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perpetualproductions · 7 months ago

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Never Be The Same- Chapter 2:

Us Against the World

- Time passes as the gang tries to adjust to their new normal.

(Title song: Us Against the World by Coldplay)

[a/n: Once again, shout out to Venus (@paperdoll201 💜) for helping me out with this fic! ]

CW: this one's actually pretty chill

3k words

<-Previous | Next->

3 Months Later...

It's January now. The day after New Years. And it's quiet... Too quiet. Certainly too quiet for Jordan's taste, but Marie seems to like the quiet. Jordan had noticed it over the last couple months and especially during the last week.

They both had the apartment to themselves over the holidays. Emma decided to go back home, finally ready to face her mother and excited to see the rest of her family again after so long. Andre, on the other hand, went to visit his dad. Jordan and Marie had tried to talk him out of it since he was being held at Vought Tower and it was way too fucking risky, but Andre was determined to see his father again. To everyone's surprise, everything went fine. Andre let them know as much after his first visit. He even came back to the apartment to prove he wasn't being held captive or “brainwashed”. Jordan insisted on "checking", however one does that. (Really just consisted of using Marie's abilities as a lie detector. An iffy method, but it worked). He eventually packed and moved into one of his other places, closer to where his dad was, and maybe he was also tired of being a third wheel all the fucking time. Who knows.

Anyways, it was just Jordan and Marie now. Had been for a week or so, and it was nice. It felt good sharing a space with her and just her. It was also quiet, and Marie liked the quiet, and so did Jordan for a while. No running around, confused or scared. No immediate threats to their lives or the potential of being captured looming over them. It was calm and comforting. Feelings both Jordan and Marie weren't very used to. But they had each other, which helped them get used to the feeling. However, as the year came to an end, the worry came back. Jordan was realizing how odd this all has been...

Three months… A little over three months ago, Cate and Sam released the supes from the fucked up underground lab at Godolkin University and went on a rampage. People died. They killed people with their bare fucking hands. Then Marie saved people with her cool as fuck powers, saved their ass from Cate with said cool powers as well. And finally, Homelander flies in, lasers some people in half, threatens to do the same to Marie but didn't when they saw the police coming in to escort people off campus. Jordan hates Homelander now. Just him daring to look at her like that was enough for Jordan to despise the fucker.

But yes, ALL of that, and then nothing… Absolutely nothing. Just a sad excuse for a cover up aired on TV for one night, then nothing. It didn't feel right. Marie had suggested to Jordan that maybe Ashley let them off free for saving her life, along with the others in the helicopter, but that didn't sound right to Jordan. They knew how Vought worked, If there's anything that Vought didn't like, it was loose ends. And that was exactly what they were. There’s no way they would be free to walk without, at the very least, a clear threat that would loom over them for the rest of their fucking lives. Ashley Barrett, the CEO of Vought, was there. She had to know that they knew about the woods… or maybe not.

They weren't sure anymore. And it was that unsurety that made Jordan paranoid as all hell, sneaking peeks out the windows, or through the peephole of the door whenever Marie wasn't looking. But for now, they were doing their best to stay calm, relax, and enjoy the afternoon with Marie.

They were both sitting on the couch, Marie snuggled into Jordan's side. As much as Marie loved to hold Jordan in their fem form, she also loved it when she could cling to them like a koala, their big arms wrapping her up as she laid her head on their chest. So they sat there, just like that, watching Property Brothers reruns in the living room. Empty coffee mugs sat on the coffee table in front of them, where Jordan now rested their feet. They had spent the whole morning on that couch, had breakfast, drank coffee, cuddled up under a blanket and turned the TV on. It was just one of those lazy mornings where they took their time and enjoyed each other's company. But, for the past hour, all Marie could focus on was the echoing beat of Jordan's pounding heart. They were nervous, really nervous, about something.

Marie tried to see if she could find the source of their stress, tried to think if there was anything about today that could have triggered this, but nothing came to mind. She's been debating on saying something for a while now, silently cursing her powers for making Jordan's heartbeat the only fucking thing she can hear, losing focus on the show a long time ago. But, there was no way in hell Jordan was gonna say something at this point, - so fuck it - Marie thought.

“So…”

“So?” Jordan looks down at her, raising an eyebrow as they do their best to look nonchalant.

“Anything on your mind lately?” She brings her focus to a spot on Jordan's navy blue sweater, picking at a piece of loose thread.

The question takes Jordan off guard as they look up and fix their gaze on the TV in front of them, attempting to keep a straight face. Even though they know by now that they can't hide shit from Marie.

“No, not really… Why do you ask?”

“Because… All I've been able to focus on for the past hour is your very fast, very loud heartbeat.” Marie moves her hand up to rest over Jordan's heart.

Jordan whips their head towards Marie, a bit shocked. “AN HOUR?! My heart’s been bothering you for a whole fucking hour? Are you serious, Marie!? Why didn't you say anything sooner?” The words stumbled out in quick succession.

Marie meets Jordan's shocked gaze, a questioning look on her face. “Why- Wait. You're upset I didn't say anything about how loud your heart was beating?”

“Yes!?!” Jordan shifts to their smaller form scooting back to face Marie better. “If I'd known that my heart was bothering you-”

She scoffs, interrupting them. “You would what? Finally tell me what the fuck’s been bothering you this whole time?” Marie challenged Jordan, crossing her arms.

Jordan stuttered, not sure how to respond. “I- Um. I don't-”

Marie sighs, scooting closer to Jordan. They both sit cross-legged, knees touching. Marie gently holds Jordan's hands, urging them to relax and make eye contact with her. "It's alright. I hesitated because I wasn't sure if it was just a minor thing you didn't want to discuss. I figured if it were serious, you'd mention it. But when you didn't, I got worried your heart might fucking burst, so I kinda had to speak up."

Jordan looks up, meeting Marie's eyes. They let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, sorry about that. I should have known- remembered that heartbeats are a lot louder for you. I- I would have said something… I don't know.”

“You don't have to apologize for a bodily function that you can't really control. But whatever it is that's causing it, I just want you to know that you can trust me-”

“-I do trust you. Fuck, Marie, of course I know I can trust you. It's just… it's ridiculous. Really, just don't worry about it.” Jordan says dismissively. But Marie's not buying it.

“Jordan.” She looks at them with a knowing look. They really can't hide anything from her. “Just tell me…” Her thumbs move in gentle circles over their knuckles, offering a calming touch.

Jordan takes a quick breath. “I- I started thinking… about Vought,” Jordan looks away, not wanting to meet her eyes as they say this, “...Again.”

Marie's face softens, giving Jordan's hands a gentle squeeze “Jordan…”

“I know. I know, there's nothing to fucking worry about anymore. It's been three months and nothing's happened… But doesn't that bother you? That nothing has fucking happened since then? Vought hasn't reached out once? I mean, I still can't believe they let fucking Andre just walk in and see his dad. It's like nothing happened in the first place!”

“Jordan.” Marie's voice is more firm this time, getting their attention. “I know it's weird. But everything's been fucking weird from the start! Vought, Godolkin, The Woods; This whole world is fucking weird and it doesn't make sense. So I'm not gonna complain that Vought hasn't shown up at our doorstep or picked us up off the streets while we're out. For whatever fucking reason, they are leaving us alone, and I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.” Marie takes a breath, taking a second to gather her thoughts. “This is a chance to live our lives, Jordan. We have a second chance to go to a school, one that hopefully isn't controlled by Vought, and live a somewhat decent life. Hopefully one away from Vought and all their bullshit. We escaped, Jordan. Whether they let us or not, I don't care. I just want to go to school, get a job where I can actually help people outside of Vought’s bullshit, and find my sister…” Marie sighs, nibbling at her lip a bit before pressing on, holding their gaze with her own loving one. “And I want to explore us more. Maybe go out on proper dates, or go on trips together, just get to know you more.” Marie reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind Jordan's ear, a gentle smile resting on her face.

“Yeah, I guess that sounds pretty nice.” A cheeky smirk pulling at their lips. Jordan puts their hands on Marie's face and pulls her into a deep kiss. Their hands land on her knees as they pull away. “I'm sorry. And you're right, we should move forward. Live our life and find ways to be real fucking heroes. Fight against Vought that way.”

Marie hesitates a bit before nodding, but it was quick enough that Jordan didn't catch it. Don't get her wrong, she wants to take Vought down. But right now, she has other things at the forefront of her mind. Top two begin to find her sister, and stay out of supe jail. Number two was going well so far, but she didn't want any of that to stop Jordan from doing what they wanted. Eventually she would help them take down Vought (however the hell they would even go about doing that), but that's not right now. Marie needs to find her sister. And she will.

—

1 Month Later

Marie speedwalks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her as she quickly enters the bedroom. She's scrambling around trying to get her clothes on as she quickly checks the time on her phone, cursing under her breath as she reads 7:15 off the lock screen. A sudden crashing sound and raised voices quickly catches her attention as she is reminded of the other two people living in the apartment.

“You two better not burn the place down!” Marie yells out. A small smile stretches across her face as she remembers Jordan and Emma's plan of making a “proper breakfast” before she leaves for work.

“We're not!!” She hears the both of them yell back simultaneously, their voices muffled through the door.

Back in the kitchen, Jordan (in their female form) is gently pushing Emma out of the way as they try to take control of the stove. “Just let me make the pancakes and the eggs. You can flip the bacon or wash fruit or whatever.”

“Come on Jordan, I think I can handle scrambling some eggs. Kinda hard to fuck that up.” Emma says, trying to shove her way back so she can reach the eggs.

“That's debatable.” Jordan mumbles.

“Hey! You're the one that almost dropped the pancake mix earlier!”

“Only because you were about to let the bacon burn! You were too busy scrolling through fucking Tik Tok or whatever the fuck.”

“Well it was actually a video that Andre sent me of a rat dragging a slice of pizza down the street! So ha!” Emma says with a smug look on her face, thinking she successfully one upped Jordan.

Jordan playfully nudges Emma a bit too hard, sending her stumbling back, egg pan still gripped in hand. In the fucking chaos, the egg pan collides into the bacon pan, causing it to go flying off the stove. Reacting swiftly, Jordan easily maneuvers around Emma, catching the pan before it hits the ground while simultaneously shifting into their male form so they don’t get fucking burned.

“Fucking hell Emma, we almost lost the bacon!” Jordan groans, as they deftly put the pan back on the stove.

“Um, excuse me, but you shoved me. So this is as much your fault as it is mine!” Emma turned towards Jordan, pointing accusingly.

Jordan goes to retort but hears Marie yelling back at them from the bedroom… Again. “Stop fucking fighting!”

“We're not!!” They both say in unison. They both look at each other for a beat before breaking out into a laugh, acknowledging the comical situation.

Jordan sighs, turning down the heat on some of the burners as they reluctantly apologize to Emma. “Okay. I'm sorry I shoved you too hard, causing you to knock the bacon off the stove.”

“Aww, look at you apologizing for your mistakes. Marie is the best thing that ever happened to you.” Emma said, giving a friendly punch to their arm.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just stir the fucking eggs, will you.” Jordan really doesn't like that Emma was right. But, she was right.

The two finally managed to work together, all the food cooked and ready to serve. Fruit salad and all. Marie walks out as they're placing the food on the table. She wanders around the living room gathering up her purse and coat, taking a look at the food once she has it all together. “Wow, that actually looks really good.”

“Don't act so surprised.” Jordan remarks sarcastically. They walk over to Marie, throwing an arm around her waist and giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

Marie accepts the kiss graciously, smiling up at them as they part. “I'm just glad you didn't rip each other apart.”

“Oh come on, we're not that bad.” Jordan says, leading Marie over to the table where Emma has already started to eat.

“Yeah! Jordan's like my annoying older sibling. We bicker about stupid shit all the time. They usually start it though.” Emma said before eating a fork-full of pancake.

“Wow. Thanks.” Jordan sarcastically replies as they go to sit down. Emma gives a teasing look before taking a bite of her bacon.

Marie lets out a breathy laugh, shaking her head as she watches the two self-proclaimed siblings bicker away. She loves that the two have grown closer over the last few months. They were two of the most important people in her life at the moment, so it means a lot. She looks over and reads the time off the oven clock and remembers why she was rushing just a moment ago. “Oh shit. Sorry guys, but I'm gonna be late if I don't leave right now.” She grabs a piece of bacon and puts it in her mouth as she goes to put her coat on.

“Nooo! Just stay for like a couple minutes! I'm sure they won't mind if you're just a little late.” Emma pleads with Marie.

“I know you two worked hard on this, but I don't think I can afford to be late again. You know how Fred can be.” Emma nods in understanding, knowing exactly how their manager can be. Marie grabs her purse and quickly walks over to Emma, giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the head, then over to Jordan to do the same.

Jordan looks up at her, their best puppy dog eyes on display, while pouting their lips. “Just five minutes? Please?”

Marie looks down at them. At those damn dark brown eyes that they know she can't resist. The same eyes that had caused her to be late a couple times before. But she can't let those beautiful eyes win every time. “Nice try, but I really have to go.” She gives them a quick peck on the lips and walks away before they can pull her back in. “I'll be back before you know it!” She yells back at them as she walks out the door, shutting it behind her.

Jordan looks over at the door with a dramatic sadness before turning back around. Emma makes a fake gagging noise at them, earning a deadpan stare from Jordan as they shift to their female form. “Very mature.”

“Very mature-” Emma mimics back at them, before getting a grape tossed at them. “Hey!”

Jordan laughs before quickly dodging the same grape flying back at them, starting a very dangerous game of grape throwing. Who won the battle of the grape? We may never know…

—

Working at a diner in the middle of the city was about what Marie expected it to be. Taking orders, dealing with shitty customers, waiting and bussing tables for subpar tips, the whole shebang. It was all she could get with a resume of zero work experience, but it was a job and the pay wasn't too bad. Her shift came and went, the morning rush on a Sunday being what you'd expect. She clocks out and makes her way out of the diner but stops in her tracks as a black SUV drives up and stops in front of her. She instinctively goes to reach for her pocket knife, but stops when the backseat window rolls down.

“Neuman…”

---

Chapter 2!! Thanks for reading, people. Hope you enjoyed. Chapter 3 drops next Saturday!

Much love, 😎👍❤️

-PB

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natrogersfics · 9 months ago

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Article created by @teamromanoff for this 'verse years back! Read on AO3 Steve knows that there are not many things in this world that can leave Tony Stark and Pepper Potts slack-jawed. In terms of all things ridiculous, the couple has seen it all – Tony for being, well, Tony, and Pepper by having to put up with Tony for all these years. And yet, as he and Natasha stand behind the bar after informing them of the truth about their relationship, they find the usually eloquent pair rendered speechless.

The discussion of whether to let them in on their lie had not been a short one. On one hand, the smaller the circle of people who know, the less chance of a slip up there is – not that he and Natasha think that Tony or Pepper would go babbling to the press. They trust them implicitly, and if there’s ever a pair who understood the importance of concealing details about their lives to the press, it’s them. But if things go South, they don’t want to risk implicating their friends. Ultimately, though, the fact that they are some of their oldest friends trumped all the other reasons that had come about. They’re already keeping his actual family in the dark; the family they had chosen did not have to be subjected to the same treatment.

“Let me get this straight,” Tony says, shifting in his bar stool. “You’re telling us that this” – he gestures between them both – “isn’t real? Like, at all?”

His eyes widen at the volume at which Tony says the words, and despite there being an hour left before opening, like a reflex, he and Natasha let their eyes roam around the room to check for any unwanted attention the man may have garnered.

“Will you keep your voice down?” Natasha hisses at Tony. “We have employees in the back.” She gives their surroundings another once-over, and satisfied that no one had heard Tony’s outburst, she looks back at both him and Pepper. “And you two saw us just last week. We weren’t even together, much less engaged. How could you think this was real?”

“I don’t know,” Tony says, his expression twisting as if he’s only now considering the idea. “You two are always joined at the hip. We assumed that at one point the bulb would just go on.” He shrugs. “I never would have put money on you two playing 90 Day Fiancè- ow!”

“What Tony means,” Pepper says, looking at both of them as Tony winces next to her, “is that you two were very convincing. When Sarah announced your engagement, we didn’t have any reason to believe it wasn’t true.”

“Right,” Tony says, pulling out his phone. “Were we really supposed to think this was all fake?”

Steve looks at the picture on screen of him and Natasha on stage with his family before rolling his eyes. “For the hundredth time, yes.”

“What about this?” Tony says, swiping to show the picture of them kissing at the lobby of Cipriani’s on the front page of the NY Star. “And this?” Tony swipes again, moving to the picture of Natasha’s head on his shoulder at the Knicks game they attended with Thor and his wife, Jane. “And this?” The final image is of him and Natasha as they grabbed coffee on their way to do inventory this morning, and if he hadn’t already been jaded by how ruthless photographers could be when it comes to disregarding people’s privacy, he might have rolled his eyes at how quickly they’d gotten their picture circulating on the Internet.

He sighs. “All an act, Tony.”

“Well, shit,” Tony says before zooming in on the picture of Natasha’s engagement ring. “I mean, this looks really real. And expensive.” With a swipe of his finger, the screen shifts back to a gallery of their pictures on the NY Star website. “And these all look really real.”

“Tony, if you believe half the things they print in tabloids, then you’d have married half of Manhattan by now,” Natasha says.

Pepper smirks. “This is true.”

As Tony and Natasha continue to trade jabs, Steve stares back at the phone Tony is still holding out. There’s a part of him that has to admit that their friend isn’t wrong. He and Natasha do look like a couple, and truth be told, ever since the night they had taken their ruse public, every time they’ve had to act has just become easier and easier. But that’s the benefit of having been friends with someone for so long, he reminds himself. Their familiarity with one another has made it so that their learning curve in this has been practically nonexistent, and that’s precisely why Natasha’s the perfect partner in this ruse.

“So how long do you two plan on keeping this up?” Pepper questions, and if he’s honest, it’s the first sensible inquiry they’ve gotten since they revealed the truth.

He turns to Natasha for confirmation before looking back at Pepper. “Just until the deal closes with the Odinsons.”

“Then I look forward to your next performance as Mr. and Mrs. Rogers at the Odinson charity event tomorrow,” Tony says, whose smirk is wiped clean by the glare Pepper shoots his way.

“Well, if our reactions are anything to go by, obviously you two are playing this exceptionally well,” Pepper says. “But just be careful, all right? There are a lot of vultures out there.”

Steve sighs. “Don’t worry, we’re keeping an eye out for the media.”

“Among other things,” Pepper notes, reaching to take a sip of her water. “Anyway, and now for the other reason we wanted to come see you two.” She steals a glance at Tony before smiling. “We have some news.”

It’s slow for a Wednesday night, and with only a handful of patrons finishing up their drinks, Steve makes his way over to where Wanda is standing, her attention on the tablet resting on the surface of the bar. “Not to sound like a grandpa here, but… reading under these lights will do a number on your eyesight.”

Wanda looks up, her expression sheepish. “Sorry,” she says, flipping the cover over the screen. “It’s just with finals-”

“Wanda,” he interrupts with a chuckle before she can continue. “I was just kidding. Well, maybe not entirely about the eyesight thing.” He shrugs as Wanda rolls her eyes playfully at him. “You should take off. Study in proper lighting.”

“Thank you, Steve,” Wanda says, shaking her head. “But no. You and Nat have already been so understanding lately. I couldn’t do that.”

“We weren’t asking,” Natasha says, a smirk on her face as she comes to stand next to him. “It’s the middle of the week. I doubt any more people are coming in. Go.” She cranes her neck towards the direction of the sink at the end before calling out, “You too, Pete!”

“Thanks, guys!” Peter calls out.

“Be safe, kid,” he says, smiling as Peter gives them a thumbs up, before turning his attention back to Wanda. “See, leaving is that easy.”

Wanda looks at him and then at Natasha, who crosses her arms over her chest, before letting out a sigh. “Okay, fine,” she says, her smile full of gratitude. “You two are the best. Thank you.”

Natasha smiles. “Go.”

“I’m going, I’m going,” Wanda says, placing her hands up.

He and Natasha wave to Wanda as she exits, and as soon as the door closes behind their bartender, Natasha makes her way towards the end where Peter had left a batch of freshly washed crystal tumblers. As she takes one in her hand and a dish cloth in the other, he moves to stand next to her. “Do you think we have to let them know too?”

“I thought about it,” Natasha admits with a sigh. “I hate the idea of keeping things from Wanda and Peter, but at the same time, I don’t want to involve them if they don’t have to be.”

“I guess you’re right,” he says before adding, “I doubt they read the tabloids and society pages anyway.”

“No one below the Upper East Side does,” she confers. “Plus, it’d be nice to have a space where we don’t have to pretend, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” he says, the corners of his lips lifting in a smile. “I think that’s a great idea.” As far as safe havens go, the Soldier & Spy is very much it for them both. It’s taken their blood, sweat, and tears to get their business to where it is today, but it’s the one place they’ve both found happiness in after a long list of unfulfilling careers. “So…” he begins after a beat. “Tony Stark, a father.”

Natasha smirks, but does not take her eyes away from the glass she’s working on. “I honestly thought I’d be more surprised,” she says. “But now that I’ve had some time to think about it, it’s not all that shocking.”

“Yeah?” he prods, turning to look her way.

“Yeah,” she confirms. “If you only knew Tony from what you read about him, then yeah, I guess you’d be floored.” She shrugs. “But we don’t, and we know that underneath all the snide comments and witty comebacks” – she pauses as they share a laugh – “he cares fiercely for the people he loves.” She turns to look at him, a little smile playing on her lips. “I think he’ll make an excellent father.”

“The best,” he says, mirroring her smile. “He and Pepper are one hell of a duo. That baby is going to be so lucky.”

“Speaking of babies, though,” she says, setting the towel on the counter before nodding towards the booth in the corner. “You might want to break that up before those two start making one on our freshly cleaned upholstery.”

He looks to where a young couple is practically draped over each other before chuckling. “Ah, to be young…”

“And out for some action,” she finishes, eliciting a laugh from him.

“Is that why you’re leaving early and making me serve as human contraception?” he asks, watching as she puts the towel down and smirking when she narrows his eyes at him. “What? It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Nat.”

“First of all, I’m not ashamed,” she says. “And second, do you really think I’d do that while” – she gestures between the two of them – “this is going on?”

“I wouldn’t either, by the way,” he interjects.

She rolls her eyes, as if that’s the most obvious fact in the world. “Besides…” she says after a beat. “Even if I did go out looking, it’s been too long since…” She cocks her head towards the booth once more before chuckling. “Anyway, I probably don’t even remember what to do.” Maybe it’s the blank stare he gives her or the silence that lingers between them for a millisecond too long, but either way, she scoffs. “You look surprised.”

“No,” he says quickly, even though that’s not completely the truth. “I mean, I obviously wouldn’t have dragged you into, you know… if I thought that you… But at the same time, I didn’t want to assume-”

“I’m here all the time,” she says almost incredulously, the corners of her lips quirking. “Where could I have possibly found the time to-”

“I don’t know!” he says, amusement thick in his voice as he scratches the back of his head. “Plus, it’s hardly any of my business.” He shrugs. “But hey, for what it’s worth, I heard it’s just like riding a bike.”

“You heard or you know?” she challenges, raising a brow.

This time, he’s the one that scoffs. “I’m here all the time!”

She just shrugs, earning yet another scoff from him. “Wait,” she says, a glint in her eye as she steps closer to him, leaning in as if to let him in on some dirty little secret. “So, you and Peggy… you two aren’t…”

“Natasha,” he says exasperatedly. “For Christ’s sake, not you, too.”

She puts her hands up in the air. “It’s hardly any of my business.”

He rolls his eyes. “No, okay,” he says, shaking his head. “No, it’s not like that with Peggy. It never has been. Okay?”

“Okay,” she says in concession, letting a moment pass before letting out a sigh. “So I guess we’re just a couple of lame bar owners, huh?”

“The lamest,” he agrees, tipping his chin upward.

She smiles. “Anyway, I should get going.”

“Since we’re in a sharing mood,” he says, watching as she picks up her purse and slings it over her shoulder. “Where are you going?”

“Haven’t you heard?” she asks, causing his brows to rise in intrigue. “We have to leave some mystery in the relationship to keep it hot and spicy.”

He scoffs for the nth time as she giggles and leans in to press a kiss to his cheek. “Get out of here,” he says, shaking his head when she only looks back to stick her tongue out at him. Masterlist

#Romanogers #Never Be the Same #Fake Engagement AU #And I'd Choose You

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