#WADE IS SMART BUT HE FINDS IT WAY MORE FUN TO PRETEND TO BE STUPID

[bougiebutchbinch]

love the (ahem. canon) idea that wade is very smart (how many languages does he speak again???? how many martial art styles does he know?? he's an expert with literally every type of weapon!! that takes brains and discipline!) but he is and will always be a slave to the bit. and the bit is obfuscating stupidity! why would he write down plans when he can draw them out with silly stick figures? why would he speak fluent mandarin when he can pretend to be a bumbling tourist? of COURSE he doesn't know how babies are made and asks Vanessa to impregnate him. it's funnier that way

[css1992]

could u do more high school au's pls? I was thinking maybe rich popular peter who seems untouchable and then grungy tony who just doesnt care for appearances and hes been pining after peter his whole school life

+

could u make it so that tony is rich and everyone knows it but he just doesn't care about his money and doesnt act rich so it's one of those things that u know but dont acknowledge. also if tony's daddy issues made an appearance id be so happy ty.

I’m so sorry for the delay, but I really do hope this scratches your itch! 

***

He had that sort of beauty that almost hurt to look at. So pure and soft. Pink cheeks, small eyes that squinted when he laughed – which was often –; brown, wavy hair, so shiny and silky-looking; thin, pink lips, always stretched in a smile. He had the most beautiful smile Tony had ever seen, too. Honest and wide, happy.

He was never alone. Of course he wasn’t. He was too magnetic, there were always people drawn to his light, following him around, laughing at his jokes, making him laugh in return. Everyone seemed to want a piece of him, a scrap of his attention. And he, being the lovely human being that he was, made room for anyone who wished to bask in his light.

Jocks liked him. Peter was great at team sports, he was light on his feet and good with his hands. He wasn’t in any teams, though, claimed he didn’t have the time, but he was always picked first in P.E. group activities. Tony knew, watched him at practice way too often – from a distance, of course, as he did his stretches and sit-ups with Rhodes.

Nerds liked him, too. He was really smart, an asset to the Decathlon team, and was always willing to help anyone having trouble in class. Even the weirdos from drama club, glee club and the school band loved him – he never made fun of them, on the contrary, he was always very vocal about how talented they were and how he wished he could be a part of their clubs, too.

Girls swooned at him. He was kind and sweet, a good listener, and gorgeous. Guys weren’t immune to his charms, either. The ones Tony knew for a fact that were gay or bi didn’t even try to pretend they didn’t watch him when he walked down the halls, but even supposedly straight guys, like Steve Rogers, sneaked a peek now and then, face flushed, if he was wearing specially tight jeans.

Tony was jealous of all those people, but he learned to deal with it. He’d been, well, admiring him from a distance for years. He was used to seeing people make passes at him, ask him out. Peter was discreet, though. If he ever dated anyone, nobody ever heard anything about it. He was a mystery, Tony wasn’t even sure if he was gay, straight, bi or whatever – there were rumors that he had made out with Wade Wilson in freshman year, but neither of them confirmed or denied it. Tony hated the guy anyway.

���If you keep staring, people are gonna know you’re in love and not actually dead inside,” Rhodey spoke up right next to him, taking a huge bite of his tuna sandwich. Tony averted his gaze from Peter’s table for a minute and looked at his friend, annoyed. “It’s gonna ruin your whole aesthetic.”

“Very funny,” He rolled his eyes and looked back at Peter. There were so many people around him he could barely catch a glimpse of his smile, which was annoying.

His dad’s company, Parker Innovations, had just released a new phone a few weeks earlier, it was ridiculous how many people thought they could get one for free if they kissed his ass hard enough. At least Tony didn’t have to endure that kind of nonsense anymore. People in that school learned very early on that even though he was related to Howard Stark, he wanted nothing to do with the guy – or his company, or his money. They also learned sucking up to him did nothing but annoy him, so they kind of just forgot he existed over time and he blended right in with everyone else – a blessing in its own right.

“Rhodey is right, you’re drooling, it’s a little embarrassing,” Natasha looked at him with boredom as she nibbled on her fries. “You should just ask him out, you’ve been pining for ages.”

“I’m not pining,” he huffed, irritated, and the redhead smirked, raising a perfectly manicured brow.

“Right, yearning might be more accurate. Bruce?” She glanced at their other friend who scratched his chin, pretending to think about it.

“I think obsessing sounds more like it. Rhodey?”  

“Fuck you guys,” he barked before they could keep the game going, and all three laughed at him. Someone got up from Peter’s table and he caught a glimpse of his beautiful face, their eyes made contact for half a second and Tony looked away.

“No, but seriously, Tones. Just go talk to him, he’s a great guy, I’m sure he wouldn’t be an ass about it.” Bruce adjusted his glasses and said that like it was simple. Like he would have the guts to do it if he was in Tony’s position – he wouldn’t, he’d pined for Thor, an exchange student, for a year, and never worked up the courage to ask him out. The guy went back to Norway or whatever and Bruce never even said hi to him.

“I know, of course he wouldn’t, but I don’t wanna be one of those people begging for his attention, just look at that.” He pointed at the little crowd around him, people were almost literally fighting for his attention, the poor guy could barely finish his lunch. “It’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah, but you’re not them,” Natasha said that like it was the most obvious thing in the world and Tony frowned.

“How am I different?”

“You’re a certified genius, you and him have similar interests and you look hot in a ‘I’m gonna fuck  you raw in the back of my car’ kinda way. I don’t know, maybe he’s into that.” The redhead shrugged, again, saying all that like it was obvious and an unquestionable truth.

“Yeah, right, sounds just like him,” Tony scoffed.

Peter was perfect in so many ways – perfect face, perfect body, perfect grades, Tony was sure he pooped out candy or something – of course he wouldn’t go for a guy like him. He had a bad reputation, he was in detention more often than not and people in general considered him an asshole – all because he didn’t partake in their little games of social climbing or whatever. No, Peter wouldn’t go for his grungy ass. He’d probably go for all American, apple pie, boy-next-door Steve Rogers.

“No, she’s right, I’ve seen him looking at you several times.” Bruce pointed out, not for the first time, and Tony scoffed.

“Oh, yeah? When?”

“AP chemistry class. I’m his lab partner, remember?” How could Tony forget? As Mr. Erskine called out their names, Tony prayed to a God he didn’t even believe in that he’d be paired up with Peter, but no such luck. “He stares at you whenever he has a chance or an excuse. You know, when you blow things up, for example.”

“Yeah, which is why he must stare, he must be afraid for his life.” Tony hated to admit that he was way more prone to causing explosive accidents when Peter was in the room. It was fucking embarrassing.

He sighed, drinking the last of his coke. No matter what his friends said, he knew he didn’t stand a chance with Peter. He was… Untouchable. He was too good for him, Tony wasn’t even sure he’d want to taint him if he had a chance –  no, scratch that, he definitely would.

He chose to watch him from afar, allowing himself a few fantasies and daydreams. He had this really stupid and lame one, where he walked up to Peter in the hall, people just parted to let him through, then he gave him his trademark, lopsided grin and asked him out. Peter smiled brightly up at him, holding his books to his chest, cheeks flushed, eyelashes fluttering as he whispered a shy “yes” and leaned up to kiss him. Yeah. That was the whole fantasy.

Peter was so untouchable to him that he didn’t even dare to dream further than that. Of course when he was alone in his room, late at night, relieving himself, a few… less pure fantasies popped up unsolicited, but he felt so guilty then, dirty even, like he was disrespecting him somehow. It was all very confusing, but he still came, shamefully, to the thought of his beautiful face scrunched up in pleasure as dream-Tony fucked him.

The bell rang and everyone hurried to get to their next period, Peter was no different, he gathered his things and stood up, looking around the cafeteria like he was looking for someone. Their eyes met again for a second, but Tony quickly looked away, grabbing his backpack in a hurry to leave.

It was Thursday, the worst day of the week for him, none of his friends were free to hang out with him until later, so he either had to head home and deal with Howard or he had to find somewhere to be for a couple of hours, until Rhodey was done with football practice so they could go to his place. That day, Tony decided to just stay by his car, smoking a cigarette and singing along to Black Sabath’s Iron Man, it wasn’t like he had anywhere to go. He was so distracted watching the smoke dissipate into thin air that he didn’t notice when someone approached, and jumped almost a foot in the air when they spoke.

“Aren’t you afraid of getting caught smoking on school grounds?” Tony almost dropped dead when he registered the angelic voice. He was already having a heart attack as it was, but the boy was so close and he had that beautiful smile in place, blushing cheeks and all. It took almost a full minute for him to calm himself down.  

“I won’t tell if you don’t.” The older teen answered when he finally found his voice and got his breath under control enough not to make a fool of himself. Peter smiled wider, biting his lower lip.

“Your secret is safe with me.” He fake whispered, leaning a little into the older boy’s space and he almost choked on nothing. Peter’s smell was inebriating, expensive and sweet, but not overly so – perfect. He recomposed himself quickly, though, and nodded, but didn’t say anything else. He wasn’t sure why Peter was talking to him and, frankly, he was too fucking nervous to think of anything cool to say. The younger teen deflated a little faced with Tony’s silence; he looked around, seeming a little lost. “You’re Tony, right?”

Fuck, the way he said his name. His name. It was fucking music to his ears, the most beautiful tune. But how did he even know his name? Sure, he was Tony Stark, so not really anonymous, but people often forgot about it.

“Yeah. And you’re Peter.” Tony didn’t play games, he didn’t even try to pretend like he didn’t know who Peter was. It would be dumb anyway, everybody knew him. The other boy nodded shyly, it looked like he wanted to say something else, but he kept biting his lips and looking around nervously. Tony frowned. “Is everything okay?”

“No. I mean, yeah, sure, it’s fine, it’s just, uhm. I have a flat tire and the wheel bolts are really tight and I couldn’t get them off, so I thought – I mean, could you, uh –“ He gestured wildly as he stuttered out his answer, looking in the general direction of his flashy, cherry red sports car. “I mean, it’s okay if you’re busy, but I –“

“Sure, I’ll help, don’t worry.” Tony threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stepped on it. He was a little more at ease now that he knew why Peter was talking to him – he just needed help – and the best thing was, Tony was really good with cars. Of course, one didn’t need to have a PhD in mechanics to change a tire, but it still made him feel really good that he would be able to help properly.

“Thanks, you’re a life saver.” The chirpy attitude was back, as well as the smile, it made Tony’s heart flutter. He nodded sharply, looking away from his face, and gestured for Peter to lead the way.

When they reached his car, Tony whistled lowly, crouching down to look at the completely flat tire, as he tried to find the source of the problem. He was surprised to notice a two-inch cut on the surface of it, and it didn’t seem accidental.

“Fuck, Peter, it looks like someone sliced your tire.” When he looked up at the younger boy, he didn’t look surprised, but nervous. It was an odd reaction. Tony wondered if Peter already knew that – maybe he knew who did it and was scared of them? It made Tony’s blood boil. Why would anyone do that to Peter?

“Wh-what? How do you know that?” He bit his lower lip nervously, scratching his arm, and Tony frowned, worried.

“Here, look.” He gestured for Peter to crouch down next to him and pointed at the cut. “This is clearly a stab mark. Judging by the size and shape of it, I’d say this was probably done with a pocketknife.”

“Oh. Yeah, of course. Clearly.” He face-palmed, like he felt stupid, maybe for not seeing it before, but Tony still worried.

“If you want, I could go with you to the administration. We can ask them to check the security cameras. I think that one might have caught whoever did this.” He pointed at a security camera nearby, Tony knew where all of them were in the parking lot area – he’d been caught smoking way too many times not to know.

“What? There are –? I mean, look, it’s okay, it’s probably just someone trying to play a prank, it’s no big deal, it’s fine.” He stood up quickly, shaking his head, and Tony was positive he felt threatened somehow, he was acting so weird.

“If you’re sure… But if you change your mind, I’ll go with you, ok?” Tony stood up and took off his leather jacket. The weather was nice, just a bit chilly, so he was wearing a thin, white t-shirt with short sleeves underneath. He thought he heard Peter’s breath hitch for a second, but it was probably just his imagination. “Can you hold this for me?” He held out his jacket and the boy blushed, blinking rapidly.

“S-sure.”

Tony bit his bottom lip to refrain from asking, again, if everything was fine. Peter looked so freaking nervous, he was even sweating a little at the temples. Tony was positive he knew who did that to his car, but didn’t want to tell him for some reason. Maybe he wanted to protect whoever did it, maybe it was a boyfriend, or an ex. He gritted his teeth, hands closing in fists, but didn’t say anything, just crouched down and got to work.

The first bolt came off easily, it wasn’t tight at all, so he thought maybe Peter had already loosened it when he tried earlier. The second and third ones came off just as easily, though, only the fourth one was a little trickier, but nothing the younger teen couldn’t have handled himself. Tony thought maybe he hadn’t tried too hard, maybe he was afraid the person who did that would show up or something. He was so glad he was there to help, he wondered if Peter felt safe with him around, and the thought made him feel oddly proud and protective of him.

He made quick work of changing the tires, making sure not to screw the bolts too tight, then put the sliced one in the trunk of the car. When he turned around to look at Peter, he was looking intently at him, almost hypnotized, holding his jacket close to his chest like it was a puppy.

“All done.” Tony smiled and the boy seemed to snap out of a trance.

“Oh, thank you so much, really, you’re too kind.” He smiled broadly and the older teen scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Don’t mention it.” They were silent for a few seconds after that, but Peter kept holding his jacket and didn’t make any move to give it back to him. “Uhm, could I–?” He gestured towards the jacket and again the boy jumped up in surprise.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, here.” He handed it to him and quickly crossed his empty arms over his chest. “So, uhm,… Your dad is having a gala this weekend, right? Are you gonna be there?” Ah, so Peter did know who he was, not just his first name. The older teen leaned against the car and stuck his hands in his pockets, shrugging.

“Not if I can help it.” He smirked, trying to act cool, but now that he didn’t have anything to do with his hands, he was growing nervous.

“Oh,” Peter looked… disappointed? He dropped his gaze to the floor, shuffling his feet, and Tony stood up straight, frowning.

“Why?”

“Nothing, it’s just – my parents are going, so I thought I’d tag along to, you know... but it’s okay.” He kicked an imaginary rock and avoided Tony’s eyes. The older teen stared at him with wide eyes, heart beating fast – what was the end of that sentence? Peter couldn’t possibly mean–

“I don’t – what, you’d go to, like, hang out with me or something?” He felt stupid when he stumbled on the words, but Peter didn’t seem to notice, his cheeks were burning red and he was looking anywhere else but at Tony.

“I mean, you must have much better things to do, of course, I was just –” He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head, finally looking up at Tony. “Sorry, just forget about it, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“No, wait!” He rushed to interrupt him and Peter looked back at him with huge, Bambi eyes. Tony coughed awkwardly, blushing a little. “I mean, like, uhm… If you – would you wanna go as my date? To the gala?” He blurted out, finally, because what the hell. The worst that could happen was Peter say no, and he could deal with it. He would survive, for sure. It wouldn’t be a big deal. Really. It wouldn’t.

But he didn’t say no, he smiled broadly, eyes twinkling in excitement.

“I’d love to!” He answered quickly, and Tony’s heart fluttered, Peter looked genuinely happy.  “Could you – uhm, text me what color of tie you’ll be wearing? If you want! I understand if you think it’s lame, but I thought–”

“No, it’s fine.” His heart was beating so loud, Peter Fucking Parker wanted to coordinate ties with him, it was fucking corny and cliché and he loved it. “Uhm, here, give me your number.” He fished his phone from his back pocket and gave it to the younger teen.

“Cool.” Peter typed in his number and as soon as he gave his phone back, Tony sent him a smiley face so he would have his number, too. “Cool, cool, cool...” He rocked on the balls of his feet and looked around, like he was looking for something else to say.

“So… Do you have to be home soon or…?” Tony stuck his hands in his pockets again, wondering if maybe he was pushing his luck, but Peter shook his head quickly.

“Not really, no, my parents don’t really mind what time I get home as long as I let them know. You?”

“They don’t really care.” He shrugged, taking one step closer to Peter. “So… are you hungry, by any chance?”

“I’m starving.” He nodded, looking up at Tony in anticipation. It drove the butterflies in his stomach crazy.

“I know a place where they serve great burgers. We could go in my car and I could drop you off here on our way back, I’m just a little worried someone is gonna try to fuck up your car again. I mean, what if they’re targeting you or something?” Just the mention of what happened earlier made Peter nervous. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his bomber jacket and shook his head.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, I’m sure it’s fine.” He didn’t look worried, though, at least not anymore.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, trust me, I am.” Tony found the sudden change odd, but thought maybe he was just trying to play it cool, so he let it go.  

“Okay, then, c’mon, my car is right there,” Tony gestured to his car and Peter smiled, taking his hands off his pockets. When he did, though, something slipped out and fell to the ground with a metallic noise. Tony quickly crouched down to get it for him, when he noticed what it was. “Wh – is that…?” He frowned, examining the pocketknife as if it was alien material. He was confused at first, because Peter didn’t seem like the kind of guy to carry one around, but then it dawned on him. When he looked at the younger teen, his face was so red it looked like he was about to explode.

“Uhm… If I told you I’ve never seen this before in my life would you believe it?” He chuckled nervously, scratching his arm, as Tony stood up. The older teen raised a brow at him.”Sorry, I just – I wanted an excuse to talk to you.” He said quietly, dropping his gaze.

“You know, you could have gone with the weather or whatever.” Tony answered, amused, and it made the younger boy look up at him.

“You’re just very intimidating,” He looked at him with huge, scared eyes, and Tony cocked his head to the side.

“Me?” He raised a brow.

“Yeah.” Peter answered pointedly, and Tony smirked, offering him his knife back.

“You do realize you just sliced your own tire so you’d have an excuse to talk to me, right? And I’m intimidating?” He joked, but Peter didn’t seem to find it funny. He winced and covered his face with his hands, clearly embarrassed.

“You must think I’m such a freak,” He groaned, voice muffled by his palms.

“Hey, hey, yes, I do think you’re a freak.” He grabbed Peter’s thin wrists and marveled at how perfectly they fit in his hands. He definitely saved that thought for later. “But you’re a really cute one.” He grinned and Peter chuckled, a delicate flush rising onto his cheeks.

“I feel stupid.” He admitted, worrying his bottom lip, but Tony shook his head, working up the nerve to cup Peter’s face in his hand.

“I feel flattered,” He said, honestly, and Peter’s breath hitched. He stared up at Tony, eyelashes fluttering, moist, pink lips slightly open. The older teen leaned down slowly and when the Peter closed his eyes, their lips touched. Just like in his fantasies, Peter tasted sweet, his lips were soft and his arms circled Tony’s neck in a warm embrace. When they parted, Tony smiled down at him, stroking his blushing cheek. “Just promise that if this doesn’t work out you won’t, like, key my car or something.”

“Oh, God,” he groaned, but they both laughed out loud, as they walked hand in hand across the parking lot.

[darlingsdevil]

Of The Valley (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 8: Only This and Nothing More

Summary: Life in Jackson is never easy. Consoling angsty teenagers, wading through the mysterious waters of Joel’s romance language and with a child of your own on the way? Life is about to get a lot harder.

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Tag list (comment to be added or removed) @sidepuff @joelsheartache e @fangirl-inthe-us @cowboyfrazer @scarletpines @mikah-writes @sleepylunarwolf f @mr-robot-x @shybookdragon @heughan @writer-jamie @nelliecraine

A/N: I’m so sorry for the later update.. I went on a vacation to Nashville (more like just helping my sister move in but I call it vacation).. I’m going to be a lot more busy next few months so updates will be not super often.

Anyways, a lot of this chapter is my own weird humor and poking fun at my own writing.. Reader is starting to sound like me when I’m at work or anyone bothers me while I’m at home lol.

Another mini update.. the main plot points of the story are pretty much already plotted. Ending is all set.. just how do I get there 🤔 I guess I’ll figure it out as I go.

Comments/likes/reblogs are super appreciated!

•••

You woke up early for work as usual, the sun would rise in a few hours. Not many jobs required such early hours — most starting as the sun rose but the bar needed extra hands before they opened. It was a much better pace for you, quick, a reminder to put on your strong face through the day and pretend everything was fine.

You had made yourself a nice breakfast, realizing your increased appetite throughout the past few months wasn’t because you were eating your sorrows away. It was better to remind yourself you were eating for two now anyways.

How long would it be before you really started showing? Who would notice first? You were already barely beginning to show.. if someone looked awfully close they could see that. You opted for a baggier shirt when you chose your outfit for the day. There was a sense of dread as you thought about having to tell your close friends, though Maria was the first to know, you doubted everyone else’s reaction would go as smoothly. It was foolish to think Maria would be anything less than supportive.

You thought about how you would have told Mark if he had been still alive. You wondered how he would react.. how Joel would react. How it would only put further strain on both of those relationships.

But how would Joel react now? You wanted to play it safely, while you didn’t regret telling Maria, you needed to be more careful. You had enough to explain to Joel as is, you didn’t want to tell him of your secret just yet.

Joel was angry with you, yet he had accepted an invite to the lake (even though he did owe you a trip back), it was progress. You would have to play it smart, let him know at the right time.

It was easier to warm up to the idea of having a baby after talking to Maria, it was reassuring. Perhaps it wouldn’t too difficult, especially while living in Jackson. And if you did decide you didn’t want to keep the baby, you were certain there were families willing to take the child in.

You managed to make it out of the door quickly, there was no twinge of nausea as you walked to the bar, that was welcoming. Exhaustion pulled at you, staying up to find Ellie had certainly taken a toll on you. You usually worked morning shifts, which meant you could leave and have the rest of the day for yourself.

Joel was probably getting ready to go out for patrol now, depending on what route he had. Ellie was probably sulking in her room — or asleep waiting for Maria to come knocking again. The teenagers who snuck out would definitely be talk of the town, especially if a group that large headed into the Courthouse.

Jackson was quiet, as it had been earlier in the night. Few lights were on, it was always particularly quiet this time in the morning. The autumn air was cool and refreshing, Halloween was creeping around the corner, so was the Autumn festival. Mark preferred the Autumn Festival over Halloween, it was a place holder for the broken arm incidents.

You wished he was here for it. Seasonal dances were always his favorite. He would pull you onto the dance floor after he begged the DJ to play Bill Withers. You missed his laughter, though it was being blurred as time went by.. you couldn’t exactly remember how his laugh sounded, or where the scar on his face started on his nose. It was haunting, forgetting Mark was like forgetting a part of yourself.

Mark was gone. That life you had with him was gone. There was a shell of a room in your house, his child growing inside of you, dog tags around your neck and a world turned upside down. Mark’s death was not something quiet in your life, and yet few people knew of it.

You remembered every second of his death, the running for your life, hiding and hoping it was enough. Watching him, silently from your hidden spot. The blood on the floor. The sound of a gunshot. It was something unforgettable, a memory forever ingrained into your mind in splitting detail. Sometimes the faint smell of copper would appear in your mind and it would make your head woozy. The nightmares rarely let up.

Mark would touch your life forever.. even beyond the grave he had left something behind. You weren’t sure whether to thank him or curse.

•••

Ellie figured she could sleep before hell broke loose. There was no point in staying up all night. She dreaded the morning, listening to Joel yell at her along with Maria, having to take the walk of shame into the Courthouse with the other teens, dealing with Cat and Dina. It was a pure mess.

Maria knocked on her door before sunrise, waking her up. Ellie groaned quietly and pulled herself out of bed, flicking the light on as the early morning light fell through her window. Her head was aching from last night’s adventure.

She opened the door for Maria, Maria didn’t wait for an invitation to enter, she walked in.

“Punishment has changed, you’re only getting the same punishment as the rest of the teenagers. Seems like you owe Y/N a favor,” Maria told Ellie.

Ellie’s brow furrowed in confusion before she realized.

“Y/N asked me to go easier on you, so I did,” She explained non chalantly.

“Wow, well thank you,” Ellie said, surprised, she was relieved.

“You should thank Y/N.”

“I will,” Ellie nodded. It was silent for a few seconds.

“Look, I’m sorry about last night. I was upset and drunk,” She apologized.

“I know. It still wasn’t right for you to go outside the wall, you know the rules,” Maria said softly to the girl. It was going smoother than Ellie had expected.

“I just.. wanted to get away from everything for a night,” Ellie said to Maria. Maria wasn’t surprised.

“I understand. It still wasn’t the best course of action though,” Maria said thoughtfully, though she was disappointed.

“Yeah, I know,” Ellie replied, shame hinting in her voice.

“Joel’s already up, he has a shorter route today so he didn’t have to get up so early,” Maria explained to her. Ellie could feel the dread grow in her as she glanced out the window, the lights were on inside. She barely went over to his house these days, barely even said much to him, avoiding Joel as much as she could. She had things to figure out, Joel being around her would only confuse things further. It hurt having such a strain with someone she looked up to, but Joel was keeping the truth from her.

“Come on,” Maria said, motioning for Ellie to follow her as she exited Ellie’s room. There was frost on the grass, and a chill swept through the morning air.

Maria knocked on Joel’s back porch, Joel’s footsteps were loud enough to be heard from the other side of the door. Joel opened the door, looking confused to see both Maria and Ellie standing outside.

“Maria?” He asked, glancing over to Ellie as well, his brow raised.

“Can we come in?” Maria replied. Ellie stood to the side, praying this would be over quickly. Joel opened the door for them, they entered into his kitchen. Joel’s house felt foreign to be in, like entering a stranger's home, as if she was intruding. And yet it still felt familiar — like it was a hidden memory locked away from years of repressed thoughts, barely recognizable.

Joel leaned against the kitchen counter, waiting for Maria. Ellie averted her gaze to the floor as Maria began.

“Ellie snuck out last night with a group of teenagers,” Maria told Joel.

Joel’s face was unreadable until he spoke, looking over to Ellie. “What?” He said, his voice bubbling with disbelief and harshness.

“She snuck out. Got drunk too,” Maria explained, both of them staring at the teenager.

“Have you any idea what is out there? Have you forgotten what it’s like?” Joel scolded, anger and disappointment lacing his words. Ellie flinched at his voice.

“Am I not allowed to have fun anymore?” Ellie scoffed back with defiance, throwing her hands up in the air in protest.

“What you did was reckless and stupid, you know the risks,” Joel said, his face contorted in anger.

“Like there’s even any infected near town.” Ellie rolled her eyes.

“Ellie,” Maria replied firmly, shooting her a look.

“There are a thousand things that could have gone wrong. You shouldn’t have gone out there.” Joel was disappointed in Ellie.

“People do it all the time, why am I getting flamed for it now, huh?”

“Because you got caught,” Maria said.

“You only care when it has something to do with me. Y/N and Dina snuck out and you didn’t give two shits about them!” Ellie felt her head growing hot, her words fueled by anger.

Joel was surprised to hear that you had gone, a sense of worry flooding through him, why had you gone out as well?

“Y/N and Dina were looking for you,” Maria reminded her.

Ellie was silent, the tension was thick in the kitchen and Joel was burning holes in her head with his eyes.

“She’s getting the same punishment the rest of the party goers are getting, they’re going to the courthouse when the sun rises,” Maria explained to Joel.

“Take her off patrol for a month since she’s gotten too comfortable with being outside,” Joel said coldly.

“Sure,” Maria said. She was fine with that punishment.

Ellie’s mouth was agape. “That’s bullshit! You said you weren’t taking me off patrol!” She shouted to Maria.

“I said I wasn’t anymore. I’m leaving the rest to Joel.”

“It’s final, Ellie. You made a stupid mistake and now you have to pay the price for it,” Joel said. There was no debate, but Ellie would put up a protest.

“That’s such bullshit,” Ellie scoffed, storming out of Joel’s house, slamming the door behind her. Joel stood in the kitchen, feeling the rift pull them further and further away.

“I’ll go get her,” Maria grumbled, becoming increasingly annoyed at Ellie.

“No, let her go,” Joel sighed, feeling a tension headache coming on.

“I don’t know what’s been getting into her lately,” Maria replied, leaning her back on the counter next to Joel.

Joel grunted softly, “I’m trying, I am.”

“I know Joel, I think whatever is going on with Ellie she needs to figure it out herself.”

•••

The morning rush was annoying as ever. You were barely able to sit or even have a moment of rest, it seemed another customer walked through the door each time you even leaned against the back counter. But it was nice, busy work, it kept your mind off things and it was a constant reminder of how to socialize with people. It kept your mind off the horde coming to town, the baby, Joel, Ellie, practically everyone.

As the sun rose mid way through your shift, you saw the crowd of teenagers meet outside the Courthouse. You spotted Ellie and Cat, on opposite sides of the crowd. The people in the bar noticed too, perking up as they saw Maria and the rest of the Council members show up. Some people cracked jokes, some people muttered to each other, but as they went into the building the chatter died down. You wondered what the punishment was going to be. At least you managed to get Ellie no sentence from Maria, you also wondered how Joel handled things.

Joel was probably out on patrol by now, Tommy wasn’t with him, you wondered who he had gone out on patrol with then. You were almost always assigned with Mark — occasionally Joel. But usually Mark. The head of patrol usually kept you two together considering you were roommates, wanting to keep the same schedule.

A large group came into the bar and you groaned inwardly, cursing yourself and your job. Dina and Jesse were a part of the group. The crowd dispersed and went to their own tables, Dina making a beeline towards you

“Hey,” She smiled at you, sitting down at the bar. It wasn’t uncommon for Dina to stop by.

“How’s it going? Group patrol today?” You asked, wiping down the bar.

She nodded, “Yeah, we came in for breakfast before we went out. We have a long route today so Jesse wanted to make sure we all ate.”

“How are things between you and him?” Dina had mentioned they were having some issues last night.

“I haven’t really talked to him about us. He knows about Ellie, he’s pissed at her for not inviting him but he thinks it’s funny she got caught,” She rolled her eyes. You were glad someone here was making advancements in their relationships instead of hitting a brick wall — or multiple.

“Ellie’s at the Courthouse right now, I saw her with the crowd that went inside.”

“Yeah.. hopefully I’ll be able to catch her later tonight, try to smooth things over.”

“Good idea. Who else is patrolling today?”

“Joel, I know is, not sure who else I’ll have to look at the gate logbooks. You know you should really think about coming back to patrol, I miss seeing your’s and Mark’s messages next to the logbooks,” Dina replied, she wasn’t attempting to persuade you like Maria was.

“You know I was convinced no one ever read the Adventures of a Town Crackson, Mark isn't convinced though,” You laughed, remembering his silly stories and messages he would leave for others to find. The piles of sticky notes he left next to logbooks told a story, the story went that he would make mini comics out of old sticky notes and leave them around lookouts for people to read, you would have to visit them all in a certain order to understand. The Adventures of a Town Crackson was a parody of Jackson, except the main character, Lame Lane was a superhero on a revenge quest to kill the evil mastermind Mister Jacobsonithia, who had wronged him years before by killing those close to Lame Lane. It was both a bizarre and funny story.

“Oh no, that story is practically famous! Mark left us on a cliffhanger at Volume.. what was it.. 13th? The one where Lame Lane breaks into Jacobsinthia’s fortress and finds him! Right when Lame finally faces the bastard!” Dina excitedly rambled. Mark would have loved to talk about his story with Dina, you were glad at least someone had read what he called his masterpiece.

You simply stood and smiled bittersweetly, listening to Dina talk about Mark’s story.

“You really have to convince Mark to come back to patrol, I want to read the end of the story!” She said finally as you put her meal in front of her.

You shrugged, “I don’t know if he’s thought of an ending yet.”

•••

Later in the day, someone knocked on your door. You had been getting so many visitors lately.. you wondered who was there and what the hell they wanted. You had ate more of the cookies Maria brought over last night, they were good. You wanted something salty or sour to balance out the sweetness, like pretzels or pickles. Maybe both. You were mid way through your second cookie when someone knocked.

You got up quickly, grumbling the entire time underneath your breath. You were damn tired of leaving your town, socializing, looking for a teenager and having to take orders all day. You just wanted to eat cookies and collapse in bed.

Ellie was at the door surprinsgly.

“Ellie, hey,” You said, opening the door to let her in, closing the door as she entered.

“Hey.”

“What brings you here?” You asked, wondering why Ellie had suddenly shown up at your door.

“I just wanted to say thanks for having my back and letting Maria drop my punishment,” She said sincerely, even though her words seemed hard to get out.

“Of course, it’s the least I can do,” You replied.

“Joel still took me off patrol for a month,” Ellie rolled her eyes at the thought.

“He can do that?”

“Maria let him,” She said, sucking in a breath.

“I’m sorry, that sucks,” You told her.

She rocked on her feet, swaying gently back and forth. “Yeah,” She mumbled.

“Have you talked to Cat or Dina?”

She perked up at your question, “Cat’s still pissed at me and Dina’s out on patrol today so no.”

“How did Joel handle things?”

Ellie shrugged, not wanting to discuss the topic.

“Okay by the way, how was the Courthouse?” You changed the subject. The Courthouse was never fun.. it was where the Town Council did all of the planning for Jackson, assignments and occasionally hearings/punishments.

“Council put us all on clean up duty for the festival and nine pm curfew for the next two months,” She sighed.

“What assignment are you going to take in the meantime?”

“I don’t know, maybe trading post,” She said unthrillingly. There weren’t many open assignments that were anything but a bore. At least people at the trading post got to talk with others from outside of Jackson, though you weren’t sure it was Ellie’s style. You could see her on wall duty, though there were rarely open spots. Ellie likes kids, but you weren’t sure she could handle screaming toddlers for days on end, the daycare was a no go.

“How about the farms or gardening?”

“Do I look like a gardener to you?” She joked.

You shook your head humorously, “No, but I could see you in overalls and maybe a big farmers hat.”

“Fair enough,” She smirked.

“Oh, since you’re here did you want to get the Walkman tapes and the records?” You remembered promising her Mark’s old collection.. though you were sure you wouldn’t be able to give away his favorites, it would be far too cruel.

“Yeah sure, is Mark here right now?” She asked, glancing past you to the hallway.

“Oh, uh no, he’s not but he won’t mind, trust me,” You replied. Lying about Mark’s whereabouts was something you were getting good at. Of course, you knew exactly where he was and where he would be for all of eternity.

Ellie nodded, excited to hear some more tapes.

“I’ll go get them from his room, I’ll be right back.”

Walking back to his room, twice in less than twenty four hours.. it was insane. You weren’t even sure you could ever go into that room again and here you were, walking back up those same steps to his loft, feeling his dog tags jingle with every step, twisting the doorknob open and being inside of his room.

The room that felt lifeless. It felt wrong to take anything from out of his room.. like it was a scene forever stuck in a piece of history and you were disrupting it. But his things would have to go eventually, Ellie would appreciate his records. You were sure she would.

And yet a thought struck you.. would your child want something to remember their father by? Was giving away his records the best course of action? For months you wanted to get rid of everything that reminded you of him.. and yet you wanted to keep things. To have something to remember him by. The Walkman tapes would go untouched for years.. and you would only keep Mark’s favorite records — you were sure Ellie wouldn’t take too many of them regardless.

Bill Withers, Motley Crüe, Green Day and Queen records were all off limits. Mark would come back from the dead and knock some sense into you if you gave away any of those.

But there were others you were sure Ellie would appreciate.. Pearl Jam, The Sleek Habit.. or whatever the hell it was called. It was Mark’s favorite thing to collect — records, it seemed like he could listen to one album a day and still not have listened to them all by the time he turned eighty. At least he kept them ordered by genre, it made your life easier to pick out a few boxes. The boxes of records under his bed, in his closet, next to his dresser. You found his Walkman tapes in a small drawer on his bedside table, he didn’t have quite as many.

You decided on bringing Ellie, punk rock, folk music and alternative. Plus Mark’s entire collection of tapes.

Somehow, you managed to bring them all down to her. Her eyes lit up at the sight of them, you set the boxes down on the kitchen table.

“Take as many as you want, just let me see them first, otherwise Mark might get mad I’ve given away his favorites,” You said to her as she began flicking through the boxes.

She picked out a few she liked, luckily they weren’t all that memorable to Mark, or at least what you had remembered, you weren’t sure you had the heart to tell her to put any of his favorites away though if she had managed to pick out one of his favorites.

“Find the ones you were looking for?” You asked her as she picked all the records and tapes up.

“Yeah, Mark’s got a big collection, I even found Shawn James and Crooked Still,” She smiled, the sparkle returning to her face. You were glad Mark’s love of music had made her happy, he could pass on gifts even beyond the grave.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Tell Mark I say thanks. I’m really sorry, I have to bounce, I think Dina might be home by now, seriously though, thanks again for getting me off the hook,” She said to you, her sincerity apparent. There was still uneasiness between you and her.. as there was with almost everyone, and yet things were starting to look brighter and brighter.

You nodded, bidding her farewell for the rest of the day, a pang of remembrance hitting your heart, as if things were slowly and yet surely returning to what normal felt like months ago. Even if a large part of your life was missing from it.. things were starting to look up. It felt almost wrong to be happy after months of grief and isolation, you felt guilty for allowing yourself to step back into the light, but you were happy things were starting to look better. Mark would have liked you to be happy, that was certain.

•••

Another knock on the door, another interrupted hour. The sun had set by then, you were done with dinner and were watching a movie you had found. You had a nice candle flickering too, the people of Jackson were awfully crafty, it was one of the few commodities that you regularly sought out, Mark had his candy and records, you had candles. Your house was starting to feel more lively again.

You opened the door to see Joel standing on the other side. You were definitely surprised to see him.

“Joel,”

“Hello, can I come in?” He asked.

“Sure,” You said, opening the door for him. Your porch light illuminated the dead flowers hanging from the roof.. you had been meaning to take those downs.

“Don’t worry, Mark’s not here,” You said to him as he entered.

Joel nodded as he glanced around your house. Not much had changed since the last time he had been there.

“Been awhile huh?” You asked.

“Yep. Been some time.”

“Any reason you decided to stop by?” You asked.

“I wanted to thank you for looking out for Ellie,” Joel began.

“Of course. I would have gotten you if we wouldn’t have found her, I just didn’t want to wake you up,” You explained.

“Yeah, I get that. I’m glad you’re looking out for her though.. I know you don’t like being outside Jackson anymore.”

“I didn’t want anything to happen to Ellie,” You shrugged.

“She’s not happy with what I told her. Not that I’m surprised though. I’m disappointed in her, I thought she knew better.”

“She’s a teenager, Joel. Teenagers are allowed to make mistakes,” You said.

“She still needs to be reminded of what’s out there.”

“Not arguing with you on that,” You replied softly.

It was silent for a few moments, “So.. about our trip to the lake,” He began again.

Your eyes lit up at the thought, “Oh! Yeah, right, I shoot the infected, you take me to the lake, that’s how it went, or maybe you still owe me a trip back,” You reminded him.

“I do still owe you,” He smiled.

That day.. so much had happened in such a small period of time, everything felt like a blur.

“You do. But I was thinking we could skip the lake and maybe.. you would want to come with me to the Halloween party?” You asked, almost shyly.

Joel smiled as he scratched his beard, “Are you asking me on a date?”

“Maybe?” You blushed lightly.

“It’s a yes or no question, Y/N,” He teased.

“Yes. It’s a yes, I’m asking you on a date.” Three months of no contact and here you were asking Joel on a date.. you weren’t sure if you wanted to laugh or cry. Damn you, hormonal imbalances.

“Then yes, I’ll take you to the party.” He nodded.

“A date it is then,” You said happily.

“Are you sure you’re not sick anymore though?” He asked playfully.

“I'm not , maybe it was just something I ate that day,” You shrugged, lying through your teeth. You knew what came over you, and you weren’t sure how exactly that would ever come up in conversation with Joel.. how would he even react to that? The longer you waited.. the harder it would be.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Me too. Hopefully it wasn’t Tommy’s stew.”

“At least it wasn’t mine.”

Joel left shortly after that, you were still smiling as he left. There were still questions, and there were answers you needed to give, but at least it wasn’t as rocky as it had been a few days ago. Maybe it was easy to heal.. or maybe the circumstances were making it easier. Or maybe it was just time to start living your life again, a new life that mirrored your last, but in an entirely new way.

It was a fresh start. You put your hand on your small bump, barely noticeable as you sat down on the couch. Your knees weak and your smile wide. Maybe it was time.

•••

[gunslingertales]

Saving grace || A.M - Chapter 2

Story summary: Arthur struggles with his guilt and his loyalty towards the people he always thought of as family. He starts questioning the life they’ve been leading lately and wonders if there’s still a place for him somewhere out there in a world that’s so quickly chaning. Then he meets a woman with fire in her eyes and gold in her heart who seems equally lost in the great unknown that’s life. 

Chapter Two: “ Dreams”  Find the other chapters on my blog under /masterlist

Chapter summary: As he rides into Valentine, Arthurs plans on having a drink or two with young Lenny and then returning back to camp. He doesn’t expect running into a familiar face. And spending the next day with that person. And learning about her childhood and her dreams.

Likes, comments and especially reblogs are more than appreciated ♥

[additional note: I am German. Sometimes I get the tense wrong or make mistakes. I am useless when it comes to punctuation. Go easy on me, please.]

The small town of Valentine is an awfully dirty place. Both figuratively and literally. You don’t even have to take two steps and your shoes are already coated with mud. Like the sweltering humidity of the Lemoyne swamps that cling to your skin or the grimy winds coming from the mines of Annesburg that settle on your lungs, the dirt lies upon the town like a thick blanket you just can’t shake off. 

Arthur thinks it’s ironic, how the people turn their noses at him and the gang and their way of living. Of their makeshift camps and on-the-go lifestyle. They scowl at the thought of their tents and bedrolls yet voluntarily move to a town like this where you can’t tell if you’re wading through mud or your neighbors’ shit. 

Then again, Arthur doesn’t care an awful lot for other people’s lives. His own is chaotic and confusing enough, what good could it possibly do to rack his brain about other people’s choices? Least it ain’t quite as bad here as it is in Saint Denis. That place is a cesspool of every single thing Arthur has an unprecedented disdain for. Too many people pretending to be above everyone else just because their jackets got fancy gold buttons.

He can’t picture himself ever living in a place like that. Though to some it might be a place of comfort, of safety, to him it only feels like a cage. And he’d rather die than give up his freedom. 

Mouse slows down to a gentle trot as they approach the Valentine Saloon. A golden glow shines through the newly fixed window of the building and laughter and song echo through the room and flood out into the streets. Lenny hitches his horse next to Mouse and gives Arthur an expectant look “Just one of two, right?” 

“Sure. Just a drink, no drama”

None of the men are getting lots of chances to wind down. Sure some of them are perpetually drunk to some extent but to really get a night off to - to have fun, that’s not a chance that presents itself very often. Living a life like they do, you always have to be alert. Life ain’t your friend so you gotta look out for yourself and your people.

There’s quite a few people inside, drinking and eating and laughing. Sometimes Arthur wonders what his life would be like if he had married Mary and given up on the gang. Would he spend his free time here drinking away his sorrows and his feelings of inadequacy compared to Mary and all she could’ve had? Or would they wander into town every once in a while, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy each other’s company?

He shakes his head to push the thoughts away. There’s no use in getting lost in what-ifs. They’re just another reminder of what he can’t have and what he messed up.

“You,” the Barkeeper approaches, pointing at Arthur as he leans against the bar “ I don’t want no trouble!”

Arthur raises his hands in mock surrender “And you ain’t getting none from me. I was just defending myself.”

Though his eyes still hold a hint of doubt the barkeeper seems to be satisfied with that answer. Something tells Arthur that he isn’t the first person butting heads with that damn Tommy guy.

Lenny regards the exchange with a smirk playing on his lips as a shake of his head.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just … do I wanna know?”

“Nah don’t think you do.”

They share a laugh and receive their drinks and for a moment, Arthur’s heart feels a bit less heavy. For a second the weight of the world doesn’t rest inside his chest. Like he can be unbothered for just a night.

Two drinks in he leans his back against the bar and lets his eyes wander around the Saloon. Drunk fools stumbling over each other, a piano player belting out melodies, smiles upon smiles and songs, and music. 

In the furthest corner of the place, a woman sits alone by a table, a plate untouched in front of her. She seems too fancy to end up in a dump like this. Her hair is pulled up in intricate braids and her blouse has frilly lace in the front. Something about her intrigues Arthur. 

The first time he ever laid eyes on Mary an electrical current surged through his system like waves crashing to the shore. She was beautiful and smart and she spoke like she knew the world belonged to her. He never felt deserving of her and he never was but for a while she let him believe it. She was beautiful and soft and she wasn’t … she wasn’t what he’d known all his life. And maybe that’s also part of what intrigued her when it came to him. The excitement and the unknown. But that novelty wore off for her rather quickly it seems. The night she broke the engagement and his heart, he doesn’t remember that night but he does remember the pain.

Looking at the woman in the corner, he doesn’t feel the excitement or the sense that he needs to have her in his life, the way he did with Mary. That doesn’t mean he’s unaware of his intrigue. As much as he doesn’t want to get involved with other people’s drama, he sure likes to hear their stories. After all, ain’t that what our life is made of? Stories. One after another. Sometimes you’re the main character and sometimes an onlooker. Sometimes your the hero and sometimes - sometimes you ain’t.

When she lifts her head though, a strange sensation floods through him. Though the dimly lit room doesn’t allow him to get a perfectly good look at her, Arthur can immediately read the sadness on her face. It’s radiating from her. He knows it ain’t his fault, at least not entirely but still, a pang of guilt settles in his stomach. A knowledge that he ain’t innocent in any of this either. Seeing her brings back all the heaviness and the weight that rests on his heart. It floods back in and clings to him like cigarette smoke.

He wants to leave now. Just get out of here and take Mouse for a ride through the fields and valleys and relish in the great wide somewhere. But he can’t. His legs feel like they’re stuck to the ground like flies on a honeypot. He feels guilt sometimes, about his deeds. Especially when the people don’t deserve his unkindness. He’s never really felt like this before. Then again, usually, they don’t have to face their doings again.

Drinking his third beer, he tries to ignore her. He genuinely does. It ain’t his fault and it ain’t his problem. Why should he care? No one asked her to pawn off her jewelry for a mistake she didn’t commit. Maybe that’s exactly the problem though, the knowledge that she’s a good person and the fact that Arthur voluntarily chose not to extend the same kindness towards her.

A commotion from the corner pulls his attention back towards her. A big burly man with a frizzy, unkept beard stands beside her table, leaning on it for support. A bottle dangles from his fingers and the sway in his posture tells Arthur that he’s way deep in by this point.

“I’m just tryin’ to be nice Miss. Ain’t no reason to get feisty on me.”

“Can you please let me enjoy my dinner in peace?”

“Come on sweetheart, lemme buy you a drink at least. Then maybe I can take you up to one of them rooms. How ‘bout that.”

“That’s disgusting and I said no!”

Though he can’t see her eyes, he’s sure they’re filled with the same fire and wrath that had been directed at him just a few weeks ago. With every moment passing, he gravitates more towards her, ready to jump in if the man got any more stupid ideas running through his head.

There’s a special place in hell for men who can’t extend a certain amount of respect towards the fair gender. He knows that even some men in his own group, his own family, often seem to forget that and Arthur is the first to call ‘em out on it. They call him soft for it but he doesn't think that’s him being soft as much as it’s him basically being raised by two men who value women for what they are. Smart and beautiful and human beings worthy of being treated with respect. Not objects for their own enjoyment and entertainment.

“Lady, I ain’t gonna be asking so nicely no more.”

“Is there a problem here?”

May’s eyes snap up towards Arthur as he approaches the table and he catches a glimpse of the flames, passionate and … pissed off. Though as they fall on him, a kind of calmness washes over her and he isn’t quite sure if he likes it or if it makes him nervous. 

“Just a dispute between two lovers, ain’t that right Dove?  None of your concern, buddy.”

“We ain’t lovers you delusional rat !”

Arthur can’t help but let out a laugh at her insult. It fits the guy, really, though his frame is broad and meaty, he’s got beady eyes and a long face.

“You better shut your mouth you-“

As the man lifts his arm, that’s when Arthur really sees red and takes a step in between him and May who, despite her best efforts, can’t suppress the worry and fear settling on her face.

“Nah, I suggest you shut up and get the fuck out of this place. They just fixed the window and it would be an awful mess if I had to break it again when I throw you out. Of course, I could also shoot or stab you right here right now but, I don’t think that’s in any of our best interests now, is it?”

Arthur’s voice is low and deep and though that’s both a result of bad genes and chain-smoking, it does come in handy every once in a while. Mary–Beth had once told him that it gives him a sense of perpetual danger and toughness. 

The man stares at Arthur, unsure of what to do. His eyes then shift towards May, back to Arthur and back and forth one more time. Carefully he considers his next move and then — then he shrugs his shoulders in defeat, huffs out an annoyed sigh and turns around, leaving the saloon with the slam of a door.

“What a horrible horrible man.”

“Sorry about that”

May rests a gentle hand on Arthur’s arm and signals for him to sit down, which he does - reluctantly. Again she extends a kindness towards him he is severely undeserving of.

“What are you apologizing for? You ain’t don’t nothing wrong. “

“Oh, I’ve done plenty of things wrong in ma life.”

“I meant right then. What brings you here then, Mr. Morgan? Spending my money on a beer?”

Though she says it with a smirk and not a hint of malice, it still sends a sting to his chest though. He could ease his mind and tell her that he hasn’t sold the ring, hasn’t even put it in the camp’s collective. The earrings yes but not the ring. It still sits in his saddlebag waiting for — well he isn’t exactly sure what for.

“Just having a drink with ma friend over there and saving women from delusional rats it seems. What about you amiss Everly? What’s gotten you dressed up so fancy? You look like one of them ladies on the poster they hang by the theatre in Saint Denis.”

She scoffs then takes a bite of her lamb fry. “Glad you think so but unfortunately that ain’t no consolation to me.”

“What happened?”

He’s well aware that he has no right to ask her about it. They hardly know each other and yet she’s been so open and forward from the first second she opened her mouth that day he came around the Downes Ranch, it doesn’t feel strange asking her about it. It feels natural. Like the right thing to do.

“ Well since Thomas ain’t doing good and I’m looking for a new place of work I thought about finally taking a leap and making my dream come true. But, as you know, I am no woman of a big fortune nor do I come from a family of money. I was trying to get a loan from the bank of Valentine but …. no luck.”

“Huh, ‘m sorry about that.” He’s not exactly sure what he’s sorry about. The fact that Mr. Downes is dying or the fact that she wasn’t granted a loan. Or maybe both. Probably a bit of both.

“Ah,” she shrugs “I’d already expected this outcome. Some big-shot oil tycoon from Saint Denis already has his eyes on my piece of land anyway so the money is only the first obstacle.”

“Piece of land? You wanna become a rancher now?”

May lets out a sweet chuckle, “ No. I wanna be a teacher. I want to build a school for Valentine.”

“A school? What for?”

“Well … to teach. The world is changing, Mr. Morgan. We’re living in the age of progress but what good does it do us if we have machines taking us anywhere and everywhere when we can’t read even the most simple of instructions? We owe it to the children to start the progress with them.”

Arthur has never set a single foot inside a real school all he’s ever learned he learned on the road. From Dutch and Hosea. Reading and writing were never something he was particularly fond of learning but now that he’s older, even he can admit that it’s a big advantage in life.

“If you say so.”

“I do. I taught Archie to read. Edith too. I think it’s a luxury we should all be able to afford.”

“ Well, I ain’t gonna disagree with that. Let me buy you a drink.”

She takes the last bite of her lamb, then wipes up the remaining gravy with a potato, before softly tapping a napkin to her lips. “That’s very sweet of you but I should go. I have a room at the hotel for the night and I’m quite concerned that if I agree to one drink I will agree to more and then I won’t make it to my room and that’s just money wasted now ain’t it.”

For a second he wants to be brash. Wants to tell her that he wouldn’t mind making sure she gets to her room safe and sound. Wouldn’t mind joining her there. But while he lets himself think it, it just ain’t his personality to speak those words. Especially not to a woman who shows him kindness time and time again when all he ever does is disappoint and do the wrong things.

“Alright, Miss. You stay safe out there. I sincerely hope it all works out for you. With that school and all. “

May places her small hand on his stubbly cheek, warm from the alcohol coursing through his system and the gentle touch of a woman.

“Oh don’t make this sound like a goodbye. Our paths will cross again, I know so. Trust me, Arthur!”

He likes the way his name sounds falling from her lips. Likes her warm smooth skin on his. Like the sincerity in her eyes and the fire softly burning beneath it. He likes this girl and that’s one scary thought. Ain’t nothing good ever happened to the girls he liked.

“You have a good night, Miss Everly.”

As he returns to the bar, Lenny already fixes Arthur with a look of amusement and mischief. His eyes are glossed over from the drinks and his balance don’t seem to work quite as he’d like.

“So who was that pretty lady?”

Just the woman he hasn’t been able to get out of his head since he met her. The one he’s been sketching in his diary over and over again. The one he ain’t don’t right by. The one that’s way too good for him.

“No one. Just some girl. Now how about another drink, Lenny ma boy?”

The night goes by in a flash. It’s a blur of yelling and dancing and laughing and fighting. Of searching for Lenny, several times. Of walking into a room he has no business walking into. Of making friends and enemies. And then fade to black.

That is until the next day when the midday sun beats mercilessly down onto his tired body, slumped against the trunk of a mostly barren tree. It’s the sun that wakes him up. The sun and — her.

May stands before him like a goddess in an ancient story from a foreign country. The sun shines behind her veiling her in a golden glow, giving her a gleaming halo.

“Look at you, I told you our paths would cross again. Why are you down there?”

“Fell asleep.”

“On the floor?”

“It happens.”

His voice is rough with sleep and exhaustion from the night before. He ain’t as young as he used to be and nights like the previous one leave marks now. It’s something he doesn’t like to admit but something he has to come to terms with.

“I know it’s past noon but I can offer you some breakfast if you like,” May exclaims pointing towards her horse and the little wicker basket strapped to the saddlebag. “Well it’s lunch for me but breakfast for you. I got coffee too.”

Arthur rubs the sleep from his eyes and scratches his beard in contemplation. He’s got nothing to do today and he’s, he could be checking up on Dutch and his plans but with the way things are right now, he doesn’t really mind getting some time away from all that mess. Micah is also waiting for him in a cell in Strawberry but that’s so far down on Arthur’s list of things to do. That nasty son of a bitch can rot there for a while longer. Might do him some good, actually.

“Coffee sounds mighty fine.”

“Alright, you’ll have to follow me though. “

“Sure. Lemme get Mouse real quick. “

Arthur drags his tired body back towards the Saloon and a few minutes later he returns, now straddling Mouse and carrying a big bundle of fur on the back of his horse.

“What in the world is that,” May asks, swinging herself back onto Beans.

“Fur of a grizzly.”

“No way! You’re a hunter, then?”

The two of them fall into a slow trot next to each other with May walking just a tad in front of him leading the way.

“Ain’t much of a hunter. Just pure luck. Had help from my —“

What exactly was Hosea to him? His father, kind of but it wouldn’t feel right calling him that. He had had a father, albeit a pretty poor example of it. But he’s more than a friend. He’s family.

“ from a family member.”

“I think you’re allowed to take pride in this, Arthur. It’s a nice fur and it seems like it was one big fella. That’s something not a lot of people can do. Allow yourself to be proud.”

Pride, Arthur knows, makes men do foolish things. It makes them feel invincible. Makes them stop paying attention. It leaves them vulnerable. Pride ain’t doing no one no good.

“Whatever. Where we going anyway?”

“Oh, I’m just going to break my own heart real quick,” May says as if it’s a completely normal thing to exclaim. 

They gallop on for a short while until she stops at the top of a small hill. Slowly, not moving her eyes away from the patch of land before her, she gets off of her horse and takes the wicker basket. “Come, let’s sit down by the trees.”

A row of oak trees provides some shade from the burning sun as they sit down on the warm prairie grass. For a moment the world is still. Not silent but still. Soft and comfortable. The scent of coffee fills the air, waves along with the desert winds. The mug May hands to him, it’s warm in his hand and for the first time in a long time, Arthur feels at peace with himself and the world.

“This is it,” May announces and, arms spread out wide, gestures to the land before them.

“Well I must say, this is quite impressive,” Arthur humors her, voice laced with sarcasm.

“Oh, you big oaf. Stop making fun of me. This is the piece of land I wanted to buy. The school was supposed to sit right there. Walking distance for the children of Valentine and the surrounding ranches. Now it belongs to Mr. Robert Montgomery and god knows what he’ll put here.”

“I’m real sorry about it. I ain’t ever really had a dream like that but I bet it’s not a nice feeling. It’s a damn shame too. Can see you teaching them kids some things.”

“Yeah?”

“Sure.”

She looks wistfully across the valley, a glimpse of longing sparkling in her eyes. “It’s all I've wanted to do since I was a little girl. My daddy never had much and he wasn’t a good man but he was honest and he was a hard worker. My momma was soft and sweet like honey. She made him more gentle. Made life sweet for him. They both came from nothing but when they had me they wanted to make sure they gave me everything I needed to survive in this world. To make something of myself. Momma learned to read and write from an older lady who lived across the street and taught it to me and my daddy. From him, I learned to fish, to hunt, to skin and prepare animals. I think with the way they gave me all this knowledge they wanted me to become good at something and make that my crime. Instead, I became passionate about sharing knowledge. About giving this education to other children. That’s where our future rests, ain’t it? The children?”

She’s right. Whenever he looks at Jack. Whenever he watches Abigail or John look at Jack, all he sees is the hope that he turns out better. That his life doesn’t rest with them. That there is more for him than robbing and plundering.

“Do you have children?”

It’s an innocent question but it manages to hurt him more than any other question probably could. It reaches all the dark corners of his heart he tries so hard to ignore. He doesn’t have children, but he had. Past tense.  Ring a father, another role he failed at filling. He ain’t never been a good father to Isaac. He wasn’t there when it mattered. Wasn’t there when they killed him for a meager 10$.

“Nah.”

“Did you go to school?”

Arthur scoffs a laugh at that, imagining himself young and wild sitting in a classroom with a bunch of other rowdy kids. 

“No. Never. I was taught how to write and read by my family. Like you.”

“See, I told you we ain’t so different.”

Her smile, it sends another shiver through him. Not uncomfortable but oh so scary. She doesn’t know the kind of person he is. The one he really is. A bad person. The goddamn villain of the story.

Everything in him screams at him to go. To leave her alone. To not get in any deeper. But for one day, just this one time, he wants to allow himself to relish in a what-if. So he stays and they relax in the shade as the sun fills the valleys with rays of gold.

They stay there for so long, that Arthur is sure the sun has turned his skin a shade of red. When they get back on their horses, he notices the crown of white daisies sitting on top of Mouse’s head. A crown matching the one adoring May’s. The white flowers shine atop her flowing red locks like little stars when the setting sun is coloring the sky a blood-red but the stars have come out to play already.

Her hair is down for the first time since he’s met her and she looks beautiful. Like the wilderness and the calm all at once.

“Thanks for listening to my dreams, Arthur Morgan.”

“Thanks for sharing them, May Everly.”

Her name sounds sweet on his tongue. 

“Now don’t look so blue. We'll meet again, I know it. I was right last time, wasn’t I?”

“You were.”

And as she rides away, red hair flowing in the wind like the wings of a Phoenix, Arthur hopes she’s right again this time. He ain’t ready to let go of the way she makes him see the world and her and himself. Not yet.

[yesloverboy]

Is There Love on Mars? (Iwan Rheon!Mick Mars x Reader)

Requested: Anon! 

“I have a request, could you please do reader drunkenly confessing to Mick and him taking care of her the rest of the night and them getting together after ❤️ I absolutely love Mick and I'd love to see your take on it if possible”

Note: The Mick request is finally here! Writing for Mick is honestly so much fun and I’m super thankful that you requested this. I hope this is what you had in mind!

word count: 3,399

 By the time you were finally able to arrive to the show’s afterparty, it was already in full swing. As a bartender from the venue, it wasn’t often that you got invited to hang with the bands who played while you worked. Mötley Crüe, however, was an exception. The boys were back in town after a long tour, and they’d be damned if they weren’t going to invite their favorite bartender out.  

 When you first met, the boys had been regulars just like everyone else– a group of scruffy punks looking to start a band that would take over the world. The usual L.A. stuff. Really you hadn’t thought much of them, and appreciated the fact that they would come around every so often just to see you. The three boys flirted relentlessly, always claiming that they would remember you when they finally got a guitarist and became big rock stars.

 Much to your amazement, they actually did. When the boys finally found a guitar player, the first thing they did was come to your bar to celebrate. Considering Tommy and Vince were still teenagers, and Nikki in his early twenties, you were surprised to see them dragging along a slightly older guy with shaggy black hair and a bored expression. Of all of the band guys and aspiring musicians you had met during your time behind the bar, you had never seen a guy quite like this one. Tommy introduced him to you as Mick Mars– a name that quickly rolls off the tongue. A name you wouldn’t mind saying over and over again.

 As the night went on, Tommy, Vince, and Nikki eventually ended up getting jerked out of the venue for causing a brawl in the middle of the dancefloor. You figured that Mick would end up leaving with them, but instead he took a seat in front of you at the bar. That was the night the two of you started talking. He had been reluctant to hold a conversation at first, but after realizing you had no interest in the mainstream trends, he quickly warmed up to you. The two of you had talked about everything from your favorite music to your most embarrassing childhood memories. You eventually learned that Mick wasn’t as cold as he seemed around the other guys, he just cared about his craft so much that the rockstar lifestyle didn’t interest him in the same way.

 Mick wasn’t like all the other wannabe rockstars that rolled in and out of the club every night, in fact, he was the opposite. He was all talent and no talk rather than the other way around. With Mick being the missing link, Mötley Crüe became a reality. Pretty soon the boys weren’t just visiting you at the bar, but playing the actual venue. Unlike everyone else, you weren’t shocked to find that Mötely Crüe was dramatically breaking the mold. The three younger members already had the drive to do something amazing, all they needed was a guy like Mick to balance them out.

 With Mötley Crüe becoming increasingly more popular, you ended up seeing the boys less and less. Although you missed their chaotic visits and flirtatious banter, you found yourself missing their shy guitarist most of all. Unfortunately, you didn’t realize your feelings for Mick were becoming more than platonic until it was too late. When you caught the news from Nikki that Mötely Crüe was embarking on a six month tour, it felt like an icy stab to your gut.

 That night, Mick had stayed with you long after all the leathered up punks had left, offering kindly to walk you home when you’d finished closing up shop. The walk home had been pleasant, and you did your best to pretend that this wasn’t going to be the last time you’d see him. Obviously he wouldn’t be gone forever, but it was difficult for you to believe that he’d actually remember you after seeing what the rest of the country had to offer someone with his level of talent.

 When it had been finally time to go inside, you noticed a softness in Mick’s eyes that he only seemed to reserve for your late nights and long conversations. You wanted to invite him inside, but felt it was too risky. Not only were you unsure if he felt the same way, but you felt as though he deserved better than to have a bartender holding him back.

 For the following six months, you deeply regretted not suggesting that Mick come inside. The longer he was away, the more you discovered that Mick was truly irreplaceable. When your boss had told you that the Crüe boys would be returning to L.A. to play a homecoming show after their tour, you were over the moon with excitement. You vowed that, no matter what happened, you would tell Mick about your feelings. The way you saw it, you pretty much had nothing to lose– he would reject you, go back on tour, and you could try to forget it ever happened. Simple as that.

 Except that, now, as you step onto the law of the house where the afterparty is being held, it feels a lot more complicated than that. You wade through the small crowd of partygoers gathering on the lawn and step tenatatively through the front entrance. The place is teeming with band groupies and musicians, each pining hopelessly for the attention of the Mötley Crüe boys.

 As you scan the living room’s smokey haze for a familiar face, a loud and enthusiastic voice calls to you from the kitchen.

 “Hey Y/N! We thought you’d never show!” Tommy beams from behind the kitchen counter, holding a bottle of Jack Daniel’s up to the ceiling triumphantly.

 Nikki gives you a wry smile as you approach the terror twins, holding a glass of whiskey in your direction. “Straight up– just how you like it, boss,” he winks.

 “You’re too much,” you chuckle, feeling grateful that things still felt normal between you and the guys despite their newfound fame. “Where’s Vince?”

 “Oh you know, just getting to know some of the fans,” Nikki replies, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

 It was no secret that Vince had always been distracted by whatever was bright and shiny, especially if the glittering object of his obsession happened to be a pretty woman. Tommy and Nikki were no exception to going crazy over any girl with a pulse, but they liked to at least break in the evening a little more first.

 “Aren’t you gonna ask about someone else?” Tommy shoves your shoulder with a large hand, looking like the cat that swallowed the canary.

 Eyes wide, you nearly choke on a sip of neat whiskey. The alcohol burns almost as much as your face does at Tommy’s question. How the fuck does he know?

 “Oh, you mean Mick?” you ask, trying your best to play it as dumb as humanly possible. Nikki and Tommy exchange an incredulous look– apparently your acting isn’t as good as you initially hoped.

 “Yeah nice try, Y/N,” Nikki taunts, “we might be a bunch of morons, but we aren’t that stupid.”

 “Speak for yourself, Nik,” Tommy snorts, apparently not feeling too keen on being called a moron. Although, you’d argue he probably deserves that title the most.  

 Nikki bulldozes over Tommy’s concern and continues to grill you about Mick. “Anyways, we’d noticed that Mick had been a particularly mean bastard all tour–”

 “And we figured it’s because he misses you!” Tommy finishes, in true twin fashion.

 “Oh yeah? And what makes you think I missed him, huh?” you challenge, refusing to believe that it looked like anything had been going on between you and Mick. You certainly want there to be, but there’s no way he actually feels the same way, right?

 Tommy and Nikki instantly burst into a fit of laughter, holding each other like two schoolboys and gasping for air. You down the rest of the whiskey in your glass to keep from completely losing your fucking mind. If you don’t keep yourself occupied somehow, you just know you’ll end up punching on of them in the throat.

 “You’ve–you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Nikki pants, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

 Tommy refills your glass as a form of a peace offering. “Isn’t is obvious, Y/N? You two aliens are totally fucking in love. I know it when I see it.”

 You consider your options, reminding yourself that you had, in fact, made an internal promise that you would tell Mick how you felt– no matter what the outcome may be. There’s a possibility that if you tell Nikki and Tommy the truth, maybe they could help you. The prospect of Mick actually reciprocating your feelings becomes far too enticing, and you find yourself relenting before you can even give the matter a second thought.

 “Okay,” you begin, eyeing the boys carefully, “say I was, ya know, in love or whatever . . . how would I tell him?”

 “Yes!” Tommy exclaims, jumping into the air with both fists raised victoriously, “I knew it, I fucking knew it!

 Nikki high-fives Tommy and sticks his head around the corner and into the hallway. “Hey Vince! You owe us 100 bucks!”

 Your mouth falls open in complete and utter astonishment. “Vince, too?!”

 “Hell yeah, dude,” Tommy shrugs, “We’ve been betting on it since we brought Mick around to the bar. You’re both clearly Martians.”

 “You motherfuckers,” you hiss, “does Mick know?”

“Oh of course not,” Tommy raises his hands defensively, not really knowing how to handle your frustration, “Mick may be a smart guy, but he wouldn’t know a pretty girl flirting with him if it smacked him in the face.”

“He ignores us, mostly,” Nikki adds.

 “What the fuck am I going to do now?” you groan, truly believing that this may be one of the most humiliating nights of your adult life.

 “You have to tell him!” Tommy insists, practically shaking your shoulders with urgency. “If you don’t we will.”

 “You honestly can’t be sure he’s even interested in me! Like you said, he ignores you guys.”

 Nikki looks at you, his eyes sparkling with a deviousness that you’re all to familiar with. “I have an idea . . . how about you party with us tonight, and if you can keep up, we won’t say a word. It’ll be your choice.”

 Tommy opens his mouth to protest Nikki’s offer, but Nikki elbows him hard in the stomach. Keep up with Mötley Crüe? You’re a bartender, so it’s obvious that you can hold your liquor pretty well, but drinking with the boys felt like self-assured destruction. On the other hand, you wanted to be the one to tell Mick and you desperately didn’t want these loudmouths to jeopardize your chances even more.

 “Deal,” you say, not allowing yourself another moment to second-guess your decision.

 “Let’s get this party started,” Nikki proclaims, grinning wickedly.

 Looking back, deciding to drink alongside the two wildest members of Mötely Crüe was a bad idea. They say hindsight is 20/20, and now that you’re six drinks and two shots in, you’re really starting to feel the consequence of your stupidity manifesting in your sluggish movements and watery vision. Regardless of Nikki’s obvious scheme to sabotage your ability to make good choices, the boys seem to be happy having you out from behind the bar for once. You had been so used to seeing them at work that you nearly forgot that the Crüe boys had become actual friends.

 As a part of your penance for agreeing to drink with Nikki and Tommy, they had ended up dragging you out to backyard to build a makeshift bonfire with some other scrappy musicians from their tour. While the boys are occupied, you see it in your best interest to go inside and get some water. The night isn’t even close to being over, and if you are expected to hold your own against the terror twins you might as well try to increase your chances.

 The walk to the kitchen is treacherous, to say the least. Walking around on the verge of being absolutely wasted is definitely an activity you found yourself being deeply out of practice in. As you eventually round the corner to step into the hallway, your body rams into another person accidentally.

 “Oh my god, I am so sorry–” you start apologizing profusely, but are stopped dead by a familiar, glacial stare. Mick Mars is standing in front of you and, if you were being honest, he looked less than happy.

 “Mick I–I am so fucking sorry I didn’t mean to,” you stumble over your words frantically, wanting to touch his arm but finding yourself afraid he might burn you.

 Suddenly, Mick’s eyes soften with recognition as he realizes who exactly almost knocked him over. “Y/N, what are you doing here? I thought you had to work.”

 You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and propped your unstable form up on the wall next to him, allowing all your weight to fall on your shoulder.

 “My, uh, boss let me close out early and, uh–uh I made a deal with Nikki that I would drink with him and Tommy. . .” you trail off, noticing that your drunken brain has already given away far too much.

 “A deal? A deal for what?” Mick raises an eyebrow inquisitively, clearly untrusting of his bandmates’ motives. “You know, you don’t have to do anything those idiots–”

 “No!” you practically shout, unable to control the volume of your voice, “It’s nothing, er, nothing like that– actually, I should probably get going now.”

 Against your better judgment, you turn to exit and end up spinning around far too quickly for your impaired motor skills to catch up with your brain. Stumbling forward, you fall to the carpet in a heap of regret and humiliation.

 “That’s it,” Mick sighs, “you’re coming with me.”

 Mick takes you by both of your wrists and hoists you up off the ground and onto your feet. You hiss under your breath as you notice the rugburns forming on the knobs of your knees, not remembering falling quite that hard. Mick pulls you to his side, throwing your right arm up over his shoulder so he can support you properly.

 In all the time the Crüe boys had visited your bar, you had never gotten this close to Mick. You try to remain calm, but your heartbeat thuds violently in your ears. Eventually, you and Mick end up in the empty bedroom that he’d apparently been hiding out in for the night.

 “Sit,” he says firmly, resting your unsteady body onto the bed. You comply, feeling far too embarrassed and nervous to attempt anything else in your current state of being. Mick mumbles something under his breath and ducks out of the room for a brief moment. Your head is swimming and your feels face is flushed from a night of heavy drinking and acting like a fool in front of, quite possibly, the loveliest man in the world.

 God I am so fucking stupid, you chastise yourself, burying your face in your hands. Your pity party is soon interrupted by the sound of Mick coming back into the room, the music and commotion from the ongoing party leaking in for a brief moment before being shut out once again.

 Mick holds out a glass of water and painkillers for you to take. “For you,” he says, attempting to give you a reassuring smile.

 You accept, feeling more than grateful that Mick isn’t actually mad at you for completely disrupting his night. “M’ sorry,” you mutter, popping the pills into your mouth and gulping down some water.

 “It’s okay,” Mick’s words are sincere and your heart nearly skips a beat as he plops down next to you on the edge of the bed. “But, you have to tell me why Nikki and Tommy were making you do this.”

 You cringe at the hint of hostility that returns to Mick’s voice at the mention of Nikki and Tommy. Sighing, you set the glass of water down on the nightstand beside you and flop backward onto the bed. The springs bounce in protest under your dead weight, and for a moment you hope that they may launch your body through the ceiling and into outer space.

 “If I tell you . . . you’re not gonna be happy.”

 Mick lays down next to you, his movements gentle and calculated. “Try me,” he finally replies, turning his head in your direction.

 “Well, they wanted to tell you something about me but I uh . . .” try as you may, you can’t quite make the words come out like you want them to.

 At last, you turn and face Mick, becoming instantly mesmerized by the man before you. From where you are lying, it seems as though he holds the entire galaxy in his eyes; their depth and beauty equally unfathomable. It could be the alcohol racing anxiously through your bloodstream, but something about the tenderness in Mick’s face tells you that everything is fine. It’s always been fine.

 “I–uh. . .” you try again, still feeling as if you heart might jump right out of your throat and run out the door. “I think I love you.”  

 Mick suddenly gives you a broad smile that you didn’t know he was even capable of, and you find yourself wishing you had the opportunity to put it there every day.

 “I know,” Mick pokes your stomach playfully, sending you into a fit of giggles.

 “Oh come on!” you laugh, “Did everyone know but me?”

 Mick just rolls his eyes affectionately and pulls you to his side. You snuggle into him and rest your head on his chest, taking in a deep breath. His scent is sweet and comforting, like a warm wind at the beginning of autumn.

 “I know I love you,” Mick says, kissing the top of your head.  

 That morning, you awake to the feeling on Mick’s fingers combing gently through your hair. Letting out a hum of satisfaction, you bury your head into the crook of his shoulder, not ready to come back down to earth. You aren’t sure when exactly you’d fallen asleep last night, but felt thankful that Mick had stayed at your side regardless of your drunken behavior.

 “Good morning, you,” Mick continues to pet your head subconsciously, holding you close.

 You are just about to reply, when a sharp pain in your head pierces right through your thoughts and digs directly into your brain. “Jesus fucking Christ,” you hiss, using your free arm to grab at the side of your head protectively.

 “Not quite, but your close,” Mick chuckles, unable to resist the opportunity to tease you after the stunt you pulled the night before.

 You roll your body on top of Mick’s in protest, doing you best to crush him beneath your weight. “You’re so much hotter when you don’t talk,” you bite back, recalling all the times you and Mick would tease each other during your long nights at the bar.

 Rolling atop of Mick put you only a few inches away from his face, making your heart stop as your eyes made contact with his. As you stare at Mick, you notice the way that his eyes begin to wander towards your lips as a subtle flush of pink colors his pale cheeks.

 Realizing this is your moment, you gingerly lean in and allow your lips to meet his. Mick kisses you back, the movements of his mouth hesitant and shy as both your hearts pound audibly against one another. You can help but smile into the kiss, feeling delighted in the fact that you could make Mick just as nervous as he makes you.

 When the both of you finally separate, Mick is gazing up at you as if you were the one responsible for the sunrise that morning.

 “So, what happens now?” you ask, already having a pretty good idea of what the both of you want.

 Mick smiles wistfully, “I guess we fly off to Mars.”

 Grinning back, you pull Mick into another kiss, feeling the happiest you had ever been in your life. If you and Mick ever end up leaving this bedroom– you’d have to thank Nikki.

Masterlist

[thepenismightierandallthat]

Masquerade

Sirius Black x OC Marauder Era

So ya gal is sad and wrote this to try and cope with the fact that the guy I had a thing with lied to my face and got a girl to cheat on her boyfriend with him, after swearing he wasn’t using me just because she was taken. (Spoiler alert: he’s a fucking liar and I was just for when she was unavailable)

It doesn’t make much sense and tbh I will probably delete this tomorrow but it helped me get a few things off my chest so that’s good I suppose

Anyway, enjoy or whatever

Drabble Time

Oh that felt good. Adelaide sank down into the bath, really it should be considered a pool, the bubbles covering her body and heat wrapping around her bones. This was her favourite thing about being a prefect. The prefects bathroom.

Rumours had obviously swept through Hogwarts for years, tales of a golden toilet that felt like sitting on a cloud (Untrue. It was just like a regular toilet) A bath with healing powers. (Debatable) The prefects were happy enough to play along, enforcing the rumours and even adding to them. Really it was probably a major factor in why a lot of the students wanted to be prefect.

Addie hadn’t actually started Hogwarts with the dream of being a prefect like some of the students, it just so happened her good grades in her subjects and penchant for rules happened to land her in the position she was in now. And she had never been so thankful.

Her eyes closed as the warmth of the water and relaxing scent of the bath oils surrounded her, a groan escaping her lips.

“Enjoying yourself Pierce?”

She would have jumped at the voice, too recognisable to her now, if she wasn’t so used to him being in places he shouldn’t be.

“I wasn’t aware you were a prefect Black.” She knew he couldn’t see anything,  the bubbles covering every inch of the water made sure of that but she sunk slightly lower in the water just in case.

He leaned against the wall nonchalantly, arms crossed over his chest and a grin on his face, as she glanced at him over her shoulder. “Stranger things could happen.”

“What are you doing here?” She sighed. Just when she was starting to relax, he had to find her and make her all…tense. She wouldn’t be here nearly as often as she was if it wasn’t for his constant presence.

“Well right now I’m really enjoying the view.”

Adelaide rolled her eyes, used to these type of comments from him. “We both know you can’t see anything.”

“You could quite easily change that…”

“Sod off Sirius.” Addie tried to relax and ignore him, closing her eyes and leaning her head back again, but was interrupted once again by the voice of Sirius Black.

“Look, I might have followed Remus here a few times.” He frowned at her when she snickered. She was just as bad as he was. “Not like that. He kept disappearing. So I help myself to its luxuries when I can. No need to let them go to waste.”

“Well as you can see it’s preoccupied. So go on back to the common room.” She really wasn’t in the mood for him today. Couldn’t he see she was just trying to relax!

“Enough room for both of us. Look at the size of this thing.” He told her as he slipped his shirt from his shoulders, letting it crumple on the floor. When he saw Adelaide looking he winked at her and gestured at the bath. “That thing too.”

“You better put your shirt back on Black. We are not bathing together.” She was starting to get angry and sat up slightly in the bath just as he dropped both his trousers and underwear.  “Oh God-“  She turned around as quickly as she could, trying to hide the redness that now coated her cheeks. “You really have no shame do you?!”

“I have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s rather lovely thank you very much, many girls have been more than pleased with it.” He grinned at her as he sunk below the water and waded to the opposite side of the bath. To say she was uncomfortable was an understatement.

“I don’t want to know about that Black. I’ve already had to interrupt you in broom closets far too often for my liking.” She tried to ignore the fact that Sirius Black was opposite her in a bathtub, the both of them completely naked, but it was harder than you’d think.

“Maybe if you knocked first-“

“You’re not supposed to be in there!”

“And where would you recommend? The dorm room is out of the question Prongs and Moony have already forbid me from doing that again.”

“Firstly, the abandoned Charms classrooms near the library are a better option you can charm them and the prefects and teachers never check in there anyway. Secondly, I’m not surprised they forbid you, it’s really hard to sleep with that going on a bed over. We’ve had the same talk with Mary.”

“The abandoned Charms classrooms, genius!” “Why have I never thought of that…”

“Because contrary to what you believe you’re not that clever Black.”

“I wasn’t expecting you of all people to know where to take someone for fooling around.”

“I’m not sure if I should be insulted. I feel like I am.”

“Come on, you’ve never once returned the advances of any of the guys hitting on you the entire time we’ve been at Hogwarts!”

“That’s because no one’s hit on me?”

“Are you being stupid?” “I can name at least 4 just this month alone!”

“Black just because every girl that speaks to you has ulterior motives doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone.”

“Do you have ulterior motives?”

“Do you want me to slap you?”

“If that’s what you’re into.”

“God you’re disgusting.”

“It’s what makes me your favourite. It’s fine, it’s only us, you can admit here.”

“Please can you just leave? I’m trying to relax and you being here isn’t allowing that.”

“I know better ways of relaxing….”

“I could give you detention for this you know.”

“But then everyone would know we were in a bath together. And knowing you, that’s not something you’d like people to know is it?”

“I’m going to get out now. Turn around.”

“It’s not anything I haven’t seen before Pierce.”

“Be that as it may, turn around. I’m not giving you a free show on top of the perfect bath I’d ran.”

“You can’t be a prude your whole life, Ad.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“Sorry, Adelaide.”

“Not that either.”

“So what am I supposed to call you?”

“Nothing. In fact, just don’t talk to me.” Addie made to leave, her hair dripping wet and cheeks flushed. Definitely just from the heat of the bath and not the lewd way Sirius had said her name. “Enjoy your bath, Black.” With that she left, the portrait swinging shut softly behind her and droplets of water sliding down her back. God she hated Sirius Black.

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“So when are we doing that again?” Sirius grinned from ear to ear as he slipped into the seat opposite Adelaide’s fortress she’d built out of books and parchment at her table tucked into a corner in the library.

Everyone knew this was Addie’s table. She’d practically adopted it since the beginning of first year. Tucked nicely into the far corner, away from the noisier games of chess, and nestled between two bookshelves. The view was an added bonus, with a look over the lake and grounds, especially beautiful when it was painted with the strokes of bronze and orange that were the tell-tale sign of autumn. She felt safe here, hidden and unseen where she didn’t have to think about anything but the homework she had to complete or sketch she was currently in the middle of it. It was her safe haven. Well it was. Until a certain “Marauder” had discovered this was where she could almost always be found.

Adelaide rolled her eyes, not even lifting her head from the essay she was writing on the importance of Reparifarge and its history. “Please don’t say that like something happened.”

“Are you telling me sharing a bath didn’t mean anything to you? That’s cold Pierce.” Sirius slung one arm over the back of the chair next to him while his other hand gripped his chest in mock pain.

Lifting her head and brushing the curtain of auburn hair away from her face, Adelaide narrowed her eyes at the shit-eating grin that was gracing his face. “Please. We both know nothing a girl has done with you has meant anything. It’s “all fun and games”. Isn’t that what you said about the last fling?”

“Well you can just read me like a book can’t you?”

“Quite the opposite actually. You’re probably the most difficult person to read I’ve ever met. I feel like I’m trying to read a book in a language I can’t even identify let alone understand.”

“I think I’m Latin. Everyone loves the language but no one fully knows it do they?”

“There are many people that know Latin, Black.”

Sirius let out a soft laugh, shaking his head to himself at her dry comment. He leaned back in the wooden chair, precariously balancing it on two legs. He tipped his head to the side, studying Addie carefully before speaking. “Why don’t you let people see this Ad?”

She was so thrown off by the question she didn’t even get angry at him for his use of the nickname she hated. A frown pulled at her eyebrows as the quill in her hand froze and her eyes flew to his. “See what?”

“You.” He dropped the legs of the chair flat to the floor, laying his forearms on the table, his eyes boring into hers. “Like the real you? You’re funny without trying, you’re so smart, you know you don’t know everything and you’re not scared of showing it. Here you’re not hiding, even though technically you are.”

Adelaide didn’t know how to respond to that. Her cheeks heated and she broke the eye contact they were holding. “Is that a compliment Black?”

“Oh come on, we were just getting somewhere there. You’re hiding again.”

“I need firewhiskey for a conversation like this.”

“I can help with that. Astronomy tower tonight? I’ll even bring you a blanket.”

Her eyes flickered between his, looking for a sign of a joke, a reason why for her to not trust him. She couldn’t find it and before she could think better had nodded curtly at him before bowing her head down and pretending to go back to work.

Sirius had known her long enough to know this was an acceptance of his offer and there was no doubt she’d be there that evening. With nothing left to say and a giddy feeling in his stomach that he couldn’t quite pinpoint, Sirius stood from the table, leaving Addie alone in her corner once again. He had some preparing to do.

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Adeladie hadn’t really know what to expect as she’d tiptoed up the astronomy tower stairs to meet Sirius in his most infamous spot, but this definitely wasn’t it. Candles flickered, casting the open aired room in a soft warming glow. It was clear he’d also charmed it as the biting cold of a British autumn didn’t pick at her skin, instead a calming warmth enveloped her. Blankets and cushions were strewn on the floor, creating something similar to her set-up usually found in the common room during OWLS.

Sirius stood against a railing, sipping a glass of fire whiskey and staring out at the darkened grounds of the castle they’d come to call home. Where Addie had her corner, Sirius had the astronomy tower. Up here he didn’t have to worry about anything, his family, his future, they all seemed so small in comparison to the world laid out before him. This view really brought it into perspective.

Stopping next to him, Adelaide held out an empty glass to she’d picked up on the way in. He lifted the bottle resting next to him, pouring a generous amount of the amber liquid into her glass. She tipped her head back, swallowing it in one, her eyes closing at the slight burn in her throat. Sirius couldn’t help but notice how similar the colour of the whiskey and her hair were, how they both caused a warmth to settle in his bones.

“I hide, because it’s easier than being left.” Addie had copied his stance, looking out over the grounds of Hogwarts, their shoulders almost touching, but her gaze of the refection of the moon in the water below.

“When I was a kid, my dad left my mum. They weren’t good together, they were much better apart. She got lighter when he left, like the first sign of sun after winter. They were always arguing before, it made our doors rattle.”

“After he left things were good, they were both happier, able to breathe. It was good. But then he stopped trying with me too. He didn’t even attempt to fight, he just left and I never heard from him again. Or the rest of his family. They just happily left me behind like I was just a small mistake. That was 10 years ago.” She looked at the empty glass in her hands, it was cold against her burning skin. She took a deep breath before continuing. “I figured after that, that if someone who is supposed to love me unconditionally could just leave without a second thought, what would stop anyone else? It would be easier to never let anyone get close, that way it wouldn’t hurt me when they left.” Addie could see Sirus move to say something. She stopped him before he could, a horrible broken laugh falling from her lips. “Don’t try any of that but what if they don’t leave bullshit.” Addie took the bottle from Sirius’ hand, taking a swig directly from the bottle. “They always left. Or chose someone else. Or got bored. Either way they never stuck around long. So then I stopped letting them find me. I got very good at hiding in plain sight.”

“No one should leave you. I don’t know how they could.”

“Sirius you don’t need to. I’ve heard this same speech from countless people. “He wasn’t a good father. You deserve more than that.” Etcetera, etcetera.” Her hand was being waved around like it wasn’t a big thing, like getting a low grade on homework for divination.

“They’re right.I just thought about never seeing you again. Like after Hogwarts, and I just-“ Sirius took the bottle back, coping Addie’s movements from earlier. “The idea of not having you in my life seems so wrong. I can’t even imagine it, it makes me feel sick.”

“That’s sweet.” The smile she gave him was sad and sour and felt bitter in Sirius’ mouth. “But Sirius, you’ll leave. They always do. It’s not an if, it’s a when. It’s the only thing I know is guaranteed. And it’s not your fault, it’s no one’s really. But I’m not equipped to handle leaving.”

“I think you’re equipped for leaving. You’ve handled it more than anyone should have to. I don’t think you can handle people staying.”

Adelaide stood up, taking one last swig of the fire whiskey Sirius had no doubt stolen for her. “Black. I really appreciate this talk, listening to me, it means a lot. But you’re getting that look in your eyes. You can’t fix me, I’m not something to fix. I am the way I am, and no amount of whispered promises and vows to stay are going to change it.”

He watched her carefully, could see her waring with words behind her eyes. She deserved so much more than she’d been handed in life. She deserved to have people keep their promises. She deserved to be able to show the world her fire, how brightly she could burn, the inferno she could engulf everyone with. Adelaide Pierce deserved to be happy and show it.

And he knew he wasn’t the one that could give that to her. He’d just be another person that left her. He knew that, and he knew it would break him too.

He watched as she adjusted her mask back into place, nothing said by either of them, as he had the distinct feeling of losing someone in a masquerade and knowing you’d never find them again.  

[imagine-loki]

Gifted

TITLE: Gifted (Sequel to Giftless)

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 8/?

AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: 

Imagine that you are Stark’s niece and you secretly share a strong relationship with Loki since he entered the crew. One day you get hurt so bad during a mission that you are about to die.  Loki knows a spell that will save you and share his immortality with you but you and he will be linked forever sharing thoughts, pain, emotions…

RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS:  Also on AO3 click here

“So, darling, would you care to explain how you forgot to shield yourself when you shielded everyone else?” Loki asked you dryly as he drove you to the tower compound where the Avengers lived.  “As I recall, that was the first thing I taught you after you acquired my powers through the soulbond.” Loki wasn’t pleased with you for forgetting that absolute basic of magic.

“It’s Uncle Tony’s fault-” you started, but hesitated, not wanting to throw Tony completely under the bus.  

“Excellent,” Loki replied with a smirk.  “I could use an excuse to punch him in the face. It is so much more satisfactory when there is a valid reason behind the punch,” Loki added wistfully. He wouldn’t actually punch Tony without a damn good reason.  And it had to be a reason that you would agree to. 

You couldn’t help laughing. “You can’t rough him up too badly or Pepper will kill you,” you reminded him. He laughed at that and acquiesced that Pepper would indeed kill him.  A minute passed and he gave you a look, so you sighed and finally continued your story. “I’m not constantly assigned on patrols like most of the rest of the supers…until last month anyway. When I am, I’m always on Tony’s team. You know how Tony is. He only assigns me as support, shielding the others, dampening fires, and healing mostly. So I’ve gotten so used to shielding everyone else while Tony insists I stay away from the danger, that I got out of the habit of making the shields big enough to include me,” you explained. It was really annoying, especially when you were the strongest super on the team. 

“Your uncle is an idiot,” Loki replied dryly.  Tony had messed with your instincts and training until you put yourself in danger.

“Agreed,” you grumbled, twisting the stupid metal bangle around your wrist and imagining all of the fun ways you would destroy the damn thing the second you got it off again.  You hated restraints, though you knew the tower kept a stock of them for villainous supers.

“See that you do not forget again to shield yourself first,” Loki grumbled at you.

“I won’t. I promise. One painful reminder is enough,” you added. Your ribs and arm were still sore and bruised. Battlefield healing was not thorough at all. It was only meant to make sure the combatants could keep fighting until the battle was over. You glared at the metal bangle on your wrist while Loki drove. “Why did I let you do this again?” you asked him grumpily. You really hated being weak or helpless.

“Because I asked nicely, unlike your idiot uncle. You are also intelligent enough to realize that your idiot uncle and I are correct in the assessment that you are about to drop from exhaustion and overwork. You are also smart enough to admit that the healers will guilt you into helping them when you should be resting, because they take advantage of your kindness,” he replied too logically. He was too flattering, but he was also right. You huffed and grumbled.  You hated it, but he was right. 

Why did he have to be right?

You soon pulled up to the residents’ parking at the compound and went to go find your actor friends. It wasn’t hard. They were all outside the tower, using the outside of the building for their filming. You were waved over and greeted with cheers when they crew saw you. You were amazed at how many people they had dressed as Loki and Sigyn. You spotted Tom in the crowd of Lokis and grabbed your Loki’s hand so you wouldn’t lose him before daring to aim that way.

“What’s going on?” you asked Tom once you were close enough to him. You saw Kelly nearby, surrounded by all of the Sigyns.

“We’re shooting a scene where we Loki is using illusions,” Tom explained, indicating all of the doubles.  “I thought you two would have fun with us,” he added with a grin.  Tom was too much like his character at times and had too much mischief about him. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Loki,” he addressed the god, polite as ever.

Loki bowed in reply. “Likewise,” he replied with a grin, excited for the bit of fun and mischief.

“How has the game of ‘which one’s Tom’ gone so far?” you asked. Tom always loved that game. 

Tom laughed. “Wonderfully. This was a terrible idea on their part,”

“Kat! Why aren’t you answering your phone? Where are you? You’re supposed to be resting!” you heard a roaring yell that was unmistakable as Uncle Tony’s. You looked over at where the yelling was coming from. He was on his phone and obviously hadn’t spotted you yet. You were glad you had turned your phone’s ringer off.  You made a mental note to delete that voice mail without listening to it.  

“Shit,” you cursed under your breath. “He’s going to find us.” You did not want Tony finding you yet. 

Loki just grinned mischievously. “Not in this crowd, he won’t,” he whispered in your ear. He used illusions so your outfits appeared to match the costumes of the others. “Go blend in with the others. We’ll hide in plain sight.” you nodded and went over to the other Sigyns, standing so your back was to Tony. It was the only time you ever blended in because of your hair.

“What did you do?” you heard Tom ask Loki quietly, wondering why Tony was so upset with you both.  

“Saved the lives of ten or so civilians,” Loki replied dryly.

“Terrible offense that,” Tom replied just as dry and sarcastically.  You couldn’t help chuckling and made a mental note to keep those two from being alone for too long. They really shouldn’t be alone at all. 

You got cast as extras for the scene, which is what Tom and Kelly thought would happen when they asked you to join them there today. They slipped you copies of their scripts too. You weren’t supposed to speak, just be extras and stand with the other ‘illusions’ and look pretty. That got shot out the window once the crew realized who you and Loki really were.

Tony finally got smart enough to realize that you and Loki were possibly hiding among the actors. Unfortunately, he decided this while you were pretending to be Tom and Kelly and were the Loki and Sigyn acting out the scene. You tried so hard to keep a straight face while Tony started berating a Sigyn, who very much wasn’t you.

“Sorry, I’m not Kat!” she told him with a grin. He growled and went to harass someone else.

“Why don’t you run?” Kelly hissed in your ear, watching Tony patrol looking for you in the crowd.

“I can’t. My powers are shot right now,” you admitted. If it was anyone besides your friends, you wouldn’t have dared say that you didn’t have your powers. “I was hoping he wouldn’t find us until he calmed down some. I should probably give yourself up before he gets too pissy,”

“Not yet. Go do the kiss scene first. I’ll distract him for a little while,” she told you reassuringly. She pushed you out to where they were getting ready for the kiss scene. You had the feeling that was the real scene they wanted you and Loki for. 

Your costume was a halter dress, leaving both of your arms bare, and Loki’s costume had short sleeves for this scene. They also really wanted the soulbond mark in their movie apparently and just didn’t want to ask you outright to be in the movie. So the crew pretended they didn’t know who you really were as they positioned you for the scene. You’d be quietly paid a large sum on the backend for your work.   They thankfully didn’t actually touch us and break Loki’s illusions when Loki gave them the warning that you couldn’t be touched. 

You really didn’t mind kissing your boyfriend for twenty minutes to get the kiss scene just right.  That was an excellent use of your day.  Loki seemed to mind oh so much too. They filmed you from every angle and it should have been embarrassing, but you had missed Loki so much that you were way more interested in kissing him than in the cameras trained on you.

After the scene Tony waded in and caused more trouble. He gathered up all of the Lokis and Sigyns, including yourself and the real Loki. You were doomed then, especially as he was still raging. “Kat, Loki, you can’t hide forever,” Tony growled. “Now which ones are you?” you were a little insulted he couldn’t pick you out from all of the others.

“I am Loki!” Tom announced in his perfect Loki accent, stepping forward.

“I am Loki!” one of the extras announced, stepping forward as well. Tony growled when all of the Lokis, including yours, stepped forward to announce that they were Loki. It was hilarious and you had to fight not to laugh. Tony finally started thinking straight and turned to the group of Sigyns instead. You knew you were caught then. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize his niece.

The girls tried pulling the same stunt for you, but it didn’t work. The second he caught your eye, he knew. “Thanks for trying,” you told them. Tony was so pissed that you were actually scared of him. You’d never been scared of him, but his anger was radiating off of him, and you didn’t have your powers to defend yourself. You prayed that he would remember that before he did something stupid.

Like throw you through a wall again.

Tony grabbed your arm and dragged you from the group of Sigyns. The illusion on you vanished the moment he touched you.  The actors wandered off to pretend to not be paying attention, and actually do the work they were being paid for. The game was over. “What were you thinking?” Tony demanded. “You’re supposed to be resting!” he roared at you. You felt yourself shrink away from his roar, but you couldn’t, wouldn’t cower from him. 

You straightened your spine and glared up at him.

“What were we supposed to do? Let those people die?” you demanded, reaching your other arm around to the small of your back where your enchanted dagger sheath was, just in case this conversation went poorly. 

You wasn’t defenseless.

Even without your powers, you weren’t defenseless.

“Why were you even in that situation?” he roared back.

“We went out for breakfast and there was a car crash! We didn’t plan it,” you snarled at him. You couldn’t control everything around you. That sadly wasn’t one of your powers.

You saw his hand curl into a fist and acted before you could even think about it. You had a dagger drawn and held between us, in a defensive posture in an instant. You had practiced so much with the daggers that drawing one was instinct and effortless. You realized that right that, you didn’t and couldn’t trust Tony, not with the power between you so out of balance. Tony would never hurt you on a normal day, but his anger was out of control.  His anger was created by fear for you, but it had still gone out of control.

Tony’s eyes grew wide when he realized, when he realized he had really truly scared you. His anger evaporated at once. You had the feeling that might have been Loki’s plan the entire time, to try to get Tony’s anger under control before you had to deal with him. “Kat, I’m sorry,” he said softly, letting you go. “I wouldn’t. I swear I wouldn’t-”

“You have before,” you reminded him, taking a step back and moving your free arm to the sheath at your back. Just in case. He had hit you once before when his temper got the better of him. He hadn’t meant it then either, and it was only because Loki was there that you had healed from that experience. It was before you had powers of your own.

“He will not again, darling,” Loki said, stepping away from the actors. He had let you fight your own battle, since he knew that you could. He stepped between you and Tony, shielding you from your uncle. “You can put the dagger away, love. I’m quite sure your uncle would like to have a nice calm conversation about this morning with us inside,” he suggested pleasantly.

“That’s one of the first decent ideas you’ve had,” Tony replied, trying desperately to sound calm and jovial, trying to ease your mind with his tone. You weren’t entirely convinced, still on edge without your powers, but you sheathed the dagger anyway.

“Can I get a shower before you yell at us? I think I still have blood in my hair,” you grumbled. You were still grungy and gross from battle and covered in cuts, scrapes, and a couple of ugly bruises. Loki had hidden them with illusions for playing with the actors.

“Fine,” Tony grumbled. “But don’t disappear. Hang out here today,” he suggested.  It wasn’t really a suggestion, but he was trying to make it sound like it was. 

“You’re not going to yell?” you asked. Disappearing before he could yell sounded like a good idea. 

“Just lecture. A little,” Tony replied with a smile.

“I think you can handle that,” you told him, trying to smile in return. It was hard, though.

You wrapped your arms around one of Loki’s as the three of you walked into the compound. You needed the extra security of Loki’s presence. You were feeling too unsteady without it. Part of it was exhaustion and part was your powers being bound. You really shouldn’t have used all of that power earlier, but you couldn’t have let those people die either. You and Loki headed up to the floor of the compound where your suites were. “I made sure they didn’t touch your suite,” you commented while you walked.

“Thank you for that,” he replied and seemed pleased that his room hadn’t changed.  That his second home hadn��t changed.  Loki slowed and looked down at you. “Are you alright?” his voice was full of concern. You realized you were still holding onto his arm too tightly and loosened your grip, holding his hand instead, and not squeezing it hard enough to bruise.

“Sorry. I’m feeling off today.” you admitted sheepishly. 

He kissed the top of your head. “I know, darling. You will feel better once you get some actual rest,” he insisted. He left you at the door to your suite, after checking the inside for intruders before you entered, so you could shower and change into clean clothes in peace. 

His suite was just across the hall.

Loki was home.  You both were. It felt strange after all this time, but it felt right at the same time.