#and then my friend ASSASSINATED me and said it was cuz he was metal and my Brain counted him as a transformer

[exasperatedoctopus]

So

Right? Now kindly observe:

I have connected A Dot, but I don’t know what to do with it

[3xm-draconic]

The Jester and The Courier: a wild wasteland love

After dinner Boone took his chance to talk to his old friend about her behavior, “Myrt”, “not now Booney”, “no Myrt we need to talk” the sniper gripped her arm, not hard but just enough to keep her from leaving so soon.

Myrtle sighed frustratedly “what?”, “you are acting really weird…are you OK?” he said, Myrtle snapped “IAM FINE BOONE”, Boone looked at her sadly “are you?...” he hushly sighed. 

Myrtle sighed “I am, I’am gonna die here in a month and there is nothing I can do to stop it, I am fine with it, I’am ok with dying young” she wanted to sarcastically admit “...I’am just having an episode Boone…I just need ME time” she lied.

She walked up to her bed room and found her bottle of vodka and mentats, she crunched on a few of the minty candy chems and chugged the vodka, Rex whimpered from under her bed, “oh puppers” she slumped down “if only you knew what I was going though…then you’d be drinking with me”.

Rex trotted out from under the bed and snuggled up next to her, his head on her lap “I’am gonna die Rex…I know I can’t kill Lanius, I killed Ceaser with it being purely on my dumb madman’s luck” she drank more of her vodka “how am I gonna kill that big bitch when he’s armored like a fucking tank?”

Rex licked her face, “thanks Rexie-baby, I know I can trust you not to spill my secrets…mainly cuz you can’t talk” she snickered.

Cicero managed to slip his bandaged hand out of the cuff again and then got to work using the metal pins he had squirreled away earlier, he broke 4 of them but finally after a prayer to the Night Mother the 5th one had set him free.

He got up and searched the top drawer of the dresser, maybe there would be something useful inside, eh well there were more pins and…a strange book.

“Programer’s Digest” Cicero pondered what that was but he took it with him anyway. Slinking through the shadows of the house like a serpent he snuck his way to the kitchen, there he finally got his hands on what he was looking for…

A big sharp knife…but then the door creaked open…

Strange men in…Cicero gawked…they looked like they were in imperial legion armor, but how were they here? Had they too somehow gotten banished into this strange world?

“Ave, true to Ceaser” one said “erimus ultores eius�� another saluted as the snuck into the house.

Cicero watched from the shadows as the strange men who looked like imperial soldiers place odd small metal disks on the floor all around the room; they then left but Cicero could see from the window from their faint silhouettes outside that they were still there, hiding.

Myrtle felt peckish so she was going down stairs to grab a can of pork n beans from the fridge when she stopped, “tread lightly, danger is afoot my dear” the voice in her head hummed.

Myrtle took out Lucky from the holster on her thigh and scanned the room with her cybernetic eye, “shit” she grumbled as she saw a shit load of mines…a the little red head fucker about to touch one “DON’T DO THAT!” she screeched as she dove from the stairwell on top of him…

Ka-BOOM!

All the mines whent off at the same time…

Cicero’s ears were ringing and his vision blurry but overall he was…unharmed? The metal woman, Myrtle, had used her body to shield him from the blast…AND SHE WAS STILL ALIVE TOO!?

Cicero stared at this woman, she in her rather…revealing…nightwear was more than just a metal eye…

Her scarred body was a mix of metal and machine, her legs, one of her arms, her heart and her spine were all mechanical, “Sithis…” he whispered under shaky breath “what are you?”, she gazed into his bewildered shocked eyes “mad that’s what” she hissed.

“PRO CEASER!” cried Legionary assassins as they barged in through the door, Myrtle despite many of her limbs cripled and injured still had VATS to deal with them and besides, they had funneled themselves through her doorway. 

Boom, Boom, Boom!

Three whent down with a few well placed headshots, the 4th man tried to make a beeline out of Novac…but was promptly shot multiple times, each by a different gunman.

Boone, Cass, Joshua, Ulysses and Gannon all fired at him, poor bastard as pocked full of holes in a single second.

“PUMPKIN?!” Lily cried out as she stomped her way to Myrtle’s room, “Myrt you ok?” her friends barged in as Rex ran down the stairs to her aid.

“Iam ok…just bleeding…” she laughed “ow…shit I should not do that it hurts when I laugh” she chuckled, she looked down at Cicero who she was…well to put it in layman's terms…straddling.

“OK YOU” she snapped “HOW THE FUCK DID YOU GET OUT and HOW DID LIGION SOLDIRS GET INTO MY HOUSE?!”, she pointed Lucky at his head.

Cicero gulped, he SAW what that little metal thing could do… “Cicero snuck out, yes but he had nothing to do with the soldiers, honest, honest!” he squeaked. Myrtle glared at him and cocked the hammer back “why’d you sneak out?”, Cicero gulped, he started to feel…funny…in this compromising position, a weapon drawn on him and her…well…her dominating over him…it felt weird…and he weirdly liked it. “Cicero…” he sighed “Cicero wanted to escape, BUT HE NEVER WANTED TO HARM YOU” he lied.

Myrtle eyed him…

Cicero could not help but find this whole thing…weirdly enticing…it HAD been a while since he had gotten a look at a LIVING woman…and despite all the metal bits…she was quite a looker.

She sighed and holstered her weapon “I still don’t trust you, but believe you when you say you had nothing to do with the Legion, you don’t give off the same vibe as them” she grumbled.

Gannon and Joshua helped her up and began working on her injuries, Cicero was about to sneak away when he bumped into something…someone.

“Oh hello deary” said a gruff voice, Cicero looked up and saw a strange sight, they looked like a troll…or a small giant…that was blue.

Cicero was so confused, “What?”, “I’am so sorry about this” the blue mini giant said as she gripped Cicero in a tight hug “you can cuff him now Ulysses”.

Cicero was again now cuffed and now again having to come up with an escape plan…good thing he had hidden those pins in his hair.

As the dawn broke, Myrtle and her companions set out for the new vegas medical center, 1: to take Cicero there to get his brain looked at and 2: to get some of Myrtle’s cybernetics fixed.

Myrtle had Cicero be placed on top of a strange beast, it looked like a goat…but a monstrously big goat with half its skull missing, “don’t worry, Daisy-do, ain’t gonna hurt ya” said the blue mini giant.

“You ain’t ever seen a bighorner have ya?” Myrtle laughed.

They then set out on the highway… 

[stupidporcupine]

Together at the end

Rating: G

Tags/Warnings: Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, major character death

Wants: I just want they can be together til the end of the line.

DNWs: What happened after Endgame

Summary: 

Bucky Barnes – a WW2 veteran just had a weird dream that he became an assassin under a maniac Nazi’s organization and Steve was there... It was so real, but glad that it was just a dream. Now, he can go back to his family and…his Steve.

Thanks to the wonderful mods of Bucky Barnes Events  @buckybarnesevents and the Shrinkyclinks Double Fest 2023. I'm so happy to have claimed this amazing art from @dwarvishgeorge. It's been an honor and privilege to work with you again, and your art is gorgeous.

-”You’re my friend…”

-”You’re my mission!” – the Winter Soldier looked violently at Captain America, punched him as hard as he could. 

-”Then …finished it…Cuz I’m with you…til the end of the line…” – Captain America looked straight at the Winter Soldier, which confused the assassin so much. ‘How can this man want to be killed. He could have beated him, but why?

Then, the Helicarrier collapsed. Captain America fell into the river. 

‘Cuz I’m with you til the end of line, pal’

‘Why does it sound so familiar? Has he heard it before?’ – Winter Soldier thinks.

‘Thank you Buck, I can be on my own now’

‘Don’t do anything stupid til I come back’

‘How can I? You take all the stupid with you.’

“Steve?”

-” Sergeant Barnes? Are you okay?”

Bucky Barnes woke up. He looked around, they were his warbounds, looking at him worriedly. 

-”Look like you just have seen a devil” – one soldier said. 

-”I guess it was a really bad nightmare.” – said Bucky. He calmed everyone that he was fine, but only he knew that he wasn’t. Everything he saw was so real. Himself as an assassin tortured by Nazis, a metal arm, and big strong Steve that tried to stop him but his crazy mind keep hurting Steve. That was definitely a nightmare – he thought. Although he always wanted Steve to be healthy, but a giant Steve like that…it’s impossible for his condition. And he would NEVER EVER hurt Steve, even never think about it. So maybe it was just a bad dream that showed him everything he never wanted to see. That’s all!

‘Kiss me once, then kiss me twice

Then kiss me once again

It's been a long, long time’

After nearly four years, the war was finally over. Bucky and his peers can finally go home. The ship finally stopped at New York habour. Bucky was really excited to see his family and…his Steve. 

-”Mom…Dad…girls…It’s good to see you!!!” – Bucky hugged all of his family the moment they reunited at the habour. After experiencing a deadly war and that terrible nightmare, he cherished this like it was the most precious moment ever.

Dad drove the family to their home. Bucky asked them about another person, the one he vowed to protect. 

-”Guys, how is Steve?” – Bucky can’t not help it but asked about Steve, that punk. He did also hope to see him at the habour, but Steve was not there. Maybe because his condition was not good again, or he was making troubles somewhere, or even worse, he joined the army and became a what…super soldier?. Oh, snap it out, it was just a bad dream.

-”Oh, I thought you was gonna ask about him sooner” – laughed Rebecca. “Steve was the same without you, but you know, no one was there for him the deal with trouble, but mostly, he’s fine, we also supported him when he got sick. His health is not good these days, that why he cannot come and see you. He must be very happy if you come and see him.”

Rebecca was right, he needed to see Steve right now. He really missed that punk. 

*cough…cough* 

-”Rebecca? Is that you? Did Bucky come…back?”

Steve cannot say a word right now…It’s him…It’s Buck.

-”I heard that you have done some stupid things while I’m gone.” – Bucky smirk.

-”BUCKY!!!” –Steve burst into tears, seemed to forget that he was sick, ran forward and hugged Bucky like he never hugged him before. It’s been a long time since Bucky last wrote him. There was rumours that his unit was captured and was tortured. But now Bucky is here, and if it was a dream, Steve would never want to wake up. 

Bucky hugged Steve back. He was thinner than the last time he saw him. It must be so hard for him to be on his own during cold winter. Bucky knew that Steve is a strong man, but everyone needs helps sometimes. Steve must have refused the support from his family because he didn’t want to be treated like a weak kid. That punk,…always stupid.

However, Bucky was glad to see a small Steve, not that big guy that was called Captain in his nightmare. Because in that nightmare, Steve stupidly joined a deadly experiment, then was treated like a clown, and then sneaked in Nazis’ lair alone just to find him. Bucky never wanted Steve to run into a deadly war like that, never wanted him to see deadly scene. So, in a way, he was glad that Steve can stay at home safely.

Bucky missed his punk so much, he could not help himself but laying a kiss on Steve’s lips. To Steve’s astonishment, he said: “It must be God’s gift that I can be alive and go home. I just want to be by your side. Will you let me be with you til the end of the line?”

Bucky knew Steve did not have any prejudice on this kind of emotion, but would he accept his feelings? Bucky didn’t why he dared to do this, maybe he that nightmare gave him a belief that Steve also had the same feelings.

-”I miss you too, jerk” – Steve kissed him back. 

After returning from the war, Bucky got benefits from the government such as higher education and housing. Now, he can have a place of his own, where he can take a better care for Steve. He heard about an island called Hawaii, where the weather was sunny all year long. Therefore, he wanted to live there, with Steve so his health can be improved. 

Bucky worked very hard to earn money to support for his small family (in secret) and savings for Hawaii. Steve also have drawing jobs. Bucky knew that Steve loved it, but he worried about his health more. However, Steve is happy, so Bucky is happy. 

Finally, it was a sunny day in 1950, they can have a new life in Hawaii. 

The weather is really good for Steve’s health, the asthma was lessen. Everything here is relaxing, life is slower and people are friendlier. The native people there was open with the kind of feelings that they were having, which was amazing. 

It was a nice, quiet, and peaceful life that Bucky always wanted.

But nothing lasts forever. 

On Steve’s 50th birthday, they celebrated it in the hospital. Steve used to say on his 15th birthday that it would be a miracle if he can live until he was 50. But now, he is 50, and may leave this life at any moment. But he regrets nothing, accept the fact that he always feel like he has been a burden for Bucky because everything that Bucky did was for him. He wished that he was stronger to make Bucky happier. But, Bucky stopped Steve to say more. He got all he needed for this life, is to be til the end of the line with Steve. All he wanted is Steve to be healthy and stay with him longer.

Outside, fireworks were displayed colorfully in the sky, and inside, Steve had been into a forever sleep with a smile on his face.

Bucky held Steve’s hand, which was cold now. 

What could he do now? How can he move on without Steve? What should he do now?

Suddenly, Bucky saw a light outside, in the sky. It’s not fireworks or something, it’s just stay there. Bucky thought that his eyes had problems, since he is old now. 

-”Bucky…Bucky…” – he heard a voice outside. That familiar voice, how can he not recognize. But it’s not from the one on “sleeping” on the bed. It’s from the light, that light outside. Curiously, Bucky opened the window, in that light, he saw Steve, but not the same as his Steve. It’s the tall and big one that he once having a nightmare about it in the 40s.

-”Bucky…we will be til the end of the line together, won’t  we?” – that Steve said. Bucky knows that smile, that eyes, it was always Steve, just a different body. Steve would always want to be strong like that. His heart and mind never fits his body. This must be how he would have become if he was fully healthy. 

-”Sure, why not?” – Bucky takes “big Steve” hand and go into the light…

.

I guess that your mind is in peace now, and you can see you punk in Astral Dimension. Sleep well Bucky Barnes, you finally can be at the end of the line with Steve Rogers. 

I confirm that Bucky Barnes or Winter Soldier is dead now. There is no reason for me to stay in this dead universe anymore. 

You might be wondering who I am and what I am talking about. So, let me introduce myself. 

I am an inter-universe creature, who can travel across the multiverse. You can say that I, myself is a dark matters between world, who goes around, see things and escape from danger. With my power combined with my device, I accidently landed on this universe, where Ultron won and annihilated everything. On this planet Earth, somehow, Bucky Barnes still alive and he is also a Winter Soldier in this universe. I found him under the radiation snow, he was still fine, but seems lost. I tried to talk to him and looks like he was still finding his lost memories, just like his versions in many other universes. He did remember about Steve, his little Steve, which was Captain America. 

But well, in this hopeless universe, there is no more Steve for him to find, and now, he is all alone, in this world, waiting for death, a sad lonely deadth. Therefore, I decided to help him a little bit, by injected a dose of strong LSD, REALLY strong LSD. I did have a little affect on his mind, and with LSD, he can have a illusion in his mind about the life he always wanted with Steve. At least he died happily.

When the time comes, I touch his hand, take him to death with my power, a soft death, with a smile on his face. I guess you saw your Steve in Astral Plane. 

Well, this universe is dead now. I need to move to another one. Good night Bucky Barnes, I hope in a universe that I will come, you will be truly happy.

-THE END-

[commonwealthoccurences]

If It's A War You Want

Request: Idea: Sole at the end of Blind Betrayal threatening "You lay one hand on Danse, and you start a war with me!" Can't trust Bethany Esda to write a proper conclusion for my boy Danse, so I trust u cuz ur writing slaps.

Word Count: 2,2027

Warnings: Threats, canon typical violence mentions

It was never supposed to turn out like this.

Sole hadn’t exactly come to love the Brotherhood’s ideology, specifically surrounding their opinions on synths, but it was a means to an end. It was messy, and at times downright infuriating. But Sole never intended to go face to face with them; the priority was the Institute. Once they were out of the picture, Sole intended to enjoy what was considered retirement in the Wasteland, and take up the role of a simple farmer.

Everything shifted once Elder Maxson told them about Danse and then ordered them to kill him. They couldn’t even think to react, to lash out in astonishment or in disgust. They were whisked away and before they knew it, they were being told his location by Scribe Haylen, and off they went. On an assassination mission for one of the people they cared about most in the Wasteland.

Of course, that was never going to happen. The walk to his location left them a lot of time to think. To come up with a plan, specifically. First, they wanted to hear his side of the story. It didn’t matter whether or not he was a synth, but they couldn’t imagine what he was going through, the stress, the betrayal, the possible resentment. Then, they would get him out. Wherever he wanted to go, they would get him there safely.

There would always be a place for him in Sanctuary. If it appealed, the Railroad could do what they did best, though they doubted he would want to lose what little he had left of his identity. Whatever Danse needed, they were there.

Before long, they were shooting down the turrets outside of the bunker Scribe Haylen said they would find him in, and they crept in, gun held in a tight grip by their side. Sole wasn’t sure what state of mind he’d be in. Whether or not he’d be defensive, whether or not he expected an enemy instead of a friend. He was smart. Maybe he expected Elder Maxson to test them the way he was, to send them after him to prove the loyalty Danse knew had wavered the very first day they stepped on the Prydwen.

There was water dripping from the ceiling, a leak of some sort made obvious from the heavy rains. The incessant dripping grew more and more irritating as Sole took careful steps through the damp hallways, jaw clenched, boots barely making a sound. It was a break in the structure of the wall that opened up to the end of their journey. Carefully, they straightened up, and stepped through the crumbled wall. “Danse?” Sole asked, cautious. They raised their hands on either side of their head in an attempt to appear non threatening.

But when Danse turned around, it was apparent he wasn’t going to make any attempt to defend himself. His gun was across the room, bullets scattered on the floor, magazine a few feet away. “Danse?” They repeated, tone softer, as they holstered their weapon.

“If you’re here to kill me, get it over with. Please.”

“Danse, I’m not here to kill you.”

He laughed, but there was no humor to his tone. “You should be. There’s no way you made it here without Maxson finding out, and if you’re disobeying direct orders….”

“I don’t give a damn about his orders, Danse. You know that.”

Danse scoffed. Yeah, he knew that. They had never been great at taking orders from anyone in the Brotherhood, until he asked them himself. It was obvious where their loyalties lied, and maybe he was selfish, but he had been okay with that. Now? Now, their misguided trust was only going to put them in danger. He knew that if they didn’t take back his holotags, they would be the next to fall. It was the way the Brotherhood worked. He had been a cog in their machine, after all; he knew better than anyone.

He turned away. It was nearly unbearable to look at them, at the hope they had represented for him in the year that they had been around, and the fact that they were looking at him pleadingly, a silent begging for him to go with them, and directly result in their death. “Get it over with, Soldier.”

“I’m not a soldier. Danse. You know I was never one of their soldiers. Don’t make this decision for me, please. It’s hard enough.”

Maybe if he begged them, they would go through with it, and they’d be safe. Of course, Danse didn’t want to die, if the loss of his life even counted as death, considering what had been discovered. But between the options of him living just a moment longer with the hope that he could return to some semblance of normal only for both of them to die, or for him to die for Sole to live, Danse would not hesitate in choosing them every time.

The drip hadn’t gone away. It drove at Sole’s patience as they stood there in silence, waiting for Danse to come to his senses. Or maybe it was them who needed sense, the sense to just move, to grab Danse and drag him away where no one could hurt him again. They nearly fully considered it when he spoke. “You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”

They wanted to laugh, but instead, sucked in a deep breath and tapped their fingers against their thigh. “Have you met me?”

Danse nodded slowly. “Yeah.” He turned and looked at them. “It was a blessing in disguise. More than I knew, in the beginning.”

They found themself clenching their jaw tighter in an attempt to suppress the urge to cry. “Danse, let’s go. We can go back to Sanctuary and figure this all out. You don’t have to stay here and be alone in this miserable ass bunker.”

“Are you sure?”

“Danse, please. Let’s go home.”

It would be a long process, of course. To get him settled in Sanctuary, into a civilian lifestyle, without all the heavy-duty armor and the rigid structure to keep him firmly in place. But he would figure it out, Sole knew; he was much more resilient than he’d ever given himself credit for. They held out their hand and placed it on his shoulder when he stepped forward.

They guided him over to his weapon and loaded it for him before placing it firmly in his hands. “You still need to defend yourself.” The double-meaning of their words hung in the air between them as Danse stared them down. He nodded choppily.

The walk out of the bunker seemed much shorter than the trip in, and to Sole’s relief, they put distance between them and the dripping leak faster than they expected. As soon as they were relieved from one pressure, the next appeared in front of them. Through the thick rain, they could see the shadow of a familiar figure, one dressed in an oversized coat that they had thought many times would go for a high price at Myrna’s. “We don’t have to do this, Maxson.” They had to raise their voice to be heard over the pounding rain.

“You had orders, Soldier. Explain yourself, or I end this now.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. And I’m not your soldier.”

Sole could feel the rage radiating off Maxson. The vastness of his ego must’ve taken a dent from being so blatantly disrespected. “Sole, he’s right.” Danse piped up from over their shoulder, not loud enough to be heard by the leader of the Brotherhood, but clearly heard by Sole. They shook their head and raised a hand, clearly signalling him to be quiet. “See, Maxson. I’m not as stupid as you think I am. I didn’t come out here blind. I knew you were testing me.”

They took a step forward, despite the fact that they felt adrenaline and anxiety thrumming in their chest. God knows the rain wasn’t helping, with the way they had to squint to be sure they had an eye on Maxson’s weapon. “I didn’t leave straight away. I have help, Elder, and I don’t take risks without insurance. I’m sure once you return to the Prydwen, after being unsuccessful in locating both Danse and I, that you’ll find many hidden explosive charges located throughout your beloved airship.”

Danse’s sharp intake of breath was barely audible, and they hoped he didn’t make his surprise too obvious. Of course, they were lying through their teeth; they hadn’t had time to even think before they were being ushered out of the Prydwen on their mission. But Maxson didn’t know that. He had simply sat back in his chair and expected them to clean up a mess that didn’t even exist.

“You’re bluffing.” Maxson called back.

“Do you really want to find out? You lay a single hand on Danse, and you’ll start a war with me. With me and the Minutemen, and while you may have protocols and guidelines, know that I will stop at nothing if something happens to someone I care for.”

Silence. If there was anything Maxson cared about more than being respected, it was the Brotherhood. If what they had said was true, they could turn the entire Eastern branch of the Brotherhood into gory, scrap metal ridden confetti and then follow up with their own, albeit small, army if there were any survivors. They shifted their grip on their weapon and raised their chin; this was the moment of truth. Would they get away with their companion in a nerve wracking scrape, or would they die for their loyalties?

Their heart thudded, even when Maxson lowered his weapon and took a half step backwards. The pressure was off, ever so slightly. “Go. You can return to wherever you came from, but if either of you are seen again-”

Maxson didn’t have to finish. The pair knew exactly how little they had as an advantage, and they were lucky to get as far as they did. Sole managed to not burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation and instead gave him a sharp nod before their hand returned to Danse’s shoulder, and they began their departure to Sanctuary.

The first half of their journey was silent. Each was lost in their own thoughts about the situation, about what their futures may look like now that Sole had threatened war against one of the more powerful Commonwealth presences. Danse’s footsteps faltered momentarily just as they made it to Quincy. “Were you- did you actually have the means to blow up the Prydwen?”

Sole, overwhelmed with the confrontation of what they had said, burst out laughing. “God, no, Danse! But I had to think of something. If I didn’t have any leverage we would’ve ended up as ghoul feed.”

Danse frowned. “I told you you should’ve-”

“I know what you said, and it was the worst idea you’ve ever had. Try not to top it in the future, would you?”

The humor fell flat, Danse’s expression barely illuminated by the first rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon. “Look, Danse. I made my choice, there’s no going back, and even if there was, I wouldn’t change my mind. Even if I couldn’t blow up the Prydwen at that moment, I was serious. I would’ve started a war that rivaled the Great War. I still will, if he sends anyone after you.”

“Sole, you can’t possibly mean that.”

Whatever semblance of humor fell from their demeanor. They closed the gap between them and Danse and looked him in the eye. “I know that the Brotherhood may have made you feel otherwise, but you have people that will fight for you, Danse. You have me, and you have the Railroad and Sanctuary now. And it might be hard to believe, but I’ll spend every day proving it to you. Do you understand?”

Danse swallowed. The nod he gave them was barely visible. Stunned. They gave him a weak smile and brushed a strand of his hair away from his eyes. “Let’s go home, Danse.”

[merlinssaggyyfronts]

its canon gwen and leon went looking for frogs at night as children right?? which means elyan obviously went with them too mhm? SO

gwen was a master at frog hunting. she got so many that the bucket she was carrying them in overflowed and the trio had to hunt them all down cuz the frogs got loose in leons house (this happened on more than one occassion, they never got caught once,,, if you forget the True Loves Kiss incident)

you must be wondering, op, whats the true loves kiss incident? well my dear child, the true loves kiss incident was when leons mother caught leon with two frogs, and no gwen and elyan with him.

leons mom: son, why do you have two frogs in your hands?

leon, age twelve: uh- mother! this is, uh... gwen and elyan! yes, theyve been turned into frogs by an evil sorcerer and i must turn them back!

leon’s mom who knows full well those are random ordinary frogs: ...and how do you plan on doing that?

leon: ,,true loves kiss?

leons mom: what.

leon proceeded to explain the lore behind the curse of the lady and the frog (or in this case, the servants and the squire) and true loves kiss and the (and more importantly how it was a planotic kiss, cuz romantic kisses are gross and cooties)

gwen and elyan were sitting in an alcove right next to them and heard the whole thing (and still tease him relentlessly about it)

gaius: it seems sir gwaine has been turned into a frog

elyan: heh hey leon why dont you give him the true loves kiss hmm

leon: i-

gwen: oh stop bullying the poor guy, elyan

leon: thank you guinevere-

gwen: it would have to be a platonic true loves kiss remember? sir leon wouldnt want to get cooties after all

leon: i hate you

leon is also pretty good at frog hunting (though not as good as gwen). he often times teamed up with elyan to get half as many frogs as gwen did. hes fallen off cliffs and basicaly died on numerous occassions while on the frog adventures, and gwen swears his heart stopped one too many times during those occassions (they eventually grew desensitised when leon would momentarily die then come back to life, often times playing a game of ‘who can find the coolest looking leaf’ while they wait for leon to rise from the dead once again)

leon is somewhat sad his friends dont seem to be concerned when he dies and comes back (ofc they are, its just that ignoring it out instead of thinking of you actually dying hurts bro), but atleast sometimes he gets to keep the coolest leaf they find as a “thanks for not dying“ gift, so hes content

elyan eats the frogs.

just fucking swallows those little slimy things whole. almost dies every time, but his 10 year old self swears it was worth it (and so does his older, knightly self, thank you very much). hes learned from leon to spit at god in the face and cheat death! (leon: elyan no- // gwen: ELYAN YES)

sometime after gwen became morganas maid, morgana started joining them to skip out on dinners with uther. elyan is quick to object since 1. shes a noble (“leon doesnt count cuz, yknow; hes leon” “hey!”) and 2. shes a girl (“gwen also doesnt count cuz shes *gags* gwen” “i will stab you, lil man”)

his objections are very quickly pushed aside when he sees morgana almost eat a bright red (and incredibly poisonous) frog like it was an apple to prove her superiority to him. (it worked, and he is forever in awe, and wants to actually see morgana eat said frog but gwen and leon were so terrified of accidentally killing the kings ward and getting beheaded that maybe, just maybe, he’d keep it to himself)

morganas a PRO at frog hunting. maybe it comes from her training with arthur and the knights (“but im literally a knight” “shut up leon let me have my moment”), or maybe its cuz shes just good at everything she does, but shes GOOD good.

when they get into pairs to play games (yes they do other things too, sometimes the frogs are just too boring) morgana and gwen would pair up and basically always win so they made a rule to not let those two pair up.

it was a tie at first cuz obviously they only have four people so itd be 2 against 2. the dealbreaker was arthur who chose leon and elyans side purely to dwindle morganas chances to spend time with her crush (“you spend time with her every day! whats some game pairing gonna do?” “im in love with her arthur! we need chemistry! bonding! teaming up and beating up whiny little idiots like you!” “whaT DID YOU JUST CALL ME-“)

arthur joined in once.... emphasis is once. elyan kept giving him dirty looks cuz hes the bloody prince and thus a major arse and at one point convinced him to eat a poisonous worm to prove his manliness (“elyan why would you attempt to assassinate the prince?!” “it was FUNNY OKAY-“), and wouldve died if it werent for the fact they were close enough to gaius’ chambers to be able to revive him.

he was basically banned from going with them ever again (“see this is why we dont go to gaius when leon dies!” “shut up and help me find a cool leaf, elyan”)

random detail: the buckets they’d use are faded green (morgana supplied with the dye- they used to be buckets with metal frog eyes and legs molded onto them (curtesy of our favourite blacksmith children of course).

they stopped going frog hunting as they got older and thus gained more responsibilities, but there were occassions where they’d go.

one of which being elyan running away. on that same night, leon downright ran to gwens house as soon as he heard (and was finished with his duties), frog buckets in his hands. on the outside it did look pretty weird cuz why is a knight of camelot carrying some tiny frog buckets, but leon doesnt care. gwen needed cheering up cuz his brother was a lil shit and hes supplying it. (“dont you have patrol today?” “its in the knights code to be loyal, gwen. im showing my loyalty to you by dragging you froghunting to cheer you up!” “...isnt it also in the knights code to be honest? how did you get out of patrol?” “....um.”)

another occassion was when arthur became crown prince (more specifically after the whole tristan du bois incident) and was basically dragged a crossbow-point to go frog hunting with them (‘them’ being leon and morgana, cuz apparently gwen and merlin had some business to attend to (much to both morgana and arthurs dismay).

sometimes, when the world feels like its caving in on them, leon and gwen like to go frog hunting together. they’d reminisce about the time morgana beat up a badger to defend gwens honor, or the time arthur (who sneaked out with them that one other time) accidentally kebab’d three different toads, or that time elyan wore gwens dress to prove it wasnt that hard to run in dresses (it was. he failed miserably and sprained his ankle)

or they’d just sit by a stream where leon died once, and mourn the members of their little group and what fate brought them.

[theatrelove3000]

No Place Like Home

Hello, Friends! My brain is fried so there is no introduction like there normally is. I honestly doubt anyone reads them anyway. Whatever. ONWARD!

Background: Noelle and Loki were “Bound” by a witch in Alfheim after a battle they fought in. This means that the witch split each of their souls in half and one half switched places. Noelle has half of Loki’s soul and vice versa. They can feel each other's emotions and hear each other's thoughts. Noelle is also Half Asgardian, half Midgardian. Her father is Tyr and her mother is of Midgard. Loki enchanted her wedding ring so that she can be immortal with him.

Summary: Noelle is kidnapped by Hydra while on a mission in Europe and help captive in an unknown base somewhere in the country. Loki needs to find her before the worst can happen.

Warnings: Kidnapping, swearing, suggestions of attempted rape, creepy Hydra guys being gross, slight angst with a fluffy end.

No Place Like Home

Noelle PoV:

Well.

I am not sure how to describe my situation in any other way than this: I'm fucked.

It was supposed to be a routine mission. We were supposed to be in and out, no big deal. That is no longer the case.

Nope. The current situation is much more dire than such things as "routine" and "easy in-and-out". The situation is now me, gagged, bound, and surrounded by the darkness of the van that the Hydra agents had thrown me into. So I repeat. I am fucked. But then again...

So are they.

If there is one thing I know, it's the power my husband holds within himself. A power that does nothing but grow, especially when I am in danger.

They have created a cuff to cut off my magic and tied my hands behind me so I couldn't use my knives or gun. It's not ideal but I've been through worse. The only thing I'm afraid of now is who will control these men from putting their hands on me. I can't defend myself with my hands tied and magic quelled.

I soon get my answer as the van comes to a stop. I'm hauled out by the two guys who sat in the back with me. They seem to be expecting me to kick and scream, thinking they will have to drag or even carry me into the concrete structure we are about to enter. They are wrong. I keep my emotions in check. I stay cool and collected and let them walk me to the elevator.

The bigger of the two men, who I have decided looks like a Chuck, jabs his finger into the button of the floor number we need to get to. -5. Noted.

When the elevator doors open again, I am faced with a small grey room with a metal chair in the middle, a small cot in the right hand corner of the far wall, and one small light that dangles from the ceiling.

Chuck and his buddy Frankie sit me in the chair and take the gag out of my mouth. The first thing I do is make eye contact with Frankie and give him a small smile. He is clearly unsettled by my calmness and looks extremely guarded as he unties my hands and cuffs me to the chair. I let them do their job and nod my head at Chuck, who looks equally unnerved by me. Yay!

They both walk backwards to the elevator and keep their eyes on me until the doors shut once again. I keep my smile on until they are gone. Now that they left and my eyes have adjusted to the dim room, I can scope it out.

There must be hidden cameras. I can get a general sense of where based on the discolouration of the concrete. They were recently installed. This is a new base. We may not have record of it yet.

Shit. Okay, plan B. If I let the wall between Loki and myself down, he could follow the pull and find me. But that could take days. I hope that by the Fates that the tracker we have installed into our suits is still working.

I'm still thinking through my game plan when the doors open again. I look up to see a very... boring? I think that's a good word, yes. A boring man walks through the door.

"Lady Noelle." I hear the accented voice say. I unintentionally tense up. He addressed me as "Lady Noelle." No one calls me that except the Asgardians and they haven't called me "Lady" anything since my marriage to their Prince. They say "Princess" now. This man isn't of Asgard.

"Oh, not to worry, my dear Lady. You are... well, I cannot say safe but you will not be harmed if you cooperate." He walks into the light, circling me. I relax my body, with some effort, and try to appear calm.

"Forgive me, sir, but you seem to know my name, yet I don't know yours."

He chuckles. "You think me a fool?" He asks, stopping his pacing in front of me. I can see it relatively well. He looks like the basic Hydra douche in the stupid uniform and such things, but there is something about his eyes. I can't understand it but it's more frightening than I let on.

"I am not going to just give you information on myself. I suppose you think I am going to just surrender my plan to you as well?" He steps forward, resting his hands on the cuffs holding mine to the chair, and leaning in a bit.

I force a calm smile and tilt my head slightly. "Of course not. That would be ridiculous. Though, you did just tell me you are a head officer in this joint, if not the mastermind. I'll know your name sooner or later. I'd prefer sooner if you don't mind." I cock an eyebrow at him. "Build a rapport and all that jazz?"

He chuckles again and stands straight. "It appears you would be right. My men will call my name eventually and then you will know. My name is Leon Becker. I am, in fact, the leader of this base and this mission. And you, my dear, are my guest." He smiles coldly.

"Do you normally strap your guests to chairs?"

"If they are Avengers, yes."

"Ah. So you are afraid I will hurt you. Okay, no big. I totally understand." I nod in faux agreement. "Makes sense to keep a woman with no weapons and stripped of her powers locked up."

"I am not stupid, woman." He growls at me. "Your reverse psychology will not work on me. You were trained in Asgard as a warrior and then in the Avengers compound by super soldiers and highly trained assassins. I know you can beat me. You have otherworldly strength that you received from your father: an Asgardian." He begins pacing around me again.

My smile falters for a moment. How does he know about Tyr? I regain my composure. "So you know of my parentage. Well done! You did your homework." I snip sarcastically.

He smirks at me as he passes. "Your mother died of Osteosarcoma. Bone cancer. That's sad. What's it been now, three years? You laid beside her and sang to her until her last breath. Such a devoted daughter." He shakes his head. "Well, maybe not so devoted. You saw her, what, four times in the three years you lived in Asgard at that point?" I feel my throat start to close up. Momma. I do my best to hold it together. "Aw, my apologies, Lady Noelle. Did my talking of your mother upset you? Oh dear." Leon tsks. As he walks to the elevator, he says over his shoulder. "I suppose we can start in the morning. Rest well, Lady Darkness."

The doors shut behind him. As they do, the cuffs holding me to my chair release me. I take a deep breath. I will not cry. I refuse to give him the satisfaction. Making my way over to the cot, I rub my wrists absentmindedly as I break down the wall between Loki and myself.

'NOELLE!' He shouts into my mind. I wince. 'Where are you? Are you hurt? I will kill them. Do you have a location?'

'Loki, honey. I'm very tired. One question at a time.'

I feel him take a deep breath. 'Are you injured in any way? Have they touched you?'

'No to both questions. I'm not hurt and most of them are frightened of me.'

He smiles at that but it quickly falls. 'What's your location?'

'I don't know. I was in the back of a van, it was dark.'

I feel his emotions shift from anger to distress. 'I can use our... What did you call it? The link that helps us find each other?'

'Built in GPS. And you can try but I think it will be too far. We were driving for a while.'

He scowls, 'I meant what I said. When I find you, I will slaughter them all. They put their hands on my wife. I will be sure to put every last one in their graves.'

'I love you for that but really, please focus on finding me and getting me home.'

'You cannot teleport. I can't get you here either. I've been trying for hours. Why is that?'

'Well, they are getting smarter. They have found a way to create a cuff that cuts off my magic. The only reason we can communicate is because we are bound. They must not know about that.'

There is silence for a moment. 'What do they know?' He asks in a small voice.

I sigh. 'Too much.'

He nods but doesn't press the matter. He knows I will tell him eventually.

~~~~~Le Time Skip cuz I'm lazy~~~~~

I have no idea what time it is or how long I've been here. I only sleep in intervals and I'm not even sure how long they are. They can't be very long. I'm exhausted.

'You sleep in one hour intervals about 4 times a day.' I sigh. He isn't sleeping. 'Can you blame me, Noelle? You are in captivity and I do not know where you are. I am working on finding you and I will not rest until I do so.'

'I love you for it but you can't keep doing this. You're going to burn yourself out.'

'You are not the first to mention that.' He grumbles. 'Thor is saying the same. Agent Romanoff as well.'

'They're right. Listen to them. I'm alright. She is pretty smart so you should listen.'

He laughs, 'She? Only she?'

I smile, 'Thor thinks with his heart. He is thinking of you because he loves you and wants to keep you safe. Natasha thinks with her brain. She needs you to keep your wits about you and she is right.'

'I-' he is interrupted by the elevator doors opening. Frankie and Chuck step through. One is holding a tray of food, like every day, and the other holds a case file. That's new. So are the looks on their faces.

Damn it.

'I love you.' I whisper in my mind. 'Please forgive me.' Before he can respond, I put up the wall in our minds. He can't hear or feel me now.

"Breakfast for you, Lady Darkness."

I smile and say, "Thank you, Chuck." I sit up and take the tray.

"Again, that is not my name."

"Yeah, well, that's what I'm gonna call you.  You realize that my best friend is the greatest nickname maker of all time?"

Chuck scowls and Frankie crosses his arms.

"You should really hold your tongue. You cannot beat us both at once without your powers." Frankie tells me. He runs his fingertips over my knee. I immediately jerk away from him. He laughs. It's a sickening laugh. I've always been outspoken and strong about things like that but he is right. I couldn't stop them both.

"The loud-mouthed Princess is speechless. Probably for the better. I would be afraid if I was such a small girl as well."

I feel a burst of heat pass through me. Whether it was bravery or stupidity, I let it control me. "Wait a minute, Frankie. You're telling me you're not a girl? Wow. Could have had me fooled."

His face turns red. "You little bitch." He growls menacingly.

"You know, I was actually pretty proud of you for a minute. A female soldier protecting a... what did you call me? 'Loud-mouth princess'? Pretty cool. But know that I know you're a guy, meh."

"Shut your mouth." Snaps Chuck before turning to his little buddy, "She is trying to provoke you. We can take her easily. Don't do anything stupid."

"You too! You think you're big tough men? You follow a coward who hides behind his pride. You do his bidding like dogs." I stand up and start summoning my strength. "That's what you are. Not men. Not women. Dogs. You are disposable and worthless to him. You mean no more to him than a-" WHACK.

Frankie slaps me hard across the face. I stumble back and hit the chair. As I stand and start towards him, the doors open and Leon stands there with another few guards. They grab hold of me and strap me to the chair again as Frankie and Chuck board the elevator.

"That was unwise, Lady Noelle." Leon says calmly. I blink away the tears that pooled from the sting.

"Never said I was wise." I mutter. I take a deep breath and straighten my back, crossing my ankles. "It was a sudden moment of weakness you will not have the pleasure of witnessing again." I raise my chin, remembering what Loki showed me when we sat on the throne while Thor was away.

"Your bravery never ceases to amaze me, my dear. The beauty and power you possess to be strapped to a pathetic chair and still sit as though it is a throne is truly remarkable."

"I learned from a king."

This comment shakes him for a moment. He walks towards me and leans his face closer to mine. "Those fools do not deserve such a pleasure you could provide." He breathes me in. I suppress a shudder.

"And you think you do? Interesting."

"I deserve better than an alien's whore," he snarls before standing straight. "But I would settle for you."

I feel my lungs grow tight. "Not to worry, Lady Noelle. I will not touch you until your husband is dead."

I laugh, though there is no humour in it. "You will be waiting for a very long time, I'm afraid. Loki is immortal."

"Ah, but that is not true, is it? They can be killed." Leon cocks an eyebrow.

"Well if that is your master plan, I suggest you pray to whatever God you believe in, Mr. Becker. My husband is not easy to kill."

~~~~~Le Time Skip II~~~~~

The next day, Leon decides that it is a splendid idea to have dinner with me. He makes idle conversation, I make an occasional sarcastic remark. He proves that the food wasn't poisoned by eating off of my plate himself. Even then I don't eat much.

"So, Lady Noelle. You grew up in New York, yes?"

I simply smile knowingly. He already knows.

"And your husband attacked New York in 2012?"

Another smile.

"It makes me wonder whether you agreed with those actions. Very curious." He puts a bite of salmon in his mouth.

"Not that I need to explain it to you, Mr. Becker, but if you must know, I was not in on Loki's attack on New York. At the time, he and I were not in contact. And for the record, he was brainwashed and being controlled by an evil being." I take a bite of rice, watching his reaction. "We later destroyed the being that tortured him for two whole years. Loki tore him limb from limb." I say casually.

He seems shocked (yay) but does his best to compose himself. "Your husband's past is very dark. And his cruelty is shocking."

"Hmm." I hum absently, "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. Though I should tell you to prepare yourself because what he did to Thanos is nothing compared to what he will do to you."

Leon's eyes grow wide. He takes a breath and pushes a button. He stands as Frankie and Chuck come in and move the table and the chair Leon was in away. As the three if them walk back towards the elevator, I decide to take a small parting shot.

"A normal man can do the impossible to save the woman he loves, Leon." I call to his retreating form. "My husband is no ordinary man." Before the elevator doors close, I say, "He is a God."

I feel Loki laughing in my mind.

'Good show, darling.' He says.

'Thank you, thank you. Have you found me yet?'

'Just a bit longer, love. I will find you. We will find you soon.' I nod as I lay on my cot.

'I love you.' I tell him.

'I love you more.' He replies.

'I love you most.' I say as I shut my eyes, willing my body to sleep.

~~~~~Le Time Skip III~~~~~

I am awoken by banging and screams coming from above me. And then I feel it.

Loki is here.

I sit up and try to speak to him in my mind. He doesn't respond quickly and I can feel his adrenaline coursing through him in the fight.

After a few minutes, I hear him calling me.

"LEVEL -5! LOKI!"

Its not long before he finds me and wraps me up tight. "I've got you." He says. "I've found her." He says, louder this time, and not to me. He is telling the team.

"You are practically frozen, my dove." He says, kissing my forehead. I nuzzle my way deeper into his chest. He takes off his thick, green cape and tugs it around my shoulders. He kisses my head again before taking my hand in his and leading the way back to the stupid elevator.

"Loki." I whisper once we are in.

"Noelle?" He responds. I hold out the wrist the anti-magic cuff is on. He takes the hint and takes it off. Immediately after, I feel a surge of power running through my body. The sensation is so strong that I almost crumble. Loki catches me and holds me up. We reach the top floor soon after that where a helicarrier is waiting for us.

Loki gets me settled in my seat before trying to leave again, presumably to kill every Hydra agent in sight. I take his hand quickly and tug him back to me. He looks at me questioningly and kisses my knuckles.

"Please, don't leave me. Let the others get to Leon."

He clearly doesn't like it but agrees to stay. "Do you have an earpiece? I want to talk to Tony."

He hesitates for a moment before standing up to go get me an earpiece. He hands it to me when he returns and I stick it in my ear quickly.

"Tony." I say.

"Good to have you back, Elle. You alright?" Tony says, cool as ever.

"I'm alright. Listen, the leader's name is Leon Becker. He has the most decorated uniform, well-kept brown hair, a lame ass mustache that looks exactly how you imagine it will, and dark dark brown eyes. Keep him alive. We should question him."

I hear Tony sigh. He agrees but he doesn't want to. Neither does Loki, as I gather from the growl. "Fine. I'll find him and put him in the cargo hold with Nat and Clint."

"Cool. I'm going to rest a bit. And Tony? Thank you. For saving me I mean. Thank you to everyone."

"We got you, Elle. Now go cuddle your man." I hear Nat's voice and smile. I take out the earpiece and put it aside.

"Cuddles?" Loki asks, opening his arms. I need no further invitation. I climb into his lap and bury my face in his neck. I breathe him in and, for the first time in days, let my body feel. I start to cry, not because I'm sad or hurt, but because I'm safe. And happy to be where I am.

My home is in the lap of the love of my life, his arms around me and mine around him, my face buried in his neck. And there's no place like home.

@thelokiimaginechronicles @just-the-hiddles @is-it-madness @frostbitten-written @poetic-fiasco @myoxisbroken @myraiswack @lehuka123 @head-over-heart

[harveywritings92]

Someone flirts/asks them out in front of you!: Ezio,Jacob,Arno.

Ezio (Modern AU):

The school had hired a new secretary, [S/n] she was cute, tall, redhead,... And thirsty as hell for Ezio and she wasn't subtle about it! Students and staff alike would noticed and watch her flirt with every chance she got. Example: unbuttoning her blouse to flash her bra, 'accidentally' dropping something and bending down to pick it up, while giving her ass a little wiggle and would peek over her shoulder to see Ezio was watching?

He wasn't he was busy checking over his lesson plan, When that didn't work, she boldly pressed her tits as against his back as she wrapped her arms around his bicep, only for the Italian man to tense up and pull out of her hold, she pouted as he told her the 'no touching during school hours' rule and would like to keep his job thank-you.

Now you think the kids or the staff would step in and tell S/n that Mr. Auditore was spoken for, But she was a grade 'A' B*tch to people when he wasn't around. putting people down, talking about them behind their backs and straight up bullying the kids.

Then S/n saw Ezio leaving for the day, Now was her chance! she ran over to him about to call out, only to back-peddle and sneer in disdain when she saw Y/n with him...

why would someone like Ezio talk to some mouse like Y/n? She decided not to dwell on it, Y/n was plain and S/n was beautiful as if he'll refuse her! she thought smugly.

"Ezio!~, So this is where you've been hiding.~"

"Hello, S/n what I can do for you." 

"Oh, what can't you do for me?~" She purred caressing his arm, Ezio looks every uncomfortable, but S/n hadn't noticed as she bit her lip, picturing just what he'd be like in bed. "Maybe you can show me, after dinner perhaps?" She purred eyeing him hungrily.

"Sorry, but he has plans tonight." Y/n's voice cut in sternly S/n pulled away the Italian and glaring daggers at the y/ht woman. "Oh, really and just how do you know that?" the redhead hissed venomously.

"Cuz I'm the one who made them." Y/n barked back with equal animosity, S/n snorted and looked at some spectators like 'do you believe this crap?'  And was going to voice that thought! until one of the girl's shouted "You tell her Mrs. Auditore! Fight for yo man!" that's when S/n pulled her head out of her ass long enough noticed the wedding ring on Ezio's raised his hand as he waved the kids off.

"No,no there will be no fighting! Go home." he ordered the students to go home the kids murmured disappointed that there wasn't going to be a cat-fight as Ezio turned to the bemused secretary. "And you, se non vuoi fotterti così tanto, fottiti, cagna!" he huffed annoyed as the redhead raised a drawn on brow obviously not understanding.

"He said if you wan't to f*ck something so badly, Just f*ck yourself bitch!" Y/n translated and high-fives her husband, S/n gawked at the couple in disbelief as they got into their car and drove off, before letting out this pterodactyl like screech. She quit the next day.  

______________________________________________________________

Jacob [modern au] (Jacob runs a gym called Rooks: Fitness and self-defense.):

"She's not here for just fitness training you know.." Evie said to her sister-in law while they observed the new gym members from the front desk. "Who's not just here for the fitness?" Y/n asked cocking a brow curiously, and briefly wondering if someone signed for the defense package and she'd mislabeled them! Her husband had her on desk duty now that she was in her second trimester for their second child, (your son was at school.)

"that brunette girl in purple, apparently she's just smitten with that thick headed oaf of ours." She explained to the y/hc woman hummed not even surprised, this wouldn't be the first time a woman or man joined the gym with the intention of bedding Jacob, they of course they usually backed off once they figured out he was married and wasn't budging from Y/n. 

Well, except for that one man who stalked them and desperately tried to coax the couple into having a threesome with him, He was like 50, smelled like sardines and looked like a gargoyle! He threw a big toddler level tantrum; stomping his feet, screaming and name calling, when they told him that he had to leave, he threw a metal sports bottle at Y/n which broke her nose! Needless to say that guy left the gym in an ambulance with three cracked ribs, two black eyes a broken jaw.

Y/n was brought out of her thoughts by a beeping she looked down at the monitor call from training room 4. "Excuse me Evie, Jacob asking for water." She said pulling a water bottle out of the fridge, and heading to the room. When she got there Y/n could hear [purple girl/PG] talking with Jacob they were using the weights if hearing correctly, and the brunette made no effort trying to hide she was flirting with the British man hard.

Every time she tried steer him to details about himself or asked for his number he'd say. "You've got enough details, You've already got the gym number." Basically shooting her down everytime, but she wasn't taking the hint. 

Y/n knocked and walked in Jacob's eyes lit up the second he saw her. "Hey there darlin.~" Jacob purred in an instant Y/n watched P/G's face sour as her husband pulled away from the weight machine turning his attention on her. "Hi Jacob." the y/ht woman smiled shyly as her husband moved closer to her. 

His body was radiating heat like furnace a welcoming feeling to the pregnant woman; the AC upfront was on full blast so Y/n was freezing her arse off! It took everything she had not to hug and leech off of Jacob who was pretty much oblivious to P/G getting irate as he playfully chatted with his wife. "How goes manning the front?" he mused and before Y/n could even answer.

"Why are you even talking to that cow Jacob, her hair so obviously fake!" P/g's voice rudely cut in jealousy evident in her tone. After a few seconds of silence, Jacob scrutinized the brunette who was giving his wife a nasty look. "Really now? It certainly didn't look fake last night or when she gave birth to my son." he quipped it took a split-second for the brunette to register what the British man had said, her face turned maroon before grabbing her things and leaving in a huff.

The couple watched her leave not even fazed.

"That was what, the third one this month?" Jacob asked pulling Y/n close to him noticing she was shivering, the y/nat woman paused thinking it over. "hmm, The Fifth. four was that blond dude who asked me who the daddy was?" the hazel eyed hummed remembering now, whilst gently rubbing her belly. "one and two just gave up and started dating each other..."she trailed off trying to recall the third person. 

"and number three didn't even make through the front door, she walked in saw us kissing did a U-turn and left." she felt Jacob chuckle against her back they walked back to the front desk, Where Evie was sitting she said P/G cancelled her membership before leaving and was absolutely livid. Her brother and SIL just shrugged "Hey she was the one wouldn't take the hint." Jacob said his sister just rolled her eyes and the three went back to work.

______________________________________________________________

Arno Dorian :��[Takes place before they had a kid.]

Y/n was getting sick her throat was sore meaning she was unable to sing for a while, so Arno had to hire a temporary stand in for his wife. {Temp's name: T/n] she was spoiled, had raven hair, was pretty and had blue eyes... And oh, boy did did the others see the dollar signs in the young lady's eyes the second she stepped foot in the cafe and noticed Arno, it was obvious she took this job because she saw Arno was young, attractive and had money. All the attributes a gold-digger looks for in a man. 

But what the ravenette didn't know was that Arno was already spoken for, His and Y/n's marriage wasn't exactly common knowledge only a few selection of friends knew including his employees. But none of them had bothered telling [T/n] assuming Arno already told her of his marital status and the french man assumed they told her.

Needless to say T/n laid the flirting and attention seeking on thick, she would always act super sweet and flirty when Arno was around, tried to drag his attention away from the other female staff and customers, The blue eyed vixen tried to convince the brown haired man to take special practice sessions with her too help her improve her melody. Unfortunately for her Arno too busy with his other job and he also knew little to nothing about singing, according to those around him. ""Monsieur Dorian you are man of many talents... But singing is not one of them."" She didn't let that deter her as far as T/n was concern, she and Arno were already together he just didn't know it yet.

[Unbeknownst to Arno, Y/n would secretly leaving their room while he was busy or out doing assassin contracts, She wanted to see how things were going with T/n and if any of her fans was giving the younger girl trouble, what she saw was the opposite, It became quite clear what the ravenette was a spoiled brat whose never been told "no" before, nor had she ever lifted a finger to help around the cafe. and to make matters worse it was quite clear T/n was fishing for a husband and it was obvious she had her eyes set on Arno, luckily he was too worried over Y/n's health and his other work to care.]

Arno was gone for a few days and T/n decided to boss everyone around make them redecorate and cook for her and her friends, of course no one did anything she told them to do! It was like they didn't realize who she was? She was to be Mrs. Dorian one day, and and they best remember that! she snarked at one of the cooks who looked at her like she'd grown three heads. 

"Oh Little girl, You are many things. But Madame Dorian you are not." the old man barked before pointing behind her "that's Madame Dorian." he stated T/n nose scrunched up as she whirled around to see a sickly looking Y/nat woman coming down the stairs she Y/ht &Y/wt and had Y/hl/hc hair and wary Y/ec, T/n was confused qui était cette garce? and why was she coming from Her Arno's apartment?!

The ravenette made her way over to this, this...Harlot! with the intention of throwing her out and giving her piece of her mind! How dare she sneak into her cafe! when Arno's voice cut in.

"Y/n! what are you doing out of bed?" the french man said fretfully rushing over to the y/ht woman who was looking around confused. "I heard yelling, and someone calling me so I came to see..." She said as Arno checked her temperature and sighed before noticing T/n staring at them gobsmacked.

The brown haired man frowned. "T/n? go back upfront you're not allowed back here." he informed as the confused ravenette snapped out of her stupor and pointed an accusatory finger at Y/n "You let that in!!" She shrieked as Arno pushed the Y/hc behind him. " Her name is Y/n, She's my wife and can go where she pleases..." he hissed venomously the young woman jaw tightened. "What do you mean she's your wife?!?!" T/n was frothing at the mouth declaring Arno was hers.

"Mine,Mine Mine!!!" she whined throwing a tantrum and like a child denied a new toy, next thing they knew *Slap* T/n stopped screaming and now held onto her now sore cheek as a stony faced Y/n stood before her. "Stop acting like a brat! You're an adult for Christ's sake!" The y/nat woman said sternly as the ravenette gawked at her before glancing at Arno who had the same cold look as his wife.

"Don't look at him, he's not going to help you!"

"*starts crying crocodile tears*"

"Crying won't help either!" Y/n crossed her arms as the ravenette realized no one was falling for her tricks as the y/ht woman kept her gaze on her. "Now you going swallow what little dignity you have left, and your going tell friends to pay for their meals and to leave," T/n opened her mouth to protest but Y/n cut her off. 

"Than you're going apologize to the staff."

"I don't have to take this! you can't boss me!"

T/n snapped Y/n turned to Arno with a cock brow he shrugged. "You're fired." he said nonchalantly as the ravenette gaped at Arno like a fish, before realizing he wasn't joking! the blue eyed girl turned a nice shade of purple and stomped out of the kitchen screeching at her friends that they were leaving! 

Her friends who hadn't finished their food looked at her confused before Arno snapped they weren't going anywhere until they paid, Which one of them said something about T/n being engaged to the owner and he was paying for it. "Funny because I don't remember making such a deal, nor do I remember proposing..." He sneered at the audacity this woman.

They all paled and stammered about leaving their coin-purses at home before looking at annoyed T/n the ravenette blanched realizing she didn't have the money to pay for all of it she spent it all, the situation was eventually settled as Y/n sent one of their wait staff to go fetch T/n's father who was livid and embarrassed by his daughter's behavior and basically lat her have it it was the last straw! 

She's was going to her aunt's farm to learn an honest days work and some discipline! as T/n kept her head down as he drag her out of the cafe. Causing Arno and Y/n to burst out laughing a few minutes later in disbelief that this seriously happened.  

"Oh by the way I'm pregnant." Y/n chirped before disappearing up the stairs Arno who was still laughing at the whole situation didn't even register what his wife had just told. "Your pregnant!" He chortled then slowly his laughter died down and his expression changed to bemusement then shock. "Your preg..pr.Pregnant?!" He stammered got up from his chair nearly tripping on his feet as he ran up the stairs calling her name. 

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

Translation :  qui était cette garce? = Who is this bitch?

[heychangbin]

Contingency Plan

TW: major character death

A/N: hey y’all, it’s been a while. also I’m sorry. 

Gen Tag:@something-tofightfor @its-my-little-dumpster-fire @the-blind-assassin-12 @suchatinyinfinity @bts-smolarmy @elanor-of-imladris 

Billy Russo Tag:  @nananananananananananabatman @shinebrightlikeafanbase

It was late when you pulled against the door of your apartment building, the cold from the metal handle quickly seeping through your gloves and stealing the warmth from your fingertips, letting go of it as soon as the opening was enough for you to slip through. You thanked your ucky stars that the foyer was warm and quickly ripped the cold cotton gloves from your hands, cupping them in front of your mouth and exhaling against your fingertips, hoping to get some warmth and feeling back into them. Once they felt warm enough you made your way to the mail boxes that lined the wall in front of the stairs that you had to take to go up to your floor.

You stuck and turned the small key to open your mailbox, grabbed the numerous envelopes and tucked them under your arm and closed the small metal door and dragged your feet to the stairs and started the trek up the two flights of stairs to reach your apartment.

The usual 42 steps felt more like 84 when you stopped in front of your door, sticking your key in and unlocking the door. You made your way in, dropping your keys into the small bowl that sat on the table next to the door after closing the door, slipping the chain on and turning the deadbolt. 

You walked into the small kitchen, dropping the mail on the counter as you reached into one of the cupboards and took out your favorite ceramic cup and filled it with the warm decaf that was in the carafe. 

You took a few measured sips as you sorted through your mail, tossing the junk mail into the trash and setting your bills to the side to open in the morning. You were on the last two pieces of mail, one a postcard and the other a small padded envelope. You picked up the postcard, a black and white picture of the Griffith Observatory and turned it around and saw your friend Sarah's familiar handwriting. It said the same the few others she had sent said, wish you were here, the california sun would do wonders for your complexion, you need a vacation and cali is the way to go! At the very bottom she let you know she was sending you a souvenir from her last trip to Santa Monica. You picked up the padded envelope, not bothering with reading the label on it assuming it was the souvenir Sarah had mentioned and tore the top open and peeked inside. All thoughts of Sarah and what her souvenir vanished from your mind as you reached into the envelope and pull out a small flip phone.

Suddenly, it’s not just you in your dimly lit kitchen sorting through your mail on a cold January night, it’s 2 years prior Billy standing across from you a black duffle bag on the square kitchen table between you,

“If he….when he finds out that...that I knew--knew and did nothing to stop it, things are gonna go sideways real hard and real fast,” he said 

“Bill,” you said, reaching out to him and taking hold of his hand, giving it a squeeze, “you did what you--”

“I didn’t though!” he yelled, ripping his hand from under yours, “I could’ve done something, said something but I didn’t, I didn’t and now….” he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, the hard mask settling over his features, “now, we have to be prepared,” he took the zipper and dragged it across the length of the duffle bag, opening it wide and revealing its contents. The duffel was filled to the brim with stacks of crips dollar bills, you saw tens, twenties, fifties, and hundreds, on top of it all a couple of matte black hand guns, magazines, and a couple of passports.

“Billy? Billy what’s all o’ this?” you asked, voice coming out breathy as your eyes danced from item to item.

“This is our ticket to a new life.” he pulled out one of the small booklets and opened it and handed it to you. You took it and looked over the opened page, the picture was of Billy but it wasn’t one you’d seen before, his hair was longer all around and looked as if he had run his fingers through it countless times, his face was clear of all his facial hair, and the beauty mark under his right eye was nowhere in sight. Your eyes jumped to the information beside the picture and everything was different, names, dates, places. You were about to ask who Benjamin Roberts was when he handed you the second passport, your eyes going wide when you saw your own picture, your eyes jumping to the information and like the first, names, dates and places were different. 

“When everything goes sideways,” your ripped your eyes away from the small booklets to look at Billy, whose eyes were boring into yours, “I’m going to send you this phone in the mail.” you looked to see the small flip phone in his hand, “You’re gonna have to make sure that it’s always on, never leave it out in the open but you’re gonna have to keep it close. When it’s safe, I’ll text you, tell you to wait for my call. Once i have a secure location for us to meet, i’ll call you and give you the address. You’re gonna take this bag, drop a couple changes of clothes on top of all of this. When you leave the house, you gotta lose your phone, drop it in a trash can, the gutter, doesn’t matter, but it can’t be with you when you take a taxi to the address I’ll send you, I’ll be waiting for you inside.”

You shake yourself from the memory and flip the phone open, pressing and holding down the power button when it immediately doesn’t light up. It feels like an eternity has passed by when the animation of the phone company finally finishes and the phone is loaded the phone pings and vibrates with a text. 

You click your way into the message and even though you know what to expect, ‘cuz who else would send you a burner phone, you feel relief flood your system. 

Wait for my call.

You check the timestamp and balk that it’s been a few hours since the message was sent. Even though you know that you haven’t missed his call you rush to your room and pull the top drawer, you shimmy it off the rails carefully and once it pops free you set it on the floor next to you. You kneel in frot of the dresser and  reach your arm into the empty space and feel around for a minute until your fingertips touch the edge of the strap, you grab it tight and pull it out, hugging it close to your chest when it clears the drawer frame. 

You pause for a moment, take a deep breath and go through the mental checklist that Billy had had you memorize for this exact moment, and despite the amount of time that’s passed, you can recall it like the lyrics of your favorite song. 

Text. check.

Bag retrieved. Check.

Change of clothes.

You open the duffle and reach for the drawers in front of you and pull out a few shirts, socks, underwear and throw them into the bag, you get up and head to your closet, yank a couple of jeans from the hangers and toss those in as well. 

Change of clothes. check.

You slip into a comfortable pair of shoes and wait. 

******

Time blurs together, seconds, minutes, hours, the only way you know that it’s coming up on it being 3 days since you received the text is the timestamp and the date displayed on the home screen of your phone. 

You flipped the phone open for the hundredth time that day, no missed calls. Battery full. Signal full. You closed it again and set it back down against your leg. Outside the light started to fade and the hope of you recieving a call from Billy was dwindling. To be fair, Billy never gave you a time frame, it was the one thing he couldn’t predict, he had just told you that once it was safe, he’d call. 

 You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, he’s gonna call. When you opened them again you focused your eyes on the images on the TV, the show had changed from the last thing you remember watching, when the show took a commercial break you got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen, made yourself a cup of coffee and went back to the couch, it’s then that you noticed the phone vibrating on the couch. In your haste you nearly dropped your cup of coffee, you picked up the phone, flipped it open and put it to your ear, 

“Billy?” the word was out of your mouth before you knew it and it was met with a wet chuckle on the other side followed quickly by a wheeze and some gurgling.

“Billy? Billy where are you? Are you okay?” you asked not being able to keep yourself in check.

“Sorry it took me this long to call, I just--I just wanted--needed to hear your voice.”

“Billy what are you talking about, where are you?” you could hear the desperation in your voice 

“Curt’s basement. Listen, I want you--” his words were interrupted by another groan, “want you to take everythin’ an--” you knew where this was going, knew it in your bones, and you felt your strength leave you. “Listen, I’m not gonna make it….but I wanted--”

A loud clang interrupts him and you hear him call out Curt’s name followed by a confused and low “Frank” then a fit of laughter that turns into wet coughs. You feel as if your chest is collapsing, if Frank was where there then….

2 loud pops cracked through the small phone speaker

“Billy!!” you screamed, but there was no reply.

[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

It’s The Avengers (02x10)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Season 2 Episode 10: Bloody Situation

Warnings: blood talk. The talk. No not THAT talk. But a talk nonetheless.

Word Count: It feels so good to have older cousins you can talk to about your daily struggles, your ailments, your passions and dreams. :)

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

One of the cameras tried to focus on the card castles Sam and Bucky were intensely working on in the lounge, zooming in on their sweaty foreheads while they cursed each other to their respective doom.

"Bucky," Sam artificially gasped, "Hydra men are standing behind you!" Forcing Bucky to roll his eyes as he kept his metal arm steady to put up another stack.

"At least I don't have to pretend about your side. Look outside the window, Sam," he tilted his head towards the glass wall, "your family doesn't seem that proud of you." The camera focused on a couple of pigeons and crows sitting on the roof outside, cooing at the two frenemies, as Sam's eyes moved towards the camera, already tired for the day.

The meditative silence that both these men had been working in would be broken by their friends as they passed them.

"Look, Scott," Natasha mentioned as she and Scott came back from their training, the latter clearly in a worse condition with his face flushed and sweat giving his entire shirt another shade of blue, "they're building you summer homes."

"Awh-su-hum," he wheezed, his hands on his knees, "just make sure you get the plumbing right for the bathrooms."

"Go away," Sam raised his voice, while Bucky just furrowed his assassin brows.

Just when they thought they could relax themselves, Tony and Steve walked in.

"What the-"

"Really? Is this what I pay you guys for?"

A minute or five passed by as they continue making the third floor of the castle in silence.

"You do realise it'll take a mere huff of breath from me to let all fall down," Loki called out of the initially melodic quiet, leading Sam and Bucky to throw curses at him as Peter watched in horror.

"I swear to God I'll cut your hair off if you even breathe in my direction," Sam hissed.

"Walk away, snake!" Bucky growled.

Loki sipped his piping hot tea from your mug as he basked in the curses being thrown at him, exchanging a mischievous look with the camera while Peter looked at the masterpieces in admiration.

A few minutes later the camera turned to watch you enter the space from the Dorms, your eyes carrying slight bags of sleeplessness while the air around you seemed hot and heavy.

By now, everyone had settled down around the two men to choose one side and root for a winner.

"Morning, Y/N," Rhodey chimed as he stepped out of the elevator, "got any plans for the weekend?"

"Morning, Mr Rhodey," you greeted with your cracking morning voice still trying the find your way through the sleep, "I think I'll just sleep in, thanks."

Everyone sent a greeting your way while their eyes were still stuck on the competition.

 Peter: Mr Lang, Clint and I have placed our bets on who will win. I think it'll definitely be Mr Winter Soldier Bucky with the good hair, sir. *smiles for the camera*

Scott: I'm rooting for Sam. *nods* He's intellectual, he knows how to manoeuvre through all the opponent's moves, he's...um... he's got a good pair of...eyes *nods head more furiously till he finally gives up* Bucky scares me sometimes.

Clint: I bet Scott is bettin' on Sam right now 'cuz I told him Bucky said he will squish all the ants that come his way. While he was asleep. *giggle-snorts*

Natasha: *raises her brow* Who am I rooting for? *gives her signature deadly smirk* wouldn't you like to know. *Doesn't blink till there is a rattle behind the camera and she's pressing her lips from giving away her enjoyment* It's neither of them *breaks eye contact to look at her nails*

 "Hey, Y/N," Peter chimed in excitedly, "Mr Wilson and Mr Barnes are making castles out of our Cards and Against Humanity set. Who're you betting on?"

The camera focused on your butt rising over the kitchenette slab to reach on the other side for something. Your irritated tsk displayed you didn't really find what you were looking for, only to turn around and walk towards the crowd.

"I dunno," you muttered half-heartedly, looking at anything but people's faces.

"Would you like to make card castles?" Tony asked you, receiving a judgment stare from Steve sitting next to him.

"No," you replied under your breath as you reached the space where everyone was sitting together, your brows clearly having a tense time.

"Really?" Steve commented at Tony.

"What," Tony shrugged, "can't I spend some quality time with my daughter? Right, Y/N?"

Your eyes went towards the mug in Loki's hand. He noticed the trail of your stare too. And without so much as a fuss, he handed you the mug.

"Careful, it's hot," he warned you softly, making almost all eyes turn towards him while he went back to watching the tense house-construction, taking his sweet time to notice those eyes still glued at him.

 Tony: *scrunched nose carrying a grim and confused look* I don't know. *looks at the camera* watching Loki be *raises brow* sweet just...ugh...*feels a current of disapproval go through his entire body*

 "I am going to wreck you, Buck Buck," Sam commented.

"Not before I stab your hard work with my smart work, Sammy boi," Bucky spat back.

The camera panned in on the blankness hovering over your face as you looked at the two soldiers share what they thought was good insults.

 You: *still blank* lame.

 Taking in a deep breath you made the entire lounge go silent when your hand swung back before coming to destroy the entire four floors in the air, your flat voice going, "lame." Jaws dropped down one by one while two voice went gasp from behind you; everyone trying to contemplate what happened. Everyone except Natasha and Loki.

 Natasha: *looking at the camera with the same look except for this time with a smirk* *raises a hand to show the wad of twenty-dollar bills that fans her face*

 "Give me one good reason I shouldn't break your phone right now," Sam's low voice was the first thing to break the intense current inside the air.

"Because you are a p-"

"OKAY!", "All RIGHT!" and "Holy sh-" broke the lounge before you could complete the sentence as Bucky and Sam tried to let your words seep into their skulls.

All this time Natasha and Loki were having a gala time while Peter was looking at them with an unadulterated mix of surprise and horror and Scott was just plain confused.

 Bucky: *trying to reduce the blood flow in his cheeks*

Peter: *spreads his arms in a questioning gesture* Where do they get that kind of confidence?

Scott: Why did everyone jump up? All she was going to say was 'Because you are a pure heart'. Damn! *scoffs* *looks at the person behind the camera* ...What.

*Scott and Peter turn to look at Bucky for answers*

Bucky: *still trying to reduce the blood flow in his cheeks*

 "Y/N! What the hell?" Tony's voice sloped down as he looked at you with a hint of shock in his eyes.

Your barren features took a one-eighty and your eyes went at the scattered cards lying across the table and floor. "I...I..."

"It took us four hour-"

"I'm sorry okay!" you shouted, putting the cup between already awaiting palms of the God and run back to your room, your eyes glistening just the right amount for the camera to catch it.

 Ten Minutes Later

"What the hell just happened?!"

Sam looked at Tony while Bucky watched the cards with the hope of watching them resurrect themselves again.

"What do you mean what the hell happened?" Loki chimed as he sat down beside Scott, giving an already befuddled Stark another layer of perplexity, turning to anyone who would back him up on this.

"Oh, I am with Loki on this one," Natasha raised her shoulders and crossed her arms, giving Tony a mini heart-attack while everyone in the room watched on.

 Tony: When Nat sides with someone in the room you should know that she has recognised that said person has the balls to stand up enough for her to have an opinion about them. *sighs* I cannot believe I get to see Loki be that guy. *falls silent to contemplate as he becomes a lump in his chair* What, is Clint on a sabbatical or something?

 Steve: What the hell kind of team-up is this? *scoffs* *expressions go blank* wait a minute. *American resolve glistening over his face* Did Loki brainwash her?

 Loki: *eyerolls* *sighs with hands crossed over his chest* *looks deadpan into the camera* No wonder he is still a virgin.

 "Okay," Tony broke the eerie silence- that was judging both Loki and Natasha- with his index finger standing in the air, "I get the game was the worst past time these two could think of but do not tell me you have some absurd explanation for Y/N's behaviour!"

"It's not that absurd, really," both chimed in.

"I mean," Loki shrugged most casually, "isn't it obvious?"

"What is obvious here?"

Natasha tsked and rolled her eyes at Tony, offending him quite visibly.

"By the Norns," Loki raised his voice just a smidge, "she is bleeding her innards out, Stark. She is undergoing her monthly bodily changes."

The camera swivelled through the silence towards the kitchenette, where Pietro stood half shocked with marshmallows falling out of his already stuffed mouth.

 Pietro: I did not see that coming *eyes wide with shock*

 "She is menstru-"

"All right!," Tony cut him in the middle, growing uncomfortable with where the conversation was going, "Okay! Enough! I get it! She's ...she...she's got stuff going."

"Menstruating," Nat and Loki synchronised again much to Tony's discomfort.

 Tony: *rubbing his palms all over his face, trying to get rid of the embarrassment* uuuugghhhhh!!!!! *removes hands and sighs* This is disgusting *shakes head* Loki and Nat agreeing? *feels a jolt of displeasure go down him, forcing him to wiggle where he sits* ugh! *nearly sobs* I'm gonna get sick.

 Scott: Ohhhhhh!!! So that's why! For a second I thought she was possessed by my teenage self or something. Phew! Thank God for that.

 "What," Loki looked Tony dead in the eye, breaking the creepy silence in the lounge, "don't look at us like that. Captain and Sergeant know it too."

Every pair of eyes and camera took a one-eighty towards the incredibly flushed faces of Steve and Bucky trying to dissolve themselves in the sofa while hiding their faces behind their palms.

"What?" Scott blurted out in the heat of the moment, "Y/N shared her PMS blues with you two? I thought I was her go-to man!"

"I'm sure you still are, Mr Lang," Peter chimed in, not able to take the hurt on Scott's soft face.

"Your super-hearing," Natasha broke the conversation with a tone of realisation, looking at the embarrassed old men, "that's how you know, don't you? No wonder you always let me choose the movies on blood nights."

"So that's why you didn't say anything to Y/N, just now! You knew!!!" Sam shouted with the comprehension. "You let me nearly throw hands at her, you dumb racoon!"

Bucky slipped further into the sofa while Steve tried to come up with words of reasons but clearly fell short.

 Natasha: I always knew something was up with these two. *camera pans in on her face* I waited for my cycle last month just so I could get these two morons to pay for Clint and my pizza night dinner. *smirks**turns to her side* Oh come on! *nudges the person sitting beside her* get over it already.

*camera pans out to show Clint's horrified eyes looking into oblivion*

Clint: I just want bleach from my mind the fact that that horned God knows too much. *utter disgust shining on his face* way too much.

Nat: *turns to the camera* *sighs* *camera zooms in on her* Men.

 One Hour Later

"Yeah," Sam muttered as he mixed the contents of his coffee. "I get we screwed that one, but I still cannot wrap my head around what you two have been keeping to yourselves this whole time."

The camera turned towards the duo of Steve and Bucky sighing and looking up at Sam from the lounge, tired and wanting the conversation to stop.

"Jesus, Sam," Bucky spewed, the irritation concentrating between his brows, "it's not like we asked for it, okay."

"So you guys what," Scott interrupted with a curious whisper, "hear all that...that blood thing in the uteruses shed or something?"

"It's like-"

"Like any muscle inside the body sounds to us," Bucky broke through Steve's narrative, the camera following his eyes, which were following your movement as you walked to the elevator, got in and went to the rooftop, letting him breathe while Peter and Scott looked at each other and the camera with judgmental stares for Bucky.

 Bucky: It's like hearing an animal devour another animal.

Steve: Like a dragon roaring really low. The most dangerous kind.

Bucky: Play that sound to yourself in the middle of the night while you go for a glass of water and find a woman sitting in the dark in front of a television that isn't turned on. *camera pans in* You won't be able to sleep for two weeks.

Steve: *looks at some invisible void with mild horror* *whispers to Bucky* Natasha?

Bucky: *shakes head* Wanda.

Steve: *surprised* Oh! *gently pats Bucky's back*

Bucky: *nearly whimpers as he speaks in squeaks* Her eyes glowed! Her eyes!

 Rooftop

"Go away, Javier," you declared with not much strength as Javier seemingly came up and out over the stunning rooftop that housed a garden, a pool and even a bar. You sat over the grass with your back to the camera and the sun, your head resting over your arms locked upon your folded legs.

"Listen to her. It's more entertaining downstairs, anyway."

The voice came from behind the camera, making it turn to find itself staring right into Loki's chest.

Loki walked towards where you were, your head still low, and sat down beside you turning once to check whether Javier had left. Clearly, he didn't catch the camera recording from behind the bar a few feet away from where you had planted yourself.

"Here," Loki took something right out of the air.

You picked up your head quite unwillingly and stopped short at the sight of the glistening wrapper in his hand.

"That's...that's...where did you get this?"

"Peter and Natasha told me that chocolates make it easier for some people," he answered, raising his hand for you to take it. Which you did.

That isn't some ordinary chocolate that Loki gave me today.

You looked at the God, who busied himself into looking at the horizon in front of the two of you.

 You: That was...is my favourite chocolate. No one could've just known that. Especially not Loki.

 You tore open the wrapper and broke the bar into two, giving one to Loki.

"Oh, I don't-"

"Try it," you didn't budge, "you'll like it."

Loki scoffed, about to say something when his eyes met yours, forcing the camera to zoom in more to bring your faces in the frame, watching Loki observe the certainty in your eyes before taking his share.

"Cheers," you softly declared, hitting your piece with his and biting into the softness. Loki imitated you, slowly chewing his share with pure judgment before his brows released the doubts, his pupils dilated enough for the camera and his body relaxed.

 Loki: She knows some decent sweet snacks. I'm surprised how is Clint still sour after living in her company for so many days?

*another voice* It's the coffee he drinks.

*camera pans out to reveal Natasha opening another one of your favourite chocolates to share with Loki*

 The Lounge

The elevator dinged and everyone watched in mild amazement when you came out giggling at something Loki said.

"Oh my God!" you announced with wide eyes as you crossed the space to go sit down beside a very flustered Sam. "You two can hear my insides dying! How cool is that?!"

Steve looked at you with pure blankness over his face before his eyes wandered towards the camera. "There's...nothing cool about it, really," he muttered, barely audible.

The frame caught you shifting towards Sam, who sat upright the moment he felt the centre of your attention.

"Hey, I'm sorry for ruining your game," you apologised, biting your lip, trying to sound as sincere as you possibly could.

"No problem," Sam stressed with periodic nods, "i-is there anything you want? Anything I can get you?"

"Oh, um...no I'm cool. Just in need of a hug that isn't warm and sweaty. N-No offence!"

"None taken."

Scott didn't even turn while he looked at you with his signature grandmother smile. "Hey, Loki," he shouted, "Y/N needs a hug from you."

Loki hadn't even breathed in when Tony stomped into the lounge.

"No one's hugging her," he declared, becoming the first witness to watch your face lose a shade of its shine as your smile slowly faded away.

"I didn't mean tha-hold on jus-PETER GET THAT THING IN ALREADY!"

Everyone looked at the direction of the corridor from where Tony had just come in to see something giant enter the room.

All air left your lungs while curses filled the air from every single person sitting in there.

"HOLY SHIT," you seemed to have lost your voice, "IT'S BAYMAX!"

Peter peaked from behind the positively bloated robot.

"It fisted me!"

"What?" you, Tony, Scott and Sam broke the party to look at Peter in horror.

"Yeah, we fist-bumped each other and I even taught him a new handshake!"

No room had breathed a sigh of relief like these guys did while Steve and Bucky looked at them in diluted confusion.

"You better not be pulling that Christmas, Tony."

Pepper entered from behind Peter, walking towards you to give you a hug.

"How's little Morgan doing?" you cooed at her belly which had swollen more than the last time when everyone had seen her on the wedding night.

"She is doing well and now I can feel her excitement too. I felt a kick last night."

"Okay now take your Baymax and hug the hell out of it," Tony announced, gesturing you towards the cute wellness robot, breaking Pepper away from you to give her a kiss and get her to ‘sit down already’, only getting a ‘did you just order me?’.

 Later That Day

The camera caught puffs of smoke coming from the corridor of the dorms till it caught Scott burning some kind of incense.

 Scott: It's lavender. It'll help keep Y/N's nerves calm. The kid has already gone through so much. Though it's nothing I thought she at least deserves a frustration-free period.

 Clint and Pietro were coming back from a sparring session covered in sweat, making jokes at each other.

"Good work on the footwork today kid. I told you using your brain instead of just your feet will work wonders for ya," Clint gesticulated with a light laugh.

"Ha ha," Pietro mocked him. "Shut up, old man."

Pietro playfully punched Clint's arm as they were walking the length of the corridor before stopping at the sound coming from the room nearest to them.

"Hey!....stop it........hurt.......shit..........no!"

"That's Y/N's room," Pietro whispered cautiously to Clint, who took a step towards the door with a nod.

"Is she okay?"

Clint shushed Pietro.

"Loki! Stop! I'm gonna die!"

"Mother-" Clint clicked opened a door and paraded in with Pietro right on his heels.

The camera caught a very baffled Loki and you staring at the visitors while your hands hung in the air. Holding gaming controls. The game on the screen opposite you still going on.

Loki's hands went down but not before he paused the game. His green eyes were looking directly at Clint.

"Don't you ever get tired of doing this, Barton?" his silky voice questioned Clint's sanity.

"One of these days I will have a reason to break the door and break your nose, snake," Clint said after a long pause of contemplation.

You and Pietro exchanged a confused look and a shrug.

"Um....what is going on?" you finally spoke.

"Nothing," Loki didn't bat his eyes away from the archer, "just the Hawkeye's very very bad luck of being at the right place at the wrong time."

He finished with a killer smile.

[marvelstud10s]

Weak Knees

TW: language, kissing, POV’s switching up, tony stark, cuz he needs his own warning :P

just pure fluff :))

AN: um, this may be the most cringiest fluff you’ve ever seen so brace yourselves :0

enjoy the show

———————————————————————

Sunlight flooded throughout the spacious compound with the sound of birds chirping and the buzz of New York City. The sky was clear of any clouds or bad weather. The day was perfect. Y/N thought otherwise as she grunted, the hard floor coming in contact with her left shoulder. “Oh come on Nat, I’ve been training for over an hour just let me eat breakfast,” she whined trying to crawl away from her fiesty redheaded best friend, Natasha Romanoff, who was currently grabbing her legs and dragging her back on the mat.

“Suck it up, I’ve been going easy on you,” she chuckled. Y/N scoffed. Yeah, bruises all over her ribs and a swollen lip; easy. Y/N huffed. “I haven’t eaten all day Nat, how would you train if your training buddy died cause of starvation?” Y/N asked giving her her best puppy dog eyes. Nat cracked a smirk. “That don’t work on me kid, not anymore,” she said smugly. Heavy footsteps interrupted the two friends and they swiveled around to see Tony, the owner of the compound, also known as Iron Man, chewing on a piece of bacon with shades on.

“Tony, please tell Y/N that food can wait another half hour.” Natasha asked the man, looking at the funky pair of sunglasses. “Tony, can you tell Natasha that my very existence can be gone in that half hour,” Y/N argued. Tony laughed and took his shades off. “How about you guys both eat and pick up where you left off later? Steve made a big breakfast,” he informed, gesturing to his piece of bacon. Y/N glanced at Natasha, who was busy curling her lip in disgust at how Tony was making a show at chewing his bacon with his mouth open and smacking his lips, sucking his fingers, then giving a big grin at her when he was done.

He slipped his shades back on and simply strolled away, whistling a tune off key. Y/N bolted before Nat could say anything, knowing that Y/N couldn’t be stopped.

Steve hummed to himself while setting the pancakes with syrup onto the table along with the eggs, bacon, muffins, sausages and coffee and OJ. Y/N hurriedly sat down and grabbed a plate, practically throwing things onto her plate. Sam walked in as well, arguing with Bucky on something. “All I’m saying is,” Sam said. “Vibranium is not even the strongest metal out there,” grabbing a plate for himself. Bucky shook his head. “It definitely is. If it isn’t vibranium what the hell is the strongest metal, Icarus?” Bucky asked, calling him his personal nickname, a name Bucky came up with and never let go.

Sam scowled. “It’s obviously adamantium, that’s the shit that Wolverine’s claws are made of,” Sam replied. “Who?” Steve said, entering the conversation. “Oh wait, isn’t he that one wolf dude that’s like immortal or something?” Bucky asked, his face scrunching up in confusion as he piled some pancakes on his plate. Sam nodded. “But I think my shield could take some claws, look what happened with T’challa, my shield is still intact,” Steve piped up. “If intact you mean by the claw marks permanently on there?” Y/N remarked. The three turned their heads to look at you, Sam bursting out into laughter, Steve slightly frowning, and Bucky just staring at you.

You thought that he maybe thought the joke wasn’t funny, but it was the complete opposite. Bucky hadn’t noticed you were there, if he did, he wouldn’t have spoken as clearly as he was before, he would have tripped over his words and stuttered a whole lot. Just hearing your voice gave his literal chills up and down his spine, feeling a heat rush to his face and his hands get clammy. Say something, instead of just staring at her, idiot! Bucky scolded himself. He awkwardly waved. “H-hey Y/N! Didn’t see ya there,” his voice starting out strong then ending in almost a whisper.

Y/N smiled. “I’m just so invested into this great food, Steve is really talented,” she complimented, smiling at him. Steve’s face got red and smiled before walking back to the kitchen with Sam. “Y-Yeah, Stevie’s pretty great with cooking,” Bucky stuttered, scratching his neck, avoiding her gaze. Y/N thought his fidgeting was adorable, but she couldn’t help but think that her presence made the former assassin uncomfortable. It made her kind of sad. “Bucky,” she called, focusing on him. “Hm?” Bucky replied, looking at his love interest.

She tilted her head, unknowingly making Bucky’s heart jump into his throat. “Are you uncomfortable with me?” She asked quietly. Bucky scrunched his eyebrows together. “What?” He asked with a chuckle. “Every time I’m in a room with you, or if I talk with you, you either leave the room or try to avoid talking to me. Did I do something to hurt you? Do I make you uncomfortable?” She clarified. Bucky laughed at the irony. “No, no, no doll, it’s not you. It’s me, it’s all me.” Bucky said, more talking to himself.

“What do you mean?” She asked slowly, noticing his fidgeting has ceased. Bucky sighed, not knowing how to explain that he felt things for you, when he barely made an effort to talk to you. “I- uh, I don’t know how to explain it honestly, so-,” Bucky cut himself off by taking big strides to you, ignoring his shaky hands and speeding heartbeat. You looked at him in confusion and he grabbed your face, making you look him in the eye. “‘M not gonna kiss you, cause I don’t know if ya feel the same as I do so I’m just gonna say it doll,” he said, his Brooklyn accent coming out. You felt as though you knew where this was going, but you didn’t want to get your hopes up.

“I like you doll, I really wanna say love, but I don’t wanna scare you when I barely even spoke a word to you, ever, and right now ‘m probably scarin’ you, and ‘m sorry, but I re-,” Bucky found himself being cut off by a pair of lips, your lips, and it immediately shut him up. Before he could have the chance to kiss back, you pulled away smiling. “I love you too.” You whispered to him. Bucky visibly brightened, pulling you into a hug, lifting you from your chair and pulling you into a spin off the ground. When he put you down, you pulled him to your height and gave him another kiss.

“This is so fucking cliché, I could write this on Wattpad,” you both heard a voice say with disgust. You pulled away to see Sam with crossed arms, shaking his head. Tony smiled, waltzing up to Sam. “I think it’s cute, Tin Man actually expressed feelings,” Stark said. Steve laughed and looked at you both. “Congrats,” was all the super soldier said, before walking back to the kitchen, not wanting his omelets to burn. Natasha strolled up as well, a towel around her shoulder from her post workout shower, you guessed. “They didn’t get married Stevie they only confessed their feelings and kissed. But it’s a big milestone. You guys are cute,” she winked, before grabbing a muffin and chatting to Sam about the X-Men, walking into the kitchen with Tony on their tail.

“At least we have their approval,” you said to Bucky, finally having some peace and quiet. “Who needs their approval, I’d keep loving you even if the whole world was against us,” he whispered to you, foreheads touching, and him glancing at your lips.

“You’re so cheesy,” you replied, before pulling him into another kiss.

[lesbian-deadpool]

Tony, His Adopted Blue Murder Child, And Co.

Tony has created a chat.

Tony has renamed the chat: Fuck Space. Fuck This Shit. I Want Pizza.

Tony: All byyyyyy myyyyy seeeeelf.

Tony: Don't wanna be.

Tony: All byyyyyyyy myyyyyyy seeeeeeelf!

Nebula has joined the chat.

Tony: Tf? Leave me alone to my suffering.

Nebula: Bitch make me.

Tony: Okay, Smurfette fite me.

Nebula: Nah, can't be bothered.

Nebula: Come over here and let me shoot you.

Tony: Don't wanna walk.

Tony: Messing with this ship has exhausted me.

Nebula: Fuck that cable...

Wade has joined the chat.

Wade: I don't think I need to elaborate on that.

Wade has left the chat.

Nebula: What? Who was that?

Tony: I have absolutely no clue.

Nebula: Anyway... how long till we touch solid ground again?

Tony: Please refer to my previous answer.

Nebula: Well ain't you just 190lbs of sarcasm.

Tony: Hey! This body is a tight 171lbs.

Tony: But you're right, the majority of it is sarcasm, yes.

Nebula: And what's the rest of it?

Tony: Trauma.

Nebula: Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you with that.

Tony: Peter used to help me.

Nebula: With your trauma??

Tony: Peter told me he was sorry.

Nebula: What?

Tony: Peter used to say that.

Nebula: Okay...

Tony: Peter used to say that, too!

Nebula: Are you crying?

Tony: Fuck no. Tony Stark doesn't cry for anybody. You can thank my abusive father for that :)

Nebula: I know how you feel.

Nebula: We both have bad fathers.

Nebula: Thanos will breathe his last breath soon enough. Then your son will be avenged.

Tony: PETER USED TO BREATH!

Nebula: Tf?

Nebula: Seriously, stop crying.

Tony: I'm not crying.

Nebula: Then what's that coming out of your eyes?

Tony: Oh, this?

Tony: This is just some depression leaking from my eyes. It's a natural occurrence.

Nebula: ... so, crying?

Tony: HOW DO YOU KNOW?

Nebula: I can see you dude, you're bawling your fucking eyes out.

Tony: SHUT UP.

Nebula: Hey, now you can drink your tears!

Tony: I'M NOT CRYING. I told you, it's liquid depression!

Nebula: Ffs.

Nebula has renamed the chat: Drink your tears, Tony.

Tony has renamed the chat: Go fuck yourself, Nebula.

Nebula has renamed the chat: Drink your liquid depression, Tony.

Tony: That's more like it, thank you.

Nebula: Are all humans like this?

Tony: Only the ones with issues.

Tony: So yes.

Nebula: What a race.

Tony: You can't tell me you've never cried.

Nebula: When I was a child. Before Thanos removed my ability to cry, along with most of my body parts, and organs, replacing them with metal.

Tony: ...

Tony: You're my child now.

Tony: I'm signing your adoption papers. You're legally my child now.

Tony: I've always wanted a daughter.

Tony: You will be safe with me. I promise.

Nebula: ... that was really sweet, and I don't know how to reply to that.

Tony: My God, you are my daughter.

Tony: Don't worry, I will give you the fatherly love you deserve.

Nebula: Your son was so lucky.

Tony: Wait, son? Huh?

Nebula: Yes. That little spider child.

Tony: Peter?

Nebula: Yeah, that one.

Tony: Peter wasn't my son.

Nebula: He wasn't?

Tony: No.

Tony: Yes, I loved him like he was my son. Tried to guide him with what fatherly wisdom I may have. I tried to protect him with my heart and soul. Was proud of every-single-thing he did. Went to every special event he had. He won his high school decathlon you know. He's so smart. And special. I was lucky to have someone so happy in my life. OMG, I miss him so much. Come back, my son!

Tony: So, yeah. Not my son at all.

Nebula: Right... whatever you say...

Tony: Oh my, I almost forgot I was so excited. Consent is key.

Tony: Would you like to be my daughter?

Nebula: Aren't I a little too old to get adopted?

Tony: Idc.

Tony: ???

Nebula: .............. yespleaseIwouldlovethatverymuch............

Tony: Alrighty then. You are my child. I love you, daughter.

Tony: Don't worry. I'll teach you what love is. Me and my to be wife, Pepper. She's your mom now. If she's still alive, that is...

Nebula: Thank you.

Tony: You are welcome.

Korg has joined the chat.

Korg: Hey fellas, fancy joining a revolution?

Nebula: Fellas?

Tony: Who the fuck is this?

Korg: Hi, I'm Korg. I'm made out of rocks, but there's no need to be frightened. I'm a kind guy.

Wade has joined the chat.

Wade: The Thing. But space.

Wade has left the chat.

Nebula: There he is again!

Korg: Who was that? A friend of yours? Does he want to join a revolution?

Tony: I am way too sober for this.

Nebula: I can kill him for you.

Tony: How about we don't do that?

Valkrie has joined the chat.

Tony: Now who the hell is this?

Valkrie: Who the hell are you?

Tony: I'm the hell person whose chat this is.

Valkre: Oh. Well trust me, I don't want to be here as much as you don't want me to be here.

Nebula: So why are you then?

Valkrie: Korg. Stop talking to these weirdo's, and come help me build this fucking ship.

Korg: A revolutionary ship?

Valkrie: Korg, you do know that we don't need the revolution anymore? We won.

Korg: There's always a need for a revolution.

Tony: I actually agree with the space rock here.

Nebula: Same.

Nebula: Especially if it's against Thanos.

Tony: I'm pretty sure that's not how that works.

Nebula: Whatever. As long as I can stick my blade through Thanos, I couldn't care less.

Valkrie: Who's this Thanos?

Tony: You know how people/aliens/whatever turned to dust around you?

Valkrie: Yeah?

Tony: Yeah, well that was Thanos' doing.

Nebula: And also half of the universe turned to dust, not just the things around you.

Valkrie: Oh.

Valkrie: Yeah, let's kill him. Brutally.

Tony: Glad you agree.

Valkrie: Korg, come on, let's build this ship. And help kill this fucker.

Korg: ... a revolutionary ship?

Valkrie: It can be whatever type of ship you want. As long as you help me build it!

Korg: Okay! Bye guys, I'll send you some pamphlets, if I find out where you are.

Korg has left the chat.

Tony: Hold on, what revolution?

Valkrie: I don't actually know. I black out every time he talks about it. All I know is there was a lot of fighting, and we won.

Nebula: Who mentioned a revolution?

Valkrie: See? Just like that.

Valkrie: Anyway, I gotta go lose what's left of my sanity... maybe I can get drunk.

Tony: Get drunk?

Tony: Where? How? Can I have some?

Tony: Please. I'm so sad. I have lost so much, and I don't know who I've lost on Earth.

Tony: Please help me dull this pain.

Nebula: Jesus man. You need help.

Tony: Hey, that's dad to you. And yes. Yes, I do.

Tony: So, about that booze.

Valkrie: No. All mine.

Valkrie has left the chat.

Tony: Oh, gee thanks.

Nebula: Want me to kill her for you?

Tony: We really need to have a discussion about your immediate reaction with murder.

Nebula: So, is that a...?

Tony: No. That is a firm, no.

Nebula: Do you want me to kill ANYONE?

Tony: No, you don't have to murder for me, or my love.

Nebula: You really are the best dad.

Tony: That is the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.

Nebula: Are you crying again?

Tony: No.

Nebula: I can clearly see you.

Tony: ... no, you can't.

Nebula: Just because you're now wearing your Iron Man helmet, doesn't mean you're not crying.

Tony: Yes it does.

The Grand Master has joined the chat.

The Grand Master has changed their name to: TGM.

TGM: Does my name sound weird like this?

Tony: Anybody who calls themselves 'The Grand Master' is a narcissistic weirdo.

Tony: At least 'TGM' can be an acronym for something better.

Nebula: Like 'The Great Mistake'.

Tony: And 'This Guy is Measly'.

Wade has joined the chat.

Wade: 'Tomg it's Gjeff Mgoldblum'.

Wade has left the chat.

Tony: Huh?

Korg has joined the chat.

Korg: 'To Ghost Men'.

Korg has left the chat.

Tony: What?

Valkrie has joined the chat.

Valkrie: 'To Get Masacered'.

Valkrie has left the chat.

Tony: What?!

Nebula: I like her.

Tony: Of course you do.

Tony: Oh my God, you and Nat are going to take over the world.

Tony: If she's still alive that is...

Nebula: Only one world?

TGM: Oh, oh, can I join?

Nebula: No.

Tony: Leave now.

TGM: This wouldn't happen if I still had my champion. Fucking sparkles.

TGM has been blocked from the chat.

Nebula: Who was he talking about?

Tony: Idk.

Tony: Probably some aliens or something.

Thanos has joined the chat.

Thanos: Sup losers?

Tony: Oh daughter of mine, do you notice something?

Thanos: Daughter?

Nebula: No, my father, I do not.

Thanos: Wait, father?!

Thanos: What have you done to my second favourite daughter, Tony?!

Tony: So, daughter. You were telling me about your sister... like an hour ago.

Thanos: Ahh, yes. My favourite daughter.

Nebula: Gammora. She was an assassin, just like me. I love her. But SOMEONE threw her off a cliff.

Thanos: It was the price to pay for the stone.

Tony: If she were still here I would adopt her, too. Skrew it! Dead or not! She is my daughter, too!

Thanos: WHAT?!

Nebula: She would have liked that.

Nebula: And so would I. Because it would annoy her boyfriend.

Tony: Who's her boyfriend?

Nebula: That imbecile Quill.

Tony: ...

Tony: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Nebula: Nope.

Thanos: I hate him, too.

Tony: I suddenly like him more now.

Nebula: Same.

Thanos: Are you ignoring me?

Tony: Do you notice anyone else in this chat, daughter?

Nebula: No father, I do not.

Thanos: I know what you're trying to do.

Thanos: And I hate you both.

Thanos: I'm glad I destroied half of the universe.

Thanos: Well, screw you two. I'm not going anywhere.

Carol has joined the chat.

Thanos: Oh, shit...

Carol: Hey you purple fuck!

Carol: It's time for you to, gtfo!

Thanos has been blocked from the chat.

Tony: Well thanks for that.

Carol: It's aiite.

Tony: ...

Tony: I'm sorry what?

Tony: Why are you speaking like its the 90's?

Carol: Cuz I'm HELLA cool like that.

Tony: Oh God.

Nebula: Want me to kill her?

Tony: Thinking about it.

Carol: Geez chill. I'm on my way to get you right now.

Tony: Second thoughts! I love her!

Nebula: So do I!

Nebula: Do you have food?

Tony: And water?

Nebula: And oxygen?

Carol: Yes, yes, and yes.

Carol: I also have some guy named Phil, he says he knows you.

Tony: Oh, yeah... I'm hallucinating.

Carol: No you're not.

Tony: I gotta go pass out now.

Tony has been disconnected.

Carol: Drama queen.

Nebula: Good night, dad.

Nebula: See you soon, Carol.

Carol: Cool beans.

Nebula: I don't understand you...

Nebula has left the chat.

Carol: I dig that.

Carol has left the chat.

Somewhere in the soul world

Bucky has created a chat.

Bucky has added Sam, Peter.

Bucky: What is this place?

Peter: I don't know, Terminator Jesus Sir.

Sam: Terminator Jesus!

Sam: That's amazing!

Bucky: Can we be serious here?

Sam: I am being serious! That name is amazing. Screw you and your bad tastes.

Peter: Are we dead?

Bucky: I think so.

Peter: Meh.

Sam: Woah, kid, are you okay?

Peter: Yeah. Man, Aunt May's gonna kill me when she finds out I'm dead.

Bucky: H... how?

Peter: She'll find a way.

Peter: I hope Mr Stark doesn't blame himself.

Sam: Wait, 'Mr Stark'? Are you that spider-kid?!

Peter: Spider-MAN.

Sam: You are!

Bucky: Who is?!

Sam: He is!

Bucky: Oh!

Peter: What is going on?

Sam: YOU WEBBED US UP NEXT TO EACH OTHER!

Peter: Ohhhh, you're those guys.... hi?

Bucky: HI?!

T'Challa has joined the chat.

T'Challa: Death meeting. Now.

Sam: What?

Bucky: How did you even get everyone to listen to you so fast??

T'Challa: A king has his ways.

T'Challa has left the chat.

Peter: He's so cool.

Peter has left the chat.

Bucky: I'm cooler...

Sam: Dream on, Barnes.

Sam has kicked Bucky from the chat.

Sam has left the chat.

(Bonus)

Carol has created a chat.

Carol has added Y/N, Natasha, Thor.

Carol: Right I'm gonna go get your friends.

Carol: Brb.

Carol: Oh, and don't let Goose eat you.

Y/N: Eat us? What?

Natasha: How can a CAT eat us?

Carol: You don't want to know.

Thor: But he is so tiny and fluffy.

Carol: Yeah, you'll be fine. Just don't lather yourself in bacon grease, or have him anywhere near your eyes.

Y/N: Well there goes my bathing plans.

Natasha: And why no eyes?

Thor: It's fine I've already lost one!

Carol: Exactly.

Carol has left the chat.

Y/N: Should we be scared of the cat?

Thor: Probably...

Natasha: We should be scared of every cat. This one more.

Thor: I agree.

Y/N: Hmmmm

Y/N: Gonna go poke him.

Natasha: Wait Y/N...

Y/N has been disconnected.

Natasha: Jesus Christ.

Natasha: Let's go help her.

Thor: And cuddle Goose!

Natasha: Thor no.

Thor has been disconnected.

Natasha: I work with children.

Natasha has left the chat.

[thewritewolf]

Nino’s Quest Chapter 6: Out of the Woods

The true struggle of DnD - getting the party together for a session. Not at all helped by magic terrorism attacks.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 (Final)

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3.  My ko-fi.

--- October 15th ---

Lord DM: Hey dudes, we still on for today? Since its been like two hours I’ll guess that was a no then

Adrien Regreste: sorry dude. Got roped into a last minute photoshoot :(

Marinoodles: same Wait no I mean- last minute bakery stuff Sorry to bail like this! D:

Alya’ll Beware: Don’t worry about it girl I was chasing that akuma that was running around It kept giving lb n cn the slip Got some good footage tho

Lord DM: Bummer dudes Guess thats one of the perks of living in paris We can try again next week, k?

--- October 18 ---

Direct Message From Alya

Alya: These akumas have been crazy, babe. Rain check on dates? At least until hawkbutt tires himself out

Nino: :( Can’t you take a break or two? You don’t have to be on the frontlines of EVERY akuma attack

Alya: …

Nino: [crying emojis, broken hearts, butterflies with red X’s over them]

Alya: alright, alright But just two, okay? People count on me for the latest news

Nino: totally, babe Just hope lb+cn won’t need rr+cara Cuz… you know That’d be rough

Alya: [eye rolling emoji] Yeah yeah I feel bad for them tho Their social life must be wack at this point

---October 22nd---

Lord DM: Hey, bro, we still meeting at your place or what? ??? Come on, dude! Not again! :(

Adrien Regreste: Sorry dude [sobbing emoji]

Alya’ll Beware: Akuma, babe. Can’t miss three in one week!

Lord DM: Yeah… guess so. Let’s just not miss the next sess, okay? I dont want this campaign to end

Alya’ll Beware: We’ve only missed two weeks so far. That’s not too bad We got pretty lucky with getting five in a row Esp considering how busy we usually are

Lord DM: Fair enough Next week sound good?

Alya’ll Beware: Should for me

---October 31st---

Lord DM: Im scared to ask but… DnD today?

Adrien Regreste: [thumbs up] I’ll be going on 4 hours of sleep But I can do it!

Marinoodles: Same here Lack of sleep and all

Alya’ll Beware: Yeah We good

Adrien Regreste: !!! Wait its actually happening Awesome! ...I should probably clean my room.

Marinoodles: XD Probably! :P

Adrien Regreste: :3

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

An hour later and Nino had made the trip over to Adrien’s house, Alya and Marinette in tow. Their chatting had been less energetic than usual, no doubt because there wasn’t a single person among them who didn’t feel exhausted. A fact that wasn’t at all helped by the late hours that they were arriving at. It may have only been nineteen hundred hours, but when you’d only had a few hours of sleep each night for the past week, it made all the difference in the world.

Despite all that, they were determined. The very thought that they were willing to go through all this just to go further in his campaign was thrilling for Nino, and he didn’t want to let them down.

A wicked grin, looking out of place on him, stretched across his face. With the events he had planned for tonight’s session, he was sure they’d be awake in no time.

They entered Adrien’s room and saw the bounty of sugary treats and caffeine that their host had prepared. After some brief chit-chat, Nino got set up quickly and rolled right into the session. The longer he delayed the more likely it was that his players would fall asleep.

“The forest at last thins as you crest the top of a hill. From your vantage point, you can see the capital city on the horizon.” There were sighs of relief around the room.

“Finally! My character could definitely go for a proper bed after a week of roughing it,” Marinette said after taking a drink of pop.

“You’ll have to hurry, then. The sun is going to start sinking below the horizon. Unless you want to be stuck outside the city until morning, you’d better get moving.”

“My bard starts one last travel song as we rush over.” Adrien opened his phone, no doubt to a lyrics site and cleared his throat.

Alya quickly covered his mouth. “I do not have the time or patience to listen to another of your renditions of Take Me Home, Country Roads, Sunshine. Let’s just get to the city, alright?” Adrien’s eyes darted to Nino in a silent plea, but he simply shrugged.

“Sorry, dude. Babe has a point.”

Pouting, he closed his phone. Beside him, Marinette giggled and patted his back consolingly.

“You reach the city gates without any issue - no bandit or monster is stupid enough to get within stones throw of the capital, not with all the guards on patrol. They were a little suspicious to see you guys so late at night, but… two noble sigils, a bardic license, and my holy symbol put those dudes right at ease. There are still a few rooms open at the inn - how are you guys going to divvy up?”

A trio of blank stares looked back at him. He sighed.

“Each room costs money to rent. You don’t have a lot, so while you could get a private room for each of you, it’s probably better to room with someone else. So who is spending the night with who?”

“Dibs on the cleric!” Alya cried. She tapped her chin theatrically, “I guess that leaves you two together, right?”

“I- I guess so?” Adrien blinked, surprised at Alya’s sudden outburst. Marinette paled a little but nodded.

“Since you guys arrived so late, most of the rooms were already filled up and you had to make do with what you can get. When you finally find your rooms, they are across the inn from each other… and there is only one bed in each room.”

A slight blush, but neither Adrien nor Marinette were freaked out. Alya slumped in defeat - there wasn’t any roleplaying involved in sleeping after all. Unless they decided to do some method acting and have a sleepover.

“The four of us drift off to sleep, which was a totally great change of pace from the creepy woods that you’ve been sleeping in for a week now.” Nino punctuated his words with a yawn that proved contagious. “It was way late at night when suddenly… M, Adrien. Roll for perception.”

Adrien, naturally, rolled a one. Just when Nino was scared he’d accidentally killed them off, Marinette pulled through with a high roll. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“With your keen elven hearing, the creaking of the wooden floor boards was enough to jolt you from sleep. There is a glint of metal above you, and you feel a presence in the darkness. You have just a few seconds to react - what do you do?”

“I roll over!” Marinette blurts out, her eyes wide.

Nino nods. “Right, that puts you right on top of Adrien, who is now totally awake too. It was a good move, though - a knife plunges into the mattress, right where your neck had just been.”

All business now, Marinette asks, “What can I see?”

“Not much. Loose cloaks with hoods pulled up. Knives. Two people. The other person has stumbled back, probs spooked by your sudden movement.”

She taps her chin before her eyes widen again. “Wait, what about the others?! We have to go get them! Or at least get their help.” She shuffles through her character sheet. “Okay, um… I whisper to Adrien in Elvish ‘close your eyes’ and then I toss a flash flare thing at the guy.”

Nino rolls some saves - without the warnings, neither of them stood a chance. He looks up to see Marinette watching him with hopeful eyes. “You got ‘em, M. Now what?”

“I roll off the bed and try to take the guy’s knife.”

“You’ve got it and your turn ends there. The dudes are blinded, but it won’t be long before they’ve recovered. Adrien?”

“Can I cast a spell?”

“Not without your lyre, bro.”

“Fine, fine. I grab it off the bedside table.”

“And why do you think it’d be there?”

“...I’m a bard. Gotta be ready to play, first thing in the morning.” Adrien smirked.

Chuckling, Nino replied. “Alright, fair. What do you cast?”

Adrien stuck out a tongue as he thumbed through his spell list. His eyes lit up as he looked at Nino. “I cast summon monster one, and I summon the Good Boy.”

“Right,” Nino said as the others giggled. “So you’ve got your celestial dog next to you. I figure you want it to attack one of the dudes?”

To his surprise, Adrien shook his head. “No, I command him to go wake up the other two. Probably to go sit by their door and bark in a commanding angelic voice.”

The fight didn’t last long from there - the two of them probably would have been enough to deal with the assassins after they lost the element of surprise. But four against two made it a landslide victory.

“Even though you try your hardest, you weren’t able to catch either alive. One got stabbed and bled out and the other, well… hopefully the innkeeper will understand that it wasn’t your fault that the window got broken.”

“Do they have anything on them?” Alya crossed her arms. “I get the feeling someone is after us.”

“You’re immediately proven right when you find a note in the dead guy’s pocket that reads, ‘Information about the Necromancer cannot reach the king. Dispose of the adventurers before they get their audience.’”

The party exchanged looks.

“Spooky,” Adrien said flatly. The others nodded in agreement.

“Do I recognize the handwriting or anything?” Marinette leaned forward, the gears in her head turning. “Remember, I am a court brat.”

“Nope. Looks like it was written deliberately poorly. You don’t know if you’d recognize it normally.”

“Time for the king?” Adrien perked up.

“Yup, it’s time for-” Nino was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.

Adrien gulped. “Um… hello?”

Nathalie stepped into the room and narrowed her eyes at the dice and character sheets. Belatedly Nino remembered that Adrien usually claimed they were working on a project or homework during these sessions. “It is late. Your friends need to leave.”

Without a choice in the matter, they packed up and had the door shut behind them.

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

Nino’s fears were confirmed later that night during a discord chat.

Adrien Regreste: Sorry guys. Looks like we won’t be able to play at my house again Not for a while at least. :(

Lord DM: Don’t worry about it bro Had to happen eventually

Marinoodles: I’m so sorry! :( I hope you didn’t get in trouble because of us

Adrien Regreste: Nothing more than usual They aren’t threatening to keep me locked up at home So, you know Better than usual

Alya’ll Beware: That’s something at least R they going to let u hang out again?

Adrien Regreste: *shrugs* Probably. Anyway… Sorry to be a bummer. Night, everybody!

Marinoodles: Sweet dreams!

Alya’ll Beware: Night, kiddos.

Lord DM: Don’t let the assassins bite! ;) [Three thumbs down, one angry emoji]

[beauvoyr]

My Little Sister ☆ Can’t Be This Cute!

Chapter 1 | Kiss Kiss Fall in Love!

Pairings: Noctis/Reader Genre: Romance Tags: Pre-Canon | Fluff and Humor | Eventual Romance | Slow Burn | Enemies to Friends to Lovers | Reader-Insert | Big Brother Ignis | Idol Reader Characters: Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, Gladio, & You, an Idol! Chapter Rating: G Crossposted on: ao3 Summary: Noctis thought he knew everything about his Advisor. And then there’s some. i: “Dude.” Prompto says. Noctis does his best impression of The Thinker dating from M.E. 655. “Iggy’s into this kind of thing.” Prompto asks, sans question mark. The shock definitely got to him. “Did you know about it.” Bros gotta protect each other’s secrets, right? Right. But the bro code never outlined an emergency protocol when two bros are pitted against each other. Who’s to say which bro is more important to him? ‘cause Prompto’s a bro, Ignis’ a bro, and asking him to pick between two bros is like asking him to choose either Assassin’s Creed or King’s Knight.

i:

Maybe Ignis has a thing for things like this, Noctis reasons. Under all that elegant pomp and heavily accented words rolling off a tongue peculiarly eloquent in jabs, steam-soft shirts and slacks swishing about as he walks, maybe he secretly harboured an interest in things betraying his stern and stoic stature. Being the personal advisor to the prince grants him no leeway in freely expressing his interests beyond what Noctis eats, which meetings Noctis should be attending, when Noctis finishes classes, and whether or not Noctis got over his lachanophobia. Which, according to Ignis Posh Scientia, is fear of vegetables.

(Noctis so does not have a fear of vegetables.)

(He just doesn’t like them.)

(Very much.)

None of his internal monologues answered why on Eos in this standard Audi commissioned to every Citadel staff, in this dull sedan with its immaculate leather trim and waxed dashboard, Ignis kept a CD.

An idol CD. The kind you’d find in a budget bin somewhere in Rock Corner for 90% off just because they want to get rid of trashy music as soon as possible lest it besmirches their shop’s status. Flashy pink booklet with signature of the iNTERGALACTiC ★ DiVΔ done in gold, sprawled all over its childish arrangement of what seems to be said Intergalactic Diva in the idolesque ensemble of flouncy skirt, crisp blazer scattered with silvery military embellishment, wearing the laciest pair of platform heels while simultaneously surrounded with stuffed toys. Stuffed toys. As if the whole setup made sense only to the art director like some army veteran crossing over the whole cute couture concept they’ve got going on here.

Noctis takes another good look at the CD. A deeper, closer, more intimate look at the girly plastic casing and its tracklist on the back as though it’d explain the enigma suddenly surrounding the secret life of his 21-year-old Advisor and his secret stash.

Six minutes later, Noctis replaces the CD where it belongs: Right in the deepest, darkest corner of the glove compartment, where no eyes may venture where his accidentally went.

And then he went on searching for his missing phone.

ii:

A month and a half later, Noctis is pleased to announce that he’s entirely forgotten about the idol debacle. While the matter had loitered around the recesses of his mind for a maximum of two days, it’s all water-under-the-bridge kind of thing because nobody got hurt and he’s not about to make fun of his Advisor for repressing the urge to listen to the peppy trills of an idol singing about high school crushes and unrequited love. Everyone’s got their own jam, like Prompto who’s always blasting Ron Goodwin out of one earpiece whenever they gather to demolish their assignments, and then there’s Gladio who’d sometimes slink onto the sofa with his nose buried in either An Inquiry into the Good or Romancing Sir Sigurd, and there’s no in-between.  

In fact, Noctis is actually more than happy to safeguard Ignis’ secret for the rest of his entire life just because he’s such a bro (or in his case, he conveniently forgot about it), but he’s also failed to take into account that Prompto’s exceptionally good at noticing things. Photographer quirk, he calls it.

“Dude.” Prompto says.

Noctis does his best impression of The Thinker dating from M.E. 655.

“Iggy’s into this kind of thing.” Prompto asks, sans question mark. The shock definitely got to him. “Did you know about it.”

Bros gotta protect each other’s secrets, right? Right. But the bro code never outlined an emergency protocol when two bros are pitted against each other. Who’s to say which bro is more important to him? ‘cause Prompto’s a bro, Ignis’ a bro, and asking him to pick between two bros is like asking him to choose either Assassin’s Creed or King’s Knight.

Noctis weighs the two. He chances a glance at Prompto’s shell-shocked stance of a hand barely touching the glossy cover of an・an unrolled from the boring brown paperbag of weekly groceries. There it is again, that iNTERGALACTiC ★ DiVΔ graces the cover in all of your majestic glory. Forgoing all the sparkling cuteness of a girleen for elegance, pearls in your sedate coiffure, smoky makeup and that white-tipped-fingernails thing girls do when they want to be extra fancy. You're pretty—no, beautiful, actually—but then again, when is a magazine cover not photoshopped? Yeah.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you this,” Prompto goes on at Noctis’ extended silence, “cuz I thought he was Moogling some recipe for dinner but dude, he was ordering her CD off Amazon. Thought that was a one-time thing so I was pretty meh about it,” he shrugs, “but y’know, it was so not a one-time thing because it was a five-time thing—”

Noctis makes a sound in his throat. Never underestimate a photographer’s quirk.  

“—and I’m really not gonna judge if he’s into idols since they’re cute,” Prompto nods along to his rambling which gets Noctis to nod along just to show he’s listening and oh he’s listening all right, “but it got me thinking.”

And when Prompto starts thinking, that’s when Noctis should start getting really worried.

As if guided by his instincts more than his rational mind, the blond extracts an・an and smoothens it on the table, palms pressing down the corners like this elusive evidence of Ignis’ intersecting interest in the idol world will do a comical poof and disappear in curly smoke. His stare hardens more than a diamond. “Iggy’s birthday’s around the corner, right?”

“Uh.” Noctis really can’t see where this is going and subtly wonders if abusing the powers of the Oracle would grant him a vision into the future for something like this. Would Luna grant him her strength in times of great emergency if he blasted a message through Umbra? “I guess? It’s next week. February 7th.”

Prompto makes a sound in his throat that is eerily similar to Noctis’.  And when he turns, Noctis thinks the light in his eyes is bright enough to banish the impending gloom and doom prophesized in the future. He might as well be the King of Light at this rate.

Prompto says, “Dude. I’ve got an idea.”

iii:

When Prompto says he has an idea, it’d normally be a great idea. “Wanna ditch and hang out at the arcade?” he’d ask, to which a 16-year-old Noctis would do a 180 from returning to class after lunch and misuse his warping talent to zip in and out of his classroom with his bag through the window, and they’d rendezvous at Club Sega just for diversion tactics. Blasting through zombie brains and kicking each other’s ass in Street Fighter, they’d spend the whole evening there unless Ignis hears them play hooky, usually by way of a ‘concerned’ teacher ratting them out at the very last second. At most, Noctis gets an earful that he evades with practiced ignorance with all that regurgitated nonsense of he’s the prince and he shouldn’t be skipping school, but.

This idea.

It’s very bad.

Noctis doesn’t know why, but it’s very bad.

Going up to the receptionist counter and boldly proclaiming that he’s the prince isn’t at the top of list of things he wanted to do because he’s really not into blatant exploitation of his title. But hey, it works. It takes one slack-jawed, starry-eyed intern whispering in awe, “Prince Noctis? Can I get your autograph please?” and a ballpen hastily scrawling across lipstick-smudged napkin later, he finds himself fidgeting on a stool in a bright dressing room, bulbs lining the mirror blasting him with light. Rolling racks are hanging with the most absurd yet lavishly decorated dresses decked in chiffons and sequins in all the colours a rainbow has to offer. Striped tophat completes what he thinks is a feminine form of a tuxedo, while thigh-high boots are stationed under a rugged combo of punk-rock aesthetics involving a PVC-belted skirt and metallic studs. The world of an idol is far more fearsome than the life of a prince destined to die, he thinks.

Prompto turns to him with the most scandalised expression ever after taking stock of the myriad of makeup products littered on the countertop, gasping, “That was way easier than I thought.”

“I’m just glad they didn’t kick up a huge fuss over it,” Noctis grunts. Then, as if the weight of what they’re doing is finally hitting him with the force of Gladio’s blows, Noctis blows a limp lock of hair out of his face. “We’re really doing this.”

Prompto cocks a brow and appropriates the plastic stool across him. “Dude, you’ve got a better birthday bash idea going on?”

Noctis couldn’t answer that.

No, really, he couldn’t even answer that because the moment he opens his mouth, the door opens instead. What’s he supposed to do other than to gape like a fish out of water, an expression he’s seen from all the fishes he strung up on his line, when you flounced right in? That hair cannot be natural, Noctis thinks, as he eyes the way light powders pastel purple tresses crowned by roses. Hands from who he thinks is your personal stylist are fussing over the deep wrinkles left by the rippling of your complicated dress, while the bespectacled woman beside you glares at him from behind a clipboard. Petals flaking from your cheek to your collarbone, filigrees cresting your shoulders—unless Photoshop worked in real-time, there’s no way a person would look that unearthly.

The way Prompto’s jaw is hanging tells him that he’s not alone in his thoughts.

Contact lenses are obviously the explanation behind your roseate eyes, there’s no other way he’s going to accept someone else having eyes that pretty. And false eyelashes, the kind that Gladio babbled about when Iris broke his bank wanting to experiment with makeup, yeah, that stuff’s definitely glued someway somehow on your eyelids. It makes sense that an idol’s job is to look pretty because looks sell either way and everyone loves a pretty face, so. Yeah. Noctis doesn’t know where he’s going with his train of thoughts because it’s on the verge of derailing right now, especially when those eyes flit to seek his and the corners of glossy lips curl with a sanguine smile.

You are unhesitant in striding forward to offer him your hand. Confident. Bold. Singsong sweet, the singer you are. “You must be Prince Noctis,” you say, and he’s never known that his name would sound that nice on someone else’s tongue. “Sorry you had to see me like this, I was in the middle of a shoot when you arrived.”

What was he supposed to say at times like this again?

Right, first: The handshake.  

His legs are jelly-filled donuts when he stands and his arms are wet spaghetti. Prompto almost toppled his stool when he gets to his feet to receive your hand after Noctis. “I, ah,” Noctis starts, smooth because they never rehearsed this far? And how is he supposed to be making demands as a prince to an idol? When Prompto’s rapidly zoning into outer space and ascending to Astral realm instead of helping him out right now? “Uh—I. We,” he quickly rectifies the moment the Bespectacled Woman’s dirty look peeps from the rim of her glasses, “we’re here to ask if you’d meet with my friend.”

And here is where he stops, just because your brows stitch together following a quizzical tilt of head.

That stuff only looks cute in anime.

And it doesn’t help that you look 100% anime right now.

A quick darting of your eyes from Noctis to Prompto has your smile deepening. “So that’s him?”

You’re definitely getting the wrong idea here and it’s up to Noctis to save the day by jamming his elbow right in Prompto’s side. An embarrassing yelp that shot Prompto’s soul straight into his body later, the blond’s back in commission with a shaky laugh. “Ha—who, me? N-no, not this Argentum!”

…or maybe not.

Noctis wills himself to stomach Bespectacled Woman’s increasingly incensed glare and tries to remember why he’s doing this in the first place. For his bro. For Ignis Scientia. Best advisor. Birthday. Gotta make it meaningful. Idols. Cute idols. Huge fan. You. Right. “He’s not here right now,” Noctis corrects the misunderstanding as confusion clouds your face, “because we’re trying to keep it a secret. His birthday’s on February 7 and we’re trying to make it a surprise party because he’s a big fan of yours.” At your unrelenting stare, he deflates a little. “He’s, ah, my personal advisor.”

For a second, silence reigns.

“Oh,” you say.

He doesn’t get a chance to consult what ‘oh’ means in Idol-Speak when Bespectacled Woman interjects, “So big of a fan until the prince himself has to abuse his authority and make Diva miss out on Gucci?” And boy, Noctis hates being on the other end of Death Ray shooting from her eyes.  

But you’re quicker to laugh at his honesty, batting the woman on her arm. “It’s okay, Isolde, I got this.” And for him, a mischievous smile replaces your prior confusion as you offer yet another handshake, this time for another reason altogether. “Aite, you’ve got yourself a deal! Let’s make this an epic birthday bash, yeah?”

When things work out far too easily, one should be suspicious.

Noctis, however, chalks it up to good luck when he hears Prompto splitting into a deafening, “Woohoo!” and answers your smile with a grin. The biggest, widest grin he could muster.

Because this is going to be the best birthday party ever.

iv:

This is not the best birthday party.

Ever.

There are tears down your cheeks and you’re choking on your words. Your makeup should’ve been a mess but some part of Noctis is thanking the Astrals that guided your makeup artist to apply waterproof ones, probably out of sheer experience, because he’s never seen anyone bawling this bad before. Whatever Iris had before doesn’t even cut close to this. Fists balled in your skirt, this verbal fisticuff doesn’t even look like it’s coming close to an ending. Even a fear-frozen Prompto’s clutching a gawking Gladio by the bicep and they’re far, far away from the warzone while Noctis is the only idiot brave enough to remain where he first sat.

That is, right in between an eerily silent Ignis and a Diva well underway your waterworks.

“You know well by now that my duty to Prince Noctis cannot be taken lightly,” asserts his Advisor in the calmest, coldest manner that could’ve frosted the entirety of Leide. “I’ve explained it to you time and time again that I’m—“

“You’re the advisor, I get it,” you choke out, “but I wanted a big brother that I could’ve talked to! All you did was to toss me aside like I was—“

“I never tossed you aside,” Ignis rebukes, the hiss of his words coming from thinning lips that is gradually downturned. “I received your calls, I replied to your messages, I listened to mother and father talking about you—“

“I’m always the one who has to do all the texting, calling!” you shriek in a pitch only sopranos could trill. Tears trekking down your cheeks, you are a sobbing, shuddering mess to Noctis’ left, the backs of your hands swiping away teardrops swaying off your jawline. “When did you ever call me!? When did you even bother to say good morning to me!? It’s always me who has to tell you—“

“I have a job,” Ignis retorts, adjusting his glasses from sliding down the bridge of his nose. “If I’m not carrying out my duties as an Advisor, I am at the Citadel attending meetings—“

This is crazy.

He’s going crazy.

In all honesty, he’s never tried watching soap operas for this very same reason: He can’t handle the drama. All the tears, all the angry exchanges, plots doing a backflip from I-love-you-so-much-I-will-die-for-you to I-don’t-love-you-anymore-because-we-are-actually-siblings-separated-at-birth. Galahdan soaps are notorious for pulling the rug under Prompto’s feet and making him drop series faster than his runs. But this? This is another level of drama, one that has Noctis nursing his throbbing temples because who would’ve guessed that said Intergalactic Diva is his Advisor’s little sister? And who would’ve guessed that not only Gladiolus Amicitia has a little sister, Ignis Scientia, too, has a little sister of his own?

Definitely not Noctis.

And definitely not Prompto and Gladio too, judging from how their eyeballs are playing ping-pong with how they’re chasing after Ignis’ accusations, only to have your indignant interruption instead.

While that explains why Ignis hides idol CDs and bought girly magazines, it does a poor job in explaining why he’s caught in a crossfire between the Scientias.

“You hate me,” you spit out, and woah what part of the episode did Noctis miss out? He’s pretty sure he paused on the whole you-never-spent-time-with-me, so how did it end up this way?

Ignis removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose, eyes scrunched tight with a pain only a brother could feel. “I do not hate you. I’ve never hated you, (y/n), never.”

“You hate me ever since I said I wanted to be an idol,” you sob out an octave lower, reddened eyes stabbing Ignis’ accusatorily. With how your bottom lip is quivering, it’s a wonder how your words manage to come out as a whole, sans stutters. “You said it’s a shameless job, you said they’re just exploiting high schoolers, you said—“

“But I respected your decision—“

“After ma and pa made you—“

“That’s because I was worried about you—“

“And I keep telling you not to worry because you met Isolde and you met Ninian and you met Watanabe—“

“And they are nice people but—“

—yeah, Noctis needs time out here because this sounds like a huge misunderstanding.

He composed a three-second plan and had it executed by standing up slowly and letting the chair drag right behind him across hardwood, letting the painful skrrrrrrrrrrrrrr scream cut off what's left of the argument. And what an epic entry into the fray it is, Noctis thinks. Ignis is riveted by his uncharacteristic boldness and has resorted to clicking his mouth shut. Your sobs don’t stop, but at least your red-eyed red-nosed red-cheeked face wordlessly thanked him for the interruption. From the sidelines, Prompto’s mouthing at him don’t do it Noct don’t get involved in the family feud but Six, Noct needs to straighten things out because technically he’s mildly at fault here for eating up his Advisor’s time by 70% even though it’s Ignis’ job, he thinks you don’t know how much Ignis actually cherishes your journey to idolhood and bought your CDs and magazines, and someone’s gotta eat that delicious two-tiered fondant-frosted cake on the table.

Besides, he’s going to be the King of Lucis, damn it, so what kind of king would he be if he can’t solve a petty squabble between two siblings?

Turning to Ignis, Noctis breathes out. “I got this.”

Ignis does not think he got this. “Noct—“

Turning to you, Noctis snatches a napkin from his armiger and crams it in your hand. “Listen, Iggy doesn’t mean anything bad,” he starts as you’re carefully dabbing your eyes, teeth raking across gloss-sticky lips. “I’m the reason he can’t spend a lot of time with you because it’s his job as my advisor and there’s no helping it.” This is where Ignis makes an indignant noise and tries to cut in, but Noctis warp-strikes to his next sentence. “—And that part where you said Specs doesn’t care about you? You’re wrong. He bought a magazine with you on the cover. He even had your CD in his car.”

Ignis makes another noise that sounds torn between vehement denial and dying embarrassment. “Noct—“

Prompto, the greatest wingman in every GTA heist they pulled off, nods so rapidly in his corner until he looks like he’s having a seizure. “Yeah—no, seriously, he did,” he convinces you when you turn disbelieving eyes at him, napkin crumpling under fancy nails. “And I saw him going on Amazon trying to get all your limited edition albums. Five times.”

“Oh Gods,” Ignis chokes out, burning an interesting shade that contrasts with his hair. “Prompto—“

“And we didn’t know that Ignis had a sibling because if we knew that Iggy had a little sis, we would’ve made him spend more time at home,” Gladio asserts, leaving his seat. “I know how ya feel because I’ve got a lil’ sister too. She calls me and texts me and nags me all the time if I don’t spend at least a weekend with her. Don’t get me wrong,” he adds when you turn sullen, putting up a hand to stop whatever retort you prepared, “I appreciate it when she does things like that for me. Sure, it gets annoying when I get nagged for missing movie night, but she’s my little sister and I got nobody else to protect except for this scrawny ass prince we have here.”

Noctis balks at the jab aimed specifically for him, fighting off the heat burning up his cheeks. “Shut up. You’re missing the point.”

“—a-anyway, the point here is that Iggy really cares for you even when you think he doesn’t!” Prompto crows when you look like you traded your sullen expression for a wobbling lower lip and eyes flooding with fresh tears. “We swear this is probably just a huge misunderstanding and we can probably talk this out to fix it! Right, Ignis?”

Such bros they are, never once allowing Ignis to shoulder the blame alone. Always we and never him.

Ignis looks like he has half the mind to surrender to the Astrals’ machinations hell bent on messing up his birthday—only, everything comes to a stop when you sniff. A loud sniff. And erupt into the biggest bawling session ever, dashing straight to Ignis’ arms. His poor Advisor gets his life squeezed out of him, smothered in his little sister’s death grip, but Noctis knows the glassy sheen in his green eyes isn’t a trick of light.  

Noctis clicks his mouth shut and eyeballs Prompto and Gladio, who’re trading self-satisfied smirks between the three. Sure, maybe you’re crying harder than Iris when she got ratted out at the Citadel, and sure, the sounds are hideous like a behemoth’s mating cry, but it’s a job well done for all of them.

All’s well ends well.

v:

It is much later on, when you’ve dried your tears and Ignis changed out of a tear-streaked snot-soaked shirt, that they’re all gathered round the dining table with party poppers readied and candles glowing. That delicious two-tiered fondant-frosted cake dips under Ignis’ plastic knife and, under a shower of glitter paper and confetti, Noctis plates the first slice for the man of the hour. Turning 22 is hard work for Ignis who’s probably grown up feeling like he’s 30 all the time, and his Advisor probably deserves a medal of honour from the king for putting up with Noctis all the time, but this?

Eating cake together with his friends?

And having solved the sibling squabble between an attention-starved little sister and her excessively diligent big brother?

This is the closest he could get, he guesses.

one:

They’re crowding around him again.

“It must be nice being the prince! I bet you can do whatever you want!”

“So how many servants do you have? Ten? A hundred?”

“Noooo, it must be a thousand!”

Noctis Lucis Caelum, the name of the prince who stole your brother. Iggie was promised to the prince ever since he turned eight, and stopped being eight at that moment. For a boy who stole Iggie, he doesn’t look special. Sullen and withdrawn, cherub cheeks and choppy bangs. Hardly a word passing his lips as though nobody is deserving of his voice. You know, because you sit right beside him in class. Always staring at the skies as though the Astrals spoke to him in tones a human can’t, the prince surely daydreams of things only a prince could daydream about. Living in the grand Citadel with a hundred—no, a thousand helping hands, and your brother is simply one of his faceless servants.

You do not know if you detest him for stealing Iggie away or if you envy him instead.

Because he gets to spend more time with Iggie than you ever did.

two:

This is a memory you removed from your treasure box, a careful hand dusting over the grime caking the frame. It is a class picture of all the first graders, bobbed haircuts and flushed skin from sitting under a sun, trying to stare into the camera as sunlight flares off its lens. Arranged from left to right in the first row: Asuka and Sheryl are inseparable from the start; Ben, Jonathan, and Yukio are the rascals always running down the hallways when the teacher says not to; your homeroom teacher, Madam Maria, who teaches maths before lunch; crybaby Aina who doesn’t like eating alone; fraternal twins, Rebecca and Junior are always holding hands; Noctis and you, two seemingly unrelated people who are, in all actuality, related to each other by way of Ignis Scientia.

Even as you take a closer look at the yellowing photograph curling around the edges, you still don’t know what Noctis is thinking about.

Does he know about you?

Does he know about your existence?

What about your family name? Surely he’s noticed it?

If so, will he finally relate you to your brother?

Will he finally notice you?

And will he finally return Iggie to you?

three:

Mother packed your lunch today; your favourites, rice with heart-shaped sprinkles in pink, deep-fried chicken, egg mayo salad, and steamed crab cakes. Here, you are swinging your legs, chopsticks picking off one treat after another. Asuka and Sheryl are giggling from the corner of the classroom, trading side dishes like sisters from the same womb. Aina’s gone ahead and joined Rebecca and Junior at their tables, dragging her chair over with a ringing scratch over the tiles. Somewhere outside the class, on the field below, the boys are immersed in a quick football game and trying to outdo each other for the qualifiers next week. They’ll surely come back into class later, reeking of salty sweat in this humid summer, which makes you bite into your crab cake a bit harder.

At least they have friends, you think.

At least they’re not alone, you think.

Not lonely like me, you think.

Is the prince capable of feeling loneliness like you do?

Of course not.

He always has your brother with you.

Always.

NOTES:

first off: if you feel you aint cute, you cute af. You cute as all hells in this fic. Believe in yourself you a cutie patootie 2019!

secondly: we’re going to be dealing with a lot of body image & skin problems & self-esteem issues in this fic, so that’s a heads up.

thirdly: HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY IGNIS SCIENTIA!

Chapter 2: What ‘bout My Star?

Someone stands before Noctis, and it’s not his bespectacled Advisor brooding on his tendency to sleep in, which is truly unbecoming for a prince. It’s a girl, veiled by an anti-pollen face mask, wearing the roundest pair of hipster glasses he’s ever seen. Nondescript snapback, shirt and acid wash jeans—what is this, why does he feel oddly scrutinized under her eyes and why does she even look at him that way?

Noctis blinks in hopes of clearing the mirage, fails to find an explanation, and affords a minute of silence before going, “Uh?”

For a moment, he thinks she’s smiling—her eyes crinkle upwards, but when it comes, it shakes the breath out of him. “Morning, Noctis. Diva here.”

It, meaning your imaginary punch to his solar plexus.

[pennamepersona]

Live With You

-All tags can be found on the ao3 post: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15546492 -

I had a dream the other night

About how we only get one life

“Never liked trains much, myself, too slow and the noise, honestly, it’s all so repetitive and sounds way faster than it is, which, salt getting rubbed in the wound, and that’s not even good seasoning!” Wade says, lounging on the top of a couch that isn’t his, in an apartment that isn’t his, in a building that his own apartment isn’t in, in a borough he also doesn’t live in. “And honestly, I should know, I’ve studied cuisine. Mostly by eating a lot of food, but all those impressive civilizations didn’t have to collapse due to idiotic european invaders who didn’t even appreciate most of the spices they were so eager to find in the first place!”

His rambling is only met with brief silence, and then a soft but fierce exclamation of “fuck!” and the sound of wood snapping.

“You aren’t still doing models, are you?” Wade asks, falling off the back of the couch and just barely landing without pain, then walking over to the kitchen table where he’s met with the sad sight of a former assassin glaring down at splinters of wood, the fingers of both hands covered in paint, which actually looks pretty cool on the metal one, admittedly. Still, though.

“Ain’t it gonna be hell getting the paint out of all those cracks?” Wade makes to pick up Bucky’s metal hand, pausing briefly right before contact is made, a pause so small that no one not trained in killing, in the necessity of awareness of each movement, no one who hasn’t lived through battle and war, would notice. Bucky doesn’t flinch, so Wade grabs his hand, flipping it over and gazing at the intricacy of all its parts.

“Y’know, I understand very little about this whole cool metal arm thing, mostly because I don’t care about this shit and this isn’t the kind of science that Spidey-pie usually goes on about, but it seems like getting paint in it would be bad.” He flicks at some of the dried paint on Bucky’s palm.

Bucky’s hand twitches, very slightly, and it seems to be a simple response to touch, but Wade looks at his face all the same. Bucky’s just looking right back at him, his expression almost entirely resignation with the smallest dash of amusement.

“Should I get a loofa?” Wade asks. “Or! I could do the maid thing, everybody loves that. I should have a spare costume - ”

“Steve will clean it later.” Bucky says, his whole being softening at the thought. Wade coos.

“Aw, precious,” He boops Bucky’s nose. “I’ll leave that for some good ol’ fashioned bonding time between you two smitten popsicles, then.”

Bucky rolls his eyes, but he looks more amused than annoyed, which is part of the reason Wade hangs out here in the first place.

“For real, though, dude,” Wade says, glancing meaningfully at the pile of broken, mostly painted wood. “Models? Not your style, I’m thinkin’.”

“Steve says it might help with focus,” Bucky says. “Keep my hands busy like I want, without guns.”

“Oh!” Wade cries, which does make Bucky wince, so he lowers his pitch. “You wanna clean guns, don’t you? Take ‘em apart, slip ‘em right back together, all that stuff?”

Bucky pauses, then nods. Wade smacks himself on the forehead, then pulls out a smaller handgun from his side and tosses it down onto the table.

“Don’t know why that didn’t click sooner, honestly,” He says, sliding into one of the chairs and putting his feet on the table. “Go on, it’s been a bit since I cleaned that one. Only brought it ‘cuz Peter-man said low-to-no weapons around the trauma patient, so I had to dig out my littlest babies. You’ve got stuff, right?”

Bucky stares down at the gun, unmoving.

“I shouldn’t.” He says. Wade waits, to see if he’ll elaborate, which doesn’t happen within twenty seconds, so Wade goes on assuming that it won’t happen at all.

“Eh, you’re more comfortable with a weapon in your hand,” He says, waving his own hand as he speaks. “It’s what calmed you down for ages, why stop that now? Not like you’re any more or less likely to kill somebody if you’ve got a gun in hand or just the hand, ya feel? Could murder in cold blood just the same with the hard metal you’ve always got on ya.”

Bucky still doesn’t move, but he does glance at Wade.

“What if I do kill someone with it?” He asks, voice sounding what Wade would classify as both curious and nervous.

“Well, you’ve got the perfect test run right here,” Wade says, gesturing to himself. “Can’t die, pal, you’re not gettin’ a control group like this just anywhere.”

Bucky nods, then, and picks up Wade’s gun.

Nothing at all happens for a brief, charged moment.

Then, Bucky stands up, sets the gun back on the table, and goes to one of the end tables in the living room area, pulls out a drawer, and comes back, carrying cleaning supplies for the weapon.

Wade smiles as Bucky starts to take his gun apart and clean it, allowing for a stretch of silence he thought would be much longer, but then another impossibility happens.

Bucky looks over at him expectantly, and Wade knows that he’s waiting for Wade to start talking again. He still doesn’t look annoyed, hasn’t since the first week or so that Wade knew him, and it’s this moment of two clearly traumatized killing machines comfortably contrasting that lets a tiny knot in Wade’s chest unravel.

“I was wondering, too, if you knew anything about anniversaries,” Wade says, leaning back in his chair, half the legs off the ground. “I’m pretty sure one of mine with my arachnid amore is coming up, and you seem the romantic type. Got any pointers for me, wintogreen?”

“A ring,” Bucky says, a small smile on his face that Wade knows to his bones is mocking.

“Alright, I’ll give, why a ring?” Wade says, narrowing his eyes.

“You talk about him so much, figured you’d be dying to get on down to the courthouse and make your sap nice and legal.” Bucky’s still smiling, and yeah, Wade’s positive that it’s mocking, matches the shithead’s tone perfectly.

“Oh, so now we’re taking cheap shots?” Wade asks, leaning back even further. “Nice to know you’re not even trying, pal.”

“Always used to give my friends shit,” Bucky shrugs. “Why stop now?”

Wade falls backwards with a shout, cracking the back of the chair beneath him, and damn, it’s gonna leave a very small and quickly gone bruise, but even a lasting one would’ve been made up for by Bucky’s laugh.

And I had the week that came from hell

And yes I know that you could tell

Clint’s on what could, very generously, be called sick leave.

He’s not actually off the clock (never is, as an Avenger, which is mildly annoying but so’s most of Clint’s life), but they aren’t sending him on long, high-stakes missions at the moment. He didn’t do anything wrong, didn’t slip up, but he’s been...tired, lately. The higher ups (sometimes he thinks of them as his handlers, but he never really likes thinking that, so he tries not to) have noticed that tiredness, the way it doesn’t affect his physical reactions, but does make him less overall energized during training, during missions, even during what’s basically off time where it’s just him and Nat sparring, which he normally enjoys, but lately…

Well. The last time he got tired like this, he got emotional during a mission. And the last time he got emotional during a mission, actually let himself get invested, he brought Nat in. And that turned out fine (great, actually, in a lot of ways, Clint thinks), but no one wants that to happen again. Well, no one who makes decisions. Clint doesn’t like decisions. He doesn’t love being told what to do, but it’s usually better than thinking about what he’s doing. But when he’s tired, like this, he thinks more, and when he thinks more, he starts looking at what he’s doing, and that just makes things so complicated. He’s been doing all of this too long to overthink it now.

But he’s human, wasn’t tortured or trained or brainwashed or whatever they want to call it, like Nat and Bucky were. Like Wade was, too, and he supposes that last tack on is some part of the reason he’s outside the window of Peter Parker and Wade Wilson’s living room, watching the Winter Soldier and Deadpool play MarioKart.

He’s been keeping an eye on Bucky, while he’s on leave, or whatever, because he might not be close with Cap, might not know Bucky personally, but he appreciates that Cap’s always been trying to do the right thing and that it broke him down a lot when he couldn’t find his best friend (and lover, Clint’s brain helpfully reminds him) and keep him safe. And right off that thought is that Bucky is important to Nat, so maybe he doesn’t actually know Bucky Barnes, but he knows that he’s a worthwhile guy if those two care about him so much. And Bucky’s, like, really traumatized, and Steve tries to give him space, but he worries a lot, talks to Nat about it sometimes, and Clint’s kind of bored now? So he covertly babysits the Winter Soldier.

Definitely not the weirdest thing he’s ever done, but it makes the top ten, which is impressive in a really hard to explain and probably fucked up way.

All of this to explain why he’s watching two guys play MarioKart. Because Deadpool has also been looking after Bucky, but instead of hiding and being, like, stealthy and not dealing with feelings, Wade Wilson just breaks into the apartment that Bucky shares with Steve and talks to him about literally anything in the world.

And it works.

Bucky’s calmer around Wade, more relaxed. He laughs, sometimes, which Clint knows happens with Steve, but not often. He pushes Wade around, doesn’t worry about where his arm is and where weapons are, because Wade does this thing where he just hands a super traumatized former assassin guns and tells him to clean them while Wade chatters on (mostly about Peter, which also makes Bucky kinda smile because it’s hard to hate a guy who’s that in love). Clint may not like thinking too much, but he knows two and two makes four, and that keeping guns away from someone who’s been used to holding them for going on a century isn’t gonna make him less twitchy, and having him get used to feeling them in his hand and not worrying about Suddenly Murder around a guy who literally can’t die is, actually, really fucking smart.

Which could maybe mean that Clint can stop stalking the Winter Soldier and let Deadpool be the cool babysitter. He’s in good hands (Nat would smack him if he said that, but Nat’s version of good hands probably doesn’t actually exist, and also Nat smacks him a lot anyway, so he just assumes it means he might be right and she doesn’t want to say it, which is fine) and Clint’s not actually helping.

But here’s the thing: Clint really wants to play MarioKart.

No one plays stupid games with him much, and he kind of misses it? It happens sometimes, usually when Thor’s around or he’s bribed Nat somehow, but he’s realizing suddenly that he could probably go up to Wade Wilson at almost any time and ask him to play dumb video games and Wade would totally say yes.

And maybe he wants that. To play dumb video games that mean nothing tangible with some fucked up, traumatized dudes who just wanna let loose and be morons for a while because everything just keeps happening all the time and Clint’s fucking tired, and he’d bet his favorite hoodie that Nat stole three years ago and he’s been trying to sneak back for just as long, that those two are too.

So Clint does a stupid thing without thinking and opens the window to goddamn Deadpool’s living room and slides in.

“Hey,” He says. “You guys got another controller?”

You got something I need

In this world full of people, there’s one killing me

“Cap, I get that you’re worried, but why would I know where he is?” Peter asks, fiddling with the door to the apartment, bags weighing down his arms and phone shoved between his ear and shoulder.

“I don’t know, Bucky said something about Wade the other day, so I thought he might know,” Steve says, sounding frustrated. “And it’s impossible to get ahold of him, so I called you.”

“Yeah, makes sense,” Peter sighs, kicking the door. “Wade! I know you’re home, you texted me like five minutes ago, open the door!”

The door opens, which is great because that means Peter can rush in and set down the grocery bags, but is also weird because Wade didn’t open it.

“Hey, Cap?” Peter says, shifting the phone so he’s holding it with his hand instead of his shoulder. “Found him. Don’t worry, he’s safe.”

He then hangs up before Steve can say anything else and stares at Bucky fucking Barnes, who opened the door to his apartment, where Peter lives, with his boyfriend, who is not Bucky fucking Barnes.

“Spider-babe!” Wade cries, leaping over their couch and crushing Peter in a hug, which he returns much more lightly, still really confused as to what the hell is going on.

“Hey, Peter,” Another voice calls, so Peter looks, and yeah, turns out life can get weirder, because Clint Barton is eating pizza on Peter’s couch.

“Alright,” Peter says. “What the hell?”

“Boy’s night.” Bucky says, which just leaves Peter more confused, so he pushes Wade back to look him in the eyes, and whoa, Wade’s not wearing his mask.

Wade always wears his mask around people. Not around Peter, thank god, and he’s worn Wade down to usually not wearing it to dinners with Aunt May, but that’s about it. There are two people in this apartment who are not Peter or Aunt May, and Peter just got home, so the logical step is that Wade’s been not wearing his mask for a while.

It’s so strange, seeing Wade’s perfectly happy face in their apartment when there’s more than just the two of them. Peter’s not complaining, just confused, but if whatever this is makes Wade more comfortable...well, he’s probably not going to object.

“Really, though,” He says. “What the hell’s going on, Wade?”

“Like he said,” Wade points over his shoulder to Bucky. “Boy’s night. We would’ve invited you, but it’s more like ‘Boys Who Have And Will Probably Continue To Kill People And Are Also Probably Traumatized Or Whatever’ night, so you didn’t quite fit the bill, sugar cheeks.”

“No to sugar cheeks,” Peter says, which makes Wade whine, and then he looks at Bucky. “Cap’s looking for you, dude, might wanna call him. Won’t force you, just thought you should know.”

Bucky’s quiet for a moment, then he nods and goes to grab a small tote bag from the living room and walks out the door with only a small wave to Wade and Clint and Peter’s pretty sure he saw at least one gun in that bag?

“Uh,” He says, squeaking a bit. “Did he have a gun?”

“Little bastard better give it back,” Wade mutters, folding himself against Peter’s back. “Don’t worry, though, baby, he’s just borrowing it. Helps him to get used to being himself again, not some coddled and half-dead trauma patient.”

“He’s right,” Clint says, popping up in front of Peter, mouth still full of pizza. “Thanks for the hospitality, man. Text me, Wade.”

And then Clint’s gone, too, though he leaves through the living room window.

“Um.” Peter says, still not totally sure what’s going on, but really not wanting to stop whatever it is, because he’s almost never seen Clint that comfortable and he’s definitely never seen Bucky express anything but discomfort, anxiety, and dissociative hatred.

“It’s like therapy, but better,” Wade says in his ear, sounding content in a way that Peter’s worked towards for years, and there’s a tiny little prick of what could be a desire for it to only be Peter that makes him this kind of happy, but Peter’s not even remotely interested in indulging that, so he turns around in Wade’s arms and leans against his boyfriend.

“Alright,” He says, simply, giving Wade a quick kiss. “Help me with the groceries.”

Wade does, and it’s a nice little moment of domesticity. It’s probably the unexpected shock to this part of his routine that’s making Peter think, but when he does think for a minute, he realizes that he’s really happy.

He lives with his boyfriend, who is also his best friend, he’s got a Master’s Degree and is considering taking the plunge for his Doctorate, he does freelance science work and research that brings him more joy than he ever thought any job could, he has dinner with his aunt every other weekend, and he’s really, indescribably happy.

He turns to Wade once they’ve finished putting away the groceries and kisses him again, soft and firm.

“I love you,” Peter says, looking right at Wade’s eyes, right into the still-warm contentment there. “A lot. More than I ever knew I was capable of. I’m so happy, Wade, and so much of it is thanks to you.”

He can see Wade’s eyes getting a bit shiny, and when he leans in to kiss him again, Wade’s already meeting him halfway.

“Love you too, Peter.”

And if we only die once

I wanna die with you

It’s strange, Bucky thinks, dropping a shell and slamming into Clint’s kart in a quick maneuver that has both Clint and Wade shouting, to be feeling like this.

He can hear Steve in the kitchen, talking with Natalia about weapons safety for their apartment, can feel Wade’s knee brushing against his leg and Clint’s foot on his shoulder because Clint’s somehow ended up sprawled nearly vertical on the couch and mostly upside down, can see out of the corner of his eye Peter leaning against Wade’s side as he types on his laptop and absently chews on something he has on a necklace.

He knows where all these people are, knows who they are, knows what they’d do if he asked for anything. Knows that, even though this place isn’t his, is Wade and Peter’s, that he’s safe. Knows that he can trust these people with his life, if he needs to, could even trust them with Steve’s.

He crosses the finish line and Wade throws his arms up in the air and Clint groans about how Bucky always plays dirty and he can hear Steve laugh from the kitchen and it’s strange, to be sure, for Bucky to feel like this.

But as he stands up to go get another box of pizza from the kitchen, brushes against Steve as he does, feeling the casual warmth that always comes as Steve loosely pulls him in for a short embrace, a soft press of lips against his own, he also thinks that he wouldn’t mind doing this long enough for it not to be strange.

Clint’s lifting himself onto the table the pizzas are on, sitting cross-legged in front of Natalia and picking each individual mushroom off his pizza and tossing them at her to see if she’ll catch them in her mouth or her hand, and Bucky can see his lack of tension mirrored very directly in her.

Bucky looks back into the living room, Steve’s arm around him, and watches as Wade gently nudges Peter back into awareness and hands him a glass of water that is actually flat sprite, which makes Peter choke slightly and punch Wade’s arm, seeing so easily into the domestic teasing and care that seems to always run so fully through Peter and Wade.

It’s strange, to be so okay, so unworried, but Bucky thinks he likes getting used to it. He leans into Steve, and when his guy drops a kiss onto his head and laughs at Natalia tossing a mushroom back at Clint and hitting him almost perfectly in the middle of his forehead, Bucky smiles and gives himself to permission to do what he’s been trying to do for a while: be happy.

If we only live once

I wanna live with you

[shitandfics]

To the future: Captain America alternative arc

Warning: angst, mention of depression, death.

I wrote this many months before Endgame. I had no idea they would screw up that big. So, here an alternative ending to our favorite Avenger and best friendship and love story they ever told.

Sumary: After Steve's death, the Avengers aren't the same. They are falling apart and in need of a true leader. What happens when the America's hero is no longer among us?

Steve was buried with military honors, which would make him uncomfortable. After all, he left the government, turned his back to SHIELD, fought UN, was a fugitive, a man fighting his own battle to protect his oldest friend and the whole world. Steve was a man with his own moral compass and no one could stop him from doing what was right.

A memorial was constructed to honor him, his doings, his legacy. Everyone need to remember the man he was, the man he wanted to be and how important is to do the right thing even when it demands the sacrifice of your own life. Steve died fighting for humanity.

Bucky chewed this guilty for good amount of time. He felt since they were kids he needed to protect Steve from the evils of this world. Aahhh…sweet and stubborn boy who used to pick up fights in alleys, who used to get his ass kicked. Sarah asked him to protect his son from himself. But Bucky couldn't do that. He broke his vows twice now. So he recluded himself, hidden in an almost inhospitable place.

All the Avengers mourned Steve's death. Sam and Natasha didn't speak with Tony for a whole year. Part of this disgrace was on him. Tony knew that too. They needed to be together now more than never. Not because Earth was facing another deadly threat but because they were The Avengers. People need them more than they think. But without Steve, everything was… loose.

Every time Nick put them in a room together, they fought. Infinity arguing. One day, Nat punched Happy in the face. Maria tried everything but they were sloppy in missions, unreliable when teaming up. The Avengers were a big failure now. They needed someone who could do what Steve did but nobody in that room was fit for the job.

Tony was aware of the issues. He knew the team wasn't working out anymore because they didn't have a true leader. There was just one person on this planet who could wear Captain America's mantle and he was nowhere near to be found.

Stark Industries started to finance more Harvard and MIT kids who developed super high tech GPS. Of course, he approved the boldest ones: illegally hacking on satellites. That was the way he found Bucky living a hut in Syberia amongst wolf-like animals. So, he sent Nat and Sam to do the talking. It was their last shot.

Bucky didn't hide just because he was feeling guilty but, mainly, because if he failed protecting and saving his best friend, the most important person of his life, he wasn't worthy. He was dangerous to people, toxic, not to mention he didn't know if the reprogramming T'challa did would work in case of Hydra try to get him again. He lived in peace for 8 months until his friends knocked on his door. He was surprised he managed to live by his own for such long time considering Stark had money, IQ and all the best technology and gadgets of the entire world in an arm length.

"Un soldat" Nat greeted.

"I'm not this anymore" he replied with a deep voice. Liberating the door allowing them to come in.

"Thanks, God! You know English" Sam joked with no humor in his voice.

"People are finally enjoying an era free of imminent enemies and you come to pick up the monster?" Bucky fired.

"Actually, we need a hero. Someone who understands the darkest parts of a human mind and yet try to do good in this world, James" Nat confessed.

"I'm no hero. Steve is dead because he was a true hero and tried to save the world. He always did that and look what it caused to him". Bucky couldn't hide the pain in his voice.

"On the other hand, I was once the villain, the face people feared the most" he continued, looking to the fireplace, incapable of staring at his friends.

"The Avengers are no longer friends. We're bunch of freaks trying to work together. But people need us. That's why Fury created this group of people with unique abilities, capable of doing what no one else can" she said. Stevie face crossed her mind, making it difficult to speak.

"Dude, listen up. I'm not ya friend, ya know? But Steve loved ya crazy ass, he did everything he could to protect you and I joined him cuz I believed in him" Sam spoke. "I mean, if he believe you were worth to put up a fight against the world, you're enough to do the job" he continued. Sam had a point. Steve believed in Bucky. Maybe he should believe in himself.

"Bucky, Sam is right". Nat used her soft voice.

"Tony is not reliable as a leader. He never was. He snapped when Steve died. He fell into deep depression, resentment. Sometimes seems he's not even there, just a shell. Pepper is worried about his mental health" she told him the truth.

"I'm the former Winter Soldier. Nobody is gonna trust me. I've never been a leader. I followed orders for 70 years. I don't remember how to make choices" he screamed.

"Believe in yourself as much as Steve did. Come back with us. Cuz my black ass is freezing in this goddamn place" Sam sassied. His sarcastic self was unfreezing. Pun intended.

Convincing Bucky to go back to the civilization, to meet everyone was their toughest mission so far. He promised to try to work with them as a team, to be what Steve saw in him since they found each other back.

Life gave and took Steve from Bucky many times but this time it is forever and the weight of it wasn't helping them to find a common ground. Guilty was eating them alive.

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

It wasn't easy to step inside that damn building with so much memories made there.

"Welcome back, Sgt Barnes" Maria greeted him at the front door.

"Hi, Agent Hill" he greeted her. His voice was low, shy.

"I know how difficult it is to you after what we've done and that's the last place you wanted to be in. But we need you, James. You were once a man fighting in the right side. Do it again. If not for us, do it for Steve" she almost begged. Maria left before he could answer her.

******

When Bucky stepped inside the room, everyone was there. Tony was standing at the end of the giant glass table, looking straight at him with a blank face. He was skinnier, sporting dark circles under his eyes; the definition of looking exhausted.

"Mr. Barnes, I believe it belongs to you now" he pointed to the center of the table. That was the first time the saw the shield there.

"Excuse me? It belongs to Steve. Always did. Your father made it for him. But now he's dead" Bucky raised his voice, almost screaming. Anger making his blood boils.

Tony breathed heavily. "You are right" he said and everybody stopped to pay attention to the conversation. No even a fly dared to make a sound. "My father made this shield for him. Howard Stark himself paid for this piece of vibranium. The rarest and only sample of this metal in his time. He loved the man". His eyes fell to the object placed between them with melancholy. He contoured the table, grabbed the uniform and offered to him. "Seems I screwed up the legacy. As a way to make things even, I think it should stay with the closest and most important person of Steve's life: you".

People blinked in shock. Nobody expected this. Bucky was in the lack of words.

"I think you should accept it" Nat said, breaking the awkward silence that fell upon them. Both men looked at her.

"I believe Steve would be glad to have his best friend wearing the uniform" declared Clint. He was standing on a dark corner of the room.

That's how Bucky became the new Captain America. He had much to live up to honor Steve and his legacy. At first, people were skeptical of the former highly trained HYDRA assassin aka Winter Soldier fighting at the right side. But time always reveals the truth.

Bucky started to feel more like his old self, the Brooklyn boy who saved his friend many times, who flirted with pretty girls and loved technology. Sam and Nat became inseparable, always joining Bucky on missions. "The Golden trio" people called them. Even a spark of romance started between Nat and him.

"So, where are we going, Nat?" He asked.

"To the future" she replied. Bucky recognized the line and froze. He said it to Steve in the 40's. Last time, he lost someone he loved and went through hell. But future also brought great things. A warm feeling started to grow inside him and spread through his chest. "Future is bright" he thought, a smile widening on his beautiful, untouched by time face.

[thatfairyfangirl]

True Colors Chapter 12

“Young lady you came all this way to see your family! Sit down for dinner. Those hooligans you call friends can wait.” Your mother scolded you as you and Bucky were halfway out the door for the night. Your eyes closed as you turned, you were so close...

“Mom, I was kinda planning on taking Bucky for his first authentic cheesesteak...I’ll have dinner with you guys tomorrow, I promise.” You protested as you slowly walked back inside, knowing resistance was futile.

“There’s always tomorrow, it’s alright Doll.” Bucky offered in an attempt to smooth things over as fast as possible, planting a soft kiss on your cheek for appearances that made your heart flutter just a bit. As you watched him take a seat at the table you realized that the feel of his lips against your flesh actually got a reaction out of you...what the hell is wrong with you?!

~ ~ ~ ~

“So (Y/N), how did you two even meet?” Your Nana asked, never taking her eyes off of Bucky as the two of you set the table for dinner.

“Well that’s actually the other part of the surprise.” You drew in a nervous breath as you pushed your rainbow hair back. Your mom and Nana exchanged frightened looks, wondering what new ways their little girl would find to let them down now. “I’m not just a musician anymore…”

“Oh good lord you finally started dancing at that God-awful club haven’t you?” Your mom cried out as she threw her face into her hands. “I knew it! The second I saw you on the news I knew your days of finding a decent job were over!”

“No mom.” You grumbled. “I don’t even DJ there anymore. I’m...I’m an Avenger now.” You straightened your back attempting to look as heroic as possible. The two burst into laughter at the idea.

“Oh Darling why must you always feel the need to lie to us?” Nana asked as she sat herself down. “Your little color...thing is a nice trick and all but hardly what heros are made of. Now Captain America, now there’s a hero-” and off Nana went yet again droning on and on about how much she loved him back during the war.

“No, really...What do you think they taught us at mutant school?”

“...not as if Captain America ever needed help from the Germans to be great like some people.” Nana continued her rant to herself, catching Bucky’s attention.

“Actually, ma’am,” His brow creased as the plates of his arm tensed up. “Captain Rogers’ serum was developed by Abraham Erskine, a German, and first used on Johann Schmidt. A man you might know better as the Red Skull. A man I had the honor of fighting against alongside Captain Rogers.” His eyes were like ice as he looked from one horrible woman to the other.

Nana dismissed what Sergeant Barnes had to say as she set a roast beef on the table...not exactly traditional Christmas but she’d be darned if she was going to make that twice! “(Y/N), why don’t you do your color thing to cover up Bucky’s arm for dinner so we don’t upset your Nana?” Your mom suggested lightly.

“Umm, no.” Each woman looked up to you as if you had just blasphemed, eyes wide with shock and anger. One would think this was the first time you flat out told them no. “I have been working very close with Bucky about getting over insecurities about that arm…You both are being just as ignorant and small minded with Bucky as you have been with me ever since I got my powers.” You pushed a fist into the table as the wood swirled with an angry red. “It’s fine for me. I’ve dealt with the both of you delivering me backhanded and mean comments all my life. So we’re different. So what? I’m still your daughter.” You could feel angry tears swelling up inside you, very certain you were about to burn two bridges. As you spoke a cool metal hand came to rest on your shoulder offering you comfort as his eyes looked on you as if he was truly seeing who you were for the first time. Your heart fluttered as you thought back over the past few months, about how the relationship between the two of you has gone from loathing to whatever was going on here. “And if you ever loved me, even a little, then you would at least give him a chance. Cuz the thing is,” you paused looking to him, “he makes me happy and he treats me right. And that’s all that you really should care about. That’s all Dad would have cared about. But you’re both so shallow and calloused and angry at life that you-” You pushed yourself from the table as something in you found the breaking point with these two, staring daggers into the two bitter old women. “If you can’t see that this is my life and my choices then you better start keeping an eye on the news, because it’s the only place you’ll be seeing me.” And with that you pushed yourself up, storming up the stairs to your room.

Bucky looked between the two with a look that struck fear into their hearts, a look worse than that of the Winter Soldier. Suddenly he realized why she was so upset things with Eric never worked out, and where that initial anger he once saw in her came from. He began to wonder if anyone had ever shown her real love before. “You two should be ashamed of yourselves.” As he circled the table they made sure to stay opposite him, as if a table ever stopped him before. “(Y/N) is beautiful just the way she is, and so strong! Your daughter is the new face of the mutant rights act…Quite literally THE reason Captain America is currently free to be a hero… I may not know either of you very well but I can obviously see that she didn’t get any of her amazing traits from you. All (Y/N) has ever wanted from either of you is for you to be proud of her and accept her for who she is...Though, after meeting you I don’t think I’ll ever understand why, or how something so bright and beautiful came from the two of you. But the world is better for having her.”

The two old bitter women just stood there as the assassin pushed past them, leaving them to wonder if they had lost their daughter forever as he rushed up to your room to make sure you were alright.

He opened the door to find you sitting on the bed wiping tears from your face as you clung to what used to be your favorite stuffed bear, hearing wonderful things that Bucky had said through the vent leading to the kitchen. “Hey no...none of that.” Bucky’s face softened at the sight of your tears with long rushed steps to come sit by your side. As he lowered onto the bed you flung your arms around him, loving him for always coming to your rescue. He whispered softly shhs into your ear as his strong hand stroked up and down your back.

“If I ever end up as bitter and heartless as either of them please just shoot me.” You half joked after some time of the feel of his arms around you comforting you.

“I promise.” You gave a half laugh at the response as you sat up, wiping the last of the tears away.

“Wow Buck. Didn't think you have it in you to shoot me.” You teased with a growing smile.

He shrugged. “Maybe when we first met... but I know you better than that. And I'm sure it'll never come to that.” You tried hard to ignore the pitter patter of your heart fluttering as he planted a comforting kiss to your temple.

~ ~ ~ ~

“Did you mean that Doll?” Bucky asked as he watched the sun set over the city skyline. “What you said to your mom I mean.”

You nodded a bit as you thought about the argument, though your mind seemed to want to settle on the time you both spent on the couch watching the claymation classics together and how warm he was. “Yeah...I really couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend….umm friend pretending to be my boyfriend.” Your eyes darted from the road to him, catching a glimpse of the smile dancing across his lips. “What about you? Did you mean what you said?”

“Yeah.” He answered smoothly as his smile grew, finding you even more gorgeous under the growing nightlights of the city. He reached his hand to yours, brushing his calloused thumb over your knuckles before drawing them to his lips. “Every word.” You pulled your hand away as you felt your heart skip several beats at the feel of his lips. It was bad enough he said such nice things, but to know he actually meant them…

“My friends know that we’re not really dating, that it’s all for mom and nana, so at least we don’t have to worry about keeping up appearances.” You told him as you straightened your back, trying to take back control of your head and your heart. “But the real question is can you sing?” Bucky’s brow raised at the question as you pulled up to the curb by a small building surrounded by metal picnic style tables topped with a giant glowing sign. You shot him a smirk as you got out, prompting him to quickly follow.

A small group at one of the tables rose as they spotted your keleidoscopic hair dancing in the wind as they shouted your name. With a beaming smile you greeted them by waving both your hands in the air before absentmindedly grasping Bucky’s hand, pulling him to the order window. “Yeah, two wit whiz and two cokes.” The words slid off your tongue as you fell into the old ordering habit like you were only there yesterday, free hand sliding into your pocket to pull out the money not needing to wait for a total to be given.

“Were those even words?” He asked with a chuckle as his fingers wrapped just a bit tighter around yours, finding just how comfortable they were there. “What did you even order me?” Bucky looked down to the sandwich dripping with cheese, feeling his stomach churning a bit as you both sat down with your small circle of friends. “What is this?”

“Just eat it.” You laughed as you picked up yours, reveling in the familiar taste of home. “Mmmm Pat’s I miss you more every time I leave.” You said to the sandwich before watching Bucky take his first bite of the authentic Philly classic.

“So this is the guy you’re not dating?” One of the girls asked, putting air-quotes around ‘not dating’ as she raised a suspicious brow.

“Oh! Right! Everyone, this is Bucky. Bucky this is Mary, Natalie, Cyndi, and Grace.” As you spoke the names you pointed to each of your friends, Mary being the suspicious one. “Honestly Tony was supposed to be playing the part but work happened at the last possible second so…”

The girls shared knowing glances with each other, dissecting the way you and Bucky looked at each other, finding every one of your tells as you tried your best to suppress that spark of feeling hiding deep within. “So why do you need to know if I sing?” Bucky asked as he looked over the girls, feeling much more like he was being studied then acquainted with.

After dinner the group moved from the table to a nearby bar offering karaoke and suddenly the question finally made sense. “So how long have you two been a thing?” Mary whispered with a devious smirk as you watched Bucky wander from the table to get everyone their drinks, your eyes lingering just a little too long.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” You insisted as you flipped through the karaoke music selection.

“Oh please! I’ve been your best friend since we were two! The last time you looked at a guy like that was,” she paused for a moment to think of his name, “Ryan Weiss!” Your back stiffened as the name brought back memories of your middle school crush.

“You love him!” Natalie insisted as the rest of the girls nodded in agreement.

“I really don’t. He’s just a teammate.” You insisted as you watched him attempt to get the bartender's attention amid all the blue and yellow of the university students flooding the place. “And a really good friend.” The corners of your lips curled up against your will as he turned triumphant, glasses and bottles in hand. The girls shared glances, amazed that their friend could be this oblivious to what she’s feeling.

“Oh! But you really do!”

“Really do what?” Bucky asked with the absent minded grin she seemed to be giving him more and more.

“Lo-oww!” Your face pursed as you kicked Cyndi into silent submission.

“LIKE the idea of singing one of the songs from the album...A few of them are on the list already. I mean, at that point it’s not even kareoke anymore right?”

“Well, you’re always one for publicity. I’ll record it for you to put on that me tube thing” He offered as he set the drinks down.

“It’s called youtube.” You corrected as he leaned over you, his long hair brushing against your cheek as he looked over the list of songs, your scent intoxicating to him. Stubble brushed against your cheek as he shook his head, disappointed that the one he really liked wasn’t on there.

“Aww that’s a shame. They don’t have my favorite. Do you have your flashdrive on you? I could really go for hearing that slow one you do.. umm… “ He paused as he searched his mind for the hauntingly beautiful voice he heard while he was in the shower last night, digging for the words. “I understand you, we see eye to eye double rainbow...Something like that?”

The girls giggled as they watched your back stiffen and your muscles tense once more. Your eyes took on a deer in the headlights level of panic as you looked up to him. “That song wasn’t on the album. How do you know about that?”

“Umm…” He didn’t realize he wasn’t supposed to know about that! “We live across the hall from each other and you still don’t seem to understand how headphones work.” Well that was the best excuse he could come up with anyway. His bionic arm gave you a playful shove as your friends noted the nervous look in his eyes. “And I may have heard you singing it while I was in the shower last night?” The giggles continued as they spotted the hint of pink growing in your cheeks and hair.

“Oooh special song! Please (Y/N)?!” The girls began chanting ‘do it’ drawing attention from everyone around them as people finally began to realize who you were.

“Ok! Ok!” You laughed before chugging the drink Bucky had brought you. “Just...Stop!” You sauntered to the karaoke dj and pulled out your flashdrive, explaining the situation to him, quietly begging him to say no so you could go on with your night...Too bad he was a fan and now wanted to hear it just as much as everyone else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibl7owfLpjg Your powers were in full swing as you sang, creating a subtle yet spectacular lightshow of rainbows as the colors in your hair took on more pink hues, giving away your feelings to those who knew you well enough to notice the mood-ring-esc properties of your body. It wasn’t something Bucky had picked up on yet, but the girls certainly knew what it meant.

As you stepped down from the stage Bucky left your phone with the recorded video on the table for you to do with as you liked before wandering off once more to get you a new drink and maybe empty the tank while he’s up.

“You even wrote a song for him! That’s so cute! You are so in love!” Mary prodded at you as you sat back down.

“No! I’m not!” You searched for a drink avoiding eye contact as you gnawed at your lower lip, the redness in your cheeks growing with each second. “That wasn’t about him.”

“(Y/N) and Bucky sitting in a tree, K-I-S-”

Seeing Bucky reemerge from the crowd you jumped up, rushing the DJ booth once more. “I’ll give you $20 if you let me pick a song and sing it right now!” He was more than happy to let you sing whatever you wanted whenever you wanted to. This one looked like it would get the point across.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl6Yyl7iZhs

As you sang you realized the mistake you made. Of all the times to slip musically this was the worst! Bucky’s crystal blue eyes sparkled as he watched you belt out the tune he recognized from that disney movie. “What going on?” He asked the girls as he sat back down, a little concerned for his rainbow’s sanity at this point. “I thought she didn’t want to sing anymore?”

“She’s failing at making a point of how-” she threw up the air quotes “not in love with you she is.”

“Oh ok.” Bucky’s eyes went wide choking on his drink as the words settled into him. “Wait what?! She…!”

“Oh my god you’re just as bad as her!”

You shot the girls a stare scarier than Bucky could have mustered even in his winter soldier days as you sat back at the table, the rest of the bar applauding your talent. “I hate all of you!” Bucky’s eyes were fixated on yours, his jaw hanging open in wonder. You raised a brow giving him a double take, confused about everything written on his face right now. “What? You’re acting like you’ve never heard me sing before…”

“Your turn! Your turn!” The girls scrambled to shake him by the shoulder, pushing him toward the small stage. His eyes darted around the room, overwhelmed by everything he had taken in tonight before rushing for the door. Maybe some fresh air would bring his heart rate back down to normal.