#and eve and steve are hilarious

[greenqueenhightower]

She totally fell in love with him here.

[bill-augatesm]

Real ones remember my Microapple yuri from October 2023

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddiesongfics.

If He Wanted To, He Would

July Prompt: Any Song Lyrics | Word Count: 2000 | Rating: T | CW: Language | Tags: Eddie POV, Modern Setting, Sports AU, Rockstar Eddie, Baseball Player Steve, Very Public Love Affair, Corroded Coffin, Good Uncle Wayne Munson

I've used lyrics from Take Me Out to the Ball Game & Blank Space.

Even the news is covering it. 

That's fucking ridiculous. There's an animated graphic, a live tracker of where his plane is, a moving dot over the Atlantic, like it's Christmas Eve and he's Santa Claus.

Eddie's gonna make it. He was always gonna make it, even as the press ran the numbers, the miles, and milked every ounce of drama out of it.

He made game one, and game four, and now he's racing back from playing Wembley in London to make it for game seven. The media has tried to sell the idea that Steve wanted the World Series to go to seven, just so Eddie would be able to attend.

Eddie's glad he's getting to see it, of course he is, but if they could have swept it in four, or locked it down in five or six, that would have been fucking awesome. Even if that meant Eddie missed seeing it live, and had to watch on television, in the middle of the night, across the world.

There are a shitton of tiktoks every week, dissecting their every move, looking for easter eggs. Eddie is just living his life, even if a million people are always watching him like a fucking hawk.

Goodie is walking back from the beer garden in the stadium, carrying his plastic cup in his mouth as he fiddles with something in his hands. Not spilling a goddamn drop. Eddie can only see this because he's being broadcast onto the stadium jumbotron.

When he climbs the stairs into the suite, Eddie asks, "Where's Gareth?"

"Got spotted. Now he's taking pictures. I just slipped away unnoticed. Sucker," Goodie says, putting his cup down on the table.

"Unnoticed, huh?" Eddie teases. He won't tell him. He'll just wait until Goodie sees it online for himself. "There's free beer back there you know?" Eddie asks. Neither one of them needed to venture out into the crowd.

Goodie shrugs, "I wanted this kind."

He could have had that kind, could have had any kind, if he'd just asked for it. But no, he wanted to be out among the people. 

None of them are particularly fond of baseball, but they are fond of Steve, so here they are. The whole band doesn't always come, but it's the championship game, so they did.

And the score has been 1-0 forever. 

Wayne is pacing. Unlike them, he loves baseball, even if he's been a little turncoat, switching teams like a lifetime of dedication meant nothing at all. He's gotten a little shit from his friends back home, but Eddie thinks it's honestly very sweet. Eddie loves that Wayne likes Steve enough to put him and his team as his number one with a bullet, now.

It helps that Steve's part of a fucking dynasty. It's fun to win, even Eddie gets that.

Wayne doesn't always hang out in suites. More often than not, he'd rather sit in the stands. Focus on the baseball, not the celebrity that's now surrounding it. But Wayne's been dragged into their highly publicized love affair, and now he's starting to get recognized all on his own, so Eddie worries. 

Plus, he'd rather have him right here, where they can spend time together.

"What's the count?" Eddie asks. 

"3-2," Wayne answers.

Eddie's distracted, filling his plate with the various appetizers that came with the steep price of the private suite. Sliders, pigs in a blanket, and all kinds of other fancified versions of comfort food. He's just scooping some mac & cheese on his plate when he hears his main guitar riff from Buckwild. He puts down his plate, making his way to the big windows just in time to see Steve step towards the batter's box. 

Steve only changes his walk-up music to Corroded Coffin when Eddie's in attendance. He currently walks-up to Milkshake, which is fucking hilarious. He's one of the first openly out players, and he really leans into it, changing up his walk-up music, usually to something a little queer. Eddie knows it's partially to poke fun at himself first, before anyone else can. 

But tonight, it's his song. Eddie's sure he's being broadcast on the jumbotron from some camera he can't even see, and may even be on live television. Eddie watches as Steve briefly points his bat, and at first Eddie thinks Steve's calling his shot, but no. Not unless he's intending to hit a foul ball.

No, he gestured at Eddie. At least where he assumed Eddie would be.

Eddie fiddles with the rings on his hand, moving from finger to finger, twisting them around and around as Steve swings and misses for the second time. Eddie can hardly watch, it makes him so nervous.

"What's the count?" Eddie asks. It's the only question he knows to ask.

"2-2," Wayne says from somewhere behind him. Wayne doesn't stand at the front when it's likely the camera is on them. Eddie gets it, he does, but he'd like him at his side. The windows are open tonight, and the fans in the seats in front of the suite have leaned up to talk to them, to get things signed, and Eddie has done it. They all have. Waving off security.

Nobody is being shitty, just excited, and Eddie's grateful he's been accepted by most of Steve's fans. There was always the fear that he'd be seen as a distraction, and sure, that's been a bit of the narrative, but Steve's in the goddamn World Series. His head is obviously still in the game.

Eddie signed a custom Corroded Coffin jersey with Steve's number on the back earlier, and if that wasn't fucking weird and delightful. And Harrington jerseys have been increasingly spotted at their gigs, from one in the crowd, to a dozen or more.

Steve takes the next ball, and Eddie was terrible at baseball as a kid. He swung at everything. He never had the self-control to wait for something good. 

He's glad he grew out of that, at least a little, because he waited, and now he has Steve. A goddamn home run in human form. 

Eddie's relieved when he hears the crack of the bat finally making contact with the ball, and he watches intently until Steve's safely on first, Eddie leaning out of the open box window, hanging onto the frame, screaming.

He rights himself, clapping hard as he spins in a circle, screaming some more.

Then, Eddie watches as Steve steals second on a wild pitch, and the stadium sound system blares to life with Gimme Three Steps.

Steve dusts himself off from his slide in, and Eddie is so fucking smitten. 

And his ass looks damn good in those pants. His milkshake did bring Eddie to the yard.

It's the seventh-inning stretch, and Eddie hears the familiar, "for it's one, two, three strikes, you're out," being sung by the entire stadium.

He's nervous now. More nervous than he ever is going on stage anymore.

They've made it this far, and he wants Steve to win the whole thing. 

They do win. Steve fielded a grounder, whipped it to first base, and with one last out, it was finally over. Gloves being thrown in the air, lots of hugs and jumping up and down.

Steve did it.

And Eddie smiles.

Steve isn't released, not yet. There'll be interviews, and a parade that Eddie unfortunately can't attend, so Eddie only gets a few minutes in the tunnel with him. Some stolen kisses and a silly groped handful, just giving Steve's cup a squeeze, to make him laugh. 

It's all too brief, but he'll see him soon. 

They go from the game straight back to the airport, Goodie and Gareth both pretty drunk after too many celebratory shots, leaving Jeff and him to babysit as they get wheels up, to head back across the pond. Their world tour, waiting.

They'll make it. 

Steve swears jet-lag is a choice, and Eddie's choosing to believe him.

Another city, and his turn on the big stage, as Eddie looks out towards the VIP tent. Steve waves with both hands over his head, making himself larger, more easily seen.

Steve attended a few Monday shows with Robin, when their schedules lined up enough to allow it. But now his season is over. He's a fucking world champion, and it's the offseason, which is Eddie's new favorite word.

If he'd known he'd fall in love with a sportsball guy, he would have made sure their tour had a lengthy break during this magical offseason.

Next year.

And Eddie is confident that next year is a given. That's how in he is with their relationship, with Steve. They both have their own lives, their own fame, their own increasingly busy schedules. But they make it work, because they want it to work.

The fans have dubbed all their crisscrossing travel as "if he wanted to, he would" and have been straight up swooning. 

Eddie likes that thought, because he does want to, and he knows Steve wants to, too.

He's committed to this thing, and so is Steve. And if that means flying for hours to be there for the important shit, even if you have to turn around and fly right back, well fuck, you do it. And you don't even think about it.

Eddie slips in a pop cover, mid-set, just being silly, because he wants to shout out Steve a little bit extra tonight. He sings and when he gets to "'cause you know I love the players, and you love the game" and the crowd gets behind it. Steve, too, if his hands in the air are any indication. 

He's a pop girlie at heart, and Eddie loves him for it.

Steve is comfortable in his own skin, and he likes what he likes. He's supportive of Eddie, of Corroded Coffin, and very demonstrative with his affection and admiration. The love is always free-flowing. But, heavy metal isn't his thing. Not really. And that's okay.

So, a little pop is injected for his benefit, Eddie saying 'I love you for who you are' right back.

Buckwild is last, is always last, and Steve's here, so that means a subtle lyric change. He only does it when Steve's in attendance, and it makes the crowd go wild. Changing one word is enough to send them into a frenzy, like they're part of something special and sacred.

They are.

When he approaches the lyric, Steve has moved closer, right at the stage, in front of the barricade, and puts his hand up to his ear, hyping the crowd, getting ready for it, and Eddie can hardly sing through his fucking smile.

When they exit the stage, the first face he sees is Steve's, and Steve opens his arms and Eddie hugs him, pulling back and kissing him, over and over.

He's the one. 

The one he loves.

The one he'll marry.

The one. Period.

Steve waves to the crowd that's gathered to watch, and then he puts his arm around Eddie's waist, ushering him away, one more show over.

In bed, Eddie rests his head against Steve's bare chest. These last few weeks have been different, brand new, and exciting. It's the first time they've really gotten to feel like they're coming home to each other. Getting to be in the same place for an extended period of time, Steve following the tour.

Steve brushes Eddie's bangs off his face, and kisses his forehead.

"You were amazing tonight," Steve whispers, and Eddie grins. 

"So were you, working the crowd," Eddie says.

Steve laughs, and Eddie loves it. Steve's not shy. He's had all the media training, probably more than Eddie, because he's got a brand, a team, to protect. Eddie just runs his mouth at-will, always has.

Steve doesn't hide backstage where Eddie can't see him, no, he always makes sure he's supporting Eddie out loud and with his whole goddamn chest.

So, because he wants to, he does.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddiesongfics and follow along with the fun! 🎶

Notes: Obviously inspired by the very public relationship of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Goodie carrying the beer in his teeth is straight up a shoutout to Jason Kelce doing that at the Eras tour. 🍺

This one was so hard to stop writing for at the 2k max word count, lol.

[sserpente]

A "Happy" New Year indeed 🥂🎇🍾🎆

Synopsis: Tony gifted you all a trip to the Bahamas to spend New Year's on the beach. Even Loki was invited but when no one else wants to spend time with him, you gather the courage to act on your secret crush on him until you end up sneaking away together...

A/N: Et voilà, just like that, I turned a couple older requests from @mandywholock1980, @frzntrx and anon (I’m so sorry for the delay) into a little treat for New Year’s Eve. “Slide well” into the new year tonight as we say in German! I’ll see you guys next year with lots of book news and of course, more Imagines! Thank you all for your love, for your comments, your kind words when you send me requests, for your likes and your reblogs and this year in particular, your patience! I appreciate you all so much and that’s almost 24k of you at this point! So crazy! To an amazing 2024!

Words: 2556 Warnings: smut, SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2

Where is that damn bathing suit? You’d packed it, right? You knew you’d packed it. It was on top of your suitcase so you wouldn’t forget. With a sigh, you rummaged through the clothes you’d brought, creating an utter mess in the process.

Holidays with the Avengers. Hallelujah. No wonder you were so worked up. It certainly wasn’t every day you unwrapped a neatly folded plane ticket to the freaking Bahamas on Christmas morning, a “little” treat from Tony Stark who had flipped the ice-cold temperatures in New York City the bird and booked you all a trip to the other end of the world.

Seeing both Steve Rogers and Thor topless was a delectable sight—not to mention how absolutely gorgeous Natasha looked in her black bikini. You felt self-conscious about yourself, to say the least, but the hilarious part was that it wasn’t because of a bunch of shredded superheroes; it was because of a very mischievous prince who had the very essence of the multiverse coursing through his veins.

The kiss had been… incidental. Rules were rules and Tony had been very clear about all the damn mistletoes he’d hidden across the tower and it was Thor who had not let either of you leave until you fulfilled the silly tradition. Ironically, it had been Loki himself who’d caused all that attention around the mistletoe all those years ago. He only had to blame himself but heavens… he sure knew how to kiss.

And just like that… there you had it. After spending Christmas, or Yule, as he liked to call it, Loki had—unbeknownst to him—managed to make you fall for him. He, who just so happened to have become the most powerful being in the entire universe; or multiverse, in this case.

There it is. The black bathing suit you pulled from the pile of clothes, at last, was your favourite, complimenting your body shape in just the right places. You’d already caught yourself wondering on the plane what Loki would think when he saw you in it. After all, he was a god. He’d met a number of goddesses and princesses, not to mention a stunning female version of himself. How could you, a mere mortal woman, possibly impress him? Hell, you didn’t even have superpowers. Nothing that would grab his attention. Perhaps you should have brought the mistletoe and steal another kiss. Perhaps you could get him drunk so he wouldn’t remember your heartfelt confession if he didn’t reciprocate it. Or maybe you shouldn’t say anything at all and keep the cheeky God of Mischief an exciting fantasy in your head. You’d totally not named the green and gold vibrator you had bought as a Christmas present for yourself after him… you would never do that…

Despite the fact that the Avengers were slowly—really slowly—warming up to the idea of him being around, Loki was alone when you joined the others at the beach. He’d conjured a green blanket with a gold rim to sit on in the blazing sun, his dark green trunks leaving nothing to fantasy. Although he wasn’t nearly as shredded as Thor was, godly strength aside, you were certain he could haul you into the air and one-handedly fling you across the ocean if he wanted to. Or maybe do push-ups while you were sitting on him…

“Hey.” You sat down next to him without waiting for an invitation, your gaze flicking over to the gang playing volleyball in the sand. “I don’t understand…”

“They hit the ball with their bare hands and fling it across the net. If it lands on the ground on the opposite end of the field, their team scores,” Loki said matter-of-factly.

You chuckled. “Not the game. Why are you not playing?”

“Please. This is hardly the most enjoyable place for a Frost Giant,” he replied. His voice was just as icy as the tale he was telling.

“I see… I’m sure no one would mind if you returned to the hotel until it’s dark. It’s gonna be a long time until midnight still.”

Loki scoffed. “Of course, they wouldn’t mind. In fact, they are likely hoping for it.”

“Well, maybe you can tell Thor—“

“Thor is making things worse. My brother has always had quite the talent for ignoring me when he’s with his friends. I am not going anywhere.” You could practically hear the unspoken words: I’ll stay out of spite and sulk.

“Okay then. But maybe you should wear sunscreen. The sun’s pretty aggressive in these parts of Earth.”

“I am a god. I don’t get sunburned.” Indignity swung in his smooth voice as he lifted his chin in defiance.

“Are you sure? At least sit in the shade then. If you’re uncomfortable, I’m sure we can find you some ice.”

“No”, Loki spat, earning him a frown.

“Hey, what’s with the attitude, Trickster?”

“This is ridiculous. I have a multiverse to look out for and Stark had nothing better to do than reduce me to… to…”

“…someone he’d trust enough to bring on holiday with him?” you offered.

Loki glared at you.

“You still feel like you don’t belong?”

Another glare.

“I don’t. Not with them. The only reason I am here is because of Thor who has conveniently forgotten I am even here.”

Your glance found his pale back as he spoke. Loki sighed.

“Would you feel better if I put this… sunscreen on?”

“I would, actually. You don’t wanna start the New Year as red as a crab. You should be blue,” you said, chuckling at your own joke.

“My true form might scare away the other hotel guests.”

“O-oh. No, I meant… blue as in drunk. Wait, so your Frost Giant form is… you have blue skin?”

Loki nodded. “And red eyes.”

“Damn… can you willingly control that? How you look?” You grabbed the sunscreen bottle from your beach bag and squirted a small amount in your palm. It caught fire the very moment it connected with Loki’s bare skin. Heavens… had he just… flinched?

“Odin put an enchantment on me when I was an infant. I could turn if I wished but it mainly triggers if I touch Jötun artefacts.” He didn’t seem all too delighted by the idea.

“I see.”

Quickly, to not get carried away by your fantasies, you rubbed the sunscreen on his back and shoulders and then offered him some more for his face which of course, he declined.

“Well… It’s gonna be a long evening. As soon as Tony brings out the schnapps, you can forget about reasonable conversations.”

Loki smirked. “Thor brought Asgardian ale. They will be unreasonable long before that.”

“And you?”

“What about me?”

You shuffled a little closer, careful not to sit in an awkward position and look at least a little sexy. “Do you plan on getting drunk?”

“It’s the beginning of a new year. Hardly a reason to celebrate.”

“Hmm… probably not if you turn thousands of years old. Still, living the life we do, we should be grateful for every year we’re still alive.”

Loki scoffed. It was easy for you to say, of course. You didn’t carry the entire multiverse on your back.

“I’m going for a swim. It’s getting a little too warm for my taste,” he announced.

You nodded, watching how Loki stood, strolled across the beach, and all but jumped into the ocean. You had to close your mouth to make sure you didn’t start drooling over him. Unfortunately for you, Tony sauntered over the very moment you picked up your jaw from the floor.

“You have a thing going on, don’t you?” the billionaire said. It wasn’t a question. In fact, you were quite certain he didn’t even expect a response.

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve seen the way you look at him. I’ve had dozens of women look at me like that. You want my advice? Stay away from him. Loki is trouble. I don’t care if he’s the harbinger of the multiverse now.”

“Don’t worry, Tony. I can take care of myself,” you replied with a flat voice. “You could ask him to join you guys, you know. He was sitting here like a pile of misery.”

“He is a pile of misery. And how is this my fault? He could have asked to join too.”

“He shouldn’t have to,” you shot back. Checkmate. Tony sighed, shook his head and, after taking a huge gulp from his water bottle, returned to the volleyball field.

Alright then… if they were not going to celebrate New Year’s with Loki, then you would. You didn’t like beach volleyball anyway.

Loki had been right about the Asgardian ale. You’d been curious to try it and mesmerised by the taste. By dusk and only one small cup later, you were drunk. Well, sort of. You were present enough to form functioning sentences and sensible thoughts but you would be lying if you claimed that Loki hadn’t noticed your predicament.

Torches, driven into the sand, illuminated your unconventional party location, throwing dancing shadows on the ground and the palm trees around you. Music was blaring out from the speakers behind the bar where an employee, bless his soul, was preparing one alcoholic drink after the next. At some point, you had grabbed Loki’s hand and dragged him away from the centre of attention, somewhere you could talk in peace. You had so many questions—about him, about his thoughts, about his life. And the more questions you asked, the more you realised that apart from Mobius, perhaps, no one had ever taken such interest in him—over Thor, anyways.

You must have been talking for hours at this point.

“Loki? Can I ask you something… personal?”

“Twelve minus twenty-five!” Tony yelled. Right. Twenty-five minutes until the New Year.

The God of Mischief quirked an eyebrow. You took that as a yes and to be fair, he looked adorable holding a cocktail glass with a little paper parasol in his left hand.

“You’re a prince… and you’re a literal century older than me. You must have… lots of experience?”

“Experience with…”

“You know… intimacy. You, um…” You took a sip of your own cocktail. It was a Long Island Ice Tea, one of those you knew got you drunk even quicker than you intended. But you needed the liquid courage. It was the last day of the year, you might as well be daring. “You’re a really good kisser is what I’m trying to say.”

“Ah…” he teased. “You’re still thinking about our kiss, dear?”

“It’s hard not to. You wanna know the truth? I have the biggest crush on you. Not sure what’s stopping me from ripping your clothes off your body right now. Probably the fact that we’re not alone.”

Loki smirked. Then, with a start, he stood up and put both your and his cocktail glass on the little coffee table next to you both. Your heart skipped a beat when he offered you his hand. “Come with me.”

“W-where?”

“Somewhere we are… alone.”

Your eyes widened. The way he purred the words you were all but putty in his hands when you allowed him to pull you with him, back into his hotel room. They were big, massive suites all on the ground floor, actual cottages with straw roofs, a minibar, and king-size beds.

“It’s almost midnight. Whatever your plan is, we should probably—“ You didn’t get any further. As soon as the door fell shut and the room was drowned in darkness, Loki’s lips were on yours, his hands exploring your body and tugging on what little clothing you were wearing in this warm climate.

They were gone before you could blink, your legs wrapped around his middle, his hands on your butt, carrying you to bed. A moan escaped your lips when he broke his passionate kiss to get rid of his own clothes. He was wearing a white unbuttoned shirt, one that’d already had you drooling all over him, combined with another pair of dark green trunks.

You were about to comment how hot you thought he was when he kissed you again. You moaned again, felt his hard length pressing against your inner thigh. Instinctively, you spread your legs further, inviting him in. Still, he took his time.

One of his hands cupped your face, the other disappeared down to where you were already throbbing for him. Loki found you wet and eager, your back arching when he began to pamper your clit with gentle pressure, massaging the sensitive little nub until you went absolutely feral for him.

He was proving it, you realised. Proving a point. Answering your question. Yes, he had experience. And he was about to show you just how he could make his partners feel in bed. Fuck…

You whined when he pulled away but before you could complain, he pulled your legs apart even further and sank his length into you. He slid in meeting no resistance, filling you to the brim. For a moment, you both froze.

“You… feel like you’ve been made for me…” you heard him growl against your ear.

“Loki…” It was all you were able to respond when he began to fuck you, stroke after stroke after stroke. He was right. It felt so good you feared you’d pass out and miss out on the fun and you realised soon enough that you didn’t need his hands to give you bliss.

Loki buried himself even deeper inside of you, his forehead resting against yours; grinding so closely against you he created friction where you needed him the most. Slow and deep thrusts made you throw your head back. And then, all of a sudden, you could hear everyone outside count down from ten.

You came the very moment you heard the Avengers’ scream “Happy New Year”, followed by fireworks illuminating the night sky. Flickering, colourful lights fell through the gap of Loki’s curtains, reflecting the firework inside of you.

Pulsing around him, he kept pounding into you until he too reached his peak, his face buried in your neck.

The fireworks were still going by the time you were able to grasp a proper thought again, a whimper escaping your lips as you relished the feeling of Loki jerking against your walls and filling you with his seed.

“Happy New Year, Loki.”

“Happy New Year, dear.”

The God of Mischief smiled—it was quite possibly the most genuine expression you had ever seen on him. He pulled out and you rolled over so you came to lie on top of him. He was even more comfortable than the king-size bed. But when you tried to sit up and climb out of bed, he wrapped his arms around you, holding you captive.

“Where do you think you’re going? We’ve only just started.”

“Oh f-fuck… that sounds tempting but we should… probably wish everyone a happy New Year?” Loki quirked an eyebrow yet again. “Or maybe not…”

He smirked and allowed you both to sit up. With a simple snap of his fingers, he produced two glasses of champagne and handed you one. “Perhaps… I will start celebrating New Year’s after all.”

You grinned as you clinked your glasses. “But only if we do it exactly how we just did it.”

A/N: Happy New Year everyone! ♥

[amethystarachnid]

MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL 🎄✨

How Does This Work? It’s Christmas in the Multiverse! Pick a holiday trope from the list below, pair it with your favorite MARVEL character, and make a request! You can add as many details as you’d like (reader’s personality, specific plot points, etc.), and be sure to specify the reader’s gender. If unspecified, I’ll default to fem!reader. All the requests will be posted starting from the 1st of December. You can make a request either in the comments or in my inbox! <3

HOLIDAY TROPES 🎅🎁

Choose a classic Christmas theme to bring the holiday spirit into your favorite MARVEL universe, the tropes already requested will be written in italic.

Click here to read more ->

Snowed In  – You and your chosen character are stuck in a cozy cabin together as a blizzard hits. Perfect for slow-burn romance or confessions by the fireplace! Tony Stark x fem!reader

2. Mistletoe Mishap  – Awkward but adorable moments when you and your MARVEL character find yourselves beneath the mistletoe… what happens next? Steve Rogers x short!fem!reader

3. Secret Santa – The annual Avengers gift exchange gets competitive when you and your character are each other’s Secret Santa. Will they go all out or keep it simple? Tony Stark x fem!reader

4. Holiday Party Shenanigans  – Whether it’s Tony Stark’s extravagant bash or a quiet gathering at the X-Mansion, holiday parties mean mischief, laughter, and maybe even romance under the twinkling lights. Loki x fem!reader

5. Christmas Morning Surprise  – Wake up with your MARVEL love interest on Christmas morning and see what holiday surprises await. Breakfast in bed? A special gift? Cuddling by the tree? Tony Stark x fem!reader

6. Ice Skating Date  – A romantic evening on the ice (bonus points for awkward falls or a spontaneous snowball fight!). Thor x fem!reader

7. Holiday Movie Marathon  – You and your character binge all the classic Christmas movies. Will they laugh, cry, or (for the serious heroes) grudgingly admit they might enjoy it?

8. First Christmas Together  – Share a special first holiday celebration with your character, complete with shared traditions and sweet moments. Tony Stark x fem!reader

9. Christmas Caroling (Disaster)  – What happens when you try to drag your chosen MARVEL character out for caroling? Expect laughs, maybe some awkwardness, and possibly a heroic attempt at a festive tune.

10. New Year’s Eve Countdown  – Start the new year with your MARVEL character by your side. Will you share a kiss at midnight? Tony Stark x fem!reader

11. A Day of Peace – Even heroes need a break! Imagine a cozy day where your chosen character and the reader spend time away from chaos and just enjoy the quiet of winter. Tony Stark x fem!reader

12. Lost Holiday Spirit – Help your character find their holiday spirit again! The reader surprises them with small, thoughtful gestures to lift their spirits.

13. Winter Wonderland Date – The reader gives their character a romantic surprise: a perfect winter day of snowball fights, hot cocoa, and stargazing. Tony Stark x fem!reader

14. A Little Christmas Magic – Maybe it’s a miraculous recovery, or a chance to spend time with someone they miss. This holiday season, something magical happens to fulfill the character’s heart’s desire. Tony Stark x fem!reader

15. A Handcrafted Gift – The reader makes something special for the character—something unique and meaningful that reminds them they’re cared for. How does your character react? Tony Stark x fem!reader

16. Time Together – Your character’s wish is simply for time with the reader. The two spend the day together doing whatever brings them the most joy. Tony Stark x fem!reader

17. Holiday Baking Fiasco – The reader and the character attempt some holiday baking, and… well, things go hilariously wrong. Expect lots of laughs (and flour everywhere). Tony Stark x fem!reader

18. Resolution Reflections – New Year’s Eve is the perfect time for reflection. Your character opens up to the reader about their dreams for the new year. Young!Tony Stark x fem!reader

19. A Second Chance – This wish is a little bittersweet. Your character receives an unexpected chance to make amends or reconnect with someone important from their past. Tony Stark x fem!reader

20. Christmas Eve Confessions – It's Christmas Eve, and you and your chosen MARVEL character are sharing a quiet moment together. Will one of you confess a secret you've been holding onto, like your feelings for each other? Doctor Strange x fem!reader

21. Holiday Disaster  – Everything seems to go wrong during the holiday preparations. Whether it’s burning the cookies or accidentally knocking over the Christmas tree, your character has to help save Christmas (and your sanity).

22. Holiday Road Trip  – A festive road trip adventure with your character, from road snacks to sing-alongs to unexpected pit stops. Will the two of you get into mischief along the way? Loki Laufeyson x fem!reader

23. Santa’s Little Helper  – You and your character end up volunteering together at a local holiday charity or helping out in a Christmas toy drive. Can you keep the Christmas spirit alive while managing the chaos? Steve Rogers x fem!reader

24. Wrapped in Christmas Lights  – While decorating for the holidays, one of you gets tangled in Christmas lights. Is it pure chaos, or does this turn into an unexpected bonding moment?

25. Reindeer Games  – A little friendly competition to see who’s the best at Christmas-themed games. Whether it’s pin the nose on the reindeer, holiday trivia, or a snowman-building contest, it’s all in good fun!

26. Decorating the Tree Together  – You and your character decorate a Christmas tree together, each putting your personal touch on it. A quiet moment full of holiday spirit, plus maybe a surprise gift hidden in the branches! Tony Stark x fem!reader

27. Christmas Morning with the Kids – You and your MARVEL character wake up to the excitement of Christmas morning, with kids eagerly running around to open presents. It’s chaotic but full of love. How does your character handle this special day with their little ones? Tony Stark x fem!reader

28. First Christmas with the Baby –  It's the first Christmas for your baby, and you and your character are filled with joy. From choosing the perfect first Christmas ornament to finding the cutest little holiday outfit, this is a memory the whole family will cherish. Tony Stark x fem!reader

29. New Year’s Eve Party with the Avengers (or X-men)  – The Avengers come together to celebrate the New Year, but there’s a twist: the kids are part of the celebration. How does your character juggle both the kids' excitement and their own fun as the clock counts down to midnight?

30. Holiday Movie Night with the Avengers (or X-Men) – The Avengers decide to have a Christmas movie marathon for the whole family. Your character is skeptical about the cheesy movies, but what happens when they get caught up in the holiday spirit? Tony Stark x fem!reader

31. The Avengers’ (or X-Men) Christmas Play - The Avengers decide to put on a Christmas play for the kids. Each hero gets assigned a role, but things quickly devolve into a hilarious disaster as egos clash and powers get in the way of the script. Your character might play Santa, or the Grinch, or maybe something more ridiculous.

Maybe 31 tropes are a little too much, but what can I say...I love Christmas!

Taglist: @bitchy-bi-trash @ccbsrmsf1

[messedupfan]

Chapter 14

Summary: It's the new year! There's a new development in Reader and Wanda's friendship. Jean and Anna have a very important question for reader. And Rachel witnesses something special.

A/n: Hellllloooooo!! I hope y'all are having a good day. Anyone watch Love is Blind? Every season upsets me more than the last. Anyway, comment, like, reblog, and enjoy!

Masterlist | All Stories Taglist | All Chapters

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By the time you stopped staying with Wanda, the pillow wall ceased to exist. The pair of you were comfortable enough to share the space together on the bed and not overthink it. At least that's what you told each other to be able to hold one another at night. On the Sunday that Vision was meant to come for the boys, he called Wanda early in the morning. You were confused and exhausted when you accidentally picked up the phone. Your eyes went wide when you realized that you answered the wrong phone. You quickly put it on mute and woke Wanda up. She had to put on a fake voice to try and match yours. It was a hilarious attempt and she had to hit you to get you to laugh quietly. You just climbed out of bed to use the restroom. 

When you came back, Wanda had her face in her hands. You rejoined her on the bed and she leaned against you once you were settled in. “Vision extended his trip. He said he'll pick them up next Sunday. Which, I'm okay with having them longer. Of course. I love them and I mean, they love you and Rachel so I'm sure that a part of them will be okay with it. But,” she shut her eyes and shook her head as you put your arm around her. “They're going to be so disappointed. I don't even know what I can say? What do you say to a kid when their dad would rather spend the holidays with his new family?” 

You frowned as you rubbed her arm. Even though you knew the question was rhetorical, you felt inclined to answer because you've been that kid before. “My mom wouldn't tell me. She wouldn't even make an excuse on his behalf. She would just distract me with so much fun that I wouldn't even know how long it was until I finally did see my dad.” 

“Do you think that will work?” She rubbed her finger under her nose. You laughed lightly as you shook your head. 

“No, definitely not. Those kids are too smart for that. But, I think I do know something that might work,” you began to remind her of the night before when the boys were bummed by the idea that they had to go with their father because they wanted to stay and have fun with Rachel. “Just say that you asked Vision to let you have the boys a little bit longer and he agreed to let them stay until school starts again.” 

And she took your advice, while you were in the shower, she went to the boys room and told them exactly what you suggested. They were so happy and they hugged her so tight she almost felt guilty lying to them. One of the hardest lessons she learned about being a parent was accepting that she did in fact have to lie to her children on occasion. She already had to tell them that she asked to have Christmas with them and they accepted that because Rachel was still in the hospital at the time and they knew their dad wouldn't take them to visit her. They were confused when they spent time with their dad's side of the family and he wasn't there but they had so much fun with their uncle Tony that it didn't matter. He chased them around and wrestled with them when Vision would have yelled at them for running and he would have punished them for playing around so much. 

The twins loved their dad but they didn't miss him. 

Wanda hosted a New Year’s Eve party that included her mom, the Starks, her brother and his family, plus her friends. You got to invite your friends, Steve and his partner Peggy, the new guy on the job site Thor, and Darcy. A girl you met on a dating app one time and the two of you decided to be friends after. It was rare for her to be in town because she is a political science major who is interning for doctor Jane Foster while she worked on getting her own doctorate. The internship had her traveling a lot. She brought Jane with her because she claimed that the woman was a shut-in. But with the way she almost instantly gravitated to Thor, you couldn't tell. 

You also invited Bucky, another work friend, and he brought a girl he'd started seeing a couple of months prior. A woman named Natasha. When she entered the house she appeared to be on edge. So did Wanda at first, you figured you'd have to ask her about it when you got the chance. After a bit, they both relaxed. 

Of course, Anna and Jean were in attendance as well. They kept wanting to tease you about co-hosting but with so many of your co-workers and your boss being there, they let it slide. You acted as a guest and the kids knew not to mention the living arrangement. 

“So, who are you kissing at midnight?” Darcy asks as she joins you outside on the patio. You needed a break from the party and it was a nice night despite the low temperature. “Me or the hostess?” She smirks then takes a sip from her blue disposable cup. 

You shake your head as you drink from your cup. “I’m not kissing anyone at midnight.” The kids were all in the boys room and you’d hate for them to run down the stairs and confuse them because you and Wanda kissed. They were already confused because one of the nights, Billy came running in from having a nightmare and caught you in the bed. Up until then, you and Wanda were telling them that you were sleeping on the couch. You got away with telling Billy that you also had a nightmare and he seemed to have bought the excuse as he climbed in and created space between you and Wanda so that he could snuggle with his mom. 

“Oh come on, that’s no fun,” Darcy nudges you. “Tell you what, I’ll kiss Agatha so you’ll have to kiss Wanda.” 

You narrow your eyes, “You just want to kiss Agatha.” 

She made a face as she laughed, “No, I just want you to kiss Wanda.”

“How much money is involved,” you ask, knowing the people that are inside. Darcy tries to deny that there’s a bet circulating around the party and eventually gives up. You look inside of the house through the windows on the doors and watch Wanda laugh as something her sister-in-law says. Things weren’t complicated with her but you were constantly afraid that they would become complicated. “I’m not kissing her so that you and whoever else is involved can win a bet.”

“Pietro was the one who started it so,” she takes another drink, “do you really want your boss to lose.” The look she gives you confirms your unspoken question of which side of the bet Pietro was on. You couldn’t believe that he bet that you would kiss his sister at midnight. You shake your head again and finish what’s left in your cup. 

“I need another drink,” you say as you get up from your seat and walk inside. Instead of refilling your cup, you toss it into the trash. Your eyes keep finding Wanda in the small crowd as you move about the gathering talking with the different people there. You liked getting to know Tony Stark but her laugh kept grabbing your attention. One of the times she catches your gaze and mouths a hello with a cute smile. You smile back and mouth, “Hey.” 

As it got closer to the countdown to midnight, you walked upstairs to check on the kids. All of them had made themselves comfortable either on a bed or on the floor. Luna and Rachel have taken the beds, the twins and Agatha’s son are on the floor. The tv was left playing a movie and you carefully turn it off since all of them are asleep. You put blankets over the three boys and tuck the girls into the beds a bit more. You don’t realize that Wanda is watching you until you look up to leave the room. You smile as you stand in the room of sleeping children and strategically step around them to avoid waking them up. 

You leave the door open a crack once you step out into the hallway, “I can move the girls out of the room in a little bit.” You whisper as you step closer to her. “I’m buzzed right now and would hate to drop any of them,” the truth is, you’d hate to wake any of them right now. 

Wanda looks at you with admiration as she continues to smile, “It’s okay. I think they’ll be fine for the night. I um, I actually wanted to warn you about something.” 

“There’s a bet on whether or not we’ll kiss tonight?” Wanda nods to confirm that’s what she was going to talk to you about. “What do you think about it?” 

She shrugs, “I think if we do, it wouldn’t be a big deal. It’s not like we haven’t before.” You nod. 

“But?” You anticipate. 

“But, I don’t want my brother to win,” she says mischievously. “Have you heard what side he’s on?” She asks and this might be the only time in your life that you don’t regret lying when you shake your head. The two of you walk down the stairs as you hear everyone counting down. 

“How are the kiddos?” Pietro asks as the countdown continues. 

“They’re all knocked out,” you inform him. He nods and is pulled in closer by his wife as they get to ten. You look around to find Jane and Thor gazing at one another, nine. Tony and his fiance, Pepper are holding each other close, eight. Agatha and Darcy each have an arm around each other's necks as they both face the television, seven. Mrs. Maximoff is sitting on the sofa with a big grin as she counts down, six. Howard is next to her with his head tilted back as he snores loudly and his wife Maria is next to him counting with a martini glass in her hand, five. Carol is kissing Val each second that is announced, four. Natasha is sitting on Bucky’s lap while he sits on the recliner with her arm around his neck and his around her waist, three.  Jean and Anna pull each other closer as they prepare to end the count down, two. That leaves you standing close to Wanda, one. 

“Happy New Year!” Everyone cheers as the countdown on the television concludes and they each exchange a kiss with their partners. You keep your hands yourself as you give Wanda an innocent chaste kiss on the lips. It’s quick, you’re not sure if anyone caught it. She smiles as she moves closer to her mom and kisses her on the cheek as she wishes her a happy new year. 

“Awe boo!” Darcy says as she digs for cash out of her pockets. The others that bet on you and Wanda sharing a kiss toss their money in the decorative bowl at the center of the coffee table. You wink at Wanda as Pietro shakes his head and puts money in the bowl. Wanda’s eyes widen ever so slightly before she continues to play dumb about the bet. The both of you fake being upset and make it clear that whatever is between the two of you is purely platonic. 

From the top of the stairs, Rachel hobbles back to Tommy and Billy’s room to hide the fact that she saw the whole thing. 

When Sunday comes back around, you get up early to get packed. School starts again on Monday so that meant you and Rachel didn’t need to stay with Wanda anymore. It sucks because you wish that you could have an excuse to be here longer but seeing as none of the kids will be in the house in the upcoming week, there isn’t a reason for you to stay. 

You hug the boys and thank them for being so helpful with Rachel as you say goodbye. They each give you a tight hug before running off to get ready for their dad to pick them up. Wanda called him early to confirm that he will be here for them in the afternoon. He sounded annoyed and convinced her to drop them off at his house since he was recovering from his trip. 

Wanda pulls you into a warm embrace to say goodbye for the time being. You’ve had to resist kissing her the entire week. You wished that you hadn’t done it on New Year’s Eve. She didn’t make it easy either. Too many times the two of you ended up too close to each other. Wanda was getting frustrated that you weren’t getting the signals that she wanted something more from you. 

When the pair of you pull back from this hug, you and Wanda hold eye contact for a moment. Both of you are considering leaning towards each other. That is, until Tommy and Billy start shouting at each other. Wanda sighs and steps out of your arms. “I’ll text you later,” you say as you grab your bag to take to the car. Rachel and her bags are already in your truck. 

You help your daughter out of the truck when you arrive at her mom's house and you only take one of her bags inside since you need to keep the rest at your apartment. Jean and Anna give you weird looks when you're inside and you're curious as to why but you don't question it. “I'll see you guys next Sunday,” you say as you're about to leave. 

“Hold on,” Anna says as she grabs your arm to stop you. “Can you um…” her words seem to fail her. 

“Do you mind staying for tea,” Jean finishes for her. You look between the two of them and notice that something is up with them. You fear that they're about to tell you that their marriage is over so you nod and allow Jean to drag you over to the living room. “So, we wanted to thank you for giving us some extra time to ourselves.” 

“Okay,” you drag out as you eye her carefully. “What's going on?” 

Jean gives you a nervous smile, “Just wait for the tea. Okay?” You nod and sit quietly. There's an awkward tension looming in the atmosphere. You were worried about what they're going to tell you and they are nervous to ask you something very important to them. 

Anna comes in with a tray of three steaming mugs a few minutes later. “You haven't asked them yet, right?” Jean shakes her head as she waits for her wife to get settled. You accept your cup of tea with a close mouth smile and nod. 

“Okay,” Jean starts as she sets her mug down. “Anna and I were wondering if you'd consider making another baby,” you’re about to laugh considering you just went through a break up, “with me?” She concludes. You spit your tea out at the absurd question. “I should have waited for you to swallow,” Jean says as she gets up to grab a dish towel to clean up the mess but Anna pulls her back down. 

“Are you crazy?” You ask as you set the tea back onto the tray. “You tell me that you can barely afford Rachel and you want to add a newborn to your expenses?” You shout in a whisper. You don't want Rachel to get curious and walk in and get excited about having another sibling. 

“Listen, we talked about that. With the budgets the three of us have come up with-” 

“And the GoFundMe!” Anna chimes in. 

“Yes, and the GoFundMe that we set-up for the medical bills, I think we'll be able to get that covered. And it takes nine months to make the baby. Anna and I can get to a better place financially in nine months,” Jean explains. 

“Can you?” You nearly shout out loud. “Look, it's not just nine months of you growing a person. It's doctors appointments, it's prenatal vitamins, it's baby clothes and toys and furniture. We got rid of all that stuff a long time ago. It's not like you have hand-me-downs.” With your pointer finger, you tap the fingers on your other hand as you list the reasons. “Not to mention how expensive IVF can be.” 

Jean and Anna share a look, “We weren't thinking about doing this through IVF. It's safer and more cost efficient to go the more natural route.” Anna is the one to suggest this. 

You stick your neck out and slowly blink as you widen your eyes. You cannot believe what you're hearing. “You really just suggested that I fuck your wife?” 

“You don't have to be so crude about it,” Anna chides. “I plan on being present and it wouldn't be wrong for you to fornicate with my wife. It's purely for reproductive purposes.” You cringe at the medical terms she uses to describe the act she is asking of you. It makes you want to throw up. “I don't understand what is so difficult about it, you've done it with her before.” 

You slowly close your hands into fists, not because you intend to use them but because air was the only thing you could grasp without hurting yourself. “I was in love, we were in love. Rachel was created from love.” 

“And this baby would be too,” Jean argues. “We care deeply about each other, Y/n.” She tries to take one of your hands in hers but you recoil, disgusted by the touch you once found comforting. 

You shake your head, “That's not the same and you know it.” You take a few breaths to calm down before you get too worked up and as your mind clears from the shock, you are able to come up with a reasonable argument. “You two might be ready to have another kid, but I'm not ready. I can't take that on financially or even emotionally right now. Besides, there is so much that happens during their first few developing years that I wouldn't want to miss when passing them back and forth.” They share another look and you already know they've thought about a crazy solution to that. You're starting to think you should just leave. 

“Well, we were thinking that you don't have any parental rights to this one. So that we can have a kid that's ours full time. We really want a baby that we can raise together that's just ours and we chose you to help us with that.” You scowl at this, they're actually asking you to not be present in the life of a child that you're supposed to help bring into this world. You couldn't believe it. “If you think about it, we can't have kids on our own and I really want Rachel to have a sibling that comes from both of us. You've said it yourself, half siblings aren't the sa-” 

“Don’t even. I was a kid when I said that! I would never say that now. I love Kate,” you interrupt. “She is my sister.” 

“Okay, fine, whatever. You still felt that way at one point,” Jean snaps, annoyed by your lack of support. “You can go off and have as many kids as you want with whoever you want. We only have so much time to do this and we used to talk about having another kid.” Jean tries hard to convince you that this is a good idea but it only sounds more and more bizarre. 

“When we were together,” you remind her as if she was an idiot. At this point, you're starting to wonder. “Those plans disappeared the second we signed the divorce papers.” You look between the women that you have tried again and again to support and defend. When Jean introduced Anna to her parents, they weren't accepting of the relationship at all. It took you the better part of a year to get her parents to tolerate the relationship. They still held out hope that you and their daughter would reunite at some point. They knew a few couples that split up only to marry each other again a few years later. Then came the wedding last February, Jean's family didn't want to attend because they didn't want to believe it was happening. You made sure they came. 

Now here they are, asking more out of you. With what return? What do you get out of this other than a few traumatic nights and a child you won't be allowed to raise but know is part of you? Then you think about Rachel and how when she would play with her baby dolls, they weren't ever her children. They were her siblings. You've had many talks with her in the past about why she doesn't have any siblings and she has expressed how she doesn't want to be an only child. You put your face in your hands as you realize that she's already ten and she'll be eleven soon enough. You had thought your eight year age gap between you and Kate was pretty big, and when you thought about having kids you always saw yourself having kids with small age gaps. That was until you had Rachel at seventeen. 

“We're not expecting an answer now,” Jean finally says. “Just please, consider it before you say no.” 

You sigh as you can't believe that you're actually going to think this over. “Okay,” you rise and walk out of the house. You drive to the nearest liquor store, the one you met Wanda at and buy a couple of bottles of the vodka she had suggested. As soon as you got home, you drank until you passed out to forget about the asinine request. 

You overworked yourself all week, being the first one on site and the last one to leave. Someone needs to be focused on paying off those medical bills and not trying to rack up more of them. The work keeps you from thinking about what Jean and Anna asked. You couldn't believe that is a real idea they discussed and thought was okay to run by you. When you got home, you had a bottle of vodka with a side of instant noodles. 

On Friday, your coworkers, Bucky and Thor, ask that you join them on a night out and you accept. You invite Steve as well because Bucky took a liking to him but wasn't sure if he could invite the guy himself. You thought it was funny that he was being weird about it but you didn't catch how flustered he was when you informed him that Steve accepted the invite. Then Thor requested that you invite Darcy and her friend. He tried to play coy but you know that he really liked Jane. He was just the idiot that forgot to call her the next day. He claimed that he waited too long and now he needed your help. You didn't mind extending it, he was a decent guy from what you've gathered. 

A couple of hours later and  you're drunk enough to start spilling your guts. Starting with how much you miss Daisy before getting into the real problem. Jean and Anna's request. Shocking everyone at the booth. The guys all agree that you shouldn't do it but Darcy plays devil's advocate and says that she knows someone that could help at no cost at all because they owed her a favor. “It's not just the sex that's the problem, Darcy,” you try to explain. “I can't just pretend it's not my kid. If I were someone that didn't mind that kind of thing, sure, I'd do it. But I'm not that person, I would want involvement.” 

She puts her hand on your back and rubs soothing circles. It would be comforting if it wasn't her touch. You begin to yearn for Wanda’s touch again. You didn't realize how much you missed it. There is a loud group of people that are being disruptive and it puts you in a bad mood as you start to miss the Hub being your go to. You doubt Phil would let you step into that building ever again. 

“Anyone want more? I'll get the next round,” you stand up even though you barely can and Darcy takes notice as she quickly joins you. Buck and Steve have engrossed themselves in a separate conversation. Jane and Thor were practically eating each other's faces. She gave him the cold shoulder when she arrived but he was able to crash through her walls pretty quickly. 

While you wait at the bar for the drinks, someone falls against Darcy and she complains about her arm hurting. That triggers something protective in you and you grab the person to try and get them to apologize. They spit in your face and you shove them. Your friends are quick to escort you out of the bar before you get into something you'll regret. 

“Give me your phone,” Darcy says as she digs through your pockets. 

“Hey, that's my phone,” you try to grab it but you're really out of it. Bucky and Steve are both holding you up, they didn't realize that you had drank so much. They exchanged worried glances as they held onto you. Thor and Jane were busy trying to calm the person you pushed. 

Wanda’s week was quite uneventful. She worked quietly on the project she was assigned. With the spare time she has in her day, she worked on her passion project. The dream house she one day hoped to build on a land she's trying to buy now. She doesn't want to continue to be limited by this house. The house that's so full of nightmares. There were good memories here, like the boys learning how to crawl and eventually walk, but it wasn't enough to erase the negative energy that has embedded itself within the walls like black mold. 

She was planning on inviting her girls over on Friday but she really only wanted to be hanging out with you. Because of that feeling, she invited someone to sleep with instead. She needed to get you out of her head. You were starting to consume her every thought. Even when she worked on the plans for her dream house. Would Y/n like this much natural light if I add this wall of windows? Wouldn't they like a woodworking space, like my father had? Maybe Rachel needs a room… she dropped her pencil and scrapped the paper. She didn't need to be thinking about that. 

Wanda was kicking the girl, Jessica, that she had over when her phone started ringing. Her heart jumped at the goofy picture of you with the caller ID that you had set, covering her screen. “Hey you,” she greets as she shuts the door. “What's up?” 

“Wanda, keep it in your pants.” Wanda moves the phone from her face as she doesn't recognize the voice. It was still your contact information. “This is Darcy. We met last week,” she says with an urgency. This gets Wanda’s heart to race with worry. 

“What's wrong with Y/n? Why are you calling me from their phone?” She asks as she searches for her keys. Ready to be driving to the hospital. 

“They're fine for the most part. I think.” She goes quiet for a second. “Look, they're really wasted and I was wondering if you could pick them up?” Darcy asks nervously. “No stop! Hey! Y/n, don't do that! Steve, Bucky, get them!” Darcy shouts away from the phone but Wanda can hear everything she says. Wanda shakes her head. So far she hadn't known you to be the drunk type. She'd seen you have a few drinks and get a buzz but she hasn't seen you in such a state that your friends have had to parent you. 

Wanda sighs, “Text me the location. I'll be there as soon as I can.” 

“Okay, thank you,” Darcy sounds distracted. “Damnit, Y/n, why do you have a flask! Stop drinking!” Is the last thing Wanda hears before the call drops. She sits in her car for a few minutes before she receives the text of the location. It was a bar close to her house and she was there in no time at all. She doesn't even have to get out of the car to help you inside because Steve and Bucky shove you into the front seat. 

“Wanda!” You say happily as you realize whose car you've been dumped into. Your eyes are closed but you recognize the scent you had been wrapped up in for two weeks. “Where's Wanda? I want to say hi,” you mutter as you start to get sleepy. 

“Here's their phone,” Darcy says as she stands at Wanda's side of the car. “Don't let them call or text anyone. They're going through something with the ex and you have to make sure that they don't say something they'll regret.” 

Wanda is confused, “What happened between Y/n and Daisy?” 

“Oh no, honey,” Darcy smiles, “Not that ex. This is baby momma drama. You'll have to ask Y/n about that one in the morning. It's not my place to go into the details.” 

Wanda nods in acknowledgement. “Thank you for calling me. Does anyone else need a ride, I'd be happy to -” 

“Nope, we're good. Just focus on Y/n. Maybe try to get some water in them.” Darcy taps the car. “Good luck,” she waves as she rejoins the group on the sidewalk. Wanda drives you back to her house and helps get you inside. She didn't realize how heavy you could be when you're not holding your weight yourself. But she manages. 

“I’m sorry I drank too much, Wanda,” you mutter as you lean against her on the sofa. She was trying to get you to drink some water before she attempted to move you up the stairs. 

“That's okay, just drink this now,” she says as she puts the plastic cup against your lips. You take a sip and nearly spit it out as you show your disgust. 

“Poison,” you exclaim. “Gah, what is that? It's awful,” you say as you lean away from it. 

“It's water,” she leans closer to you. “Drink it!” She demands. 

You make a face and take the cup and chug the whole thing. “I think my body is rejecting it. I need to chase it down with something. Do you have any vodka?” You complain and Wanda shakes her head. 

“What did Jean do to you?” Wanda asks herself and you laugh maniacally when you catch her name. 

“She wants my baby,” you answer. And Wanda is concerned that there is going to be some sort of custody battle. She can't think of why there would be. Unless Jean has a better job opportunity somewhere else. 

“She can't take Rachel from you,” Wanda says as she gets up to refill the cup. 

“Not that baby!” You shout. “My other baby. Er. A new one. She wants a new one and she doesn't want me to have it.” Wanda relaxes a bit, still confused but at least it's not something that will necessarily disrupt Rachel’s life. She walks over and claims the cup of water is vodka. You drink it as if it was the first drink you’d ever had in your life. “That’s the good stuff right there, what’s that brand?” 

She is standing in front of you as she waits for you to finish the beverage. “I’ll tell you in the morning so that you don’t forget.” When you’re don’t she reaches for the cup and instead of handing it over, you grab her by the wrist and pull her to land on top of you. She tries to push herself up but you catch her lips in a sloppy kiss. “What are you doing?” She whispers as she pulls away. 

“Something I should have done a long time ago,” you reply. 

She shakes her head, “You’re drunk.” 

“So?” You ask as you try to kiss her again. This time she is able to slip out of your grasp. 

“So, this isn’t happening,” Wanda doesn’t go into how she’d be taking advantage of you since you’re so wasted and she hasn’t had a drop of alcohol all week. She doesn’t remind you of why you rejected her before or mention that she refuses to be a rebound for you. “Let's get you to bed,” she says as she lifts you up by your arm. You shake your head, disappointed by the rejection but comply. 

You're a little wobbly as you walk up the stairs. Wanda is closely behind you to ensure your safe ascent. You stop in front of her open bedroom door. Uncertain if she wants you to stay with her. But you decide that it's not her decision to make. So you move to the guest room. Wanda doesn't argue as she collects a bottle of painkillers and fills the cup again. She leaves the items on the nightstand beside you. You fell asleep the second your head hit the pillow. You snored softly and Wanda was surprised because you never snored during the time you stayed with her.

“I'll see you in the morning,” she says while she flips the light switch off and shuts the bedroom door. Wanda grabs the pillow that smells like you out of her closet and sets it on her bed before she gets in her pajamas. She crawls into bed and clutches the pillow to her chest as she inhales your scent in order to fall asleep.

Chapter 15

Taglist: @princessprudy @sayah13 @agaymilflover @awkwardmandalorian @bentleywolf29 @thatshyboy1998 @artisannat @thisischaismagic @wqndanat @madamevirgo @likefirenrain @tearsofglitter @feltlikethat @the-writer-arcane @natashasilverfox @karsonromanoff @aloneodi @lovelyy-moonlight @red1culous @jovialsublimecomputer @natasha-maximoff @iliketozoneout @doudouneverte @druggedduck @notbornbutforged @when-wolves-howl @lifespectator @justyourwritter69 @wandaromamoff69 @awesomelygayasf @nekoannie-chan @diaryoflife @wuwu96 @wandanats-goodgirl @sincerely-indi @blueredg52 @sisiofthemultifandom @fuzzyuniversityeclipsefriend @arcturusseer @scarlettwidow34 @chasethemoon @raven-ss @canyonyodeler @sokovianbaby @alexawynters @bittysworld @hopeless-romantic17177 @spongebobtentacles

[nrilliree]

Sanctimonius sermons about how Daemon and Rhaenyra are 'inherently abusive' because he is older and it's an incestuous relationship which is why the writers have to show it fall flat on their faces when you notice how the show has chosen to depict Corlys and his relationship with Rhaenys.

Certain facts about Corlys in canon:

Older than Rhaenys' father Aemon

Is related to Rhaenys because of the Velaryons and the Targaryens' generational intermarriages so yayyy more incest

Made no secret about his designs on the throne

Would rather have his bastards inherit Driftmark before his granddaughters

Sired the said bastards on a girl younger than his children

We are given no details about the nature of his relationship with Marilda so speculation is all that can be done. For her sake, I hope it was based in mutual attraction because he clearly had the power to coerce her.

It is both hilarious and insanely hypocritical when the writers and fans alike try to preach and defend their abysmal choices about Daemon to the point of including events that were never present in the books when most of Corlys' scenes on the show have been framed in positive light and have humanized him. Even his action of trying to marry his 12 year old daughter to Viserys got swept under the rug because they can't emphasize enough on how much he loves his wife. It has to be noted that the canonical age difference between him and Rhaenys was erased on the show because they, for whatever reason, aged her up.

Now, this is not me hating on Corlys. He is a flawed but interesting character. But the double standards in the show's writing makes me wonder whether our most esteemed writers ever read the books or did they obtain most their information from Green infested fandom spaces on Reddit. The less said about their apologists, the better.

"Yeah, we are making stuff about Daemon that wasn't in the books because y'all need to see for yourselves how abusive he is and not romanticize him like that stupid girl Rhaenyra who, we made sure, learned her lesson on the show. What do y'all even see in him? He isn't Han Solo or Paul Rudd.

But, hey look at how much Corlys loves his wife? Isn't he a great husband? So what if he is a much older relative and cheated? Look at our uwu Aegon who was never taught the meaning of consent. Look at our precious Alicent who groomed her daughter from a young age to be a broodmare for her rapist son has toiled in the service of men her entire life."

Eve and Steve have a seven-year age difference between them, so undeniably the age difference between them in the series is much, much smaller than in the book, where it was probably over twenty years. I don't know, the creators wanted to not only lower Alicent's age and raise Viserys' age, but also reduce the age difference between Rhaenys and Corlys to make Alicent look like an even bigger THE victim of marriage?

In the book, Rhaenys married Corlys when she was sixteen, and Marilda was also sixteen when Corlys got her pregnant, so he undeniably has a thing for girls who are much younger than him. Which Daemon is accused of, even though Laena in the book was 23 on the day she married him, and Rhaenyra was even older.

This is very strange to me and I only explain it by the fact that Corlys has a reduced tariff with TG stans and they don't accuse him of his sins (just like they don't do it when it comes to Aegon, Aemond, Criston or anyone wearing the "right" color). , because according to them, Corlys betrayed Rhaenyra and joined the TG. We know it's not true because he only protected his sons' lives and then acted against Aegon II and crowned Aegon III, but for TG stans the only thing that matters is that they can point the finger and shout "ha, he betrayed Rhaenyra".

[backjustforberena]

headcannons on how Rhaenys would react to the events of s02 ep05-08 (esp. the dragonseed thing and mysaria x rhaenyra) from whatever afterlife westeros has?

By all means, if you want something a bit more serious and considered, do follow up on this answer - and thank you for sending this in. It's so fun. I've already spoken a bit about how Rhaenys would feel about the Dragonseed plot and the individuals involved and how she might have played a part or not, had she lived in an ask so go and check that out.

But I'm going to take this one with absolute levity and not be particularly serious because the idea of Rhaenys watching down from Targ!heaven is hilarious to me. I just picture her there, like she's in a really fancy chair with a goblet of wine, being omniscient and seeing everything and just not agreeing whatsoever with anyone's actions.

It reminds me not only of Rhaenys being just totally unimpressed by the tourney in Episode 01, but of Eve Best in the press junket, saying that she felt like she and Steve were the two old guys from The Muppets, looking down and heckling. And that makes me laugh. Rhaenys is looking down on it all and just yelling.

I'm pretty sure Rhaenys would be sort of tearing her hair out. I mean, she's dead for like, two seconds, and the team she's just died for is basically imploding.

She gets all the information about Daemon and watches that play out - that he's being terrorised by bad dreams and he's suggesting kids go out and smother their grandfathers, and that he's building an army for his sake and it's like all Rhaenys's fears are proven because he's just not being a team player and he needs someone to kick his arse into gear.

But no one in that situation is being a grown-up because Rhaenyra isn't willing to go and face the situation either, which is partly what leads her down the path that she does, with the Dragonseeds - she fears having lost Daemon when, actually, she has no proof either way: there's nothing to provoke that escalation other than Daemon's radio silence. Which, admittedly, is a big red flashing neon sign, but not conclusive, especially after having fought with his wife.

Like, guys, just SORT IT OUT. There are bigger things than your marriage potentially imploding - you didn't see Rhaenys fall apart when confronted with her husband's bastards, did you? No! You didn't see her command Corlys from her sight when he came to back her up! She kept him around - he's useful! You park the issue. The political comes before the personal. The most important thing isn't the marriage: it's whether you're getting an army.

Rhaenys'd approve of sending Broome. Make him feel useful and it is good to get word, but she'd hope Rhaenyra be a bit more aware of who she is sending and what she intends to get back. A vague message isn't going to cut it. To be honest, if it could have been spared, it might have been good to send Baela - not only is Baela fiercely loyal to Rhaenyra's cause, but she is measured enough to deal with Daemon, and a dragon is faster than ships and horses. But yeah, not bad, Rhaenys approves.

Mysaria, Mysaria, Mysaria. Damn, I wish that Rhaenys had been aware of your existence on-screen. That would have been interesting because they are polar opposites in terms of advising. First off, Rhaenys isn't going to go about snogging Rhaenyra (ew), but also Mysaria is feeding Rhaenyra everything she wants to hear. And it's coming from a good place, sure. But Rhaenys was forever guiding Rhaenyra in a way that keeps her in check - she doesn't see Rhaenyra as something perfect and blessed.

Rhaenyra needs someone who will tell her the truth as much as anything else and I think that, even though Mysaria believes what she is saying, she's not actually criticised Rhaenyra, I don't think. But as to her reaction to the snog? Throwing her hands up. Like come on??? Not the time! (Bravo on the smallfolk propaganda though. That's neat.)

Corlys... I love you but your wife is yelling at you from heaven. GET IT TOGETHER. I think she'd be heartbroken to see how heartbroken he is, I just know it. She's proud he becomes Hand, she's immensely proud of Baela (whilst also going: no, no, don't aim for death, that's not what I want - stop glorifying me, you're sixteen, stop thinking about dying).

And she's watching through her fingers every time Corlys interacts with his sons. Like, mate, make an effort. It's painful to watch but not for the reasons you'd assume. Just get on with it! Admit your mistakes, and apologise. Have the conversation! Talk to each other. Open yourself up to these family members, I know it's hard but Rhaenys wants to give you a smack upside your head and then a pep talk because you can do it! And, more importantly, you need to! I think she'd have many thoughts about Alyn's childhood.

I also think she'd be teary-eyed at him renaming the ship. I'm sorry, I know people will likely disagree but you can't tell me that Rhaenys wouldn't find the symbolism and the intent romantic as hell. "What I do now, I do for her." - Eve reacted to that line in such a Rhaenys way which was: "Aw, that's so sweet! You don't say that in my hearing, you bastard." AND YOU KNOW WHAT... FAIR! Absolutely fair reaction.

Gosh, what else? Dragonseeds. I mean, this gif is probably applicable:

Overall conclusion:

[rius-cave]

So I just learned of a new saying.

You know about the “it’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” thing? Well there’s another one and it goes: “it’s Cain and able, not caine and mable.” Which is supposed to make fun of trans people.

(Trans able turned mable? 👀)

-🐊

lmaooo honestly would be hilarious if anyone made Abel have a trans arc. If anyone here likes making characters like that, I'm sure you could do something interesting with Abel

[tartarusknight]

Okay, but what if Dustin just never talked about Eddie or Steve to each other. So, like Eddie never heard about how Steve was a badass other brother figure. And Steve didn't hear how Eddie kinda just took him under his wing in school. But the best part is that they both become a big part of Dustin's life to the point that Claudia knows them well. (She even talk with Wayne on occasion) The best part is that they're both completely unaware of each other's existence in Dustin's until Christmas.

But even better us that Steve and Eddie know each other well. Like really well. Steve started buying from Eddie a lot more after the Upside Down shit. Steve would come over at odd times, and Eddie learned that he had been disowned by his parents, so he didn't have that much for money. However, Steve could let sleep without something to calm his mind, so he did things for Eddie instead. Sometimes, he cooked, he cleaned a few times, or he'd help them with a project around the trailer. Slowly, they became friends and even spent a few nights together after Steve admitted that he slept better by someone.

But it all came to a head on Christmas of 85. Steve had been invited to the Hendersons for Christmas Eve dinner, and when he gets there, both Munsons are there. Steve, of course, panics at the sight of them. Eddie is confused, and they spend the first few minutes just trying to talk over each other to figure out what happened.

It's then that they figure out that Eddie was the 'senior who invited them into their friend group and made Dustin feel safer at school'. Steve was 'the older teen who became something of a father figure for Dustin'. Eddie and Steve were 'the friend they had plans with today, but we can hang out tomorrow, I promise'.

Steve and Eddie find it hilarious, and Claudia and Wayne already had it figured out somehow. But Dustin was just confused because he was sure Steve was going on dates during those times. He explains how Steve would light up at the plans and make sure he looked nice. And would blush whenever Dustin questioned him on it. And how the entire party thought Eddie was hooking up with someone because he always looked like the cat that got the cream. And how he was always nicer to them afterward.

They don't tell anyone that it was because of that they got together.

[themculibrary]

Natasha Romanoff Birthday (December 3rd) Masterlist

A Russian’s Fairytale (ao3) - SophieRomanoff97 clint/natasha G, 2k

Summary: ‘Maybe if she had someone to spend her birthday with, someone who actually, properly, cared about it and her, someone who would make it feel special, maybe then it wouldn’t be such a suckish day. Maybe.’

Not all birthdays are happy, especially when you’ve never had a proper one. It’s Natasha’s birthday and a certain archer decides to make it his mission to make it as okay as it could possibly be.

(Set Pre-Avengers, some good Clintasha goodness for ya’ll)

Birthday (fanfiction.net) - Becca Barton-Romanoff clint/natasha G, 1k

Summary: Natasha's birthday is not a great day, so Clint has figured out how to help her through each one, every year

Birthday Girl (ao3) - ttfan111robstar1 bruce/natasha M, 13k

Summary: It’s Natasha’s Birthday, and everyone is ready to celebrate.

Happy Birthday (ao3) - Madquinn13 kate/yelena

Summary: It's Natasha's first birthday since her death and Yelena isn't sure how to celebrate it.

It Must Be Your Birthday (ao3) - DrRJSB bruce/natasha T, 3k

Summary: When you don't know your exact date of birth, every day could be your birthday.

Filling in some of the gaps that lead to Brutasha/HulkWidow/BruceNat in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Well, Just You Wait (ao3) - Sally0 G, 2k

Summary: Tony has discovered Nat’s birthdate, which none of the team knew before. He respects her wish not to tell anyone, and decides to have her up to the penthouse for a nice, low-key surprise of dessert and a gift. But of course he had to get the stomach flu on the day of her birthday.

Sam Discovers An Important Fact About Himself (ao3) - orphan_account steve/sam T, 1k

Summary: Steve can't think of anything to get Natasha for her birthday. She suggests he perform "The Star Spangled Man With A Plan" for her. Everyone finds it hilarious. Except Sam.

Teatime at Tiffany's (ao3) - AlphaFlyer clint/natasha T, 2k

Summary: "This is one of the most powerful objects in the universe and I am not letting you use it to buy your girlfriend a box of chocolates or some lingerie, Barton."

Clint forgets Nat's birthday and goes to Dr. Strange for help.

The Birthday Girl (fanfiction.net) - Telemain's Daughter T, 4k

Summary: Barton and Romanoff have been partners for years. But on an unusual mission on Christmas Eve, their partnership-and their friendship-starts to crumble. When everything goes wrong, will they have each others backs? Clintasha/Blackeye/Blackhawk. Rated T for mild language and romance. (This is my version of how Natasha got her arrow necklace and why Clint was not in "Winter Soldier"

The power of lighters and blue eyes and cakes with sprinkles (ao3) - well_well_well maria/natasha N/R, 5k

Summary: Nat's birthdays, created by Maria Hill, featuring the others as and when, but a story mostly of love, and, as the title says, lighters and blue eyes and cakes with sprinkles

you can keep me here in your heart (ao3) - arrowsinmyheart steve/natasha G, 786

Summary: She doesn't really think a lot about this day.

But here he was, standing in front of her – a bottle of vodka in his left hand, and a pizza box on the other. He looked like a puppy just standing there outside her door with his pajama shirt tucked between his pajama pants.

What a dork.

[unnoticed-poison]

Would be funny if Ada realized it isn't fun listening to an asshole, like "fuck, lilith was right!"

And just made Leihgs life hell but since she’s Sera's lil baby there are no consequences... until he snaps, which probably leads to male Eve (Steve?)

That would be hilarious!

This meme except she has a shit eating grin on her face.

Also genderbend Eve's name would probably be Evan or something, Steve sounds ridiculous for me tbh

[katyawriteswhump]

Home to you (Platonic Stobin Day fic)

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles, Day 17, Platonic Stobin. A year or so after the events of S4, Steve and Robin both struggle to get on with life. They had NOT planned in any way to spend Christmas together…

WC: 984. Rating: T.

CW: None (except only a small Steddie subtext in this one!) Tags: Chronic pain, OCD, platonic soul mates.

***

Steve had just gotten through the kitchen door—Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ blasting in his ears—when his boss got right in his face.

“You’re fired, Harrington.”

“Come on, man, no way.”

“You’re late. Again. You sleep through your alarm. When the order bell goes off, you sit and chill, like you don't freakin' hear.”

Oh, I hear, dipshit.

Your crappy bell sets off a stabbing pain between my eyes, and I’m blacking out, or shitting myself I’m having a stroke. So, yeah, I take a moment. I’m still your best waiter, plus it’s Christmas Eve!

He didn’t say it. Wished he had.

Ten minutes later, he was out on the snowy street, half-a-week’s pay in his pocket. Not enough to settle his rent. He was jobless, verging on homeless, out of meds. Yeah, he knew where he wanted to go. Christ, he missed her, but…

He sucked it up, called his mom: “Not working after all. I’ll be home tonight.”

“That’s… lovely. I’m afraid Aunt Lobelia has your room, and the couch is taken—”

“Wow. Can I go in the stable with the donkey?”

“Very droll, darling. For Christmas Eve nibbles, it’s the carparking we’re really concerned about.”

Carparking? Hilarious! He'd sold his car to pay medical bills. That was gonna be a fun conversation with his Dad.

In the queue at the bus depot, the fumes worsened his headache. He sat cross-legged on the ground, his face in his hands, spiralling deeper toward despair.

He heard mutters: “Is that guy drunk?”

Hilarious! Again! Like I could touch alcohol these days.

He wanted to punch somebody. That ache of loneliness settled in his guts, panged tightly in his chest.

Screw them.

He got on a Greyhound in the wrong direction. It sure felt like the right one to him.

***

She found him sitting on the steps of her dark university halls, curled forward with his arms around his knees. He was actually wearing that ghastly overlong scarf she knitted.

“Steve?” She wanted to blub, her rush of emotion kinda overwhelming. “Thought you were working Christmas, too?”

He looked up, groggily, started to rise. Two seconds later, they were in each other's arms.

“You're freezing,” she murmured, her cheek tucking against his scarf.

“Back at ya. There’s, like, frost on your stupid, crocheted bobble.” She hugged him a little tighter and took him inside. Beneath his jacket, he wore the ‘lame-ass’ sweater she knitted for him too.

They sat on her bed, sharing a tube of prawn cocktail Doritos. Everything pent up inside her burst free:

“My waitressing gig is the worst. Next a-hole who grabs my butt is gonna get slapped silly. Talk about objectification—it’s a billion times worse than Scoops.”

She noisily crunched a Dorito; he crunched one, too: God, I miss working together. I miss you so much.

“I’m totally behind on my college work. Nobody else gets it, because they, like, have money, and go home for Christmas, but my mom’s not talking to me, and—”

She paused for another crunch. They shared the last Dorito. He sank heavily against her shoulder, and before she knew it, she’d gotten his head in her lap.

I hate touching people, having them touch me. Then there’s you. Something else she didn’t need to say.

“It’s spookily quiet here, Steve, with the other students gone. I end up, like, checking every window and door a thousand times, because if it's spooky, there’s gonna be spooks, right? Or other supernatural shit, because after what we’ve seen, nothing can be ruled out, and don’t get me started on what I do when the lightbulbs flicker… uh, Steve? You okay? Too much prattling?”

“I’m with the spooks,” he mumbled. “Hot for the quiet. Though you’re not making my head any worse, so shoot.”

Nope. She’s done. With Steve, she can have this thing called comfortable silence.

She stroked his hair; it’s still damp, but they’re warming up, snuggled together. She skittered fingers across his brow, down his cheek. His face is toasty hot.

“Your fingers stink of prawns.” His snicker tugged her lips into a smile.

“You can talk, Mr Dorito-breath. I’ll wash.”

“Come straight back—you’re helping. Best treatment I got, till I can bag more opioids.”

She turned on the faucet, wanted to scream: I hate how nobody cares about your pain. I hate the price you paid for helping others, saving lives. You never ask for help. Why can’t anybody see? And then there’s Eddie. Healing all alone, while living on the run...

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, when they’re settled back as they were.

“What the hell for?” He slid his hand under his cheek, taking some weight off her knee.

“Oh… nothing. I guess, it was… nothing.”

“You think about Eddie much?” He tugged that smile from her again, this time blurred with tears. Brain-share, huh?

“Only every single day.”

“Yeeeah. Me too.” He unleashed a long, shuddering sigh. “He called last month. I'd drop everything and run to him, if he just... said the word."

"Did YOU say the word yet?"

A faint harrumph.

"If you never tell Eddie how you feel, Dingus—"

"Hey, is it midnight yet?”

“Yeah." She shook her head, lovingly. "Merry Christmas, Steve.”

“Merry… Christmmm…”

He sighed again, long and slow. She sensed immediately that he’d fallen asleep. 

That night, she only checked the windows and doors twice.

***

It was great to wake without an alarm piercing his skull. Without that grind of loneliness in his gut.

They’d squished into the single bed. He’d gotten most of the pillow, and she’d hogged most of the blanket. His head hurt less, and Robin’s soft snores had to be one of the few sounds in the world that didn’t bug him.

Okay, they grated a bit. He was still stupidly relieved to be here.

He curled up behind her, spooning like a pair of furry sloths, and went back to sleep.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 18 – CREATURE FIC

with each downpour we discover what it takes by Rowantreeisme

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 1,094 Tags: Drowning, Fluff, Non-Consensual Body Modification

Summary: Tony's turned into a mer-person. It's a bad time for all involved. (Turns out, being underwater is not at all fun for him, even if that's the only way he can breathe)

Reasons why I love it: I always love when I find a fic that fixates on an aspect of a trope I enjoy that I've never thought about, and this one is a prime example of that. Steve is such a good boyfriend in this, doing everything to help Tony get a grip on his new body, and I especially love the tension that builds throughout the fic before it's finally released. It's wonderful, and I highly recommend you check it out for yourself!

Thirst by velithya

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 2,454 Tags: Vampire AU, Hurt/Comfort, Blood Drinking

Summary: Tony's out of blood. Steve has a solution Tony doesn't like much.

Reasons why I love it: Steve's absolute faith in Tony is so touching to see. I love how much trust there is between them, for Steve to let Tony do what he does, and how careful Tony is not to hurt him. And the fluff at the end is so sweet, it always makes me smile. Definitely go and check this one out, it's fantastic.

A Capwolf Christmas by picturecat

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 1,002 Tags: Capwolf, Christmas Eve, Full Moon

Summary: There was not much that anybody could do about the fact that Christmas Eve was a full moon.

Reasons why I love it: Awww, this fic is ADORABLE, I can't, it's so cute! Capwolf in a Christmas sweater is something that I never knew I needed in my life, but I'm so happy this fic has it. If you're looking for a good time, definitely read this one, it's amazing!

Not all that glitters is gold by Just_Bill

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 2,969 Tags: Fairy Tale AU, Talking Animals, Getting Together

Summary: "Aren't you a huntsman? Shouldn't we be hunting things?" Tony had hoped his role as huntsman's horse would've been more galloping after dangerous critters, maybe even catch a griffin or two, not this gallivanting across the country in search for royalty and their party clothes. Or where Tony is about done with this questing, but things work out fine in the end.

Reasons why I love it: Aaaah, I love this fic so much! I could read a million more words in this universe, it's so fun. Tony the Talking Horse is hilarious, and I love the world building, especially the parts concerning Tony's other life. Definitely give this one a read, it's so good!

Next to you the sky is more blue by weethreequarter

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 39,021 Tags: Merpeople, Past Child Abuse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Summary: There was something about abandoned buildings and the way nature was slowly reclaiming them as its own which had long captivated Steve. The beauty of the former grandeur undiminished, merely transformed. There was an atmosphere to them, a lingering sense of the lives lived or the jobs worked within their walls which made him feel oh-so small and yet so alive all at once. No two were ever the same, and he loved discovering little clues that told the story of the people who once called it home or made their living there. There was something comforting about seeing the imprints of humans long gone; no matter who you were, there was a part of you, of what you made, of who you were that left its mark upon the world. Over the years, he’d been to a lot of abandoned houses, factories, mansions and they’d all left an impression on him in some way or another. But none as much as the Mermaid House.

Reasons why I love it: This fic is CRIMINALLY underrated! Seriously, it's so good I want to shout it from the rooftops. The world building, the budding relationship between Tony and Steve, the underlying themes of otherization and trauma are all phenomenal. I really love the way Steve and Tony grow closer over time, and the ending is absolutely fantastic. This fic is wonderful, and I really hope you go and check it out for yourself!

[doctorstrangereview]

0077: Doctor Strange #180

Cover Date: May 1969 On-Sale Date: February 4, 1969

After a reprint, we return to original stories and dig up some classic characters along the way. Eternity returns after mysteriously vanishing in his battle with Dormammu in Strange Tales #146. Original villain Nightmare returns as well with a nefarious plot. The cover is a rush job of a Steve Ditko Eternity over a photograph of New York City. The Chrysler Building's spire hilariously points to Eternity's crotch. Who drew the Doc figure is unknown, but GCD guesses it's by Herb Trimpe. It's actually a cool image despite it's hodge-podge nature.

Doc is dreaming. In this dream he sees Eternity who asks Doc if he thinks he was destroyed in the battle with Dormie. The footnote incorrectly tells us this happened in Strange Tales #138. While that story introduced us to Marvel's first cosmic being, he didn't trade blows with Dormie.

Gene's rendition of Eternity is highly detailed and quite impressive. Eternity then morphs into Nightmare. Doc tells Nightmare he just has to wake up to escape, but tries to figure out what Nightmare actually wants. Nightmare's like "Not today, dude!" and forces Doc to wake up.

Doc winds up shouting in his sleep which freaks out Wong a bit. Wong reminds Doc that 1) it's New Year's Eve and 2) he has a date with Clea. Doc decides to go in costume, but doesn't want to worry his main squeeze so he disguises his disguise and very cleverly incorporates his amulet and cloak into said disguise.

Doc then stops by Clea's pad to pick her up for their date. As Clea seems to always be wearing her Dark Dimension outfit, Doc gives her a makeover as well.

Very stylish, Doc! Doc and Clea have a romantic walk to Times Square. Clea encounters her first snow. Doc offers to protect her makeup from the snow. Clea's not having it.

Gene draws a very attractive Clea. Doc and Clea grab a cab to Times Square. When they're near he check his Cloak of Levitation watch and hops out to walk the last few blocks.

For those interested, Times Square is quite a few blocks from Bleeker Street. The cab ride more than an indulgence, especially in the snow. As they arrive Clea points out what was then the Allied Chemical Tower. It's now One Times Square and looks quite different, having being redeveloped multiple times by multiple corporate overlords in the decades since.

Doc hears his name being called it. It's noted author Tom Wolfe! Apparently being a world famous neurosurgeon means you rub elbows with the rich and famous. And Doc's medical reputation seems to have lasted.

As Doc and Tom catch up, the clock starts to count down to the new year. Not sure where the ball went. A fellow reveler attempts to smooch Clea. Doc's not thrilled about this and does a little trick displacing the reveler nearby so he can smooch a utility pole. The clocks bongs continue and as midnight approaches, this happens.

A prehistoric birdlike dinosaur is flying toward the tower. I'm not sure if it's a Pteranodon or a pterodactyl, but it doesn't matter. In a moment it'll be a pile of meat.

I'm sure Gene had blast drawing that. He may be dead but he brought friends with him.

Clea calls it a nightmare and Doc realizes it's probably Nightmare. Doc drops his Brooks Brothers in favor of his funky new garb while casting a protective spell on Clea. Doc throws himself into the conflict with the dinosaurs giving Gene an opportunity for another great panel.

Just as Doc rescues a fellow reveler from the dino's foot another threat appears. Time really has gone mad.

Doc manages to banish the menaces back to their prospective eras and Nightmare makes himself known. He has managed to capture Eternity giving him the ability to cause these events in the waking world.

Nightmare challenges Doc who accepts. If he doesn't more terrors from beyond time will threaten the world. On to the Nightmare World!

We get a bunch of my favorites in this issue. Eternity, Nightmare and dinosaurs. Can it get any better? Well, Nightmare's presence is minimal so far. We'll have to wait until the next issue for more of him. But he's got a nefarious plan that a chained Eternity has let him carry out. With the dinosaurs we get some great action. Gene has lots of weirdness to draw. Roy gives us great character moments, great action and great kick off to the arc. The last few issues were a bit thin on story. Dialog had to be stretched out across panels to stretch a story to the required pages. We're returning to the well paced stories from the beginning of Roy's reign.

[extremelyblackandwhite]

first christmas with baby holly?

pairing: steve kemp x darker!reader

12 days of christmas - day 12

Y/N thought, stupidly, she was an expert at dealing with newborns - after all, she’d been a mother so many times that when Christmas started to approach, she thought it would be a piece of cake. She was wrong, she was so, so wrong. She was getting too old for this and having a baby after having another one 8 years prior had made her forget how hard it was to have a newborn around Christmas-time, specially Holly. Out of all her children, Holly was the one who could not be even a second away from mum, screaming bloody murder whenever mum wasn’t around. Mum needed to be around for Holly to be content so now she was attempting to cook Christmas dinner while carrying Holly in a swaddle.

Se had to be honest, this Christmas made her a bit sorrowful. She’d spent the past 26 years used to a Christmas Eve filled with her kids running around, attempting to figure out where Steve had hidden the presents while the young ones picked the prettiest cookies to leave out for Santa. Now, the house just felt ... emptier. William was one year away from going to college, Aaron was entering the phase where mum and dad were embarrassing, the triplets were scattered around the West Coast, Rose was on her post graduate program and Daisy was in central New York starting her residency. Truth was her babies were leaving the home and only Holly was the one still excited to see mum and dad in the morning. 

     - You alright? - Steve entered the living room, munching on a gingerbread cookie. - Darling? 

     - Yeah. - she turned around. - I’m fine. Who’s picking up the triplets from the airport? 

     - Lily is coming a bit later so Daisy’s picking her up. Rose’s getting Cornelia and Ivy on her way in and I think William is out with some football friends until 6PM. Any kid missing?

    - Where’s Aaron?

    - Back garden making snow people and throwing snowballs at the Barbers any time they come out the house. It’s hilarious, you should see it. 

She attempted to smile at the imagery of Aaron terrorising the neighbours, but she just found herself focused on the emptiness of the house, how silent everything was. It wasn’t this quiet, it didn’t used to be this quiet. Steve furrowed his brow, removing Holly from the swaddle and placing her in the play pen which usually kept her busy for 20 minutes. 

    - What’s wrong? - he wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing the top of her head. 

    - There’s no one in the house. - she mumbled. - They’ve all left and William’s leaving next Autumn. Aaron doesn’t even need mum anymore and it’s not far until Holly grows up as well. 

    - Oh darling. - he caressed her cheek. - They didn’t leave, ok? They always come back, you know that. 

    - But they’re not here ... they’re not here now and I know they have their own lives but it’s just so quiet. Remember how they used to all be here early morning 24th trying to bake the best cookies for Santa.

   - I can bake cookies with you, love.

   - It’s not the same, Steve. It’s not the same.

   - Hey, Holly is barely one year old, she’s not leaving any time soon, neither is Aaron. I’m sure they’ll fight about something when Holly can hold a conversation. 

   - Promise?

   - Yeah, she’s your daughter. We only have argumentative daughters.

   - That better not be a side remark, Dr. Kemp.