#Summer Lovin'

[brokentrafficknight]

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Tai: Miss Schnee, You're looking very lovely this Evening!

Willow: Oh, please, Call me Willow~ And Might I say you are somehow more handsome than Last I saw you~

Tai: Ha! you certainly may Willow~! I do like to think I clean up nicely! Come in, Sit down, have some food.

Willow: Oh, thank you very much Taiyang.

Summer's Ghost, whispering in her ear: He's a kind, strong man. You want that. You Need That. He's great with kids. Our daughters are already practically sisters. Just let him Bed you and All your issues will be resolved~

[lwde-encrusted-sideblog]

Summer: Hmmm.

Summer: No, I can't say I have a use for Rubber Nipples.

Summer: !

Summer: Oh, *Pulling Tai out from behind her* but do you have any Rubber Husband Protectors?

Tai: *Deeply traumatized* Call the poliiiiice ...

[rwac96]

Can we get Summer using her thighs to summon Tai? Whether it is because she and the rest of the team are stuck, or their daughters need something and he is required. As long as she claps them then he arrives.

Based off of those Jaune summoning posts from JuanArcTheThird.

Summer: "Hmm." *claps her thighs*

*Taiyang appears, wearing only a towel wrapped around his privates*

Taiyang: *confused* "Summer, what the heck?"

Summer: *giggles* "Yes!"

[howlingday]

4 year old Ruby somehow made an entire Gundam in her family’s back yard overnight without anyone noticing.

Taiyang: Uh, Summer? When are you coming home?

Summer: I'll be there in a few minutes, Tai. Honestly, how hard is it to take care of two girls by yourself?

Taiyang: Well, you say that, but you haven't seen what your youngest's done!

Summer: Oh, I'm sure it's not that ba-

Summer Rose walked into view of her house, nearly dropping her scroll as she gazed at the hulking metal monstrosity towering over her home. The massive man of iron glared outwards, to the mainland beyond Patch, as if daring the world to challenge him. Wait... Oh, there's a rose in what looks like hair on her head. This was a giant robot woman.

Summer: WHAT IS THAT?!

Ruby: Ana!

Taiyang: (Sighs) She says her name is Ana.

[mostlydeceased]

Strolls through my happy spot...

Summer is near but I've been enjoying my favorite season, spring. 🌱

I have a favorite spot for my lil strolls, where the trees arch over the sky, the ravine trickles by, I get to watch the environment change as I stroll through there every season. But it starts to bloom in spring and becomes truly magical in the summer. I swear I've seen pixies and fairies there...

xxx Ali O.

[catscratching]

8. What do they think about romantic love? Do they have baggage surrounding it? Do they idealize it? Is it an object of longing and wanting, or were they really not thinking about it until they started falling for the other character? What are their expectations like?

Seda has baggage about many things, romantic love definitely being one of them.  As I’ve embarked on the journey of learning more about her, she’s definitely been a change from characters I’ve written about in the past.    I covered a bit about her baggage in previous asks, but the TLDR is that Seda spent her life feeling like nothing she ever did was enough for a healthy, loving relationship.  

Her mother cared, but Silana was a distracted-type parent that didn’t bond much with her child, partnered with someone that was struggling with gender identity, sexuality and class/social position.  Seda’s first lover was coercive and controlling, and the series of partners after left her feeling unfulfilled and guilty.  

She pursued excellence in her craft (with some revenge on the side), kept all dalliances superficial, and in the privacy of her heart, longed for something real.  She never considered pregnancy - after all, a child would love and cherish their mother, and she could pour all that love out into motherhood.  She wanted a partner, an equal, an adult - someone that she could take care of, and let take care of her.  But she never took any steps to allow that sort of relationship to grow; finding Fakhri caught her entirely off guard.

Seda is a practical, rational person.  She knows that the romance depicted in the stories is idealized fiction; that real people just aren’t like that.  Given her background, she’s tried to take each day as it comes and not expect too much, but it was hard not to dream about growing old surrounded by a loving family.  She kept telling herself that it was just a daydream, but with each step they take toward making it a reality, her grip on that final bit of insecurity and denial loses strength.  It won’t be much longer, now.

[I will say that she is beginning to unpack some baggage, and as often happens with such things, it may get messy for her personally.  But her feelings for Fakhri are so deep and intense that she’s unpacking them so she can be the partner he deserves, and if any of the mess splashes over onto him, it’ll likely stem from her trying to deal with these things herself so he won’t worry.]

•───────────────────⋅☾ ☽⋅───────────────────•

Edit: I totally mucked up which answer went with which ask. Corrected now! :D

⋅☾⋅ ask list ⋅☾☽⋅ other answers ⋅☽⋅

@gray-morality

[wondipity]

Can I be a part of the taglist for summer lovin I just it's gonna be good!

ahhh ofc sweetheart adding you rn !

[brokentrafficknight]

Can we please get more Wolf Faunas Summer?Please?

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Raven: *throwing a shirt at Qrow* Cover them up, Slut.

Raven: *tearing Tai's Shirt off* Don't cover these up, Slut.

Tai + Qrow: Hey!

Summer: Raven! I do not appreciate you undermining my authority!

Raven: ...

Summer: Neither of those Sluts may cover them up! Qrow take your shirt off!

[moonage-gaydream]

If Summer was a canon character I'd read all the comics he was in 💖

Summer Kent lore dump

Ages ago @mik3stuff asked me to tell him about my DC self-insert because he wants to make one too and the ask he sent me got lost in my drafts and i FINALLY remembered and got the motivation to make this!It's long and i do mean LOOOONG because they've existed since 2019 + I tagged canon characters for personal organization and i'm very sorry if that annoys anyone!! /gen /srs

Summer Kent was born Frankie Garcia,in Metropolis,to Mayerlin and Sebastián Garcia.His parents divorced when he was a baby with his mom getting custody of him and his dad neglecting him and they were abusive to him in the classic 'neurotypical cishet parents with a queer neurodivergent kid' way along with some racism on his mom's part since she was white and he grew up getting bullied at school and with no friends too.One of his first memory's is seeing Superman for the first time and being a huge fan of his ever since so when he realized how awfully his parents treated him,he started dreaming Clark would save him

On his 10th birthday,Lex did a rampage across the city in a Lexcorp robot and killed his parents by throwing them onto a building so hard they died on impact,immediately kidnapping Summer to experiment on him afterwards.The experiment in question was to inject him with the dna of the last Kryptofang,a kryptonian species that were basically Krypton's equivalent to dragons but with the addition of telepathy,as an attempt to train him to kill Clark.He was encloused to a Lexcorp lab for 3 days until Clark found him thanks to his and Lois' investigations on Lex's plans.Since Frankie wanted nothing to do with his birth parents,he told Clark his name was Summer when asked since that was the season where he discovered Superman

Summer and Clark instantly bonded so he had no hesitation when he found out about them wanting him to adopt them and this also made Lois his adoptive mom and baby Jon his little brother,along with Jimmy and Lana being his(nonromantically involved)honorary uncle and aunt.They became his sidekick under 'Sparks',both because of his pyrokenisis and his new family being sparks of hope in his life,and him and Lois pulled them out of school so they wouldn't get bullied anymore and Lana was their teacher thanks to her children's education degree she'd previously given up on using.Lex did a smear campaign against Sparks/Summer to detract suspicioun on himself and that made them become more angry and violent and pessimistic than ever combined with their fresh trauma(Clark,Lois and Jimmy did their best to spread good word of them ofc)

A year into his sidekick career,they met Jason due to Clark bringing him on a Justice League mission the same day Bruce did him and they butted heads because of their opposite personalities but were best friends by the end of the day,calling eachother 'Basket Case and Bird Boy' as insults turned affectionate nicknames.Through him,Summer also befriended Eddie and Jason dubbed them 'The Magic Trio' due to his belief that being Robin gave him magic,Eddie's demon theme and Summer's powers.Jason was a positive influence on Summer with his optimistic and peppy attitude and genuine belief in him and made him become more of an 'ideal' hero.Ironically,Bruce disliked him because he thought it would be the other way around

Sparks eventually gained the nickname 'Superpunk',much to his dismay because the Metropolis media meant it as an insult and he was also a goth tomboy both in and out of costume

Clark got Dick and Kory to mentor Summer and this led to them becoming Summer first crushes,with him being aware of the Dick one and throughly embarrased by how obvious they were with it against their will and confusing their's on Kory for jealousy over her being Dick's soulmate(but there was no pick me-ness on his part and instead they were always kind and supportive to eachother).His bi awakening happened when he was 14 and slightly unrelated but in this verse,Eddie was Jason's.An unofficial mentor and moreso intergenerational friend was Selina,who he gained his love of cats from

When Jason was 15,he realized he'd fallen in love with Summer and Dick convinced him to ask him out to a Gotham Academy dance as a confession but then Ditf happened and Summer shut down so hard he had to put the sidekick mantle on hold.On june 1st,he flew to Gotham to visit Jason's grave and got into a fight with Mr Freeze,who accidentally killed him via hypothermia and that made the ghost of the last Kryptofang manifest in his headspace along with his own ghost.They had a conversation that ended with him naming it 'Fantasma' and it convincing him to live again.Clark ressurected him with the Kryptonian Regeneration Matrix using a piece of his hair,Summer having lost three fingers by the time he came back to life and now living with prosthetics.Clark and Lois sent him to live with Jonathan and Martha in hopes of helping him cope and it worked as he learned how to do farmwork,diy and bake,was showered in kindness by his abuelos and got close to Fantasma who taught him Kryptofang things(which Clark also had with the info in the Fortress of Solitude but it had even better knowledge on them than him for obvious reasons)

A while later,Summer moved back to Metropolis after demanding to when he saw Superboy(Kon)and Supergirl(Cindy)on TV,wondering what the fuck was going on.Their relathionship had a rocky start to say the least but Summer still tried to be the best older sibling he could be to them once he saw how poorly the adults in their lives treated them and this led to them having a healthy if very weird dynamic and Summer himself got a new pseudo father-son relathionship in John while they worked on fixing the broken KRM.Jon had developed a love of video games while he was gone and got Summer into them too and over the course of these runs is when we get the arrivals of 4/8 the remaining Superkids:Mia,Chris,Laney and Match and since this was at the same time as Stephanie's and Cass' Robin and Batgirl eras,he teams up with them and they become a trio with Summer taking Babs place as their third while Babs is allowed to truly stay Oracle like she deserves-He was also much kinder to Stephanie than almost everyone else and this made it so they're the closest out of all the platonic World's Finest duos

The combo of his character development and constantly being around Kon and Stephanie who're both gnc trans people in their own ways made Summer's egg as a bigender and genderfluid transmasc crack and he got a new costume and official hero identity under 'Superpunk' for reclamation that only lasted 3 months until he switched to newER one under 'Ember' as he realized he's actually a pastl femme now,Kory and Dick helping him make the second costume.As Ember,he became second only to Clark on the beloved Metropolitan hero list thanks to how many feats he accomplished and his bubbly sweetness and humility and told his Papí he wanted a boy middle name so he gave him two:Valentino and 'Va-El',a kryptonian one to show him he saw him as much his son as he does his bio kids.While all this was going down over the years including the above part,he also had his first relathionship in Rose,dated Kyle(who is only a bit older than 90s YJ like him to avoid creepiness)and had a short thing with Eddie and befriended Natasha,Helena,Cassie,Bart,@insomniac-jay's Dahlia,Solana,Lilith and Daisy,@honeypotsworld's Onya and Lucille,@theautisticcentre's Mathew and Jennifer and @refrigeratedboombursts's Kahali.Kara,Mae,Karen and Krypto come in here too

In Utrh,Bruce calls him to Gotham because he has a feeling Red Hood is Jason but dosen't tell him that's why.Summer still resents him for not killing the Joker but Dick convinces him to agree and him and Jason get into a one on one fight where Jason recognizes him and unmasks himself.Summer is nearly shellshocked because they recognize him too now and he tries to go in for a hug while talking about how much he missed them and makes a joke phrased compliment on their current look and attitude but they fly off in heartbreak at their childhood best friend coming back only for him to be evil.Fantasma forms a mindlink between the two since it's tired of Summer's constant thoughts of him yet refusal to talk to him and this leads to them reconnecting and reforming their bond that was never really lost,including Jason coming to visit him in Metropolis,over the course of a whole year.He also regains his confidence in his love for them and starts shamelessly flirting with them and they're very flustered by it and pretend to hate it but they're secretly loving every second of it,as well as being convinced he's just messing with them instead of having actual feelings for them

Duke is the 5th Robin in this verse instead of Damian and We Are Robin still existed but like him they're elementary and middle school ages instead of high schoolers and Summer is an older sister figure to him,Mar'i is also canon here and two years younger than Lian and they grow up to date and Talia gets herself out of the man-driven narratives DC refuses to free her from by taking over Lexcorp and turning into a force for good by completely rehauling it and is a comphet lesbian happily in love with Selina

Summer becomes Damian's first real friend in their miniseries that takes place slightly before SOB which is about him befriending people his age specifically and regularly appears on Stephanie's Batgirl(60 issues here),Duke's Robin,Cassie's Wonder Girl and all the other Superkids' runs(Kon upgrades to Power Boy instead of the T-Shirt bullshit)and @jellyjays 's Blitz Cross,one of Summer's many found siblings,makes it's debut inbetween these time frames

Jason is an influence on him once again but this time in the opposite direction,making him become more sardonic and brutal as Ember and this causes the Metropolis media to frame him as 'evil all along' which hurts him so much he decides to finally join The Outlaws.The original trinity is Jason himself,Eddie and Rose and once Summer joins as 'Ignite' with a new suit he made and an additional black domino mask gifted to him by Jason to match him,they're 'The Dark Core Four' and @moonage-gaydream's Pepper is their Greta in the sense that she joined because of her crush on one of them-Summer,who she befriended before he ditched Metropolis and who liked her back.Thaddeus(who's a trans girl)is added to the team after they accidentally save her life and then come in order Kahali,Kyle,Artemis,Imani,Mathew,Lilith and Daisy simaultanously,Duke,Azriel(Created by Jay once again),Venus and finally Jennifer.Jaysumm are the Team Mom and Dad from the start AKA Dadhood and Supermom but Thaddeus legitimately views Summer as her mother

Their base is an old abandoned but still functional mansion of Bruce's that they call 'The Fortress',Rhato is 104 issues lasting 3 years in-universe,the Outlaws are a crazy ass and morally gray found family,Mathew is the token cis and Pepper is the token allistic and they've disbanded by the end but on good terms and keep in touch.During it,Jason Summer and Mathew are briefly Lanterns(Star Sapphire/Violet,Black and Green respectively),Rose leaves back Ravager to become Willow,Kyle upgrades to White Lantern,Thad realizes she's a girl mid-way through,Kahali gets killed and ressurected just like his didi Summer and Duke gains reality warping in addition to light and darkness powers.He's actually the reason the N52 exists so he's God actually.Summer takes some detours later on in the run as Outlaw bussiness gets him tangled up with the Gotham Academy kids and starring in the Lumberjanes crossover

Canon couples other than Jason and Summer are Eddie/Lilith,Rose/Imani or Rose/Pepper,Tim/Kahali,Kyle/Venus,Artemis/Daisy,Mathew/Jennifer,Duke/Luna(my Aquafam oc i made to be his love interest)and Thad/Azriel.There's also some mix and match verse's in there,including an adult Outlaws polycule

Jaysumm is finally canonized in this series via Summer one day being especially stressed out and missing the Superfam to boot and Jason comforting him which turns into a makeout session and them sleeping together and agreeing to be fwb because Summer somehow STILL dosen't realize Jason is literally in love with him and they're now a couple in every way but going on dates until Summer has another intense missing of the Superfam day on halloween when he wants to take Jon trick or treating so Jason and him sneak out in a werewolf and fairy costume respectively to do it together,with Jon wearing an Ember costume because he missed his first brother just as much.They have a great night and Jon and Jason still get along like they did when he used to babysit him as Robin and after they drop him at home when they finish,they stop by the fast food restaurant Summer used to work at for late dinner and that's when he finally has his Jason love epiphany.He goes through several stages of emotion over the next hours and blurts out a confession when they make it back to the Fortress because it's killing him and Jason confesses back and they have a long session of different kinds of kisses as they go to Summer's room to sleep

Post-Rhato,Summer goes back to Metropolis with Jason in toe due to their dating status at the same time Clark ends up in a coma thanks to saving Jon from Ultraman so Summer takes up the Superman mantle in the meantime since he's the eldest Kent sibling.Kenan,Carol,Jane,Laura and Lucy are Superfam members by now and Summer,Lois,Martha,Kara and John make his Superman suit together as a bonding activity and his hero work is better than ever,the effort he puts into it being to redeem himself from what he did as vigilante.Also,Talia makes him his own Krypto equivalent with kryptonian technology named 'Kryptona',a robotic female supercat who can speak english,spanish,arabic and kryptonian and has pink hearts for pupils

He also mentors Damian's team,the All New Teen Titans,because Jon is a part of it and so do Jason,a newly Batwoman Stephanie,Duke codenamed 'Eris' and Cassie who's now 'Wonder'.The members other than Damian(Shadowbird)and Jon(Superboy)are Maps(Robin),Maya(Nobody),Suren(Fang),Kathy(Beacon),Colin(Abuse),Irey(Thunderheart),Bobby(Wonder Boy),Nell(Batgirl),Keli(Teen Lantern)and Laurel(Supergirl + A trans girl variant of Jon instead of a genderswap and Earth 11 is generally very different here).75 issues,their Titans Tower is in Brooklyn and the ships are Damimaps,Jonay,Mayakathy and Surnell but only Mayakathy is explicit and the rest are just implied since they're all so young.Stephcass and Cassiegeorgia are canon too

Two years pass until Clark wakes up and by then,Metropolis loves Summer so much that when he announces he's been Ember,son and daughter of Superman,the whole time and is going back to it they do multiple kinds of grand apologies to him for their mistreatment and Jason also gave him a domino mask again but this time a baby pink one to symbolize him finally embracing all parts of himself and Summer adds on a pastel trans flag colors Superfamilia battle jacket and pink demonias for the final touch.Them and Jason have officially settled down together as they buy a house and have Metropolitan and occasionally Gothamite adventures and end up having four kids:October,Gus and Zane(identical twins)and Thea.Summer opens up his own bakery called 'Summer's Desserts' but stays Ember and Jason becomes a librarian when he's not Red Hood

[rwac96]

Altered Timeline

What if Summer survived and was still with Tai? How different will that AU be?

"Remember, Ruby," Summer Rose said to her youngest daughter, Ruby, as she adjusted her hair and cloak. "focus on your studies, be your best self, and no overindulging on sweets."

"Mooom," Ruby whined to her mother, "I'll be fine."

"You and your sister still nearly gave me and your father a heart attack over that Dust Robbery incident," she turns her silver eyes to Yang, "and that fight in the night club."

"They were crooks," Yang defended, ignoring the glare from her father, Taiyang.

"Just," Summer takes a deep breath, giving her girls a stern glance, "both of you: Stay out of trouble. Is that clear?"

"Yes, M'am," the two girls said, as they grabbed their perspective luggage and made their way towards the Bullhead. "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"

[howlingday]

Raven: (Snoring on the couch)

Summer: Hey~. (Slides into bed with Tai)

Taiyang: H-Hey! Wait! What- What about Raven?

Summer: Mm... I'm not really in the mood for a threesome tonight.

[ao3feed-larry]

Summer Lovin'

by larringiscaring

The Too Hot To Handle Au where all sexual contact is forbidden but seems it's the only thing they can't resist, even if money is on the line. Good thing there will be workshops to help, apparently bondage brings people closer.

Words: 2598, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: One Direction (Band)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Blair Waldorf, Ashton Irwin, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Danielle Campbell

Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Danielle Campbell/Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne/Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles/Other(s), Louis Tomlinson/Other(s)

Additional Tags: too hot to handle au, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Pansexual Louis Tomlinson, Jealous Harry Styles, Jealous Louis Tomlinson, Blow Jobs, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Bondage, Pegging, they're all swifities cause I say so, Bad Jokes, Bad Puns, Satire, Don't Take This Too Seriously, Anal Sex, Threesome - F/M/M

via AO3 works tagged 'Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson' https://ift.tt/aTQbxVH

[catscratching]

Summer Lovin' - Romance Edition

What, specifically, was the catalyst for their physical attraction (if applicable) to the other character? In other words, what in particular had them like “Oh, they’re…hot…”

•──────────────────────────────────────────•

Ul’dah was miserably hot and dry, especially after so many years spent in the sunny humidity that Vylbrand enjoyed year round.  Seda paused outside the stately mansion where she was directed to meet her contact, eyeing the lush grounds with healthy skepticism.

He said this was a tavern,  She thought, glancing at the immaculately groomed paths and gentle lighting that illuminated the gardens – gardens! In this climate! –  in the growing gloom of the evening.  It looked like no tavern she had ever seen, but then again… her line of work wasn’t precisely tailored to common labourers or low level business people either. 

The interior of the building was equally understated and elegant; delicately carved wood was polished to a brilliant shine, and thick wool rugs covered marble that must have cost a small fortune to import.   She paused just inside the door; voices and clinking drinkware inaudible outside the house were now a genteel roar, adding to the impression of luxury and wealth.

“Welcome to th’ Cloak n’ Dagger,”  She hadn’t noticed the attendant, and started as she spoke.  “If’n ye have a blade or other weapon, kin leave it ‘ere and pick’t up when ye leave.”

The highlander was dressed in an expensive suit tailored to fit her frame, but her accent betrayed more common roots – a contrast to the rich settings that surrounded them.

  “No blades,”  Seda lifted her arms in illustration, the lightweight fabric draping against her body.  If she had had any hidden weaponry, which was a valid concern; if the place was what she had been told it was, it would have been visible.  

“Right then,”  The attendant gave her a cheerful smile and gestured toward the stairs to one side, although Seda would have guessed the way due to the noise surging up from the lower level.  “No fightin’, no poisonin’, take yer disagreements outside.  Neutral ground, savvy? Enjoy yer stay.”

Bemused, the petite miqo’te made her way down the stairs, pausing to let her eyes adjust about midway down.  The foyer had not been bright by any standards, but the speakeasy proper was a study in chiaroscuro; soft globes of golden light splashed illumination on the bar, small candles on individual tables giving tantalizing glimpses of movement in the shadows.

A tall, statuesque blonde waited at the foot of the stairs with a leather-bound folio in her arms, giving Seda a warm smile as she descended the final few steps.   “Good evening and welcome.  May I help you find seating, or would you prefer the bar?”

The smell of leather and tobacco was stronger, the noise of conversations a pleasant blur of sound.  Seda noted that the lit candles indicating occupied seating were widely spaced; it would be difficult to eavesdrop in here unnoticed.   Staff wandered the floor, carrying trays of food and drink – someone wandered past with a slice of cheesecake that looked positively decadent.   She hesitated, watching the server vanish into the shadows before turning back to the hostess, who seemed to divine what she was thinking.  

“The cheesecake really is wonderful,”  She leaned over as if sharing a confidence.  “Shall we find you a seat, so you can order some?”

“I think… I will sit at the bar, actually,”  Seda smiled up at the taller elezen.  “I was hoping to learn the best way to steal a man’s wallet?”   It seemed like an odd passphrase, but it was the one she had been given.

“Of course!”  The hostess didn’t hesitate, gesturing with the leather folio in her arm and leading Seda to one end of the elegant, polished bar.   She didn’t notice any sort of signal between the hostess and the bartender, but she’d barely gotten a hip onto the leather stool when a petite Au Ra woman was there, fumbling a menu down on the bartop - two seats down.

“Anything we can get for you, miss?”  She asked, looking straight forward, rather than at Seda.

“Ahhh…”   Was this part of the setup here?  Was there a rule against eye contact?

“To yer right,”  The other staffer behind the bar had to lean down to murmur in the auri’s ear, reaching over her shoulder to move the menu to Seda’s elbow.   He gave Seda a friendly, if distracted smile and scooped up another menu, moving away again to greet another patron.

It was only as he was leaving that she noticed a small pale rodent - a rat - clinging to his shoulder.

“Thank you Fakhri,”  The small woman said cheerfully, her head turning to face toward the room again.  “If you’re undecided, our most popular non alcoholic beverage is the cafe noir, and people really seem to like the ‘Cloak and Dagger’ - but it’s pretty potent.”

"If ya have a more refined palate and uh.. gils to spare, we got some single malt whisky straight from Northern Koshu. It arrived yesterday."   The other bartender was back, pushing strands of dark grey hair back from his face; the rat was settled more securely now, watching her with bright dark eyes.

“The whisky,”  She said, not bothering to glance at the menu.   The room was not as crowded as she had first presumed coming down the stairs; she might be here for some time.   Making first contact with a new source was a great deal like fishing.  Sometimes you sat for hours with nary a nibble; coffee or something similar would make her stand out more than she liked, and whisky was something she could nurse for hours.

“Sure thing,”  The Viera - Fakhri, flashed her another grin that sent a frisson of … something… down her spine and turned away to pour the drink.

The room filled as the evening progressed, patrons arriving to sit alone or share a drink with companions.   The petite Auri - whose name was Hikari, she learned - engaged her in casual chat as she nursed her whisky, the leather-bound book that served as her identification and credentials to the contact she was hoping to meet on the bar at her elbow. 

It was fascinating, watching the people around her.  The seating was designed in such a way that sound was absorbed in each booth, meaning collaborators could be reasonably assured of privacy for discussions that required discretion.  

The serving staff was equally unobtrusive, timing their approaches with pauses in the conversation, delivering menus, orders and what she presumed were the evening’s tab with equal professionalism.  Hikari did not leave the bar - it had taken her longer than it should have to realize the young woman was blind - but Fakhri whisked in and out with quiet efficiency.

She wasn’t sure why she watched him.  Under normal circumstances, it would have been rude - but Hikari had no way of knowing that her eyes followed the slender figure around the room, ears swiveling as she caught snatches of his voice.   She let her eyes drift closed, to hear it better - the rustic accent, the roughened growl in how he shaped words that evoked thoughts of whisky and tobacco… and awakened the old wistfulness she had tried to lock away.

“How’s the drink?”  

Her eyes snapped open to find him on the other side of the bar, wiping his hands on a towel, his chin tilting to indicate her glass.

“Oh - wonderful.  Thank you,”  She felt herself smiling in response to his expression.  Neither he nor Hikari engaged in the usual tricks she expected from serving staff; flattery, flirtation - anything to improve a tip.   Hikari seemed shy, and Fakhri… 

She watched him move down the bar, to produce a pack of cigarettes, tapping one out and lighting it with a gesture she didn’t quite catch.   She couldn’t figure out why she was so drawn to him; perhaps it was the rat.   She could see him reaching up to rub the creature’s little ears, murmuring to it in a way that made her wonder if he was lonely, too.  

By the time the evening drew to a close and she slid off her stool, she felt foggy-headed and stiff - and obscurely disappointed for reasons she didn’t understand.   She had noticed Fakhri’s rat staring at her a couple of times over the course of the evening, but had never had the opportunity to ask him its name, or why he brought it with him to his place of employment.   Her contact had never approached, but that had been expected; she’d known it would take more than a single evening of dangling bait to get a nibble.

Outside once more, she shivered.  The desert air had cooled noticeably, crisp and clear, and she wondered for a moment if returning to Ul’dah had been a bad idea.  It had been a refuge once, in the first days after she escaped Limsa; but she hadn’t dared stay long.  Perhaps she should keep moving - there were likely opportunities now that Ala Mhigo was rebuilding.  Or perhaps she could strike east for Ilsabard or Hingashi.

Then she thought of those clear, grey eyes… the husky rasp of his voice.   Perhaps, she thought with a long sigh as she turned her feet toward her lodgings, her ennui was the result of not getting any sort of sense that the attractive Viera had seen her as a woman, rather than a customer. 

For the best,  She thought to herself.  He seemed like the ‘relationship’ type, not a friend with whom one can satisfy a physical urge and part ways.  You can’t afford entanglements.  Not now… perhaps not ever.

Even so, as she undressed and fell into her bed (woefully alone), the bright dark eyes of the rat and the scent of cigarettes and whisky chased her into oblivion.

I had the thought that I wanted to go through these prompts one by one - but this one took me so long I may need to be more selective, or accept that they are going to take longer than just the summer. :) As often happens to me where these things are concerned, in a casual explanation to a new acquaintance, I was struck by a lightning bolt of inspiration that explained something in Seda's backstory that had been... unsatisfyingly vague before.

So we have done some minor retcons - and some of my previous writing is no longer canon. I look forward to the reveals as they come, because I think it all just fits much better this way!

ANYWAY - Neither Fakhri nor I introduced the two of them with romance in mind; I was pretty sure they'd never be more than casual friends after our first meeting! I never anticipated the path we found ourselves on, and I am so incredibly happy things have turned out the way they have. ♥ So it's kind of fun to let my enjoyment of this sort of (seemingly) unrequited attraction play out from Seda's POV. :D

(Eventually, I will figure out a cool name for this ship! Phoenix for Seda, I think - given her effective 'rebirth' - just need to think of something suitable for Fakhri. :3 )

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@gray-morality

[anika-ann]

A Series of (Un)Fortunate Events - S.R.

Part 1 of 2

Type: two-shot, idiots-in-love, feel-good fic

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader   Word Count: 7,3k

Summary:  It's just a bunch of Avengers and SHIELD agents who often cooperate on missions - hanging out and getting to know each other better on a camping trip. What could possibly go wrong?

A few things. A few things could and they all seem to have you at the centre. Luckily, you have a hero in shining armour to help you in the time of need.

Warnings: allusions to NSFW, minor injuries, mention of misogyny, brief reference to PTSD, language, attempt at humour, FLUFF , Steve being a menace

A/N: written for the Essie’s Summer Lovin’ 300 Follower Celebration. Congrats @bigtreefest and thank you for hosting 💕 I have chosen multiple prompts - in this one, you shall find “why’s it…sticky?” and modified “here, you can share with me”. I hope to finish the second part in time 😁

A/N 2: DIVIDER by @firefly-graphics; enjoy y'all 🥰 Several Agent of SHIELD characters are involved - I don't think you need any knowledge of the show to read this

The afternoon North Carolina sun warmed your skin pleasantly, even as you found yourself panting after the having climbed up the hill you. The backpack with an attached sleeping bag and a tent pack was growing heavier and heavier on your shoulders with every step, but the view and the company – most of it anyway – were certainly worth it.

Everyone seemed affected by the fresh air and exercise the Great Smokey Mountains provided, the atmosphere light and content as this was, for most, the first trip in a long time that had nothing to do with a mission.

Sure, one could argue there were some strings attached, as the ‘mission’ was to solidify relationships within the group – several Avengers and several SHIELD agents who were often outsourced for Avengers-level missions – but still: no one was shooting at you. And you wouldn’t have to write a report. That counted for something. For a lot, in fact.

Plus, the path was the goal. The destination, while set precisely according to Steve’s plan, might as well be just about anywhere.

You glanced at him as he walked by your side, smiling absently. The corners of his lips only twitched higher as he noticed you watching him, his gaze flickering to you as well.

He looked as if he was born to do this. A halo of dark blond hair around his head ruffled by the wind, sunlight painting them almost golden. The heaviest backpack of all sitting on his wide shoulders, straps around his broad chest and thin waist. Legs clad in light track pants that hugged his thighs and ass in the best way possible, a downright magnetic sight--- no.

Uh-huh, no.

No thoughts of that sort. You had forbidden yourself from that, at least for the duration of this trip, because you had known Steve would be a literal walking thirst-trap, the sheer happiness surrounding him making his glow ten times brighter. You had forbidden yourself from thinking like this, because this was not an appropriate observation to make about a colleague, a superior no less, even as everybody else probably thought along the same lines.

It didn’t matter that you wanted to throw hands at the mere idea of someone else making that observation as well. You didn’t exactly have the right to do that and it was a lost fight before it even started. Steve Rogers was simply too beautiful and essentially perfect in all his imperfections, and god knew that those imperfection had nothing to with his body. Ass included-

Gaze quickly snapping up back to his face, you found him smiling at you warmly, a soft dusting of freckles adorning his cheeks from the prolonged exposure to sun. The same phenomenon could be observed on his bare arms; a constellation of freckles, where angels had kissed their kindest, prettiest and most loyal creation; a constellation of places where you’d love to press your lips and linger, breathe in the scent of his skin and taste it.

God, he was breathtaking and all kinds of alluring. The nature around you was too, sure, the smell of pines and sandy rocks whispering of vacations and good times, but the way he-

“Whoa!” you yelped as you suddenly found yourself tumbling towards the ground, foot having slipped on a rock, you supposed.

Hands outstretched, you had no chance to break the fall, only to slow it, the burden on your back completely changing your momentum.

The second your palms as much as brushed the rocky floor, you were being held by your waist so firmly that none of your actual weight landed on the ground. You would recognize the arms holding you anywhere – just like the scent of sandal wood, musk, man and comfort, suddenly wrapping around you.

The safest place on Earth.

Steve’s arms.

Your stomach made a little flip-flop as his hands squeezed you gently and helped you up, only releasing you when his eyes found yours, silently asking if you were okay.

You responded with an embarrassed smile.

“Whoa, you okay?” Daisy rushed to your side, bless her, breaking the brief moment you had allowed yourself to bask in the sweet worry in Steve’s gaze and in the heat his body was radiating, despite the fact you could feel everyone staring at the newly nominated klutz of the group of superspies. You.

Heat of embarrassment flooded your skin under everyone’s scrutiny – and more so under the judgement in Agent Hopkinson’s glare, the jerk. Then again, you could hardly blame him for looking down on you right now.

Allegedly one of the deadliest agents known to the world; bested by a few rocks on a hiking trail and Steve Rogers’s smile.

You chuckled self-deprecatingly, quietly thanking Steve and turning to Daisy to assure her that besides your pride, nothing had been seriously wounded.

“I’m fine,” you said, scratching your forehead with a poor attempt to hide your embarrassment. “Must have missed a step, I don’t even know how…”

You did know how. You knew it precisely. You hadn’t been watching your step, too mesmerized by the beauty of your favourite Captain – and favourite person in the world. The man with the most honest, goodest, fiercest and most beautiful soul you had ever met, your closest friend.

“I do,” Agent Melinda May commented dryly, a pointed look aimed at your feet, revealing the culprit – and making you wish the Earth could swallow you, especiallysince it was her, the second in command at SHIELD – and one of the most admirable women in history of anything. And she had just seen you, an agent for both Avengers and SHIELD, a master of martial arts, to trip on nothing like a five-year-old. For the same reason too. “Your shoelaces are undone.”

“…thanks. And sorry. Go ahead. I think I can tie my shoelaces on my own,” you chuckled again, swallowing the shame even as you were among friends. Albeit some of them more reluctant than others.

“Clearly not,” Agent Hopkinson remarked, not missing the opportunity to belittle you, making you sigh as you crouched down, taking extreme care not to as much as wobble despite the heavy backpack.

Case on point, you supposed.

Having worked for SHIELD for years now, acting as the main liaison for situations where Avengers needed help, be it due to too many hostiles or the nature of the job leaning more towards spy-work that alien-invasion-work, your general experience was that tolerance and cooperation were the way. Some people were less pleasant than others, that much was true, but one should handle disagreements, various personality traits and different views on life. You certainly could; your approach to conflict, your supposedly calming presence and search for harmony in a team and the calm composure you maintained under pressure to quickly weigh your options, had even earned you your codename, Libra.

You genuinely believed tuning down an attitude for the sake of the mission was the custom, the golden rule.

And then you encountered Agent Martin Hopkinson. He was the exception. And a pain in your ass.

He got along alright with most people despite his arrogance; but you and him were a trainwreck happening in slow motion. He did not like you. Whether it was jealousy of your position, misogyny, or both, or something completely else, you wouldn’t know. But he was bitter and biting, always looking for a flaw, always making snidey comments.

You could handle that – an insult here, a mean comment there. After all, you could take a punch, a stab, a gunshot wound. You could take down men twice your size with your bare hands and just a little wit, if you tried hard enough. You had faced soldiers, rapists, murderers; Agent Hopkinson was but a small hindrance, annoyance on legs. But by god, your fists itched whenever he opened his mouth. And the feeling was mutual.

However, as a professional, you worked hard not to reciprocate his aggression, even as it only ever remained verbal; the same could not be said about him. And he didn’t care zilch about who heard him be ‘smart’ with you either, which, in turn, led to several reprimands; and on one delightful occasion, to Steve almost breaking his jaw when he heard him utter a comment about Coulson pimping out the pet agent again, clearly meaning you. The wrath Steve had showed was nothing hort of holy, and holy was the miracle that Hopkinson was still alive; the fact he barely toned down his attitude was just idiocy.

But had you mention Steve was an angel? A fiercely loyal protective friend, a gentleman, who might swear on occasion and be a little shit par excellence, but god should help anyone whose behaviour towards others offended him. He might be an angel, but was an avenging one.

A caring one too.

As soon as you stood up again, Steve was carefully cradling the backs of your hands, examining the teeny scrapes over your palms with about five droplets of blood in total, frowny gaze flickering to your knee which you hadn’t even realized you had grazed too.

“We should disinfect that.”

“Steve, I’m fine,” you laughed, even as you let him examine the barely-there bleeding, knowing there was no use trying to resist. “Thank you for caring, but it’s literally just a scratch… I’ve had worse.”

He shook his head, his expression darkening a bit. “That’s not comforting and you know it. And any wound, if infected, can be dangerous – I know I don’t have to tell you that.”

You knew instantly what instance he was referring too, a small shudder running up your spine. Yet, the rational part of you argued that there was no comparison, even if the cut on your arm over a month back had not been all that deeper and wider than this.

“That was literally a poisoned blade, Steve-“

“We were about to take one more break before reaching the destination anyway,” he interrupted you, unrelenting. “Let’s head up to that clearing and we’ll rest for a bit. I’ll take care of it, okay?”

“Steve-“

“I’ve got the first aid kit,” Bobbi uttered nonchalantly as she passed you, joining the others who had gone ahead already.

You sighed. Bobbi Morse – an agent with a clever sense of humour, sharp tongue and no-nonsense attitude, a good friend – and she was using all of her powers against you. Wicked.

“It’s just a-“

“Captain’s orders,” she almost sing-sang, earning a grin from Daisy who only shrugged, as if to confirm her words.

You sighed, rolling your eyes; acutely not aware that Steve was still holding your hands in his and your body was heating up from inside at the prolonged contact – particularly your chest and something deep within your belly.

You looked up at him, mildly annoyed and rather amused at his insistence and protectiveness. And even though you wouldn't admit that out loud, touched.

“You’re overbearing. You’re lucky I like you,” you scolded him in a whisper.

He only grinned, his worried gaze clearing and lightning up at your feigned outrage, and squeezed your hands before letting go.

“I love you too. Let’s go.”

You bit your cheek as you nodded, reminding yourself for at least the tenth time since you had set off hiking: friends. The keyword of this trip was ‘friends���.

It was just really hard to actually remember that when Steve looked at you like that, talked like that, and you could still feel the warm imprint of his hands on yours.

Steve Rogers was a man impossible not to fall for; from almost absurd handsomeness to even more absurd goodness he lived by, from his sharp wits to effective moves, from the crinkles in his eyes when he smiled to the tenderness in his touch. His sense of humour equalled to the one of duty, his drive and determination in leading interlacing with a soul of an artist and a simple man who appreciated the most ordinary things.

You had clicked instantly; your friendship bloomed almost effortlessly, working alongside him making for many opportunities to spend time together. Despite barely having met about three months ago, the times you owed him your life for were numerous; and the few times he owed you his, even as there was no such thing as keeping score, only strengthened your bond. Moments where you thought you wouldn’t make it out. Long nights at motels or in a stake-out cars, filled with mindless chatter, profound talks and comfortable silences. His goddamn smiles alone, always feeling a little warmer, fonder, when directed at you.

The fact he had quickly slipped into a habit of calling you Lee, a nickname derived from your codename with a wordless implication of you being his refuge, with that damn smile on his plush lips, was making something in your ribcage tremble with affection.

You had fallen hard. But who wouldn’t? You were only human.

And his proximity, his friendship, his affection, they were most precious to you; no matter which form they’d have, you’d take it.

Even if it meant inappropriate thoughts and your heart racing fast enough to collapse from exhaustion when he cleaned your scraped knee and palms with such care and focus one might believe they were fatal wounds.

Your heart would tremble less if he hadn’t kneeled in front of you as he did so, but you supposed Steve Rogers was just that kind of deadly. He cradled your hands in his huge ones as if they were as fragile as butterfly wings, smiling when he was done; and grinning when you said Thank you, nurse Rogers, the words carrying both humour and respect for his late mother.

His smile resembled the sun so much you almost missed how the actual sunrays grew less and less warm. It was only a few minutes later – every one of them making you aware of the either knowing or incredulous looks following yours or Steve’s every move, almost enough to make you self-conscious when snacking – when you realized you were getting cold.

The solution was easy; and despite how effective it would have been in chasing away the cold and lifting your spirits, it did not involve hugging Steve. Instead, you dived your hand down your backpack through the layer of snacks and other small necessities towards your clothes for the occasion.

And your hand reached something it most definitely shouldn’t have.

“What the-“ you murmured, still acutely aware of all the gazes on you, now joined by Steve’s. “Why is it… sticky?”

Puzzled and horrified – and suspicious, because Hopkinson might have never played a prank on you, but lines always had to be crossed for the first time someday – you threw out the things from the top, pulling out what was normally one of your favourite sweatshirts.

Fairly soaked in a rusty-red oily substance that now resided in your luggage.

Not that it hadn’t been there before – but before, it was safely stored in a Tupperware container along with the thin marinated steaks you had been tasked to carry for the team’s first dinner above fire, Hunter carrying the grate.  

“What is it?” Bobbi asked, frowning at the poor article of clothing you had intended to wear.

You didn’t have to sniff it to answer; mostly because the scent of spices was strong enough to answer for you.

“It’s the… marinade from our dinner,” you informed her with a grimace, a small whine escaping you as you went to inspect the rest of your clothes with dread and irritation rising. Because you already knew that the sweatshirt would not be the only thing having been hit. There had been enough to marinade to drown Steve and Bucky in – that was why you had triple-checked it was secured when you had pulled the straw for carrying it in your backpack. “How is that even possible?! I swear I checked it at least five times! I used rubber bands and a plastic bag and- ugh.”

“It probably gave out with all the moving around,” Natasha said, compassion evident in her voice. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” you sighed.

And it was. You were only just beginning to feel the mountains part of your destination. You weren’t even shivering – and god knew you had been exposed to much worse conditions with fewer clothing. It wasn’t even raining. You had been through much worse – this was but an inconvenience.

Kinda like Hopkinson himself.

Your gaze flickered to him as he himself put on a thin hoodie, your gaze narrowing in subtle suspicion; but there was no way. He almost looked as if he was pitying you. Genuinely. Though not enough to share his clothes; not that you’d accept if he had offered. But that was beside the point. The point was he probably wasn’t to be blamed for your current misery. Not where marinating your clothes was concerned anyway.

It was probably all on you. It seemed your Tupperware skills still needed some work. Goddamnit.

“It is fine,” you spoke to yourself more than anyone else. “I’ll walk the cold off and then stay close to the fire-“

Your heart skipped a beat as you felt a presence by your side, a large navy-blue hoodie entering your sight; it was as if talking about your potential inconvenience summoned him.

An angel by your shoulder.

With a soft frown and a welcoming smile, he set the hoodie next to you as your hands still held onto your tainted clothes.

“Hey… here, you can have mine.”

You opened your mouth to protest, the words dying in your throat when you met Steve’s gaze. The golden hour had arrived, highlighting the freckles and the god-like warm glow of his smile. Your fingers reflexively twitched in the fabric of the t-shirt in your hands as the urge to run them through Steve’s hair instead hit you like a sledgehammer.

Friends, you reminded yourself again. FRIENDS.

He was offering a friendly gesture. It was no different than borrowing boxing wraps from Hunter for training if yours had torn, borrowing a dress from Natasha because none of yours fit the theme of a party, or borrowing heels from Daisy because they matched better than anything you owned. There was nothing special about this and no one would think twice.

Yet, it was a gesture you had to turn down, no matter how gentlemanly it was – no matter how at home you knew you’d feel in that hoodie. The idea alone was tickling along the most sensitive parts of your body and for that alone you should refuse.

“Thank you, Steve… but that wouldn’t be fair,” you said. “You shouldn’t be cold because of me.”

Plus, I know this one is your favourite, you wanted to say, but bit your tongue, aware that the scene was already out-of-chart intimate as it was. It certainly felt like it.

“I won’t. You know I run pretty hot…”

You are hot, you wanted to say – but a little choked noise from Hopkinson and Bucky had you quickly set your mind straight.

Until Steve pulled out the big guns – rather literally. Long fingers wrapped around your bare forearm, goosebumps erupting on your skin despite the nearly burning sensation, breath catching. It did not help the situation that something you didn’t dare to identify for the sake of your sanity flashed in Steve’s eyes when he touched you.

Friends. Friends, friends, FRIENDS-

“See. All warm. And it will stay that way even without a hoodie. Take it. Please,” he added. And soon, a content smile appeared on his face, because he recognized the signs of you yielding.

A girl had to pick her battles. Arguing with Steve was not one of those which you had no chance at winning – it would be like trying to move a ton-worth block of concrete with bare hands. You had enough experience with that – fighting with Steve on the matter of your comfort, not moving concrete – and there was no winning. He respected your choices, yes, but he’d fastened straps of a parachute on you himself if it came to it, even if it meant he wouldn’t have one himself; he was a sweet hypocrite like that.

“Fine,” you sighed, smiling just a bit. “If you insist… thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

You would swear you heard at least three people mutter under their breath: I bet.

Thoroughly warm and comfortable despite the numerous miles in your feet and tens of pounds on your back, you trailed behind Hunter and Bobbi, who were fighting animatedly – and most lovingly – about which European brand beer was the finest. For a couple who had been married and divorced, once talking about each other in not so nice terms including Bobbi being called ‘a demonic hell-beast’, they sure appeared very much in love – but every bit professional when it counted. They were lucky to find each other again, that was for sure. It made one long for a love like that; explosive as they were, you wouldn’t shy away from calling them soulmates. They belonged with each other; they were lucky to have find one another.

As you tugged at the sleeves of the hoodie you were wearing, long to easily hide your palms, you wondered if you were being lucky or cursed on this trip so far. Tripping. Spilling sauce onto your clothes. Withstanding Hopkinson’s moody glares of which exactly one resembled a shred of compassion and only lasted until you put on the hoodie of the Captain America himself. And yet, surrounded by colleagues, friends and Steve, on a trip with a sun that had slowly begun its descent at your back, you had to count your blessings.

Lucky. You were luckier than most.

Daisy had joined you for a bit, walking side by side with you when the path allowed it, meaningless chatter altering with meaningful; a natural course of conversation between close friends who were together for a few hours with nothing else to do but take it step by step, literally, admire the nature and talk.

Steve had promised it would only take less than an hour and you’d make it to where you were supposed to set camp. He had fallen behind, walking with Natasha and Bucky, who, judging by his tone and Steve’s groans, roasted the team captain about something with Natasha’s occasional but effective help.

Now, about what you assumed was twenty to thirty minutes later, the last challenge of today’s journey awaited you; fording a river.

A rather cold river.

The weather was nice, sure, and you were having a good time; but the idea of warding through water reaching your thighs was not all that alluring.

But of course, Steve Rogers was the man with a plan.

Walking down the river and finding a relatively shallow section of the river with several large rocks, all you had to do was to step from one slightly slippery stone to another without face-planting or letting your heavy backpacks break your balance. Easy – or it should be for a group of athletic agents.

Yet, Bucky and Steve were discarding their shoes in a blink, rolling up their pant legs, ready to dip in and get wet so other wouldn’t.

Your heart skipped a startled beat, a lump growing in your throat, as you watched Steve regard his friend, already knee-deep in water, with the tinniest bit of hesitance.    

Cold water. Cold water.

In the early June, the water couldn’t be colder than fifty, fifty-five degrees; but if the supersoldiers planned to stand there until all of you crossed the not-so-unsignificant distance while they’d assist, they would certainly feel it. And while history taught you both Steve and Bucky could clearly take the cold better than anyone, the idea of being the person knee-deep in the water was anything but pleasant.

Especially to someone who had already laid his life by diving a plane into icy waters of the North Atlantic.

Without a second thought, you left the line forming at the best crossing point, walking down the bank to crouch at Steve’s side.

He noticed your presence in an instant, snapping his head to you, an all-easy smile forming on his lips. As if you couldn’t see the brief flash of anxiety before he hid it. As if you couldn’t see his carotid pulsing wildly. As if he, the supposedly fearless man to all, could hide the one flicker of apprehension he allowed himself to feel from you.

“Are you sure about this, Steve?” you asked, voice as low as possible as not to attract attention.

As you met his gaze, understanding flashed in his eye. A silent conversation; he knew why you came to him, where your concern came from.

And in a very Steve Rogers fashion, he ignored it. He just gulped and squared his shoulders and rose to his feet, suddenly towering over you again.

“Of course I am.” Of course he was. “It will be much easier than all of us fording through.”

You sighed, looking at him pointedly as you swallowed your irritation – and worry. That was not what you were questioning and he knew it. And you weren’t questioning his dedication or his ability to help either; just the decision to put himself through discomfort anyone else could have taken upon themselves, when it meant more hardship for him than others.

“I know. It just… it can be literally anyone else-- hell, I can do it.”

You could. You’d warm up after soon enough, judging by the terrain awaiting you. It was a better option that him going in there to freeze his toes off at and bring him back to--

To prove your point, you reached for the backpack buckles on your belly to take it off.

Steve’s hand was on your forearm stopping you before you could undo a single one, squeezing.

As your head snapped back to his face, there was a little crack through the mask he had put on, showing just the slightest hint of anxiety now. But there was a fresh wave of warmth in his expression too; gratitude lit up the blue of his irises the way the sun lit up the summer skies, dreamy and sweet.

His thumb pressed into your forearm gently, stroking, reassuring. You felt the tension melt from your shoulders faster than a butter on the stove, something stirring deep inside your bones as you took a shaky inhale.

“Thank you, Lee, but I’ll be fine,” he said, one of his eyebrows arching, a little quirk to his lips. “And we don’t want to undo the work the hoodie has done on you.”

Right. The hoodie. His hoodie.  Yes, you were very much aware you were still wearing it, while he remained in a t-shirt that was at least one size too small for him and did all things delightful for his already insanely impressive physique.

Not the point.

You opened you mouth to argue, only to be interrupted by a shout from behind you.

“Oi, punk! You gonna help or just stand there enjoying the view?”

As you both turned to Bucky, you could see him helping Agent May cross the river, already halfway through.

Steve let go of your forearm, smiling at you once more.

“At least take the hoodie,” you insisted. He shook his head, your mouth opening on empty, deeming your effort fruitless.

“I have a jacket if I want… don’t need the hoodie,” he assured you, his grin earning a glint of danger that made your stomach flip-flop funnily, the heat in your abdomen burning hotter. “Plus, it looks much better on you.”

With that, he set off, jogging towards the water, and leaving you stand there with cheeks exploding with heat.

Damn you, Steven Grant.

Shaking your head, you returned to the line, anxiously watching Steve climb down into water, a shudder running down his spine.

“Come on. I saved you a spot,” Daisy said, gesturing for you to stand in front of her, earning an eyeroll from Hopkinson who stood behind her. “Everything okay with you and Steve?”

The phrasing had your head snap up with a startle, heart speeding up.

“What?”

What did she mean by that?! You and Steve?

No. There was you. There was Steve. Two separate entities. Friends.

Checking up on each other. Wearing each other’s clothes. Typical friends.

You relaxed when all you found in Daisy’s gaze was genuine care and curiosity, no trace of implying anything. Right.

You smiled back. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”

Hunter and Bobbi followed after May; then it was your turn. The sight of the river, while beautiful, got a little less pleasant as you stepped on the first stone, testing just how slippery the surface was. It wasn’t awful – you could handle that, even as you felt the extra load on your back disturbing your balance.

But hey – the worst that could happen was you taking a cold bath. Just another inconvenience, right?

Yet, you didn’t have to worry. You didn’t even make it to the second large stone when a familiar pair of warm hands wrapped around yours, offering a gentle but firm support.

You met Steve’s reassuring gaze, a message without words: I’ve got you. You’re safe with me.

You send one back, squeezing his hands: I know. You makeme feel safe. You okay?

A tiny nod on his part and then you were on your way, careful taking step after step, always testing the surface first, making sure your every move was secure before shifting your weight. From one to another, you made it halfway to the deepest part of the crossing without any issue, actually enjoying the little adventure – which had obviously nothing to do with Steve’s touch, because you were not at all disappointed to see Bucky heading back from the other side of the river where he had left Bobbi to take you off of Steve’s hands. Not at all.

You were just stepping on the next stone when you felt a sudden drop in weight on your shoulders and back, an embarrassing yelp erupting from your throat as you scrambled for balance.

A fleeing thought of this trip being cursed for you indeed flashed through your mind as you braced yourself for the impact into cold water despite still trying not to have it come to that.

And it didn’t.

A splash sounded next to you, a few drops cooling your ankle, but that was it; you stood tall and firm on the irregularly-shaped stone, a hot vice of a grip on your hips, your hands having found purchase on just as hot and solid surface nearby.

Steve’s hands securely holding your hips.

Your hands on his shoulders.

Attentive blue eyes looking up at yours to assure both you and himself that you were okay.

Your face heated up, but the rest of your body was set on fire; indecent images of a wholly different situation with Steve’s hands having a steel-like grip on your hips and his eyes boring into yours flooded your mind, a wildfire of visceral need spreading through every single cell of your body and lightning it up. Steve was all about touch. Steve was all about eye-contact. You knew with absolute certainty that he’d never once let his gaze wander from your face when he’d sheathed himself inside you, feasting his eyes, because he lived for capturing images of beauty and he was a giver, the pleasure of people he loved being his own--- and you wouldn’t dare to look away. Your eyes might flutter shut at the sensation of utter-

Forcing yourself to snap back into present – into reality –, looking everywhere but at Steve as your whole body burned, a floating object caught your eye behind Steve’s back. A dark prolonged object, neatly packed, carried away by the stream.

Your tent. The thing that had fallen into water and nearly knocked you off balance was your tent, slowly sinking lower and lower as it slowed down its path down the river.

Great. Really great.

You were fucked.

How did it even-

“I got it!” Bucky hollered, changing course, heading to retrieve what was supposed to be the roof over your head for the next three days.

He’d get it; you weren’t worried. It was fine.

And the tent would be fine too. It was in the waterproof case. It would--- it would be absolutely soaked, because it was sinking. The entirety of the tent had gone under water, including the protective layer that was meant to save you from rain should it come to it.

There was no cloud on the sky but you had a feeling there’d be water dripping on you all night anyway.

How could it have fallen off? You had secured it with the buckled straps to the bottom of your fairly new backpack, checking repeatedly – every time before you put the backpack on again – that it held.

Then again, maybe you hadn’t done that after the fiasco – and the lovely result of it – with your marinated clothes. So you might be cursed, but by your own fault, really-

A squeeze to your hips brought your attention back to Steve, making you realize you were still standing in the middle of the river, stalling.

“I’m sorry, moving on, moving on,” you babbled, only to have him still your movements, eyes scrutinizing your face.

“You okay?”

Funny you should ask.

“Are you?”

You reciprocated the scrutiny; eyes roaming his handsome features, you searched for any signs of discomfort – not from having to hold you, but from still soaking his legs in the cold water. All you found was a reassuring smile; and yet, you couldn’t but brush your thumb inconspicuously over Steve’s shoulder in an attempt at comfort, incidentally along the hem of his t-shirt. An emotion flashed in his irises, eyes darkening a fraction, the grip on your flesh turning almost bruising before he began to release it, taking one of your hands again and then the other. You licked your lips – and you’d swear Steve’s gaze flickered to your mouth at that – standing up straighter.

From the corner of your eye, you saw Bucky dropping your tent on the bank of the river.

“Thank you, Bucky!”

“No problem, dollface. Get moving though, my old knees aren’t built for this cold anymore,” he said, causing you to glare at Steve accusingly.

He had lied.

Of course he had fucking lied.

And he had the audacity to grin when you looked at him with accusatory and genuinely worried eyes.

“Let’s get you to the other side, shall we?”

“I packed your favourite snack, but I just decided I’m gonna eat it alone,” you threatened your vengeance for him for not being honest.

Steve feigned hurt so well you might as well believe it; but the hold on your hands remained gentle and secure as he helped you continue the path. “That’s cold, Lee.”

The corners of your lips quirked up.

“I know it’s cold. Now was it so hard to admit it?” you questioned as you beckoned to the water – causing Bucky to chuckle and Steve to deadpan when he instantly realized your trickery.

“You should be around more often, dollface,” Bucky said, approaching you and taking up on Steve’s task.

Steve just grunted and made his way to help Daisy. You felt your face heat up further at Bucky’s remark, grateful no one else could hear the exchange.

…were you though?

“I’ll take your words for it… and Steve?” He glanced at you over his shoulder, clearly not really offended. “Thank you for catching me.”

His smile, no matter how small, said it all and felt like the softest blanket to wrap around you on a cold winter morning; I’ll always catch you.

Always.

Just as you had expected, once you all made it through the river, you reached the camp spot in no time; and just as you had expected, your tent was a lost cause. You could build it, hoping it would dry out overnight at least bit, but actually sleeping in it was out of question unless you wanted to wake up soaked up and sneezing.

In a brief moment of self-pity you granted yourself, you planted your butt on the ground, laying the drenched parts of your tent next to you, taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it as you stared at the traitorous pieces of equipment, including the buckles that had been meant to hold the package to the backpack but had given out.  

While everyone busied themselves with unpacking their temporary shelters as well – Natasha with Bucky, Bobbi with Hunter, May, Daisy and Hopkinson each on their own in the lightest and therefore smallest tents possible, Bobbi took note of your state, smiling compassionately.

“Are you okay? The water really did a number on that thing, huh?”

You reciprocated her smile wryly, no less grateful for her care.

“Yeah… But you know what? I win. Sleeping outside? I can stargaze. I’ll be fine,” you said, shrugging and rising to your feet to get to work. You could build the tent to have it dry out at least and wash your clothes in the lake you had settled at. “I’m just… gonna sleep by the fire under the open skies, in… borrowed, non-marinated clothes and with no sleeping bag, because with my luck, it’s probably full of bugs or itching powder or something. It’s fine. God knows I slept in conditions a lot worse than that.”

And wasn’t that the truth. You had slept in much better conditions too, but that was beside the point. You tried to summon the memories of horrible nights spent in damp clothes, freezing, teeth clattering so hard the sound made it impossible to fall asleep; unbearable heat, loud noises, even just annoying persistent chatter. Sleeping under the open skies was practically a blessing in comparison. A dream.

And you did not want to remember nights that had been very different, because that would only make you miserable at your predicament.

“Yeah, not on my watch,” Steve called out lowly, placing another hook in the ground, using his foot to step on it and dig it deeper. “Not when the solution is obvious.”

Your heart skipping a beat at the obvious solution, you barely had time to breathe in to respond when someone else did – in an extremely irritated manner.

“Seriously?! What, you gonna lend her your tent too?” Hopkinson spat, rising from where he had been crouching by his tent. “Maybe even keep her warm through the-“

Steve lunged his direction so fast you didn’t even have time to be offended by the implication.

But Bucky, the supersoldier he was, was much faster; his metal arm stopped Steve in his tracks, palm pressing against Steve’s chest before he could make the almost-breaking-Hopkinson’s-arm a pleasant memory for the man.

Still, Hopkinson had enough wit to shut up and step back hastily, raising his hands defensively. His face turned white as a sheet of paper; good. He had some brain left then, it seemed. How he had survived for so long you had no idea.

Gulping – and shamelessly satisfied at the fear in Hopkinson’s eyes, because Jesus he did not just say that, even as you had thought about exactly the same – you turned your gaze back to Steve and Bucky.

And something in your core exploded hot, a tug so violent and visceral it was almost painful.

If Steve had looked at Hopkinson like he could break his arm all those weeks back when he had made his stupid comment, now he looked like he could break every single bone in his body, snap the guy in half and enjoy it. And he’d enjoy doing it for you. To defend you.

Steve’s smile was always a beautiful sight and so was the softness he could look at you with at times; but the rage in his face now, the fire in his eyes, on your behalf, were nothing short of breathtaking.

Avenging angel indeed.

He might not be carrying a flaming sword, nor had his shield on his arm, but that made him no less menacing, no less divine; and no less beautiful.

“Do we have a problem, Agent Hopkinson?” Bucky asked calmly, despite the clear effort with which he was holding Steve back still, even as Steve visibly didn’t move a muscle.

You were barely moving at all too; your chest was heaving, the rest of your body strung tight with effort not to let show just how affected you were by Steve’s near literal white-knighting.  

“No, sir,” Hopkinson saluted, nodding stiffly, before he scrambled to finish building his tent.

“Good.”

Few seconds of deafening silence was only interrupted by the scrape of shoes against ground as the camp slowly came back to life again. Bucky shot Steve a look before he let his metal arm down, watching Steve avert his still flaming gaze from Hopkinson with shoulders remaining squared; and so alluringly wide you just wanted to run your hands over them, just as breathless at the sensation as you were now-

“I mean, makes sense you’d share,” Daisy broke the silence, everyone visibly relaxing. “It looks like your tent is pretty big, eh?”

Your eyes went wide.

Loud cough erupted from Hunter’s direction as he spitted the water he had been drinking; Bobbi patted his shoulders, amusement clear on her face. Bucky’s face twisted in a questionable grimace; Natasha pursed her lips, seemingly one second from making a comment. May bit back a smirk; Hopkinson was only showing his back, but he clearly froze in his movements.

Steve just looked shocked – shocked enough to snap from the anger that had overtook him on your behalf.

You would think it would take Daisy a few seconds to realize how she had worded her statement, accidentally referring to a figurative ‘tent’ men grew in certain situations – but judging by her seemingly innocent smile and the sparkle in her eye, she knew exactly what she had implied. And she had done so on purpose and with delight.

She was right, however. Steve’s temporary dwelling was probably the biggest one at your site and it even included a vestibule, where all the equipment which was meant for everyone was to be stored. His tent had the most space for the reason he could put his backpack to the vestibule alone.

Steve cleared his throat, taking a few steps to you, a relaxed smile having found way back to his face.

“…are you comfortable with sharing a tent with me?”

You reciprocated his smile, shrugging, even as you had to work hard to swallow your amusement at Daisy’s comment. One that was very much on point.

Yes. You were very comfortable sharing a tent with him indeed. More than, actually, but not everyone needed to know that; and you could feel several knowing gazes on you as you answered as levelled as possibly.

“I mean… we have shared a room before for a mission. I’m fine… are you? Comfortable with that, that is?” you asked, perfectly polite, considerate and friendly, even as your heart was racing in your ribcage.

There was no reason for the racing heart though. Because this was okay for friends to do. Absolutely. If you having shared the room sometimes included sharing a bed, which had naturally resulted in cuddling, body heat searching body heat, no one needed to know – especially not Agent Asshole Hopkinson. What happened in a motel room stayed in a motel room. Always.

A cute crinkle appeared in Steve’s eye as he gave the answer you already knew.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t. Of course, it’s fine.”

More than, whispered his gaze, so you averted it and busied yourself with gathering the wet parts of your tent, clearing your throat.

“Good… that’s good. Thanks. I really appreciate it, Steve.”

“Any time, Lee.”

You could feel his gaze on you, the warmth of his smile like a soft blanket on your back. It was going to be a long, long night.

Part 2

Complete masterlist

Steve Rogers masterlist

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I hope July has been kind to you!