#AND I JUST SKIPPED RIGHT BY THE FIRST ONE MICHELLE WILL BE CAPTAIN FOR

[peterjonesparker]

in which junior prom is a thing and what is michelle supposed to do when peter parker is a person who exists in the world.

one | two | three | four | five | six (THIS ONE!) | seven | eight | nine

also, i can’t write a prom headcanon/fic without at least mentioning this beauty of a post about michelle and peter and prom. it was one of the first things i saw in this fandom and it was stunning.

without liz around, michelle is no longer obligated to care about school dances. nor is she obligated to attend them. homecoming last year was somewhat fun. and she got to hang out with ned and the decathlon team and become friendlier with them. but ultimately, to her, it was a waste of her friday night as well as the saturday before when her mother dragged her out to go dress shopping.

so when michelle starts seeing posters for this year’s prom going up around the school, she internally scowls and makes sure to remember how not to spend that friday night toward the end of the year.

besides

she has lots of other things to worry about: training the team for the next academic decathlon competition in the fall, deciding which colleges she’ll need to apply for and starting those applications, compiling a reading list for the upcoming summer because it’s supposed to be hot and she will be staying inside, avoiding her parents knowing looks when she mentions that she is going to be hanging out with peter, trying to get said peter to tell her that he’s the spider man, training herself to act naturally around peter even though all her insides are FREAKING OUT whenever he stands too close or he laughs and scratches the back of his neck, looking up at her through his eyelashes.

like she said, she’s a little busy. so she won’t concern herself with prom or buying a dress or worrying about who to go with because she isn’t going. and she’s executing her plan stunningly. until about a month before the prom.

it’s lunch time. she’s sat down across from peter and ned, as she’s been known to do these days. she’s reading their eyes were watching god for like the third time. she loves the poetric flow of zora neale hurston’s writing style. she’s only peripherally listening to peter and ned’s conversation. so she doesn’t notice at first when cindy moon comes up to talk to all of them.

“i’m really excited actually. i’ve been helping out with the planning and organizing, so obviously i’m going.” cindy amazes mj. she transferred to their school at the beginning of the second semester and has managed to integrate well into the school. she’s made lots of friends, joined the decathlon team, started to help plan the prom. mj doesn’t know how she even has the time, or how she manages to remain so optimistic despite all of her obligations. cindy’s also smart as a whip and is going to really boost the decathlon team, so mj likes her well enough.

“we haven’t made any solid plans, but i think we’re going.” ned smiles, looking up at cindy and nodding his head.

“what? to prom?” mj puts her book down and joins the conversation. “i’m not going.”

cindy’s smile fades briefly. “but mj, you have to go! it’s not going to be that fun if you don’t go.” she locks her hands behind her back and looks down at her feet, which are currently kicking the ground. “i thought you’d have fun if the whole team went and I’m helping to plan it. i wouldn’t try to plan something you wouldn’t enjoy.”

mj sighs. “look, cindy, it’s not that i don’t think you’re doing a great job of planning the prom. i’m sure it’s going to be a great time. but dances aren’t really my things. not the biggest fan.” she smiles briefly before picking her book back up. but peter speaks.

“but, didn’t you go to homecoming sophomore year? didn’t you go this year?” he’s looking at her with eyes like those of a lost puppy. and her heart may flutter a bit in her chest. but she’s made up her mind. and she intends to stick to her plan.

“you’re supposed to try things out before deciding if you like them or not, peter.” she shakes her head as if that should have been obvious, of course. he looks down, letting out a small “oh”, before picking at his fingernails.

“well, at least think about it.” cindy smiles brightly, and mj is this close to giving in if only to make her friend happy. but no. she’s not going to go through a high school dance again, sitting on the sidelines, chatting with the decathlon team as she watches peter dance awkwardly with some nice, pretty girl who asked him to the dance because she’s not the only one who’s noticed how great he is. not that she’s jealous or anything. “think about it for me.” cindy’s voice is gentle and she remembers that cindy is her almost friend. she’s taken the new girl under her wing in academic decathlon, testing her so hopefully she’ll make the a team.

“i’ll think about it. but i make absolutely no guarantees.” michelle smirks when cindy jumps a little and twists to walk away. she looks back at the page and was reading and resumes, until ned gets her attention again.

“why don’t you like dances?” he’s got a look in his eye she can’t identify, and she doesn’t like not being able to read ned, who’s usually the easiest person in the world to read. really, everybody probably knows what that boy is thinking at all times. except for now.

“i don’t know. i just think there are better ways to spend a friday night.” she shrugs, and is going to go back to her book when she sees peter is still picking at his thumbs. “who are you going to ask, peter?” and her eyes widen slightly because how in the hell did she actually just ask him that question, unprompted, out of the blue. she wants to melt into herself, dissolve into her chair, and return in two years after the embarrassment of this one question has faded.

peter’s head shoots up quickly, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. he shakes his head, sputtering. “i, uh, i hadn’t…i didn’t…i wasn’t.” he winces slightly, and michelle sees ned looking frantically at peter. “i was just, i was just planning on going with you.” his eyes widen and mj is stunned into silence for a moment before peter quickly speaks again. “with you guys. with you and ned. i thought we would all have fun going together.” he coughs, head falling down slightly.

michelle sighs, her hopes crashing back down into reality, where peter doesn’t have feelings for her and doesn’t want to go to prom with her. not that she would go! but she told cindy she would think about it. so that’s what she’s doing. thinking about it. and maybe if peter had actually wanted to go with her, she would have thought about it more than initially planned. but he isn’t. so she’s back to square one. and suddenly, she can’t really stand their lunch table right now and she wants to just go to the library and be alone with her words. “well, while you two losers sort out your prom dates, i’m going to go to the library and read my book in peace. catch you later, dorks.”

and if she rushes away quickly before either of them can get a word in otherwise, well, that’s no one’s concern but her own.

but then flash forward two weeks and peter and ned are still talking about the prom. she knows because she walks up to them one day while they’re talking about it at peter’s locker.

“just ask her. it’s obvious she likes you. of course she’d say yes!”

“ned, no. she really doesn’t like me and she would definitely say no.”

“peter, if you could see the way she looks at you when you walk away. or if you do anything remotely stupid. peter, she has her own personal peter smile. this girl likes you, i know it. just ask her!”

“who are you asking?” michelle slams peter’s locker door shut and the two of them paint the perfect picture of deer in headlights. “you finally found a girl who’ll go to prom with you, parker?”

he doesn’t say anything. he just stands there, gaping and silent. ned has the decency to sputter. “no, we, uh. we weren’t talking about prom! we were, uh, we were talking about aunt may! peter wants to ask her if she’ll, uh, let him go to flash’s prom after party!”

michelle raises a skeptical eyebrow at the two of them before sighing. “fine, don’t tell me. i’ll find out in the girl’s bathroom, anyway. betty’s great at keeping everyone informed.”

peter finally does something: he sighs heavily. “mj, there’s no one i’m going to ask to the prom.” his eyes are downcast when he gently lets out, “no one’s going that i want to ask.” he looks up at her through his eyelashes, and damn why does this boy keep doing this? why does he keep reeling her back in every time she thinks she’s gotten a little bit closer to being over this? over him? over him and his stupid smile and his stupidly charming personality and his stupid desire to help everyone he can and his stupid heroism?

and then the bell rings before she can say anything else and peter is grabbing the straps of his backpack and turning to walk to psychology. michelle stays rooted to her spot for a bit longer, watching as he walks away slowly among the rush of students frantically trying to get to class. her heart leaps in her chest, wanting so desperately to ask him. to tell him. but she’s scared.

when michelle is scared, there is one person she can count on most, despite all odds. so when she gets home that night, she rushes to her room and dials the number. it rings three times before a grumpy voice on the other line gets out, “mj, make this quick. i’ve got midterms.”

and before she can chicken out of it, she blurts out: “i like peter parker.” and her heart freezes and she can’t move. she’s just said it out loud. to another person. to her brother. oh my goodness. she fucking likes peter parker. she wants to hold his hand as they walk to biology. she wants to steal french fries from him at lunch and make him silly little mixtapes of songs she thinks he’ll like. she wants to read while he goes over flashcards for decathlon because he still has to strengthen his history knowledge. she wants to watch star wars with him and impress him with her knowledge of the world and the jedi code and tell him about this theory that jar jar binks is a master of the force and the supreme ruler of the sith. michelle wants to date peter parker.

“sis, if you called me to tell me that you like your friend i am going to hang up this phone.”

“no, alexander, i like peter. i want to date peter.” mj worries that he doesn’t understand the gravity of this situation. mj has a crush on her best friend of over a year now. this isn’t something to be taken lightly.

“so date him. sis, i’m confused what the big hullaballoo is about this whole peter situation.” he sighs, and she hears papers rustle as he moves the phone from one ear to the other. “he obviously likes you too, if our parents know anything, which they do.”

firstly, she groans. because of course her parents told him. they probably told the whole family, even the extended family she hasn’t seen since she was seven years old when they went to visit los angeles. after cooling down from that betrayal, she continues. “no, alex, look. the issue is that i’m not sure if he likes me that way or even at all sometimes.” alex laughs, high pitched and as if he just couldn’t contain himself. “no, look, alex, i want to tell him but i don’t know what to do. i can’t just walk up to him and say, ‘hey peter, what’s up? just letting you know i have a massive crush on you and would really like if we dated so yeah, just get back to me, okay?’”

“i honestly don’t see what the problem with that is.” he chuckles and if he were here she would definitely punch him in the shoulder.

“alexander, be reasonable.” she huffs, stomping her foot down even though he can’t see or likely even hear it.

“okay, okay.” he sighs. “you need an opportunity where it would feel natural. best situation, he tells you and you don’t even have to deal with telling him since it seems you are incapable of that. i don’t know. what do juniors in high school do with their boyfriends or girlfriends?” michelle pauses. she’s honestly stumped. she’s never dated and neither has peter or ned really. “oh shit! you’re a junior! juniors have prom, right? ask him to go to that.”

she falls back against the bed, utterly defeated. “alexander, i already made a huge deal about how i’m not going. in front of him. to his face.”

“perfect, then he’ll know it’s special!” and how can he make things so simple when they aren’t? how can he not understand the reason this just can’t be?

“alexander, no, I can’t-”

“no.” he interrupts her and he sounds frustrated. “michelle, you can make up excuses all you want to avoid happiness. i can’t make you do the right thing. the thing that will make you happy. you have to decide that for yourself. you can make up all these reasons to sabotage your happiness, but i’m not going to let you back yourself into a corner where you think it’s impossible. if you like peter, you can ask him to prom. you can tell him you like him. you’re the only person or reason that you don’t have to tell him. peter likes you. i know. our parents know. and i really think you know. so don’t ask him to prom because you’re scared. but know that you’d be the reason you won’t have this happiness in your life. not peter. not anyone. you.” she doesn’t say anything for a few moments. he really pushed her where it hurts. and she might start crying a bit, but she doesn’t want him to know that. “look, i’m sorry to be harsh. you know i love you, michelle. you’re my rock. my ride or die. but if you don’t want to go get your happiness, i can’t force you. peter parker likes you and wants to date you. now it’s on you, sis.”

she takes a deep breath, collecting herself. “thanks, alexander. i’ll let you know what i do.”

“okay. i really do love you michelle. i want you to be happy. but i’m not going to let you pretend that you just can’t be happy. because you can be.”

they exchange goodbyes and she hangs up the phone. she curls into her pillow and decides she’ll go to bed early that night. there’s been enough thought for one day and she’ll deal with this whole thing later.

t-minus one week to prom. michelle is studying in the library with peter for their us history midterm tomorrow. she takes a deep breath, thinking about what alexander said. it’s on her to get her happiness. why is it so hard then?

she sits silent for another minute, opening her mouth a couple of times, intending to speak, but closing it again when she can’t get the words out. she sighs, opening her notebook to the last page and grabbing her pen.

hey loser. so i decided i’ll go to prom. be my date?

she tears the page out of her notebook and shoves it on top of the page peter;s had his eyes glued to for the last five minutes. she hunches her shoulders, placing her hands on either side of her history book and looking down at her notes. she doesn’t want to see him when he reads the letter. she doesn’t want to see the look on his face if he turns out to be disappointed. she doesn’t want him to pity her, trying to smile as he tells her that he’s sorry and-

the piece of paper is shoved on top of her book and she sees he’s written something beneath her words.

of course, mj. i would love that.

and it looks like he’s drawn a heart next to the words and mj’s heart flutters. she looks up and he’s smiling at her, cheeks slightly red and oh my goodness. she’s going to prom with peter parker. he said yes and now he’s smiling at her and she smiles back at him and oh goodness

and then

oh god

she stands up quickly, gathering all her stuff and shoving it into her backpack.

“what are you doing?” peter asks, confused, watching as she frantically pushes crumpled pieces of paper into her bag and dropping to the floor to gather her charger and coffee mug.

“i just, uh, i just remembered there’s something really important i have to do.” she stands up, pulling her backpack onto her back and holding the two straps tightly to her chest. he looks shaken up and slightly hurt and oh god. “i’ll text you and we can arrange everything for prom. sorry to do this. i totally blanked.” she’s about to take off when she stops, looks at him, and gently says, “i’m really glad to be going with you.”

peter’s lips spread slowly into a smile. “me too, mj.”

she gives him one last smile and then rushes out of the library and starts running to catch the train home. after the most excruciating thirty minutes of her life, she shoves the door to her house open and runs to her mother’s study. her mother looks up at her, pulling her glasses down so she can get a better look at the daughter she thought would be studying in the library until at least seven o’clock tonight.

mj takes a few deep breaths to catch her breath after practically sprinting up the stairs. “mom,” she gasps. “mom, i need to get a prom dress.”

[wordsinwinters]

Then Again, Chapter 7: Implosion at the Pool

Summary: After an intense fight and a forced-to-share-the-bed situation during their junior year decathlon trip, Peter and the Reader examine their faults and failings. As they attempt to fix their mistakes and improve their friendship, that friendship quickly begins to evolve into something else.

Betas: @fanboyswhereare-you and @girl-tips-from-satan

Masterlist (with AO3 links)

Then Again, Chapter 7: Implosion at the Pool

(Word count: 1,580)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29,

I often expect too much, set my sights a little too high. I know this, so I always prepare myself in case nothing goes according to plan.

For example: I had hoped this second annual break-into-the-hotel-pool activity would be easy, that everyone would come willingly, and we would have fun before the tournament tomorrow. Still, I prepared myself for a few bumps. For example, if Peter refused, if the entire thing flopped because everyone was worried about getting enough sleep, or if someone in the hotel caught us and reported it to Mr. Harrington, I was prepared, I had contingency plans. 

Strangely enough, everyone crept out on time and Peter barely hesitated at all. Well, Michelle did force him from the start, heading off his first protest too quickly for him to find another: “Dude, just say you’ve been working out. Nobody’s going to get suspicious because you’re jacked. Even Flash can’t turn that,” she motioned to Peter’s entire body, “into a joke.”

Yet I’m more uneasy now than if everything had gone wrong. I’m not even concerned about getting caught. Mr. Harrington is watching Jurassic Park in his room and checking the hallway at ten-minute intervals and I’m almost certain the hotel staff knows we’re here, but doesn’t care.

Nevertheless, I’m just… anxious.

It might have to do with how the boys are stacked upon one another in the shallow end for Chicken and, given the small area of the pool, injuries are on the table. It might have to do with Flash’s new habit of winking at me and being, in general, insanely obnoxious. It might also have to do with the fact that my friends are being abnormally secretive. (I hate to use Flash’s words, but he’s sort of right. It’s the best description. Even once I got back in my room, MJ and Ned kept sending texts— I have no idea who to, though I would guess between them and Peter.)

Admittedly, my nerves might also be connected to Liz, whose face I can see across the water. As our team captain, Michelle thought it would be nice to Facetime her, ask about college, and show her that her pool idea has become a tradition.

Liz’s dorm room is beautiful, from what I can make out. She has calendars and planners neatly pinned up, Christmas lights outlining them. Photos hang from mini clothespins on a string and she even has a little library set up on her windowsill with a porcelain cat-shaped bookend. It’s like a freaking Pinterest photo. I’ve always been somewhat jealous of her, but I know that outside of our past disagreements and my envy for her style and Peter’s (old? current?) crush on her, I am glad she seems happy. Everyone knows how much she’s been going through.

As Abe and Peter pretend to duke it out on Flash and Ned’s shoulders, the light of Liz from Michelle’s phone skips through the ripples, illuminating them like the sunset against the tide. I keep zoning out and staring at the pattern. I feel weird staying on the other side of the pool with her there, but I don’t know Liz that well outside of the team and truth be told, she always intimidated me. Even before our… fight seems like a strong word, our spat? She just… has things together. Even now, after such a horrible year. She’s wonderful and precise and good in every way a person can be. I feel minuscule by comparison.

Then again, it might be the overwhelming smell of chlorine that’s getting into my head and putting me off. Plus, all the glints of light swimming across the glass walls — making them reflect further like a hall of mirrors — are beginning to strain my eyes. Part of me just wants to sleep. To climb out from the water, change into some pajamas, and go to bed and forget this.

But I can’t. So I tread water alone in the corner, watching and listening and feeling like an idiot for isolating myself.

Does anyone really want me here in the first place?

Stop thinking like that.

I try to listen to Liz’s voice as a distraction. It’s muffled with echo, but it’s audible.

“With my AP scores, a bunch of my gen ed credits are already taken care of. But I want to take my other gen eds seriously. I have Global Ethics, Statistics, and World Journalism on Mondays and Wednesdays, then Into to Biological Chemistry and Public Relations on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

The words bounce from wall to wall, shadowing splashes and voices and little bright doses of laughter from the boys. I close my eyes for three seconds as if to catalog the moment. I have to admit, it’s pretty much perfect.

Then why do I feel so nervous?

In the same way that some days just feel so good, some nights just really, really don’t.

Flash catches my eye. God, here we go. He’s smirking. 

My stomach drops. I don’t think I can handle him right now.

“Hey!” he calls. “Y/N, you should join in! Hold on, let me clear you a spot.”

He jerks his body back to make Abe fall from his shoulders, hitting the water with a hard splash.

“There, now you have a place to sit,” Flash says, patting his own shoulders.

Abe stands up, shaking water from his ears before shoving Flash underwater. Ned laughs as Flash comes back up sputtering. Peter, on Ned’s shoulders, has little reaction. Michelle rolls her eyes and turns back to the girls’ conversation.

“It’s more fun watching, trust me.” Watching Peter shirtless, my brain adds.

Stop thinking about him. Despite his smile this morning (it was idiotic of me to think it meant anything significant), Peter has remained pretty cold to me today. Just like everyone else.

Michelle looks back our way again.

“Actually, yeah. We’ll play,” she decides.

If I had more energy, if I weren’t feeling so despondent, and if it wasn’t her this-is-happening-don’t-argue voice, I might put up a better fight. Instead, I give a quiet defeated groan and make my way over to the shallow end. Sometimes it’s easier to do as she says.

“Michelle in a chicken fight?” Liz laughs, her voice reverberating on all sides of my head. “I can’t wait to see this.”

���Oh, no,” Michelle answers as she shakes her head. “Y/N is up top. I’m not getting involved in that business.”

I sigh and try to ignore the fact my limbs are starting to shake. Just a little. Not enough for anyone to notice. But enough that it reminds me of the first twinges of body aches from a fever.

“Abe, mind if I fight Flash this round?” I ask.

If I have to do this, I want to be against the one person I wouldn’t mind actually fighting.

“I think I’ll sit this one out,” Abe says. “I’m sick of him. Plus, if he has the chance, I know he’ll piss on me.”

Despite my exhaustion, I can’t help laughing a little. It’s definitely true. But if Abe sits out, there’s no chance that Ned or Peter will team up with Flash.

Flash knows this too. Shrugging, he follows Abe away from the center, saying hello to Liz.

Shit.

I climb onto Michelle’s shoulders, the air making me shiver more, my ankles hanging just low enough to stay in the warm water. I stare blankly at the situation. It’s me and Michelle, Peter and Ned. And I’ve barely spoken to them since they all locked me out earlier. I wouldn’t want to disrupt their texting.

I do my best not to tug Michelle’s hair as I steady myself.

Now what?

Everybody else is talking again, Liz included. I’m glad their attention is elsewhere.

Staring at Peter, who’s staring at me, it’s clear neither of us knows what to do. Things have definitely gotten stale and bizarre between us over the last day, and it's gotten worse than I ever thought possible over the last few hours. I feel like an idiot. But I’d be a moron to think it’s all because of some impulsive hug. Something in our friendship is stuttering, I can feel it faltering and falling away.

Abruptly unstable ground— that’s what it is, I realize, staring at him. And everybody has been able to see it coming but me. How else could Flash see it?

Thinking of all the shitty ways Peter has ignored me today, yesterday, and this past week, I shove him with as much force as I can muster, knowing it’ll be nothing to him anyway.

Peter’s legs are over his head a moment later. If it were a real fall, it would have been instant. The rippling disturbance of the water churns up more chlorine fumes. I can feel a headache spreading from the base of my skull.

“Come on, Peter,” I say while he stands and pushes wet hair out of his eyes. “Don’t pretend to let me win.”

“You caught me off guard,” he replies. All of the prior playful attitude he had with Abe is gone. He’s trying — I can actually see him trying — to seem blank.

What is his problem with me?

“No, I didn’t. Don’t lie. Get back up.”

He does. Ned’s expression is unreadable for once. Michelle pats my leg.

Ned and Michelle actually move around this time, both stepping to one side or the other with half steps backward and forward. Peter keeps his hands on his knees, looking bored and glancing from MJ to her phone behind us. He won’t even look at me.

It pisses me off.

Michelle rolls one shoulder before lunging forward: a little hint. I shove Peter again, now resenting how stiff his muscles are beneath his stupid skin. And again he falls sideways, though faster this time.

Flash is whooping and making some stupid comment. Liz gives a surprised, “Oh, wow.” Sally and Cindy are talking, but I can’t tell whether it’s to me or someone else. Peter’s splash is echoing too much to hear a lot at the moment.

He stands up. His hands go to his hair. He looks at me and shrugs like Got me again, I guess.

The chlorine scent is hanging heavily over the room now like a pillow being slowly forced into my face. My headache pulses and creeps up behind my ear, beating my bone like a thick drum.

“Peter,” I say, teeth grinding, “this is going to get boring pretty quickly if you keep this up. Push back. Don’t you dare ‘let me win.’ I’m serious.”

My jaw is clenching as I try to pack my anger down into a little box between my ribs. A pressurized numbness climbs up my throat.

Shove it down.

Peter says nothing in reply but mounts Ned’s shoulders again. Ned is looking at Michelle, and though I can’t see her face, I know they’re having a silent conversation.

I nudge Michelle with my foot and she lunges forward again. I shove Peter’s left shoulder as hard as I can. Both shoulders hit the water at the same time. I know that no matter how hard I could ever hit him, it wouldn’t bother him a bit, yet the fact he’s clearly not even trying to play this one game that he was just playing with Flash and Abe is burning and biting at my tongue.

Peter stands lazily as if silently offering a forfeit.

Maybe he wants to get this game over with so he can talk to Liz.

“Get up, Peter,” I say, frustration spreading like fire through the ligaments of my arms. My irritation has reached my hairline.

Last week, I would never have doubted my friendship with Peter. Suddenly, I’m almost certain he wants nothing to do with me anymore. It scares me. A familiar dense pain pools in my lungs, a physical weight knocking my ribs into one another.

How did everything go so wrong so quickly?

Peter doesn’t move. I could kill him.

“Peter! Get up! Fight back, do something! This isn’t funny anymore. Why won’t you just do something?”

At last, he looks me straight in the eye.

“What?” he shoots back. “What do you want me to do?”

He’s angry now too, blatantly. It’s worse than last night. I can see it, a red patch of irritation growing from his chest up to his neck. Neither of us has ever gotten like this. We’re not the kind of people who do. Not with one another, and certainly not in front of other people.

It’s a violently refreshing change: honesty.

“Anything! Stop messing around,” I say. “Just play the fucking game.”

“Maybe I’m sick of it,” he says, his hands open. “This whole stupid idea! I’m not playing anymore.”

What is he talking about? It’s been barely a minute of this game.

“MJ,” I say, “let me down.”

“Alright.”

She jerks back like Flash did to Abe. The water stings through my nostrils and the lining of my lungs. Is this just MJ being MJ or is she angry at me, too? And what about Ned, could he be mad at me?

What have they all been calling and texting each other about?

I wipe water from my face and open my eyes, stinging.

“Come on, Peter, play a game,” I mock, moving closer to him. He just stands there. “Play a game.”

I’ve been playing some sort of game for at least 24 hours now, maybe over a week, maybe even longer. He can too.

Peter doesn’t move a millimeter. I shove him. Nothing. His expression remains blank. He doesn’t fall, he doesn’t budge.

“Peter!”

I shove him again.

Nothing.

Michelle and Ned are creeping out of the water. Their waves are the only sound besides my echoing shout in the whole room. God, this is bad. I know starting some kind of fight isn’t going to increase my chances of leaving D.C. with any friends, but I almost can’t stop myself. I have to do something.

I move closer, face burning with an itch of fury.

“What?” he says.

Michelle and Ned, blurry reflections I can see from the glass wall behind Peter, have grabbed their towels and are walking through the door.

Damn it. Where are they going?

Something is crushing inside my chest. I can feel my eyes brimming with tears.

Shove. Them. Down. I will not angry cry in front of my classmates right now. Absolutely not. Especially not with Flash and Liz here.

My hands are visibly shaking as I grapple for a reply.

“Just— just do something, Peter!”

The muscles in his jaw are working and pulsing. I wonder what words he’s chewing— of course, I’ll likely never know because it seems Peter is refusing to tell me anything.

“That’s just it!” he shouts back. “What do you want me to do?!”

That something in my chest is spasming, collapsing.

Peter’s chest is heaving and the red has reached his face. His words are fogging up my already pounding head.

That’s just it. What do you want me to do?

There are too many people here and as I notice their reflections standing over Peter’s shoulders with eyes glued to his face and my back, I realize I’ve just lost them too. In only the span of a couple minutes. The understanding hits me over the head and slices through my gut. I’ve ruined everything with everyone here, not just Peter and Ned and Michelle. They’ve never seen me like this and it’s too late to pretend to reverse it. There’s no way I’ll leave this trip with any friends.

It takes every particle of concentration to not let my emotions get the better of me and cry; especially when I’m still staring at Peter. The brown of his eyes seems darker than I’ve ever seen before and his brow is knotted up, hard.

The moment is so still and static.

Without warning, Peter smacks the water in front of me with one hand. It’s like a lukewarm tidal wave washing over my head, tangling my hair across my face.

My nose and lungs burn again. I gasped at the wrong second. In less than a moment though, it’s doused my nerves. I suddenly feel smaller than a child, humiliated.

“Are you kidding?”

I don’t know if he or anyone hears me. The question was quiet and overcome by countless echoing splashes. It’s for the best: nobody can see my chin shaking at this distance so maybe if they didn’t hear the crack in my voice, I can pull myself together.

Guilt and regret seep into my skin as Peter climbs out of the pool. I want to apologize, but apologize for what? And fear, fear is mixing with those other emotions. A mountain of blurred emotions coated in black dread and red fear.

I take a breath and turn around.

Fuck.

Cindy, Sally, Abe, and Flash are just… staring. Worse, Liz is too. Of course, Michelle forgets her phone this one time.

The door closes with a bang behind Peter.

His towel is slung over one shoulder and water droplets spatter across the hallway floor as he storms through it. If I could get over him, if I could stop thinking about him for one day, stop thinking about him for one minute, my heart rate wouldn’t be leaping off the charts as I watch him. Actually, my heart rate might just be a result of me realizing how serious this is. The fact that four faces are still staring, now waiting for me to explode, likely doesn’t help slow it down either.

“Guys,” Liz’s voice calls. “Come on. Don’t make this weird.”

Flash laughs. Hard.

“It’s super weird completely on its own! Man, what was that?”

Tension loosening its hold on the room, Flash is back to himself, looking astonished and amused beyond belief.

“Flash, seriously. Let it be,” Liz snaps at him. When she looks at me, her expression softens. “Don’t let Peter Parker get in your head. He can… be like that sometimes. He might just be going through something.”

I know what he’s like, I think. I’ve been friends with him for longer than one Homecoming date. Liz is trying, at least, and maybe later I’ll appreciate the thought.

“Yeah,” I say, nodding.

She mirrors the motion.

“I should go before my roommate gets back to study. And Y/N, if you ever want to talk, I’d like to hear from you again. From any of you guys. Anyway, good luck everyone! I’m sure tomorrow will be great.”

The room dissolves into Goodbye!’s. I use the distraction to get my towel and phone and slip out.

What have I done?

Next chapter

Tag List: If you’d like to be tagged, send me a(n) ask/message or reply to this post!

*Notice: If you reply, I may not respond back; if you need/want confirmation, send me an ask/message instead :)

[beeexx]

The missing Tarlos scenes from 2x06

Word count: 4.8    Read on ao3

.......

“You know you need to tell him this, right?”

“No, no, I really don’t.” TK protests loudly, by banging the frozen bag of chickens into the counter, hoping they will shake loose with the excess force he is using. Carlos lifts an eyebrow from where he is standing in boxers and an old tank top, too much skin on display for it to be good for TK’s health, cutting onions into small, stupidly neat pieces on the chopping board. 

“TK….” Carlos begins, in that voice of his and TK turns around, eyes flashing.

“Carlos.” 

Carlos huffs.

“Babe, this is clearly bothering you, and taking it out on our poor dinner isn’t ideal.” He points out.

“Oh, sure Carlos, I’ll just tell my dad that him having another kid is a terrible idea because I’m a prime example of how they messed up with the first one.”

“TK…” 

“Oh and while I’m at it I might as well bring up how I am feeling about it and make it all about myself like I always do, that ought to go down really well.” He snaps and Carlos sighs. 

“You don’t make everything about yourself.” TK lifts an eyebrow and Carlos snorts. “Okay, sometimes you do, but often not without a legit reason and this is definitely a situation I feel you’re entitled to feel whatever it is that you’re really feeling and express that.” 

“Okay, well if we’re on the subject of telling parents what we really think then why don’t you take a page out of your own book and tell your parents that you have a boyfriend, oh, or better yet, the way you’ve been feeling for years about them refusing to acknowledge that you’re gay.” As soon as the words leave his mouth TK regrets them and he winces at the wounded look Carlos sends his way at his harsh words.

Fuck. 

“That’s not the same thing.” Carlos mutters, he sounds bitter about it and were it not for the deeply thoughtful look also making its way across his features TK would take the words back immediately.

“I could have gone about that differently, sorry…. But, but isn’t that exactly the same thing as this is though.” 

“We were talking about you.” Carlos points out in an attempt to deflect and TK just chooses to let it go because he doesn’t have the energy to have an argument about two different things at the moment. His head is enough of a mess as it is. 

“My point still stands, talking to your parents about all the ways they have hurt you is fucking hard, okay?”

“Yes, okay I will agree with you on that.”

“And if you really want to make this all about me this time then fine. Try telling my dad, Owen Strand, Captain of the 126, adored by his crew, envied by even more, hero, cancer survivor, the list could go on for a long time Carlos, yes try telling that person that oh yeah by the way dad you neglected me as a child and now I have both abandonment issues, self esteem issues and a constant fear that no one is ever going to love me because I am not worthy of it, that will go down real well.” 

He hits the bag three more times against the counter and lets out a triumphant sound as the frozen chickens finally rattle loose inside and he turns to hold it up to Carlos, a sly little smile at the corner of his lip, because his tactic did work even though Carlos had doubted it would. Carlos isn’t smiling though, he’s frowning, concern written all over his face, eyebrows pinched together and TK drops the bag in confusion.

“What?”

Carlos puts the knife down and takes the bag from TK, throwing it lazily, without looking in the direction of the kitchen sink before he steps up close, wrapping his arms around TK and pulling him close. TK lets out a huff of air, taken aback by the fierceness of the action. 

“I hate it when you do this to yourself…” Carlos starts and TK sighs, wraps his arms around him back and nods against Carlos’ neck, can’t help but breathe him in, feeling the calming effect of it already working through his system. 

“Sorry.”

“No, no don’t apologise.” Carlos leans back and TK looks up to meet his stormy eyes. He opens his mouth but he isn’t sure what to say. 

“I love you, okay? So much and I wish I could hit that into your thick skull sometimes but I can’t, so I’m just going to have to spend every day in this relationship proving that you are indeed worthy of love and no past damage or mistakes will change that, okay?” TK can only nod, his throat suddenly thick with emotions he doesn’t know how to express.

“With that said, you’re not very good at keeping things bottled up, especially not for a long time and especially not something this big, so you should probably really think about what you actually feel about this whole situation before you choose to do that.”

“Judd said I was jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah, something about me wanting to push the baby down a well or something because I couldn’t handle not being the only child anymore.”

“He said what now?” TK chuckles at Carlos’ incredulous look and he shrugs.

“It was some biblical reference I don’t know. Prodigal son?” 

“Oh, like Cain and Abel, like a lesser known older brother and the jealousy that stems from it because it’s natural to resent the baby because you’re scared it’s going to take your place.” Realisation dawns on Carlos’ face and his eyes light up like they always do when he gets to talk about things he knows, which at times is a surprisingly big amount of random shit.

“Yeah, yeah, exactly that.” TK says sarcastically, gives Carlos a curious look.

“What? I read.” He shrugs and smirks proudly. TK hums. ”Well Judd is good at a lot of things, maybe giving advice isn’t his forte.”

“And yours is?” TK lifts a challenging eyebrow. 

“I am an excellent advice giver, I’ll have you know. The issue isn’t me, the issue is everyone else and no one listening to what I’m saying.”

“Oh, so you have a lot of experience then, giving advice?” TK bites down his smile as Carlos glares without heat.

“I chased Michelle around for years when she was getting in trouble searching for her sister. I definitely have a lot of experience.” TK chuckles and leans up to kiss his nose. It wrinkles adorably and TK’s heart tugs in his chest. He loves Carlos so much.

“I love you too, so much. And I’m sorry for bringing up your parents again, that wasn’t nice of me.” TK apologizes and Carlos nods and watches back with quiet brown intense eyes.

“It’s okay, you were right though.” He grudgingly admits. 

“Maybe, but there is no pressure, as I’ve said you can take all the time in the world that you need to figure it out and I’ll support you either way.” He promises and Carlos gives him a soft beautiful smile.

“Thanks.” Carlos whispers, grateful and TK nods, and gently starts scraping his knuckles against Carlos’ scalp, pulling at his curls in a way that makes his face soften immediately, eyes falling shut in contentment and his arms tighten around TK, breathing heavily. His reaction tells TK that Carlos feels really comforted by the way he is touching him and that he needed it more than he let on.

TK has always responded well to touch, Carlos picked up on that a lot quicker than most, but it’s also not uncommon for Carlos to like it as well. He just doesn’t always express it, so TK’s taken to doing it when he senses it’s something Carlos needs, while not always being aware of it himself. It’s these small gestures TK’s learnt, that you do for the other person and that they do for you that love really is. 

Carlos’ eyes are closed and he’s letting out soft sounds of pleasure, it’s distracting as hell, and it’s making it even more difficult being this close to him and not kissing him, so TK does because he feels he can’t not do it, and angles Carlos’ head down and captures his lips in a searing hot kiss. As always when they kiss like this, starting out soft, but then growing with intention and heat, the slowburn of arousal starts to make its way through his veins, electric energy flooding his system. Only Carlos has this effect on him. 

When Carlos reaches to grab at his hair and then bites at his lip it makes TK whine and chase after him when he moves back. 

“Dinner, remember?” Carlos reminds him, but with his curls standing up unruly and his pupils dark with want, it’s very hard for TK to remember the reason why he can’t skip dinner all together and eat Carlos out instead. Carlos huffs and his hands tighten around his sides like he can read TK’s mind.

“After dinner.”

“Is that a promise?” TK asks slyly. 

“Yes.” Carlos reassures and the slow self satisfied grin tugging at his lips is fucking obscene and TK cheekily grabs his ass in retaliation. Carlos knows the effect he has on him. 

“You know cooking in boxers can be a fire hazard.” He points out.

“Good thing I know an excellent firefighter then.” He says and kisses TK hard on the lips before he steps away, walking back to his mostly finished chopped up onions, giving TK a very nice view of his ass in the black tight boxers he’s wearing. God, his boyfriend is hot as fuck.

The rest of the evening is so nice in fact that for a moment he doesn’t think about his parents or the baby, or anything other than how much he loves Carlos and how lucky he is to really have him in his life.

…….

TK unlocks the door to Carlos’ place, throws the bag towards what he hopes is the direction of the shoes, and puts his keys down in the bowl by the door, where Carlo’s are already lying. He steps inside and almost jumps out of skin when he sees his boyfriend sitting on the stairs, frowning and very clearly waiting for him. Most of the lights are off and it casts his features into stunning relief, even when angry, Carlos is too good looking for his own good.

“So, you heard?” TK gulps and Carlos nods.

“Yes, yes I did hear, from the group chat, but not just that, every goddamn news station in the state is covering how two firefighters jumped through a minefield to save two boys that were hurt.”

“Well, only one of them was hurt.” TK shuts his mouth when Carlos levels him with a deeply unimpressed look and he takes a slow step forward and tries again.

“In my defense, I am certified and I was qualified to do it.” TK stops, draws in a sharp breath, backtracks. “Are you mad?” 

Carlos lets out a deep breath, and his features soften slightly before he shakes his head, scrubs a hand through his face and when he looks up his eyes are wide and sad.

“No, no, of course I’m not mad. Just extremely worried.”

“Oh?” TK asks, feels confused, scrambling to catch up with the change, having been expecting that Carlos would be upset with him. Carlos huffs and opens his arms and it’s all TK needs for him to take a few steps forward before he sits down between Carlos’ legs, wrapping his arms around his neck, pulling him close. Carlos plants a kiss in his hair, and tightens his grip around TK, almost unconsciously starts stroking his hands down his back and TK lets him, can’t push away the guilt that’s come on so strong, mixing badly with the elevation he’s also feeling after the day he’s had. But when his boyfriend reacts like this it can’t help but leave an acid taste in his mouth too.

“I’m not sure whether I want to never let you leave my arms ever again or brag to everyone that I am for sure dating a hero.” Carlos says and were it not for the slight tremor of his voice that he tries to conceal, TK would laugh. 

“I wouldn’t mind never leaving your arms.” He admits because it sounds appealing, especially now, when adrenaline is starting to make way to exhaustion instead. 

Carlos huffs. 

“You’d get bored after a day or two.” He points out and TK shakes his head.

“You underestimate the excellent sex we do have, I’m sure I could be convinced for three days or so.” Carlos laughs, but then one of his hands wrap around TK’s wrist, feeling out his pulse, comforted by the steady thumping of it. TK lets him, allowing himself after the hectic day he’s had to tuck his face into the crook of Carlos’ shoulder and neck to breathe him in. They both have different ways of calming themselves down when the other one is near and on certain days they need it a little more than on others. 

“Your pulse is beating insanely quick.” Carlos points out after a while and TK hums against Carlos’ neck, gives himself a moment before he detaches himself slightly so he can look at him. 

“Adrenaline.” He shows Carlos his hand that’s still trembling slightly and Carlos’ eyebrow pinch in concern.

“I’m sorry -” TK begins because he really does hate it when Carlos is sad but Carlos shakes his head and interrupts. 

“No, no, this is on me. I know you have a dangerous job that sometimes requires that you take risks, I just wish they didn't have to be this big, a minefield, that’s just insane.” TK nods, he understands.

“But also really cool.” He can’t help but let slip out, eyes alive in excitement and smirking. Carlos snorts and pokes his nose, a little hard maybe, but only a little.

“Yes and designed to give me a goddamn heart attack, you know I’m not even 30, by this rate I’ll be going grey before I hit 35.” He points out, gives TK a look that speaks volumes about how offended Carlos seems to be over that. He laughs and reaches for Carlos’ hair, tugging gently on it.

“I think you’d suit grey really well to be fair.” Carlos wrinkles his nose in distaste and it’s so adorable that he can’t help but laugh again and Carlos distaste slowly melts into something much softer and he sticks his tongue out instead like a mature 26 year old that he is. “And if we’re pointing fingers, remember that hostage situation a while back where an office was shot and I thought it was you because you wouldn’t answer your phone?” Carlos winces and he looks momentarily guilty about that because TK had been so fucking worried he could barely even do his job that day and when Carlos hadn’t answered by the time they were both off shift TK had lost it a little bit. 

“Not my finest moment.” Carlos admits.

“No, so don’t go pointing fingers.” But he’s mostly joking even though that day had been scary as fuck, he so very much understands Carlos’ worry today, he really does. Carlos hums.

“How was it then?” He asks and TK bites at his lip, trying to figure out how to word everything. He turns towards Carlos and sits up on his knees, bringing him eyelevel with him and wraps his arms around his neck. Immediately Carlos’ hands come to rest on his waist, his fingers slipping underneath TK’s jumper to trace skin. 

“It was incredible, well the minefield aside which was scary for sure, but after that I’ve been feeling like I’ve been on this incredibly long lasting high ever since.” Carlos lifts an eyebrow at the metaphor and TK shrugs sheepishly. 

“Yeah, but it’s an apt metaphor for the feeling. I guess I haven’t felt good like that in a while.”

“No?” Carlos asks and there is no trace of judgement or anything in his voice, just kind and curious eyes looking at him. TK nods.

“The only other times I’ve felt this kind of high is you know actually getting high and when I’m with you, I guess the job’s been missing that spark for a while.” Carlos smiles and leans forward to plant a kiss on his nose.

“I’m not totally sure about comparing this relationship to a high.” He points out and TK snorts.

“I’m not, I’m comparing the feeling. Being with you is like pure happiness you know? I feel, just, like I’ve never felt before and even when it’s tough it’s worth it because I love you so much and I know deep down that you love me too and I never don’t want to spend my time with you, so yeah, the feeling is addictive for sure. I really just love you.” He goes quiet and Carlos' eyes have softened and he’s met by a look of pure love and a breathtakingly beautiful smile breaks across Carlos’ face before he pulls TK close and kisses him softly and slowly, making TK’s toes curl inside of his shoes. 

“Fuck.” Carlos whispers against his lips. “I love you too, so much.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Carlos says with adoring eyes and voice full of love before he runs his hand through TK’s hair and gently pulls him close, kissing him hard on his lips again. It’s TK who pulls back though making Carlos lift an eyebrow in surprise because it’s unexpected for TK to be the one to do this, so before TK can chicken out he blurts out the words.

“But I might have done something stupid…”

“Oh?” Carlos asks, amusement dancing in his eyes like he’s totally expecting it. 

“Yeah, I might have handed in my resume to Vega for the position to become a paramedic.” He rushes the words out, hates the silence between them and can’t help but feel ridiculously nervous all of a sudden waiting for Carlos' reaction. Carlos opens and closes his mouth a few times then shakes his head.

“Okay, wait, I think you need to back up a few steps here so I can follow.” He says, confusion evident in his eyes. But he’s giving TK an encouraging look at TK takes in a deep breath.

“The minefield was not fun and the thought of what could have happened to me and my dad while out there was really scary. I’m not trying to take massive risks anymore, not when I have you to come home to.” Carlos smiles, lovingly, and gives him an encouraging look spurring TK on. “But I knew someone had to get to the kid and with the help of my dad and Vega that I could do something about it, so I volunteered. And the elevation afterwards, that all came from saving the kid. It just… it felt really good to save someone, to be the one to actually do it.” TK confesses loudly for the first time since his shift ended and he in the spur of the moment added his name to the pile in Vega’s office, and saying it makes him feel a little calmer than he has ever since walking off the field. 

“Oh, okay.” Carlos says, not fully understanding yet what TK is trying to say, and yet being so patient with him, waiting for TK to figure it out. 

“I don’t know, I sometimes feel like I’m not doing enough in the field, like I could do more... and while I also know that’s not the case because every day we all go out in the field doing our best together. But I think I’ve been carrying this with me for a while now, it’s just that this year has been a lot, and even when there is a pandemic going on people still forget to turn their stove off, and they get into car accidents or have their cats escape up in trees unable to come down. The world hasn’t stopped, it’s been moving and I’ve been moving with it without having the time to reflect a lot on myself and the job. But today, I don’t know, I felt like something just clicked while out there and when I could really help him...I guess, I really liked doing it.” TK blushes because he’s been ranting and he’s averted his eyes but they move back to Carlos by their own accord and Carlos’ eyes have cleared from all earlier confusion, instead understanding has taken over and he nods his head thoughtfully.

“And that’s why you handed in your resume? Because you want to continue doing it?” Carlos fills in and TK nods biting his lip.

“D-do you… Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“It’s not up to me to tell you what to do babe, but you know what?”

“What?” TK asks, hanging onto every word he’s saying. 

“I think you’d be good at it.”

“Yeah?” He asks, hopeful, and Carlos smiles.

“Of course, you’d be amazing at it, if it’s what you want.”

“It is yes, it’s what I want.” TK says with certainty. It’s just clicked, like all that has been shaking loose and upended recently inside of him finally settle a little more.

“Then yes, it’s an amazing idea. You’re going to be so good.” Carlos grins and TK melts because while he doesn’t depend on Carlos’ approval for this it’s so nice to see him be actually happy for him.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Carlos promises and TK releases the breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding and his own face breaks into a relieved smile. 

“I think I could be good at it too.” He confesses a little shyly and Carlos beams and pulls TK slightly forward, his forehead resting on his and everything just settles for TK because nothing beats this, nothing beats Carlos. 

“I’m proud of you.” Carlos says and TK can’t bite down the smile. But it falls off his face after a moment and he moves back, looks a little unsure again.

“I might have done something else that wasn’t very smart.” Carlos huffs, lifts an eyebrow, so ever patient with him.

“What did you do now?”

“I didn’t tell my dad…” He trails off and Carlos grimaces but then a look of determination takes over and he shrugs before he gently grasps TK’s face between his hands, stroking a thumb lovingly along his cheek.

“Well, you know what I think?” TK shakes his head. “I think it’s not any of his business really.”  

That surprises TK to be honest and he lifts an eyebrow.

“W-what? I mean really?”

“Yeah, I mean maybe you should have told him before you just went and did it, but it’s your life and not his. And as long as you’re not doing it for someone else then it’s not really his choice to make.”

“I’m doing it for me, it’s what I want.” Carlos’ lip lifts in a proud smile and he nods.

“Good.”

“But, what if he’s not happy?”

“I don’t think he will be unhappy, maybe a little surprised and maybe give him a moment. But if he knows you like I do, then he will realise it’s a good thing.”

“Okay, I hope so.” TK musters up a wane smile, still can’t push away the spikes of anxiety about the conversation he’s going to have to have with his dad. But it can wait, for a little while at least. 

“You know Vega is going to bust your ass right?” Carlos jokes, eyes full of mirth, smirking and TK snorts.

“Yeah, yeah I know.”

“I remember when Michelle started training under her, the stories she would tell me, Vega is badass and she taught Michelle who is also a badass, I’m expecting she’s going to do the same to you.”

“I’m already a badass.” TK reminds him and Carlos chuckles. 

“True, I think she will do you some good though. Challenge you and allow you to really thrive under her, she has that effect on people.” TK nods.

“It’s a tough job…”

“Yeah, but as you said, you’re already a badass, you’re going to do great.”

“It will be nice to be the paramedic, rather than calling one.” TK says and it grows a little more serious between them. 

“I mean -” TK clears his throat at Carlos’ silence. “I have experience of being on the other end and I know what it’s like being helped. I guess a part of me is looking forward to doing the helping.”

“I see, well you care so much about people and if you get a chance to show that, to show them this.” Carlos' hands move to cover TK’s heart and it flutters in his chest, warmth spreading to every cell of his body and he smiles shyly. “Then, well, you’re going to be very good at it.” TK bites his lip and nods.

“It feels… I don’t know, just right.”

“Good, that’s amazing.” TK doesn’t know what to say but he’s grateful, more than how he knows to express at the moment but in the way Carlo’s face softens, maybe he can read between the lines.

“Have you talked to Owen about the baby yet?” TK groans, can’t help but glare, the moment between them broken suddenly, like a bucket of ice cold water has been thrown at him, and he moves his head away, hiding in the crook of Carlos’ shoulder and neck and nibbles at his skin making Carlos chuckle, twitching in his arms.

“No, not yet…” He says though, voice muffled by Carlos’ skin. 

“Well, do you want to talk about it?” TK sighs but takes his head away and meets Carlos’ eyes. 

“I feel… I mean I am happy for them of course but...” He bites at his lip, hard and Carlos reaches forward with his thumb to gently stroke it over the swollen redness making TK stop the action. He takes in a deep breath instead.

“But they always do this, and I don’t even think they are realising it, but they get so single-minded and focused on themselves that they forget everything else. The fighting isn’t fun, I’ve been in the middle of it and I know how lonely and unwanted you can feel when it happens. What they’re doing, it feels like they are just falling into the same patterns as before without even realising that they are, and it’s not going to last if they do it that way.” 

Carlos looks thoughtful and TK feels annoyed and frustrated because he can’t help but think it makes his parents feel so irresponsible and it’s hard to come to terms with that because his parents in their own right are extremely competent people, it’s just when together, they aren’t always. 

“I support you, I always will and your feelings here are valid and to be worried is honestly a sign of growth.” Carlos begins.

“Oh, you're calling me mature, that’s unusual.” TK jokes, changing the subject.

“I mean you’re definitely a hot mess, a terrible terrible driver for sure.” Carlos easily fires back.

“God, did Judd text you?”

“And filmed some of it. This is why I’m never letting you drive my baby.”

“Hold on, I thought I was your baby, and here I find out you have someone else on the side?” Carlos’ arms tighten around him, biting his lip, the smile threatening to take over. 

“What can I say, I really like that car and I paid a lot of money for it.”

“It’s a terrible car for making out in.” TK reminds him and Carlos smirks, reminded of the few times they’ve gotten frisky in it. 

“True, still not letting you drive it.” He teases and TK glares. 

“Rude.”

“Maybe, but I care too much about the possibility of my greying hairs to get here sooner than I’d like to, to get into a car where you are driving us.”

“Well I might be a paramedic soon, so at least you'd be with someone where your odds are fractionally better if you were to get in an accident.”

“Still not letting you drive it Strand.”

“Worth a shot.” TK laughs and Carlos smiles.

“So, do you want dinner or?”

TK shakes his head.

“No, I’m good, but I’m getting too old to sit on my knees like this.” He grumbles and shifts to get the blood running again. Carlos chuckles and makes it all the easier by just scooping him up in his arms. TK yelps and Carlos grins, delighted by the sound. TK wraps his legs around Carlos’ waist, tightens his arms around his neck.

“Please don’t drop me.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it baby.” Carlos reassures grinningly. “So, bed?”

“Bed.” TK agrees.

He lets Carlos carry him up the stairs and into the bedroom, feeling so safe in his arms, that whatever conversation that’s waiting for him tomorrow with his dad, doesn’t matter as much anymore.

[rejectofsociety]

So, We Got Detention

A/N: Hi! I got this idea to write a series (I guess?) of one-shots that all take place during/around the time of Spiderman: Homecoming— all of which will showcase Peter and his classmates. So, here’s the first of six(?) fics. I hope you enjoy 1.2 of MJ and Peter being awkward but trying their best anyways.

I’ll put it under the cut as to avoid crowding your dash, but you can also read it here on Ao3.

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞　　∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

Peter left his last class of the day with his head down shamefully. Ned pat his back reassuringly then muttered a goodbye, not lingering too long as he had a bus to catch. Peter briefly flashed a half-assed smile and quickly returned the goodbye. However, Peter was not lucky enough to be heading home. He had been sentenced to two hours of after school detention due to missing his first two classes that morning.

He trudged down the emptying halls towards detention, dreading the “So, You Got Detention” lecture that he would be forced to hear on loop for the next two hours straight. If he ever saw Captain America again, he might knock him out just for agreeing to make that stupid video.

“Hey, Peter,” a voice called.

Peter whirled around to see his classmate, Michelle, walking up to him with a little gadget in her hand. She held it out to him and his eyes widened slightly upon seeing part of one of his webshooters laying in her palm.

“You dropped this in science,” she explained nonchalantly, although it sounded like she was deliberately trying to sound casual instead of letting it come naturally.

“Thanks,” he quickly snatched it out of her hand and stuffed it into the side pocket of his backpack.

She nodded slightly, eying him suspiciously, “what is it?”

Peter continued walking with Michelle at his side, “just part of a science project.”

“We don’t have any projects in science right now,” Michelle pointed out.

“I-it’s not a school project,” Peter rapidly lied, “it’s something I’ve been working on in my own time.”

“Instead of doing your homework?” She guessed.

Peter laughed slightly, his mood brightening at the comment. She raised her eyebrows at him then her lips gradually melted into a small smile. She hadn’t intended for her remark to be funny, but Peter had the best laugh and the most contagious smile out of anyone she knew, so she didn’t mind.

“I mean- no, yeah-“ he rubbed the back of his neck, “yeah, basically.”

She snorted a laugh and shook her head slightly, “well, good luck with that.”

“Thanks,” Peter’s lips quirked into a tiny half-smile as they reached the end of the hallway, “bye, Michelle.”

“Bye, Peter,” she returned.

The two went quiet, both expecting the other to start walking in the opposite. But, in a moment of brain-breaking awkwardness, they both turned down the same hall, still walking side-by-side.

Peter pressed his lips into a thin line and Michelle felt her face heat up. The hall was deserted and uncomfortably quiet, leaving the only sounds to be their shuffling footsteps and Michelle’s heart pounding nervously. Peter swallowed thickly as he stared at the ground. Now what? They had said their goodbyes, the conversation was over, and neither knew the other well enough to make a conversation.

“So, um... a-are you going to detention too?” Michelle forced herself to ask, internally scolding herself for sounding so awkward.

“Yeah,” Peter replied although he thought that was obvious, “are you?”

“Yes,” she raised an eyebrow, still avoiding eye contact, “I just-“

“I know. I knew it the moment I said it,” he quickly corrected himself.

Michelle pressed her lips together and nodded stiffly. Peter’s face heated up a little, feeling both embarrassed and guilty about cutting her off.

At the same time, he and Michelle went to speak.

“So, what’re you-“

“Why are-“

They both stopped frantically and started over.

“Sorry, I-“

“I didn’t mean to-“

Again, they stopped mid-sentence and averted their gazes to their feet. Did the detention classroom just get really far away? Peter thought to himself, and I feel like it’s really hot in here. The halls are normally cold. Michelle’s kinda pretty- oh my gosh shut up! Did I say that out loud?! I feel like I said that out loud!

“What’re you in for?” Michelle quickly said, taking her chance while Peter was quiet.

“Skipping class,” he answered, his tense shoulders relaxing just the slightest bit, “what about you?”

“Oh, I didn’t do anything. I just like drawing people in a crisis,” she replied and almost visibly cringed the moment the words left her mouth.

Seriously, Michelle? She mentally criticized, literally no one wants to hear that! That’s so weird. Peter doesn’t need to know about you’re stupid little obsession-

“That’s cool,” Peter responded and the genuine interest in his voice made her heart leap. Then he joked: “you should draw me.”

“Yeah,” she managed a small chuckle, ignoring the feverish feeling of blood rushing to her cheeks, “I should.”

“And you can show me when you’re done?” He requested.

“Totally.”

As she spoke, the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile and Peter’s eyes trailed briefly to her lips. He felt a faint fluttering sensation in his stomach. It was brief, but lasted long enough for him to notice. It felt almost like someone had lit a spark inside him— it was warm and pleasant.

But, as he entered the detention classroom, Peter quickly shook off the feeling and chose to think nothing of it.

The two took their seats and Peter felt a pang of disappointment when he realized Michelle was sitting a few seats away from him. He couldn’t quite identify where the disappointment came from, though. It’s not like they would be able to talk to each other for the two hours they’d be stuck together. Maybe he just desired some close company.  

Either way, there was no point in lingering on Michelle and Peter couldn’t blame her for not wanting to sit with him. It would probably be incredibly awkward anyways, considering the fact that the two had just barely managed a stiff, two minute conversation.

I wish Liz was here. She’s so pretty— really sweet too, Peter thought to himself as an undeniable smile crept across his lips. I should ask her to the Homecoming dance before someone else does. Geez, how do I ask someone out? He would definitely have to ask May for advice when he got home.

Meanwhile, as Peter grinned to himself, Michelle couldn’t help but watch from a few desks away. Part of her wondered if he thought about her when he smiled. She knew that was a ridiculous fantasy, but she could always pretend for her own comfort and confidence.

She had genuinely no clue why she hadn’t taken one of the desks next to him. Maybe part of her panicked so she had subconsciously chosen a seat farther away to avoid embarrassing herself— even though she had no idea how she could embarrass herself in detention where they weren’t allowed to talk or move. Grant it, she was socially-awkward, reclusive Michelle Jones with a massive crush on Peter Parker, the one and only person who could catch her off guard— she’d find a way to embarrass herself without lifting a finger.

Whatever, she thought with a sigh as she pulled out her sketchbook and favorite pencil, I can try talking to him later if he’s not too busy running off the face of the Earth and I’m not too busy panicking.

So, with that thought lingering in the back of her mind, she silently started brewing up a list of things she talk about with Peter and touched her pencil to her paper, creating the beginning of her new sketch.

[sonia7atm]

BRIDGERTON BOOK SERIES REVIEW.

So here it is, before I start I just wanted to say that I’m in no way shape or form an expert in english or literature for that matter. English is my third language and I’m studying science. Having said that, I have read all eight books in less than two weeks and I have a lot of opinions that I wanted to share so here they are. Obviously: SPOILERS AHEAD

The series in its entirety

The bridgerton series is probably the best written series that I have ever read. I loved the fact that it is made up of 8 books, but also the way the books are structured. In each of the books we focus on one of the siblings and their significant others, and even when the side characters are there, they are not really a main focus of the story. This means you can pick up a random Bridgerton book without having read the other ones and you would not feel like you are missing something. I really liked this because it meant that with each book you were getting to know a different sibling, thus you are never really bored and there wasn’t unnecessary drama happening with the already established couples, which is refreshing at the least.

However, it does have setbacks. In some of the books, you find that this side characters really change from the way they appear in the background or the other novels, and it can be difficult to digest at first. Another flaw that I found is with the brothers' books. When I was reading some of the books dedicated to the men of the family sometimes I found that we don’t spend enough time with them and when you finish the books you don’t have an understanding of who they are. Maybe I’m not making sense but I’ll elaborate in each book a little bit more.

But in the end, even these little flaws, I had a great time reading the books and finding out what was happening with the family.

My favourite book - AOFAG

I know some people have trouble ranking the Bridgerton books, especially, the favourite one, but I’m not one of them. I am obsessed with “An offer from a gentleman”, I love the story, I love Sophie, I love Benedith and I love Violet Bridgerton with all of my heart. This book is great from the start, even though b, the third book you know a happy ending is what the book is leading to, it still excites you and makes you wonder. AMAZING DARE I SAY.

Sophie is one of my favourite characters in all of the books. She has a strong morals system and you get really inspired by her. All of the things she goes through are horrible, but she still remains such a calm and kind individual that I cannot help but stan. HARD. She has very strong ideas and morals and she sticks with them even when they mean losing Benedict. I found this message really important and powerful because we usually see the opposite: people changing their views for their significant other, and I don’t think it's right. So, hereby I declare Sophie QUEEN of the Bridgerton clan.

Moving on to Benedict, I heard a little bit of criticism with his actions in this book and I see where they are coming from, but I don’t share them. I think Benedict is one of the brothers that suffers from a really deep female counterpart and as such his thoughts are not fully explored. In my opinion Benedict is tormented by the fact that he is the second Bridgerton and nothing more (similar to Colin and kinda Gregory really), and also by the fact that he lost the woman at the ball. On top of that, Sophie comes along and he starts falling for her and he feels guilty that he is falling for someone else, so he doesn’t fully commit to Sophie but also doesn’t really leave her. It’s a messed up situation and he doesn’t make the best decisions but I understand his actions and I support him. The only thing that really annoyed me about Benedict is that he doesn’t recognize Sophie at all. I wanted to hit him, hard, in the head, with a fucking piano.

Now the best of the best: Violet Bridgerton. She was the surprise character of this book in that prison scene. In the previous book you still see her and like her but she saves the day in this one, and I felt like I really knew her after that. She is not the typical ton mother, she really values their children’s happiness and takes everyone under her wing. She knows who she is and the importance her family has and she uses her powers for good. I gained so much respect for her. A surprise character and a great one.

To sum it up, Benedict and Sophie are perfect to each other, like this mellow entity. Two kind souls, always happy, always calm. Of course they live in the countryside, they could not live anywhere else.

Top tier books - WHWW, RMB, TVWL

WHEN HE WAS WICKED

This book wrecked me, I have to admit I was a mess, I could not deal. A tragic story with so much longing and guilt and despair, I love a drama, man this is great. I went in knowing the basics of it but I was not prepared.

The poor Francesca has the most devastating story in my opinion: she suffers from infertility, her husband dies, she doesn’t feel like she fits in her family, and when she falls in love Michael is sick, WHY?!. Throughout the book you get to see how strong she is, how strong-willed she is. We are not talking about this enough. She loves with all her heart and she suffers with all of it too. She and Michel have a really strong chemistry and it translates really well. I think she was really clever to wait and think before committing to Michael, and I see how she would need to see him in danger to really let herself fall completely. In the end, she knows what losing someone you love feels like and she doesn’t want to feel that again. I understand. Also, an important part of Francesca's journey is to realize that loving someone else doesn’t diminish her feelings for John, and I love how Michael acknowledges it. 

Michael is a really interesting character who falls in love at first sight with the wrong woman. He is fully aware of this fact and it is really good to see that he doesn’t doubt his love for her, but is instead aware of the impossibility of doing something about it. Even when he can do something about it, his respect for his cousin is always present. The guilt he feels for loving Francesca both when John was alive and after he died is so different but so well written. It’s eating him up and It is painful to read to be honest. However, I found that said guilt disappeared rather quickly after his conversation with Colin. I may be the only one but I was a little bit put off by it, and that’s why this is not my favourite book in the series.

THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME 

The bees, I could talk about the bees for days after reading this one. This one has a lot of Bridgerton backstory, and it explains so much of the rest of the bunch even if not directly. So I would say not to skip it (but why would you skip any of them?).

Kate Sheffield is one of the best written characters in this series. She is complex, fierce but delicate, confident but self-conscious. I would kill for her, she deserves it. Her family dynamics are impeccable. You feel the love between these three women and the roles they have, and you get them really quickly: Edwina is the little sister, a little naive but good-hearted, Kate is the fierce older sister and Mary is the compassionate step-mother. I really enjoyed their dynamics. The introduction of Kate’s character is by presenting her goal for the season: defend her sister. When Anthony enters the pool of suitors, she obviously opposes and their back and forth shows she is very witty. But as the story goes on we get to see her insecurities and fears, in a way that it’s so in character but at the same time so different from the start. It’s amazing and I can see why she is such a fan favourite.

Anthony is a baby.We can see how Edmund’s death really scarred him, and those wounds are deep. He believes in his own demise so blindly that it is conditioning all of his decisions.He grows a lot until he is able to share them with Kate and they bond so beautifully over it. Getting to see that, was something that I loved and enjoyed so much. It makes you really connect with both of the characters and it explains so much of his behaviour, that even if he frustrates you, you can’t be mad because you understand where he comes from.

Newton is the guest star in this one and I would like to take our time to appreciate the captain of the Kanthony ship. This little dog is such a plot device, put there to cause havoc and bring Kate and Anthony together, it is so funny. He smelled Anthony and decided he wanted a new dad. Put a plan in march, probably alerted his friend, THE bee.

ROMANCING MR BRIDGERTON

The message of this book is amazing. The journey they both go through to re-know each other is beautiful. Penelope and Colin have known each other for years, and they both have a version of the other in their minds but as the story progresses they unveil hidden personality traits about each others and I love how it is acknowledge and developed into a clear message of “people are flawed and not the perfect individual you wish them to be, and that’s ok”. It is really necessary and it made me reflect on my own relationships and how I could improve them. Colin and Penelope have to be my favourite couple of the series, but, because they were because of the show and not the books, when I finished this book I was left feeling like I wanted more, and that is why it is not my favourite one.

This is the book where readers find out Penelope is Lady Whiseldown and it is a big plot line. However, this revelation is maybe halfway through the book and until then, Penelope's inner monologue doesn’t reveal anything. I would have loved to really focus on it and know from the start how she really did it but at the same time, we get to see so much of Pen’s growth anyways. She is shy and kind but when she is with someone she trusts (in this case Colin and Lady Danbury), she is full of wit and boldness. I see myself so much in these characteristics that I cannot help but make her my favourite character in the series (totally biased but it is what it is). She starts with a sense of discontent about her, she knows her fate and accepts it but, she doesn’t necessarily like it. She is trying to change the way people see her and Lady Danbury helps a lot with it. She and Colin spend a lot of the book kind of on opposite sides in part because of their own demons, she wants to prove herself and at the same time is faced with the realization that the Colin she made up in her mind is not the real one. It really makes you wonder if it’s a happy ending at the end of it, because they both have such strong points but they are so diverse. At the end, after they talk about it, their relationship is full of devotion and you feel how they are making each other focused and better. I would die for them.

Colin is such a tumultuous character and it is a stark contrast on how we get to see him in the previous and following books. He is used to putting the charm on and fooling everybody but, of course, in this book we explore his inner workings and now we know the truth. He is just a lost puppy, looking for something to do with his life, and he is so focused on this search and runnin away for his family that he doesn’t see that there is already something that he is good about: writing. His relationship with Pen is obviously key in all of this searching because it pushes his limits and makes him think. His realization, of both his vocation and his love are slow and steady. He sometimes jumps to conclusions and rushes things *ahem*the proposal*cough* but not love, and once he commits he does it fully. The “stay, stay, stay” scene is a monumental hallmark in the book. We see Colin really deciding and choosing Penelope and Lady Whistle down with all that it entails. And later on, he opens out about his jealousy over her work, but he does it when he is ready, and Pen allows him to come to her when he needs without judgement. They are so perfect it hurts. 

The lack of Eloise is an insult to my soul but we get Lady Danbury as the guest star. She is on Penelope's corner helping her navigate the ton and her relationship with Colin, as a mother figure would. I believe she at least has a big suspicion that she is LW, but I might be wrong.

All-nighter books - OTWTTW, IIHK. ON THE WAY TO THE WEDDING

Gregory’s book is full of twists and turns that you just cannot put it down. Not the fact that the main female character is Lucy and not Hermoine, like Gregory thinks half of the book, just because you don’t. It is pretty clear that Lucy is our heroine so the fact that Gregory falls for her is not a twist itself because we (and Kate) already know. But in my opinion, the fact that it starts with Gregory interrupting the wedding and then it goes back and explains the backstory to you, so it is constantly leading up to it. 

Lucy is not the most interesting of the female leads but it is part of her charm. She is a normal girl, her life is already arranged, so she doesn’t feel the pressure the rest of them do, she is just enjoying herself. She doesn’t believe in love, and it is so funny how in denial she is about it, until it all explodes. 

Gregory’s life was influenced by her brothers before him and his big family but he feels so alone because of the age difference. He is trying to find his place in life and, because he saw all of his siblings fall in love he wants the same thing so badly, that he confuses desire with love. He is so precious, and must be protected at all costs.

The last few chapters are action packed, there’s an urgency in everyone's actions: Lucy, trying to save her family and Gregory, trying to save Lucy. I couldn’t figure out what was going to happen and that hooked me. The fact that the wedding actually takes place is the most shocking plot of all of the books.  

To conclude, Gregory owns my heart and I trust him with it.

IT’S IN HIS KISS

This story is another “all-nighter”, because it revolves around a mystery and the search for Gareth’s grandmother lost jewels. This quest brings Hyacinth and Gareth together, with a lot of Lady Danbury’s help. It’s really interesting to read about the felonies they commit, all of them instigated by Hyacinth, who, in my opinion, is chaos personified. 

Hyacinth is the most forward-thinking woman of this series. She is outspoken, confident, loud and apologetic. All of these traits really set her apart, because she doesn’t play by the rules of society, she does what she pleases, and she should. She is the typical little sister, a little spoiled but with a good heart. Her conversations with Violet are really touching. 

Gareth on the other side, is not in a good place with his family, and it is endearing to see how shocked he is by the Bridgerton’s closeness. He has a severe lack of self love, and sees himself as an imposter, and not worthy of Hyacinth. But when he falls, OMG, HE FALLS. His attitude towards Hyacinth’s personality is amazing because he loves her exactly as she is, and knows he will be following her orders for the rest of his life. Adorable. (He is the “That’s my wife” meme).

Lady Danbury is again the guest star and it only helps to cement her as the cool grandma that we all aspire to be. An honorable mention is Anthony getting super-duper happy that all of his sisters are married and therefore he is free (my poor guy).

However, the main issue I have with this book is that the decision of getting married is really attached to Gareth’s need to vex his father, who is a horrible person, and it makes me mad. 

Not my favourite books - TSPWL, TDAI

TO SIR PHILIP WITH LOVE

In this book Eloise decides running off to meet a possible husband is a great idea. Her brain, I can’t. Obviously the Bridgerton brothers follow her and force the two to marry anyways, although they were already falling in love when they found her. Phillip, Eloise's love interest is a loner and lives outside of the ton and I think that these traits really work with her because they are polar opposites but at the same time they fit so well. The relationship Eloise has with Amanda and Oliver is so cute, because you can see that these kids just need some attention and help navigating the world without her mother and Eloise is there for them.

However, even though I loved their storyline and I wanted to rank this higher I couldn’t. The other Bridgertons are a big part of this book and when I was thinking back on it the parts that I remember fondly the most are when Anthony, Benedict, Colin and Gregory arrive to kill talk to Philip, and then when Charles is ill and we get to see Benedict and Sophie as parents. So, I like this book because of side characters and not the main ones, even though I know there is nothing wrong with them. However, I do think the book is ok and I would recommend it nevertheless.

THE DUQUE AND I

I don’t have much to say about this book. The r*pe is completely unnecessary in my opinion. Daphne and Simon have terrible communication skills, but so do Kate and Anthony, for example, but still, the repercussions are not that severe. It is so much worse in the books and it has no consequences whatsoever. Up until that point, the enemies to secret dating to falling in love is such a classic thorpe that I usually like, but I cannot separate the two of them. In fact, I would advise to skip this one.

Hapily Ever After

Thank you to the heavens for this book. It is just a little exploration of all of the sibling’s future and an extra story for Violete.

Daphne’s story revolves around her last pregnancy. A surprise one when she is quite old. I found it really sweet and it looks like she and Simon are really happy with their life so good for them. Also, Colin and Penelope visit with all of their children so I’m obligated to like it.

The TVWLM continuation is a get together in Aubrey Hall for a Pall Mall rematch. I had so much fun reading it and getting to see all of the Bridgertons interact in a “relaxed” manner.

Sophie and Benedict’s story focuses on Posy and her search for a husband. She is lovely and I do want her happiness but getting to see Sophie and Benedict interact while actually together was a treat. I feel very blessed to see them be the balls of sunshine they both are.

Then we get to see how Eloise found out Lady Whisheldow’s identity. It was fun, and we get to see Pen and Eloise being friends, which we don’t get enough of in their respectives books. Colin and Penelope leaving the wedding early, was a gem. They are a couple of horny idiots and I love to see it. After that, we focus on Eloise again and we get to see a little bit more about Amanda and Oliver.

One of the main things about Francesca in her book is the fact that she wants a baby, and it is never resolved. In this one, we get to see how Francesca and Michael become parents and it's another heartbreaking one. We get to see how worried Violet is for her and also how Michael and Francesca talk and understand each other. They are one of the best relationships on this series, I said what I said.

In IIHK the diamonds are never found, but we find them here. It is great to know they were not missing and also a relief to know that Gareth was able to rescue the family even without them. The fact that Isabella actually finds them and proceeds to say nothing is hilarious. But when Hyacinth finds them the happiness she feels is so wholesome.

Then we get to see Gregory and Lucy’s twins be born (their 8th and 9th children). It is not an easy task and for a moment I was afraid for Lucy but it all works out in the end. It was filled with great moments but the one that I like the most is when Gregory says that Katherine gave him purpose in life, because he was meant to be a dad. I cried ngl.

And lastly, we meet Edmund. He is very present throughout the book but I was not expecting to grow so attached to him with this little story. It is divided in different stages of Violet’s life and obviously we get to see her romance with Edmund. I loved the little details, his behaviour reminded me of Gregory but he eats a lot like Colin so it is great to see where they get their traits from. The later parts, after he dies, show you how much importance Violet puts on remembering him and preserving his memory. They were truly soulmates, and it is such a shame that their time together was cut short.

[lyssismagical]

Maybe 28 and 57 for the prompt writing? That would be really cute 💖

28 - “No, like…. It’s just, I can’t believe you’re actually wearing my clothes.”

57 - “Who changed the thermostat settings? I’m freezing to death.” 

Idk how it happened but nearly 4k words of Cheerleading Captain!Peter x Quarterback!Harley for your consideration

 *

Joining a new school in junior year wasn’t easy. Moving from Tennessee to New York was even harder.

But if there was one thing Harley had on his side, he was a fantastic football player. And everyone knew football players were top of the social pyramid.

“Quarterback? Really?” One of the boys say when he says it to the coach. “You think the new kid will get the position?”

Harley shrugs. “I played in Tennessee. I won every game.”

The coach lifts an eyebrow and then nods in approval. “Ever since the schoolboard started talking about implementing athletics at a STEM school, we’ve been pretty emptyhanded. Not enough students willing to drop robotics to join a team, not enough good students. We won one game last year out of a total of nearly fifteen.”

With a smug grin, he rolls his shoulders and slips his helmet over his head.

He gets Quarterback with ease.

As he’s leaving the field after tryouts, he notices a group of girls and a boy congregating by the bleachers, all dressed in blue and gold.

“You’re new here,” a girl says, appearing beside him. He recognizes her, having been sitting in the bleachers alone during tryouts. She’s not wearing a football uniform or the ones the group across from them is wearing.

“Harley Keener,” he replies. “You’re Michelle, right? You’re in my chemistry class.”

She offers half a smile. “MJ. I heard you landed Quarterback.”

“Not that it was particularly hard, there’s not much competition.”

Looping their arms together, she leads him a few more feet away from the group. “They’re the cheerleaders in case you didn’t know. Cindy, the one with the pink water bottle, she’s co-captain. And Peter Parker is captain, he’s been captain since freshman year.”  

“He’s captain?”

MJ’s smile turns knowing. “Yeah, he’s captain. Too bad you missed him in freshman year. The school didn’t have the budget for two sets of cheerleader uniforms, so Peter had to wear the short skirt the whole first year. I had to teach him how to shave his legs. Now he gets to wear pants.”

Harley turns, pretends not to look, but still says, “The pants are nice.”

“I know what that’s code for,” MJ laughs.

Indignant, Harley huffs, “I’m not a creep, his pants are just really tight.”

“Well, he is both single and bisexual, so if you’re courageous enough, I’d say to shoot your shot, Keener.”

Before Harley has the time to reply, MJ’s already walking off towards the school, without even a glance over her shoulder.

Harley’s not courageous enough to ask Peter out. All he does is wave from a distance, reveling in Peter’s little smile in return before making his way to the locker rooms.

* The first game of the season they nearly lose thanks to Harley’s constant staring at Peter on the sidelines.

The next two games, he focuses so intently on winning for Peter that they totally annihilate the other teams.

At the end of their third game, a home game, Harley’s on his way to the showers, grinning at his teammates when Peter catches up to them.

“Congratulations on your win,” he says.

Harley’s stunned into silence. It’s the first time he’s really seen Peter up close. They only share one class together, Spanish, and they sit on opposite ends, with Harley only able to see the back of his head.

But Peter’s gorgeous.

His brown curls are messy from the last few hours of cheering on the sidelines and the halftime show, some of it still sticking to his forehead. His pale skin is practically glowing in the lights of the field, bambi-brown eyes sparkling and wide, and chest still heaving from the exertion of their last, over-the-top performance. His arms are practically straining in the tight t-shirt he’s wearing, the gold accents making his eyes look a little more honey, smile wide on his face.

“I, uh-” Harley chokes out, cursing himself for acting dumb. “Thank you. You guys were pretty incredible.”

“Thanks.” A soft blush rises on his cheeks, makes him look down, smile turning shy. “Good luck on your next game. The Brooklyn Team’s the best in state.”

Harley can’t help the frown. “You won’t be there?”

“I’ve got Academic Decathlon competition in DC that weekend. But good luck anyways.”

“You too…” Harley feels like his chest is constricting over the knowledge that Peter’s smart too. “I, uh, I guess I’ll see you around?”

Peter smiles sweetly and leans up to press a kiss to his cheek. “Yeah, I’ll see you around.”

* Over the next few weeks of short conversations after games or practices, Harley finds himself watching Peter all the time.

Peter wears his cheerleading uniform all day everyday like the others do, head held high and students parting for him like he’s royalty. He’s friends with pretty much everyone, sending smiles and having short conversations as he goes down the hallway to class.

He’s also unbelievably kind, stopping teasing at every chance he gets, using his popularity to keep people in line, being nice to even the nerdiest looking freshmen.

Harley finds himself falling hard the longer he knows Peter.

Watching the way he moves with grace and confidence in such contrast to the way he blushes and smiles shyly whenever he’s complimented. It makes Harley’s heart clench with this crush that feels like it’s developing way too fast for his own comfort.

* “Could I talk to you?” Peter asks him after practice.

Harley’s still sweaty, still uncomfortably warm in his pads and uniform, helmet dangling from his fingertips leaving his hair messy and ruffled. But he offers a smile. “Yeah, everything okay?”

The cheerleader looks uncomfortable, turning his gaze to the grass, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Hey,” Harley says, voice dropping low and quiet as he pulls them farther away from their teams, trying his best to keep his thoughts away from Peter’s bicep flexing wondrously beneath his fingers. “You can talk to me, whatever it is.”

“It’s just embarrassing…” Peter looks up at Harley through his eyelashes. “My grades have dropped in a few of my classes, and I know we only share Spanish, but I kinda got MJ to snoop and it turns out you have one of the highest GPA’s in school.”

Harley frowns because that can’t possibly be right. “From what I’ve seen in Spanish class, you seem really smart.”

“Well, I don’t want to sound overly confident, but I am smart. I’ve just had a bad habit of slacking off when it comes to homework. So my grades aren’t looking too hot and my aunt threatened to make drop out of cheerleading if I didn’t get it in order.”

Offering a reassuring smile, Harley nods. “Not really tutoring, but I can sit with you in the library and help you work through the homework? More like study date- sessions. Study sessions.”

Peter positively lights up in a grin. “Wow, really? Thank you! I’ve got cheerleading practice three nights a week and Academic Decathlon every other night, so I’m not really free, but if you’re willing to hang out after your football practices…”

“Yeah, of course, sounds perfect. We’ll start Wednesday?”

“Yes! Thank you! I promise I’ll be a good study partner. I’ll see you around, Harley!”

And with that, Peter skips off to catch up with his cheerleader friends.

Harley can only shake his head in wonder and head off to the lockers.

* Wednesday comes quickly, and Harley’s glad because with how much time he spends daydreaming about Peter, he’s not sure he can keep up his grades either.

But soon enough, he’s waiting outside the locker rooms for Peter, hoping that the shower was enough to wash away the sweat from the tough practice.

“Hey!” Peter says, bubbly and smiling brightly. “I know we said we’d study at the library, but I’m getting a little bit sick of being inside all day. Do you want to work out on the bleachers?”

Harley nods, swallowing thickly and trying his best to keep his eyes strictly on Peter face and not watch his arms or his neck or his legs. “Sounds good.”

They head out into the setting sun, playfully nudging shoulders and nearly racing each other to get to the bleachers first, which ends in Peter laughing and shouting when he makes it their first.

“So, I heard from MJ this morning that you were being unbelievably humble when you said you were smart. She said you have a genius IQ. And you needed study help, why?”

“I told you,” Peter says, laughing. “I haven’t done homework in nearly three years. My grades are solely based on test scores and participation which would be fine if the take-home projects weren’t weighted so heavily.”

Harley rolls his eyes but takes out his Chemistry textbook anyways. “Alright, let’s get you caught up then. You’ve got nearly two months of homework to catch up on.”

“Let’s do this then.”

It turns out, Harley loves watching Peter work. He really is a genius, easily getting the work done like it’s second nature to him, able to answer mathematical equations without a calculator or a second thought, speed reading his way through chapters in the textbook. And it definitely helps that he looks absolutely stunning in the light of the setting sun and the gentle wind.

Eventually, though, they can’t stay much longer with the fading, and curfew closing in.

“Thanks for your help today… Same time Friday?” Peter asks, eyes all wide and hopeful, smile sweet.

“Actually, not to be presumptuous, but we’d have more time if we hung out for longer… Would you want to come over? Spend the night? We could work later and get more done on Saturday?”

Peter thinks about it for a moment and then he shrugs. “I don’t think my aunt would be happy with me spending the night, but you’re welcome to come to mine?”

“Sounds like a plan, Parker. You need a ride home?”

“Sure, yeah, thanks.”

Harley helps pack up their things and then takes Peter’s bag before leading him out to his truck. He opens the door for Peter, memorizing the dazzling smile he gives in return.

They only have half an hour together on the drive home, but it’s enough time for them to share more personal information.

Harley tells Peter about his sister and his mom, about Tennessee and how different life was there, how much he loves New York in comparison. He talks about getting quarterback, winning games, being on top of the social hierarchy for the first time in his life.

Peter, in turn, mentions quietly how he was bullied in the ninth grade before and when he first joined the cheerleaders. How at first, people told him it was girls team, that it wasn’t meant for him. But then they won their first trophy which snowballed into him becoming captain and leading them to win nationals and get them fifth in worlds. And then, very quickly, he became the most popular kid in school.

By the time they reach Peter’s apartment, Harley feels like they’ve grown closer and he doesn’t want to say goodbye to him.

“Today was really nice,” Peter murmurs, leaning across to kiss Harley on the cheek. “Thanks for helping me out. I’ll see you at school tomorrow and then Friday night?”

The words are on the tip of his tongue, wanting to ask Peter out, change Friday Night into a Date Night instead of a Study Session.

But then Peter’s hopping out of his truck, bag slung over his shoulder and gold accents of his uniform glimmering in the streetlights. And Harley misses his chance.

* Peter’s quiet the whole way to his apartment, bag sitting in his lap.

He looks almost out of place in the outside world while still in his Midtown Cheerleading Uniform. But Harley’s still in his jersey, so it’s not so strange in comparison.

Peter leads him into his cozy apartment, empty apart from them, and they make themselves at home in the living room around the coffee table.

“Everything okay?” Harley asks, almost startling himself with his own voice. He was planning on leaving it alone, he’s not really Peter’s friend.

“Yeah, I just kind of have a lot riding on this.” Peter’s quiet for a second, fiddling with his nails before he explains, “I can’t afford to go to a school like Midtown, but I got awarded a full ride. If I don’t get my grades up, I might be put on academic probation, have my scholarship taken away… I’d have to switch schools for my senior year, also meaning I’d probably lose the university scholarships I might’ve been offered for cheerleading.”

Harley mulls over it for a moment before shrugging. “Well, you have a very good study partner on your side. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure your grades are up by exams. Don’t start thinking of the worst-case scenarios just yet.”

The tenseness leaves Peter’s shoulders in one exhale, expression softening. “Thanks. I don’t want to put pressure on you, but-”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

Smiling, Peter opens his bag and they get to work.

Time passes quickly when they’re focused on getting things done, it’s not hard for Peter to get closer and closer to catching up, but there’s only so much they can do before boredom and hunger starts to set in.

They order pizza, Harley offering to pay but Peter insistent after Harley’s helped him so much.

“You know,” Harley says after Peter gets off the phone, “Breaks are important to keep up consistent work.”

Peter grins knowingly, flopping down onto the couch beside Harley. “Are they?”

“As an avid homework-doer and studier, I can totally say that breaks are important. So, I suggest we do pizza and a movie, and then a bit more work before bed.”

“Of course. And as someone who doesn’t do homework or study, I can’t disagree with anything you say. Here.” Peter gives him the TV remote. “Let me go get changed, I can only wear this for so long before I start craving sweatpants, and when I get back, we’ll start on a movie of your choosing.”

Harley picks out Star Wars, seemingly a safe bet considering the very obvious Star Wars poster stuck to the wall above the couch, and texts Abbie in the meantime who teases him endlessly, already having figured out his crush on Peter.

“Star Wars! It’s like you read my mind!” Peter calls out, slipping around the couch.

“I mean there’s science so it’s-” But the words are gone as soon as he sees Peter.

He looks so much different than the Cheerleading Captain Harley’s always seen him as, tucked in a pair of loose sweatpants and an even looser t-shirt, hair mussed and body relaxed. God, if Harley thought he looked incredible in his uniform, it’s nothing compared to the way he looks relaxed and content in lounge clothes.

“So it’s…” Peter prompts, forehead creasing but smiling in amusement.

“Sorry, I- You’re just- Sorry, I’ve never seen you outside your uniform before,” Harley says, voice suddenly thick. “The movie’s educational, that’s all.”

Peter giggles, sitting down beside Harley, against Harley, and presses play so the beginning credits begin to roll. “I’m going to take that as a compliment, but I don’t think Star Wars counts as educational.”

“It is a compliment!” Harley gasps, higher than he means it to come out. “I was just surprised is all… You’re- It’s just- Wow.”

He laughs again. “Wow? For someone with a nearly perfect GPA, that’s not the most articulate compliment.”

“I meant- Oh god, I’m totally embarrassing myself, aren’t I?” He runs a hand through his hair, feeling his face flush warmly. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, it’s sweet. I get a lot of compliments, but most about how my ass looks in the uniform, so I do appreciate being complimenting for being wow while in sweats.”

Harley’s eyes go wide, and he’s quick to try to redeem himself, “You’re just really pretty is all! That was worse than wow, wasn’t it? I’m just making this worse.”

“You think I’m pretty?” Peter repeats, eyes so soft and open and earnest. “That’s a new one.”

For once, Harley manages to keep his mouth shut, not wanting to say anything more, but Peter’s still blushing and smiling when he turns back to the TV, shaking his head fondly.

*

Long after pizza and their movie’s done, homework continued through until they were laughing too much to continue to think straight, Peter finally calls it a night.

Harley changes in the bathroom and purposefully leaves his jersey on the back of the couch, while Peter makes him a bed on the couch.

It would’ve been a good time, Harley knows, to ask that question, to see if this will lead in another direction, but he chickens out and ends up just with, “Goodnight, Peter.”

And Peter smiles, all warm and sweet, and he murmurs, “Night, Harley.”

And that’s that.

In the morning, Harley wakes to the smell of coffee.

He pretends he’s still asleep when he hears voices drifting in from the kitchen.

“So that’s the infamous Harley Keener,” a woman says, Harley guesses it’s Peter’s aunt.

“He’s helping me get my grades up.”

The woman laughs. “For someone with a genius IQ, I don’t know how you managed to let your grades drop like that. It’s not his fault? Or cheerleading?”

“No, May, I promise I’m working on it.”

“Good. Don’t let him get in the way of your education or focus, honey. Don’t let him hurt you, alright?”

Harley finally stretches up, making himself known as awake. He yawns, looking over the back of the couch towards the kitchen. “Morning.”

Peter lights up in a smile. “Morning, Harley. You want coffee?”

“Sure, thanks.”

He slips up just as May says she’s off to bed, still wearing her nurse scrubs, and he offers a quiet greeting to her on her way out.

And then it’s just him and Peter.

“Sleep well?” Harley asks when the silence stretches a second too long. Peter nods, passing him the mug of hot coffee. It’s a Star Wars mug and he can feel his cheeks warm.

“We don’t really have much breakfast food… You wanna maybe go out somewhere to get some?”

Harley, still sleep-warm and relaxed, jumps as the chance. “Do you want to go out? Like on a proper date? Breakfast? On me?”

“The quarterback with the cheerleading captain?” Peter says. “That’s a bit of a cliché, isn’t it?”

“I suppose. Is that a no?”

Peter seems to ponder it for a moment before he shrugs. “I kind of love clichés.”

“Breakfast then.”

Grinning, Peter nods, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. “Let me get dressed and then we’ll go.”

“Perfect.”

As soon as he’s left alone in the kitchen, he pumps his fists in the air, barely managing to stifle his excited cheer.

“I saw that!” Peter calls out.

Flushing, Harley quickly sets down his coffee, grabs his bag and heads to the bathroom to get changed quickly, wishing he’d packed something nicer than jeans and a flannel.

“I’m surprised you’re not in your uniform,” he says when he sees Peter waiting by the door.

He’s wearing a pair of tight jeans and a simple t-shirt, grinning just as bright as always.

“I only wear it at school.”

Harley shrugs. “I was starting to think it was the only thing you owned.”

Peter links their hands together and pulls open the door, smiling just as bright as ever.

* All eyes turn towards the cafeteria doors.

“Oh my god-” Betty breathes from near Harley.

He looks over his shoulder, expecting to see something vaguely newsworthy but otherwise boring, but instead finds Peter.

Peter who’s wearing his blue and gold cheerleading uniform as always, curls messy and cheeks flushed pink, except he’s wearing a jersey over his uniform.

Harley’s jersey.

“Who changed the thermostat settings? I’m freezing to death,” Peter calls out, dramatically loudly to get the rest of the student’s eyes on him.

Harley trips up to his feet, eyes wide and shocked because after one date, Peter’s already announcing it to the world.

“You left this at my place,” Peter says, walking up to him. His eyes are bright and amused like he expected Harley to get this flustered. His voice drops to nearly a whisper. “I know it’s soon but I saw you staring, saw you watching me during practices. The only reason I saw is because I was watching you too. I want to make this official.”

“Yeah, I- Yeah, I want that.”

Peter grins, kissing Harley on the mouth for the first time, they’d parted yesterday with only a kiss on the cheek. When he pulls away, he’s still smiling. “Sorry about doing this here. I couldn’t wait. Too much?”

“No, like…. It’s just, I can’t believe you’re actually wearing my clothes,” Harley chokes out. “I’m just- You look good. I didn’t expect you to like me too.”

“I do. I really do.”

Harley finally smiles back at him, grabbing Peter by the waist to kiss him again. “You want to go out with me again? Wednesday? After practice?”

“I would love to. Can I- Would it be okay for it to be as boyfriends?”

“Okay? Yes, more than okay. I would really love that.”

Peter laughs, tucking himself close to Harley’s chest. “Wow. Boyfriends.”

For the rest of the year and the following year, they’re considered Midtown’s Power Couple.

And when they make it MIT together, Peter having managed near-perfect grades with Harley’s help, they’re considered MIT’s Power Couple too.

Taglist: @littlemissagrafina  @spidey-reids-2003  @romeoandjulietyouwish @c-artara @shadedrose01 @likeaphoenix13 @pj-hermes-tonystark-obsessed  @you-get-killed-walk-it-off @kitkatwinchester  @emo-girl10 @justme--emily  @hold-our-destiny @imalivebecauseirondad @spiderman-peterman @dykeragee @maryserrao @heeeyitskay @parknerandirondad @lilacsandlilies4 @loveliestdisappointment @joyful-soul-collector @genderfluid-and-confuzled {Let me know if you wanna be added or removed}

[bellakitse]

Drabble Challenge for Carlos/TK (9-1-1 Lone Star): Person A says : Prompt #80 "Nothing bad is going to happen, baby, I promise." Person B says: Prompt #85 "If you die, I’m going to kill you."

no walking away from this

hope you like it @pottercastleminds

They’re wrapping up a small kitchen fire when the dispatch call comes in, and Judd comes over to inform them of the situation.

“Cap,” he starts, the aggravation evident in his voice. “Police has a man strapped with a dirty bomb and are requesting Fire and EMS on the scene as a precaution.”

TK shares a grim look with his dad before heading for the truck when he gives them the signal that they’re moving on.

They get to the scene, a car assembly factory not 10 minutes later, and the place is already a circus with reporters and crowds of spectators that the police are trying to keep back.

Owen signals for TK and Judd to follow him while calling for the rest of the team to help with the crowd. TK follows close on his Captain’s heel as they make their way to a cluster of Austin Police officers along with Captain Blake.

"What's going on?" Owen asks the moment they reach the group.

One of the officers gives them a quick look, waving a hand towards the building. "A disgruntled former employee has a homemade bomb strapped to his body, sir."

"Shit," TK swears, the officer continues to tell them that they've managed to evacuate the building and now are just concerned about the bomber. TK listens as they're told the records they pulled on the man show a history of erratic behavior.

"So what's the plan?" he asks when the officer pauses.

"One of our officers has been on the phone with him since this started and has managed to calm him down. He's agreed to let that officer come in to talk to him in person."

TK nods.

That’s a positive sign, if the man can be talked down, they might avoid having to pick up bits of blown up human.

He looks over at Michelle to find her watching him with a frown on her face that puts him on edge. "What?" he asks, not liking the way her frown deepens.

"TK, the officer going in…" she starts softly, hesitantly, and deep down, he knows what she's going to say next, dread gripping him before she even mentions his name. "It's Carlos."

TK blinks rapidly, his heart ticking up as he processes her words, instantly seeking out the man in question in the crowd of first responders. He finds him by a truck, dressed in more than his usual uniform. He instinctively takes a step forward, stopping midway to turn back to his father.

Owen's eyes are already on him and knowing, a small frown on his own face. "Go," he says with a sharp nod, giving him permission.

TK walks away, making his way over to Carlos, who is putting on the last few pieces of tact gear.

“Hey,” Carlos greets him with a smile that leaves TK gaping at him.

“Hey?” he says incredulously, surely he’s too young for blood pressure issues, but suddenly he feels a headache coming on, and his vision clouding with rage or fear, he’s not sure which.

Carlos looks at him with a confused expression on his face, and TK has a stray thought that he really is too damn pretty for his own good. “Hello, TK? Is that better?”

TK looks at him unimpressed, sure that he’s going to ring his -Friend? Friends with benefits? The guy he’s dating? Possibly falling for- neck. “I wasn’t taking issue with the greeting, Carlos,” he gets out through clenched teeth.

Carlos’ eyebrows tick up in that distracting way they do. “Then what are you taking issue with, Tyler Kennedy?”

TK glares at him, hating the way his heart skips a beat at the shit-eating grin Carlos gives him, the same one he’s been giving him since he found out his full name. “You’re not going to distract me with that. Michelle told me you’re going in.”

Carlos loses his grin, his expression turning serious as he nods, glancing at the building in front of them. “Yeah.”

“That’s all you’re going to say?” TK questions, his voice going shrill. “You’re volunteering to go inside where a man has a bomb strapped to his torso, and all you have to say is, yeah?”

“It’s my job, TK,” Carlos says patiently, and the calmness in his words set TK’s teeth on edge, his jaw clenching, and he has to look away for a moment to calm himself down before he says something he can’t take back.

Carlos, who doesn’t miss a thing, clocks all of it, and next thing TK knows he’s being pulled by an arm until he finds himself at the back of a police van. Carlos’ body and the open door blocking him from view, giving them as much privacy as they can have at an active scene.

“It’s going to be fine,” Carlos starts, and TK can’t help the ugly noise that escapes his throat.

“Yeah, because things always turn out fine when it comes to unstable people and explosives,” he says sarcastically, not being able to help the petulant tone in his voice. “Not like you going in there can end with you blown up, no chance of that.”

Carlos looks at him in that steady way of his, a small smile playing on his mouth the longer he looks at him.

“You’re radiating smugness,” TK accuses, narrowing his eyes the more amused Carlos looks. “And I don’t know why when there’s a chance you’ll be pink mist by the end of this.”

Carlos laughs softly, proving that he’s certifiable if he thinks the possibility of him dying is funny.

“Are you having a breakdown?” TK questions, wondering if he should call Michelle over. Surely if Carlos is losing it, he shouldn’t go talk down someone with a bomb. “Why are you laughing?”

“You care about me,” Carlos says with a grin.

TK opens his mouth to deny it, annoyed by Carlos’ self-satisfaction when they’re talking about something so serious, only for Carlos to grip the back of his neck, pulling him close as he rests his forehead against TK’s.

"Nothing bad is going to happen, baby, I promise,” he whispers, his breath hot against TK’s face.

TK wants to argue that he can’t promise that. None of them can with their jobs, but there is such conviction in Carlos’ voice; he has no choice but to believe him. He places his hands on Carlos’ waist, thankful that Carlos lets him hold on to him a moment longer.

“If you die,” TK starts, his tone half-joking, hoping to alleviate the seriousness of the moment, and what it means. “I’m going to kill you."

Carlos lets out a laugh at his ridiculous comment. “And when I come out of this fine?” he questions, raising an eyebrow at him. “What are you going to do then?”

TK raises an eyebrow back at him, a dirty smirk playing on his lips as Carlos’ eyes darken.

“Okay, I’m holding you to that,” Carlos points at his face, taking a step back from him. “But now I’m going to go, I can’t handle negotiations with a hard-on.”

TK lets out an amused sound, his hand reaching out for Carlos’ before he’s too far. “Be careful.”

Carlos gives his hand one final squeeze before walking away towards the building.

TK watches him go, holding his breath as he disappears through the doors of the factory. The time it takes for Carlos to come back out with the suspect in handcuffs, and bomb deactivated can’t be more than fifteen minutes. Yet it’s enough for TK to realize that without meaning to, this thing between him and Carlos has become something. He can’t ignore the worry he feels at Carlos being in harm's way, or what it means.

There’s a part inside him telling him to run. That getting this serious about Carlos is the last thing he should be doing right now. But as he catches Carlos’ eyes as he walks by with the bomber, the slight smile on his face that is just for him, he knows there’s no walking away from this.

It might blow up in his face worse than any bomb, but it’s too late to turn back now.

[queen-of-the-avengers]

It’s What Family Does

Characters: Carol Danvers x Barnes!Reader, Bucky Barnes

Word Count: 1,567

Warnings: fear of being rejected (for being gay), mostly fluff

Summary: Your relationship with Carol isn’t exactly known, and she encourages you to tell your brother despite your fears of being rejected.

Squares Filled: date night jar for marvelfluffbingo (1st card) // drugged for @hc-bingo​ // siblings for @ladiesbingo // if you want a thing done well do it yourself for @as-the-saying-goes-bingo​ // carol danvers/captain marvel for @ladiesofmarvelbingo​ // tucking their hair behind their ear for @fluffbingo​ // grocery run for buckybarnesbingo (1st card) // boarding school for @marvelbingo​

Author’s Note: If you have any requests, please send them in! This is unbeta’d and any and all mistakes are all on me.

Feedback the glue that holds my writing together

Tags at the bottom

Your mother and father were never there for you like your brother was. He’s the one you can always count on to be there. He’s the one who took care of you since he’s ten years older than you. Your parents often told you how you were not planned and a surprise, but James treated you like family. When he turned 18, he was out of the house and left you with your parents. You were 10, and since their star child was gone, it wasn’t a good time for you. They neglected you so much that they thought sending you to boarding school was a good idea.

To them, it was. To you, it was one of the worst things they could have done. By then, James was already getting enlisted into the army, and you were left to defend yourself against every single person at your school. Students, you could handle just fine. It was the teachers you had to be worried about… especially the Dean of Students.

She was the meanest of them all and would often humiliate the kids if she saw something she didn’t like. She’d go around to the different classrooms and observe for a while. If she saw something a kid was doing and she didn’t like it, they would be in a world of pain. You bet she just liked to pick stuff out on the spot just to get at these kids. You were miserable there.

When you finally had a chance to write to your big brother, he took you out of the school immediately. When you enrolled, you put your brother down as your emergency contact instead of your mother. He saved you from three and a half more years of hell. He let you stay in the apartment he was staying at while he went off to active duty once more. Whenever he got off, he’d come back into your arms since you missed him so much.

It broke your heart when you found out he died. Your whole world shattered around you. It’s how HYDRA was able to find you in the first place. You became reckless and got yourself captured. Yes, it was your fault you went through worse hell than the Dean of Students. You’d take her over the torture you endured while with HYRDA. When you found out they were keeping your brother and what they did to him, you were enraged. They wanted him to fight and kill you, but he took one look at you and he was able to beat whatever mind games they had over him.

That’s how strong your bond is with him. It’s been like that ever since you could remember. It’s even stronger now since you and James were free of HYDRA and everything else. The only thing you had a problem with is new enemies trying to take over the Avengers and break them apart. Recently, you had to go save your brother from a drug lord who wanted to use his abilities for his drug cartel.

It’s one thing to mess with James, but it’s another thing to bring you into it. People should be more afraid of you if they mess with him and vice versa. You lost him once, you weren't going to lose him again.

“James!” you screamed when you entered the place he was being held.

“Yeah, scream louder. Make sure they know we’re here,” Carol scoffed.

“He is my brother. I am not going to let anything happen to him. You find the men, I’ll go save my brother,” you decided and left on your own. Carol knew there was no getting through to you when your brother was involved. She left in the opposite direction since she can handle every man that threw themselves at her.

Luck was on your side since the first room you looked into contained James.

“James!” you rushed over to him.

“Y/N?” he muttered.

“I’m here. You’re okay. God, what did they do to you?” you muttered.

“I’m okay, it doesn’t hurt,” he whispered. The serum inside his body prevented him from being affected too much. HYDRA’s drugs were way worse than whatever these drug lords had with them.

“Still, come on. We’re going to get out out of here.”

“We?”

“Carol’s with me. Come on,” you huffed and got him to his feet.

He and Carol didn’t get along at first, but it’s important to you that they do now. Carol is the love of your life, and it would be a shame if your brother didn’t like her. He’s very protective, and he often imagined you being with a nice man and settling down. He doesn’t even know you’re into women. You and Carol started dating only a few months ago, but still. He should know who’s in your life.

“He’s going to take it well,” Carol says and grabs your hand.

“I hope so,” you sigh.

“Where is he?”

“I sent him on a grocery run. I need more time. I panicked.”

“Would this get your mind off it?” she asks and pulls out the date night jar you two made a long time ago. You never got to use it since there was mission upon mission to keep you busy.

“I forgot about that,” you chuckle.

She reaches into the jar and messes with the wooden sticks before pulling one out. On one side it reads, “cook dinner”. Carol knew nothing of the sort, but luckily you learned at a young age. The skill never left you even after all these years.

“You can’t cook to save your life,” you laugh.

“Yeah, but you can. Show me. I’m a quick learner,” she smirks.

“This is going to be a disaster,” you smile.

You and Carol walk into the kitchen to get food started. Actually, it’s not a bad idea to cook dinner since James could join you when he gets back. You did give him a pretty long list and Tony’s credit card. He might not be back for a while which gives you more time to tell him of your girlfriend,

While you are busy overthinking, Carol gathers the ingredients for something simple: spaghetti. You give her the simple task of boiling the noodles while you start on the meatballs. This is something you often made for you and James whenever he came back from the war.

“Let me help with that,” Carol states.

“You sure you can handle it?”

“I can handle it just fine,” she scoffs playfully and grabs chunks of meat in her hands.

You watch with a smile since it’s clear she doesn’t know what she’s doing. She skipped a few steps and went straight to making the ball.

“Carol, sweetie?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re doing it wrong.”

“I had a feeling I was,” she laughs. “Show me?”

Instead of doing it for her, you wrap your arms around her waist from behind to tell her what to do. After mixing the breading that is going to be used to coat and hold the meat together, you intertwined your fingers with hers to begin mixing everything together.

“If this is what cooking is, I kind of like it,” she smirks.

“Y/N, I’m home!” James calls out.

You immediately stake a step back away Carol and grab a towel to clean your hands of the meat and other gook. He walks in the kitchen with bags in his hands with most of them resting on his metal arm. He can’t feel how heavy it is, plus, he knows it can hold a lot of weight. T’Challa made sure to make him a sturdy arm.

“Oh, hey Carol.”

“Hi,” she nods.

She catches your eye and motions them to your brother. This is the time to tell him about you two. If you want a thing done right, then do it yourself.

“Look, James, I have something to tell you, and I should have told you when it happened, but I didn’t know how you were going to react. Carol and I are dating. We have been for a few months. I know what you’re going to say. I know you’ve always wanted me with a nice man, but Carol is something special. We just connected in ways I didn’t realize were possible. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” you sigh.

“Are you happy?” he asks after a while.

“So happy. She makes me very happy,” you say while looking at her.

A piece of her hair fell in front of her eyes, and you reach over to tuck it behind her ear. She gives you a wide smile when you cup her chin with her thumb.

“Then I’m happy for you.”

“What?” you ask, turning to face him.

“I’m happy for you. It’s not a secret you’ve been smiling more, and now I realize why. You should have told me when it happened, but I’m glad I know now.”

“Thanks, James,” you whispered.

“Do you want to have dinner with us?”

“It’s spaghetti.”

“I’d love to,” James hugs you tightly. “Plus, I need to know if she’s suitable for my baby sister.”

“James!” you whined.

He is only teasing, but you’re glad he knows. There is nothing you can tell him that would make his opinion of you change. He loves you with all his heart and can learn to love the person you do.

If you want to be tagged, add yourself to this document! If your tag doesn’t work, find out why!

@tdntu0​ @takemyhand-letshaveablast​ @miraclesoflove​ @emilyshurley​ @majesticavenger​ @ironmandeficiency​ @scarletlingeries @kendall-michele​ @stfxlou​

[theastrophilearchitect]

WandaVision series review part 2.

Last week, I posted part 1 of my WandaVision series review, containing my initial thoughts and breakdown of episodes 1-3 (part 1 can be found here). This post, part 2, will contain my breakdown of episodes 4-6, and part 3, to come next week, will contain episodes 7-9 and my final thoughts. 

So, let’s go.

Episode Four: ‘We Interrupt This Program’ This is the episode where everything comes together; where things start to make sense. This episode debuted on January 29th, finally giving us some answers after the first and second episodes were released on the 15th. It has a runtime of 34 minutes, which is fairly on par with the episodes up to here, though this episode doesn’t follow the sitcom format, but feels more like your classic MCU content.

The episode opens with a previously on WandaVision recap, which seems to very much focus on Geraldine, the meaning of which soon becomes clear. And we enter a black screen which slowly fades into the form of Geraldine, with voices from the movie Captain Marvel--the voices of Carol Danvers, Maria Rambeau and Maria’s daughter, Monica, which just confirms fan speculation that Geraldine is, in fact, a grown-up Monica Rambeau, and we must currently be seeing her after the Blip--after Bruce Banner’s snap in Avengers: Endgame returned all those Thanos killed at the end of Avengers: Infinity War.

Monica sits in a hospital room, but the bed beside her is empty, then she leaves the room to panic as people coalesce throughout the hospital. She asks about a patient in room 104, then one of the doctors recognises her, and tells her her mother--Maria Rambeau--who presumably was who she was in the hospital for, is dead, and about the Blip, because it seems to Monica it’s only been a few minutes. And we have the Marvel logo, after an introduction instead of right at the beginning as in the sitcom episodes.

Cut to the headquarters of SWORD, standing for Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division, which is quite clearly just talking about Vision. Honestly, though, Marvel’s obsession with making their acronyms real words--I’m talking to you, SHIELD and HYDRA--is mildly irritating because of how unrealistic it is. Just a me-gripe.

Monica fails to access the building, her badge apparently outdated, and we’re introduced to Tyler Hayward, acting director of SWORD in Monica’s absence. Hayward brings her into the building and declares Monica grounded, able to only carry out terrestrial missions, on her mother’s order for if the personnel who disappeared in the Blip were to return. He then assigns her to an ‘FBI thing’. Cue the wonderful Jimmy Woo.

Monica is welcomed near the sign for Westview by Jimmy Woo, the FBI agent who dealt with Scott Lang’s house arrest in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Jimmy tells Monica a witness he had in Westview has gone off the radar; that everyone seems to have forgotten the man’s existence. And they approach two policemen stood by the sign, who claim Westview doesn’t exist. Ah, Wanda’s lovely magic. Jimmy also says he can’t contact anyone on the inside.

‘This isn’t a missing person’s case, Captain Rambeau, it’s a missing town. Population 3,892.’

And Jimmy claims the town itself won’t let him in to investigate, but though the town seems empty, it is visible, and there doesn’t appear to be any physical barrier. Monica sends in a helicopter-style drone, and the camera feed glitches like a television screen as it nears the town, then the drone disappears--the toy helicopter Wanda found in episode 2. Monica approaches the town, and a television-barrier becomes apparent. Monica touches it, and is pulled inside, hence becoming Geraldine within Westview in episodes 2 and 3.

Cut to a day later, the glorious Darcy Lewis from the first two Thor movies, Jane Foster’s (Thor’s love interest’s) intern, now graduated and with a PhD in astrophysics, sits in a van with several other scientists of different fields. Outside Westview, SWORD has set up a kind of military base. Darcy takes some readings and gets ‘a colossal amount of CMBR’ (Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, which is one of the things used to prove the Big Bang Theory), and notices ‘longer wavelengths superimposed over the noise’, and has the idea to set up and link a vintage television to it.

Cut to night, we watch a man in some kind of protective suit crawl through sewers into Westview, the border of which transforms him into the beekeeper from the end of episode 2 which prompted Wanda to rewind and skip to the 1970s.

Darcy’s TV picks up the signal, and plays the previous episodes of WandaVision in their sitcom format, pointing out Vision is meant to be very, very, very dead. We see that the hands the camera zoomed out to reveal watching the show at the end of episode 1 belong to Darcy.

At this point, SWORD starts putting together a wall and whiteboard of their information, and it’s really fun to see them asking all the same questions we as an audience are. Why hexagonal shape? I take it this means the border is hexagonal, not that we’d know that as an audience. Why sitcoms? I know the answer, but only because I watched episode 8 already. Same time and space? and, of course, Is Vision alive?

It’s really fun knowing the answers.

Jimmy and Darcy watch Monica as Geraldine, and question whether she’s playing along or if she’s oblivious. With some science-y Darcy stuff, we also see that the voice in the radio in episode 2 was Jimmy, but we see the episode glitched itself out of that situation, like what SWORD is calling the ‘Westview anomaly’ is righting itself when they interfere.

As they watch Wanda give birth, they expect the anomaly to break, as all the other people are real people brainwashed, but then the babies are born, indicating Wanda has some kind of creational power (foreshadowing). Geraldine mentions Ultron, and as Wanda tells her to leave, the episode again glitches to the credits, not quite as we saw in the actual episode.

It then cuts back to that scene in episode 3, but not through the old TV as Jimmy and Darcy are watching. I didn’t notice whether or not it did this in episode 3, but the aspect ratio has increased, more to that typical of a modern show, in contrast to the smaller ones of the early sitcoms. And we watch Wanda threaten Geraldine with her magic, glowing red as it should--the event episode 3 emitted, instead giving us Vision’s perspective. Wanda tells Geraldine to leave, and blasts her through the walls of the house, and straight out of Westview, hence the end clip of episode 3. Wanda repairs the wall just before Vision returns home.

Something curious though--we know when SWORD sends things, including people, into it, they transform to fit the style, like the drone becoming a helicopter, the man becoming a beekeeper and Monica’s style changing to fit the decade, but when Monica comes out of Westview, she still looks like she did in the 70s episode.

Cut back to Wanda inside Westview, and she sees Vision walking, but apparently dead; skin-tissue-stuff pale, eyes blank and a hole in his head where Thanos took the mind stone, but he acts normal. Then Wanda sees him again looking normal. Vision tells her they don’t have to stay here if they don’t want to, and Wanda replies that they can’t; that this is their home--’Oh, don’t worry darling. I have everything under control.’ Which affirms Geraldine’s claim at the end of episode 3, that it’s all Wanda. (I’m going to refer to her as Geraldine when talking about episodes 1-3 and Monica when talking about 4-9, even though it’s the same character.)

Wanda and Vision sit down to watch TV and the credits begin, though Vision seems a little apprehensive.

And we finally have some answers about what the hell has been happening in Westview, and the vaguest idea how it fits into the MCU timeline as a whole.

Episode Five: ‘On a Very Special Episode...’ This episode was released on February 5th, with a runtime of 41 minutes, longer than any of its predecessors but still not exceptionally long. This is likely so it can follow the 1980s sitcom format with the inclusion of the SWORD parts. Note at this point, when the decade shifts, it occurs as something goes wrong: we shift to the 1960s when Mr and Mrs Hart question Wanda and Vision about how they came to Westview; we shift to the 1970s when they see the beekeeper, and we shift to the 1980s as Wanda forces Monica out of Westview.

So, we have the recap; nothing particularly noteworthy about it or its focus.

Shit, I just realised Tony’s snap at the end of Avengers: Endgame is now part of the Marvel logo sequence. Ouch.

Music plays, and we open to Tommy crying in a 1980s-style house. This episode is mostly formatted off Full House, in which Elizabeth Olsen’s elder sisters, identical twins Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, played the youngest daughter, Michelle Tanner. Unrelated to the plot, but a fun aspect.

Billy and Tommy won’t stop crying, so Wanda tries to force them to sleep with her powers, but it doesn’t work, and we still don’t see the red sparks, but, again, that’s an 80s-style special effects thing. Also, aspect ratio in this episode: a little larger than in episodes 1-3, but not quite episode 4′s. Funny thing here is that episodes 1-3 were shot and edited in such a way the episodes registered on Disney+ as having a larger ratio, giving a black border around the frame on the screen, but it doesn’t have that in this episode. Just a technical thing I’m not sure of the cause of, though in retrospect may simply be to convey the size of TV screens in the eras.

Also, can we take a moment to appreciate Wanda’s curly hair and floral waistcoat in this episode?

Agnes shows up to help them with the babies, to which Vision is apprehensive, and after a moment, she says to Wanda: ‘Do you want me to take that again?’ as though they’re following a script. This continues, Agnes asks if they should take it from the top, which confuses Vision,  but Wanda just laughs it off. This is interesting, because the only other person we’ve yet seen break character is Geraldine, who entered the anomaly after its initial formation. Then Agnes shifts back into character, and the laugh track picks up again.

Vision questions Agnes’s comments aside with Wanda, but Wanda brushes it off, and acts as though nothing happened, and his suspicion only grows.

Then suddenly the twins are about... five? I’d say five. I don’t know. As Wanda and Vision realise this, Agnes says, ‘Kids. You can’t control ‘em. No matter how hard you try.’ There’s a running theme of children in this show--obviously the children themselves, ‘for the children’ in episode 2, and Mrs Hart’s questioning of when they were going to have children in episode 1. This semantic field fed theories that Wanda was literally doing this ‘for the children’, and this comment from Agnes could suggest the children will be the downfall of the anomaly--Wanda brainwashes the adults, but not the children.

The introduction to this episode is really cute. It has a mellow pop song playing over the top, and the 80s thing of using old photos of the characters; they’ve used actual photos of Elizabeth Olsen and the actors playing the twins, and mildly horrifying photoshopped versions of Paul Bettany as a child, but made into Vision. These photos of Vision were leaked before this episode came out, and it’s just hilarious to me because Vision was born an adult. And, assuming WandaVision takes place in 2024, after Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home, Vision is literally nine years old as it takes place.

There generally isn’t much to pick apart in the theme songs themselves, but the general idea of this one is ‘we’re making it up as we go along,’ which could be an interesting insight into Wanda’s state of mind--we’ve somewhat villainised her up to this point, creating the anomaly and controlling people, but the stance should be taken that she just doesn’t know what she’s doing, and is trying her best, selfish as her goals may be.

Cut to Hayward questioning Monica about her memories, and she describes a hopeless feeling--grief--controlling her--Wanda’s grief at the loss of Vision in the fight against Thanos. They take some kind of scan of Monica’s body and draw blood, but have to redo them because the results came out blank--foreshadowing.

Hayward describes Wanda as ‘the principal victimiser’ instead of one of the victims of whatever was happening in Westview, jumping straight to villainous conclusions.

A point here: in a recap of the ‘subjects’, Jimmy Woo states Wanda was born in 1989, which is actually a change to canon, because in the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, set in 2015, she was 16, born in 1999. Questionable. Still not sure why they did this, but this makes her 29 in WandaVision, excluding the years of the Blip, where she would otherwise be only 19.

Hayward asks Jimmy if Wanda has an alias--in the comics, Wanda Maximoff is Scarlet Witch, but this alias has not yet been stated in the MCU--foreshadowing. Hayward focuses on her failures, such as working against the Avengers upon her introduction and the destruction she caused in Nigeria at the beginning of Captain America: Civil War. He then calls Wanda a terrorist based on how Monica described her experience in Westview.

Hayward then reveals to us footage of Wanda entering the SWORD headquarters where Vision’s body was kept, and shattering glass to access it, broken into pieces, as though to steal it, which Jimmy doesn’t believe because it’s a violation of the Sokovia Accords, and Darcy wonders what will happen when Vision learns the truth.

Wanda comes into the kitchen to find Tommy and Billy with a dog they found and want to keep. Wanda is apprehensive about letting them keep him, Agnes shows up with a dog house, and Wanda decides to create a dog collar, right in front of Agnes. Vision calls her out on this, and she says she’s ‘tired of hiding’. They name the dog Sparky, then Wanda sides with Vision that the twins aren’t old enough to care for him until they’re ten years old, to which they just age themselves up again. Agnes jokes that the dog should stay the same size, but still doesn’t question the magic.

A note here: Wanda skips decades when things don’t go her way, and the twins skip ages--Wanda is in control of the things around her, but not herself, as they are in control of themselves.

Meanwhile, Monica tries to figure out how she could re-enter Westview, and Darcy starts to call the anomaly the Hex because of its hexagonal shape. And they discuss that Wanda must be wielding ‘an insane amount of power’ to maintain the Hex and the twins, beyond anything she’s ever displayed before. Monica mentions she could’ve taken down Thanos on her own if he hadn’t used the infinity stones, and Jimmy mentions he thinks Captain Marvel came close, to which Monica stiffens, and dismisses the conversation about her--something has clearly happened between Monica and Carol since the events of Captain Marvel.

They go a lab to run an analysis on the 70s clothes Monica wore when she came out of the Hex, and discover they’re bulletproof, like the vest she wore when she entered, and they establish Wanda isn’t creating anything, but is rewriting reality.

Vision goes to work, where he helps his co-worker Norm with his computer, and they get an email from SWORD about Westview, mentioning Darcy and radiation. Everyone in the office reads it out with Norm, but they laugh at it, while Vision is suspicious. He turns off the computer with his powers, then does the same zap-thing to Norm, who suddenly comes back to his regular consciousness, outside of Wanda’s control, and begs for help. He tells Vision he has to stop ‘her’, that ‘she’s in [his] head’. Vision zaps him again, and he goes back into sitcom-brain.

Wanda tells the twins Vision went to work, which they question because it’s Saturday. Wanda tells them he just needed a distraction because they weren’t ‘on the same page’. She talks about family, and tells them that her on brother is far away.

Sparky the dog barks at something outside, and we cut to a drone’s view. Monica has sent in an 80s drone, something the Hex wouldn’t need to rewrite, and we see that’s what Sparky barked at. Monica tries to speak to Wanda, and through the drone’s view, but not the broadcast’s, her eyes turn red, and Hayward orders an operator to ‘take the shot’, though Monica didn’t know it was armed. They take the shot and the drone’s camera cuts out. Alarms blare, and a worker claims ‘there’s a breach.’

We go outside to the border, and Wanda exits the Hex, wearing what she wore in the climax of the Infinity Saga, dragging the drone behind her. This is confusing to watch back, because I know in retrospect she wore civilian clothes when the Hex was created, and was left in them when it was destroyed. Shooters aim their guns at her, and she throws the drone to Hayward’s feet. As she talks, what she had elft of her accent in Avengers: Infinity War has returned. She tells them to ‘stay out of [her] home,’ that ‘if [they] don’t bother [her], [she], won’t bother [them].’ Monica talks to her, and she prepares her magic. Monica asks what she wants, and she replies ‘[she has] what [she wants]. And no-one will ever take it from [her] again.’

And ‘for the children’ clicks--Wanda clearly created the Hex to have a life and a family with Vision. Wanda uses her magic to turn the guns onto Hayward, but they don’t shoot as she returns to the Hex.

This scene is important, because it shows us for certain that Wanda is aware of what she is doing, and shows for certain that she is in control, where before we had substantial evidence, but nothing this undeniable.

And cue this episode’s advert, for Lagos Brand paper towels--’For when you make a mess you didn’t mean to.’ This is a reference to an event at the beginning of Captain America: Civil War, in which Wanda accidentally killed twenty-six civilians in Lagos, Nigeria.

We cut back to the Hex, where Sparky has disappeared. They cross paths with a mailman, who says ‘Your Mom won’t let him get far,’ another subconscious reference of one of Wanda’s cast to her control. They find the dog dead in Agnes’s yard, who says he ate her azaleas, which poisoned him. The twins are upset, but Wanda stops them aging up, and gives them a lecture about grief. One of the twins tells her she can ‘fix the dead,’ which Agnes does question. This is a reference to her apparent resurrection of Vision, but Wanda tells them death is inevitable and forever; blatant hypocrisy. 

Later, Vision asks Wanda how the boys are, and Wanda says ‘life moves pretty fast out in the suburbs’, a reference to the show’s time-jumping. Vision tells Wanda of his conversation with Norm, and tells her he was in pain. Vision says ‘You can’t control me the way you do them,’ to which Wanda replies, ‘Can’t I?’ and the credits roll, but sitcom-style credits, not the WandaVision credits.

Wanda tries to leave, and Vision asks about the ‘Maximoff Anomaly’, but she feigns ignorance. He accuses her of controlling the town, the credits stop, and they rise into the air with their powers. Wanda says she did it for both of them, Vision asks what’s outside of Westview, but she doesn’t answer. Vision says he can’t remember his life before Westview, but Wanda reassures him that he is her husband and a father; he asks why there are no other children in Westview, which she again dismisses. Wanda exaggerates the insanity of what he thinks--gaslighting--and says she doesn’t know how it started in the first place.

The doorbell rings, which she says she didn’t do, and Wanda opens the door to Pietro Maximoff, the brother who she claimed was ‘far away’, but we know to be dead. Except it isn’t Aaron Taylor Johnson’s Pietro, from Avengers: Age of Ultron, and it’s not just a recast. He’s played by Evan Peters, who plays the version of Quicksilver in the X-Men movies, which is clearly intentional.

This led to speculation about the opening of the multiverse, and even though WandaVision doesn’t directly go that route, Wanda’s next appearance is going to be in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

This episode was an excellent one, and we’ve truly begun to build towards the climax.

Episode Six: ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular!’ Released February 12th, this episode has a still-leaving-a-lot-to-be-desired 37 minute runtime, and is one of the ones primarily featured in the trailers, which showed Wanda and Vision dressed in mock-up costumes of their character design in the comic books, which is especially exciting for Wanda, because, not only has she not yet been officially called ‘Scarlet Witch’, she also hasn’t had an official costume, with most of her other outfits in a darker red, but not the comic Scarlet Witch.

Recap of the relevant information, roll the Marvel logo, and this episode opens with a fast-paced theme song, which shows Wanda for the first time with the red effects of her magic in the Hex through the sitcom camera. This song mentions ‘illusion’ again and again, then moves into a rather elongated verse of repeating ‘let’s keep it going’, implying Wanda is now simply trying to extend the time she has with her family.

The twins introduce the episode in that 1990s break-the-fourth-wall style, they play with Pietro, and Wanda comes downstairs in her costume, claiming to be a Sokovian fortune teller. Pietro says it’s ‘worse than the costumes Mom made us the year we got typhus,’ and we cut to a really brief flashback of Wanda and Pietro trick-or-treating; Wanda has her hair in a braid and Pietro has an eyepatch, which some thought might just be an Easter egg of the two dressing as Black Widow and Nick Fury, but looking at it now, it seems more incidental.

Vision then comes downstairs in his costume, and says he’s only wearing it because Wanda took all his other clothes out of his closet, and that it’s a Mexican wrestler. He tries to leave for the neighbourhood watch, to which Wanda starts, ‘No, that’s not what you’re supposed to--’ as though she’s beginning to lose control over the Hex. Pietro dresses in a mock-Quicksilver costume, and dresses Tommy in something similar, referencing that Tommy, in the comics, also has superspeed. 

Wanda tries to test Pietro on a memory of their childhood, which he calls her out on, and she asks why he looks different, but he says ‘you tell me’, again implying this is her doing. Wanda talks to Herb, one of the neighbours and a member of the watch, who tells her Vision isn’t on duty.

Cut to Vision near the edge of town, and he sees people in their yard repeating the same motions over and over, as if Wanda has less control over the outskirts of town.

Cut to this episode’s commercial: this one is animated, of a boy of a deserted island, and a shark jumps out of the water, and gives him a ‘Yo-Magic’ yoghurt to eat, which the boy takes, but is too weak to open. Time passes, and we watch him starve--’Yo-Magic! The snack for survivors!’ This could be referring to Wanda’s inability to save the people around her with her magic--she couldn’t save HYDRA’s other test subjects, then she couldn’t save Pietro, then Vision.

Wanda asks Pietro what happened to his accent, and he asks her the same question, then tells her his memories are fuzzy. Tommy then goes to get candy, and reveals his superspeed powers. He and Billy then go off with a promise not to ‘go past Ellis Avenue.’

Darcy, Jimmy and Monica hack into Hayward’s data, and discover he figured out a way through the boundary, and that he’s tracking Vision and the people in his vicinity. They notice the people at the edge of town are hardly moving. Cut to Vision, who realises the people even further out are completely stagnant. He then morphs from his human costume to his typical Vision-self, flies upward and observes the town, noticing a car at the edge, which he flies down to.

We see Agnes in the car, dressed as a witch and still, but not unresponsive like the others. She tells him she got lost--’In the town you grew up in?--and he zaps her the way he did Norm in the last episode. She recognises him as Vision, an Avenger, but he doesn’t know what an Avenger is. She tells him he’s dead, and explains Wanda’s control, then laughs manically until Vision zaps her again, and she once again becomes the Nosy Neighbour, then turns the car and drives away. We zoom out to the street sign: Ellis Avenue.

Darcy sees Monica’s bloodwork in Hayward’s files, and tells Monica she can’t go back into the Hex as she wishes, because she’s already been through the boundary twice, and had her cells rewritten molecularly--Ms Marvel!! But Monica dismisses it, and tells Darcy she won’t stop until she helps Wanda.

Pietro accuses Wanda laughingly of only avoiding traumatising the town’s children by only bringing them out for a holiday cameo, but praises her, because ‘Families and couples stay together, most personalities aren’t far off from what’s underneath, people got better jobs, better haircuts, for sure,’ and tells her he’s impressed, but asks how she did it, which she doesn’t answer, then tells him she doesn’t know how she did it. She just remembers loneliness, and numbness.

She then looks back to Pietro, and sees him with bullet wounds in his chest; dead the way she saw Vision in episode 4, but she blinks it away.

Darcy watches Hayward’s tracking of Vision, and he approaches the barrier, sees it in all its television glory. Then he pushes through. He strains to make it through, and SWORD agents pull up on the other side. He nearly makes it, cape all that’s left, but it clearly painful, and he falls to the ground. Chunks of him tear off and fly back through the barrier. Meanwhile, Billy realises something is wrong with an echo of Wanda’s power, hearing Vision’s yells, and runs to Wanda.

Hayward handcuffs Darcy to stop her trying to get him to help Vision as he comes apart. Wanda asks Billy where Vision is, to which Pietro says, ‘Hey, don’t sweat it, sis. It’s not like your dead husband can die twice.’ Her eyes turn red and she sends him flying into a haystack. Billy focuses, and sees the SWORD soldiers, says he thinks Vision’s dying, and Wanda freezes everything around her, then sends out a blast of power.

Outside, the boundary of the Hex moves, expanding, and the SWORD agents panic to get away as Vision is re-encapsulated, but Darcy is handcuffed, and t passes over her. The SWORD camp turns into a circus, but Hayward, Monica and Jimmy get away--slightly wondering why Monica tried to when she was trying to get back in.

And the episode ends there. I don’t really have much of a conclusion to this episode--in truth, not too much actually happened aside from Pietro and the twins, but we are so building to the climax. This is also actually furthered by the absence of a laugh track in this episode, though this is also due to the fact they became less common.

And that summarises my breakdown of episodes 4-6. Part 3, with episodes 7-9, will come next week!

[oncexinxmyxdreams]

First Impressions

“Didn’t your mom teach you not to play with your food?” Peter wryly commented.

“Examining fungi is not playing with food,” Egon stated as he picked another mushroom from the noodles. He put it into a small jar.  

Peter rolled his eyes and took another sip from the glass bottle. The earthy vanilla flavor of root beer was a sweet change from the liquor he usually sneaked around in his pocket. With how slow Egon was taking with finishing his lunch, Peter knew they wouldn’t be leaving soon. He slumped back into the booth and eyed his surroundings. It was more interesting than watching Egon perform surgery over his pasta. (No doubt, he’d ordered it because it had mushrooms in the sauce.)  

The small restaurant had the familiar red walls, dark green upholstery and stained carpeted floors. Waitresses were bustling around with their trays stacked with water and breadsticks. It was warm inside with the savory scent of different Italian food which was comforting for Peter. It reminded him of his mother when she made different pastas for Saturday dinners; usually for the two of them.

“What did you get for Ray?” asked Egon. Now he was eating. Ray kept missing his usual eating out with his two close friends for over a week. He’d spent his spare time searching for a particular book in different libraries around New York City.  

“His fourth favorite dish from here,” Peter said as he pushed his plate aside.

“Chicken marsala,” Egon said half to himself. The take out box was near his side of the table and he opened it with interest.

“Don’t think about it,” said Peter. He reached over and snapped the lid closed. “You’ve collected enough fungus for today.” He scooted the box closer to his side.  

“I wasn’t going to take any,” protested Egon though his tone hardly changed. “Curiosity is just another-Peter?  Peter!” He noticed his friend suddenly wasn’t listening to him. No surprise, a woman had just passed them.

“Wow,” Peter murmured to himself with a dazed, love sick expression.

The lady that passed them wore a cyan blue dress with an A-line skirt and a black belt which emphasized her hourglass figure. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled into a low bun with simple hoop earrings. Even though Peter only got a glimpse of her face, he noticed her profile; like the classic beauty an old Hollywood starlet.

The lady made her way to an empty table and sat down, her back facing them. Just when Peter had started to rise up and make his way over to her, a man came up and sat with her. He had a navy blue suit and plastered blonde hair. Peter sank back. Of course she’d already have a boyfriend. Well, it certainly wouldn’t take too long to notice another lovely woman…or so he thought.

It was almost frustrating throughout the afternoon that he couldn’t stop thinking of her. It’d only been twice when after seeing an interesting lady that he couldn’t shake the image out of his mind. It looked like she’d be the third. Give it until tomorrow and things would be back to normal again.

Things calmed down into the early evening. Since Egon had already graduated with two PhDs in Applied Physics and Parapsychology he was working for Columbia in paranormal experiences. Though he had an incredibly high IQ and graduated quicker than an average student would, some professors found his work questionable. (He and Peter had to meet with one of the departments earlier that day because they had inquiries for his projects.) He worked in the Paranormal Studies Laboratory in Weaver Hall with his name printed on the glass door. It appeared more as a basement than an official lab with the sparse lighting and stale scent. Since Ray and Peter were attending Columbia, even though it was currently June, they made themselves at home. Anyone who knew Egon would be aware that he didn’t read Captain Steel comic books or have a full body poster of Marilyn Monroe. Besides, there was promise that if all went well they could work along with Egon after getting their doctorates in Parapsychology.  

Egon and Ray were spending their evening looking over notes for some prototype they wanted to build. Peter ignored their technical talk and with feet propped on his desk, read the newspaper. He skipped the boring columns of economics and went straight to the sports section. He took off his tie and tossed it to the desk where he left his blazer. He was vaguely aware of the soft knock on the office door and Ray’s quick footsteps to answer.    

“Oh hi Claire,” said Ray being his usual friendly self. “Come on in.”  

“I found the book,” said a voice with some triumph. “I was having lunch with one of my co-workers and he said he just returned this to the library. I thought I’d check it out for you.”  

“Gee thanks,” Ray said taking the thickly bound book. “I was worried I’d be waiting two weeks and-Oh! Sorry! Where are my manners? Hey guys. This is Claire Teague. She’s the one I met at the library. Claire, these are my good friends. That’s Egon and Peter’s hiding behind the newspaper.”

Right on cue, Peter’s eyes lazily looked over his newspaper and his heart skipped several beats! Be it fate, luck or even a miracle, there she was! No mistaking it, the same lady from the restaurant was there in Weaver Hall. Having heard that she was with a co-worker and not a boyfriend made Peter all the more pleased. Egon took little notice, but Peter scrambled from his chair, newspaper tumbling to the floor and turned on his charm.  

“Well hello,” Peter said smoothly. He leaned against the bookshelf, chin resting on his palm and eyes gazing into hers. “I’m Peter Venkman-uh, soon to be Dr. Peter Venkman.”

“Hi,” Claire said politely. She turned back to Ray and stepped closer to him. “So are you finally going to tell me why you were looking for this book?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain,” continued Ray as he flipped to the first page with interest.  

“Tell me” said Claire with a smile. “You said you’re earning a doctorate in...you said, Parapsychology?”  

Peter tuned out Ray’s explanation as he leaned back against the bookshelf and took in Claire’s beauty. She was a perfect combination of actresses he liked: The smile of Michelle Pfeiffer: the soft round face Jessica Lange: the blue eyes and defined bow shaped lips of Grace Kelly: the classic hourglass figure of Marilyn Monroe. He could say perhaps even tad more voluptuous since she wasn’t as thin as a rail.  When Claire sat in one of the metal chairs next to Ray, she crossed her shapely legs.

“Gorgeous,” Peter thought. He really hoped she was single. No chance Ray was dating her since he had just been asked out by another classmate. He’d been so wrapped into his thoughts that he didn’t hear Ray’s conversation end. It hadn’t been long, probably two minute. Claire looked at Peter and then back to his desk.  

“What about you?” Claire said to him. “You’ve got some type of box on your desk.”  

“You don’t want to know,” Egon said with some disdain.

“Have you ever heard of the ESP test?” Peter said giving his friendly tone.

“No,” Claire simply said with a head shake.  

“It stands for extra sensory perception,” Peter continued. “Guess you could say it’s to figure out if you have a sixth sense and the test is based off of the psychologist Karl Zener.”

“What exactly are you testing?” Claire actually seemed curious.

“I’m examining the negative reinforcement of the ESP test with electrodes,” Peter simply answered.  

“Not even scientific,” Egon muttered.

“How does that work?” Claire asked.

“Easy,” Peter explained since he thought he was gaining her attention. For full effect, he leaned over his desk and started shuffling some of the Zener cards. “Every card has a symbol on the back and-”

“There’s nothing scientific about it,” interjected Egon. He didn’t turn his back around from his project. “It’s chance! Each card has a plus sign, star, square, circle or wavy lines. You just keep randomly guessing to see if you get one right. It’s been discredited for clairvoyance!”

“Isn’t he cute?” Peter smirked. “Doesn’t have a doctorate in Psychology and he thinks he knows everything.”  

“It’s not a bad idea,” said Ray who was trying to keep the peace. “Maybe if Karl Zener had just done more experiments it could’ve been credible.”    

“I suppose that’s what Mr. Venkman is trying prove,” said Claire. “It just needs more testing and it could be a success that even this Zener couldn’t achieve.” She stepped a little closer to Peter. “Maybe you just need the right people to test it.”

“Funny you should say,” Peter said stepping closer to her. “I had one ditch a session tomorrow.”

“She freaked out when you told her about being hooked up for electric shocks,” protested Ray.

“She had another engagement Ray,” corrected Peter almost through his teeth. He wasn’t keen on Ray ruining his moment. He gazed back into Claire’s eyes, getting lost in the shades of blue. “If you’re interested in how the Zener test works, how about you be a test subject? I bet you’re one of the smartest ladies around; you could guess those cards so easily that you wouldn’t even get the tiniest shock.”    

“I have a high threshold for pain,” Claire said after a pause. “I could be a test subject if it’s after my work. I get off at five-thirty.”

“It’d be a pleasure Miss Teague,” Peter responded. “An absolute pleasure. Six-ish work for you?”

“That’d be nice.” Claire walked around him for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Let me know when you’re ready to check the book back in Ray. Goodbye.”

Right after she left, Egon muttered something and scribbled another formula for the prototype. Peter playfully slapped Ray on the shoulder.

“What?” asked Ray innocently.  

“When you said you met some girl at the library you didn’t say she was a bombshell,” teased Peter.

“I told you her name,” said Ray. “We were just in the history section and I accidentally bumped into her.”

“She doesn’t seem to have the same interest as you,” Egon said who couldn’t help overhearing a little.

“Well no,” admitted Ray with a shrug. “She loves history and I was looking for that book about ghost sightings during America’s earliest years. So she said she’d keep an eye for it and I told where I’m at if she finds it. Nothing to it. It’s not like I was going to date her.”

“Did she mention being single?” Peter asked eagerly.

“I think she is.” Ray scratched his head in thought. He noticed the gleam in Peter’s eyes. “Oh come on Peter! Don’t tell me you’re going to ask her out after the ESP test.”

“Very good Ray,” joked Peter. “You catch on fast. You should’ve seen the look in her eyes when she said she’d volunteer. That’s the look of a woman who’s fallen under the Venkman charm.”  

It would work out perfectly. Claire would get all the right cards; she’d be smitten by Peter’s “encouragement” to guess correctly and then a date. Who knew, maybe something extra later in the night? She seemed self-confident to have hinted being a volunteer. Peter already liked that. She didn’t give off too much personality other than the first things he usually noticed in a lady; that being pretty and nice. Either way, the usual plan was already up and running.  

 (Author’s Note: Finally! First ficlet up! BTW, you better be hearing Lorenzo Music’s voice when reading Peter’s lines here. 😉 Props to Spengs0 for suggesting Paire as a shipping name. 

[bisexualsforprompto]

Guilt and Love Chapter 4

“So demon spawn whos this soulmate we’ve heard so much about?” Teased Jason at dinner. “None of your business Todd.” Damian replied curtly. Dick started to crack up, ���He-he has Ladybug on one wrist! And a French girl on another!” Jason almost spat out his steak, “Two soulmates?! Damnnnn. When’d you get so smooth?” Damian rolled his eyes. “Well, not really smooth if one is an insect!” Dick continued chuckling. Jason joined his laughter while Tim stifled a laugh. Bruce decided his son probably had enough ridicule, “That’s enough boys.”

“Fineee.” Jason snickered until he was able to calm himself down. Damian picked at his food, something didn’t sit right with that blonde kid and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He was barely paying attention to his family’s antics. He also couldn’t stop thinking about the Ladybug on his wrist. Some kind of superhero maybe? Damian stood up from his seat at the table and began to walk down to the batcave. “Where are you going?” Tim asked. “I need to research a certain blonde heathen.”

Turns out the blonde heathen was a model named Adrien Agreste, son of the famous designer Gabriel. Damian researched him for hours on end without avail. He recognized the presence of everyone who walked down to the batcave and when they realized he wouldn’t leave the computer he recognized their departure too. Damian couldn’t find anything all that helpful so he switched gears to look for superheroes named Ladybug. He didn’t expect to find anything but oddly enough there were thousands of hits, he clicked on the first site, a video clip.

“Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news! Nadja Chamack reporting live on the akuma Queen Wasp. Here are our heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir on the scene once again!” “Ladybug”...Marinette had also mentioned her Damian realized. She’d also mentioned Chat Noir, but as if he did something wrong… He quickly changed gears and searched Chat Noir. The post from the Ladyblog came up.

As of 2:27pm this Thursday Ladybug has confirmed that Chat Noir is no longer coming to fight akumas. Did our dynamic duo have a falling out? Stay tuned! Alya, Ladyblogger out!

‘Interesting’, Damian thought. ‘Marinette called that kid Chat. Maybe there is a correlation.’

“Damian it’s three am.” Dick said as he walked over to the boy at the computer. “And?” Damian asked, eyes still glued on the screen. “And don’t you want to be well-rested for your little coffee date tomorrow?” Damian narrowed his eyes at his brother, “How did you know about that?” Dick punched Damian in the arm playfully, “Hah you’re not denying it’s a date. And I may have overheard…” Damian scowled, “Overheard or eavesdropped?” “Who can say really?” Damian growled, “I can’t believe you.”

“Don’t change the subject. Come on you have to sleep.” Damian rolled his eyes, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” He continued scrolling trying to learn about Chat Noir and Ladybug. “Hey that’s my line!” Tim said as he rushed into the room with coffee in hand. “First Grayson now Drake, you just keep multiplying.” Dick picked Damian up much to his chagrin, but he was too tired and Dick was far too much bigger than him so he squirmed until he realized he wasn’t going to win this battle. Dick threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried him to his room.

Dick threw his adopted brother on his bed, “Stay.” “Not a dog Grayson!” Dick chuckled, that statement was the last thing to come out of Damian’s mouth before he drifted to sleep.

Damian woke up to the sound of his phone ringing, it was 8:30am, he should’ve woken up awhile ago. He answered the phone groggily, not checking the caller ID. “Yes?!”

“Oh my gosh! I’m sorry did I wake you up?!” Asked a panicked girl with a heavy French accent on the other end. “Marinette? No, no sorry. What were you calling about.” He perked up a little. “I was just calling to see when you wanted to go for coffee.” Damian winced when he remembered the time, “Maybe make that brunch. How about 10?” Damian could practically see Marinette’s grin over the phone in her answer, “Sounds amazing! Where would you like to meet?” Damian was a little groggy but he still wanted to treat Marinette well, as she should be treated, “Can I have the address of your hotel? I can pick you up and take you somewhere. Maybe give a small tour of Gotham since you haven’t been here before.” He wasn’t nervous for her response, no way. He wasn’t afraid she was going to yell at him for asking for the place she was staying, absolutely not. It was ridiculous to imply such a thing.

“Sounds perfect! I’ll send you where I’m staying!” Marinette exclaimed. Damian let out some breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Perfect, I’ll be there at 10 sharp.”

~~~~~~~

Marinette brushed her hair once more for good measure. “Can you imagine Tikki?! He’s so chivalrous, he’s picking me up!” She sighed dreamily as Tikki giggled. “I hope you enjoy the date Marinette, you deserve it!” Marinette grinned as she took her purse and walked out of her room.

~~~~~~~

“Oh Marinette where are you going?” Asked Lila with a sickening sweetness. “None of your business Lila.” Lila faked sniffling and Marinette turned around, prepared to tell her off but then saw her surrounded by the whole French class. They were not happy, even Adrien who was normally impartial. “Are you going off with that Wayne kid?” Adrien asked stone faced. “So what if I am?” Marinette asked her ex partner. He ran after her and dug his nails into her skin, “Don’t leave. He’s bad news.” Marinette struggled, “Let go of me Adrien!”

“You heard the lady.” Said a voice causing Adrien to jump back. There in full glory stood Red Hood, Nightwing, and Red Robin. “W-what are you doing here?!” Squeaked the model. The class gawked at the heroes before them. Dick wanted to say they were here to check on their newest member of the family, but he figured Damian would not appreciate them giving away their identities. “That’s not important, but what is important is not touching a girl when she says no. And what’s important is not just standing by and letting it happen!” Jason, the hothead he was, yelled at the class. The class fled tails between their legs out of the lobby.

Marinette smiled, “Thank you. That was much appreciated! So I’m guessing Robin told you I’m his soulmate…” Marinette was a little surprised, Robin had seemed so...Not like the others. If he teammates were kind maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. “Wait, wait you met Robin?” Marinette gave them a confused look, “Uh yes…” Nightwing stood in shock, “Do you know his identity?” Marinette shook her head, “Of course not. Believe me I know how important secret identities are.” Nightwing stood in a stupor just like his brothers, this meant she had two names on her wrist like Damian. ‘Could this mean Marinette was Lad-‘ Nightwing’s head started to pound. ‘What was I thinking about? I can’t remember.’

Damian walked into the lobby of the Wayne hotel, when he saw his brothers in costume talking to Marinette he immediately regretted telling them where she was staying. Damian gave them the death stare as Marinette skipped up to him. Nightwing gave him a look, it said ‘I need to tell you something.’ Damian nodded at the silent communication and headed out with Marinette.

~~~~~~~

“So Damian I need to tell you something.” Marinette fidgeted with her fork not looking her soulmate in the eyes. She felt so bad that she hadn’t immediately told him that she had two soulmates. A loud ringing made Damian fall out of their engrossed conversation. He checked his phone and almost gasped, “I’m sorry, Marinette but I really have to go. To be continued?” Marinette nodded, although she was enjoying his company she was nervous to tell him about her second soulmate. “I’m going to call my butler to pick you up.”

“B-butler?!” Marinette exclaimed. Damian gave her an odd look, “Uh yeah…” The pieces started to click in Marinette’s mind. She hid her face in her hands, “Oh my god you’re that Damian Wayne!” She banged her head on the table. Damian almost chuckled, although it was refreshing to know his soulmate was sweet to him without knowing he was rich. “I’m going to have to take the car I drove you in, but Alfred will be around soon. Let’s do this again soon Marinette, if you’re available, of course.” Damian said shyly. Marinette nodded as she stifled a blush. ‘She’s kind of adorable’ Damian mused as he left the café. He checked his notification from his father once more, it simply read “Killer Croc”. Damn it why couldn’t Damian just live in a normal city?!

~~~~~~~

Croc wasn’t all that difficult, especially not with him, his father and all his ‘brothers’ there to help. What was difficult was explaining to his brothers that he never met Marinette as Robin.

“I’m telling you Grayson, the only time I’ve ever seen Marinette was as Damian.” He protested. “But baby bird, if that’s true that means your soulmate was lying about meeting Robin!” Dick said, millions of warning signals going off in his head. Damian shook his head, “Or it means she met somebody she thinks was Robin. Drake pull up the security footage from Marinette’s hotel, specifically last night.”

Tim pulled up the feed and Damian scowled, oh how heads were going to roll...

Taglist (y’all know how this goes):

@interobanginyourmom

@beaversuenightly

@legendaryneckjudgestudent

@luciferge

@northernbluetongue

@mandy984

@Zebrabaker

@violatiger8

@gingerdaile

@poshplumcot

@thanks-captain-obvious

@miraculous786

@superrrpc

@souleateralicestein

@mochinek0

@shamefullove

@satans-favorite-homo

@heldtogetherbysafetypins

@draco-kasai

@worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry

@synnesstra

@ace-aro-agender

@almstreet

@winter-gardenflower

@dast218

@novicevoice

@chaosace

@hypnosharkrebeldreamer

@emjrabbitwolf

@kuroko26

@eliza-bich

@mystery-5-5

@mewwitch

@shreky-boi

@zerotosiki

@imanerddealwith

@queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm

@casual-darkness

@bluerosette23

@crash-the-mode

@fertileleaf

@my-name-is-michell

@angelofmusickaterinapetrova

@kanamexzeroyaoifangirl

@bee-wrecker

@redscarlet95

@panda3506

[lonestarbabe]

The Bowling League

The 126 enters a bowling league, and they are too bad to make a comeback, but lots of hijinks ensue. AKA the 126 are the worst bowling team known to man yet they make the best out of things even if they still aren’t talented in the end. (They go against other first responders)

(AO3)

When Owen Strand told the team that they were joining a bowling league, no one else thought it was a good idea. Paul could hardly hit the pins down, and T.K. didn’t even know the basic rules. While Marjan was confident in her skills, she didn’t want to be part of the losing team, and Judd grumbled that he had better things to do with his time off. Mateo was the least resistant, but even then, he was apathetic about it. But Owen was persistent, and one by one, convinced the team to join him in the first responders bowling league.

They were only in the second frame, but it was already clear that it would take a miracle for the 126 to win the game. T.K. was up, and as the ball hit the gutter for the second time, Paul nudged him and said with a laugh, “Trying to impress your boyfriend?” Carlos was in the lane next to them with some officers from his precinct. Carlos had gotten two strikes in a row.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” T.K. muttered, looking around to make sure Carlos wasn’t nearby, and he wasn’t. He was off to the side laughing with two of his coworkers. T.K. and Carlos had been hanging out, but they weren’t quite there yet, not at the boyfriend level.

Paul just laughed, “And I thought I was a bad bowler.”

Marjan groaned as she got up to take her turn. “You are a bad bowler.” She threw her hands in the air to point at one of the police officers getting a spare. “We couldn’t beat them if we were using bumpers.”

“Bumpers?” T.K. asked, looking to Paul for guidance. Paul shrugged. “All I know is that we don’t have them.”

Judd seemed to think the whole thing was hilarious as he picked at his cheese fries and watched the chaos. “Didn’t ya ever take the kid bowling, Cap?”

“It’s probably best I didn’t. If he’s this bad now, I can’t imagine what he would’ve done as a kid.”

“Hey,” T.K. said. “It’s not like I’m the only one who sucks. I’m only five points behind Paul.” The sound of pins falling against the wood filled their ears as Marjan knocked down six pins.

“Marjan’s got you both beat in just one turn,” Mateo points out. Four pins remained, and she had one more shot to knock down the others.

“Shut up,” Paul said as Marjan lined her purple ball up with the remaining pins. She wound up and released it from her hands with a mix of grace and force. The ball zoomed down the lane and two pins toppled to the floor, taking the other two with them. The team cheered.

“Probie, you’re up,” Marjan called, looking satisfied that she was the team’s top player and annoyed that she wasn’t on the other team.

Mateo was not as good as Marjan, but he consistently got pins down and had managed to keep his ball out of the gutter, so he was in a race with Judd for second best on the team. Even so, half the pins were still standing after his turn, and the 126 gave him a half-hearted applause for his efforts. “Good try, Probie,” Marjan had said, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder.

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not,” Mateo responded.

“Just glad you’re better than some of these other losers.” No one debated her point.

Owen grabbed a green sparkly ball that he claimed to be his lucky one. It was meant for kids, but he seemed to think the smaller ball would make it easier to hit the pins and avoid the gutter. No one knew enough about bowling to tell him whether he was wrong or right. Owen wasn’t even wearing proper bowling shoes because he’d been concerned about the impact of used shoes on his foot health. Technically, there was a rule that you couldn’t bowl without bowling shoes, but the staff didn’t seem to care enough to tell him that he had to put his rental shoes on, so they were set on the chair next to him.

He slid across the floor and nearly rolled down the lane because of his improper footwear. For his troubles, a single pin teetered to the ground before the ball veered off into the gutter. “Come on, Dad,” T.K. encouraged, “Don’t mess this up!”

Owen shot T.K. a look before returning his focus to his lucky ball, which he’d had to wait several minutes for. A determined look crossed his face and he pulled his arm back and forth to mentally prepare for the shot he was about to take.

“Just throw the ball, Cap,” Judd yelled, impatiently waiting for his own turn. Owen purposely dragged out his turn. Pulling his arm back and catapulting the ball forward without releasing. Finally, to everyone’s relief, he let it go, and ever so slowly it meandered down the lane, knocking only two more pins down.

Owen seemed unperturbed by his score. “Better than a gutter ball!”

Marjan looked seconds away from leaving when Judd got up from his seat, cracking his knuckles before grabbing the heaviest ball he could find. “The pressure’s on,” T.K. said with a mischievous expression. “Don’t think too hard about the fact that if you do terribly, we may go down as the worst team in bowling league history.”

“Did I ask your opinion, pretty boy?” Judd didn’t wait for a response before turning to the lane and throwing the ball to the ground with brute force. Judd didn’t do much thinking before taking his turns. He just wound up and let the ball go where it went, and for the most part, it worked to his advantage. Seven pins fell and on his next turn, another one spun and wobbled before coming down.

By the end of the first games of for the night, they didn’t even need to look at the scores to know the police officers had won. They could have won using just their three worst players. But the 126 had two more teams to face. Maybe there was a worse team somewhere out there. Perhaps, the police officers had just been exceptionally good.

Michelle’s team did not go easy on the 126. As the game wore on, it became obvious that, no, Carlos’ team had not been exceptionally good. They had been good, that was for sure, but Michelle’s team was competitive. Cops liked to win, but paramedics liked to decapitate the heads of their enemies and then stitch them back on.

After another turn in the gutter, T.K. went to the bar to get mineral water but wound up with tap water because the bartender had looked confused at the term mineral water. It was a bowling alley, so he supposed he shouldn’t have expected too much. The taste was different, but it managed to distract him from his team’s horrific performance.

“Do you know they’re nicknaming your team the last responders?” Carlos asked, coming up beside T.K. at the bar.

“Seems about right.”

“Are you even trying to hit the pins, Tiger?” 

“If I said I was aiming for the worst score in bowling ever, would you believe me?”

Carlos chuckled, “You did get that one strike, though.”

“In another lane! I swear that my ball has a magnetic pull to the gutter.”

“Maybe try using a different one.”

“The pink eight pound one, the black ten pound one, the sparkly green one my dad loves— they all love the gutter. I think I’m cursed.”

“I’d give you some pointers, but I really don’t think they’d help. Not throwing the ball backwards is a good place to start.”

“That was one time!”

“The only other time I’ve seen the ball go backwards is in Wii Sports.” They both laughed, and it was nice how comfortable they were around each other.

T.K. noticed his dad waving him over and sighed. “Speaking of not knocking down any pins, I have to go take my next turn.”

“You might get a better score if you just skip it.”

“Really funny, Mr. 252 points,” T.K. said before turning to walk away and go back to bowling hell.

“Remember, you’re supposed to take down pins, not people,” he heard Carlos call after him.

T.K. looked back to glare but couldn’t help the giggle that came out when he finally looked away.

In the final game, the 126’s score was better than it ever had been, which was not saying much, but T.K. had no major mishaps and Paul had broken sixty.  It was the tenth frame, and while winning was out of the question, Paul would get the final turn of the game. Even if bowling had been a disaster, they’d had a lot of fun, laughing and cheering each other on.

“You’ve got this,” T.K. told Paul, who he’d bonded with over their shared confusion over bowling terminology and basic technique.

Paul didn’t put much effort into his final turn. He just took the ball and let it drop to the floor. It moved speedily down the lane, slamming into the pins. They all tumbled to the ground, and for a second, the whole 126 froze in shock before they broke out into cheers, fist bumping and hugging Paul.

“Ready for your next turn?” Owen asked.

“My what?” Paul asked.

“You get two extra shots when you get a strike in the tenth frame. They’re like bonus points.”

“Who the hell invented this game?” T.K. asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Mateo replied, “You’re just unhappy because you’ll never get a strike in any frame.”

Paul gave T.K. a slap on the back. “Don’t worry. I didn’t think it would happen to me either, but here we are.”

Paul went to grab an orange ball he’d been using throughout the game, but Owen stopped him. “Don’t end the game with that ugly ball.” Owen grabbed the sparkly green one and put it in Paul’s hands. “This one will do the trick. It’s lucky.”

“I don’t believe in luck.” Paul didn’t look pleased with the ball swap. “This ball couldn’t knock a feather over.”

“Don’t you trust your captain, Paul?”

“I don’t trust anyone with the name Strand when it comes to bowling.”

“He’s right, Owen, the Strand family ain’t got any expertise in bowling.”

“But I’ve got a better score than Paul, don’t I?”

Paul sighed. “Fine. I guess that it can’t hurt to use the kiddy ball.” He turned from the group and took a breath before letting the ball slowly roll down the lane. It didn’t have the force of his last turn but stayed down the center, connecting with the central pin and knocking down a few around it. All but two pins remained, but it’d take a miracle to hit both given the large gap that separated the pins.

“Can I forfeit my other turn?” Paul asked, not even wanting to attempt to hit the two farthest out pins.

“No!” the whole 126 shouted.

“You can do this, Paul,” T.K. cheered, and no one bothered telling him that Paul’s skill level meant that he probably couldn’t do it, but the small chance that it could happen excited everyone regardless.

Paul’s face remained calm as he waited for the green ball to come back, grabbed it, and lined his shot up with the pins. He brought his hand back and released the ball with a steady arm. It veered dangerously close to the gutter but kept to the edge of the wood, carefully rolling along the outermost plank of wood. It hit the pin on the left which slid across the floor and hit the other pin. The pin on the right wobbled back and forth, and the team held their breath waiting to see if it fell to the ground.

The whole bowling alley quieted as the team looked to the one last pin, which was teetering less wildly now but still had the momentum to fall.

“Two strikes in a row.” T.K. called gleefully when the pin finally dropped.

“That was a spare, T.K.,” Marjan explained, looking at him like he was a lost cause.

“Who the hell cares what it was,” Judd said, pulling Paul in for a side hug. “Our boy kicked ass.”

Owen lifted his plastic cup. “There’s a bowler in there after all.” Everyone else lifted their glasses containing various beverages. “To the worst bowling team to ever enter the league and our MVP, Paul Strickland.”

Marjan didn’t even argue that her score was still the highest. She clanked he,r glass against Paul’s and said, “To winning the game next time!”

“To winning the game next time,” they all echoed with laughs and smiles on their faces.  

[crewhonk]

...Of The Line (1)

A series collaboration with @nomadsgrogers where she writes for Giovanna as the reader! We’re just projecting onto our writing, its FINE

Series Summary: Steve watches YN Banner grow up before his eyes– from a shy, dorky sixteen-year-old to a fierce, brilliant woman who never fails to keep him on his toes. He knows that she’s untouchable, but that doesn’t stop him from being completely wrapped around her finger for the rest of his long life.

Series Warnings: Mutual Pining, age gap, gun use, these two are idiots– seriously they’re so dumb, slow burn, injuries

Pairings: eventual Steve Rogers X Banner!Reader, eventual Buky Barnes X OC!Stark

Chapter Summary: YN says goodbye to her best friends and watches as the events of The Winter Soldier go down. YN visits her best people in the hospital. 

Words: 4.1K

@nomadsgrogers version >> (” Till the End...”) Introduction

“... Of The Line” Masterlist

_________________

2014, two years later

Eventually, Giovanna had left to join Natasha and Steve in their work with SHEILD in Washington about a year after Natasha and Steve had initially left. They had come back for a short reprieve from work and were set off to go work to save lives again— 361 kilometres away. Giovanna had called it her first real mission as an Avenger while both YN and Tony had called it bullshit and begged her to stay. YN was never much for goodbyes— moped around for days until she found herself showered and in the lab. A bad habit that Giovanna critiqued her about.

“You really don’t have to leave, you know.” YN frowned, pulling her best friend into a hug and burying her face into her neck. Giovanna drew circles between the middle of her shoulder blades and stayed silent until YN pulled away and wiped her nose with her sleeve. Natasha joined the group of girls and pulled YN under her wing, kissing her temple and hugging her close. Nat had since bonded with the two younger women, now on the cusp of nineteen, taking them under her wing and training them when she could— watching movies and laughing long into the night when she was able.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna come with us?” Natasha’s suave, carefully selected speech patterns disappeared around the two girls— something that rarely ever happened. “I could really use a hand keeping Captain Bad Idea in line,” Natasha smirked and YN rolled her eyes and laughed, refusing to let the sudden heat blossoming on her face stop her from functioning like it usually did.

Steve Rogers had grown on her— he had become something less like a celebrity crush in 2012 to something deeper. Her adoration for the man had rooted in her lungs, constricting her breathing until it seemed she would never be able to breathe again.

Not to be dramatic.

But it was true that the two had become closer. They trained together, ate together, watched shitty 80’s movies until the crack of dawn and then crashed on separate end of the same couch together. They kept touching to a minimal— an unspoken rule between the two which only caused for a rock in the progress of relationship building. Both, as the team knew, were very needy with touch and it only seeded the idea that the other person felt no real romantic interest in the other. That, and Steve’s consistent fear of making her crumble under his hands— young and fragile and too good for him.

YN’s eyes flickered over to where Steve was chatting with Tony and Bruce softly, allowed her eyes to rake over his appearance once, very quickly and then smiled back to her girls.

“I think you’ll be fine. You got Blind Enthusiasm over there to help you.” She nodded her chin towards Giovanna who seemed affronted at her statement.

“Hey! I’m not Blind Enthusiasm. Maybe Sassy Regret.” Giovanna pulled both Natasha and YN into her arms and squeezed them both close. Their foreheads touched for a few seconds before she pulled away and let her hand rest on YN’s cheek.

“Don’t blow anything up while I’m gone,” Giovanna warned.

“It’s no fun without you.” YN winked back, finishing their classic statement goodbye— uttered mostly when one left for coffee runs or actually went to bed at a time which humans usually did.

“Wanna say goodbye to him?” Natasha’s eyes flicked over to Steve who was watching them. YN’s eyes locked with his own and she shot Steve a small smile, raising her hand and giving a shy wave. Giovanna scoffed quietly to herself, toeing the ground with her sneakers at the innocent move.

Behind closed doors, YN rarely had a filter on the topic of Steve Rogers. Hashing out everything she wanted him to do to her and everything she wanted to do to him, sometimes in such great detail even Natasha, when she was able to join, would blush. Now, in the midst of that same man, YN was reduced to a blushing, quiet sixteen-year-old version of herself.

YN was like a pit bull raised in a good family— her bark was most certainly worse than her bite.

“Nah. We already said goodbye.” YN smiled, looking away from Steve who seemed to be less than keen on doing the same. Giovanna and Natasha’s identical smirks dropped at the very same time.

“Okay, great. We’re going to have a FaceTime session tonight and you’re going to spill everything.”

“Everything?”

“Every. Single. Thing.”

______________________

The tower was lonely without the chaos that ensued during the previous three and a half years, all due to the rapidly advancing education that was YN Banner and Giovanna Stark’s life. There were no crashes from the lab on the 52nd floor, as YN was played out on the couch, uninspired and bored out of her mind at one in the morning. She had been throwing up a stress ball into the air, catching it all the while glaring at the holograms on the table in front of her. When the hologram flickered for the third time in ten seconds she growled and threw the stress ball at it, eyes flashing neon green only briefly.

“Woah! Squish, you okay?” Bruce exclaimed, walking around the table and rubbing the spot on his forehead where the ball had collided. YN muttered an apology as her dad sat down next to her, watching the diagram of a blood cell rotate in front of them.

“Been better.” She mumbled, taking the stress ball back from her father and digging her nails into it. Both Bruce and Big Guy took notice, and they were equally concerned.

“What’s goin’ on?” He tried. He was usually wonderful at this father-ing schtick but ever since he had left when she was only sixteen, she had become increasingly independent. Now almost twenty, she was a full adult and Bruce had no idea where he belonged anymore.

“I just— God. I want to think I’m a grown up. I want to think I’m independent from other people and can function without another person but I don’t think I can do that. I’ve always had you and when I didn’t I’ve always had Gio and Natasha and Steve and Tony. I’m no good alone.” YN ranted, tears welling in her eyes and Bruce could feel his heart melting and breaking both at the same time.

“You don’t have to be alone, you know. Humans are social creatures. We don’t do well alone. We’re meant to be in packs and we’re meant to have those social bonds. Independence for us in the wild usually means death— in modern times it just sometimes means everything short of that.” Bruce hummed and he wrapped his arm around his baby girls shoulders. She sniffed into his neck and wiped tears away from her eyes.

“But Gio’s independent. So are Steve and Natasha and I don’t get why I can’t be like that.” Her voice was thick as she spoke.

“Because you’re you. You don’t have to be like them. There’s no shame in leaning on people, you know.” He mumbled and Big Guy seemed to agree, chest rumbling in agreement. There was as silence before YN’s quiet voice rang out loud and clear.

“You’re not goin’ anywhere, right, Papa?”

Bruce’s heart skipped a beat and he pulled her closer, squishing her to his chest and blinking back tears.

“I’ll stay right here just as long as you want me to, okay?”

“Okay.”

Another Pause.

“Wanna help me try to figure out our blood?”

____________________

It was a week before ‘Tonights’ FaceTime could take place, as both Natasha and Giovanna had been swept up in the life and work of SHEILD. It was seven at night when YN’s phone rang by her side, laptop on her lap in bed playing “The 100”. The phone chimed, and YN in all of her excitement nearly launched her computer from her legs in her hurry to answer it.

“Hi!” She said excitedly, shutting her laptop and pulling her covers closer to her chest. On her screen were her best friends, faces squished together and smiling so widely. The flush on Giovanna’s cheeks was a telltale sign they were at least a glass and a half into their wine.

“Baby girl!” Giovanna almost squealed, and YN’s heart clenched. Oh, how she had missed the Stark energy because sure, Tony had it all but there was nothing like seeing it in jammed into a 5’3 Italian firecracker of a girl.

“How’s Washington? Oh my gosh, have you met Obama yet? What about Michelle? Are her arms as magnificent as they look in pictures?” YN rushed, and the two girls laughed.

“Washington is good! It’s too vanilla for my taste.” Giovanna replied and Natasha said something about how it was because the sewer rats were the closest things she ever got to owning a pet.

“No, we haven’t met any of the Obama’s either.” Natasha quelled YN’s thirst for the First Family and YN sat back in mock disappointment.

“Well, then what’re you even doing there?” The others laughed at her response before they both lost their excited exterior. It would never fail to impress YN how in sync Giovanna and Natasha were at almost all times.

“So, don’t think we forgot, little lamb.” Natasha chastised and YN rolled her eyes, before getting up and grabbing a bottle of wine from her wine cooler hidden in the back of her closet. No way was she explaining her and Steve’s goodbye while sober. No, ma’am.

She raised the bottle to her lips and wiped her hand across her mouth.

“What d’you wanna know?” YN resigned herself to what she could picture as hours worth of interrogation.

“Everything.”

____________________

It was the night before the team was about to leave for Washington. Giovanna had already left the common room under the guise of packing, allowing for Steve and YN to have a few hours to themselves under the glow of the city lights streaming through the windows and the television.

Steve could feel his hands clamming up. Sure, he had been alone with YN countless times before, but it was only on his visit back did he notice that YN had grown up. Long gone were her puberty curves. There was that same trademark Banner softness to her, but he didn’t miss the way that her shirt clung to rigid muscle when she was straining herself in the gym. He didn’t miss the lines of her calf and thigh muscles whenever she wore those tight black shorts that made his head spin. He didn’t miss the curl of her wild hair or how her eyes seemed to droop in a way that made his heart stutter whenever she looked at him.

He had been alone with YN before, countless times. She never failed to make him feel like a 16-year-old kid in Brooklyn, though.

“You know, I’m really gonna miss nights like these.” She said, curling into the cushion of the couch and pulling her blanket to her chin— comfort habit, he had learned.

“Whatd’ya mean?” He asked, suddenly not at all interested in the movie playing in front of them. He knew this was an iconic 90’s movie but he couldn’t care less about anything that didn’t involve YN.

“You and me all curled up. I mean, come on. Showing movies to Captain America for the first time?” She giggled sleepily at his eye roll.

“As if I care about it, honestly.” He mirrored her position, facing her and leaning on the back of the couch.

“Why don’t you care about it? Clueless is one of the best movies out there.” YN tried to sound offended, but she couldn’t find it in herself to sound anything but nervous and breathy. Steve’s eyes were drooping, fighting hard to stay awake and watching her with a softness he rarely showed anyone. In some wild, delusional state, she could almost believe what Giovanna and Natasha told her— that he could come to love someone like her.

“Not my type.” He muttered, forcing himself to keep his hands from reaching out and placing them on her bare arms. God, all he wanted to do was run the back of his knuckles over her skin. Wanted to make goosebumps erupt all over her body. Wanted to make her suck in a breath and look at him through those innocent, peering eyes.

Steve kept his hands to himself.

“What is your type?” She whispered, and his heart climbed violently up his throat. He coughed once to get it back to where it belonged and when that didn’t work, he pulled away farther from her. He couldn’t— she was too young and good and pure and everything he would ruin.

He wouldn’t ruin YN Banner.

“We should get you to bed, okay, Sugar?” He said, glancing absently at the time before rising slowly to his feet. He wanted nothing more than to curl up against her, soak her in enough for him to survive the next few months away. He stopped himself, however, filling his arms with blankets and pillows and waiting for her to stand and join him.

She almost looked disappointed he didn’t help her. Definitely looked disappointed he was ending the night.

She only nodded, however, and wrapped her blanket around her shoulders like a cape, following him to the elevator in silence and riding up in silence. Only speaking again when they reached her floor. She stepped out, turning around and placing her hand on the door so it wouldn’t close on her. She was quiet for a time, trying her very best to memorize the way blue skin had found a home in the inner corners of his eyes. How the left side of his nose was just a little crooked. Remember the cleft of his chin and the swell of his bottom lip. She sniffed and nodded and stepped back.

“I’ll miss you, grandpa. Don’t know who I’ll make old people jokes about anymore.” She forced a playful smile over her tired face and he mirrored it.

They were both so close, but so, so far away.

“I’ll miss you, Sweetheart. Don’t know who’s gonna make you get to bed in time for your afternoon nap.”

“Guess you’ll have to come back soon, then.”

Then, the elevator door slid shut with a quiet ‘ding’.

______________________

YN had thought them to be dead. Nick, Steve, Natasha, and Giovanna killed in a gun battle in the middle of Washington. She had thought them dead until she got the call. It was Tony who called, half out of his mind with worry but voice dripping with relief.

“They’re alive, YN. News— look at the news.” She listened to her uncle, ran down the hall of her floor to the common room with television in it and flicked on the channel. Sure, Tony may have been only five floors away, but she was suddenly very familiar with the feeling of her legs and arms and heart going numb.

The flashing red at the bottom screen told her this was live. Large hellicarriers armed to the teeth were falling on Washington, a collection of live footage from the news crews and videos from Twitter streaming on the screen, and YN cried out when a rather shaky video caught sight of Giovanna, fighting, yelling, bleeding through her uniform but alive. YN let out a dry sob and leaned forward on her knees, putting her head in her hands and crying into them despite the lack of tears streaming from her eyes.

Then, when she looked back, she saw him. Angry, and scared and like Giovanna, bleeding but very much alive. He looked to be running— chasing after someone who was singlehandedly taking out an entire SHEILD battalion.

She didn’t care. Her guys were alive.

________________________

The quinjet ride to Washington was only half an hour, but both YN and Tony could have sworn it would have been easier to walk themselves. The jet landed on the roof of the hospital and she sprinted side by side with Tony down the stairs, bursting through the doors of the VIP section the hospital had closed off.

Large men in combat greens were lining the hallways, guns on their shoulders and there was an eerie silence in the hallway.

“Ms. Stark is in room 567, Captain Rogers is in the room next to her— 569.” The nurse, nervous and excited at the sight of the Tony Stark in her own hospital making her voice higher than usual.

“I need— I’m sorry.” He whispered once they got to the rooms and YN rolled her eyes, pushing him towards his daughters' room.

“Go, we got all day. I’m gonna go see Steve.” YN tried to ignore the way Tony’s worried eyes gave away to something almost teasing, and she turned around to the room 569, knocking on the ajar door and smiling at the man in the room.

He was sitting next to an unconscious Steve. His dark skin and dark eyes stunned her— a man of genuine beauty was protecting Steve. He looked at her, eyes intense and guarding.

“Who’re you?” His voice was suave and the gap in his teeth was charming. YN tried to fight back the urge to walk over and tell him just who she was— he obviously cared much for Steve. The bags under his eyes and the stains on his shirt were dead giveaways that he hadn’t left the hospital in a few days.

“YN Banner. Who are you?” Her voice was strong, and her gaze landed on Steve who looked very much worse for wear. A large gash that was deep enough to require stitches extended from the corner of his mouth to his earlobe, a black and green and red bruise on his opposite cheek let her know that the bone underneath his skin must have been completely shattered. The hospital gown he was wearing was pulled to the side to show more blossoming bruises and YN coughed, trying to rid her throat of the sudden lump that had taken root there.

The man made a noise of surprise and joy, a wide smile blossoming over his face before he stood and extended a hand.

“Sam Wilson. Wow, the famous YN Banner. Steve and Giovanna never shut up about you this whole week, it’s nice to put a face to the name. Nice to meet you, Steve’s girlfriend, YN Banner.” He smirked and his smile grew at the way she spluttered in surprise.

“I’m— we’re not— I’m not—“ She rushed, cheeks flaming to the tips of her ears. Sam laughed and stepped closer, moving to walk by her and out of the room, knowing she would want some alone time.

“He said the same thing when Gio and Natasha called him your boyfriend. Got more red, though.” And with that, and a clap on the shoulder, Sam walked out of the room.

YN’s gaze drifted back to Steve, and she pressed the backs of her cold hands to her face to try to quell the blush that seemed to have found a home there. She walked over to his side, pulling a chair to his bedside and reaching out, hesitating only slightly before wrapping both of her hands around his much larger one. The knuckles were bruised and bloody, clean stitches already looking to have been removed and she rested her cheek on them, looking at Steve’s face.

It was only a half an hour before his hand twitched in hers, and he grunted at the pain he felt immediately upon waking. He cracked his eyes open slowly, crusted closed with tears and other sleep residue and felt someone's hands tighten around his own.

YN was there, eyes tired but relieved and Steve’s heart rate monitor picked up when she smiled at him, softly.

“Hey,” She whispered over the music from the speaker Sam had brought in. Her tightened her grip on his hands and rested her lips on his fingers— not kissing them, but resting there and Steve cursed the machine beeping continuously and irregularly beside him.

“Hi,” His voice was raspy from the fight and smoke and water they had to pump from his lungs and the breathing tube from the surgeries he had received.

“Whose idea was it to take down SHIELD?” She asked, corners of her lips turning up. She already knew the answer, but it would be nice to have the opportunity to make fun of the man in front of her.

“Gio’s?” He tried and YN laughed against his hand, breath drifting over his knuckles and making the pink of blush creep up his neck. God, how the hell did someone as good as her make him so unbearably nervous. She had gotten even more beautiful in the four months they hadn’t seen each other.

“Nice try, Captain Bad Idea.” YN teased, and she pulled one hand from his grip to brush the back of her fingers against his forehead and his eyes fluttered shut briefly at her touch. To anyone looking into the room, they looked like a couple— two people so in love and so worried for each other, and both Steve and YN knew this, neither too keen on ruining the illusion. They only wanted to stay in this little moment for a few minutes longer— for as long as it took for reality to pull them away from each other once more.

____________________

Soon, Tony interrupted their moment outside of reality, needing to discuss and make plans for the future of the team and whoever remained of SHEILD.

“I’ll be back. Can you eat anything yet?”

“I think so,” His voice was quiet and he really, truly, desperately didn’t want you to leave— didn’t want to let you go already.

“Okay, I’ll find something good.” YN stood, squeezing his hand once before pulling away slowly and Tony raised an eyebrow at the way Steve almost seemed to reach after it, wanting her to come back so soon.

YN didn’t hear the way Tony teased Steve, comments of ‘gramps’ and ‘you know she’s too smart for you, right?’ Followed quickly by Steve telling him to shove it somewhere the sun didn’t shine. Instead, she walked over to the next room and didn’t even bother knocking before walking in and crossing her arms, glaring at her best friend who looked a little worse for wear.

“You look like shit, babe,” Giovanna said with a wicked grin.

“You’re one to talk. Really? Taking down secret government Nazi’s? Without me? How dare you.” YN dropped her stern act and padded over to Giovanna’s bed, lifting the blankets and curling under them, resting her head on her best friends shoulder.

“Sorry about that.” Giovanna shifted slightly and moved to face YN, glad she had chosen to invade her bed on this side, as she didn’t need to lay on the stab wound she had received only hours before.

“I told you not to die.” YN chastised lightly, and Giovanna patted her shoulder.

“I didn’t— I just got stabbed lightly by sex on legs.” She said and YN looked at her sharply.

“Excuse me?”

And then, Giovanna launched into a story of a man-- the Winter Soldier-- dressed in all black, hair hanging around his face which was, apparently, sculpted by Hades himself.

“And the best part,” Giovanna continued, pausing for dramatic effect. “It was Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier is Bucky Barnes!”

YN’s heart dropped to her stomach and she could feel the blood leave her face.

“What? Steve didn’t say anything about— oh, my God.” YN whispered, and she barely had time to even worry about Steve before Giovanna made a noise in the back of her throat.

“Oh, so you saw your favourite Beefcake before your best friend?” Giovanna teased, relishing in the way YN looked as if she wished the ground would swallow her whole.

“I— you were— Tony needed to see you.” YN stuttered and Giovanna rolled her eyes, squeezing YN closer to her. God, she missed her bumbling, pining, lovestruck best friend.

“Suuuure.”

______________________________

Tags (open, send an ask): @i-am-always-famished / @filia-sapientiae / @somekryptonitewriting / @fashionlive15 / @godlymissbalor / @fanfictionjunkie1112 / @nerdy-bookworm-1998 / @songforhema / @army-crawl-andersen / @buckybarneshairpullingkink / @shynara51

[siriusist]

What books are you currently reading? :)

Some of these I’m currently reading are books I’ve already read/ started reading, but had to put aside or haven’t reread in a long time. Others are books I’ve read for the first time, but I’m trying to catch up on as well. Lastly, I’ve got some books coming in the mail. I’ll note all categories below.

(Note: Books I’ve already read and rereading have an asterisk next to them, so you know they’re really good. xD)

Books I’m Currently Rereading:

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque*: ‘All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front.’

Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller* (TW: As a novel and as someone who experienced underage sexual abuse, I acknowledge this could be very triggering and there are sections I have to skip by. However, the film starring Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett is so fantastic, and the material provided here so dark and so twisted, it’s a fantastic example of a double-twist and a fucked-up unreliable narrator): Notes on a Scandal is a 2003 novel by Zoë Heller. It is about a female teacher at a London comprehensive school who begins an affair with an underage pupil. 

Jane Austen’s Persuasion* (Note: This is my favourite Jane Austen novel): ‘Of all Jane Austen’s great and delightful novels, Persuasion is widely regarded as the most moving. It is the story of a second chance. Anne Elliot, daughter of the snobbish Sir Walter Elliot, is woman of quiet charm and deep feelings. When she was nineteen she fell in love with—and was engaged to—a naval officer, the fearless and headstrong Captain Wentworth. But the young man had no fortune, and Anne allowed herself to be persuaded to give him up. Now, eight years later, Wentworth has returned to the neighborhood, a rich man and still unwed. Anne’s never-diminished love is muffled by her pride, and he seems cold and unforgiving. What happens as the two are thrown together in the social world of Bath—and as an eager new suitor appears for Anne—is touchingly and wittily told in a masterpiece that is also one of the most entrancing novels in the English language.’

Books I’ve Started Reading, But Had to Put Aside at One Point:

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy: ‘Dopesick is an unflinching look at the opioid crisis in the US, which is predicted to kill more Americans in a decade than HIV has since it emerged in the 1980s.'

Tesla: Inventor of the Modern by Richard Munson: ‘Nikola Tesla invented the radio, robots, and remote control. His electric induction motors run our appliances and factories, yet he has been largely overlooked by history. In Tesla, Richard Munson presents a comprehensive portrait of this farsighted and underappreciated mastermind.’

Me by Elton John: ‘In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life, which is also the subject of the smash-hit film Rocketman.’

Circe by Madeline Miller: ‘In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.’

Intellectual Property by Siva Vaidhyanathan: ‘We all create intellectual property. We all use intellectual property. Intellectual property is the most pervasive yet least understood way we regulate expression. Despite its importance to so many aspects of the global economy and daily life, intellectual property policy remains a confusing and arcane subject. This engaging book clarifies both the basic terms and the major conflicts surrounding these fascinating areas of law, offering a layman's introduction to copyright, patents, trademarks, and other forms of knowledge falling under the purview of intellectual property rights. Using vivid examples, noted media expert Siva Vaidhyanathan illustrates the powers and limits of intellectual property, distilling with grace and wit the complex tangle of laws, policies, and values governing the dissemination of ideas, expressions, inventions, creativity, and data collection in the modern world.’

The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky: ‘The Brothers Karamazov is a passionate philosophical novel set in 19th-century Russia, that enters deeply into the ethical debates of God, free will, and morality. It is a spiritual, theological drama of moral struggles concerning faith, doubt, judgment, and reason, set against a modernizing Russia, with a plot which revolves around the subject of patricide.’

The Balkans by Mark Mazower: ‘Throughout history, the Balkans have been a crossroads, a zone of endless military, cultural, and economic mixing and clashing between Europe and Asia, Christianity and Islam, Catholicism and Orthodoxy. In this highly acclaimed short history, Mark Mazower sheds light on what has been called the tinderbox of Europe, whose troubles have ignited wider wars for hundreds of years. Focusing on events from the emergence of the nation-state onward, The Balkans reveals with piercing clarity the historical roots of current conflicts and gives a landmark reassessment of the region’s history, from the world wars and the Cold War to the collapse of communism, the disintegration of Yugoslavia, and the continuing search for stability in southeastern Europe.’

Books I’m Reading for the First Time:

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel (This is a guilty pleasure basically because I’m a True Crime nerd: It’s basically that Blanchard case in a novel form): ‘For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair, and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes.Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she's forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score. Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling...And she's waited such a long time for her mother to come home.’

The Plague by Albert Camus: ‘A gripping tale of human unrelieved horror, of survival and resilience, and of the ways in which humankind confronts death, The Plague is at once a masterfully crafted novel, eloquently understated and epic in scope, and a parable of ageless moral resonance, profoundly relevant to our times. In Oran, a coastal town in North Africa, the plague begins as a series of portents, unheeded by the people. It gradually becomes an omnipresent reality, obliterating all traces of the past and driving its victims to almost unearthly extremes of suffering, madness, and compassion.’

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway: ‘A Moveable Feast is a memoir by American author Ernest Hemingway about his years as a struggling young expat journalist and writer in Paris in the 1920s. The book, first published in 1964, describes the author's apprenticeship as a young writer while he was married to his first wife, Hadley Richardson.’

Books Coming in the Mail:

The Outsider by Albert Camus: ‘L'Étranger is a 1942 novel by French author Albert Camus. Its theme and outlook are often cited as examples of Camus's philosophy, absurdism coupled with that of existentialism, though Camus personally rejected the latter label.’

Becoming by Michelle Obama: ‘Becoming is the memoir of former United States first lady Michelle Obama published in 2018. Described by the author as a deeply personal experience, the book talks about her roots and how she found her voice, as well as her time in the White House, her public health campaign, and her role as a mother.’

Things Fall Apart: A Novel by Chinua Achebe*: ‘Things Fall Apart is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. Its story chronicles pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the arrival of Europeans during the late 19th century.’

E.M. Forster’s Maurice* (I accidentally ordered a copy when I already own one I couldn’t find and thought I had to donate moving home from uni. Whoops xD (But seriously you can never have too many copies of this book): ‘Maurice is a novel by E. M. Forster. A tale of homosexual love in early 20th-century England, it follows Maurice Hall from his schooldays through university and beyond. It was written in 1913–1914, and revised in 1932 and 1959–1960.’

Howard’s End by E.M. Forster: ‘Howard’s End is a novel by E. M. Forster, first published in 1910, about social conventions, codes of conduct and relationships in turn-of-the-century England. Howards End is considered by many to be Forster's masterpiece. ‘

War and Peace by Tolstoy: ‘War and Peace broadly focuses on Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the most well-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfillment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves his family behind to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman who intrigues both men.’

I’m also hoping to order The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole and How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram Kendi next time I get some cash in my pocket; the fact that the library still isn’t open locally and shows no sign of opening soon is wrecking havoc with any budgeting I might usually do. xD But hopefully this gives you some ideas for books to search out! <3

[you-guys--are-losers]

If your still accepting prompts I would love if you could do one where Peter or Michelle is hooked up to a heart monitor and they kiss which makes it beat really fast. I love your work💕

I’m sorry, love, this has taken me a LONG time to get to. But I’m finally in the mood to get back into the author’s seat, so here’s hoping this turns out alright? Even if it doesn’t, know I love you and this was my best shot! XD

Vital

Just to put things into perspective: Peter is pretty used to being terrified. 

There’s been the battle against Captain America himself, who Peter had only seen in his health class videos when he first fought at Tony Stark’s side. Then there was the fact that one of his personal heroes had been joined by the Winter Soldier himself, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and, among others, a guy who could grow to be the size of a small yacht. 

Number two on the list was Vulture, who had been somehow even more terrifying than the team of opponents Peter had faced before. At least in his first battle, Peter had known that, more or less, the people on both sides were “good guys.” They were fighting, yeah, but they weren’t aiming to kill. Vulture had been another category entirely– Peter had been warned firsthand that Big Bird’s metallic cousin would bury him alive without a dent to his conscience. 

Then, somehow, it had gotten worse. Factor in a big, purple asshole, a handful of elementals, and Mysterio himself, and by his third year out of college it has been established that Peter is used to being scared witless. He has faced odds that would have made the most experienced hero quake in their boots, and he has done it since his sophomore year of high school. Now, he’s three years out of college, and even more has been added to that list to get him used to panic. 

So when it is said that this is the most alarmed Peter has ever been, the record should reflect that he is scared shitless. 

When they went for a run around the compound together, Peter wasn’t expecting to have his afternoon land him in the med bay. He was expecting the usual: a workout with MJ, some witty banter, probably a rant against capitalist society as a whole. He had been looking forward to it, to the routine that he has grown to cling to.  

MJ is his stability in all of the chaos. It is a whole new life– a whole new part of the massive city he grew up in, a new job that demands more of his mental capacity than anything has before, and an even more difficult balancing routine between superhero-ing. She’s had her chaos, too, trying to work her way up as a news producer and to remain as active and passionate as she always has before. But they have each other, they have their way-too-expensive apartment, and that’s enough. She’s enough. 

And now, she’s lying in a bed in some room deeper in the facility, and Peter is stuck outside. He can’t shut off the noises. The symphony of beeping monitors and dropping liquid from deeper within the building is undercut by a pulse of his own inhale, exhale. It is this rhythm that keeps Peter calm as he thinks about some doctor looking over his girlfriend, the woman that Peter loves more than anything. 

As he sits in the chair in the waiting room, his mind keeps replaying the events leading up to this, the occurrence that brought her to the bed. Is this his fault? Maybe he shouldn’t have pushed her while they were running. He knows that her body doesn’t have the modifications his does, but– well, he thought he was taking it slow, damn it! She’s had no trouble keeping up with him before, so when MJ began to lag behind, Peter thought that perhaps she hadn’t been hydrated enough. 

He can see it in his mind’s eye: her messy curls, some damp with sweat, flopping with each beat of her feet against the sidewalk. Her t-shirt from Colombia was a little sweatier than it normally was, but then it was also warmer than usual as they took the same path they always did. Peter had scoured her face, wondering if maybe they needed to take a cool-down, and had slowed to a stop. 

In response to his curious glance, MJ had waved a hand at him, rolling her eyes. “Please, Parker, don’t let that big ego get the best of you. We both know that I have no problem keeping up with you, I’m superhuma-” 

She had not finished the sentence before a shadow crossed her face, and then her eyes were rolling back into her head and her legs were dropping out from under her. Peter had been there to catch her, but when he had, her body was limp in his arms. Her skin had been clammy– how had he not noticed that when they were holding hands before?– when he patted her face in an attempt to rouse her. When that failed, he had brought her to the medbay as quickly as possible, and then he had not gotten up from this chair after they took her from his sight. 

What if she wasn’t okay? What if he was stuck in this chair forever, just waiting? 

The thought only has a few moments to torment Peter before the door across the room opens, and Peter stands immediately. A young doctor steps through, a clipboard in hand, and her eyes find Peter just as he opens his mouth to speak. Before he can get a word out, however, she interrupts him. 

“She’s just woken up, Mr. Parker,” the young woman says, her voice as firm as it is youthful. She must be the same age as he and MJ, maybe younger. But she is here on one of Stark’s scholarships, so Peter trusts her. 

“Can I see her?” Peter’s voice is tight in his throat as he forces the question out, and he swears that the young woman’s brown eyes warm slightly. 

“Of course you may,” she responds, turning around. “Follow me, sir.” 

She doesn’t have to ask twice. The doctor leads Peter down a short hall and to the glass patient rooms, but the brief walk could not take longer. MJ is in the first room, seated in a bed that faces the door. Peter catches her eye through the wall, and he feels his breath leave him in one relieved sigh. Peter’s legs carry him of their own accord through the door, brushing him past the doctor to bring him to her side. 

MJ turns her face as he approaches the side of her bed, peering into his eyes. Her face is slightly ashen, but other than the slight pallor she to her face, she is just MJ. Her eyes hold a hint of embarrassment as Peter meets them.

“Don’t worry, Parker,” she hums, “I’m still gonna be stealing your joggers for quite some time.” Even though her tone is nonchalant, her hand finds his immediately. 

Peter laces his fingers with hers, twisting his wrist and bringing the back of her hand to his lips. For just a moment, he brushes his lips against the skin, and she draws in a sharp breath. “Gross,” she comments, wrinkling her nose, but the beeping of the vitals monitor betrays her as it skips a few beats. 

“You’re okay,” Peter breathes, lowering her hand. Still, he brings his fingers to touch the band around her wrist, and then he brings his eyes to meet hers again.

“Of course I’m okay,” she answers, her voice serious as she returns his gaze. She knows. She understands that he has lost the people he loves, the people who give his life meaning. She knows that he is terrified of losing people like her. “I just didn’t fill my water all the way up, loser. Normal people’s bodies need water, and I may have forgotten that I am not, in fact, a robot.” 

A slight cough interrupts their conversation. Both Peter’s and MJ’s heads turn to face the door, and their eyes find the young doctor who produced the sound at the same time. 

“Is something wrong?” Peter asks slowly. 

The doctor looks younger than ever now, and her wide eyes jump from Peter, to MJ, to Peter again. “Well, no…” she says slowly, glancing down at the clipboard. Peter is given a distinct impression that she is attempting something that she has not done before. “It’s just… Well. Um, Miss Jones… I have something to share with you, but you may want to speak to me in private.” 

MJ’s brow furrows, and Peter glances at her before looking back at the doctor. “Um, I can go,” he suggests slowly. He can tell the woman needs him to leave and isn’t sure how to ask, but there is reluctance in his voice he can’t keep away. He can’t help it– he’s still worried about MJ, and the idea of leaving her side at the moment sounds about as appealing as having to take on the golden-gloved Purple People Eater again. 

“No,” MJ says immediately, and Peter can feel her hand grip his a little bit tighter. “You can say whatever you need to in front of him.” 

Her tone is calm, simple. Peter is flooded with silent appreciation as he envelops her hand more deeply in his own. She understands his need to be by her side right now, and he knows that she is honoring it because she loves him. 

The young doctor clears her throat uncomfortably, and for a moment there is nothing but the sound of the heart monitor as she struggles for words. Finally, after brushing a stray strand of brown hair away from her face, the woman decides on what she wishes to say. “Well… We took blood while you were unconscious, just to make sure that there wasn’t anything to be worried about,” the physician begins slowly. 

“Alright,” MJ says, clearly processing the information. “And did the results tell you anything about why I fell?” 

“Your hydration levels were fine,” the doctor informs them, clinging to the facts. “It wasn’t your water intake. Um, actually, your blood pressure was low.” 

“Oh, that’s all it is?” MJ blinks once or twice, surprised, and then she glances up at Peter. “See, dweeb? You were worried for nothing. Lots of peoples’ blood craps out on them sometimes.” 

Peter grins, ready to retort, but then the doctor speaks up again. “Well, um… Not quite.” Both Peter and MJ turn expectantly to her, and the woman seems unsure how to handle being the center of their attention. “I mean– yes, lots of people suffer from low blood pressure, and- and I guess lots of people suffer from your condition, too, but- well, it’s not just low blood pressure.” 

MJ’s eyes widen, and Peter feels his heartbeat race. Is she actually sick? The heartbeat monitor begins to speed up, just slightly. MJ grips his hand a little harder now, and he squeezes it comfortingly in return as he questions the doctor. 

“What else is it, then?” His voice does hold a sharp edge now, though not an unkind one. MJ is nervous, now, and if there is anything that doctor can say to take the fear out of her eyes, she needs to say it now. 

The doctor takes a deep breath, glances down at the chart one last time, and then she raises her gaze to meet MJ’s. Her voice is hesitant, but there is a gleam in her eyes as she blazes ahead. 

“You’re pregnant, Miss Jones.” The doctor’s tone is slightly breathless, but a slight note of warmth enters her voice as she repeats her message. “You’re having a baby.” 

For a moment, Peter is frozen. MJ’s hand goes completely slack in his, and the beeping of the monitor picks up as the only sound in the room. 

Peter is going to be a father. 

The thought causes him to draw in a shuddering breath as he struggles to contain the warmth blooming in his chest. A baby, their baby… But is MJ alright? Peter turns to face her, his eyes searching her face desperately. Her expression is completely impassive as she stares straight ahead, capable of seeing nothing but the physician. 

“What did you say?” 

MJ’s words are soft, breathy. There is a note to them, however, of something Peter has never heard before. “Say it again.” 

This time, Peter does not let the doctor repeat herself. His hand, hesitant, rises to her cheek, and when it does, MJ’s deep, dark gaze snaps to his own. Those eyes hold so many emotions as they meet his own, and the waves of feeling lap at him as he stares into them– shock, fear, confusion. Hope. 

It is this last gleam in her eye that causes Peter to lightly caress her cheek with his fingers, his own throat becoming constricted as he summons the words. “We’re having a baby, MJ,” he breathes, his words gentle. He does not know what her reaction will be, but he knows as he looks at her that whatever it is, he will respect it. 

Still… She is the woman that he loves more than anything in the universe, and the idea of starting a mysterious journey with her is something that awes him to his very core. 

For a moment, MJ says nothing. Then, like a few watery rays of sunlight piercing through the clouds, a smile flits across her face. 

“We’re having a baby.” 

The words, spoken from her lips, are enough to bring him to his knees. Peter crumples to a kneeling position by her bed, taking her hand in both of his own now. The radiant joy that begins to transform her face seems to be shining from within her. Peter has never seen a more beautiful Michelle Jones than the one whose hand he is holding, the one with messy curls dangling around her shoulders and a hospital gown obscuring her form. 

Her eyes find him, and when they do, they are positively dancing. A laugh bubbles from her lips as she brings her other hand to meet his, and the sound is enough to fill Peter to brimming with rapture. His eyes sting as he looks up at her, and he knows that this feeling is only the beginning. 

His life is going to change forever. 

The doctor by the door is smiling, too, though she is trying to hide it. “I’ll leave you two alone,” she hums, tucking the clipboard beneath her arm. “Congratulations.” 

The sound of the door closing causes Peter to draw in a shuddering gasp, and he rises to his feet with her hands in his own. “MJ-” 

“Shh,” MJ instructs, though her smile only widens as she scours his face, looking to soak up every bit of his happiness to add to her own. “I know, Peter. I know.” 

Peter shakes his head, and he knows a few tears are slipping free. The words leave him before he can stop them, and somehow he knows they are the right ones. 

“This world isn’t going to know what to do with two perfect Joneses in it.” 

MJ’s eyes widen, then, and her smile begins to fade. Peter didn’t think it was possible, but somehow her face betrays more of the pure, radiant joy than before as she looks at him. MJ takes her hands back to reach for him, and Peter is more than willing to comply. 

Peter leans over the bed, bringing his face closer to her own. Her arms settle around his neck, and Peter knows that she expects him to close the distance between them, but he is not ready yet. For a moment, Peter maintains the distance, his own hands rising to cup her cheeks. In that moment, his eyes want nothing more than to drink in every bit of her face, to capture the joy and the shock and the wonder forever. 

This is the end of everything that Peter has ever known, and it’s the beginning of a life of discovery by MJ’s side. 

Peter’s own smile grows, and MJ cannot seem to breathe as she stares into his eyes. The monitor begins to beep faster, and then faster… And then Peter closes the distance, bringing his lips to meet her own. 

Peter does not know how long they stay that way, with their lips dancing together in a kiss that speaks to the pure joy they both feel. Peter brings his hands to tangle in her hair, deepening their kiss to speak to the passion that is coursing through him– the passion for her, the passion for them, and the passion for the life that she is bringing into the world. 

The life that he gets to be a part of, because somehow the most incredible woman in the world chose him. 

The monitor beeps faster, and faster, and faster, and after a moment the young physician reappears at the door, a look of worry on her face as she prepares to check the vitals. However, when she arrives in the doorway, the young woman pauses as a small smile tugs at her lips. 

They’re young and they’re in love, and the future may be uncertain. But somehow, the doctor has a feeling that the life that Michelle Jones is bringing into the world is going to be in good hands.

[accioharry]

can we always be this close? | 01. delicate

takes place during far from home and because i love taylor's new album. i present a six chapter one shot featuring taylor songs that represent petermj during the film. (slightly altered for missing scenes i added)

read on ao3 | word count: 2.3k

Sometimes I wonder when you sleep, are you ever dreaming of me? Sometimes when I look into your eyes, I pretend you're mine, all the damn time

Peter was half asleep when May dropped him off at the school at five am that morning. He wasn’t sure why Mr. Harrington booked such an early flight, and by the looks of it, neither did he. By the time they got on the bus to the airport, Mr. Harrington looked as though he faced Thanos himself. 

“I thought you were going to sit with MJ?” Ned whispered as Peter collapsed into the seat next to him. Peter shot back up like a light, slamming his hand over Ned’s mouth. Just like Peter, everyone was tired, meaning there was not a lot of chatter on the bus. 

“Shh! I’m sitting next to her on the plane,” Peter clarified, removing his hand. Ned opened his mouth to continue, but Peter kept going. “Dude, I can’t sit next to her on the bus and the plane! Do you know how obvious that is?” He waved his hands frantically. He wasn’t tired anymore. 

“I really don’t think MJ would notice that and immediately assume you had feelings for her,” Ned shrugged. “But then again, she’s not as observant as you are with the—” he made jazz fingers excitedly, “Peter tingle.” Peter groaned. 

“I cannot believe May told you that,” he slammed his head back against the headrest. 

“Dude, who do you think came up with it?” Ned looked oddly proud of himself, which only resulted in Peter shoving his earbuds in his ears and tugging his hoodie over his head. As much as he wanted to, he refused to look back at MJ, who he knew was sitting in the back row next to Betty. He talked to her when she first got dropped off while they were waiting for Mr. Harrington, but as usual, Peter felt too awkward to suggest them sitting together on the plane. If he didn’t do it at the airport, he’d run out of time. 

Time. Everyone joked that it was nothing but a social construct, but it had so much more meaning to Peter now. He lost (or gained?) five years of his life. He would be almost twenty-two, probably almost done with college. He planned to go to MIT, just as Mr. Stark wanted him too. He felt a pang in his gut when he thought of Tony. Eight months without him, and it feels impossibly longer than the entire five years prior. Of course, technically Peter was dead, so time wasn’t super relevant. He finally got used to the idea of the world moving on: Mr. Stark and Pepper had Morgan, and Peter finally stopped feeling as though the world was collapsing under him every time he saw the little girl. It wasn’t her fault, but she was the reminder of how much time had passed. Even so, she was the living proof that Thanos never won. Tony did, even five years ago.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Ned aggressively shoving his shoulder. Peter removed his hoodie and earbuds to see that they were actually at the airport. He followed Ned out of the bus, wincing at the sunlight. He stumbled when Brad shoved between him and Ned to help Mr. Harrington with the bags. 

“Ugh, show off.” Ned grumbled. “He thinks he’s hot shit since he’s in our grade now. I miss when he was scrawny and in middle school.” 

“Tell me about it,” MJ’s voice came out of nowhere. Peter spun around, grabbing Ned’s shoulder to balance him. She looked just as tired as he did, her jacket rolled under one arm and a neck pillow around her neck. Her hair was falling out of the messy ponytail she had done in a rush this morning and she blew it out of her face. Peter thought she was the most beautiful human he had ever seen. 

“Hey…MJ,” he stuttered. If MJ sensed his awkwardness, she didn’t show it. He was grateful for that. The three of them walked over to take their luggage from the pile Brad and Mr. Harrington had made. 

“You could just lift this pile with one arm and Brad would—” Ned started, but yelped when Peter kicked him in the shin. MJ laughed behind them and Peter felt his heart skip a beat before dropping into the pit of his stomach when he remembered: he was running out of time. Why was she laughing? Was it because he kicked Ned, or did she hear what he said?

He took a deep breath before turning on his heel. “Hey MJ, I was thinking it would be cool if-.” He never got to finish that sentence. 

“Alright, my lovely explorers!” Mr. Harrington stood on top of the luggage pile, wobbling slightly. Peter groaned when he realized his teacher was holding a megaphone. So much for them not drawing attention to themselves. He found himself staring at MJ while Mr. Harrington was talking. She had walked over to Betty on the other side of the pile and was showing her the book she has brought to read on the flight. Peter smiled when he saw her eyes light up and the way she held the book close to her. He couldn’t believe he was actually jealous of Betty Brant…and that book. 

“You’re freaking whipped,” Ned sang. “I’m telling you, Bachelors in Europe man!” 

“For the last time, Ned,” Peter huffed. “I’m not doing that plan! I spent over two months coming up with this and it has to go perfectly!” 

“About that…” Ned trailed off and Peter followed his eyes. Brad had the nerve to stand close to MJ, so close that Peter could tell she was slightly uncomfortable. He never knew Brad, considering he was five years younger than them before Thanos. He knew the kid was always a little flirt though, his older sister, now in college like the other half of their grade, always talked about it in class back then.

MJ was doing her best to ignore Brad. She wasn’t stupid, she knew what he was doing. He wasn’t secretive about his crushes on girls and since MJ and Betty were the only two Brad had not gotten wrapped around his finger, it was only a matter of time. He was awfully close to her to the point MJ took a few steps back. She was tall, sure, but Brad was taller. He was intimating, and not in a good way. She flickered her eyes around him and met Peter’s gaze. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he looked jealous. There was no way. Peter liked girls like Liz, not MJ. Yet, she needed a way out so naturally she did the first thing that came to her mind.

“Peter!” She yelled. “Don’t forget you’re sitting next to me on the plane!”

“I’m what?” Peter spun around after MJ turned away from him. He had, in a state of panic, given her a thumbs up instead of a real answer. What else are you supposed to do when the girl you like asks to sit next to you on the plane?

“…sit with her?” Ned questioned. Peter realized he had said that last part out loud. “Well, I guess at this point I have to accept that I am a Bachelor in Europe alone. Go get your girl man!”

“Ned, shut up!” _____________________________________________________________________________________ Peter learned a handful of things about MJ on this flight. The first being that she likes to sit against the window instead of the aisle seat. Peter hadn’t thought about what he would do if this plane had three seats in each row, so he was quite relieved to see that it was only two. Michelle tucked herself in with a blanket and her neck pillow before looking over at a very stressed out Peter Parker. “Did you do drugs before the flight?” She asked casually. Peter blinked. 

“No? Why?”

“You just look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she shrugged. 

“So you assume I’m doing drugs?” Peter grinned. He would find it rude if it came from anyone else, but it’s Michelle. His Michelle. At least, he hopes she is. 

“I assume a lot of things Parker,” she grinned, brushing her shoulder with his. “I usually stay quiet until I can prove it with facts, obviously.” 

Peter coughed. “Well…of course,” he nodded. “Facts are good.” He fastened his seatbelt as he prepared for the flight to take off. He was an expert flyer ever since he got to fly to Germany to fight Captain freaking America in the Stark Jet, if he said so himself. He shut his eyes at the reminder of Tony. He refused to cry in front of Michelle, not now. When will he ever be normal again? Was he ever normal to begin with?

He jumped about four feet into the air and would probably have instantly webbed onto the ceiling of the plane if it wasn’t for the seatbelt. Michelle was gripping his hand, her eyes shut as the plane lurched forward. Peter noticed she was biting her lip to the point of blood…she was nervous. 

“Hey…MJ,” he whispered. “The plane is going to be fine,” he touched his shoulder with hers. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Shut up,” she hissed. Peter started to lean away from her, but she grabbed his arm with her other hand. “No..sorry, don’t go. I just…I hate this part,” she hastily wiped a tear with her sleeve. “I always have because of the stupid feeling in my stomach.” 

Peter had no idea how to comfort her. He pulled out his double earbud adapter that he bought last minute. “Here,” he gestured to her phone. “Let’s play some music. You don’t have to hear it.” 

MJ looked at him, her brown eyes wide and alert. She nodded, picking up her phone from her lap. “Yeah…yeah good idea.” Peter watched as she connected the adapter. He wanted nothing more than to scoot over and hold her, but he couldn’t. It felt as though it was a physical ache, as though Thanos was back all over again. 

God, Ned was right. He really was whipped for her, wasn’t he?

“You pick the first song,” MJ shoved the phone into his chest as she shoved her earbuds in her ears. “I can’t focus right now.” 

“Uh…. okay,” Peter fumbled for a moment before remembering he was supposed to be keeping her calm. He would be doing a terrible job if he got scared because she was scared. He fought aliens in space, but why was this even more terrifying? He opened Michelle’s Spotify and clicked on her Liked Songs. He thought going through her playlists would be too invasive. He hit shuffle and was…shocked to say the least. 

“One Direction?” Peter raised his eyebrows. Michelle smiled, though her eyes were still closed and she was facing forward. Was she blushing?

“If you say one-word Parker, I will throw you off this plane.” 

“…One Direction?” Peter clarified. “What Makes You Beautiful?” He was dumbfounded. Michelle, out of all people, jammed to early One Direction? How did he not know this?

“Peter,” Michelle whispered. “It’s a good song,” she was suppressing a giggle. Peter thought it was the cutest thing in the world. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________ They say a person’s music taste can tell you a lot about them, but Michelle’s was anything but consistent. They were a few hours into the flight at this point, well over the Atlantic Ocean. They had played a card game, a game of “I Spy”, and Peter even leaned on her shoulder to look out the window with her. 

“Do you have a song that describes you?” He mumbled into her shoulder, eyes fluttering shut as he began to drift off into sleep. “You know…like those songs people always want someone else to hear to understand something about them?”

Michelle shrugged, but Peter didn’t move off her shoulder. “Yeah,” she whispered. They had pulled the shade down on the window about an hour prior as the sun began to set over the Atlantic. She had a feeling if she curled into Peter right now, he’d hold her, but she was scared. She was so scared of falling for him, even if she already had. 

Plus, there’s the fact he’s freaking Spiderman, but that’s a future Michelle problem. 

“Can I hear it?” Peter lifted his head to look at her, his brown eyes staring into hers. If she leaned down not even an inch, they would be touching noses. It was such an intimate moment and it was on a plane for crying out loud. 

She nodded. She was never good with words and she wanted to tell Peter the truth, she really did. She just didn’t know how. 

But Taylor Swift did. 

After she scrolled on her phone for a minute or so, Delicate began to play through their earbuds. It’s a soft song, a song that MJ often listened to as she read a book in her window seat in her bedroom. Sometimes she’d stand on the fire escape to see if she could spot Peter flying around with his webs, but she never did. 

Peter lifted his head off her shoulder, lifting his arms over his head to stretch. MJ tried not to notice the outline of what looked to be very prominent abdominal muscles when his shirt lifted slightly. 

“Come here,” he mumbled into hair, putting his right arm around her when he brought his arms down. She instinctively curled into his side, ignoring the thought that Peter just pulled the most obvious move. This meant nothing, it had to mean nothing because they were both half asleep. There was a clear explanation: his was the most comfortable position for a long flight. Strictly platonic and everything. 

She stayed awake long enough to feel Peter nuzzle her hair softly with his nose before she fell asleep in his arms.