#Bruce: you couldn’t handle two days of me being away? you’re literally falling apart!

[wow-thisismylifeiguess]

Gotham, but she’s actually a living entity and fully sentient. She may not be a physical thing beyond existing as a city, but she’s very much alive with thoughts and feelings and emotions.

Bruce is fully aware of this. He’s one of the few, if not the only, Gothamite who can speak to her. Think of it in the sense that Aerith can communicate w the Planet to a degree. That’s Bruce w Gotham.

And Gotham /adores/ Bruce. So fucking much. He’s essentially her child in all ways except for physical. It’s part of why Bruce is also so dedicated to defending her because he /knows/. She is intensely protective of him to the degree that when she knows he’s not at his best for a night or two, somehow the crime in the city…doesn’t vanish, but it’s certainly not enough to warrant Batman’s attention.

She’s also a bit petty about being ignored at times, not that Bruce does it often.

Bruce will literally talk to her like she’s a person right in front of him, and each of his kids, the first time they witnessed it, thought he was fucking insane. But over time, they learned that…oh. Yeah, no. He /is/ talking to someone, and even if they can’t hear the response, they know Bruce is getting one.

Gotham is also protective of the Batfam, but not to the degree she is of Bruce. When they get hurt, Bruce has the tendency to blame her (and himself) for not looking out for them better.

Bruce Wayne is dubbed the Prince of Gotham by the people, but he’s been chosen by the city herself as well

[justcourttee]

could you do another fic where mari has too many overprotective relatives (batfam, jason in particular, adrien, luka, kagami, chloe, jagged, bruce, penny, clara, tony stark and the avengers maybe lol) and all the boys who want to date her are scared away by them until she starts seeing damian or someone else i love your writing and thanks! ♡♡

I loved this prompt immediately and I really hope I did it justice! Hope you like it!

The Never-Ending Cycle of First Dates

“No! Wait! He’s just kidding!” Marinette ran out of the building trying to grab the boy's hand before he could escape, but she was too late. Her hand slapped her forehead in defeat as yet another man hurried off before they could even order drinks. Turning her attention to where her target stood, she couldn’t help the bubbling anger directed at his smirk.

“Why must you ruin every date? It’s like you guys have a pool of names and you just reach in and see who's in luck to scare off the next guy that tries to date me!” She threw her hands into the air, only earning a chuckle.

“C’mon Princess, if the man can’t handle a little threat then how is he gonna stick around for the long term? Hmm?”

Marinette wanted to argue, but she knew it was pointless. Jason and the others were firm in their beliefs; Marinette must be protected from heartbreak at all costs. She tried arguing with them that if she never got hurt in the first place then she could never learn, but alas, her words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

“How did you even find us?”

Jason’s smirk widened which only fueled her rage.

“What? You thought meeting at the restaurant would actually change anything? I can find you anywhere and everywhere. Plus Adrien totally snitched.”

Marinette made a mental note to lay into Adrien later after she found the poor kid that Jason scared of.

“One day I’m going to find someone who isn’t scared by you lot and he’s gonna make it through the first date.”

She turned her back on Jason’s boisterous laughter. She was determined to prove her point. After all, there had to be one man in Gotham City that wasn’t afraid of her, right? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The rest of her week had gone as smoothly as Monday had to say the least.

Tuesday’s date was crashed by Kagami’s foil. One look at her slicing the bread and he didn’t even make it to the table.

Wednesday’s date was a double date with Luka and Chloe. Marinette begged Tikki to lend her a little luck, but the small God would do no such thing. At least this guy made it past drinks. Marinette almost cheered until Luka donned his infamous stare. She watched as her date squirmed uncomfortably before excusing himself for the bathroom, never returning.

Thursday’s date ended with the man strung up by his ankles, none other than Nightwing and Red Robin dropping in to apologize, claiming they thought he was trying to mug her.

By Friday, she was ready to cancel her date before it even began.

“Adrien, you guys are making it impossible to even think about dating.” She collapsed on the couch, letting out a small whine.

“I think that’s kind of the point Mari, besides, you’re a working woman now, shouldn’t you be focusing on your career-”

Adrien paused as his eyes narrowed in on Marinette’s hand mocking his lecture. Her hand paused as she noticed his now silent voice. Meeting his eyes, she simply shrugged.

“You sound like my mom. She’s worried that I’m too worried about dating but guess what? I kind of missed out on that experience in high school pining after a guy who wasn’t even interested!”

They both chuckled as they remembered the awkward dance they both did from the time they were 13.

“So what are you going to do about the date tonight?”

Marinette shrugged once more as she pulled at a piece of her hair, twirling it around her finger.

“Who is on date duty tonight?”

“First of all, it’s not called date duty,” he waved off the pointed look Marinette gave him before continuing, “and it was supposed to be Jagged and Penny but in case they fail, Tony is on backup duty and Jason is on backup, backup duty.”

“Not date duty my ass.”

Marinette sighed longingly as she pulled herself into a sitting position.

“I’m giving this one more chance before I swear off dating forever.”

Adrien chuckled before offering his hand to pull her into a standing position.

“Well, guess you better prepare to look good. After all, they always say if you’re gonna go out, at least do it in style.”

Marinette rolled her eyes as she pushed Adrien to the couch, ignoring his protests. If this was going to be her last date, then maybe he had a point of going out in style.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .

Marinette pulled at her dress nervously as a black limo approached her outside of her apartment. She had checked the perimeter once as Marinette and once more as Ladybug; there was no sign of Jagged or Penny. Somehow though, that didn’t calm her nerves.

As the limo pulled to a stop, a man stepped out of the back seat causing her breath to hitch in her throat. As if him being drop-dead gorgeous wasn’t enough, her worst fears stepped out from behind him, wide grins on their faces.

“Oi, there she is Penny! Marinette, we tried calling you but you sent us straight to voicemail, that wasn’t very rock n’ roll of you. Luckily, this nice man right here was there to give us a ride, right Penny?”

Penny nodded sweetly as if the two of them were innocent victims of Marinette’s forgetfulness. She wanted to turn right back into her apartment and never leave again, but a small hand grasped hers, pulling it up to their lips, as soft and gentle as his movements.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I have heard many stories of you from my brothers and father. You seem to have impressed many powerful people such as the two strays I picked up off the streets earlier.”

His smile was playful as it coaxed a small laugh from her. It helped even more to see Jagged panicking in the background at the sight of the small gesture. This man, no, his name was Damian. Damian had already broken through the first wall without even knowing it. Marinette let herself feel a spark of hope at the thought of finally making it through a first date.

“Anywho, now that we have arrived, I must apologize for leaving you two here, how does the saying go? ‘High and dry?’ but I do have a date to continue.” He nodded to Penny and Jagged leaving them both with their jaws almost touching the ground.

If she had a moment, Marinette might’ve taken a photo, but she instead quickly grabbed Damian’s arm, shutting the limo door before either could protest. She didn’t bother to release the breath she had been holding until the apartments were gone from the rearview mirror.

“I am so sorry about them, they-” she tried to let the apology spill out of her mouth but Damian simply shook his head, that same playful smile monopolizing his face.

“I am fully aware of the so-called ‘date duty’ your friends have. After all, my brother is in charge of the scheduling.”

It was Marinette’s turn for her jaw to drop. This was Jason’s brother? The literal spawn of satan as Jason had put it. There was no way. He was so nice, and such a gentleman, there was no way they could be the same person.

“How come nobody ever told me you were in town? Last time Jason introduced me to the family, he made sure to wait for when you left on a business trip. I’ve only ever been invited over when you’re not there!”

Damian chuckled as if this was a normal occurrence.

“They knew I had a crush on you ever since I watched your alter ego take down an akuma three times your size. It was only a matter of time until I asked you out, but with Jason observing your every date, he made it quite difficult.”

Marinette felt her face flush as his words washed over her. A man that was actually interested in her and was willing to take on the trouble a date with her could mean? She lightly pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

“You know it’s only going to get worse from here right? Like, Jagged and Penny were only the first round worse.”

Damian leaned in, placing his hand overtop hers, that smile of his killing her slowly.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Marinette nodded as she leaned closer, nearly closing the gap between them, her heart racing from the distance.

“I borrowed his rotation schedule and have prepared for every incident that could occur tonight.”

Marinette couldn’t help the words that slipped out of her mouth.

“I think I might love you.” Immediately she slapped her hand over her mouth letting out a string of apologies as she scooched away from the red-faced man. He cleared his throat, trying to overcome his shock as his smile pulled into a small smirk.

“Don’t apologize, just tell me again if you feel the same after we’ve finished the date.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Somehow, they managed to make it through dinner without a single hiccup. It was suspicious, but she was having too good of a time to care. She fell in love immediately with his animals as he showed off his many photos, commenting on whichever one seemed to make her melt the most.

They talked about where they had gone to college, where they were working now and what they were hoping for their futures. Marinette felt her heart swell with excitement for how compatible they were, it almost made tonight ending that much more painful.

As they stepped out of the restaurant, Marinette heard a familiar voice that made her blood run cold.

“Do you know who I am? I could buy this whole place and then you’d have to let me in! I’m the damn Ironman, doesn’t that count for something?”

The poor hostess was shaking her head, trying to apologize to the other guests for the wait he was causing. Marinette let out a defeated sigh as she took a step forward to intervene, but Damian’s hand intertwined with hers pulling her in the opposite direction.

“There aren’t too many places in Gotham City that Tony Stark isn’t banned from. However, you can thank my father for that. He agreed for me to host my dinner at his restaurant to nullify backup number 2, Tony Stark.”

Marinette almost wanted to laugh at the irony of a billionaire being banned from a small Italian restaurant in Gotham.

“There’s not much that Uncle Tony can’t fix by throwing money at it, but I suppose that’s pointless when it’s another billionaire causing the said problem.”

Damian sent her a wink that warmed her to her core. They decided to ditch the limo in favor of walking home, spending more time with each other coincidentally. Marinette felt her mind racing like she was in middle school once again planning her imaginary wedding and their future hamster.

He was everything she had hoped to find in a man and so much more. She honestly regretted not meeting him sooner, it would’ve saved her so much trouble over the years.

She opened her mouth, only to close it immediately as her eyes narrowed in on a figure leaning against her apartment building.

“Jason, what are you doing here? There’s no date to ruin now and I finally found a guy who can’t be scared off by your stupid date duty.”

She crossed her arms in defiance but Jason paid her no mind.

“Damian, I didn’t know you were home so soon. I would’ve locked you up in the Batcave to make sure this would’ve never happened.”

Damian scoffed beside her as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“As if you could.”

The two men were locked in a staredown, leaving Marinette to wilt in the tension that had formed. She moved towards her apartment, only to be stopped by Damian’s hand for the third time tonight.

Turning her back to Jason, she watched as he brought her hand to his lips, his kiss still as gentle and soft as the first when he had given her hours earlier. She ignored Jason’s protest as she pulled his hand forward placing a quick peck on his lips.

The man’s face matched her own in shades of red.

“Does this mean you would be interested in a second date?”

Marinette nodded furiously before waving him goodnight, darting past Jason’s brooding figure.

“This is not the end of it Marinette!”

Jason’s threats felt empty compared to the excitement racing in her heart. She had finally broken the cycle of never-ending first dates and boy, did it feel good.

Permanent Tag List:

@damianette-is-life @ash-amg @rebecarojas07 @heaven428 @long-lost-peace @thequeenofpotatoeunicornss @moongoddesskiana @nach0ava @iamablinkmarvelarmy

[danny-chase]

Do you think that Tim saved Dick in a way? Because we see Dick getting better as he gets closer to Tim and healing and getting back into the family, and ig it’s Tim who initiated that.

I literally don't have a yes or no answer for this... like most things in the Batfam - it's complicated. (Following answer is informed by 90s-00s comics, i can't really speak for new52 because it just... has so many issues one of which being erasing the relationship between Dick and Tim for *checks note* no discernable reason other than possibly *checks note* Didio hates legacy characters and wants only bad things for them so he could have excuses to kill them off or cancel their comics... idk just a guess)

Warnings: for Bruce stans - just look away i'm about to bring up bits of canon you most likely don't like, for Dick stans - Devin Grayson's run is mentioned, for the lovely anon - i wrote an essay, hope you are prepared

Tim coming into the family gave Dick a reason to occasionally hang around Bruce and i'm not sure if this is an exaggeration or not but he did sort of save that relationship - but whether that was a good or bad thing at the time, i can't really say. For sure - it starts off good, Bruce is actually trying to be a good dad (he comes down to Blud to check on Dick, adopts him, trusts him with his own city, calls him for backup, etc.). But we also see throughout Bruce Wayne: Fugitive/Murderer how unhealthy the relationship between the two can be. Dick built his core values around Bruce - if Bruce had actually killed here it would have been devastating for Dick (he was pretty much on the verge of a mental breakdown simply because they couldn't find proof Bruce wasn't guilty). The two literally got in a fist fight during the arc because Bruce was being uncommunicative and Dick couldn't take it anymore, snapped, and punched him when Bruce said "Bruce Wayne is dead only Batman now" - this tied into Dick finally having the relief and validation of being adopted and he couldn't handle Bruce stripping himself (and by extension, his fatherhood of Dick) away. In this era of comics Bruce had gotten physical with Dick before (here's me venting like an annoyed loser), and here's a clip from Bruce Wayne Fugitive that i just, *sigh*, canon Bruce, my detested.

Now on the other hand - getting Dick involved in the batfam more doesn't just mean he was hanging out with Bruce. His relationship with Tim is pretty great and I can definitely see where it was healing for a while - but also - to give credit where credit is due, the healing he goes through during this era of comics can also be attributed to Barbara and the Titans (the fab five specifically). Wally literally joins the Titans to give Dick a "social life" (me - it's because he's gay and wants to spend more time with Dick, actually, screw you DC you know i'm right). Donna plays a major part in keeping Dick's emotional well being in check. So like everything was going fine - Dick was healing, spending more time with friends, spending a lot of time with people he loved, like Tim, except he was neglecting his health and not sleeping - but overall he was in fact, managing, and moving past the deaths of Jason and some of the other Titans. With the current Titans - he was a hardass (which like ~trauma~ so I understand), but like things were going relatively okay.

And then Donna and Lilith died. And hooof Donna dying was like really really bad for his mental health.

Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files (2003) #1

[Image ID: Dick sits in a room staring at a photo, the phone rings in the background, and he doesn't even acknowledge it, the voice mail plays: "I'm not here. Leave a message after the beep." The photo is shown closer in the next frame, it's of the five original Teen Titans - Roy kisses Donna on the cheek, tipping his hat his other hand making the okay sign, Donna has an arm around Roy, the other hand on Dick's shoulder, Garth proudly stands beaming with his hands on his hips, and Dick has both his arms around Wally's neck. Everyone is smiling in the photo. A voice plays over the answering machine: "Dick, it's Roy - pick up the phone... c'mon... please... I know you're there... just pick up. Dick, we need to talk... you can't just... please..." End ID]

For context - the previous page noted that this is Dick SIX WEEKS after Donna died. Usually Dick's the one who moves on quickly, but Donna dying broke him in a way nothing else had before - and that could be partly because he was still recovering from everyone else's death.

Up to this point, Dick had been healing and Tim was definitely a part of that, but then DC decided to throw the absolute book, bookshelf, and library at him. Reading Outsiders (2003) it's very clear he's very traumatized, and around the same time, Devin is literally whumping him like it's the whump Olympics, breaking him and Babs up, burning down his childhood home, blowing up his apartment complex (killing all but like two of his neighbors), he's literally sleeping on fire escapes using newspapers as covering because he has nothing, and the bad thing i don't like to think about (i'll let you know if you ask but that one needs lots of tw, but if you know where i'm going you know what it is already), Blockbuster is killed and he blames himself - and loses it over breaking Bruce's one rule, Bludhaven is nuked, and he pretty much tries to kill himself.

So basically, he was on the path to healing (with Tim as part of that) before he got absolutely destroyed (and almost killed off by Didio in one of the crisis). Tim in his own right, was also going through a lot in the meantime, his dad died, Steph died, Kon and Bart died, i don't remember what else happened and i haven't read that era of Robin yet. Things were good until they weren't anymore, and sometimes i think Dick would regret ever exposing Tim to the life they live, and questions whether he should have just sent Tim packing x2. They do get to spend a year together on a mental health cruise, but then Damian comes into the picture, Battle for the Cowl happens, and they have their falling out. But whatever happened on that cruise must have been really healing for Dick because he actually kind of rocks it in this era - he keeps things light with Damian, Alfred notes at one point how he makes things easy because he has lightness in him, and he patches things up with Tim - catching him in that panel of Red Robin - from there they kind of go back to normal, there's a lightness to the way they banter with each other (also here) and Tim returns the favor (from the Red Robin incident) by pulling Dick out of the water.

They've saved each other multiple times over (physically), and in both in the Black Mirror and Gates of Gotham, Tim helps out in a period where Dick is starting to fall apart from the pressure of holding things together for so long (something Tim might feel guilty for, because he did run away from Gotham on a wild goose chase for Bruce). In that period, it's really clear that Dick saves Tim (he reminds him in RR, that someone does actually care for him) and then Tim saves Dick from being torn apart by Gotham.

I should point out - Damian, while starting off as kind of a hinderance, does eventually start helping Dick as well. By the end of their relationship (before the New52 destroys everything i love), Dick has helped Damian grow emotionally, and through that process Dick probably finds meaning and value in their time together, probably a lot like he used to feel with Tim. And of course, physically, they've both saved each other multiple times by the end of the run.

So yeah. I think Dick finds meaning in growth in mentoring his younger brothers, and it's likely a healing process, that healing just has some twists and turns along the way, and sometimes, on bad days, he probably feels like maybe he shouldn't have intervened at all, but i think on most days, he's proud of what Tim's become.

...I hope this is coherent lmao

[sohotthateveryonedied]

You Knock Me Out, I Fall Apart

Read here on AO3!

Summary:

“I do not have a concussion. You’re simply so irritating that it makes my head spin.”

“Alfred, tell him he has a concussion.”

“Master Damian—”

“Don’t finish that sentence, Pennyworth. I’m fine.”

Dick tugs off his cowl, his sweat-soaked hair flopping back into place. He’ll never get used to the hundred-pound leather batsuit; he has no clue how Bruce managed to feel more comfortable in this thing than in his own skin. It’s like wearing a sweaty head-to-toe smock. “Stop being difficult about this, Damian.” “Stop treating me like a child,” the literal child challenges. “Sorry to break it to you, but you are a child.” Damian rips off his own mask as he stomps through the Batcave, shoving past Alfred like his anger has eaten all of the polite genes in his body. Or maybe he’s thrown more off balance than he cares to admit. “Fuck you.” Dick sighs. “Alfred, will you please check his head? He got hit with a baseball bat on patrol. I think he has a concussion.” “I do not have a concussion. You’re simply so irritating that it makes my head spin.” “Alfred, tell him he has a concussion.” “Master Damian—” “Don’t finish that sentence, Pennyworth. I’m fine.”

Damian doesn’t even bother properly putting away his costume. He throws his gloves and cape on the ground as he goes upstairs, leaving the pieces of his costume to be picked up by someone else. Dick is still working on teaching him the whole “respect” thing. Dick rubs the back of his neck, massages out the cricks. He’s so exhausted wrangling this kid day in, day out. They’ve only been patrolling together for three days and it’s a constant battle to reign Damian in, keep him from doing something he’ll regret. Dick understands how Damian is feeling. Of course he’s hurt over his father’s death, no matter how little time they had together before it happened. Dick gets loss, knows exactly what it’s like to lose a parent at a young age. And he wants to help the kid, but he’s woefully out of his depth here. He’s never done this before. Even with Jason and Tim, Bruce was the primary mentor/father figure. Dick was just the cool older brother who gave good hugs and was always around to talk shit about said mentor/father figure. Now Dick is the mentor/father figure. He’s not cut out for this. “I’d advise you to be patient with the boy,” Alfred tells him. “He is going through a loss, just as you are. Not to mention the violent tendencies he is still overcoming.” “I’ve been patient. He’s just not getting it.” “Need I remind you that you posed your own challenge when you first came to live with us? Master Bruce must have spent weeks breaking down your walls and getting you to open up to us.” Dick rolls his eyes. “I was never this difficult when I was Damian’s age.” “Trust me, you were. But Bruce adapted. He realized that if he wanted to get through to you, he needed to work with you, rather than against you.” “And that worked?” “With time.” Alfred puts a hand on Dick’s shoulder. “Be gentle with him. Damian may be an assassin, but beneath all that he is still a boy who lost his father. Keep that in mind when you talk to him, hm?” He hands Dick an ice pack. “Good luck.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian is perfectly fine. No one in the League of Assassins ever took a day off because of a little concussion, if it even is that. He sits on his bed, having changed out of his Robin uniform and into some pajamas. He was about to brush his teeth, but his head is spinning too much to stand at the moment. It feels like he’s on a carnival ride, but it’s fine. He’s fine. He can get stabbed five times and not break a sweat. He can handle a small head injury. Then, like it’s teasing him on purpose, his stomach cartwheels and Damian goes pale. He bounds up and runs to the bathroom. He makes it there just in time to vomit, retching up his pre-patrol dinner. Someone knocks on the door. “Damian? Are you okay?” Damian chokes on bile, willing the dizziness to subside. “Go away, Grayson.” There’s a sigh on the other side of the door. “I’m just trying to help.” “I don’t”—Damian pitches forward and vomits again—“I don’t need any help.” How many times does he need to say it? He was just fine before Grayson decided to meddle in his life, acting like he cares. The nausea eventually passes. Damian stands on shaky legs, squinting against the brightness of the bathroom. When he leaves he finds Grayson sitting on his bed with an ice pack and a bottle of ibuprofen. “How are you feeling?” “Don’t patronize me.” “I’m not.” Dick holds out the pills. “Here. For the headache.” “I don’t have a headache.” Even though he does. “Humor me.” Reluctantly, Damian takes the pills. Not because his head hurts badly enough to warrant painkillers, of course not. But if he gives in, maybe Grayson will stop whining and leave him alone. He just wants to go to sleep. The lights in here are even brighter than in the bathroom, but to turn them off while Grayson is still here would be broadcasting his weakness. Damian climbs onto the bed, keeping a safe distance. Grayson tries to give him the ice pack, but Damian swats him away. “I don’t need that.” “Your head hurts.” “I can handle it.” Grayson sighs again. “Just let me check your head and make sure it’s a minor concussion. Two seconds.” “I’m fine.” How many times does Damian need to say it? “You’re not.” Damian’s eyes narrow. “Don’t try and tell me what I’m feeling. My well-being is none of your business.” “Actually, it is my business. We’re partners now, which makes your health my responsibility. That’s how being Batman and Robin works.” Damian scoffs. “Don’t pretend that being Batman gives you any real authority. You aren’t anywhere near my father’s level.” “I know I’m not, but I’m trying my best. If we’re going to be a team, then I need you to meet me halfway.” Damian can’t help but snort. “Suddenly we’re a team? If you really trusted me, you would believe me when I say I’m fine. You wouldn’t coddle me against my will, treating me like a helpless child.” “You are a child, Damian. You’re a ten-year-old boy. Like it or not, you’re a child. And right now, my job is to keep you safe. That means making sure you’re okay whenever a thug with a baseball bat whacks you in the skull. That’s my job.” “I can take care of myself!” “No, actually, you can’t! If tonight is any indication, I can’t trust you to look after your own health. And I know I’m annoying and the worst person on the face of the earth for daring to help you, but kiddo—” Damian’s head snaps to face him, his body going rigid. “Don’t call me that. I am not your son, and you are not my father!” Dick flinches like he’s been struck. “That’s—Damian, I’m not—” He stops. Closes his eyes, takes a breath. “I’m sorry,” he says, quieter this time. “I’m not trying to replace your dad. Our dad. That’s not what I want.” “Whatever.” Damian pulls his pillow over his face, trying to drown out the sights and sounds around him. “Just go away.” For once, Grayson allows himself to be stern when he says, “No. We’re talking about this now. Take off the pillow and look at me.” For some absurd reason, Damian finds himself obeying. It’s the first time Grayson has shown to have anything resembling a spine in the last three days. “I’m not Bruce,” he says. “I couldn’t be him if I tried. But just because Bruce is...because he’s gone, that doesn’t mean we’re going to forget about him. I will never forget him for as long as I live, and I know you won’t either. You deserve to have your father, and I know exactly how you feel now that he’s gone. But I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere if I can help it. I’ll be whatever you need, if that’s a brother or a mentor or a Batman.” He looks into Damian’s eyes, open and sincere. “I promise you, Damian, I will never take your father’s place if you don’t want me to.” Damian keeps his expression carefully unchanged. “Good.” “But that doesn’t mean I won’t try to guide you and keep you safe however I can. So, how about this: I won’t try and take Bruce’s place as your dad, and you let me help you when you need it. Like when you have a head injury, for example.” He sticks out his hand. “Deal?” After a moment of deliberation, Damian shakes his hand. “Deal.”

[mandoalorian]

Without You [Maxwell Lord x Reader]

Summary – Maxwell Lord had been shutting you out and pushing you away. You felt unwanted and unloved. It was only a matter of time before you snapped and confronted him.

Pairing – Gender neutral reader x Maxwell Lord (No Y/N)

Warnings – angst, a lot of arguing, alcohol consumption

Word count – 1.7k

A/N: Two Max fics in one day! Hope you enjoy x

 The anger resided deep within you, burning a hole in your heart. You just got home and threw your keys on the breakfast bar of the penthouse apartment kitchen. Maxwell followed you, slamming the front door behind him. “Please for the love of God will you say something,” Max said, becoming increasingly frustrated. You scoffed and walked around the breakfast bar in messy circles after being silent the entire journey home. You tried collecting your feelings and regulating your breathing but you just couldn’t; especially not with him standing right there. He said your name and your face snapped up at him as you clenched your fists.

“Who is she?” You asked, your voice shaky as you furiously blinked away the tears threatening to spill from your eyes. Max froze. “Who is she Maxwell?!” You repeated, raising your voice this time. He sighed angrily, huffing as you bit your lip anxiously and continued to pace around.

“She is my new assistant,” Max told you, his voice as calm as could be. “I told you sweetheart, Angela retired last week. Barbara is my new assistant.”

“Is this why you’ve been working late every night this week? Even heading to the office on a weekend? You know that’s meant to be our time together. And you won’t even let me come visit you like I used to.” You cried out.

“I’ve been busy with Germany’s conference arrangements! You know this!”

“Because you always put your work first,” you hissed back at him, bitterness dripping from your tongue. It was true, especially as of recently. When you first started dating Maxwell, he had warned you that his work was his life – and you expected no less from one of the most respected CEO’s in the world. But this relationship was starting to feel one-sided and you were getting fed up, especially when he began to shut you out. “I’m asleep by the time you come home Max, and when I wake up, you’re gone again. I can’t keep doing this.”

“What has gotten into you?” He shouted at you, his tone making you flinch. “All of a sudden you have trust issues with me?”

“You shut me out!” You yelled back. “You don’t tell me anything anymore. You never tell me about your day at work and when I ask you just grumble or say nothing. I feel lost. What is a relationship without communication? And now this ‘Barbara’ girl…” you shook your head in disbelief. “Why didn’t you mention her to me?”

“I didn’t think it was important!”

“Right because you don’t talk to me about anything anymore,” you held your head in your hands as tears dripped on your fingers. You turned away from him, sniffed, and wiped your face before turning back to him. Maxwell’s heart fell in his chest when he took in your sore red eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but he couldn’t find any words. “Your last assistant was 65, Max. She’s, what, 20?”

“30.” Max sighed, running his fingers through his dark blonde hair.

“She’s beautiful Max,” you told him as you recalled seeing her wearing that tight, black lacy dress that looked far too expensive for just an assistant to afford. You refused to let your mind wander. There’s no way Maxwell would’ve bought her that number.

“She is beautiful,” Max reiterated. “But she’s not you.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” You spat.

“I’m sorry,” Max was practically pleading for forgiveness at this point. “You know I’m not good at words.”

“Bullshit!” You couldn’t believe his audacity. “You are a businessman Maxwell! You literally do commercials for the whole country to see. Hell, you even get invited to the White House to do broadcasted speeches for the President! And you’re telling me ‘I’m not good at words’,” You imitated his voice and he looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

“I mean… talking about my feelings,” his voice was barely above a whisper and you took in his pained expression. Maybe you had taken this too far. But the fact he had been keeping things from you and putting his job before his relationship infuriated you so much.

“Max, I’m leaving,” you announced after deciding this conversation was nothing but counter-productive.

“No no no,” he said, following you to the door. He grabbed your hand but you ripped it away.

“Don’t come looking for me.” You warned before leaving his millionaire penthouse.

It was like pathetic fallacy when you took your first step on to the street, as lightning flashed and rain saturated your hair and clothes. You signalled for a cab and sat down in the passenger seat. The driver asked where you wished to go and you told him the address of the first person you could think of.

Bruce Wayne’s penthouse was almost as impressive as Maxwell Lord’s. When you knocked on the door and he answered, a look of concern appeared on his face. You shuffled inside, pools of water following you as you kicked off your shoes and let your coat fall to the ground. Bruce sighed, “I’m not gonna lie,” he shrugged. “You don’t look so great.”

You scoffed and made yourself comfortable on his leather sofa. “Can I stay here tonight?” You asked him.

“Of course,” he replied. “Can I get you a drink?”

“No,” you shook your head and he poured himself a glass of whiskey on the rocks. You felt a feeling of sadness wash over you as you remembered Bruce liked his whiskey the same way Max did. In fact, as you looked around Bruce’s apartment, you couldn’t help but associate things with Max. You took a deep breath when you saw a piece of artwork on the wall. It was a replica that came from Maxwell’s museum and you find it incredibly difficult to hold back the tears.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Bruce said after taking a sip of whiskey and putting his glass on the table.

Bruce walked to his office and sighed before dialling his arch business rival. “Lord.”

“Wayne.”

“You messed up big time.” Bruce sighed and Max knew immediately you had gone to Bruce’s place on the other side of the city. Nothing riled him up more than knowing you were with his nemesis. Out of everyone, you had gone to see Bruce fucking Wayne.

Maxwell hung up and didn’t even bother taking his coat. He ran downstairs to the garage and took one of his car’s before driving to Bruce Wayne’s penthouse. Max hadn’t drove in years but he didn’t have time to contact his driver, especially so late night. He was reckless and probably ran through a few too many red lights, but it didn’t matter. He couldn’t lose you, especially not to Bruce Wayne. He didn’t trust Bruce at all and he knew Bruce might even take advantage of you just to get back at Maxwell for some petty past business drama.

When Maxwell arrived at the penthouse, he didn’t even bother knocking on the door. He barged in, soaking wet and calling out your name, tears threatening to spill from his eyes, but when you stood up and he saw you, he felt his heart drop. Your eyes were still red and your hair had curled slightly from the rain, but even still, to him, you looked just as beautiful as you did when he first laid his eyes on you. He said your name again, this time only a whisper as you approached him slowly. You were so glad to see him too. You thought you could handle being alone from him, but you couldn’t.

“I fucked up.”

“Max…” you said quietly and he took your hand.

“No, let me speak.” He said sternly. “I should have told you about work, and Barbara. I should have communicated with you… told you how stressful it’s been. But I’m not here to make excuses. I’m here to say sorry. I know you’re disappointed with me but I can assure you, you’re nowhere near as disappointed as I am in myself. I hate myself for pushing you away. How could I ever let myself push you away?” He raised his hand and cupped your cheek. You closed your eyes and hummed under his delicate touch. Maxwell glanced over your shoulder and noted Bruce sitting over on the sofa drinking a glass of whiskey. “Maybe… maybe I’m too late,” Max sighed and you opened your eyes. “You deserve more, really, you do.”

“Max…” you shook your head sadly.

“Can I just,” Max stumbled over his words. “Can I just kiss you? Please. One last time. Fuck. I know I never say it but I love you. I love you.”

You pressed your lips against Maxwell’s and curled your fingers into his wet locks of hair. “You didn’t have to say all of that,” you said gently after pulling away but pressing your forehead against his.

“If you give me a second chance I promise I’ll do better,” Max told you. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. I was so close to losing you tonight and without you, I had never felt so alone. You have always been there for me. When we were younger, you stayed by my side after my father passed. You stayed with me when my mother threatened to sabotage the business and you comforted me when my first marriage broke down. You saved me more times than you even know. Without you I don’t even know if I’d still be here.”

“Max please,” you whispered. “I won’t ever leave you. You can push me and push me but I’m not going anywhere.” Max breathed a sigh of relief. “But,” you began, and let out a tired giggle. “You’re gonna have to stop pushing. I don’t want this to happen again.”

“Never again,” he promised, and you felt yourself soften as he held you close, your head resting on his damp chest. “Let’s go home, my love.”

[hoodedwing]

Sleep, Red Bucket

Summary: Tim and Jason work together on a case. Just that, Jason had a hard week and maybe just 3-4 hours of sleep. 

Characters: Jason, Tim, Alfred (mentions), Avalanche (no, not from X-men. It’s an original enemy for a man named Snow here)

Warnings: Child drug rings, Drugs, Wild night terrors, Unconscious self-harm, Vomiting, Blood, Injuries, Swearing,

Additional Notes: I used way too much references from The Crown and this is a sickfic

Word Count: 2,233 words

***

Tim stretches a little from where he's sitting on the couch, running his hand through ebony locks as he tapped away on his laptop. He was secretly glad that he managed to sneak out of the Manor, after being ratted out by Jason for not sleeping. He had barely escaped after being coddled by Dick (that man in spandex sure can hug) and hovered over by Alfred. Sighing contently, he closed the webpage he was on and gave a quick glance at the clock.

It was still eleven, nearing towards twelve actually. He knit his eyebrows in slight annoyance, Red Hood and him had arranged to meet at twelve and he wasn't here yet. Tim assumed Jason probably had a run in with some bitch of a gang or seeing the  kids or whatever he does at Crime Alley. He had long learnt not to touch that area, last time saw him with a batarang held against his throat.

Ironic for someone proclaiming to hate Batman. Tim snorted.

He was well into his thought loop when he heard the sound of metal against his window. Tim's head shot up and he hastily grabbed his bo-staff laying on the couch opposite him. Silently, he crept towards the curtains and laid to wait. The sound grew louder and he heard irritated whispers or the wind, he couldn't exactly pinpoint.

The window opened and Tim nearly smashed the intruder's head from behind when he heard a panicked yell.

"The fuck?!"

Tim breathed a little before yelling back. Oh thank fuck, its Jason only.

"And you couldn't use the damn door like any other human?"

Jason allowed a snort to escape before walking resolutely  to the couch where he sat down rather heavily and let out a small sigh.

"I died, I'm technically not human or I mean does that count?"

Tim rolls his eyes and settles back on the couch where Jason was laying stretched rather lazily and flipping through the case files, with his hood still on.

"So, as far as I know. Snow has multiple bases in Bludhaven. Wonder how Dickface hasn't run into him yet."

"Dick knows him as Avalanche. That's what he calls himself. Different street names."

"He'll fall eventually."

Tim almost laughs but he cannot exactly tell if Jason was joking or just plaintively didn't give two fucks. It also sounded a tad more tired.

"Mhm. Anyways, his largest base is pretty near your territory. I think you know it like the back of your hand."

He offers tentatively, trying to rebalance the edge of tension in the room.

"Yeah. Got it."

"Do you need-"

"No. He's on my turf. I get to take him out."

Jason takes slightly longer than he does to get up.  Tim sees it but doesn't call him out on it. He really doesn't want another stab mark. he watches Jason climb out of the window.

"Oh and Jason?"

Jason turns, in zero mood right now because the small throbbing in his head has grown a little.

"What?!"

"Get some shut-eye."

He scoffs and leaves.

—

Some hours in, Tim decided he wanted coffee so he gets up to go make himself.

He hears a faint rustle and pin drop silence. He quietly grabs the dang bo-staff again. As he creeps along the rooms, he hears the sound getting louder. It sounded like someone was having trouble.

He almost shits himself when he sees Red Hood asleep. In his apartment.

Tim narrows his eyes and does a quick surveillance of Jason's things. He sees empty cartridges and shell casings lying at his feet

The only physical response was Jason's head tilting at an angle and soft snores filtered by the Hood.

Huh, he's back and asleep. Already?

"Jason?"

Tim raised an eyebrow at Jason.

"Mm?"

"Oh good. Just checking if you're alive."

Jason turned on himself, curling his legs under himself.

"Al'wys am, Replac'ment. F'k off. Lemme sleep."

Tim frowned slightly as he inched his hands towards the hood but a gloved hand comes out of nowhere and squeezes Tim's wrist tightly who now lets out a yelp.

-

Tim pours the coffee but the thoughts of Jason doesn't leave his mind. Something wasn't so right about Jason. But then, nothing was ever right with Jason.

Was he bleeding? He did return late from whatever he was up to. He did slur his dreaded nickname. He refused to take off his hood. Was he sick? Did he eat?

He hears a loud scream that interrupts his second thought loop of the night. Tim almost spills the coffee on himself and half stumbles-half runs to the source.

Jason.

"J..Jason?"

Erratic breathing greeted him. Tim steels himself as he nimbly types the correct combination and takes the hood off against Jason's order. He isn't about to let someone die in his apartment.

Why does everything have to end up so damn difficult?

Tim barely glances at Jason as he shakes him.

"Jason. Shh. Jason?"

Jason doesn't comply, the thrashing increases in intensity as he yells his throat raw. He claws his forearms, scratching the scarred skin in nightmare-delirium. He manages to draw blood which gently falls onto the white couch, turning the area into a crime scene wildly in contrast to the source of blood. His eyes were tightly shut, thick black lashes glued to his sweat covered cheeks

Tim restrains Jason, tries to grab his hands but he manages to fucking fling Tim across the table. He crashes at the bookshelf, wincing when his arm whacks against a particularly thick encyclopedia.

Ah, he thought, the pain of knowledge.

He quickly gathers himself and sees Jason thrashing on the couch, whimpering like a wounded animal.

"What the fuck. Jason? Can..can you hear me?"

The whimpers alternate into raw screaming, it leaves Tim's heart cold and skin prickled. He doesn't have to know what Jason is thinking. He needs to snap the nightmare loop before he decided his throat was next and he-

Focus, Tim.

Tim rummages everywhere in the apartment, heartbeat loud in his ears. He knows it was best to wait it out but it was almost like it was a loop. He spots a whistle, one from the Charity Games Bruce hosted. Yeah, he remembered that one pretty well. Grayson won the race and he blew the whistle right in his face. Jason laughed and Barbara poked fun at him later on it.

He quickly blows the whistle at Jason who shot up with a frightening velocity. Tim literally held Jason down, stunned into silence.

"Jason?"

He only pinched his nose-bridge, other hand clenching the couch tightly.

"Do you want water?"

"No"

He barely croaked, turning on himself like a wounded animal.

Tim fetches a glass anyway. He also brought some bandages to wrap his forearms. Quietly, he does so, rubbing alcohol into it alternated with small flinches. When the procedure was done, Tim stepped back a little.

Jason turned on himself again, shaking. His eyebrows were drawn in pain, breaths almost wheezing. His face was now alarmingly pale and eyebags almost like bruises cover below his tired eyes

Tim didn't know what to say to him. Jason might shoot down all chances to talk about it.

"I'm going to take your temperature, is that okay?"

No answer.

Tim awkwardly fumbles around, he needed distraction to come up with a way to talk about it. There was no way he was leaving Jason in that terrifying loop he saw.

He knew he had the latest state-of-the-art thermometer that took temperatures in seconds but he chose the mercury one to buy time he needed to calm himself. He returns back to Jason who sat up again, hand resting under his chin.

"I'm not sick."

A whisper barely above the rattling of the heater.

"I still need to check, I haven't ruled out fever dream. You look like shit."

"Course."

Jason lets Tim do it as he quietly counts to the 180th second. Tim removes it and sees it at 96.

"That's cold."

"Anemic."

"Oh, that wasn't in your files. I'll add that in later."

Jason lies down again and his eyes flutter closed. Tim properly gives Jason a onceover, he looked almost vulnerable underneath the glinting armor.

"You haven't eaten, have you?"

His eyes open slightly again, eyes squinting at Tim's undisguised worry.

"Won't stay down."

Tim bit his lip. This was bad.

"Can you handle some soup?"

"Try to, can't promise."

Tim gets up to reheat the soup Alfred left for him two nights ago but something in him nags to not leave Jason alone with his thoughts. He puts on The Crown and unpaused at where Queen Elizabeth hears about Jackie Kennedy's unflattering comments about her.

Tim quickly takes the soup out and shoves it in the microwave. His work could wait another day or two. He had checked the camera feeds momentarily and saw zero sign of the target.

The microwave beeped and he takes it out, carefully pouring into two bowls and bringing it to the living room where he now sees Elizabeth doing the foxtrot.

Tim places the soup at the table and gives one to Jason who cradles one in his arms, eyes unseeing at the television. Tim carefully watches Jason's face. His cheekbones had hollowed slightly and were clenched. Probably an aftereffect defense mechanism. Tim thinks.

"Do you feel like throwing up again?"

An imperceptible shake as his eyes glue at Philip yell at Charles while dangerously maneuvering the plane with tears streaking down Charles' face. Tim sees something momentarily shift in Jason at dad yelling at son.

Oh shit, trigger, trigger, trigger.

Tim abruptly switches off the television. This time, Jason properly turns at Tim.

"Why?"

Tim narrowed his eyes.

"Its..nothing, Jason. Not letting you go through that hell I saw."

"Funny you say that, been happening for two weeks straight."

Jason spits it with vitriol. Tim physically feels the force of the words. Biting, cold, hard. He moves back, as if the force displaced him. How the hell did Jason still have enough strength to do that? a half of Tim wondered.

He tried to open his mouth but settled to stretching his lips into a thin line.

"I said don't-"

"I'm not about to fucking ask or clarify anything remotely related to what just transpired. Listen to me carefully, all I want to know is whether you're sleeping enough. Yes or no?"

Tim hissed, chin dipping down with practiced ease. Jason seemingly curls onto himself more before grumbling, this time lacking the usual bite.

"Three in four days. Fuckers won't stop fucking recruiting kids on my territory to sell drugs. The hell am I supposed to do? Sleep while the kids get roped in a sick fuck of a game?"

Tim nods in understanding, clearly regretting his outburst. He watches Jason sag heavily against the couch and tip his head back. His eyes were pinched shut this time with his jaw tightening with more of the earlier tension Tim noted. He laid a hand on Jason's temple and carefully, he inched his hand throughout his head, warm fingers making their way through. He hears small sighs of relief when he reaches the sides. Tim slowly maneuvers Jason onto his lap and continues to stroke his sweaty bangs. Jason only winces again at the bright, florescent lights

"Headache?"

"Mhm."

He turns on himself, groaning quietly. he places an arm over his eyes. Tim continues to massage his temples, rubbing reassuring circles.

"How bad?"

"..."

"Want painkillers?"

Jason shakes his head, lights glaring in his eyes and everything spinning.

"Hate..meds. You know..that."

Tim seemed to consider that but got off the couch.

"Be right back, I'll dim the lights."

Jason almost whimpers again at the lack of heat of Tim's fingers as the dull throbbing increased and pounded behind his eyes. Jason wished he could will the damn thing to stop, if he could only sleep it away without the fucking nightmares. He curled on himself for the umpteenth time that night, wishing he was dead again.

He feels a dip in the couch and then firm fingers return, pressing hard. Jason gasped out.

"T..Tim."

"Sorry. Is this better?"

Tim apologetically whispers as he decreases the pressure against the wild throbbing. Jason silently hummed in agreement and leaned into the touches.

"Sorry, I overstayed.. I should go."

"You would, if you slept enough. How many hours did you get just yesterday alone?"

"Got here right after the run-in with Snow and be'fre was the druggists."

Tim narrowed his eyes while Jason closes his, worn out by the small conversation.

“What about you?”

He smiles a little at that, always caring about someone else before himself.

"Alfred made me sleep two nights ago at the Manor. I hid out here to find that intel."

"T'hts n'ce."

Tim places his hand on Jason's shoulder and watches as Jason's breathing evens out into soft snores. He threw on a blanket and quietly took his laptop to begin work, the soft blue glow illuminating the room.

“Tim?”

Jason sleepily opens one eye to where Tim settled down with his laptop. He motions Tim to join him who hesitates before lying down beside him. He presses a quick kiss on Jason’s forehead before adjusting himself under Jason’s neck. Jason only let a small hum of approval before encircling Tim with a soft hug.

“G’night.”

[ladywinterwitch]

Run Away ( Six - Endings, Begginings )

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Avenger! Reader

Summary: You and Steve complete each other. Your love is that strong and devoted kind of love that pushes people to things like marriage, making a family. You couldn't imagine that a baby would be something you really wished, until the possibility wasn't your choice anymore.

Warnings: Mentions of smut, swearing, mentions of blood, badly written medical diagnosis, fluff, Nat and Bucky are a mess, mentions of abandonement

Word Count : 6720 

A/n: Chapter six. The big surprise. Nat and Bucky are working things out. That’s it, enjoy. Series Masterlist here. 

                                  (Gif not mine)

-Don't go..- you murmured against your housband's jaw. He sighed while he caressed your naked back.

-I have to, baby. You know how Tony gets when he's left waiting. Also, I think Bucky needs to talk with someone.- he responded and you reluctantly let him go. You sat on the bed, the sheets covering your chest.

-I actually already talked to him. To them both.- you say. He stops for a second.

-You did?- you nod. He sighs.

-I think that they can't go on like this anymore. They have this particular and intense history that will always bring them close, but the way they ere handling things now, or better, how they aren't doing it, it's becoming toxic.- he shakes his head whilist getting dressed.

-I know.- you respond softly. He zips up his suit and you get up from the bed and walk to him with the light sheet wrapped around your figure.

-A little time apart will do them good.- you say, placing your hand on his clothed chest, the other still holding the sheet.

-Maybe for them, but I really wish I didn't had to leave you.- he says lowly with sadness in his voice. You smile sweetly and get on your tiptoes to kiss him.

-I know. But It'll be just a week, right? We've been apart for more than that.- you speak softly while he starts to kiss your neck.

-Don't remind me.- he whispers making you giggle slightly, nudging him away delicately.

-On your way, soldier.- he stands straight and you smirk lovingly. He reciprocates the smirk and gives you one last kiss.

After he leaves you sigh and you sit on the bed with the palm of your hand on your forehead. You're not feeling very well, so you actually consider to stay in bed for a few more hours, considering that you didn't even had the recruits to train.

You open your eyes and as soon as you try to stand up, your head starts to spin a little and the sudden need to throw up invades you. So you quickly go to the bathroom and kneel before the toilet bowl. After a few minutes you finish and come back to the bed, basically falling on it.

-FRIDAY, is Bruce in the building?- you ask, your voice a little muffled by the pillow.

-Dr. Banner is away on a mission with captain Rogers, mr. Stark, sergeant Barnes, miss Maximoff and mr Wilson, mrs. Rogers.- the AI responds and you huff, sitting straght, but still with closed eyes.

-Perfect.- you respond, cringing at the disgusting taste in your mouth.

-Mrs. Rogers, should I call for medical assistance?- you shake your head, then realize that she couldn't see you, so you responded with a 'No, thank you'. You forced yourself to go back to the bathroom again to brush your teeth and the mouthwash.

When you felt better you decided to take a shower. When you were done you stepped out of the box and started to dry yourself up with a towel. You casually glanced at the full lenght mirror and remembered a few nights ago when, while you were just about to make love, Steve told you that it seemed to him that you had gained a few punds. He was joking, but it kind of offended you, so you pushed him off the bed.

You took a looked at the mirror and realized that he wasn't completely wrong; your stomach was still flat, but your belly was indeed a little round. After a few other stares, maybe being your fantasy, but it seemed that your thighs and boobs were a little bigger too. They weren't noticeable changes per se, but they were for someone who knew their own body. You got dressed with your underwear and a pair of leggings, a baby blue long sleeved sport shirt and your short boots. You left your hair down and exited the room to go to the common room.

You felt a bit sad about your latest discovery. After your ‘return’ the team had basically prohibited you to go on the most risky missions. At least for some time. You didn’t really understood why, considering that now you were even stronger that you were before, but Steve especially insisted, forcing you to take a month off missions. So for the past month and a half you had been left behind to train the recruits. Which was basically minimum to none exercise at all. You could see how you could’ve gained a few pounds.

You found it empty, except for Natasha, which was on the phone, leaned near the wall-sized window. When she saw you coming she said goodbye to the person on the other side and hung up.

-Hey.- she said. You gave her an half smile.

-Someone secret?- you ask nudging your head towards her hand. She smirked.

-If you consider Clint a secret, then yes.- you nodded, sitting on the sofa, patting the spot at your side. She walked towards you and sat down.

-How's he?-

-Bored. He adores his family, but he kinda digs the action, you know? If he could put his family in a backpack and bring them on missions, he would.- you laugh.

-Yeah, I can imagine that. But it's right for him to be at home for some time. Laura's life must not be easy. Three kids and a farm to look after, all alone. It's right this way.- you answer. She nods in agreement.

-So, why up so late? Steve left early this morning.-

-Yeah, I know. I may or may not tried to convince him to come back to bed, but he's too honorable for that.- Natasha chuckled.

-Yeah, poor innocent Stevie.- she joked.

-And Buck? You said goodbye too?- you said casually. With the side of your eye you noticed that she stiffened a little.

-Didn't see him this morning.- she stood up, walking towards the kitchen. You followed her.

-Coffe?- she asked and you nodded.

-Did you two actually tried to talk and not to jump at each other’s throats?- she huffed and turned around as soon as the coffe machine began to do his work.

-Straight to the point, I see.- she crossed her arms.

-You argue a lot lately.- your tone was calm. You didn't want to make the impression that you wanted to force her to talk.

-Yeah, I guess we do.- she muttered, turning again to pour the coffe into the mugs.

-It's just..things aren’t working anymore between us. When we saw each other again, after all the years in the red room, it was just like coming back home again, you know?- she paused, looking at the mug between her hands. Meanwhile you went to the counter to add sugar and milk to your coffe.

-We just got together right away. Loving each other, making up for all the lost years.- she smiled a little and you did too. -It had been good for some time, but then something broke. We weren't able to stay together, but in one way or another we ended up in bed. Every argument, every gesture. So we went for a more 'booty call' kinda relationship.- you listened intently.

-Then again, that wasn't enough anymore. He started to do one night stands with diffrent girls, and so did I. Even then we still cared for each other. We were jealous, had this need to be together. It's not healthy, we both know it very well.- she bit the inside of her cheek.

-And now?- you interjected. You wanted to understand exactly where she was at, so you could help her, but it wasn’t always easy with Natasha.. She gazed at you for a split second.

-Now nothing. Literally. We haven't been sleeping together since forever, and in addition to that we almost can't stand each other's presence anymore. If I have to be honest, I'm pretty sure that he has something else on his mind right now.-

-Something?-  you asked, trying not to give away the fact that you already knew it.

-Someone.- she retorted sharply. You were a little taken back from her tone, but you didn’t pay it too much attention. Anyone would’ve been a little angry about something like that.

-I was going to break up with him anyway. For good. I love him, I mean, I would probably jump in front of a train for him, but I don't feel the same way anymore. And he doesn't either, so it's better like that. I wouldn't want to ruin the last few pieces of our relationship that are left.- She turned again with her usual smirk, even if a bit more bitter than usual. You can’t help to smile a little, because they’re more alike than they think. And you silently thanked God for that. It means that they will go through it, if not well, at least in agreement.

-Now you want to tell me why you were up late or not?- you did a gesture with your hand as if to brush away the question.

-I took my time to get up, and to get a shower.- you answered, putting the empty mug in the sink.

-What about we go out for lunch? I'm already starving.- she huffed a laugh.

-Yeah, well, hear me out. First thing first, it's barely eleven in the morning. And second, if we go out, you'll have to try to not order the whole restaurant.- your mouth dropped open while she laughed.

-You bitch! Are you and Steve in some kind of agreement? I get it, I eat a little more than usual lately, but there's no need to be asses about it.- you crossed your arms, a little defensive.

-I'm joking, hun. But lately you're eating a lot more than 'a little bit'. And what about Steve now?- you both started to walk out of the kitchen.

-Yeah, whatever. A few days ago we were kinda in the middle of something, and completely out of the blue he goes 'It's my impression or do you look a little round, darlin’?'- you mocked his deep voice and Nat widened his eyes, trying not to laugh.

-And instead of responding, I straight up pushed him off the damn bed.- she let out a loud laugh.

-What happened then?-

-In the end he apologized, saying that it wouln't matter for him anyway, as he should. But I didn't give up, and turned my back to him. I mean, you just called me fat while we were about to fuck and you think you can get away with it? Absolutely not.- she continued to laugh while you went down to the gym.

-

You and Nat joined Thor and Vision on the gym for a few hours, then went out for dinner instead of lunch. The morning after you got sick again and you cursed the poor sushi chef. You actually got a rough night, so you didn't pay too much attention to the sickness. It was always hard when Steve went away on missions. You missed him at your side and you always got worried.

Nonetheless, you faced the toilet again first thing in the morning. At that point you asked FRIDAY to search for an efficent stomach antibiotic. She found the best one and you went to a pharmacy to buy it. And you sure hoped that it was the best, because damn, it was expensive.

The prescription said to take two pills every day, before lunch and dinner, for at least a week. You did it, but for the next three days you didn't feel better and people started to ask about your delays, or why you just avoided every type of scent from the kitchen. It was so wired. You threw up your entire soul on the morning, but at night you ate basically everything that was on sight.

Also, the medicine leaflet said that if taken at the right hours, the relief shoud've been noticed already the day after, two maximum. But you didn't feel better, at all.

You started to wonder if maybe you didn't had a food poisoning. You didn't really knew what to do, and also the team would've been back in two days, so you tought that the best thing woul've been waiting for Bruce.

And so the days passed, the team came back in the middle of the night and you, into a deep slumber, didn't even notice when Steve snuggled in bed with you after taking a shower. You woke up feeling hot, and when you tried to move the sheets, you realized that you coudn't even move your arm. You widened your eyes in panic and sighed with relief when you looked down at the naked arm embracing you. You smiled and turned to face him. He was still sleeping.

'Poor baby, he must've been so tired', she tought. You started to caress his beard, a new look that you enjoyed very much. His eyelids fluttered open slowly and he gave her a sleepy smile that mirrored yours.

-Hey handsome.- you whispered.

-Hey beautiful.- he responded, with his morning voice. You liked that very much, too. But on the other hand, you loved the entirety of him.

He leaned onwards to give her a kiss. She accepted gladly, and a few moments later, he was above her, trailing his hand on her side, the other on her cheek, his elbow the only thing that kept him up. But just when the kiss deepened, she moved from under him and got up, running to the bathroom.

-I know that it's morning, but am I really that bad?- he joked, a little confused. His attitude changed when he heard you coughing. He got up, in his joggers and a short sleeved t-shirt, and went to the bathroom. You was kneeled in front of the toilet, coughing and throwing up.

-Hey, hey, baby. Take it easy, honey. What's happening?- he asked softly with worry in his voice. He goton his knees near you on the floor, and took your hair gently into a makeshift ponytail. With the other hand placed on you back, soothing and caressing up and down.

After a few minutes you finished and he helped you stand up, while flushing the bowl. You reassured him and quickly washed your mouth. Steve picked you up bridal style and brought you to the bed, not listening to you saying that you were fine, 'cause clearly you weren't.

-Do I need to take a basin? Water?- he asked caressing the hair near the forehead.

-I'm fine, Steve. I just need a minute.- you said weakly.

-Why are you sick anyway?- he asked. You sighed and shook your head slightly.

-Don't know, I think I caught food poisoning of some sort. Been going on like this for some days, but I'm on antibiotic so.- you answered.

-Why didn't you call me?- you smiled a little, rasing your hand to reach his cheek.

-Love, you were on a mission. Plus, I'm not dying, okay? It's just some disgusting food. Don't worry.- he shook his head, careful not to make her move her hand from his beard covered cheek.

-You should've called me anyway. I always want to know if something's wrong okay? After wha happened three months ago..I- you sushed him, pulling on his neck to bring him to you. You hugged tightly.

-I'm fine, Steve. Really. If it’ll make you feel better, I'll go get checked by Bruce okay? Oh yeah by the way, did everything went well? Everyone's okay?- he nodded.

-Yes, and yes to the second one. Please, I would be more reassured if you did.-

-

You asked FRIDAY to inform Bruce that you needed to see him and he gave you appointment a few hours later, after luch. The lunch that you hadn't been able to eat, to be precise. Steve had gone to talk to Fury about the mission, so you went alone. Before you went into the lab, you saw a glimpse of Nat and Bucky going down the elevator. You really hoped that they could find some peace.

You knocked even if the door was open, just to annouce yourself. Bruce was sitting at one of the desks, with a fuming mug in hand. He turned around and smiled at you whe he saw you.

-Hey. Come in.- you closed the door and went for a hug.

-How was the mission?- you asked, sitting next to him. He was wearing glasses and his curly black hair were a little more rebellious than usual.

-Smooth. Almost boring. Didn't even got beat up.- he joked making you chuckle.

-That's good.- he gave you a lopsided smile.

-What about you? I walked into Steve a couple hours ago and he asked me to check on you.- you nodded, sighing.

-I told him that I can handle it, but he made me promise to get visited, so here I am.- he rose and eyebrow, expectantly.

-It's been like, a week of throwing up. Few problems with my stomach, but none with the sleeping, let me tell you. Hadn't slept this good in months.- you emphasized the last words.

-Sure that that's not your husband's fault?- you jaw dropped at the tease and you smacked his arm slightly.

-Bruce Banner!- you exclaimed laughing. He laughed too, before focusing again.

-Well, it's not normal to be thowing up every day. What do you think it is?-

-Food poisoning, probably. Or maybe a bad stomach bug that got worse eating sushi.- you shrugged. He nodded thinking, and you added -I began to take an antibiotic anyway.-

-Since when did you began to take it?-

-Like, five days ago.- his brows furruwed and he got up, gowing towards one of the glass lockers. You saw that he took out a syringe and a test tube.

-As I already said, it's not normal. The antibiotic should have immediate effect, or at least you shouldn't be throwing up anymore. I'm gonna take a few drops of blood for a test, and in a couple of hours we'll know what's wrong.- he explained calmly. You nodded.

You rolled up your sweater's sleeve, and Bruce took just about the half of the syringe, then he applied a band aid and told you to come back in three hours. You thanked him and went to do your usual training with the recruits.

-

You just finished your turn five hours later and went straight to Bruce's lab. You were a little late, but you couldn't just leave the recruits in the middle of the training class.

You knocked and he opened the door letting you in. You saluted Tony who was busy with some files.

-Okay, I have been a little busy, so we’ll look at them together now.- he says absently while searching for the results on the laptop.

-Here it is.- he mutters narrowing his eyes in concentration. You were looking at Tony working while waiting, and saying that you jumped to the roof when the sudden noise of ceramic breaking reached your ears would be an understatement. Both you and Stark turned around to see what happened, and saw Bruce with a hand on his mouth and the coffe mug on the floor, in pieces.

-Bruce are you all right?- you ask with worry.

-Fucking hell Banner, lucky you that that damned coffe wasn't near any electronic devices.- he rolled his eyes calling for FRIDAY and asking to one of the maids to come and clean.

-Bruce?- you repeated again. He let himself fall on the chair, looking at you.

-You're pregnant Y/n. The blood test says that there's nothing wrong, except that you're pregnant.- you don't say nothing. Tony freezes, dropping his own mug. You're so shocked that you don't even flinch.

After a few seconds l Bruce calls for you tentatively, and you suddenly start to giggle, then laugh histerically.

-Oh God, I almost belived you almost got me for a second.- you say trying to catch your breath, but your smile died as soon as you saw that neither Bruce nor Tony were laughing. Iron man had went to the laptop, looking by himself.

-Y/n, it's true.- he said. Your breath was stuck in your throat and you felt like the roof was crumbling on you.

-H-how...It's not possible.. I- I can't..- Bruce came quickly to you placing a soothing hand on your shoulder.

-Y/N, look at me. Can you breathe for me? Just like that. Good.- he repeated while you breathed deeply.

-But didn't she had some sort of genetical condition?- Tony asked, confused. Someone knocked and an old lady dressed as a maid came in, with a mop to clean.

-Okay, uhm. I'll stay here, you go on lab 3 and do some check-up alright?- Stark said. You and Bruce moved to the next room and he closed the door, immediatly asking you to take off the swater for the ecography. You did and layed on the couch. He put gel on your stomach and started to examin you.

-Shit. You see that?- he says lowly pointing at a tiny thing, very similiar to a bean. You start to feel your eyes burning from the upcoming tears.

-That's my baby?- you ask almost naively. He smiles and nods.

-With what I can see, you're at least two and a half months pregnant. And not to be mean, but you kind of put on a little belly already.- you were in between laughing and burning him with your gaze. But in that moment all that you could do was look at the screen.

-But how is that possible?- you finally gazed at Bruce.

-Well, actually if you look to it, your uterus seems to appear different from the last time we did this. My theory is, when Steve and Bucky gave you their blood, with the super soldier serum, they kind of healed you. You are stronger, faster, you eat more because your metabolism requires so. Your sight is perfect, as well as your hearing and your reflexes. So it's not impossible that your uterus...healed too. I also forgot to mention that the blood test came back 100 % infected by the serum, like I had predicted.- you were speechless.

-Just think about Steve. Before the serum he was a lot shorter, had lungs problems, asthma, genetic conditions, was very thin and in poor health. If you think about it, it's not that impossible.- he said excitedly by his own realization.

-Oh my god.- you breathed. You stopped a few seconds to think about it, then a thought came to you and you expressed it to him.

-It worked on Steve. Why didn’t it heal Bucky?- you frowned, speaking softly. A sad expression appeared on the doctor’s face.

-Y/n, growing a whole new limb is not the same as correct a small internal malformation, nor like curing asthma. Bucky already had some super soldier serum in him before he fell from the train. And, even if miraculusly the serum could’ve actually been capable of healing him, he didn’t have enough in his system then. Also, Hydra gave him that metal arm. Even if it wanted to, the skin would’ve had an obstacle. It’s awful, but unfortunately it’s not the same.- hearing all over again what Bucky had been through made your stomach clench, and for once the blame wasn’t your baby’s.

Your baby. It sounded so wired and impossible to you. You were in seventh heaven, but you also couldn’t help but think about all the process, the time and the progress you went through to accept that the possibility of having a child wasn’t possible to you. And instead, here you were, pregnant and healthy, a baby growing inside you.

You thanked Bruce, hugged him and then practically run towards the elevator, but when it opened, you saw on one side Natasha and on the other Bucky. They both had the same mixture of anger and sadness in their eyes. Nat had glossy eyes and Bucky was chewing on his lower lip.

You were a little taken back when you saw them, and you honestly wanted to disappear, because you were so happy, while they were so broken. Bucky's face lit up and his crossed arms untangled, almost by surprise. Nat saw his reaction and looked at the source, and when she did, oh boy, you think you never saw her like that. She just straight walked past you towards the stairs. Bucky stopped the doors from closing and you stepped in timidly, pushing the button to the gym’s floor.

You finally looked up at him and he gave you the shadow of a smile. You did too.

-Are you okay?- you said softly. He took a deep breath, nodding.

-I am now. I said what I had to say, even if she didn't took it that well.- he bit his lip nervously.

-Oh, Buck.- you whispered, latching your arms around his torso. He didn't expect it so he didn't reciprocate right away, but then he circled you with his arms and melted into the embrace. The little moment was broken by the doors opening. You both let go, Bucky more hesitantly.

-If you need to talk, you can come to me. Or Steve. You know that.- you say to him with one hand on his cheek and the other blocking the floor. He was looking at you with such affection that almost made you want to hug him again until he was smiling again. But you couldn't. Not right now.

-I love you.- he said. You felt a strange sensation in your stomach, but you brushed it off. You took off the hand from his cheek and smiled at him sweetly.

-I love you, too Bucky. You know it. Maybe we can catch up when you're feeling to? Right now I have to get to Steve.- there was almost a sense of guilt in your words. He nodded and took a step back in the elevator.

-Of course you do. See you later, don't worry.- he gave you a small lopsided smile before the doors closed. You let out a sigh and got yourself together before reaching the running space, where you knew that he would’ve been. As expected, he was standing in a side of the gym, arms crossed in his training black suit, watching the trainees sparring in partners.

You walked towards him, he was giving you his back, focused on the training. But suddenly a very small boy stopped the match and stood straight doing the military salute, getting punched by his female parter which was as confused as Steve. So he turned to see what he was looking at and when he saw you he grinned.

-Tamara, bring him to the infirmary.- he ordered.

-Yes captain.- she said, taking the small boy's arm around her shoulders. When they walked past you, you stopped them.

-Hey, what's your name?- you asked smiling at him, his eye already starting to water. He looked starstruck when you talked to him.

-Benjamin, ma'am. Benjamin Bates.- he tried to do the salute again, but you delicately stopped his hand.

-Hello, Benjamin. Now, I appreciate the respect, trust me, it's really important. But your training and your well being,- you nudged at his eye, -Is more important. Next time try to be more careful, okay?- he was so flushed that he seemed ready to burst. He nodded.

-Thankyou ma'am.- you nod your head a bit and they moved on. Meanwhile a few of the trainees had stopped to look at the scene. Steve noticed and shouted at them to take a five minute run. No one had the courage to protest and with 'aye captain' they did as told.

You giggled and Steve smiled shaking his head, leading you to the office.

-So, to what do I owe this very well appreciated visit, mrs. Rogers?- he flirted, leaning back on the desk, beefy arms crossed and a smirk palying on his lips. You smirked too, getting close to him.

-What? You already forgot about the visit that you imposed me, captain?- you faked offense and he nodded, actually remembering it.

-How could I. So, what did Banner say? A big bad fish hurt my lovely wife?- you chuckled and placed a hand on his broad chest, he was grinning widely at you.

-You're in a good mood uh?- you teased. He suddenly gipped your sides bringing you attached to him, your faces a few inches.

-I always am when I am with you.- he said lowly, making you blush, looking down with a stupid smile on your face.

-So, Banner?- he insisted and you cleared your throat, recomposing yourself.

-Uh, yeah. I'm okay. No poisoning, no big bad fish.- he nods.

-That's great. But then why are you being sick?- he asked. An idea shoot though your mind, and you stepped away, deciding to play with him a little. You started to walk around the room casually, looking at photos, documents without particualr attention while talking.

-Oh, well, it's actually your fault.- you shrugged and he almost chocked on his saliva.

-What?- he blurted out.

-Yeah. He said that it's your fault, because you had...too much fun.- this time he stood straight, uncomfortable and quite flustered.

-Oh god. Oh...uhm..Have..Have I been to rough? Is that it? Oh baby I'm so sorry I- you brust out laughing, confusing him even more. You tried to keep yourself from laughing by biting your bottom lip. You walked towards him and saw that he was looking at you with puppy eyes.

-You're a silly man, aren't you?- you said lovingly, while latching your arms around his neck.

-But, Y/n..It's because of that? Please tell me. I don't understand.- he shakes his head.

-I said that you had too much fun, not that you hurt me. You would never do that, I know it honey. But you know, I think we should learn how to be a little quieter in future, to not disturb our new neighbour.- you said dead serious. He looked at you even more confused, trying to process the phrase.

-New neighbour? Be quiet? We have a floor just for us, who should...-then he stopped mid sentence. He narrowed his eyes.

-Are-are you saying what I think you're saying?- he asked with a little hope in eyes.

-I don't know. All I know is that if you don't learn real quick to change diapers, I'll be the one to kick your ass. Then you'll know how your trainees- he interrupted you with a kiss. He then grabbed your waist, raising you slightly from the ground, making you spin a little. You let out a muffled scream and started to giggle.

-Feel like.-you finished the phrase smiling while he looked at you with happy tears threathenig to spill from his blue eyes.

-Y-You're pregnant? How is- Are you- he continued to interrupt himself and you chucked again, placing your hands on his cheeks.

-Yes, I am pregnant. I am certain, and to anwers the 'how'..-your gaze softened.

-Is thanks to you. And Bucky.- he understood right awa, and brough a hand to cover his mouth.

-Just like..me. It healed you like it healed me.- you nodded and you almost could feel your own tears coming out.

-I'm going to be a dad.- he said, more to himself as a realization than to you, but you smiled and answered anyway.

-Yes, baby. And you're going to be the best dad in the world.- you gave him a peck on the lips, and in that exact moment you were interrupted by a trainee with short breath.

-Cap-captain Rogers, we did ten minutes and- Steve couldn't stop a stupid smile on his face.

-Yeah, rest of the day off.-

-Oh! Thanks sir. Thankyou. Mrs. Rogers.- he nodded at you and you gave him an half smile.

-

You and Steve were so happy, that you coulnd't wait to tell the team about the baby, so after dinner you and Steve stood up and everyone looked at you.

-Uhm, so. We have something to annouce.- you said, a little embarassed by having all eyes on you.

-You're moving out?- Wanda said with worry.

-No.- you responded.

-You're getting a divorce?- Sam tried and everyone threw daggers at him with their eyes. He put his hand in the air in mocking defeat.

-Just guessing.- he defended himself.

-No.- Steve responded to his question firmly.

-Then..?- Thor engaged you. You and your husband smiled at each other and then he wrapped his arm around your waist.

-We're having a baby.- he stated. The table fell silent, except for Tony and Bruce who rose up quickly to hug you, even if they already knew.

-Wait, what?- Sam widened his eyes.

-You're pregnant? For real?- Wanda said excitedly stepping up. You nodded as you parted from Bruce and went to hug her.

-Yes.- you responded sheepishly.

-Three months ago, when Y/n almost left us, Bucky and I gave her blood, as you know. And you also know that since then she acquired the super soldier abilities, what we didn't know, was that this change also 'healed' her entire body. And here we are.- Steve explained smiling at his best friend, whose on his behalf, wasn't smiling at all. He looked quite shocked actually, but then seemed to wake up from his thoughts and stood to go hug Steve.

-Congratulations punk.- he said parting quickly.

-It's thanks to you too, Buck. We wouldn't have this opportunity if it wasn't also for you. Hell, she probably wouln't even be here.- the blonde said with gratitude. Bucky was getting umcomfortable for some reason.

-Don't even mention it.- he responded in the end. Then Steve turned to hug Thor and Sam, and Bucky looked at the woman he loved. There, he said it.

He was in love with Y/n, and it was a damn mess. She turned to him and excused herself from Vision and Wanda.

-Hey.- he reciprocated your smile.

-Congrats.- he pulls you in an embrace, nuzzling his nose in your soft hair. You close your eyes and clasp your arms behind his torso.

-Thankyou. For everything.-

-It's nothing, doll.- he shrugs. You part from him just enough to look at him in the eyes.

-It's not nothing. Your friendship, your support, your kindness. This.- she lookes down for a split second, -It's also thanks to you. So just accept the gratitude and shut up.- you smile and he chuckles.

-Alright, alright.- he nods and they break the embrace, much to Bucky's discontent. Y/n looks around for a moment.

-Where's Nat?- she asks to no one in particular. Steve walks to her side.

-She said that she's waiting for you on the balcony.- he responds calmly, but with a strange sadness in his voice. You frown but just nod and go towards the open area. You close the glass door behind you and you see her sitting on the swing seat.

She gives you a lopsided smile when she sees you approach and you reciprocate. You sit next to her.

-Well, I guess I should make my congratulations to the new mom-to-be.- you huff a little laugh and shake your head.

-I still can't believe it.-

-I'm really happy for you two. You deserve it.- she says.

-I'm just...All that pain. Was actually useless.-

-No. Pain is always a way to become stronger, to grow. Also, before, you actually couldn't have kids. You couldn't know what would happen. You didn't know that there could be a possibility. The important thing is that you accepted it and you didn't let the sadness put you down.- you gave her a half smile, grateful for that pep talk. There was a pause, then the redhead spoke again.

-I'm going away. For a while, at least.- your head snapped quickly towards her.

-What? When? Why?- she looked down sighing.

-I leave tomorrow. I actually asked Fury for an undercover mission, and he assigned me one. I need some time by myself, Y/n. I need to clear my mind and stay away for a while.- she explained, trying not to hurt you.

-But..Nat I need you. It's selfish as hell, I know, but I wish that you’d stay.- you said, -But I understand. If that's what's best for you, then...it's what's best for you.- you cringed at your own words, feeling too upset to actually form a sentence with a logic sense. She chuckled a bit and took your hand.

-Thanks. But I promise that I'll be back for when the baby's born. I couldn't miss Steve's panic.- you both laughed.

-You better be.- you teased.

-Don't worry honey. There'll be plenty of people here for you. I assure you that.- she spoke the last words with a bitterness that you didn't quite understand, but you decided to not ask. Instead, you hugged her.

-Take care of yourself. And try to call once in a while-

-I'll try.-

-

Nat left just after your conversation, entrusting you with the job of telling the others where she was. You felt sad at her departing, but you pushed that thought aside, thinking that it was the best thing for her right now. You were left alone in the balcony, just enjoying the fresh air of the night.

-Here all alone, doll?- you opened your eyes slowly as a smirk creeped on your face. You turned to the voice, not really surprised. You had enhanced hearing now after all.

-Just enjoying a little peace.- you respond to the tall dark haired man in front of you. You leaned against the metal bar, your body open to him. He had his arms crossed and a lopsided smile graced his handsome features.

-Fair enough. You won't be having any of that in a few months.- you sighed and he chuckled. He noticed that you started to involuntarily stroke your arms, so he got closer and wrapped himself around you.

You grinned at him and hugged him back. The two of you kept staring at the stunning view of New York's lights.

-I'm really happy for you, you know that right? Both of you. No one deserves this more than you do. You'll be a wonderful mom.- you gnaw on your bottom lip delicately, trying not to cry. You gaze up at him and smile.

-You think so?- 

-Obviously. I’m sure of it. Because you know what it means to grow without a family and you’re a good person. You’ll know what to do. And Stevie too. He’s a punk, but he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met.- you chuckle slightly. 

-You know about Nat, don’t you?- you said more like a statement than a question. He nods and speaks after a few seconds.

-Yeah. She told me this morning.- 

-So you finally talked?- he nods again. Rubbing his hand on your arm to warm you up.

-Yes. Turns out we were more on the same page than I thought.- his voice was calm.

-That’s good.- you didn’t mention your conversation with her. They talked, it was over and you shouldn’t interfere anyway. 

-Mmh.- he hummed in agreement. - We said that we were sorry, that we care for each other but it’s best if we end it, and we did. Then she asked me if I had someone else. I told her that I had someone in my mind, but I wasn’t with them. She got a little mad because she felt betrayed. I respect that, so I apologized and wished her the best. I asked if we could stay friends, but she said that she needed some time first.- you placed a hand on his chest to soothe him.

-Bucky, I’m with Nat for the friends part. You have a lot of baggage by yourselves and a history together. I know that you probably think you’re okay with being just friends, but you both need time apart. You can’t end something like that and pretend it didn’t happen.- your voice went form calm to a bit more firm tone, -I’m fucking upset that she’s going away on her own okay? But I understand where her mind is and I think this time will do her good. And you should try to move on, in an healthy way, too. Maybe try something with whoever’s on you mind, mh?- you part from him with the intention to go back inside and give him a smirk while saying the last phrase. 

He doesn’t laugh or smile at first, and you think that maybe you went too far, but then he steps closer and places a hand on the back of your head, kissing softly your forehead before stepping back again. 

-Thanks for the talk. Now, we should go back inside. It’s getting late, you’re cold and Steve would kill me if I let you freeze out here.- his sweet tone reassures you a bit and with his words you step inside, your body instantly warming up.

You turn around and Bucky’s already gone. Your heart drops slightly. He’s clearly not okay now, but he will be. Two warm hands lay on your shoulders startling you a bit.

-Hey, it’s just me.- Steve chuckles and kisses your cheek.

-Can we go to bed? I think I really need a good ass nap.- he laughs again and nods, interwining your hand and leading you towards the elevator. You both quickly wave at the remaining members of the team and head up for your floor.

Quite some news in this chapter, uh? Don’t worry, it’s not gonna be all fluff and unicorns for long, not to spoil or anythin’ ;) 

If you liked it and you care about the story continuing, I ask you to leave a feedback to let me know, if not, it’s okay :)

Taglist: @polarcrystall​   @a--1--1--3​   @silver-winter-wolf​

[eternalstann]

Foot Massage

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X Reader

 Warnings: Smut; Mature content [2360 words].

Summary: Bucky gives you a foot massage after a night out with the girls. Except, it turns into a lot more than a foot massage. 

_________________________________________

     You tried to subdue yourself from your fit of giggles as you walked through the doors of the compound. Natasha bent forward grabbing her knees, doubled over from laughter. "Wait, spin around for me again" she choked out whilst looking up at you. You broke when you started to twirl and she smacked your ass. "Natasha!" you exclaimed swatting her hands away. "I definitely see why those guys couldn't keep their eyes off of you tonight, cause your ass is literally a work of art" she spoke cupping your ass in her hands and jiggling it. "You're beyond drunk Nat" you whisper, remembering that it was going on four a.m.

You were about to head to the kitchen when the light from the living room flicked on revealing almost all of the guys sitting on the couch. "Could you be any louder?" Steve asked with a half smile on his face and you were surprised he wasn't upset at you all for being out so late. He truly did act 100 sometimes. "You guys definitely had a good night, hey Y/N, if anything happens between you and Nat tonight come get me first" Sam snickered from his spot on the recliner adjacent to Steve. You just rolled your eyes, typical Sam. You loved him to death, you just didn't have those type of feelings for him. Even though his flirty banter was a nice confidence boost every now and then.

Maybe you could have those feelings for Sam one day; he was handsome, smart, funny and strong. But right now you only had eyes for Bucky Barnes. You bit your lip as your eyes fell to him sitting next to Steve on the couch. There was something about the quiet man that you were just so drawn to. His eyes met yours for a moment before he turned to face Carol who had plopped down in the open seat next to him. A pang of jealousy coarsed through you as she handed him a beer and placed her feet up onto the table in front of them. You mentally kicked yourself for not beating her over there. He was wearing a tight fitting navy blue t-shirt. His chest and shoulders filled it out so completely you were positive if he breathed too deeply it'd rip off him. A pair of gray basketball shorts and socks finished his look and you couldn't help but stare at his muscular thighs. Your thoughts were about to take a turn towards the R-rated when you felt a pair of small but strong arms wrap around your waist.

"I love youuuu!" Natasha quipped rocking you back and forth. "I love you too Nat" you replied placing your hands over hers. She always got really touchy when she was drunk but usually you didn't have as much of an audience. The red headed (and sometimes blonde) woman was truly your closest friend. She kissed your cheek before grabbing your hand and pulling you towards the love seat. "Hey Tony and Bucky! Peter isn't it past your bedtime?" You joked. "Haha you're so funny Y/N, you're only a few years older then me so relax!" He laughed. "Where are Clint and Bruce?" Natasha asked noticing the two of them were missing from the bunch. "Bruce went to bed a while ago and Clint went home for the weekend. I'm Surprised you were even able to deduct they weren't here as drunk as you are Nat" Tony spoke pulling laughs from the guys.

"Where's Wanda?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow. "You know where she is" Carol responded before taking a sip of her beer. "Okay Wanda, I knew she was a freak! It's always the quiet ones!" Sam just wouldn't stop tonight. "At least someones getting some, this job is horrible for my sex life" Nat deadpanned. "No seriously, I haven't had sex in so long I think my virginity is growing back" You were joked. Though you were getting crucially horny. Everyone laughed but you felt butterflies watching Bucky laugh, it was a rare occurrence so you tried your best to take it in. "I'm sure anyone here would love to help you with your problem Y/N, including Nat" Carol looked at you. "Wow Carol so you wouldn't?" "Oh, girl especially me" She laughed and you could feel your neck get hot. "Well right now my biggest problem is how bad my feet hurt" You reached down to pull off your strappy black heels.

"I'll give you a foot massage" Bucky shrugged and your head shot up so fast you almost got whiplash. "Don't let me block your blessing girl" and Carol got up switching seats with you. You weren't even fully seated when he grabbed your legs and pulled your feet into his lap. You shivered at the feel of his cold metal hand and then the warmth of his flesh one. It was probably odd to be receiving a foot rub in front of the team but you couldn't find it in you to care. Bucky's big hands used just the right amount of pressure on your sore soles and it took all of your effort not to let out a moan. His metal hand lifted your leg up and his other one squeezed your calf, rubbing up and down. You felt your nipples harden and you took a deep breathe to try and keep your composure. He was barely doing anything and you were falling apart.

He was smiling at you, an innocent smile but the sight of it made your pussy wet. You felt like those blues eyes were staring right through you. "Is this good?" he whispered to you, trying not to draw the attention of the others a they had all begun watching whatever was on T.V. "You're perfect Buck" you sighed, pushing back your hair and letting your head fall onto the arm rest of the couch.

The way you were sprawled out, legs on his lap with your back arched slightly he felt his shorts grow tighter. He could see your hard nipples through your thin black dress and he closed his eyes to imagine your bare breasts. You were gorgeous, watching Nat all over you made him both turned on and jealous at once. It was his idea for him and the guys to stay up having a movie night because you were going out with the girls. He wanted to make sure you were safe, even though you could more then handle yourself. Your legs were so smooth and soft, he wished he could feel the rest of you.

After about fifteen minutes you yawned and his heart dropped, fearing it was the end of your interaction. "I'm gonna go lay down" you spoke sitting up and putting your hand on his arm. "Thank you Bucky, I'll have to return the favor sometime" you smiled before getting up and padding barefoot to your room. You weren't really tired but you needed some relief. You stripped your dress off as soon as you made it to your room. You lay on your bed and ran your hands down your body, remembering the feeling of Bucky’s touch. Your core throbbed at just the thought of him, an ache deep within you that only he could fix.

Bucky got up as soon as he'd noticed you'd forgotten your shoes. A perfect excuse to see you again. He was gonna knock but he stopped in his tracks when he saw your door was still cracked open. "Y/N you left your shoes-" His breathe caught in his throat at the sight in front of him. There you were- splayed out on your bed, legs open with one hand between them touching yourself. Your head had been against the pillows but rose in shock at the sound of his voice. "Bucky- I..." you exclaimed but you couldn't find words. "I'm so sorry..I should've knocked" Bucky spoke, barely above a whisper and unable to take his eyes off of you.

"Bucky can I tell you something..?" you didn't know where this confidence came from but you hoped it would see you through. "...I'm really fucking horny". Your eyes focused on the bulge in his shorts. "And I could use your help". Bucky was across the room in seconds, "then let me help you baby girl".

As soon as he was in reach you pulled his face to yours. The kiss was dirty and sensual, the kind that made your brain turn to static. Your fingers found their way to his hair, holding onto him like he would disappear if you let go. His were around your waist pulling you so close a sheet of paper wouldn't fit between the two of you. His mouth tasted like your new favorite thing and his scent was intoxicating. "Bucky get naked" you whined tugging at at the hem of his shirt. He obliged pulling his top over his head. He had scars littered across his broad chest, you leaned forwards and licked down his sternum. "These shorts need to go too.." you drawled, tugging them down.

You took a moment to take in his length, you had no doubt he'd be well endowed but you were almost nervous at how big he was. You took him in your mouth, bobbing your head a few times before looking up at him. His pupils were blown, mouth in a small 'o' at the sight of you. You bobbed faster, swirling your tongue around the head and placing your hands on his thighs to steady yourself. "Holy shit baby girl, don't stop" he moaned, his flesh hand falling to the back of your head.

You kept going, obscene noises of your sucking echoed through the room. "Fuck" you heard Bucky mutter under his breath and you knew he was close. You hummed around him and that was it, you felt his hot load shoot into your mouth and you did you best to swallow it all. You pulled back and tried to catch your breath but Bucky pulled you up and bent you over the bed. He spread your legs and rubbed your sex, "you ready for me baby girl?". You couldn't even speak, you just nodded your head; but that wasn't enough for Bucky. His hand came down on your ass and you jumped at the sting. "Talk to me Y/N". He smacked you again and you let out a whimper, "Yes Bucky please, I'm ready!". Your jaw dropped when you felt his tongue against your pussy. He didn't waste any time, licking and tasting you. He ate you like you were his last meal. 

"Oh god, I'm gonna cum" you cried, as that pleasant burn began to form in the pit of your stomach. He picked up the pace, encouraged by your words. He began sucking on your clit. You nearly screamed his name as you reached your peak. He used his mouth to ride you through your orgasm. You let your face fall flat against the bed when he was finished. You felt like you were floating. “Get on the bed babygirl” he commanded and you obeyed.

You lay flat on your back, staring at the beautiful man hovering over you. Bucky shook his head and disbelief, still not able to believe he was finally having you this way. “You’re so gorgeous” he spoke, leaning down to kiss you again. “Please Buck, I need you” you were pining at this point. Bucky held himself up, his arms in either side of you, before pushing into you. The feeling made both of you breathless. “So wet for me..” Bucky mumbled, letting his forehead rest against yours. He pulled out almost completely before entering you again. You were certain you’d never felt this full before.

You arched your back as he began to thrust into you faster, your breast pressed against his chest and legs wrapped around his waist. You wished the two of you could stay in this moment forever. “You feel so good baby” you groaned letting your nails dig into back. Bucky liked the pain and picked up the pace even more, slamming into you. “Fuck, fuck, fuck” you chanted like a mantra feeling your high approaching again. “You gonna come for me sweetheart?” Bucky asked, placing a hand around your throat and squeezing. All you could do was nod. His hips rubbed just right against your clit each time he delved into you.

Bucky’s thrusts got quicker and you clenched around him. “Cum for me Y/N!” Bucky muttered through gritted teeth and you did. He fucked you through you high, still chasing his own. You pulled his head down to yours rough, by his hair and Bucky grunted at the feeling finally finding his release and cumming inside of you. “Shit babygirl” he spoke before collapsing on top of you.

You let your fingers trace shapes on to the now sweaty skin of his back, just enjoying the moment. Laying in the dark, next to the man you’d been dreaming of for months. Until a stream of light came in from the doorway and you heard Natasha’s loud voice, “YOU GUYS THEY HAD SEX, I TOLD YOU!”

_____________________________

I never know how to end these omg 😭 but hey I’m a new blog! This is my first piece about a member of the avengers/cast so I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to send in requests or just chat! Sending you love. (P.S sorry I was so excited to post this I didn’t even proof read😭)

[numeronubisexualhawkeye]

Be Kind, Rewind

2278 words

@thatahjuma

(ngl cheif, almost didn’t do this one cause it was kinda hard for me lmao)

It was Quill's idea. All of the guardians and Thor had been onboard in an instant, but Clint was hesitant when Nebula had come forward to tell him the plan. He missed Natasha more than words could describe, but Clint wasn’t one to try to fuck with the dead.

He had already time travelled twice in one week, fought an alien army for the second time in his life, and ran around with a glove with stones powerful enough to wipe out a planet, all in the course of 72 hours. Necromancy was something he probably should have expected to be next on his involuntary to-do list, but not like this. Not with Natasha.

She had quite literally given her life for the fate of the universe, so that he could live to see victory. Undoing her sacrifice felt selfish, and a part of him feared that undoing her death would somehow undo the battle against Thanos. It also felt incredibly unfair. Who was he, or any of the guardians, to play G-d? Clint could understand Quill’s need to do this, Gamora had had no choice in Thanos being her father and being killed for the soul stone. But Natasha, she was different. It felt disrespectful to go for such a long shot to bring her back. She had wanted to jump, had bet her life that it would work, and it did. They won. Hurt like a bitch, but Clint was ready to accept that she had died as she had lived; working to save the world. He wasn’t sure if he was willing to undo what she’d done all because he missed her.

But Bruce confirmed the math (even if almost all of it was completely theoretical), and everyone onboard was willing to give it a shot. Worst case scenario, everyone hangs it up, and tries to move on with life, try to carve out something new among the old ashes of a missing loved one. Best case scenario, well Clint knew what that was, but he was still too afraid to think on it. What if she came back angry? Would she even come back the same? Would the Red Skull even let her come back at all? There was only one way to find out. He packed his bags, boarded the ship, and held on as Rocket piloted them to lightspeed back to Vormir.

Clint was almost mesmerized when he saw Vormir appear out of the vast blackness of space when Rocket pulled them out of lightspeed. But when the realization of what they were here to attempt to do flooded his mind again, he felt uneasy. This felt like a mistake waiting to happen. It wasn’t going to work, there was too much working against them for this to work. They were about to mess with a magic Clint had never seen before. Even after being around aliens for the last 24 hours and seeing the Infinity Stones’ power for himself, he still felt like they were meddling with something completely out of their realm of comprehension.

They exited the ship, Quill leading them at first, but Nebula stopped them halfway up the mountain and turned to Clint. “You should address the guardian.” she said.

He had been nervous before, but hearing her suggestion, it made him want to turn around and wait on the ship. The plan had originally been for Quill to go first, seeing as Gamora had died more recently than Natasha had. If everything went smoothly and she came back, then that would mean that the chance of bringing Natasha back were better than the some odd million to one chances that Bruce had offered when he hypothesized their plan back at on Earth. If he went forward first and this didn’t work, he didn’t know what he would do. He had failed to turn up to fight Thanos, wasted five years brooding and killing, left Natasha alone to deal with trying to run the Avengers and save the world by herself, and when he finally came back, he barely had any time to appreciate those last few hours they had had together. He had always envisioned the both of them making it out together. That they would be together right now, leaving the guardians to fight their own battle alone and finally leave the world in the hands of some of the fresher Avengers. But all of that had dropped into oblivion when Natasha let go of his hand. But now, well now he had a chance to get it all back. A very fragile and slim chance, but a chance nonetheless. Their plan wasn’t foolproof, but he would much rather stick to it than wing it and hope for the best.

“Nebula, seriously?” Quill said stepping towards Clint. “I really doubt some guy is gonna be able to handle whatever Hellraiser here is gonna throw at him.”

Nebula’s expression didn’t change. She simply shot a glance between Quill and Clint. “You’re wrong. He’s been here before. Tried to give his life to save Natasha so she could bring the stone back. He can do it.”

“I’m flattered,” Clint started, “but,” he didn’t have time to formulate a full answer.

“Clint, son of Edith.” the Red Skull said. He floated down from the cliffs above. Had he been able to hear them this entire time? “Nebula, daughter of Thanos. Peter, son of,”

“Okay, enough with the role call,” Quill cut in. “We’re here to bargain.” Quill reached inside his pocket and held out the soul stone. It had been agreed upon that he would be the one to carry it, seeing as he had held the power stone years before without dying.

The Red Skull didn’t say anything. As a matter of fact, he looked, confused. His eyes squinted and he reached out his hand for the stone when Quill held it out. “No one has ever brought it back.” he explained. He paused again, and looked at Clint. “You have come for an exchange?”

Nebula’s plan to have Clint speak instead seemed to be set in motion even though no one had agreed on it. “Yes. You remember me?” Clint asked.

The guardian nodded. “Of course. Few ever follow through with the exchange for the stone. But even fewer willingly give themselves for it.”

Clint fought against the lump in his throat as he remembered he and Natasha fighting each other as they raced to the cliff’s edge. “It should have been me. If I switch places, and you bring Natasha back,”

“Barton what are you doing?” Quill hissed beside him. “This wasn’t the plan.”

“We’re fucking with death Quill, you really think any kind of plan was going to hold water here?” Clint whispered harshly. “We have to play by his rules, or turn around with our tails between our legs. If this doesn’t work, then nothing else will.”

Clint was willing to give his life for Natasha. He had done it so many times before back when Shield was still around, G-d all those missions seemed so trivial compared to what he was trying to do now. Jumping in front of a fire fight to pull Natasha to cover felt like a walk in a park to this. But he was willing to do it. He was already willing to give his life for the soul stone before, and not just for Natasha, but for the fate of the universe. Now that the dust had settled and he had a second chance, a chance to do things right in his eyes, he wasn’t too eager to screw that up because Quill suddenly had a penchant for doing things according to plan.

He held his hand out to Quill. “Give me the stone.” he instructed. “I can’t make any promises, but I will try my hardest to bring Gamora back.”

Quill looked away for a moment, his face twisted as he weighed the very limited options. It was either this, or they both jump and hope the Red Skull accepted 50/50 deals. “Fine.” Quill said at last. “But if this doesn’t work, I swear to G-d, I will dig you up and kick your corpse’s ass.”

He hadn’t said it to be funny, but Clint smirked anyway. “It’s going to work. He took the stone from Quill and walked to the Red Skull. “A soul for a soul, that’s what you said right?”

The Skull’s expression was unchanged. “Follow me.”

Clint gave one last glance over his shoulder to the guardians as he walked to the mountaintop. This is the only way. He thought. It’s better this way. Natasha was going to come back, the scales would be tipped to order. Clint just prayed that his promise to Quill would hold up, he couldn’t stand to think if he had wasted another life and kept another couple apart because of his selfishness.

At the mountaintop, Clint swore he could hear the ghost of he and Natasha’s conversation in his ears. To the Red Skull, that had been almost a decade ago, but to Clint, it had barely been two days. He walked to the edge, the Red Skull following closely behind him.

“A soul for a soul.” he repeated. He looked back to the guardian, “Will this even work?”

The Skull didn’t answer. He just held out his hand. Clint looked at the stone in his hand one last time. For a moment, he wondered if he could bring the Red Skull down with him. When he and Natasha had first come to Vormir, he had said that he knew all there was about the stone. He had seen G-d knows how many people come to try and get the stone, the few that did leaving half the person that they had been before. Those souls and bodies didn’t just disappear. They had to go somewhere. The stone was the only logical answer, but if that were true, then they would have been released when Bruce snapped his fingers.

A soul for a soul.

Clint held his hand out toward the Red Skull, and when he brushed his hand with his to take it, Clint lunged forward off the cliff. He tried to be quick with his grappling hook to catch himself, but the added weight of the Red Skull pulled him down too fast. Falling through the air, he felt impossibly slow, but he still reached out for the cliff wall, praying to find any ledge to take hold of. But there was none, and he finished the fall with the Red Skull, the soul stone forgotten in the air around them as he met the stone floor of the ground below.

There was a rush of sound around him. Wind? An explosion? No, no it was quieter than that. It was voices. Only a few of them, but he was sure that’s what he was hearing. But as quickly as they came, they were gone, the air in his ears popping as if the air was rushing to fill in the void that the voices had left when they vanished.

Clint’s eyes snapped open, he was staring up at the same purple-black sky that he had seen when he awoke with the soul stone. He bolted upward, his back soaked, he was in the same pool of water as last time.

“No.” Clint whispered to himself. He looked down at his hand, and there was the soul stone, the soft glow a beacon in his hand, telling him that he had failed twice now. “No. No, no, no, no.” he cried.

It didn’t work. Of course it didn’t work. Just like he had suspected, they had tried to play G-d, and G-d played back.

He put his face in his hands and heaved out a sob. He didn’t care if the guardians heard him. He had failed again. Now, not only had he gone against Natasha’s dying wish and every conceivable law of nature, but himself as well.

“Who the hell are you?” a voice nearby said.

Clint looked up and saw a woman, no, an alien, green skin and all, standing a few feet away from him. “Gamora?” he whispered. She backed away slowly when she looked down and saw the stone in Clint’s hand.

“Hey, hey, no. I, I wasn’t supposed to get this. It was supposed to be a tra-”

“Clint.”

This time the voice came from behind him, but he didn’t need to turn around to see who it belonged to. He would know her voice long after he had passed on. Natasha.

Slowly, he allowed himself to turn around. When he saw her, he broke. They walked toward each other, his arms stretched wide, ready to pull him into his embrace. When they met in the middle, she pushed him away with tears in her eyes.

“I told you to go. You weren’t supposed to come back. I told you it was okay!” Despite the anger in her voice, she cried. But he wasn’t listening. He pulled her to him and kissed her, letting the stone drop to the water as he pressed his hands against her back. She was there, she was alive, she was real.

“You know I’m a jackass.” he said when he finally paused for air.

Natasha let out a short laugh. “Fuck. Me dying to save the literal universe just wasn’t good enough, huh?”

Clint didn’t even know what to say. He just kissed her again and took her hand, as he lead them and Gamora back to the guardians and the ship, so they could finally live in the victory they deserved.

[evien-stark]

✧I Need You✧ Chapter 64

And so it went. Tony very quickly learned the importance of not arguing with you about bedtime. While you would have liked to take solace in that, he decided to be stupid in other ways. Because going to bed with you but then getting up roughly an hour or two later to go back downstairs to the lab to work wasn’t really doing either of you any favors. It didn’t help you sleep. It didn’t put your mind at ease. And who even knew how much sleep he was barely surviving on at this point. 

You woke up alone in the middle of most nights, and if not in the middle then in the very early mornings. Sleep seemed to be escaping the both of you, even if one of you was trying harder than the other. You kept promising to yourself that you weren’t going to get frustrated with him, and certainly not angry, but… some days were harder than others. 

June dragged on into July the same. Empty nights and restless days. More often than not you weren’t sure you were a real person anymore. You certainly didn’t feel like it. And nothing seemed to want to convince you otherwise. Certainly not Tony, who spent more time in the lab now than he did doing almost anything else. Every time you ventured down to drag him to a bed he would not stay in he seemed to be working on yet another different suit. You’d stopped keeping track around number fifteen- mostly because he’d started being a wiseass about it. 

“This one is called Heartbreaker.” 

“How apt.” 

Not frustrated. Not frustrated. Not frustrated. Yet you were letting little passive aggressive notes slip between the two of you. That was no way to do things. No way to act. But every other time you turned around it was something different. 

Cassanova. Tiger. Hot Rod. 

Gamma, which was an absolutely ugly green and slate color. He really was truly losing his mind, you thought, when you’d seen that one. And what were they all for, anyway? Certainly not for personal use. What would he need with so many? Sure, when you’d asked, he’d started rambling off how different the specifications were for all of them. That they all had one solid purpose that made them different- 

But even that served to show you how crazed he was getting. What were they for? What were they for? You kept asking yourself, but found yourself too afraid to ask him. Because you knew the answer. You just didn’t know how to handle it. Worse yet, how to help him handle it. That was far beyond you. You could love Tony Stark with all your heart, all your ability, but that would never heal the pain and trauma he’d been through. 

And that was the toughest thing of all to live with.

Another bombing slipped by the two of you, and the only reason you knew that was because Tony had it on one of the wide monitors as you’d come downstairs one night. And he’d been too tired to even realize he’d let himself get caught doing the thing you and Rhodey (hell, even the President) had asked him not to do. It was only when you very pointedly, and tiredly, stood there for too long a time just staring at that screen full of info he wasn’t supposed to have or see that he finally took notice of his own faux pas and turned it off. 

Too much time was slipping by. But how to even start shopping for therapists? Did ones even exist for this sort of thing? Rhodey had said he’d help you find someone- JARVIS, had, too. But… the idea was too daunting. Too huge and horrible to even begin to tackle. Not even just for yourself, but for him. And the thought of even if you did find someone, he’d just kick and drag his feet and wear you out and down until you gave up anyway…

Was this really a way to live life? Was this what life was supposed to be? Was this what all superheros felt like? Bruce seemed to be doing alright. And Steve, too. But you and Tony? 

Drowning. Endlessly it felt like. 

As August crept in you let yourself get pulled. You didn’t want to go back, but you couldn’t stay here, either. Stuck between two worlds that you were falling apart in. You stood in the doorway of the lab for far too long. He was working on another suit. Something even uglier. Orange and red and yellow and… 

“I have to go back to New York.” 

He didn’t even look up. “Why? Pep can’t handle it over there? Or did Banner blow something up?” 

A sigh built up in your lungs without your permission and you had to do your best to keep it from escaping too dramatically. “I sent you an email about it. We have a PR press campaign on the 10th. You didn’t forget, did you?” 

How could he forget something he didn’t even know? 

“Of course not. So, what, you need me to just do a fly-by? I can do that.” 

“I need you to be there with me. Take questions. Show off some of the clean energy we worked so hard to get off the ground.” Right before aliens attacked and the two of you had fled. What a great start to that story. 

“So I’ll be there.” 

He was barely listening to you. Just saying whatever it took to make you stop. That was what it felt like, anyway. “I’m going to a proof of concept meeting at the office, and then I’m taking the jet.” Because you just couldn’t… while he was busy building hundreds of them, the thought of getting back in your own suit made you nauseous. Something else to bury and not think about. 

He still had yet to look up once. “Who’s proofing what concept?” 

“It’s a presentation. No tech to even demo. You signed off on the papers. Beck, I think. You remember?” No. There was no way that he did. 

“Sure.” 

Not frustrated. Not frustrated. Not frustrated. And not angry. But you were. And in the middle of both those feelings you were also incredibly hurt. It was like the two of you had gone back to merely co-existing. Like you were his personal assistant, running a company he no longer cared about. Because he was too busy being Iron Man. 

Losing himself. Losing him. That’s what you were doing. 

The door slipped shut as you walked all the way into the lab, taking him by the shoulders and pulling him enough to get his wheeled- stool moving with his weight still atop it. You dragged him into the center of the room, taking him away from those terrible suits he was becoming more a part of every day, and waited. You waited for a long time as he looked up at you and you looked down at him. 

And finally he spoke first. “...there something you wanna talk about, honey?” 

“I need you to be here with me, Tony.” 

He gave a cautious look around the room before looking at you again, arching a brow. “I’m literally sitting right in front of you. Where else would I be?” 

“You’re not here. You haven’t been here in a long time. I don’t know where you are. But it’s not here with me.” Trying. Trying your hardest to impart these feelings without accusatory tone. Without malice. Without bitterness. You were sad. You were terribly sad about how things were. Everything else came second. 

“Look, I…” His glance dropped and you feared you might have unjustly infected him with your feelings, which wouldn’t help. You needed him to start being honest with himself, that couldn’t come if he just felt what you were feeling. His hands smoothed up the back of your thighs. For a moment you foolishly hoped he was going to be real with you. That the two of you would finally get to the bottom of things. Start healing. But, instead, he looked up again with a half grin. “When I slip into a different plane of existence, I think you’ll be the first to know about it.” 

That was that. He was going to continue to ignore everything. Might as well. So were you. 

Reaching up, you cupped the sides of his face in your hands, and didn’t know whether to feel relief or even more heartbreak as his hands moved to grasp at your wrists. Holding you there. Melting into that one simple touch. “I love you.” Reminding him. Just in case. 

“I love you, too.” 

Easing in, you laid a long, lingering kiss to his forehead. Staying there for probably too long a time. “Don’t leave me waiting in New York. I can’t do it without you.” 

“I’ll be there. I promise.” 

The two of you looked at each other. Probably staring right through. Then you had to force yourself to leave. In the car, you kept the visor rolled up, hoping Happy wouldn’t report back that you’d cried the whole way to the office. 

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

It was a blessing that it took you less time to clean up in the restroom than you thought it might. Being late for a proof meeting wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it was rude. Giving your hard working employees the idea that you didn’t care about them, or the kinds of things they were developing, was the last thing you really wanted to do. Especially because their other boss hadn’t even been on the property in months. 

Your secretary helpfully slipped you a file as you walked in, and you took a moment to say hello to some of the board members who had come down (probably because they were bored and had nothing better to do ((also probably hoping Tony would show up)) ), and the tech department before shaking the hand of the man who had brought you all there for at least thirty minutes that day. 

Quentin Beck, his profile read. He’d been working with Stark Industries for a little while now. And while you’d told Tony he’d okay’ed the patent requests for the Stark Tech, it was actually your name on the bottom line. When had that happened? You couldn’t even remember. His had probably been signed with several others in the same day, same week, same month… 

He was radiating nervousness, but curiously also a bit of aggressive arrogance that had yet to actually show itself. You hoped for his sake it wouldn’t, but you knew better. 

“What have you got to show us, Mr. Beck?” Deciding not to wait too much longer. The sooner this was over with, the sooner you could grab your things and head to a city that would only exacerbate your condition. Hooray. 

“I want to thank everyone for coming. I know you’re all very busy. So I’ll get right to it.” 

Getting right to it actually consisted of a computer failure that ate up ten minutes of his window as he had to reboot and restart powerpoint. His transitions were cheesy, his thoughts were kind of all over the place… the tech stuff was just a touch over your head. For something like this you really would have preferred Tony be in the room to confirm or deny all the things coming out of this guy’s mouth. 

He was pursuing some sort of brain image scanning… pattern reconciliation or… something or other. Your lack of sleep was definitely not helping you right now. But science and tech mumbo-jumbo aside, you got the actual crux of what he wanted this tech to do. And that’s where it got dicey. 

The plan being to implement tech that could replicate someone’s worst thoughts, or maybe not even their own thoughts. Maybe just whatever you wanted them to think- ah, but of course once he saw your disapproving look, he tried to save face by saying it had other practical uses… 

Once he was finished the room fell silent and all heads turned to you. How to put it delicately… “Well this is all very impressive, Mr. Beck, and it’s clear you’re working hard on this, I’m not sure this is a technology Stark Industries should be utilizing in its current form.” With the current man behind the curtain. Beck seemed a little too antsy. A little too eager to use it to do… well… “It seems very weaponizable-” 

“But that’s the thing. It isn’t a weapon! Can’t you see the application? No physical harm is done.” 

“Physcological torture is still torture.” You felt you might have been an authority on this. As you lived pretty much every day that way, now. “Stark Industries hasn’t been in the business of selling any kind of weapons for quite some time.” 

He was getting angry. Angry because clearly you didn’t see or understand his vision. And because you were shutting him down. “Right, that’s why you and Mr. Stark fly around in metal suits with laser beams, right?” 

A few fools failed to read the room right, chuckling once or twice before being elbowed by their much smarter companions. You kept your stare very much dead-eyed. “What are you implying, Mr. Beck?” 

“Nothing- I just… I think we’re getting off to the wrong start, here. Look. There’s a lot of practical applications for this. Won’t you at least have Mr. Stark look over it before passing on it?” 

Because Tony would know better. Tony would know better than you. That’s what he was saying. Utter nonsense that that theory was. Tony would back you. And, knowing this… “Sure. Of course. I’ll pass it along to him and we’ll let you know.” 

Beck brightened at this. “Thank you! Thank you. You won’t regret this.” 

Yet you had a feeling you definitely would. 

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

Dvahli was about your only saving grace as you boarded the jet with her in tow. She was becoming quite the seasoned traveler for such a little thing. All the better, because you really needed a companion to get through the mess that had become your life. Your other life partner was just too absent. 

A thought you chose not to dwell on too hard as you descended back down into New York City. You lied to yourself that the nighttime lights were just too bright for your poor eyes, you were tired after all, and you just weren’t that interested in looking at the city. So after drawing every shade shut in your private cabin, you sat back down and really focused hard on brushing Dvahli’s coat out. Couldn’t have her looking like a slob as you touched down. Everything to do with that and nothing at all to do with all the noises buzzing around angrily in your head. 

The flash of camera bulbs only exacerbated your feelings further. Happy was quick and efficient in swatting the press away and getting you into the private car. He’d become really good at that, in fact, something you knew you should thank him for. A thought you spent too long thinking about until you found you’d pulled up to the Tower. 

And one you wished you’d hung on to as you stood there, stock still, staring up at it. The repairs had been finished. No longer Stark Tower, now just the A standing atop your building proud and just. Something that you had hoped had become a beacon of hope for the city. And yet…

As you continued to look at it all you felt creeping up was an insurmountable horror. 

Happy startled you, with a hand on your shoulder, and you put your hand up to him. Then realized. Then apologized. For the hundredth time. He pretended to look the other way on it. So did you. Not saying a word except a minor apology. And then up you went. 

While you wanted nothing more than to bypass the actual offices and go right to bed, Pepper had let you know there were some exceedingly important documents on your desk that needed signing. So as you stepped onto the floor and several people vied for your attention, you put your hand up to them, too. More authoritative. Less out of control. As you should be. “I’m just grabbing something from my office and going upstairs. Consider me not here.” 

Enough of a statement to shut out most of the voices. Save Pepper’s. “Your six o’clock is in your office.” 

And then you wondered how far gone you were that you had an appointment you couldn’t remember. “I’m sorry?” Asked as your hand had just turned the knob on the door. 

The man sitting in your office stood with all the unenthused flare he could muster. Which quickly turned into ire. “It’s about time. I’ve been here for fifteen minutes waiting for you. Not surprising, considering.” 

You tried desperately to think if you’d ever seen this man before. He had a very distinctive face, one you were sure you would remember, and yet… “I’m sorry, Mr…?” 

“Doctor. And, two for two aren’t we? Let’s consider for a minute you hadn’t scheduled a consultation, which I’m doing you a favor by even being here by the way- but we’ve been running in the same circles for years. I’ve been at the last ten Family Firefighter Galas.” 

Your nerves were chafed. And this man pretending he was the leading presence in the world was not doing you any favors. “The Firefighter Fund has only been running for six years.” As dry as you could make it. “And I didn’t schedule an appointment with you.” 

“Consultation. It’s fine. I’ll make this brief. I’m only here on behalf of some of my colleagues, anyway. Everyone’s scared to say no to the Starks. Not me. I wouldn’t be wasting my very precious time here if I didn’t have a point to make. Every hospital is in the city is extremely busy thanks to Stark Industries’ usual business.” 

Stepping further into your office, letting the door finally swing shut, you approached him, shoulders squared. “And you’re implying?” 

He grinned. “Mr. Stark might be able to change the name of the game, but we’re all still servicing the people the same way, aren’t we?” 

“I don’t know what you’re trying to imply, but The Avengers stopped an attack on New York.” 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” 

You squared up. “Feel free to get off my property any time you’d like, Mr…?” Doing it again. Because it upset him. 

Easy to see as his eyes narrowed in a brief twitch before he hung his head, shaking it, scoffing. “Doctor. I won’t tell you again. Strange. By the way. You would know that, since you called me.” 

“Trust me. I didn’t. So there’s the door. Goodbye.” Brushing by him as you moved to go to your desk. 

“Let me at least give you my diagnosis. I’m wasting time to be here. And I wasn’t even charging.” 

You sat down, opening the folder you’d come to get. The papers in there were inconsequential, really. But now you attended to them like they were the most important thing in the world. “Knock yourself out, Dr. -...Strange? Really? Are you serious?” Looking up at him again with only the judgiest of faces. 

“How childish of you.” Sneering at you as he came close to the desk, laying a hand on it. “Like I said, time is money, and I’m wasting millions being here. So let me say this, stop calling looking for someone to take Stark’s surgery. Nobody will. That’s coming from the top down.” 

You had to hold very still. Very. Very still. 

Surgery? Tony was looking for surgery? You couldn’t think of anyone else who would’ve made that call. But why wouldn’t he tell you? Was he sick again? Was he- 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Keeping your voice level, holding it all in. You were getting better at that. 

“Playing dumb really suits you. Sleeping with the highest bidder might make you the boss here, but you’re not in charge of anyone else. You can’t bully your way into my world. Even if a surgery like that was 100% risk free, which it’s not, and even if we had the technology required, after all the damage he’s done some people consider it just retribution.” 

“So which is it, then? Too much of a risk or we’re playing saints at the hospitals? I thought you were supposed to help people in need? Didn’t you take an oath or something?” 

His grin showed itself again as he barked out a laugh. “Rich coming from somebody like you. And him. Why do you think nobody can do it? Stark’s been clean for years now, yet I haven’t seen a single medical patent hit my hospital floor.” 

“We have hundreds. Just because they aren’t run by you doesn’t mean they’re not happening. And which one is it- you can’t? Or you won’t?” 

“Does it matter? Both, if it makes you feel better. I wouldn’t touch Stark’s surgery with a ten foot pole. My record is worth more than his life. And worth more any notoriety it would bring. Which is obvious, isn’t it? Why do you think nobody’s called you?” 

Holding steady yet again with a deep breath, you stood slowly, perching your palms on the desk and leaning in to him. “So it’s not that you can’t, it’s that you won’t. Thanks for clearing that up. Doctor with a record more precious than life. What a headline. Can’t save people because you’re too scared to-” 

“Don’t attempt to talk down to me. You don’t know anything about me.” 

“I know everything about you, Mr. Strange. I’ve met thousands of men like you. We call them cowards.” The pleasure you felt backing him up away from your desk as you rounded it was brief. None of this felt good. “Get off my property. And, for good measure, why don’t you stay fifty feet away from all Stark property for the foreseeable future?” 

He made a face at you. “You can’t be serious. What, did I hurt your feelings?” 

“Get out. Before I call security, and let me assure you, there are dozens of reporters waiting for a good story on the sidewalk. Don’t make me give them one. Your precious record might not live through it.” 

He tried to stare you down but you stayed firm, unblinking, unmoving. Until finally he did, much as it clearly pained him to be pushed around. He probably wasn’t very used to it. His mistake, for coming here. No matter who had called him. With an extra huffy scoff he turned on his heel and tromped his way out of your office, out through the reception floor, and into the elevator. You waited maybe two minutes to make sure he was out of earshot  before you hung your head out your door- 

“If anyone else makes any personal unsolicited appointments on my behalf like that again, I’ll fire this whole floor. Do I make myself clear?” And while there were scared murmurs of agreement, you eyed Pepper, who looked half as scared as the rest of them. Silently, you asked her, you? 

And silently with a look she told you, I would never. 

When you shut your door again, you asked, “JARVIS who made an appointment with Mr. Strange?” 

“I believe he said he was a doctor, ma’am.” 

“I really couldn’t give a fuck less what he thinks he is. Who made it?” JARVIS had access to everything. He would know. And if he didn’t know right now, he would find out. And then you could make this right. Because nobody had business scheduling an appointment- a consultation- a whatever for surgery on Tony’s behalf. You’d wring their neck. 

“I have a file for you, on your computer.” Apparently done running his calculations. 

Already you knew you weren’t going to like what you saw. And it was a good thing you were sitting down, because what played on screen shred your last ounce of strength. Tony. In the lab. Working on one of those stupid suits. An electrical misfire. Tony falling to the floor, silent. Shrill sounds of machinery going off. DUM-E obscuring the camera. The sound of Tony gasping in relief. 

The clock moved forward in a cut of the surveillance. Tony had a drink in his hand. And, with the way he was swaying, as he still worked- on a different suit, you noted- he had had more than that one half empty bottle sitting at his desk. When had he started drinking again? 

Drinking like that? A monster the two of you had never tackled. Foolish you. As much of a coward as Mr. Strange. Never addressing it. Just pretending he’d gotten better. Because that’s how alcoholism worked, right? It just went away? 

“That can’t happen again, JAR… VIS. JAR head.” Laughing to himself as he slumped down onto his stool, sloppily refilling his drink. 

“What should you suggest we do, sir?” 

“Find me … someone. Someone good. The best. I think we can look into it- I’d do it myself but… not really my forte- I think… machine parts are easier than… I mean I probably could-”

“I would not recommend attempting to perform heart surgery on yourself, sir. Regardless of your estimation of your abilities.” 

“Probably right. Well. So… go ahead then.” 

“Sir, you’re violating the Drunk Me protocol. You know I can’t.” 

He waved his drink around in the air. “You can- what was the… peaches and cream right? That’s it, right? See? I’m not that drunk. Do what I’m askin’ you. Please. It’s important. We’ll just look. We don’t have to … we don’t have to… uh… commit.” 

“...yes, sir.” 

“She can’t know about this.” 

“Why not, sir?” 

“Because.” Tony’s voice in the office spooked you nearly half to death. You jumped right up out of your chair, looking at him as his voice blended with the one in the video. “She has enough to worry about.” 

“Tony- jesus fucking christ- don’t scare me like that!” Trying to catch your breath. 

He came in from the doorway, head half hung, hands in his pockets. “Spying, are we?” 

“I thought someone else had brought that asshole here. I was going to fire them out of a cannon into the sun. But now that I know it’s you, maybe I’ll just throw you into the Arctic Circle.” 

His smile was tired. “Huh. Bad news then, I take it? That’s fine. I was too drunk to be serious about that, anyway.” 

 “What happened in the lab?” 

 He shrugged. “Nothing. Got shocked, muscles locked up. Heat from the electricity melted a wire and the housing unit got loose. JARVIS would know that. So I don’t know why he’s going around acting like it’s a big deal.”

JARVIS cut between the both of you, “You said the password, sir.” 

“Oh please. I probably had a BAC of .30 that night. You knew better.” He stopped when you were just in front of him, on your feet again somehow- you didn’t even know how. You felt very near the verge of passing out. “So. What’s the verdict? Sufficiently worried?” 

“Wouldn’t you love to be right about that?” Sitting on the edge of the desk for your benefit, you drew him in between your legs, taking hold of his face as he came close. 

“I love to be right about everything. You know me.” His nose brushed yours, eyes closed. 

“I used to.” The threat of tears nearly overwhelmed you, saying this, but you bit them back. Pulling him in all the way, you wrapped your arms around him, and took solace in him holding you back. Tight. “These days I think we’re both a little out of sorts.”

“Yeah… war will do that to you.” He couldn’t let that statement hang, quick to keep speaking. “That’s what Rhodey keeps saying to me, anyway. He check up on you as much as he does me? It’s starting to get annoying.” 

He was offering you an out. A joke about Rhodey being a pest. So easy to feed into. Instead, you pretended you were strong enough to ask the next thing out of your mouth. “What are all the suits for, Tony?” 

He squeezed you so hard then you could barely breathe. “Protection.” 

“Protection from what? One isn’t enough anymore?” 

“No. Not with- ...not- ...I… I saw something- something up there. We’re not alone anymore.” 

Your smile against his chest was bitter. “You’re starting to sound like Fury.” 

“Maybe he was on to something. But unlike him, I’m not looking to nuke the whole of outer space. Just the uh… just the one time is enough, I think. And that wasn’t my fault. Really.” Rambling just a little. 

Easing back you looked up at him again and let your eyes close as he took your face in his hands next. Staying strong was a losing battle. “And the surgery?” 

“Who cares? Guy said no, right? What was his name even? I never thought to ask JARVIS.” 

An angry sort of breathless laugh escaped you. “He said a whole lot of stuff, nothing worth listening to. And a name that’s just as unimportant.” If you never had to see that man again it would be too soon. Looking up at him, the two of you fell into a less than amicable silence. Not knowing what to say next. How could you fix this? Fix him? Fix yourself? Any of it? Impossible. Too impossible. So you became every bit that coward you already knew you were. “Can we go to bed?” 

“Yeah, honey.” He followed your lead. “Let’s go lie down.” 

Sleep wouldn’t solve any of your problems. But at least you had him for one night. No lab to escape to- ...at least not one to build suits in, anyway. And when you woke up the next morning, seeing him still lying aside you made you feel like maybe this wasn’t unsalvageable. 

Maybe the two of you could be fixed. 

You just didn’t know how. 

[windfighter]

For the @winteriron-week

Day 6: “You should shut up now.”

Summary:

Bucky hates Tony and it's getting on the man's nerves. He tries mending the bridges, but Bucky keeps avoiding him. They work together, live together, and so maybe Tony has a small crush on the man, but that's not the reason he wants them to be able to talk to each other.

And maybe Bucky is avoiding Tony because of a completely different feeling than hate.

—

Bucky had been avoiding Tony and after three months of living in the same building it was starting to get irritating. Tony started tracking him with help from Jarvis because they seriously needed to learn to talk like adults, but whenever he entered a room Bucky was supposed to be in the soldier disappeared into the vents or through a window or a door. One time he heard Clint yelp out in surprise as Bucky suddenly appeared in the vents where he was not at all spying.

Tony tried recruiting Clint to help him but Clint refused.

”If he doesn't want to talk to you there's nothing you can do, man.”

”We're on the same team, we need to be able to behave like adults.”

”That's really coming from the right person, Mr I'll-throw-a-tantrum-if-I-don't-get-my-coffee.”

Tony huffed and abandoned that idea. He'd figure it out on his own. Occassionally he would join the team for movie and game nights and every time without fail he would see Bucky quickly disappear to wherever he was hiding out. He considered building traps, but the winter soldier would be able to look through them and get away and he gave up on that idea as well. Instead he started leaving little peace offerings around the tower. Simple things like food he knew Bucky enjoyed, magazines he liked flipping through, books Steve told him Bucky had loved when they were kids.  He even got him a dog one day, because Bucky's eyes always lit up whenever he saw a dog outside and maybe Tony shouldn't know that but he had seen him quite a few times when he was outside and heading to a meeting or just to grab a quick cup of coffee. Bucky outside of the tower always looked different from the Bucky he never quite saw in the tower.

He kept his distance outdoors though, he didn't have time and if Bucky felt safer outside the tower than inside he wasn't going to trample over it. No matter what people thought he wasn't heartless.

They had lived together in the tower for five months when Tony literally ran into Bucky. He was on his way to a meeting, already running late and not watching where he was walking when he slammed right into Bucky's metal arm and fell to the floor. His head swam, pain radiated from his sternum. Two paws stepped on his ribs and a very wet tongue licked his face. He blinked, shook his head and pushed the dog off his chest. He got to his feet, had to put his hand against the wall to steady himself. Bucky's blue eyes were staring at him, wide, worried and terrified and Tony was alert again.

”Excuse me but what the fuck?”

Bucky looked ready to bolt and Tony grabbed his sleeve.

”You do not get to run away this time, Robocop. I have no idea what I've done that made you hate me, but whatever it is I need to know how I can make it up to you.”

Bucky's hands clenched and unclenched and clenched again. His whole frame tensed up. Tony stretched his back.

”We live together, work together, we can't keep doing this. Are you unhappy with your floor? Because I can fix that. Or is it just resentment that I was born with a silverspoon in my mouth because I can honestly not do anything about it but for fuck's sake I'm trying to make the world a better place with it.”

Bucky's breathing was picking up and great, if he was getting the assassin angry maybe they'd finally get somewhere, maybe Bucky would just blurt out what was going on and why he was avoiding Tony to begin with. The dog was waving her tail and pressing against Tony's leg demanding pets but he did not have time for that right now.

”I'm serious, Barnes. I've done what I can to be a good host and tried to at least begin to build a friendship but it's hard when you keep avoiding me like this. What more do you want from me? I fixed your arm, which was freaking hard when you refused to be there to answer my questions, I got the trigger-words out of your head, I gave you a home, I talked in your favor in front of the whole bloody american government to keep you from being thrown to death row, to get you pardoned.”

”You should shut up now.”

”Why? Because I'm making you angry and I wouldn't like you when you're angry? Boo-freaking-hoo. I live with the Hulk and if anyone can do angry it's him. Fuck it, you know what. I'm done. I'm done trying to do this, done trying to get your pretty ass to not run away every time I show myself, done longing for those pretty eyes to look at me, done wanting you to sit with me for breakfast and movie nights. I'm just fucking done. You happy? I'll see you never because I have a meeting to attend to.”

He let go of Bucky, whipped around. His head got dizzy at the movement and he must have hit Bucky's shoulder harder than he thought. Bucky's hand grabbed his arm and Tony snarled, but Bucky pulled him closer.

”You should shut up, because otherwise I won't be able to stop myself from kissing you.”

And then he was facing Bucky again, Bucky's face just centimeters from his, milimeters from his. Bucky's lips were soft and warm against his own, the taste of maple syrup lingered on them after the breakfast Bucky must have just eaten. Bucky's arm wrapped around his waist and he leaned against it, tilted backwards and Bucky followed, his lips splitting apart and his tongue making it's way into Tony's mouth and Tony's knees grew weak, he felt lightheaded. The kiss ended, but Tony wanted more and he was still falling. Bucky's arms caught him, lowered him to the floor and Tony let out a whine.

”Fuck”, Bucky said and it was the most beautiful word Tony had ever heard and maybe he was still a little disoriented after the impact but Bucky's voice was so soft.

”I'm sorry”, Bucky continued and Tony wanted to assure him that there was nothing at all to be sorry for, but he couldn't get his mouth to obey. ”Shit, I promised I wouldn't do this, I wouldn't take advantage of you. You hate me, and you have all right in the world to do so and I shouldn't use the fact that you're obviously longing for human touch against you.”

”Is not”, Tony's voice was slightly slurred and he swallowed, tried to gather his bearings. He forced one of his eyes open to look at Bucky but had to close it again. ”It's not advantage if we both want it.”

”You only want it because no one else is giving it to you.”

”Think I can decide that on my own.” He made a new attempt at opening his eyes, but pain soared through his head and he put an arm over them to close out all light.

”...oh. Oh no. I took advantage of an injured man. Holy flying shit, Steve is going to kill me.”

Bucky put his arms under Tony, lifted him from the floor. The dog barked and Tony made shushing noises at her.

”Jarvis, what's the way to Banner's lab?”

”Noooo”, Tony started to twist in Bucky's grip. ”Don't have time, there's a meeting.”

”You have a concussion.”

”I've done meetings hungover, I can handle it. Besides it's mostly lack of sleep.”

He could hear Bucky roll his eyes and it was the most amazing thing ever. He let his arm fall down from his face, buried into Bucky's shoulder instead. The flesh one he noticed because of course Bucky wouldn't risk him hitting his head on the other again, because Bucky was an angel like that (which Tony had not at all noticed while he was absolutely not spying on him). Doors opened, closed, opened again as Jarvis directed Bucky through the tower and then Tony was lowered onto a bunk. He could hear Bucky telling Bruce what happened and then Bruce was over him, forced his eyes opened and asked him questions he didn't actually care about answering. Bruce let out a sigh.

”Talk to me or I'm ordering bedrest for a month.”

”You're not that kind of doctor.”

”He's fine. He needs a few hours of sleep and a couple of days taking it easy and then he'll be right back to his old annoying self again.”

”Well then”, Tony held his arms out. ”Is my knight in shining arm going to escort me to my room?”

Bucky chuckled and Tony swore that before the week was over he was going to get Bucky to actually laugh because he could just imagine how sweet it must sound. Bucky lifted him again, thanked Bruce for his help and then they were out of the lab. The dog's claws clicked against the floor as she followed them up the stairs to Tony's floor, followed them to Tony's bedroom. Bucky lowered Tony into the bed, took his shoes off, his tie and Tony protested weakly when he started unbuttoning Tony's shirt.

”I'm not dying, I can undress myself.”

He sat up, another dizzy spell hit him and then the dog was in the bed, licking his face and Tony groaned.

”What's she doing up here?”

”Helping”, Bucky lifted her and put her back on the floor. ”She's used to being in my bed.”

Tony changed into his pyjamas. Bucky stood nervously by the door and Tony wasn't sure what he was waiting for. He sat down on the bed, placed his fingers against his forehead to massage it but winced at the pain it sent out.

”...You're going to get a bruise”, Bucky supplied.

”Pep's going to kill me.” Tony sank down on the bed and glanced at Bucky. ”We're still not done you know.”

”We should... wait with the conversation until you're feeling better.”

”Uh-huh”, Tony patted the other side of the bed. ”Get up here and keep me company.”

Bucky twitched nervously and Tony would have grinned if his headache wasn't slowly getting worse with every passing second.

”I'm going to take advantage of the fact that you have the hots for me.”

Bucky moved painfully slowly, but he came up to the bed, sat down and kicked off his shoes. Tony closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

”Why should I hate you?”

”...I killed your parents.”

”Fair, but that's water under the bridge. Forgiven and forgotten. Why do you hate me?”

”I... what?”

”You keep hiding from me and running away when I get near and... ” Tony clenched his eyes and rubbed his temples. ”Feels like my head's gonna split.”

”You should sleep.”

”Soon. So, answer.”

”I don't hate you, I...”

Bucky fell silent and Tony opened an eye to look at him.

”Did you mean it?”

”I think I should ask you that.”

”The kiss, did you mean it? Because no one kisses like that without meaning it.”

Bucky blushed, looked away, and Tony definately needed to make Bucky blush more often because holy heck the sight made Tony giddy inside.

”I did.”

”...Can we do it again?”

Bucky looked at Tony again, cheeks still red. He blinked, then leaned down. Tony closed his eye again, his breath hitched, he felt his own cheeks getting red. Bucky's lips gently brushed against his forehead and Tony whined.

”When you've slept, I promise.”

”Dog's not allowed in the bed though.”

Tony rolled over to his side, wrapped an arm around Bucky and snuggled close. His breathing got slower, relaxed. Bucky tensed up for a few seconds, then leaned against the headboard, carded his fingers through Tony's hair.

”Sleep well, princess.”

The mattress shifted as the dog jumped up and rolled up against Tony's bed, but he didn't have it in him to protest and instead let sleep pull him under.

[thequeenxofhearts]

DAY 3 - "It was good to see her laugh."

Dick’s POV

It had been a long few days, everyone agreed. So it was nice to finally relax.

Barbara and I headed up to Wayne Manor, where Bruce was holding a ‘celebratory dinner’. It wasn’t a big dinner, just me, Babrara, Jason, Damian, Tim, Kate and Cassandra.

The Joker escaped from Arkham Asylum with the Mad Hatter and the Scarecrow, and planned, once again, to take over the city.

They’d mixed the Joker’s laughing gas with the Scarecrow’s fear toxin. Using the gas, they attacked City Hall and held the Mayor and some of his staff hostage. Not only did we have to save the Mayor, we also had to deal with the chaos unfolding in the city. The Mad Hatter had also hypnotized some of the police officers, so we had also had to save the city from the hypnotized police officers roaming the city, as well as stopping the crazy criminals.

By the time they’d thrown Joker, Scarecrow and Mad Hatter into Arkham, and returned the city to it’s ‘normal crazy’, three days had past.

We sat around the dining table, Bruce insisted that Alfred joined us for dinner as he also made a great contribution to capturing the Joker and his ‘friends’.

It was an amazing evening so far, we’d all had a few drinks; Bruce had a nice wine imported from France, and Kate brought a bottle of wine, which she’d bought when she visited Portugal. And on top of all the drink Jason had brought; the evening seemed to be getting funnier.

Obviously, Bruce had Cassandra and Damian drinking non-alcoholic drinks, and Tim wasn’t much of a drinker, so he stuck to the Diet Coke with Cass and Damian.

Barbara had only had two glasses of wine, and she was laughing with Kate about something Bruce said earlier. I noticed that I hadn’t seen Barbara laugh like this in a long time.

It was probably the work overload, but whenever we faced the Joker, Barbara seemed nervous. I couldn’t blame her, it had been a few years since she started being Batgirl again, but I imagine that she was scared of the Joker; nobody could blame her though.

“So, Kate you said you’re going to Germany in October.” Bruce asked, it wasn’t a formal dinner, but Bruce spoke as if he was hosting one of the Wayne Charity Galas. “Yep.” Kate replied, slightly drunk, “I’m going with Renée for the Oktoberfest.”

“Obviously.” Damian muttered, as he picked up his plate, and he and Cassandra began clearing the table. Alfred got up to help, but Damian insisted that he take the night off from cleaning, and relax.

“Anyone ready for dessert?” Alfred asked, “I bake a lovely cheesecake this morning.”

Though we were still full from dinner, as well as the alcohol, nobody would resist Alfred’s vanilla cheesecake.

Damian and Cassandra returned with clean plates and spoons, and laid them out. And Alfred stepped into the dining room with his famous cheesecake.

The cheesecake was delicious, but nobody could eat another bite. It was coming up to 8 o’clock.

Jason was on his third glass of whisky of the evening. Bruce insisted that he at least, taste the wine. Jason did, and he hated it, agreeing that the whisky was better. Jason would probably go out to a bar when the evening was over, or he’d go back to his apartment and carry on drinking.

“So, Kate, are you and Renée going to wear one of those Dirndl outfits?” Barbara asked. “Or a lederhosen?” Jason muttered, suddenly everyone burst into a fit of laughter at the thought of Kate wearing one of those traditional Oktoberfest outfits; the alcohol made it seem funnier than it probably was.

“Excuse me.” I said, I got up to use the bathroom. As I walked through the halls, I looked at the paintings on the walls that I always admired. And then further down the hall towards the bathroom, I passed a cabinet; a large vase of fresh flowers stood on top, and scattered around on the cabinet were photographs.

My first school photograph and then my graduation photograph, Tim’s graduation photograph. A photograph of me and Barbara, some of Cassandra, one of Kate and Bruce and one of Jason and one of Damian. The one that stood out the most was the family photograph that was taken in the Summer last year.

I remember it was so hot, so Bruce invited us all over to spend the day in the heat. Alfred manned the barbeque, Bruce was in charge of judging the diving competition, which Cassandra won. It was a great day.

After I finished, and when I was walking back down to the dining room, I saw Jason step outside for a cigarette, I followed him.

“Not giving that up then?” I asked, Jason chuckled as he lit a cigarette and began smoking it, he offered one to me but I refused; not only was it bad for health, but I wouldn’t hear the end of it from Babrara if she smelt it on me.

“Barbara seems to be having a great night.” Jason said, blowing the smoke into the air. “Yea, she sure it. It was so good to see her laugh tonight, I haven’t seen her laugh like that in a long time.” I said. “You know after the chaos over the last few days, and all the crime fighting we’ve done the last few years, it’s times like this that I really appreciate having you guys; having someone who knows what it’s like.” I said.

Jason rolled his eyes, “Don’t get all emotional on me, Grayson.” He said. “You know what I mean.” I said, Jason nodded, “I do.” He said.

“Jason, do you ever get...scared of the Joker?” I asked, he’d probably give me a response like ‘I’m not discussing my feelings with you Grayson’, or ‘No, I’ve a stone cold heart, I don’t feel anything’.

Jason looked at me, he took one last puff of his cigarette before he put it out. “Yes I do.” He said, my eyes narrowed as I looked into his. “He killed me, Dick, literally. It’s not something that I’ll ever forget. The first time I saw him when I returned to Gotham, I thought I was going to be sick, I couldn’t handle it, I was going to kill him for killing me, but I couldn’t do it.” He said. “Why?”

I shrugged, “I just worry about Barbara everytime she faces him. You remember, he shot her a few weeks before you died.” Jason nodded, I saw the hairs on his arms stand up, “It’s getting cold, let’s go back inside.” He said quickly, pulling open the door. It wasn’t cold at all, it was the Summer and it was a little bit breezy, but it was nice. He was just trying to get away from the conversation. “Jason, I’m sorry if I said anything.” I said, he shook his head. “You didn’t.” He said.

The rest of the evening continued as if the conversation Jason and I had outside didn’t happen.

I knew it was getting late, Cassandra and Damian were falling asleep at the table, so we decided to call it a night. Bruce called us all cabs to take us home.

When we got back to our apartment, Barbara changed into her pyjamas, climbed into bed and quickly fell asleep. I climbed into bed with her, watching her sleep for a few minutes, before I closed my eyes. She turned to face me, wrapping her arms around me and settling her head on my shoulder. “I love you.” She muttered, sleepily.

“I love you too, Babs.” I said, pressing my lips to her head, before sleep consumed me.

[xreaderfic-land]

What Lies Beneath ~Epilogue~

The past nine months had been a crazy whirlwind for you and everyone. Mariah and Tim decided to take over Jason’s apartment and have Jason move in with you so the two of you could have room for the little one that was on the way.

Jason had been nothing, but supportive and excited ever since you delivered the news about him being a father. And of course, you accepted his proposal. Your friends and family couldn’t be happier for the two of you.

It felt as if your pregnancy just flew by. Selina and Mariah threw an over the top baby shower where you and Jason got more than what you asked for. The two of you threw a gender reveal party with just your close friends and family.

Jason pampered you. Treated you like a queen and sometimes like you were the most fragile thing on earth, but secretly you loved it. Together, you painted the nursery and got it all set up for your little on.

Dick, Tim, and Damian were so stoked about becoming an uncle. And Bruce couldn’t go a day without talking about his future grandbaby and all of the things he wanted to do. Bruce couldn’t decide if he wanted to be called grandpa, gramps, or papa. Of course the boys ribbed him about that, but you enjoyed seeing him so excited for something.

Every night, Jason would talk to the baby. He would tell him stories about his childhood, the adventures the two of you went on with his brothers, and all of the promises he already had in place for your baby.

Jason took it upon himself to read every baby book he could get his hands on. All of your friends and family had ideas and suggestions for baby names, but when you and Jason found out the gender the two of you knew the right name for your baby, but you were going to keep it a secret until the baby arrived.

As the days turned into weeks and weeks into months you were growing more and more anxious to meet your baby. Just the thought of having this little thing that’s going to look like you and Jason was so exciting. To know that you and Jason were in this together and were starting a future together was all that you could ask for.

The time had finally come. Jason was in the living room playing video games with Damian. The youngest Wayne had started to spend a lot more time at your place as your due date got closer. He insisted on not missing this amazing moment.

Walking out of your bedroom, you were pulling on your sweater.

“Jay,” You said calmly.  

“Hmm,” Jason hummed as he looked up at you.

“It’s time,” You told him.

Damian froze.

“Time for what?” Jason asked.

“Is the baby coming?” Damian screeched.

Jason dropped the remote and scrambled to his feet.

“It’s time, my water broke,” You said.

“Holy shit,” Jason gasped as he started to run all over looking for things.

Damian skipped over to you and placed a hand on your stomach.

“I can feel the baby,” Damian said.

“Where’s my phone?” Jason shouted.

“In your back pocket,” Damian answered as he grabbed your hospital bag.

“What about my car keys?” Jason asked.

You chuckled. “On the counter by the toaster,”

Jason went running past the two of you. Damian shook his head and helped you over to the door. Jason came stumbling out of the room trying to pull on his shoes.

“The hospital bag,” Jason began.

“I already have it, let’s go,” Damian said.

Jason and Damian helped you down the steps. When you reached the bottom Jason left Damian with you as he went sprinting for his car. You leaned against the building and Damian held your hand.

“Does it hurt?” Damian asked.

“A little bit,” You answered truthfully.

Jason came flying down the road and pulled up in front of you. Damian helped you over to the car. When the two of you were barely in the car and buckled up, Jason pulled away from the curb and began speeding through town. Gotham Hospital was being rebuilt, but they had set up a smaller hospital not too far from where the new one was being built.

“What about Adam?” Damian suggested.

“No,” You and Jason together.

“Miles?” Damian said.

“No,” Jason growled as he cut somebody off.

“Damian Jr,” Damian said with a huge smile.

“We are not naming the baby Damian Jr,” You said calmly.

“Why not? It’s such a strong name,” Damian asked.

“No!” You and Jason shouted together.

Damian sat back with a huff. “You guys never let me have anything,”

You rolled your eyes as you took out your phone and sent out a group text to let everyone know that you were on the way to the hospital. Everyone pretty much replied right away that they would meet you guys there.

Damian under his breath was still arguing points on why Damian Jr was the right choice, but you and Jason just ignored his arguments and concentrated on getting to the hospital.

Labor was agonizing, you pretty much had kicked everyone out besides Jason. You gripped his hand tightly as another contraction moved its way through.

“Doll, you’re crushing my hand,” Jason complained.

You only squeezed harder.

“Come on doll, that’s my trigger hand,” Jason whined.

“Jay, I swear to God, if you don’t shut up, I’m going to shoot you with your own damn gun,” You hissed out.

“Doll chill,” Jason said and the nurse next to him sucked in a breath.

“YOU DID THIS TO ME! YOU ARE NEVER TOUCHING ME AGAIN, ASSHOLE!” You screamed through a contraction.

Jason’s face fell.

“Uh, I love you,” He whispered.

“Nice save,” The nurse said with a soft chuckle.

Out in the waiting room, empty chairs were filled with your friends and family. Bruce paced back and forth. He kept asking how long this could take and Selina kept having to remind him it could take a long time to deliver a baby. Tim, Dick, Damian, and Mariah were taking bets on fast Y/n would go through labor.

Finally the doors swung open and Jason stepped out. He was still dressed in his hospital gowns, but he was smiling ear to ear. He went straight to his dad.

“Are you ready to meet your grandson?” Jason asked.

Tears were already welling up in Bruce’s eyes.

“Yeah, I am,” He choked through the sobs.

“Then follow me,” Jason said.

Everyone trailed behind Jason and Bruce as they walked down the long hallway. Your room was on the very end. Quietly as they could everyone crept in and surrounded the bed. Jason took a seat next to you. You pulled down the blanket so everyone could see the baby.

“Oh my, he’s precious,” Selina cooed.

Dick clapped his dad on the back.

“You’re a grandpa!” Dick exclaimed a little too cheerily.

“And I’m going to have one less son if you don’t shut up,” Bruce hissed.

He may be excited to be a grandpa, but his sons have been ragging on him about being old and he wasn’t handling that too well.

“What’s wrong with being a grandpa? Is it because you couldn't adopt this one?” Tim asked.

Mariah pinched his side to silence him.

“I’m too young for this,” Bruce sighed.

“Tell that to your gray hairs,” Dick pointed out.

“Alright boys, leave your father be,” Selina spoke.

“Sorry Selina,” The two apologized.

Selina pushed Bruce closer to your side of the bed. Jason helped transfer his son into his father’s arms.

“Thomas Kane Todd, this is your grandpa,” Jason said.

Bruce looked at his son, tears were threatening to fall.

“You named him after my parents?” Bruce asked.

Jason leaned against you.

“Without them, I wouldn’t have you, and without you I never would have met Y/n,” Jason said softly.

There wasn’t a single dry eye in the room. Selina curled in next to Bruce and they looked down at the beginning of the new generation. Selina wiped away his tears and kissed his temple. The future was literally in his arms and it never looked so good or worth it ever. Life was simply blissful and amazing.

[vadhnatta]

Justice League Rant

Have you ever been to a movie where you hoped it would be decent, despite assorted warning signs, but then you end up having a CinemaSins track running through your head the entire time as you slowly crush the empty box of concession stand candy and wonder if it actually is possible to murder a man with the force of sheer hatred, disgust, and a growing tension headache? Because that was this movie. I could have been sleeping. I could have been working on my projects due next week. I haven’t really seen many DC movies, or been invested in their world at all, but I saw Wonder Woman and loved it and Diana was featured prominently in the trailer, which looked pretty good, so I figured, hey, maybe they actually figured out how to make a good character and can keep this momentum going for a bit. It won’t be as good as Wonder Woman, but I could at least probably see Diana be a badass for a bit, and Aquaman looks like a decently amusing character. I saw a few episodes of the Flash TV series and that wasn’t awful. Maybe this will be okay.

No.

No it’s not.

I’m mostly waiting for the Excedrin to kick in so I can take a nap before diving back into a project with a program that has most of its documentation in Polish (which I do not speak), so this isn’t going to be a detailed or coherent meta analysis of all the points wrong with this film, or how I’m not sure there wasn’t a woman under the age of 60/over the age of 10 that wasn’t immediately sexualized, or how Joss Whedon should never be allowed within 30 feet of a woman apparently. But here’s a list of thoughts that went through my head while I watched this, for amusement and catharsis, because Wonder Woman was a fluke, Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot both deserved better, and DC Comics is incapable of having nice things.

((Spoilers, obviously))

--I heard beforehand that there were four ass-shots of Diana, all added in by Joss Whedon, and I was hoping that was an exaggeration or not horribly noticeable, but yeah. I actually think there were more than four, but I didn’t count. 

--On the ass-shot note, at first I didn’t think Diana was wearing underwear under her skirt because we saw her ass cheek. Yeah. But she was. It’s dark blue. I know that because we saw up her skirt again, multiple times. 

--People tried to say the bikini armor was only in a flashback. No it wasn’t. They lied to us. We get to see Amazon warriors crushed to death under large stone gate things, straining to hold it up for their queen to run underneath it like that one bit from Prince Caspian, except with women in metal bikinis. 

--You know how the Amazons all had really cool armor that wasn’t super sexualizing based on actual ancient armor forms and construction techniques? Nope. Now they have similar highly-stylized banded chestplates like Diana’s, form-fitted around their boobs, and about half of those come in bikini form! Because variety!

--The Amazons can’t leave their island??? Um. But the entire reason they didn’t leave in Wonder Woman was because Hippolyta didn’t want to sacrifice her warriors for a war that wasn’t theirs, not because they physically couldn’t leave the island? So there’s an attack on their home, many warriors slain, and the only thing they can do at all is light a fucking signal fire??? They are way better than this.

--Did they actually kill Hippolyta’s wife/partner? Because that’s how that scene read to me. Fuck you movie.

--At least they didn’t actually destroy all of Themyscira. I’ll take my small victories there because I was convinced they were going to take my favorite part of Wonder Woman and burn it the first chance they got.

--How did they light this fire? Where was this temple? It’s obviously visible to the rest of the world, so it’s not on Themyscira. Was that a magic bow that could fire across dimensions? How could you aim it? I’m so confused by this scene. It’s one temple on fire, how did you know it would make the news and Diana would also happen to be watching the news when they ran that story, that’s hardly the biggest news story out there.

--So Diana had lightning powers. Or did the final battle of Wonder Woman not actually happen now. You know, the bit where she shot a giant lightning bolt thing out of her bracers. Vaporized a god. That. So, why the fuck is the only thing her bracer boosh move is good for now is creating a small shockwave to knock people back. It does nothing.

--Also, “we need an electric charge to shock the cube so we can activate the resurrection bullshit.” “Okay, so we need the Flash to run really fast down a hallway to build up electricity and poke the cube at exactly the right moment. That’s the best and simplest way to do this. I mean, it’s not like we have a literal daughter of the god of lightning bolts that has enough lightning powers to vaporize a god standing right next to us, where she could make lightning.”

--I thought the whole point of this movie was an Avengers-style team up where they actually worked together to take down the evil guy. But they just teamed up to bring back Superman, distract the bad guy long enough for Superman to show up, then Superman handles it. So. You just proved the point that you’re all worthless without Superman. 

--Rich isn’t a superpower, how are you not dead yet Batman.

--Batman is bitter/jealous/??? because Clark is more human than him for... getting a job and living a middle-class lifestyle when he didn’t have to? Bruce. You could do that. You too can put on glasses and go get a day job. You could give away all your money and go live on a farm and be a reporter or whatever. Like. That’s an option for you. Being rich isn’t a handicap.

--Aquaman I don’t care what you are or that you’re Legolas-surfing on a bug-orc, if you fall from hundreds of feet in the air, you die. At the very least your legs should be shattered. 

--Also, I have to agree with Batman on that one, you literally just brought a trident. You. You’re powers are water-related. Yeah, you have combat abilities apparently on par with Amazons, but. You couldn’t have steered this fight towards a lake? Brought some water with you? I feel like you could have been more effective in this fight somehow.

--I actually liked Aquaman for a good bit during this film. He came across kind of like Thor did to me early on, but with more whiskey and less ties to his home. I can totally get behind the vigilante merman defender of this town that rescues fishermen and hangs out at bars and randomly wanders into the ocean. He felt nicely reminiscent of old mythology stories for a bit there.

--But then the plane scene. Yeah, good points about how Batman doesn’t have a superpower, Flash is just tripping over his feet and slamming into walls all the time, and Cyborg may or may not be controlled by the cube things, or at least not have full control of his powers, agreed. But your point on Diana was “you’re gorgeous”, then increased rambling, leading into more rambling motivated by the lasso. You were actually doing okay, you didn’t need the sexist bullshit. It seemed like Atlanteans and Amazons fought, but still respected each other as powerful warrior cultures (at the very least, they seemed really similar), and she’s the one that’s actually shown the most effectiveness and power in fighting so far. So what the fuck.

--Did we really need the disparity between the male and female Atlantean armor. Did we really need the boobplate.

--Can Atlanteans not talk underwater? They live underwater. Do they need to create air bubbles every time they want to say anything? 

--What are Cyborg’s powers exactly? Anything electronic/machine related? Regenerating machine(??) body parts? Can he change his limbs into anything? Does he need fuel? What is his deal, idk. 

--”The plane won’t fly that fast (to get across the world in under a few hours).” Cyborg: “It will for me.” ...I don’t. That’s. That’s not how planes work. Or can you expand your entire body/infinitely-shapeshifting limbs to cover the entire plane so it won’t fall apart from higher speeds than it was meant to fly at. Can you just restructure the engines, or reshape the plane to make it more aerodynamic. Are you just going to merge with the plane and turn it into an SR-71 Blackbird. Is that the plan here. BECAUSE THAT’S NOT HOW PLANES WORK. YOU CAN’T JUST TELL IT TO GO FASTER BECAUSE YOU HACKED IT WITH MAGIC SHIT.

--Why is there an egg thing around the town for a few minutes. I don’t. Is that a bug thing? That’s not what the cube did in the flashback. 

--What’s with the purple tendril rock things? It looks sort of like the Crystal Dragon landscaping stuff from GW2. Idk. How that fits.

--So. I’m sure Superman can pick up a building and he’s strong enough for that. But. I don’t think that’s how buildings work? Like if you put the entire weight of the building supported by two hands in the middle, especially an apartment structure that large/wide, it’s probably going to collapse at the ends. Unless Superman also has magic forcefield building-holding powers, idk, maybe he does, what do I know.

--I’m really not sure what was going on with this bad guy, but he looked like a frost giant from Thor, mixed with the plot-line of Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardians. Literally both movies ended the same way. Also not sure how nothing seemed to hurt him, how does something get more powerful than all the armies, when did this become Lord of the Rings? Was he supposed to be Sauron? 

--How did they all just. Forget the cube. When Superman woke up. You just. Left the apocalypse-causing mcguffin in the empty plane. Unguarded. What. Did the DM just rush the party out of the room without letting any of the players say anything about taking the thing with them because he wanted to progress the story in a certain way? Because I’ve had that happen, that’s plausible, but. 

--Why was calling Lois to handle newly-resurrected Superman not the first plan? I mean, protect her, obviously, in case he has no memories at all, but. That seems like the obvious first plan. Wake him up, have Flash waiting to get her out of there quickly if something goes wrong and Diana standing with her (not with armor and sword and everything out looking ready for battle), and talk to him? Don’t immediately trigger a threat response because he’s disoriented and confused and why are battle-ready people staring at him?

--Why did Diana always need her sword to fight? She even jumped down the reactor thing to get her sword back. What’s so special about this sword? It’s not the Godkiller sword, that was destroyed in the last movie by Ares. So. It’s a regular sword, presumably. She has lots of them. Bring an extra.

--Also Diana can use other weapons. She trained with Amazons, she can wield all the weapons.

--I almost left to go to the bathroom during the final climactic fight. Because I had no investment in this film, and the only thing that kept me there was the last shred of a chance that Diana could at least do something cool during this fight. She didn’t. She swung her sword at the bad guy, which didn’t do anything, made a shockwave a couple times. She broke his axe after Superman froze it. Wow. 

--Is that really it? Was his power all in his axe? This really is Sauron.

--So did the cubes just vaporize when they separated? Didn’t happen last time. But we don’t see them anymore. So. Are they not a threat? Also “big power surge” on separation really seemed like it should be more than that. It knocked Superman and Cyborg back by a foot or so and onto their backs (also how did they both handle that the same way, I don’t care if you have magically regenerating metal, I’m pretty sure you’re not as explosion-resistant as Superman). And the rest of the team didn’t seem to feel it at all, and they were in the same complex. I thought power surge on separating this planet-destroying nuclear bomb of a power core would at least take out that town.

--Why. Did it make flowers? I’m. Really confused by the terraforming at the end. I think they tried to frame it earlier as a life-regenerating thing that just worked so fast it destroyed everything, but. That’s not really an explanation. Also don’t stick your face in that small child, the bright colors probably mean it will kill you. Also alien plants. Probably going to completely fuck up the ecosystem for a good while. But sure, it’s pretty so it’s fine.

--Oh, and the boob-faceplant did happen. She was facing away from the camera, so I easily believe the body-double story because they were so fucking desperate to have this happen.

--Was the Flash always an idiot? I feel like his entire character was just played for laughs as the dumb one because he was younger/less experienced, which is disappointing. Seriously, who meets Batman and the first thing you talk about is that you don’t understand people because they’re on a different frequency/slow, and what is brunch?? 

I’m sure there’s a lot more, but those are the things that immediately came to mind, so. Save yourself the headache. Don’t see this movie. Just go watch Wonder Woman again. Or Thor: Ragnarok, that one was good.

EDIT: WAIT I HAVE MORE.

--Fuck you Bruce you little shit, you have no right to call out Diana for not superheroing all the time. First of all, we’ve already seen her on multiple occasions out helping people, like the opening of the film where she saves a bunch of people from that terrorist group, and whatever happened in BvS. Second, she didn’t leave her home and everyone she loved to help clean up your shit or put up with you, she specifically left to stop WW1 and kill Ares. Guess what. She did it. She did her explicit mission, and then stayed to help when she wanted to because she’s a good person. Yeah, I think she gets to “shut down” for however long she fucking wants to after the person she cared most about outside of Themiscyra died and she had to deal with the entire “no, men actually suck and will go to war and commit atrocities because it’s their nature” thing she had to come to terms with, WHILE STILL STAYING AND FIGHTING FOR THEM ANYWAY. She has no obligations to you, you do not own her attention or her help, yes Barry, we would all cover for her if she murdered your ass for antagonizing her and insinuating that she has done anything wrong in her life.

--Also, what have you done huh? You dress up like a bat in your costume and run around the city because you like an adrenaline rush and want to feel cool taking down criminals. Sure, you donate to charity, whoopdee-fucking-do. You could probably buy a country. You have so much money. What were the stats on how much money it would take to end world hunger? 5% of what the US spends on their military budget or something? Less? You probably have more money than that. You want to do something more than cosplay with it??

[prettyyoungtragedy]

Nothing like Home: Chapter 7 (Steve x Reader)

Chapter 7 (Nothing Like Home)

Steve x Reader x (Angsty Steve Rogers!)

Summary: Takes place a year after The Winter Soldier, before the emergence of Ultron. Steve is struggling with the notion of not being able to find Bucky. Reader tries to get Steve out of his depression and help him find Bucky. It doesn’t go well. Events of Ultron will feature.

 A/N: Feedback is welcomed! 😊 (this chapter is a little long, had to cut it short) 

 Word Count: 2641

 Warnings: none

 You sat on the edge of your bed, looking at your phone screen intently. There was a single message from an encrypted number. In Romanian it read ‘Wish you never left’. you didn’t have to think twice about who it was from, you already knew. Your heart was hammering in your chest as you looked at the message, you never expected Bucky to make any sort of contact, you gave him your number with the hopes that if he were ever in trouble he could find you or reach you. But here you sat, with a message from the Winter Soldier.

 You couldn’t reply, because it was encrypted and you guessed that’s how he wanted to keep it. He knew the position he was putting you in by asking you to lie to everyone. The less contact you had with him the better.

There was a knock on the door, shaking you from your deep train of thought. “Y/N” said Steve from the other side, “Are you ready?”,

“Uh, just a moment” you call out, quickly putting your phone in the bed side draw and locking it. You smooth your dress and pull on your shoes then hurriedly opened the door.

Steve stood in the doorway looking dashing in a blue shirt and black pants, the color of his shirt brought out his already incredibly blue eyes. As much as you appreciated Steve in his Cap suit, Steve in civilian clothes still got you every time.

“Well, don’t you look dashing,” you say walking out of your room,

Steve smiled, “You don’t look so bad yourself” he said, “Buy I have to keep up with the rest of you, I am almost a hundred”

You laugh, “You don’t look a day over thirty Cap”

“Y/N, I have been meaning to ask…” before Steve could finish Bruce came walking up to them, nervously rubbing his hands together.

“Did you see how many people Tony invited?” he asked them, “It’s like half of New York is here”

You exchanged a glance with Steve, Bruce was always nervous around crowds of people, worried if anything happens and the other guy comes out it would be disastrous.

“I’m sure it will be fine Banner,” Steve said, “Let’s go in and have a good time.”

You nodded in agreement taking Bruce’s arm and linking it with yours, “Don’t worry, I’ll be your wing woman to night” you said with a wink, this made Bruce smile and the three of you walked to the living room where the party was being hosted.

The party was in full swing when you walked in, there was easily over a hundred people here. You scanned the room looking for some of your team members, Bruce still beside you. You saw Clint and Natasha laughing at the bar, Thor was entertaining some old army veterans, Tony and Rhodey were with Helen Cho deep in conversation most likely about their suits and Sam was walking up the stairs towards them.

“Hey, look at you three, you clean up good!” said Sam cheerily coming over and giving you a peck on the cheek.

After exchanging greetings with Sam, he asked to borrow Steve, as he put it they were on the hunt for some strange. You couldn’t help but pull a face at the thought of that. You and Bruce headed to the bar to get drink, Nat was behind the bar making a cosmopolitan.

“How’d a nice girl like you end up working in a dump like this?” Bruce said sweetly, taking off his glasses.

“Fella done me wrong,” Nat replied flirtatiously

“You got lousy taste in med, kid” he responded with a smile, as she placed a glass on the counter and poured him a drink. You stood there watching this unfold, wishing you had a camera to film this.

“He’s not so bad” Natasha said, “He has a temper, but deep down he is all fluff” they both pause and take a sip of their drinks,

“Fact is he is not like anybody I have ever known; all my friends are fighters and here comes this guy spends his life avoiding the fight because he knows he’ll win.”

“Sounds amazing” Bruce said shyly,

“He’s also a huge dork, chicks dig that” Nat adds for good measure,

You reach over the bar and grab a beer, the two of them still not noticing you standing there watching them.

“So what do you think? Should I fight this? Or run with it?” Natasha says, batting her eyelashes at Bruce,

“R-run with it right?” Bruce said hesitantly, “Or did he… Was he… what did he do that was wrong to you?”

“Not a damn thing, but never say never” she smirked and picked up her drink walking away.

Steve appeared at the bar a few seconds earlier, he smiled at you and you motioned for him to be quiet and listen to Nat and Bruce. You were grinning widely as you saw Steve’s expression.

“That’s nice.” Steve said to Bruce, who it seems came back down to reality and looked over the Captain confused, “What? What is?” he said,

“You and Romanoff” Steve nodded,

“No, we haven’t. that wasn’t” Bruce said quickly trying to cover his tracks,

You laughed at him, “Ah, Doctor Banner” you say placing an arm over his shoulders, “You are such a dork.”

Steve laughed, “It’s okay, no one’s breaking any bylaws. It’s just, she’s not the most open person in the world but with you she seems very relaxed.”

“Noo Natasha, she likes to flirt” Bruce said brushing it off, but his face was turning red,

You couldn’t help but laugh again, Bruce was feeling so self-conscious and you and Steve weren’t letting it go. “Why are you turning red Doctor Banner?” you probe playfully,

Steve chuckled, “I have seen her flirt, up close “he said and reached for a beer over the bar “This ain’t that”

Bruce just shook his head,

“Look, as maybe the world’s leading authority on waiting too long, Don’t.” Steve said patting Bruce on the shoulder, “You both deserve a win.”

“He has a point,” you point out then as you and Steve began to walk away you hear Bruce say,

“What do you mean up close?” Bruce calls out after the two of you.

You and Steve look at each other and laughed as you walk away.

The night wore on and the party died down, the team was now lounging around on the couches chatting casually amongst themselves. Until Clint and Thor got into the conversation about Thors hammer.

Thor walked over and placed his hammer on the coffee table, “Whom so ever, be he worthy, shall haveth the power, whatever man, it’s a trick” Said Clint sarcastically,

“It is much more than that my friend, please be my guest” Thor chuckled passing Steve a flask of whatever alcohol it contained, clearly not from this world and pointed to the hammer for Barton to pick up.

Clint stood up cockily, and walked over to the hammer with a grin on his face. “Clint, you have had a tough week we won’t hold it against you if you can’t get it up” said Tony, making everyone chuckle.

“You know I have seen this before right,” he said looking at Thor and then tried to lift the hammer, he struggled against it then stopped and tugged again, “Still don’t know how you do it”  he laughed,

“Smell the silent judgement?” Said Tony,

“Please Stark, by all means” Clint replied, gesturing him toward the hammer,

Tony stood up, opening his suit jacket button, “Never been one to shy away from on honest challenge,” he said walking over to the hammer proudly, “It’s physics, So if I lift it then I rule Asgard?”  he looked at Thor who nodded, “I will be reinstituting Prima Nocta” Tony said then pulled on the hammer with all his might. It didn’t budge, he looked around at the faces of the Avengers then said, “Be right back,” he rushed off to get the hand of his ironman suit.

Rhodey even joined in to help him try and lift the hammer not wanting to give up. “Are you even pulling?” asked Rhodey almost out of breath, Tony looked at him incredulously “Are you on my team?”  “Just represent, pull!” the Colonel replied.

Next up was Bruce, he tried to make a joke of it by pretending to turn into the hulk but you all just sat in awkward silence, looking at him.

Lastly was Steve, he got up proudly and rolled up his sleeves. “Come on Cap,” Sam said,

“He has to be worthy!” you said clapping,

Steve walked over to the hammer and placed his hands around it, his forearm muscles bulging as he did. Then he pulled, and the hammer shifted ever so slightly. You saw it and looked at Thor, your eyes met for a moment, the worry evident on Thor’s face. Steve tugged at the jammer again but this time it didn’t move, and he raised his hands in surrender,

“Nothing,” Thor laughed seeming relieved,

Bruce looked at you and Natasha,

“Oh no that’s not a question I need answered.” Natasha said shaking her head,

But you wanted to give it a try so you stood up and walked over to the hammer. “Fifty bucks says she can lift it,” said Sam,

“eighty says she won’t,” Steve replied,

“I’ll take that action,” Clint added, Bruce raised his hand too.

You looked around at the Avengers, “I’m ready to be the ruler of Asgard,” you joke and grabbed the handle and gave it a tug, it didn’t move. Not wanting to further humiliate yourself you stepped away “Guess I am not” you laughed,

“The handles imprinted!” exclaimed Tony, “Whosoever is carrying Thor’s finger print is I think the literal translation.”

Thor stood up, “Yes Uh, that’s a very interesting theory. I have a simpler one” he grabbed the hammer and lifted it with ease “You’re all not worthy”.

There were boos and groans as Thor said that, then suddenly there was a loud piercing sound that echoes through the tower and everyone paused looking around at what just happened.

A figure walked into the room one of the iron legion, broken and falling apart, they all turned to it.

“No…How could you be worthy? You’re all killers.” Said the raspy mechanical voice.

“Startk” Steve said,

“Jarvis,” Tony pulled out his phone,

“I am sorry” the machine said, “I was asleep, or a-dream.”

“Reboot legionnaire OS. We have a buggy suit” tony said quietly to the U.I.

“There was a terribe noise and I was tangled in strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy” the voice rasped,

You moved slowly towards Steve, who put his hand out in front of you protectively. “You killed someone?” he asked the rogue Iron legion robot.

“Wouldn’t have been my first call, but down in the real world, we are faced with ugly choices” it replied,

“Who sent you?” asked Thor,

The robot played back a voice clip, it was Tony’s. “I see a suit of armor around the world”

Bruce looked over at Tony shocked. “Ultron!” he said.

“In the flesh. Well no not yet, not this chrysalis. But I am ready I am on mission” it said,

“What mission?” Natasha asked,

“Peace of our time” Ultron replied and then suddenly two of the iron legion came exploding through the walls, ready to attack the team. Steve shoves you out of the way as he kicks one of the tables up to use as a shield before getting knocked down by the robot.

More of the iron legion swarmed in, attacked all of you relentlessly. In all the pandemonium Steve came toward you and grabbed your arm almost dragging you away from the conflict. “Go with Natasha and get Bruce out of here!” he exclaimed, pushing you towards the safety of the bar as one of the iron legion fired a shot towards you.

You nodded and ran to the bar, jumping over it agilely and landing next to Natasha and Bruce, “Don’t turn green!” you hear her tell him, “I won’t” was his reply before you both grabbed a gun from beneath the bar and started running to the stairs.

Steve smashed the last iron legion with his shield. And Ultron turned around “That was dramatic.” He said “I’m sorry I know you mean well, you just didn’t think it through. You want to protect the world but you don’t want it to change. How is humanity saved, if its not allowed to evolve? With these?” Ultron picked up the head of one of the now dead iron legion and crushed it “These puppets. There is only one path to peace.” Ultron paused.

“The Avengers extinction.” And then suddenly Thor threw his hammer at the robot and smashed it to pieces.

(A couple of hours later)

You lay awake in your bed, after the events of that evening there was no sleep happening for anyone. Bruce and Tony had been arguing for over an hour before you walked away and decided you need some quiet. The whole team was fighting. The arguments went back and forth between the team and no one was listening to anyone’s opinions at that point.

As much as you knew the team was right about Tony experimenting with the scepter, you understood why he did what he did. It had always been on Tony’s shoulders, the burden that the Chitauri had brought and you could see it.

You close your eyes, trying to shut out the noise in the tower. You could still hear Thor and Tony arguing down the hall, and you assumed the others were all there voicing their opinions as well. A day that was supposed to be about celebration had turned so sour in a matter of minutes.

There was a knock on your door, you sat up in the darkness of you room and looked at the clock beside you. It was well past midnight, “Come in,” you called, half expecting it to be Natasha but to your surprise it was Steve.

“Hey, oh, sorry I didn’t know you were asleep” he said, pausing in the doorway.

“No, it’s okay, I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to” you replied turning on the side lap, “What’s wrong?”

“Can I sit?” he asks, gesturing at the bed.

You nod and move up so Steve could join you. He seemed so calm in the face of this situation, sometimes you wondered how he did it.

“How are things out there?” you ask him

Steve sighed, “Not great, we are going to regroup in the morning figure out a plan of attack then. I think everyone is a little exhausted and its hindering their thinking.”

You looked at him, in the pale glow of your side light Steve looked so incredibly handsome. He had dirt smudges on his face and shards of something in his hair from fighting the legionnaire, you absentmindedly reached up and brushed the dirt from his hair, your hand trailing down to the smudge on his jawline. Your hand lingered a little longer than it should have on his face and your eyes met, Steve was about to say something but then he stopped himself and just leaned in closer till your faces were inches away from each other.

Your heart was racing, you were pretty sure he could hear it at this point, it was so loud. What the hell is happening you thought, your hand dropped down into his muscular chest, you could feel his hammering heartbeat beneath his ribcage and then in a moment that felt like an eternity, Steve leaned in closer and softly placed his lips onto yours.

@wildefire @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @elaacreditava

Part 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13- 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20

[ellana-ravenwood]

Sneaky bastard - Bruce Wayne x Reader (Erotica)

Since I have no shame, yet another smutty story (it’s been a while). It’s not just smut though, there’s a plot, and there’s lots of fluff. I just hope you’ll like  :

IMPORTANT WARNING : THIS IS EROTICA ! THIS IS NOT FOR YOU IF YOU ARE UNDERAGED, I GODDAMN MEAN IT. Like there’s cute and sweet feelings in the mix, but also...smut, so if you’re not 18 or more, or if you’re not comfortable with that sort of things etc etc, this story ain’t for you. I have tons of other very SFW story, for averyone to read, and if you wanna check those out instead, it’s right here, on My masterlist blog : @ella-ravenwood-archives.

_____________________________________________________________________

If someone would have told you a few weeks ago that you’d save the goddamn Batman, you’d probably would have laughed in their faces. It seemed so ridiculous, that a rookie such as you, who literally joined the forces not even a month before, would ever save a man like the Dark Knight. 

And yet, it happened. And it was wicked awesome.

*********************

He was fighting a bunch of thugs in a back alley, when you came by. You weren’t even gonna intervene, you knew the man, you already saw him roaming Gotham City before you became a cop, he could definitely handle himself...But then, you noticed one of the guy he was fighting take a few steps back, and draw a gun. It was pointed right at the bat’s head and he was going to pull the trigger in a matter of seconds ! 

You didn’t think, you acted. You jumped in the alley, surprising all of them, and with an expertly done high kick, you got the gun out of the man’s hand, knocking him down with a mean left hook. Damn, you turned into a total badass under the adrenaline ! 

Batman quickly got rid of the las few thugs, and turned to you. Suddenly, you didn’t feel that excited anymore, the man was impressive. So tall. Large. Muscular. Yeah ok, he was totally sexy. 

He turned his weird glowy white gaze on you, and, with a voice too rough and low to be human, asked you : 

-Are you alright ? This was very foolish to jump in like that, I didn’t need your help. You could have been very hurt. 

-Yeah I’m alright, and like Hell you didn’t need my help, I totally saved your life dude, be more thankful ! Jeez louiiise. 

-...

-Wow. Ok. So you’re an ass. 

-The ass can give you a ride to the nearest hospital, you’re bleeding. 

-What ? 

He pointed to your arm, and...oh. Yeah. You got shot. Damn. 

-I didn’t even feel it...

-Must be the rush of epinephrine in your blood. Come on, follow me. 

-Wow wait, you’re gonna give me a ride...in the batmobile ?! 

-Do you see any other car ? Climb in, and do not touch anything. 

You tried to keep your cool. To act like it was no big deal...but the adrenaline in your veins doubled in volume as you sat in the car you so often dreamt of riding when you were a child. Fuck this was great ! 

He drove you to the nearest hospital, without saying a word, and almost threw you out of the car. Ass. 

Your wound wasn’t deep, a bullet just grazed you and you only needed a few stitches, you were out two hours later. You went home by foot, because walking always cleared your mind, and damn it needed to be clear right now. Anyway, you weren’t living too far away. 

You just saved the Batman ! YOU JUST SAVE THE BATMAN !! 

After a quick shower, you were finally calmed, and decided to do some laundry, as your small apartment’s floor was littered with dirty clothes. While emptying your pockets, you found a note in the jean you were wearing today. 

“Thank you for saving my life, 

_The Ass who drove you to the hospital”

Ha. A thank you note. How lame. And yet, you kept the little piece of paper, because you felt it wasn't every day that the famous Dark Knight wrote thank you notes, and it was a collectible. 

********************

After that, you ended in Batman’s way a lot. You weren’t doing it on purpose. Not at all. You decided to be a cop because you wanted to help people, and not because you had a death wish. Constantly getting in the way of criminals and Batman wasn’t really in your intentions. And yet, it seemed Destiny really wanted you guys to work together, because every time you were on patrol (you mostly took night shift...I wonder why), your pass crossed that Bat’s. 

On the dock, while a drug deal was going on. You saved him again, but, to be fair, he also saved you after you got knocked out and fell into the freezing water of Gotham’s bay. Another ride in the bat mobile, another silent trip, and another note : “Thanks, but you also owe me one. I hope I won’t see you again.” Wow. Ok. Ass. 

In front of the most famous bank in Gotham, during a robbery. You saved the hostages while Batman was kicking some ass. This time, no hospital, and no notes either, just a nod from him, and many thanks from the people you saved. 

In the sewer, going after Killer Croc. Granted, it was a terrible idea, you were terrified of crocodiles. And yet. You and Batman took him down. And when you told him your fear of crocodiles, he seemed impressed that you fought anyway. Again, no hospital nor notes, but a smirk on his face, and a “see you later ?”.

It just kept happening, wherever you went during your patrol, wherever you were called on, he was there. It became a habit. He found that having someone valuable and trustworthy in the police was helpful, you found that having the Batman on your side was FUCKING helpful. In six months in the forces, you became the most decorated rookie in Gotham’s police history. You also became the Dark Knight’s first real sidekick (as James Gordon was more of an occasional partner than anything). And it was great. 

So great that Bruce Wayne found himself irrevocably attracted to you...He tried to resist, because in his line of work, there was no place for a relationship. But you were so brave, beautiful, optimistic, intelligent...And one day, he found himself “meeting you for the first time”, “randomly” while you were going home from work (and him from his nightly patrol). Alfred is the one that convinced him. A woman like you, fighting so fiercely for your city’s safety, and not judging one bit his Batman persona (except that you still thought he was kind of an ass) ? Well, you didn’t find a woman like that at each street’s corner, and if he had a shot at ever being happy, it was with you. He had to give it a try. And what could he loose if it wasn’t working out ? (Everything. The answer was everything, but he didn’t know that for now, he wasn’t in love yet). 

And so, as Bruce Wayne, he wooed you...and you couldn’t help but fall for his charming ways. You knew it was a bad idea, he was known to be a womanizer, but...How to resist a guy like that ? He was so sexy, smart, funny, and most of all, he made his life goal to make Gotham safer with the money his company brought him, and also by financing the Batman. How could you resist a guy like that ? 

***************

At night, you fought by the Caped Crusader’s side, sometimes getting injured, but it would never be life threatening. He would never let you be in a life threatening situation anyway...He made sure the cases you helped him on required mostly brain work, and few fightings. And when fights there was, he always kept an eye on your back. Against his better judgement, he started to fall for you...And you for him. 

By day, whenever he had a day off, or even a few hours free in the afternoon (as you were sleeping late in the morning, you know, night shifts...and that was good, because him too was sleeping late), you were with him too. Only, you didn't know it was him. For you, it was Bruce Wayne. And you felt guilty that you slowly started to fall in love with him too...Fuck, in what mess did you got yourself, falling in love with a night vigilante, and a billionaire playboy ? 

***************

Another six months passed, and things were going great. The Batman seemed to trust you, which was something right ? You’ve been helping him (wether he wanted it or not) for the past year, and that got you a promotion as a detective. How fucking awesome was that ? 

Oh, and you started to date Bruce Wayne seriously. Like, it was official. There was pictures of you two in the paper and all, and he didn’t deny you being his girlfriend. On the contrary. It felt great to be the one who caught the great Bruce Wayne’s heart. You still wondered what he saw in you though, the first time you met you were coming back from work, without any make-up and disheveled, highly unattractive...and yet, you ended up giving him your number. Incredible. 

Little did you know that he fell for you while under the Batman’s cowl...but of course, could only make his move as Bruce Wayne. 

***************

You were a bit more tired than usual that night, and so, a bit distracted. 

You didn’t see the Scarecrow jumping out of a dark place to corner you. And the Dark Knight wasn’t fast enough to stop the mad man before he sprayed his fear toxin on you. 

The rest of the night went by in a blur, all you could remember was a gut churning fear, and a few images. Bruce dying. Batman dying. Kids you were sure you never saw before dying. In your heart, you know those four boys you kept seeing falling were your sons, but you didn’t have any sons. Hell, you were too young to think about that. And yet. Fear. Everything was terrifying, dark, and scary. 

When you finally came to your senses, you saw the Bat’s face first, and you couldn’t stop yourself from hugging him. Safe. He was safe. Everything were just hallucinations. Nothing more. He hugged you back...

***************

And so, that’s how you found yourself in the bat cave, your tongue in the goddamn Batman’s mouth, his hand slipping under your shirt. You couldn’t deny anymore that there was some sort of attraction between him and you, and he...Well, he was also Bruce, and kissing you was just a habit of his. He just forgot that you didn’t know who he really was...

But his way of kissing you, of touching you, reminded you of your Bruce...it was impossible however, you must be wrong. Anyway, Bruce was on a business trip in France. And he wouldn’t have lied to you. They wouldn’t have lied to you. 

And suddenly, you felt awfully guilty. Your tongue and the Dark Knight’s were wrestling each other, and all you could think about was your boyfriend. You pulled away, and took his hand out of your shirt. 

-Hum...

-Is something wrong ? 

-...Yes. I can’t do that. I...I’m in a steady relationship right now and...Well, I love him. 

-Ah. Bruce Wayne ? 

-Your benefactor. 

-Yeees...

It was awkward, you had to leave. He understood, and drove you to your apartment. In silence. When you existed the car though, you almost thought you saw him smile. Not just a smirk, a full on smile, and somehow, this smile reminded you of someone, you just couldn’t pinpoint who. You said your goodbyes, and that was that. Well. A chapter of your life was over. And you just couldn’t be that bummed out with Bruce in it...You just wished the Batman would have his place in too. 

***************

A few days passed, and you avoided the caped crusader. It was better like that. You took care of other things at night. It was better like that. So why your heart kept tightening whenever you thought about never seeing him again ? 

Bruce’s hand slipping in yours got you out of your daydreams, and erased any worries. No. It was better like that. You and the Batman would have no future, but you and Bruce ? Things could happen. Right ? 

-Hey you. 

-Hey, I missed you. 

-You were only gone for...what, three days ? 

-When every day without you feels like a year. 

-Oh you motherfucker, so cheesy. 

-You love it. 

-Maybe...Come here my Bruce. 

His kisses were the best. Soft or rough, tender or hungry...They were just the best. The flash of a camera cruelly brings the both of you back to reality. 

-Damn fucking paparazzis...

-You’ll have to get used to them if...

-If ?

-...If you’re as seriously involved in this relationship than I am. Because no matter what I can do, paparazzis always follow me. Comes with the package of being a Wayne...

-Oh.

-Oh ? 

-If it comes with the package, then so be it. 

And you went back to kiss him...until another flash almost blinded you. 

-Let’s get out of here, ok ?

-I thought you’d never say it. 

You took his hand, and guided him with you through Gotham city’s street to your apartment. It was definitely official now. Bruce Wayne had a steady girlfriend. He was taking walks with her, hands in hands, very publicly. It was on the headline of every newspaper the next day, with a picture of you two, looking ridiculously happy, walking hands in hands down the streets. 

******************

This night was going to be the night. You weren’t working, and Bruce said he could stay with you. 

This night was going to be the night. The night you were going to sleep with him for the first time. You made him wait, just to be sure he was serious, and he wasn’t considering you like another random conquest. But you waited enough, tonight...Was gonna be the night. 

You were still scared shitless though. What if he left you after that ? What if you guys weren’t actually as serious as you thought ? 

As he was sitting on your couch, you straddling him, his tongue massaging yours with passion, those thoughts plagued your mind. He felt something was wrong, and pulled away from you. 

-Ok, what is it ? 

A moment of silence, and then you replied : 

-What are we doing Bruce ? 

-Well, I was hum...French kissing you I believe. 

-I’m not talking about that, I mean...

-What do you mean ? 

-What are we ? 

-..Hum, human beings ? Made of flesh and bones ? 

-You know what I mean. 

-I thought you already knew what we were. 

-If I ask the question it means I’m not so sure no ? 

-I guess so...Well, what do you wanna be ? 

-I asked first. 

-Oh ok, so if you don’t think the same thing than me, I’m gonna be the one with a broken heart...Alright, well, here we go. I never wanted anyone in my life as bad as I want you. Here. I said it. Hell, you’re the only one I ever let paparazzis photographed me with outside of charity galas... 

-Oh...

-Oh ? 

Your mouth crashing on his was an answer enough. You whispered in his ear how important he was to you too, without using the words “I love you”, still not ready, while your hands were opening the button of his dress shirt in a frenzy. His strong arms wrapped around you, and once again, you couldn’t help but be surprised at how buff he was. The man was working out a lot...His muscles were probably as big as Batman’s ! Wait, stop. You couldn’t think about Batman right now, only Bruce was important. Because it was true, you did love him. But...No but. Only Bruce. 

His hands slipping under your shirt were enough for only him to occupy all of your thoughts. To fill you with lust and want. His shirt was off, and you dragged your nail on his well toned chest, and perfect abs. Damn perfect abs. Again, the man was working out. A lot. His calloused (why did he have calloused hand ? As far as you were concerned, his job was mostly signing paperwork and participating in boring conferences...) palm wrapped around your waist, and squeezed. Not enough to hurt, not even enough to leave mark, and that would do. Your mouth left his, and he whined a bit, but when he felt your tongue gently licking his neck, sucking on his pulse point, he kinda lost control. His hand tightened their grip, now it was enough to make some marks. Perfect. 

He tear away your shirt, ripping it to pieces. 

-That was my favorite shirt. 

-No it wasn’t, you were wearing your favorite shirt the day before yesterday, I’m guessing it’s in the laundry right now. 

-Buzzkill. 

-I certainly hope not. 

And your bra was off, his mouth attacking your tits savagely, and yet, he didn’t hurt you. On the contrary, it felt great. Your fingers went to caress his back, and with expert movements, he removed your pants and panties, laying you down on your couch, towering over you. Your fingers deftly unmade his belt and threw it somewhere in your small apartment, to then undo his button and zipper, and poof, fancy that, his pants were off too. You could clearly see the outline of his dick threw his boxers and fuck he was hard...it aroused you more than ever. 

He trailed kisses from your forehead to your lips, down your jaw, your neck, color bone, breast, stopping there to lick softly at your nipple, flicking the other one with warm fingers. And then he kept going, until he reached your thigh...He wasn’t going where you wanted however, kissing everywhere but your sex. He must have left a hundred love bites on you that night, and you couldn’t care less. Your police uniform would cover all of them anyway, and you hoped to God that he wasn’t going to invite you anywhere where wearing a dress was required in the next few days. 

You took a grip of his hair, and guided him where you wanted. You felt him smile on your skin, but damn, you hated being teased. One hand on each thigh, he spread your legs open, and looked back up to you. Fuck, eye contact was such a turn on, you were pretty sure you never got that wet ever in your life before. He noticed, two fingers running gently up and down your fold...And then, without warning, his tongue was inside you. Flicking, swirling, his nose rubbing against your clit. You never felt anything like it. What the Hell was that ? How could he make you feel so good so fast ? You came before you had time to say : “Bruce Wayne is a champ at oral”, and you were almost embarrassed that you orgasmed that fast. But damn, what that man could do with his tongue...and nose, apparently. 

He kissed his way back up, licking his lips off of your juice, and you caught his mouth with yours again, not caring one bit for the taste of yourself on his tongue. 

You wanted to return the favor, you wanted to make him feel good too, but when you grabbed his erection through his boxers, and started to rub lightly, he caught your wrist and pinned it above your head. 

-Another time maybe, right now I...I just want to be inside you. 

He was blushing a bit. How cute. You nodded. Alright. You could live with that. And you guided him to your entrance. 

-Ready ? 

You nodded once more, you couldn’t speak, you just got down from your heights, you just had no voice. 

When he pushed slowly inside you, you lost your breath too. He was...impressive. In every sense of the term. And he stretched you to the maximum, hurting you a bit, as you weren’t use to such a size. He stilled, letting you adjust to him. He saw you winced when he penetrated you, and hurting you was the last thing he wanted to do. Hell, he never wanted to do it. So he waited for you to be fully ready. 

You wrapped your legs around his waist, squeezing him against you, pushing him even further inside, as if it was possible...And with a kiss on his shoulders, you breathed out : 

-You can go...

He looked in your eyes, twisting his neck to see you, as he was quite taller and bigger than you, and once he was sure you meant it, he slowly exited you, almost entirely, before unhurriedly pushed back in bit by bit. He found a slow and sweet pace, that allowed him to feel your entire being under him. Your breath, your heart bits, your little moans and cute squealing. 

He couldn’t stop himself from going a bit faster over, as he felt his cock thrusting in and out of you easily, slickly. You pushed him deep within you, your heels digging in his ass cheek, and he almost lost control. 

You wanted it faster. Harder. And you voiced your need. Thanks god. Because he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to retain himself to pound into you mercilessly much longer. 

Again, this was the first time you felt that way. The only few men you had sex with never felt like that, never felt that good, and that perfect inside you. As if you were made for him, and him for you. 

He was sucking on your neck lovingly, and your nails scratched his back, as he relentlessly hammered into you. You dragged his head to your face, and kissed him. Hard. He responded obviously, as his hips expertly rolled against yours. 

You met him thrust for thrust, and your movement made him groan in pleasure. He might be a sex god, but you weren’t too bad yourself. You had some moves. And you used all of them on you. At some point, you felt his hands stilling your waist, and his short breath on your neck. 

-Stop, or I’m not going to last. 

-Stop what ? 

-You know damn well what I’m talking about (Y/N), stop this thing you do with your hips. 

-You mean...that. 

And you reeled your hips against his, making him take a deep breath, and suppressing a loud moan. Oh that wouldn't do. You wanted to hear him, it was not fair if you were the only one screaming his names. You rolled into him too, your special movement making him gasp. 

-Fuck...No one ever...No one ever did that to me...Stop...

-Does it feel good ?

-Yes, fuck, it feels too good (Y/N). 

-Oh...well then. 

And he was gone, jack hammering hard inside you, his pace faltering as his released was close. But he would not come first. That wasn’t gentlemanly. Leaving an arm by your head to support his weight and not crush you, the other one went to your core, and he flicked two fingers at your clit, rubbing furiously because he was too damn close...You came, his name on your lips, your body shaking uncontrollably, and he followed you soon after, pulling out just in time to not spill inside you, but all over your stomach. 

He collapsed on you, unable to hold himself, but it was alright, his weight on you was somewhat comforting. Felt safe under there. 

-Do you have a cloth or something ? 

-First drawer in the bathroom. 

-Be right back. 

And indeed, a few minutes later, he came back with a wet cloth to clean you up. He was already clean, and he raised you in his arms to lay on the couch, you on top of him. 

-Wow. 

-Wow indeed. 

-What the Hell was that (Y/N) ?

-You mean, the hip thing ? 

-Yeah, the hip thing.

-I don’t know, discovered a while ago that men liked it, kept doing it. 

-Well, I confirm. Men definitely like it. Damn. 

-You weren’t bad either. Actually, no one ever made me feel like that before. 

-Oh, and I’m not done honey, after all, we’ve got...all night right ?

Your thoughts went to Batman for a bit, hoping he was alright, and not in danger. Little did you know “Batman” was with you right now, and was about to take you multiple time, on your couch, on the sink in your bathroom, under the shower, and in your bed, in a wide array of different positions, until the morning rose and you fell asleep, exhausted. 

******************

You woke up to an empty bed, and for a moment, felt a panic rise in your chest. But only for a moment, as you saw a note on the pillow Bruce fell asleep on. It read : 

“Hey, I swear this isn’t me running out on you (Y/N), I had important affairs to attend to at Wayne Industry. Let’s have dinner tonight, 

Love you,

B.

PS : Last night was great. Wait, that’s insufficient. Last night was life changing. ”

Cute. So damn cute. And he said “love you”. Of course it was written hastily on a note but, still. And last night was...”life changing” ? Fucking awesome. And so you smiled...But your smile soon disappeared. Wh...What ? OH MY GOD ! How could you have been so oblivious ? So stupid ? 

You ran to a drawer in your desk, the one you put away Batman’s note he gave you almost a year ago...The same handwriting. The exact same. The way they were curling the letters, the point on their “i”...Holy shit. HOLY SHIT. But of course. 

They were the same person. Batman, was Bruce, Bruce, was Batman. You couldn’t help the fit of laughter that washed over you. Of course they were. It all made sense ! So that’s why the Dark Knight’s lips felt so familiar, you were right, your guts weren’t lying to you ! 

Instead of being mad at him not telling you the truth, you were relieved. So you weren’t in love with two men, since they were the same one. Pfiooo. Yes. It did make you a bit sad though, that he wasn't trusting you enough to tell you who he really was...You decided to go see him right now, to have a bit more explanations. 

***************

Alfred answered the door as you rung the bell. 

-Oh, Lady (Y/N), good to see you. Master Bruce wasn’t waiting for you until...

-Where is he Alfred ? I have to talk to him, it’s urgent. 

-I’m afraid he...

-I know he’s Batman. 

-Oh. Well that changes everything. Follow me if you please. 

******************

Under the Manor. That’s where the batcave was. When Bruce saw you, he found himself speechless, and extremely nervous. When you explained to him your discovery however, he seemed more relax. You weren’t mad, you understood, and you were actually glad that Batman and him was the same person, loving two men wasn’t really your thing. But you were a bit saddened at his lack of trust...He wasn’t lacking trust. He trusted you with his life. It was more...Being afraid of how you’d react, afraid you’d leave him, and that, he couldn’t bear. Silly man. Of course you weren’t going to leave him, you were fucking in love with him. 

-...I love you (Y/N). 

First time he told it to you vocally. He wrote it in notes before, but he never told you right in your face. It was great. The kiss he gave you that day, after you whispered in his ear “I love you too”, was full of promises to never keep anything from you anymore, to keep you by his side, always, to love you forever, as simple as that...And that’s when you saw the kid. A small boy, no more than 8 years old. 

Richard. That was his name. Dick for short, but for you, he was already “Dickie”. Bruce’s new ward. Bruce’s new son. And somewhere in your heart, something was telling you that he was someday going to be yours too...