi's exasperation, and the way his students relied on you for the silliest of things slowly began to chip away at the darkness within you. There were moments when you couldn't help but smile, caught up in the absurdity of it all. Watching Yuji and Nobara embark on their ridiculous plans, seeing Megumi squirm in embarrassment, witnessing the camaraderie among his students—it all served as a poignant reminder that life held moments of levity, even in its darkest corners. Gojo reveled in these small victories, each one a testament to your gradual recovery. His approach was slow and deliberate, mixing moments of genuine concern with his signature goofiness.

"Hey, sweets," Gojo said, nudging you playfully as Yuji and Nobara attempted to outdo each other with their ridiculous purchases. "You see what I have to deal with every day? They're a handful. Why do I always end up taking care of brats?” He sighed in exaggeration.

The sound of your giggle was a melody that resonated in the depths of Satoru Gojo's being. He couldn't help but be drawn to the warmth in your laughter, a glimmer of the vibrant spirit that still lived within you. Your fingers brushed against his cheek, a gentle caress that sent a jolt of electricity through him. He leaned into the touch, his heart leaping at the connection.

"You know," you teased, patting his cheek affectionately, "you adopted these brats yourself. You're such a mother hen, Toru."

His lips curled into a playful smirk. "Well, what can I say? I've always had a soft spot for the misfits." He took your hand, pressing a soft kiss to your palm. "And I'm glad that this mother hen has you as my favorite rooster to come back to whenever I need a break from these rascals."

Your laughter, though still fragile, filled the room, a welcome sound that eased the weight in his heart. He was getting closer, step by step, to uncovering the vibrant spirit that resided within you.

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

Several days later, the Tokyo Jujutsu High planned a retreat to an Onsen resort in Gunma. The students shared rooms, and Gojo, in his usual annoying fashion, had managed to finagle Yaga into assigning you to share a room with him. After all, you were both teachers and adults—it shouldn't have been a problem.

Gojo sat on the tatami floor of your room, dressed in a yukata, having just returned from the baths. He sipped on cold coffee milk, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of the traditional inn. When he heard the sliding door open, he looked up, and his heart skipped a beat. You looked ethereal in the Yukata, the fabric draping gracefully over your form. Your hair was still damp from the baths, strands clinging to your skin in a way that made his heart race. There was a newfound fullness to your cheeks, a healthy flush to your complexion that spoke of progress.

In that moment, he realized just how far you had come. The bags under your eyes were still there, but the overall transformation was striking. He clicked his tongue several times, pulling you gently to the tatami floor in front of him. He reached for the towel that hung around your shoulders and scolded you gently, "Sweets, you need to dry your hair properly. You'll catch a cold like this."

His fingers moved through your hair with a soothing touch, the room enveloped in silence save for the rustle of fabric and the soft hum of the night outside. He was meticulous, his actions deliberate as he dried your hair strand by strand. As he continued to pat your hair dry with gentle strokes, he noticed that you were trembling. Frowning, he stopped, his concern growing. And then he heard it—the soft, muffled sniffle that escaped your lips. In an instant, he turned you around to face him, his eyes widening as he saw the tears welling up in your eyes.

Before he could say a word, you began sobbing, your shoulders shaking with the force of your emotions. You buried your face in his chest, and he wrapped his arms around you, holding you close as you cried. He didn't brush away your tears or offer empty reassurances. Instead, he let you cry, allowing the dam you had built around your emotions to finally break. He could feel the warmth of your tears soaking through his yukata, the shudders that racked your body, and the tremble of your hands as they clung to his robes. It was a raw, vulnerable moment, and he was there to bear witness to it, to share in your pain and offer his silent support. Gojo's touch was gentle, his hand stroking your back in a steady, rhythmic motion. He didn't speak, understanding that this moment was about you and your release. His heart ached with each anguished sob that wracked your body, but he remained a steadfast anchor, giving you the space you needed to let it all out.

As your sobs began to subside, your words spilled out in a torrent of emotion. You spoke of the mission, of how it had torn open old wounds, making you confront shadows from your past. The cursed technique of the first-grade curse had exploited your own memories, forcing you to relive the pain and uncertainty.

Gojo had been privy to your painful past, as you had confided in him long ago. He understood the emotional scars that had marked your journey, and now, he could see why you were descending into darkness.

Your voice trembled as you confessed your fear. You longed to return to the person you used to be, but you were terrified that you had lost yourself in the process. The fear that in losing yourself, you might also lose him gripped at your heart.

Gently, Gojo cupped your cheek, his sky-blue eyes locking onto yours. He removed his shades, allowing you to see the sincerity in his gaze. "No matter what version of yourself you present to me," he said, his voice soft but resolute, "I will love you. Whether you're happy, sad, angry, or anything in between, it doesn't change a thing. If you somehow turned evil, I'd love you. If you don’t want to be a sorcerer anymore, I’d love you. Even if you transformed into a worm, I'd love you. I will love every version of you that has been and that is yet to come, (Y/n). " He couldn't help but inject a touch of his signature playfulness into the moment. "Well, unless you turn into Gakuganji," he added with a mock shudder, "then you might be pushing it. But hey, I'll even love you if you morph into that old fart. Just… just don't test me on that one." He kisses your trembling lips gently. “I don’t think my heart could handle that.”

A small giggle burst from your lips, and you playfully swatted his arm, the sound like a gentle chime amidst your tears. It was a moment of relief, a brief respite from the weight of your emotions. Gojo couldn't help but chuckle in response, his grin boyish and goofy. “I will always love you (Y/n). Even if you lose yourself, I will walk with you to help you rediscover yourself. I am great at helping people find things. These six eyes are here for a reason, you know?”

You gently shook your head, a small smile playing on your lips as you leaned in to kiss Satoru Gojo on his lips, your gratitude and affection evident in the tender gesture. "Thank you," you whispered against his lips, "for being you."

His lips curved into a soft smile as he returned your kiss, savoring the warmth of your affection. "It's been my pleasure, (Y/n)," he replied, his voice filled with sincerity. “After all, nobody is best at being Gojo Satoru other than Satoru Gojo himself.” He winks.

You continued, your voice barely above a whisper, "I know what you've been doing, Toru. All these days, you’ve been taking care of me, helping me even if I didn't want to admit it to myself. But I needed it, and I needed you."

Gojo's eyes softened as he gazed at you, his thumb brushing against your cheek. "If the roles were reversed, you would've done a far better and more efficient job," he admitted, a hint of shame coloring his voice. "I should've seen it sooner, (Y/n)."

You silenced him with a gentle finger against his lips, his mock pout making you smile. "Don't blame yourself, Toru," you murmured. "I didn't want you to find out, and it's not your fault. I feel lighter now than I have in days, although I am still struggling to cope.”

In response, Gojo spoke with unwavering determination, "I'll be here beside you, sweets. However you want and in whatever form you need.

“Whatever I need huh?” A wistful smile tugged at your lips. "Maybe turning myself into Gakuganji would help," you mused, a playful glint in your eyes. “won’t it, Toru?”

Gojo groaned dramatically, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. His fingers danced along your sides and ribs, eliciting giggles and laughter from you as you squirmed beneath his touch. It was a moment of pure, unadulterated joy. His fingers attacked your sides and belly, evoking peals of laughter from you. The tatami floor beneath you seemed to come alive with the sounds of your giggles and Gojo's playful laughter. As he tickled you mercilessly, Gojo's thoughts were clear—he would do anything to keep that light in your eyes, to see you smile, even if it meant turning into Gakuganji himself. Anything at all. And with every joyful laugh that filled the room, he knew he was one step closer to bringing you back to him.

Taglist - @hiraethsdesires Note to @hiraethsdesires: thank you, Hira. I thought I'd never be able to get back into writing again. I thought I had lost it. But it felt so nice to dive right into this again. The first character I had ever written for in this blog was Gojo. It feels just right to get back into it with him again.

[lemonhemlock]

Hello! Hope u are doing well.

I wanted to ask u what you think of viserys and the prophecy. The dude was king for quite a long time and in peace time as well, and he invited the northern lords to pledge allegiance to his heir. Why didn't he or his ancestors put any plans in place, like the starks with their wall to defend against the ice zombie threat? He could have even talked to the stark patriarch who was there for rhaenyra at that time and made some plans. (I guess if they show cregan in season 2 saying like "Hey Jace your grandpa talked about this with my dad...it would be interesting).

I mean the show made it seem like the triarchy is the only problem and Viserys enjoys the success from Jaehaerys' reign so if this prophecy is the most important thing to him why didn't he focus on that too and make some plans?

Also any thoughts on what was Rhaenyras big plan on this threat, coz other than increasing the number of possible promised princes and increasing confusion on who it actually be, I don't actually think she would have done anything either?

Why did aegon i not just tell everyone and let everyone prepare? I hated they made it even seem like his invasion actually had any moral basis in the show because i definitely think he just invaded because he wanted to and not for some altruistic reasons.

Is it needed for rhaenyra to be even queen for the prophecy? It seems like anyone from aegon i's line would be enough and the best course of action I think was for viserys to give a class to all his family members atleast on this "big threat".

(sorry for the long question 💚)

Hey, starstruck. 💚

I have a little bit (or more lol) of a different opinion on this topic than I've seen so far in the fandom. I think it's very likely the prophecy was one of GRRM's add-ons. Or at the very least something that he wasn't particularly bothered by, bc it... fits? I'm not very pressed by it; it doesn't really contradict the canon we have so far in any significant way? We already know Jon and/or Dany are the prime candidates for TPTWP and both of them come from Aegon's line.

I feel like GRRM is deliberately withholding information about the conquering trio for some reason. The Targaryens lived on Dragonstone for the whole Century of Blood without bothering Westeros in any particular way, content to grow their coffers on trade, even though they were the only dragonlords left in the world. Even Aegon I got himself involved with Pentos and Tyrosh against Volantis, so he seemed to have totally different preoccupations before something happened and he set his sights on Westeros. We already know some Targaryens have dragondreams so him being influenced by a prophecy doesn't strike me as outrageous. Bloodraven himself could retroactively send him those dreams to get him to move his arse over to Westeros, like a kind of medieval version of Netflix's DARK.

As far as the Conquest being morally justified because of a prophecy, IDK... does Rhaegar's abduction of Lyanna become morally justified because of the prophecies Rhaegar was studying? I'm inclined to say no, but people are still (hotly) debating that in fandom to this day. I also think sometimes fans tend to overanalyze the author's intentions and also perceive them through more of a modern (or even Americanized) lens. I know we say within fandom that Westeros was colonised (as a shorthand), but that's not exactly the definition, because what the Targaryens did in Westeros was devoid of the large-scale population movements, assimilation and deep cultural exchanges that characterised this phenomenon - as well as the nefarious elements that the colonisation of the Americas is well-remembered for, like genocide and cultural erasure or the criminal-level exploitation that the Europeans enabled in Africa.

When we are taught about the Roman Empire's expansionism and other such historical wars of conquest, it's more to press the issue of ethnogenesis and discuss diplomatic history, not to philosophically ponder whether it was "good" or "bad". "Was Roman Emperor X morally justified in annexing territory A or B?" is not really the type of question that is very prevalent when parsing through the historiography of the real world.* At some point in history, any kind of existing polity was formed as a result of some war of conquest and some bloodshed. Even each individual component kingdom of Westeros was made up by uniting several other petty kingdoms in the area. Was that morally impeachable? If not, then what should we do - go back and disintegrate that unified political structure into its component bits until we get back to tribe-level? Where does it stop? Who is to pinpoint where exactly the line in the sand is? And why are we focusing specifically on the size of this country/nation/community instead of focusing on the overall population's well-being?

This is a very rambling parenthesis, but, ultimately, I don't think the author necessarily intended for the particular act of conquest by the Targaryens to be viewed as 100% BAD or 100% GOOD. What marks the difference for me personally is the asymmetry of power between the Targaryens and the rest of Westeros, that is not borne out of any technological prowess, but out of a kind of pact-with-the-devil, selling-your-soul-to-obtain-access-to-magic type of thing. It's the Field of Fire and reigning down fire over Dorne as combat engagement. It's not something anyone else has any shot at replicating. To me, the story of the Targaryens is about gaining access to absolute power and allowing it to corrupt you, disregarding good governance and terrorizing those who oppose you in favour of keeping that power at all costs. They have these supernatural fetters around them and place themselves at the top of the hierarchical pyramid, but they have little to show for it when it comes to actually ruling the realms they wanted to conquer so much.

Perhaps their lack of planning against the ice zombie threat plays right into this dynamic and entitlement. It is notable, though, that the Starks in the main series are none-the-wiser about the ice threat as well. Nor does Ned seem to have any idea about it. Or the Night's Watch. So if information got lost along history, there is either a good in-universe explanation for it that George hasn't revealed yet or it's not the fault of one individual person who wanted to gatekeep. I get the feeling that neither Viserys, nor Rhaenyra thought that this apocalyptic threat was going to pester them specifically - more like it was more a problem for future generations than it was for them. Perhaps bolstered by the knowledge that no particularly suspicious activity had been reported north of the Wall.

As for the question - why didn't Aegon I simply dissimulate his knowledge of the prophecy and let the Westerosi decide on their own what to do about it? Well, the realistic answer is that they would have laughed and carried on. Who would entertain such a wacky notion? Who would even care about a problem that could/maybe/probably-not-though happen eons into the future, when they'd all be dead anyway? We have a hard time getting people to care about climate change right now and we have scientific evidence at our disposal, not an unprovable prophecy. My guess would be that Aegon maybe thought that, by bestowing kinghood to TPTWP, he was giving him/her the necessary tools to defeat this threat - money, resources, armies and the legal authority to make everyone else obey them, thus simplifying the process.

RE: the book endgame, coming back to the famous Robert Frost poem, my interpretation of that is that both ice and fire have the potential to be incredibly destructive and could reasonably cause the end of the world. But the idea is for them to neutralize each other out - not that fire power is the moral choice here as opposed to ice or vice-versa. IMO both of them have no place in the world and have to be snuffed out if Westeros is ever to escape this weird climate limbo it's stuck in.

Of course, the problem with meta-analyses like this is that we still have 2 full books to go until the end, so it's kind of early to be making grand, sweeping ideological commentaries like this, when we're still missing vital information. So whenever something else gets revealed, there is a real risk of us looking a little foolish in hindsight.

*not to say that you can't study history using by resorting to that paradigm, but you won't find answers that are immediate or plain, a neat little box in which to stuff this conundrum, with a neat little sticker labelled GOOD or EVIL. Similarly, I don't think the author intends to solve that moral dilemma either - making us question it is the entire point.

[cutieininferno]

EMERALD CITY

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

THE WEIGHT OF THE TRUTH

Zoro felt a growing unease clawing at his insides. Nami's limp body weighed heavily on Luffy's back, her unconsciousness serving as a stark reminder of the urgency of their mission. Zoro's mind swirled with concern for his nakama, seriousness plastered on his features as he glanced at her.

The swordsman's thoughts drifted to the recent interactions with Nami, the subtle changes in her behavior that hadn't gone unnoticed by his sharp observation. There was an undeniable tension between them, an unspoken undercurrent that seemed to hover in the air whenever they were alone. He couldn't pinpoint its origin, but it weighed heavily on their interactions, casting a shadow over their camaraderie. Their usual banter and playful exchanges had become strained, replaced by an uncharacteristic silence that left Zoro with a sense of disquiet. Their interactions had become brief and guarded, as if something unsaid hung between them, invisible yet undeniable.

With each passing day, Zoro found himself stealing glances at Nami, searching for clues to decipher the enigma that had grown between them. Her usually vibrant eyes held a hint of sadness, and her smiles, though still radiant, seemed tinged with a trace of melancholy.

This situation bothered Zoro more than he could ever admit, even to himself. As a swordsman, he was accustomed to facing physical challenges head-on, but navigating the complexities of emotions was a different battle altogether. The unspoken tension with Nami gnawed at his thoughts day and night, distracting him from his usual focus. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had somehow contributed to this rift, even if he couldn't quite pinpoint how or why.

But there was another layer of complexity to their already intricate dynamic. He cherished their bond, and the thought of jeopardizing it weighed heavily on his heart. Her presence stirred something within him, and her absence left an ache in his chest—it was a feeling he struggled to define, a sentiment he couldn't fully comprehend. It was a mix of protectiveness, admiration, and an unspoken longing that danced at the edges of his consciousness, threatening to consume him if he dared acknowledge it.

He pushed these thoughts aside for the moment, knowing that their current mission took precedence, but he couldn't help but wonder how this uncharted territory would affect their future journeys together.

As they reached the pinnacle, Zoro's gaze swept across the sight before him, taking in the stunning view. The elder's house, though not imposing in size, had an unmistakable castle-like charm. Its walls, constructed from weathered stone, stood strong and proud, evoking a sense of grandeur. Towering turrets rose on either side, crowned with ornate spires that reached for the heavens. The house seemed to have been plucked straight out of a storybook, with its fairytale-esque design capturing the imagination.

A wide porch extended from the front of the house, providing a welcoming entrance to visitors. Supported by sturdy stone columns, the porch boasted an intricate pattern of mosaic tiles beneath their feet. Delicate vines crawled up the columns, their leaves whispering in the wind. Zoro noticed the presence of wooden benches on the porch, inviting weary travelers to rest. The porch's roof, adorned with intricate carvings depicting mythical creatures, shielded the entrance from the elements while adding an extra touch of elegance to the overall design.

Jinbe stepped forward, his towering figure casting a long shadow across the porch as he approached the entrance. He raised a sturdy hand and rapped on the door with a series of firm knocks. The sound echoed through the stillness, breaking the silence that enveloped the hilltop.

As if summoned by the knock, the door swung open with surprising swiftness, revealing the elder standing on the threshold. He was a figure of eccentricity, dressed in vibrant yellow robes that contrasted sharply against the muted colors of the landscape. His small brown eyes darted around, taking in the sight of the crew with an energy that seemed boundless.

The elder's appearance was striking, his once gray hair and long beard displaying remnants of a fiery ginger hue, now faded with age. His hair flowed untamed, framing a face that spoke of a life filled with adventures and wisdom. Lines etched deeply into his weathered skin, testament to the passing of time and the experiences that had shaped him.

When his gaze fell upon Nami, he exclaimed "FINALLY!" Chopper gasped with the unexpected greet, hidind behind Zoro's leg.

With a flourish of his hand, the elder gestured for the crew to enter the house, his eyes never leaving Nami's unconscious form. "Bring her inside quickly," he urged.

Jinbe nodded, carefully stepping inside the elder's abode, his broad shoulders blocking the door as the rest of the crew followed suit. The interior of the house exuded a sense of warmth and familiarity, the air tinged with the scent of aged books and mysterious artifacts. The walls were adorned with ancient maps and intricate tapestries.

The elder led them through a corridor adorned with flickering torches, their soft light casting dancing shadows on the walls. As they walked, Zoro noticed the shelves lining the corridor, filled with an assortment of curiosities and trinkets from various corners of the world. Shrunken heads, sea shells, and faded scrolls shared the same space.

They entered a spacious room, its centerpiece an ornate table covered in scattered parchments and maps, as if a storm of knowledge had recently passed through. The room was adorned with mismatched furniture, each piece seemingly chosen for its own peculiar charm rather than any cohesive design. The walls were adorned with paintings and portraits, capturing moments frozen in time.

The elder gestured for Luffy to gently lay Nami on a nearby couch. "She needs rest," he said, tense and restless. "We have much to discuss, but her well-being is of utmost importance."

Zoro's gaze fixed on Nami's pale face as the crew gathered around the couch, concern etched on their features. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, evidence of the ordeal she had endured. Zoro clenched his fists, his worry intensifyed by the elder's urgency.

Meanwhile, the old man grabbed hold of a ladder leaning against the wall and ascended it with a surprising agility. His movements were swift and purposeful, as if he had performed this act countless times before. Zoro's attention briefly shifted to the elder, curious to see what he was retrieving from the top shelf.

At the top of the ladder, he reached for a small vial containing a shimmering liquid. He carefully descended, clutching the potion in his weathered hands. The corners of his mouth curled into a weary smile as he presented himself to the crew.

"Apologies for the chaos," He said, his voice carrying a hint of exhaustion tinged with excitement. "I am Gideon, a retired magical-treasure hunter."

Gideon's introduction was interrupted by a sudden burst of energy from Luffy. The rubbery captain puffed out his chest and flashed a wide grin, gesturing toward his crewmates with a sense of pride.

"And I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the future King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared, his enthusiasm filling the room.

Gideon chuckled warmly, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Ah, Luffy, the tales of your exploits have reached even these secluded parts. I know more about you and your crew than you might think," he said, his words carrying a mysterious undertone that piqued everyone's curiosity.

Zoro exchanged a puzzled glance with his fellow crewmates, intrigued by Gideon's enigmatic words.

Setting aside the intrigue for the moment, Gideon turned his attention back to Nami, who lay motionless on the couch. With a gentle touch, he lifted her head and carefully administered the potion, his experienced hands cradling her fragile form.

"There, my dear, this should help restore your strength," Gideon murmured softly, his voice laced with tenderness. He placed the empty vial aside and focused his gaze on Nami, observing her closely.

Gideon's pale hand traced Nami's pained face with utmost gentleness, his touch almost reverent. As he caressed her cheek, a sudden outburst broke the moment.

"Hey, old man! Keep your hands off Nami-san!" Sanji's voice boomed, his eyes blazing with fury, ready to defend Nami's honor.

Gideon's gaze shifted from Nami to Sanji, his eyes welling up with tears that threatened to spill over. His voice quivered with emotion as he struggled to speak. "I-I apologize if I've overstepped my bounds," he stammered, his voice choked with sorrow and longing. "But please understand... I have been waiting for this moment for twenty long years."

Confusion swept over the crew as they exchanged bewildered glances.

Zoro's keen gaze wandered to the opposite wall, where he noticed a collection of wanted posters hanging in a row. Nami's face stared back at him from each one, her bountiful exploits and mischievous smile immortalized in ink.

Robin, ever perceptive, approached Gideon with a calm demeanor. "Gideon-san, may I ask for an explanation?" she inquired, her tone measured and curious.

Gideon's gaze shifted from Nami to Robin, his eyes still shimmering with unshed tears. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. With emotions still raw, he moved to the table in the center of the room and picked up a small, worn-out drawing. The paper crinkled under his touch, its edges frayed from years of careful preservation.

Gideon held the drawing tenderly, as if it were a precious relic from a bygone era. The paper depicted a newborn girl, her delicate features captured in strokes of faded ink. Her tiny form nestled in a loving embrace, surrounded by adoring parents who gazed down at her with tenderness.

The elder extended his arm and passed the drawing to the crew, starting with Luffy. The rubbery captain's eyes widened as he studied the image. He then handed it to Usopp, who examined it with curiosity. The drawing continued its journey, passing through the hands of Chopper, Jinbe, Robin Franky, and Brook, each member of the crew captivated by the significance of the moment captured on paper.

Finally, the drawing reached Zoro, who accepted it with a solemn expression. His calloused fingers traced the contours of the child's face, his gaze steady and contemplative.

"This...this is Calista Zephyt," Gideon said, his voice trembling with emotion. "She is the daughter of the late Queen Aurora Zephyt and King Amias Arvanitis, rulers of Emerald City."

Robin's eyes widened in surprise, her curiosity piqued. "Emerald City? That's a place from legends, a kingdom shrouded in mystery," she interjected with intrigue.

Gideon nodded, his gaze fixed on the drawing that was handed back to him. "Indeed, it was a kingdom renowned for its prosperity and magical traditions," he explained, nostalgic. "But tragedy struck when the queen's own sister, driven by jealousy and ambition, orchestrated a coup. She murdered the king and queen, seizing the throne for herself."

The crew gasped in disbelief, their minds struggling to comprehend the depths of treachery that unfolded in Emerald City.

Gideon continued, his voice growing more somber. "Knowing that young Calista would be in danger, a group of loyal allies and I devised a plan. We sent her away, to the far reaches of the East Blue, where she would be safe from the clutches of her aunt and those who sought her demise."

His voice wavered as he revealed the unfortunate turn of events. "However, our plan went awry. Pirates descended upon the island where Calista was hidden, and amidst their clash with the Marines, she was taken away."

Zoro, Usopp and Sanji eschanged glances. That particular piece of the story sounded familiar.

"In her anger and desperation, Calista's aunt, the very same who orchestrated the coup, cast the Umbra Curse upon this very island. It is a curse intended to ensure that Calista will never be able to return home and claim her rightful place on the throne." Gideon continued, "Every witch who steps in this unfortunate island encounters agonizing death."

Gideon's words hung in the air, the weight of the curse casting a dark atmosphere over the room.

"Wait a minute," Usopp interjected, his voice tinged with hope. "So if Nami is still alive does that mean she's not a witch?"

The old man smiled as he listened to Usopp's question. He took a step closer to Nami, eyes flashing with pride.

"You're partially right, my dear boy," Gideon began. "Nami, the vibrant and cunning navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates, is not just a witch. She is Calista Zephyt herself, the Witch Princess of Emerald City."

The crew erupted in a chorus of gasps and exclamations, their eyes locked on Nami, who lay peacefully on the couch, unaware of the storm of emotions and secrets swirling around her.

Zoro's mind raced as the weight of Gideon's revelation settled upon him, he was perplexed. He looked around at his crewmates, their eyes wide with disbelief and awe. Sanji's jaw dropped, his cigarette nearly falling from his lips. Robin wore a thoughtful expression. Franky pumped his metal fist in excitement. Jinbe's stoic face held a hint of admiration, and Brook's skeletal features displayed surprise and excitement.

Amidst the gasps and exclamations, he noticed Usopp's expression turning from hope to fear. The long-nosed sniper took a step back, his voice trembling with concern.

"A-a witch? Nami is a witch?" Usopp stuttered, his eyes darting between Gideon and Nami. "Does that mean she has powers we don't know about? Is she dangerous?"

Chopper looked up at Usopp with wide eyes. "B-but witches aren't all bad, Usopp! I mean, remember Kureha? People called her a witch, but she was nice!"

Luffy, always straightforward and unyielding, grinned widely. "So Nami is a princess, just like Vivi! That's cool! Does that mean we can go on another adventure to help her reclaim her kingdom?"

Zoro's attention returned to Nami, lying there innocently, unaware of her true identity and the destiny that awaited her. The gravity of the situation began to sink in, and his gaze hardened. He couldn't help but recall the countless times Nami had displayed incredible skills and knowledge, navigating treacherous waters and outsmarting enemies with a cunning that seemed almost supernatural. The pieces of her past were falling into place, revealing a deeper truth about the woman who had become an integral part of their crew and their lives.

Robin stepped forward, studying the elder. "Gideon-san, you have shared with us the story of Emerald City and the curse that befell it. But what role do you play in all of this? How do you fit into the tapestry of Nami's past?"

Gideon's weathered face softened. He took a deep breath, as if preparing himself to unveil another layer of the intricate tale.

"I am the father of Queen Aurora Zephyt, Nami's grandfather," Gideon revealed, his voice filled with a lifetime of regrets and determination. "When the coup occurred, I was hidden away in this very house, which served as a secret base for the Emerald City's royalty. The enchantments placed upon it made it impossible for Aurora's sister to find me."

He glanced around the room, his gaze lingering on the walls that held the whispers of the past. "For years, I waited here, patiently, knowing that one day, Calista's destiny would call her. I dedicated my time to creating a potion, one that could make her survive the curse and aid her in her journey to reclaim her rightful place as the Witch Princess." He moved to the wall where Nami's wanted posters were hanging. "Two years ago I saw this," he pointed to the older poster, "and instantly recognized her." His voice grew softer as he continued, "I was struck by how much she resembled her mother, my sweet Aurora. The same captivating eyes, the same spirited smile. It was as if Aurora's spirit had been reincarnated in Calista's form."

Franky, his mechanical arms flexing with anticipation, spoke up with a curious expression on his face. "So, this aunt of Nami-sis... Is she still ruling Emerald City?"

Gideon's gaze turned distant, memories of the past resurfacing in his mind. "Seraphina, yes. She is Aurora's twin sister, but their paths diverged when jealousy and darkness consumed Seraphina's heart. After seizing power through the coup, she declared herself the ruler of Emerald City. For years, she has held the kingdom in her iron grip, suppressing its magic and exploiting its resources for her own gain."

Sanji, his brow furrowing with indignation, interjected, "And what about the people? Are they aware that Nami is alive and the injustice that has befallen their rightful ruler?"

Gideon sighed heavily with sorrow. "No, my dear. Seraphina has kept the truth hidden from the people, weaving a web of deception and fear to maintain her control. She has established a dictatorial regime, where questioning her authority is strictly forbidden. The majority of the citizens are unaware of Nami's existence and the injustice that has befallen their rightful ruler. They live in fear, suppressed by Seraphina's rule and manipulated by her propaganda."

Robin,with concern, asked, "What about those who are aware of the truth? The loyal supporters of the true royal family?"

Gideon's expression grew grim. "They are the outlaws of Emerald City, my dear. Those who refused to accept Seraphina as the queen and remained faithful to Aurora's memory and the rightful line of succession. They live in hiding, away from the prying eyes of Seraphina's enforcers."

"That's awful." Chopper lamented.

Jinbe, added with empathy "This is certainly a heavy burden for Nami to bear. Discovering her true identity and the plight of her kingdom all at once will surely be overwhelming."

"You are right, boy. Nami will need time to process this revelation. She won't be awake for several hours, as the effects of the potion take hold. In the meantime, could you provide me with knowledge about my granddaughter's life and adventures? I have been in the dark for so long, and I wish to understand the person she has become."

The crew members exchanged glances, realizing the importance of Gideon's request. They began recounting stories of their adventures with Nami, painting a vivid picture of her strength, intelligence, and unwavering determination. They spoke of her skills as a navigator, her cunning negotiations, and her solid loyalty to her friends. They shared tales of her bravery in the face of danger, her resolve to protect her crew, and her endless pursuit of her dreams.

Gideon listened intently, his eyes lighting up with pride and love as he absorbed every detail, eager to connect the stories with the young woman who lay before him. The crew's words painted a picture of a remarkable individual, one who had grown and flourished in the face of adversity.

Zoro found himself reflecting on his own experiences with Nami. While he wasn't one to dwell on the past, certain moments had left a lasting impression on him. One memory stood out vividly in his mind—their reunion on the island of Zou.

He recalled Nami's appearance on that day, dressed in a stunning purple dress that was a National Treasure of the Mokomo Dukedom. The vibrant color accentuated her beauty, making her appear regal and elegant. Zoro couldn't help but admit to himself that she looked absolutely gorgeous, resembling royalty herself.

Although Zoro wasn't one to be swayed by appearances, he couldn't deny the impact Nami's presence had on him. Her grace, combined with her unshakable strength and determination, had always captivated him. It was moments like these that reminded him of the depth and complexity of the woman he had come to admire and respect.

Shaking off his brief reverie, Zoro refocused his attention on the present, knowing that dwelling on the past wouldn't change the path they now faced. He silently vowed to support Nami as she navigated the challenges ahead, just as she had always been there for him and the rest of the crew.

Nami was happy to be on her childhood home on Cocoyasi Village. The warm sea breeze brushed against her face as she took in the familiar sights and sounds. The smell of mikans filled her nose and she sighed in contentment.

But something felt amiss.

As she entered the house, she discovered herself frozen in place, unable to move or speak. Her heart pounded with dread. And then, she saw her older-sister-like figure, standing before her, her expression twisted with malice.

Nami's eyes widened in shock and horror as the woman's hand was stained with blood. Belle-mére, Nami and Nojiko's adoptive mother, lay lifeless on the ground, her body cold and unmoving. It was a sight that Nami had witnessed years ago, but the pain and anguish felt fresh and raw.

Tears welled up in Nami's eyes as she tried desperately to scream, to intervene, but her voice remained silent. She was trapped within the confines of this strange reality, forced to witness the tragedy unfold once again. The weight of her loss and the enormity of her past started to crush her spirit, threatening to engulf her.

Nami's emotions raged, a tempest of grief, anger, and helplessness.

"Belle-mère!" Nami's eyes flickered open, her breaths coming in short, rapid gasps as she tried to steady herself. As her vision cleared, she found herself in a dimly lit room, surrounded by familiar faces. Zoro, Robin, and Franky stood by her side, their concerned expressions reflecting the worry they felt for their navigator.

She glanced around the room, her eyes falling upon the aged wooden walls adorned with faded tapestries, the flickering candle casting a soft glow in the otherwise shadowed space. Sitting up, Nami noticed a tray of untouched food on the nearby nightstand, evidence of her friends' thoughtfulness.

Zoro leaned forward slightly, his voice filled with a rare softness. "Are you alright?"

Nami nodded, her voice slightly shaky. "I... I had a dream. It was about... Belle-mére."

Robin's gentle voice interjected, "You were calling out her name when you woke up. It must have been a painful memory resurfacing."

Nami shook her head, not wanting to remember the dream. "Where are we?"

"Whe're at the elder's house, Sis. The one the healer told us about. We made it and he gave you a potion so you could feel SUPER again." Franky gave her a thumbs up.

"Where is he?"

"He's in the kitchen with the rest of the crew, having dinner." Robin explained.

Everything seemed fine, but something felt off.

"What was the problem with me, anyways? I feel much better." Nami said yawning. Her friends exchanged worried looks and Nami arched one brow. "What?" She asked confused.

Zoro hesitated for a moment before speaking, his gaze locked with hers. "Nami, there's something important we need to tell you. But we wanted to wait until you were fully awake and feeling better."

Nami's eyes narrowed, concern flashing across her face. "What is it? What's going on?"

Franky's eyes welled up with tears, and he turned away, struggling to contain his emotions. "I...I'll have to leave, but I swear I'm not crying!" he choked out, his voice breaking. Without another word, he hastily left the room.

Nami's concern deepened as she watched Franky's abrupt departure. "What's wrong with him? Why is he crying?"

Zoro took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the floor. "Nami, the elder we met, Gideon, he revealed something... something that changes everything."

A/N: Hello, there!

We got to some important points on this chapter and I know it seems somehow hushed, too much information condensed, but in the next chapter we'll work that weight out better. We'll soon be heading to Emerald City! Yay! Can't wait to write it!

Hope you all enjoy it and tell me what you think!

Bye.

[360iris]

Like Then (James Potter x Reader x Sirius Black x Remus Lupin)

Warning: Does this qualify as hurt/comfort?? Maybe comfort/hurt? Is this even angst? Ah! I tried! Fem!Reader using she/her pronouns.

Word count: 1,201

Summary: Why do girls always leave The Yule Ball heartbroken?

A/N: This is a Prequel to my fanfic, Like You! We’ve reached 408 followers, which is big considering I had zero when I first posted “Like You”. Welcome on board, sweeties! I was the most elated in the midst of trying to explain how chaotically Sirius + Y/N would dance and the most sullen trying to properly word the ending.

Of course Lily would be James’ date to the Yule Ball. They’d been together for about six months now and he’d wanted nothing more than to see her all dolled up just for him. 

Her fiery red locks curled and pinned, not to mention the sterling silver dress she’d been able to pick out with her mother. She was a sight for sore eyes, glowing as if she’d been taken directly from his sweetest dream. So why did his eyes drift to the other side of the room? 

Half of his attention divided on the lovely girl in front of him, where it should be. Focusing on the way her eyes gleamed and the showstopping smile that never failed to make his heart race. She was enjoying herself tonight, swaying in his arms and giggling at almost every joke he made; a rarity.

But the other half of his attention, the other half of himself, was with them. 

Sirius had Y/N’s hand in his grasp and was twirling the beaming girl in place, her laughs bubbling up into the space around them. Remus must have slipped away to take a breather because he was seated alone with a fond smile on his lips, watching the duo dance.  

Could he even call what they were doing dancing? Sirius’ extensive knowledge on waltzing, mixed with the younger girl’s eager tango, had the pair moving sporadically. 

They turned about the room, swiveling, alternating and cross stepping. Every so often, Sirius lifted her off of the ground mid-twirl as if she were light as a feather. And though the way they moved was quite a spectacle, partygoers giving the two a wide berth, they were in their element.

 It was as if the world had melted away and they were left in each other’s company.

When the song came to an end, Sirius parted from her quite begrudgingly. James could only guess what was being said, but with the boy putting on his best begging face, he was possibly asking to go another round. His fingers reluctantly releasing hers as she pulled away from his grasp. 

James watched as she all but skipped to Remus’ side, mere seconds from going in to kiss him before seemingly remembering the presence of the school staff. She settled for clasping the boy’s hands and leaning up to his ear to whisper.

“James?” he heard from below him and promptly redirected his gaze.

“What was that again, love?” he asked and she smiled up at him. He faintly felt his chest shag and heart give a euphoric leap.

Lily laughed when he bent his head to press a kiss into her hair, “I said that I’m gonna go the restroom real quick, I’ll be back.” 

“Of course, dear. I’ll get some punch then.” and before long she was slipping through the crowd. 

He watched after her until he was unable to differentiate her head bobbing from all the rest. Eventually trudging to the refreshments table in hopes of clearing his head.

His cup was midway to his mouth before a soft, 

“Unfortunately there isn’t any booze in there.” sounded from his left and he nearly jumped from his skin.

The red liquid in his grasp promptly sloshing onto his shoes.

A curse slipped from his lips as he took the napkin offered to him, quickly cleaning himself off. 

Looking up he finds Y/N leaning against the table, an amused smile playing on her face.

“Since when did you sneak up on people?” He asked, standing up straight and setting down his drink. 

“Didn’t sneak up on you, James. I was standing here before you even got to the table; but you’d know that if you weren’t busy daydreaming. What’s on your mind? Let me guess! Devious plans of what you’re gonna do with Evans tonight perhaps?” She questioned, tossing a chicken popper into her mouth.

Eventually offering him one when all she got back in response was him staring dumbly at the ensemble she was wearing. 

He’d briefly been shown the dress she was planning to wear weeks before the event, but it was a different experience actually seeing her in it. 

The lengthy, shimmering fabric draped and folded to the floor elegantly. The metallic fringes of her shawl glinting and swaying with every movement she made. She looked positively ethereal.

Acknowledging his silent gawking, she gave an indulgent twirl, “You like it, J? I was going for 70s era Stevie Nicks, but Sirius said I just look like a muggle’s imitation of a witch. What do you think?” She asked with a pout, fluttering her eyelashes expectantly. Notedly taking one of his larger hands into her own. 

He allowed himself to inwardly admit that she looked undeniably adorable fiddling with his fingers. How pink her lips were tonight.

“I honestly don’t know who that is, love. Where is Sirius anyway?” He coughed awkwardly, pulling his hand back and looking anywhere but her in faux search of his friends.

If his eyes had still been on her, he’d have seen how crestfallen she’d looked at his refusal to acknowledge her question. How she pulled her shawl over her shoulders tighter and attempted to shake off the feeling of dejectedness that silently clawed at her heels.

“He’s over there, trying his hardest to get Remus to kiss him in front of all these poor bystanders. You should have heard how fervently he pleaded with me earlier; he could’ve made a sailor blush.” She laughed and James caught sight of the two boys slowly swaying in between the sea of people.

The contrast of how gently he held Remus was stark. The pair barely moved from their spot on the floor in comparison to the full blown recital that took place only minutes before.

“Despite his remarks, he loves the two of you a great deal.” He found himself saying, melancholy apparent in his voice. The words tumbling from his lips before he could fully think them over.

“Why’d you say that so glumly, as if it doesn’t apply to you as well?” Y/N asked abruptly, an unexpectedly harsh edge to her tone.

“What?” Turning his attention back to her, he was shocked by the deep furrow in her brow. She clutched at her shawl so tightly her knuckles were turning pale.

“You say that as if we- as if he didn’t confess his feelings for you just the same! As if you didn’t choose-“ Her voice was raising but cut off before it garnered anyone else’s attention.

“James?” He heard from behind him and he already knew it was Lily, slight confusion laced in her voice.

In the time it took for him to turn to Lily in acknowledgment and back, Y/N was already moving to depart.

“Speak of the devil-“ She whispered exasperatedly, voice so low he barely caught it over the music. Releasing the deathgrip on her shawl, she allowed her hands to fall to her sides defeatedly.

“Goodnight, James.” Is all she offered before she was padding towards the main entrance; and though he moved to follow, the hand enveloping his own from behind grounded him.

This was where he was supposed to be, he reminded himself. Even if she took half of him with her.

[thran-duils]

Lost In Your Current (P.1)

Title: Lost In Your Current (Part One) Summary: Fem!Reader x Dark!Tony Stark. After the snap, the team realizes that certain males were given Alpha status and certain females were assigned as Omegas, all across the galaxy, as a way to control procreation. Only Omega can give birth now. Both are marked and their DNA is tied through their marks. Tony lost Pepper and fell into depression after being rescued by Carol. Even the information that he could have happiness again could not pull him out. Until the loneliness and his new Alpha gene got to be too much. When Steve contacts him that his Omega had been found, Tony cannot resist to collect her. Words: 2,033 Warnings (for the whole fic): Dub-con, a/b/o elements, smut, forced mating

Part Two || Masterpost (mobile) || Fanfic masterpost

After he had been brought back from space and found Pepper gone, Tony had been devastated. He isolated himself despite the remaining Avengers efforts. He only let them know he was alive and was reviving himself from being starved and dehydrated in space. When he had received the intel that in the snap, males were given mates, an Alpha and Omega pairing, he had rejected the idea at first, ignoring the small A that had engrained itself on the web of his hand between his forefinger and thumb. But as time waned on, he found himself empty and even admitting that to Rhodes opened up the conversation again about finding his Omega. Rhodes was convinced Tony would find healing in that connection. Thanos had done it to set couples, control procreation. No out of wedlock. There would not be another overpopulation problem. Only Omega were able to breed now. In any corner of the galaxy, it seemed.

Somehow despite his isolation, Tony had gotten word an Omega had been captured and her imprinting mark, an outline on her gland yet to be penetrated, matched his DNA. It was not a surprise to Natasha considering his incessant need for information and adept ability to hack practically any system.

Or maybe it was because Steve had told him. That’s what Tony divulged to her upon his arrival.

“I did not tell you yet for a reason,” Natasha told him.

They were standing in the observation room. Like many Omega after the snap, she had gone into hiding as soon as the information was out, and she had noticed the mark on her neck. People were not keen on being forced into submission and this situation was no different. Quickly, a drug had been developed and distributed. Still, the Omega had stayed in hiding, still fearful they could be detected despite the suppressants.

“Yeah, I’m used to you not telling people things,” Tony told her coldly. “You learned that from Fury well enough.”

Natasha swallowed his insult, knowing he was getting himself riled up just at the sight of her. She needed to be delicate about this. She had planned on telling him and inviting him to the compound but she had wanted to give Y/N time, get her as calm as possible to meet her Alpha. Steve had ruined that. So, she had to just go ahead now that Tony was here, ready to pounce. He had held off for so long, but the loneliness and loss had gotten to him. Or the drive to find himself buried in his Omega had sunk in; hormones were a bitch.

“She’s been on the suppressants. It may take a while for her to feel her heat,” Natasha told him.

“’A while’? How long has she been off them?”

“We’ve had her in here a few days. But a week at least.”

Tony growled and turned away from her. His eyes found Y/N again on the other side of the glass, watching her meander in the room serving as her cell to keep her safe. “She’s so close! A few days at best!”

Tony could already see it, smell it. It did not matter there was a wall separating, she was coming in through the circulation. And she already smelled deserving of his veneration.

Natasha inhaled sharply and took a step towards him. Firmly, she asked, “Do you need to leave, Tony?”

“No!” he spat, shooting her a threatening glare. He was just daring her to try to force him to leave.

As if he would let his prize out of his sight. He had been lost the moment he had laid eyes on her, smelled her sweet scent of sea breeze and jasmine.

Natasha would threaten him in return. She was not afraid of him, unlike most people. She was firm when she told him, “I won’t allow you to mate an Omega without their consent. She won’t realize she’s in heat yet. You need to wait until next cycle. Even if it is your soulmate and you think it’s for the best. And by think, I use it lightly cause I can see your fingers are white with how hard you are trying to hold onto that ledge to keep a grip on control.”

Tony snorted impatiently. Next cycle? Fuck that. He had been stuck in space and been screwed over by Thanos. He lost Pepper. He deserved this. He deserved her, he deserved this new start. He had gotten himself healthy again. And why not for this?

His Alpha was rearing its head; he had his soulmate so close, and he was so convinced he could trip her into heat early.

His eyes were fixated on his mate on the other side of the glass. She was moving around unbeknownst that he could see her, that he was watching her. His cock was tight against his jeans, and he adjusted, shooting a glance at Natasha who did not miss the movement.

He paced more, keeping his eyes set on her. She licked her lips, her hands wringing together as she sat down on the bench at the window she was allowed. She would have so much to look at when she was at his house. He had moved north, bought a large house settled in the mountains. So much space for her to wander, under his direction of course. He could not risk losing her either. But he wanted her happy. Only if happy meant she was with him though. He would not settle for anything less. He would force that mating bond on her if that is what it took to ensure she would warm his bed.

Out of Tony’s sight, Natasha cocked her head towards the door and Carol followed her. They thought Tony did not even notice them leave. Not that that was unexpected considering how zoned in he was.

Outside the room, door closed behind them, Natasha told her, “I’m gonna kill Steve. She needed a week—”

“Steve is just as meat headed as Tony. As little of time I’ve known him, I’ve realized that I’m not shocked he gave him the tip. He has been pretty happy with his mate that he found. I thought someone as virtuous as Captain America would have at least given the situation a second though, but…”

“Hormones are not a joke,” Natasha murmured. She swore and said exasperated, “Tony is not going to leave that fucking room without an armed guard dragging him out.”

Carol shrugged. “Then leave him in there! Let him watch her and keep the eye out he thinks he needs to. As long as he doesn’t break the glass—"

“He’s on edge already, Carol. If he sees anyone enter that room — even IF they’re beta, which is the only people I will send in there now regardless — he could lose it. Send himself into a rut. But she needs testing still and food. She has to interact with our doctors.”

<><><>

Tony had certainly noticed them leave though. And he smirked as soon as the door closed. Idiots.

Waiting for the door to close after Carol and Natasha stepped outside the room, Tony hit his watch.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y…. Hit the ventilation. Knock them out outside the room I am in and hers.”

<><><>

Tony stepped over Natasha and Carol slumped on the ground and then over the guards in the hallway. He held up his watch to the keypad and F.R.I.D.A.Y unlocked the door, giving him access. He shivered physically smelling Y/N full on, her wafting out to him as he pushed the door open. The room was penetrated with her and it was intoxication. The alcohol had done nothing for him since he had returned, no amount of money spent, no amount of women he had taken to his bed. But he actually felt something when he stepped into the room.

She turned away from the window, eyes wide and curious. He made sure to close the door behind him, a barrier to her escaping. He had read in the information he had been given all those months ago that Omega were unruly when they were not claimed yet and the thought made him growl internally. If she tried to run from him… his Alpha was furious at the thought, ready to pin her.

The two of them stared at each other and he could hear her heart beating faster, reacting to him. Natasha was right; she was not ready quite yet but just being in his presence was having an impact. Yes, he could trip her if he got her home, immersed her in his environment. If he was all she could see.

His eyes raked over her and he said, “Well, they certainly don’t know how to dress you all here.”

She looked down at her loose gown and then flicked her gaze back up to his, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry���”

She was delectable. Submissive. She already wanted to please him, and she had not been properly introduced to him yet. Tony felt his cock hardening. If only he could take her here and now. But he needed to drive her home. He tried to fight the hormones trying to hijack his psyche.

“No, sweet one, don’t apologize. You still look lovely. You’re so fertile….. look at you. Dripping.”

<><><>

You perked up at the compliment. The multiple compliments. You were doing good. Weren’t you? On many levels. Fertile. And wet.

Wait, wait?

He came closer. Still looking entirely in the brink of losing it but he smelled good. He smelled like home.

And that instantly set you on edge, a clear thought cutting through your arousal.

No.

It was him. The Alpha you had been assigned to. And Jesus. It was Tony fucking Stark. Why else would he have this effect on you? Natasha had promised to speak to you and let you decide as you weaned off the suppressants. She had lied and now you were being thrown to the wolves. And no wonder. Tony was her friend. Why would she deny him anything?

You stood quickly and your back hit the wall. You were closing in on yourself, trying to be small. He bristled at your squirrely movement and cocked his head. He immediately placed himself between you and the door to prevent you leaving, holding up his hand. Your heart was hammering.

He was here. He was here to take you away, lock you away.

“You don’t have to be afraid…” Tony said, his voice rolling over you like a high. It was sugary, sweet. “You are safe with me, sweet one.”

Safe. Yes. He would protect you.

You shook your head, closing your eyes tight, trying to shake his influence. Safe meant under his thumb.

Tony was closing the space quickly and you cowered. He was stronger than you and would undoubtedly win a fight.

“Omega…” he said, the title falling from his lips like a song. You froze and he took a few more steps. He shivered, seeing your response. “Be good. You don’t have to be trapped in here anymore. This room is so small, confining. You can come with me… up to our cabin.” Our, the word usage was not lost on you. “There’s a lake. Space to wander. You will have freedom there. With me.”

Half of you was screaming to listen to him, go to him, obey. The other half was screaming at you to try to duck around him and find an escape to make sure you would not fully come off the suppressants and be his puppet, his breeding machine.

Tony was there, inches between you and your chest pulled towards him, wanting him to touch you. He noticed the movement, hunger swimming in his eyes, pupils blown wide.

“That’s it, Omega. Be good.”

A soft whine left your lips, embarrassingly, at the command to be good.

Yet, another thought flashed. This was not right. And your eyes hardened. His jaw clenched at the sight, and you knew you were in trouble. Before you could react, he brought his hand up, and all you felt was cold metal against your neck before you saw black.

~~~

Marvel tags: @coconutqueen21 @undecidedsworld @holl2712 @agustdowney  @biiskuitx @buttercupfangirl

[marvelyhp]

Still you | chapter II

Chapter II: The comeback

Synopsis: Y/n decides to help the Avengers despite their betrayal two years prior and her life makes a big shift once again.

Pairing: Y/n x Bucky Barnes and some Y/n x Sam Wilson

Word count: 5,997

warnings: cussing, some fluff

note: I know I took so long but I had writer's block. then, I got covid and I felt too awful to write. But I'm okay now so this is what I could come up with. Not my greatest stuff. the tag list is open :)

Side note: I would really appreciate hearing from you and your thoughts!

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

We managed to lower two floors without raising suspicion or making too much noise. At least, James and I were pretty silent, whispering if needed. But of course, Stark always had to open his damn mouth. He had been talking all the way —pretty loudly too— and he just did it again.

“Where’s the grandpa with the bad luck of having you as a tenant?” The man didn’t know the meaning of whispering. Or maybe he did. He just wanted to make my life more complex than it was. I looked frantically behind me, praying he had not seen me sneaking out. At the sight of no one, a breath of relief exploded out of me. But it didn’t last long, irritation quickly dampening my already poor mood.

“Shut the hell up!” I hissed. My patience with the insufferable man wearing thin.

“Oh, relax. If he sees us, we’ll knock him out and blame you.” He mocked, a chuckle erupting throughout the hall and following the stairlike a draft of wind. My blood started to boil inside my veins and I felt the heat spread from head to toes. I was afraid to be reaching my tipping point already because this was nothing. Two years out of practice left me hypersensitive to his shit. I wondered how long I would be able to stand the insufferable mortal and regret hit me like a ton of bricks.

“He is a good man, Stark. We will not knock him out.” I whispered as I pressed myself against the wall. Twisting my head around the corner at the end of the hall, I sneaked a glance at the stairs and the visible space from the top. “Watch your step here. His room is right underneath the stairs. We don’t want to wake him up.

I walked forward, pressing my foot in the first step, praying the creak of the old wood would keep quiet today as it did some nights. At least that’s what I hoped but it wasn’t what happened. A groan broke the silence in the room and I knew that if he was awake, he definitely heard it. I waited a couple of seconds, alert to any noise. When nothing came, I advanced four more steps. I focused on the one shadow dancing in the wall and relief swept through me. He wasn’t awake.

I turned, thinking the guys were still up. However, I let out a gasp when Bucky’s face came into view, mere inches away from mine. Thanks to the startle, the foot I had dangerously close to the edge slipped.

My heart stopped as I thought about the fall and the inevitable bone-crushing pain that would come after it. The stairs were pretty high and even though they were wood, it was quite sharp. Splinters roamed everywhere. I waited for the pain and the strenuous sound. It was phenomenal, the first time I saw the team in two years and I would meet them in a body bag with a broken neck.

However, it never came.

When I opened my eyes, blue electric eyes stared back at me. Our faces were inches away from each other. A hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against him to hold me from falling. I was hyper-aware of our breaths clashing against each other, making the most sinful of sounds. Our lips were separated by a small space, too close for my brain to catch up quickly. I noticed how his lips roamed my face, stopping at my lips slightly parted by the surprise. His eyes held a fervent fire and my breath quickened once I felt the inevitable rush of warmth roaring my body.

Coughing slightly, I took a step backward, stepping out of his grasp. I forgot all about the landlord as I scolded myself. The man looked at me and there I was getting flushed like a raging hormonal teenager. I looked at everything but Bucky’s face, why I knew still had his eyes on me except now his jaw was firmly set. I wanted to ask him what was going on inside his head but a hovering shadow at the top of the stairs captured my attention.

“What are you still doing up there?'' The man looked utterly confused standing at the top of the stairs surrounded by darkness. I wondered if it had to do with what he just witnessed.

“You care about that grandpa, don’t you?” His expression was one of disbelief. His body wasn’t moving as if in shock or trying to process the information he thought was correct. And it was, but he didn’t have to know.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, unaffected.

“Of course you do. You care about the landlord.”

I whirled around as fast as I could with the incident earlier present in my head as a gruff voice filled the room. A short, stubby old man stood at the foot of the stair dressed in a white t-shirt and some basketball shorts. The ends of his hair stood up as if held by a string and maneuvered by a child. His narrowed black eyes stared back at us. His lips pressed in a thin line.

“Of course, she does, kid. Why shouldn't she?” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. I followed the movement of the milk dancing in the glass on his right hand. I felt proud of the English I had taught him and how-- as much as I didn't want this to happen-- useful it would be. I looked back at Stark to find him gaping like a fish. Little croaks came from his throat but no coherent words came from him. It was the first time I had seen Stark speechless. “I’m an incredible landlord if I say so myself.”

He was.

I cursed inwardly. There were things I didn't want everyone to know. To a certain extent, I wasn’t ready for the team, for Stark, to find out that I wasn’t the monster he expected me to be. I wasn’t ready for him to look at me differently. Andrei had the power to change our whole dynamic.

It wasn’t that Andrei and I shared anything about life. Or at least I didn’t. Andrei liked to talk, to share his life with me, and try to make me talk. He said I was too reserved. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

It had been a warm evening. I could see the sun filtering through the windows. Shining onto the top of the show top and illuminating the cottage-like bakery. The dough in my hands stuck to my skin, lumps of a uniformed cream mass suffocating the fingers. The powdered white dust sat beside me and I felt irritated. I hadn’t thought about pouring it on the mixture before I touched it. ‘I was out of my element here’ I thought as I reached for the flour.

Andrei’s baker had abruptly called five minutes before work notifying him he couldn’t work his shift. His grandmother had fallen down the stairs and fractured her hip, hence his lack of concern for Andrei. He was the only living relative she had so it fell upon him to look after her. One missed shift would turn into dozens. The bakery was small and hidden in a remote part of Romania. The clientèle was not much besides those living in the small town from years ago, or even since they were born.

Everyone in town knew each other. When I arrived I had my doubts about staying in this place because of that same reason. I would be the talk for weeks and I couldn’t risk so many people questioning my presence. Except, I was lucky.

One evening, I sat in a small and dark corner of a bar near the outskirts of the town where it was most probable to see an outsider. Two men sat a couple of feet away from me, talking fairly loudly. Out of boredom and desire to know the people I might have been seeing every day, I heard and studied their moments. Taking notes about their behaviors and storing them far into the file I had on humanity. Their voices were cheery as they ate pastries that I was sure to not be from the small bar.

“This is so good! I can’t believe I haven't tasted a pastry this good since I left,” he moaned loudly in reaction to the puff on his hand. The crumbly dessert spilling powdered sugar all over his dark gray pants. “Andrei hasn’t lost his touch.”

“Who is this Andrei you talk so highly of?” The older male asked the seemingly young partner. The man wore an expensive suit, not one that could be found here and from what I gathered from their conversation, he had not grown up here. But his friend did. What he said next grabbed my attention the most.

“His bakery is pretty hidden in the town. Someone that didn’t know the road would not find him. He used to be a criminal, on the run and all that. But since he got out of prison he became a baker. the man sure has a gift. I don’t even know why he went to jail, because the man is a sweetheart. I think he was just dealt a bad hand.” The man kept munching on his pastry as he talked. The vowels all merging to create a soundless blob. I swore he said more but that was all I could understand and by the face of his friend, he understood less.

“It’s such a small town. Why was it never known?”

“I don’t know. Rumor has it that he was born here but left, something to do with his family. He came back years later, on the run from some people. People we assumed to be the police. Of course, the police followed his trail and eventually found him here. Two years later. He hid pretty well if, you asked me. He treats people with respect but he never talks about himself. He has always been reserved when it comes to his life, only telling small details that lead to nothing. You know, not enough to form a life picture…”

Before he finished talking, I was out of my seat, walking towards the pair. I plastered an innocent look on my face, one I had studied and perfected many times since coming to earth. I relaxed my posture, knowing I had been tense and tucked since I entered this town. I still can’t believe I was social before. Nobody would believe that if I told them now.

“Hey, those pastries look marvelous!” I said in a cheery voice when I reached the pair. Both of their heads whipped towards my direction, curiosity written in their faces. I could hear the questions in their head about me and where I came from and what I looked for in town. Typical gossiping mortals. I wanted to cut the tie between our heads, feeling bad about corrupting the men’s thoughts. But I couldn’t, not until I had what I wanted. “Do you know where could I find them?”

“Sure thing. What’s your name, sweet thing?” Sweet thing, that’s funny. If he had been into the American news he would not say that.

“Calypso. Do you know where the place is? Can you explain it to me?” I said, trying to hide the hurry in my voice. His thoughts were front seat in my mind, not wanting to miss a thing.

“So eager.” He chuckled. Instead of the route, I was expecting, he thought about my naked form and countless sexual images began replaying. I resisted the urge to impale his backside, taking a deep breath and counting to ten. I played his game. I battered my eyelashes and looked at him from hooded eyes. I bit my lip gently and walked closer. Sneaking a glance at his friend, I noticed he was no longer looking at us. He seemed uncomfortable and had turned to his coffee and pastries. I wish I had a coffee to turn to.

“Maybe you could take me there. If you remember the way, of course.” He smirked and grabbed the jacket slung over the wooden chair he sat on. His friend looked at us, startled as if he wasn’t expecting my response. However, the joy of his friend would be short-lived. Images of the way to the small bakery filled my head and I smirked. Before he could take my hand to guide me to his car I asked for the restroom.

As soon as I came in, my eyes searched for some window I could use to leave unnoticed. And I found it in the corner of the bathroom beside one of the huge black and white mirrors. I locked the door and hurried to open the window, sliding through the door. The darkness of the night didn’t face me but my alert was high. Everybody could hide in the dark. My heart rocked against my chest as I saw the same guy from early waiting beside his car. I hurried along the alleyway, pulling my hood up and hiding my hair, disappearing into the dark.

“Calypso, boy for you.” I was brought from my memories by the rough voice of Andrei. Whoever didn’t spend much time with him would think he was mad all the time thanks to his voice and forever furrowed white bushy eyebrows. I matched the furrowing of his eyebrows when he mentioned a boy. I had been careful enough to not get attached or get anyone attached to myself so the mention of another human being besides Andrei spooked me.

Suddenly, the thought of agents looking for me or the usual threats I had filled me with panic. I heard the thunderous beat of my heart. The tremble of my hands disrupted the beautiful form of the pastry in my hands. quickly cleaning and taking away the apron full of white dust, I walked to the front of the door.

A dark-haired man in his early twenties stood next to the door with a blue box in his hands. A white shimmering ribbon adorned the delicate box, wrapping silkily around it to form a well-done bow. The chiseled bone structure of his profile caught my breath as he looked to the small, underpopulated plaza in the corner of the rondure. The curvature of his roman nose and the thin shape of his lips sticking in his profile.

I saw him regularly at the small bakery. His usual was a Papanaşia with a black strong coffee. He left three dollars on the tip jar three times a week and I noticed if he was overly happy, he would leave a fiver regardless of the day or how many days he had tipped. I had seen him mad twice in the store. Seemingly, he was one of those guys that harbored every trouble inside in a chaotic turmoil. I knew because I had invaded his mind one of those times. Curiosity had gotten the best of me, knowing he was always the type of guy that carried the sun on his shoulder. Every time he caught my attention, I tried to remind myself that he could’ve been an agent sent by Hydra to kill me or worse, kidnap me.

“Hello. What can I help you with?” I said, confidence laced in my voice. The confidence I did not expect to have. His head whipped towards me. A smile broke on his face at the sight of me. I saw the fidgeting of the box in his hands and the sudden bobbing of his knee. He didn’t appear to be harboring any secrets, or at least not deadly ones.

“Hey. I know this will probably look very weird to you but I’ve been watch- I mean not watching but I just- I,” His stammering caused a giggle to leave my lips involuntarily. My hand immediately flew to my lips, hiding the smile corrupting my face. He lowered his face but not before giving me one of those smiles that could light up a world. God, I felt sappy. He looked at me once again. “I don’t know how to do this. I definitely didn’t think it through.” He chuckled. One of his hands came up to brush his face while shaking it, side to side. I could tell he was nervous, maybe more that I initially had been.

Seeing him stammer was the cutest thing I had seen since the little green and purple flowers that grew back home and surrounded our palace. So, I decided to help him a bit. “You could start with your name,” I said, trying to not smile too much. Agent, agent, agent…

“God, you probably should’ve done that first. Nice one.” He said, more to himself than for me to hear it. “I’m Razvan. It's lovely to finally meet you.” I shook his hand. It was rough yet soft with elongated fingers caressing my own small and thin one.

“Calypso.”

“What I meant to say, you know, before I shot myself in the foot was that you caught my eye since I first saw you. Now, I swear I'm not stalking you because it could be easy to think after the horrible introduction I just did. But, yeah, I would like to get to know you, if that’s okay with you.”

I did think about it. I swear I did. I thought about how he could be linked to Hydra and if you searched on the deepest paranoid corner, the Avengers. I thought he could’ve been just a random murderer whose floor I had shaken. My voice of reason said no. and with the saddest feeling settling my stomach, I told him what I thought. Or tried to.

“I’m sorry, I-I can’t. You seem like the loveliest person b-but I…” For some reason, I couldn’t just say no. “Can I think about this?” That was the only thing that came out of my mouth while I tried to get the words ‘go away and ‘don’t speak to me’ out of my mouth. His smile faded a bit, but even then he tried to keep his positivity and bright personality on. I could feel the waves of disappointment once I started speaking but hope soon came flooding back.

“Sure. I'm a complete stranger coming here every day just to see you. I can see how that’s alarming. take your time.” He shook his head as if realizing what he had just said. He chuckled and I tried to give him a small smile. Before I could turn away and leave, I felt him touch my elbow. I jumped back.

His brows furrowed quickly. “Forgive me. This is for you. And please accept it.” I thought about refusing but this would only prolong this meeting, pushing me to accept a company I wasn't ready for. I took the small box, my hand already trying to open the shimmering blue box. “No, please. Open it later, more calmly and everything and you can tell me whenever you’re ready if you like it.” I gave him a smile, which he returned brightly before diving back inside the back of the store.

Once inside, I undid the delicate ribbon, watching it dissolve like seafoam by the lovely blue water. The glistening gold chain with a tiny, colorful Koi fish rested in the center of the box. My heart swelled and I felt a way I hadn’t felt since Bucky. He remembered what I had told him that first, and the only time we had talked before today.

The voice of Andrei brought me out of my stupor with a jump. A hand traveled to grasp my heart while the other held the box tightly.

“Razvan is nice guy.” His voice was gruff and deep like it had been since I had met him. He walked behind me and grabbed a pack of flour to dump beside me. I looked towards the other and realized I was running out of it.

“Do you know him?”

“Yes. Comes every day for two years. Great boy.”

When I didn’t say anything, he stopped cutting open the pack of flour and turned to look at me. “You too reserved. Not want to end like Andrei alone. Give guy chance.” That was all he said before he left. A tall wrinkly woman with short red hair calling out for him.

The last thing I thought that day after he left drove me to the same road he had set me on. I didn’t want to end alone or die alone for that matter. But what was I to do if everyone thought I was a selfish monster who just wanted to kill and bring chaos? The only person who didn’t feel that particular way was the same man I was leaving without saying goodbye.

Stark seemed to have gathered his words together because he suddenly began spewing some shit on Andrei. shit, he didn’t like it.

“The girl is no selfish girl. Only a fool like yourself would think so. Only a blind man would propose such a thing.” His brows were furrowed but Otherwise, he was calmly standing at the bottom of the stairs sipping his milk. He seemed like he would continue but I made sure to stop him

“Andrei, no.”

“I see. She holds you hostage and controls you, doesn’t she?” Stark countered, a smirk settling in his features. I pinched my nose, sighing loudly.

“You have to leave with this buffoon?” I walked down to his side, muttering an annoyed yes. “I’m sadder for you than him.” A chuckle escaped him as he hugged my shoulders with one arm. I tried to push him away but found no will to do so. I would miss Andrei. He felt like the father I never had. Worry settled in my stomach knowing I had been here and I would no longer be if anything happened to him. I hugged him back, despite my better judgment and the four pairs of eyes staring back at me.

“Don’t forget about me, violet. Nor dear Razvan.’ He told me after letting me go. I nodded before calling back to my two companions. Stark came down, slowly walked to the front door. Bucky at his heels. They both turned. Bucky’s face had some sort of emotion I couldn't decipher. I thought I could, but I doubt he would feel happy about finding someone genuine to spend my days with.

Stark, on the other hand, looked at Andrei as if he had grown an extra head.

“I’m confused. Aren’t you supposed to be dying at her touch or something? Are you sure she didn’t threaten you to act this way?” The funny thing was, he sounded genuinely confused. The skepticism in his voice hurt my feelings but the mere fact it was stark made me forget quickly. He was an insensitive prick with a personal vendetta.

“Take this fool away before I turn him into a human pastry,” Andrei commented. I walked towards them, chuckling. “Ai grijă, violet aprins.” Take care, fiery violet. The elder said before we shut the door behind us. my heart swelled at his words. I knew I would long for those quiet evenings where it would rain and we would sit down in the living room with a book, quietly enjoying our presence. We laughed and made new and invented pastries in the kitchen for days, always looking for new and innovative flavors. I would miss the man that had treated me like his daughter.

“Take care, Pop.” I whispered to myself. Not thinking a long-haired blue-eyed soldier would hear.

And just like that, we disappeared quietly into the night and I said goodbye to one of the most important people in my life.

James let me know they came in the Quinjet, that enormous thing I had refused to sit on two years ago. the walk was not far from where we were and we found it in a while.

The Quinjet was hidden behind one of the buildings next to the bakery. the gigantic thing sleeping while we arrived to climb up. clint stood outside, his arms crossed. that man always looked like he was in a power pose.

“Romania? What is it with chased people and Romania?” Confusion and genuine interest were written all over his face.

Barton had always been a friend before I knew the truth. Nat told me she had told him in a drunken stupor. he tried to talk to her about telling me but she didn’t listen. I didn’t hold it against him because I knew he wasn’t actively participating but he didn’t do anything either.

I shrugged. “It’s a good hiding place. too many criminals organizations for you to matter. nobody cares who the hell you are as long as you keep quiet.”

“Good shadow place.” Bucky added as he tried to help me get in the Quinjet. I ignored his hand, focusing on Clint’s face.

“Exactly.” My response was clipped. if he was fishing for a normal conversation he was in for a treat.

After a while, we took off. My legs became restless as I sat in front of Stark and Bucky while Clint piloted the flying thing. boredom pushed me to get up from my seat and walk towards the front of the Quinjet. that, and Straks glare along with the awkwardness of Bucky’s movements.

Clint’s focused face came into view as I sat beside him. silence engulfed the both of us before he broke the silence with some words I didn’t expect.

“We missed you.” it was a quiet remark but full of shocking force. I just sat there, wide-eyed looking towards the already clearing sky. I looked towards him and forced myself to respond. a scoff came out of me, causing Clint to look rapidly towards me.

“You have no reason to believe me, but it’s the truth. Nat was pretty shaken up when you left. we looked for you everywhere and decided you didn’t want to be found. that you needed some time. it took you longer than we thought.”

“You didn’t find me because you didn’t look. You don’t have to lie to me, Barton.” I said, masking the hurt I felt with anger. why keep lying to me? I knew they didn’t care sop they didn’t need to act as they did.

“What? we did loo-” He never finished his sentence since Stark’s voice boomed around the small space. he came to let us know where would land soon as if we didn’t know already. Clint was the pilot, it was impossible for us to not know. suspicion arose in my chest but I soon forgot it when I saw the massive compound below us.

✹✹✹ I would be lying if I said my stomach wasn’t fluttering and my hands trembled slightly. I subtly rubbed my hands in my jeans, hoping to get some moisture away. But, there was something else bothering me. It had been there for a little while. The emptiness in my chest divided in two, as though… I don’t even know. The doors slid with a swift sound and my heart rate hit new floors.

I tried to avoid showing any emotion I felt. Seeing them surrounding the long table, all in their daily clothing made it hard to remember. I couldn’t show the happiness of seeing them all right after two years. Nor could I show the excitement deep in my bones seeing Wanda’s face. I couldn’t forget the damage (situation) those high-held beings made to my heart.

I looked at them with a mask of indifference firmly placed.

Wanda was the first to step forwards, as I knew she would. I didn’t expect her to but a part of me screamed how she had been the only real friend through the year I spent in this cage. I resisted the urge to hug her, touch her, and receive the reassurance I so deeply wanted.

“I thought- we thought you were dead.” The revelation shocked me. It felt as though they couldn’t believe I was alive. But I was. The question was… why did they think so?

“Nop. Still kicking.” I replied.

“Unfortunately.” I heard Stark mutter under his breath. I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to kick him. I could make him feel a true kick in his brain. And his ass, too.

“Y/n!” A high-pitched voice came from the corner next to me. The smiley face of Pepper Potts came rushing towards me, engulfing me in a hug. My nerve endings shot and I prayed my instinctive responses wouldn’t go through. Fortunately for me, they didn’t. Before I could even think to hold her back—which I wouldn’t have done anyway�� she stepped back. Smile intact and a gleam in her eyes capable of illuminating the whole room.

“Jesus. You’ve changed so much!” Her hands settled on my shoulder, holding softly and slightly shaking my shocked frame. “I missed you.” Her vice took a sweet edge and her head lolled to the side. Her eyes scrutinized me with the look of a mother who had just seen her child after a hard year abroad. I resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably out of her grasp. I wasn’t used to this.

“Honey, leave the feral alien alone.” Tony’s voice reached my ears. “We have important matters to discuss.”

“God, Tony. Give us a break. We haven’t seen the kid in two years.” Natasha’s ______ filled the room as I saw her taking steps towards me. I noticed there were no relaxed steps but tense and wary. Her eyes held a sort of apology mixed with caution.

I just stared. Deep inside I didn’t know how to react to someone I hadn’t seen in a long time, someone who betrayed me gets closer. Her body language told me she was sorry but still cautious of my reaction but I didn’t know if I should forgive her. Her right hand stretched towards my frame. I shifted uncomfortably in place, moving slightly away from her.

I saw her eyes roam my body, noticing the discomfort. She came to a halt three feet away from me. Her lips were pursed as she let her head drop for a second. She recovered quickly, extending her same hand towards me, this time to shake my hand.

“It’s good to have you back, Y/n.”

I took her hand in mine, shaking firmly. I nodded my head towards her. My lips pursed. The movement of Wanda’s body caught my eye. She stepped closer to me, her hands nervously trembling beside her big, red jumper.

“Can I hug you?” Hearing those words coming out of her froze the ongoing flow of blood through my veins. I was shocked, to say the least. I bet I looked like a gaping fish as an incomprehensible string of detached words escaped my lips. Everyone else seemed as surprised as I was. For completely different reasons I would bet. As Stark had said, they thought I was a free being.

She waited patiently, probably aware of the shock and ongoing battle I had inside me. She was the only one aware of my thoughts about showing anything besides contempt. And she knew why. But I sent it all to hell and for once, I did what I wanted to do. I nodded.

Her smile was worth enough as she moved quickly towards me, as though worried I would change my opinion. Her thin arms wrapped around my neck, my lack of height apparent as my 5’1 ass reached her shoulders. I resisted the urge to cry as I wrapped my arms around her back, relishing in a familiar face that didn’t hate my only existence.

“I missed you.” It was a whisper, only for me to hear. A small smile escaped my lips as hope blossomed in my chest. Hope that maybe I wasn’t a lost cause. Hope that maybe someday I could have a family.

“I did too, Red.” I murmured back. Careful to not raise my voice as I didn’t want anyone to know anything. I felt oddly vulnerable to be hugging someone let alone hugging someone in front of seven people. I noticed Vision staring and I gave him a subtle nod, a small smile creeping upon my lips. He nodded back with that usual blank expression not in compass with the feelings he harbored. After some time, I let her go before Stark had another remark to make.

I noticed Steve leaning against a far-away table, maybe ten feet away from where I was. His head lowered, eyes on the ground. His arms surrounded his build, hugging himself with a heavy frown on his face. He didn’t want to look towards me and I thought I knew why. He was ashamed of what he did. He was guilty anyway you looked at it. He was guided by Bucky to do everything. He followed the man despite knowing it was wrong. Not because your friend tells you to throw yourself out the window means you’ll do it. He knew full well what was wrong and right. He knew Barnes' proposal was as low as a man could get.

If he didn’t apologize and acknowledge what he did, he was dead to me. I mean, he had tried to apologize that day, but I was devastated and no words came through my anger.

There were a few handshakes and subtle nods here and there before I noticed a presence missing. I looked around for the usual big man with an overinflated sense of heroism but didn’t find him. He was big enough for anyone to spot him. I felt a pang in my chest and a tingle at the back of my head and I knew something was wrong. The air shifted and my hands started trembling slightly.

“Where’s my brother?” I asked, my voice slightly shaky. I tried to compose myself, knowing he had to be alright or I would’ve felt something.

“We don’t know. We couldn’t get a hold of him.” Natasha replied. I noticed the subtle worry etched in her face lines.

Suddenly, I understood that emptiness inside me. That swirling emotion unlatched to an earthy body. One of the connectors inside of me, besides bucky’s, was empty. It didn’t have any energy to connect to.

No.

No.

No.

I didn’t realize I began hyperventilating while the word repeated itself over and over in my head. My chest rose and fell quickly while the air got caught in my throat. My hand shot out to grasp anything in reach I could hold myself up with.

“Y/n?! What’s wrong?” Wanda was the first to step forward and grab my elbow. Her soft touch didn't completely register in my sensory sense. The only thing in my mind was the heavy colorless fog swirling around in my insides.

The worst part was, I didn’t know which of my brothers it belonged to. I thought about them and how long it had been since I had seen them. Since I had been with them.

“Can you all excuse me?” I pulled myself together and without waiting for a response, I hurried across the room. I thought about the me that they just saw but somewhere deep down, I didn’t care.

I hurried, passing Steve's body. This time, he looked intently at me. I didn’t expect him to stand up and grab my shoulders. By this point, my vision was blurry and I tried hard to reconnect with the missing life essence.

“Y/n, I-”

“Can we do this later, Rogers?” I spat, cutting him off before getting my elbow out of his grasp. I left, shuddering and feeling a wave of anger rising in my chest.

What a good way to make a comeback.

TAG LIST:

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[sserpente]

A/N: I received two anon requests quite a while ago and decided to keep them because the idea was… hot! I hope you all had some lovely holidays! Enjoy reading! ♥

Words: 2392 Warnings: smut, smut, smut… and a lot of fluff

Additional NSFW warnings: teeny tiny bit of dub-con, depending how you look at it, sleep fucking, cockwarming and forced orgasm (we’re going at it again, my lovelies! Prepare to take a cold shower after this!)

-

It was not that you didn’t care about the others. It was just that you cared about Loki more. The Avengers knew that—there was no point in pretending you were not selfish in that aspect. Besides, for a very long time, nobody truly seemed to care about Loki before, not until you stepped into his life and threw his emotions into turmoil. You grinned deviously at the thought. Together, you were one of a kind. An inseparable and invincible team against the nine realms.

To begin with, you had been unsure if he would let you win his heart even though he had been unable to deny his own reactions to you. Soon enough, however, Loki had begun courting you—right until this one, fateful night in Norway where he had kissed you under the glooming Northern Lights.

You missed him. More than you could couch in terms. Loki had been away on a mission with Thor, somewhere in the depths of Niflheim for several weeks now. Only a handful of einherjar as well as Valkyrie had accompanied him, the only life sign you received every other day when Thor contacted Tony to give him updates which left you worrying about him most of the time.

Your bed felt so empty without him, so cold. Loki had become the most important person in your life in such a short time period it almost scared you.

“Good evening, Miss (Y/L/N),” You looked up to the ceiling when you heard FRIDAY’s electronic voice ricocheting through Loki’s and your room. “Mr Stark has asked me to let you know that Thor and Loki have just returned from their mission. They are—” The AI was unable to finish delivering its message. You had already bolted through the door regardless of the fact you were already wearing your pyjamas.

Thor was sitting on the sofa in the middle of the massive living room, his dirty boots staining the soft carpet to his feet and his precious hammer resting on a cushion by his side. Frantically, your eyes scanned your surroundings. Loki found you first, greeting you with a mischievous smirk as soon as you laid your eyes upon him.

“Finally…” You dashed forward, throwing yourself into his arms. The God of Mischief grunted from the galvanic impact, making you push him an arm-length away from you with a concerned expression on your face.

“Are you hurt?!”

“No… just… exhausted.” He leaned his forehead against yours, pressing you tightly against his body despite the heavy tiredness in his limbs. Thor was taking all the credit, as usual. There were always two sides of a story and the Avengers, whenever the Asgardian brothers were involved, only ever cared to acknowledge Thor’s version.

“Did everything go well?” You asked him with a quiet voice all the while ignoring the heated conversation Thor had started with his rumblings about war, battle and triumph.

“There were minor complications. We had the element of surprise.”

You nodded thoughtfully. “Tell me the details tomorrow. You should rest, my king.” Loki smiled in response.

“Not just yet…” He mused. “First, let me show you how much I missed you, my sweet pet…”

Your loins caught fire the moment his hot breath brushed against your ear, promising a night filled with pleasure and passion. You clung on to him, desperately, as he lifted you up like a bride and carried you back to your shared room.

“But I do have to admit that we couldn’t have done it without my brother this time.” Thor said in just that moment. “Right, Loki?” He looked up, searching for him, but he was already gone. “Loki?”

-

His mouth came crashing down on yours before you had a chance to feel the ground under your soles again. Loki gently put you on the bed and threw the covers back, his lips never ceasing to explore yours. You could practically taste his longing for you, that burning desire setting your skin ablaze. Adrenaline from battle and violence still cursed through his veins, your willing body and mind an anchor to his aching soul.

His greedy hands dived under your thin shirt, caressing your naked skin. Your back arched when his fingertips reached the underside of your breasts, your nipples already hard and awaiting his touch. You whimpered—a soft sound urging him on to take from you what he needed, only to return more bliss to you than imaginable. Loki was a gentle lover, considerate. He took pride in how often he could make you quiver and moan underneath him before he sheathed himself deep inside your demanding quim.

Soon enough, he occupied himself with your knickers, his long digits travelling over your abdomen all the way down your body so slowly you shivered from the anticipation until he reached the hem of the thin fabric. He took his time sliding them off of you until you could kick them out of bed. You sat up, if only for a brief moment to get rid of your shirt. Loki eyed your body hungrily, taking in every single inch you so willingly presented to him. When you lied back down, bucking your hips already eager for his body to join with yours, an animalistic growl escaped his lips. Loki attacked your neck with a ferocity which made you tremble beneath him. His hands barely managed to free his aroused member from his dark leather trousers as he nibbled and suckled on your sensitive skin, determined to leave passionate love bites all over you to mark you as his. You would never belong to anyone else.

Breathing heavily, you dug your fingernails into his shoulders. More. You needed more, so much more.

“Loki… take all of your clothes off. Please… I want to feel you.” It was a silent plea, one Loki found himself unable to resist. There were, after all, certain perks of wielding seidr. His armour all but melted off of his body, along with, so you presumed, the dirt and sweat from exhaustion and his recent fights. A moan escaped your lips when his now naked skin touched yours, removing the last ounce of distance there had still been between you.

He was already hard, leaking precum from the pink tip. You longed to give his impressive length a long lick, tasting his arousal as much as he could taste yours when, without any forewarning, he thrust two of his long fingers into your leaking core and curled them just where you needed it the most, testing your wetness.

You were more than ready for him. Loki usually had you on the verge of madness the moment he kissed you, all your worries and sorrows drifting away from your troubled mind. This night was no different. In this very trice, you were his and he was yours. There was no one else.

Loki was demanding in the way he made you spread your legs to position himself between them, stretching your wet entrance inch by inch as he penetrated you to the hilt. Neither of you failed to cherish the moment as he shifted most of his weight onto you in an attempt to get as close as physically possible. He leaned his forehead against yours once more, his warm breath brushing against your moist lips. Only when you wrapped your legs around his hips to impel him did he retreat almost entirely and buried himself back inside you. His pace was steady, intimate. This wasn’t just passionate fucking—this was gentle and tender love making between two people who loved each other. Loki’s pelvis grinded against your clit with every powerful thrust, your breasts bouncing with the impact. It was a mesmerising sight, to say the very least. How could he resist not kneading them, caressing them and cupping them softly, one at a time? His thumb interchangeably rubbed over your hardened nipples, sending shockwaves of arousal through your entire body—they gathered right between your legs, promising release. You needed just… a little more stimulation…

Another, needy whimper escaped your lips when you felt his other hand sneaking down to where your bodies were joined, his teasing fingertips finding your clitoris with ease. He was panting, capturing your lips in another chaste kiss as he picked up his pace and prodded into you harder and faster, his fingers still massaging your sensitive bundle of nerves until he had you right where he wanted you—on the brink of orgasm.

“I can feel you tightening around me, pet…” He grunted hoarsely. A hearty moan accompanied by his name was the only sound you managed to utter in response. “Cum… cum for me.”

So you did, his soft command a dizzying invitation. Over and over, his name rolled over your tongue, echoing through the room. Your fingernails dug into his hips, wanting him even deeper inside you as your orgasm tore through you, setting fire to every cell of your body. Your toes curled, your back arched, your hips kept bucking up to meet his thrusts…

“Yes…” Loki hissed blatantly. At loss for more words, he began rutting into like an animal—like a tiger that had been caged and now pounced on its first willing victim. His hard cock, desperate for relief now, throbbed, pulsing against your tight walls. With a low grunt, Loki spilled himself inside you, filling your still quaking and contracting cunt until his warm seed dribbled down your inner thighs, tickling your sweaty skin.

His stamina never ceased to impress you—and he did not content himself with claiming you just once. No. The majority of the night had passed by the time you almost passed out from exhaustion, even more so than Loki after returning from his mission. He was more than compensating and making up for the time he had been away from you.

-

It was dark when you awoke again, your eyelids fluttering open only to be met with utter darkness. What was it that had so rudely ripped you from dreamland? It must have been in the middle of the night. Surely Loki had switched off the light with a simple wave of his hand after your passionate love making. And all too soon… all too soon you realised what was happening.

Loki was lazily thrusting into you again, whispering sweet nothings into your neck. His right hand was cupping your breast possessively, his thumb stimulating your hardening nipple.

“Oh… oh, fuck…” You moaned when he circled his hips, his pelvis grinding against your clit in such a delicious manner it fuelled your own arousal climbing up into dizzying heights within a matter of seconds. You were still wet from your passionate love making, remembered, after being taken times and times again and after clenching and cumming around his cock, letting wave after wave of pure bliss wash over you, and you recalled begging him groggily.

“No… Stay inside me, please.” You had fallen asleep with him still resting deep inside you, softening slowly. Loki had been unable to deny how wonderful it felt to have your warm cunt envelop and warm him for the night. He was slumbering soundly now—and he was… dreaming. Dreaming of… claiming you again? You bit your lower lip when his thrusts intensified.

“L-Loki? Wake up, my king…” You realised quickly he had a very deep sleep. Without ever opening his blue eyes, he rolled fully on top of you for better access. You tried to move your arms to control his vigorous rutting but found yourself paralysed, your eyes widening when you noticed. You could not move a limb. What… what was he dreaming? Had he bound you in his very own world? Tied you up with silk rope like he sometimes did in a conscious state? Shifting just a little, you raised your hips up against him. Loki had rendered you completely helpless, ravishing you intimately without his knowledge… and even though it scared you a little—so utterly at his subconscious’ mercy—you found yourself growing more and more aroused.

“Loki… I can’t move… Loki, wake up…”

Loki was not even touching you and yet… yet with a start, it almost felt like invisible fingers were stroking your clit, gently pulling an orgasm from you. Without a doubt, the God of Mischief was using his wicked seidr as he took his release from you. He played your body like an instrument, face buried in your neck and plastering wet and seducing kisses all over your skin.

He grumbled, eyelids twitching slightly. Finally, his blue gaze met yours in the dark, still drowsy and sleep-drugged.

“Oh God…” You moaned, too close to orgasm to grasp a proper thought.

Even if you had wished to, there would have been no stopping him from forcing you to climax for him. Muttering his name when pleasure took control over your body, you threw your head back, your tight walls clenching around him rhythmically, milking him for all he was worth. Loki came, too. He moaned quietly, sheathing himself as deep inside of you as physically possible as he marked you with his warm seed yet again, his manhood pulsing and jerking against your wet cunt.

The dark room was filled with nothing but your rapid heartbeats and your heavy breathing for a while. You were still quivering from your own high, your pussy barely contracting around his slowly softening member when he suddenly chuckled softly in his post-orgasmic haze, fully realising now what must have happened.

“My… it seems that even in my sleep, you are still utterly defenceless against me, my sweet pet.”

You groaned—though your half-hearted complaint sounded more like another eager moan. You could not deny how exciting it had been… and you certainly wouldn’t mind if it happened again.

“I’m glad you’re amused…” Raising an eyebrow, you landed a weak slap against his upper arm.

Loki chuckled once more, rewarding you with another lazy stroke. “You enjoyed it.” He stated matter-of-factly. “You were writhing underneath me and you are positively dripping wet…” His smirk sent pleasant shivers up and down your spine. He was already getting hard again, you could feel him twitch slightly inside of you. A devilish grin spread on your lips.

“Shut up and kiss me.” It was a wish Loki could never turn down before.

-

A/N: Check out my blog to find more Imagines and take a glimpse at my  first (to be) published novel! If you enjoyed this story, I would  appreciate so much if you supported me on Kofi! ko-fi.com/sserpente ♥

[irondad-creator-awards]

Nominations So Far (Updated)

I wasn’t going to update the form or list until nominations had closed, but I realized that was unfair to those nominated as their stories would not be in the collection. This is not quite complete, as there were a few more submissions in the night, but this is as fas as I’ve got over the last two days.

NOTE: Some creators have asked to not be inciuded in the awards, so if you nominated someone that’s not made the list, that’s why.

1. THE ONE THAT MADE YOU GASP! — A story which had a plot twist you didn’t see coming. Something that caught you so off guard that you had to stop a minute and take a breath before devouring the rest. What’s the story for you?

A Beautiful Lie by RayRox360

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

Chaotic Peter Parker by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Cycle Through by Ambivalentangst

Ever In Your Favor by Iron_Spider

Irondad Ficlets by Ironxprince

Like Father, Like Son by An_Odd_Idea

Love Leaves A Memory No-One Can Steal by Ironmum

More Peril In Thine Eye  by Iron_Spider

No Longer In Service by Starryknight09

Proof Of Concept by Flurrbee

Serenity by Jolinarjackson

Spidey Tot by Kevy_Grayce

Stab Me In The Back (I'll Catch You From Behind) by Lansfics7

Stop, Look, Listen by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

The Case of The Sinister Spider by ironfamjam

Unforeseen Circumstances by JLMonroe1234

      2. THE MULTI-CHAPTER YOU COULDN’T PUT DOWN — A story which kept you up all night or calling in sick for work so you were free to read. Who’s the culprit?

  A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Parent Apparent by Happyaspie

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

A Sailor Went To Sea by by Yellowdistress

Acolyte by Macabre

Air I Breathe by Heartofcathedrals

All The Devils Are Here by Yellowdistress

And You’ll Blow Us All Away by Losingmymindtonight

Astronomy In Reverse by Pansley

Breathe, Then Repeat, by Thesecretuchiha

Come My Darling, Homeward Bound by Iamirondad

Ever In Your Favor by Iron—Spider

Every Beautiful Lie (Always Has An Ugly Truth by Da_Moose

Five Times Tony And Peter Chaotically Cleaned by Ironmum

Free Like A Broken Heart by Notapartytrick

I Will Carry You (Always) by Thestarvingwriter

Identity Crisis by Kitcat992

If They All Knew About You by Mshermia

In Unlikely Places by Looneylizzie

Irondad Ficlets by Ironxprince

More Peril In Thine Eye by Iron—Spider

Mr. Parker Declined To Commentby Apisdn

Pain Will Always Come Back To Haunt You by Kevy_Grayce

Permanence by Theexhaustedalchemist

Petey And The Hermit by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Pieces Of Echoes by Geekymoviemom

Proof Spiderman Loves Clickbait         by Mauvera

Rise From The Ashes; Just To See You Again by Mintstream

Sins Of The Fathers by Geekymoviemom

Spider-Man: Avengers (And Midtown High) React by Gayplums

Stop, Look, Listen by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

The Lost And Forgotten by Lizcraz

The Rattle Of Their Hearts by Iron_Spider

Turn Back The Clock (And I'll Try Again In The Morning) by Madasthesea

We Accept The Love We Think We Deserve by Polaroid15

We Will Foresee Obstacles by Blackwatchandromeda (Avenris)

          3. THE ONE-SHOT THAT THAT HAD YOU HOOKED — Some writers can cram more greatness into less words than a 100k monster. What’s the one-shot that did it for you?

  5 Times Peter Sleepwalked And The 1 Time He Pretended He Did by Losingmymindtonight

A Little Gray Area (Where I Can Keep You Safe) by Divineprojectzero

Blessed Be The Boys Time Can’t Capture by Killerqueenwrites

Countless Ways To Say I Love You            by Hopeless_Hope

Familiar Faces by Happyaspie

First Wednesday Of March by The Case Of The Missing Museum Bea-Storer

Fitting In (Tiny Spaces) by Aloneintherain

For Good by Madelinedear

I Can Hold The Weight Of Worlds (If That's What You Need) by Bluesweatshirt

I Did It All For You (So I Can’t Lose You Now) by Another_Introvert

I Just Wanted To Protect You by Sunflowerspideyy

I Promise I'll Do Better by 221broadwayiron

I Promise You Kid, You're Safe Now by Bstarship

I Will Soften Every Edge by Losingmymindtonight

In My Heart There Was A Kind Of Fighting by Iron_Spider

New Dream by Writerllofllworlds

Petey And The Hermit by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Place In Your Heart by Potrix

Quaranteens by Blueh

Someone To Want Me by Fritokays

Something Here Will Eventually Have To Explode by Madasthesea

The Primary Reason Tony Stark Would Throw Down With An Anti-Vaxxer In The Street by Caraminha

To Be Like You by Polaroid15

What You're Feeling Is Probably Normal by Finny3120

    4. THE BEST THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES — A drabble (under 1k) can pack in all the goodness that you need in a coffee break read. What’s that story for you?

  Buttering Me Up by Iron_Spider

Cuddle Bug by Marvelous_Writer

Food At Home by Aimaim94

I Feel A Filth In My Bones (Wash Off My Hands Til It's Gone) by Madasthesea

Insomniacs In The Dark by Littlemissagrifina

Irondad Cuddles by Lilacsoulw

Let The Mind Games Begin by Ironmum

Of Christmas Lights And Car Chases by Marvelous_Writer

Of Masks And Memories by Littlemissagrafina

Quentin Knows Best by Undercover_Royalty

S.O.S. (Somehow Obtained Son) by Madasthesea

  5. THE BIODAD THAT TOUCHED YOUR HEART — Some of the greatest stories flip canon and make Tony Peter’s biological father. Be it baby Peter taking his first steps or Tony dealing with the fact his son is following in his superhero footsteps as Spider-Man, which is the one you loved most of all?

  A Gift Of Blood by Theeclecticsoul

An Abstract Concept by Iron-Spider

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

Built From Scraps by  Peter Stank

Happy Birthday - And Merry Christmas   Thequeenofwhump

Happy Hogan Never Forgets A Face by Jen27ny

Hardest Lessons (Softest Results) by Mainstreamelectricalparade

I Love You Mother Than Anything by Iron_Spider

If They Knew All About You by Mshermia

My Little Bambino by Maicaly

My Little Bambino by Maicaly

Return To Me, The One I Love So Endlessly by Superherotiger

Slow Down, Start Again From The Beginning by Cassiecasyl

So Many Things Left To Say (Series) by Sarcasmismyweapon

Sound Logic by Aytheria

Spiderson by Emily_F6

Stars, Hide Your Fires by Yellowdistress.

The Less Than Secret Life by Yellowdistress

The One Where Peter Is Related To Tony by Marvel_Cinematic_Universe_Fan

The Ties That Bind Us by Winterturtle

They Say Boys Don't Cry (But Your Dad Has Shed A Lot Of Tears) by Tempestaurora

What We Are (Series)  by Yellowdistress

What’s In A Name? by Geekymoviemom

    6. THE ONE WITH THE FIELD TRIP — The field trip trope is one of the most popular in the fandom. What’s the story that you think pulls all the elements together to make it great?

  A Different Take by Cyberwolfwrites

Academic Commitment by Underoosstark

Constant Internal [Spider] Screaming: Semi-Connected Scenes From A Graduating Senior’s Life by Isadancurtisproduction

Everyday Superhero by Stoneage_Woman

Field Trip by Inkinmyheartandonthepage

Field Trip Flip by  Happyaspie

From Your Perspective, The World Is Flat by Blueh

I Don’t Want To Talk About It Anymore by Bees_And_Wasps

It's Above My Clearance Level by Tsk

Living With Superheros? Not Cool by Groot_Is_God

Mr Stark Enough For You? (Another Field Trip Fic Bcs We Dont Have Enough) by Livinei

Neon Liar (Hiding In Plain Sight) by Isadancurtisproduction

No Reason To Go by Pokegeek151

One Fall Weekend by Marvelous_Writer

Tower Of Donuts And Doubts by Platinumdollz

Who Is He? by Velarisstars

          7. THE TIME AFTER TIME ONE — There’s some great time travel stories out there, but which is your favorite?

  Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

Breathe, Then Repeat by Thesecretuchiha

Every Beautiful Lie (Always Has An Ugly Truth) by Da_Moose

Hero by Lady_Oneder

I Have Time by Peterparkr

It’s Me, Remember? by Nanixerka

Oh, Take Me Back To The Start by Theregularwriter

Peter And Morgan's 40-Year-Long-Day by Thismarvelouslife

The End Is Just A New Beginning              by Tytach

The Other Mr. Stark by Jelly_Pies

The Time Traveler’s Mentor by Iamirondad

Turn Back The Clock (And I'll Try Again In The Morning) by Madasthesea

We Will Foresee Obstacles  by Blackwatchandromeda (Avenris)

Whatever It Takes by Starryknight09

        8. THE ONE WITH ALL THE OWIES — Another massively popular Irondad trope is hurt/comfort, and there’s some amazing stuff out there. Which is the one that you love most of all?

  A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Different Take by Cyberwolfwrites

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

A Scare In The Stark Household by Marvelous_Writer

Air I Breathe by Heartofcathedrals

Atlas by Polaroid15

Be Weak by Fluencca

Broken by My Own Hand (Put Back Together by Yours) by Gwenoakley

Built From Scraps by Peterstank

But What Is Grief? by Odd_1

Cycle Through by Ambivalentangst

Cycle Through by Ambivalentangst

Danger Pizza by Alice_In_Ink

Darkness Will Be Rewritten by Marveal

Dude, Do These Tacos Taste Funny To You? by First_Page

Five Times Peter Said "Sorry" To Tony Stark by Agentnerd

Follow The North Star Home by Fallingforbees

Foolish, Fragile Spine by Plnkblue

Held On As Tightly As You Held On To Me by Itsreallylaterightnow & Killerqueenwrites

Held On As Tightly As You Held On To Me by Itsreallylaterightnow & Killerqueenwrites

Lazarus, Come Forth by by Iron_Spider

More Peril In Thine Eye by Iron—Spider

Of Flying And Falling by Polaroid15

Of Flying And Falling by Polaroid15

Outnumbered by Heartofcathedrals

Peaches by Peterparkr

Peppermint Allergy by Carpediem369

Peter's Ghost And One (1) Obnoxious Orange Stone by Bean_Reads_Fanic

Project Pride by Thesleepingowl

Seeing Without Sound by Astronomical_Alien

Shelter by Unluckyolive

Sometimes It’s Easier To Just Swim Down by Mjscorner

Stab Me In The Back (I'll Catch You From Behind) by Lansfics7

Stab Me In The Back (I'll Catch You From Behind) by Lansfics7

Statistically Speaking by Foolscapper

Stop, Look, Listen by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

Stuck by Jelly-Pies

Stuck by Jelly-Pies

The Adventures Of Spidy-Son And Iron-Dad (Series) by Eva7673

The Past Is Knocking On My Door by Maicaly

The Room Where It Happens by Notapartytrick

The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle

Thirteen Minutes by Solstice

We All Chase After A Few Dying Stars by Losingmymindtonight

What I Have, I Give To You by Aatticsaltt

When My Body Won't Hold Me Anymore (Where Will I Go) by Madasthesea

You’ll Always Get There First by Crowkag

Your Heart Changed (Mine Stayed The Same) by Loisselina

  9. THE ONE THAT HURTS SO GOOD — We all like a bit of angst sometimes, so what’s the story that you wanted to hide from but you had to keep reading to get to the happy ending?

  5 Times Tony Forgot Peter Was Just A Kid by Parkrstark

A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

Built From Scraps by Peterstank

Caught In A Lie by Krystalpomme

Cycle Through by Ambivalentangst

Don't Worry About Me by Chvotic

Ever In Your Favor by Iron_Spider

Fifteen Years In The Making by Potts89

Goodbye Mr. Stark, Thanks For Trying by              Jelly-Pies

Held On As Tightly As You Held On To Me by Itsreallylaterightnow And Killerqueenwrites

I Need You To Be Free by Marveal

I Promise I'll Do Better by 221broadwayiron

I Want Go by Chvotic

I Will Carry You (Always) by Thestarvingwriter

If You Can't Catch A Breath (You Can Take The Oxygen Straight Out Of My Own Chest) by Losingmymindtonight

If You Listen You Can Hear The Ibis by Yellowedistress

Jealous? by Chvotic

Let's Get On With Living (While We Can) by Almond_Blossoms

Let's Get On With Living (While We Can)              by Almond_Blossoms

Love Leaves A Memory No-One Can Steal by Ironmum

May Parker's Complete Guide On How To Raise Your Spiderling by Embarrassing_Myself

More Peril In Thine Eye  by Iron_Spider

Of Drizzly Skies And Saltwater Taffy by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Of Flying And Falling by Polaroid15

Peter's Ghost And One (1) Obnoxious Orange Stone by The-Reverse-Mermaid

Reviving Peter Parker by Yellowdistress

Stab Me In The Back (I'll Catch You From Behind) by Lansfics7

Standing On My Own Two Feet by Minigigi

Stop, Look, Listen  by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

Stuck by Jelly-Pies

Sunlight by Ardenskyeholmes221

The Missing 92 Days  by Yellowdistress

The Room Where It Happens by Notapartytrick

Thunder And Attrition by Magniloquentchanteuse

Turn Back The Clock (And I’ll Try Again In The Morning) by Madasthesea

When My Body Won't Hold Me Anymore (Where Will I Go) by Madasthesea

When Trauma Comes Knocking by Kevy_Grayce

        10. THE ONE THAT SOOTHES THE PAIN — What’s The Story That You Go To When You Need A Pick-Me-Up After The Angst?

  5 Times A Spider-Baby Got Dad Smooched by Buckets_Of_Stars

5 Times Peter Made Tony Laugh Out Loud by Grilledcheesing

5 Times Tony Calls Peter Baby by Madasthesea

5 Times Tony Forgot Peter Was Just A Kid by by Parkrstark

5 Times Tony Stark Protected Penny Parker by Emily_F6

A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

Bedside Stories by Wildwaveswhist

Bitch Better Have My Money by Neicy286

Built From Scraps by Peterstank

Career Day: A Short Story by Shewritesall

Caught In A Lie  Krystalpomme

Congratulations, It's A Boy by Capiocapi

Cuddle Bug by  Marvelous_Writer

Cycle Through by Ambivalentangst

Don't Worry About Me by Chvotic

Early Childhood Education by Thedisneyoutsider

Ever In Your Favor by Iron_Spider

Fifteen Years In The Making by Potts89

Five Times Peter And Tony Chaotically Cleaned by Ironmum

Goodbye Mr. Stark, Thanks For Trying by              Jelly-Pies

Hardest Lessons (Softest Results) by Mainstreamelectricalparade

Held On As Tightly As You Held On To Me by Itsreallylaterightnow And Killerqueenwrites

I Can Hold The Weight Of The Worlds (If That's What You Need) by Bluesweatshirt

I Need You To Be Free by Marveal

I Promise I'll Do Better by 221broadwayiron

I Want Go by by Chvotic

I Will Carry You (Always) by  Thestarvingwriter

If You Can't Catch A Breath (You Can Take The Oxygen Straight Out Of My Own Chest) by Losingmymindtonight

If You Listen You Can Hear The Ibis by Yellowedistress

Instant Kill Mode by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

It's My Party And I'll Bite If I Want To by Whumphoarder

Jealous? by Chvotic

Kids These Days by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Leave Me Where I Am (I'm Only Sleeping)            by Hopeless_Hope

Let's Get On With Living (While We Can) by Almond_Blossoms

Love Leaves A Memory No-One Can Steal by Ironmum

Macho Macho Man by Iron_Spider

May Parker's Complete Guide On How To Raise Your Spiderling by Embarrassing_Myself

More Peril In Thine Eye by Iron_Spider

My Boy by Thisisnotourlasthunt

No More Lonely by Shewritesall

Of Drizzly Skies And Saltwater Taffy by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Of Flying And Falling by Polaroid15

Peter Revs His Engine by Punkybunny

Peter's Ghost And One (1) Obnoxious Orange Stone by The-Reverse-Mermaid

Petey And The Hermit by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Research And Disaster by Blueh

Reviving Peter Parker by Yellowdistress

Stab Me In The Back (I'll Catch You From Behind) by Lansfics7

Standing On My Own Two Feet by Minigigi

Stop, Look, Listen by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

Storm by Parkerxheart

Stuck by Jelly-Pies

Sunlight by Ardenskyeholmes221

That's How You And I Will by Frostysunflowers

The Missing 92 Days by Yellowdistress

The Road So Far by Nicolemoon8

The Room Where It Happens by Notapartytrick

The Sun's Starting To Rise (These Are Beautiful Times) by Jelly-Pies

Thunder And Attrition by Magniloquentchanteuse

Turn Back The Clock (And I’ll Try Again In The Morning) by Madasthesea

What You're Feeling Is Probably Normal by Finny3120

Whatever It Takes by Starryknight90

When My Body Won't Hold Me Anymore (Where Will I Go) by Madasthesea

When Trauma Comes Knocking by Kevy_Grayce

    11. THE ONE WITHOUT A HOME TO GO TO — There’s some wonderful homeless Peter stories out there, so which is the one you were blown away by?

  A Difference In Husbandry by Happy_Cloud

After The Landslide by Freyaatterton

After The Landslide by Freyaatterton

Distracted by A Dime by Happyaspie

I Told You I Had Issues by Bergen

In The End by Annie_Walker

Is It Too Much To Ask For Home That Lasts? Ft. Peter Parker by Wakandaforever2357

Make Way For Tomorrow by Hopeless_Hope

One Step Unto The Lonely Road (Has Scarred Me For Life)  by Hopeless_Hope

Reintroducing Hope by Fernandidilly_Yo

The Art Of Publicity by Xmypandabear

The Little Things (That I Miss) by Da_Moose

The Lost And Forgotten by Litcraz

The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle

 Thunder And Attrition by Magniloquentchanteuse

Unexpected (Everything I Never Knew I Wanted) by Moonchild2593

Unexpected Finds by Snarkymuch

Unwanted by Agib

  12. THE ONE THAT’S A WHOLE NEW WORLD — There’s lots of imaginative AUs in Irondad fic. Whether it’s Steve and Tony as baseball players or Pepper being Peter’s mom, which one is your number one?

  A Guardian Among Us by Superherotiger

A Long Way Forward by Rxcrcfllptrs

A Soul's Best Friend by Superherotiger

Ain't My Blood; Still My Boys by Parkrstark

 Can’t Erase What I Wrote In Ink (Tell Me How Can I Change The Story) by Littlemissagrafina

Dear Fellow Traveler (Series) by Superherotiger

Ever In Your Favor by Iron_Spider

Have Patience, A Quick Wit, And A Gentle Heart by Ironfamjam

I Battle My Jerk Step-Dad by Andromath

Moulded Mind by Wingswithoutstrings

Nothing Left To Lose by Notapartytrick

Only For A Little While by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Petey And The Hermit by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Return To Me, The One I Love So Endlessly by Superherotiger

Sea Spider by Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Spidey Tot by Kevy_Grayce

The Phoenix Project by Geekymoviemom

The Will Of The Force by Madasthesea

Though Everything Is A Miracle by Overtures

Though Everything Is A Miracle by Overtures

Until It Disappeared From Me by Ashleyparker2815

What We Grow To Be by Killerqueenwrites

When I Am On Your Shoulders by Ladyblackwater

You Mispronounced Spider by Lliblo

      13. THE TWEAKING THE SETTINGS ONE — There’s things we all wish we could change in canon — *cough* Endgame *cough* — so which canon divergence does it for you?

  5 Times Peter Made Tony Laugh Out Loud by Grilledcheesing

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

Beautiful Boy by Emily_Davison

Bittersweet by Kevy_Grayce

Built From Scraps by Peterstank

I Will Restore All That Was Broken by Killerqueenwrites

May Parker's Complete Guide On How To Raise Your Spiderling by Embarrassing_Myself

Moulded Minds by Wingswithstrings

Pieces Of Echoes by Geekymoviemom

The End Of Infinity by Friendlyneighborhoodfangirls

The Returned by Nicolemoon8

What Was Missing Was You by Happyaspie

What Were The Words I Meant To Say Before You Left by Madasthesea

  14. THE ONE YOU GO BACK TO AGAIN AND AGAIN — Some fics deserve a re-read or ten. What’s the story you go find yourself going back to?

  5 Times Peter Fell, And Tony Caught Him. And The 1 Time Tony Didn’t by Eva7673

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood by Ambivalentangst

A Guardian Among Us by Superherotiger

A Parent Apparent by Happyaspie

Age Regression Was Impossible... Right? by Chvotic

All The Devils Are Here by Yellowdistress

Am I Just A Shadow You Drew by Ironxprince

Apartment 43B by Ironfamjam

Back To Bed by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Beautiful Boy by Emily_Davison

Built From Scraps by Peterstank

Ever In Your Favor  by Iron—Spider

Family Is More Than Blood (It Is Light) by Moonchild2593

I Just Wanted To Protect You by Sunflowerspideyy

I'm At One by Patrochilles_Trash

Kangaroo Care by Tonystarkissist

Keeping Company by Whumphoarder And Xxx_Cat_Xxx

Lean On Me by Parkerxheart

Moulded Minds by Wingswithoutstrings

My Boy by Thisisnotourlasthunt

Never Gonna Let You Down by Emily_F6

Play by Losingmymindtonight

Reviving A Spiderling by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Rules Are Made To Be Broken by Ironmum

Sins Of The Fathers by Geekymoviemom

Spider-Man: Avengers (And Midtown High) React by Gayplums

The Darkest Hour Is Just Before The Dawn by Starryknight09

The Lost And Forgotten by Litcraz

The One Where Peter Is Bucky’s Weakness by Jinxquickfoot

The Rise And Fall Of A Spider by Spidersoning

The Spider-Man Conspiracy by   Tempestaurora

The Spider-Man Conspiracy by Tempestaurora

The Stars The Moon They Have All Been Blown Out (You Left Me In The Dark) by Madasthesea

Webcams And Webshooters (Series) by Losingmymindtonight

    15. THE SERIES THAT SWEPT YOU AWAY — Some of us love to go on a long ride with a series, so which is the world of multiple stories that you binged or waited anxiously for each update?

  Another June Day by Skeeter_110

Chaotic Peter Parker by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Dear Peter Parker, What To Say To You by Littlemissagrafina

Family Business- Supernatural Au by Killerqueenwrites

Home by Glwilliams97

I Love You More Than Anything (Bio Dad Au) by Iron_Spider

Identity Saga by Kitcat992

Irondad NSAP by Chvotic

Lactose Intolerant Peter by Whumphoarder

Lights To Guide You Home by Jolinarjackson

Mr. Stark & His Kid by Writerstrash

Nice Work, Kid by Madasthesea

Once Upon An Adoption by Kevy_Grayce

Out Of Darkness by Starryknight09

Pieces Of Echoes by Geekymoviemom

Single Parent Peter Parker by Prettymalfoy

Soul Stone Realm by Marvelmusicmystery

The Room Saga by Iamirondad

The Room Saga by Iamirondad

Tony Stark Is A Good Mentor by Happyaspie

Under Influence              Writerstrash

Was That A Star Wars Reference, Dr. Stark? by Jen27ny

We Forgot Peter by Inkinmyheartandonthepage

Webcams And Webshooters by Losingmymindtonight

Whumptober 2019 by Iron_Spider

  16. THE IN-PROGRESS ADVENTURE — What’s the story that has you checking your email each day, hoping for an update?

  A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Difference In Husbandry by Happy_Cloud

A Perfect Storm by Grilledcheesing

Ain't My Blood; Still My Boys by Parkrstark

All The Stars Align by Ashleyparker2815

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

Come Undone by Capiocapi

Every Beautiful Lie (Always Has An Ugly Truth) by Da_Moose

Fifteen Years In The Making by Potts89

Fire With Fire by Agentianlegend

Found Family by Thedisneyoutsider

How To Repair A Broken Heart by Influentialpineapple

If They Knew All About You by Mshermia

If You're Going Through Hell, Keep On Going by Baloobird

Mr. Stark, Something Is Wrong by @Simping-For-Peggy

Outnumbered by Heartofcathedrals

Permanence by Theexhaustedalchemist

Peter’s New Step-Brother by Bowtiez

Priorities by Jlmonroe1234

Return To Me, The One I Love So Endlessly by Superherotiger

Rewind by Losingmymindtonight

Sleeping Through A Rogue Winter Storm by Pogokitten

Spider-Man: Avengers (And Midtown High) React by Gayplums

Survivors Guilt   by Ember_Darla And Marvel_Cinematic_Universe_Fan

Tech Of Nondestructive Yakking by Wabisabi

The Case Of The Missing Museum Bea-Storer by Ironmum

The Hero Of Our Own Story by Kingdomfaraway

The Many Adventures Of Iron Dad And Spider Son by Lbigreyhound13

This Warm Repair by Peterstank

Wanting To Be Betterby  MZ_Supermanfan

We Can't Have Faith For Everybody by Hale13

Webcams And Webshooters (Series) by Losingmymindtonight

What You Were Then I Am Today by Madasthesea

You Are My Sunshine by Iamconstantine

  17. THE COMPLETE FIC THAT YOU CHERISH — Whether or not you’ve got the patience for an in-progress or not, there’s a wealth of complete stories you can devour at leisure or all in one coffee-fuelled binge. What’s yours?

  5 Wishes Peter Didn't Ask For And The 1 He Did by Alice_In_Ink

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

A Soul's Best Friend by Superherotiger

Always Silent, Peter Darling by Lliblo

Come, My Darling, Homeward Bound by by Iamirondad

Five Times David Didn't Understand What Was Going On With His Girlfriend's Nephew by Bumblie_Bee

Five Times Peter And Tony Chaotically Cleaned by Ironmum

Good Publicity by Bergen

HYDRA'S NOT A HOME (Series) by TEMPESTAURORA

Intern Spider by Emily_F6

Only For A Little While by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Pupper Parker by Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Stars, Hide Your Fires by Yellowdistress

Stop, Look, Listen by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

The Guardian by Emily_F6

The One Who Made It Out by Tiaylasglass

The Root Is Expectation by Yellowdistress

      18. THE ONE THAT GAVE YOU ALL THE LOVE — We all love Irondad, but some stories come with bonus bonds that give us just as much. Do you have a Peter & Bucky, or a Peter & Steve working alongside which delivers all the found family goodness?

  5 Times Happy Hogan Nearly Had A Heart Attack Because Of Peter Parker by Thespydersargon

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

Brighten Up, Sunshine by Iron_Spider

I Have A Nephew! by Zimnokurw

It Must Be Nice (To Have Mrs. Potts On Your Side by Sdottkrames

It Takes A Village (To Make Sure You're Okay) by Baloobird

Kingdom Come Undone by Killerqueenwrites

Project: Get Bucky Barnes A Dog by Ruxian

Road Work Ahead by Toniwilder

Rules Are Made To Be Broken by Ironmum

When In The Dark by Kevy_Grayce

        19. THE PROLIFIC WRITER AWARD — Irondad has some amazingly prolific writers. Which are the ones you’ve subscribed to get at that fic-wonder goodness of 10 works or more?

  Aimaim94

Aimaim94

Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Buckets_Of_Stars

Emily_F6

Grilledcheesing

Happyaspie

Inkinmyheartsandonthepage

Ironmum

Iron-Spider

Jen27ny

Littlemissagrafina

Littlemissagrafina

Losingmymindtonight

Madasthesea

Magicalyss

Marvelous_Writer

Mshermia

o0citrusee0o

Parkrstark

Superherotiger

Thedumbestavenger

Turtle_Bean

  20. THE NEWBIE — New writers are joining the fandom all the time. Who’s the newbie (posting for 12 months or less) that’s delivering the good stuff for you?

          107thinfantry

Fallingforbees

Ironmum

Jinx_Frost

Just_Ppeachy

Kittybellestark

Lilacsoulw

Maicaly

Polaroid15

Spagbol99

Sunflowerspideyy

21. THE OG — Who’s the writer that’s been around for a while (12 months or more) that keeps you captivated?

  Almond_Blossoms

Ashleyparker2815

Blueh

Emily_F6

Geekymoviemom

Gremlinsr

Happyaspie

Iamirondad

Iron_Spider

Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Jelly_Pies

Jen27ny

Jolinarjackson

Kevy_Grayce

Losingmymindtonight

Parkrstark

Snarkymuch

Spooderboyandtincan

Tempestaurora

Whumphoarder

  22. THE WILD CARD STORY — The story that does (or doesn’t) fit into the above categories but you believe deserves the prize. Which one is that for you?

  5 Times Peter Sleepwalked And The 1 Time He Pretended He Did by Losingmymindtonight

A Pressing Emergency by Whumphoarder

Aliens Really Are Out To Get You Aren't They? by Some_Sort_Of_Trash

Aliens Really Are Out To Get You Aren't They? by Some_Sort_Of_Trash

An Uncomfortable Issue by Summerartist

Bank Robber by Purplecat7

Born To Cherish by Ironfamjam

Chickpea And Bleach Curry by S0lstice

Everyday Superhero by Stoneage_Woman

Five Time Faculty Members Had To Call Peter's Emergency Contact + 1 Time He Shows Up Anyway by Kingdomfaraway

Five Times Tony And Peter Chaotically Cleaned by Ironmum

Guess I’m Not Good Enough by Freyaatterton

I Can Hold The Weight Of Worlds (If That's What You Need) by Bluesweatshirt

I Can Hold The Weight Of Worlds (If That's What You Need)         by Bluesweatshirt

I Will Soften Every Edge by Losingmymindtonight

I’m Not Telling Him. Period by Scooter3scooter

Inimitable by Ephemeralstark

Irondad Nsap by Chvotic

Kids Suck, But You're Great by Gymlily06

Long Gone | Marvel Au by Strangerlyparker

Play by Losingmymindtonight

Research And Disaster by Blueh

Tall Skies by Black_Briar

Tech Of Non-Destructive Yakking by Wabisabi

The Ghost Of Heroes by Enigmaris & Scarletnightfury

The Long Way Round by Undeerqueen

The Peter Parker Conspiracy by Tempestaurora

The Reinvention Of Tony Stark by Losingmymindtonight

This Ride Is A Wild One  by Just_Ppeachy

What You're Feeling Is Probably Normal by Finny3120

Wrong Number Kid by Blackshadow030930

  ART 1 — DIGITAL MEDIA - Who has those PhotoShop skills, who makes the best mood boards? We have some wonderful artists in the Irondad fandom, and we’re here to celebrate them. Who's your favorite artist?

    @blackchessknight (tumblr)

@broskepol  (tumblr)

@itsybitsyspiderling (tumblr)

@kitcat992(tumblr)

@monireh (tumblr)

@spidey-art (tumblr)

@superherotiger (tumblr)

    ART 2 — SKETCHES  — Who has the skills with the original medium of art in sketches? Whose pencil can create the characters we love best?

  @broskepol (Tumblr)

@dakt37 (Tumblr)

@monireh89 (Tumblr)

Ellarie.png (Instagram)

@dchanberry (Tumblr)

    ART 3 — CARTOONS — Chibis, Manga, Anime, who can create the very best?

  @Maryo274 (Tumblr)

yes-i-am-happyaspie (Tumblr)

@maryo274 (Tumblr)

Maryo274artworks (Instagram)

@akira-akatsuki (Tumblr)

@mjscorner (Tumblr)

  ART 4 — FANVID — Some of the greatest creators are the ones that match the music to the mood, find the perfect scenes to make us laugh and cry. Who does that for you?

  all my life || tony & peter (father/son au) by akapotatogirl (YouTube)

Emsxworld (YouTube)

mblaqminoz (YouTube)

My Dad's a Hero to Me by MsMorganStark (YouTube)

Tony Stark & Peter Parker (Adoption Au) || Home by andrea d (YouTube)

tony stark & peter parker | ashes by mythicalroyalty (YouTube)

You Are The Reason l Tony Stark & Peter Parker by Chocolala (YouTube)

  ART 5 — BEST IRON FAMILY FANART — Who can create those feeling of Ironfam with their art? Who captures the characters we love in that iconic family.

                @broskepol (Tumblr)

@moonestaly (Tumblr)

@superherotiger (Tumblr)

eccentric_artist_221b (AO3)

Ellarie.png (Instagram)

  ART 8 — BEST HURT/COMFORT — Who captures the pain of the moment best for you?

                @broskepol (Tumblr)

              @spidey-art (Tumblr)

              @tonystarkissist (Tumblr)

I will always love you (no matter what...) by @monireh (Tumblr)

  ART 9 — THE WILD CARD ART— The art that does (or doesn’t) fit into the above categories but you believe deserves the prize. Which one is that for you?

  @cainternn (Tumblr)

@Iwritedumbshit (Tumblr)

@rhymewithrachel (Tumblr)

Hannssm (Instagram)

[lishielish]

A Stark Absence - Chapter 8

Pairings: Tony Stark x OFC

Summary:

Evelyn struggles to find a way home, to Tony.  Battling a demon was one thing, surviving plot points might be a different beast entirely…

Tony struggles to find Evelyn.  All of time and space had bent to bring her here–to him.  Now he needed all of time and space to help him bring her home–to him.

Will he be able to find her?  Or has Evelyn been lost to him forever…

Series Tags: Work In Progress, Slow To Update, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, characters listed in order of appearance, Additional Characters to be added, roughly edited, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Related, Isekai, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Dreams and Nightmares, Nightmares, Dreams, Drinking, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcohol, Alcoholic Tony Stark, Swearing, POV Third Person, POV Third Person Omniscient, Self-Indulgent, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Feels, remnants of previous triangular configuration, Avengers Tower, Post-Iron Man 3, takes place during, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Fluff and Angst, Fluff, Angst, elements of kidnapping and all that goes with

A/N: Please see Masterpost for a note regarding this and upcoming chapters’ tags

Word Count: 3,007

Chapter 8 of ?

AO3

Shaky Ground

Agent May returned to the Bus from a rendezvous that had come down from Director Fury himself.  The small item handed to her was secure on her person, but she felt the pocket to triple check.  Utmost importance, he’d said.  It was of utmost importance that the item be delivered to Abel in as expedited a manner as humanly possible, or the team would not only have Stark looking for them, but Romanoff would be on the hunt.

May had expressed concerns that the item could be of use to Abel: a means of communication between her and Stark or any of the other Avengers, Stark tech that could help her escape, or any range of items that could put Coulson’s team in danger.  Fury had quelled her worries, reassuring her that while Romanoff might have been reluctant to report Abel, she’d still followed through, and could be counted on to do right by the agency.  An aside to assure her that he’d inspected the item personally and found nothing wrong with it, and had removed a well-placed tracker (likely planted by Stark), helped ease her mind about bringing the small box on board.

May disembarked the quinjet and made her way through the Bus to find Coulson.  She would place the box straight into his hand, ensuring her role had been completed without question.  Whatever was in that box, she wanted to be rid of it.  And Abel, too, if she was being honest.  Abel was strange, maybe a little unstable, and if Romanoff was spooked by her then there was definitely more to her than what they’d seen so far.

She found Coulson, along with the rest of the team, huddled around the monitor in the command center, an excited buzz passing around as they spoke.  She stood in the doorway for a long moment, surveying the situation.  Fitz had his sights glued to the screen, still watching Abel as closely as he had been when May left, but piping up when he had something to add to the conversation.  Ward was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, an agitated look darkening his features as he said something to Fitz, then to Coulson.  Skye was bent over her laptop, looking over at Fitz or Ward now and then with questions.  Simmons was tapping at her tablet and talking excitedly at Coulson, who was standing quite still and seemed to be doing the same thing May was: taking it all in.

“Sir, please!”  Simmons was in a tizzy.  “I need to examine her!  I need to check her reflexes, and her breathing, and see that her oxygen saturation hasn’t suffered, and-”

“No,” Coulson said calmly.  “If she sees anyone else, it will be me.”

The buzz in the room died, all eyes on him.  Even Fitz stole a look away from the screen.  May strode in, and stood beside Coulson.

“What’d she do?”

He looked at her in acknowledgement.  “It’s more about what she didn’t do: breathe.”

“What?”

“Or sleep a normal length of time before dreaming.”

“She finally went to sleep?”

“Not for long.  And she knew Fitz by name when she woke up.  We’re trying to figure out what happened.”  He met eyes with each person looking at him.  “I want everyone staying on task, and keeping out of that room.  Ward is still the only person I’m authorizing to interact with Abel.”  He turned to May.  “Debrief--my office.”

May followed him up the stairs.  She was eager to find out what the hell Coulson was thinking, considering giving in and talking to Abel, but also hell-bent on completing her mission.  Before he’d even turned around to face her, she had the box out of her pocket and held out towards him.

“That’s it?” he asked, surprised by the size of the box.

“That’s it,” she confirmed, raising her brows slightly.

He picked it up, holding it gingerly.  “Did he say what it was?”

“Only that he cleared it personally and he’s to be notified as soon as she gets it.  And Romanoff will be out for blood otherwise.”

“Hm.”  He placed it carefully in the pocket of his suit jacket.  “I’ll give it to her when I go in.”

May’s eyes narrowed.  “About that…”

He breathed in deeply.  “About that…”  He gave her a helpless look.  “I don’t have a choice, May.  Three days in and she won’t talk, she won’t sleep, and she just woke up from not breathing after a nightmare able to ID Fitz without having met him before.  Something’s up with her, and we need to find out what.  Before it happens again.”

“But Fury said keeping your resurrection secret was a top priority.”

“He also said Abel’s safety was priority number one.  We’re on shaky ground, stepping on the Avengers’ toes,” he held her gaze intently.  “If Fury thinks keeping me secret is important, that means he thinks there’s a chance we’ll be able to take her back to Avengers Tower.  But we can’t do that if she’s not in one piece.”  He started towards the door.

“But if she goes back and knows about you-”

He looked back over his shoulder.  “We’ll put that fire out once it’s lit.”

Steve had been surprised to find the workshop empty, and the lab, too.  Wondering if this was progress in the right direction or something to be concerned about, he set about searching other rooms he might be likely to find Tony, surprised even further to find him in the kitchen.

He was sitting at the island, head bent over a bowl of what had been cereal until it turned to mush, left too long sitting in milk.  He was talking on the phone--that was good.  Speaking of how he’d let Evelyn down, failed her completely, and would understand if she never wanted to see him again once he found a way to free her from SHIELD--that was bad.

He hadn’t seemed to have heard Steve enter the room and approach him, or he didn’t care, Steve couldn’t be sure of which.  Steve couldn’t find a natural opening to make his presence known, and felt increasingly more uncomfortable with the more he heard.  He cleared his throat.

Tony looked over at the sound, sitting up straight and eyes going wide when he saw Steve holding his phone.  “I gotta go.  Yeah, no--yeah I gotta go!  I need to keep this line free anyway, it’s the only number she’s ever had for me.  Ju--just in case, Rhodey, you never know.”  A longer pause in the conversation and then, “Ya.  Promise.  Texting.  Yes I really will.  I’m already texting you back right now.”

He ended the call and sent a one letter text as he spun in his seat to face Steve.  “What happened?  Is she ok?”

“As far as I know.  I just got word from Natasha that the package has been delivered to her location.  She’s just waiting for confirmation that it’s made it into Evelyn’s hands.”  He saw Tony’s body visibly relax.  “What about you?  You alright?”

Tony waved a hand in dismissal as he stood.  “Me?  I’m fine.”  He took the bowl of soggy cereal to the sink and began scraping it into the garbage disposal.  “Rhodey was just checking in, something about not texting him back.”

Steve looked on with worry as Tony ran the disposal and rinsed his bowl, then set it on the sideboard.  If he wasn’t responding to Rhodes, his best friend, how were Steve and Natasha supposed to keep in touch with him from DC?

When he was finished, Tony ran a hand over his face before turning around.  “Any minute now, right?”

“I sure hope so,” Steve responded truthfully.  “Let me fix ya somethina eat that won’t go belly-up on ya while we wait.”

Tony raised his brows, and stepped aside with his hands held out in an after-you manner.  “Who am I to stop you?”

Steve wanted to see this as a win.  He stepped past Tony, noting the strong scent of alcohol on his breath, and set about preparing something quick for them to eat.  Tony took up his seat at the island, and resumed sitting with his head bent low, listening carefully for the sound of Steve’s phone.

“Colonel Rhodes been busy lately?  Think he might have time to stop by sometime, maybe offer up some ideas for finding Evelyn?”

“Yeah, he ah… he’s been busy,” Tony answered, fully distracted.

“Did you tell him Natasha’s in DC already?  And I’m leaving soon?”

The pause that followed lasted long enough that Steve turned around to make sure Tony hadn’t left or passed out.  

Tony raised his eyes to Steve.  “No.  No, I uh, I didn’t.  I’ll shoot him a text later.”

“Right.  You know the only way we’ll be able to give you any updates we get will be by phone, right?”

“Yeah, I get it,” Tony said with a quick roll of his eyes.  “Answer phone, reply to texts; like I told Rhodey: promise.

“Are you gonna be alright here by yourself?  Is there someone we can ask to stop by and make sure…”  He didn’t know how to finish that sentence.  Make sure you eat?  Sleep?  Don’t drink yourself to death?  Make sure you’re here for Evelyn to come back to?

“I’m a big boy, Rogers, I can take care of myself,” Tony said as he rapped his fingers against the countertop.

“Just…  Just making sure,” Steve said with a nod.

A silence hung between them while Steve cooked.  When everything was finished, he prepared two plates, and handed one across the island to Tony.  He leaned over the island countertop across from Tony, and was about to take his first bite, when he was struck by how familiar this moment felt.  He set his fork down, looking at the space between them with a fond smile.

Tony swallowed down the first bite of food he’d had in a good while.  “What’d I miss?”

Steve breathed a gentle laughing sound through his nose.  “I was just remembering… That morning after we first met Evelyn, we ate just like this.  She was sitting where you are, I was standing here, and she almost choked when I told her you said she was from the future,” he recounted, his smile growing at the memory.

Tony couldn’t help himself.  He chuckled, picturing how her flabbergasted face must have looked.  “Did she turn into a stuttering mess or get all pensive?”

“Both,” Steve said with a laugh.

“What’s she gonna do when she runs out of future?”

“Hm?”

“When everything she knows has happened, what’s she gonna do with all that free time she’ll get back from staring into space?”

A humorless laugh passed between them.

Steve sized Tony up, still wearing his smile.  “I’m sure she’ll still have plenty to worry about.”

Tony nodded, catching his meaning easily.  “She will.”

They ate in companionable silence, their smiles lingering a bit before fading, each man in his own thoughts.  Tony sat back.  He looked at Steve, then at the coffee maker, and rested his gaze on the space in front of the sink with a sigh.

“That phone of yours working?”

Steve tapped his phone where it sat on the counter, the screen illuminating as it woke.  “Nothing yet.”

Tony made a frustrated sound.  “Jarvis, what’s the word?”

“Still nothing, sir,” Jarvis responded.

“Not the word I wanted to hear,” Tony sighed.

“Won’t he tell you if-”

“In a nanosecond,” Tony said, cutting him off.  “I’ve also got him searching text across the web for her name or any similarities.  But what the hell is taking so long with that delivery?”

Steve raised his brows and dipped his head to the side, seconding the thought.

Tony eyed Steve’s phone intensely.  “Thirty minutes or less or it’s free, right?”

Evelyn remained on the cot where Fitz had left her, though she had managed to settle with her back pressed up against the wall.  On occasion, she would turn her head and rest her face against it, letting the solid feeling of the honeycomb wall ground her before her mind could drift off to sleep again.  More than once, she reached a trembling hand down for Tony’s, her breath catching each time she felt the empty cot instead.

A sudden, hot breath on her ear made her head tilt to her shoulder on reflex.

“Beautiful, darling.”  The demon sounded as pleased as he’d ever been; she tried to ignore him.

When did it end?  Her mind felt like it was literally swimming around in her skull, but she was able to pick out a single, coherent thought: I can’t do this.  The demon, the nightmares, the isolation, the way her body felt like it wanted to melt into a puddle of goo and seep through the cracks of existence; it was all too much.

“Oh, that was simply beautiful.”

Tony had always been there for her after each nightmare he’d starred in.  Holding her, reassuring her, soothing her, guiding her through the experience and back to the present, his beating heart caged safely within his firm chest serving as a constant reminder that he was alive.  She’d relied on him--heavily--and was now discovering how traumatic the demon’s world could be without comforting arms welcoming her back upon her return.

She heard the door open, and pulled her heavy eyes to meet whoever it might be, blinking slowly.  Her jaw dropped before she could catch it.  Agent Phillip J Coulson stood before her, very much alive.  A slow, open-mouthed smile lit up her deeply shadowed features, and she blinked sluggishly at him.

“Miss Abel, I’m Agent Coulson.  But you already know that.”

She nodded her head up at him, just barely, the smile lingering on her face, mouth left agape.

He pulled a chair up alongside the cot, facing her, and leaned forward once he’d sat.  “I’d ask you to join me at the table, but, I think we’ll both be more comfortable like this.”

She gave him the same, slow nod.

“Miss Abel,” he said carefully, “I’m supposed to be dead.”

“I know,” she said in a whisper that barely left her breath.

“But I’m not.”

“I know.”

“And the Avengers can’t know that,” he said, searching her glazed-over eyes for understanding.

“I know.”

His eyebrows knitted quickly together and then fell back in place.  “How do you know?”

Her eyes blinked languidly, a small smile of indifference on her lips, and she shrugged the slightest shrug.

“Can I count on you to keep this from them?”

“Yes.”

“Why me?”  He asked, getting straight to the point.  “Why will you only talk with me?”

The small smile reappeared.  She tried to quickly figure out a way around the truth.  “Tony trusted you.”

Coulson looked quite unconvinced.  “You trust me because your boyfriend trusted me before I died?”

She tried to keep her eyes steady so he would see she was being serious.  “I trust you because you’re a good man with a strong moral compass.”

“And you won’t tell me how you know that.”  It was not a question.

“No.”

He held his hands out palm up, effectively showing his cards.  “Looks like you have an unfair advantage, Miss Abel.”

Evelyn’s eyes roamed lethargically around the room, then back to Coulson.  “Looks to me like we’re even.”

He smiled, acknowledging their alleged equal footing, then pulled the box out from his jacket pocket.  “Do you know what this is?”

She eyed the item carefully, wondering if it was a trick question.  “A box…?”

There was a low growl in her ear.  She slowly inclined her head to her shoulder, and wished the demon away as she momentarily squeezed her eyes shut.  She couldn’t contend with him now--not now that she finally had Coulson in front of her.  She needed to focus.

Coulson observed her with both concern and confusion, but carried on as he’d planned.  “Agent Romanoff made some very serious threats to make sure this got to you.”  He held out the box to her, knowing he’d angled himself properly, allowing May to see the movement and contact the Triskelion once the item had been handed off.

Evelyn reached out her hand, still shaking, and held it open, allowing Coulson to place the box in her palm.  She curled her fingers around it, grasping it tightly, and pulled it slowly closer.  Could this be…  Oh, if it was the item Stephen and Wong had been working so hard to imbue, the item meant to protect her from the demon indefinitely, she’d be able to sleep! 

Carefully, she opened the box.  Fit snugly inside was a velvet box.  She tipped the first box over to free the second, catching it in her other hand.  A ring box.  Her eyes darted to Coulson; he looked just as enthralled as she felt.  She pulled the top up slowly, revealing the prize within: a lovely, silver ring with simple filigree surrounding an oval, faceted, sparkling red gem.

This had to be it.

She beamed at Coulson.  “Thank you.”

“I,” he nodded, his expression a mix between confusion and satisfaction.  “You’re welcome.”

She held the small ring box close to her chest, a grateful smile on her face.  Then she gently pulled the ring from its seat.  She tried it first on her right ring finger, but found it a little loose.  Then she slid it easily over the middle finger; it was a perfect fit.

“I just,” she began as she stretched out over the cot.  “I’m just gonna lie down…”

Coulson watched, baffled, as her head hit the pillow, her eyelids dropped, and she appeared to fall asleep at once.  He stayed seated for several minutes, watching over her.  Sure enough, her breathing had slowed to deep, steady breaths.  He stood, returned the chair to its place at the table, then pulled the blanket up over her.  He watched her for another moment before leaving.  No nightmares.  Still breathing.  That was a start.

[lonelyghosts-stuff]

Loki x Reader one shot summary idea idk what to call this lol (I will be writing a full one shot story for this eventually)

Warnings: angst, torture, kidnapping, and violence

Imagine you are a part of the avengers with a past unknown to all of them except Natasha Romanoff and Nick Fury. Throughout your time with the avengers you have become friends with them, but you still remained isolated and tended to stick to your own when possible. One person, or alien if you would, despised you. Not because you were human or one of the “good guys (although those things didn’t help) but because he knew nothing about you. He had managed to get most of the information regarding the others in one way or another, but you, your past was seemingly erased from history and you never let your shields down for anyone to get an insight. He also hated that you acted so selflessly and compassionately towards everyone, including him, and he hated that he couldn’t figure out why. What was your motive? I mean, no one is like that out of the goodness of their heart, right? Loki had “joined” (or rather was coerced into) the avengers as means of making amends for his past crimes.

One day on a mission, you and Loki get separated from the rest of the group, forcing some uncomfortable and unresolved tension, mostly on Loki’s side. In between strikes and punches, Loki would pop one question after the other, attempting to pry into your life and your, no doubt, selfish intentions with being nice. Despite his best efforts, you shot down each question and focused on the fight. At one point, you seemingly defeated all of the enemies and took a moment to breathe easily. It was then that, out of the corner of your eye, you noticed something stirring. One of the enemies was still alive and using what strength it had left, it lunged at Loki. Acting without hesitation, you defended Loki and jumped into the way and struck at the enemy, but not before the enemy managed to land a blow on you, impaling you through your gut.

In immense pain, you collapsed to the ground and felt paralyzed in pain. Loki quickly knelt by your side to assess your wound while also scolding you for your recklessness. After a moment of analysis, he determined he would need to heal you at least as much as he could until you could reunite with the others and get you to a proper medical center. He urged you that you needed to remove your shirt so he could see the wound better and heal it, but to his surprise, you bluntly and insistently refused. You seemed to be incredibly guarded and insisted you were fine, saying you should wait for Natasha to come and help. Hearing this, Loki then told you to stand up if you were so fine so you could both find Natasha and the others together. In a bout of stubbornness, despite you knowing that you were beyond well enough to do so, you attempted to stand up. Pain shot throughout your body, as you shrieked in pain, collapsing back onto the ground with deep, strained breaths. Your vision became spotty as the pain coursed through you. You knew that, if you weren’t treated soon, you would die. Thousands of thoughts streamed through your mind as you slowly tuned out all of the sounds and sights around you, trapping yourself in your mind. Suddenly, Loki’s voice shattered your bubble and pulled you back to reality. You could see the concern and determination on his face as he spoke; you could only catch some of the words that came out of his mouth.

Finally, you could hear him clearly again as he once again insisted that you remove your shirt so he could heal you. Defensiveness and panic rushed into your mind for a second, but almost immediately fizzled out once you looked into his eyes. He was sincere. Slowly, you let him help you up into a seated position and you nodded that it was okay for him to remove your shirt. Carefully and precisely, Loki lifted your shirt off of you, above your head, with great care as to not hurt you. You felt the cold hit your body, your bra providing barely any defense from the bitter air. Once the shirt was fully pulled over your head, you inhaled a sharp breath and held it. You could feel Loki’s piercing gaze upon your front, and then back as he made his away around you to check the wound.

Scars. Lots of scars were scattered about your body. Scars from knives, bullet wounds, injection sites from needles, scars from blunt trauma, etc. Loki found himself frozen. How someone as seemingly chipper as you could have suffered so much. Who did this to you and why? How long ago were you inflicted with these? Based purely on observation, he deduced you had received these wounds over the course of many years; some wounds clearly looked fresher than others. He was tempted to brush his hand along your scars, to feel the grooves and indentations, but he restrained himself, sensing your discomfort and insecurity.

Taking a deep breath, he gently placed one of his hands on your stomach, right over the wound. In response to his cold hand on your bare stomach, you inadvertently released the breath you hadn’t realized you were holding. You felt so exposed; so vulnerable. It was only a second until you felt a warm sensation on your stomach, forcing you to look down. To your amazement, a green, mist-like substance was pooling out of Loki’s fingers and burrowing itself into your wound. A mix of discomfort and a strange, soothing sensation crept throughout your body. After a while, Loki made his way behind you again and proceeded to lay his hand on your back, where the wound had managed to reach. You closed your eyes, trying to imagine you were far away from everything, sleeping, watching a movie, laughing with your friends, anything. Before you could get too comfortable, however, Loki removed his hand from your back, but didn’t come around to face you again. You felt his heavy breath on your back, not only from the exhaustion of using so much magic to heal you, but clearly he was troubled.

A sudden wave of confidence and something else you couldn’t pinpoint washed over you. Surprising Loki, but more importantly yourself, you opened your mouth and spoke. You told him it was okay, and that he could touch them. Loki paused before asking for reassurance, wanting to make sure you were actually okay with it. Seeing you nod, he hesitantly placed a hand on your back. You once again inhaled a sharp breath as he froze for a second, checking that you were okay. Slowly, he traced a finger across your scars, feeling each detail, groove, and imperfection. He proceeded to do this in complete silence. You loosened up a bit, allowing yourself to breathe out and in at a calmer and consistent pace.

For a second, Loki opened his mouth, internally struggling with whether or not he should ask you what happened. Before he could decide, you spoke out. In a shaky tone, you began to tell him of your past. You were taken at a young age by a secret intel group working on replicating the super soldier serum. You were only 16, but due to your family’s history of joblessness and irresponsibility, you were the perfect mark. Your parents were killed and the news assumed it was suicide and that you ran away. For years you endured countless methods of experimentation as they tried to perfect their serum. Unfortunately for you, the studies and statistics they had managed to get ahold of from the original experiments were incomplete and fragmented. This led to desperate attempts to substitute ingredients and information and steps that were unknown, leading to many painful and destructive effects on your body. You were cut open many times to receive samples and prevent the spread of faulty serums. Eventually, the group had found something. Not quite the same serum as the original super soldier serum, but something different. A mysterious seller by the name of Klaue had provided vibranium, an element that very little was known about. Using the vibranium and finding a way to activate it, the scientists were able to add it into the serum and insert it into your blood stream. The serum fused with your cells, the vibranium increasing your stamina and ability to endure physical trauma and injury. Despite this, you still felt everything; every hit, stab, slice, gunshot, etc. but the serum allowed you to keep moving. Of course you first found this out through a series of vigorous testing as the scientists tested your limits. Each weapon was amped up and the danger increased. You weren’t invulnerable to damage or death, but your ability to endure it without it killing you was dramatically increased. It would take a lot more than a simple stab or gunshot to the chest or brain to kill you, at least immediately. Of course this was just common weaponry, not an enemy piercing a mysterious weapon through your gut. This serum, combined with the other samples of failed serums left in your system, left you highly unstable. The effects of the vibranium were nigh radioactive at times when you were under extreme pressure. News reached the scientists that the newly formed group called the Avengers had gotten wind of their experiments and were on their way to them. The sciences panicked and worked on shutting down the lab and salvaging what they could, ensuring they secured the latest serum. The scientists decided that they had exhausted your use and decided to exterminate you to move onto another subject to further their research on this new serum. This news didn’t reach you well as you lashed out, almost as if you weren’t in control of your own body, and you killed them all. You were left alone, scared, hurting, and dangerous. Fortunately, when the Avengers arrived, they were able to recognize you as not an immediate threat and safely subdue you. Thanks to the genius of Tony stark (and Shuri eventually as years passed) your condition was stabilized, but the effects of the serum were irreversible.

Loki was silent. In awe of how someone could go through so much and still be a good person. He eventually made his way in front of you, facing you with sympathy and an immense compassion in his eyes. You were silently weeping as he made his way around, tears were streaming down your face as you shook. Without saying anything, Loki gently cupped your face in his hands and looked you in the eyes, allowing you to calm down. His eyes moved across your body, beautiful, but damaged. Seeing you shivering, he quickly grabbed your shirt again and helped you put it back on; the gash in the shirt from the attack was still there, but it was better than nothing.

You said nothing. You kept your eyes on the ground. Silence.

To yours and his shock, Loki quickly pulled you into a warm embrace, burying his face into the crook of your neck. You couldn’t move, the shock still affecting you. When it seemed like Loki was loosening his grip, you quickly acted and hugged him back, weeping into shoulder.

He assured you, you were no longer alone. You were safe. As long as he’s able, he will not let harm come to you again.

[waiting4inspiration]

To be Evil II: The Infinity Stone

Summary: You meet with someone who makes you remember something you had forgotten and join his side when he promises the one thing you want; recognition.

Warnings: takes place during Infinity Wars basically (just rewritten), angst, strong language, magical elements, hero to villain

Word Count: 1,974

To be Evil Masterlist II Marvel Masterlist

You’ve had this dream ever since you can remember. The same dream, almost every night. You dream of 6 stones and somehow, you know that they have different powers. If you could list their names and what they do, you’d do it in a heartbeat. Yet, you don’t know how you know that. 

Tonight, the dream is different. There is another person. A giant, purple-skinned man that reaches for one of the stones, turns his head to you and smiles as he places the stone in a slot on a gauntlet he wears. You don’t know who he is, and you’d rather not find out. 

Not wishing to see anyone of the team after what happened yesterday, you quickly sneak out of the compound and saunter around the city. As you walk, lost in your own thoughts, you try and think of what you should do next. Do you carry on fighting for a place in the team that seems to be dwindling away from you? Or do you make your own path? 

Tony thinks you’re dangerous, that you don’t have control over your powers. If that is the case, then you’re not sure if you’ll ever be welcome on the team. And you’ll be damned if you’re just an object to be used when they need someone like you. 

It’s best if you make your own path. 

You spot something out the corner of your eyes when you get to the park. It’s empty, not a single person in sight. Expect for the two figures walking towards you. They don’t look like inhabitants of Earth; aliens. Something tells you that they’re up to no good. So, you place your hands behind you to hide their glow as you ready yourself for an attack. Maybe this will make Tony Stark see your potential. 

One of these aliens is a woman, equipped with a three-pronged spear. She has pale skin, but the upper half of her face seems painted dark, like a mask. Beside her is someone who you think is male. You can’t quite tell, but you know that if Tony had to come across him, he’d probably make some kind of reference about his appearance, and it would most likely be something like ‘Squidward’ or something like that. 

“There will be no need for violence,” the male says, raising a hand and your arm moves out from behind your back against your will and the glow disappears from around your hand. “My name is Ebony Maw  and this is my sister, Proxima Midnight-”

“I don’t really care,” you snap, pulling your arm out of his mental hold. He has powers of telekinesis, that you can sense. But so do you. And with your curses, you’re sure that he will be no match against you. “It’s clear that you’re not from this planet, so I suggest you leave,” you mention, dropping your hands to your sides, this time not afraid to show them glowing again. 

The woman moves forward, her grip on her spear tightening as she glares at you. “We have come here on orders. We will not fail,” she says, pointing the spear at you as you narrow your eyes at her. 

“It will be best if you come with us,” Ebony Maw speaks, making your head turn to him again. “He is very eager to meet you and will be waiting,” he adds. 

Before you can even say anything, refuse or even ask who ‘he’ is, a light descends from the sky and encircles you and the pair in front of you. It’s like an alien abduction, and you’re helpless against it, mesmerized by the bright, celestial light that lifts you off the ground for a second before you shoot up into the atmosphere. 

When your feet hit the ground again, you gasp and stumble a bit. Whatever just happened has made a sick feeling hit your stomach and you don’t have to second guess that you hate this kind of transportation. 

Noticing your surroundings are like nothing you’ve ever seen, the inside of a ship and surrounded by other aliens, your head snaps up and glance around you. You’re the one that definitely stands out like a sore thumb being the only human in the room. 

When you hear footsteps behind you, heavy footsteps, you slowly turn your head over your shoulder as you turn around. Your mouth drops slightly when you see the man in your dream. 

He is as gigantic as in your dreams and is kind of intimidating, especially in the armor he wears. “I have been waiting to meet you for a long time, (Y/n),” he says, walking towards you and towering over you. 

“You know my name. How?” you question, shifting on your feet as you muster up as much confidence as you can. You don’t want to seem pathetic in front of all these capable-looking aliens around you. 

The Titan chuckles as he holds up his hand to show the gauntlet you saw in your dream. And the stone in one of the slots. “I know because this told me,” he states, glancing at the stone as you take a step forward. “You know what this is,” he says, seeing a look of familiarity on your face. 

You nod your head. “I have seen it in my dreams. This and 5 others. The Infinity Stones,” you whisper, something inside you urging you to try and reach out to touch the purple stone in the golden gauntlet. “This is the Power Stone.”

The others in the room mutter among themselves, and you know from a voice in the back of your mind that they’re wondering how you, a human, know so much. “There are others,” the Titan in front of you says, making your eyes lift up to him again. “One of them, the Mind Stone, is the source of your powers,” he explains. 

A breath catches in your throat as you pull away, shaking your head in shock as you glance down to your hands. “I was born with them-”

“You weren’t born. You were created,” he cuts you off, your heart sinking as you close your eyes. “What you are now, is not what you were born as. Your power was given to you,” he says, walking around you as he curls his hand into a fist, the Power Stone gleaming as he stares at the base of your head, just where your neck starts. “Don’t you remember?”

As he speaks, he pushes the Stone against the spot he has his eye one, making you gasp loudly as a power surge washes over your entire body, making you fall to the ground and a memory you didn’t know you had to flash across your mind. 

It’s like you have no body, but you’re there, in a room full of scientists. From the symbol on the wall of a red skull and tentacles, you know this is HYDRA. There’s a bright flash after someone shouting that something big is happening and suddenly, you have a body. 

It’s the reason you don’t have any memories of your childhood. The reason that the oldest memory you have is of Tony finding you, a preteen with incredible power, on the streets. Because you weren’t born. You burst into life after HYDRA started experimenting on the Scepter that held the Mind Stone encased in a blue gem. Why? You don’t know. 

“You are part of the Mind Stone, an embodiment of it,” the Titan speaks as you push yourself onto your hands and knees. “You have great power that no one understands. No one but me,” he says, kneeling down in front of you as you lift your head up to him. “I know you wish to be noticed, to be seen and recognized by those you’ve spent so long trying to impress. I can make those dreams come true.”

You swallow harshly, glance down to the ground as you breathe out a long, deep sigh. It’s what you’ve wanted since Tony suggested you becoming a member of the team after you finish school and all that. You just want to be noticed and appreciated. You want your efforts to be rewarded. 

Glancing up to the Power Stone in the gauntlet and staring at it for a moment, you feel somewhat connected to it. You think about his words, how all that you want can be given to you. “What do you want me to do?” you ask, lifting your head up to look at the giant man in front of you and he smiles down at you.

Tony knows that perhaps he should apologize to you for what he had said to you. But there are other things to do. With the threat that will show up any moment, he’d rather work on saving humanity than apologizing for something he’s sure you should know he didn’t mean. 

The only reason he agreed to work with Loki was that he knows what they’re up against. And after the first meeting, when you walked out and Loki managed to undo your curse of his sealed mouth, Tony realizes that what they’re going to face is bigger than what he thought. 

“So, you’re saying that this guy, Thanos, is looking for rocks?” Tony asks Loki after he had briefly explained what’s going on. 

“Infinity Stone,” Loki corrects, leaning back in his seat as he folds his arms over his chest. “He might have one of them already, but he can’t have all of them,” he mentions, smiling proudly to himself as he looks between the team. 

Bucky isn’t listening that much, his mind on you and whether or not you’re alright. He hasn’t seen you today and you seemed really upset last night. He had talked to you many times when you were upset, let you ramble and you allowed him to comfort you. But last night, you pushed him away. 

Steve shifts in his seat, still not sure if they should be enlisting the help of the God of Mischief. “What makes you say that?” he questions, making Loki turn his head to him. “Why can’t Thanos have all of these Infinity Stones?”

“Because only I know where the Space Stone is and I will not give it up to him,” Loki explains, glancing over to Thor and smirks at him even though his brother frowns at him. “Without all the Stones, he cannot carry out his plan to wipe out half the universe,” he explains, unaware that those who need to know that fact are listening. 

You have your back pressed against the wall, hiding from the team and smiling to yourself. Being given a mission, and order, you intend to see it all through so that you can get the recognition you deserve. 

You were told to find the Space Stone and you will not disappoint your new superior.

Knowing that Loki has it, you make your way to the room he’s been given. He must have hidden the Stone somewhere there. You were told by your new leader that it’s in a cube called the Tesseract. He says that you will be able to find it, but you have to let go of trying to control your powers. You have to give in to them.

And as you walk through the hallways towards the room, you think about his words and let your powers grow, making them glow yellow. There’s a smile on your face because, for some reason, it feels good to go against the team that has been looking down on you for years. 

It feels good showing them what you are capable of doing, showing them how powerful you can really be, and making them regret refusing to make you part of the team. 

It feels good to be evil.

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[cutie1365]

Hello Detective Chapter 72

Pairing: Sherlock x Reader

Word Count: 2.3k

A/N: Had a spark of inspiration after some funny comments on my Wattpad version of this story. See the power of feedback for writers lol. 

Any and all feedback is appreciated and encouraged!

Masterlist | Add yourself to my taglist | Chapter 71 | Chapter 1 

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You walked around the empty flat, waiting for Sherlock and John to return from the hospital. Mycroft was calling for backup to do a drug sweep due to his recent relapse. The place was quiet, eerily so. You hadn’t walked these halls for weeks, but it felt as if years had worn them down, turning them dark and lifeless. Nothing like the flat you knew. Nothing like your home. It’s like in their bones they sensed your absence. They revolted against it. You glanced towards the closed bedroom door, not being able to bring yourself to open it. You missed him too much for that. The memories you’d made in that room would be too much to face now. Now you had to hold your mask high, you had to play your role and not become distracted.

Downstairs you heard the creak of the door slowly opening and prepared yourself for the confrontation. It was never pretty when Sherlock and Mycroft went at it.

Mycroft was sitting at the bottom of the steps anticipating their arrival. You waited at the landing, not quite stepping into the light yet, using your last few moments to compose yourself for the inevitable argument.

“Well then Sherlock, back on the sauce?” Mycroft spoke immediately as they entered the room, hoping to employ the element of surprise. But of course Sherlock was expecting him. He’d straightened the knocker, of course Sherlock would notice.

“What are you doing here?” Sherlock rolled his eyes, not in the mood for another insignificant lecture.

“I phoned him.” John admitted.

“The siren call of old habits.” Mycroft muttered disapprovingly.

“Old?” You raised a brow, taking a few steps down into the light. Mycroft turned to look at you, concern flashed across his face. He acted like Sherlock ever stopped using, but you knew better.

“You phoned him?” Sherlock asked John again, who wasn’t in the mood.

“Course I bloody phoned him.” John said, exasperated. Did he forget he just pulled him from a drug den? Of course he was bloody concerned.

“And her?” Sherlock asked, with malice in his voice, directed straight at you.

“Oh I’m here against my will, don’t worry I’d never come here voluntarily.” You retorted.

Sherlock opened his mouth to speak, but Mycroft changed the subject before he got a chance. He was too tired to deal with the two of you at eachothers throats.

“Now save me a little time. Where should we be looking?” Mycroft asked.

“We?” Sherlock asked, raising his brow.

“Mr Holmes?” The voice of Anderson echoed from upstairs.

The look of simultaneous anger and surprise on Sherlock’s face caused you to laugh.

“Oh I take it back, this is going to be fun.” You chuckled darkly. This is just what you needed. A good old Sherlock-Anderson standoff like the good old days. God things were simpler back then, even with the homicidal maniac who tried to blow you up.

“For God’s sake!” Sherlock called up to Anderson, pushing past you and Mycroft while making his way up the stairs. The three of you followed in tow.

“Anderson?” Sherlock asked annoyed and exasperated, hoping that he’d misidentified the voice, only for it to be confirmed.

“Sorry Sherlock, it’s for your own good.” Anderson apologized as the rest of you filed into the flat. He stood next to who you assumed to be his new girlfriend, you recognized her from your trip to his apartment all those months ago.

“Oh, that’s him, isn’t it?” The girlfriend asked, “You said he’d be taller.”

She turned and muttered her last statement to Phillip, but you knew that would strike a cord with Sherlock. Just like the hat, it was a delicate subject.

As you suspected, Sherlock flipped up his hood, turned and curled up into his chair, literally folding his body into the fetal position and resting his entire body on the cushion. Frankly, you were surprised he fit.

“Some members of your little fan club, to be polite. They’re entirely trustworthy. Even willing to search through the toxic waste dump that you were pleased to call a flat.” Mycroft said, as John took a look around the place, no doubt noticing the stark change since his absence. You noticed his chair was gone too. “You’re a celebrity these days, Sherlock. You can’t afford a drug habit.”

“I do not have a drug habit.” Sherlock argued, and you scoffed.

“No, he’s a user, remember.” You retorted, and on that subject you didn’t have to act so disappointed.

“Hey, what happened to my chair?” John asked, looking down to the empty spot on the carpet.

“It was blocking my view to the kitchen.” He answered, but you knew that was a lie. More like ‘I missed my wife and the sight only reminded me of her absence’.

“What have you found so far? Clearly nothing.” Mycroft turned back to Anderson.

“There’s nothing to find.” Sherlock yelled from the living room, hoping to stop them from digging.

“Your bedroom door is shut, you haven’t been home all night,” Mycroft began to walk back towards the bedroom, and Sherlock’s head shot up. “So, why would a man who has never knowingly closed the door without the direct orders of his mother bother to do so on this occasion?”

“Okay, stop!” Sherlock yelled, jumping up as Mycroft’s hand neared the door handle. “Just stop!”

What was it he didn’t want anyone to see in there? John noticed his frantic behavior as well. The two of you shared a confused look, and then it hit you. You turned to Sherlock with a surprised look, and he knew you had figured it out. Oh god was she in there? Your face said it all. For a moment Sherlock’s eyes pleaded with you for forgiveness. For a moment the two of you shared an entire conversation through only two glances that quickly slipped away to not jeopardize the roles that you were both playing so well. Mycroft was right, Sherlock never shut the door unless the two of you were in there together.

“Point made.” Sherlock said, and you shook your head, putting your mask back on.  They were expecting drugs, but you knew better. He didn’t want to put you through that, knowing he had to fake date another woman was one thing, but flaunting it in your face was another. And that was a line he would not cross. Charles was different, he was in on it, he knew you were married. Hell, you didn’t even know who he was fake dating. While Sherlock and Charles had never officially met the two sure knew a lot about the other.

“Jesus, Sherlock.” John said, shaking his head. Of course he’d think this was his fault partially. He should have checked up on him, he should have been here. Obviously he was taking him getting married and moving out a lot harder than he expected. Of course that wasn’t the whole story.

“I’ll have to phone our parents, of course, in Oklahoma. Won’t be the first time that your substance abuse has wreaked havoc with their line dancing.” Mycroft sighed. How these two boys came from those two parents, you’d never know.

“This is not what you think, this is for a case.” Sherlock explained, hoping Mycroft would understand.

“What case could possibly justify this?” Mycroft asked, and you were curious too.

You’d never pressed and you trusted him when he said it was important, but now, maybe you wanted to know. You could handle the anonymity when you were away from Sherlock but now that he was finally standing in front of you again you wanted to help. Your curiosity was getting the better of you.

“Magnussen” He spoke, and you swore you stopped breathing. “Charles Augustus Magnussen.”

You tried not to gasp but you may have let in a sharp breath that caused Mycroft to turn to you. He knew you were currently a part of the enquiry into him, so you really couldn’t get involved with anything Sherlock was about to say. Panic began to set in and it took every ounce of your MI6 training to not let it show on your face. This was what all this was about? Mycroft sighed and turned back to Anderson and his partner.

“That name you think you may have just heard, you were mistaken. If you ever mention hearing that name in this room, in this context, I guarantee you on behalf of the British Security Services that materials will be found on your computer hard drives resulting in your immediate incarceration. Don’t reply, just look frightened and scuttle.” Mycroft threatened, as Phillip and his girlfriend ran out of the room, closing the door.

Mycroft turned back to John, “I hope I won’t have to threaten you as well.”

“Well, I think we’d both find that embarrassing.” John deadpanned, causing Sherlock to laugh, he looked at you hoping to share in a quick smile. He was met with your unamused face, eyes still slightly wide as you fought to keep your breathing at a stable rate.

“This isn’t funny.” You said, one hundred percent serious. He furrowed his brows a bit. Normally you would have found that hilarious, but clearly something had changed. That wasn’t just a part of the act. That felt real.

“Magnussen is not your business.” Mycroft said to John.

“Oh you mean he’s yours.” Sherlock pointed to Mycroft. You could feel your throat tightening, you urged the feeling to go away. You could not show any signs of fear. Magnussen held your entire life in the balance, you couldn’t allow even a tiny slip up.

“You may consider him under my protection.” Mycroft said, you turned to him furrowing your brows for a moment. You didn’t know that, though it didn’t change much. You now had a face to the immunity power that Magnussen had.

“I consider you under his thumb.” Sherlock seethed. You moved your hands behind your back to hide them shaking. You tried to keep Sherlock away from your Magnussen mess and here he was smack dab in the middle of it.

“If you go against Magnussen, then you will find yourself going against me.” Mycroft said.

“And me.” Your voice wavered. If Sherlock attacks Magnussen there's nothing stopping him from releasing the information on you and your uncle. Your words shocked everyone in the room, even Mycroft. A quiver of a brow was all you got in response from Mycroft but you knew that wasn’t the end of the conversation.

“Okay, I’ll let you know if I notice.” Sherlock shot back. He began to walk towards the door.

“Erm... What was I going to say? Oh, yeah. Bye-bye.“ He opened the door and pointed out. Mycroft made his way towards it, as you followed.

“Unwise, brother mine.” Mycroft said, just having to get the last word. You were ready to roll your eyes before Sherlock jumped into action, surprising you. Sherlock grabbed Mycroft’s arm, twisted it behind his back and pinned him against the wall.

“Brother mine, don’t appall me when I’m high.” Sherlock seethed in his brother's ear, causing him to groan in pain.

“Hey!” You shouted, pulling Sherlock off of him and pinning Sherlock to the wall instead. Maybe this is what Mycroft meant by backup. You raised your elbow, pinning him in place as he winced slightly. That wasn’t fake. Having never seen this side of you, his eyes danced curiously across your face looking for any glimpse of an explanation. You held your demeanor.

“I hope you fully understand what you’re about to get yourself into here.” You scold, hoping he understands your warning. You didn’t just mean fighting with Mycroft, you meant Magnuseen. He was not someone to fuck with, and whatever he was getting himself into, it wouldn’t end well for anyone.

Mycroft picks up his umbrella and makes his way down the stairs, straightening his suit and thankful for your help, though he’d never admit it. You remove your arm from Sherlock's neck as he sucks in a breath of air. You turn and follow Mycroft down the stairs without another word.

You were angry, seething on the inside. Magnussen was ripping your life apart at every turn. You hated him, you wanted to kill him, to dismember him limb by limb, but you were powerless. You couldn’t even talk back to the man without fearing the repercussions. He owned you.

As you stepped out onto the street Mycroft turned to you, glancing around to make sure no one was in earshot.

“Keep an eye on him. Don’t let him dig too deep into this.” He said, keeping his voice low.

“Absolutely not.” You shook your head, you couldn’t do that even if you wanted to.

He seemed unsatisfied at your volume, and quickly glanced up to the window into 221B above you. Something must have caught his eye because he grabbed your arm and pulled you back under the awning of Speedys, keeping the two of you out of eyesight.

“I don’t care that the two of you... broke up.” He waved his hand, as if saying those words disgusted him. “That can’t stop you from doing your job.”

“Mycroft, we shouldn’t even be discussing this. With the enquiry going on, you know I can’t get involved. My hands are tied. Magnussen is untouchable, even Sherlock can’t get to him.” You pressed, shaking your head, holding back your anger.

You turned and walked back towards the street, raising your hand to hail a cab. As one began to pull over you heard Mycroft begin to call your name. You whipped back to him before he had a chance to continue the conversation.

“Drop it.” You said forcefully, pointing your finger at him, turning and opening the cab door.

Before stepping in, you turned and glanced up at the window, feeling eyes on you. Sherlock stood, watching the interaction carefully. You shot him what you hoped was a warning look as you sank into the backseat and slammed the door.

You let out a groan as the car pulled away, wishing you could take Charles up on his murderous offer.

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Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged!

Taglist in Reblog

Masterlist

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Banner

Ch 3. You Can Miss Something, But Not Want It Back

Summary: Steve opens up to Peggy about his feelings towards Katie and, after an emotionally charged afternoon, things heat up between the pair.  But it all goes horribly wrong.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X OFC Katie Stark

Warnings: Language! Angst and a pair of total dumbasses in love…

A/N: A huge thank you to @angrybirdcr​ for her lovely little edit below. She’s so talented!!!!

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Chapter 2

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

 April 2013

“You know, you need to find someone you can experience all this with.” Peggy looked at her picture frames on her nightstand. “So you can have as many memories as I do.” Her gaze returned to Steve and he wondered if she could possibly know about his feelings towards Katie, those feelings that had been growing stronger and stronger over the past few weeks.

And then when she asked the next question, he knew she did.

“How’s Miss Stark?” Peggy asked, her eyes twinkling and Steve looked at her as a wicked smile crossed her face. He rolled his eyes.

“Peg…”

“I’m just asking a question!” She teased.

“We’re just friends.” he sighed.

“Hmmm” the old lady said thoughtfully “Still a bloody idiot when it comes to women, I see.”

He shook his head, a small laugh escaping him.

“I can tell you like her, the way you talk about her.” she pressed

“I do, I like her a lot, but she’s my best friend. Nothing more.”

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it.” She lay back on the pillow. “Thousands wouldn’t.”

“Just a good I don’t need to convince thousands.” He leaned back in the chair, raising an eyebrow at her.

“No, just yourself.” She shot back and he sighed. “Talk to me Steve.” She pressed again and he took a deep breath.

“I don’t know, maybe…ok not maybe…I do like her you’re right, but it’s just so damn complicated.”

“Why?”

“We’re from different places, times.” he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Do you always have to be so dramatic?” She laughed

“You know, I’m getting tired of you calling me that.” He teased and Peggy laughed again.

“Because you are!” She shook her head. “Steve, I get it, you’re old…but, you’re not.” “Well that’s not confusing.” He rolled his eyes.

“What I mean is I have lived through these times, seen the world change, a lot of it for the better. Don’t let your life pass you by because you’ve still got one foot jamming open the door to the past”

“I know.” He popped a shoulder in resignation. “You know, sometimes I think it would be easier if I had my old life back, when times seemed a lot simpler.” “But then she wouldn’t be there.” Peggy raised her eyebrows. “You can miss something and not want it back, Steve. Just tell her how you feel, for goodness sake.”

“I don’t want to make an idiot of myself.” He shook his head. “If she doesn’t feel the same then-“

“Then at least you’ll know, and won’t live the rest of forever adding to that huge, great list of ‘what ifs’” the old woman shook her head “You’ve been given a second chance here Steve, don’t waste it. Barnes would be so mad at you right now.”

Steve had to fight a smile as he knew exactly what Buck would be saying if he were there.

“If you don’t ask her out, punk then I’m gonna…”

Suddenly a memory flashed in front of his eyes. The evening Peggy had walked into a pokey London boozer in that red dress, the one that had Bucky practically drooling and Steve’s crotch twitching slightly.

“I’m invisible…” Bucky moaned, turning back to the bar as she left, having just basically asked Steve to go dancing when the fighting was over.“I’m turning into you…”

“Never mind pal, maybe she has a friend…”

“You know, I’d like to see her again one day?” Peggy spoke, jerking him out of his thoughts “Katie, I mean.”

“Really?” he asked. Peggy had mentioned she had met Katie several times years ago, when she was a very small girl. Peggy and Howard had remained close until his death.

She nodded. “Especially if she’s as like Howard as you say.” “Alright, I’ll bring her in one day.” He said, before his phone beeped.

“When?” the old woman pressed.

“Were you always this impatient?” Steve quipped an eyebrow at her as he opened the message. It was a call in. He sighed “Soon, I promise.” He stood up. “Sorry Peg, I gotta go. Duty calls…”

*****

The mission was the retrieval of a stolen piece of Chitauri technology that had, according to Romanoff’s intelligence, been auctioned to some Arms traders operating out of Jordan. They were to intercept the piece of technology before turning over the dealers to the authorities. They were up against it time wise, and for that reason, everyone had boarded the jet with no real plan of what they were actually going to do, Steve had been thinking about it and studying the files since the jet took off and now he and Natasha had the bones of a strategy planned out, they just needed to flesh it out with the team.

“We’re at altitude.” Evans called from the cockpit. “Auto pilot engaged. ETA I hour 34.”

Everyone moved from their seats and crowded round the display as Natasha gave them a rundown of what they were up against.

“The main exits are here and here.” she span the blue prints round on the holodisplay. Katie frowned, her mind working fast “Evans and I can position ourselves here…” She pointed to the right of the screen. “That should give us a clear view of most of the grounds but there’s a blackspot here…” She moved her hand to the left, circling the bottom corner.

“Well we’ll just have to keep them away from there.” Steve said, and Katie glanced at him, his eyes flashing with humour. Their eyes remained locked, before Steve swallowed and he looked back round, clearing his throat. “There should be a clear run from where we touch down to the lawns.”

“Sure.” Katie nodded, making a show of looking at the detail, even though she wasn’t. Her mind was spinning. She’d been picking up signals from Steve for a few weeks now, signals that he might feel the same way as she did. The glances he gave her, the smile he would flash her that made her feel like there was no one else in the room. The gentle touches, the way he would lift her legs on movie nights so they were laying across his lap, how he would throw his arm round her when she’d lean into him, moments like the one that had just passed… but then, he made no effort to take things further and she wasn’t about to push him into anything. If there was something there, he had to decide, he had to make the decision he was ready to move forward. 

And Katie wasn’t sure he ever would be.

“Rumlow, I want a STRIKE perimeter set up around the site. Cover that blackspot.” Steve looked at Rumlow who nodded. "The weapon is our main priority, but I want a clean sweep so they don’t have chance to do this again. Then I want you and Rollins with me and Romanoff inside to flush them out. Stark, Evans you to take down anyone who looks like they might break the perimeter, non-lethal if you can.”

Katie turned to Evans who nodded at her, the pair of them sharing a fist bump as he winked at her. Evans was a brilliant partner, and a good friend at that too. They worked well together.

The rest of the journey was spent pouring over blue prints, and once they reached the point where they could land safely, everyone was confident they were prepared as much as they could be. Whether that would be enough, was a different question.  

Natasha and Steve slinked off into the shadows, heading to the building. There were two armed guards on the door but they had the element of surprise and took them out easily.

“Ok, we’re in…” Steve spoke. “Get ready, as soon as they see us they’ll make a run for it.”

Katie listened from her vantage point, a tall oak tree that overhung the South East side of the property, rifle trained, ready.

“I count six.” Natasha spoke

“At least three are armed.” Rumlow added

“Any sign of the weapon?” Katie asked.

“Negative…”

Katie kept her attention on the spot she was covering, and had to fight the giggle that threatened to erupt in her throat when she heard Steve utter, quite possibly, the cheesiest line he could have come out with when their team burst into the room.

“Auction is over Gentlemen. Where’s the Weapon?”

There was a split second and then all hell broke loose. Gun fire erupted in the ears of everyone listening on the coms along with the familiar sound of vibranium clanging off surfaces and people alike.

“One is making a break for it.” Rumlow yelled and Katie stiffened, raising her rifle slightly “Along with a case, it must be the weapon.”

“In pursuit.” Nat responded.“

He’s armed.” Steve shot back. “Someone cover her.” More gunfire and clanging rang out as Katie watched the door she was covering, not once breaking her line of sight. Suddenly it burst open and the man with the case flew out, shortly followed by a shock of red hair. But as Katie watched, her sharp eyes picked up movement in the shadow and someone barrelled at Natasha taking her down.

“Shit! Romanoff’s got company!”

“I’m handling it.” The red head grunted, jumping up.

Katie paused, before remembering the main operative.

“I’ve got no shot.” Evans spoke in her ear and Katie wheeled round locating the man in her sight. She cocked her gun, exhaled sharply, and pulled the trigger. Seconds later he hit the floor, clutching at his knee.

“Hostile down.” she informed, allowing herself a little smug smile before her attention turned to Natasha, who now had her target in a choke hold. He went limp and then she released him, dropping him.

“Well handled Widow.” Katie quipped.

“You do know that I can kill a man in twenty different ways, using just my hands, right?” Natasha replied, making her way over to the man with a bullet in his knee cap.

“Twenty?” Katie muttered, “I can think of, what, like eight, max?”

“Clearly you lack imagination, Nova.”

Once Steve was happy that the inside was clear and everyone was rounded up and secured, he made his way outside and headed over to where Natasha was kneeling over the briefcase. She opened it and grinned up at Steve, the black, silver and purple metal shining back up at them.

“The package is secure.” Steve smiled at Natasha, “Alright, Good job team. Rumlow, tell the Authorities they can move in, clear this lot up.”

“Sure Cap.”

“She’s good.” Natasha watched Katie join Evans where he was crossing the lawn, the two exchanging a hi-five before they made their way back to the jet.

“Yeah she is.” Steve nodded, allowing his eyes to follow Katie for a moment a she walked across the grounds.

“When you gonna ask her on a date?” Nat asked, turning to him as he picked up the case and they made their way back to join their team, the local police now swarming the place meant they were no longer needed.

“Seriously?” Steve looked at the red head rolling his eyes. “We’re in the middle of an op and you ask me that?”

“Well first off the op is over and second off I’m just trying to help. I see the way you look at her, like there’s no one else in the room.”

Steve floundered for a response. Was he really that obvious, or was Natasha simply that observant? He settled for a shake of the head, and an exasperated sigh. “You were trying to fix me up with someone from accounts not long ago.”

“Yeah that was before I decided Stark is a better match “ She shrugged, walking up the ramp to the jet.

Thankfully, Steve was spared responding as the jet was loud with cheering, the team all crowding Katie, taking turns to slap her back and congratulate her on a shot well taken.

Katie couldn’t help but grin as she removed her utility vest, before holding her hands up “Thanks but it was a team effort.” She felt a hand drop on her shoulder and she turned to Steve.

“If you hadn’t taken that shot he would have got away.” He looked at her. “All in a day work Cap.” she smiled.

“I mean it. You’re the best shooter I’ve seen since Buck.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze before instructing Evans to get them back to base.

As they flew back, Rumlow was engaging Katie in a conversation about a date he had had the previous weekend. Steve wasn’t really listening, but as Katie threw her head back in a genuine laugh at something Rumlow had said, gently nudging the man in the arm, it felt like someone was digging knives into his chest as the waves of jealousy crashed over him.

He glanced over at Romanoff who raised an eyebrow at him having seen the exchange and mouthed the word “just fucking ask her” and he looked away, irritated.

Steve wasn’t a chauvinist by any means, but he’d had enough that day of women telling him what to do.

*****

May 2013

The start of May brought with it a week of nothing but rain. And it was during this week that Fury dropped a bombshell on Steve. The Smithsonian wanted to curate an exhibit about him, and SHIELD along with the Government thought it would be a good idea. Steve wasn’t entirely sure how he felt to be honest. He knew the world was fascinated with Captain America, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about them knowing about him, about Steve Rogers.

So this was how he’d ended up taking a trip down memory lane in an office at the Triskellion, surrounded by boxes of his belongings that had all been in storage, things he had long forgotten he had. He’d found his mother’s old ring, the one his father had bought her when they left Ireland, a St Christopher’s pendant that had belonged to his father, a few books which Katie told him were first editions and probably worth a fortune, a couple of old records, a stash of Photos which Katie was currently digging through and something that made his breath catch when his hand closed around it. His compass, the one containing Peggy’s photo.

“Steve.” Katie spoke and he looked at her. She gestured him over and he obliged as she held out the photo for him. He glanced down, a small smile crossing his face as he looked down at the photo of him and Bucky, both in their uniforms, laughing.  “Can you remember what you were laughing at?” she asked him.

“They had us doing this info documentary type thing, for the people back home.” He cleared his throat, taking the photo. “We were laughing at how utterly ridiculous and staged the whole thing was, like we would ever let press near our actual ops.”

Katie reached for the next photo and this one made her heart stop completely. Steve was on the left, looking at something that the man to his right was showing him on a screen. And that man needed no introduction.

“Dad…” she breathed out as Steve peered over her shoulder.

“He was a good man your father” Steve smiled as he thought of Howard “If a little… wild.”

“Wild? Dad?” She raised her eyebrow

“Yeah, he errr, liked to fondue…” Steve said, as he thought back to that conversation when he had thought fondue was some kind of innuendo for what Stark and Peggy got up to on their private time

“It’s just bread and cheese my friend…” Howard had said, clapping him on the shoulder.

“Really? But I thought…“

"Well that’s your first mistake pal. The minute you think you know what’s going on a woman’s mind is the moment your goose is well and truly cooked…”

“Wow, melted cheese…what a rebel” Katie snorted sarcastically.

 “Well I thought it was…never mind,” he shrugged, absentmindedly turning over the compass in his hand and he opened it, glancing down at the photo inside for the first time in almost seventy years.

“Peggy?” Katie asked, looking down at the compass

“Yeah” he snapped it shut and then looked at her, deciding that the time was right. He wanted to take her to see Peggy. Not just because Peggy had asked him to, but because he wanted to. “Would you like to meet her?”

“Me?” Katie asked, surprise in her voice.

“Well yeah, you’re a big part of my life now and I know she’d love to see you again”

“I’d be honoured.” Katie replied, and she meant it. Peggy had been important to her father, and she was curious to meet the woman that had held her best friend’s heart. Steve beamed back at her, thrilled by her answer and as their eyes locked, he felt that warm feeling as the butterflies in his stomach woke up.

******

They sorted his belongings into three separate categories- things for the museum, some more stuff to take back to his apartment, and the remainder to go back to storage, before they headed over town to see Peggy. Giving Katie assurances he wouldn’t be long, Steve entered the room first, leaving Katie, who was feeling quite nervous, waiting outside.

She didn’t know where the nerves were coming from, after all she had met Peggy when she was a young child, but that was before she knew who she was. Back then she’d simply been a lady that worked with her daddy, and now she knew the truth.

Inside the room Steve quickly told Peggy where he had been and she smiled when he told her about the museum and the photos, quipping that she would quite like to see that when it was all open.

“That is if they ever let me out of this place. I swear breaking out of Alcatraz would be easier.”

He chuckled at her joke. “Well, today I brought someone to you so you don’t have to plan an escape just yet.”

The old woman instantly brightened up and beamed up at him. "Katie?”

Steve smiled at her excitement and nodded “Yeah.”

“Well don’t leave me waiting, again!” Peggy shooed him to the door and he stood up, opening it. Katie spun to face him, her hands wringing each other and he gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

“Come on.” He held the door open. Katie took a deep breath, quelling her nerves and stepped into the room, Steve’s hand gently falling to her back as he guided her over to a seat by the bed.

It was easy for Katie to see that Peggy Carter had been a good looking, powerful woman in her day. Her eyes were bright, hair set in bouncy curls and she had a sort of regal quality emanating from her. She shrewdly eyed the brunette, before she chuckled and looked at Steve.

“Good grief!” Peggy smiled, looking back at Katie “Forgive me my dear, but you really do have that Stark look about you, but an awful lot of your mother too.”

Katie relaxed instantly and smiled back. “So I’ve been told. It’s an honour to meet you ma’am, again. I’ve heard so much about you.” “Please, call me Peggy” she smiled reaching for her hand “And I’m so pleased to see you again, it’s been a long time.”

Katie smiled, taking Peggy’s hand as the old woman continued.

“Steve talks about you a lot.” Peggy smiled and Katie glanced up at Steve, raising an eyebrow as he inwardly groaned, taking a deep breath.

 “Peggy…” he warned, somewhat exasperatedly.

“What?” she asked innocently “I’m just saying…” she turned to look at Katie “Steve says you’ve been a good friend to him since he came out of the ice. I’m glad he’s had someone.” “He’s a good friend to me.” Katie replied, smiling “Keeps me on the straight and narrow.”

“You mean I try to.” Steve teased, and he saw Peggy smile as he was sure Katie was rolling her eyes “She’s a law unto herself this one Peg, not unlike you were!”

“He’s very sensible.” Peggy loudly whispered to Katie, before the old woman levelled Steve with a look, her eyes flashing mischievously. “But I want to know, Steven, why on earth haven’t you taken this gorgeous young lady dancing yet?”

Steve groaned and looked at Katie, feeling the heat rush up his neck and into his cheeks as he could do nothing but mouth the word sorry. Katie’s cheeks also flushed a shade of pink and he looked away as he replied, dodging the question.

 “I can’t dance…you know that.”

“Everyone can dance, they just need the right partner.” Peggy looked at him, eyes locking onto his meaningfully. He swallowed again and Katie instantly picked up on his discomfort, she wasn’t stupid, the dancing thing clearly meant something and unless she was mistaken Peggy was implying something to do with her. Katie took pity on him and decided to save him his embarrassment so she spoke, breaking the moment.

“Well I won’t be much of a teacher, I’ve got two left feet.” she said, casually causing Steve to smile slightly shooting her a side glance.

*****

Steve would be lying if he said he hadn’t been slightly worried about introducing the woman who had been his first love to the girl he was harbouring feelings for now, but he needn’t have worried. Katie had laughed and joked with the old woman, often at his expense but he hadn’t minded. In fact, he had enjoyed it.

But that’s what Katie did. She made people feel better, at ease, knew what to say and when to say it.

And he’d decided there and then, buoyed by how well the meeting had actually gone, he was going to ask her out on a date. Today had brought everything into focus for him. Peggy was right, he couldn’t move forward and take the second chance life had given him if he had one foot in the past, one eye over his shoulder, and one part of his brain constantly wondering about what could have been.

Katie, meanwhile was locked in her own thoughts. The meeting with Peggy had put her slightly on edge. Not because of the old woman, in fact it had been amazing to meet her, but something about Steve changed as they left the Nursing Home. It was almost as if he was putting up a guard. She told herself it was normal, he was bound to feel confused after visiting his old flame and the whole thing with the museum, but part of her couldn’t shake off the feeling he was hiding something, and she didn’t like it.

She wasn’t an idiot. Steve and her had grown closer over the last few months and she knew to many it would be considered more than what you would dub a normal platonic relationship. She also knew, however, that he had ghosts in his past unlike any she’d ever dealt with before, which was what was making this entire situation ridiculously complicated.

She was pleased to see, however, that as they neared his apartment he relaxed and suggested that watch a film. They were still discussing which one as they climbed the three flights to his apartment.

“No.” He immediately deadpanned when she suggested watching the remaining Saw ones before he rolled his eyes when he clocked her grin. He hated those films, and she knew it. “Why don’t we start Star Wars? We never did get round to it…”

“Providing you don’t start the debate about which episode we begin with because if so I’m not sure I can be bothered trying to explain it again…” “I just don’t understand why you don’t start with one.” he took the opportunity to tease her as he slid the key into his lock.

“Because you don’t.” She said exasperatedly and he smirked at how easy it was to rile her when it came to films. ”It ruins the surprise and plot lines. You go Episode Four, Five and Six, then we hit One, Two and Three….”

They both turned as his neighbour, Kate walked onto the landing, bag over her shoulder, clutching a pile of mail.

“Hi Steve.” She smiled, unlocking her door.

“Hi Kate.” He greeted her back before he turned to Katie, who he realised had never met the woman before “This is my neighbour. Kate this is,”

“Katie.” she extended her hand, smiling politely.

“Katie Stark, I recognised you…sorry.”

“It’s fine” she said, still smiling. There was a pause and the faint sound of a phone could be heard.

“Sorry… I gotta’ get that.” Kate said quickly making her way into her apartment. “Goodnight Steve.”

“Night Kate.” He said in response. When he turned back around Katie was waiting, smirking at him.

“You’re as bad as Natasha.” He rolled his eyes, closing the door behind them as she stood front of him, kicking off her shoes.

“What you mean?” She asked walking through the small cloak area and into the hall way, heading straight for the kitchen.

“She keeps trying to set me up on dates” he sighed watching as Katie pulled two beers from his fridge.

“Who with?” Katie asked, frowning slightly, and she felt her neck and ears growing warm as the green eyed monster stirred.

“Pretty much anyone she can.” He snorted as they walked back into the living area.

“And none of them are…” She pressed, and he sighed.

“No.”

“Can I ask you something?” Katie sat next to him.

“If I say no are you gonna ask me anyway?” He looked at her. “Yeah.” She said after a pause. He snorted and gestured for her to go ahead.

“Peggy and you…how far did you actually get…I mean…”

Oh Jesus…

He contemplated brushing this one off, but then he realised he couldn’t lie to her, and he didn’t want to.

“We were supposed to go dancing.” He said gently, turning to face her, his right hand curling over the back of the sofa and she immediately understood then what that moment in the Nursing Home had been about. “Like on a date. I’d never been before, never found me the right person. And then I ended up in the ice before we got the chance.” He paused shook his head, “I know it’s dumb but…”

“It’s not Steve.”  Katie replied, and at that she felt the tears prick her eyes. The emotion of the day completely overwhelming her. This man, this wonderful man had been denied the opportunity to live his life how he should. Robbed of his best friend, his love and all because he’d done what he could to keep people safe, serve his country.

“Hey.” He frowed as he noticed she was getting upset. “What is it? What’s wrong, Doll?”

“I hate that all that happened to you.” she shook her head softly. “That you never got chance to do all those things, that you never got your dance or your happily ever after. You deserve more.”

“Katie.” he sighed, gently wiping away a tear that fell down her face with his thumb. “Taking that plane down was my choice. Don’t cry over it, please. I hate seeing you upset.”

And he did. Her face was made for smiles, her eyes should be happy and shining, not full of tears. “Sorry.” She dipped her head, and then, before he could stop himself, Steve reached out gently and his finger tilted her face back up to look at him.

Ocean blue met emerald green, and Steve felt his insides coil tightly like a spring as Katie’s eyes bounced across both of his, the distance between them growing shorter, and shorter…

And then there was a knock on the door. Steve closed his eyes, let out a sigh and unfolded himself off the couch. Cursing internally all the way to the door, Steve wrenched it open a little harshly and took a deep breath at the blonde at the other side.

“Sorry to interrupt…” Kate said, handing him a letter “But this was in the pile of mail I got before.”

“Oh, thanks…”

“Enjoy your film.” Kate smiled and Steve nodded. “Have a good evening.”

The door clicked shut and Steve turned and headed past the doorway to the lounge and into kitchen, dropping the bill on the side. He rest his hands, palms flat on the cool surface of the kitchen counter, hanging his head slightly and taking a deep breath. He was in deep.

“I’m gonna head home.” Katie spoke and he turned to look at her, his face falling. He didn’t want her to go. But instead of telling her that he merely nodded.

“Okay.”

Without another word she turned and left, leaving Steve stood alone in his flat, rooted to the spot, disappointment an anger lancing through his body like red hot pokers.

Outside the rain had started again, so Katie didn’t waste any time in getting to her car. She’d wanted nothing more than for Steve to ask her to stay, to prove to her that he wasn’t merely swept up in the emotion of the day, but he hadn’t. Which was all the answer to her unasked question she needed. They both had baggage, she knew that, but Steve Rogers came with an entire fucking suitcase.

She managed to start the engine before she felt the tears spring forth. Slamming her head against the head rest in frustration she wiped at her face.

She was in deep, and she had no idea what she was doing to do about it.

***** Chapter 4

**Original Posting**

[therosefrontier]

Whumptober Day 5

No. 5 - I’VE GOT RED IN MY LEDGER

betrayal | misunderstanding | broken nose

+++

Genshin Impact | Zhongli and his memories

(crossposted to AO3)

+++

“I met with Azhdaha again yesterday.”

Zhongli started his story while seated on an old stone platform in Guili Plains, a low crumbling stone wall behind him, an ancient tablet the only company by his side. “Virtue grows tall like a tree, though there be shade it will flourish forever,” the dome-shaped tablet read. At times like these, he often wondered at what all the author of those words had in mind when she wrote that.

“I…assumed this would happen, one day. Elemental spirits are nigh immortal beings, and it would be foolishness to assume that a sealed spirit won’t some day find their way out.” Zhongli paused for a moment, his words feeling heavy on his tongue, as if someone really were here that he had to explain this too. “He…left, of his own accord,” he finally said. “His spirit is once again sealed in the mountain. Although, we may very well meet again. I simply might dare to hope that next time, it would be under better circumstances.”

“My life is nigh on eternal. I will go on with the infinite flow of time. And you, Morax... You too will live for many a day to come.”

But Azhdaha would never again be free. This…this was their contract.

Zhongli looked down at his hands and at the ground, the events of many centuries earlier being all too clear in his mind. The events of yesterday were but a brief addendum to what already happened. Azhdaha’s roar of rage and pain, his accusations of treachery, the underlying grim reality of knowing that all of Liyue could be in danger if he didn’t end this here and now…all of that happened, already. Yesterday, Azhdaha was divided, his rage and his benevolence split into two beings. The first time they fought, the benevolent and wise Azhdaha that he once knew was nowhere to be found.

“I never thought I’d be able to speak with him again, like he was. Well, it wasn’t his form necessarily: his consciousness had possessed a random human, but still, once his memories were regained, the words and the voice were most certainly his.” Zhongli smiled weakly. “I must admit, that despite the inherent peril of the situation leading up to this meeting, I was glad. To see him, that is. It…was as if he were still alive.”

 “Rex Lapis, we are at your command,” Moon Carver assured him with great gravity, he and Mountain Shaper and the other watching the approach of the rampaging earth dragon with a steeled gaze, ready to fight.

Rex Lapis hesitated only for a moment. Only for a moment did he allow his heart to twist in pain, did he allow his eyes to lose their vivacity as he looked down from the sky at the dragon who cursed his name through his own unfathomable anguish. There was no solution, he knew. Erosion was something that could not be reversed. But he didn’t want to believe it. Not for Azhdaha. He didn’t want to lose him, too.

“We will lure him into the cave underneath the mountain. Follow my lead.”

 Zhongli found Azhdaha as a spirit sealed deep in the earth, a simple but unique rock without sight or motion. His stirrings had been the cause of many earthquakes and tremblings, so Zhongli thought it fit to draw the spirit of stone up from the earth and grant his wish, to give him a chance to be free in the world outside. They made a contract, then. Zhongli always made a contract, with those he invited to join him. There was only one for him for which such an agreement was delayed…only because at first, he did not know what their partnership was even to be called. It was one of many ways that Guizhong confused him.

But for the great stone dragon, their agreement was clear. If Azhdaha ever endangered Liyue and brought ruin to order, he would once again be sealed in the dark.

Zhongli always kept true to his contracts.

 “Come, I wish to show you something,” Morax beckoned him with a slight smile, bringing his friend up to a ledge overlooking the waters, the sun setting over the mountains in the distance and washing the sky with color.

“What is this?” Azhdaha asked in a deep and booming voice, although its powerful aura was perhaps mitigated by the way he spoke with the curiosity of a child. “I have seen this water before; now it is different?”

Morax chuckled softly. “Take a moment and have a look.”

Azhdaha came up over the ledge with thundering steps. “Your sun looks different. The color has changed. Is it nearing death?”

“No, no, not at all,” Morax explained with a slight touch of amusement. “This is a sunset. The sun will soon disappear over the mountains. You asked last night why the light leaves the sky in such a way. So, I thought I’d bring you here to watch. Of course, the motion of the sun can be observed anywhere, but it carries a different effect, in some locations. The sun will change its color now, but after it disappears, it will come back the next day just as it was before.”

Azhdaha hummed in acknowledgement, then plopping down onto the grass with a shaking of the earth. “So now, we sit and watch?”

“Yes, I say we shall.”

 “Morax, how do I look? Unimposing? Like a true human?”

“You look very well,” Morax agreed with a smile. It was in an elemental spirit’s nature to be able to change shape and form, but this was Azhdaha’s first time doing it on his own. His human form wasn’t exactly all that ‘unimposing,’ being that of a man quite large and broad-shouldered, but he looked enough like a human, at least.

“Mm, that is acceptable.” Azhdaha put his newfound fists on his hips and looked down at the Guili Assembly plaza down below. “It is time to interweave myself with humankind. I wish to first try the foods that people keep telling me about. I do not see the appeal of this ‘Grilled Ticker Fish’ that Pervases speaks of, as it is merely a single fish, but I wish to obtain this first, so that I may give him my full opinion!”

“Sounds like a suitable plan,” Morax agreed with a nod. “Then, let’s not keep our human and adepti friends waiting.”

 Zhongli remembered his form then, strong with a youthful wonder that wizened into ancient wisdom over the passage of time. It was so startingly unlike the form half of him took yesterday, of a child with a bitter glare in her eyes.

“So here lies the wisdom of the gods? Destroy all deemed redundant, enlist tyrants to ravage the wilderness!” Jiu mocked in her (his) fury.

Zhongli had a contract to keep. He had to seal Azhdaha away. There was no choice.

“Is once not enough!? You would forsake me again!?”

It wasn’t what he wanted. But was there…really nothing he could have done? If he had stopped the humans from mining in the Chasm, if he had noticed the change in Azhdaha, if he had just taken the time out of his duties to pay him a visit, then maybe…

“Erosion ground Azhdaha’s consciousness into oblivion. Slowly, he forgot the face of his old friend, and his memories of defending Liyue Harbor disintegrated,” Azhdaha in Kun Jun’s vessel recounted his own story with a faint smile of regret.

Zhongli couldn’t stop erosion.

And yet…he mourned what came to pass.

Zhongli had known, for a very long time, that he would never again be able to mourn as a mortal would. Azhdaha was far from the only one he has lost to time and conflict. The name he called him, “Morax,” was a stark reminder of this, that name which he had walked away from a long time ago but never truly shed. Morax was a god of war, a slayer of thousands. Morax had for a long, long time grown used to the bloodshed that was Liyue’s reality, as god fought against god in the Archon War and sacrificed hoards of soldiers as pawns. Morax felt no disgust or horror when he walked through a battlefield after the fight was over, stepping over bodies and walking through pools of blood and entrails as he coldly assessed the damage done.

In some ways, Rex Lapis was no different. For that matter, neither was Zhongli. Although his thoughts on war had changed—he would avoid it through the employment of contracts and words, if at all possible—he could never feel the same revulsion towards death and bloodshed as a human would.

Rex Lapis saw many scores of yaksha and other adepti swear fealty to him over the millennia. They would give him their loyalty, and he would make a contract with them, and he would know, because of how many times it had happened already, that they might give their lives in his service. They might fall to the evil that plagues the land in battle, or they may be consumed by the very filth they faithfully eradicated. Rex Lapis did not consider their deaths to be meaningless, nor did he ever wish to sacrifice his subjects as a pawn of war, but…he might have accepted, at some point long ago, that such deaths were inevitable and necessary.

He could not mourn as a human would—or rather, as a human without authority might. A war god had to know, lest he be blind, that he was sending his people to possible death.

He bore that weight, and he accepted that responsibility.

But in that responsibility…what did that mean for Azhdaha? Whose soul was crushed not by the many battles they fought together, but by the erosion of the earth itself?

He was sealed forever by Zhongli’s own hands. That was their contract. That was justice.

He always kept his contracts. No matter the price, no matter what he had to do…even if it was a pact paid in blood with Celestia, he did what he must for the sake of Liyue…

But was it true? Did Zhongli, in that near-final meeting, betray Azhdaha?

“I did what I must,” he spoke again to the stone tablet, cold and motionless despite the warm words inscribed upon it. “Virtue grows tall like a tree, though there be shade it will flourish forever.” But how did one define what “virtue” meant? How much of this “shade” was acceptable? This increasing debt, made in blood…

“His anger, however, does seem justified, in a certain way.”

“Guizhong?” He looked up, a small drop forming in his near-human eyes. “Did I do the right thing?”

[getdownkyh]

Extra Credit (m) | Young K | smut, Professor!Kang

01 . 02 . 03 . 04 . 05 . 06 . 07

Risks.

Lunch break meant the lecturer’s rooms were off limits, with exceptions for booked appointments, which you had. A different kind of appointment, but it granted you access to his room, with the guaranteed privacy from other curious students.

“I don’t like what you said about me in class.” There was no filter to what you said to him, not surprising since there really was no filter between the both of you.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“When you called out the boys, I don’t like that.”

His eyebrows furrowed, “They were making inappropriate jokes about you in class.”

“Yeah, I know. And I can deal with it on my own. I don’t need you to defend me. Don’t take it personally but what we have doesn’t go beyond sex.”

Younghyun took a deep breath, grimacing inwardly at your words. He didn’t know why it hurt but somehow it did.

“First of all, I called them out because it’s my responsibility to ensure a safe learning space. It meant nothing more than that.”

Or does it?

Your strong gaze on his shaking pupils was a stark contrast. His words sounded more of an effort to convince himself rather than you, but you knew you made your point clear and by the time he stood up and took your face in his hand, thumb tracing your jaw, you were no longer interested in dragging the argument longer.

Younghyun’s tongue was deep inside your mouth, his fingers skillfully unbuttoning your blouse, before his hands were attached to your boobs, squeezing to coax gasps out of you, ensuring him uninterrupted access to explore your mouth. Arms slung around his neck, senses flooded with him, all you could hear was the sudden increasing thumping of your own heart. 

The thumps got louder, closer in distance, and you opened your eyes, realizing the thumping no longer matched your heartbeat but rather resembled the sound of footsteps.

You hurriedly pushed Younghyun’s chest, separating both of you, his forehead frowning with confusion, looking at you.

“I think someone’s coming.”

It happened in a split second. The door lever moved, Younghyun pushing you down, kicking your blouse that was right next to his feet, you scrambling onto your knees to hide underneath his table. The door slung open, revealing a distressed Sungjin. 

“Jesus, can’t you knock ?” Younghyun exclaimed, heart pounding at the prospect of getting caught.

“Why, were you doing something inappropriate?” Sungjin sniggered, eyes scanning the room.

Younghyun swallowed, throat feeling dry. From where Sungjin was staring, there was no way he could see you, his table fully blocking you, but if he were to walk closer, say towards and around the table, then that would be the end of your little secret.

Sungjin fixed his gaze on the younger male’s face, “Oh, I see.. Man you never change do you, your hair’s a mess.”

You held your breath.

Younghyun hurriedly ran his fingers through his hair, fixing whatever he could. Does he know?

“Anyway if you wanna sleep, at least do it during the break. Your bedhair’s disgusting. And I think you got something on your lips too.”

Oh. 

Younghyun wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, sitting down onto his chair, legs spread comfortably. “What do you want?”

“Can you speedrun me with the latest protocols for the marking system? Like God, I love giving lectures but these paperworks are gonna be the death of me.”

Younghyun pushed his chair forward, bringing his body closer to the desk as he opened some files on his computer. You heard him starting to brief Sungjin, his demeanour changing in a split second, his serious, intelligent aura, the very thing that got you on your knees for him, quite literally. You had minimal idea of what they were talking about but you found yourself shifting uncomfortably hearing him speak, worlds laced with confidence.

There was something about smart men that was just so attractive, just like Professor Kang in his element.

His thighs were so close to your face, thick, filling up his slacks, and you decided fuck it, this was worth the risk. You placed your hands on his knees, before moving them forward, feeling his thighs in your hand. Younghyun tensed, his thighs flexing beneath your hold.

His left hand gripped his armrest, faking a cough, before clearing his throat and continuing his explanation. Your left hand rested atop his right thigh, massaging him occasionally, while your other hand travelled much more upwards, towards a dangerous territory.

Your ran your fingers, minimal pressure applied, right across his bulge, feeling his thigh tensing again in your other hand. Up and down, your palm moved, pressure increased slightly, but not enough to make an audible sound. You felt him getting harder against your hand as you continued palming him, feeling proud of your effect on him, also curious to see how he was going to compose himself. Moving slightly closer towards him, you placed your cheek on his thigh, looking up to him, your hand still rubbing over his hardening bulge.

He flitted his gaze towards you for a second, and then faked a yawn, as Sungjin thanked him, about to leave. “Do me a favor and lock the door as you leave?” He asked, voice hoarse, rotating his neck left and right.

“Sure. Goodnight~”

The lock clicked and he pushed his chair backwards just slightly, you tumbling forward, your hands gripping onto his legs. Younghyun leaned back into his seat, looking down at you, bent on the floor between his legs. He hunched forward, thumb drawing circles on your cheek. You looked up at him, giggling as you shifted closer between his legs, fingers unbuckling his belt, “That was close.”

Your soft giggles got his heart skipping a beat, enhanced by the way you were looking up at him, ironically, almost innocently. Though he didn’t have to dwell on the thought longer, brushing it off as his aroused state getting to him.

You smiled at him proudly, hearing him sigh when his erection was freed from the tight space.

You lazily stroked him, maintaining eye contact, “What do you want me to do, Professor?”

He chuckled, running his thumb across your bottom lip, “You have such beautiful lips, I wonder how they would look like wrapped around me.”

Straightening up, you shifted closer to his center. You tilted your head, bringing your lips closer to his member, one hand wrapped around the base, another on his thigh to hold your position. You stuck your tongue out, licking from the base to the tip. Reaching the head, you circled your tongue around it, before pressing a short kiss and giving it kitten licks.

He looked at you, impressed, groans suppressed as his knuckles started turning white from how hard he was gripping his armrest. You took the tip into your mouth, flicking your eyes upwards to look at him, before you moved your head down, inch by inch, taking more of him, speed so slow you can feel the throb of his vein on your tongue.

He didn’t know if it was the feeling of the warmth, the wetness the tightness encasing his member, or if it was the mere sight of you looking up to him obediently while taking all of him, but everything felt so, so good Younghyun was on the verge of falling apart.

He grunted, and you bobbed your head gradually faster, your hands on his thighs for support. The way he was subconsciously bucking his hips up everytime you lowered your head caused the tip of his dick to caress your throat sinfully. He threw his head back when you moaned around him, tonguing his cheek, pupils dilating from pleasure. He felt like he was on drugs, though that analogy wasn’t that far off given how addicted he was to you at tjat point.

Inhaling, he grabbed you by the hair, pulling you off of him, making you stand up, pulling you towards him, kissing you fully on the mouth. “God, you’re fucking amazing.”

He spun you around, holding you by the hips, tugging you to sit on his lap. A moan gasped out from your mouth, feeling him poking your clothed entrance, making you instinctively grind on him. He hissed into your ear, hand grasping your hair, “No more teasing, we don’t have much time.”

You lifted your hips, hovering over him with your ass pushed towards him, and he couldn’t help but to run his hands over the round flesh. Skirt bunched up, you started tugging your panties down. The piece of clothing was barely off, around your mid-thighs, locking your legs together, and Younghyun was already tugging your hips downwards, burying himself in you. He could barely control himself when he saw your exposed, slick hole and all he wanted to do was feel them around him.

The muscles on your neck strained as you threw your head back, panting against his neck, clenching and unclenching to reduce the overwhelming feeling in your lower region. You pressed your back deeper into his strong torso, as you worked together to find a rhythm, his chair creaking slightly every time you bounced on top of him, the poor piece of furniture barely sustaining the sheer force of the both of you fucking each other.

He kissed your forehead, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear as he unclasped your bra, throwing it to the floor, before holding your jaw and tilting your face to look at him. He found himself no longer just looking forward to the pleasure you shared, but also how pretty you looked every time he was inside you.

Grabbing your breasts in his hands, massaging them, making you squirm in his grasp, he groaned, feeling the contour of your body beneath his fingertips. Swallowing, you placed your hands on the armrest, supporting yourself as you started lifting your hips up again, and sinking back down, soft whines leaving your mouth, relishing in the way his thick member was splitting you open.

He left an open-mouthed kiss on your shoulder, "Fuck, you're tight," before leaning back, taking pleasure in the way your walls hugged him. His eyes were trained on your back, the way your hair swayed with every bounce, your skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat, the blurry sight of his dick slipping in and out of you, he wanted to keep the moment imprinted inside his head forever.

The air inside the room was intoxicating, filled with the scent of sex, soft moans and grunts. Your pace started faltering, focus decreasing and exhaustion creeping up onto you. One hand on your clit, you whined, “Need you to take over. I can’t feel my legs.” 

He yanked your hand away, “You don’t have to do that, I will do it for you.” He stood up, hand flat on your spine, pressing to bend you over his desk. Your cheek met the cold surface, eyes fluttering close as he grabbed your thigh, pushing your underwear all the way down before hiking your right knee up on the desk, your position making you on full display for him. One hand on your hip, another next to your face, Younghyun pistoned his hips, filling you to the hilt. 

They said practice makes perfect, and you thought as time passed you’d be able to keep your noises down. But every time Younghyun fucked you, it was like the first time all over again, especially with how it seemed like he always got more and more into it, with the way he slammed harder and deeper into you, and his hands squeezing your flesh violently, always leaving marks afterwards, the intensity threatening you to scream every time, so you found yourself bringing your fist to your own mouth, suppressing your moans from giving the both of you away.

You lost track of the time but you were certain you came in an embarrassingly short time. The thought of him being in charge and taking control sending you over the edge quicker than you thought it would. He stretched you open so deliciously, pounding your sensitive spot;  it was easy to reel into nothingness when you didn’t have to work for it.

You blacked out for a moment, brought back to reality by the sound of him praising you, feeling hot streams shooting inside you, your walls convulsing uncontrollably at the sensation.

When he pulled you back up and gave you a kiss, you were slightly taken aback. His lips pushed against yours slower, lingering and nibbling delicately, soothing. Maybe it was the exhaustion, but it was void of lust, and your head spun at how soft the kiss was.

He rarely ever kissed you like this after sex, minus the one time he kissed you gently, only for the kiss to turn fiery in under a minute and then you were going at it again and again, until both of you were sated. You didn’t have the energy to overthink or argue so you just nodded, as he apologized if what he said in class made you feel uncomfortable, offering to drive you back home, his hands rubbing gentle circles on your back. 

[notyetneedcoffee]

Soul Seer, pt. 14

Loki Master List

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Warnings: 18+ NSFW, Naughty Times!

Author’s Note: Takes place right after Avengers 1, with time travel elements and hints of Infinity Wars. Does NOT follow cannon after Avengers.

 You dropped your bag on the bed and wondered over to the window. The green meadow and vast forest beyond should have been a welcome site after the devastation of New York or the craziness of DC. Everyone kept saying it would be okay. This was for the best. Still, the hollow pit in your stomach would not go away.

The construction you’d driven through to get to the residence couldn’t be seen from the windows. The soundproofing must be impeccable, too, because you couldn’t hear any of the earth movers or heavy machinery. The windows didn’t open. They were solid black from the outside, but looking out they were nearly invisible.

Stark pulled out all the stops on your new home. Expensive furnishings, lush materials, and Stark Tech filled the apartment. Looking around, you admitted to yourself it was more than you ever could have asked for. You’d never had a bedroom so large. Off the sitting room, a library held books stacked to the ceiling. You even loved the colors.

It still felt empty.

A chime filled the room, followed by the voice of Jarvis. “Miss, Captain Rogers is at the door.”

“Please let him in.”

“Y/N,” Steve called out.

“Just looking around.” You answered, stepping out of the library to meet him in the sitting room.

“You okay?” Steve came closer, rubbing your shoulders.

Swallowing back tears, you tried to offer a smile.

“Hey,” he pulled you into a warm hug. “I know. Everything is different now. Give it some time, it will be okay. Really.” Steve felt you take a breath, ready to give the same argument you’d given a dozen times before. “You trust us, right? We’re not going to let anything bad happen.”

“She’s a smart woman, Captain. Do not make promises you cannot keep. You will try not to let anything bad happen.” Loki’s smooth voice came through the door.  

“Loki!” You broke free and dashed into his arms. Your feet came up off the floor as he hefted you close, burying his face in the side of your neck. The feeling of his strong hold anchored you. His presence settled over you like a favorite blanket. It made you melt and gave you strength at the same time.

He set you lightly on your feet as his fingers combed over your hair, cool hand coming to rest on the back of your neck. Loki pressed his lips to your forehead. “It’s only been a few days, my pet. Have you really missed me so?”

You looked up into his smiling face. A frown drew your brows together. “Not getting to see you after that,” you shivered, “performance pissed me off. It wasn’t fair.”

“It was imperative you leave with the agents.” Loki stroked your face. “I wish you had not insisted on being there at all. Even if was not real, it was not a pleasant sight.”

“Sure felt real on my end.” Steve grumbled, even though the corner of his mouth tipped up.

“You agreed, Captain. It had to appear to be a genuine fight, especially to those who provided care to you after the fact.” Loki faced Steve, easily tucking you under his shoulder as you wrapped your arms around his waist.

“I know. I know.” Steve rolled his eyes. “You still pack a painful punch.”

Loki smiled. “As do you, Captain.”

“Well, thanks. I guess.” He chuckled. “Tony has made certain that only the team and Pepper have free access to this building. You’ll receive notice when and where the cleaning or service crews will be around. They are escorted and under surveillance by Jarvis at all times. So, feel free to wander the building. Training facilities and the gym is on the first floor. There’s lounges and entertainment rooms on two, the labs take up all the subfloors, and we all have units on the top three floors.”

“I believe Stark even placed an observatory on the roof.” Loki looked down at your face. “The stars are more visible here than in the city.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Y/N,” Steve buried his hands in his pockets. “Give it a few months and you’ll be able to make contact with your family and friends again. No one will make you break contact, and Tony will make sure you’re kept informed. We just have to protect you from the people that know how much of Loki’s knowledge you have.”

You sighed. “I understand, Steve. I really do.” Looking around, you leaned into Loki a little more. He felt like home. He made this space work. “And I appreciate everything the team is doing, especially you. This takes breaking the rules to a whole new level.”

Loki laughed. “For someone who toes the line, you certainly knew exactly what needed to be done to fake my death.”

Steve’s ear turned pink. “Well, I figure you’re already abiding by the rules of your sovereignty and you will do way more good helping us than sitting in a steel box somewhere. Sometimes doing the right thing doesn’t follow the rules.”

Loki extended a hand. “Thank you for taking care of Y/N in my absence.”

“Anytime.” Steve shook his hand. “I’m, ah, going to head out. Everyone is getting settled in, so we won’t be starting work until after lunch tomorrow.”

“I will see you then.” Loki nodded.

“Thanks, Steve.” You smiled.

As soon as the door closed, Loki’s hands cupped your face as his eyes studied you. “You’ve been weeping, little one.”

“I fell asleep in the car.” You answered honestly. “I dreamt of you dying again.”

“I wish you had not come.” He whispered before his lips covered yours in a soft kiss.

“Show me.” You grasped his wrists. “Show me how you did it. Maybe then I will see it for what it was instead of what the adrenaline imprinted on my memory.”

His forehead touched yours. You never could accurately explain how Loki shared his knowledge. It wasn’t like seeing something new or recalling a memory. You just suddenly knew. It was like having a latent memory triggered by the sight or sound of something. You just knew.

Entering the inquiry, Loki had been himself. One of the SHIELD agents was a magical projection. He indeed fought with the others, though he purposely used flashier magic and moved with less grace. Just before the worst of the battle, Loki bumped into his projection and with a flash, they traded places.

Steve could have fought off the specter-Loki had he wanted. Instead, he faked his effort and succumbed to the choking. As planned, Natasha swept in and killed the specter. The true Loki, stood behind you to keep you calm.

He remained with the team that escorted the ‘body’ to lock down. You were swept away with the team that checked in on the Senators and their people. The bitter taste of impotent anger flooded your senses as you realized how Loki stood passively by as a group of key politicians gawked and scoffed at what they thought was his mutilated corpse.

“Fools.” You spat and rolled your eyes. “They ran like cowards at the first sign of danger. How dare they preen over your body? They wouldn’t last two seconds against you.”

A low rumble vibrated from Loki’s chest. His fingers dug into your hips as his open mouth left a wet kiss and playful bite on your neck. “Mmm,” Loki purred against your skin as he pulled your body hard against his evident need. “You defending my prowess is quite enticing.”

Your fingers wound into his thick hair, tugging his face closer to yours. His large hands lifted you from your feet, fingers digging into the meat of your ass. He moaned when your tongue laved over his lower lip. You whispered, “I will always defend you. You are mine.”

You yelped as Loki tossed you away from him, only to gasp as your suddenly bare ass bounced on the soft sheets of the bed. Just as your jaw snapped shut, he stalked through the portal at you. As his knee sunk into the mattress, the clothes evaporated from his body. The raw hunger in his eyes, caused more than your mouth to water.

Loki captured your ankle in one hand, pulling it up to his mouth. Wet kisses, playful bites, and delicious licks had you quivering before he reached your inner thigh. You laid back, clawing at the sheets as he pushed your legs further apart.

“Mmm, my pet.” His fingers slipped through your wetness, spreading slickness over your sensitive flesh. “So responsive for me.” His talented cool tongue circled your clit before lapping up your juices. “So luscious.”

“Loki…” Your sigh turning to a sudden gasp as Loki’s hand held you down and his mouth latched on to your clit. Fire shot through your veins. Your body writhed, but he held you firm. Somehow, the impossibly strong force of his hand holding you down just pushed your excitement higher. His magic tongue danced over sensitive flesh, lighting your nerve on fire. Loki hummed, low and rich, rocking your body with the vibration.

“Oh fuck!” Tension coiled low in your belly. Loki did not let up, determined to pull ecstasy from you as fast as possible. Two long fingers slipped into you, stroking firmly against the perfect spot. Your back arched. A wicked smile spread across his sex damp face. Fingers pumped harder. A wave broke, washing you in heat, as you came over his hand. “Loki!”

His thick chuckle filled your ears as your body quivered. Loki crawled up your body, raining kisses along your flesh. “I could not wait, pet.” Loki growled against your ear. “I needed to taste your honey.” His cock pressed into you, filling you. “Needed to hear you scream my name.” He hitched your knees up, fucking into you deep. “Yes,” he groaned, “to feel you around me.”

Whining, your finger dug into his shoulders, holding on. Loki set a powerful, fast pace. The crisp forest, clean male and distinctly Loki smell filled your head. The low rumble of his groans brushed you ear. He surrounded you, filled you. So intense. Your breath mixed with his, noses brushing along each other’s.

Loki felt your body coil, felt the heat flush your skin. His hips snapped and you cried out. He pushed your further, barely holding back his own release. Your thighs shook as he dug his fingers into your flesh. His deep timbre rumbled over your cheek, tickling your ear, “Come for me.”  

Fire raced down your body, hitting you hard and stealing your breath. Loki moaned, chasing your release with his own. You melted, every bit of tension, every bit pain, washed away leaving you floating despite Loki’s weight pressing you to the mattress.

You stayed wrapped around him, relishing in his body around you, in you, anchoring you.

Loki held you tight, uncertain whether the need to remain close was his own or if it came from you. Either way, he relaxed into the feeling, allowing himself a moment of need. There would be enough work, enough worries, later. For this moment, he could allow you both to forget it all.

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