#I fucked up spelling knuckle but I’m not getting my tablet out to fix it

[nerves-nebula]

why did i make a priest character now i gotta come up with a whole damn religion

[therikermaneuver]

Okay literally no one asked for this, but Night At The Museum Midam!au

Adam is a broke college student in his last two years of getting his MD and he really needs a job. He finds a position as a night guard at a museum in a nearby city, and it doesn’t seem like that hard of a gig, so he applies and he gets it.

Michael is part of an exhibit displaying ✨the angel tablet✨. It’s his responsibility to protect it, and to protect the inhabitants of the museum who come to life at night because of the tablet’s magic. He’s incredibly protective of he other exhibits. Whenever a new night guard is hired (which is frequently), he intimidates them and scares them to make sure they don’t try to hurt any of the museum exhibits.

He confronts Adam on his first night, trying to be as fear-inspiring and biblical as possible and Adam’s like “you know what, I’m not paid enough for this. If you want to run the show, go ahead, I won’t get in your way. Just tell me what I’m doing wrong and I’ll change.”

Michael is completely taken aback by his response, because that’s the first time he’s gotten respect from a night guard in his memory. He just nods and walks off to make sure everything is running smoothly.

They operate separately for the most part. Adam makes sure the building doesn’t burn down every night, and Michael makes sure all of the inhabitants are okay. This arrangement works well for a while.

One night, there’s an accident. One of the child wax figures falls down the stairs and her arm breaks. Adam is the first to get to her and he asks someone to go and find Michael. He focuses on keeping the girl calm, trying to assess the damage while doing so. Eventually, Michael shows up and while he’s also calm and authoritative, Adam notices that he seems upset. He keeps waving his hand over the broken wax, expecting something to happen, but nothing does. He keeps trying anyways. They manage to get her fixed and Michael disappears for the rest of the night.

It turns out that Michael really struggles with the fact that he’s just a statue and not actually an angel. He’s supposed to be Michael, commander of heaven, God’s confidant and right hand man, but he’s just... not. He tries to upkeep his self worth by taking care of the museum, but when he couldn’t do anything to help the wax girl, it got to him.

Adam learns this and assures him that he’s still incredibly badass. I mean, he’s protecting this artifact that gives life to things that never had it in the first place, and most importantly, he keeps them happy. He keeps them safe. Michael’s self-confidence is bolstered by this and he decides that he likes Adam.

After that, Adam and Michael start getting closer. Instead of doing their jobs separately, they start going around together (purely for educational purposes so Adam can understand the museum better 👀)

They end up being really close friends.

Then, Sam and Dean somehow find out about the tablet. They’re still hunters in this au and they decide that they need the tablet for their own purposes. Of course, Adam’s like “uh fuck that” and protects the museum.

He and Michael work together to make sure that the Winchesters can’t get in and that they can’t hurt the exhibits. Michael really starts to admire Adam at this point; this night guard college student, who has no relation to the museum in the slightest, is still defending it and protecting it with a ferocity that he hasn’t seen since his past life. It’s inspiring and it motivates Michael to work even harder to protect the museum... and Adam.

Hijinx ensue. The whole museum works together to set traps and distractions for the winchesters (most of which are highly embarrassing for the boys but Incredibly hilarious for everyone else), and Adam and Michael are at the head of it, together.

Adam essentially tells his brothers to fuck off before he calls the police and they scamper away.

Adam stays working at the museum until he graduates. He and Michael have this strange half-platonic half-romantic thing going on, which they’re too afraid to address because they know it’s going to end someday.

When that day comes, it’s hard. They knew it was going to be hard, but it’s more heartbreaking than they ever imagined. At the end of the night, just before the sun rises, all of the exhibits are back in place except for one. Adam and Michael are sitting together in front of the angel tablet, their knees brushing together, when Michael picks up Adam’s hand and gently kisses his knuckles.

Adam looks to the angel that he’s fallen for and sighs shakily. “I’ll come visit, you know. This isn’t goodbye, Mike, just... farewell, for now.” Adam squeezed Michael’s hand, and it’s warm. Michael is warm, despite the fact that his body is inanimate. Adam likes to believe that it’s his soul that warms him.

When Michael gets into position that night, his expression is sadder than normal. Before he freezes, Adam stands up on his tiptoes and kissed Michael’s cheek. Michael’s face is frozen between a look of shock and pure excitement. Adam smiles and takes a picture, making it the background on his phone.

One day, years later, Adam goes to visit the museum and Michael’s exhibit is gone. He immediately panics, assuming the worst; that Michael was transported somewhere where Adam couldn’t get to him, or that he was destroyed, or something that took his angel away from him.

He goes to the front desk and demands to speak to the museum director when he catches something in the corner of his eye. It’s... Michael, but he’s wearing everyday clothes and he’s alive during the daytime. Adam runs over to him and crushes him in a hug and he feels incredibly human within his arms.

Apparently, when Michael learned that his exhibit was being moved, he decided that it was his time to become human. He still knew how to read the tablet, despite not truly being an angel, and he found a spell (similar to the one Sam used to bring back Eileen in s15) that made him human.

Adam calls him an idiot (affectionate). Michael smiles and says “I trust you to be my guide,” fully confident that Adam would accept him into his life. He’s right, of course.

Adam takes him home and they spend the rest of their human lives together.

[diaryofabeautyfiend]

Small Time Witch (18)

The compound was quiet except for the constant hum of fluorescent. The five of you walked in like children in trouble for missing curfew. You and Wanda held hands, passing each other secret messages. For once she was the bundle of nerves. You were calm. Chillingly calm. You ran your thumb over her knuckles and squeezed every now and then. She squeezed back holding on to you for dear life. She didn’t know why her stomach was in knots but it was.

Bucky and Sam stalked around the room on kittens feet. They checked around corners and opened doors. Sam thought about an episode of Scooby Doo that always creeped him out. The gang was in an old factory searching by flashlight when an idle machine kicked on. Like it was on cue the elevator dinged. He nearly jumped out of his skin. Off walked Tony who seemed to be just as startled. “Why are you guys creeping around? We have to get going.”

Bucky and Steve looked tense. All stiff with their brows furrowed and nostrils flared. Their fists were clenched ready to fight. You held Bucky’s right hand to calm him down. When you tried to grab Steve’s hand he pulled it away. On the long ride back you and Steve sat in the back seat while Sam drove. You rested your head on his chest. He held you lazily not really reciprocating the need to touch. He looked out of the window mostly. Deep in thought. Perhaps he had noticed your bracelet back on your wrist. Perhaps he noticed your kiss swollen lips. Maybe it was the tears shimmering in your eyes and the look of longing on your face that he knew were not for him. Perhaps he knew you had made your choice in the beautiful house built in the glen. Perhaps you didn’t even know that you had. For the first time it wasn’t him. No. He didn’t want to be calm now. He needed his adrenaline rushing and his senses heightened. Maybe after this you wouldn’t choose him but he knew in his heart you loved him. More than anything he knew in his heart how much he loved you.

“Looking for you, boss.” you said, sarcasm tinting your voice.

“Well you found me.” Something icy cold passed between you and Tony. He had one finger on the trigger and he was itching to squeeze. Your confidence was making him edgy. He wasn’t scaring you but he knew you knew something was happening. That’s ok. When you didn’t have your man protecting you he bet you would adjust your attitude.

“Ok. If you two strapping men can help load a few things on the jet I would appreciate it. I’m running point on this one.” Steve and Bucky reluctantly left to help Clint. Tony looked at you over his glasses, “You’re with me, Sunshine.”

Sam followed the two of you towards the door, “You flying separate?”

“Yeah. Two teams. Rhodes and Romanoff are already on board. We’ll see you in Juneau.” You followed behind Tony trying to match his long strides. He was clearly trying to get you out of there before Steve got back inside. Sam and Wanda took off running to the airstrip.

“Cap! Y/N went on a separate aircraft with Tony Rhodes and Romanoff. I couldn’t stall him without raising an eyebrow, man. I’m sorry.”

Steve dropped the box he was holding and ran to the runway where you were taking off. Your plane was already in the air. “Barton! Clint! We gotta go.”

“Sorry, Steve. I can’t fly that plane.”

“What?! Why not?”

“I have direct orders to keep you here for as long as possible.”

“I can fly the Quinjet, Steve.” Bucky could no longer hide his anger. He wanted to stomp Clint into the ground.

Clint puffed up his chest and took a few deep breaths. “Hit me. Make it look real.”

“What?” Steve was so scared for you that he couldn’t comprehend words.

“If that was Laura I would kill anyone who laid a hand on her. Flight plan is already loaded onto the gps. Hit me, Steve. I have to make it look like I put up a fight.” Without thinking Bucky cocked back his right hand and smashed it into Clint’s eye. He stumbled back and fell towards the ground. Wanda used her powers to get him down gently. They all got oh the Quinjet and prepared to take off.

☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️

Everyone on the plane looked relaxed but they were all on edge. Nat sat next to Rhodey. Neither of them made eye contact with you. You sat down in a row of seats by yourself. This looked like a luxury aircraft but you were certain Tony tricked it out. You looked out the window watching New York disappear. This may be the last time you’d see it. The whole place was a sea of glittering lights all glorious in their gaudiness. You ran your fingers over the emeralds on your bracelet hoping Loki followed your instructions.

Tony came over with a glass of water and your pill bottle. “Isn’t it time to take your meds?” He fished one out and handed it to you. “Take it here. Show daddy like a good girl.” You lifted the glass to your lips maintaining eye contact with him the whole time. You lifted your tongue and fish hooked your cheeks. “Thank you, dear.” Once he walked away you quickly reached in your bag to grab your tablets. You popped two and hoped for the best.

A few minutes later Fury was sitting across from you. “I love flying at night,” you said as if you were in the middle of a conversation with him already. “The sky looks navy blue at this hour. We’re chasing the sunset. What can I do for you, Director?” He regarded you with the same slightly annoyed look he always had on his face.

“Where did I mess up?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do. I’m curious. When did you know?”

You smiled with a glint in your eye he’s never seen before. Your whole demeanor changed. “I only suspected your involvement in my family’s deaths at first. You were very convincing. It was when you put me up in the condo that I was really sure. You must have wanted me desperately to shower me with such riches.”

“Mmmm. I see. And you accepted freely.”

“I did. I wish I could be ashamed but I’m not. I mean, I got free tactical training with SHIELD. The Avengers trained me in hand to hand and on weapons. Then you had me training with some of the best sorcerers on the planet. Where you really fucked up though was not doing your own research. You see, I have an eidetic memory. A simple search of my school records would have told you that. I have memorized all of Natasha’s fight patterns and every spell Strange taught me. Which, by the way, he was teaching me defensive strategies not control tactics. I know all of the weaknesses in Tony’s suits. I’m also not afraid of tearing the Arch Reactor out of his chest. Did you know I was a conduit before my involvement with the Avengers?”

He sighed, “No. It wasn’t until your final test at the compound. Romanoff told me what you were.”

“Fascinating you didn’t hear that from Loki. He was your biggest mistake. You also didn’t factor in Strange. That’s why you rushed to the compound. You wanted to get to me before he did.”

“Well you’ve seemed to figure it all out.”

“Not everything. Why am I really going to Alaska? Who do you want there? Since I’m about to die I have a right to know why”

“Franklin Richards. He’s being held there. At the moment he’s unconscious. You need to take him out.”

“Susan and Reed’s son? You want me to absorb his powers. So this isn’t a Hydra base.”

“Oh no. It is. Senator Stern arranged for you to have access to Franklin. He and Senator Kelly have joined forces to create this encampment. Their motives are similar.”

“Ah. No more mutants.”

“That was Kelly’s idea at first. He’s seen the light and agreed to use mutants to our advantage. Franklin is too powerful. We need you to remove his power.”

“And I’m sure you know how powerful Franklin is even at his young age. I’m also sure you know now that I can’t absorb a power from a living person.”

“Minor issue. Easily fixed.”

“I’m not going to kill that boy. I will stand back and watch when Reed and Susan get their hands on you.” You laughed and sipped your water.

“You will do as we ask. I’m not in the habit of making requests.” He got up from his seat and went back up to talk to Tony. You blew out a deep breath. Every cell in your body was reaching out to Wanda and Loki. If they were close enough to you Wanda could hear your cries.

Someone else entirely heard you this time. Scott ran to Jean when he heard her talking incoherently. “Jean! You ok?”

“It’s Y/N. She’s in trouble.”

“We are ahead of them. We’ll be there before they land. Susan and Reed are meeting us there as well. Don’t worry. We’ll get to them.”

Jean reached her mind to yours, “We’re on our way, Y/N. We’re coming to help.” You heard her voice and calmed down. Fury wouldn’t know what hit him.

[bruciewayne]

nearly perfect

dyslexic steve rogers, steve + tony friendship, 1940s ideals, internal ableism(?) 

The Serum fixed so many things, and did more than fix. Erskine made him so much better than he ever could be, than he ever should be, really, and according to all the records, and all the posters and comics and black-and-white reels, he’s a perfect man. 

And he is. Nearly. He’s perfect in almost every way possible. Almost. If you were to look at him, nothing would be wrong anymore, if you were to tell him to run a city block, he could, fast enough to rival most cars, without breaking a sweat, if you were to send him to the front lines he could hold his own, he could lead, he could win.

But if you were to hand him a mission report, or a long list of European places along the front lines, or, hell, a list of all 48 American states, and tell him to read it aloud in a timed condition? The letters still swam and flipped and switched places pretty much however they pleased.

Didn’t fix that.

It was the very first thing he tested, after the whole street-fight thing. He pushed three cents into the hand of the first seller he saw and pulled the paper open to a random page (reminding himself to reign in his new strength) tried to read the article, he tried and he tried and it was like he was back in school and Miss Luthor was calling him stupid and striking him across the knuckles, and he was trying to defend himself and Miss was telling him to stop making excuses and Bucky was trying to defend him, saying that it wasn’t his fault, that he was just born like that, the way that his asthma wasn’t his fault, and Steve himself was just trying and trying to figure out the name of the author The Three Musketeers, wishing that he could just get it, the way everyone else could, the way he could look at something and copy it down on paper near-exactly with a blunt pencil.

Erskine made him look perfect, made him the perfect soldier, but he didn’t stop the letters from floating about and rearranging, and he didn’t stop him from looking at boys the way he should look at girls.

Didn’t fix that either.

But it’s fine. 

Because now, he’s actually respected, as a person and as a part of the US Army (he definitely won’t be if he tells them that other flaw), he gets the important stuff verbally, and just the details in writing, and even then, he can just pretend, and pretend and pretend, that he’s taking too long because he’s doing a thorough job (and he is, because he wasn’t about to lead his men, or send any men, into a place when he was absolutely certain that it wasn’t another place) and pretend that finally, finally, he’s just like everyone else (but he’s not, even though he was meant to be, according to Erskine’s journal that Howard gave him, he stood out, but nowhere near as much as he did before).

And then 70 years pass with him dead to it all.

He wakes up, and it’s not the first thing on his mind, but he hopes that he can just pretend again. Then he’s pushed into a room full of books and a slim metal thing that apparently has access to all the books in the world and then he’s given paper files about people he once knew and people he’s supposed to get to know.

The next few weeks are a blur, he overhears some people talking about how slow he is, and how bad his spelling is and how bad his handwriting is and one of the younger agents laughs and attributes it to his ‘old-man 1940s-ness’. He tries not to think about how that agent is probably older than him, technically. 

He’s grateful for that, in all reality, because he can carry on pretending, until, until when?

Until they realise that he’s far too dumb to be Captain America, he supposes that pretended could’ve flown in the past (barely a month ago), but now? Where everyone’s smarter and everything is faster and he’s expected to be smarter and faster, he’s not going to last. He’s just. Not going to last.

He makes it three months.

By this time, they (the Avengers) are all living in the (big, ugly, and straight from the future) Tower and Steve’s mostly caught up with the future. He’s allowed to like men now. Not that Captain America can be gay. But maybe Steve Rogers can.

Tony notices first. Not the gay thing, the other thing. The dumb letter thing.

“O, Captain! What do you think about it? Who we gotta send?” Tony asks as soon as the briefs are in their hands. The letters are still floating about, refusing to settle.

Steve tries to stall, because he can’t say ‘I don’t know’ (“Rogers! What on God’s green Earth do you think you mean when you say ‘I don’t know’? The words are right there, for God’s sake, stop horsing around for five seconds and actually try for once, maybe then you’ll have half a chance of living on your own dime.”), because he can’t seem utterly and completely clueless. He manages about three long and excruciatingly painful seconds (it’s been three months, it’s been long enough that he should be better, smarter, faster. And he is, but still only with the maps and the shapes and everything that isn’t fucking reading.), staring at the paper, trying to make sense of it with everyone’s eyes on him, before Tony breezes on, giving his opinions, as though it was Tony himself being slow (not that Steve has ever, in the short, short time he’s been here, seen him be anything under 70 miles an hour, even sleep-deprived and hungover, he’s always been so, so much faster than everyone else).

He hopes to God that he didn’t imagine that wink.

After the meeting, after they have a solid plan and a decent rollcall for the mission, Tony curls his hand and his elbow and tugs him back into the room just as he’s about to leave.

“I don’t wanna assume anything, and you can stop me if this is like, a whole galaxy off-base or something, but I made you something, uh, programmed really, the tablet’s been in circulation for a couple months already, made you a program, that dictates briefs, and whatever else you want to put on there, to you, ’cause, and uh, I’m not calling you stupid or anything, but I’ve noticed that you have a hard time with reading? So, here.”

Tony pushes a tablet in his hands and then steps away and rocks on the balls of his feet.

Steve takes it carefully in his hands. “I, uh, thank you, Tony, really, I, um, the whole reading thing, can you maybe… not tell anyone?”

Tony looks surprised but he agrees, “Do you want me to show you how to use it?”

“Please?”

Tony sits and gestures to a seat and launches into an explanation, “So, JARVIS pretty much runs this, you can type or talk and he’ll talk or type back…”

“...then I told her that the letters never stayed in the same place and--” Steve mimes a whip, “--right around the knuckles with the good old wood rule.”

“A wooden ruler!? I’ll be honest, a good part of me thought that that was fictional,” Tony admits, leaning back. They’re long past teaching Steve how to use the tablet and the sun’s long since on the other side of the planet, but they’re still in the conference room, far away from anything about personalised dictation programs.

Steve raises an eyebrow, “Well, gay marriage seems pretty fictional to me.” 

As soon as that leaves his mouth he feels his blood freeze and slow down in his veins, but all Tony does is nod, conceding, and says, “Touche.”

They’re silent, for a moment, watching the city below, before Tony speaks up again, “I don’t want to assume anything, but the whole letters thing sounds a great deal like dyslexia.”

At Steve’s blank look he explains, “It’s a thing, mental disability, that means you find it hard to read, that the letters move around. No effect on your actual intelligence.”

Steve knows that mental issues are treated much, much better nowadays, that Shellshock has a real name, and is a real Thing and isn’t ‘cowardly’ anymore (because there was nothing cowardly, ever, about kids waking up screaming because of the damn war). 

But taking in that he’s not entirely alone, or helpless, or downright retarded for the first time in his long twenty-five years? A fucking relief.

“Come to the workshop, I’ll have JARVIS run some tests, see if we can get you some overlays or something,” Tony says, standing up and reaching a hand out to Steve.

Steve takes his hand and lets himself be pulled up.

“You know,” Tony starts, when they sit back and wait for the results to render (and if, the results are already rendered, and JARVIS and Tony have a morse code shorthand, then that’s only something Tony and JARVIS know (and Natasha because she caught on the first time she was down here)), “I have anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD and alcohol and drug abuse on my file.”

“I’ve seen your file,” Steve says, confused.

“Dyslexia can go in yours and the only thing that’ll change is that anything printed, you’ll get on pink paper,” Tony explains, gently.

“JARVIS,” Steve starts, voice cracking a little, “official Avengers file change, Rogers, Steven Grant…”

-

‘insecurity’ for happy steve bingo