#also I keep yelling and rolling my eyes at Tiberius

[duchesschameleon]

never would have guessed I’d be yelling at my tv when I hear matthew mercer say “how do you want to do this?”

[thechangeling]

Tell me a story

Ty doesn't believe in fate.

A shout out to @ilikebooks8 for convincing me to make a fanfic about autistic!Eleanor Blackthorn. Autism is genetic so it makes sense for Ty to have autistic ancestors. If you are autistic I guarentee you have someone in your family who is also autistic they just haven't been diagnosed yet. For me, I've got my dad.

Cw: mentions of ableism, abuse and the death of a minor character. Very anti Andrew Blackthorn.

"Tell me a story," Tiberius' asked, in that mature, matter- of-fact way he spoke. Ty was only eight but already he sounded like a boy twice his age in terms of his vocabulary and the way he spoke.

Although he still had the voice of a child which was rather amusing. Eleanor turned to face her son with a groan as she felt searing pain shoot through her bones. She had been laying down all day due to feeling extremely unwell. The noises and lights of the outside world were especially brutal, but she had gotten used to it overtime. She had learned to cope. To smile and nod and make eye contact. To control her movements and still her hands and laugh at their jokes.

Eleanor played the part of the proper shadowhunter and the dutiful wife, the attentive mother. It didn't matter that it had changed her. Had completely turned her into a different person, someone harsher and colder. Someone who was so quick to anger and venomous hatred.

Someone who only knew how to be in pain.

She always tried to not let that side of her show to her children. They didn't deserve it. But the past few weeks in particular had been brutal. Her body felt broken and it was becoming harder and harder to put up that facade.

She faced Ty with the best fake smile she could muster. "Which story would you like to hear?" He climbed up on the bed beside her and sat down in an odd twisted position where his legs were in a W position. He began tapping his hands on his knees as he appeared to contemplate his choices.

Eleanor could remember a time when she was younger when she used to do that. Before her parents had stopped her. She knew she should really tell Tiberius off to discourage him from doing these things in public. He was so blatent and open in a way that frightened and almost angered her. There was no telling what kind of reaction The Clave might have.

She didnt want him to end up with the dregs, or worse.

"I don't know," Ty said finally scrunching up his eyebrows. "I can't think of one right now. Could you make one up?" Eleanor smiled in spite of herself. She had always loved making up stories ever since she was a kid. She had always been a creative person, painting and drawing as often as she could. Shadowhunters didn't really appreciate a creative streak.

Eleanor nodded. "Ok sure, let's see." She took a breath, trying to ignore the agony spreading through her back and shoulders. "Once upon a time there was a prince who was trapped in a tower that was guarded by an evil ogar. The prince had been rumored to have special powers so he was forced by his parents to stay locked away in the tower forever to keep him safe. He wasnt allowed to make friends with any other children so he grew up alone. Teaching himself how to read and write and playing games to amuse himself."

Ty rolled his eyes. "Isn't that rather cliche? The whole prince trapped in a tower story? I've definitely heard that before."

Eleanor laughed. "Where did you hear the word cliche Tiberius?" Ty shrugged, not seeing the amusement in the situation.

"It was in a book. Can you keep going?" He whined impatiently. "I wanna hear the rest."

Eleanor sighed, shaking her head good naturedly. "Alright then. So the prince was trapped for a very long time. Then one day a mysterious adventurer came exploring nearby the tower."

"Can it be a detective?" Ty interrupted, bouncing up and down. He had been obsessed with Clue lately.

"Alright sure, it was a detective. He was searching the answers to a murder mystery. The murder of a young women."  Ty instantly looked interested. Perhaps murder was not the best subject for a story being told to an eight year old, but Ty was a shadowhunter. They were trained to deal with blood and death.

"His was searching for information and came across the tower," she continued. So he decided to investigate. He snuck passed the ogar and into the tower, where he was ambushed by the prince!"

Ty gasped excitedly, wriggling in place. "What happened next? Did they fight?"

Eleanor opened her mouth to continue, but then the bedroom door flew open, startling them both.

It was Andrew. Instantly Ty shrunk himself down, hunching his shoulders. Eleanor knew that Ty didn't always get along with his father but she knew Andrew still loved him deep down. He glared at them both.

"Ty your mother is meant to be resting," he said pointedly.

Eleanor shook her head. "Oh no it's alright. He wasn't bothering me." Andrew didn't seem to hear her.

"Tiberius let's go," he said harshly. Ty hesitated for a moment, looking up at her.

"But I wanna hear the rest of the story!" He protested. "I wanna know what happens to the prince!" Eleanor sighed solemnly. She didn't want to disappoint Ty, but she was feeling pretty worn out.

"Another time baby," she assured him. "I promise."

But unfortunately she never got the chance. She never got the chance because little did they know, Eleanor Blackthorn had cancer. Something that silent brothers couldn't cure. Something that shadowhunters were powerless against.

"What are you thinking about ?" Kit murmered from his spot curled up against Ty's chest. His breath tickled Ty's chin.

Ty paused, not quite sure how to answer. They were lying on the roof of the LA institute again. It was their special spot. Kit had suggested a night of star gazing for a date since the weather was nice.

Things has been a little weird between them lately. Kit had been pretending that everything was fine and he was unfazed, but Ty could tell that something was bothering him. And he had a feeling he knew what it was.

At Magnus and Alec's anniversary party, Jace made a joke about how Kit and Ty would probably be the next ones to get married and Ty immediately went into a blind panic. He completely froze up at the mention of marriage. At the mention of him getting married. His body instantly went into a complete overload almost as if he was on the verge of a meltdown.

He didn't take the time to think about any of it. He just snapped and yelled that he wasn't getting married. That he wasn't ever getting married. Ty wasnt even sure where it came from. Kit was pretending like it wasnt a big deal but Ty knew he was hurting. He could tell.

Ty traced a pattern across Kit's arm. "Honestly it was nothing," he assured him. "I just-." Ty stared at Kit, studying his face. The curve of his lips, the adorable blush of his cheeks and the tiny beauty mark under his eye that Ty loved to fixate on. Everything ached, but it was a good kind of ache.

Ty loved him.

"I just want to stay like this forever," he murmered. "Here with you, where I feel safe and warm. And loved." Ty nuzzled his nose against Kit's. "I want to be with you forever."

Kit smiled distantly before breaking into a slight frown. "Then why don't you wanna marry me?" He asked sadly. And Ty could instantly hear the old ghosts of self loathing and insecurity still haunting Kit's thoughts.

Ty sighed. "It has nothing to do with you I promise. I just really don't want to get married and I'm not even fully certain of why exactly."

Kit stroked his cheek slowly. "Is it the idea of a big wedding? Because we don't have to do that you know. We can totally just skip it," he said assuredly.

Ty shook his head. "That's part of it but it isn't the only reason." He paused to contemplate what exactly it was that was making him feel this way, feel so afraid.

Strangely enough, Ty kept coming back to his mother. His mother who was always a little peculiar in private. Who always seemed sad and exhausted even before the silent brothers diagnosed her. Who was constantly going along with whatever her husband wanted for whatever reason. Because she assumed he knew what he was doing? Because she didn't want to make waves in a society so rigid and obsessed with conformity?

Ty had been considering it more and more lately.

He sat up, displacing Kit from where he was resting. "I think my mother was like me," Ty admitted in a shakey voice. "I think she was autistic and that's why she ended up in the situations she did."

"Ok?" Kit looked confused. "But that still doesn't explain-."

Ty interrupted him. "She was trying so hard to fit in and do the right thing and she would just let him control her. She kept compromising for him because she thought that's what she was supposed to do and also because despite it all I think she really loved him! And it made her so stupid!" Ty shouted.

"I just don't want to become trapped like that," he confessed.

Kit was silent for a moment, just staring at him with a puzzled expression. "Ok, but Ty you realize that I'm not your dad right? Like I would never try and control you or make you into something you're not. I'm not trying to own you, I'm trying to love you!" He argued. "Ty, marriage isnt supposed to trap you. It's about making our relationship into an Offical legal thing that everyone's forced to acknowledge and accept."

Kit took Ty's hand in his. "It's about making each other family."

Ty looked away. He couldn't meet Kit's eyes when he was staring at him looking so hopeful and desperate. It did strange things to Ty's insides. He squeezed his eyes shut, scrunching up his face along with his fists for a moment before letting go.

"I just don't want to let someone have power over me in that way," he explained. Kit sighed, then smiled softly before leaning forward to rest his forehead against Ty's. Ty let out a little moan as he let the tension release from his body with a sigh. Kit placed his hand over Ty's heart.

"But don't you get it Ty?" He asked softly. "You already have, whether you meant to or not. I'm in your system sweetheart, in your blood just like you're in mine." Ty felt him smile. "Like we were made for each other. Like we've spent our entire lives waiting for each other."

Ty pulled away from him. "No I don't believe that," he stated firmly. "I don't believe in fate or destiny or soulmates. I think it's an overt  romanticization of life and the human condition which can have disastrous consequences. It leads people to believe that they are somehow incomplete without a romantic partner which is incredibly problematic." Ty realized he was probably going on a bit of a tangent as he was known to do. But he couldn't be bothered to care.

Kit pouted a little. "Yeah I get that. But I don't know. I like to romanticize things in life. After everything that I've been through, I guess it just makes things feel better you know?" Kit glanced at him hopefully."I don't care if you don't believe in any of those things. I do. And despite what you might believe, you aren't always right about everything," Kit said pointedly.

Ty scowled at him. Kit was undeterred. "And I get that you're coming at this from a scary trauma place. I understand that. I have those too. But you don't have to be afraid of me," he pleaded.

Ty couldn't resist reaching out and touching him, pushing a curly lock of hair behind his ear. "Can I maybe think about it?" Kit smiled and snuggled up against Ty's chest again. "Of course," he murmered. Ty leaned back and resumed his earlier position, staring up at the sky.

He nuzzled his face against Kit's hair. "I'm glad you're not mad at me anymore," said Ty.

Kit snorted, turning to face Ty. "I'm never mad at you love. It's pretty much impossible." Ty grinned and leaned forward to kiss him slowly, savoring the feeling of Kit's lips against his.

Kit broke off and kissed Ty's cheek, then his orbital bone. Ty giggled and closed his eyes which prompted Kit to place a kiss on each of his eyelids.

"I love every inch of you," Kit whispered. Ty couldn't speak. He was too overwhelmed. He just wrapped his arms around Kit even tighter and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

They lay in peaceful silence for several moments before Kit spoke.

"Tell me a story."

In case you missed it, the story Eleanor was telling Ty is the story of kitty in Lady Midnight basically. Also. Not me projecting my fear of marriage onto my comfort character! 😂

Tag list: (lmk if you wanna be added/removed) @playwithravenclaw @lavender-scented-rat @knifescythe @ti-bae-rius @dianasarrow @jazzkaurtheglorious @waterlillies @zfoxdraws @julieandthefandoms @older-brother-kit @ilikebooks8 @nott-the-best @stxr-thxif @magnus-the-fabulous-entp-bane @foxglove-airmid @littlx-songbxrd @heloisacosta23 @adoravel-fenomeno @eutonyinwhisper

[dontmindmyshadowhunting]

Kit and Ty’s reunion (Fan Fiction) - Part 8 - What’s the point?

A little more than three years after the Dark Artifices. Characters based on Cassandra Clare’s (TSC) though I invented one for the plot.

With the Cohort threat being mostly quashed, the following weeks passed uneventfully.

The Centurions remained at the New York Institute, as there were still other Cohort members and Faeries looking for Kit.

Kit and Ty never mentioned the fight they had had on the first day Ty had arrived at the Institute. Their friendship resumed; major events left unspoken.

It was as it had been before they had performed necromancy spells together. As if they had not raised Livvy’s ghost (except for the fact that they were seeing her every day). As if they had not lost all contact for three years. As if they had not kissed under the rain.

Kit still remembered though. How Ty’s lips had felt against his, the taste of his mouth. Rain, metal and musk. Kit could not forget the feel of Ty’s skin under his fingers, under his lips, the scent of him, the noises Ty made when he was aroused. He blushed, sometimes, thinking back to those intimate moments he had shared with Ty. And of course, there were the glances they cast at each other, the shiver of excitement when their hands accidently brushed, when they walked side by side and their shoulders touched.

Kit had started helping Ty with his missions for the Scholomance, and it was as if Sherlock had found Watson again.

“How many times do I have to repeat myself? I am not your Watson” had said Kit one evening, when they were doing research on demons’ poisons in the Institute’s library.

Ty had smiled one of his rare smiles. “Well, Kit, that’s exactly what my Watson would say.” And Kit had blushed at the way Ty had naturally said “my Watson”.

Days went by, and everyone at the Institute carried on with their own routines.

This is probably why no one expected the events that occurred that evening.

Kit was returning to his bedroom after a late-night training session. He heard noise coming from the library. He stopped to peer inside, his brows furrowed, only to see Jace standing with his back to him. He thought he saw a flash of red hair.

“Jace?” called Kit.

Jace froze. When he slowly turned, Kit could see that he was carrying Clary in his arms. She looked fast asleep.

Kit felt an increasing uneasiness. Something was wrong. But this was Jace right? If there was anyone Jace would never, ever hurt, it was Clary.

“Jace? Rough night? I know Clary is probably light as feather but do you… need a hand?” asked Kit, unsure how to act.

As Jace said nothing, he took a step toward him.

Jace took a step back. Something was very wrong indeed.

“Stop! It’s not Jace!” yelled a voice that Kit instantly recognized.

Kit turned to where Ty stood, in the doorway, holding two daggers. His face was covered in scratches, his lips bruised, a deep red cut on his upper lip. He clearly had been into a fight.

“Not Jace from this world,” Ty continued. “It’s probably Jace from another world. That’s one of the few possible explanations at least.”

“How do you know?” asked Kit.

“Details” was all Ty said. And Kit believed him. If anyone – save for Clary, where Jace was concerned – could notice small inconsistencies, like in a game of Spot the Difference, it was Ty. Ty could see objectively, without the blurring curtain of expectations or preconceptions.

Jace – well, his evil doppelganger – stiffened. “Will you make me regret I didn’t kill you?”

“You didn’t give my friends that chance. They trusted you and you took them by surprise. Why spare me?” said Ty.

“I didn’t fool you” said the fake Jace. “I figured you probably knew Jace, the one from this world, very well. And I saw the heron-shaped pendant you carry around your neck. I thought this meant you had earnt the love – or at least the trust – of a Herondale. Sentimental me.”

“Leave Clary. And we will not hurt you,” said Kit, although he carried no weapon.

Jace laughed. He had moved to stand close to an open window and seemed ready to pounce. He would not try to jump with Clary in his arms, would he?

“You will not hurt me? The Jace from this world must be too soft, if you think you can bargain with me.”

In a swift movement, he had shifted Clary’s body in one of his arms and drawn out a sword.

It all happened in a blur. The sword flew. Ty launched himself in front of Kit and the blow hit him with such force that he was thrown back against Kit, who caught him in his arms. Kit crumpled to the floor, holding Ty.

Kit was filled with a dreadful sense of déjà-vu, as he looked at the knife protruding from Ty’s chest. He had not been there at the time, but he imagined that was what Livvy must have looked like in the Council Hall. He had imagined it, although he had tried not too, often enough. And he was probably in the exact same position Julian had been at the time.

Kit was barely aware of the sound of footsteps and shouts. People around him assessing the situation. It seemed the “other Jace” had somehow escaped. Without his prey. Clary was safe.

“No, Ty. No. Please don’t leave me.”

Kit was kneeling on the floor, carrying Ty’s limp body in his arms. He started rocking.

“What’s the point, Ty? What’s the point of Watson’s whole existence if there is no Sherlock? What’s the point of me if there is no you?” Tears were rolling down his cheeks. But he could not feel them. He could not feel anything.

Kit did not even bother to grab for his stele, he knew it was too late for that. Through his numbness, Kit gently lay Ty’s body on the floor and ripped his shirt. With desperate hope, he placed both his hands on Ty’s chest and willed him to heal. He remembered the time he had made the horses of the Riders of Mannan disappear. He thought about drawing that strength, all his strength, all his will, into healing Ty. He heard voices softly murmuring to let go of Ty, that it was over – but he did not listen to any of them. He shoved away anyone’s attempt to grab him.

He did not know how much time had passed but eventually, he felt a flicker of movement. It was barely there but Kit knew he had sensed something.

Ty gasped and his silver-gray eyes flew open. They widened in amazement. “Kit…“ he said. “I knew you would find them.”

What? What did I find? Kit wanted to ask. But he could not find his voice. Relief had washed over him, and although he was drained, he felt giddy with it.  

He did not hear anything further, as Ty slipped into unconsciousness a second later. It was not long before Kit himself collapsed on top of Ty’s body.

*****

Jace, carrying Clary in his arms, Isabelle, Simon, Alec and Magnus stood in a circle in the Institute’s library. In the middle of the circle, two bodies were lying on the ground, one resting partly on top of the other, as if in a lovers’ embrace. Their skin appeared to glow from within and one of the boys’ exposed chest seemed to be pierced through with bronze-colored light.

*****

It was late in the night when the dean of the Scholomance, Maximilien Verlac, slipped through the door of the Institute’s infirmary. The room was mostly dark save for the moonlight filtering through the windows. He did not notice Kit, sitting on the floor, next to Ty’s bed.

He was entirely focused on Ty, his expression one of deep sorrow and… something else. Kit recognized that look. It was the look he probably had himself when he was glancing at Ty and thought no one was seeing him.

Kit knew then, that Maximilien did not only admire Ty as one of his best Centurions. He loved him.

Suddenly, Maximilien fell on his knees. “Oh, Tiberius. What did I do? I am sorry. I am so sorry,” he whispered.

Kit shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”

Maximilien snapped out of his daze and stood. Even in the darkness, Kit could see his cheeks were flushed. “Christopher Herondale.”

“Kit, please” answered Kit.

“Kit?” Maximilien’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, I see…”

Kit didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt uneasy.

“What is it? What is it that you see?”

Maximilien hesitated. He looked at Kit for a moment, considering.

Then, he explained, in a resigned voice. “One day, Tiberius returned from a mission to the Scholomance with very deep wounds that couldn’t heal. The demon poison had spread. We had to keep him in the infirmary for three days. He was delirious. He kept calling a name. Your name. Asking why you had left him. Why you never said goodbye. He also talked about the characters of the book he holds so dearly…saying that Sherlock was not Sherlock without Watson. It seemed like nonsense to me.”

Maximilien exhaled deeply. “I thought Kit was a girl’s name. Short for Katherine, in French Catherine. It could also be short for Quitterie, another French girl name. When Tiberius woke up, and I asked him about it, he simply shrugged and did not explain. We never talked about it again.”

Kit didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. He just nodded, closed his eyes, and waited for Maximilien to leave.

Once he was alone with Ty, Kit lay down on the bed next to him, not quite touching, but close enough to feel the heat of his body. Ty’s face was turned to his. Kit fell asleep to Ty’s soft breathing, each exhalation caressing his skin like feather across his cheek.

[jesuiscalmedammit]

Goodbye – (3) || [Bones x OC]

It was time. The USS Enterprise was about to leave Starbase 1 for another mission and Jim couldn’t be happier. He always loved that, the thrill of leaving Earth on this ship, his ship, and every time he wished his father was still alive to see how far he’s come. But this time was different. This time he had his sister on board and she was going to travel with them in the next three months. Having family around would make things easier, at least that’s what his mother had told him when he called her with the news.

Unable to contain his good mood, he kept talking to Bones about how Izzy would probably make his life miserable every now and then, but his friend wasn’t listening apparently. If he had to guess, Jim would have said he was probably thinking about the things that could possibly kill them in space during the mission as he stood next to him on the bridge with his arms crossed over his chest. Jim let out a quiet chuckle while he shook his head, then went on as if nothing happened.

“Are you done?” Bones suddenly asked impatiently, looking over at the captain who only glanced at him for a moment with a mischievous smirk. “Look, I understand that you’re excited and everything, but you’re the captain of the USS Enterprise. There are plenty of things you should do instead of talking about someone who will spend months aboard the ship,” he said in a tired voice. “Not to mention Sulu’s only waiting for your orders,” he added, pointing at the helmsman.

“Take us out, Mr. Sulu,” Jim gave out the order then looked back at the doctor as he sympathetically patted his shoulder. “Oh, I know the only reason why you’re not happy about her arrival is that she will follow you around all the time,” he said, faking a painful expression. The arrival of Izzy meant Bones had a duckling from now on, someone who would follow him wherever he went. Knowing him, only the thought tired him out mentally. “But trust me, she’d do anything to make you happy,” Jim added.

The doctor’s eyes grew wide in surprise. The way Jim told him that kicked his mind into overdrive, and his imagination was about to get out of control. He quickly shook his head to dismiss the thoughts. “What does that supposed to mean?” he inquired.

“You’ll see, Bones,” was all he said in a tone that made it obvious he was merely testing his friend’s patience.

“There might be a day when I throw you off this ship myself, you know,” Bones noted, trying hard not to yell at the captain who was only laughing at his reaction as they left the bridge. “So how come I’ve never met your sister? She’s been in San Francisco for about a year yet all I know is that the two of you are close and you call her Izzy. You never told me her full name or showed me a picture of her.”

“And there’s a good reason for that.” When the doctor gave him a questioning look, Jim shrugged. “I may be a little overprotective when it comes to her. The last thing I needed was her falling for your Southern charm instead of focusing on her job and studies,” Jim explained.

“It’s not like I’d–”

The doctor fell silent when they noticed Spock not far from them with Izzy on his side. “Dr. Krause, this way, please,” he said in his usual, polite way.

“Come on, Bones, she won’t bite you,” Jim told him quietly as they were getting closer.

“You know that’s funny; someone said the same thing about my ex-wife,” he replied sarcastically. The captain gave him a disapproving look that could be also translated as it's not like you're gonna marry her.

When Izzy’s eyes fell on them, her lips curled into a wide smile and she immediately ran over to Jim to pull him into a hug. “I can’t believe I’m here!” she said excitedly.

Jim quickly peeled her off himself then turned her around so they were now facing Bones. “I’m sure you’re my resident, Izzy,” he said as he extended his hand. “I’m Dr. Leonard McCoy, the chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise. You’ll be working with me in the next three months,” he said flatly.

“Dr. Isabella Krause, nice to finally meet you,” she said, quickly glancing at her brother with a pointed look.

“Fangirl,” Jim suddenly whispered to her.

“Shut up, Tiberius,” she hissed without hesitation.

After Spock excused himself and left, Bones gave the two a disapproving look and rolled his eyes. But Jim decided to ignore him for now and he restarted his conversation with the young woman. “How’s your mother?” he asked quietly.

A sad smile appeared on Izzy’s lips. “She’s gonna be fine for now. At least I hope there won’t be any problems. Dad promised to call me if something happened,” she added as she casually leaned against a wall. “By the way, dad asked me to tell you that he’s proud of you.”

“He’s what now?”

“You heard me,” Izzy nodded, letting out a quiet chuckle. “He finally accepted the fact that, after all, you are good for something. He just... You know, didn’t want to get all mushy when you talked to them. Surprising, isn’t it?” she asked, smoothing out a non-existent wrinkle on her blue uniform.

Jim’s steel blue eyes were fixed on her light brown ones for a few moments while he processed her words. “Yeah, that’s surprising,” he agreed with a suspicious look in his eyes. “You only made up the last part, didn’t you?” he asked, though he already knew the answer. Izzy nodded, flashing a sheepish smile at him as she massaged the back of her neck.

“I really don’t want to destroy this family moment, kids, but you’ll have plenty of time to talk later,” Bones walked up to them, then he turned to Izzy. “We should go to the med bay. I’ll show you everything there so you won’t get lost in the future,” he said. “I hope,” he added after a short pause.

“Alright.” The brunette’s gaze shifted from the doctor to the captain, and she gave him an almost scared look.

Bones noticed it and quickly shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you. We don’t want to scare you away, do we?” he asked with a small laugh. “Come on,” he said then walked towards the med bay with Izzy, leaving a smiling Kirk behind.

Bones wondered how he should bring it up. Growing up as an only child had both its advantages and disadvantages. Not having a sibling sometimes made him crave the relationship he saw some of his friends had with their own. From what he’d heard before and what he witnessed a few minutes earlier was exactly what he always missed.

“You two seem to be really close,” Bones suddenly spoke up as they entered the med bay. Izzy looked over at him, chuckling quietly, but she remained silent in the end. “Am I wrong?” he asked curiously after a short pause.

The brunette shook her head in response, thinking about what to say. “No, you are absolutely right, doctor,” was all she said after the silence, emphasizing the word doctor.

He showed her the main areas of med bay, informing her about the size of the medical team and the main protocols. But before he could begin the next chapter of the introductory speech, a cheerful voice interrupted them.

“Good morning,” said a young woman with long, blond hair. “You must be our new test resident,” she added, extending a hand. “I’m Christine Chapel.”

“Isabella Krause,” the young doctor replied with a smile, shaking her hand. “But please, call me Izzy.”

The nurse chuckled. “I hope you can help make him stop acting like a grumpy old man all the time,” she said, earning a questioning look from Izzy and a threatening one from Bones. “All right, I got it. We’ll continue this later,” she said and waltzed out of med bay.

Slowly shaking his head and massaging the bridge of his nose, Bones broke the silence. “Nurse Chapel is kind of my right hand. She’s really good at her job, so you don’t have to worry about her carefree behavior,” he said. “By the way, you can call me Bones,” he told her casually with a small smile, sitting on one of the beds. Since she was Jim’s stepsister, he hoped they could leave formalities.

She gave him a curious look as she sat on the other end of the bed, a strange smile playing on her lips. “What about Leonard?” she asked curiously, looking in his eyes again.

“Just call me Bones, Isabella,” he said reassuringly, hoping it wouldn’t be a problem for her to use his nickname. The other doctors and the nurses on the ship rarely called him Bones since he’d become the chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise.

“No, thank you, Leonard is really good,” she said cheerfully. “And please, call me Izzy,” she added.

Bones took a deep breath, keeping eye contact with her. “All right, I’ll call you Izzy if you’ll call me Bones from now on,” he stated.

“Oh, come on,” she laughed, subconsciously putting her hand on his. When she realized her mistake, she immediately pulled it away with an apologetic look on her face.

For a short second, he was thinking about reaching for her hand but decided against it. What was going on with him? There was a small voice in the back of his mind telling him there was something he’d forgotten, something important. Did they somehow know each other from the hospital? No, he would remember. Probably.

Once he cleared his throat, he went on. “No, no. Think about it: if there is, for example, a medical emergency and you have to shout my name, Leonard is too long,” Bones explained, smiling friendly at her.

“You're right. Still–” she started, but Bones interrupted her.

“No still, dammit,” he said angrily. “You’re acting like Jim and that’s really annoying, you know.”

Shaking her head, Izzy shrugged in response. “What can I say? We grew up together. But fine, I’ll call you Bones if that’s what makes you happy,” she said quickly. Bones nodded and put a small scanner in front of her. “Is that mine?” she asked, picking it up.

“Yes. I want you to take it everywhere you go,” he ordered, giving her another device. “Also, here’s a PADD in case you need to see a patient’s medical files.” Bones watched as her face lit up like a Christmas tree, and this made him smile too. Unlike Jim, she was apparently always serious when it came to her job, and he truly appreciated it.

“Is there anything else I should know?” she asked eagerly.

The doctor looked around the intensive care unit they were in and thought for a moment. “Well, I think you already know the rest of the medical equipment,” Bones started and she nodded in response. “Obviously my office is also located in the med bay,” he said.

“Okay, I think I got it,” Izzy chirped happily then hesitated. “Can I ask you a question?” Bones nodded without thinking. “Why did you join Starfleet if you have aviophobia?” she asked, trying to hold back a laugh.

Bones’ eyes darkened as he looked at the young doctor. “Jim told you,” he stated with a tired sigh.

“Of course he did. We tell almost everything to each other,” she replied casually with a shrug. As unsurprising as it was, Bones still reminded himself to be careful around these two in the future.  “When you two met on that shuttle, the first thing you told him was something like I may throw up on you. I wonder if you would still be friends if you had actually thrown up on him," she said, finally freely laughing at him.

“Hey, aviophobia is not funny. Stop laughing,” he warned her.

“Sorry, I know it’s not funny,” she said now that she managed to calm down. “Men often love to act like they are not afraid of anything. And, you know, if you meet one who admits he has a phobia then it’s–”

“Ridiculous.”

“No, it’s kind of cute,” she said.

“Cute?”

“Yes.”

"So you really think it’s cute if a man admits that he’s afraid of dying in something that flies?” Bones asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” she nodded with a bright smile on her face.

“You’re strange. For some reason, I thought most women preferred men who are not afraid of anything. Or if they are, at least they don’t show it.”

“That’s a stupid stereotype. Prince Charming is a handsome guy with blond hair, blue eyes, he’s brave, strong, romantic and faithful, and yes, he has a white horse,” she began to explain. “Look at James, for example. Handsome? Check. Blond hair? Check. Blue eyes? Check. Brave and strong? Check. Romantic and faithful? He’s not even close, since he’s a real womanizer. This goes for almost all the Prince Charming-looking guys in the world. No one’s perfect,” Izzy finished her little speech with a shrug.

“Wow,” was all Bones managed to say, looking into her light brown eyes. It had been a while since he’d last heard a woman speak so honestly. “Now that I heard it like that… I have to admit you might be right,” he said.

Izzy chuckled nervously as she massaged the back of her neck. “Well, of course I’m right,” she said. “Hey, don’t you wanna have breakfast with me tomorrow? I was about to ask James and Spock if they would like to join me.”

After a short pause, while he was thinking about the chances of the green-blooded hobgoblin not being present the next morning, he replied. “Sounds good,” he said with a nod. Izzy then left to find Nurse Chapel and once he was left alone, Bones let out a long, tired sigh as he laid back on the bed with his arms behind his head. “Why do I have a feeling she’ll be the death of me one day?” he asked quietly from himself.

[portals-to-a-new-world]

Come Hell or High Water Chapter 6: One More Goodbye

Who?: Leonard McCoy x Reader

What?: Our last day in Georgia for now. Leonard is emotional, Jim is a child, and Eleanora is a mom to everyone.

Word Count: 3.9k

Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Mild Smut (I know it’s about time)

A/N: Okay first and foremost. Blame @bakerstreethound​ for the smut. That being said, if it weren’t for her this whole series would have died a long time ago, so I have to remind everyone how freaking amazing she is. I love her. Anywhoo for those who missed it, I just posted an update as to why I haven’t posted anything in ages, so go check it out if you’re wondering wtf’s wrong with me lol.

Series Masterlist

Packing up the next day proved to be as emotional as one would expect. Leonard and Joanna spent nearly every moment together, stubbornly pretending to be okay for the other’s sake. Both also came to you at different points with tears in their eyes, admitting how not okay they really were. You had expected it from Leonard, but you could hardly believe it when Joanna asked you to help her with something in her room, only to quietly break down the moment the door closed. You rushed forward to wrap her in a hug. 

“Hey, hey, easy now.” You said, stroking her hair, giving her time to gather before she stepped back, still sniffling.

“I know, I know, you guys will still call all the time, and everything will be just like normal-” She crossed her arms across her chest as she spoke. 

“Jo, there’s nothing wrong with missing your dad when he’s not here.” You said, offering an empathetic smile. “I know I still miss my family when I’m out in space. But you can always call him whenever you need him, even if it’s just to talk.” She was silent for a moment as she thought. 

“Do you still call your dad a lot?” She asked, and you hesitated before responding. 

“My dad and I have a complicated relationship. But I do talk to my grandfather nearly every day. My family likes to tease me about being a ‘papaw’s girl,’ but I firmly believe that a father-daughter bond, or in my case grandfather and granddaughter, is one of the most precious and beautiful things in the whole universe.” You once again wrapped her in a hug, hiding the way your eyes had begun to water. “Cherish yours.” She took a shaky breath before pulling out of your embrace. 

“Thank you, (Y/n).” She said, and you smiled warmly. 

“Anytime, peach.” You replied, and she grinned at your nickname for her. A knock at the door and the sound of a gruff voice had you both scrambling to hide the evidence of the tears shed. 

“Shug, is everything okay?” Ever the quick thinker, Joanna had an excuse ready to go before you could even open your mouth. 

“Yeah, Dad, I was just trying to show (Y/n) the braid you taught me,” She said, turning to give you a look which you acknowledged with a nod before she walked over and opened the door. You struggled to keep a straight face and hide the surprise at the fact Leonard knew how to braid hair and how Joanna had seemingly prepared an excuse. “I’m glad you’re here actually, you’re a lot better at it than me, and I could use your help.” Leonard didn’t hesitate before nodding, a smile gracing his handsome features. “Awesome!” Joanna said, matching her father’s grin. “Let’s go down to the sitting room, the light’s better.” She said as she walked past him, and you followed behind him. 

“Lord knows an old man needs-” You started, but Leonard spun and cut you off. 

“If you’re about to make a joke about my age-” To both his and your surprise, Joanna was the one to speak up and cut him off. 

“Is it a joke if it’s true?” You nearly bent double laughing at the betrayed and offended expression on his face as he turned to look at his daughter, who burst out laughing and offered an apologetic smile. Leonard scoffed and pointed at her accusingly. “Oh, I see how it is.” He feigned indignation as he strode towards the stairs. Jo, still laughing, cried out “Noooo” as he walked by and latched her arms around him in a hug. Leonard tried to keep up the act, but his smile betrayed him as he spoke. “No, no, I see whose side you’re on. Should’ve known y’all were gonna gang up on me.” You rolled your eyes in amusement and walked over to pat him on the shoulder.

“Aww, poor McCoy, the women are so cruel to you.” You said. He scrunched his face in mocking as he waved you off. 

“I don’t think you’re old, Bones.” Jim’s voice drifted up the stairs. Leonard shuffled to the edge as best he could with Joanna still wrapped around him. 

“Somehow that doesn’t make me feel any better.” He said with a scowl. You leaned over the railing to see Jim grinning as he shrugged.

“Probably because you know me too well,” Len just rolled his eyes in response. You chuckled, and Jim turned his attention to you. “Lieutenant Commander (Y/n), you are hereby ordered to report to the kitchen for cobbler duty.” Both Leonard and Jo perked up at the mention of their favorite dessert. “Munchkin, it’s your job to keep Gramps out of the kitchen, we’d like for there to actually be some left for the rest of us.” He said, sending a wink in her direction. Much to your surprise, Len didn’t comment on the jab; in fact, the words that left his lips were so far from anything you expected it took a beat for you to process them.

“Actually, I was going to ask little Miss here if she’d be interested in going down to the lake with me real quick,” Joanna looked up at him in confusion.

“Can I ask why?” She asked as she let go of him.

“Well, I’d been thinkin about the other day, and since you’re starting high school, I figured it’s high time we came up with a new tradition. Just the two of us.” He said, and though he was smiling, you could tell he was nervous. He needn’t have worried though, as Joanna immediately lit up and was nodding in excitement.

“That’d be awesome!” She said, and she once again wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He released a breath as he returned the embrace. You smiled and shot him a thumbs up once they broke apart.

“Go grab your shoes and some water from the kitchen, since I’m not allowed in there.” Leonard stood aside as he spoke, allowing her to step past him. She quickly darted down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

“Well done, McCoy,” You said, stepping forward to wrap your arms around his neck. He turned the faintest shade of red as his hands naturally fell to your waist. “Be safe, okay? I don’t want to have to come pull you out of a hole again.” He scoffed and pulled you flush against him.

“As I recall, it was after that particular madness that you told me you loved me for the first time. So,” Leonard tilted his head and smirked before continuing. “Well worth it, in my book.” You rolled your eyes and leaned up to kiss him softly.

“You don’t have to be missing for two days in the forest to hear me say that,” He raised an eyebrow to prompt you to continue. Giving a dramatic sigh, you moved to cup his face in your hands. “I love you, Leonard McCoy.” You said, with as much conviction as you had the first time you’d said that to him. His gorgeous hazel eyes were locked on to yours as he leaned in. You fought to suppress a grin as you dropped your hands from his cheeks, giving your partner in crime space to move in.

“I love you, too, Bones.” Jim said, causing your lover to yell as he planted a sloppy wet kiss on Leonard’s cheek. Leonard’s hand flew behind him in reflex, smacking Jim right in his chest as he tried to dodge away. He gave a howl and stumbled backward. Leonard spun in shock and darted towards Jim.

“Damn it, man!” Len shouted as he placed a gentle hand on Jim’s back. Jim, who was bent over wheezing, attempted to wave him off.

“No, I deserved that,” He spoke between a gasp and a laugh. “Just give me a minute,” Jim’s face contorted as the pain no doubt throbbed through his chest. “Hell of a swing,” Footsteps downstairs had you again leaning over the railing, and this time it was Eleanora’s face looking back up at you. 

“What the devil’s goin on up here?” She said, climbing the stairs quickly. You blushed slightly at her tone, reminding you all too much of your grandmother.

“Sorry, ma’am. Little bit of a prank gone wrong.” You said as she reached the top. Jim tried to stand up straight but only managed enough to look at Mrs. McCoy.

“My fault, El.” He groaned. She shook her head and pointed a stern finger at him.

“James Tiberius, you’re almost more trouble than you’re worth,” She said. Jim offered a mix between a grimace and a smile.

“I know.” He said. Instantly her face softened, and she turned her attention to the man now heading towards her.

“Leonard, get the-“She started, but Len was already nodding as he spoke.

“The aloe, I know.” He headed down the stairs to retrieve the soothing ointment, and El turned her gaze back to Jim.

“You sure you’re alright, son?” She spoke gentler now, but her voice still held the same stern exasperation you often heard from Leonard. Jim gave her a weak thumbs-up, though his usual charming smile was replaced with a wince.

“Yeah, just really stings. Nothing a nap, some aloe, and a hypo won’t fix.” He said. You turned and followed Leonard downstairs, a laugh escaping you as you found him scowling outside the kitchen door. He turned and rolled his eyes at you right before Joanna emerged with two bottles of water and the aloe.

“I’ll meet you outside.” He said as she handed the aloe over. She sent you a huge grin as she skipped past you and out the front door. You started to lean up for a kiss as Leonard approached, but he just shook his head. “Oh no, troublemaker.” You pouted, but he just chuckled darkly and grabbed your hip to pull you against him. “You’re lucky we’re here and not at home.” He whispered into your ear. You suppressed a shiver at the feeling of his breath against the sensitive skin. He released you and walked away, smirking before you could reply, and you let out a frustrated huff. Damn. The sound of footsteps on the stairs signaled El was heading down, and you took a moment to shake your head and clear your thoughts. You smiled as she approached and followed behind her into the kitchen. Donna looked up from the stacks of recipe cards laid out on the table as you walked in. 

“Trouble?” She asked with a small smile. You tilted your head in confirmation as you responded.

“With those two? It’s always something.” 

“I don’t know that you have much room to talk.” She laughed and gestured to her cheek. You reached up to feel the stitches and gave a nervous laugh. 

“Heh, okay yeah, we’re all three getting into trouble constantly,” You said, pulling up a stool and smiling softly. “But we’ve got each other’s backs. Len patches Jim and I up, mind you he’s gonna fuss the whole time, and we keep him safe when he’s playing doctor on a remote planet to some less than friendly locals or whatever the case may be. None of us would be here without the others.” Donna shared a look with her mother as you finished, far too quick to decipher its meaning before the older woman grabbed a basket full of peaches and set them on the table. 

“Mama I think we may have lost the recipe-” Donna began, but Eleanora just held up her finger and sent you a wink. 

“Do you think I’d leave my award-winning recipe just laying around where anyone can find it?” She said, chuckling and reaching into the pocket of her apron. “(Y/n) why don’t you get started on peeling and slicing these here,” She patted the basket of peaches. “The peeler’s in that drawer there behind you, so’s the knives.” Once you helped clear the stacks of cards off the table, you washed your hands and grabbed a peach. Unable to resist the urge, you lifted it close to your face and inhaled it’s sweet scent deeply.

“Mmm. Are these local?” You asked, sparking conversation about how you get fresh fruit while lightyears away in space. One conversation led to the next, and before you knew it, two hours had flown by. You had come to learn that Eleanora was an absolute powerhouse in the kitchen, although you could have figured that from the astounding food you’d had over the last week. Her peach cobbler really had won awards all over the county, and the recipe for it had been handed down from mother to daughter for generations. On the other hand, Donna didn’t quite have her mother’s finesse when it came to baking.

“Listen, I can cook just as well as anyone, but when it comes to baking?” She laughed, shaking her head. “I don’t know why, but something always goes wrong.” Eleanora started to reply, but the sound of the front door opening signaled Len and Jo’s return. El shook her head and looked at the clock on the wall.

“Leave it to my son to come back right as the food’s coming out of the oven.” You giggled as she spoke and moved to pull the mouth-watering dessert from the oven. The man himself walked through the door only a moment later, with Joanna trailing behind him chanting ‘Food! Food! Food!’.

“My god that smells amazing,” Leonard said with a massive grin on his face. He walked to El and waited for her to set the cobbler down. “As always, of course.” He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and placing a kiss on her temple. She smiled knowingly and patted him on the cheek before nodding over her shoulder.

“Go on, you can wait till dinner like the rest of us.” Len scowled but quickly wiped the look from his face when his mother glared back. He cleared his throat and moved to open one of the cabinets.

“I’ll go ‘head and set the table.” He grumbled. His attention jumped to you as you giggled again, offering an apologetic smile, which he ignored. “Don’t suppose you’d like to help, would you?” You hopped off of the stool and walked over to pat his shoulder. 

“Absolutely.” 

=============================================================

It took a little while after you’d finished setting the table before everyone was seated together eating once again. Leonard and Jim were arguing about the plan to drive in the old truck, with Leonard insisting that Jim was too old and too sunburned to ride in the bed for nearly 5 hours. Of course, Jim was adamant that he could do it, and it took the arrival of the cobbler for them to finally stop bickering. One bite, and you instantly understood why. It was all you could do not to moan aloud as the warmth and flavor blessed your tastebuds, and for a moment, you could have sworn you entered a different plane. The sound of a throat clearing made you realize you’d closed your eyes, and your cheeks flushed red as you opened them to see Eleanora standing beside your chair. Confusion passed over your face as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a handwritten index card.

“What’s this?” You asked politely, reaching up to grab the card. As you read, your eyes went wide, and you started to protest. “El, I couldn’t possibly-”

“Yes, you can.” Her voice was stern, but her eyes held a warmth, not unlike that of the dessert itself. “I insist.” You were dumbfounded as you carefully set the card on the table. Your eyes found Leonard, who was frozen mid-bite, staring at you in stunned awe. 

“I don’t even know what to say, ma’am. I’m honored.” You finally stammered out. Eleanora’s smile matched the warmth in her eyes as she patted you on the shoulder before returning to her seat. 

“Close your mouth, son. You’re drooling on my tablecloth.” She said as she sat down. You looked back over to Leonard and giggled softly as he swallowed and wiped his chin.

“Sorry, Momma.” He said, still staring at the card. All was silent for a few moments until Joanna finally spoke up and broke the tension.

“Daddy?” She asked, and Leonard instantly turned all his attention to her.

“Yeah, Shug?” He replied. She hesitated for a moment, causing one of his eyebrows to rise slowly in concern. 

“I was wondering if you could drop me off at school tomorrow. I meant to ask earlier, but I forgot.” She looked at him with pleading eyes as she finished. Leonard chuckled before answering.

“Well, of course. You didn’t think I’d miss out on embarrassing you on your first day, did you?” Everyone but the man himself rolled their eyes. “Is it alright if (Y/n) and Jim join us? That way, we could head straight out from there.” He asked, and Joanna nodded quickly. 

“I was hoping they’d come too.” She said brightly. Len smiled and tilted his head in affirmation.

“Then it’s settled.” Everyone resumed eating, and before you knew it, you found yourself once again in bed with Leonard’s arms holding you against him. You were squirming as he pressed kisses into your neck, trying to ignore the large hint to his intentions pressing against your backside.

“Leonard.” You whispered in warning. He ignored you, his hand sliding beneath your waistband. “L-Leo-” Your voice came out as more of a choked gasp as his fingers slipped inside you for a moment before moving to stroke your clit. 

“Do you know how much I love you?” He spoke lowly, nipping at the skin on your neck. You fought to control yourself as a moan threatened to escape.

“I think I have a pr-pretty good idea,” You bit your lip and whimpered as he slid one long finger deep inside you, before quickly adding a second. You surrendered into him as he curled them in the perfect ‘come hither’ motion. Your hand flew up to cover your mouth as a loud gasp escaped you.  

“How about I show you how much anyway, just to be sure?” You couldn’t reply as he began a relentless assault, all of your focus needed to remain silent. CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP A whimper once again escaped as Leonard quickly withdrew his fingers, using his other hand to grab his PADD. “Who the hell is sending me a message this late?” He grumbled, and you looked over his shoulder in curiosity.

             Pls don’t. -J

You blushed crimson as you realized what he meant, and gave Leonard a smack with the pillow. 

“SEE!” You whisper shouted. “Be glad it was Jim and not your mothe- mmph!” Leonard silenced you with a demanding kiss that left you breathless. 

“Just gonna have to be quieter, Sugar.” He moved to pin you beneath him as he whispered into your ear. “Think you can do that for me?” He pulled back to look at you, eyes searching for any sign you really wanted him to stop. You huffed and reach up to pull him into a kiss.

“Damn you.” As his hand slid back down your body, you willed the bed to remain silent, hoping that Jim wouldn’t be too harsh in the morning.

=============================================================

As it turned out, you were all too busy trying to sort out the luggage situation to worry about what might have been heard the night before. Jim had most of it in the truck bed with him, but there were only so many bags he could keep watch on, so three ended up in the cabin with Leonard, Joanna, and you. Your goodbyes ended up rushed as the time came closer for Jo to be at school, and when you got on the road, you had barely 45 mins to get her there on time. The whole drive there, Leonard had a death grip on the wheel, and the tension in the truck only skyrocketed as you pulled up to the school. One of the many downsides of such a small town was that everyone knew everyone else’s business. One look at the group of parents standing nearby, and you instantly knew what they were saying. Deciding to avoid any more attention than you’d already drawn, you quickly helped Jo climb out of the truck. You’d started to hop back in when you heard Joanna say your name. Before you could finish turning back, she’d wrapped around you in a hug. You couldn’t keep the smile off your face as you returned the hug.

“Thanks for letting me stick around, Peach.” You said as you broke apart. She laughed and reached up to swipe at her eyes.

“Thanks for being here, (y/n)” You nodded and glanced over her shoulder at Leonard, who was doing his best to keep it together.

“Anytime,” Jim hopped out of the truck bed as you spoke, and threw his arms out dramatically. Jo giggled and threw her arms around him, too, allowing you to subtly grab Leonard’s attention. Even from a few feet away, he looked shaky. You smiled softly at him and gestured slightly. “Breathe.” You mouthed, and he nodded, taking a deep breath. 

“JO-JO!!” You looked around in confusion as a voice yelled across the front lawn. Joanna broke out in a smile and spun in excitement, and you spotted the owner of the voice right as she started to wave. “C’MON, IT’S ALMOST TIME FOR THE BELL,” The kid, presumably Jo’s friend, called out. Joanna looked at her watch, and her face fell. She turned to Leonard, her mouth open to speak, but he just waved her on.

“It’s alright, Shug. I’ll be back in a couple weeks when we leave. Don’t be late.” He said, and she frowned apologetically before turning to head towards the building. She made it two steps before Leonard spoke again. “Jo!” She stopped on the spot and turned back. Your heart broke as Len swallowed hard before calling out. “I love you.” His voice broke, and Joanna was running back in an instant, slamming into him in a hug. 

“A bushel and a peck,” You heard her say softly, and Leonard held her tighter before they spoke together. 

“And a hug around the neck” 

“Go on,” Leonard said, finally breaking the embrace. “Your grandmother’ll kill me if I make you late on your first day.” Joanna nodded and took off sprinting. Len said nothing as he made his way back into the truck.

“Take your time, Bones. We’ve got all day.” Jim said gently. Leonard waved him off and slid into the driver seat.

“I’m good. Let’s get going.” He mumbled. You looked at Jim and gave him a nod.

“I’ve got him, don’t worry.” You whispered, and Jim hesitated for a moment before sighing and climbing back into the truck bed. Leonard cranked the engine as you hopped inside, offering a small smile when you slid over to take his hand and press a kiss to his palm. “You did great, Leo.” He leaned over and place a kiss on your temple before grabbing ahold the gear shift. Nothing else was said as he shifted into gear and pulled out onto the road. You knew he needed time, and he knew you’d be there when he was ready. He just hoped you both were ready for what lay ahead.

Tags: @bakerstreethound​ @bookscoffeeandracoons​ @lt-trick​ @ladyideal​ @billybutchersbabe​ @emily-strange​ (If I forgot you, feel free to yell at me. If you’d like to be added, click here)

[give-me-back-my-rhodey]

Law vs Morals - AUgust Day 19

Title: Law vs Morals

Author: Purple_ducky00

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Violence, slight mentions of period homophobia, major character death (of old age)

Pair: Pepper/Tony, eventual Pepper/Rhodey/Tony

Link: Read on AO3

Summary:  Police Chief James Rhodes is adamant on taking down the Stark mob. When he gets kidnapped by the Starks, he starts to see all they do. Can there be some gray in the world of black and white?

Written for @endrega23  I hope you enjoy it!

+++++++++

The Stark family has ruled New York City for the better part of the 1800s, growing stronger as each successor took their place as the head. Howard followed Montgomery, strengthening their hold by marrying Maria Carbonell and taking over the Carbonell family business as well. Anthony, or Tony, now sits on the seat. Rumors of his cunning and ruthlessness precede him. No one steps onto his territory without him knowing. Anyone who tries to go against his rule is taken care of immediately.

 The problem with this is, no one can pin anything on Stark. Any mobster caught is more afraid of their boss than the police and will not say a word. Police Chief Rhodes devotes his life to taking down the Stark family. The only problem is that most of his cops have been bought by the mobster. It’s up to him alone to find evidence on the man.

Stark himself is a bit of a recluse. He doesn’t go out much, and when he does, he goes big. All eyes are on him, and everyone knows where he is and what he’s doing. It’s very hard to accuse him of any wrongdoing when the public loves him. Rhodes has met him several times. Stark greets him happily, even giving him the nickname of ‘Rhodey’. Rhodes can admit that if he did not know that Stark was a criminal, they’d probably be good friends.

 Rhodes once got a tip-off telling him to keep an eye out for Stark’s wife. A high-society woman, Mrs. Stark is seen at all the social events wearing the latest gowns in fashion.  Graceful and beautiful, she is always the star of the show. Rhodes often wonders if she knows her husband deals in criminal affairs. Rhodes tails her for a few days, but nothing she does seems out of the ordinary. He finally gives up and goes back to his normal routine.

 Another tip-off leads him to bring down Tiberius Stone, Stark’s competitor. Stone himself cannot tie Stark to anything either, but he feeds Rhodes with a lot of rumors and information. “Potts, well Mrs. Stark now, is not as genteel as she seems. She is deadly, officer, deadly. She runs more of the operation than Stark himself. They say that he told everyone who works for him that whatever she says goes. She’s the real kingpin here.” He also rattles off places that he assumes Stark uses as fronts for his real business.

 Chief Rhodes goes by foot as there are no available carriages and he’d prefer to be inconspicuous. Taking it upon himself to search the buildings, Rhodes stumbles across a dead body, brutally beaten and mangled. He’s  ready to call it in when something hits the back of his head, and he falls, unconscious.

 He wakes up in a nicely furnished room, handcuffed to the headboard of a bed. Struggling to get free, he doesn’t notice the person sitting next to him until they clear their throat. Rhodes yells. “Let me go, you bastard!” Until he realizes that the person sitting next to him is a woman, that woman being Mrs. Stark. “Pardon my language, ma’am.”

 The woman frowns down at him. “Don’t patronize me,” She says. “I wanted to kill you immediately. You had better be thankful that my husband likes you. Now that you’re awake, I’ll get him.” She pushes down a button and calls. “Send Mr. Stark to the hold, please.”

 A few minutes later, Stark rushes in the door. “Rhodey!” He smiles, face beaming. “It’s so nice to see you again!”

 Mrs. Stark rolls her eyes, muttering, and Rhodes pulls against his cuffs. “What do you want from me? Why am I here?”

 “I don’t really want you to be here, but it was either keep you here or kill you, and I don’t want to see you killed.” Stark’s eyes get sad.

 “Don’t go playing the victim here, Stark.” He growls. “Everyone knows you’re a criminal. I am going to get out of here and take you down.”

 “Tony, I told you he’s not going to cooperate,” Mrs. Stark sighs.

 Tony holds out his hand to her. “Pepper, I don’t want to kill him, please.”

 This comes off weird to Rhodes. Tony Stark, the invincible head of the Stark gang, is pleading to his wife to spare the life of the only cop who’s been trying to bring him down for the past decade? What is going on here? He watches as the couple share a conversation with their eyes. Mrs. Stark sighs again and shrugs. Tony turns back to Rhodes. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to stay here. Collateral damage and all – I’m sure you understand. Please know that you may ask for whatever you want, and it shall be given to you. You’ll be treated like a special guest. But you'll have a guard with you at all times so that you can’t escape.”

 “Why don’t you just kill me?” Rhodes sinks back on the bed.

 Tony sits beside him. “Because, Rhodey, I like you. And I never want to see you dead.”

 “What are you going to do if my men start looking for me?”

 “Rhodey, be serious. First off, I have all your men on my payroll. Secondly, did you tell anyone where you were going?” Stark tilts his head. Rhodes has to admit that he has a point.

 The Starks assign two guards to Rhodes, a thin teenager who is exceptionally strong and a stony faced man with a prosthetic arm. The teenager likes to talk. He tells Rhodes how Mr. Stark saved him and his aunt from being thrown out on the street because they couldn’t pay rent. He goes on about his friends, his boyfriends, and the food he had for breakfast until the other guard, Barnes, asks him to shut it.

 “What about you?” Rhodes asks snidely. “Did Mr. Stark save your life as well?”

 “No, but he saved my wife's. I was already working for him when she was caught by the police. She smuggled her way over here from Russia, and they didn’t like that very much. Mr. Stark paid them off before they did anything vile to her. I am forever grateful for that.”

 What is this, the time for sob stories? Rhodes scoffs. It wouldn’t surprise him that Stark would pay them to tell him these things. For some reason, Stark always wanted to be on his good side. Maybe he wants to win Rhodes over, too. It won’t happen.

 The Starks find out not too long after that Pepper is pregnant. Tony removes her from any field work until she comes to term. He doesn’t want her, or his unborn child injured in any way.  The redhead works behind the scenes a lot more now.  As Stark is very busy, she spends a lot of time sitting with Rhodes. They play chess and checkers while Pepper puts her feet up. She usually wins, but there are a few times Rhodes is able to eek in a victory.

 As he resides at the Stark mansion, he starts to notice things. Tony spends most of his time in his workshop, either developing new weapons for his men, or more often than not, manufacturing things to help people in their daily lives. He overhears one of Stark’s men asking what to do with the Keener family. “She’s late on her payments once again, sir.”

 “It’s not her fault they won’t hire a single mother. Let her live there for free. It’s not costing me anything. Besides, Harley comes here a lot of times after school. I appreciate his help. Leave them alone and work over the rich assholes who won’t pay their workers,” Tony replies.

 Pepper funds many orphanages and homes for the poor. Between the two of them, the Starks are building a respectable neighborhood around them, something they wouldn’t have been able to do without their drug and crime money.

 One day, when Tony comes in from a stroll, Rhodes mentions this to him. Tony smiles. “Now you’re getting it. Tell me, Rhodey, which is better? Me, robbing the extremely wealthy of the funds they’ll never use to help build up the city or having men in power who only strive for their own greatness? Who hire police officers who will imprison the misfortunate because they have no home and take advantage of the unarmed women? I hope you realize that just because something is legal, it’s not always moral. And vice versus.”

“Is that how you sleep at night?” Rhodes scoffs.

 Tony sighs. “No, how I sleep at night is with my darling wife in a very comfortable bed. You’d be welcome to join if you’d like.”

 Rhodes is taken aback. Stark just said that so… casually. Doesn’t he know he could get killed for that kind of comment? Homosexuality is a taboo, and those who have those feelings didn’t dare speak in public about it. Rhodes knows; he is one of those persons. In any other case, he would have brushed it off as a joke, but… he can’t stop thinking about it. He’s not sure if it’s Stockholm Syndrome or not, but his feelings towards Mr. and Mrs. Stark have definitely changed.

 Thinking of them as friends and not enemies, he often seeks out their company now. Pepper and he have long conversations about art, strategies, and even fashion. He accompanies Tony to his workshop every now and again. He learns about simple mechanics and the newest technologies. They have settled into a very easy camaraderie.

 Now, Tony makes that comment. Rhodes can’t deny that he finds both husband and wife very attractive. He decides, after a long night of debate, to leave the comment as it was said and not think of it again until…

 One night, he knocks on Pepper’s parlor door for their usually book reading. Like most times, she doesn’t answer. He slips in the door only to find her and Tony getting it on. They don’t pull away when they see him, and he backs up, stammering. “I-I’m sorry. I’ll just come back later.”

“Join us?” Pepper asks, head thrown back in pleasure.

 They must have been serious. Rhodes thinks. “Are you sure?”

 “Would we have asked were we not sure?” Tony queries. “We want you here, Rhodey, but we understand if you would prefer to leave.”

 “No, I will stay.”

 ++++++++ When little Morgan is born seven months later, Pepper introduces her to both of her fathers. Rhodey becomes part of the business. When Pepper stays in the background tending to Morgan, he takes control of the next moves. He and Pepper band together when Tony takes care of the baby, which is more often than not. She has him wrapped around her finger.

 Rhodey loves Morgan. She’s not his child by blood, but she’s his child. No one dares to tell him or her otherwise. He teaches her how to defend herself at a very young age. It is not a secret that she will be even more powerful than her predecessors.

 The trio stick together as laws change, as Morgan grows, as they grow old. Pepper is the first to pass, falling sick with the flu. Rhodey is next at the age of eighty-five. Tony passes not long after, handing the reins of the business to his daughter. Although she grows more powerful than her parents, tales are still told about the trio that ran New York.

[goingknowherewastaken]

Diagnosis: Love

*not my gif

Title: Diagnosis: Love

Fandom: Star Trek

Relationship: McKirk

Warnings: swearing, flirting, pissed of Georgian doctors

A/N: Happy (slightly belated) birthday Tia ( @captainsbabysitter-blog )!!! ♥

This was done for Tia’s Birthday Challenge! I signed up and claimed the prompts of McKirk and the College Professor!AU because I had this little beauty - that I had shared with @thevalesofanduin and @jiminthestreets-bonesinthesheets -floating around my head for months! This was just the perfect opportunity to write it :D

And, oh, this is also the idea that sparked the reader fics, At the Center of the Universe and High Energy ;)

Anyways, Tia, I hope you enjoy it :D

Enjoy!! ♥

Diagnosis: Love

Pressing down the edges of the bandage one last time, Leonard stepped back away from the examination table. “Alright,” he said, “That should be it. Just keep an eye on it and replace the bandage as needed. If it doesn't look any better come Friday, come back here so I can look at it again.”

The kid on the table, Pavel Chekov, nodded his head, the short blond curls bobbing with the movement. “Da, I know.”

Leonard did his best to smother the frown that wanted to form before giving him final instructions and sending him on his way. Once the door closed, leaving Leonard all alone in the small exam room, he collapsed into the lone, rickety chair and rubbed at his face with a sigh.

This was not the path he ever expected to be on.

He had had everything - a gorgeous wife, a dream job, and the perfect home.

Then everything had to go to shit.

Now look at him.

Freshly divorced and living in an okay apartment as he crushes the dreams teaches bright-eyed med students and plays campus doctor in his free time.

Okay, sure, Starfleet is technically one of the top schools in the world and teaching the kids has its moments, but the doctoring has been grating on him.

The panicked patients coming in for various sex related treatments and advice he expected.

Treating overly caffeinated and sleep deprived, stressed out students wasn’t a shock.

The repeated treatments he had to hand out to the engineering majors...that was a bit out of the blue.

His first month at Starfleet, Leonard thought nothing of it. Just treated the kids, gave them a warning to be more careful, and then sent them on their way. It was during his second month that he began to take notice of how many replied with “engineering” when he asked about their major. And it was barely into his third month that he noticed a name that tended to be brought up by these engineering majors - James Kirk.

Correction.

Dr. James Kirk.

“You mean you’ve never heard of Kirk?”

Christine Chapel had given him an amused look when he had questioned her about the guy. Apparently, he was a pretty big deal at Starfleet, enough that Leonard should have already known this dude.  

Leonard pinched his nose.

Knock. Knock.

And Chris should have been thrilled that he had even thought to ask her! Nurses know everything and since she was the core instructor for the nursing majors of course Leonard thought that she would give him information about this irritable thorn in his side.

Knock. Knock.

“Dr. Kirk is a genius, Len, and one of the most popular professors! He’s only been here for two years and you would not believe the influx of students wanting to take Astrophysics that Starfleet got. Not to mention that his Robotics Club is one of the most popular clubs on campus.”

Of course she handed over the information he wanted, but not without teasing him from then on.

“Robotics Club?”

Knock! Knock!

That just explained everything.

Click!

“Hello - You okay, Doc?”

The sudden appearance of the low voice had Leonard jerking his head up. The action causing him to lock gazes with the most stunning pair of blue eyes he’d ever seen set in the face of an incredibly handsome man. A man whose head was not only currently popping through the small opening he’d made with the door, but also giving him a very quizzically amused look.

Leonard didn’t even realize he’d been shocked into silence until the man had questioned him once more. Flustered, Leonard shook his head and stood, motioning for the man to step inside the room and take a seat on the bed. As he did so, Leonard took a chance to take in and assess his new patient.

With black, vintage glasses set upon a delicate nose, the man’s face was framed with a bushy beard and hair in a burnished gold that just begged for someone to run their fingers it. Going lower, he noted a well tailored white shirt with its sleeves rolled up as the man cradled his right hand to his stomach, a dark blue suit jacket hung over one arm, black honest-to-god suspenders running down his torso and attaching to a pair of fitted dark blue pants that nicely accentuated the man’s pelvic area and thighs -

Leonard’s mind ground to a halt as the man tossed his jacket on the bed and hopped up to take a seat, cradling his hand once more.

Cradling his hand…

Injured hand…

Leonard was quick to pull his healing instincts to the front of his mind. “What happened?” He asked, grabbing gloves before stepping forward into the man’s space - between his spread legs - and his heart absolutely did not stutter when the man peered at him with those baby blues .

“I, uh, I was working and cut my hand,” he said, holding out his hand for Leonard to take. Which he did, taking great care to not think about knees on either side of his hips as the man’s warm breath ghosted across his face nor the faint scars and calluses that littered the hand as he examined it. Upon finding the cut, however, Leonard’s brows knitted together as he processed what he was seeing.

“This - This is what you came in for?” He looked up then, meeting those blue eyes that were completely free of shame.

And there damn well should have been shame in those eyes, because walking into a medical professional’s office and requesting medical treatment for a tiny fucking paper cut was one of the most shameful acts a person could possibly do.

Instead, the man just gave a casual roll of his shoulders and flashed a grin. “Well, I just wanted to make sure it was properly taken care of by a medical professional and all of my kids spoke rather highly of you.” By the end of his spiel, the expression he exhibited had shifted into one that had a knot twisting low in Leonard’s gut, sparking whispers of thoughts not welcome at the present moment.

“All it needs is to be cleaned and have a bandaid slapped on it.” Shifting and regaining his focus, Leonard squinted at the man as the gears in his mind went into overdrive over the latter part of the man’s sentence. “Who the hell are you?”

“Kirk,” he responded, plush lips tipping up into a smug smirk. “Doctor James Tiberius Kirk.”

...Fuck.

Leonard straightened, eye twitching as he stared down the still overly pleased Kirk.

This man - this gorgeous, golden man that he’d been attempting to not ogle this entire time is the same man who, due to the repeated appearance of his students in Leonard’s office, has become the bane of his existence?

“You son of a bitch.” The words ripped their way out of Leonard’s mouth in a hiss, triggering Kirk’s brows to jerk up in surprise. Much to Leonard’s chagrin, though, Kirk did not lose his grin and that just set him off even more. “Are you out of your fucking mind?! You have spent the past five months allowing your kids to be so pathetically careless where they have to come to me to fix the injuries that they shouldn’t even fucking have and then you have the goddamn audacity to march in here with a fucking paper cut like this is all just a fucking fantastic joke?!”

By the end of his tirade, Leonard’s chest was heaving as he glared at Kirk, unaware that he had leaned in closer during the scolding.

Close enough that they were nearly nose to nose.

“...wow…”

Close enough that when Kirk’s breathless word ghosted across his lips, Leonard found himself blinking in shock, listing and unsettled by the realization that he couldn’t tell which type of frustration was the cause of his thrumming, heated blood.

The slight bump of Kirk’s nose against his, the briefest tickle of his silver streaked beard, had Leonard swallowing. “Christine was right; you are incredibly hot when you’re frustrated.”

Another blink. A flex of his hands revealed that he was still holding Kirk’s hands in his. “Excuse me?” He said, voice coming out rougher than what he would have liked.

Kirk, on the other hand, appeared more than pleased by the sound, his eyes brightening and grin widening as his knees squeezed Leonard’s waist. “Sampson’s on Saturday night at seven. They have fantastic food.” His voice lowered. “And I make amazing pancakes,” he added with a wink.

And just like that, Leonard was left sputtering as a kiss was placed upon his nose and he was left alone as Kirk slipped away with a quick, “See you Saturday,” tossed over his shoulder.

Son of a bitch...what the hell just -

With a curse, Leonard snatched up the suit jacket and ripped open the door, holding the jacket aloft, yelling, “You left your damn jacket, infant!” Hearing no response, he dropped his hand with a huff, but a flicker of white had his irritation turning to curiosity.

And the scrawled out number on the slip of paper he picked up had him reevaluating his weekend plans as his lip twitched in amusement.

~ ;D ♥

Post A/N: So idk if I’ve mentioned this anywhere, but I imagine Jim for these fics to be the Astrophysics professor and the supervisor for the Robotics Club - well, okay I know I mentioned those bits of info but in regards to his own education I imagine him to have doctorates in astrophysics, engineering, and physics. Or a doctorate for at least one of those 

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[kinkykinard]

1250 Follower Ficlet #3

Requested by the fantastic @janeykath318!

Fandom: Star Trek AOS. Pairing: Jim Kirk x Reader. Prompt: Alien Attack. Rating: Teen+. Warnings: mentions of injury, blood, guns, violence. Words: 1861.

“As far as I can tell, this isn’t the kind of species we should be attempting to make first contact with,” you whisper to Jim.

The two of you, Lieutenant Uhura, and a two man security detail are on a reconnaissance mission, crouched in the thick ring of bushes and trees on the outskirts of a previously uncontacted civilization.  From what you’ve observed so far you’re certain the race has space travel capabilities not unlike those of Earth in the early twenty first century, but they also seem like a violent people.

“How can you tell?”  Jim asks.

“The hieroglyphs carved into the posts near the gate to the encampment seemed to depict conquest,” you explain.  “I’m also reasonably certain some of them depict a battle with visitors from another planet that ended in a whole lot of bloodshed.”

“Maybe the visitors were hostile?”  Jim suggests.

Uhura shakes her head, glancing at the PADD in her hands.

“I think I’ve managed to translate some of what they’re saying,” she explains.  “Y/N is right.  This ritual they’re executing - I think it’s in celebration of a war; a fairly recent one, at that.”

“If I may,” you interject.  “My formal recommendation is that we withdraw and report our impressions to the admiralty; let them make the call.”

Jim looks like he’s considering arguing, but eventually he nods, deferring to your and Uhura’s better judgment.  Flipping his communicator open, he’s about to make the call to the Enterprise to beam the lot of you up when he’s flung forward.  The communicator skitters away from his outstretched hand as he lands face-first on the forest floor and you spin around to see what’s upset his balance.  When you turn, you come face to face with a group of a half dozen or so heavily armed men from the encampment and they’ve all got murder in their eyes.

One of the soldiers begins yelling something in their language and you can see Uhura straining to understand.  He gestures to Jim with one hand as he points a gun at you with the other and you don’t know what to do.  Glancing around at the security guards with you, you look for clues as to what you should do.

As you panic inwardly, Jim starts to scramble to sit up.  He gets up onto his knees and slowly turns around, facing the soldiers with his hands up.  As he does so, his communicator suddenly comes to life, broadcasting a message from on board the ship.

Captain, do you read me?

It’s Spock’s voice.

We have received an alert that a member of your landing party has activated an emergency beacon.  As per protocol, we will beam you aboard in one minute unless we receive any orders to the contrary.

The soldier holding the gun level with the middle of your forehead, whom you assume to be the leader, gestures to the communicator and begins shouting again, gesturing for his soldiers to take hold of your crew.  As one of them storms toward you, Jim holds up his hands and starts trying to talk to the soldiers advancing on you.

“My name is Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the USS Enterprise,” he explains as slowly and clearly as he is able to in a state of heightened adrenaline.  “We were sent to your planet to initiate first contact by Starfleet, a member of the United Federation of Planets.  We come in peace.”

The soldier seems to take his words as hostile with their meaning being lost in translation.  Before Jim even knows what’s happening, the soldier raises his weapon and depresses the trigger, pumping off several rounds of ammunition.  You’re at an advantage at the angle you’re at and you see what’s about to happen just before it does.  You launch yourself at Jim and push him out of the way as the first few bullets miss the two of you.  You feel another few catch you in various parts of your arm and shoulder, however, and you scream as the two of you fall.

Jim is yelling your name but all you can hear is ringing in your ears from the gun blasts and the echoes of your own screams inside of your head.  You shut your eyes against the agony and feel a tingling against your skin.  It’s a familiar feeling and you know instinctively that it’s the transporter’s warm, golden light wrapping around you and whisking you away back to the ship.

You cry out again as you hit the deck and you moan as you feel hands land on your shoulders, slipping in the blood trickling steadily from your wounds.

Oh, God, so much blood.

“Bones!”  Jim shouts from where he’s leaning over you.  “We need to get her to sick bay.  Now!”

A team of nurses rush forward at Dr. McCoy’s side and all of a sudden you feel several more sets of hands join Jim’s on your body.  You cry out wordlessly in pain as you’re moved onto a stretcher and you can hear Dr. McCoy giving orders but none of it is making sense to you.  Tears are streaming down your face as the stretcher glides along toward the turbo lift and you wince as you feel a pinch at the side of your neck.  Seconds later your world fades to black and the pain finally, blissfully, ebbs with it.

Your awakening several hours later is a very gradual one.  At first, the anaesthetic haze you’re in is so profound that you’re not even sure where up is, and the voices all around you sound like they’re coming at you from underwater.  As you slowly swim through the pea soup of brain fog towards the surface, you start to feel twinges of pain and hands on you.  Without context, the sensations throw you into anxiety, though alertness is still fleeting.  Somewhere, a frantic beeping starts up and a chair scrapes against the floor.

“Bones!”  Jim exclaims.  “What is it?  What’s wrong?”

“She’s fine, Jim,” the doctor soothes.  “Just coming out of sedation.  She’ll settle.  Talk to her.”

You feel another set of hands land on you, taking one of your hands.  They squeeze gently there and stay clasped on as the man they belong to starts talking.

“Y/N?”  Jim says softly.  “Can you hear me?  You’re safe.  You’re back on the Enterprise; you’re in sick bay.”

Consciousness begins to come more quickly and you furrow your eyebrows as you try to break through the last of the confusion.  JIm’s here.  Jim’s talking to you.  You’re safe. 

As the thought sinks in, your body relaxes and the alarm ringing in the background begins to settle, eventually fading out entirely.  You slowly try to open your eyes but your eyelids feel heavy and so even at your best your gaze is half-lidded and dimmed by a latticework of eyelashes.

“What’s going on?”  You mumble tiredly, slurring your words a little before the anaesthetic has had a chance to wear off.

“You were shot,” Jim explains.  “But you’re going to be fine.  Bones got all of the bullet fragments out.  All you need to do is rest.”

The memories begin coming back to you piece by piece and as a flash of the last thing you remember before hitting the ground comes back to you, you gasp sharply and try to sit up.  You fail miserably and wind up landing right back against the bio bed, groaning as the newly closed bullet wounds twinge from the impact.

“What about you?”  You ask, concentrating so that you’re enunciating more clearly.

“Me?”  Jim asks, confused.  “I’m fine, angel.  Don’t you worry about me.”

Leonard rolls his eyes from where he’s making note of your vitals.

“The question shouldn’t come as a surprise,” Leonard chips in.  “Considering your usual state of affairs.”

Jim glares daggers at Leonard for a moment before returning his attention to you, gently picking up the hand of yours that he’s holding and bringing it to his lips.  He brushes a soft kiss over your knuckles and nuzzles his cheek against them, holding your hand there for a long moment as if to reassure himself that you’re really back with him and recovering.

You attempt to shift to get a better look at him but it’s still too painful and you groan softly, giving up and instead urging him closer with a wave of your hand.  He shuffles in as close to the bed as he can get and still you wordlessly insist he get closer.  His eyes light up with understanding as he realizes that you want him to get up on the bed with you but he looks to Dr. McCoy first.  Thankfully, the CMO appears to have figured out what you’re angling for.

“Go ahead,” he tells Jim.  “You won’t hurt anything.”

He turns his attention to you instead.

“I’ll get you something a little stronger for the pain,” he says softly, turning quickly and disappearing from sight.

As the doctor leaves the two of you alone, you grit your teeth and shift over to the side of the bio bed away from Jim, making some room for him.  Once you’re clear, he makes sure he’s not going to lie on your IV line or any other wire before climbing carefully in beside you.  He gives you a hand in sitting up just a little ways so that he can put his arm under your head, letting you use his bicep as a pillow as you curl in toward him.

As you make yourself comfortable, Dr. McCoy returns and quietly administers a hypo before once again taking his leave.  Once you and Jim are finally, properly alone, you sigh contentedly and let your eyes flutter closed as the pain medication eases all of your discomfort.  Jim presses his lips to your forehead in a gentle kiss.

“You scared me to death,” he admits quietly.  “There was so much blood, I thought for sure...”

“I’m fine, Jim,” you murmur, sleep tugging at your consciousness.

“But you almost weren’t,” he protests.  “You almost died, Y/N.”

You shrug weakly, pressing your face closer in to the crook of his neck, letting his heat put you at ease.

“You would have done the same for me,” you reason.

“I’m the captain, it’s my job,” Jim insists.  “Now, get some rest.  If I don’t let you sleep, Bones’ll kill me.”

You smile tiredly and nod.

“But we’re not done talking about this,” you hedge.  “We’re going to sit down and have a long conversation about taking stupid risks once I’m better.”

Jim chuckles softly and nods, pulling the blanket up around you to keep you warm and cozy.  As he gently strokes your arm with the hand you’re not lying on, you let yourself give in to the effects of the painkillers Dr. McCoy has given you.  You quickly succumb to the seductive draw of the drugs and fall into a deep, dreamless, restful sleep.  It’s the first of what you’re sure will be many steps along the road to recovery, but with Jim by you’re side, you’re sure you can get through anything.

@starshiphufflebadger @star-trekkin-across-theuniverse @imamotherfuckingstar-lord @feelmyroarrrr @musingsongbird @gerardnot-gerald @ababyinatrenchcoat @the-alpha-otter @medicatemedrmccoy @wonders-of-the-multiverse @answer-the-sirens @devanshade @dolamrothianlady @startrekimagines @theonlyparadox @itsjaynebird @mccoymostly @goodnightwife @thevalesofanduin @elsa-lost-in-translation @yourtropegirl @gryffindor9whovian @auduna-druitt @archangels-lollipop @bookcaseninja @supermoonpanda @bubblegum-star-trek @sergeantangel @pinkamour1588 @webhoard @the-space-goddess-16 @starmission @captain-amelia-bradley @startled-seastar @littlecarowrites @enterprisefeels @eyeofdionysus @emmkolenn @captainsili @battlebunnyteardropsinthesun @kirkaholic123 @ambie2020

[tonystarktogo]

Could you please make a fluff fem tony stark fic? :)

Well, I can try :) I think after the angsty mess that is CD we all need it lol. Also for some reason I heard “fluff Antonia” and immediately thought of college cuddling with friends… Idk, it just happened.

With a heartfelt groan Rhodey dropped down next to Antonia on the sofa.

“Aw,” Ty cooed from her where he was draped over her other side. “Did the poor baby have a hard day?”

Antonia smiled. Initially she had been wary about introducing her two best (and only) friends to each other, but thankfully that worry had been completely unfounded. It had been love at first sight between those two. Not that that should have surprised her, Rhodey and Ty had a lot in common.

They were both stubborn jackasses, for one.

Rhodey scoffed. “Bite me, asshole.”

Alright, maybe it hadn’t exactly been love at first sight. But they hadn’t tried to kill each other yet (there was no proof that Ty had been involved in the Stairs Incident, so that totally didn’t count). Antonia was willing to take what she could get when it came to these two.

Besides watching them fight like spoiled children over anything (mostly her) was hilarious. As long as they didn’t actually fight over her. She had put an end to that nasty habit very quickly.

“Gosh, you have such a way with words!” Ty mocked in a thick, British accent that made Antonia raise an eyebrow.

“You know, if I’d known you could talk British you’d have had a hell of an easier time getting me into your bed back when we first met,” she stated drily. Grinned in satisfaction when that earned her a splutter Rhodey and a curious head-tilt from Ty.

Of course, the three of them being who they were, the silence didn’t last long.

“You were fifteen!” Rhodey yelled outraged.

Ty just smirked. “Don’t flatter yourself, princess. If I’d wanted you in my bed, you would’ve been.”

“Sure, sure, cowboy. You just keep telling yourself that,” Antonia said drolly, making sure to convey how utterly unimpressed she was.

Ty’s smirk widened. He leaned in even closer, the tip of his nose almost brushing against her own, a dangerous glimmer in his eyes. 

He opened his mouth and Antonia had no doubt at all that whatever he was going to say would be absolutely filthy, but Rhodey hit him–and by virtue of how close they were her–in the face with a pillow before he got the chance.

It shouldn’t have been as hilarious as it was, but dear god, Ty’s expression was priceless. Antonia snorted with laughter every time she caught another glance of his face–or turned towards Rhodey and saw the way he preened in the face of Ty’s fury.

This, she thought in the privacy of her own head, this was exactly why the three of them worked. Despite everything. 

Because Tiberius was an arrogant, entitled brat and quite possibly a sociopath and Antonia got him. She understood the way he looked at people, the way he–for all his inappropriate jokes, sexist comments, racist slurs–didn’t care about anything but the use other people had for him.

That was why he was here after all. Ty hadn’t approached her in her first year at MIT because she’d been pretty or easy or prey. He’d approached her because she was Antonia Stark–and as fucked up as it was, there was something soothing about that. Because Antonia was cut from the same cloth. Looked at people the way Ty did. Used them the way he did. They were from the same world, and sometimes it showed.

Rhodey wasn’t like that. Wasn’t like them. He stayed because he liked her, genuine and pure and nothing at all like what Antonia was used to. Rhodey didn’t want the same things other people wanted from her, and sometimes that was confusing. Antonia didn’t really understand Rhodey, not the way she understood Ty, and maybe that was why she enjoyed having him around so much.

He fascinated her in a way Ty didn’t, soothed wounds that she hadn’t even realised were still stinging, just by being there. By staying–despite Ty’s many attempts to drive him off.

He hadn’t succeeded though, and maybe that stubbornness and his obvious intelligence where the only things Ty respected about Rhodey–but he respected them. And Rhodey tolerated him.

And sometimes, on Thursday afternoons like this one, when the world narrowed down to Ty’s outrageously expensive apartment and both of her boys on either side of her, Antonia thought that this, all of it, was more than she could have ever wanted. 

Then Rhodey pulled her closer and sneaked his still-cold hands under her sweatshirt to tickle her side until she begged for mercy. And Ty growled and snarked because her struggle had cost him his least favourite, stupid glass figurine. And somehow she got all three of them wrapped up under her favourite blanket, the one that was soft and fluffy and bright pink that she’d fallen in love with immediately for the simple reason that Ty would hate it with a passion–and he did.

Until they were a nothing but a tangle of limbs, and Rhodey and Ty argued about which movie to watch while Antonia leaned against the chest of whomever was closest, listening to the steady sound of their heartbeat. And Ty rolled his eyes at them both, and Rhodey carded skilled hands through her hair.

And it wasn’t perfect. But it was so fucking close.

Might not be what you had in mind, anon, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways!

[talesofealdancynedom]

Scarlet in her fairy robes with her familiar Galahad. I love my side characters; they deserve to be useful, chill supports, and love interests <3

Tale 7: Rah Wintersleep and Brōcid (chapter 2. Study Group 2/5 ) part 2. Stories of Fey

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The next day at breakfast, Rah said he wanted to pursue magic; And go to school with Amadeus. His mother and aunt were thrilled to hear him take an interest in their line of work. Rah then gave a pointed smile at Gemini. Gemini tried to give a glare to Amadeus, but his son was too busy devouring bacon like a rabid animal.

“Mom, can me and Amadeus go to the library to study? Maybe Scorpio and Scarlet will be there too!” Rah chirped. Their mothers were filled with fancy, that the boys were not only being adamant young wizards, but spending time with girls they approved of. Their mothers said yes before Gemini could object. He nearly spat out his coffee. He was outvoted. Six to one. His wife’s and son’s smiles always counted as an extra vote each.

“We’ll call over Scorpio and Scarlet to pick you up! You can try summoning familiars and maybe get lunch together!” Rah’s mother exclaimed. A deep shadow cast Rah and Amadeus’s faces. They want those girls tagging along to see Morgan. Rah felt dumb for even suggesting it as a cover up.

“Excellent idea!” Gemini added calmly. Now smiling widely reassured his boys wouldn’t be up to mischief.

Rah and Amadeus were greeted an hour later at the Rosethorn manor’s pearl gate. The bars where nacre roses, while the walls and building itself were black. Gemini dug up the fairy robes his brother was supposed to inherit, and gave them to Rah. A boy should be well dressed in magic armor for a magic double date. Amadeus was also asked to put on his. His new harness went through all his clothing like it was intangible; and thus, always visible. When Scarlet and Scorpio arrived, it seemed all four of them were adorned in enchanted uniforms. Scorpio and Scarlet’s parents must have had the same idea. Galahad, Scarlet’s dalmatian familiar, also had a fancy collar.

“What’s up?” Scarlet asked. Rah and Amadeus looked tense.

“We’re actually going to the tower, to see Morgan; Who is like the King Mage, because Amadeus think’s I’m a mage too.” Rah blurted.

“Yes. My inner fey senses, indicate Rah might explode. I’m concerned.” Amadeus said blankly.

“Thank goodness. I thought your mom was setting us up on a double date or something. I’m in.” Scorpio sighed.

Scorpio was in the house Knightheart; A monkey magic house form The South Central. Her robes were a lovely rich salmon silk, embellished in silver, with matching spear and hair clips for her dark red hair. They matched her eyes. She had healed from going dark a few months back, enraged by a boy whistled at her. Scarlet intervened, and also had magic overflow through her, resulting in said healing. Scorpio was not just a childhood friend, but in Amadeus’s paladin program and professional faux love-interest for Rah; He never looked twice at her. Unlike Amadeus, who stared into Scarlet the who bike ride to the tower.

“But what if I do want to date Scarlet?” He said approaching the gate. Enfeyment must have also meant loss of tact and foresight. Or maybe he was just a nervous fifteen-year-old boy who suffered from Freudian slips. Scarlet blushed from the discomfort of the announcement. She returned his affections, but wasn’t ready to say it. No time like the present.

“Cool. Let’s get ice-cream later.” She shrugged, tucking her black and indigo waves from her face. Her heterochromia was magenta-cyan now; enhanced by her golden complexation. As they arrived, Scarlet’s skirt got caught in the bike gears, nearly ripping the black and indigo glittering bodice, gloves, and boots. She could be described as a classy lady, that glittered like black diamonds of the night sky, falling into a ditch.

The gate is entrancing the first time anyone visited it. They could feel the Shadow Veil within, like a deep breath and whisper through the leaves. The warm hug of the sunlight spotting through the branches. The smell of rich herbs and moist earth. Indulging their senses, they made it slowly to the front of the central tower. Morgan was arguing with the trees. There were twin Teralith Trees standing over the main entrance, with pearly bark and crystal leaves. One had the voice of a young lady and the other a young man. Amadeus, accustomed to floral banter, intently listened.

“I asked nice! Now give me the peaches for the unicorns, Pam!” Morgan yelled at the female tree.

“Oh gosh, he wants my virgin princess peaches, twin brother!” Pam gasped sarcastically.

“How dare you. Muncle Morgan.” The boy tree responded chuckling

“Muncle?” Rah whispered to Amadeus.

 “Mage-uncle, purhaps? Because the Beast Kings see Morgan as a brother, and thus the fey perceive him as an uncle? Rah, their fey; It’s better not to ask.” Amadeus answered shrugged.

“Next he’ll climb you, before making you into a boat, Bea.” Pam nabbed.

“That’s only because my wood is so hard. So hard it has stood strong for many years. I would make a fine paddle for any man.” Bea laughed. Scorpio and Scarlet joined the laughter, leading Morgan to notice them. He turned as red as a firetruck.

“Watch out girls, he’s pining for peaches.” Bea teased.

“And my brother’s hard wood apparently.” his sister chuckled.

“So hard. So strong.” Bea added in a fake deep sensual voice.

“Oh, this is Pam and Bea; Teralith Trees. The tree kingdom’s children, though generous, are also complete jerks and perverts; Their older siblings more so, apparently. Maybe being half-human like all royal fey, means they know malice. No one talks about magical plants being sentient often enough.” Morgan started.

“My tax-bracket says otherwise.” Amadeus laughed. “Wait, you’ve told me of these two. They have a bid to see who can be rooted the longest without turning human. Right? Caught a brief exchange one night when I visited. I guess this means you two prefer to watch!” He prompted. Pam’s laughter bubbled, as her leaves ruffled. Amadeus’s joke was so unfunny, she fell into human form. No longer a pale birch with sparkling golden glass leaves, but curvy woman with a golden crown of flowers on her messy weaved hair. She was barely able to catch her breath rolling on the dirt.

“You mages can have all my soft, fuzzy, pink peaches now; To think my little siblings at Rosethorn Manor said Amadeus was funny.”

“I win the bet!” Bea yelled skipping up into a boy. He was thin and white head to toes, with a flower crown like his twin. Bea was cheering in glee at his sister’s misfortune. They admittedly had forgotten what they had bet for.

“Well, I guess that confirms Rah’s a mage.” Morgan smiled. Scorpio then paused while the crew was chortling with the trees; who had started to wrestle in their human forms.

“Wait, Pam said ‘You mages.’ Like me and Scarlet too? Does this place just attract mage!?!?” Scorpio yelled.

This changed everything. Feeling rebellious against a controlling home lives, Scorpio, Scarlet, Amadeus, and Rah, took to Morgan and the fey with much joy. Sentient trees? Say no more. Soon they met afterschool, to study magery with Morgan; His girlfriend Emilia and cousin Regina even joined. Reggie, was also newly embracing magic. She wanted to be a warlock, and make flaming swords. Scorpio was now conflicted on weather she should wield blades or make them. Morgan had that effect. He would answer a small question about the mystical, with an enchanting encyclopedic answer. His adoration of magic and dorky mannerisms made it all so contagious.

Scorpio now spent hours in shop class with Reggie. Scarlet, one the other hand, was learning new healing magic from Morgan’s translated mage journals. What she was getting in school was good, but the fact she might be able to access even better medicinal spells, meant she could be and even better heartman. However, Rah had decided he wanted to be a charmer: A mage that castes spells with song and dance. He wanted to keep singing and healing Rosethorn gardens.

As the month went, Morgan began to notice every time Rah was on the gate. He was bonded to the tower, and felt it’s inhabitants. Morgan too, could feel the pressure of ether inside Rah; like a whirling fog in his head. It even clouded his perception of what fey lived on the gate. Morgan and Amadeus began sharing worried glances when around Rah. They wanted to act quickly, but had trouble finding any answers in Morgan’s restored records. The rest of the group, including Rah, remained happily ignorant of the fact he was a volcano about to erupt. Spending all their time in an illegal study group, turned out to be an excellent way for these teens to procrastinate telling loved ones they contain wondrous napalm.

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