#also I have felt feverish and exhausted since friday so I have not gotten as much work done as I should've

[girlitfeelsgood]

I was hoping this cold would just play out as fever->sore throat->stuffy nose->over. But I'm in the stuffy nose stage and I fear I kinda feel a cough coming on...

[whatifxwereyou]

Firestorm Part 11: Never

Fandom: Mortal Kombat 2021 Liu Kang x Reader

A/N: happy friday, friendos, have some delightful fluff!

Start from the Beginning << Previous Chapter Next Chapter >> Chapter Index

There was no rush of the wind outside your room and no shining of the sun to naturally wake you. Nothing but the pitch black with the exception of the final embers of the lantern on your desk needing a refill, casting haunting shadows along the opposite wall. Liu Kang’s strong and comforting arms were still wrapped around you, having kept you firmly in place for the night. They were the best thing about waking up in your new space.

Settling against him you felt his arms pull you tighter unconsciously and couldn’t hide your delight. Mentally this was crossed off of your bucket list- a thing you had never known you’d wanted. Waking up in the arms of someone you trusted with your whole heart.

Nothing could hurt you when you were like that.

What time was it? You had no idea. Time seemed to stand still.

You’d need a clock.

And more rest.

That was what you really needed. Maybe time didn’t matter. Kung Lao would eventually make his way to you when he was ready to go into the city but that was for another day. You were sure he’d stop by at some point that day anyway.

You still thought it was silly to go to the city when you were going to Korea soon enough but if things continued the way that they were with Liu Kang then it would become pretty non-optional. For some reason that didn’t worry you the way it had before.

Everything was still and quiet.

Your appreciation for the quiet and peace of being in Liu Kang’s arms was immense. His sleepy breaths on your shoulder went from deep and slow to shorter and more normal. Those arms pulled you closer with purpose and just the tip of his nose brushed against your shoulder. He was waking up. You smiled. It felt nice to smile over something so simple. Things had become so complicated since you’d arrived at the Temple that simple seemed unprecedented.

Maybe things would be okay.

You had Liu Kang and your undefined whatever-this-was.

He, Kung Lao, Chen, and Raiden had become your family. It was more than you’d had before your world had turned upside down. You were grateful to be in Raiden’s Temple. Even with all the complications this was exactly where you were meant to be. It was the only place that could keep you safe and others safe from you.

“You okay?” You barely made out his words with how buried against you he was in his exhaustion. You were surprised that he wasn’t already up and about and going about his day. It felt nice to be important enough to be held.

“I’m fine, Liu.” Your voice came out as sleepy as his. This week had been a doozy. He adjusted behind you, arms slipping from around you. Then he urged you to lay on your back and leaned over you. You’d been here before. It was a familiar nostalgia that gave you butterflies.

Chen had interrupted you that morning. He’d begged you to ignore the knock but there had been no choice. There would be no more interruptions, at least not today. Face imprinted with the folds in your sheets and the lines of your hair, his sleepy eyes trailed over your features, making you feel like the only thing that mattered. You placed your small hand on his cheek, brushing your fingertips along one of the scrapes near his eye. It was beginning to bruise.

No guilt. Liu Kang didn’t want you to feel guilty. He’d saved you. He’d chosen to save you. In return, you would take care of him.

“It’s fine.” His reassuring, sleepy voice made you smile. It was unlikely you would ever get used to Liu Kang being this in your personal space. It was an adrenaline rush of the most satisfying kind even in the softer moments. His breath on your skin, the warm touch of his hand as it engulfed your side even through your clothes. Overstimulation at its finest. “Your hand is trembling.” His lips barely brushed against your palm.

“Oh?” Face on fire, you laughed and then turned and buried yourself against the pillow beneath you. Liu Kang’s thumb barely brushed over your side, the tug of his thumb shifting the fabric of your hanfu.

“What is it?” Liu Kang seemed to try and read you but when you laughed and covered your face with one hand he suddenly understood. “…really?” He also seemed in disbelief.

“Could you just take the compliment?” You giggled against the pillow. He pulled your hand away from his cheek and then, not taking his gaze away from yours, he brought it close to his lips. Those dark eyes were hypnotizing. These moments stolen with Liu Kang made you feel like everything could be okay. You knew that it wasn’t as simple as it seemed but it was nice to think that it could be. Sleepy, tender kisses were left on the back of your knuckles and over the back of your hand. Shivers left goose bumps in a trail down your arms. “…you are definitely trying to kill me.”

“Quite the contrary.” Another tender kiss on the back of your hand before his palm was wrapped in yours. A brief moment of intimacy, just holding hands, passed before he urged your hand to rest against his chest. Steady beats of his heart rapped beneath your fingertips and his hand engulfed your shoulder as he tilted closer to you. His breath was warm on your cheek before his lips left a soft, careful kiss there. They lingered, brushing softly against your red cheeks as though they needed more. Tilting, you captured his lips in yours, feeling the perfect curve of them melding with yours. A shiver ran down your spine and you felt his lips curl into a subtle smile, a smile because of you.

No more hesitation or worry if this was what he wanted and intended. You would kiss Liu Kang as often as you wanted.

Sleepy, soft kisses were the best medicine. They were the sweetest medicine. Careful fingers traversed down your jaw and over your neck as he kissed you deeper, each move carefully thought out as though you were something worthy of devotion. Every soft brush of his bruised lower lip made you melt. The stress of all other things faded. Liu Kang was very much like a drug. Your own personal high.

Broken skin caught against your lower lip and he stopped, remaining against your lips at a standstill. Then he pulled just enough away to breathe. Your eyes fluttered back open and you caught his admiring your lips as if you were his drug too, as if kissing you gave him the same kind of high. You urged your fingers over his chest to feel his heart beating. Sure enough it mimicked the beating of yours in a race to see whose was the fastest. You were winning.

“Do you need to leave?” You weren’t quite sure how your mind was still capable of forming proper words after that sweet kiss. Your lips asked the question without so much as permission from your brain. That was fine with you. At least part of you was still capable of functioning when in his haze.

“Do you want me to?” That sly smile. Liu Kang was such a flirt, a thing that surprised you to no end.

“…never.”

He melted. You could see the shift in his body, the way that his gaze changed. Something about that had gotten to him.

“One of the very first things you told me was that you didn’t care for that word, Y/N. Have you changed your mind?”

He remembered that?

That moment where you had first babbled about your life to him without having known him for more than a few seconds? You’d been terrified and he’d been a beacon of security and comfort. He’d been comforting you since those first moments. You still remembered the way he’d smiled when you’d nearly attacked him.

“I think some exceptions are worth making.”

The hand at your side slipped beneath you and his lips found yours with such passion that your body shrunk further into the bed. It was impossible not to laugh against his lips while you wrapped an exhausted arm around his shoulders. The soreness from the day before was remarkable. Rest was what you needed but this was the best therapy you could come up with.

Impassioned, deep kisses made you whimper. You could barely breathe from the heat of sleepy Liu Kang. The weight of his body atop yours, his hand at your back pulling that hanfu tight- it was suffocating and wonderful. Your body tensed, your heart rate spiking, your breathing short. His was short too and his kisses were feverish. It took all of your strength to keep up with his kisses and you were more than happy to give it. The prize was more than worth it.

A deep groan rattled from him and sent shivers through you. You laughed in surprise as his lips pulled from yours and left heated kisses over your jaw, up to your ear where you could feel his breath in full force and then leaving soft, wet trails down the side of your neck. He hesitated, holding you close, your back arched just enough into his touch. There was a war of self-control waging in his head.

“Y/N…” The breath of your name against your neck sent more shivers down your spine. He held you a little tighter. Soft and broken lips scraped against the side of your neck. With a shaky hand, you urged your fingers through his hair. He leaned back with your touch and then caught your gaze. You were weak at that suddenly familiar need. Something you’d seen in Liu Kang many times but hadn’t known what it was until he’d lifted you up and made love to you that night.

But you needed to talk.

You had to slow down despite how you desperately didn’t want to. That haze made it so easy to forget the important and responsible things. A need you’d put off for so long and was tremendous. His lips met the side of your neck and you made a soft sound of surprise. Liu’s laugh against you melted into a deep groan and you shivered from head to toe. His fingers tangled in the sash keeping your hanfu tied together, loosening it, and then pulling it free. You laughed in surprise. “Liu…”

Another groan as he lifted his body just enough for his hands to slip beneath the folds of your clothing and brush over your bare midriff. You shivered beneath his touch and then gasped for breath and leaned your head back.

“Liu, okay, hold on…” It took so much willpower to stop him and he did exactly that. He lifted his head from where he had been kissing over your neck and searched your gaze. There was a mixture of lust and confusion in those eyes.

“…what’s wrong? Did… too much?” He closed his eyes tight briefly as if his brain was not quite communicating with his mouth.

“No, no… it’s not that.” Your face was red and hot. There were obvious things to point out and he rested his head briefly on your shoulder to catch his breath. You weren’t sure that it had even occurred to him. It hadn’t occurred to you until afterward either. Thinking about it now with his hands on your bare flesh and him having made you almost instantly naked was practically torture. But with your body shutting down you were terrified of pregnancy. Not that the idea of eventually having something like that with Liu Kang was unappealing but rather because it was such a difficult experience for the human body. And your body was already going through something difficult.

You were too broken.

The sudden mental image of an adorable child with your mixed features was doing nothing for your already red face.

“What is it, Y/N?” Liu Kang was taking purposeful controlled breaths, hand resting at your bare side, thumb caressing against the scarring there.

“We uh… before we… uh…” You laughed and then chided yourself for not just saying it. You were a grown-ass-adult but Liu Kang had those big eyes on you without so much as a clue. “If we are going to continue doing this then we…”

“Sex?” Liu Kang said the word and you immediately burst into laughter.

“Yeah, that.”

“Afraid to say it?”

“No. We’ve just… done a lot of not saying things directly… like at all.”

“Perhaps we should consider being more direct. It’s healthy to talk about these things… probably.”

“That’s what I’ve heard. Okay so… I would prefer not to be pregnant.” You felt the weight of that worry disappear from your shoulders. There it was, out in the world and it seemed like a much less worrisome thing as you’d said it. Maybe it wasn’t such a big deal. The realization washed over Liu Kang and he pursed his lips and then practically inhaled them before burying his face against your shoulder. He stayed there longer than you expected so you brushed your hand shakily over the back of his neck. “…Liu?”

“Why didn’t I consider that? I… usually consider everything.” Liu Kang lifted from your shoulder and his face was red and hot. He was embarrassed and it was kind of adorable. “To a fault at times.”

“Maybe it’s okay not to have thought of everything. I certainly didn’t.”

“You’re not furious? You could be… even now…”

“I…” You weren’t sure how to express what was in your head without the tone shifting. Your body wasn’t cooperating. It was too sick. Too weak. But if there was even a chance that you could then you had to consider it. Being pregnant would be a disaster. “I didn’t think about it either. When a guy like you comes into my room and lifts me up in his arms and insists upon making love to me? I uh… can honestly say that contraception didn’t cross my mind until afterward.”

“…a guy like me?”

“We’ve been through this.” You gestured to him. “You are incredibly attractive like… carved from my dreams attractive.” Tapping your fingers over his shoulder, you traced down to where his muscles met. He chuckled and it was the sweetest sound, like he thought you were being ridiculous. You loved how oddly modest he was or how little he thought about himself. “Oh, and you know it. Don’t pretend that you don’t. Why else would it be that you are constantly stripping around me?”

“Sleeves are uncomfortable.” Liu Kang tried very hard to hide a smile and failed. “…but maybe I hoped it would do me some favors.”

“Uh huh. I decided a few weeks ago that you were a tease.”

“A tease?”

“Yep. Look at those abs. Just sitting there. All pressed up against me. You have no idea how afraid I was to touch you for so long!”

“Afraid? Y/N, please, touch whenever you want. It’s an invitation.” He smirked. You giggled and leaned your head back. He leaned to kiss over your neck again. “I’m serious, Y/N.”

“Yeah, I’ll touch all I want after we get you some condoms. And I get on some birth control.”

“Ugh.” Liu Kang leaned his head against your shoulder as if this were very disheartening. “…wait… is that why you’re going into the city?” Liu Kang snapped his attention to you in sudden worried realization. You nodded. “You know that’s going to be a nightmare, right?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I’ll take care of the condoms. You take care of your end of it.”

“That will make it less mortifying.”

“Do you think that there’s a chance you could be already? Should we… do something about that? Can we do something about that?”

“I…” You knew that you should have a conversation with Chen about it but you also knew that would be terribly embarrassing. Either way this trip into the city was going to be a mess so you’d handle it later. “I’m sure there’s a chance. I’ll keep you posted.”

“If we need to go to a doctor outside of the Temple, we can do that.” Liu offered with a slight smile. “And if you need me to do anything then uh… just say the word. By the way? If you had just asked me then I would have taken you to the city.”

“I wasn’t sure when I would get to see you again. You’re always so busy.”

“I know. Never too busy for you.” His inflection on the word never left you shivering. “And today? I’m all yours.” He leaned to kiss your shoulder and then smiled against your skin. “Might have to take a quick trip to get something from the city though.” You swatted his shoulder with a laugh. It felt nice to joke with him over something that had been a strain only moments ago.

“Really? You can stick around?”

“I’ve been told to rest.” He seemed proud of that and you bit your lower lip. “I suppose I should thank you for that.”

“Oh, for putting you through hell?”

“It gave me a day off… to spend with you.”

“That’s so sweet that I think I threw up a little in my mouth.” You teased but felt him snuggle into your shoulder, his bare chest and stomach pressing against yours. The humor faded as he rested there, thumb rhythmically brushing over your bare side as if you had replaced those prayer beads that he’d once clung to. “It’ll be okay, Liu.”

“I know.” He turned his head to the side and you could feel his breath on your shoulder. “Someday I’ll take you away.”

“Hmm?”

“For a break. A real break.”

“Like… on a vacation?” You hadn’t meant to sound skeptical but you had.

“Yeah.” He lifted his head but looked significantly more tired than only moments ago. You would let him rest in your arms all day if he needed to. “This has been traumatic. You deserve a break. We deserve a break.”

“Liu, that’s very thoughtful but I…”

“Maybe Nagano… for the snow and the springs or… to the beach in Okinawa.” He smiled softly but the insistence behind his eyes made you feel guilty. He needed you to believe him. He needed you to believe that you had a future even if it was just a vacation.

“I’ll hold you to that, Liu.” You doubted that it would be safe for you to go anywhere casually at least with things progressing the way that they were. And you weren’t sure you’d make it much longer if that were the case. But Liu Kang made you want to believe it was true. He made you want to find the solution and keep fighting. He gave you the strength you wouldn’t have had otherwise. “Those both sound really nice.”

“Then we’ll do both.” He smiled and the softness behind his eyes was reassuring.

“Both sounds perfect.”

[marveloussupernerd]

The Flu - SakuAtsu

Writing this for my wonderful friend’s bday !! Sorry it’s posted so late whooops also this is short af bc I might do a part 2 or something idk

Summary: Omi gets the flu, which is a rare occurrence, and Atsumu goes to take care of him. Pure fluff

Background: Sakusa is attending college in Tokyo and Atsumu is still playing volleyball in his home town so like still a commute for them

Omi never got sick. Man was one of the most careful people in the world — he always wore his mask when he was out and about around large groups of people, carried hand sanitizer with him and sanitizing wipes to clean off any surface he may have to touch (the handles on the train, for instance), and made an effort to keep his home spotless, even wiping down groceries as they made their way through the door.

So when he did get sick, it kicked his ass.

The last thing he needed was to get sick now, with an exam in a little less than a week. He had outlined what he needed to study, but hadn’t actually gotten to studying yet. And it wasn’t a cold... his high fever, chills, and congestion made it very clear to him it was the flu.

What was he going to do though? He had to skip class. At least today was a Friday, so he could spend the weekend recovering. He grabbed his phone and texted Komori, begging him to bring some medicine because he couldn’t imagine pulling himself out of bed.

He hated asking people for help, or showing any sort of weakness. That’s why when Atsumu texted him, he proceeded through their conversations like usual, trying to conceal the fact that he was sick until he finally passed out from exhaustion, leaving Atsumu’s texts hanging.

Omi never left the conversation abruptly. It made Atsumu uncomfortable, but he ignored it. He was probably studying. Still, he sent him a few messages to get back to him as soon as possible.

When a few hours had passed, he asked Komori if he knew what was up, and that’s when the cat was out of the bag: Sakusa Kiyoomi was sick.

It was the weekend, so it wasn’t like Atsumu had any priorities. He packed his bag, strapped on a mask, and took the train to Tokyo.

He always traveled this trip with a mask for Omi. His boyfriend was always so careful that he’d feel like a jerk for giving him a sickness he picked up on the trip because he hadn’t been careful. His boyfriend had, admittedly, rubbed off on him just a little—trains were gross and unsanitary and he couldn’t help but think about it from time to time during the trip.

His first stop in Tokyo was at a pharmacy near Omi’s house. He purchased some canned soup (there was no way he’d be able to make anything from scratch... he was... himself), medicine, a few boxes of tissues, the hand sanitizer Omi liked, and some ice cream for good measure. The next stop was to Omi’s place.

It was a good thing they had gotten locked out that one time and his boyfriend told him about the key he hid in the flower planter. He didn’t have to wake the sick man up at all to enter the house.

“Omi Omi!?” He called, not actually expecting an answer. It was pretty clear that he had been napping, and was likely still asleep. He just hoped his boyfriend wouldn’t hear him moving around and think someone had broken in (although technically, he had).

He went to the kitchen and wiped down his groceries with Clorox wipes to make sure they were sanitary before putting them away. He pulled open one of the drawers to grab a piece of notebook paper to write to his boyfriend.

Hi Omi <3 I’m in the shower. Love you lots.

Tsumu

That would be fine for now. He slid the paper under Omi’s bedroom door and went in the direction of the bathroom. He had to make sure he washed away anything he could have picked up on the train.

He liked using Omi’s body wash — it smelled like lavender. He had never been huge on the scent in the past, but now it made him feel all warm and fuzzy, associating it with his boyfriend’s scent. He made sure to wash every square inch of his body, leaving nothing up to chance, but still tried to get done as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to keep his boyfriend waiting (more like even though he knew his boyfriend was sick, he couldn’t wait to see him... it had been two months already since their last hangout).

He turned off the shower and shook some water out of his hair, going into his bag for a fresh, clean pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He pulled on the outfit then made his way to his boyfriend’s bedroom, knocking quietly on the door before entering.

Omi was passed out in bed, his phone next to him, blanket covering half his body. Atsumu strolled over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge of it next to his peaceful-looking boyfriend. He very gently placed his hand on the sick boy’s forehead, then put his other hand on his own forehead to compare. Yep. He was definitely warm. He tucked a stray hair off of Omi’s forehead and gently took his arm away.

He was going through a crisis of whether he should wake his boyfriend and inform him of his presence or not. He looked so relaxed, and it was probably hard to fall asleep to begin with. But also, he was very worried Omi would groggily beat the shit out of him when he woke up because he was afraid he was an intruder.

Yeah, sounded like his mind was made up.

He shook the man’s shoulder carefully. “Omi,” he whispered, trying to wake him gently. Luckily it worked, as the latter’s eyes peeled open slowly. “Hi,” Atsumu whispered.

“Tsumu?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

“Ya coulda told me you were sick,” Atsumu playfully complained, leaning forward to kiss his boyfriend’s forehead. “I was all worried.”

“I’m okay,” he frowned, but he knew that playing it cool wasn’t working. His throat felt all ticklish and he started to cough.

“You haven’t gotten sick since what? Middle school? Ya need someone to take care of you.”

“I don’t wanna make you sick...” Sakusa whispered, his eyes shutting.

“You won’t. Even if you do, though, I’m a big boy and get sick all the time too, so I’m used to it.”

“Fine. I don’t want you making me more sick because you were out,” Sakusa grumbled. It was clear he was actually concerned about his boyfriend’s health, but sometimes speaking this way was the only way to get it through to Atsumu. Tsumu was somehow the most arrogant and selfless jerk he had ever met.

“I wore a mask on the train and everything! Sanitized the groceries, took a shower before I came in here. All for you Omi,” Atsumu explained proudly, his back straightening a little bit as he spoke.

“Mm whatever,” Omi mumbled. He still hadn’t opened his eyes from when he shut them earlier. “Can we go to sleep now?”

“You want me to too?”

Sakusa reached out and grabbed his boyfriend’s hand, pulling it closer to him. “Cm’ere and lay down. This is the only time in your life you get to be big spoon.”

Atsumu carefully clambered over his boyfriend to the other side of the bed, plopping down beside him eagerly. He was trying to not make too many motions that might shake the bed and make his boyfriend nauseous, but he was extremely cuddle deprived and would be lying if he said he wasn’t on cloud nine. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. “Sleep tight Omi. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Omi slept like a rock for a few hours. Atsumu took a nap with him, woke up, went on his phone, checked up on his boyfriend, and those sorts of things. It had probably been about three hours when Sakusa started moving, tossing and turning and trembling.

“Omi? You okay?” He asked, reaching over to feel his boyfriend’s forehead for a temperature. It felt even warmer than before.

Atsumu clambered out of bed, rushing to the kitchen to get an ice pack and a glass of water. When he returned, Omi was now mumbling in his feverish state.

“Atsumu...”

Atsumu rushed to his side, sitting on the edge of the bed. He carefully put the ice pack on his boyfriend’s head, holding it in place despite Omi’s sudden movements.

“I’m here Omi. It’s okay.”

“Don’t...” he whispered.

He pushed the sweat-coated hair off his boyfriend’s forehead so he could get the ice pack on well. “You okay?”

“I’ll be better...”

“Omi? Are you dreaming or talking with your eyes shut? You’re freaking me out.”

“I’m sorry...”

“That’s not helpful for my question honestly.”

“Don’t go...” he sniffled, inhaling heavily, the congestion making it hard to do so.

“Dreaming it is.” Atsumu shook him gently, trying to wake him up. “Get up Omi, it’s just a dream.”

His eyes snapped open, then blinked furiously, a few tears escaping as he did so. “Tsumu?”

“It’s okay. I’m here. It was just a dream,” Atsumu cooed softly, dropping the ice pack and opting cup his face gently and stroke the tears off his cheek.

Sakusa sat up, scooting to his boyfriend to give him a hug, burying his face in the crook of his neck. “Had a dream you left. Said you didn’t love me,” he muttered. “I was still sick and everything.”

“I’d never do that.” Atsumu kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything.”

“I know. But I’m sorry Dream Atsumu did that.”

Omi laughed, a pitiful laugh that sent him into a coughing fit, but a laugh nonetheless.

“Oh! Let me check your temperature. You feel warm,” Atsumu remembered, scrambling out of his boyfriend’s grip to run to the bathroom cupboard and grab a thermometer. He quickly returned to his spot, sweeping his legs to plop down on the bed. He held the thermometer out towards his boyfriend. “Say ‘aw’.”

Sakusa sighed, rolling his eyes, then opened his mouth and let out a small ‘aw’. Atsumu put the thermometer in his mouth and waited patiently, silently, as the temperature was being read.

“102. Why is your thermometer in Fahrenheit?”

Sakusa laughed. “I didn’t realize it was when I bought it.”

A Google search later told the two that it was, indeed, a fever, but he would be okay.

“You sure you’re alright? You wanna take some more medicine and go back to sleep?” Atsumu offered, laying back on the bed.

“Not yet. I don’t think I can sleep anymore.”

Atsumu paused, a small smile forming on his face.

“What is it Miya? You’re scaring me...” Sakusa asked, averting his gaze from the blonde’s.

“You know what’ll help your fever? Ice cream. If you’re up for it, I bought a pint.” Atsumu offered, looking up at his boyfriend with a very small pleading look that said ‘please give me ice cream or I’ll cry’.

“Okay,” Omi smiled. “It’s going to help me get better, so how can I say no?”

[imaginesupply]

Warm me up - Loki x Reader imagine

Alright, so after complaining that no one had yet written a Loki imagine that included cockwarming, I decided to write one myself. Be aware that it’s 2am in Paris, that I haven’t written anything in ages and that English is still not my main language, so please forgive any weird wordings or mistakes you might find in this. I did proofread it, but you know…

I also feel like I messed up Loki’s portrayal?

Includes: Jotun!Loki, mild cursing, mild smut, very minor angst, fluff and ugly pajamas.

Word count: About 2800.

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Waiting impatiently for the elevator to take her to the second highest floor, she clutched the pillow tighter to her chest, trying to stifle a yawn.

Tony had texted her as soon as they'd gotten back from some overly complex mission that wasn't even taking place in this realm - if she'd correctly understood while eavesdropping on the team, that is, given that Loki tried to keep her in the dark most of the time because apparently her life expectancy was already 'frighteningly short' and he refused to do anything that could potentially shorten it even more. There had also been a part about  him wanting to get his hands on one of those 'incredibly sneaky Idunn apples’ but she wasn’t sure what that meant.

Maybe he could try learning how to text, that would certainly make her live longer and a lot more stress free, she mused.

Right now, she was just overly excited to see him again for the first time in eight days. Tony had told her Loki was exhausted and had gone straight to bed upon their arrival. She couldn't help but find it a little bit odd - usually he'd go straight to her room five floors below when he came back from a mission, but she tried not to worry too much.

The elevator came to a halt and she was hurrying to his room before the doors had even fully slid open. Her feet slipped on the polished floor, her socks not allowing for much grip but she was sure it was worth the risk of a bruised bum if it meant she'd get to Loki a few seconds earlier.

"Hey fluffy socks!" Tony called after her when she passed him in the kitchen. She had hoped he hadn't seen her since he was staring into the open fridge but apparently Iron Man had eyes on his butt or something.

For a split second, she considered ignoring him but he was her boss after all, and a very generous one at that, allowing her to live in the tower.

"Yes?"

Now that he had her attention, he first drowned his full tumbler of Scotch before actually speaking to her. Couldn't he just say what he had to say?

"Are you going to see Loki?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. Was he seriously asking her that?! Why else would she would she be running in the hallway at 2 in the morning in her pajamas?

"Right, stupid question, sorry. Look, we ran into some unforeseen complications and Loki, well..."

"Was he injured?" She blurted out instantly, eyes wide with fear but to her relief, Tony quickly shook his head.

"Not really. There are no wounds but he had to use a lot of that weird seidr of his to get us out of there and now he - he is... feverish?"

She could hear it in her boss' voice that he was unsure of his own choice of words. A fever? But Loki was an alien God or a Frost Giant or whatever, surely he couldn't get a fever?

"Okay. Thanks for the heads up!" She replied way more cheerfully than she actually felt, hoping Tony wouldn’t stop her if she looked okay.

It was with a sense of dread that she now walked the rest of the way to Loki's room. Once at his door, she was surprised he hadn't locked it and - wait! Was that ice on the handle?

Pushing the door open, she let her pillow fall to the floor as she was met with an unexpected wave of cold that immediately had her chilled to the bones. What the hell? Whispering for FRIDAY to turn on the small night lamp, she was startled by the state she found his room in, but most importantly by what she found on the bed.

Loki was lying in bed, covers drawn up to his chin, only he wasn't in his Æsir form. "Shit!" She cursed in a whisper, stepping on the thin layer of ice that had formed on the floor until she got to his side.

His skin was a deep shade of blue but for the white intricate markings adorning it. Something was very wrong with him, she realized. His Jotun form didn't bother her. To be honest, she actually found him rather attractive like that in a weird alien sort of way. However, she knew Loki wasn't comfortable with that aspect of himself and he'd never revert to his Jotun shape unless he didn't have the strength to keep on his Æsir appearance.

Softly, she lowered her hand to his cheek only to hiss in pain as soon as her skin made contact with his. The tip of her finger had turned purple in the split second it had made contact with him. She had almost gotten frostbite just from touching him!

In a panic-induced rush, she hurried over to the control center on the charcoal painted wall and turned the heat to the highest setting. She knew he was colder in his Jotun form, but not that cold. She had touched him like this before, but she had found his lower temperature refreshing, causing her nothing more than a pleasant shiver.

The next step was the en-suite bathroom where she dropped some rags into the hottest water that would come out from the tab, and put some towels to warm up by the heater.

Humans were warm blooded but you had to cool them down when they had a fever. So, by analogy, Frost Giants being cold blooded, she had to warm him up, right?

In truth, she wasn't entirely convinced of her logic but it was the only solution she came up with. Quickly, she walked back into the bedroom, bending down at his side to place some hot rags on his forehead and around his hands.

"Loki?" She whispered worriedly when he didn't open his eyes, but his face remained unchanged, the small frown not leaving his features.

Carefully, she pulled back the covers only to notice he had managed to freeze his clothes solid. Not waiting another moment, she started undressing him which was easier said than done because one, he was still wearing his battle gear; two, although his clothes weren't as cold as his skin, touching them was still painful like holding a frozen snowball in her naked hands and three, he was a lot heavier than you'd expect from his lean body.

With clenched teeth, she managed to get rid of the layers on the top half of his body until she was met with his naked blue torso before unzipping his leather pants and pulling them down with his underwear.

Oh - oh! Well, that's certainly interesting, she couldn't help but lose focus for a second as she saw his Jotun body naked for the first time. I'll definitely keep that in mind next time things are getting frisky and he isn't quite literally freezing to death in front of me. With another hard pull - that drove her backwards with such force, it was a wonder her butt didn't collide with the floor - she managed to get him out of the rest of his frozen clothes.Now, I know why he always uses seidr to undress. Leather is pain to take off!

"Love... is that you?"

Tears of relief slid down her face almost instantly at the sound of his voice. "Yes!" She pretty much shouted before tiptoeing around the bed until she was right at his side. "Yes , Loki, it's me. How do you-?"

"You need to leave," he grunted between clenched teeth, trying to pull himself upright by the strength of his arms but not quite succeeding. "Now!"

She could tell his was trying hard to keep his crimson eyes open as he glared at her, as if hoping it would scare her away.

"I'm not leaving until you feel better," she crooned softly, hesitantly lowering her hand to caress his cheek. It was still way too cold but there was no longer a risk of getting frostbite.

Without a warning, Loki tried swatting her hand away, but his hand movement was much less grateful than habitually. He was actually shivering, she realized.

Resigned after lacking the strength to pry her hand away by force, he closed his eyes tightly, his nostrils flaring as he took a deep breath. "I don't want you to see me like this. So, will you please leave alone or do I have to make you leave?"

He had meant to draw her away by hurting her feelings, but she could see right through him - masking vulnerability with anger. In a sense, he did manage to hurt her feelings as her heart now broke for him. Was he so unused to people actually caring and looking after him?

"If I leave, I'll have to send someone else in to take care of you. It's your call, Loki." His red eyes opened wide at her threat and he immediately shook his head. "See? That wasn't too hard. Now, one more time, how do you feel?"

Loki groaned, obviously uncomfortable by the whole situation. "To use your midgardian slang, I feel like I've been hit by a bus."

She rolled her eyes at him, something she never dared to do when he was in his normal capacity because the only time she had dared to, he had responded by using his seidr to tickle her to tears. "I'm serious."

"Fine! I feel as if my body has been frozen from the inside."

Now that Loki was actually cooperating, she felt like they were getting somewhere. First, she made him drink a full glass of water and asked him if he was hungry but he only rolled his eyes at that. He's still Loki, after all.

The towels she had put over the radiator were now warm enough to drape over his body. Not waiting for his approval because knowing him, he'd play difficult, she pulled back the covers once again so she could wrap the homemade heating pad around his body.

He stared at her, brows furrowed in confusion, as she lifted, first his right shoulder, then his left one, to tuck the towel beneath them. How was she not disgusted by him, he couldn't help but wonder. Not only was he weak right now, but he looked like those monsters children were afraid of. And yet, he couldn't help the sense of warmth that washed over him at knowing that she accepted him whatever his heritage. That was more than he could say about his own father.

She continued with her task, trying to build a warm cocoon around him but she couldn't help herself from tracing some of the intricate silvery markings with her fingertips. A few lines ran from his chest down to his stomach, others only started at the level of his belly button and had more a twirl to them, leading straight to his -

"Oh, someone is happy, it seems," she chuckled when she noticed his erection standing proudly despite the cold. It actually appeared to be a deeper shade of blue than the rest of him, with a slightly upward curve.

Instead of seeming pointlessly embarrassed by his body's natural reaction, especially given the lack of disgust she had expressed, Loki actually looked rather smug. "Well, someone's is being rather handsy."

She huffed, somehow feeling herself blush as she looked at him. "Well, someone has been trying to help someone else warm up."

"Well, someone knows of other ways you can help someone warm up." Loki used the second that it took her to get his innuendo, to take her by surprise and pull her closer him, until she was pretty much straddling his body.

And then he kissed her. A gasp escaped her as his cold lips made contact with the sensitive skin of hers. It was almost like kissing an ice cube... but an ice cube that tasted of Loki, of mischief, of home. Only when his tongue prodded for entrance, did she realize what they were doing.

Pulling back a little to break the kiss that had her lightly panting as she carefully pushed his shoulders down into the pillow, she was quite certain he let out a little frustrated whine. "We should not be doing this," she admonished them both before sitting back on her butt, accidentally causing some very pleasant friction that had the, both moaning at the sensation. She had to bite her lower lip to keep her resolve, "right now, you are in no state for such activities."

Instead of coming up with a lokiworthy line, she watched as his face took on a focused look before turning into a frown. Was he seriously trying to seidr her clothes away right now?

"That's exactly my point," she couldn't stop her giggle as she bent forward to kiss the tip of his nose. She had always wanted to that but he was too tall and always too fast, managing to turn his face away from her and kissing her cheek instead. A girl has to take the chances that presented themselves to her.

"But I want to be inside of you, to feel your tight warmth around me," Loki drawled, softly thrusting up his hips to prove his point.

She actually whimpered at the contact - needy Loki did things to her, it seemed. Wetting her lips before nodding once, she quickly stepped away from him.

Loki followed her movements with his eyes, the disappointed look in his eyes rapidly turning to excitement when he realized she had only stepped away to discard those ridiculous cat-print pajamas of hers. Despite the radiators being at their highest capacity, her nipples pebbled almost painfully as she resumed her position above him, the chill that emanated from his body still quite noticeable.

Both let out little sounds of pleasure as the friction was now stronger without any fabric acting as a barrier between their bodies. She couldn't help but to grind her hips against his before leaning down to kiss him.

There was a power surge suddenly rising up in her when she realized that - for the first time - Loki was at her mercy. Usually, when she was on top, it was because he let her be on top. And even then, it was him who set the pace.

From his reactions when she traced them with her fingers, she gathered that the silvery lines adorning his skin were particularly sensitive. They also stood out a little, almost like scarifications and the best was that they down there as well. Alright, let's not get ourselves carried away, her inner voice reminded her.

When she slid her hand between their bodies to guide himself inside her warmth, she had to stop herself from grinning at the look on his face - like a Frost Giant boy who had just spotted a bag of candies. If they had candy in Jotunheim, she actually didn't know.

Loki groaned, throwing his head back and exposing his long blue neck to her as she impaled herself on his cock. It was quite a stretch, even more so than in his Æsir form and she felt incredibly full with him inside, the ridges only adding to that sensation. Focus, girl!

At her stillness, Loki impatiently thrust his hips upwards but she was quick to press his body down against the mattress. He looked up at her, confusion written across his face even as his grip tightened on her hips. Surely, she wouldn't do that to him, would she?

She smirked at his reaction even though she wanted this wanted this as much as him. "You only asked to feel my warmth around you," she explained coyly.

His crimson turned a shade darker. "You are a very reasonable person, love, surely you cannot expect me -"

"Shh," she hushed him with her index finger to his lips. "If you are too weak to overpower me, you are too weak for sexy times. For now, I'm going to warm you up. Afterwards, you can do whatever you want with me," she promised just as she felt him twitch inside her. Focus!

Without waiting for his response, she lowered herself until the upper half of her body was lying over his torso and she was cuddled against him.

His muscles gradually relaxed as he came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t be able to convince her. Sighing, he nuzzled his nose into her hair. Gosh, she smelled of whatever Valhalla was made of! And if he was honest with himself, being like this was rather comforting, the ability of feeling her everywhere somehow making him forget that a whole world existed beyond the cocoon of her body.

"Fine," he complained a little theatrically, "but I'll hold you to your word."

Within minutes, both were soundly asleep. Not only was it the early hours of the morning, but he had exerted himself more during the mission than he wanted to admit and she never got much sleep when he was away.

Hours later, she found herself being woken up by a rhythmic rocking movement that she would gladly have compared to a calm boat ride if there was the biggest storm in the century and the boat was ramming into her.

With a gasp caused by sudden pleasure, she opened her eyes to find Loki thrusting into her with a mischievous smirk. "It seems your technique got me warmed up in no time, love."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let me know what you guys think!

[samwinchestershotgod]

and i love her

(i got sad and wrote samjess u can read it on ao3 :))

~

Jess hands him another round of tylenol. “You need to take this.”

She sits down next to him as he sweats against the wall, his body still shaking after retching up his dinner. Her hair is pulled back into a low ponytail, with her baby hairs free and perfectly framing her face. She looks exhausted and bare, but Sam can’t help but smile.

“You’re so pretty,” he mumbles, blinking lazily at her.

“And you’re feverish,” she chides softly, pushing his bangs out of his face. “Glad we’re pointing out the obvious.”

“I’m fine,” he offers.

She scowls and hands him the glass of water from beside her. “If you were fine, you wouldn’t have just puke up the beautiful dinner I made for you.”

“All you did was put some ramen in the microwave.”

“I put it in there, didn’t I?” She smiles lightly while watching him down the pills.

Sam grimaces as he swallows, the pressure hurting his throat. “We need to learn how to cook more meals.”

She doesn’t answer him. Instead, she leans his head on her shoulder and wraps her arms around him. She smells nice.

“I don’t want to get you sick, babe,” Sam says, even though he really doesn’t want her to let go.

“I’m not worried,” she replies, stroking his face. “I’ve got an immune system of steel.”

Sam hadn’t been this sick since he was a teenager, and even then he didn’t really remember it. Even then he’s sure that he wasn’t puking his guts out in the middle of the night. He couldn’t tell you what he caught or when he caught it, but when all day he felt like hammered crap. It wasn’t until tonight though, Friday night, that he felt like his insides had been crushed and rearranged inside of him.

“Ugh,” he moans, sinking his head into the crook of her neck. “I feel gross.”

“You are gross,” Jess responds, not unkindly.

“And you’re mean. Glad we’re pointing out the obvious,” Sam mocks. It wasn’t just his stomach. Actually, it was mostly his head that hurt. The lights were too bright and the ringing in his ears was too loud. The puking was an added bonus.

“Jesus, what did you catch?” she says, feeling his forehead.

“I dunno. Has the flu been going around?”

She shakes her head. “Not to my knowledge. Food poisoning?”

“Unless the ramen and the easy mac went bad, I doubt it.”

“How’s your head?” She pokes his forehead playfully.

Sam groans. “Feels like it’s being squeezed from all sides yet also imploding from the inside at the same time.”

“Oh, so not bad at all?” she says with a light laugh. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“I haven’t had a headache this bad since I was like, sixteen,” Sam tells her, letting words practically fall out of his mouth. “My uncle Bobby had to take me to the hospital.”

“You have an uncle Bobby? I thought you said your parents didn’t have any siblings.” She gives him a puzzled look.

“He was a friend of my dads. My brother and I just called him that.” He regrets bringing up his childhood, because it’s a gateway for her to squeeze memories out of him. So far, she’s gotten a few, about Dean, about him, but he doesn’t bring up his parents. Even if their photo rested on their dresser.

“How come you never tell me about that stuff? Your dad and whatever.”

Sam shrugs and doesn’t meet her eyes. “It’s never very exciting. My dad moved around a lot for work. My brother and I moved around a lot for school.”

“Well, you got into Stanford,” she responds. “On a full ride.”

“I liked school. My brother--him and I were different. My dad and he wanted different things than me.”

“Is that why you don’t talk to them?”

It strikes a nerve in Sam, but it’s Jess, and he can never really be mad at her. However, she knows better now than to press him, so she doesn’t. It’s not lost on him that he’s secretive. But his life is dangerous, and the farther he can keep her away from it, the happier they’ll be.

He lays his feverish head back on her shoulder without a word, and she lets him. She doesn’t say anything else. She just rubs his arms and he fights back nauseous. The nauseous eventually wins, and he untangles himself swiftly to throw up again. It’s literally just bile at this point, and it burns on the way up.

Eventually he gets uncomfortable on their cold tile floor, and after a whole six and a half minutes (a new record) of not hacking up his dinner, Jess suggests they move him to their bed. “Bed” means their shitty and ripped mattress on a creaky bed frame, but it sounds like absolute heaven to Sam at the moment.

“Maybe we should go to a hospital,” Jess suggests. His head is in her lap as she plays with his hair, twirling and looping it around her fingers. “I think your fever is rising.”

“It’s probably because my girlfriend is super hot,” Sam says with a lopsided grin.

He feels her body move with a giggle. “I mean it, bigfoot. You might, like, melt your brain or something.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Well, I’m always right, so I think it is.”

They laugh for a few seconds more before Sam starts feeling sleepy and sluggish. He’s perfectly content with staying in bed with her, but something in her demeanor seems to suggest she’s tense and worried, so if he’s getting up at all, it’s for her. But she doesn’t ask again and she keeps playing with his hair, and the next thing he knows, he’s sleeping in her arms, just the way he likes it.

When he sleeps, he knows it’ll be like it always is: plagued with nightmares of old hunts and memories he thought he forgot.

When he sleeps, he knows that Jess stayed awake. She lays next to him, and she talks as if he can’t hear her. He indulges her and pretends he’s dead asleep, but he lets out a little smile when she says “I love you” in a very love-drunk kind of tone. He always feels that way around her-- love-drunk. Dreamy and intoxicated by her. She made him feel good; she made him feel something. He could listen to her rambling on in their shitty bed forever. He could love her forever, if she let him.

Finally, he drifts off for real, sinking into sleep and the warmth that comes with it.

[crewhonk]

Safe House

AN: Y'all, this starts out super angsty but it does get super domestic and fluffy in the second half, I promise. This is also me being selfish and letting myself write a story with pups. 

When a mission goes south, you make it a personal mission to make your boyfriend Bucky Barnes see the light at the end of the tunnel by taking him to your safe house. 

words; 3505

Your hand reached across the granite countertop in the Avengers compound to reach your ringing phone that was ringing only a foot away. You shoved a mouthful of Cinnamon Toast Crunch into your mouth and shoved your recent mission reports away as you glance at who had been calling you. 

Steve Rogers. 

Your brows furrowed in confusion and you glanced over to the calendar taped to the fridge— Wanda, Bucky, and Steve weren’t due back for another three days from their mission, so as a result, your heartbeat picked up in anticipation. You slid your finger across the screen and were met with the sound of raspy breathing on the other line. 

“Steve?” You asked, mouth still full with your breakfast. You and he had gotten close since you had joined, and had grown even closer since you had begun your relationship with Bucky— so formalities weren’t too much of a concern for you both. 

“Y/N,” he began. His voice was laced with pain, and the effort of which he spoke sent chills run down your spine. “The mission didn’t go to plan, and we’re on our way home. I’m just calling you to tell you—“ His voice cut off as if he was looking around him for anyone that could be listening. 

“To tell you that Bucky is going to be blaming himself for this one. I don’t want to tell you what happened over the phone, but we found some things out that could mean bigger things for us.” Your eyelids fluttered closed and your fingers came to rest delicately on your forehead. You welcomed their cold touch as they calmed your suddenly feverish skin. 

“Get home soon, Stevie. I’ll be here for him.”

It was another day before the party was home, and the hours in waiting passed so slow it was almost painful. You tried to busy yourself with spending time in the lab and face timing an old professor to discuss new outfit designs. You tried to busy yourself in the gym with Natasha and posing yourself harder than you had before. When the treadmill under your feet seemed to cling to the bottom of your favorite sneakers and throw you off, Nat had run up to you and told you to go take some time for yourself in your apartment. So, you busied yourself with meal prep and cleaning and organizing your bookshelf full of your university textbooks alphabetically. You almost sighed with relief when FRIDAY announced the arrival of the party and you rushed across the compound to the arrival dock, waiting with bated breath. 

First, Wanda came out looking vaguely shaken, but alive nonetheless with someone who looked vaguely familiar in tow— you would find out later that it was the General of the Dora Milaje, Okoye and a more familiar face T’Challa. You bowed your head in greeting and hugged Wanda tenderly in greeting. She let a sharp breath of pain when you put pressure on her ribs and she was quickly winked off to the medical bay. 

Steve followed with Bucky under his arm in some form of comfort. There was a large gash on Steve’s face parallel to his beard line and your heart broke when you noticed both men stepping gingerly and favoring one leg over the other. You nodded at Steve when he got close enough to you, and you wrapped your arms around Bucky’s waist in greeting. His own arms didn’t wrap around you, and you sighed in sorrow. He always denied himself of your touch whenever he was hurting and you guided him through the halls towards his own compound apartment. You knew he would be more comfortable in his own surroundings, and when you got to his door, he slumped against the wall as your hands fished through his pockets for his key card. 

“Darling, please look at me.” You whispered once you had found it and pressed it to the identification keypad. The door opened and you pulled him in, not turning away from him, but holding both hands in your own gently. When he had managed to unlatch his gaze from some spot behind you to look down at you, you felt a lump rise in your throat. His eyes were filled with unshed tears and anger at himself. Your hand came to rest on his scruffy cheeks and you swiped your thumbs underneath his eyes, smoothing the bags that had swollen under his eyes and providing some sort of temporary relief against the pressure he felt in his face. Still, his hands rested at his sides, and you leaned up to press your lips against his softly not expecting him to move against you but nevertheless providing him with the love and comfort you knew he deserved. 

You undid all of the belts and buckles that kept his suit where it was supposed to be and pulled his jacket off, revealing bruises and scrapes that had managed to get past the vibranium sewn material. You hadn’t known that there was a weapon in existence that could tear through the material, so when you saw those scrapes you knew that the mission had truly gone south. You moved to his zipper, next and your hands ghosted the line below his navel in a way that would often make him gasp. He had yet to break eye contact with you, and when he let a few tears trace the lines of guilt on his face, you kissed them away softly. 

You pushed his pants down and instructed him to kick them off of his ankles and he did so slowly— making sure he favored his right leg which sported a huge bruise that dominated the lower portion of his thigh and turned his knee a putrid green color. 

“Oh, my love.” You whispered, tracing your hands over every scratch and bruise and watching them melt away under your touch. He sighed in relief and when you hugged him close, he let out one sob into the crook of your neck. You pulled him to the bed in the middle of the room and collapsed on it pulling him with you and settling him between your legs. You pulled the sheets over you both, and he nuzzled his face into the fabric of your sweater to take in your comforting scent and to feel your human heartbeat against his ear. 

Bucky fell asleep within seconds with tear tracks staining his face. 

The next morning, you woke up with the weight of a super soldier on your chest. His arms had circled around your waist, and he held you close to him in his sleep in a grip that could have been bruising if you didn’t have the regeneration skills you did. 

Without opening your eyes, your arms circled around him and began tracing the sinewy muscles of his back. At your featherlight touch, he began to stir and purr in reaction to your touch on his naked skin. He loved the moments after waking up with you that made him feel untouchable by the world. The only things that mattered in those moments were your touch and your warmth and the softness of the white sheets that cocooned you in a safe bubble that was impenetrable by the rest of the world. 

Soon, however, the events of yesterday washed over his foggy mind and he groaned against the skin of your neck. He had managed to pull your sweater neckline far enough to the side where he was able to rest his soft lips and nose against the softness of your skin right over your pulse. 

“Good morning, Baby.” You hummed as you began to feel him stir. He only grunted against you and let his arms circle tighter around your waist, making you gasp in protest. 

“Okay, Superman.” You huffed, arching your back into him to try to make some room for your lungs to expand. “Time to get up, I have some plans for us today.” He whimpered at your news and rolled over so that you rested on him. 

“No.” He grunted— the first word he had spoken to you in a whole week. You wriggled in his grasp and you heard his metal hand whir against your skin as his fingertips pressed into your skin in protest. Realizing you would have to actually use your powers against him, you sighed and kissed him softly on the mouth before using your super strength to free yourself. 

When you got up from the bed you turned to see him reaching for you pathetically. He made a noise of discontent in the back of his throat and you rolled your eyes. This move had worked on you countless times before, but since you knew this was a way he used you to hide from the world you built up an immediate immunity against his blue puppy-dog eyes. 

“No, James. You don’t get to hide from the world when things don’t go to plan. Get ready, I’m leaving with you in ten minutes no matter how you look.” You said, walking out of his room without looking back and closing the door while he let out a loud and exhausted groan. 

He came out to the kitchen soon after dressed in blue track pants and a black hoodie with his long hair tied into a bun at the base of his neck. You had been chatting idly with Wanda and Okoye— discussing the mission that had gone so sour without truly paying attention. You had been too busy healing Wanda’s ribs to pay much attention to anything else, but when Bucky walked in, your concentration faltered. He had never failed to be the center of your attention since the day you had met. 

You pulled away from Wanda, leaving her with a dull ache rather than unmovable pain and asked over to your beautiful yet tired looking boyfriend. As you got close enough to see the look in his eyes the tightness in your chest eased a little when you only saw a dull sadness rather than fiery guilt. You walked into his warm embrace and kissed him feverishly on the mouth, ignoring the groans from Tony and Clint at your public affection. 

“We’re going out for a few hours, we’ll see you later.” You said over your shoulder as you lead him to the parking garage and over to your humble 1998 Subaru. He climbed in the passenger side and waited for you to start the car before he opened his mouth. 

“I can’t do anything public today, babe. Please.” His voice sounded broken, and you looked over at him and smiled softly. You shifted the gears of the standard car as you left the parking lot. 

“We’re just going to my parent's house for dinner. No biggie.” You said, pulling the shift stick closer to you and watching his face relax. He had met your parents a few months ago, and you both tried to get back to your childhood home as often as you could just to escape from the life of a superhero for a few hours. Your parents were cautious about him at first, as any protective parents would be, but once they both saw the way Bucky seemed to treat you the same way a sunflower treated the sun they accepted him into their lives with open arms. 

The drive was spent talking about anything that came to mind; from the unrelenting snow that had plagued New York for the first few weeks of spring to the recent instalment of the Star Wars franchise (Bucky had decided he liked the second movie of the prequels the most, not because it was good by any stretch of the imagination, but because he thought Natalie Portman looked really good in the white outfit). It wasn’t too long until you pulled into the cookie cutter suburb home that you had grown up in and clambered out of the car, walking up the recently shoveled pathway and knocking softly on the door. Your knock was almost immediately responded with various tones of barks and the voice of your father trying to get his way through the mass of dogs you knew would be on the other side. 

When he opened the door, you and Bucky were almost immediately ambushed by five dogs. Lucy, the largest and Bucky’s personal favorite bounded forward and jumped on him— she was tall enough to reach his face and drowned him in her Newfoundland dog drool. The skinniest one, a greyhound mutt named Worm wiggled at Bucky’s feet in pure excitement. You smiled as you own pup, a golden retriever-pit bull mix sat at your feet and bunny hopped towards you in excitement. You bent down and he curled into your open legs, smiling up at you with his wide mouth. 

“Sid, oh my love. I missed you.” You crooned into his fur and his thin tail wagged harder against your thigh making you wince as it hit you faster than a bullet. “Jesus, man. You’re gonna break your tail one day if you don’t calm down.” You smile as he only wiggles more at the joy in your voice. 

“Well, if it isn’t the White Wolf and Poder Rojo herself?” Your dad smiled down at you where you crouched and you smiled back at him, showing off the matching smiles and crows feet. You were young, but you had inherited your father's smile lines at a young age. You got up and hugged your father tightly, and smiled softly as you watched him and Bucky shake hands fondly. 

Your mother soon joined you, another two dogs at her heels. You noticed they both had matching cones, and after asking she had replied that there was a rather unfortunate run-in with a certain porcupine. They had to have surgery to get the needles out, and since they kept trying to clean themselves of the ointment that had to be applied, your mother had shoved them into the Cones of Shame. 

You pulled Bucky into your home and took seats at the dinner table to watch your mother butter around as dinner cooked in the oven. You had called ahead of time, of course, and when she heard that Bucky wasn’t having the best time she promised to pull out all of the stops. She had made her famous lasagna, and even baked fresh bread to go with it— the smell of the warm bread made Bucky’s stomach rumble softly and you smiled over at him as you heard it. A  faint blush dusted his cheeks as you heard and you winked playfully, doing everything in your power to make the blush more intense. You leaned over the table and kissed him noisily on the cheek before running around the island to help your mother with the cleanup. 

When she was sure that Buck was fully distracted by your father, she turned to you and handed you a dry cloth to wipe the crumbs from the counter around the toaster. 

“Is he okay?” She whispered. You looked over at him, and seemingly noticing the action he made eye contact with you and the corners of his lips turned up slightly. You turned back to your mum. 

“There was a mission that went south recently, and I just figured that he needed to get away from the compound for a minute.” You replied, leaning against the counter and watching her check the temperature of the food. 

“You guys are really good for each other, you know.” She smiled at you. 

You looked over again and dropped your eyes into a wink when Bucky once again looked over at you. “I know.”

Supper came an went with minimal issues (“Y/N, stop feeding Churro your food please.” “I’m not the only one doing it!” “Babe, you cant rat me out like that to your parents!”), and soon you and Bucky stood side by side over the sink. You were washing the plates and other dishes from dinner, and you handed them to Bucky who dried them. It was a quiet affair, and you hummed softly to yourself as Bucky leaned into you subconsciously, his metal arm whirring softly as he brushed the dishes gently with an old dish rag. You scooped a handful of bubbles and placed it on his cheek and he laughed loudly— the homemade food making his stomach warm and shoulders relax— before leaning down and rubbing his face against yours. Soon, you were in a full-blown bubble and water war, and you swore to ever God that was out there that his laugh was the best sound in the world. 

You squealed when you slipped on a patch of water and bubbles and you didn’t even have time to think about hitting the ground before Bucky’s strong arms wrapped around you securely. He was holding you in a dipping position and he leaned down to kiss you softly before swinging you up to sit on the faux granite countertop. You watched as your boyfriend began cleaning up the mess you had both made and took note of the way the wet spots on his white undershirt became slightly see-through, making the scars on his body apparent. You felt an element of warmth pool in your tummy, as you had always found his damaged body to be rough and attractive, and you knew that he knew you felt this way— you had shown him multiple times. 

You hadn’t realized you were staring until his hands came to rest on your knees, and pushed them apart far enough for him to step between them. You blinked rapidly, and his now warm blue eyes looked up at you. 

“Your mom’s right, you know.” He mumbled, kissing your collarbone lightly. You sighed contently and angled your head to expose more space of your neck for his lips to find a home. You hummed as his lips trailed over your throat and he kissed your chin before pulling away slightly. 

“What d’you mean?” You slurred, your voice slow and heavy with affection. 

“You’re good for me. I would have stayed in my room for the rest of the week if it weren’t for you.” He nuzzled his nose into the warmth of your neck and you hummed happily. Your hands came to wrap around his neck and tangle in his hair at the base of his neck gently. He let out a breathy laugh when Lucy leaned against the back of his legs and pushed him closer to you. You laughed and looked at him to stare down at the large dog who looked as if she was smiling up at you. 

“Well, Mr. Barnes. You make me want to be better for you.” You hummed and scraped your nails against his scalp, eliciting a delicious groan from his throat. 

“I love you, Doll.” He whispered, lips brushing your neck and making your skin erupt in goosebumps. 

“I love you so much more, James.”

“If you two are done making out on our counter, there’s a Star Wars marathon on Space TV if you want to join us.” Your dad piped up from the entryway. You and Bucky jumped away from each other and blushed heavily. Bucky coughed into his elbow nervously and looked down at his toes, too embarrassed to look your father in the face. You, however, ignored the hot blush on your cheeks and glared at your dad. 

“We were having a moment, father dearest.” You grunted over at him and he laughed in response, pointing a finger at you. 

“I don’t care. Also, get off the counter— counters are for glasses not asses.” He said over his shoulder as he left to join your mom once again in the living room. 

“Good one, dad! Where’d you get that one? The back of a cereal box?” You yelled at him and laughed when you saw his hand pop from around the corner to give you the middle finger. Bucky laughed when he saw it and held his hand out to you. You reached out to grip his metal on your own and hopped off the counter, pulling him close to you and snuggling into the warmth of his embrace. 

“Let’s go watch Star Wars with your parents for the 65th time.” His chest rumbled against your ear as he spoke and you let out an amused breath from your nose before kissing his lips softly. 

“I love you, Buck.”

“I love you, Bear.”