#Hawkeye x OFC

[shewhohangsoutincemeteries]

appreciation

Clint Barton x F!Reader

Prompt: “is that my shirt?”

Summary: you borrow one of clint's shirts after a fight leaves yours ruined, and he can't help but show you just how much he likes seeing you wear it.

Warnings: smut, mdni, cock-warming, oral sex (female receiving), fluff.

Word Count: 1,616

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“You know, if SHIELD wants us to keep doing all these recon missions in plain clothes, you’ve either got to stop blowing our cover, or they’ve got to start reimbursing me for clothes,” you called out drily as you stepped out of the bathroom, flinging your ruined shirt away in disdain. An unplanned brawl had ended with your shirt torn and your jeans stained, and you’d forgone reporting in in person to make a pitstop at your partner’s apartment. He’d drawn the short straw to call it in, and you’d made liberal use of his shower while he patched himself up.

“I swear I didn’t do it on purpose,” Clint called back from the other room. “There were…”

“Honey, if you say ‘extenuating circumstances’, I’m gonna kick your ass.” you replied, grabbing a shirt out of a drawer and slipping it on over your head. Pain thrummed through your shoulder, and you grimaced but otherwise ignored it. The shirt dampened with the wet hair clinging to your neck, the hem of it skirting along the top of your thighs indecently.

“Safe to say I wasn’t, seeing as I can’t even pronounce…” Clint trailed off as he entered, a couple of fresh bandages taped over his ribs. His phone was still in his hand, the screen dark. “Is that my shirt?”

You looked down at yourself for a brief moment, nodding. “Uh, yeah? I don’t have any clothes here, and I didn’t think you’d—”

“That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

You couldn’t help a disbelieving scoff. “Seriously? I—”

The phone fell from Clint’s hand, bouncing on the carpet. He closed the distance between you, took hold of your waist and pulled you into a kiss. His hands bunched in the shirt over your waist, tugging the fabric taught against the small of your back and urging you closer to him. You whined against his lips, your own hands moving to clutch at his biceps. When you parted, Clint spoke a breath away from your lips, a surprising roughness in his voice that sent a thrill right down through the middle of you.

“Yes, seriously. Now stop arguing.”

You laughed as he pushed you gently back against the bedside table. It rattled as it hit the wall and Clint’s mouth met yours again. Wrapping your arms around his neck, your lips parted in a gasp as Clint’s mouth moved from yours to kiss the side of your throat. He lingered there teasingly; his breath hot against your neck as his fingertips trailed up the outside of your naked thighs.

Your fingers ran through his hair as he moved lower, kissing his way down over the skirt to the hem of it. You whimpered as he knelt in front of you urged your thighs apart. “Clint—”

He gave your thigh an open-mouthed kiss, his teeth teasing over the sensitive flesh as his hand journeyed up your other leg. Clint hesitated as he realized you hadn’t had the chance to put your underwear back on, sighing almost reverently. His breath made goosebumps rise on the inside of your thighs. You shivered.

“Fuck…”

“Oh, God, Clint…” you moaned as he buried his face between your legs, his tongue immediately finding your clit. You almost fell back against the bedside table, your hand grasping at the top of the bedhead to your left. Your other hand ran fingers through his hair, the answering ache in your shoulder worth the way he groaned into your cunt. His arms wrapped tightly around your thighs, grabbing at the flesh of them holding you in place under his tongue.

The edge of the wood bit into the back of your thighs, and Clint pushed them further apart. You obliged by sitting on the table, planting one foot on the mattress beside you. Clint rewarded you by sliding a finger into you, his eyes meetings yours from between your thighs.

Fuck, he was good at this. He seemed to truly relish it, and the feel of his bare shoulders pressing up against your thighs, forcing them to stay spread wide, made you shudder. You arched further into his touch with a moan as he reached up to squeeze your breast through his shirt.

Bucking under his tongue, your shoulders falling back against the wall, you heard his too-old alarm clock crack dully against the carpet. Your eyes rolled back behind closed lids, and when you came it was with a drawn-out moan of his name, your thighs quivering on either side of his head.

Before you could even catch your breath Clint rose, a pained grunt quietly leaving him as he pressed a hand to the bandages on his side. Still, he didn’t hesitate to kiss you again, his erection pressing against your stomach as he leaned into you. You shuddered as the fingers of his other hand continued to tease against your clit slowly.

Palming him through his sweats, you smiled as Clint groaned against your mouth, and he broke away to press his forehead against yours. Standing on shaking legs, you gently forced him to turn so you could urge him back onto the bed. Clint snickered as his back met the mattress obediently, but the sound died in his throat as he watched you move to straddle his lap slowly, the shirt riding up on your thighs.

You tugged his sweats down to his mid-thighs, tracing your nails up along his sensitive skin. Clint’s head fell back against the bed as you lowered yourself against him, mindful of his injury.

“So, I got all that just for borrowing a shirt?” you asked, grinding yourself slowly against the length of his cock.

Clint’s hands found your legs, sliding up along them take hold of your hips. “Oh, you’re keeping the shirt.”

You giggled, leaning down and bracing yourself on your good arm to kiss him again. Clint wrapped his arms around your middle, hand slipping up under the soft fabric to spread over your lower back. “And just like that, step one of my evil plan is complete.”

Clint smiled, his nose bumping affectionately against yours. “And what’s the endgame here, mastermind?”

You kissed the underside of his jaw. “I’m going to keep on stealing your clothes until you’re left butt-ass naked and at my mercy.”

Clint chuckled, cupping your cheek and bringing your mouth back to his. He kissed you slowly and long, another wave of delicious giddiness swirling in your belly.

“Downright devious,” he mumbled with a smile against your lips, the words melting into a deep, heady moan as the next slow roll of your hips over his pressed the head of his cock into you. Your eyes closed as you lowered yourself further onto him. His lips caught yours again, moving to your chin, the underside of your jaw, the base of your throat. Clint cursed breathlessly as you began to fuck yourself lazily on his cock. “Shit, baby…”

His hands moved to your backside, massaging the flesh, pressing your body tighter against his. Clint’s lips dusted over your jaw, cheek, and your forehead, your nose crinkling as his lips brushed lightly along the tip of it. The light filtering through the blinds cast his skin in a warm glow, his eyes alight with an affection that warmed the very core of you.

The way he looked at you… the heat in his eyes mixing the way he filled you… the both of them sent a dizzying high dancing up your spine. You barely moved, the two of you near-breathless just from the feeling of him inside you. You lay your head on his chest, basking in the warmth of his embrace and the sun. The next words left you unwillingly. “…Exactly how soon do they expect us to report in?”

Clint groaned softly, his hand sliding up your back. “I was hoping you weren’t going to ask me that.”

You pouted, turning your head to rest your chin on his chest. “That soon, huh?”

You whimpered as Clint pushed his hips up into yours, agonizingly slow. His hand moved into your hair, fisting in the locks as he pulled you into another kiss. This was deeper than the brief, affectionate brushes of his lips, hungrier. More passionate. You moaned into it.

“We’ve got time,” he told you softly, groaning into another kiss as you began to roll your hips against his again. You fucked him slow, steadily, your body tingling wherever it met his. Clint slipped a hand between you, and your eyes rolled back, closing as he touched two fingers to your clit.

“Fuck…”

“Uh, uh, sugar,” he murmured, his other hand cupping your cheek. “Eyes open for me.”

You cursed again, too focused on the building sensation in your core to respond.

“C’mon, baby, please,” he urged, his voice torn with desire and his own steadily approaching release. After teasing each other, after just feeling you squeezing around him, he was too far gone already. “Look at me.”

You forced your eyes open dazedly, lips parting as you hovered inches over him. Clint’s breath tickled your lips, his hands tightening on your hips before you both came, your body shaking over his.

“Damn…” you sighed, letting your head fall back against his chest. Clint chuckled breathlessly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. His arms encircled your waist again, fingers linking together loosely.

“You can say that again.”

“Damn.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Clint snickered, shaking his head against the mattress. “I meant what I said about you keeping the shirt.”

“Good,” you replied with a smile. “Because there is no way I am ever going to give it back now.”

.

.

.

.

tags: tags: @trekkingaroundasgard @lol-you-thought @ruderavenclaw @wittyforachange @notafraid-bitch-igot9lives @akumune @enna-core @xxboesefrauxx @hearmyharmony @katsies @lipstickandtanqueray @youralphawolf72 @maenji @rhymesmenagerie @wefracturedmotivation​ @january-echoes​ @glossyloner​ @capitalnineteen​ @youclickedthislink​ @s0ftness​ @castieltrash1​ @drakelover78​ @queenoftheunderdark​ @gwianasky

[ana-swritings]

Merry December 2022 - Day 1

Hello my lovelies.

Here is day 1 of this year's Merry December.

Hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think. :)

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Day 1 of Merry December

Prompt: Childhood Memories

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Pairing: Clint Barton x OFC (Clara)

Words: 929

T.W.: N/A

Summary: Bringing back the past.

It was a cold December day. Clint and Clara were up in his room, sitting in bed in front of the fireplace, talking and laughing. Clint couldn’t help, but to, every once in a while, stare at Clara. They had been together for almost a year, but it felt a lot longer. They had met through Sam, Clara was a close friend of his and he had thought that her and Clint would make a cute couple. After giving him the ��you hurt her, I hurt you” talk, even Sam was surprised to see how great they were together.

Clint was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize that Clara was staring at him, waiting for an answer. She had just asked him what his favorite part of Christmas was and when she didn’t get a response, she just stared at him, waiting. Pulling him back to reality, by waving her hand in front of him, she asked him if he was okay. Clint just nodded and kissed her.

After asking her to repeat the question, he went on to tell her that his favorite memories were the ones of when his kids were little. He told her about their staring contests, the candy cane competitions, the snowball fights and making snow angels in the backyard. He had a smile on his lips while remembering all of them and he knew that he would give anything to go back to that time.

Then, it was Clara’s turn. She told him how she was raised by her grandfather and grew up on a small farm. How she used to make popcorn garlands and how only half of the popcorn would end up in a garland, since she would eat the other half, something that used to drive her grandfather crazy. She told him how her grandfather would cut a fresh pine tree for their Christmas tree every year and how she loved the smell of fresh pine trees that would fill the house.

She told him that her grandfather would let her decorate the little farm house any way she wanted and that, one year, she even decorated the stables, putting a hair band with antlers on it, in one of the horses. She told him how she would paint one ornament every year and put it up on the tree and that her grandfather would paint one as well. Those were the best memories she had of her childhood, memories from a time where everything was simple, a time before everything became complicated and dark.

Clint saw tears in her eyes. It was clear to see that she missed him immensely and that that time of the year was hard for her, because of it. Pulling her closer to him, he wrapped his arms around her and felt her tears soak his buttoned shirt. He told her that he was sure that her grandfather was looking down on her and that he would be proud of her, of the woman she had become.

Clara slightly pulled away and looked up at him, thanking him. Clint leaned down and kissed her sweetly, feeling her kissing him back. His hands stayed wrapped around her, as they both deepened the kiss. Breaking away so they could catch their breath, they sat there, in each other’s arms, until Clint had an idea.

Standing up, Clint told Clara to just wait there for him, that he would be right back. Clint left, leaving Clara on the bed, wrapped in a cozy blanket, watching the fire burn through the wood logs and warming the room. She had no idea what he was going to do but she knew that, whatever it was, it was meant to cheer her up. Clint always did that, whenever she was feeling sad, he would come up with something to make her feel better and it never failed to work. She loved him for that.

Clara saw Clint return to the room, after a few long minutes, hiding something behind his back. When Clint got close enough to the Bed, she saw what it was he was hiding. On one hand he had a bowl filled with popcorn and on the other a couple of spools and two needles. She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips when she realized what he was planning.

Sitting down next to her, Clint took a thread and slid it through one of the needles, giving it to her and then doing the same for himself. Taking a popcorn from the bowl, he poked it with the needle until it was completely through and the line was on the popcorn, therefore placing the first popcorn in his to-be garland. Clara followed his lead and did the same thing.

Half way through it, Clint looked back at her and saw her smiling at the memories that, no doubt, were coming back to her. He smiled and gave her a kiss on the side of her head, whispering an “I love you” at the same time. Clara turned to him, kissing him sweetly and answered back with an “I love you” of her own.

They spent the rest of the night making popcorn garlands and telling stories of when they were little, laughing at some of the crazy things that they would sometimes do. Clint could tell that she was feeling better and that made him smile even wider. All he wanted was for Clara to be happy and safe and he would do whatever it took to make sure that she was.

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[thewillofdeez]

The Warlord and the Revolutionary: A Dracule Mihawk/OC Romance - Chapter 1: Unexpected Visitors

Summary: Mihawk has never been big on surprises, but when Zoro and Perona showed up on Kuraigana, Mihawk took it in stride. He learned how to adjust and even slowly began to enjoy their company. Just under a year later, another surprise showed up on his island - his ex-girlfriend, on the verge of death. The one he hasn't seen in fifteen years. And he might still love her.

Slice of life goth family cuteness headcanons mixed with OC romance.

Chapter 1 word count: 3360

Dawn broke over Kuraigana Island on an early December morning, and the rays of the sun snuck through the fog which lingered over the island, brighter than one might expect, particularly after the storm that had ravaged the island for the past two days. Dracule Mihawk rolled over in his large, plush bed, one literally fit for a king. He covered his eyes with his arm and groaned softly. Another day, it seemed.

Throwing back the covers and sitting on the edge of the bed, he stretched deeply and yawned, feeling the muscles in his back release from their taut, sleepy state. Making his way to the ensuite bathroom, he leaned over the sink and ran a hand through his hair, which hung in strands over his forehead. Not nine months ago, Mihawk would have awoken at a leisurely pace, started his day when he was ready, and gone about his business just as he always had - exactly when he intended to, and not a second sooner. But nine months ago, his life changed drastically when two young morons arrived at his doorstep, thanks to his fellow Warlord Batholomew Kuma. Mihawk had always been somewhat fond of Kuma - he believed him to be a good man, whatever that meant when it came to pirates - and held a certain level of respect for him, a feeling he believed was mutual. Perhaps that’s why the former King of the Sorbet Kingdom sent these two pastel punks his way - he knew they’d be in good, if begrudging, hands. Kuma’s true motive was still unknown to Mihawk, and given the devastating state of the man the last time he saw him, probably always would be. But, as his crimson-haired friend always liked to say with a shrug and a crooked smile, “It is what it is.”

Mihawk prepared himself for the day and made his way down the exceptionally long staircase from the main bedroom, allowing his mind to wander over the events of the last nine months since the War of the Best. The circling stairs easily took ten minutes or more to descend at a leisurely pace. There was a time not long before his unexpected guests arrived that he considered moving to one of the numerous, more accessible bedrooms housed within the ancient castle, but then they showed up, and well, suddenly he had a full house to be the master of - well, more full than it had ever been in his stay there anyway.

They were the “ghost princess” Perona, formerly of the Thriller Bark Pirates, and Roronoa Zoro of the Straw Hat Pirates. Mihawk had never met Perona before, though he vaguely recalled his fellow (former) Warlord Gecko Moria occasionally mentioning in casual conversation a pink-haired upstart working on his crew. The man, for all his faults (and really, who was Mihawk to talk about faults?), had clearly thought of her like something of a daughter. Young, displaced, and with no deep roots to speak of, Perona had joined Moria’s crew as barely a pre-teen. Such was often the case for those who became pirates - abandoned, cruelly neglected, or left behind by deceased parents, finding a crew to care for you and take you in was often the best way of survival for children who had few or no other options, and there was hardly a successful pirate captain alive who didn’t also bear the title of “adoptive parent.” Mihawk himself recalled being one of those children once.

Roronoa Zoro had made a lasting impression on Mihawk about a year and a half ago, when the consequences of a disrupted nap brought devastation to hundreds of Marines, and brought the two swordsmen face to face for the first time in the East Blue. Even before he could really claim he knew the man in the way living together allows one to know another, Mihawk had seen some of his younger self in Zoro - stupid and arrogant, sure, but also driven and full of potential. Even Mihawk could admit that with age comes wisdom, and he was also decidedly unwise at Zoro’s age, though he’d certainly be loath to admit that to anyone today.

Whereas Perona found great joy in the domesticity of castle life, filling her days with baking experimental sweets, sewing new fashions from the old bolts of fabric she found locked away in an unused room, and dusting the hundreds of ancient bookshelves (a feat made much easier by the ability to fly), Mihawk could tell that Zoro was often restless. Whether it was because he had never stayed in one place for so long or because he deeply missed his crew, Mihawk wasn’t sure and certainly wouldn’t ask. Mihawk could relate to how Zoro felt - despite making a permanent home for himself, he often felt the call of the sea, and appreciated the ability to set sail whenever the urge hit him. But now he had dependents, and a promise to fulfill, and sometimes the sea had to wait.

Zoro proved himself to be an adequate guest, after he adjusted to his new home. He cleaned up after himself, if at his own pace, and made himself useful where needed. Surprisingly, the young man had developed a penchant for working in Mihawk’s farm, specifically when planting season arose shortly after Zoro and Perona’s arrival. Mihawk was keenly aware that Zoro and Perona knew how quickly Mihawk could end their stay on the island if he so desired - by the sword or otherwise - and appreciated that the young people at least tried to be decent houseguests. 

Nine months before, about a week since Mihawk’s return from Marineford, Zoro’s wounds had been healing nicely after his numerous encounters with the Humandrills, and his training with Mihawk had been off to a solid start.

After breakfast one morning, a decidedly awkward meal with the company of three still becoming accustomed to each other’s presence, Mihawk asked the two young people to join him outside. Zoro and Perona followed him down the sweeping stone stairs and across the bridge over the lake, towards a series of land plots filled with budding weeds and old, brambly vines.

“I’m fine with you living here,” Mihawk announced to the duo, facing the empty fields. “If I’m being honest, it’s a rather…” Mihawk considered his words carefully, looking up to the fog-covered sky. “...Interesting change of pace for me.”

He turned around, hands in his pockets. “But I’m not running a bed and breakfast here. If you’re going to live on my island, you need to pull your weight. I’ve spent the last seven years making this place work by myself, and I’m going to take advantage of any help I can get.”

What could Zoro or Perona possibly say to that? Any snarky comments they might have held on the tips of their tongues were swallowed, knowing the older man was right. They were guests, unexpected and only begrudgingly accepted, and this was no leisurely vacation. Perona may not have had a set end goal in mind, but from the moment Mihawk accepted Zoro as a student, with his forehead to the cold stone floor of the castle, he knew this was going to be work. As for Perona…well, what else was she to do, with Moria presumed dead and her home only the place she once knew in name?

Mihawk handed them each a pair of gloves and they set to work. Neither Zoro nor Perona knew the first thing about gardening. The learning curve was steep to say the least. But Mihawk proved to be a decent teacher in more than just swordsmanship, instructing them on the overall plan, how to pull the old plants from the ground, break up the soil, lay the seeds, and what the expected results would be. It wasn’t a task to be taught in a week, or even two. Hell, it had taken Mihawk two seasons on Kuraigana to make a moderately successful harvest by himself, and that was after countless hours in the castle’s library reading up on agricultural practices, soil types, and irrigation. But Zoro and Perona proved to be quick enough learners, and by the time the first sprouts were peeking from the ground in early April, he could find both of them out there of their own volition, only needing to speak to him occasionally for guidance.

In the early days of their time together, as the three of them worked on their own tasks in the field, Mihawk couldn’t help but observe Zoro and he moved down along the planting lines with a hand cultivator, whistling a tune Mihawk recognized but couldn’t quite place. The hat Zoro wore covered his eyes in shadow, but a soft smile stuck out where the sun hit the lower half of his face as the song ended.

“You seem to be quite comfortable in the garden, Roronoa,” Mihawk offered as he yanked some of the previous year’s dry, stringy growth from the ground, tossing it in the wheelbarrow to be composted later.

Zoro chuckled. “Kinda reminds me of the dojo where I grew up, back in the East Blue.” He stayed silent for a moment, then continued. “I was sort of an obnoxious kid, had more energy than I knew what to do with even after training all day. Wound up getting myself in trouble a lot.” Mihawk held in a snort of his own. Obviously.

“So my sensei helped me build a zen garden. It’s not the same thing, of course, but…when I was eight and full of energy I didn’t know how to dispose of and had a brain that wouldn’t shut the hell up, sitting in the sand and moving it around with no real goal in mind…it helped me. I learned how to meditate that way. Working the soil….kind of brings me back to that same headspace, ya know?” Zoro lifted his head to meet Mihawk’s golden eyes, and was met with only a knowing smirk before Mihawk returned to his task. The silence after was slightly less strained.

The sound of a sizzling pan broke Mihawk from his thoughts as he walked into the castle’s open kitchen. “Morning, Mihawk!” smiled Perona as she looked up from the skillet.

Mihawk nodded in acknowledgement. “Ghost girl.”

“Eggs?” She asked.

“Over easy,” he replied, making his way to the counter where Zoro was pouring coffee into three mugs, a self-assigned task he had taken on over time. Mihawk grasped one and took a deep sip, feeling the warmth circulate through his chest. Perona plated the men’s preferred eggs as well as her own, along with sausage and toast and sat them on the counter, where they were grabbed by their respective person and brought to the long dining table. Mihawk, as always, sat at the head of the table in his plush, oversized chair, while Zoro sat to his right and Perona to his left. Mihawk opened up the paper, which Zoro had earlier brought in from the news coo. Before settling in he separated the paper into his housemates’ preferred sections and handed them over. Each of them ate their breakfast and drank their coffee, occasionally commenting on a story of interest. At this point, it was a comfortable routine.

As Zoro flipped through his section, he came across a picture of the man sitting to his left. The article was a retrospective of the careers of the current Warlords, likely triggered by the addition of the most recent one, Trafalgar Law. Mostly, Zoro thought, it was probably just a way to take up page space on an otherwise slow news day. While reading about his mentor, something caught Zoro’s eye:

Name: Dracule Mihawk

Origin: Grand Line

Bounty: 3.59 Billion

Also Known As: Hawk-eyes, Marine Hunter, Naked Hawk

Naked Hawk, huh? That was one he’d never seen before, or perhaps had just never paid attention to. The other two nicknames were obvious in origin, but that third one…

“Hey Mihawk,” Zoro said, “What’s with the name Naked Hawk?”

Mihawk choked slightly on the coffee that slid down his throat, his eyes widening. “Let me see that,” he said, grabbing the paper from the younger man’s hands. Mihawk’s eyes scanned the page. He then sighed and handed it back. “Twenty years I’ve been trying to bury that infernal nickname, and yet every so often it pops up. Must be Shanks’s doing.”

“Sooo…I’m guessing there’s a story there?” Perona offered with a grin.

“Oh there is,” Mihawk replied, “And you’ll hear it over my dead body.”

After breakfast was typically when training started for Mihawk and Zoro. While the storm had kept them working in the dungeon for the past few days, today was proving to be nice, if a bit chilly, and so they’d take their sword work outside.

“Hey Perona, I know it’s my turn but d’ya mind handling the dishes from breakfast? I’m itching to get started.” Zoro’s hands were already ghosting over the hilts of the three swords at his side, flexing and eager to pull them from their sheaths.

Perona puffed her cheeks in anger. “So I’m cooking AND doing dishes? Nuh-uh, Mihawk, tell him, we have a rotation for a reason!”

Mihawk sighed. It was going to be another one of those days, where the two couldn’t go ten minutes without finding something to bicker over. While he knew the young adults regarded each other fondly, hardly a week could pass without them butting heads over something inconsequential, and he of course, being an unwilling referee, would have to hear about it.

“Zoro, do the dishes, it won’t kill you to wait another fifteen minutes.” Mihawk rose from his seat and moved to the sink, finishing the last sip of his coffee and placing it and his empty plate in the sink. “I’ll meet you outside.” Zoro grumbled but turned his attention to the pile of dishes as Mihawk grabbed Yoru from its resting place and walked out onto the front steps.

Making his way to the paved area in front of the castle, Mihawk let out a few practice swings with Yoru, loosening up and preparing for the first round of the day with his student. Zoro’s progress over the last nine months had been impressive, if Mihawk could say so. While the green-haired swordsman still had a long way to go if he planned on killing his teacher and claiming the title of World’s Greatest Swordsman, Mihawk had to admit Zoro was doing well. 

Even though Mihawk found himself looking forward to their usual practice rounds, he'd personally had a lot to learn about how to be a good teacher in the one field he was truly an expert in, something he’d slowly improved upon over time. He recalled a time in the early days of their training when they were sparring together.

Mihawk unleashed a projected attack at Zoro, sending blue crescent blades flying through the air at him. Zoro had been caught off guard, and while he hadn’t acted quickly enough to deflect the attack, he had just barely been able to roll out of the way, and onto the ground.

Zoro panted, rising from the stone. “The hell, you trying to kill me?”

Mihawk scoffed. “Not my fault your defenses are sloppy, at best. That was pathetic. Makes me wonder what I saw in you in the first place”

Zoro had risen to his feet. “Ya know you’re great at the criticism, but not so good with the constructive part. Got anything useful to tell me? Anything I can work with?”

Mihawk let out a small chuckle, resuming a fighting stance. “Well…you’re great at dodging. Unfortunately, that won’t be enough to defeat me!” He leapt towards Zoro, swinging Yoru in punctuation of his statement.

Finished with the dishes, Zoro made his way down the stairs to meet Mihawk, and pulled the Wado Ichimoji from its sheath.

“Ready?” Zoro asked, smirking. Mihawk responded with a clash of his steel against Zoro’s own. The two swordsmen carried on in battle for the next few hours, Mihawk occasionally stopping to provide guidance.

The sun was reaching its apex in the sky, signaling that it was almost time to break up their battle when Perona’s voice cut through the sound of clashing metal.

“MIHAWK! MIHAWK!” The sharp-eyed man and his student turned at the sound, to see Perona floating rapidly towards them, parasol in hand.

“Mihawk there’s someone on the beach! A ship ran aground during the storm I guess? There’s someone there, she’s not moving.”

Mihawk panted, catching his breath from the exercise with Zoro. “Where? Show me.”

Leaning Yoru against a crumbling wall, Mihawk and Zoro followed Perona to the north side of the island, just behind the castle. Coming over a hill they could make out a small craft with torn sails, leaning slightly to the side, its hull driven up along the beach. A few yards upshore was an unmoving figure.

Mihawk could feel his blood pressure rising at the thought of another random stranger to take in, disturbing the peace he’d found and with whom he’d have to start the accommodation process over again if they needed to stay. He wasn’t a fucking charity. As he walked down the beach, he let out his frustration. “I swear to God if I have to take in one more stray….” A few feet from the unmoving figure, Mihawk came to a sudden halt, the expression on his face changing from anger to shocked recognition. The small frame, the pale skin, the deep purple hair… Perona and Zoro stopped behind him, bumping into each other.

“Olivia?” Mihawk said silently. Swiftly, he moved around the person and knelt at her side, flipping her onto her back. Her skin was freezing. Mihawk’s breath caught in his throat. He took in the woman before him, damp, bedraggled, breathing shallowly, and partially covered in a rash that reminded him of the way frost settled on glass. Lifting her shirt slightly, he saw it covered much of her torso and arms and was making its way up her neck and onto her jawline. With every shaky breath she exhaled, it was visible like a breath in freezing temperatures. While the island was chilly, it wasn’t that cold. Something was horribly wrong. “Shit. Olivia? Olivia??” He cradled her face in his hands, trying to get a response, but none came. Zoro and Perona rushed to his side. Mihawk bolted into action.

“Perona, I need you to go to the town on the next island, the one we visit for supply runs. A doctor lives there, her name is Dr. Takahashi. Tell her we have a woman in her late 30’s with a snowflake-like rash, cold skin, and when she exhales it’s like breathing on a cold day. Get her here as fast as possible, even if you have to drag her by the neck.” Perona nodded, her face set in determination, and without a word she took the order and fled over the water towards the nearest island.

Mihawk reached down and began to scoop the unmoving woman into his arms. She let out a small groan with the movement, her eyes fluttering open slightly.

“M-Mihawk?” she whimpered, the image of the man holding her fuzzy, but familiar, his golden eyes unmistakeable even in her delirious state. Mihawk smiled softly - the first genuine smile Zoro had seen him make in all his time on the island. Well I’ll be goddamned , he thought.

“Hey,” Mihawk said, cradling her with his left arm and pushing a strand of wet hair from her face with his free hand. “Don’t worry, you’re okay. I’ve got you.”

The woman smiled slightly before losing consciousness again. Mihawk lifted her into his arms and stepped quickly towards the castle, with Zoro in tow.

“Hey, you know her?” the younger man said, struggling to keep pace with the other man’s longer legs.

Mihawk’s golden eyes hadn’t left the woman’s face yet, his feet carrying him towards the castle with hardly a thought. But with Zoro’s question he looked up.

“I do,” Mihawk said. “She’s my ex-girlfriend.”

Next - Chapter 2: The Longest Night

[theartichokesarepurple]

y'all i forgot to post this but yesterday i was scully for my friend's costume bday party:

big slay if i do say so myself. 10 dolla blazer and tape laminated badge.

[figaroswilson]

𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙙 ⇒ 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘹 𝘦𝘹𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘳!𝘰𝘧𝘤

Chapter 4

masterlist

story summary: Kira Barnes, the younger adopted sister of Bucky Barnes, is forced out of the dark underworld of espionage and into the light of the new world of superheroes when her brother abandons her with the Avengers to go on the run. She is set in her ways and determined to find her brother until she meets Pietro Maximoff, someone who challenges her black-and-white view of the world.

story warnings: violence, swearing, blood, descriptions of abuse

chapter word count: 2276

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read on wattpad

~ ✺ ~

The Quinjet was awfully quiet.

There wasn't much to say after what had happened in South Africa. Both the fight at the salvage yard and what the Hulk had done to the nearby city was more than enough to shutdown any conversation. After takeoff, everyone had kept to themselves and now they were all scattered around the aircraft, most either asleep or pretending to be. Only Kira and Clint were up, sitting in the cockpit. Clint because he was piloting and Kira for the view.

She was looking out of her side window. Once, during one of his more lucid moments, Jamie had told her that whenever he couldn't sleep he would go to the Navy Yard and watch how the water glimmered in the moonlight as it lapped up against the dock. The way he described it was like it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. And he was right. The Atlantic was beautiful at night.

Clint had noticed a while ago that Kira wasn't meeting anyone's eye. For someone who would stare into your soul when she talked, it was clear that something was wrong. He decided he should be the one to figure out what and break the silence. Glancing over at her, he asked, quietly so as not to disturb the others, "You alright?"

Kira continued to watch the ocean as she answered him. "I'm not the one who had my head messed with," she replied, just as quietly as he did, avoiding the question.

He realised what she was doing immediately, but decided to play along. "Doesn't matter. I still care about you, Kid."

"Not a kid," Kira joked in return. She really wasn't very good at heart-to-hearts, and definitely was not prepared for one right now. Like usual, she tried to find a way out of it.

"You're like 20 years old," he said. "That's practically a baby."

"I was born in 1935. That's old enough to be your grandma."

"Still a baby."

Kira laughed, shaking her head and tried to change the subject. "Where are we going anyway?"

"You know I know you didn't answer my question. Right, Ki?"

"And you're not answering mine! We're seriously going back to the States? Is that a good idea?"

Clint sighed, dropping the issue for now. "Don't worry. I know a place."

~ ✺ ~

The 'place', it turned out, was a safehouse out in rural Iowa.

A safehouse that was also a farm. Clint's farm. Clint was a farmer.

Kira laughed as Tony's jaw dropped at the revelation. "Not funny, Ki," he mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing in concern, before turning back to Clint. "You've been hiding that you're a farmer from us? How could you?"

"Because you're the most overdramatic person I know, Tony." Clint clapped him on the shoulder. "I thought we already established this," he said, trying, and failing, to hide his smile.

Tony frowned. "Evil man," he mumbled.

The house, though large enough for each of the team to have their own separate rooms, looked like a spec in the middle of the sprawling fields that surrounded it. An old pickup truck and a small pile of firewood lay near a large wooden shed. The place was empty and the nearest neighbours must've been miles away. The entire scene was beautifully still in the morning light, and entirely quiet.

As soon as they got inside, Nat broke off the rest of the group and went straight up the stairs, like she already knew her way around the place. With how close she and Clint were, it made sense; if he was going to tell anyone about a secret house, it would be Nat. He tried his very best to show the rest of the team around the farmhouse, though their awkwardness made it very clear that none of them had ever stepped foot inside one and that no one knew how to be normal about it either.

Kira's thoughts wandered. All she could seem to focus on was how little was currently in her control. The search for Jamie was entirely derailed, she had no way of getting in contact Sam, and the mission she was currently on just seemed to be getting more and more complicated. All she wanted to do was go back to before that damn party, where everything had gone wrong. At the very least, she wanted to let Sam know she was okay.

Logically, she knew none of these thoughts were helpful right now. It was a lot easier said than done, though. She tried her best to put it all out of her head. Tried to pay attention as Thor looked with concern into the nearly empty refrigerator.

Clint looked wildly uncomfortable explaining how difficult it was to get groceries when the closest store was nearly 50 miles away and how much harder it was to keep them fresh when you hardly spent any time at home. Kira tried to help by diverting their attention. "Who's this?" she asked, pointing out an old framed picture of two boys on the window sill in front of the kitchen sink.

"Oh." Clint quickly placed it face down. "No one. Just me, when I was a kid, and— you know. Just a childhood photo," he rushed out.

Odd. She gave him a look. He quickly moved on to showing them their rooms.

~ ✺ ~

Kira mostly avoided the others for the rest of the day.

It wasn't terribly hard. They mostly kept to themselves anyways. Thor had left early on in the day, saying he needed to look for 'answers' with not much else as an explanation. Nat stayed up in her room. Bruce sat quietly in the kitchen, helping Clint out when he needed it, as he tried to put a meal together, and he needed it. Steve and Tony made themselves useful around the house, helping with some of the harder chores, like chopping up firewood.

She had tried to be around the others. At first. Her swarming thoughts quickly stopped that though. It didn't help that she couldn't talk to anyone about it either. Steve was around Tony, Nat was busy isolating herself and Sam was unreachable. Her only other option was to take Nat's approach and isolate herself too, but that wasn't turning out to be a good idea either. The longer the day went on, the longer she had to think herself into a spiral. Slowly, everything started to get too loud and too bright and, eventually, she realised she couldn't quite breathe right. She had to get out of the house.

Kira walked too quickly down the stairs, opened the front door too harshly and took a deep breath. Paused. Let it out. Started walking. Slower than before. She walked till she reached the edge of the property, then walked along the treeline that enclosed it. She walked until she didn't want to anymore. Sat in the shade of a large tree, facing away from the house. Took in the world around her. She tried to do that thing her therapist told her about: clearing her mind. She watched the clouds coming and going. How they always passed. Imagined they were her thoughts. It will pass.

And then, for a long time, she just watched. Birds flittering in the trees. Leaves dancing in the wind. Recently shorn grass, too small to be disturbed. Blue sky becoming tinged with purples and pinks, yellows and oranges. A gentle breeze brushing against her face. Footsteps on hard ground.

"You're not sneaky, Clint," she called out as he approached.

"Not trying to be." He sat down next to her. It was quiet between them for a while, as they watched the sunset.

"It's beautiful out here," Kira whispered, as if the scene in front of her was so delicate that a misspoken word could break it.

"That's why I bought it. You can just... be. Pretend nothing else exists. Clear your head."

She hummed in agreement.

"Of anything, you know," he said in an odd tone. "Like a weird encounter with two annoying 20 year olds—"

"Clint," Kira groaned in annoyance.

"Oh, come on. You can't avoid it forever."

"It's not that important."

"Ki..."

"It's really not! I promise, it's just—"

He gave her a look.

Fine. "It's just that the whole thing was odd. I don't understand why Maximoff didn't try and mess with my head," Kira explained. "I was right there. An easy target. All I had was a gun— same as Nat. And my abilities aren't any more dangerous than Steve's. She even started walking towards me but, then, nothing. They both got this look in their eyes and zoomed off. I mean, can you make any sense of that?"

Clint considered for a second. "Maybe she was too drained."

A look of confusion crossed her face. "Drained?"

He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped himself. Closed it. Considered his words. "You know my taser arrows?" he asked, tentatively.

"You shot her with that?" Kira exclaimed.

"Not exactly."

"Clint..." she said with a warning tone in her voice.

"I may or may not have attached it directly to her head," he rushed out.

"Clint!"

"She wasn't hurt! Promise. Just slightly inconvenienced."

Kira shook her head in disapproval. Then sighed, "It can't have been that anyways, she still messed with Bruce's head after. She was clearly fine. Plus that look, it was less exhaustion, more... fear."

"Huh. Maybe it was your murder face."

"Murder face?" She looked at him incredulously. "You're fucking with me, right?"

"I'm being serious! When you get pissed off at someone, you look like you're plotting their murder. A slow and painful murder. Your murder face!"

Kira laughed at that, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"It's not just about the twins, is it?"

"Okay, I am not sharing that much. This was more than enough—"

"You don't have to! Promise," Clint interrupted. "We all have to have some secrets."

"Like your picture in the kitchen?"

He nodded.

"And the reason Nat's the only one who knew about this place?"

"I won't ask if you won't. Just... try not to let it get to you too much. Alright? Sometimes the way to do that is to talk about it. Other times it's not. Especially if you're not comfortable. And that's okay too." Then, after a pause, he added, "We should probably get back inside now; it's getting dark. Plus, I have a surprise for you."

~ ✺ ~

"Took you long enough," Fury chastised from the head of the table as they sat down.

The rest of the team was already scattered around the dining room – some seated at the table, others standing. Kira smiled at him as she sat in the chair to his left. She didn't mind a little telling off from the grumpy ex-SHIELD director who had saved her from HYDRA. "Fancy seeing you here," she joked.

"Well, I thought you guys might need a metaphorical kick up the ass."

"Might need an actual one too," Clint mumbled, mostly to himself.

Fury sighed, his brow furrowing. "Ultron really did a number on you folks."

"Gee, thanks," Nat muttered.

"As much as he hates you though," he continued, "he did it to buy himself time. My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing."

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asked from the doorway.

"He's easy to track, he's everywhere," he answered. "The guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though."

"Still going after launch codes?" Tony confirmed.

"Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway."

"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare."

Fury shook his head, in that tired-of-everyone's-bullshit way of his, at Tony's admission of a federal crime. "Yeah, well, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about that." At the confused looks that appeared around the table, he explained, "The world internet hub in Oslo. Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on earth."

"What'd they say?" Clint asked.

"He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed."

This piqued Kira's interest. "By who?"

"Parties unknown."

"We have an ally?" she asked.

"Ultron's got an enemy, that's not the same thing," Fury corrected. "Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is."

"I might need to visit Oslo," Tony said, more thinking out loud than speaking to anyone directly. "Find our 'unknown'."

"Well, this is good times, Boss," Nat interrupted. "But I was kind of hoping when we saw you, you'd have more than that."

"I do, I have you," Fury said. The team looked around at each other, slight looks of disbelief on their faces. They weren't nearly as confident about their chances as they had been before South Africa. Still, he continued. "Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else. Now, here we all are, back on earth, with nothing but our wit, and our will to save the world. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard. He looked at each of them, then asked “What do we know? What does he want?"

"To become better," Steve spoke up, more confident now. "Better than us. He keeps building bodies."

"Person bodies," Tony added. "The human form is inefficient, biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it."

"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed," Nat sighed, glancing between Tony and Bruce.

"They don't need to be protected." Everyone turned to face the end of the table. It was Bruce, speaking up for the first time since Fury had arrived. Despite addressing everyone in the room, he seemed lost in his thoughts. After a second, he shook himself out of whatever had captured his attention and, in response to the silence that answered him, explained, "Ultron's going to evolve."

"How?" Fury asked.

"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?"

~ ✺ ~

[melswifeasf]

Safest in your arms pt 10

previous chapter || next chapter || series page

Pairing: Georgia Miller x fem!oc

Summary: fall fest was supposed to be a fun activity for Samantha but it turned into nothing but a huge disappointment.

Warnings: (18+) MDNI, cursing, age gap relationship (18 and 30) grooming.

HALLOWEEN WAS THE BEST time of the year which all six friends could account for. they could dress slutty, get drunk and go to parties the whole weekend. it wasn't until their sophomore year they ditched the whole 'binge scary movies and stuff their faces with candy' deal and started going out instead. they had wanted to go to a party that night but none of them had planned a costume and Ellen had said she preferred her daughter to just go out on Saturday instead. Samantha didn't push it, it wasn't like her to do so.

the group of friends were in Matthews like most weekends. they were all sitting on the couch except for Natalie and Oliver who were on the floor like they had been last time they were there the last they were there. it was almost midnight and she thought by now she would be with a certain blonde but her friends were very persistent on her staying and she couldn't say no. even then that didn't stop her from texting her.

🍑 : are you gonna be at the festival

tomorrow?

S: prob? depends on if my friends

are going

S: are you?

🍑: i have to since Paul is running for

mayor again, he needs everyone in

the office with him.

S: does this mean Georgia Miller is

going to dress up?

🍑: i have to do that?

S: ofc you do, ur in the Mayors office

you kind of don't have a choice

🍑: does that mean your dressing up?

S: for the festival? no lmao.

S: i prob will later though, i think we're

going to some party

🍑: will i be able to see your costume?

S: i'll send pics;)

🍑: i'll be looking forward to it

🍑: what will your costume be?

S: idk tbh, we're all dressing up together

but they can't decide on what it should

whilst she waited for a response from the blonde she put her phone face down in her lap and turned her head to look at her friends. she was laying her head on Jades lap, her hair was being played with softly. Nia had Samanthas legs on her lap and Matthew was sitting beside the brunette with a respectable space between them. it was understandable that they wanted to keep things between them under wraps, especially considering they were still taking things slow and Oliver was overly protective when it came to Nia and her love life. she only ever had one boyfriend during her Junior year but it only last six months because Oliver would always try and scoot himself in between them. it wasn't fair, Nia never did that with him and Nat.

"i think we should go as nuns" Matthew said and looked up from his phone. they all laughed.

"the day i see you in a nun outfit will probably be the day that i die." Jade said with a chuckle.

"you putting that on would be an insult to nuns and i'm not even religious like that," Natalie said.

Matthew rolled his eyes, "okay i get it, i like sex." he shrugged. Samantha wondered if he was actually offended or if he was just acting like that because he always did. a part of her would believe he was offended, especially since the girl he currently had a thing with was sitting right beside him and listening to everything. although that shouldn't matter, Nia knew who Matthew was since the day they met and it's not like all of that knowledge would disappear now that they were figuring things out.

"more like you get around." Jade mumbled with a small chuckle making the girl in her lap slap her arm softly in warning.

"what about the avengers?" she proposed, trying her best to differ the conversation from him and to something else. "there's six of them so the numbers check out" she continued.

Oliver scrunched his nose, "i don't think any of us want to be hulk"

"or hawkeye" Nia mumbled.

Samantha sighed, "okay. any other ideas?" they had been going at it for a while now and it was starting to annoy everyone in the room. it was just hard, none of them wanted to pick something basic but there weren't that many group costumes, especially with six.

"we could all just wear purge masks" Natalie shrugged making both Samantha and Nia grimace.

"ew that's like super 2019. that is the most boring shit ever" she said shaking her head. Natalie sighed.

"okay then i don't know"

the room fell silent once more as they thought about more ideas. Matthew was on his phone searching for ideas but he seemed to be coming up with the same things over and over.

"what about toy story" Nia said making the raven girl point at her in agreement.

"i can be barbie. she's hot" she said earning a small smile from Jade.

"true." she agreed.

"holy shit," Oliver muttered making them all look at him in confusion. "Matthew and i could be Kens and you girls could be barbie." he proposed with a huge smile. that didn't sound like a bad idea at all, she doubted anyone else would think of doing that. it just surprised her that Oliver was the one to think about that over everyone else. she'd expect that from Nia or maybe even Jade but Oliver? that was something she never saw coming.

"why are you actually kind of a genius" Nia said matching her brothers grin.

"i think i'm more of a raquel though," Jade said, her lips twisted to the side as she was looking at the space in front of her in thought.

"i totally see that" Natalie nodded then gasped as she looked down at her boyfriend in excitement. "we could be Ken and Barbie from the Toy Story movie." she said happily.

Oliver's grin grew wider, "you're a genius babe" he said and the blonde shrugged sheepishly before she leaned down to press a soft kiss on the boys lips.

"i'll be howdy Ken," Matthew said, his lip curling into a smirk.

"valid, valid." Samantha nodded, "i never thought i'd see you in a cowboy costume and honestly i love that for you"

Nia frowned, "but then what would i be? i don't want to be in some horrid 80's work out jumpsuits" she said sadly.

"you could match with me" Matthew offered, his smirk gone and replaced with a small smile that everyone else in the room messed but Nia couldn't.

"yeah, you guys would look great." Natalie said to try and encourage her friend. they really needed to come to a conclusion so they could get the costumes the next morning.

"that just leaves you," Jade said looking down at Samantha.

"i'll be og barbie. you know, with the pink dress? god i'm gonna look so hot" she sighed out a bit dreamily causing them all to laugh.

"i sometimes forget how obsessed you are with yourself," Natalie chuckled.

"whatever, it's called self love." Samantha bit back and threw up her middle finger at everyone in the room.

they all started to talk about what they needed to buy which wasn't much since most of them already had clothes that could go with it. the only person who didn't was Natalie and Oliver because he needed a hawaiian shirt. Samantha figured her dad would have one though she offered to try and look for one for him. Samantha would just wear a pink dress that she already had and wear glittery eyeshadow along with pink heels to really seal the deal.

Samantha didn't feel her phone vibrate any more meaning Georgia hadn't texted her back. she tried not to overthink it, the blonde was probably asleep by now. it's not that she needed to talk to Georgia every minute of the day but the blonde had been a bit distant since the morning and she wondered if she did something wrong. the day that they hooked up Samantha and her stayed up another hour before the blonde grew tired and fell asleep, as soon as she did Samantha snuck out through the balcony. it was thankfully still slightly dark outside, the sun had just began to rise so it wasn't completely light outside. things were fine even the morning after, their dynamic didn't change but she was starting to wonder if the blonde had just now started to regret it, the reality of it all finally sinking in. the thought alone made her stomach hurt.

now that she knew what being with Georgia was like, life before her seemed so boring. nothing compared to the night they shared, the chemistry, the passion and overall it was just so fucking hot and every time she thought about it a light shade of pink would cross her features. her overthinking was cut short by Jade who locked her phone and threw it on the empty spot beside her.

"guess what i heard," she said a small smirk playing at her lips. everyone stopped to look at the girl, each of them just as confused, including Samantha who was looking at her with furrowed brows.

"what?" Oliver chuckled.

Jade looked down at Samantha, "Sophie Sanchez and your sister are talking." she said, her smirk never leaving.

"holy shit, are you for real?" Matthew laughed in slight amazement. Samantha didn't say anything as she waited for Jade to respond to him. there was no way Max was talking to someone - specifically someone she knew and wouldn't tell her. the thought alone hurt her feelings more than she thought it would.

Jade nodded, "yeah. i heard it from Kate. i think she even invited her to some party Brodie's throwing." she laughed and anyone who had common sense knew she was making fun of Max.

the raven haired girl didn't even care to comment on that. all she could think about was the fact that her sister was talking to someone and she didn't bother to loop her in. maybe she was a hypocrite considering she didn't tell the girl about her ex girlfriend but that was different, she couldn't tell Maxine because she knew it would ruin a lot of friendships and she didn't think it was fair for that to happen when all she wanted to do was to be happy. Maxine didn't have that problem, it's not like Samantha would get mad if she talked to Sophie. she just wished she was important enough in Maxs life to have been in the circle. maybe she was a shittier sister than she thought she was.

the girls mood had drastically changed and the only person who seemed to notice was Nia who began to rake her fingers through the girls hair. "you okay?" she asked softly, her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

Samantha shook her head as she tried to form a smile, "yeah." she whispered.

both of them knew she was lying.

the next day the group of friends all rode together to the festival. they had all gotten everything they needed for their costume and there was a while until they needed to get ready so they decided why not go. Natalie Oliver were still parking the car seeing as there wasn't any empty parking spaces so they dropped the four friends off before driving off to try and find a space. as soon as Nia and Jade saw that there was fresh apple cider they each broke away from Matthew and Samantha leaving them on their own. they were each waiting for the two girls near the face painting station where Samantha could clearly see her sister and her friends.

what she had heard yesterday was still fresh in her heart and seeing her sister only made it sting even more. she never thought she would be left in the shadows of her sisters life and yet here she was.

she wasn't the only one overthinking though. Matthew glanced at the shorter girl briefly, his heart was beating faster than usual which he had never felt before. why was he nervous? he only felt like this before games. he sighed, "can i ask you something?" he spoke up breaking Samanthas stare in her sisters direction and directing her sight toward him.

she had an idea of what he would be asking but nodded regardless, "what's up?"

"has Nia told you anything.. about us lately?" he asked a bit hesitantly, he paused to try and get the words out without seeming too n invested.

Samantha shook her head, "about what?" she asked feigning confusion. she didn't want to throw her friends under the bus like that, especially not with the literal guy she was crushing on.

Matthew looked at her with 'seriously' look on his face. "you're her best friend and she hasn't said anything? i don't believe you" he said and crossed his arms against his chest.

the raven girl rolled her eyes, "if you already knew the answer then why'd you ask."

Matthew shrugged, "i want you to be honest."

"she has."

"what did she say?" he quickly responded.

Samantha looked at him with raised brows, not at all used to seeing him this desperate. "just that you guys talked during Sophomore sleepover." she said honestly. they hadn't really spoken since and she assumed it was because they were taking things slow.

Matthew nodded, his face turning so he was looking in front of him and not directly at the shorter girl. "that's it?"

"did you want her to tell me something else?"

he shook his head. "i just.. i know she likes me and all but i don't know if she would want to actually go on a date with me." he said scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Samantha's expression softened, she now understood that it wasn't just one of his usual conquest, he actually care for Nia. "i think she'd say yes"

"really?" he asked his head snapped back toward the girl. she nodded with a gentle smile.

"yeah."

the boy couldn't contain his smile so he turned back around, "okay" he confirmed. neither of them could continue their conversation considering the sole topic of it was walking toward them with a cup in hand. she was laughing at something Jade had said and Samantha didn't miss the way the boys eyes shinned at the sight. she loved them together.

the brunette and Jade approached them, each holding a cup of cider. "want some?" Nia offered Samantha as she held her cup out but Samantha shook her head.

"im good. thanks though." she said earning a smile from the brunette as she went back to talking with Jade.

soon enough Oliver and Natalie were walking toward them hand in hand, once they were caught up with the group they walked around a bit to see what they could do. there were some activities which they participated in which really just means Oliver and Matthew would compete with one another. they spent half an hour carving a pumpkin which both looked equally as bad, none of them had the heart to tell them that though. that thankfully didn't last long since they all went toward the stage when they heard Paul begin to announce who had won the decoration competition. they all knew who the winner was even before so it was really pointless.

Samantha could see Georgia up on the stage, their eyes met for a second, each of them sharing a smile before the blonde turned to talk to her coworker. the six teens were in the crowd, half of them whispering to each other whilst Nia and Matthew were watching Samantha and the blonde exchange small glances.

"bootylicious really takes the whole costume thing seriously." Matthew said with a small smirk knowing the name he called her would annoy her.

he was right, the raven girl rolled her eyes at him. "shut up" she mumbled making both Nia and Matthew glance at one another in amusement. she looked so hopelessly in love and yet couldn't see that herself.

"best window decoration," Paul announced, a small card being pointed at him so he could read off of it. he was wearing a suit that was unbuttoned to reveal a super man costume, he was even wearing a black wig and glasses to complete the look. "goes to.. Liz Chavez" he finished earning an applause from the crowd. they watched as a trophy was brought up to Paul before her gave it away to the winner. "winner of best apple pie," Cynthia which isn't a surprise at all. "to the surprise of no one, goes to Cynthia Fuller." as they all expected. everyone began to clap once more but neither Samantha nor her friends did.

"bitch," Jade muttered under her breath making them all laugh.

"careful, the witch might hear." Matthew quickly whispered before turning back toward the front so they could watch the red head take a picture with the mayor. Samantha saw the small and cold interaction between her and Georgia when she grabbed the trophy from the blondes hand. that made a smile form on her lips, she loved that about Georgia. the camera snapped a quick picture and the redhead pulled away from the mayor and behind him on the stage.

"and now a very exciting announcement from the mayors office. we are going to be renovating the Wellsbury public library." cheers erupted from the crowd once more, even from the six teens who were glad they were finally going to do something different in the town.

not everyone had the same reaction though, Cynthia walked back up toward the front of the stage clearly upset with what she had just heard. "but the library is one of the most historic buildings." she said.

"exactly. this is why it deserves upkeep." Paul nodded. "we're gonna be adding a third floor. we are going—"

he was quickly interrupted by the red head who sounded even more upset, "upkeep? sounds like your plan is to depreciate a beloved landmark." she said in a condescending tone then reached over to snatch the mic causing it to make a slight squeaking sound making everyone cringe.

"fuck." Samantha muttered knowing whatever was going down wouldn't be good.

"what Wellsbury deserves is a mayor with a vested interest in preserving that standards in this town. i mean, first the drugs, now the library. where does it stop?" she said. cameras were snapping pictures repeatedly, each of them wanting the hot new story for the day.

"bitch needs to get laid," Nia joked earnings snickers from the group.

"someone get her a broom so she can fly away." Oliver added making his girlfriend shove him softly, not able to contain her amusement at his words.

"green gardens actually allowed us to have a surplus that far exceeds—"

"i saw Mayor Randolph last night on a date." she interrupted him, talking louder to drown his words out. murmurs erupted in the crowd causing her to nod, "yes. with his assistant" she confessed pointing at the blonde in accusation.

the crowd fell silent at her words just like Samantha felt her stomach drop, her before amused expression replaced with a blank expression. the three oblivious teens began to whisper their surprise whilst Nia and Matthew looked at their friend worriedly. they glanced at one another, each of them trying to have a silent conversation so try and figure out what to do.

Samantha's eyes locked with Georgia who looked nothing short of regretful but she quickly looked away, turning her attention to Paul making that horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach intensify. this was why she had been super distant they day before. she probably couldn't find the balls to tell her that she wanted to end things then. it shouldn't even matter, they aren't even together but that didn't take away the absolute pain she was feeling in her chest. was this what all of her one night stands felt when she didn't talk to them anymore? was this her karma?

she chuckled softly, her head shaking in disbelief. she felt stupid for ever thinking her and Georgia could be anything but a simple fuck.

"let's go." she said dryly, not even turning to look at her friends as she began to walk away from the crowd. not even Cynthia making a skeptical of herself could make her feel better and all she wanted was to get that horrible feeling out of her body and never have to talk to Georgia again. the pettiness of her words didn't matter to her, she didn't care that it had only been two months since they met, or that they only had sex once and that they never agreed to be exclusive. it was the fact that Georgia didn't tell her, the fact that she kept her in the dark and even texted her asking if she would be able to see her after she went to the halloween party because Ginny would be out til late. did she think she could just keep her little date a secret?

no, fuck her.

none of them questioned her as they walked to Oliver's car, at least not until they were actually in it. "why'd we leave? i wanted to get my face painted." Oliver said when he began to pull out of the parking space. his words earned him a slap in the back of his head from his sister who was sitting directly in the seat beside him.

"ouch, what the fuck?" he said his hand rubbing the impact to try and soothe the pain. Nia shot her brother a look through the rear view mirror which cause him to shut up a second later. Samantha wasn't paying attention to Jade and Natalie who looked extremely confused by the whole situation.

thankfully Matthew was the one who solved the problem which meant more to Samantha then she could ever really express. "Sam was having an attack." he lied. well, it wasn't a complete lie, she was having a sort of anxiety attack but it didn't have to do with the crowd around her.

"are you okay?" Jade asked quickly after, she turned her head to look at her friend with worried eyes.

Samantha nodded softly, "i'm good. i just didnt take my meds today." which also wasn't a lie. since she stayed the night at Matthews she didn't have her pills. she was planning on taking them before going to the party since she wasn't planning on drinking, the idea of driving to Georgias house drunk was incredibly irresponsible but that wasn't the case anymore and she was starting to regret it. in fact the only thing that could make her feel better at this point would be blacking out so she didn't have to think about her shitty love life. funny how she went from not having one just a month ago and now it was more complicated than ever.

[fairy-writes]

fairy's fics for gaza

hello everyone! i'm not sure anyone would even be interested or care about this but i'm OPENING REQUESTS for @ficsforgaza !! by tossing my hat into the ring, i hope to help raise money and interest for this cause!

keep in mind i'll maybe close my requests if i get overwhelmed or can't fulfill a request. i am setting the donation limit for $5 for 500 words. ofc this is subject to change (e.g. you want a shorter or longer request)

how this works!

you (the reader): send me A DIRECT MESSAGE (not an ask pls, those are reserved for regular requests) asking for a request. i will start working on your request once you've provided proof to me (with any personal info removed) of your donation to a VETTED FUNDRAISER. DO NOT SEND ME THE MONEY

me (the writer): once i have vetted the fundraiser (there is a list to choose from HERE), i will begin work on your request. keep in mind i have other projects to get done (e.g. original stories, other requests still in my inbox, etc.) so it won't be published right away.

LIST OF FANDOMS/PEOPLE I'LL WRITE FOR (these are all x reader):

Arcane: League of Legends: Viktor, Silco, Jayce Talis, Vi, Vander, Caitlyn Kiramman, Mel Medarda

Bungou Stray Dogs: Nakajima Atsushi, Nakahara Chuuya, Dazai Osamu, Kunikida Doppo, Fukuzawa Yukichi, Saigiku Jouno, Suehiro Tecchou

The Case Study of Vanitas: Vanitas, Noé Archiviste, Roland Fortis, Dominique de Sade

Demon Slayer: All the Hashira, Akaza, Kokushibo, Douma, Kibutsuji Muzan, Kamado Tanjiro (aged up), Agatsuma Zenitsu (aged up), Hashibira Inosuke (aged up)

Doctor Who: The Doctor (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th), Jack Harkness, River Song

Fullmetal Alchemist: Roy Mustang, Greed, Riza Hawkeye, Jean Havoc, Envy, Alex Louis Armstrong, Olivier Armstrong, Edward Elric (post-FMAB), Alphonse Elric (post-FMAB), Ling Yao (post-FMAB)

Grimm (NBC): Nick Burkhardt, Hank Griffin, Sean Renard, Drew Wu, Monroe

Jujutsu Kaisen: Gojo Satoru, Fushiguro Toji, Geto Suguru, Nanami Kento, Itadori Yuuji (aged up), Fushiguro Megumi (aged up)

Moriarty the Patriot: William James Moriarty, Albert James Moriarty, Louis James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, Fred Porlock, Sebastian Moran, James Bonde

Tokyo Ghoul: Uta, Kaneki Ken, Kirishima Touka, Kirishima Ayato (re: age), Nishio Nishiki, Tsukiyama Shuu

GENERAL RULES

i write specifically SFW. no NSFW or dark content here folks. though there are plenty of participating authors who write either dark content or NSFW!

all writing is gender neutral but can be customized to a female!reader

absolutely no exclusionists welcome. that includes anyone who is or condones racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, aphobia, ableism, islamophobia, antisemitism, or anything similar.

things that WON'T be written: nsfw/smut/spice (implied or otherwise), abusive relationships, yandere, self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, mental disorders, incest, character x character, character x oc

if you have any further questions please let me know!! i've never done something like this and it's very probable i've left something unclear lol.

feel free to check out the BLOG for more information! they also have a FAQ here!

[toyatenmacanon]

a few nights ago i saw deadpool & wolverine

gods there were so many things i loved i started writing them down on my popcorn container

oh sopiler warning for every good thing so if you havent seen the movie DONT YOU FUCKING DARE CLICK (also this is a long ass post)

the "bye bye bye" dancing as dp kicks ass

and the fact that the double who did the dance was credited as "dancepool"

the ass slaps in the changing montage

the itty bitty wolverine

the feral one

the one getting crucified on the X

ok everyone knows the "are you fucking or fighting" part but

i said "both" out loud AND I WAS WITH MY PARENTS AND THEY BOTH HEARD

wolverine running at the other guys on all fours

human torch just kinda being a throwaway

and the after credits scene where he just actually says all that stuff dp said he did

the loki reference

and like. everyone

the antman base

"looks like paul rudd finally aged"

the entire diner scene

DOGPOOL

one of my notes is literally just "zesty"

"mj if youre nasty" i dont remember the context but yea

"you look like if hawkeye was a superhero"

gen z trauma

the gayass car fight scene

and wolvies badass trunk entrance

"have you been checked for adhd"

"theyre gonna make him do it till hes 90!"

the wild amount of deadpools

feat. welsh deadpool, baby deadpool, kid deadpool, sexy deadpool, dnd lookin character deadpool

i didnt write the exact quote but "something sometging multiverse all we needed was the wizard of oz the gays knew it"

the kickass deadpool fight scene where everyone just casually grts back up at the end

and peter being the one constant

the gayest scene with deadpool & wolverine fucking with the matter and antimatter together while wolvie is shirtless bcs ofc he is

the "shwarma?" ref

he started the movie with a world of 9 people, and ended with 14 people and a dog <333

im too emotionally attached to the xmen universe

also why was thor crying??? (HELP I ALMOST WROTE SHREK)

heres my notes btw

[nekoannie-chan]

Week 12 Reblog Masterlist

}Welcome to Week 12 2024 or Week 220, as always, fics would be listed in the order I read them.

I hope you enjoy it!

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

♥ You can check my reading guidelines here.

♥ You can check my masterlist here.

♥ You can check my main reblog masterlist 2024 here.

♥ You can check my March reblog masterlist 2024 here.

♥ You can check Week 11 2024 here.

♥ You can check Week 13 2024 here.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

𝙺𝚎𝚢𝚜: 💛 ᵒʳᶤᵍᶤᶰᵃˡ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ

💜 ʰᵒʳʳᵒʳ

🖤 ᵈᵃʳᵏ

❤️ ˢᵐᵘᵗ

💚 ᶠˡᵘᶠᶠ

💙 ᵃᶰᵍˢᵗ

🧡 ᶜᵒᵐᵉ��ʸ

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

This is the list of the fics I read and recommend in Week 12 2024:

Captain handsome (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @bookishtheaterlover7 💚

I'll always care about you (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @cevansbaby-dove 💚

Headcanons (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @mx-your-name 🖤

A love as sweet as honey prologue (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @crazyunsexycool 💙

Hawkeye part 1 (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @swan-of-sunrise 💚

Temporary custody part 1 (Stucky X OFC) by @sarahowritesostucky ❤️

Look what we have here (Stucky X Reader) by @1800jjbarnes 💙

Headcanons (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @mx-your-name 🖤

Slut! (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @anonymityisfunwriter 💙

In the night (Stucky X Reader) by @1800jjbarnes ❤️

Fic (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @cevansbaby-dove

Off Broadway part 1 (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @sassypossumm 💚

Made for me epilogue (Bucky Barnes x Reader) by @saiyanprincessswanie ❤️

Fic (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @mellowswriting 💚

Welcome home Captain (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @j-buchanan ❤️

New world order part 4 (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @queen-of-the-avengers 💚💙

Take it off (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @capsiclecevans ❤️

Fic (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @stargazingfangirl18 ❤️

You mark on me part 13 (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @georgiapeach30513 ❤️

Lunatic III (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @missacidburn928s-heathenhideaway ❤️

Clean shaven (Stucky X Reader) by @lesbojournals ❤️

Temporary custody part 2 (Stucky X OFC) by @sarahowritesostucky ❤️

[chrysopoeias]

controversial and way too long rambling about otp and fan interpretations

I cannot stand this pathological need to insist that with the royais, it is actually all along secretly Hawkeye who is the real mommy boss in the relationship, while Mustang is a barely functioning man-child that needs her instructions just to breathe. This insistence that Hawkeye must be the meaner, nastier, cooler, more badass person I see way too often. That she must be the one that is always smarter and better at everything. And above all, she must be tired and rolling her eyes out of her skull constantly for dealing with Mustang's bullshit and the whole relationship in general. 

Why can’t Hawkeye just be lame and have her issues too? Why must she be the mean alpha boss bitch? If anyone should be the mean alpha boss it’s more likely Roy ‘I punch children to get my point across’ Mustang, honestly.

And where is the love and romance in this idea, portraying one character as always annoyed and tired by the other? Portraying it as Mustang being the child that Hawkeye needs to mother, or he might end up sticking his tongue in a wall outlet down a public toilet. If I read about it one more time I will commit sudoku in minecraft.

It feels like disrespect for Mustang’s character too. The joke/gag about him being useless in certain situations only works because he has a hero complex. He is obsessed with being useful, on never giving up, especially on others. Not being able to help others highlights that and hurts him fundementally. It is not that he IS actually useless.

Hawkeye is just not the one in charge and leading the relationship and their goals. She is the one that follows, famously. It’s a repeated point that she is the more overtly insane and dependent one. Roy’s end goal is what keeps her going. She will explicitly not move on and take charge of their plan herself if she comes into that situation, she will simply give up and kill herself.

The need to see her be the one that is just better, stronger and smarter and doing everything in the dynamic all the time (while doing it perfectly ofc) annoys me. I have no idea where this comes from, besides popular bad American cartoons and movies often using the ‘clueless man x fundementally better woman’. Or it is #feminist ideas that the female character must be perfect and in charge otherwise it's too stereotypical and problematic.

I know fandom spaces are mostly made up of women, so it’s extra silly to me that women are the ones complaining about men in straight relationships putting all emotional labour on women and taking advantage of learnt helplessness to get out of tasks. And it is correct to complain about that. But then the same people turn to fiction and go ‘Aw isn’t it cute and sexy and so endearing for a male character to be completely helpless while his better and smarter and stronger mother girlfriend has to do everything for him UwU’. Truly baffling. It’s so unsexy to me.

My sickest fantasy is wanting to see mutual effort and respect in romance. Can they just both be cringe and pathetic sometimes? Strong and clever sometimes? Take care of each other and fill in when the other is lacking? For their codependecy and mess to be mutual? 

Stop making Mustang into a helpless child FFS.

[lexytoga]

just rewatching loki, since i started watching agatha and hawkeye, just relazing what if loki ended up like sylvie if frigga didnt show him love, personlly i think frigga was the one who kept loki from crossing a line he might regert, and now seeing sylvie being more violent, more rude towards people cause she didnt fully grow up with her timeline frigga's motherly care, even in the comics, frigga is pretty strict towards loki and loki ended up being a mad king, but ofc he still loved her, i dont know just trying to justify her actions cause i think she had reasons and i like her alot lmao XD she was good in S1 kinda annoying in S2 (this is not sylvie x loki post but I dont mind the ship!)

[shewhohangsoutincemeteries]

to ashes, development

Clint Barton x F!Reader

To Ashes, Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Summary: a development on a mission means it's time to move on.

Warnings: angst, fluff, canon-typical violence.

Word Count: 2,313

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Days Since the Decimation: Three Years, Eighty-Five Days

“Holy shit, you got any idea how fuckin’ hard I am right now?”

You wrinkled your nose. “Oh, gross.”

Clint frowned.

“What? It’s seedy as hell,” you waved a hand. “You take me to the worst places.”

You swore, you could actually see him roll his eyes from the other side of the building. “Not exactly poetic, are they?”

The two of you were on top of an old disused warehouse in Harringay, listening with distaste as the men inside discussed their, ugh, merchandise. What was it with men and guns?

The weapons ring you’d fought in Holland Park was still at large, and Clint had spent the last two weeks tracking them down again. Honestly it was a testament to them that it had taken him this long, even without his old SHIELD connections. Whoever they were, they weren’t street level thugs.

…It made you feel the tiniest bit better about them getting the better of you in the park.

Clint had scrubbed through the local police files for any clues as to where they were setting up house. Between that and his own reconnaissance, he’d managed to track one of their prominent dealers to right under your feet.

“You still clear on the plan?”

Nodding, you unhooked the safety hood of your holster. “Yeah. Yeah, I got it.”

“Y/N…”

You looked up with a raised brow, fixing him with a pointed look. “Are you really about to lecture me about not taking revenge?”

Clint met your eye with an almost exasperated expression. “Point taken.”

“You ready for this?”

“That’s my line.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” you smirked, stretching out a kink in your neck. “Let’s go to work.”

***

You were really getting tired of these guys.

That’s the only thought that came to you as you rolled behind the crates to your left, gun still in your hand. You came to a kneel, your back meeting the wood with a dull thump. They were too prepared, to ready for the two of you.

This wasn’t supposed to end in a shootout. This was supposed to be a quick job, and yet… how did they know about the two of you? They’d mentioned a boss in the park, someone who had guessed you’d been Clint’s back up, but still… they knew you were coming. Not well enough to lay a proper trap, to ambush you before you got inside, but well enough to be ready.

You ducked lower with a curse as wood shattered above you, large splinters raining down on top of you. Thankful for the hood that kept them out of your hair, you exhaled and turned to fire two shots back around the corner. One shot went wide, but you smiled grimly as the second bullet buried itself in a man’s shoulder. He cursed in a heavy Eastern European accent as you ducked back behind the crate.

“Did you have a plan B for tonight, or are we winging this?” you said into your comms. You heard a cry go up among those shooting at you, followed by shouts of confusion and a few wild shots. You winced despite yourself for a second, waiting for a response in your ear to assure you that they’d missed.

“I’m working on one,” Clint replied gruffly, and you released a small, relieved breath despite your faith in him.

“So… winging it, it is then,” you sighed wearily, setting a new magazine into your handgun and adjusting your hold on the grip. “You know, I kinda hate being the one to draw their fire.”

“I’ll make note of it for next time,” he replied dryly, and another gurgling cry went up among the men between the two of you as Clint shot back out of the shadows long enough to take one of them down. He sliced up two – the one you’d wounded and the man closest to him. “Don’t do anything stupid, alright? We’ve got this under control.”

“Do we?”

“You doubt me?”

“I—”

“Fuck this!” shouted one of them – a burly brunette with a greying beard and tattoos scattered over his biceps. “Get one of the pushka out here and end this!”

“Clint—” you said warningly, stealing a glance over the crates.

“Don’t panic,” he warned, and you swore you caught the glimpse of silver in a brief shift of the light to let you know exactly where he was. “You’re not their biggest problem right now.”

“Clint—”

A deafening blast sounded and you fell forward, hands flying automatically to your ears. The crate to your left exploded – as did the wall in front of you, burst apart in a wave of electric blue energy.

“Holy—”

“Y/N!”

“I’m fine, just—”

“Forget the bitch! Get the Ronin!”

You scrambled away from where you’d hidden, throwing yourself behind an old forklift. Too late, you realized you’d left your gun behind, having dropped it when your hands had flown to your ears. Swearing to yourself, you winced as another blast fired. The building itself groaned as they blew another hole in a wall.

“What the hell is that thing?!”

“Just get outta here, Y/N! I’ll distract—”

“Don’t you fucking dare, Barton!”

“Just go!” he barked back. “Now!”

“Goddamn it!” you growled, standing as you heard the men shout that they’d spotted the Ronin above them. You saw the gun – a bazooka-like cannon – turn upward, point directly at the shadowy figure above. “Stubborn-ass-son-of-a—”

The blaster fired, and you swept your arm upward in the same moment. A shield appeared seconds before the energy wave could hit Clint, knocking him to the side. The energy wave just barely glanced off the shield before blowing a hole in the roof and sending debris collapsing down on the men below.

“What are you—?”

“Take the moment, Clint; you can yell at me later!” you spat back through gritted teeth, sprinting towards the group still shielding themselves from falling bricks and timber. “Get out! I’m right behind you!”

Pulling the knife from the back of your belt, you turned it in your grip and plunged it into the hand of the man closest to the crate they’d pulled the pushka from, ignoring the way he screamed. You released it, instead grabbing the first weapon you could from the crate – thankfully, a much smaller hand-gun style weapon – and kept running. A few men managed to get off a few shots before you were clear, and you winced as you felt a bullet tear through your sleeve to graze your forearm.

Feet pounding too loud on the pavement, you made it quickly to an alleyway across the street, tucking your prize under your injured arm as you grabbed hold of the rung of a fire escape ladder with your other arm and swung yourself upwards. You could hear the building behind you continue to collapse as you climbed the ladder, and you winced as a hand gripped yours as you reached the top.

“Are you insane?”

“Are you?” you shot back breathlessly as Clint pulled you up onto the roof beside him. “What the hell kind of plan was that? You were gonna let them shoot you with that thing?”

“I’m faster than I look, Y/N,” he pointed out sourly. “And now they know—”

“They don’t know shit,” you argued. “There’s no way they could see the difference between that shield and whatever the hell they were shooting at us with.”

“It was still really stupid, Y/N.”

“You’re welcome.”

Clint gave you a look that somehow managed to look grateful and exasperated all at once.

“Oh, and I totally get MVP this mission.”

“Is that a thing?” he replied dryly.

“It is now,” you said proudly, finally managing to catch your breath. Ignoring the pain throbbing in your arm, you held out the gun you’d stolen. “Ta-freakin’-da, Barton.”

***

“Lat—”

“What?”

Clint repeated himself louder, but his voice was still muffled by the wood of the door and the spray of the shower.

“What?”

You heard the shower door open and a few dull sounds before the bathroom door in front of you opened. Water dripped over Clint’s bare torso and soaked his hair, one hand clutching the towel slung around his waist. You watched him hesitate as he met your gaze, watched the adam’s apple in his throat bob. “Latveria.”

“Lat– Latveria?”

“This is starting to feel dangerously like a bit,” Clint said dryly, stepping back into the shower stall. You felt heat rise in your face as he closed the door and the towel was thrown up over the top of it. You stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment before closing the lid of the toilet and perching on the edge of it. “That’s where the weapons are being made.”

“And they’ve made it all the way out here?” you replied, swallowing as you tried to pointedly avoid staring at the shower. The stall was made of textured, frosted glass, and while it granted Clint modesty, you could still just make out his silhouette against the screen. His hands rose to scrub through his hair, his profile turned just barely away from you.

“They’re global,” Clint told you, raising his voice over the spray. “I heard reports of them turning up in New York back before… Fury had someone else working on it.”

“And we just happened to stumble onto them in a park in London?”

Clint’s hands lingered at the back of his neck. “They’ve been making bigger waves lately. Guess she’s been getting a little cockier since the Decimation wiped out half the authorities that could work their case.”

“‘She’?”

Clint’s hands moved down his chest to his stomach, and you lowered your gaze to the floor, face burning. Your thighs pressed together despite yourself. You knew your voice had broken slightly as you’d spoken that one word.

“Lucia von Bardas.”

The water shut off, and you straightened slightly, your hands threaded together in your lap. The towel disappeared into the stall. “Should I recognize the name?”

“Only if you’re trying to be familiar with Eastern European politics,” Clint told you, the shower stall opening after a moment. “She’s a pretty big name in Latverian political parties. She’s got interests in most of the big exporters coming out of that place, including Von Doom Industries. There’s been rumors of her dealing in some… less than legal businesses for a while now. Guess now we’ve actually got some proof.”

Clint stepped out; the towel tucked securely around his waist once more. He seemed to be avoiding your eye, wiping down the foggy mirror with his palm.

“And?”

“And what?”

“We’re going to take her out, right?”

You stood up, and Clint met your eye in the mirror. He sighed.

“That expression tells me you’ve already decided on the answer for us.”

***

“I’m starting to miss Stark’s money.” Clint sighed, settling back into the seat beside you.

“You’re the one who books these oh-so-deluxe travel arrangements,” you pointed out, attempting to find a comfortable position against the firm back of the bus seat. “You’d think with your super-ninja-spy-magic you’d be able to get us a fancier ride.”

“I’m not a ninja,” he told you patiently. “Or magic.”

“You’re a little magic.”

Clint shook his head with a smile; you were sure there was faint color on his cheeks as he dropped his head back against the headrest.

“So, how long exactly is this ride?”

He answered with his eyes closed. “…About two days.”

“Two days?!” you repeated, when you saw his smile grow slightly, you scowled. “I kinda hate you, you know.”

“I thought I was magic.”

“Magic and despised.”

He chuckled; eyes still closed. The bus pulled away from the curb, surprisingly empty. The sky outside was already dark, and the glow of the streetlights passed over the archer’s face. “We’re less likely to be recognized on the bus.”

“Curse you and your logic.”

Clint didn’t reply, and the two of you sat in silence for twenty minutes before you spoke again.

“It’s a little annoying how easily you can fall asleep.”

He smirked; eyes still stubbornly closed. “I’m not asleep.”

“…How about now?”

“Were you always this annoying on road trips?” he teased.

You laughed, closing your eyes too. “Oh, please. You’d be so bored without me.”

***

You opened your eyes slowly, blinking away the sleep still lingering. You hadn’t even realized you’d fallen asleep, but the wide expanse of road ahead of the bus told you you’d left the city a long time again, as did the faint pink glow tainting the deep purple of the night sky. You shifted, brow furrowing as you felt the warmth pressed up against your side and the rough fabric against your cheek. A comfortable weight rested against the crown of your head, and you frowned against the fuzziness still clinging to your tired mind.

Your eyes finally cleared to settle on the color of Clint’s jacket, and you felt his breath fan softly against your hair. You’d fallen asleep, your head falling against his shoulder, and he’d apparently done the same. His cheek was pressed against your hair, his breathing steady and even. A smile touched your lips as you let the sensation of his chest rising and falling lull you back into rest, and you ignored the sensible part of your brain that was trying to remind you that you were supposed to maintaining your distance from him.

Your eyes fell to your lap as your eyelids began to droop, and warmth flared in your cheeks. Your hand was on your thigh, and Clint’s rested beside it, his fingertips settled on the back of your hand. Your skin was warm and tingled under his touch.

Had he… had he been holding your hand?

.

.

.

tags: @trekkingaroundasgard @lovely-dreamer19 @wittyforachange @wefracturedmotivation @january-echoes @glossyloner @capitalnineteen @youclickedthislink @s0ftness @castieltrash1 @drakelover78 @queenoftheunderdark @lol-you-thought @akumune@xxboesefrauxx @enna-core@hearmyharmony@katsies @youralphawolf72 @maenji@rhymesmenagerie@gwianasky @melaclintbartoncorner @loki-is-loved@whovianayesha @bradfordbantams@alice-the-nerd@fanofallthefics @ace-fandom-dumbass @kaelyn-lobrutto24@twsssmlmaa @earth-pig-fish@meeksmusic83@hallothankmas@justanothermagicalsara@janineb86 @darsynia@rhymesmenagerie @thatwelshbi @lauraashley93@darkwhisperswolf

[findroleplay]

－ 20 year old looking for some fandom roleplays at the moment! some info about me and my rules before we go any further. i am currently in college and working while also having other activities and what not on the side, that being said i can't alway be online! please do not bombard me 24/7 but i always love a good reminder here and there, just not painfully every minute. i'm personally an advanced literate roleplayer so it may take me a bit more time to type up my replies because i love details and details and details! i also write in 3rd person and would prefer my rp partner to be about the same please. just easier that way for me. mostly i'm looking to do ocxcc (me playing my oc) but i'm also VERY happy to double up!! i love seeing other creative ocs and setting both sides around the same time and letting our ocs interact. let's just make sure that both sides are fair and we write the same for both! that being said, please do help come up with the plot. let's get our creative juices flowing and throw out all ideas, no matter how insignificant or dumb you may think it is; i will gladly hear it!! i'm very much someone that LOVES talking ooc with my partners. i love sending tiktoks, edits we make, ideas, headcanons, all outside the rp. i would love for my rp partner to also love those things because it just makes it more fun for us both! nsfw is completely fine and i am more than very happy to do it, let's just not make it something that happens every five minutes you know. i am also fine with more darker/dead dove sort of topics as long as we're both in agreement to what we're comfortable with and not comfortable with. one detail i would very much love to add to the roleplays is omegaverse, but that's not required or anything at all. now for the more fun details! alrighty here are the fandoms i am currently looking to roleplay and what characters i would love to pair with my oc from each of these fandoms! (fair warning some of these i don't have a wiki for my oc, but i do have the important details we will need to start off) - Shameless (as of this being written i am on season 5, episode 7, and i haven't ever seen the show before so i'd love minimum spoilers! i will keep track with you where i'm at in the show ofc as time goes on!) : Philip/ Lip or Fiona Gallagher. off topic but for this show i'd also love to do Ian x Mickey (me playing mickey) - Marvel (this is very broad but so you know, i have seen all the movies; not recently but i have, and i've watched up to the FATWS show. i have seen both Spiderverse movies, the X-Men movies, Daredevil, The Punisher show, Venom, and i'm pretty sure that's it for now) : Logan Howlett, Miguel O'hara, Miles Morales, Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr, Eddie Brock/Venom - One Piece (oh the wonder that is of this anime. i won't lie, i only started it recently and i just got to Skypiea and that arc sooo you will have to be very patient with me on this show 😭) : Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro, Nico Robin, Hawkeye Mihawk - OHSHC (one of my all time favorite animes, i've rewatched this show so many times already. it's such a comfort and i just love it!!) : Kyoya Ootori - MHA (so i'm rewatching the show because i stopped watching after like Endeavor Agency arc i think it was, so it was a long while back. right now i'm on season 2 and JUST started the UA Sports Festival arc so like with One Piece be patient because I have like 3-4 shows i'm watching at the moment LOL) : Toshinori Yagi/All Might, Shota Aizawa/Eraserhead, Shoto Todoroki, Katsuki Bakugou, Enji Todoroki/Endeavor, Natsuo Todoroki

i'm more than happy to move to discord to discuss and roleplay there, but for now that's all. i'll try to get back to every like that i see as soon as possible!

-

[liptonwashere]

requests for edits are always open!

about me

My first name is Samantha. I go by either Sam or Lena; whichever one you like.

I'm a 22 year old self-taught editor from Venezuela. I make BoB and The Pacific edits while trying to survive life, yaaay :)

INTJ 4w5. Aquarius.

Spanish / English

I love calisthenics, Carwood Lipton, music, baking, reading, economics, and editing ofc :)

edits

bob lookscreen

winnix - american teenager

speirs - be agressive!

bob - skyfall

bob - battle of the bulge

speirton

bob - soldier by fleurie

bob - i ain't worried

bob - spanish sahara

speirs - maneater

bob and the pacific parallels pt. 1

george luz - i'll be around

eugene roe - l'enfer

the beauty of band of brothers

john basilone and lena riggi - the ghost of you

masters of the air - in the air tonight

interests/fandoms

🎵 music (all over the place): the smiths, radiohead, dpr ian, kendrick lamar, elvis presley, nothing but thieves, mac demarco, arctic monkeys, muse, taylor swift, lady gaga, nf, conan gray, onerepublic, mitski, taemin, my chemical romance, queen, paramore, troye sivan, hozier, frank sinatra, agust d, jungkook, gemini, monsta x, one ok rock, sabrina carpenter, lana del rey, natalia lafourcade.

📚 books: all quiet on the western front, testament of youth, goodbye to all that, storm of steel, poilu (louis barthas), sassoon's poems, the great gatsby, poe's short stories, crime and punishment, no longer human, the brothers karamazov, frankenstein, the art of war.

📺 tv shows/animated series/anime: band of brothers, the pacific, generation kill, hannibal, sherlock, the legend of korra, arcane, hxh, snk, peaky blinders, castlevania, the boys, silo, only murders in the building, brooklyn nine-nine, the office, true detective, the punisher, daredevil, hawkeye, the mandalorian, andor.

🎥 fav movies: the pianist, the godfather, top gun maverick, spirit: stallion of the cimarron, a knight's tale, blade runner 2049, the grand budapest hotel, the dark knight, jojo rabbit, 1917, knives out, sound of metal, parasite, the gentlemen, kingsman, into the spider-verse, hacksaw ridge, sicario, the big short, whiplash, prisoners, inglourious basterds, the winter soldier, good bye lenin!

TikTok

Instagram

Ko-Fi

that's a wrap!

[ana-swritings]

Kinktober 2022 - Day 27

Day 27 of Kinktober

Kink: Mirror Sex

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Pairing: Clint Barton x OFC (Brielle)

Words: 1056

T.W.: N/A

Summary: Let me watch you

Clint has had his fair share of one-night stands and affairs in the past, but none like her. Brielle was from a different breed, she knew what she liked but wasn’t afraid to try new things. She was the first woman to pass the “one-night only” rule. They’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now, strictly for sex, and it didn’t show any signs of ending any time soon.

He was constantly trying to find new things to try with Brielle and his latest idea came from an unlikely source, Vision. He was going to suggest to Brielle they should try doing sex in front of a mirror. How he didn’t remember that sooner was beyond him, but now wasn’t the time to think about how the idea came to be but to put it in motion.

Brielle arrived at the Avengers Tower, a little after 10pm. She had a rough day and sex with Clint was just what she needed to release some of the stress. She knew he would have come up with something new to try that night and she certainly didn’t mind. Anything to help forget the day she just had.

She knocked on the door and Jarvis let her in. Clint met her in the living room and he already had that mischievous smirk on his lips. She knew she was in for a good night.

- “Hey, beautiful.”

- “Hey. So, what do you have planned for tonight?”

- “Really? Not even an ‘how was your day?’? I’m hurt.” – Clint answered sarcastically. He knew that she wasn’t one to lose time with chit-chat. That was one of the reasons why he was so willing to break his rule.

- “Are you really? ‘Cause if I remember correctly, you hate chit-chat.”

- “Okay, fine. You’re right, I’m not and I have something new for us tonight.”

- “Wouldn’t expect anything else from you, Mr. Barton.”

Clint grabbed her hand and guided her towards his bedroom, where a 6ft mirror was already set up at the end of the bed. He looked back at her, waiting for her reaction to the mirror, when he saw a knowing smirk appear on her lips. She knew what that was for.

- “Let me guess, you want to have sex in front of the mirror.”

- “What do you think?”

- “I’m in.” – Just the thought of having sex in front of that mirror was already making her hot. She took a few steps towards Clint and started to take off her clothes very slowly. She knew how much that turned him on and she could see that it was working.

Clint saw her getting closer and closer to him, losing pieces of clothing each step she took. As the clothing hits the floor behind her, he could feel himself getting harder and harder. She definitely knew how to turn him on. With a quick movement, he grabbed her and kissed her, tangling his fingers in her long, brown hair, pulling it just enough for her to gasp and allow him entrance on her mouth.

The remaining of the clothes were quickly discarded to the floor. Clint picked her up, her legs wrapped around his waist, and laid her in his bed. Trailing soft kisses down her neck and chest made her moan, while his hands rubbed her body up and down. He took one hand further south and started playing with her clit. The moans coming from her were making him even harder. The way she moaned his name was driving him crazy.

Clint kept rubbing her clit and put two fingers inside her. Thrusting them in and out made her moan even louder. He could feel her clench around his fingers every time he would push them inside. She was a moaning mess by then.

- “God, Clint, don’t stop. Please, don’t stop. I’m almost there.”

Clint kept going, faster than before. He wanted to feel her come. Soon she started to clench around his fingers and came on his hand. A soft moan escaped her lips when she was done. He decided that that was a good time to put on a condom, letting her catch her breath in the process.

Brielle was still coming down from her high when she felt Clint grabbing her hips and turning her towards the mirror.

- “Get on all fours.” – He whispered in her ear and she was more than happy to comply. Clint was well doted and, in that position, she could feel him completely. It was definitely her favorite position. Brielle turned towards the mirror and got on all fours. She could feel him align himself with her entrance and through the mirror she could see the look of pure desire on his face.

Clint pushed himself inside her, slowly at first, feeling her around his cock, how wet and hot she was. One final push and he was all in, filling her up and touching her core. He could see the look of pleasure on her face and that made him thrust inside her again. He was starting slow, he wanted to take his time enjoying being inside her and make her moan, but if she kept moving her hips the way she was doing, he knew he wasn’t gonna last long.

Brielle was loving the way he was pushing himself slowly inside her but she wanted more. She needed more. So, she started moving her hips and she could feel his cock twitching inside her. She could see the way he was focusing so hard not to lose it, but she knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself much longer.

He lost it. Clint started thrusting in and out, faster and harder than ever before.

- “Fuck, Clint. Don’t stop. That feels so good.”

- “You like it like this, hum? Good to know.”

- “God, Clint. You’re fucking me to the core. Keep going. God, just keep going.”

- “Fuck, Brielle. I can’t hold it anymore. Come with me. Fuck, your pussy is so fucking perfect.”

- “Clint, I’m coming. I’m coming.” – And that was his cue. He could see the look of cheerful pleasure on her face, the same he had on his. That made them come even harder. They both came down from their highs only to fall on the bed breathless.

“Yeah, this mirror thing was definitely a good idea.”

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

Hope you enjoyed it. :)

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[blakelysco-pilot]

Birds of A Feather- Need You Tonight

The third part of Birds of A Feather. Clint finally works up the courage to ask Blair out after a handful of derailed attempts and encouragement from Natasha. The only problem is that he doesn't know where to take her, and when they eventually get there, it's not what he had hoped for. Happy reading; feedback is always appreciated. Also posted on AO3.

“I know it’s more than a crush, Clint.” Natasha ground out as he landed a blow to her ribs. 

“Tasha, less talking. More punching.” 

The pair were currently occupying the training room; having no trouble throwing each other around like rag dolls for the sake of working out. 

“Im just saying,” Natasha ducked an oncoming kick and managed to sweep Clint’s feet out from under him, sending the archer onto his back. Natasha took the opportunity to look down at him. “If you don’t ask her to the Christmas Gala, you’ll miss your window.”

“I’ve been trying to ask her for a drink for weeks, and that keeps blowing up in my face.”

“Clint, don’t make me ask her for you.”

Just as Clint was about to respond, pushing himself up off the mat, Natasha was on him again, pinning him down. 

“Ask her, Barton.”

Leaving him where she had taken him down, Natasha strode from the training room, towel over her shoulder, and a smirk on her lips. 

“Fuck…” Clint scrubbed a hand down his face, thinking of what Nat had just said to him. 

He knew she was right, because to him, Blair was the type of woman who couldn't possibly stay on the market long. Clint had to make a move before it was too late. 

“Damnit Tasha, why are you always right…” he grumbled, moving to exit the room and head for his level of the tower for a hot shower and a pot of coffee. 

As he waited for the elevator, he considered just how he might ask her. This was bigger than asking her for a few drinks after work; and doing just that had proven difficult for Clint. Every time he seemed to get close to doing so, something got in the way. A mission, or too much paperwork on her desk, or a migraine brought on by said paperwork. 

He was able to breeze through conversation with her if he kept it light, humorous, and kept her on her toes. It’s why he tended to poke his head out of the air duct that lead to her office; no matter how many times she jumped out of her skin when he did it, the smile on her face when she looked up at him and scolded him, mirth in her eyes….yea, it was totally worth it as far as Clint was concerned. 

The elevator doors opening snapped him out of his daydream, and stepping inside, he noticed quickly that he wasn’t alone. Blair was on her way up to the office to start her day. 

“Morning, Hawkeye.” 

She turned to face him, hip braced against the side of the elevator, coffee cup in one hand, and a few folders in the other, tucked against her chest. 

“Well this is awkward…” he grinned, deflecting with humor right off the cuff. 

“Oh?” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Do superheroes not say good morning?”

“Oh no, we do, but  usually you’re already at your desk and I’m hanging upside down when we say good morning…”

“Should I take it back? Save it for later maybe?” 

The elevator stopped on the Avengers floor before he had a chance to respond, and they exited together. Blair stepping off to the right and Clint moving towards the left. 

“I’ve got to shower,” He spoke by way of saying goodbye. “Tasha beat me up good this morning.”

“I’m not surprised,” Blair grinned. “See you later?”

“Oh, there’s a very good possibility.” Clint winked. 

“Let me rephrase,” Blair chuckled. “Will I see you or the top of your head?”

“That has yet to be determined, honey.”

Laughing, Blair turned to head down the hallway, calling back to Clint without turning around. 

“I’d rather the former, not the latter, Barton!”

Clint turned, watching Blair walk down the hallway with a dazed look in his eyes, his mind wandering back to the conversation he had with Natasha in the gym just moments ago. 

“I’ll be damned…” he whispered, a smile on his face as he turned to continue his journey to his quarters so he could shower and make his way to see Blair. 

It took Clint longer than he wanted to before he was able to get to Blair’s office. After showering and running things over in his head a thousand times, he had begun his initial journey to see her, and was sidetracked the first time by Steve. The soldier had stopped him to remind him he had three mission reports due by the end of the week; Clint had brushed him off with a polite nod and a promise to get them turned in soon. The second distraction came in the form of Natasha, who stopped him to make sure he was going to do what she told him to do earlier. He had yes’d her to death while trying to get out from under her thumb. He had to remind himself that she was his best friend and meant well. 

Walking down the hall to her office, he silently hoped that she wasn’t on the phone or swamped with work; either of those would end up sending his plan in a downward spiral. Shaking himself out of his daydream, he straightened his shirt and poked his head around the doorframe. She was focused on the screen of her computer and mumbling something that he couldn’t quite pick up. When she pushed the papers in front of her out of the way and sighed, Clint took the momentary break in her work to knock twice on the door and grab her attention. 

“Am I interrupting?” He asked. 

“Would it make a difference either way?” Blair smiled, and he could see any previous frustration drain from her face. 

“Nah, not really,” he smiled. “You know me.”

“I do…” she nodded. “I know the door might be a little foreign to you but, you can come in you know.”

Clint pushed off the doorframe and entered her office, choosing to walk past the two chairs on the opposite side of her desk and perch himself on the windowsill just behind her chair. Now he was closer, and as she turned her chair to face him, Clint could just see a glimpse of what was stressing her out. Tony’s latest interview where he had shot an arc reactor blast from his newest piece of tech straight through the wall of The Today Show at NBC studio. Complete accident, naturally. 

“So…” she grinned up at him. “Nice to see your face and not just the top of your head today.”

“I aim to please.” He chuckled, the archery joke not lost on her. 

“Of course.”

The pair sat quietly, only the sound of the music playing surrounding them, before Clint spoke up again. He hoped she couldn’t sense how nervous he really was. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Sure,” she relaxed further back into her chair, gaze focused completely on him. “What’s on your mind?”

“Are you…are you uh, free?” He asked, and specified further when he noticed Blair looking at him questioningly. “Tomorrow night?”

“I am, yes…” the smile blossomed on her face as she realized what he had just asked her. “Are you asking me on a date, Clint?”

“If you want it to be a date… no pressure, it can just be two friends having drinks.”

“And if I want it to be a date?” 

“Then I want it to be a date, too.”

“Then it’s a date.” She smiled. 

Clint let go of the breath he was holding, and he hoped that she couldn’t see just how relieved he was that she had said yes. Now, all he had to do was figure out where to take her. 

He had spent the remainder of that day, and half of the next wracking his brain for ideas. Dinner and a movie was cliche and he didn’t want to come off as not trying. It was the holidays and the city was already overflowing with tourists and shoppers; he wanted to stay somewhere a little more discrete. By lunchtime the day of, Clint had come to terms with needing help, and so, he found himself in the lab with Tony and Bruce. 

“I’m telling you, it’s the holidays, you can’t go wrong with a rooftop bar.” 

Clint stood in the lab while Tony continued to mess around with his latest project, the billionaire not even looking up. 

“It’s December, Tony.” Bruce chastised from the other side of the room. 

“I’m with The Doc on this one,” Clint nodded, offering Bruce a thankful smile. “It’s December.”

“They have heaters and you can get an excellent view of the skyline while you eat, and drink, before you take her home and warm her up.”

“Tony!” Bruce warned. “Blair is a nice woman….not that she wouldn’t want to, with Clint…sorry Barton, you know what I mean.”

“I wasn’t thinking about that, but you just had to make it weird, Stark.” Clint laughed. 

“Hey, what am I good for if not lewd suggestions to break the tension.” He grinned. 

“You know a good place then?” Clint was relenting, and only because it was the eleventh hour, the day of the date, and he hadn’t decided where to take her. 

“JARVIS, can you make a reservation for Agent Barton and Blair at mine and Pep’s favorite rooftop lounge?”

“Of course, Sir.” The AI responded. “I will send the details to Agent Barton’s phone.”

“Thanks J,” he turned then, facing Clint. “Done; now, all you have to do is have fun.”

“Easier said than done, but, hey, you never know.” Clint called as he exited the lab. 

He needed to make a quick pit stop at Blair’s office, before making his way to his own quarters to change before getting in a quick spar with Natasha. And, because he was a gentleman deep down, he wanted to pick her up at home, not just leave straight from work. 

“Knock knock…”

“Is that Clint Barton at my door? Or am I seeing things?”

“Very funny.” He grinned. 

“You can come in.” Blair gestured to the empty office, a smile on her face. 

“I can’t stay, Tasha wants to spar.”

“Well, I’d suggest going easy on her but…” 

“But she’ll just hurt me if she knows I’m pulling my punches.” Clint finished. 

“Exactly,” She replied. “But I would like to see your face later.”

“Ten-four, ma‘am,” he saluted. “Oh and before I forget, I came here because I need your address.”

“Oh! Are we not going straight from here?”

“Is it alright that I pick you up?”

“Absolutely alright,” she beamed, grabbing a post-it off her desk and scribbling down her details. “What time should I be ready?”

“7:30?”

“Do I get a hint at where we’re going?”

“Nope,” he gave her a cheeky smile, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “But I’ve heard the word ‘chic’ might help you figure it out.”

“Ooh, mysterious. I like it.” 

“See you tonight, Darlin.”

The subtle insertion of the nickname threw her a bit, and before she could reply, Clint was out the door and on his way to the training center. If Blair spent the rest of the day with her head in the clouds, dreaming of Clint, well, that would be her little secret. 

Clint broke out into a jog as he checked his watch; it was 7:40 and he was ten minutes late picking up Blair for their date. Cursing, he skidded to a stop in front of her building, taking only a moment to catch his breath before taking the stairs two at a time. Pressing the buzzer with her last name on it, he waited only a moment before her voice filled the air. 

“Clint?”

“Hey Darlin!” He called back. 

The sound of the door unlocking told him that maybe he wasn’t so late, if she was letting him upstairs instead of meeting him downstairs. 

Clint was about to ascend the stairs to the fifth floor, when he heard the telltale sound of an elevator arriving, and a quick glance over his shoulder saw an older woman exiting, eyeing him suspiciously, before he gave her a smile and stepped into the lift. 

Pressing Blair’s floor, he let out a breath as the doors closed and the quick journey up allowed him a moment to collect himself. It was just that, a quick journey, and the doors were open again and suddenly he was in front of Blair’s door, fist raised to knock gently. 

When the door opened, there was Blair, dressed for a night out, a radiant smile on her face. 

Hi!” She beamed, stepping aside to let him in her apartment. “Sorry, I  just need two minutes, the train was delayed coming home, so…”

“Don’t rush, take your time.” He replied, taking a moment to look around at her home. 

Modest one bedroom (he assumed) with a clean kitchen, large living room; clean but somehow decorated in a way that emulated her style. He could faintly hear music coming from her bedroom, and smiled when he realized it was Duran Duran. 

“I don’t want to make us late,” she called from her room. “My luck, I’ll end up costing us the reservation.”

Before he could reply, the sound of a pair of shoes falling to the wood floor rang out. 

“We have plenty of time, please don’t rush.” 

She came around the corner at that moment, heels clicking on the floor, and Clint could swear he felt himself wanting to memorize everything about the way she looked. 

She was wearing a pair of high waisted, dark wash jeans, a deep green off the shoulder blouse that was tucked in, and a pair of suede camel boots that reached just over her knees. He thought she was gorgeous every day he saw her at the tower, dressed for work, but she was gorgeous like this too, and he wouldn’t fail to let her know. 

“You look beautiful,” he smiled, and she couldn’t help but smile back at him. “I’m a lucky sonuvabitch to get to take you out tonight.”

“Clint…” his name fell from her lips softly, a light blush working its way up her neck to her cheeks. “Thank you, you sure know how to boost my confidence.”

“Well, I’ll do it for as long as you’ll let me.”

Reaching forward, Blair gave his hand a gentle squeeze, before stepping away to grab her coat and purse. 

“So, where are we going on this mysterious date?”

“Don’t laugh,” he started. “But I thought we could have drinks and a bite to eat, and see the tree.

“That sounds like a great idea, what are we doing first?”

“This is the part you can’t laugh at, but Tony made the reservation for us so…”

“Am I underdressed?”

“No, no, it’s a rooftop lounge with a view of the tree, he said he and Pepper love it, so…”

“So it’s ultra fancy I’m guessing?” 

“Couldn’t say,” Clint laughed, holding his arm out for her. “But I’m up for an adventure if you are?”

“Lead the way!” She grinned, pulling her coat on and allowing Clint to lead her out of the apartment. 

“Wow…” 

Blair looked around once her and Clint had been seated in a cozy booth, the Manhattan rooftop bar was decorated from top to bottom in what she might describe as ‘Christmas Chic’ and she could tell why Tony and Pepper liked it so much here. It was cozy, the numerous heaters and tall plexiglass enclosure kept the heat in and the wind out, while providing an incredible view of the skyline. Directly below them was the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. A pillar of the holiday in New York City and a huge tourist attraction. 

“I can see why they like it here so much,” Clint peered over the edge, down to the tree, eyes watching intently. 

“Are you assessing potential threats, or watching the ice skaters?” Blair teased, leaning forward towards him. 

“The skaters, definitely,” he chuckled. “That guy just ate it, hard.”

Blair leaned closer, her hand falling over Clint’s as she turned to see the skaters below them, her chuckle falling short as she felt Clint turn his palm up to capture her hand in his. 

“You’re right…” she grinned softly, turning her gaze on him. “He did eat it.”

“Told ya…” Clint grinned, his gaze on the woman next to him, the moment theirs to enjoy. 

Until the waitress popped their bubble of intimacy with her arrival, shrewd and rough around the edges. 

“Hi! Can I start you both with a drink?”

Clint inwardly sighed, and only straightened when he felt Blair give his fingers a gentle squeeze, her smile turning on the waitress. 

“Can we have another minute to look over the menu?” She directed herself at the waitress, not missing the way the other woman was eyeing Clint. 

“Sure! Let me know whenever you’re ready…” she was speaking pointedly at Clint, ignoring Blair directly beside him. 

She turned and walked away with what one could only describe as an exaggerated sway to her hips and a bounce in her step. 

“Okay, she’s rude.” Clint grumbled. 

“I think she has a crush on you,” Blair chuckled, facing him once more. “And she definitely knows who you are.”

“Which means everyone here will know.”

“Clint, it’s okay… that doesn’t really bother me.”

“It’s frustrating,” he sighed. “I wanted to spend time with you, not taking selfies or signing autographs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all bad but…”

He broke off on a sigh, and Blair took no time at all in making a split second decision.

“You trust me?” 

Clint’s head snapped up to look at her, a twinkle in her eye that told him she was planning something. 

“Yea,” he nodded, a smile forming. “Yea, I do.”

“Get your coat, come on.”

Standing, she shrugged her own coat on, and grabbed her purse from the booth before sliding out and holding her hand out for him to take. As soon as his own coat was on, he slipped his hand into hers and allowed her to lead him from the rooftop, and if she noticed the waitress staring after them in annoyance, she didn’t show it. It wasn’t until they had taken the elevator back down, exited the building, and were waiting for a car did Clint finally speak up. 

“You do have a plan, right?”

“Call it a long standing contingency plan.” She spoke against the wind, throwing her arm out as another yellow cab made its way towards them. When the car stopped, both were quick to get in, Blair rattling off an address in Brooklyn. 

“Brooklyn?”

“Yes,” she settled in her seat, and pushed some of her hair away from her face before facing him. “I used to live there, but, working in the city, this is just a little more convenient.”

“So, your long standing contingency plan is…”

“I won’t lie, it’s a complete dive. A real hole in the wall kind of place, but it'll give us the privacy we both want. And they have a decent juke box.”

Clint was silent a moment before he began laughing, head back against the seat, eyes crinkled at the corners. Blair found him even more handsome if at all possible. 

“I should have just let you plan our date.”

“Well, at least this way we saw the tree.” She winked. 

“Because you know Tony; he’ll ask-“

“Pester.” She cut him off. 

Clint laughed again, nodding his agreement with the pretty brunette sitting opposite him. He vaguely caught the cab driver making eyes at her through the rear view mirror, and Clint subtly scooted closer to Blair, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his side. Worried he may have been too forward, he chanced a glance down at her, and when she gave him a smile that reached her eyes, he only gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

They remained that way, silently watching the city lights fly by from the cab’s window, until they pulled up to a bar in Brooklyn. Clint threw a few bills at the driver to cover the ride and a tip, helped Blair from the car, and shut the door behind him. As the car peeled away into traffic, Clint allowed Blair to lead him into the dimly lit bar, just catching a sign that wasn’t even lit that read ‘The Hideout’. 

“Your contingency plan is….an actual dive…”

“When dates go sour, or I feel like watching a ball game without someone hitting on me or quizzing me on whether I can name five players on the Yankees, I come here.”

“Old reliable.” Clint grinned, following her as she walked all the way to the end of the bar, pulling out two stools for them. 

“Charlie’s an old friend, and even if he knows who you are, he won’t advertise it.”

“That’s good to know.”

“It’s nothing fancy… so, I hope that’s okay.”

“More than,” he slid onto the stool next to her, watching as she hung her coat from the back of the chair and placed her bag next to her. 

A man in his forties approached them, he was bald and had a myriad of tattoos ranging from Freddy Krueger to the logo for 3-1-1 and offered Blair a smile. 

“Bad day?”

“Quite the opposite,” she smiled. “Charlie, this is Clint.”

Charlie appraised him briefly, his eyes giving a flash of recognition before he held his hand out, offering the archer a friendly grin. 

“Welcome to this shit hole,” Charlie laughed. “Happy to have you, Clint.”

“You got a great place, man, I love these kinds of bars.”

“Well, it’s been a slow night so, you two should be safe to play the jukebox and whatever you had planned.”

“Thanks man,” Clint nodded his appreciation, his gaze falling on Blair. “What are you drinking, Darlin?”

Blair hadn’t had a chance to answer before Charlie had a short rocks glass in front of her, and Blair shook her head at him. 

“What if I wanted something else,” she laughed. “You always jump the gun.”

“And you always order the same thing,” Charlie rolled his eyes, mocking her. “Tequila and club with lime juice, chilled.”

“I knew you were a tequila girl!” Clint exclaimed, calling back to their first night hanging out at the tower, where she had helped him polish off the last of the margaritas. 

“Shh, Natasha didn’t need to know that.” Blair winked. “Now, what are you drinking?”

Clint looked over the beers on tap before settling on one, Charlie quickly pouring it and leaving the two to tend to his other customers. 

“Cheers,” Clint held up his glass, Blair carefully lifting her own to meet his. “To your contingency plan.”

“To sharing my contingency plan with someone special.” She smiled at him, bringing her glass up to her lips. 

Clint took a sip of his beer, nodding appreciatively at the taste. His eyes fell on a group of twenty somethings who had just walked in and gathered at the other end of the bar, and it was almost like he was waiting to be noticed. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” Blair turned in her seat so she was sitting sideways, and facing him, urging him to do the same. 

“Sorry, it’s second nature to be on guard when I’m out.”

“Understandable. Do you want to switch seats? I’ll sit facing the door?”

“No, also better if I can see who’s walking in.”

“You live up to your name, Hawkeye.” 

“A blessing and a curse.” He agreed. 

He caught one of the patrons telling his buddy to put something in the jukebox, and thinking on his feet, he pulled out his wallet and handed Blair a ten dollar bill. 

“Make good choices.” He winked, gesturing to the jukebox over his shoulder. 

She grinned excitedly, snatching up the money and hopping off her stool to make it to the bright touch screen jukebox before someone else, using the ten dollars from Clint plus five of her own to make sure all her songs played on priority. 

It was some time later, the jukebox still playing Blair’s songs, that she and Clint were laughing like teenagers at the bar. The younger crowd had been annoyed at the song choices she had made, grumbling and complaining to Charlie who had told them to suck it up or find another bar for the night. Some of them had taken him up on that offer. 

The song changed, and Clint threw his hand up in victory as the opening blasted through the bar. 

“Big INXS fan?”

“Not really but I love this song in particular…”

Blair couldn’t help the smile, it seemed no matter what, she couldn’t make her face do anything except smile while she was around him. It wasn’t the alcohol, or the vibe of the bar; it was the man she was with, wrapped up in buttery leather and jeans, the crinkles at the corner of his eyes as he smiled at her and continued to sing along to the song, body moving with the beat of the music. 

As the chorus kicked in, Blair sang along with him, taking his hands in her own and moving closer, their noses touching as they made their own fun, in their own little corner of the world. 

“I’ve got to let you know, I’ve got to let you know…” Blair whispered so only he could hear. 

“You’re one of my kind.” Clint finished with a grin, moving to press his lips to hers quickly, surprise coloring his face when after he pulled away, Blair chased him for another. 

“Hi…” He smiled, faces still close together. 

“Hi…” 

“Do you want to go to the Stark Christmas gala with me?”

“Yea,” Blair grinned. “Yea, I do.”

Tags: @rowdy-redhead @mizzzpink