#2675

[mostbelovedaewwrestlertournament]

Most Beloved AEW Wrestler Tournament 2

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: March 13, 2000

Lyrics:

2 am and the rain is falling

Here we are at the crossroads once again

You're telling me you're so confused

You can't make up your mind

Is this meant to be

You're asking me

But only love can say

Try again or walk away

But I believe for you and me

The sun will shine one day

So I just play my part

Pray you'll have a change of heart

But I can't make you see it through

That's something only love can do

In your arms as the dawn is breaking

Face to face and a thousand miles apart

I've tried my best to make you see

There's hope beyond the pain

If we give enough

If we learn to trust

But only love can say

Try again or walk away

But I believe for you and me

The sun will shine one day

So I just play my part

Pray you'll have a change of heart

But I can't make you see it through

That's something only love can do

I know if I could find the words

To touch you deep inside

You'll give my dreams just one more chance

To let this be our last goodbye

But only love can say

Try again or walk away

But I believe for you and me

The sun will shine one day

That's something only love can do

So I just play my part

Pray you'll have a change of heart

But I can't make you see it through

That's something only love can do

Songwriter:

Brendan Morley / David Froggatt / Graham Bidstrup / Kenneth Miller / Laisa Vulakoro / Michael Hegerty

BandFacts:

👉📖

[albertxylin]

Patient Growth

The painful thing about progress is its speed. It sprouts slowly, And day to day it's sometimes hard to believe that it's growing at all. That doesn't mean you give up. It means keeping your faith, Watering patiently, And taking photos So that years down the line You can look back and see how big the leaves have grown.

[harveyphotography]

Tutto qui spira grandezza, gusto, umanità, purezza, e bellezza, nel più alto grado. Credo che sarei più felice qui con voi, che in qualsiasi altro luogo. Ciò è il massimo elogio che io possa fare a questa città. Non so se voi amiate pitture, statue, bronzi, marmi antichi di tutte le qualità. Lo credo, perché lo desidero. - Klemens von Metternich

[pupgrandma2]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Lularoe 2XL Valentina Blouse .

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Ent, Treebeard of Fangorn forest - Tree Guardians in literature

Ents are a species of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees. Their leader is Treebeard of Fangorn forest. Their name is derived from an Old English word for "giant".

The Ents appear in The Lord of the Rings as ancient shepherds of the forest and allies of the free peoples of Middle-earth during the War of the Ring. At then, there are no young Ents (Entings) because the Entwives (female Ents) were lost. Akin to Ents are Huorns, whom Treebeard describes as a transitional form of trees which become animated or, conversely, as Ents who grow more "treelike" over time.

The Old Forest, Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, was a terrifying ancient forest beyond the eastern borders of the Shire.

Treebeard, called by Gandalf the oldest living Ent and the oldest living thing that walks in Middle-earth, is described as being around 14 feet (4 m) tall:

A large Man-like, almost Troll-like, figure, at least fourteen foot high, very sturdy, with a tall head, and hardly any neck. Whether it was clad in stuff like green and grey bark, or whether that was its hide, was difficult to say. At any rate the arms, at a short distance from the trunk, were not wrinkled, but covered with a brown smooth skin. The large feet had seven toes each. The lower part of the long face was covered with a sweeping grey beard, bushy, almost twiggy at the roots, thin and mossy at the ends. But at the moment the hobbits noted little but the eyes. These deep eyes were now surveying them, slow and solemn, but very penetrating.

Tolkien called the collection of such writings a legendarium (legend space, legend system).

During most of his own life conservationism was not yet on the political agenda, and Tolkien himself did not directly express conservationist views—except in some private letters, in which he tells about his fondness for forests and sadness at tree-felling. In later years, a number of authors of biographies or literary analyses of Tolkien conclude that during his writing of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien gained increased interest in the value of wild and untamed nature, and in protecting what wild nature was left in the industrialised world.

Nearly 100 years after Tolkien's time, the destruction of forests, trees and nature continues unabated. Moreover, because of the historical background, I could not believe my eyes when I saw several WWI war photography in his biography. The clothing, background and even the tactics are almost identical to the ongoing war photos. The only difference appears to be in black and white or colour.

It is obvious that human society has made little progress in more than 100 years. In the face of the whole universe, a century is probably just a fraction of a second. Alternatively, there is a good chance that what we think of as evolution may actually be degeneration.

After all, it may just be a bunch of half-monkeys who are conceited and not knowing their places. We should realise this and learn from other creatures who do not go against nature. Don't get caught up in what you can see, but don't forget that there are things you can't see.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

エント、ファンゴルンの森の木の髭 〜 文学における樹木の守護者 

エントは、J・R・R・トールキンのファンタジー世界 "中つ国 "に登場する樹木によく似た生き物で、彼らのリーダー��ファンゴルンの森の木の髭である。彼らの名前は古代の英語で "巨人 "を意味する言葉に由来する。

エントは『指輪物語』に森の古代の羊飼いとして登場し、指輪戦争では中つ国の自由民の味方となる。指輪戦争当時、エント女たちが行方不明になったため、若いエントたちは存在しない。エントたちに似ているのはヒューンで、木の髭は、樹木が生気を帯びるようになる過渡的な形態、あるいは逆に、時が経つにつれて「樹木らしく」成長するエントたちと表現している。

トールキンの架空の中つ国の世界である古い森は、シャイアの東の国境を越えた恐ろしい古代の森だった。

ガンダルフに "最古のエント "と呼ばれ、中つ国を歩く最古の生物とされる木の髭は、身長約14フィート (4メートル): 

トロールに近い大きな人間のような姿で、少なくとも14フィートの高さがあり、非常に頑丈で、頭が高く、首がほとんどない。緑や灰色の樹皮のようなものをまとっているのか、それともそれが皮なのかはわからない。いずれにせよ、幹から少し離れたところにある腕にはしわはなく、茶色の滑らかな皮膚で覆われていた。大きな足には7本の指があった。長い顔の下部は、根元は小枝のようにふさふさで、両端は細く苔むした灰色のひげで覆われていた。しかし、そのときホビットたちが注目したのは目だけだった。その深い瞳は、ゆっくりと、荘厳に、しかし非常に鋭く、ホビットたちを観察していた。

トールキンはこのような書き物の総体を『レジェンダリウム (伝説空間、伝説体系) 』と呼んでいた。

トールキン自身は、自然保護主義的な考えを直接表明することはなかったが、いくつかの私的な手紙の中で、森林を愛し、伐採を悲しむ気持ちを語っている。後年、トールキンの伝記や文学分析の著者の多くが、『指輪物語』の執筆中に、トールキンは野生の手つかずの自然の価値や、工業化された世界に残された野生の自然を保護することへの関心を高めたと結論づけている。

トールキンが生きた時代からおよそ100年近くすぎた現在でも、森や樹木、自然破壊は延々と続いている。さらに、その時代背景から、いくつかの第一次大戦中の戦争写真を彼の伝記の中に目にして、思わず目を疑った。服装、背景、戦術すら現在進行中の戦争写真とほぼ同一だ。白黒かカラーの違いだけに見える。

100年以上経っても、人間社会はほとんど進歩していないことがわかる。森羅万象を前には、100年という単位などほんの一瞬なのだろう。あるいは、進化したつもりが、実は退化している可能性も十分にある。

所詮は、半分猿の身の程しらずな人間たちが得意になっているだけなのかもしれない。それに早く気づいて自然に逆らわない他の生物を見習うべきだ。自分の視界に見えるものだけにとらわれず、目に見えないものの存在を忘れずに。

[lostdrarryfics]

hi, hi! apologies in advance because i’m not exactly sure on the ages/timeline in this fic. but i do know i read this on AO3. what i do remember is that draco and harry are bonded with like some kind of magical handcuffs. draco, harry, ron, and hermione are sent to this like seaside inn, someone in the order’s squib aunt owns it, i think? it’s not their usual letting season, so the inn is closed, but the four of them are holed up here for safety? i remember harry being all bothered by draco’s lemony scent and i think it turned out he was making his own skincare with lemons or something? they would have to take turns in the bathroom with one of them standing outside the door when the other went, which obviously annoyed each other. the board games and books at the inn left a lot to be desired so they walked to a local bookstore and maybe just other local shops. they also would hold hands in public to hide the magic handcuff thing from muggles. oh, and at some point they’re harassed on the beach by some homophobic muggles because of said hand holding, even though they say they’re not gay, but it really bothers them how homophobic people can be. i also think that during the stay, ron and hermione have to leave them there?? and maybe someone gets sent after them and might see them while they’re at the shops? i also think that when they leave, they’re sneaking out bc they’re meant to stay hidden. idk if this isn’t enough to go on, but if you could help me find this one, i’d be forever grateful

We believe you are looking for Salt on the Western Wind by Saras_Girl (60k, M)

Don’t forget to bookmark, leave kudos and comments!

[exotic-indians]

[english-history-trip]

More adventures in manuscript hunting

So I've got two depictions of Philippa of Hainault here from different editions of Froissart's Chronicles. They show the badass moment I was unaware of when she rallied the troops on horseback before the Battle of Neville's Cross against the Scots.

The first one is very pretty and detailed, but clearly way out of date (the artist of this edition puts 15th century Burgundian fashion on everybody.) The second one is simpler, but may have been produced closer to Philippa's lifetime (none of these have a date, other than some time between 1350 and 1450). Also, she's kinda warlike and fired up, even riding astride instead of sidesaddle.

So the question is:

[the-scp-files]

SCP-2675 │ The Cradle │

Object Class: KETER

By: Anborough

See their author page here:

[storiesforallfandoms]

nature trip ~ sergei "kraven" kravinoff;marvel

word count: 2675

request?: no

description: in which she's on a camping trip to explore and connect with nature, and she doesn't expect to run into anyone else

pairing: kraven x female!reader

warnings: swearing, one use of y/n, scary encounter with a jaguar but no one is harmed, mentions of cheating

masterlist (one, two, three)

My friends thought I was crazy when I told them I was going to northern Russia for a nature trip. Of all the places to go, they said, why would I want to go to Russia? Nobody understood that there was some of the most beautiful places in Russia, places that were hardly ever explored because everyone thought the same way as my friends did. Going there meant it was way less likely for me to run into anyone else. I could explore on my own, take in nature, reconnect with it. It's what I needed after the last few months.

My first night was very peaceful. I had set up camp far enough in a wooded area that, on the off chance anyone else was around, they wouldn't come across my camp. It was a warm enough night that I didn't need to have the extra cover on my tent and I could watch the stars before I drifted off to sleep. I woke up early enough to make myself breakfast from the small amount of food I had brought with me, pack up my camp, and set off to explore.

That is when things became much less peaceful.

I had found a trail to take. I was considering taking a break anyways. I had been walking so long that my legs were starting to hurt, and my water bottle was starting to run empty. So, I was in search of any body of water I could fill my bottle with and could sit down next to, when I heard the low growl.

I stopped. When there was no follow up noise, I was sure I had imagined it. But then I heard rustling, and then I saw the jaguar.

She was large, even at such a distance I could tell. She was low to the ground, stalking towards me; a predator stalking her prey. My heart was pounding so hard. I knew she could hear it. Predators knew when their prey was afraid, after all.

I knew coming across wildlife was likely. I thought it was something I'd be prepared for. But in that moment, I had never felt less prepared. My only thought was fight or flight, but I knew I'd never win a fight with a jaguar, and I likely wouldn't out run one either. I was completely helpless, with a large, snarling jaguar inching closer to me.

Suddenly, I wasn't alone. I thought I had imagined hearing more rustling, but then someone was stood in front of me. It was a man, and I truly had no idea where he came from. I could've sworn I was the only person out here. There hadn't been another campsite as far as I could tell.

He was stood between the jaguar and I, almost shielding me from her.

"Back down, girl," he said. His voice was both gentle and stern somehow. "This is not an enemy."

The jaguar lowered herself to the ground. She was still on alert, but it seemed like she was trusting this man. Her eyes kept flickering between us, a slight snarl still curled on her lips.

"Hey!" The jaguar's eyes snapped to him. "She's good. She's not here to hurt anyone. Walk away."

Her eyes found me again. I felt like she was studying me. I felt the need to shift so she could see my camping gear and understand that I wasn't going to hurt her. Not that she needed that reassurance. I'm sure we both knew she could easily take me down if she wanted to.

To my surprise, the jaguar rose from her crouched position. She kept her eyes on us as she stalked back into the woods.

The man turned to face me. It took me a moment to realize he was talking to me. I couldn't understand what he was saying because his voice was muffled, but he was right in front of me. The edges of my vision was starting to go black. Next thing I knew, the man was rushing to catch me as I fell to the ground. My vision went black before I hit the ground.

~~~~~~

When I came to, it took me a while to remember what had happened. When it all came back to me, I sat up quickly. I had expected to find myself still on the ground in the woods, but instead I was laying on something soft; a bed. I looked around to see I was no longer in the woods, or even in my tent. I was in some sort of building, rounded and made completely of windows.

And I wasn't alone.

I jumped when my eyes landed on a man stood in the doorway. It took me a second to remember who he was.

"Good morning," he said, a light tone in his voice. "Are you feeling alright?"

I nodded. "What - uh - what happened?"

"You passed out," he explained. "It must've been the adrenaline wearing off from your run in with the jaguar. Or the shock kicking in. It's not an unusual reaction to have."

I tensed a little when he started to approach me. He noticed and stopped. He held something out to me, and that's when I realized he had been holding my water bottle, and he had filled it.

I reached out to take it from him. "Thanks."

The feeling of the cold liquid was refreshing. I downed nearly the entire bottle in one go.

I capped the bottle and looked back to my savior. "And thank you for saving me out there. How did you do that, though? I mean...she was a wild animal, and you just...talked her down."

"I have a way with animals," he answered, shrugging as if it were that simple.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn't about to argue when it came to how he saved my life, but it didn't mean I couldn't be skeptical. How was someone able to speak to a wild animal to stop it from attacking? Even if he "had a way with animals", no one was that good with any animal.

"My name is Sergei, by the way," he said. I mentally noted his quick change in subject.

"(Y/N)," I said. "Where are we?"

"My home."

I looked at him with wide eyes. "You live out here?"

He chuckled. "It's that hard to believe?"

"Kind of. I did research about this place before my trip and there was nothing about anyone living out here."

"I like to keep it that way. Less people bothering me."

"Except for campers who run into angry jaguars."

He nodded, an amused smile on his face. "Yeah, except for campers who run into angry jaguars."

There was an awkward moment of silence. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do now. I guess I should've been planning to leave. After all, Sergei only saved me and brought me here because I had fainted. I wasn't supposed to be a guest or anything. But I wasn't exactly jumping to go back out into the woods again. I knew I would have to eventually, but the encounter was still too fresh in my mind.

Sergei broke the silence by saying, "I made food if you're hungry."

My stomach rumbled in response. We both laughed and Sergei gestured for me to follow him. I stood slowly from the bed, testing my ability to stand and walk after having been laid down for so long.

I couldn't believe how big Sergei's place was. I still didn't understand how he was able to live in secrecy like this. There was no way nobody had ever come across his place before. A giant dome home in the middle of nowhere was certainly enough to even just be added to a "trivia" section on Wikipedia when researching the area.

"I hope you like fish," Sergei was saying, snapping me from my trance. "The only other thing I have is some vegetable made food if you don't."

"I can eat fish," I said. "Do you gather your own food?"

"I catch fish to eat, and I have a garden," he explained. "I don't go after any of the other wildlife out here. I don't eat any meat."

"Just fish."

He gave me a look. I would've thought I had offended him, but there was a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I don't get along with fish as well as I do other animals."

He passed me a plate of his self caught, homecooked fish, as well as some of his home grown vegetables. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. I couldn't remember the last time I had ever met someone who was this self sufficient. I mean, I had one friend who had a garden, but she mainly grew a few carrots and strawberries. Sergei seemed to be completely living off the land.

I took a mouthful of the meal Sergei had given me. It was delicious, and a much needed change from the protein bars and other smaller foods I had taken with me.

"What were you doing out in the woods anyways?" Sergei asked me.

"Camping," I responded.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "In Russia?"

I nodded. "I was looking for somewhere that other people don't typically go to. Somewhere that I could be by myself and get in touch with nature."

"And you didn't prepare for the event of running into dangerous wildlife."

I looked down at my plate as I shrugged. There was something about admitting how unprepared I was for that situation that kind of made me embarrassed, although I wasn't sure why. Who is ever really prepared to run into a jaguar? Besides Sergei, apparently.

"I knew it was likely," I said. "I guess I just didn't fully prepare myself in the event of it happening."

More silence fell over us. I could feel his eyes on me, studying me the way the jaguar had. I didn't want to meet his eye, though. I was feeling a little intimidated, just as I had when the jaguar had been watching me so closely.

"Most people go to Canada to camp," he pointed out. "Or like...Australia."

I scoffed. "You saw how unprepared I was for a jaguar. You really think I was ready to go toe to toe with snakes and giant spiders?"

He chuckled. "No, I guess not."

"Besides, like I said, I wanted to go somewhere that other people weren't going to go to. Somewhere that I could just...be alone. That I could reconnect with nature and clear my head."

Sergei hummed. "There's a story there."

I dared to look up at him, trying to glare. I hadn't noticed before - mainly because I was fearing for my life - but he was an incredibly handsome man. His dark hair a little long and unruly, but not in a way that made him look a mess or anything. It made him more appealing, actually.

"There's a story as to why you're living all the way out here on your own and keep a low enough profile for no one else to know you're here," I retorted.

He nodded. "There is."

I kept looking at him, expecting him to go on. Not that he owed me an explanation or anything, just like I didn't owe him one for why I was on a nature trip the furthest away from society that I could get. But I'd be lying if I said my interest wasn't piqued.

He was looking back at me, though, the same look on his face.

I sighed. "My story is boring."

"Who says mine isn't?"

"I have a hunch there isn't much boring about you."

He smiled, but he didn't say anything else. I knew he wasn't going to back down. So, because my curiosity to know more about Sergei was killing me, I rolled my eyes and said, "I've had a rough few months."

He shook his head. "You gotta give me more than that."

I let out another sigh. "I found out my boyfriend of a year was cheating on me with someone from his work for six months. He dumped me and immediately started flaunting around his relationship with her. And the way I found out was because I was passed over for a promotion I had been promised weeks ago in favor of someone else who hasn't been with my company even half as long as I have, so I was driving over to his place for comfort and found him fucking someone else instead. Oh, and then my fish died."

"Jesus," he breathed.

I nodded. "Yeah. So...your turn."

He hesitated. For a second I thought he wasn't going to tell me, and I was going to remind him that I had just dumped my trauma on him so it wasn't fair to not tell me his. Finally, he said, "I needed to get away from my dad."

I looked at him for a moment before gesturing for him to continue."

"He wasn't a good man. He...he did terrible things. To my mom, mainly, but also to my brother and I. I was sick of it. This place used to belong to my mom, so I ran away from home one night and came here. I keep a low profile so my dad can't find me here."

"That's a pretty far distance to run."

"The further the better."

I stabbed at the food on my plate. Suddenly I was not feeling as hungry as I was before. Something about exchanging traumas left a sour taste in my mouth.

"That's why there's no record of anyone living out this way," I said, mainly to myself but Sergei was nodding along anyways. "Has anyone ever found you out here?"

He shook his head. "I'm not found unless I want to be."

"And...you wanted me to find you?"

"Technically I found you."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, yes, but you brought me back here. And don't say that's because I fainted, because you could've just stayed with me in the woods and left when you knew I was alright. You're okay with me knowing that you're here."

For the first time, Sergei turned away from me. Now it was him who was unable to meet my eye.

"I don't meet a lot of good people," he finally said. "Out here, there's a lot of poachers and hunters. There's never anyone who is just trying to connect with nature. You...intrigued me, for a lack of better words."

I almost wanted to laugh. This man was living off grid in Russia, in a huge sanctuary that once belonged to his mother. He was able to communicate with animals in one way or another, he was completely self sufficient, and, once again, he was probably the most gorgeous man I had ever laid my eyes on. And yet he was saying that I was the intriguing one, just because I wasn't trying to destroy the nature.

When my food was gone, I reluctantly pushed my plate towards him. "Thank you, again. For...well, everything. I guess...I should probably get back out there."

Sergei nodded. "I guess."

I went to stand, when he added, "Or you could...you could stay a bit longer. If you'd prefer. I know it's not exactly camping here, but...there's no jaguars."

"That's a pretty good sales pitch."

He smiled. "It's up to you, but I don't often get company out here that I actually like. I...I wouldn't mind getting to spend more time together."

I tried to seem nonchalant. I shrugged my shoulders, as if I couldn't be bothered with the decision making, and mumbled something along the lines of, "I guess I could."

But Sergei could see right through me. The look he was giving me was enough to completely shatter the facade. "I would love to stay, Sergei."

In fact, I didn't care if I ever left.

[whencyclopedia]

Roman Girls and Marriage in Ancient Rome

In ancient Rome, the legally acceptable age for marriage for girls was twelve. Although in middle-class Roman society, the most common age of first marriage for a girl was mid-to-late teens, evidence also shows that in a section of elite society, marrying off daughters at twelve or sometimes earlier was not uncommon. Traditionally, the father, the paterfamilias, and his family council arranged the marriage.

Artist's Impression of a Roman Wedding

Mohawk Games (Copyright)

Adolescence

Formal elementary education for girls in ancient Rome would have finished at the age of twelve, however, some upper-class families chose to give their daughters further literary education. At this pivotal period in a young girl's life, as she moved out of childhood, the attention focused on a differently styled life, one which fostered modesty, decorum, and chastity; preparing the ground for marriage and motherhood. Indeed, it appears that adolescence for a Roman girl was brief and, in some cases, it seems non-existent; the inscriptions found on Roman funerary stones highlight society's expectations that a young girl behave in a way that was more adult-like in nature, indicating a cultural tendency to view young girls with qualities far beyond their years. Pliny the Younger (61-112 CE) echoed such sentiments when he wrote of a 13-year-old girl, engaged to be married, who combined the wisdom of age and the dignity of womanhood (Ep. 5.16).

Statue of a Girl Playing Knucklebones

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin (Copyright)

As love, sex, and marriage in ancient Rome were defined by the patriarchy, from this adolescent period, when a girl was developing physically and acquiring sexual attractiveness, her life was carefully regulated in order to protect and preserve her virginity for her future husband.

Continue reading...

[lateatnewyork]

social media au with percy pls😛🙏

life lately

percy jackson x castellan reader

warnings: none

summary: your life with your boyfriend

a/n this is rlly pg cos like walker, leah and aryan are underage but i love their personality to these characters.

liked by persassy, imannabeth, clarisselarue and 1989 more whosyn luke’s on a feminist rampage view comments

persassy i’m a feminist too ➔ iamlukecastellan did u protest? no didn’t think so ➔ persassy @whosyn your brothers being mean ➔ whosyn luke stop it ➔ iamlukecastallen low blow man

liked by imannabeth, itschris, whosyn and 786 more iamlukecastallen not percy being sad y/n’s not at home view comments

whosyn awww at least he cares abt me ➔ iamlukecastallen i care abt you??? ➔ whosyn you threw water over my face to wake me up??? persassy i wasn’t sad ➔ itschris you so were liked by creator

liked by clarisselarue, imannabeth, silenab and 1556 more whosyn my girls tagged: clarisselarue, imannabeth, silenab view comments

persassy where was my invitation ➔ itschris yeah ➔ groverishere yeah ➔ whosyn it was a girls night??? iamlukecastellan where’s my camera creds ➔ whosyn camera credits to this big baby

liked by persassy, clarisselarue, groverishere and 2675 more whosyn what’s half of one? tagged: persassy view comments

iamlukecastallen didn’t know you could do math ➔ whosyn 🙄 persassy damn i’m beautiful ➔ imannabeth keep telling yourself that liked by creator

liked by whosyn, persassy, groverishere and 678 more iamlukecastellan imagine not knowing they were a thing tagged: whosyn, persassy view comments

whosyn clarisse knew we were a thing before you ➔ iamlukecastellan can’t hear you🫸😝🫷 ➔ whosyn 🙄 persassy you forced it out of us?? ➔ iamlukecastellan ok and?

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[promptsforthestrugglingauthor]

Writing Prompt #2675

He hated that it wasn't worth it. After everything he sacrificed, and told himself that it would be in the end, it simply wasn't true. Everything he stood for was a lie, and everyone he hurt in the process was for nothing.

[mostly-marvel-musings]

Birthday Boy

A/N: A little something for our favorite birthday boy. Written for @fandom-free-bingo Happy birthday Tony Stark! Leave a heart, comment or reblog if you enjoyed the story.

Pairing: Tony Stark x Avenger! F! Reader (our reader has Falcon-like abilities and Red Wing as well)

Warnings: 18+ smut, fluff.

Word count: 2675

Square filled: “You’re coming with me.”

Fandom Free Bingo Masterlist

.

“You’ve got one on your left, Y/L/N. He’s armed. And does nine o’clock work for you?”

Rolling your eyes, you ignored the last bit of Tony’s sentence and jumped into action. Disarming the Hydra soldier wasn’t a big deal for you, what was distracting was the constant commentary coming in from the snarky billionaire who was hard to push off.

It was his birthday and you were one of his closest friends, all he wanted to do was go out, party and spend time with you - meaning he wanted you to potentially hook him up with someone while he did the same for you. And then the two of you would bitch about your respective dates over breakfast the next day, laugh and get over it, like you always did.

But this time around it was different. You were finding it harder and harder to keep your feelings for the man at bay. You couldn’t remember when it all actually went from friendship to something more, maybe it was around your fifth bad date when you felt super down in the dumps, Tony had been the best listener, he always was, he just never got enough credit for it. You spoke all night, he wiped your tears and made you feel better about yourself. You felt truly seen and heard. That was when you realized what lacked in all the other boys that you had found in Tony, someone you wanted the most and someone you probably could never have.

Which is why you were avoiding spending another drunken evening with the man, you would probably end up spilling your guts and if he didn’t feel the same way, you’d be left heartbroken and you would lose a really good friend.

“Good job, Y/N. You’re a solid addition to the team, unlike Legolas over here with his carpal tunnel syndrome.”

You chuckled as you heard Clint swearing at Tony over the comms, shaking you head, you continued your way into the building to extract information. Once you were done, you stepped out and made your way over to the jet where you were met with an impatient looking Tony.

“What?”

“You haven’t answered my question. Tomorrow, you and me, out on the town? It’s my birthday in case you forgot.” his big brown eyes implored you for an answer, standing in your way until you did. Sometimes you hated how persistent he could be, and more than that the fact that you fell for those gorgeous eyes every single time.

“Well?”

“Ugh. Fine! I’ll go. But you’re paying. And you will drop me home in case I get shitfaced.” you sighed, pushing him away and towards the bathroom to change.

Now you were kind of dreading tomorrow as much as you were looking forward to celebrating with your friend.

.

“How about fishnet stockings over there? She’s got a rack that would get you googly-eyed.” you tried to avoid the disdain in your voice as you nodded at the blonde who sat at the far end of the bar.

Tony was sucking on a wedge of lemon post the shots you two had downed before he turned his gaze in the direction you were pointing at. He hummed in appreciation but did nothing about it, simply went on ordering you some more drinks.

“What?” you frowned, secretly hoping he wouldn’t approach the woman because it would break your heart but Tony wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge. Especially when it came to women. He just loved showing off how much he ‘didn’t have to try’.

Tony shrugged, not answering you right away, instead he pushed a drink towards you, his knee nudging yours now that he had slid closer. The familiar smell of his cologne mixed with motor oil and coffee filled your nostrils, making you wish just for once you could snuggle closer to him and just revel in his scent. Pushing your luck a little, you laid your arm across his shoulder and angled your body towards him, to your surprise he pulled you closer and kissed your temple, making your little heart flutter hopelessly.

“Careful Stark, the ladies are gonna think we’re together and you might end up having an off night.” you teased.

“Tony Stark never has an off night, sweetheart. Never.” his breath fanned your cheek as he spoke, raising an eyebrow up at you just to make sure you understood his point. A tingle went down your spine as his fingers caressed the back of your neck, lightly grazing your skin.

This wasn’t good. No. Not since your feelings were on overdrive.

“Then why aren’t you going over to Fishnets? Come on, I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to warm your bed.”

Tony made a face at your words, one that had you frowning because it was unusual. He never answered though.

“What about you, Y/L/N? No guy worthy enough for your attention here? I thought one of those suited up, boring businessmen would be up your alley. What do you think?”

You looked over to where Tony was pointing, the guys were certainly handsome and by the looks of it seemed quite well to do. Maybe you could go up to them, strike up a conversation and eventually go home with one, in hopes of forgetting about your crush. Yeah, you certainly needed to get laid, it had been a while.

“Alright then. I will if you will.” you finished your drink and slammed it a little hard on the table than you normally would.

“What?” Tony frowned.

“You and Fishnets. Me and Mr. Suity-man over there. We’ll see which one of us hits the jackpot.” you winked, steadying yourself before giving Tony a little shove. It was a distraction you needed. Maybe watching Tony work his charm on another woman would work in helping you get over him finally.

.

Tony felt his blood boil at the sight of the fancy-ass suited guy wrap an arm around your waist while you giggled. The woman next to him was practically throwing herself at him, not the least bit interesting when it came to conversations and was pretty much laughing at everything he said, even if it wasn’t funny. Normally he would have her back at the penthouse already, be done with before heading down to his lab and have her sent off before he had his first cup of coffee in the morning. But it was different, he had no intentions of sleeping with that woman. Or any other woman that wasn’t Y/N.

These days, he only had eyes for her. Y/N made him feel things he didn’t think he was capable of feeling. Being with her made him feel like he was worth something, like he was finally being seen for who he really was. Her laugh made his heavy heart a little lighter, her presence felt like warm sunshine on a cold day.

And now he felt like he was blowing his chance with you by agreeing to this stupid bet. Catching her eye, he raised his eyebrows to ask how it was going, chuckling to himself when she made a disgusted face. That sent relief flooding through his system for some reason, at least she wasn’t going home with that stupid, tall guy.

A few moments later you both caught up at the bar for more drinks, letting out collective defeated sighs and shaking your heads.

“This pub is dull. I’m going home alone, aren’t I?” you huffed, feeling dejected and placing your head against your hand as you looked at the woman Tony was supposed to talk to, she had a sour expression on her face before she stormed off to where your potential date was. Maybe they would hit it off, you thought with a laugh.

“You and I both, Y/L/N. So? What was wrong with him?” Tony mirrored your position, eyes curious.

“Ugh. The guy wouldn’t stop yapping about football, he hates all animals and he thinks you’re just a big show-off.” You rolled your eyes, downing a glass of water in between to keep yourself hydrated.

“I mean, he’s not completely wrong,Y/N.” Tony shrugged. It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s called him that, hell, he had been called worse.

“Shut up. He couldn’t be more wrong.”

Something about your tone amused him though, the way you got so defensive about him kinda made him feel proud. And intrigued him to know more.

“I mean he had the balls to say you are a pompous, arrogant jerk who does things for nobody but yourself.” You scoffed.

“It’s not like he’s ever spent months in some cave in Afghanistan and escaped, turned his whole business around and bloody well succeeded, invented a frickin 'element, saved I don’t know thousands of lives? Formed the avengers? Been the most generous man I’ve ever come across and—”

Your sentence was cut short as Tony’s lips cut you off abruptly. Was it really happening? Utterly shocked at first, you didn’t respond for a few seconds which made him stop.

“Is that why you rejected him?” He murmured, now cupping your face tenderly with his hands.

“That and the fact that he wasn’t you.” You answered honestly, your heart thudding beyond control at this point as blood rushed to your ears and cheeks, turning them warm.

“You’re the only one I want too, Y/N. Always have.”

His confession turned your insides into mush, a grin forming on your face that you couldn’t control. It was just a little hard to believe that the man you wanted also wanted you in return. The kind of stuff only dreams and romantic novels are made of.

“You’re coming with me.”

Grabbing your hand Tony guided you out of the pub. And of all the people you could go home with, you were finally going with the one person you wanted the most.

.

There was a flurry of activity once you were back at Tony’s penthouse. Clothes strewn about, giggles echoing in the empty hallway along with fervent kisses.

Once you were down to your underwear, Tony stepped back to admire your body, his gaze darkening as he saw the lacy, red lingerie you wore. It was a happy coincidence but for him, it was enough to want you in every way.

“Is this my birthday present?” He pulled you flush against his chest, turning you around so your ass grazed against his growing erection. Lips pressed against your warm skin, his hands slid lower and lower until he cupped your clothed sex to find it damp with desire.

“Maybe this is? Hmm?” His breath was hot against your ear, fingers teasing your folds over your panties before sliding them aside to feel you.

Gently tugging on his hair, you turned around in his arms and pushed him on his back until he flopped on the bed, smirking up at you as you straddled his legs.

“Eager much?”

“Very much.”

Placing a hand on his chest, you lowered yourself on top and kissed him, smiling into it when it responded with equal if not more enthusiasm. Your tongue slipped past his mouth, earning a needy grunt from the man as you moved your hips deliberately over his, teasing his clothed cock as it eagerly twitched underneath you.

“How come it took you so long to kiss me, Stark?” your tone was light but accusatory as you nipped at his ear. The way he was kissing you first made you realize you weren’t the only one longing for this to happen.

“How come it took you so long to act upon your feelings, Y/L/N?” he inquired instead, holding your hips and sitting up with you, caressing your sides gently with a faint smile playing on his lips.

You knew he’d ask you this question, you took a deep breath and decided on going with honesty, he deserved to know the truth if this was ever going to work out. Whatever ‘this’ was.

“I didn’t know if you felt the same way, Tony. I was afraid of losing you. You’re a royal pain in my ass but you’re my friend, Anthony Stark. So whatever we’re doing here, or about to do, I don’t want it to affect our friendship, okay? I’m completely fine with the whole friends with benefits situation–”

Yet again, your little ramble was cut off by Tony’s soft lips, kissing your insecurities away delicately, allowing your heart to flutter a little.

“That’s the thing, Y/N. I don’t want to be your friend anymore–, you felt like your stomach dropped, for a second you couldn’t believe what was going on before he continued, “I want to be your boyfriend, the best and only one you’ll have. You’re my ray of sunshine and I want you all to myself. That is if you’ll have me.” he blinked up at you in all sincerity, fingers fidgeting against your skin nervously as he waited.

His confession sent a thousand butterflies fluttering in your belly.

“You need to stop cutting me off like that, Stark.” you murmured with a smile as you tugged on his hair, inching your face closer to him.

“Or what?”

You hummed, pushing him back down once more and letting your hair drape around his face as you slid a hand down his torso, down past his boxers to find his length eager for you. Your touch elicited a needy moan from the man as your fingers gripped him, giving him slow, lazy strokes.

“You’re bossy, I like it.” his mouth fell open at your ministrations, his breath coming in shallow.

You didn’t take long to undress then, kissing along his chest which was littered with scars the closer look you had. Tony hadn’t felt so vulnerable and yet safe at the same time, then again he’d never been with you.

You lined yourself up against him, watching him as you sank down on his cock, letting out a content sigh as he stretched you out completely. Slow at first, you began rolling your hips against him, feeling every last inch of him as you continued to kiss, swallowing his grunts.

“You feel so good, Y/N.” Tony sighed, digging his fingers into your hips, thrusting up into you for more.

“So do you, Tony. Fuck me, please.” your needy whisper was all he needed to flip you over so you were under him, still connected. Once he had your arms pinned above your head, he didn’t stop, didn’t stop until you were a writhing mess, crying out his name as he impaled you with his cock. His brutal pace had you clenching around him in desperation, wanting release as you clung to him.

“Come for me, Y/N. Let me hear you.”

Tony’s words undid you, making your pussy spasm around his length as you gushed, his name falling from your lips like a prayer. You were in a haze as his end approached, pulling out in time to come all over your thighs, spurts of his cum painting your skin white as he groaned in pleasure.

“I think that was the best sex I’ve ever had.” he panted, helping you clean up before cuddling you close, frowning when all you did was hum.

“I’ve had better.” you teased, his reactions always made the joke worth it. He tickled you until you begged for mercy, out of breath as you laughed with the man, feeling a sense of contentment being with him like this. His relaxed features and demeanor suggested he felt the same.

“Oh! I completely forgot!”

“What?”

“Happy birthday, Tony.”

💛Happy Birthday to our favourite ray of sunshine, Anthony Edward Stark💛