#(back on clint peeps).

[creative-caramel-coffee]

I think I expressed my self terribly wrong sorry!

So basically reader is sick but maybe the team doesn’t realise and they do things unintentionally that make reader even more sick (like leaving the windows open, telling her to go buy something or I don’t know) until Wanda and Nat have enough and realise that reader is sick and tell the team to stop

-🦜

Stubborn and Sick

Pairings: Wandanat x R

Word count: 1K

Summary: Your sick and stubborn, but you also can’t back down from a challenge. What happens when Tony gets involved?

TW: sickness, fever, almost kinda fainting? (Idk), bread slander, fever induced vertigo, headache etc.

A/n Hehehe bread slander. Grains and seeds sucks so bad. I don’t care if its healthy it tastes like chunky cardboard. White bread and whole meal all the way peeps.

You were stubborn. It was a fact, and everyone knew it. So, when you got sick after falling in a frozen lake on the last mission Wanda and Nat decided to wait until you came to them for help instead of trying everything to convince you to let them help you.

The rest of the team however was more than a little blind when it came to other people's needs, not for lack of trying but more so because they were dense, and not just in terms of muscles.

You stood in the kitchen, the fever you had managed to develop this morning was throwing you for a loop. You were making some toast, hoping you would be able to deal with that at least. Your throat hurt so bad and there was a dull headache settling in for the long run it seemed.

You probably shouldn’t have stayed up all night trying to finish the mission report for fury. But tony had bed you a hundred bucks he would finish his before you did, and you weren’t one to back down from easy money.

You finished buttering the toast and patted the cash in your pocket and smiled to yourself. Turning to put the knife in the sink to clean later the world spun. You staggered a bit and held onto the bench with both hands leaning against it heavily.

“Damn this stupid fever” you muttered. When you vision cleared you deposited the knife and went back to the plate. Picking it up and setting out for your room. Your muscles hurt and your head hurt more. You had barely made it three feet down the hall when you heard a voice from the kitchen.

“Who ate all the bread?” It was Clint so you hightailed it out of there, knowing if he found it was you, he would send you to buy more. And you were pretty sure a trip to the shops would kill you at this point. Alas, fate was not on your side today. Being sick you were clumsy and slow due to the fever. Needless to say, Clint caught you easily. He scowled at the toast you were holding.

“I wanted a sandwich.” He grumbled. At this point tony walked past.

“Whats up Legolas?” Tony chirped probably hyped up on coffee and energy drinks.

“L/n here ate all the bread.” He said still scowling at the toast.

“Then it seemed fair she goes to buy more.” Tony grinned, “I know she has the money for it.” You glared at him.

“Fine.” You growled. So, despite the pounding headache and sore muscles, the fever and growing ache in your knees and back you submitted.

You huffed and nibbled on the toast before leaving it on the desk. As you left the room you shot the delicious toast a mournful longing look. It simple sat and waited.

The shops were awful to say the least. The lights hummed which hurt your head and the brightness hurt your eyes. Parts of you hurt that you didn’t know existed let alone could feel. You slouched and shuffled down the bread aisle. There were so many different types. You grabbed the first one you saw when a sudden wave of vertigo hit, and you stumbled like you had in the kitchen. Leaning against the shelf and closing your eyes.

Yelena was in town and so her and Nat were having a movie night, and as all good movie nights need, they were out getting snacks. So, you can imagine Natasha’s surprise when she saw you looking just about ready to pass out in the bread aisle. She wasted no time rushing to your side and steadying you with her hands on your shoulders.

“Y/n? Y/n!” She said patting you lightly on the cheek. You were very pale and seemed only mildly lucid at best.

Nat took the bread from your hands and shoved it in Yelena’s direction who took it and inspected it.

“Grains and seeds?” She mumbled. “Gross.” She shoved it back on the shelf and picked up a loaf of white bread.

“Y/n/n i need you to open your eyes for me sweetheart.” She said and you mumbled something incoherent.

“What was that love?” Nat asked feeling your forehead with the back of her hand. You were way too hot and defiantly running a high fever.

“I said m sick natty. ‘N i don’ feel good.” You slurred and Natasha looked around to Yelena before realising she had gone to buy the bread for you. She didn’t know why you wanted it but if it was worth almost dying for, she would buy it for you. After all you were dating her sister.

Nat scanned you up and down deciding that this had gone on for too long. In a gentle movement she scooped you into her arms and you tiredly rested your head on her chest eyes still shut and muttering nonsense. Yelena and Nat met at the register and the three of you headed back to the compound. Being an avenger Nat did receive too many odd looks for carrying her very pale and sick looking girlfriend through the shopping centre.

On the way back Yelena done with you in the back on Nat’s lap. She was fanning you with her hands in a fruitless attempt to cool you down. She had dialled Wanda who was going to meet them in your shared room with supplies and a wet cloth for you.

Nat easily carried you out of the car and back to the room. Wanda took your temperature and Yelena went to put the bread in the kitchen slightly thrown off by her sister being so domestic all of a sudden.

Your temperature as expected was far too high and so they went about cooling you down with a cloth and fever reducers. After a bit you were asleep with Wanda and Natasha laid beside you careful not to add too much extra heat to your already furnace-like temperature.

You rested and it was simple to say that Nat’s movie night gained an extra two people. Well … one witch and a half dead, half sick and fully asleep avenger.

MASTERLIST

[dirtyvulture]

Peeping Kate Bishop - Part 9

Possessive!Natasha Romanoff x Beefy!Fem!Reader

18+ only, read at your own risk

Word count: 1604

Summary: Kate gets caught in an awkward spot.

AN: Our favorite peeper is back! Check out the other parts here. Enjoy!

“Can I borrow your vest?” Kate asks, skipping over to Yelena in the kitchen.

“What for, Kate Bishop?” Yelena responds, not even looking up at her to focus on lining up the banana slices on her peanut butter sandwich.

“Clint’s taking me on a mission with Steve tomorrow. He said to pack light, and I know your vest has a lot of pockets to make things easier to carry,” Kate explains.

“Yes, that is the purpose of the pockets.”

“So can I borrow it? I’ll make sure to clean it before I give it back,” Kate says.

“I didn’t think green was your color,” Yelena comments.

“The color doesn’t matter,” Kate exasperates. “Please?”

Yelena pauses like this is an extremely important decision she’s about to make. “Sure,” she finally says. 

“Yay! Thanks, Yelena!” Kate disappears towards the bedrooms, but comes back a minute later empty-handed. “Where’d you put it?” she asks Yelena.

“What do you mean?” Yelena takes a big bite of her sandwich.

“Where’s your vest?”

“Is it not in my closet?”

“Nope,” Kate responds.

“Oh!” Yelena swallows. “My sister borrowed it last week. It’s probably still in her room.”

“H-Her room?” Kate had basically self-banned herself from going into Natasha’s (and yours) room after the amount of times she had stumbled in on the two of you in what should have been very private moments.

“Her and Y/N are still coming back from a mission,” Yelena says dismissively. “Just be quick, Kate Bishop.”

“Right, right.” 

Kate wanders down the hall, her heart beating in anticipation. She stops at Natasha’s door, knocking several times and waiting for a response. When she gets none, she pushes the door open slowly, completely relieved to find it empty. She goes into the closet (which she’s envious to find is almost as big as her entire room) and starts pawing through the clothes, embarrassed to recognize which ones are yours just from the scent lingering on them.

She fights the urge to bury her nose in one of your hoodies, hunting around for Yelena’s vest. It doesn’t seem to be anywhere, and she goes through the clothes on the hangers one at a time, hoping to find it.

Suddenly, Kate hears voices and runs back to the closet door, but is too late and sees you and Natasha walk in. She gets tangled in a pair of sweatpants on the floor and nearly falls through the door, but catches herself on the frame just in time. Natasha’s eyes sweep past the ajar door, but Kate shrinks back and holds her breath. Natasha gives her no second glance.

“I’m ready to sleep for a year,” you announce, dropping your bag with a loud thud by the door and throwing yourself onto the bed. Natasha jumps on your back with a giggle, and Kate’s heart pounds in her throat. She has to make her presence known now, or she knows she will severely regret this moment for the rest of her life.

“You can’t sleep now,” Natasha pouts, as you roll onto your back and let her lie on your chest.

Kate puts her hand on the door and starts opening it–

“You have to fuck me first.”

The blood drains out of Kate’s face and she shrinks back. She can’t leave now. 

“You think I didn’t feel the strap you’re wearing?” Natasha says, aggressively rocking her hips against yours and you moan. Kate feels a jolt go straight to her core when she hears you, and she kneels down, cupping herself between her legs and trying to will away her arousal.

“The mission kind of tired me out,” you admit.

“Well, you can just sit back and let me do the work,” Natasha smirks. It still surprises you sometimes how horny she can be, but you would never deny her.

“Sure, baby.” You scoot up higher on the bed, taking off your clothes and throwing them to the side haphazardly, letting Natasha grind on your strap. 

Kate inhales sharply and slaps a hand over her mouth to hide her awe. Even though Natasha is blocking most of her view of you, Kate still thinks that you are the most beautiful specimen she’s ever seen. Your body looks like it was sculpted by God himself, your muscles perfectly proportioned, the features of your face set in the most attractive way Kate could even think of. Kate is pretty sure she’d be willing to commit murder if it meant getting her hands on you, even for a few minutes. But since that possibility would never happen in this universe, she had to settle for the next best thing: watching you with your actual partner and pretending it was with her instead.

Natasha strips off her clothes and continues grinding against you, placing her hand on the center of your chest and pushing you back against the headboard. Kate can hear you panting now and her own heartbeat picks up and she surges forward until she almost hits her head on the door. 

“You’re so beautiful, Nat,” you say, and Kate pretends you’ve said her own name instead. 

“Just relax, baby. I’ll handle this,” Natasha says. Still, your hands wrap around her thighs, lifting her up just so Kate can see the bottom of the strap you’re wearing and the filthiest thoughts flood her head. Natasha sinks down on your strap and moans. You start to rock your hips, and Kate has had enough. 

She hastily unzips her own jeans, a mix of embarrassment and shame filling her at what she’s about to do, but then she hears you moan again and watches as your girlfriend rides you roughly, your muscles flexing as you keep both of your bodies upright. Kate slips her hand past her panties, pushing two fingers into herself, shocked at how wet she already is. She wishes it was your fingers instead, clenching hard around herself at the thought. She wishes she could have you pinned to your bed, her hands holding onto your biceps, rubbing her center against your rock-hard abs until she cums over and over.

“Fuck, you fill me up so well,” Natasha moans, bouncing on your lap. Kate pumps into herself harder, swiping her thumb over her clit and her legs tremble at the extra stimulation.  

“Cum all over my strap,” you tell her, and Kate wants to scream that she would do anything for you. She’s soaking all over her hand and she bites on her bottom lip to stop herself from making any noise. She has never reached an orgasm so fast and doesn’t even notice that Natasha’s finished and climbs off your lap, taking your strap off before dipping her head between your legs.

“Oh, fuck. Right there, baby.”

Your voice makes Kate peek out the crack of the door again. She wants to faint now at the sight of you flat on your back, your chest and stomach heaving with Natasha’s mouth attached to your center. 

Kate’s mouth practically waters as she wonders what you would taste like, how the weight of your muscular thighs would feel in her arms as she tries to keep your legs apart, but then she’ll give in so you can wrap them around her head to draw her closer to you. Again, Kate starts fingering herself, still frustrated at how close yet far she is from you. She closes her eyes to properly imagine being between your legs and bringing you to a blissful high, pretending that it’s her name you’re moaning instead of Natasha’s.

Your hand threads into Natasha’s hair as another obscene moan escapes your lips. You’ve already cum twice and Natasha seems to have no intent of stopping any time soon. Her lips close around your clit and suck hard, and you’re gone again. But after the fog clears from your head, your legs trembling uncontrollably and your skin covered in sweat, you finally push Natasha’s head away from you.

“Okay, okay, I’m done, baby,” you say, feeling like she’s literally drained the life out of you.

“That enough for you?” Natasha says, winking as she sits up and wipes her mouth.

“Yeah.” You flop back on the pillows, panting.

Natasha gets off the bed, grabbing the bathrobe hanging behind the front door. You lift your head enough to watch her lazily. She comes back to the bedside, reaching under the nightstand into the mini fridge and taking out a bottle of red Gatorade.

“Stay hydrated, baby,” she says, giving it to you with a kiss.

“Thank you.” You open the bottle and offer her the first sip. She smiles as she takes it, then moves to throw the blanket over you. You’re too tired to question her, taking the Gatorade back and chugging it. 

Natasha goes to stand in front of the closet, which is slightly ajar. She crosses her arms and says, “Kate Bishop, get out of the closet.” Your eyes widen as the door seems to open on its own and Kate Bishop emerges, shuffling forward uneasily with her hands buried in her pockets. Her zipper is down, but no one comments on this.

“I am not going to ask, just get the hell out of our room,” Natasha growls.

Kate nods, her face redder than you’ve ever seen before, and waddles out of your room.

“Did you know she was in there?” you finally ask after a few moments of silence.

Natasha smirks at you.

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[ynstark]

"Silent Waves and First Embrace" - a prequel to "His Angel"

Title: "Silent Waves and First Embrace" - a prequel to "His Angel"

Characters/Pairings: Post!Endgame!Steve Rogers x Female!Adoptive!Stark!Virgin!Reader

Summary: The beginning of the Reader's and Steve's new "relationship".

Word Count: 3k+

Reader is in her 20s and Steve is in his mid 30s.

Minors DNI! Please and thank you!

Contents/Warnings: Lack of self care, grief, mentions of multiple major character deaths, talks of death, depression, talks of not eating, but not an eating disorder, talks about wanting to die, not suicide, reader has an anxiety attack, reader has trauma and ptsd, it's just an overall shit show, but I promise it ends well, grab tissues, hopefully I listed them all, if I didn't please let me know!

Author's Note: Grab your tissues and get ready to cry. Here's the prequel! I'm so happy this is finally out of my drafts! I know I promised this like weeks ago, but I wanted to get it perfect. I was going to make this into two parts, but I figured out a way to weave them together. I used Y/n to refer to the reader. I changed some of the plot in Endgame. The major change (which I would like to apologize in advance for, I know some people will not like it) is that the reader was with Nat and Clint on Vormir. If you read part one of His Angel, you know that Steve never went back to Peggy. I kept Steve passing down the mantle of Captain America to Sam, I just didn't write about it. Steve is like a secret consultant to the avengers that only a few people know about, that's the vibe I'm going with. I made the reader a paralegal, it was the first thing that came to mind. Part two of His Angel is in the works and I'm also going to write a part three!

I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors. I'm only human. Do not repost my work anywhere. Likes and reblogs are welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for all the love and support on part one! Peace and love, enjoy. 🤍

Star Divider by: @enchanthings ⭐

Today was one of those days when the big and brave Captain America just wanted to be Steve Rogers. A scrawny little kid from Brooklyn. He wanted to leave the flood gates open, with all his emotions on the table. Instead, he'd put on his Captain's hat to bear in front of the team. To unity them in a time of immense grief. He'd convince everyone that he was fine and that everything was going to be okay, even when the world had just lost their best defender. Steve had to be the one to hold up the torch. He would shine the light in this new and dark reality, that they would come to accept eventually.

He looked into the mirror to check if his tie was in place, when he heard a knock at his door. Steve wasn't expecting anyone. He checks through the peep hole and sees no one, he doesn't sense any danger. Opening his door, he looks down to see a package addressed to him. He couldn't find a name of the sender anywhere. He picks it up and looks around again before closing and locking the door. Opening the package, he finds a cube. Taking it out, he places it on the kitchen table, noticing a small light start to blink.

"Friday is this thing on? Oh, wait. I got it!" Tony Stark appears in the hologram flesh.

"Hopefully you can hear me, and see me, new tech! Cool right, life size me or past life size me I should say." Steve stood in awe. It had been a while since he heard and saw his friend. He sits down at the table.

"So I recorded a few of these. I update them about every few years or so. You know, to stay current with whatever world disaster decides to strike the planet. Your name was added to the list this year, only a lucky bunch has the honor of receiving one. Cue the confetti!" Actual confetti bursted out from the cube.

"Ah! Tony!" Now Steve's floor was covered in an unexpected and definitely not welcomed rainbow surprise. Leaving him slightly annoyed, slightly. A few pieces landing in his hair. He shakes his head to get them out, vowing to clean the rest of the mess up later. Steve was already running late as it was to Tony's memorial.

"Like that feature?" Tony smirked, "Yeah, I only did that to yours." Steve rolls his eyes at the late billionaire. Of course.

"Obviously, I'm dead, no shocker there, it was going to happen at some point. Now you probably wonder, what could this schmuck possibly want from beyond the grave. Well, it's about Y/n. I'm calling in a favor Cap. With Nat and I gone, I honestly don't know who to trust more with the one person who can't trust at all. I don't know a better man for the job, or I'd be knocking at his door instead."

"I left the other non-biological child to Happy, he's too much of a fanboy of yours. Sure, he'll take everything you say in, but that would be boring for you, too easy. As for Morgan and Pepper, they'll have Y/n, but someone needs to be there for her first, because she's going to want to be there for everyone else, but herself. Which is where you come in." Steve couldn't believe what Tony was saying.

"Let's be real, you need a new challenge anyway. Life was gonna get pretty dull without us. I know you though. You can't run away from a problem. You always need something to fix or in this case, someone. All you gotta do is show up and listen. She somehow finds a crack, slips through, and rebuilds herself. It'll take awhile. She just needs a little glue now and then. Reassurance. The only thing I would say is, if she asks for a hug, that's when I know something is really wrong, and then the worry kicks in." This was a side of Tony that Steve rarely saw.

"In all seriousness, I know we never talked about what happened after the accords, we chose sides, two different extremes. We kinda just had a mutual understanding and shelved it. Especially since, "the planet being at stack" was looming over our heads again. Now I come to you at the time of my possible death. It's fitting honestly, we could never really have these types of conversations, without something going to shit to get us here."

"I can't shake this feeling that death is- might, might be knocking at my doorstep soon, and leaving the people I love the most behind, scares me." Tony took a long pause.

"I'm sorry." Two words that Steve never thought he would ever hear Tony utter out. He could hear the heaviness it carried. The apology wasn't just for the accords. It was for everything that had happened between them, throughout the years of knowing each other.

"I can't force you. I've attempted that before, it didn't go so great if we both recall. You could just ignore this message entirely, heck send it to the moon! I did install that feature by the way, for your entertainment. For how many times you did want to rocket me up there, now you can." Tempting. Steve continued to listen.

"I know this is a big ask, especially coming from me, and if taking her on is a burden, I understand. No judgment. I know that you always wanted to "get a life", finally rest, but, this is Y/n we're talking about. My daughter, Y/n. I took on the role of being a father to her way before I adopted her. I can't leave her to the wolves Steve. Someone needs to be there for her so she can be there for Pep and Morgan, because she is not going to let anyone else do that." Steve could see the earnestness in Tony's eyes. He felt a twinge of honor strike him that Tony would trust him with you. Your safety and well being took precedent. That was becoming abundantly clear to him.

"Well, I'm gonna go before this gets more awkward, it's completely out of character for us to sit here and have a pow-wow. Thank you for listening. Hopefully, you'll take my favor into consideration."

"I know I didn't say it much or ever but, Dad wasn't all that wrong, you can be pretty great sometimes. Thanks Cap, for everything."

The hologram shut down. Steve ponders on Tony's request. He wasn't wrong. Life was starting to get boring without them. Taking you on would be a challenge for sure, but defiantly not a burden. Steve likes you. Not in a romantic way (yet), but you were pleasant to be around, very cordial and respectful. You didn't cause problems and Nat always spoke highly of you. Your dark sense of humor did scare him sometimes though, but that wasn't anything new, he dealt with Tony's for years. You're also extremely resourceful and reliable on missions. Except Tony wasn't talking about taking care of you on missions. This was about the future. Your future, where a man who was and will always be a father to you, was now gone. Your life was being turned upside down. Steve knew in that moment that he couldn't turn his back on Tony, or on you.

Friday's voice pulls Steve back into reality.

"Would you like me to send this message to the moon Captain Rogers?" Steve lets out a deep laugh. Tony, you son of a bitch.

"As entertaining as that would be, no. Thank you Friday." the AI shuts down. Steve puts the cube away, intending for it to stay hidden forever. Before heading out the door, he looks into the mirror again. Captain face on, accepting his new mission. Ready to lead the team one final time, and ready to be there for you for the rest of his life.

It had been a few days since the memorial.

Happy took Morgan out for the day to give you and Pepper a break. To give you both time to focus on yourselves. Sadly, you were doing the complete opposite. You were dissociating. You couldn't bring your mind to the new reality you were facing. Most of your energy was focusing on the well being of Pepper and Morgan, and everyone else. Only reserving a small amount for yourself. Barely. You hadn't been eating either. What's the point. It's not like anyone noticed, or so you thought.

You sat in your bed, head against the window, looking out towards the lake. You were completely lost in your own world that you didn't notice Steve standing in your doorway until he knocked. It pulled you out of your trance to look in his direction.

"Can I come in?" Steve asked.

"Can't stop you." You shifted your eyes back towards the window. Steve's gaze was too piercing for yours. He sat down in the chair across from your bed. The silence started to engulf your room.

"Did you eat anything today?" He pried, you didn't say a word. He noticed your eyes shift slightly, you'd been caught. Your silence was enough for an answer. Also, Pepper had noticed and ratted you out to him.

"I was thinking of stopping at that diner down the road. Wanna join me?" Steve continued, he was met with more silence, he didn't like it. The silence and you loosing the will to take care of yourself. That job was in his hands now.

"Y/n?" You continued to not acknowledge him.

"Y/n, you have five seconds to agree or I'll put you over my should-" You cut him off.

"Yeah right, I'd love to see you try. I'm tired Steve."

"Oh I wonder why." You roll your eyes at his response. He didn't seem like he was going to leave anytime soon until he got what he wanted. Stubborn son of a bitch.

"Fine, I'll go, happy?" The sarcasm rolling off your tongue like a second language.

"Ecstatic. I'll grab your coat, meet me downstairs." Steve left you in your room. Once he got to the top of the steps, he took a deep breath. Tony, you left me an impossible task.

He went back downstairs, coming face to face with a worried Pepper.

"How is she?" Pepper asked, exhaustion plastered on her face.

"Best that she can be. I've convinced her to come with me and get some food. Hopefully she'll eat something." He gave her a small smile of hope.

"That's good, every time I try to ask, she gives me the same old "I'm fine." routine." Steve could tell Pepper was at a breaking point.

"Are you going to be okay Pepper?"

"I will be." She pauses. "Happy should be back soon with Morgan. He said he would stay a few more days here with us, keep us company." She tried to look convincing to the captain, but Steve saw right through. Tears started to fall from her eyes. Steve immediately embraced her in a hug which she greatly accepted.

"If you need anything, I'm a phone call away. You sure you don't want me to wait here until they get back? I don't mind at all." Steve assured her.

"The offer is incredibly sweet, but I'm positive. I'm okay, thank you Steve." She signed in solace as they pulled away from each other. They heard your footsteps coming down the stairs, Pepper quickly wiping her tears away. Steve turned to look at you. You looked so small, but also like you were going to set the world on fire, and not in a good way.

"Ready?" He asked, grabbing your coat and helping you put it on. You gave Pepper a hug and assured her that you'd be back soon. Pepper was relived that you were finally getting out of the house and doing something for yourself.

The drive was painfully silent. Steve wanted to know what was going on in your head. He guided you inside the diner, and asked for a booth in the back, away from the crowd.

He opened his menu and started to peruse. Taking a quick glance up at you. Your menu closed, head in hand and looking out the window.

"So, I hear you're a paralegal. What type of cases do you work on?" He asked, looking up from his menu, trying to strike up a conversation. Steve knows everyone grieves in different ways, he was trying to figure out yours. What he did figure out early on was that you're hard to read. Even with his heightened abilities, he couldn't pin point your emotions. Usually, Steve could read the terrain of any situation pretty well. Once in a blue moon, he could even read Nat, but you, you were uncharted waters.

"Really Rogers, you're asking me about my job?" You glance at him.

"Honestly Y/n I don't know what to do, I don't know what you need. I'm trying to navigate this. Please tell me what you need, or at least tell me what's going on in your head." You looked at him, finally turning the rest of your body to face him.

"Well for starters, you pulled me out of my room, which is the only place I ever feel safe, and two, we're in public. That's something I actively try to avoid."

"I just-" You cut him off.

"Right now, I want a bomb to drop on me, or Thor to strike me down with lightning. I've asked God to do it, but he won't answer."

"Y/n-" You cut him off again.

"Tony was right about you. All you do is intervene, and force your way into people's problems, until it's fixed your way. They end up just going insane! It's smothering! You're smothering Steve! You don't listen at all! Please, just listen. If you're asking me what I need, I just need someone to listen."

Listen. Tony did say to listen. Listening he could do, but he realized how difficult it would be for him. Everyone knows that Steve likes to fix problems, but he could listen or at least try his best to. It beats the silence you were giving him a minute ago. "Okay, I'll listen, lay it on me Y/n."

You starred at him blankly, surprised by his response. "Well, I- I got it all out now." You cross your arms, trying to close yourself off from him.

Steve's lips lift into a small smile. Your eyes meeting his. He's never really looked at you before until now. Your Bambi like eyes. How beautifully your hair fell, or the shape of your cute nose and inviting lips. Wait a minute.

"What'll it be?" A waitress appeared to take your order, snapping Steve back into the present from his daydream about you. He looks back at his menu, trying to make a quick decision of what he wanted. You turned your attention back towards the window again. You definitely weren't going to order at all. Steve gave the waitress his order and at the very last second, he squeezed in an order for you. Steve handed the menus back to the waitress and thanked her. As she walked off, you gave Steve a small glare.

"I said I would come, I didn't say I would order something." You huffed in annoyance.

"You didn't order, I did." You roll your eyes at him.

"I'm not eating it." So close, Steve thought. He thought he had actually gotten somewhere with you.

"Okay, I've listened, now you're going to listen." The captain's voice in him had activated. That got your attention real quick.

"I know you're hurting, horrifically. I don't expect a smile or a thank you from you or anything else for that matter. You're fuming and hurting beyond belief. But I need to make sure you're going to be okay and that you can take care of yourself. Pepper is worried. You taking care of everyone else but yourself is harming you. You're going to burn out Y/n! You know I can't let that happen to you! What would happen to Morgan if something happened to you. She can't loose you too." You turned away from him. Steve was hitting a nerve in you.

"Y/n, look at me." Steve gently commanded. Reaching out to lightly grab your hand to get your attention. You pulled away and looked back at him, your eyes starting to glaze.

"You don't get it." You voiced softly. You slid out of the booth and ran out of the diner. Steve called out to you. He got up and chased after you into the parking lot.

"Y/n! Y/n wait!"

"NO! You don't get it! They're gone Steve! Really really gone! They're not coming back and I'm left here alone and I- I can't-" You were hyperventilating, trying to catch your breath. You put your hands on your knees as your body was setting into a panic. Tony and Nat knew a version of you that no one else would ever know. You could be your complete and most vulnerable self with them. You couldn't be like that with anyone else. Ever.

Steve tried to approach you.

"No just-" You put a hand up to stop him from coming closer. Steve stopped in his tracks. You dropped to sit on the pavement, still trying to catch your breath. Steve felt a few tears start to prick at his eyes, the captain facade he'd been wearing was starting to melt away. The one thing that you were wrong about was that he did get it. They weren't coming back. The world regained everyone while you two lost part of the only family you ever knew.

"Morgan will never know the full capacity of her father's love. She only got to experience a fraction of what I got and I'm not even his daughter! I'm just an employee's child that was cast aside! That he decided to take pity on!" Steve knew that wasn't true, Tony thought the world of you.

"And Nat, I couldn't save her. I tried to convince her to let me jump, but she- she- right in front of-" You breathing was becoming erratic.

"She knew if she knocked out Clint first, I- I would be no match for her. I wasn't strong enough to stop her, and when she let- she let go of my-." The loss of breath came back tighter than ever. It felt like your body was going to collapse in on itself. You clutched your chest as your tears flooded down your cheeks. You couldn't finish that sentence. It was too excruciating to speak.

Steve was breaking on the inside for you. You were carrying a vast burden of guilt that you shouldn't have been carrying from the beginning. He would know, he'd be doing it his entire life. A few moments had passed when Steve heard your tiny plea.

"Can you hold me? Please?" It came out so quiet. You looked up at him, your whole being shattered. The worry that Tony had mentioned to Steve came over him. In an instant, he pulled you up into his arms. Trying to give off the most warm embrace he could emit. You felt so cold, he could feel your body go limp a little. You'd finally let a huge weight off your chest, and in a way, so did he. Steve may have given up the mantle of Captain America, but now he took on a new one.

Your protecter.

"Don't let me go." A few more tears trickled out. Your breathing settling back to a steady pace as you accepted Steve's warmth.

"I won't, I'm not going anywhere." Steve cradled you as close as he possible could to his chest. "I promise." A oath he was willing to keep and never break.

With the silence broken, and a new warmth found. They both realized that they needed each other more than ever. A friendship was born. Little did they know, it would blossom into something more.

Hope you enjoyed! 🤍

[dramatisperscnae]

@normaltothemax clint's giving dick a heart attack >w>

"Hey babe?" Clint doesn't bother looking up from the reports he's working on, chewing on the end of his pen. "I thought Gotham was supposed to have some sort of psycho killer clown or something." He only brings it up because his latest mission involved an evil birthday party clown, Dick--don't ask. "Apparently no one's heard a peep from him in ages. Any clue what's up with that?" He assumes some sort of top-secret, ultra max-security Bat-prison, or something, but it'd be nice to get confirmation that he hasn't just gone underground, plotting some sort of horrific comeback.

"Mm?" Dick's just finished a workout set, now perched on the back of the couch to watch Clint try to write his reports. It's a little difficult, resisting the temptation to read over Clint's shoulder, but Dick does at least try not to peek. SHIELD work is generally confidential, after all, and the last thing Clint needs is to get in trouble for having a nosy boyfriend.

Mention of the clown has Dick raising an eyebrow, looking over at Clint before going completely still for a heartbeat or two at the question. Oh yes, Dick has a clue about that - more than, actually - but he swore he'd never tell another soul about it. Unfortunately, he also really does not want to feed Clint an outright lie, which leaves him in something of a precarious spot.

So he just shrugs. "Last I heard, someone was crazy enough to make him their ambassador to the UN a few years back and then he tried to blow the place or something. Hasn't been seen after that; could be he finally got his comeuppance after that. God knows it's more than deserved." It's not an explanation. It's not an admission. It's the truth combined with a plausible - and, honestly, just as true - supposition that allows whoever's listening to draw their own conclusions. And now to shift the subject slightly.

"Why d'you ask?"

[kaykodes]

35 | antiope

hey hey! back with a semi-new code. initially, i didn't plan on making a matching backstory for the clint PT but i liked the layout and wanted to use it for my WoD character, Antiope. so lucky you, here's a matching backstory. the color scheme is very different from its pt but ofc it's changeable. there are 4 pages but you can add more if you'd like. also, space to put a bio for parents, siblings, and peeps you might include in your story. it's not exactly the same- the pt has a softer vibe to it but you can always replace the fonts (it's HTML). as always have fun and keep the credits!!

pastebin -> https://pastebin.com/EJiWetEA

[benevolentgodloki]

Who are your top 10 favorite muns to write with and why? If a mun is a multimuse also tell which are your favorite characters to write with and why?

(The order in which you list the people doesn't matter unless you want to assign them specific places.)

Question Master

// Hngh, I hate playing favourites BUT since I actually only write with 12 people now I'm gonna cheat and list them all. Fair warning, my neurodivergent ass is appalling at expressing love but at least you know when I say stuff I mean it. I hope people find me friendly, but I know I'm reclusive and a bit robotic, and it's really hard to break my bubble so I don't get close to more than like 3-4 people. I digress. In no strictly particular order, but a little bit with some closer peeps!

@araedi / @compassofsouls / @minimizexaggrandize Mojitooooo. My love, my male bestie. We've written perfect pairings together across fandoms since all the way back in 2005/2006 when we first started chatting. Mojito is one of the wittiest, kindest, most creative people I know and he can blow your mind with the stories you can share. One of my two fave people to hang out with online and off. He's busy af at the moment in life but he's worth the wait. I love all the muses of his that I write with, but my special faves are his Thor, his Clint, his Scott, and his Geralt. For Loki, ofc. I have faves in Jade and Nate for my pirate boy and X/Theta for my time travelling XI. Why? I'm terrible at explaining. He gets the characterisations spot on and he's willing to explore so much range with his muses.

@forevermuses Linaaaa. My love, my female bestie. You can blame her Stephen for me kicking life back into Loki's blog after I ran rampant on Jack's for a while. Lina's superb. She writes snarky, brilliant characters, delicious plots, and juicy ships. The other of my two best on and offline peeps. Now she's a multimuse I guess I have to pick favourites so it's gonna be Stephen and Peter for Loki and Norrington for Jack but extra bonus love for Sylvie and I'm excited to write more with Sherlock and Theo. Shallow reason really for why they're my favourites but Stephen and Norrington are amazing for ships and Peter is all round hilarious. She writes him with no shame.

@kissedbymischief Trish is a sweetheart with great taste in muses :U Thoroughly recommend for indulging in magical muse exploration, gratuitous abuse of Google Translate, fandom squeeing, and splurging (ahem) out some quality smut. Super friendly mun, quality content.

@stxrksarc / @mxtalwings Archer/Iron Mun does one of the best characterisations of Tony I've ever seen and I'm loving terrorising Sam as Lokitty. Archer is a wicked funny and giving dude, open to a variety of ideas and brings so much to the table; also admirably takes no shit (a semi-colon just for him <3). Epic gif content as well as dash entertainment. Hoping life gives him a break soon!

@paragonrising / @shorndivinity Smaugieeeee. Love, love Smaugie. Friendly mun who writes a badass Carol and Sif that have Loki absolutely smitten, even if he's not revealed it yet. Quality person and writer who I can chat all sorts with especially D&D and video games. If epic plots and novella posts are your bag, very much recommend! I love her for also being forgiving that my replies are usually so smol XD

@antvnger @blindbastard @brooklynbred @cordeliabarton @mischieftomake @sonofirishseas @the-mjolnir-owner

Honourable mentions to all these lovely muns who I have fewer threads with but am enjoying the stories we're telling when we get chance and love seeing them on the dash. Friendly peeps I recommend! I have a secret no. 13 mun too but I haven't started up things with them yet so keep your eyes peeled :P

[skyofstorms]

*    knowing  your  partner  well  can  potentially  make  writing  a  lot  easier,    repost,    do  not  reblog.

                                           meet the mun.  — basics

NAME:  Kallin || PRONOUNS:  She/Her || PREFERENCE OF COMMUNICATION:  Here or on discord [the latter is available by request] || SINGLE / TAKEN: Single

— three facts

I have too many muses that I've written - I have a discord server with all the bios/character sheets to keep track of them

I have a lot of hobbies/collect a lot of different things but don't make enough to collect/purchase supplies.

Give me the chance, and I will rant about Kpop. It's been a part of my life for more than a decade, and three groups are the reason I'm still breathing, so yeah.

— experience

I started to rp here back in 2013 with blogs for Teen Wolf's Peter Hale, and Marvel's Clint Barton. I've been on tumblr off and on during all that time,. I've had several different blogs, struggled with a stalker or two, some death threats over not shipping fictional characters, and just general fuckery for trying to put myself first. But I do have some good peeps that have stuck with me through all of it [kudos to you guys for putting up with me for this long, you guys get platinum stars, not gold].

— sub-genres

Uhm....I don't know what this means, exactly? >.>;;

— plots vs memes

Getting to know the muses [even the request muses?] - memes or asks about stuff are the way to go. Threads are good when some basic plot info is thought out, though.

— long or short replies

I would love to say long replies, but it really depends on how much of a brat the muse is being and how the thread is going overall. Sometimes, smaller replies go further in the development, sometimes the longer ones do.

— best time to write

Do I have a best time? Uhhhhh, when I'm in a good headspace, I try to be consistent, but I don't think there's a time per say?

tagged by: @forwardlion

tagging: @ashesstxries, @bambino-muses, @heroesofbr00klyn, @walkinggatorbait, @heroesfromtheashes

[gentleoverdrive]

Working from home helps! Back during the early days of the pandemic lockdown, a friend pointed me towards a torrent (which has since gotten DMCA'd I believe) which contained pretty much every single movie with Danny DeVito in it before he became part of the main It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast.

----

I watched every single one of those movies, to the point that if you had me square off against the Movie Mindset peeps, I would gladly take their NYC-bound asses to school when it comes to matters of Danny DeVito.

----

Then I watched (most of) the movies starring, featuring or directed by Kirk Douglas, then with Michael Douglas, Charles Bronson, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Jon Voight, etc.

----

Yes, some of those movies were middling at times, but almost every single fucking one of them was a fun time and, most importantly, it helped me deal with my day.

----

Even if you don't want to use Netflix, Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime or whatever, learn to use the Internet Archive or torrents. It takes zero effort, fam. 😘

[hiddenwashington]

@ofxscavengcrs said : Guys I miss you all and I am sorry I just vanished like this :((!! If I am still welcome, could I get some most wanted from DC, Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney, please?

hi friend , we'd be happy to have you back !! our members would love to see ; from dc -- lois lane, jimmy olsen, bruce wayne, dick greyson, time drake, damian wayne, cassandra cain, barry allen, iris west, nora west allan, bart west allen, jason todd, stephanie brown, oliver queen, or felicity smoak !! from marvel -- sam wilson, tony stark, bruce banner, clint barton, carol danvers, the guardians of the galaxy, t’challa, shuri, nakia, okoye, m’baku, xu shang chi, katy, xu xialing, ned leeds, tommy shepherd, billy kaplan, teddy altman, david alleyne, noh-var, teen loki, kurt wagner, rogue, erik lehnsherr, pietro maximoff, alex summers, shatterstar !! from disney -- hades, sarah hawkins, morph, nani pelekai, any of the other experiments, and duchess, toulouse, berlioz, and thomas o’malley, the incredicles family and buzz and bo peep from toy story, the mad hatter, mulan, li shang and cinderella !! and finally from star wars -- mon mothma, lando calrissian, rotta tiure, more members of the organa family, kanan jarrus, and jacen syndulla!!

[colbyflask]

oops - a prelude

so i literally made this blog(?) three months and ten days ago and then never touched it again, in classic me fashion. Isn't that hilarious?? in the time since then, I got laid off from my job (exactly two months ago!!), I saw paramore in concert, flew to a city that is 3 hours away by car to dog-sit (the flight was 30 minutes - yes i am in my taylor swift era), and went to a wedding. these are probably the most life-altering things that happened to me in those three months. that's literally a whole fiscal quarter, I think. but this blog (again - is that what this is???) isn't about that. it's about me listening to music.

The only things I have turned on for my ear holes to listen to since February (how tf do you spell that??) are paramore and gorillaz (and the new fall out boy album but not as extensively). i do not think i am emotionally ready to capture the perfection that is paramore's discography in my dum dum words, so i want to start with gorillaz (since their music is kind of what kickstarted this whole writing experiment tbh).

when I started this thing, I think I had only listened to 3 of their seven albums. That number is now up to five. My initial plan was to go song-by-song on their self titled album, but I'm not going to do that anymore (like I will eventually, but that's not what I want to start with). I have now decided that I will start with what I'm currently listening to - the now now. That's such a funny name for an album (and is also why I didn't listen to it for a while LOL).

I want to tell you (yes, you - the person reading this) how I even started listening to gorillaz (also my brother and I have a joke where we call them "the gorillaz" but then we say it in funny voice so every time I type it, that's what I'm thinking of). I want to say I've always been aware of them (or at least their music, not necessarily their lore or concept). Clint Eastwood would come on one of the radio stations I would listen to in high school pretty often, and I had heard Feel Good Inc. at some point throughout the years. I absolutely saw people wearing the demon days shirts. While I enjoyed the music when we crossed paths, I never really dug any deeper. I do have a faint memory of checking out their music videos and being a bit put off by the animation (I think it was 2-D's eyes that creeped me out) and kind of put it on the back burner until last year (in hindsight, it was probably for the best that I didn't start listening until I was an adult because I would've been absolutely insufferable with it). also - the animation/art style has really grown on me. It fits with who the characters are, and I love how it's evolved since their conception.

The beginning is a little hazy, but I know it started with hearing Clint Eastwood again on the radio. It was as if the spirit of Del possessed me - after that, I had it on repeat on Spotify. I have this thing where I don't like to not know the words of songs (it might be fall out boy trauma, or maybe it's the lingering of perfectionism I like to say I've gotten over but totally haven't), and I listened to it over and over until I got most of the words down. I peeped over to their artist page, and did the same exact thing with Feel Good Inc. (it's quite honestly one of my favorite singles of all time and I have yet to get sick of it). I think I also listened to dirty harry a few times because of that one tiktok trend with the outfits (I hate how central tiktok is to this because I like to think I am not online as much as I am, but alas, here I am). This is the part where it gets hazy - Cracker Island (the song). I could not tell you how or when I first heard it (it was probably a youtube tiktok short), but when I did, I was absolutely obsessed. It was one of those rare moments where an artist captures so much of what you like on a single track. I wanted more, but I (stupidly) didn't seek it out.

Last year, Spotify wrapped did a silly goofy thing where your favorite/most listened to artists (that recorded a video) would popup and say "hey thanks for listening this year." Scrolling through mine made sense, until I saw a weird looking green man on my screen. Although I had only listened to like four songs, I listened enough to have gorillaz say thank you to me at the end of the year (and to promote their new album, of course). This is one of the few times where I feel like the word flabbergasted really describes my true emotion - first of all, had I really listened enough to make this green dude appear?? Second, who IS this green dude?? Third, WHY IS HE BRITISH??? If you're curious, this is the video in question. Knowing what I know now, this was honestly perfect marketing. It fits in SO well with what the band is and what their newest art is conveying. I showed this video to people and was like "what in the world IS this??" and then we laughed - we laughed into the new year.

And into the new year we went. Cracker Island came out sometime in February (that's kind of an iconic month for me now, huh?), and I could not tell you when I decided to listen to the whole thing. I don't remember if it was that month or in March, but boy am I glad I listened to it. Part of the appeal to me was it's name - why is this song and album called cracker island??? I had to figure that out (and whether or not I found out will be revealed in that review...).

After watching the two music videos for Cracker Island, I began to have questions. Who were these four people that composed this band? What's their story?? Why do they look like that?? Who is really making this music??? What in the world was happening in the Cracker Island and Silent Running music videos??? Who is this green guy and why did he kiss that old lady??? Luckily for me, this video popped up in my YouTube recommended and began to unravel some of the mystery. By the end of it, I was hooked. I wanted to know the history behind these four strangers. I wanted to know how all of this worked. And that's how I started listening to Gorillaz.

The first thing I had to figure out what everyone's name was - it took me a little bit to sort out the names and their instrumental roles (the green guy is called Murdoc??? and he was replaced by that guy from the Powerpuff Girls for an album??? what??? who is Paula Cracker??). I scoured wikipedia, read their brief character biographies, and had more questions than answers. What the hell is a phase??? Noodle shipped herself in a Fedex box?? why is there a 7 year gap between albums??? how did they make these albums???

tangent here - I used to play guitar hero as a kid (who didn't??) and on one of my favorite songs to play was song 2 by blur on bass. it took me an embarrassing amount of time to figure out that the singer of blur was the same dude from the gorillaz. like, I think I figured it out last year. what the heck. anyway it's one of my favorite fun facts.

In my research, I learned of the importance of an album called Plastic Beach. From YouTube comments to Wikipedia reviews, I deduced that it's their magnum opus. As a result, I decided I wanted to save that album for last. The listening order for the rest of them was a bit more variable. Here's what my listening order is/likely to be.

Demon Days (2005): after seeing it on so many shirts (that's a joke - it's because it was the album with feel good inc. and dirty harry), I figured I start off strong with this one. I 100% made the right choice

The Fall (2010): in my research i learned that this was a weird one, and I was too scared to start with anything else. I was bored at work (back when I still had a job lol) and put it on in the background. I still need more time with it, but it's still pretty solid. More to come.

Gorillaz (2001): This album is so fun - and it's also the only physical album I own. It was also the album I was jamming through when I decided to start this blog. I have notes written down for this one, so I'm looking forward to writing about her.

Humanz (2017): The album art on this one creeped me out (why does Murdoc look like john lennon) but the music is spectacular. I'm excited to write about this one.

The Now Now (2018): My current listen - I'll be writing about this one first!!

Song Machine (2020): One of two albums I have yet to listen to - is this even considered an album?? Like I know it is, but the song conglomeration is a little confusing to me, so I'm hoping I can figure out how to listen to it.

Plastic Beach (2010): I'm so afraid that this isn't going to live up to the hype I'm building up in my mind. But I'm also so looking forward to listening - rhinestone eyes is a provoking song that i could listen to forever and I'm anxiously anticipating listening to its relatives. I love a good concept album, and I think this is what that's supposed to be.

I'm leaving out some of the peripheral tracks (think the d-sides and laika come home) for the time being. Maybe they'll be the epilogue to this little project. I'm hoping to get this listening party done before the year is over - ideally before december. The majority of the past seven years, my top artist has been another british band that starts with a G, but this is the year they're ultimately dethroned (there was a year where a certain band that I will not name took top billing, but we're not going to talk about that because they're supposedly retired and I don't want to write about them).

I think this concludes our little prelude here - I wrote so much. It absolutely is not proofread, and i'm not starting everything out capitalized. it's not intentional or purposeful - I just didn't feel like hitting shift all the time. Until next time - I'll see you on The Now Now.

'-V

August 15, 2023

[red-does-stuff]

YESYESYES!!

Spoilers below

This movie, IMO, is really kick-starting phase four for me. In phase four so far, the content has mainly focused on the changes happening in the MCM. You have a lot of new origin stories, some adventures that one or two known characters go on, or a story that establishes a new course for established characters.

The Marvels is a true Marvel team-up movie. Kamala Khan has finally been introduced to S.A.B.E.R. and Fury, who in turn will have her in mind for future team ups. Carol Danvers has come back to the spotlight, and she now has ties with Valkyrie and New Asgard—and not to mention she is now letting herself come back to Earth. It won’t take another Thanos for her to come back. Monica Rambeau comes from high-levels of S.A.B.E.R., so she has the intel to make connections with other heroes when need be.

Going beyond the movie, Monica getting trapped in another Universe with X-Men is going to be revolutionary. While she’s teaming up with them and trying to get home, our 616 peeps are going to be doing everything possible to find her. And conveniently, Steven Strange has recently found a way to traverse the multiverse: America Chavez. And not to mention, Wong has enlisted Shang Chi and Katy [last name] for something (more team-ups).

Cue: the Young Avengers. So far we have Kamala, Kate Bishop, and (potentially) Cassie Lang. Those three have numerous connections between them: Clint Barton, Yelena Bellova, Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, etc. It is also rumored that the young avengers will include other teen/young adult characters.

Yes, it will take a while to get all the team-ups to actually happen. We still have Moon Night out of the loop. Who knows how long it will be until we see Loki and the TVA again? Not to mention, no one knows who Peter Parker is. But for now, things are looking good for Marvel’s future. And for the first time since Endgame, I am super excited going into the future of Marvel.

Next episode of RedDoesStuff’s soapbox: Carol Danvers has always been a good character, and I love how Brie Larson has played her, and now she is an even better character after years of fan-criticism and character development. Make sure to tune in— *I am forcibly removed from my soapbox*

I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MARVELS.

But I’ll refrain from direct spoilers for now. It’s mildly spoiler-y maybe but very generalized and I’m gonna talk around some stuff. 😅

The nutshell?

It’s legit SO fun. It’s a fun, funny as hell, really ENJOYABLE time at the movies. I laughed. Got misty. Felt feels. And wow… THE CAMEOS!!! 🔥

This movie is for everybody. Families should have a great time. But fangirls especially will LOVE. Highly recommend for a SMILE. 😸

Cool action. Great music. Lovable cast (I will adore Kamala Khan forever). Laugh out loud moments. I loved it. It didn’t unnecessarily waste time nor stretch anything out. It’s just under 2 hours and it WORKS.

Look, yeah it’s blah blah random plot lore lore etc but it opens up for the future while giving a blast of a ride in the present (and nods to the past). 😉

Go. Now. 👍

And stay for the mid-credit scene!

Lastly, IMO, it’s all very queer coded. Baity even. THAT 🎶 scene was the one iffy thing for me. Kinda silly, and really felt like a “no homo” for the straights but a wink wink and super coded for the LGBTQs. “Marriage of convenience” … 🤐💀 Anyway it’s pretty clear Carol and Valkyrie definitely hooked up. And we all know Maria was so totally her partner before, because come on already… Monica is her dang daughter, that “Aunt” shit ain’t flyin’. And Kamala is hardcore CRUSHIN’ on Carol. 😂

Also one of the cameos at the end. Of all characters they chose the one people are also shipping with another female character, played by an actress beloved by the sapphics for her previous queer roles? And the cats?! So many cats. 💀 Plus Valkyrie in a suit? SAPPHICS RISE.

This entire movie was a whole fruit basket but in a way that slides past heteronormative audiences so “families can still enjoy” (🙄) but that’s a whole other ramble (or rant) for another day.

In the meantime… it’s so fun, y’all. Please GO. It’s important to support projects like these or they’ll keep pulling back on women and POC in these things. Even though the strike impacted promotion and the butthurt fragile misogynists are trying to review bomb (as always). It’s legit a fun time and if you hated it I have to just assume you hate fun, so. Go. See it. Spread the word. 🙏

[ravensinthedaylight]

Ready or Not, Here I Come - Mama!Nat x Daughter!Reader

Summery: Your mama, Natasha can’t find you during a game of hide and seek and gets slightly worried

Notes: ‘Calls’ as in shouting, I’m going to assume reader is too young to have a phone yet, loll.

Readers Age: 4 Years Old

Requests: Open

“Ninety-Nine... One-Hundred! Alright Malysh! Ready or not, here I come! Mama’s gonna find her little loon!” Natasha called out into the hallway of her section of the compound.

You both had just gotten back from spending the weekend at the Barton’s farm, over the weekend you had developed a love for the game of hide-and-seek from the two eldest Barton children.

So far this was yours and Natasha’s third game, and Natasha was just as into it as you were since she just could’t get enough of seeing your cheeky little grin or hearing your adorable squeal whenever she found you.

“Y/nnnnnn! Come out, come out where ever you are, манчкин.” 

Nothing.

Hm, you were learning fast. The first round you had come out of your hiding spot straight after she had called you, always being a child to answer when called so that you wouldn’t give your mama a scare.

Natasha made sure to make her steps heavy, knowing that you would giggle if you felt as though you were tricking her.

“Could my little Y/N/N be under the carpet?” She called out as she lifted the carpet gently. “Oh? She isn’t here!” She called out, pretending to sound shocked.

Although she was a little but when she didn’t hear a sound afterwards.

You were really getting good at this game. Clint had thought you well. She could imagine his words of ‘the student becomes the master’

“Ohhhhhh Y-NNNNN!” She sang. “Mama’s coming to find youuu.”

Nothing. Huh.

For the next minute Natasha played it the way she usually did, making silly little comments as well as looking at the spots where it was plain-fully obvious you weren’t hiding. But you were beginning to worry her by remaining quiet.

You were a quiet child, of course. But usually during games like this the more your mama called the more you wanted to run to her and make sure that she wasn’t actually worried, plus you loved the cuddles that you would receive.

“Y/N? Sweetheart?”

If you just giggles or let out a huff or something she would gladly keep pretending for another five minutes, but there wasn’t a peep out of you.

“Come on honey, Mama can’t find you anywhere. She gives up!” 

Natasha thought that that ought to do it. But it didn’t. Still not a sound. 

And due to having received a small dose of syrum during her time in the red room, her hearing was better than the average person’s, making it easier to hear around your’s and her’s apartment in the compound. Which helped whenever you had a nightmare or needed to get up at night due to a tummy ache.

Natasha was panicking now, switching into protective Mama mode.

She began to search all of your previous hiding spots where you had hid in perviously. But nothing.

She would have heard the door open if you went to go somewhere else in the compound.

“Y/N! Come on sweetheart! Why don’t we go find Uncle Thor? He and Loki just got back from Asgard, you love Uncle Loki!”

You did love Uncle Loki, he was one of your favourite uncles and if something wasn’t terribly wrong you would have zoomed over to her that very second from where you were supposed to be hiding.

“Malyshka please. Are you stuck? Do you need Mama to come get you?”

Natasha wandered aimlessly around the apartment, not entirely sure what to do. She didn’t want to leave incase you got scared if you came out of your hiding spot because she wasn’t there.

It wasn’t until she noticed a little pair of kids’ shoes sticking out from under the rack that she felt huge relief.

Natasha pulled a few of the coats to the side and smiled in relief and at the adorable sight in front of her.

You were fast asleep, your head resting on her slippers. 

She should have known how tired you would be. You had been running wild with the Barton kids all day, you had stayed awake the entire car journey back chatting away because you felt that if you fell asleep Natasha would be lonely, you had then played another two games while running around with Natasha. She’s surprised you hadn’t fallen asleep sooner.

After she quickly snapped a picture of you on her phone she put it away and went to softly pick you up, you were light, so it was no problem.

“C’mere sweet pea.” She murmured as you let out a small grunt.

“Mama.” You whined slightly.

“Right here Moye Serdtse.” She cooed softy as you lay your head on her shoulder. 

“Did I win?”

Natasha suppressed a laugh. You had won in scaring her if that’s what you meant, which of course it wasn’t.

She studied your red locks that you inherited from her, and said something that she had known since the day she she discovered your existence. “I won.” She said lovingly. She had won, she had won in life because she had you. What else could she ever need?

You huffed, not understanding what she really meant. “Next time I will.”

“Maybe.” Natasha chuckled. “Let’s go sweetheart, you can sleep in my bed.”

You smiled up tiredly at Natasha as she moved some hairs from your face. “Yes please, Mama.”

“I love you. Malyshka.”

“Iluvoo too...” You replied, half asleep on your Mama’s shoulder already.

Taglist: (Comment to be added)

@wackymcstupid @battleg03 @griffin-girl-r @natashasnoodle @tynix @violetromanova @blackwidow-3 @simp-erformarvelwomen

[togrowoldinv]

Thanksgiving

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Natasha brings you home for Thanksgiving

Note: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’m thankful for y’all! This features a lot of Avengers peeps. Based on this request. I hope you enjoy it!

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 1, Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 2, Main Masterlist

“We’re here!” Natasha says as she opens the front door of the Barton’s farmhouse. You notice how the door was unlocked and waiting for her to open it.

“Auntie Nat!” all three of Clint’s kids come running to her at the same time and she hugs each of them, telling them how she missed them. They soak up her affection like sponges.

“Welcome back, Nat!” Laura appears from the kitchen and hugs her. “And you must be y/n.” She hugs you as well and you feel your heart warm.

“Nice to meet you,” you say back. Nat wraps an arm around your waist.

“Come on in and make yourself at home,” Laura says as she gestures to the living room. You look around and see a lot of the Avengers are here too.

Wanda sits on the couch talking to Sam, Steve and Bucky sit by the fireplace, and Tony along with Pepper and Morgan are bundled up in the recliner. Peter Parker is playing video games with Cooper and the newest Avengers Kate and Kamala.

Natasha moves you both towards the living room to greet everyone.

“Come sit by me!” Wanda says, her arms reaching out for you. Besides Natasha, Wanda is your absolute favorite person in the world.

“Go on, detka. I’m going to go see if I can help Laura in the kitchen,” Nat says. She drops a quick kiss to your cheek.

You sit by Wanda on the couch, and she hugs you. It’s easy to fall into conversation with the rest of the group. When you look around, you admire how much the team feels like a family. And that feeling intensifies as Natasha comes back into the room and announces that the food is ready.

Everyone piles into the dining room, that Clint never got around to remodeling, and settles in for the meal. You sit next to Nat, and she keeps her right hand on your leg while you begin to eat.

“Alright, let’s all go around the table and say what we’re thankful for,” Laura suggests.

“I’ll go first,” Tony volunteers. “I’m thankful for my genius brain.” He laughs and Pepper shoots him a look of endearment and annoyance. “But really, I’m thankful for Pepper and Morgan, my two favorite people. And the spider kid, too.”

Each person around the tables says what they’re thankful for. It’s a myriad of thanks for family, friends, life, and safety. When it comes to your turn, you feel shy but Nat squeezes your thigh to ease some of your worry.

“I’m thankful for Natasha,” you start. Everyone awes. “And I’m really thankful for all of you who feel like my family. Thank you for having us all here, Clint and Laura. This is like everything I’ve always wanted Thanksgiving to be.” You notice a few people tearing up and the importance of this moment isn’t lost on you.

“How am I going to follow that?” Natasha jokes as she kisses your cheek briefly. She effectively lightens the mood. “I’m thankful for y/n. You made me feel alive again and continue to make me the happiest woman in the world every day.” You start crying from happiness and Nat smiles at you sweetly. “And I’m also thankful for everyone here.”

“To friends that have become family,” Laura holds up her glass for a toast.

“To friends that have become family!” everyone says as they clink their glasses together.

The rest of the day is filled with food, conversations about the other holidays coming up, and relaxing together.

Natasha holds you on the couch and you snuggle into her. You get a quiet moment and brush your nose against her neck to get her attention.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” you say.

“Of course, baby. Thank you for coming with me,” Nat replies. She kisses your forehead.

With all the thanks going around, you are most thankful that the woman holding you feels like home. And home is where the heart is.

Tag List: @gracebutnotgraceful @i-wished-for-you-too @wandasbb @be-missed @likefirenrain @hehehehannahthings @mythosphere-x @readings-stuff @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @madamevirgo @milfloverslut @mrswidowjohansson @alotofpockets @wandassitcom @ggrangerdanger @marvelwomen-simp @maia-lightwoood @xxromanoffxx @peanutbutterprincess @karmasgxrl @picnicmic @wandaslittlewhore @exhaustedfangirl @when-wolves-howl @natashalovers @marie45019 @inluvwithfictionalwomen @sammi1642 @jujuu23 @the-night-owl-blr @strangegardentaco @avatarsnips @romanoffswoman @natashasilverfox @imthenatynat @sayah13 @harleysincairo @rach2602 @cordyandbilliehavemyheart @lovelyy-moonlight @huitzilinthebudgie3 @juicyy444 @natblackwidow2 @youralphawolf72 @btay3115 @red1culous @lenam07 @randomwriter1021

[lokisgoodgirl]

Oooh, I hope you have so much fun abroad! :D

Okay dokey, here are my fluff ideas this time around:

-Reader gets made fun of for having a seemingly silly phobia, but Loki happens to share the phobia (like, think of something not a lot of people would be afraid of)

-Loki overhears Reader singing really well, but she also refuses to sing in front of people because she was humiliated last time she tried, so Loki eavesdrops until Reader finds him one day

-Just have Reader and Loki floating around Avengers Tower acting like Gomez and Morticia Addams for 500 words, bonus if they get frisky in a public space and Satchel!Steve makes a cameo

Fluff Drabble Marathon II A link to my Fluff Library is HERE Warnings: Some steamy content/references. Still fluff (w/c 550) A link to my regular Masterlist is HERE [18+]

Public Displays of Affection

The door to the conference room opened. He was late to Rogers 7am meeting, as usual.

“Laufeyson, take a seat” Rogers chided, sighing as the god gracefully took the spot you’d saved for him at the otherwise full table.

“My love” Loki murmured, ignoring Steve and raising the back of your hand to his lips.

He pressed a kiss firmly against your skin, making you shiver. “My goddess…” another kiss planted against your wrist, “my queen…” he bit your forearm gently, sucking the skin; those piercing eyes never leaving yours.

“Excuse me.” Wilson huffed, throwing his arms in the air, “Is there a damn orgy on the agenda this morning? I guess I missed that email, huh?”

You felt heat rising in your cheeks as you pulled your arm away from Loki’s grasp, glancing apologetically around the table.

“I fail to see why it is my concern that your midgardian customs do not allow for lovers to greet each other in a fitting manner” Loki purred to Wilson, his eyebrows raising haughtily.

“Hey, Loki” Natasha quipped, sliding her arm across the table and resting her head on her palm, “I was enjoying it, makes a change from Captain Dry over here and his droning. No offence, Cap.” she chuckled as Steve threw his hands in the air.

“What else you got in that suave-bank, Laufeyson?” she said coyly, wriggling her eyebrows. Loki’s lips curled in a knowing smile, enjoying the opportunity for mischief unfolding.

“Indeed, Romanoff…” he murmured, turning his sultry gaze back to you. You melted. He could make you forget everything. Everyone. It could be quite inconvenient.

“In that case...Y/N you look positively ravishing this morning. The angelic sight of you fresh from your bed, rested and untouched by the day makes me quiver with the urge to worship you.” He leant forward, brushing a strand of hair from your cheek and tucking it behind your ear.

Loki’s eyes danced with amusement as his velvet voice continued to radiate through the air. “And I shall do so slowly...purposefully...an unravelling of the adoring thoughts that have been marinating in my mind since yesterday evening...”

The sound of Clint theatrically yakking broke the moment. “Jesus, man...I’ve just had breakfast.”

“I think it’s sweet…” Wanda cooed, resting her chin in her hand, “makes a change from you guys bottling everything up…” her eyes travelled towards Vis, who gestured in bemusement to Scott beside him.

“Sweet?” Wilson’s eyes grew wide in disbelief, “I feel like I’m watchin’ a peep show right now.”

“What does this mean, this...‘bottling up’?” Vis murmured to Scott, as the man beside him shrugged. “Don’t look at me dude, I have no idea what’s happening” Lang murmured, rubbing his eyes.

Loki’s lips found your neck, murmuring sweet praises only audible to you as you giggled in spite of yourself. Nat and Wanda gave each other appreciative looks as the men around the table threw their gaze to the ceiling, one by one.

“Ok...I think we’re gonna take ten and re-visit the start time of this meeting once Loki and Y/N have had time to properly greet each other” Steve huffed, before striding dramatically out the door.

“Wait up man…” Wilson shouted, pushing himself from the table, followed by each member of the team in tandem.

The bustle of footsteps making their way towards the canteen echoed in the hallway as Loki’s lips found yours, pressing against them with the burning passion of a thousand suns.

“You continue to bewitch me, love” he murmured, peppering kisses along the line of your cheekbones, “never stop…”

“Loki this is torture...they think we’re ridiculous” you giggled, leaning into the pressure of his mouth on your neck.

“To live without your affections, my love...only that would be torture.” he whispered gently against the raised hairs of your skin, “let them talk. I care only for the words from your lips when you bend willingly against my touch...”

Loki’s smouldering gaze bore into you, raising your hand once again as his wet tongue pressed in a longing kiss to the underside of your wrist.

-

Reduced Fluff Tags

@lokischambermaid @lady-rose-moon @mochie85 @wheredafandomat @loopsisloops @theaudacitytowrite @holdmytesseract @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @lokikissesmyforehead @ladylovesloki @lollywritesstuff @sititran @holymultiplefandomsbatman @thedistractedagglomeration @five-miles-over @mcufan72 @nightshadelm @evelyn-kingsley @muddyorbs @123forgottherest @simplyholl @homesickcassie @ozymdias @xorpsbane @michelleleewise @vbecker10

[yelenasdiary]

My Little Secret || Part III

Pairing: Yelena Belova x Reader

Summary: You meet Kate, Yelena’s best friend for the first time.  

Slight Angst | Fluff | 1.5K | 

Translations: милая девушка (pretty girl),

AC: Finally made a little part 3 to my favourite AU!! Enjoy

Part 1 & Part 2

After meeting Natasha unexpectedly then meeting Melina and Alexei, it wasn't long until Yelena had you staying a few nights at the Avengers compound waiting for her best friend, Kate Bishop, to return from a mission. You've met everybody else from Tony to Peggy and couldn't help but feel a sense of love and support that Yelena had found herself in.

You knew after meeting the rest of the team and their families that Yelena was in safe hands, she always had been. All those nights when you worried about her on missions, it all made sense now, she was safe and always coming home to you and Fanny. 

Of course, you both couldn't leave Fanny back home alone without somebody to stop by and feed her so Yelena had to spend a great deal of time trying to convince Tony and Steve that Fanny would be no trouble, she's toilet trained and would sleep in her room with you. That she did, you were lying on the shared bed picking at a bag of grapes binge watching Friends when Yelena had returned from training, fresh from the shower. 

"You both look comfortable" Yelena smiled softly as she lent down and kissed you softly, "Mmm" you hummed against her lips, never being able to get used to the fluttering feeling she gave you in your stomach whenever she kissed you. "How was training with Nat?" you asked as she made her way over to the wardrobe, "Full of her being a smart arse as always" she replied causing you to chuckle, "oh, Kate and Clint will be back by 10am tomorrow. Nat spoke to Clint earlier" she added as she pulled her pj shirt over her head. 

"Oh goodie" you smiled, "I can't wait! From what you've told me, Kate sounds wonderful!" you added. Yelena pulled the covers back as she slipped into bed behind you, naturally wrapping her arms around you and pulling you slightly closer to her before Fanny could wiggle herself between the two of you. "Did Wanda put you onto this show?" Yelena asked, placing a quick kiss on your cheek as she snuggled as close as she could to you. "Have you never heard of Friends?" you chuckled, "nope" Yelena said confidently.

"Babe, Friends is one of the biggest sitcoms of all time, how have you not heard of it by now?" you looked over your shoulder at her with a raised brow. "I guess now I have?" Yelena chuckled lightly, "you're going to be the death of me Belova" you joked shaking your head. "Almost sounds like you like that idea, Mrs Belova" Yelena teased. She's been using the new name for you in secret, she says it's to adjust to the upcoming wedding, but you knew she secretly loved calling you by it, making it more obvious that you were really hers. 

Yelena woke up before you, smiling softly to herself when she slipped out of bed to take a peep at you. You had Fanny lying beside you as you cuddled her like a pillow, Fanny didn't move an inch when Yelena snuck out of the bedroom to make you a coffee. "You're up early" Natasha greeted Yelena as she walked into the kitchen. Wanda was by the stove making the compound a big breakfast while Natasha sat "looking pretty" as Wanda would say. 

"Kate's coming back together" Yelena reminded her older sister. 

"Ooo, are you nervous about her meeting Y/n?" Natasha asked in a teasing tone. "Leave the kids alone, Natalia" Wanda playfully slapped her wife's arm. "Oh, come on, I was only asking" Nat argued before taking a bite from her toast, "No, I'm more worried about how much they'll like each other" Yelena admitted. Wanda turned wave from the stove with the fry pan in her hand and scooping the bacon onto a clean plate, "well, that's a good thing, isn't is?" Wanda asked as she looked up at Yelena. 

"Yeah, but you've met Y/n and Kate" Yelena shrugged. 

"Oh, honey, you have nothing to worry about. Y/n loves you; I've seen the way you both look at each other. Besides, Kate wouldn't do anything to ruin what you have with Y/n, she's your best friend" Wanda smiles softly hoping her words would assure Yelena with her worries. 

"Come on, Lena, Y/n is crazy about you. Sure, her and Kate will probably get along really well but Y/n said yes to you" Natasha puts her 2 cents worth in. 

"So I'm not stupid for having these thoughts?" Yelena asked looking between the two women. "Of course not!" Wanda quickly places the fry pan back on the stove, "everybody has these thoughts. You've had Y/n all to yourself, you've never had to worry about those thoughts before. As much as this is new to Y/n, it's also new to you and it's okay to be nervous" she added with a soft smile as she looked at Yelena again. 

"What are you? The love guru?" Natasha looked at her wife with a glaze. "I'm just trying to help" Wanda mumbled. 

"Thanks for the ted talk" Yelena smiled as she began to pour you a mug of freshly made coffee before pinching two slices of Natasha's toast and leaving the room. 

The strong smell of coffee woke you as you turned onto your back and slowly opened your eyes, smiling tiredly to Yelena as she placed your coffee on the bedside table. "Good morning, милая девушка" she placed a kiss on your forehead while you woke yourself up more. "Good morning" you replied as you began to sip up, instantly reaching for your coffee, "How did you sleep?" Yelena asked. 

"Always good when you're here" you smiled then sipped your coffee, "you?" you added. "No complaints" Yelena smiled softly as she sat down on the edge of the bed, "So Kate will be here within the next hour and half, right?" you asked, Yelena nodding, "Sweet, did you want to take Fanny for a walk before hand?" instantly Fanny shot up from her sleeping position at your mention of a walk. "Doesn't look like I have a choice now" Yelena chuckled. 

----

Walking back into the compound after a long and relaxing walk with Yelena and Fanny the laughter coming from the common room only confirmed with Yelena that Kate had arrived back from her mission was a jolly as she always has been. "You ready?" Yelena turned to you, Fanny's leash tightly wrapped around her hand to keep her form wondering off around the compound, Tony's rules. "To meet Kate? I've been waiting all week" you smiled softly seeing the hint of worry in Yelena's eyes, "it'll be okay honey, I don't know why you're so worried" you placed a kiss on her lips. 

"I'm not worried" she nervously chucked, "I'm going to take Fanny up to the room, will you wait here for me?" she added. "Sure can" you smiled softly. 

"Where's Yelena? Is she back from her break yet?" You heard a voice who you could only assume was Kate asking. "Uh, yeah, I think she went out for fresh air. She would be back soon" you heard Natasha reply. You couldn't help but feel proud of Yelena for opening her world up to you a little more, meeting her family and now getting to meet her best friend was big for her and you could see that in her eyes. You were no longer a secret she kept from those around her but now a part of her family. 

"If Kate gets too much, send me a sign and we'll go do something else" Yelena returned. "Will you stop worrying? I'm sure Kate is lovely" you smiled reaching for her hand, "come on, I heard her asking for you" you added before the two of you made your way to the common room. The woman with long brown hair smiled widely when Yelena and you entered the room, "there you are!" Kate said not even taking notice of Yelena's hand holding yours. 

"Here I am" Yelena replied, gently giving your hand a squeeze, "Is this a new recruit? I'm Kate!" she walked over to you both and shook your hand, "Actually, this is Y/n" Yelena corrected her friend, "my fiancée" she added. "Wait a minute, you never told me you were seeing somebody, are you playing a joke on me Lena? Because if so, that's not fair! You are very beautiful" Kate smiled at you. 

"She's not joking but thank you very much, you have breath-taking eyes" you smiled, Yelena squinted her eyes at her friends attempts to flirt. "How did I miss this?" Kate frowned slightly as she looked at Yelena. "I just didn't want to tell everybody, but we've been together for over two years" Yelena confessed earning a growing smile on Kate's lips, "that explains so much, it's lovely to meet you, finally" She looked to you with the same smile. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well" you returned the smile. 

The meeting went a lot better than Yelena thought, after dinner everybody sat around playing cards. Yelena couldn't stop stealing glances at you whenever you and Kate broke out into laughter, "told you everything would be fine" Wanda lent over and whispered to the blonde assassin, "she's still my little secret" Yelena whispered more so to herself with a soft smile as she watched how happy you were, making her fall in love with you all over again.

Taglist: @red1culous | @bentleywolf29 | @jeyramarie | @lissaaaa145 | @high--power | @parkerdaramitzzzz | @mmmmokdok | @wackymcstupid | @kiwiana145 | @valiantmugcowboyscissors | @shin-conan-kun | @nattyolw | @ripofflizzie | @get-the-fuck-outta-here | @goofy-goonie | @makegoodchoices | @apollo2907 | @marvelfan98 | @wandaroman0ff | @dumb-fawkin-bitch | @lovelyy-moonlight | @santana1437 | @fluffyblanketgecko | @puta1 | @inluvwithfictionalwomen | @tintedrose12 | @jaymieflorissssssss | @tita001 | @youralphawolf72 | @crescent-witch | @randomnessbecausewhynot | @natashamaximoff69 | @a-dorkier-book-keeper | @hehehehannahthings | @secrettoallofyou | 

[aurumacadicus]

Tony doesn’t look at his thing with feathers often. It had withered over the years, grown ugly and gnarled, feathers dirty and small. He’d shown it to Pepper, once, small enough it didn’t even take up his entire palm, and she’d pressed her lips together into a flat line to hold back a horrified gasp.“Tony, it’s,” she’d begun, clearly trying not to sound judgmental and failing, and Tony had nodded sadly, covered it with his other hand, and carried it back to his room in silence. The thing with feathers peeped miserably as Tony set it down on his dresser. “It’s not your fault,” Tony had assured it, just as miserable, because it wasn’t. It was all his.

To his surprise, when the rest of the Avengers move in, they have no compunctions showing off their things with feathers. Natasha’s is stunningly big, and Clint’s fluctuates from one day to the next, although it seems to be consistently growing. Bruce’s is the average size, and sometimes its feathers shift glossy green, but Bruce doesn’t flinch away when it happens anymore. Thor’s is... Thor’s is ginormous, and he’d happily told them that he hadn’t had it before he’d been banished to Midgard, and it had burst out of him in a mess of gold feathers the moment he’d looked up at Jane after she’d hit him with her jeep. Steve’s was the only one comparably small to Tony’s, wings moving slow and creaky like the old man he should have been instead of the young man he still was.

They worry about Steve. His thing doesn’t grow or shrink, like it’s caught in stasis, feathers brittle like they’re still frozen the way they had been when he’d been pulled from the sea. Steve spends hours staring at it, face blank, and they carefully don’t think about the pictures from the war, when his thing with feathers had had wings wide enough to lovingly span the huddled mass of the Howling Commandoes like a mother hen gathering her chicks beneath her.

Tony considers bringing his out, to show Steve that it was okay. His thing with feathers had looked small and pathetic even before Afghanistan. He’s actually just getting up to go fetch it when he notices Steve’s thing moving across the coffee table. It’s feathers look shinier, all of the sudden. Steve is examining a folder with rapt attention, not even noticing that Tony has stood, and as Tony watches, Steve’s thing with feathers’ hobbling turns to strong steps, until it’s hopping across the table and leaping onto the couch beside him. Steve lifts his arms, and the thing settles in his lap, preening itself for the first time since Tony has known it.

He’s glad he didn’t bring his thing with feathers out. It would be cruel to bring it out to show Steve he wasn’t alone, only to make it watch as Steve’s thing with feathers grew and preened and purred. Tony sits down on his bed, hands cupped around his thing with feathers. “I’m sorry,” he says softly, and the thing peeps up at him sadly. He wishes he could make it bigger and stronger, too, but he lost the strength to do that years ago.

Maybe the misery would be easier to deal with if everyone would just leave him alone. Everyone’s thing with feathers is nosy, keep peering around Tony for his. They chirrup and they squeak and they growl but Tony doesn’t waver. He remembers how Obadiah’s thing with feathers had clutched his in its sharp talons, had almost snuffed it out completely but for Pepper’s thing with feathers flying in to stop it. No one outright says he should bring his out, because that’s bad manners, but he can tell they’re hurt. They think he hasn’t forgiven them for the nasty things said before, or that he doesn’t trust them yet, or sometimes even that he needs to be treated like finely spun glass because he simply doesn’t have one anymore. Tony can’t find it in himself to care.

Barring the first interaction with Pepper, she’d been happy to look at it, because Tony’s thing with feathers has always chirped musically even when sad, and sometimes its feathers fluff when she calls it strong and sweet. Rhodey and Happy are the only other ones who regularly see his thing with feathers, and Rhodey still is the only one who takes it in his hand and coos, and its feathers go a little glossier when it happens. (Tony doesn’t hold it against Happy. Happy is a man of action, of quiet shoulder hugs and bags of cheeseburgers. He doesn’t touch. But his thing with feathers always shares an order of fries with Tony’s when it can, and Tony is always amused as he watches it try and force his take the bigger half when it can barely finish a quarter.) But even though Pepper had more than made up for her initial response to his thing with feathers, and Rhodey and Happy never show judgment either, he doesn’t want to open himself up to the rest of the team, with their beautiful feathers and wide wingspans and happy chirrups. He knows his thing with feathers holds no judgment for him not making it bigger or stronger or prettier, but he still feels like he failed it every day he sees everyone else’s.

It comes to a head. Tony has enemies, and he’s always known it. Still, when JARVIS tells him that someone has attacked the penthouse and it’s not safe to go up, he can’t bring himself to listen, so frantic that he doesn’t even stop to grab the suit. His thing with feathers is up there, and it’s small and wounded and sad but it’s his, and if it gets snuffed out he knows he’ll become just a shell of himself. It turns out to be AIM, and he wants to be angry, but mostly he’s just tired, dodging attacks from their laser guns and trying to draw them away from the door to his room. He doesn’t keep anything of value there, not except his thing with feathers.

The rest of the team arrives seconds later, because they’re all idiots and they disregard JARVIS’s orders to evacuate too. Tony leaves them to it, running into his room, and he cries out in dismay when he sees the broken glass and battered furniture. His dresser is in pieces. He can’t even find the little nest of cotton he’d made for his thing with feathers. Then he realizes the beeping he hears past the roar of blood in his ears isn’t beeping at all, but the frantic peeping of his thing with feathers. It’s under the debris somewhere. He drops to his knees and begins digging, calling for it, but he can’t figure out where the peeping is coming from, and he realizes with a start that his hands are already bleeding. He doesn’t stop though, picking up what he can and looking under it. As long as he can still hear the peeping, it’s still okay, and he still has a chance to find it.

“Move,” Steve says, shouldering him out of the way, and Clint and Natasha hold him back so he doesn’t get in Steve’s way as he picks up furniture. Tony doesn’t realize he’s babbling pleas for Steve to be careful until Thor pulls him around and yanks him into a hug so tight that all he can do is melt into it and sob helplessly. He focuses on the fact that his thing with feathers is still peeping.

“Oh,” Natasha says, like the word’s been punched out of her, and Tony can’t help but cry harder, because it sounds a lot like what Pepper had said when she first saw it, horrified and disappointed and sad. Then, “Give it here. Give it here. Come here, золотце. I’ve got you. Here you go. Thor, put him down.”

Thor does, and Tony immediately turns, hands cupped and out for it, and Natasha hesitates when she sees he’s still bleeding, but then the choice is taken out of her hands as Tony’s thing with feathers leaps from her hands and into Tony’s. He gathers it close and whimpers when he feels it trembling against his palms. It must have been so scared. He hates himself for being a coward, just a little. If he’d just carried it with him like a normal person, it never would have been in danger.

“No wonder you never showed us,” Clint says sadly, and Tony flinches, until his next words register and then he just stares in disbelief. “You already get so touchy about being called short, if anyone mentioned how small it is, you’d tire yourself out from throwing hands.”

“Clint!” Steve barks reproachfully, and Bruce grabs him by the ear to drag him out.

“ARE YOU GONNA LOOK AT ME AND TELL ME I’M WRONG?!” Clint bellows before he clears the door, offended, and Steve and Natasha actually look uncertain about it.

“Tony,” Thor says pleasantly, ignoring him. “May I see it?”

“It’s scared,” Tony hiccups.

“You don’t need to give it to me.” Thor holds his hands out. “Just show me.”

Tony stares up at him, anxious, but his thing with feathers flutters against his palms, so he lets them fall from his chest, hesitantly placing his cupped hands on top of Thor’s and suddenly grateful for the offer because he’s still shaking. He gets nervous when he notices Steve and Natasha leaning in again too, but neither of them look disgusted, so. So maybe it’s okay.

“Hello, little one,” Thor tells it gently, and the thing with feathers peeps at him from under its wings, shy. “Hello. You were very brave. You must get that from Tony.”

“It’s pink,” Steve says in surprise, and then adds, rueful, “I don’t think I have that color marker yet. I’ll have to buy it.”

“I am...” Natasha begins, looking unsettled. “...Filled. With aggression. It is so little and cute.” She leans closer, and the thing peeps uncertainly. “If anyone so much as looks at you wrong, I will crush them in my fist like a grape,” she whispers.

The thing with feathers is definitely unsettled now, and peeps in alarm and shoves its way under Tony’s sleeve cuff so it can hide there, overwhelmed.

“How am I supposed to live, having seen that,” Natasha hisses, livid, and turns to storm out. “I’m going to go ethically torture the AIM agents. I can’t believe this. It’s small and pink. I can’t believe I’m going to kick someone’s ass over this.”

Tony watches her go, still too stunned to speak. Steve and Thor consider going after her, but she had said ethically torture, so. It’s probably fine?

“You both need to eat. Come down to the common kitchen. I’m making you a cake,” Steve finally says, and when Tony and his thing with feathers both squawk in affront, Thor simply throws Tony over his shoulder so he has no choice.

Somehow Steve gets the icing color the same shade as Tony’s thing with feathers. It’s still a huge fucking cake though, so he allows the rest of the team to help him eat it.

He doesn’t notice his thing with feathers shifting beside him, preening, feathers fluffing out with a healthy sheen for the first time in decades.