#He didn't think he *especially* deserved to live. He didn't expect Bruce or any of his parents to protect him.

[feywildfox]

drowned dogs and chain fences

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)

Relationships: Roy Harper & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd

Characters: Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Roy Harper

Additional Tags: #Dead Dove: Do Not Eat #Character Death #Violence #Blood and Gore #Trauma #Traumatized Jason Todd #Heavy Angst #Resurrected Jason Todd #You Have Been Warned

Word count: 1,587

Summary:

How do you forgive someone who let you die? Who buried you, six feet deep in the regret and grief of a lost child - and yet let your killer live. The person who expects you to greet them with a smile and open arms. Who's very visage inspires hatred and rage so great it leaves you breathless. How do you forgive? Jason can't. He doesn't know anyone who could I.E. jason todd has done a lot in his life. he's also been through some supremely traumatic things and has a perfectly valid reason for being an antihero who kills. changing that example of what happens when batman's "morals" cost the life of someone he supposedly cares about is boring. so here we are.

Chapter 1: fumes of tomorrow

Jason Todd is fine. He's fine. Really, he's totally okay. He hates Bruce Wayne, but it's fine. He's surviving. Maybe he's even healing or something dumb like "Accepting and moving on from his trauma" and whatever other shit Tim would say.

Tim annoys him, but Jason can vaguely see the good intent behind it. Damien is a complete ass though, and Jason likes that more. The ‘family’, if one could call whatever it is that, surrounds him sometimes. They care, or at the least pretend to. But Jason doesn't really care. He could do without Tim, or Damien, or Stephanie, or any of them. Especially Bruce, the self-righteous asshole.

Well. Except for Dick. Probably.

It's the whole reason, almost, for the changes; the rubber bullets and the restrained violence. It's all for Dick. It was the only way Dick would even look at him, much less talk. Years of restrictions, preventing himself from punishing those who deserved it. Evil just allowed to walk free because Batman didn't like doing what was needed.

And Dick, loosely, followed that. He couldn't truly understand what it was like.

The gasping pain, the dull ache that spread after the sharp crack of broken bone. The blood clogging his lungs, drowning in it the way one drowned at sea. It's the break of finally, really and truly begging for his life. For Bruce to save him like everyone else. To be rescued and carried away, to be loved in your moments of pain.

The hero never comes, in this one. It's the story of Jason's life.

So really, none of them understand. Dick doesn't, but he tried. Still tries, even if his affections and attentions are conditional. Jason is a beaten dog tied to his master, and he will crawl back eventually. Bruce just doesn't understand it's not he who is the master. 

Maybe he'll never understand. Jason wishes he would. Bruce wont stop trying and it drives him nuts.

How do you forgive someone who let you die? Who buried you, six feet deep in the regret and grief of a lost child - and yet let your killer live. The person who expects you to greet them with a smile and open arms. Who's very visage inspires hatred and rage so great it leaves you breathless. How do you forgive? 

Jason can't. He doesn't know anyone who could.

(Maybe Superman, they guy is as close to a saint in patience as one can get.)

Jason's rage bloomed with his rebirth, and his morals broke in that filthy alley full of trash. The innocence and willingness to keep his hands "clean" stayed buried when he clawed his way out of the dirt above his coffin. The hole filled in with slushy mud, cold sleet steeped in Gotham's chemicals rinsed the silt from his mouth, wetted his lips anew, and Jason Todd knew he wasn't the same person anymore. He died that day, and part of him stayed dead. No one understands what that's like.

He doesn't think he'll meet anyone who does.

Jason can live with that, as long as Dick is there. Rose too. She is a flower that blooms once a year, but is still someone who he knows he can lean on; though Jason's a stubborn bastard and doesn't do it often. Artemis is similar, though more adamant about keeping in touch. It's a small group, and maybe even Kori counts, after Dick had reintroduced them. 

Roy has been his biggest supporter, truly. Even when Jason was lost in the depths of his soul, the madness of dying and coming back but not like the Jason before - Roy was there. Bandages after one to many syndicate beatdowns, antibiotics to fight infections, even his support when Jason gave his rage more fuel. The deaths of the gang members feeding it like gasoline. Roy was there to watch his back. Always has that stupid shit-eating grin and the most asinine of quips. Roy is always there.

They're his family. That's all that matters to Jason. He would do anything, has done things, to try and keep them safe, happy. Jason would sooner gnaw off his arm than let one come to true harm. 

Which frankly, is a herculean task with their line of work.

It's all okay though. He's meeting Roy and Dick for coffee, even though the two are genial and that's it. It's one of those rare sunny days in Gotham, the cloud cover light enough that blue sky is crackling through light grey. Weak winter light soaks into his upturned face, and Jason breathes the fumes of a rotten city. He gives a twitch of lips that might constitute a smile.

The coffee shop is across the street, he can see Roy sitting in the back corner next to the kitchen door. He's drinking what Jason knows to be the most outrageous coffee order he can think of, that he's sure to hear about when he makes it in. The windows are bar-free in this nicer part of Gotham. The part that gets the money to rebuild more than others. It's why he picked it. Somewhere totally unlikely for him to be. A hidden-in-plain-sight sort of deal. He won't be caught dead in this sort of place. Makes it perfect to get out of the house for a few hours, meet up, and pretend to relax.

The crosswalk light flickers half-heartedly and he begins to move. The windows dimly reflect the sun. His eyes dart around for a second, but end up back on Roy. Jason always keeps tabs on his family.

The door next to Roy opens as Jason makes it halfway across the street. He meets the eyes of the server that steps out, pale skinny legs awkward under the skirt of the uniform. Something sparks in his head, recognition that he can't place. The face mask the worker wears is a lurid purple, and the shit-brown eyes above it dart manically around after they meet his. It makes Jason's pulse race. It hits him moments too late.

No. His heart jumps to his throat, he shoves the person in front of him to the side but there's nothing he can do as the nightmare of his fantasies pulls a gun from the apron he's wearing, and then Roy slumps, dead.

The flash is so bright, a supernova of red mist as the side of Roy's face disappears. The patrons start screaming, running, Jason can't get inside. There's mad cackling as the spectre of his death does a pirouette and shoots indiscriminately, breaking windows and hitting pedestrians. A car screeches to a stop outside - lime green 1960s VW Bug his mind categorizes - and the Joker clambers over broken glass and bodies as Jason finally, finally, makes it inside. 

He's torn, the raging sea inside quelled by the feral need to protect, to lick the wounds of his family and make sure Roy is alright. That wins out, and once again the Joker gets away. The man waggles his fingers at Jason, blowing a pantomime of a kiss goodbye. 

Jason lets out a guttural scream, lost in the pandemonium around him.

The booth is red. The floor is red. The bodies that aren't Roys stain his shoes with death. It smells like viscera and iron, heavy on his tongue.

It's - it's a dream. One of his many nightmares he just needs to wake the fuck up from. Roy will pop up and laugh at him, the coffee spilled on the table drip drip drip dripping down his lap a lament on his tongue as he orders a new one.

Roy doesn't get up.

Exposed orbital bone peaks between jagged edges of flesh, grey matter and brain more mush than formed organ. Jason reaches a shaking hand to the - the body? Roy is dead.

A shake to the shoulder only achieves a limp arm sliding onto the seat. His left hand sits on the table, brown button up wet and dark. There's a ring on his hand Jason has never seen before. It's shiny, new. The band is silver. Jason wants to puke.

“Roy. Roy? Wake up. Did Dick put you up to this?” His voice is hoarse and rough. The blunt edge of panic is close to the surface. Jason's face is cold. Something drips down his chin. He ignores it.

The cuff of his cream turtleneck he'd stolen from Dick’s closet is pink. He grips Roy's soaked shoulder, tries to move him sitting up. The thing-that-should-be-Roy flops over, red hair in disarray, solitary eye unseeing. A garbled whine gets caught in Jason's throat. 

The distant sirens scream, circling ever closer. Figures that Gotham cops would actually show up here. 

A crunch behind him in the suddenly realized silence has Jason whirling, drawing the hidden gun. Roy is dead roy is dead hesdeaddeadead Protect hesDEAD -

It's Dick.

Or, rather, Nightwing. The blue bird stands starkly against the black, barrel of the gun firmly pressed to the center.

Dick - Nightwing - has his hands firmly up by his head, and Jason realizes that he's being talked to. The droning in his ears slowly turns to words.

“- it's me, you know me. We need to go, okay? I know you don't want to leave him but the cops are almost here,” the muttered ‘for once’ drags a gasping chuckle out of his mouth.

The gun wavers. Jason should see it coming but - hesdeadandtheworldiswrong - Nightwing is just fast enough to catch an off-kilter Jason off guard, and the world goes black.

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #30

Batgirl (2000) #13 Writer: Puckett Art: Scott & Campanella

Event Crossover's done for now, and the immediate fallout - Gordon's & Alfred's retirements - don't directly impact Cass, so we're back to one shot Batgirl stories with the usual creative team. Or, well, sort of. While this issue works as a stand alone story, it will have some fallout that pushes Cass's story forward a bit.

So yeah, this is the one where Cass saves the repentant sniper from his US government handlers who are out to kill him now that he's become a loose end by growing a conscience. Yes, you can draw a parallel to Cass herself, also a repentant assassin, and point out that thematically she's saving herself here - or at least attempting to, given what follows. Plus this issue is set up for coming issues that will examine the theme of Cass's isolation and Bruce's role in keeping her isolated, a topic I recently discussed in a reply to a post by @but-a-humble-goon over here.

But most of that deeper thematic stuff is attached to the fallout from this issues events that we'll see going forward. So for the moment, especially considering this post is half a week late already, I'd instead like to just take a moment to acknowledge that his issue has some really iconic moments, both from the art and the writing.

Like this bit of Cass dodging bullets.

Or this bit of the gov't agents openly laughing at the sniper for believing the story he had been given for why he was supposed to kill his target.

Like, these agent guys are super cliche, sure, but they're also so perfectly hate-able. They're kind of fantastic, and I wish Cass had feuded with them more.

Cass no-selling the agent's threats is great.

And uno-reversing the threat immediately after is even better, because unlike this agent guy we know who her friends are.

Though, I mean, honestly, they're in Gotham. Dude should be able to put 2 and 2 together.

And this panel of Cass leaping off a building is fantastic.

At the end, when the guy asks her why Cass would do all that to help a complete stranger, how it was she knew he was somebody who deserved to be saved when he himself just found out he'd been killing innocent people.

And her answer directly calls back to the end of issue 6...

Where her instinct to protect others even at the cost of her own life was what had, at least for the moment, overcome Bruce's doubts about her.

And this great bit at the very end, where he asks her name and the ending title card answers for her. Who is she? She's Batgirl.

Of course, follow up to this story in future issues will examine how the fact that she has no identity, no name, no life besides being Batgirl is kind of a bad thing actually, but for the moment, treating this issue as a one of story, it feels kind of triumphant. She knows who she is, she likes who she is. She's happy! She's thriving! She's having adventures where she saves a symbolic representation of herself!

But yeah, this fun high spirited story that ends on this upbeat triumphant note is just building her up so the coming issues can tear all that down. She's not 'living in the moment' - she's running from a past that's too painful to think about and a future that she fully expects will see her dead at Shiva's hands in less than a year. She's not happy just being Batgirl because that's everything she needs, she just doesn't know any other life because first David and now Bruce have kept her from having one outside of their own ambitions for her.

She's not even symbolically saving herself through the metaphorical stand in of this sniper guy because he /isn't/ her and she /didn't/ save him. He has connections and a life outside of his past as an assassin, the kind of connections Cass was never allowed to develop, ties he can't just walk away from to start a new life, ties that the people Cass rescued him from today can use to go after him again tomorrow.

Again, though, that's discussion for future issues. In this moment Cass is happy, as happy as we've seen her in a while, and we can let her have that for a week or so.

[ynbabe]

Jason Todd / Red Hood anxious to get you under the mistletoe cause he is in love with you so bad and doesn't know what to do because he is afraid to scare you away if he confess

Thank you for requesting! Hope y'all like this! Keep em coming guys! 💚💙💚

Christmas in Gotham was just how you would expect, dark, dreary, and overall miserable... At least that's what Jason would say. 

His brothers called him the Grinch but that wasn't true, he used to love Christmas, as any child would, but crime alley, being an orphan, being robin, and dying, had taken the joy out of everything in his life. Christmas was especially worse, because he saw Tim and Damian and Steph and Cass with Bruce, having the Christmas he'd wished for. 

And he was stuck, all alone, in a sucky apartment in the narrows making sure the streets were safe, making sure everyone got the Christmas they deserved but where was his Christmas, when did he get to be happy?

"Hey, Jay!" He stopped in his tracks as the familiar voice broke the static and spoke out through his comms. Y/N, the only one who he trusted, the only one who was waiting for him at home, the only one he could call home.

"Hi, Y/n," He began walking again, surprised by the softness in his voice.

"When you comin' home, dude, I've been decoratin' for like an hour, already." the person on the other end of the line said, some noises of rummaging following soon after.

"What you miss me already?" He responded with a small smirk, making his way back.

"Nope, I just want my gift," they deadpanned making Jason give a fake gasp.

"Is that all you care about?" he joked heaving himself up the ground onto the first-floor window, using ledges to make his way up to his apartment on the second floor, "I am wounded," the man said making you laugh, he looked through the window to see you sitting on the sofa, talking to him, fidgeting with your hair.

He knocked on the window, making you jump and screech at the sight of him, he smiled under his hood as you heaved with your hand on your chest.

You walked up to the window and slammed it open, "I hate it when you do that," You pulled him in with the cuff of his leather jacket. "Bro, there is a door for a REASON," You ranted falling back on the sofa, and laying down again.

Jason laughed, taking off his helmet and jacket, and looked around the room, it was covered in reds and greens, with white streamers running all around the ceiling, and a big Christmas tree was in the corner of the living room, it had gold, silver baubles and a few of Jason's guns and knives as a long-running joke between the two.

He sat on the sofa pushing your feet off, making you whine about 'needing rest after saving Christmas you Grinch'. He looked at you to roll his eyes but paused as soon as he saw the small green plant, hanging on the beam above the middle of the sofa.

It made his mind run at speeds to places where he didn't want to go to. 

He had known you for two years now, and the both of you were just friends but every time he looked at you, every time he spoke to you, he felt something else, something he didn't feel with his other friends.

He didn't know what to tell you, would you be weirded out? Would you hate him? Would you leave him?

"Jace, are you okay?" you said pulling him out of his mind, he hadn't even realized he had stopped talking while looking up at the mistletoe.

He looked back at you with shakey hands, he didn't know what to say, but he couldn't stay quiet anymore.

"I, um, I have to tell you something," you sat up, coming closer to him, the atmosphere suddenly serious, "please don't hate me after this but I think I like you and I get it if it's weird now and you don't wanna talk anymore but-" He began ranting but you interpreted him by placing your lips on his, making him freeze in place, slowly warming up to the touch.

"You don't this is weird? You aren't pissed at me right?" He asked after stopping, a bright red blush on his face.

"Nah, I heard you talking to Dick about it last week, why do think I put up the mistletoe?" You smirked at him making him groan and roll his eyes, falling back onto the sofa, dragging his hands over his face.

"I hate you so much."

"You know you love me."

"Shut up."

[braveclementine]

Flight To Wakanda

Warnings: None

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OC Elizabeth Lightwood. I do not condone any copying of this.

"Drop to twenty-six hundred, heading 0-3-0." Steve ordered Sam as he flew the ship.

"I hope you're right about this." Sam said in a warning voice. "Or we're gonna land a lot faster than you want to."

Steve headed back to the passenger part of the Quinjet. Vision, Wanda, and Pietro were sitting in one corner. Bruce and Nat were sort've sitting together. Y/N was sitting there, chin in her hand, seemingly thinking.

Elizabeth was in the back corner, curled up in a ball. All of her kids, along with Y/N's kids- were left at the Avengers Compound under the watchful eyes of Rhodeys' new soulmate, who wasn't an Avenger at all.

Steve hesitated, and then went and sat down next to Elizabeth.

"Hey." He said softly.

She looked over at him and he saw she hadn't been crying. But she looked rather dead in the eyes. She met his though and smiled a little, "You look so different." She whispered.

"Is it a good thing?" He asked.

"I don't really like change." Elizabeth whispered. "It makes me uncomfortable and my OCD hates it, especially in rooms. If posters get moved and whatnot but. . . I don't know. It's kind've like you changed as the world made you change. Before when you were free you had the gold hair like the sunny side. And now you've got darker hair, like the darkness as you run."

He smiled a little. She breathed in deeply and then asked, "How is Bucky? Is he doing okay?"

"He's been doing good the few times I've been able to check up on him. He went into cryo and didn't get out to long ago, just a couple of months. His trigger words are gone, which is good. He doesn't have another arm though. . . but he's been living on the farm. A peaceful life."

"Good." Elizabeth said softly, resting her chin on her knees. "He deserved it."

Steve reached out, gently sliding his fingers along the back of her hand. He squeezed her hand gently. "I'm so sorry for your loss Elizabeth. I'm so so sorry."

She nodded, sucking in breath, straightening her back a little. Her eyes locked onto Steve's. "I'm going to kill him. He's mine."

Steve felt a bit of fear go through him on that. The idea of her going up against this massive Titan. . . he didn't like it one bit. He would make sure to stay by her side throughout the fight. And if she did go after Thanos. . . he would help her.

As the Quinjet lowered in front of the palace, she went ahead and stood up and Steve finally got to see what she was wearing. It was all green, gold, and black colours, wrapping around her body, showing off the right parts of her skin. Tight in the right places, curvy in the right places. Her hair braided back and put up in an intricate bun.

Swords, knives, bow, arrows, shurikens, even a sniper rifle that she picked up from underneath her chair. She was set with all of it.

"Elizabeth," He said softly, standing as well to lead the rest of them out. "I will not stop you. . . but you remember you have five kids waiting for you at home. Please?"

Elizabeth trembled a little and then nodded a bit jerkily. "I know."

He led the group out, shaking hands with T'Challa as he reached him, "Seems like I'm always thanking you for something."

Bruce started to bow and T'Challa waved his hands, "We don't do that here." Steve saw Rhodey smirk out of the corner of his eye.

"So how big of an assault should we expect?" T'Challa asked, leading the way.

"Uh, sir," Bruce interjected, "Sir, I think you should expect quite a big assault."

"How we looking?" Y/N asked on the other side of Natasha.

"You have my Kings guard, the border tribe, The Dora Milaje, and-"

"A semi stable hundred year old man." Bucky said, coming over to where Steve and the rest of the crew were. Steve pulled Bucky into a kiss right there, but made it quick when he remembered both Bruce and Elizabeth were there. He gave Bucky an apologetic, but meaningful look and Bucky nodded just slightly.

"How you been Buck?"

"Uh, not bad, for being out in the world." He grinned.

He looked more like himself than usual. He'd grown his own beard too, as well as growing out his hair. He was wearing blue leather and his new black and gold arm blended in well, looking more like just a sleeve of the jacket than anything else.

They took Vision up with Wanda and Pietro to get him into the lab.

Y/N went off with Natasha, Rhodey, and Sam. Elizabeth just stood where she was, looking out at Wakanda.

"She lost her soulmate." Steve whispered in undertone to Bucky when they were far enough away. "Loki. . . Thanos killed him. Left her with five kids. She. . . she wants him. To kill him. I'm afraid she's not going to make it out alive."

Bucky was quiet for a long time and then said, "She's maternal. She's got kids. She'll do the right thing Stevie."

He approached her slowly and said, "Hey doll."

Elizabeth titled her head and looked up at Bucky. She smiled then, a close to genuine smile. "Hey Bucky. How are you feeling? Is the arm okay? It doesn't hurt to badly, right? I mean, they just put it on today. If it's hurting I can use some magic-"

Bucky pulled her into a tight hug and Elizabeth went from talking rapidly, to bursting into tears. "That's it doll. Let it all out. Get all of it out of your system. Then you can keep your head on the priorities of this fight."

When Y/N had told him, Tony, and Sam that Elizabeth had been able to connect with Bucky on a level that no one else seemed to be able to, was able to understand everything Bucky needed to hear and know. . . well it seemed to go the other way too.

"How about you tell me about your kids?" Bucky asked softly, rocking her in his arms. "How many do you have? What do they look like? What are their names? How old are they? What gender are they?"

Elizabeth sniffed and said, "My oldest are Astrid and Halfdan. They're both eight years old and they both look like Loki. Long black hair and crystal blue eyes. Tove, Hogun, and Sage are all two years old. Tove and Sage are girls. Hogun is a little boy. Hogun also looks like Loki and so does Sage but she has green eyes instead. Tove has Loki's hair too, but she has my eyes."

"They sound very cute." Bucky said softly. "When this fight is over, you're going to have to introduce me to them, okay?"

Elizabeth nodded, "Okay."

"I see you got all of these weapons." Bucky chuckled, "I didn't know you could use a sniper rifle."

Elizabeth nodded, wiping her eyes. "I'm okay with it. I prefer my sword though but. . . someone has to stay with Vision during the surgery. And the window is high up. I was thinking I'd be a good person to guard Vision, and also get kills off."

"That's a fantastic idea." Bucky said enthusiastically and Steve felt immediately relieved. Wanda would be with Vision as well and she would be one of the best guards for Elizabeth too.

Bucky stood up, bringing Elizabeth to her feet as well. Bucky looked over at Steve, "How about I show you guys where I've been staying. You like goats?"

A small smile came over Elizabeth's face, "You have goats?"

🎃 :::::  🧡  ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━  🧡  ::::: 🎃

You readied yourself in the Wakandan Palace. You would be on the front lines with the other Avengers and you were both nervous, but also strangely calm.

You hadn't heard from Tony and the ship that he was on hadn't been seen on Earth since it had left. You had asked Pepper or Happy to keep you updated, but neither of them had seen or heard anything.

Wanda and Pietro would be staying with Vision in Shuri's lab, along with several other Wakandan warriors. The rest of you would be heading down towards the outskirts of the city to fight.

You didn't exactly feel confident. There was clearly something very different about this fight. You hadn't been able to see them fight in real life, but they clearly were good fighters based on what you had been able to see on the holographic recording.

And those were just the followers or 'children' as they liked to call themselves. You weren't entirely sure you wanted to go up against the 'father'.

Thanos. You'd heard the name before over the course of time. Elizabeth had mentioned him offhandedly when talking about Loki being taken over and brainwashed. That Loki hadn't been the one to really attack New York.

Thanos had seemed like some sort of mythical person. Like hearing about the Winter Soldier before you really knew who he was. A ghost, someone you would never actually meet, never actually be affected by.

Until you were.

Bruce had been very quiet, now that everything that he could possibly have done was done. You knew he was grieving for Thor and the last of his family. It seemed all of the Asgardians were gone. Or at least half, apparently there was another ship.

Elizabeth and her children were his last bit of family. And you were worried that Elizabeth was going to get herself killed in this fight. That Bruce might even try and get himself killed in this fight. But the Hulk wasn't appearing, so would he even try and fight?

You checked your phone again, but there was nothing.

Well, they probably didn't have radio or WIFI signals wherever Tony was.

You sighed, going to tuck your phone into your back pocket and then laughed at yourself. You put the phone on the table with the rest of your stuff that you wouldn't be using in the battle.

You loaded your AR-12 and made sure that you had plenty of extra ammo on you. Then you made sure you had plenty of knives as well.

"Do you think you're ready?" Nat asked quietly as she entered the room. Her and Bruce were being extremely awkward with each other. You knew that she had been the last person to see him, to interact with him, before he took off in the Quinjet. How he got to space, no one would ever know. And whatever had happened between the two of them, they would both take to their graves.

"No. But none of us are." You responded, looking over at her, "Clint isn't going to fight?"

"I haven't seen him in two years." Nat chuckled humorlessly. "Didn't really want our first interaction together after that much time to be that we need him to fight in another war that the Government isn't letting us fight in. Accords or not."

You nodded in understanding.

"No word from Tony?"

"No." You shook your head. "He's probably in space with Stephen. They'll be okay. They're probably the two smartest people I know."

"Also the most egotistical." Sam added from the background where he was making sure his wings and everything else he needed was in order. "And narcissistic. They'll probably butt heads a lot."

You chuckled. "Yes, that's probably true."

Steve came into the room at that moment. He had a small smile on his face, which he dropped as he entered the room. Like he hadn't just been snogging Bucky probably. You just smirked at the ground, trying to hide it.

"We're heading out now." Steve said in a commanding voice. "Make sure you're prepared. . . physically and mentally. This isn't going to be an easy fight."

"We know." Nat nodded.

She looked at you as the Avengers started to file out of the room. Even Bruce went and you had to return back to the problem at hand. You had to just take down as many enemies as possible. Trying to protect Bruce or Elizabeth would not bode well for anyone. You'd probably just end up getting yourself killed.

"Alright then." You said, hoisting your AR-12 onto your shoulder, sliding your handgun into your holster. "Let's go then."

[icharchivist]

Honestly I was so upset when that thing with Sariel happened in WMTSB

To me he's the embodiment of Too good for this world. He didn't deserve this. He barely understood what was happening. I felt legit bad for him. And then Belial went and did that and to see poor Sariel so betrayed really got me.

And then we got the reveal that Belial didn't just kill him and even went out of his way to not kill him and I think that's when I started seeing him in a different light and considered that he might be a lot deeper than innuendos everywhere.

Also shocked that we haven't gotten a playable Sariel unit yet. I want to give him Valentine's chocolate and very patiently explain different holidays to him and watch ants together when the hustle and bustle gets too much.

omg yeah same, pretty much.

When he did that thing to Sariel, i was genuinely so angry at him. Honestly i spent most of wmtsb going back and forth between being so furious at him i wanted to kill him myself, and going "ahah he funni" when he was saying stupid shit.

Personally my turning point WAS the fake suicide moment because his rant actually made me feel a lot, and i was SO distraught by him killing himself that i was just, so unwell, going "wait no come back i didn't mean it when i said i wanted you dead come back" and i've never been normal ever since. But even more so because of what he does AFTER that when he comes back....

... and therefore especially the reveal he didn't just avoid killing Sariel, but the fact he was actually trying to save his life, is what really got to me. Like, there was a clear mention in the epilogue that the power of Avatar in Sariel's wings were going to kill him. if Belial didn't do anything, Sariel was going to die. And Belial took this power inside of himself and bore this suffering instead.

And to me it recontextualizes that when he's horrible to Sariel, belittling him for being so trustful of Belial while Belial would only use him to his ends, Belial was actually pushing Sariel away from him to protect him, both physically by stripping him of this power, and mentally, by refusing to leave Sariel with enough good feelings toward him to sacrifice himself for Belial, just like he was attempting to do right before Belial ripped away his wings.

I think the rant before his fake suicide is one of the first moment we really see deep into Belial's psyche and the way he loathes this life, and it's fascinating.

But it's really the moment we learn that he wanted to save Sariel's life, both from Avatar AND from what Sariel would do by associating himself with Belial, that it really was the moment of. oh. Belial does have a heart under all that filth doesn't he.

It's honestly probably why all of us are here thinking the path of redemption for Belial can only be achieved through Sariel. Because he's really been, weirdly enough, the only person Belial has shown compassion and care for. And that's super interesting from mister "nothing matters expect the man i love (who doesn't love me back)"

but yeah omg i'm shocked we didn't get playable Sariel after the Mole Troupe's event. Like i think it made sense we didn't get any unit for him after 000 (too traumatized, too physically strained by what had happened) or after the Maydays (maybe too jokey of an event, and honestly i feel like we deserve a summer Sariel where he rides Bruce again, but for that he'd need a base unit to make sense of it, so it pretty much threw the idea away for me)

but after the Mole Troupe was the ideal moment to eventually make him playable and they didn't :/ we had Grand Michael and..... wait what did we have that went live at the same time i totally forgot. It wasn't even Mole Troupe related was it?! evil.

Gotta cross fingers that he'll get playable during a Mole Troupe rerun? I would love to see his holidays line too. He'd be so shocked by anyone being nice to him, i could see it gradually be that in the first year he's shocked by the gifts and care, the second year he's surprised it's happening again, the third year he's getting used to it but is still unsure about it, the fourth year he realizes just how happy it makes him and how glad he is all of this is happening, and by year 5 he would genuinely have opened much more about the kindness others people can show him. I see it in my mind. I want it so much.

I hope he gets playable one day... sweet angel deserves it.

One day...

[rebeccccccaaa]

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ɴᴇʀᴅ ⓟⓐⓡⓣ ②

_________________________

ғʀᴀᴛʙᴏʏ!ʙᴜᴄᴋʏ ʙᴀʀɴᴇs x sʜʏ-ɪsʜ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴀᴜ (ɪɴᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇᴅ ɪ ɢᴜᴇss)

sᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: (two part series!) You’re starting to struggle in class and decide to ask your professor for some tutoring or extra classes to boost your  grade. He ends up assigning the last person you’d expect to tutor you. (is it really a surprise though?)

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: cw: talking about a car accident and infertility

smut 18+  (praise kink, dirty talk, oral fem receiving, hair pulling, marking, choking, slight spanking if you squint, slight bondage), major aftercare, fluff? This is pretty filthy lmao. 

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 𝟺.𝟹 ᴋ (ɪ ᴀᴍ sᴏᴏᴏᴏᴏ sᴏʀʀʏ ᴛʜɪs ɪs sᴏᴏᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ!)

ᴀ/ɴ: Thank you so much for all the love in the last part! I was truly expecting maybe about 20 likes but so far its gotten over 100! Thank you for being so nice to me on my first ever post and hope you enjoy part 2!

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For the next two or so weeks you avoid Bucky like the bubonic plague. You didn’t exactly hate the fact that he kissed, but he was your tutor. Isn’t that inappropriate? Let alone him being a part of a frat house. It wouldn’t be a good mix.

One good thing though is that your overall grade in class has gone up since your tutor sessions with Bucky so at least it wasn’t for nothing. He’s tried to talk to you in class a couple times when you didn't go to him but ended up giving up when you began showing up right when class started or going out of your way to even go near him. 

Again, you didn’t hate him; hell you weren’t mad anymore, but you still avoided at all costs. It’s totally not because you're scared you’ll actually fall for him. How could someone like Bucky even look your way? Maybe he just wanted to get into your pants like all the boys in the house.

You didn’t tell Natasha that Bucky kissed but she could definitely tell that something was up. You were usually at Bucky’s frat house on weekdays but you’ve been canceling sessions every night since the incident. 

One night you were studying alone in your apartment and Natasha was pacing around on her phone. She was dressed to go to a frat party tonight but it seems maybe her ride isn’t available. You wonder why she can’t herself when she has a car.

“Hey Y/n,” Nat crept up to you.

“Yes,” you drew out.

“Would maybe, possibly, perhaps, might be able to be my DD?” she asked.

“Your what?”

“My designated driver. Wanda has a family emergency; her and her brother flew out like an hour ago and I haven’t been able to find anyone to pick me up.”

“I can drop you off and pick you up,” you offered. You’d rather stay up late in case she wants to come home than stay at the party all night, especially if she finds another bed to stay in till morning. 

“I mean you could do that but would it be more fun to actually party for once. Come on babe you’re too uptight, you need to have fun especially with how hard you’re working in school right now.”

“Nat, you know that’s not my scene.”

“Just stay with me. Or Bucky I’m sure he wouldn’t mind hanging with you tonight,” she suggestively, bringing confusion to your face.

“Huh?”

“Oh nothing Just come with me please? If it gets too much text me and I’ll let you know if I need a ride back home.”

“Actually?” you asked.

“Pinky promise.”

“Ok give me like 5 mins.”

You ran to your  room and picked out an outfit you felt sexy but comfortable in; I mean if you were going to inevitably run into Bucky at this party might as well look presentable right? When you came out ready, Nat whistled, hyping you up and felt your face heat up a bit. 

“Stop, let’s just go,” you averted.

You arrived at the house music booming from down the street. People outside drinking from red solo cups, cars already picking up drunks and dropping people off to get said drunk. You hastily parked the car and Nat grabbed your hand and pulled you close as you guys walked to the party. You weren’t going to lie, you were really nervous.

You heard stories about these parties but you were trying to convince yourself that they may be exaggerated somewhat but still didn’t do much for your nerves. When you walked you eyes almost immediately locked with Bucky’s. To say he was shocked to see you at a frat party was for sure an understatement.

Bucky began to move through the crowd to meet up with you but when he got to the entrance it was like you disappeared. Disappointed, he returned to the mini bar where the drinks were all held, where Steve served the drinks. Asked for a beer.

“How’s it going, man?” Steve asked.

“She’s here.”

“Nat? I really think there's something between us. I’m thinking about asking her on a proper date you know?”

“Really? That’s awesome, but I’m talking ‘bout Y/n,” Bucky clarified.

“What? I thought she hated parties.” 

“I did too.”

As if on queue, you tapped Bucky on the shoulder.

“Hi.”

“Hey, what on earth are you doing here?”

“Nat needed a designated driver and Wanda and her brother are out of town.”

“Yeah Pietro lives here in the house, Steve drove him and Wanda to the airport a couple hours ago.”

You nodded your head and things got awkward again, but then again what’s new with that.

“Do you want anything to drink?”

“I can’t drink.”

“Oh right. Do we have soda?”

“We coke for the rum but you can take a can.”

“Thanks Steve,” you took a can of coke from him. 

You and Bucky and Steve all held wholesome conversation for a little  bit then Nat came and whisked him away. Bucky was put on bar duty from then on and you decided to keep him company until Nat was ready to go home. But so far from the way Steve and her were dancing together you didn’t think Nat was gonna wanna go home.

You asked Bucky how long Steve and Nat have had their little thing and apparently it’s been going on for awhile. You had sneaking suspicion that they were together in some way but since Nat never brought it up you didn’t want to bug her. It was pretty easy to figure out though considering she didn’t come home some nights.

They’re good together though and you hope they make it official soon.

Talking to Bucky, you felt a hand brush against but when you looked no one was there. You figured it was just getting crowded. After a couple of hours you decided to text Nat to see where she was. When she didn’t respond, you took it upon yourself to call her.

“Nat where did you go?”

“I'm in the car,” she slurred.

“What! You can’t be driving! How did you even get the keys?” you yelled.

“I snatched them from you when you and Bucky were flirting with each other. Steve couldn’t  find his keys so I took yours,” she shouted into the phone.

“When did you- whatever, is he sober?” you asked.

“Yeah and I am not even that dru-,” she hiccuped. 

“Nat…” you warned. 

“Steve is my boyfriend and we’re clean. I’ll be safe; it’s not like I can have kids anyway.”

“Nat.” When you moved in together at the beginning of the year, you noticed one time her grabbing her lower stomach in discomfort and offered her any products for her period. She told you she doesn’t get one and being the dumbass you are you asked why. She told you when she was a teenager she got into a car accident that caused extreme internal bleeding causing Nat to become infertle. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like that,” you apologized.

“It’s ok babe. If anything you be safe.”

“She can’t see you, babygirl,” you heard Steve say and laughed out loud.

“Oh! I’m winking!” she shouted.

“Oh my god. Whatever,” you rolled your eyes.

“Anyways buh-bye, girly!” she hung up the phone.

“What happened?” Bucky came up behind you. You looked over at the bar and saw Bruce bar-keeping.

“Nat took the fucking car with Steve.”

“Why didn’t he use my car?”

“She said he couldn’t find the keys and I guess it was easier to just steal from me when I wasn’t looking.”

“Wow, ok. Stealth much?”

“Right? She’s like a Russian spy,” you laughed.

“Well, you probably need a ride then,” Bucky brought up.

“I don’t know if I wanna go home knowing Steve is probably gonna be railing her into the next dimension.”

“Yeah, you can spend the night here. I can sleep on the floor.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah it’s not a problem. We probably have an air mattress hiding somewhere.”

“Thanks Buck. well since I’m not going anywhere I guess I could have a drink now.”

“What’ll it be?”

You drank a couple beers feeling the alcohol beginning to flow effortlessly through your veins. The music was still booming through the house and you found yourself getting lost to the rhythm. You made your way to where everyone was also dancing and let the music guide your body sensually. 

You didn’t notice it yet but Bucky was staring completely in love with the way you were moving. He’d never seen you in this kind of environment and definitely not in the clothing you were wearing. You looked truly sexy even more so dancing the way you were dancing; like you had control over everything in the world.

You soon felt a pair of hands circle around to your waist instantly knowing who they belong to. Bucky moved his hips snug against your backside perfectly fitting with you. You let your head lean back feeling Bucky breathe against your neck.  

“You driving me crazy, doll,” Bucky whispered against your ear.

You shivered at his words. 

“Please, let me show you how fucking stunning you are,” he moved his hands towards the front of your hips.

“What?” you turned around. You hadn’t expected Bucky to want to do anything with you.

“I can make you feel so good. You deserve it.”

“Bucky-”

“Do you want me to make you feel good?”

“I do,” you whined as he rubbed his hands against your lower back, pulling you so close.

He kissed you too softly, barely touching your lips, as he grabbed your hands and led to his room upstairs.  

When you reached his room, the back of his knees hit the bed and he sat while your knees went to either side of his thighs. God his thighs. His hands went up your shirt grazing your bare skin with his fingertips as you continued to makeout sloppily. 

“Can I take this off?” he asked, tugging your shirt.

“Please, yes please.”

Your arms went over your head and Bucky slowly kissed the exposed skin as your shirt inched higher and higher up until he tossed it to the side. The straps of your bra left off shoulders and Bucky continued to kiss any exposed skin on your body. Your hands ran through his hair and you tugged his strands earning a moan in return.

You tugged at his shirt as well and he complied quickly getting rid of his shirt and throwing it to the side. Bucky hands ran over your bottom and you jumped off him nearly ripping your bottoms off your body. You heard bucky chuckled as he too took the opportunity to take his pants off leaving him in boxers and nothing else.

“I want to taste you baby girl,” Bucky bit at your ear.

Your body tensed a bit because although you were not a virgin, you were not that experienced, especially compared to Bucky. 

“Is that ok? I’m sorry, we don’t have to do anything. I don’t want you to regret anything, princess. We can stop.”

“No! I don’t want to stop. No one’s just ever wanted to do that, you know,” you whispered feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Oh baby, what kinda shit boys were you with? Let me show how good a woman is supposed to feel, got it?”

You swallowed hard, but nodded of course. 

Bucky picked you up and gently laid you down onto the bed. His hands rubbed your thighs softly and he kissed your stomach ever so softly. He was trying his very hardest to make sure you were comfortable and relaxed as much as possible. Bucky traced the lining of your underwear and looked to you once again to make sure everything was ok by you. You nodded but that wasn’t enough for Bucky.

“Words, baby. I wanna hear you say it,” he whispered, lips against your inner thigh. 

“Bucky,” you whined.

“Come on, baby. Use your words like a big girl,” he snickered.

“Please, touch me, Bucky. I want you to use your mouth on me like you promised.”

“There ya go,” he said pulling your underwear down your legs.

He slowly opened your legs and kissed your inner thigh leaving a dark purple mark for him to see and him only. When he was satisfied with the marks he left on your inner thighs he licked a slow and wet line against your pussy. Your hips instantly bucked into his face and your hands flew to his hair.

You tugged at his hair again and released a grunt from Bucky, the vibrations from his mouth pleasuring you even more. Bucky brought his fingers to your hole and he continued circling his tongue around your clit making you moan and arch your back. 

He entered a finger into you and then another. You were already beginning to feel full from just his fingers alone, you couldn’t wait until he was able to fuck you balls deep. Your orgasm was approaching quicker than you anticipated, your toes curled and your back arched off the bed. Your heels dug into Bucky’s back but he simply continued to eat you out until you finally peaked.

“Bucky!” you shouted his name in pleasure.

“That’s it baby girl. You're my good girl, right?”

“Yes, I’m your good girl. Oh god, I’m cumming,” you moaned.

Bucky helped you ride out your first orgasm of the night completely enamored by your beauty. When you finally came down from you high you reached for Bucky pulling him into a heated kiss. You could taste yourself on his tongue and moaned into his mouth. You pulled him closer and sat up moving him to sit his back against his headboard.

“I don’t know what I want to do more, return the favor or ride you until my legs shake.”

“You can return the favor another time. Let me see you ride my dick, doll,” Bucky growled. Another time?

You crawled onto Bucky’s lap after he discarded his boxers letting his dick spring up, the tip red from lack of attention. It shocked you if you were being honest, it was so… big. 

“Is that gonna fit?” you asked genuinely.

“Yeah, it will; but if it hurts too much you tell me to stop ok?” you nodded.

Bucky reached behind your back and unclasped your bra only to toss it to wherever the rest of your clothes were. His hands caressing your breasts; thumbs rubbing over your sensitive nipples, sending chills throughout your body. He kissed along your collarbone to your neck to your jaw before whispering in your ear.

“I have to grab a condom from the bathroom, baby girl. Sorry,” he began to move you.

“Why are you sorry?” you stopped him.

“I don’t wanna ruin the mood but safety is important before anything else.”

You weren’t gonna lie that actually kinda shocked you; and turned you on even more. You had completely forgotten about having a condom. You were on the pill but that doesn't mean you shouldn’t still use a condom. Bucky was back in no time and you took the condom from him wanting to put it on for him. Bucky moaned as you wrapped his dick and soon enough you were ready to go, arousal practically dripping down your inner thighs.

Bucky’s hand lid up to the back of your neck as you slid down his cock; both moaning at the feeling. You took a second to move but when you did things practically fell into pace. You quickly found a good rhythm for the both of you and soon enough you felt yourselves growing near climax.

Bucky’s hands gripped at your ass, grunting and moaning at the feeling of your walls gliding in and out of you. He smacked your ass leaving a slight red-ish mark for you to admire later. You pulled him closer, if that was even possible, burying your face in between Bucky’s neck and shoulder. 

“I can feel ya getting close, baby. Fucking squeezing me. Feels so good, princess.”

“I'm gonna come, I’m so close.”

“Don’t come until I say so. Hold it, I know you can. Be my good little girl and fucking hold it.”

You sucked and kissed and licked his neck leaving little marks not nearly as big as the ones he was leaving all over you. Soon enough you felt the coil building in the pit of your stomach snap and you moaned so loud into Bucky’s ear, he almost came from hearing your moans.

“Sorry I literally screamed in your ear.”

“I told you not to come until I say so.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t hold it anymore. You felt too good,” you whispered, barely audible.

“That doesn’t matter. I told you to hold it,” Bucky got off the bed and reached for his pants. You got so scared that he was going to leave; terrified. But instead he took his belt he was wearing and stalked back towards you. Oh how the butterflies in your stomach fluttered right now.

“Arms up baby girl. You don’t get to touch me now.”

You complied, your stomach fluttering immensely at the mere thought of what Bucky was going to  do with you now. When he finished looping the belt around the headboard of the bed his hands ran along your entire body kissing here and there until back up to you. 

“Too tight?” you shook your head.

“Perfect. Winter; say the word and I stop,” he kissed passionately, sliding back in you, pussy sensitive from orgasming twice tonight. 

Bucky didn’t take as much time as you did before starting to slam into you over and over again. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head, toes curling in themselves, tears brimming your eyes. Bucky fingers dug into your waist surely leaving more marks for you in the morning. 

His hand came up to wrap around your neck and squeezed ever so slightly.

“Feel good? My little fucking slut, whining and wiggling under me,” Bucky said, more to himself than anything.

“Fuck-” you moaned. You wrists rubbing against the belt, trying to pull away so you could touch Bucky.

“What is it? You wanna touch me,” Bucky’s hand squeezed a bit more and you moaned even louder, legs wrapping around his waist pulling him closer that way.

“Oh good please Bucky, let me touch you!”

“Uh-uh, bad girls don’t get what they want. If you want to touch me you have to beg me like the good little whore you are,” Bucky growled.

“Fuck Bucky please, I’ll do anything for you just me let me touch you. Please, please, please!”

“Tell me your mine.”

“I’m yours, Buck. All fucking yours. No one else’s!”

“No one is ever gonna fuck as good as I do. Your mine.”

“Yes! I’m yours, oh god,” you moaned.

Bucky was extremely close to cumming and so were you so he undid the belt with one hand skillfully and your arms wrapped around his body pulling as close to you as humanly possible. Your hands ran through his hair and pulled hard as you both fell over the edge. Bucky settled between your legs for a minute kissing your breasts, your chest heaving trying to catch your breath. 

Bucky got up and discarded the condoms making sure there were no tears or rips considering how rough he’d been with you. He didn’t intend to be rough at first but his mind was so clouded with you he practically lost control; but you didn’t mind not one bit. 

Bucky came back with bottled water from a small refrigerator he kept in the corner of his room and held you back and head as you brought the water to your lips. After satisfying your dry and hoarse throat, Bucky picked you up and set down on his bathroom counter, the cold of the marble counter in extreme contrast to your hot skin. 

He cleaned you up and inspected your wrists making sure you weren’t hurt; although they were quite red and would probably hurt in the morning. Lastly, he grabbed a wipe and cleaned the remaining mess of makeup you had put on the night before speaking up again.

“Was I too rough? I didn’t mean to be,” Bucky caressing the sides of your waist. You shocked your head no; the face with a blissfully fucked out expression and a smile making Bucky chuckle. He rubbed your skin with lotion to ease any irritation anything may have caused and kissed the marks he made during sex. He admits that he really likes seeing you marked up by him knowing he’s the only one who gets to see them and make them. Makes him proud that he was able to fuck so good and you loved it too.

He picked you up and took you to bed; kissing you all over one last time before letting you fall asleep in his arms. The last thing you heard before you fell asleep was Bucky whispering about how good were to him, calling you his good little girl; rubbing your back ever so softly putting you to sleep.

+++

You woke the next morning arms and legs tangled with another. You turn your head to find Bucky Barnes’ face tucked into your neck soft breaths tickling your skin. You rubbed his arms and back, nails lightly scratching him causing him to stir a bit.

Bucky pressed soft kisses against your skin and rested his large warm hands on your ass and thighs. You felt the urge to use the restroom and haven’t going last night, you figured you should as soon as possible. Prying your mildly sweaty body from his was obviously unsuccessful with how much stronger he was compared to you. His legs moved further in between your thighs and he began kissing your chest making you giggle in return.

“Bucky, I have to use the restroom,” you grabbed his face.

“Oh, sorry,” he chuckled and released his hold on you, not without whining of course.

You ran into his bathroom and shut the door. When you turned around you gasped realizing how marked up you were. Dark purple spots littered all over your chest and neck. Your wrists were bright red from the belt he used last night; however they didn’t hurt, a bit sore but not painful. Your thighs were also decorated with love bites and hickeys from Bucky last night and you smiled to yourself.

After you used the bathroom you cleaned yourself as well as possible but admittedly needed a shower in the end. You opened the door only to find Bucky, grinning like a little boy. You folded your hands underneath your chin evidently hiding your body with your arms as much as you could. 

Bucky came up to you and placed his hands on your waist kissing the top of your head before turning you around to look at yourself in the bathroom mirror. His body was flush against your and you could feel his dick sitting against your ass and lower back. His face came up and rested on your shoulder then grabbed your hands to wrap them behind his head and yours. 

You played with his hair a bit feeling so confident and loved by the affection Bucky has been giving since you came into his room. His hands ran across your body everywhere they could reach before making eye contact with you in the mirror.

“Look at you, goddamn.”

“What?” you chuckled.

“Do you see what I’m seeing?”

You shook your head, feeling incredibly shy suddenly.

“Look how  fucking beautiful and gorgeous and perfect you are. Geez, I can’t even handle it.” 

You laughed out at how dramatic he was being.

“Goddamn, I could stare at your perfect body all fucking day,” he whispered, it wasn’t in a sensual tone however. It was almost like he was saying to himself, like he actually wanted to do as such.

“Please stay,” he asked you.

“Are you ok?” you sensed he was being incredibly serious, almost about to cry even.

His sad painted with sadness, eyes begging you to stay with him for the day. He wanted something with you.he wanted to be yours and hoped to God that you’d be his in return.

“Stay with me. Please?” you realized you didn’t think he was talking about staying for now, he meant stay with him, as a partner.

“What happened?” you caressed his face in your hands. He lifted you and placed you on the counter Like he did the night before, settling his hips in between your legs.

“They always leave,” he whispered.

“Who? ”

“I didn’t want to just sleep around with girls anymore so I started talking to them and taking them out but every time the night we had sex, they would always leave. I tried talking to them the next day but they always said they didn’t want anything out of it. So I stopped having sex altogether.” 

Your heart ached for him. You didn’t want to do that to him. Of course you thought about it, but that was clearly before you realized Bucky wanted to be with you.

“I won’t leave.”

“We can stay in my room all day. You don’t even have to get out of bed. I can grab a couple game consoles from downstairs and we play on the tv. We order breakfast. I’ll wash your clothes. We have a washing machine in the basement,” Bucky said excitedly, you smiled excited as well for your day with Bucky.

“Can we take a shower first?” you asked.

“Yes of course, let’s take a shower.”

“Let’s?” you wiggled your eyebrows.

“Of course. Maybe we can pop in a couple rounds while we’re at it,” Bucky winked.

“Bucky!”

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Ok, all done. :) Hope you liked it and maybe give it a little like or reblog? You don’t have  to though lol

ᴛᴀɢʟɪsᴛ! 

@baddie-barnes

@calwitch

@red42985

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 32

💖 first time reader click here 💖

Summary: Stephen Strange being a grown-up. Reader being a grown-up. Kind of. Revenge plot starts now - don't be like the mercenary, don't threaten reader's family. Avengers being good.. bros? Good found family idk. More smut + plot coming soon.

The silence hung awkwardly over us. Stephen wasn't the one to wax poetics, usually, and I wasn't in the mood to do anything but curl up somewhere warm, chug a bottle of liquor and fall asleep. Sleep is like death without the committment and after my little outburst, I inwardly prayed and begged for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Instead, I was directed to sit and drink my tea by the sorcerer, who, by the way, was beginning to look like a kicked puppy.

It was starting to become unbearable. "I'm listening," I finally croaked out, shocked at how raspy my voice sounded. As if someone had forced me to choke on some nails - and I felt like it, too. My hands were shaking, all but spilling the hot tea onto them.

"Princess..." His mouth did the thing when he was worried, lips pursed, their corners upturned. "What we did was not... Right, you were drugged without your consent. I am sure Tony feels the same way."

My eyebrows rose, words bubbling up to the surface as I fought the urge to simply start calling Stephen some strong names. Had he been blind the whole time I flirted with him, had he not seen both me and Tony ogling him when we thought nobody could see? Every time I joked about the sexual tension between them - you know what they say, every joke has a little bit of truth in it.

Or maybe the sorcerer had used the incident as a convenient excuse for our little fuck-fest to be a one-time thing? I expected more, I won't lie, but I wouldn't put it above him. I knew all too well that some men tended to simply... Avoid.

I was angry, probably rightfully so, but it was not the time for me to comfort an adult man. My own life was going to shit, I had no mental energy to unburden his baseless guilt. It was selfish and it made me feel even more like shit, but it was as if someone had flipped a switch inside of me. I just didn't care about someone's heartbreak. I needed to solve another problem, a much bigger than a man that couldn't make up his mind.

I had to find that damn mercenary. It was the only real threat hanging over our heads; unlike any mission that I've seen the team go on before, they had thrown all the forces into catching the man that had gotten into their safe space, their home. That threatened to take what they thought as theirs. Long gone were the days of comfortable domesticity.

"Okay," I replied, nodding curtly. "I wanted it, if it helps any. I thought you were attractive the first day I saw you." I spoke bluntly, beginning to feel like myself more and more with each word that I spoke. "And again, no strings have to be attached. I'm sure Tony will understand it too, it's not his first rodeo."

Stephen's head shot up from where he was examining his clasped hands, to study me with furrowed brows. Cloaky moved where it was wrapped around me, attracting the sorcerer's attention - I, unfortunately, did not understand the Cloak's sign language and what it told Stephen remained a mystery to me. I was just delighted to be out of the cold and and wet clothes.

"I think you misunderstood me," Stephen eyed me with surprise. "I want more, but..." He trailed off, unsure. "I don't know. I'm surprised Banner hasn't gone green on me yet. I'm a doctor, I should have known..."

So, he was pulling a me and wallowing in pity. Is this really how pathetic I looked when I used to mope around the house earlier? No wonder my mother thinks I'm a baby. "Stephen, I'm really not in the mood to listen to bullshit. I wanted it, you wanted it, great, we can move on. Because with everything that has happened to me, I really have no energy to convince you I like you even while sober when you're sabotaging yourself." Sure, I might have ripped off the motivational speech from a self-help book my mother used to have laying around. My patience was wearing thinner with each second. "There, I said it. I like you, my boyfriends like you, you're welcome to the club if you decide to believe the fact that I am telling the truth." And if he wouldn't, well, I could get over it. I was planning to never act upon my feelings for both Tony and Bruce, it hadn't been as hard as I thought it would be. Especially with me being busy enough to just ignore the feelings.

At some point, I had grown attached to Stephen. Perhaps, if I and Tony hadn't decided to mess around with the sorcerer at the party, my feelings wouldn't have bloomed into anything more than physical attraction. Murphy's law had a particularly strong affinity on me, I noticed, because over and over I found myself falling head over heels for emotionally unavailable men. It worked out with Tony, which wasn't as surprising as one might expect, considering we're two halves of a whole idiot, but then Bruce also decided to pucker up - Stephen was bound to be the rock that I trip on.

Or not? Soft lips pressed against my forehead, beard hair softly tickling the tip of my nose. I was pressed against a solid chest, surrounded by warmth and comfort. "I'm sorry, I'm an idiot," Steph whispered, voice quivering.

"Well, it's not like this... Relationship... I've got going on is something commonplace," My arms wrapped around him, a deep sigh relaxing my body into his. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. It wasn't right."

Stephen chuckled, all but pulling me bodily into his lap. "Don't worry, Princess. I deserved it." As he spoke, the Cloak carefully unwrapped itself from me, drifting away with a parting pat on my back. "Now what happened with your parents?" Large palms pushed the hair out of my face, stormy blue eyes looking at me with worry.

"I should probably assemble all my significant others for this conversation," There was little enthusiasm in discussing the incident. I was an adult and had enough money to get by for a few months, at least until I could patent one of my inventions. I had plenty of knick-knacks that should be able to interest buyers, that much I knew, and while the legal side of the process was a blank slate to me, I knew I could be charismatic enough to have someone work it out for me.

"I don't think I'll be able to take Steve seriously when he says 'assemble', now," My third boyfriend chuckled, which - wow, I didn't have boyfriends and now I had three? Should I be considering opening a factory or something? Stephen adjusted his hold on me. "Let's go, I'll portal us in."

"My car's out there with all my stuff. I'll have to drive," I protested but made no move to get out of his lap.

"Tony is a billionaire, he can pay someone to retrieve it," Shrugging carelessly, he produced a golden circle of magic, the common room couch in plain sight at the other side of it. I heard voices and then Clint's head peaked through, a curiously tilted eyebrow morphing into full fledged face of confusion upon seeing the two of us.

Yikes. I had forgotten about the state of my dress and the bruise on my cheek. "Hey, bird. I need a drink," I said the first thing that popped into my mind, causing both Clint and Steph to laugh as the sorcerer carried me into the tower through the portal.

"I'm starting to think you go out there and look for trouble on purpose," The archer sighed, pulling out his phone and texting rapidly. Mine vibrated, too, once he was done, which meant he'd called for a family meeting. Blergh.

In no time, Tony appeared, dark circles under his eyes and yesterday's shirt on, towing a worried Bruce behind him. One after the other, the Avengers tickled in, looking restless and exhausted. Loki's frown was well on its way to becoming a full sneer.

"Talk, please," He requested, eyeing me with concern.

"Good news is I got our rogue wizard back," I poked Stephen in the chest. He was blushing. "Bad news is my mother threw me out and my father didn't pick up the phone, so technically I'm homeless and parent-less," I decided that spitting out straight facts was the easiest way to go about it. I mean, there was no good way to tell what I just told them.

The storm that I anticipated didn't appear. Just a lot of disappointed sighs all around, especially from Tony, who looked twenty years older after I'd confessed to the current state of my affairs. "You're not homeless, you live here," He pointed out, rubbing his face and muttering some very strong words under his nose. Particularly, the expressions involved my mother and various methods of fornication.

"We got your back, doll," Bucky nodded, coming over to wrap me in a gentle hug. He was like a brother from another mother to me at this point, kind and goofy and sensible. "I would propose to teaching that harpy a lesson but I think she's beyond it."

"Perhaps it's for the best," Loki mused suddenly. "If I recall correctly, your mother was against your career of choice, which is idiotic. Science is a noble and prospective path." The Asgardian, too, gave me a hug.

I wasn't crying! There were ninjas, in the vents, cutting onions! "Stop it guys, I'm gonna cry. I already look like shit!" The protest was silenced by Bruce's lips on mine, his tiny smile briefly covering my mouth with tenderness. After that, everybody somehow decided it was their job to try and make me cry; like a bad bitch, I resisted, but eventually broke and started sniffling when Tony began rambling about building me my own lab and Wanda offered to help me decorate my new apartment.

No matter how much my mind screamed at me to refuse, I forced that noise down. Fighting against myself, accepting help despite feeling unworthy of it - it was probably the hardest thing I've done in my whole life.

Bruce volunteered to carry my prone body to Tony's bedroom which was quickly becoming the master bedroom for the three of us - ever since the incident, both of my scientists stuck close to me whenever possible, aggressively cuddling me whenever they decided it was time to get some sleep. Which wasn't much these days, if I was being honest. Persuading Bruce to stay with me was a novelty - usually he didn't resist, but that time, I had to repeat myself multiple times that the team could handle business even without him being present.

I had my ulterior motives, of course. Tony and Stephen needed to talk. I only hoped their egos wouldn't clash without me to mediate - having two boyfriends start a fight wasn't something I wanted to experience. I had zero experience in those matters and had no idea how to manage all that. Are there handbooks for polyamorous relationships? I stuck a mental post-it note inside my brain to check it out.

I fell asleep with Bruce wrapped around me and woke up in the same position, having been too exhausted to move even in my sleep. Voices, rough and quiet, were the first thing I heard upon syncing my brain into a resemblance of a working order, instantly recognizing Stephen's deep baritone and Tony's teasing drawl.

"Expect either Reindeer Games or Kim Possible to come and terrify you," My engineer didn't sound particularly ecstatic. His voice came from somewhere around my feet; the hand wrapped around my ankle, thumb gently stroking the skin, must've been his.

"Duly noted," Stephen's reply was equally sarcastic, sounding a little closer. The warmth coming from my side was him. I could smell the faint spices that surrounded him, smell that I'd come to associate with the Sanctum.

Bruce snored away, not a care in the world.

My body, on the other hand, felt rested for what felt the first time in years. A pleasant ache in my muscles had me begrudgingly squirm out of Banner'd grasp, shamelessly pushing up into Stephen as I stretched with a juicy yawn. "What's poppin'?" I rubbed my eyes, finding the men awake looking at me with fond amusement.

"Just watching," Tony smiled, causing me to giggle at his accidental meme-ing. Was it even accidental? I refused to believe that a man well versed in IT was oblivious to meme culture.

Stephen, on the other hand... "We've discussed some things, wanted to talk to you too." His hand stroked my hair, face expression soft unlike anything I'd ever seen him have. "But you were sleeping. So cute."

Me, cute? There was a puddle of drool the size of a dollar bill on my pillow, I was pretty sure some of it had even gotten in Bruce's hair. Banner's sleep was quiet except for every five minutes when he'd let out a snore with a force somewhere between a Mack truck and a whale in mating season.

Cute, sure.

Bruce groaned, a tell-tale sign of him waking up. I met his eyes, brown, shiny, a narrow edge of green around his irises. Huh. Do I have three boyfriends or four?

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