#chadwick x you

[lewismccartneys]

rikma fic except i make emma an olympic swimmer with gold on her mind and rikki is the skateboarder she can’t stand

[dizzystqrs]

thinking about the first episode of season three when rikki is brooding and cleo says, "emma?" like this is not the first time rikki has been upset over emma leaving, and the way cleo says "you should be happy for her," like she's still trying to convince her of it. thank you

[your-averagewriter]

Work interruptions.

Summary: Shuri enjoys calling her girlfriend from the Jabari Tribe during her work shifts bearing gifts that give homemade a whole new meaning but they can't hang out during the day so (y/n) meets her after her shifts (Shuri x fem!reader).

Word Count: 1.3K

Warnings: fluff, weapons, kissing?

-

-

“(y/n) of the Jabari Tribe, your council is sought by the leaders of the Golden Tribe.” A warrior of a lower rank requests.

“Permission to leave,” I ask of M’Baku who’s slumped in his chair.

“Yes, yes.” He says dismissing me with a wave of his hand before continuing the meeting that was interrupted by the announcement. This has happened multiple times now, Shuri summons me to her home for unimportant reasons.

Grabbing hold of my sword I hop down from the platform I was standing on and I follow the warrior out of the room. He leads me out of the building and towards the hangar.

“I can escort myself, thank you,” I say, a serious, authoritative tone in my voice. It’s hard to get taken seriously when you’re only 17, a woman and the warriors ranked below you are all taller and older than you. But he nods before exiting.

I make my way to my speeder, yes I know sounds like some science fiction but it’s not, Shuri designed it for me. Quickly, I mount it and fly to the Golden Tribe’s palace. I drop off my speeder in their hangar before announcing myself to the guards. They lead me through the building and to the lab even though I already know the way.

“You requested my presence?” I ask bowing to Shuri slowly before standing up straight.

“Yes, my love. Come here.” She says waving me towards what I assume is a new creation of hers. She starts explaining about the small object, a bracelet of beads by the looks of it. She ties it around my wrist and explains what it does and how it will help keep me safe.

“Princess, I am on duty, you cannot keep calling me over when you are not in danger or there is no reason of importance,” I say and she looks disappointed.

“But I miss you in the day. You’re always so busy!” She says.

“I’ll come back later when I’m off-duty,” I say trying to appease her.

“Ugh fine.” She says, begrudgingly.

“Do you need anything else, princess?” I ask bowing again.

“Yes, actually.” She points to her cheek and I sigh but walk over anyway. I kiss her on the cheek before leaving the room.

“You look very pretty today, goodbye, my love,” I say before heading back to my post in the mountains.

The rest of the day is fairly calm, not much happens apart from the usual security at M’Baku’s meetings. Otherwise, it’s an easy day although the time that I relax will be the time I’m caught off guard.

Taking off my armour, I place it on the armour stand before pulling on some more casual clothes, a mesh bodysuit with a pair of black trousers and chunky boots - not the most practical but great for kicking people with. 

Heading towards the Golden Tribe palace for the second time this day I suddenly hear a voice from the beaded bracelet, jumping slightly I’m awakened by it.

“(y/n), are you almost here?” Shuri’s voice sounds through the beads.

“Shuri? I that you?” I ask holding the beads in front of my mouth, my mind completely ‘boggled’.

“Yes, my lover, it is me. You need not hold the beads so close to your mouth.” She says with a chuckle.

“Why are you in the beads?” I ask shaking my wrist.

“I am not in the beads, I promise. It’s a telecom like in the fighter jets.”

“Okay, if you’re sure…” I trail off.

“So, are you almost here?” She asks again. 

“Yes, I’ll be with you in mere minutes, be patient, my dear.” I say before tapping the beads trying to ‘hang up’.

“Excellent.” She says before a small beep sound is made and her voice disappears. Pulling up to my ear I shake it once more before shrugging and moving on.

Minutes later I arrive at the same palace and I’m escorted in once again by two guards.

“(y/n)?” I hear a voice from in front of me.

“King T’Challa,” I say before kneeling on one knee and bowing my head, the guards behind me do the same. 

T’Challa chuckles. “Surely, we are past this now, are we not (y/n)?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” I say with my head bowed still.

“There is no need for you to kneel and bow to me, are we not better friends than that, how long have you been dating Shuri? 2, or 3 years? Come on now, surely we moved past these formalities a while ago.” He says with a laugh, holding his hand out to me.

I take it hesitantly with a gracious smile. “I guess so, King T’Challa.”

“Just T’Challa, please.” He says before shaking my hand and looking behind me. “Do they not let you in here unaccompanied?” He says and I shake my head. “Well, from now on (y/n) does not need to be accompanied within my home, it is safe and I trust her.” He says to the guards and almost immediately they retreat back to the main doors. “Do you mind if I walk with you?” Placing his hands behind his back.

“Of course not.” We continue walking towards the laboratory.

Conversation is made, the usual ‘how are you’s and ‘how’s work’, the usual until we make it to the lab.

“(y/n) finally!” I hear as soon as I step foot in the lab, the next thing I see is her running towards me. She wraps her arms around me.

“Shuri, as adorable as this is moment is, give the woman some space.” He chuckles.

“Go away brother, why are you even here?” She asks, jokingly grimacing at him.

“I’ll leave, I’ll leave.” He says placing his hands in the air in a mock surrender before backing away towards the door. “I don’t want to interrupt you two.”

“Yes, get out of my lab!” She yells as he opens the door and leaves. 

“I missed you today, my love.” I say as she’s still gripping onto me. “I’m guessing you did as well.”

“Of course,” She pulls away from me but stays holding onto my hand.  “Come on, I’ve got something extra for you.” 

She picks something small off of the side and places it into my hand and closes my palm. Re-opening my palm I inspect the two small objects against my skin. Two earrings it looks like, they’re made of a pale blue gem like material with metal coatings. They’re beautiful.

“They match your bracelet and they work very similarly - they have qualities that help track you and protect you.”

“They are really pretty.” I say admiring them.

“Try them on.” she says, leading me over towards one fo the full body mirrors. I change out my old ones which are plain balls of metal whilst the new ones are blue gems. Checking myself in the mirror, I look at the earrings and how well they match my outfit before turning to Shuri.

“They’re beautiful. I love you.” I say, kissing her gently. 

“Thank you, I couldn’t make a second pair in time for your arrival so that’s my pair, you can have them, they’ll keep you safe.” I shake my head.

“You are the princess, sister of the king, you need to be safe and protected, I am a warrior I’m of no high status and am a target of little persecution - you need these more than me.” I say starting to take out the earrings.

“No, no, (y/n), you don’t need to, I’ll be able to make a second pair sometime tomorrow and I’ll be safe until then.”

“Who is gonna keep you safe until then?”

“You, I guess you’re staying the night babe unless you want to leave me entirely defenceless. What would I do without you?” She says with a smirk before pecking me on the lips.

-

AN: I just saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and I'm in love with everyone in the movie all over again.

This a reminder that Shuri is at a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 19 so please don't be creepy and read this if you're like 30 - I am a minor and so is the character. In this fic specifically, Shuri is either 16 or 17 so just don't be creepy.

[janetsnakehole02]

Shoutout to the one guy sitting behind me that dropped three “oh shit”s at the mid credits scene in Wakanda Forever 😭

[artchixs]

more x men au…….

[emberenchanted]

I love each and every one of these and I LOVE that Thor is PE and Drivers Ed 😅🤣

Shield High School Faculty and Staff

Mr. Nicholas Fury, Principal

Science

Dr.Bruce Banner Mr. Anthony Stark

Biology/ Chemistry Physics

Wrestling Forensics

Social Studies

Mr. Sam Wilson (Dept. Chair)

Government/Economics

Track

Mr. James Barnes Mr. Steven Rogers

World History US History

AP European History Baseball

Chess club

Math

Mr. Peter Parker

Calculus

Golf

English Literature

Mr. Loren Olson

British and World Literature

Fencing

World Language

Ms. Natasha Romanoff

Russian

Gymnastics

Electives

Mr. Eric Masterson

PE and Driver’s Education

Football

[cursivebloodlines]

“  i’m not the person you want.  i know you think i am.  but it won’t take long for you to realize this is a mistake.  ” - for logan

Logan's heart clenched in his chest, the weight of her words crashing over him like a relentless storm. How could she say that? His face painted a picture of disbelief and anguish as he took a step back, his wounded expression bared for her to see. The gravity of her misguided statement stabbed at him, cutting through his soul like a knife. "What the fuck does that mean?" he spat out incredulously, frankly hurt she could say something like that to him. How long had he loved her in silence? How long had he loved her out loud? Facing unrequited love time and time again only for her to choose him when his heart was supposed to belong to someone else?

Timing, cruel and unforgiving, had conspired against him. Just as he had started a new chapter with someone else, there she was, disrupting the delicate balance he had fought so hard to establish and preserve their friendship. Yet, despite his newfound connection, his heart still clung desperately to the idea of being with Danielle. He had been prepared to abandon everything, willing to risk it all for a chance at love with her. His devotion remained steadfast, unwavering. And now there she was, trying to drive another wedge between them, a wedge that she was now forcing on him against his will.

"It's not a mistake. It has never been a mistake," Logan spoke, his voice cracking with emotion. His hands trembled as he ran them through his hair, a futile attempt to calm the tsunami of emotions raging within him. The fear of scaring her away forced him to tread carefully, to temper the intensity of his words. "I love you. Dan," he whispered, his voice filled with a plea. "How many times do you need to hear it? Want me to shout it from the rooftops so the rest of the world can hear it? I can do that. I will do that, whatever you want. Just tell me." With trembling hands, he reached out, gently clasping her hands in his, hoping that his touch could bridge the growing chasm between them. The pressure of his grip conveyed the silent desperation that consumed him. "I have never been so sure of anything in my life."

A frown etched itself upon Logan's face, his gaze shifting downwards to their intertwined hands. It seemed easier to focus on their connection, to avoid how vulnerable he felt whenever he looked directly into her eyes. As each passing second ticked away, his thoughts grew more tangled, weaving together a disheartening possibility he did not want to consider. He might be wrong but… couldn't escape the doubts that clawed at his already fragile heart. Did she experience a change of heart, a sudden shift in her feelings for him again, and decided she didn't feel that way about him after all? Was she protecting him from the anguish of rejection once more, convincing him that he didn't want her rather than inflicting further pain?

"Do you believe this is a mistake? Is that why you're saying all these things? All this…this bullshit?" Logan's voice shook again, the vulnerability laid bare for her to witness. What more did he have to lose? He was losing her all over again. "Tell me the truth. I can handle it. Haven't we already been down this road once or twice before?" The words escaped his lips, laced with bitterness. He regretted his spiteful tone, but the pain that consumed him left little room for restraint. His heart, battered and bruised, questioned how much more it could endure, especially from her. "I tried to move on from you, Danielle. And I did, remember?" he trailed off, attempting to conceal the heartbreak that reverberated through his voice, but it proved futile. Logan never was a man to hold back. Not for anyone, really. As much as he may have tried. "I threw it all away for you because I believed… I believed that you finally - you wanted me… that you wanted me as much as I've always wanted you. Please, just… put an end to this. I know what I want. The question is: do you?"

some angst idk ya'll i like crying | Accepting

[bettyfrommars]

A little something inspired by this edit by @somnambulic-thing of what I imagine as a version of a mechanic!Eddie, but he's also biker!Eddie to me, or anything you want.

mechanic!Eddie x Reader

18+Only, secret work crush, gender neutral reader, just some yearning fluff with mention of weed and alcohol, bit of slut shaming, some sage advice from Wayne.

word count: 1.7k

Eddie had been staring at the door to the office and zoning out for a while when you opened it to step into the bay, and his unblinking gaze accidentally lingered at your midsection.

“What’s wrong?” You glanced down at your outfit, thinking maybe your zipper was open or something worse. There were three other mechanics besides Eddie there that day, each of them knee deep in the hustle and bustle of the busy season.  A boombox on one of the tall, red cubbies blasted hard rock while an electric drill buzzed.  

His attention snapped back to the bolt he was crouched down to tighten on the rim of a Ford Bronco.  

“Nothing,” he grunted, cranking the ratchet so that the muscles on his tattooed bicep bulged. He had on his signature summer uniform of black coveralls with the sleeves ripped off.  His hair was tied back in a pony with a navy-blue bandana on his head, making it easier to slip his welding helmet on and off.  “I didn’t know you were working today.”

Now, that was a big fat lie.  Spotting your car in the parking lot when he came in every morning was one of those things that set his day right.  You’d taken Thursday off the week before, and he’d moped around in a bad mood for the entire shift.  

Almost four months you’d been working in the office, and he still hadn’t summoned the nerve to ask you out.  Instead, he drank too much after a show at the Hideout one night and ended up letting some random chick crawl all over him.  The next day, the guys he worked with would make it sound more serious than it actually was.

“Soooo Munson, I heard you got lucky with Deep Throat Dana last night. They say she can suck an orange out of a tailpipe!” 

And then the entire shop broke out into wheezing laughter like a bunch of hyenas, as if something funny was said.

It made him cringe, and he cast a side glance to see if you were within earshot.  “Nothing happened with that girl,” he wanted to say to you.  “We kissed, but I just couldn’t…ya know?”

But also, why did he feel the need to explain himself to you? It was as if he was being faithful to a dream.  You’d never give him the time of day out in the real world.  Sure, you knew just how he liked his coffee, and you asked him questions about DnD and his band as if you were interested.  But, you were just being nice—he could tell.  At first he thought he was special, but quickly realized that you treated everyone the same.  You were, in fact, a thoughtful, likable person.  Surely your only interest in him was as co-workers, nothing more.  

Also, he could hear Wayne’s voice in his head: “Don’t shit where you eat, son.” 

It was his uncle's long-standing advice to never get involved with a coworker, and Eddie just happened to agree.  If he was ever lucky enough to take you on a few dates and then you dumped him or broke his heart, he wasn’t sure he could work at the garage anymore.  On the bright side, he also had a CDL to operate heavy equipment, so maybe that would be his cue to become a long-haul trucker.  

Deep breath Munson, you’re getting way ahead of yourself.

You hesitated in the doorway for a beat with Mrs. Chadwick’s paperwork for the Oldsmobile sedan in your hand, wanting to ask Eddie how his day was going.  But then he sank down onto the creeper and rolled under the vehicle as if to avoid you in a hurry.  

You really didn’t know what to make of him. 

One second, you’d be certain he was flirting, but then later that day, he’d huff out the door without even so much as a wave. He’d tease you about things, like your collection of random motel pens or the music you liked, and then you’d give the energy right back and wait for that gremlin smile to spread across his face. 

The other day, he’d left your favorite candy bar on the desk for you to find.  You knew it was him because he was the only one in Hawkins you’d told.  How the topic of sweets came up, you weren’t sure, but you’d never forget the curious narrowing of his eyes when he asked which one you liked best.

You had this strange feeling that he was secretly studying you.

The other night you were sitting across from your friend Tina, having burgers and beers at The Hideaway, when Eddie just happened to breeze in.

Your heart stuttered, whatever you’d been saying dying on your lips, completely losing your train of thought. The vinyl in the booth squeaked as you craned your neck to watch him. That was the first time you’d ever seen him in street clothes without coveralls on, and it was raining, so his long hair was soaked.  He greeted the woman at the cash register, and you were too far away to hear, but apparently he was there to pay and pick up his takeout order in a big brown sack with greasy handprints on it.  You thought about waving him down to ask if he wanted to join the two of you, but he did his business in a hurry and didn’t seem to want to be noticed.

“What’s going on?” Tina asked, gaze darting from you to the Dio patch on Eddie’s back as he exited the building.  She munched a french fry before wiping ketchup off her lip.  “Did something happen between you and Eddie?”

You snapped a look at her.  “You know him?”

“Well, not intimately,” she ate another fry.  “But I went to school with him, and bought weed from him a few times.”

“He sells weed?” You cocked an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised.

“It’s been like, a while, but maybe he still does.  How do you know him?”

“We work together,” you brought the half-eaten burger up for a bite and paused there.  “I think he hates me.”

“I highly doubt that.” And then she stared pointedly at you when she said, “he’s cute,” with a knowing smirk. 

“Ha,” you adjusted the napkin on your lap. “Well, as you know, I plan to stay single for the rest of my life.”

“Sure, sure.”

When it got closer to 6 that day, you scrambled to get off the phone with a customer, worried Eddie might slip out again and you wouldn’t see him for the entire weekend. After hiding in the supply closet for a full minute to avoid Phil—one of the other mechanics who liked to talk your ear off—you finally made it to the break room, panting as if you’d just run a marathon.

Eddie was there, bent over to snatch a Pepsi out of the vending machine.  Freezing in place, you suddenly forgot how to form words.

Eddie felt like an idiot, like for sure you’d caught on to the fact that he’d been finding shit to do for the past half hour just so he could be there to have some private time with you.  He didn’t like the idea of you closing up the shop by yourself, especially now that it was getting darker sooner. 

And then fucking Phil wouldn’t leave. His wife had relatives visiting, and he was shuffling around like a sad puppy trying to avoid going home.  Eddie had to pretend he needed to take a shit just to get rid of him, and was halfway surprised the dude didn’t follow him into the bathroom.

He usually brought his own lunch, but the snack and soda machines were always tempting.  He knew how to open the damn things up and thought about doing some last minute grocery shopping to make up for his crappy wage.  

You cleared your throat.  “So, what are you up to this weekend?  Any fun plans?”

Eddie pulled his shoulders back and spun around at the sound of your voice, fisting the can in one hand and running the other through his hair.  He’d been growing his bangs out, and they were just long enough to tuck behind his ears.  The length was so fucking annoying at times that he’d often considered chopping them to nubs.    

You were smiling at him, eyes bright and sincere, and it made him feel all fuzzy inside like his brain was made of cotton candy.

“My day was good. You?” That was what came out of his mouth, and then he let out a silent, internal scream that made his ears ring. 

But he recovered quickly. “I mean, I don’t have any plans.  I don’t usually have…I mean, my buddy Jeff and I might go see a movie, but not like major plans.”  He didn’t want to tell you he was taking a trip out to Rick’s on Sunday to beef up his supply for weekly customers.  He sure as hell couldn’t restore the van on the chump change he made at the garage. 

You stared at him intently, softening when you realized he was nervous.  

How could that be?  Did you make him nervous?

You pulled a folded piece of paper out of your back pocket and held it up.  “I found this at the laundromat.  It says your band is playing at The Hideout on Tuesday.  Is that still happening?”

Pinched between your thumb and forefinger was one of the handmade fliers Gareth had helped him make.  

“Well we…yes-–” he cracked open the lid of the soda and it fizzed everywhere, dripping down his arm and onto the linoleum floor. “Shit, I’ll clean that up, don’t worry.”

He didn’t want you to get stuck having to get the mop out to clean again, so he put the leaking can down on the lunch table and went over to grab something to wipe it up.  

He busied himself with sopping up the mess, albeit poorly, while you inched closer.

“I think I might stop by and check you guys out,” you saw that his face was red when he stood, chocolate orbs lit up in anticipation.  “Maybe we could have a beer or something after?”

His cotton candy brain tried to filter his next thought, but it was too late.  “What are you doing tonight?”

“Tonight?” You blinked a few times.  “Is your band playing somewhere tonight too?”

“No, but I—” the tip of his tongue slipped side to side between his lips.  “If you’re not busy tonight maybe we could go somewhere to eat or drink or hang out or something.”

“Or something,” a grin quivered in the corner of your mouth. 

And then the two of you were just standing there, close enough for your breathing to fall into sync. Gathering up a nice helping of nerve, you reached an arm out and ran the back of your knuckles down the front of his shirt.

Eddie was vibrating.

Don’t shit where you eat, son.

No disrespect Uncle, but fuck the job.

“Anything," he said softly, hope blossoming in his chest like those wildly palpitating hearts in cartoons.  “Anything you want.”

[cursivebloodlines]

To say he was a wreck would have been the understatement of the century. No matter how prepared he thought he'd been, especially when the doctors dropped the bombshell that there was nothing more they could do and it was only a matter of time, nothing could've prepared him for losing her. Life was so fucking unfair. And cruel. It all crept on Logan way too fast, his brain was foggy, struggling to formulate a coherent thought. Every day was a mission to get through, his head on autopilot. The man who was once full of life felt as though it all had been drained out of him. At least he wasn't alone in his grief anymore. Being around someone who understood what he was going through and not having to listen to yet another person offer their condolences (which were becoming more annoying by the second) meant he could do something other than merely nod his head and murmur a half-hearted 'thanks'. "I...Yeah, likewise," Logan replied simply, straightening up as he forced a weak smile. How was he holding up? A good question. The easiest answer was to briefly acknowledge it and lie, insist he was doing fine. That was what everyone wanted to hear, didn't they?

But Callie wasn't everyone else. Which meant that he didn't have to offer her the same standardised lines he seemed to be repeating to anyone who asked. "I...don't think I am." Logan swallowed thickly, scrunching his face up at the sound of his voice cracking. A heavy sigh fell from his lips as he offered her a strained smile. "It still doesn't feel real. Nothing feels real right now. I dunno - all I do know is that I'm starting to hate the smell of flowers." Had he rambled too much? He wasn't even sure he made any sense. Quickly clearing his throat, he tried his best to snap out of his half-daze as he returned the question. "How're you doing? Thank you, by the way. For coming, for being here. It means the world."

Open Starter: males 30+ Plot: Callie has been in love with your muse since high school, but was always a best friend. Your muse dated and then married Callie’s best friend, but she recently passed from cancer. Callie is back in town for the funeral and to console your muse. 

Callie offered a small smile as she pulled away from the hug. “It’s really good to see you, I’m just really sorry it had to be under these circumstances.” she offered, doing her best to keep her own voice even, despite having to press her lips into a fine line before opening her mouth again. “How-How are you holding up?”

[thislovintime]

With George Harrison at Kinfauns, July 1967; photos from Flip magazine, plus a screenshot from George Harrison: Living In The Material World.

“[At the Speakeasy on the night of July 3, 1967] a meeting between The Beatles and The Monkees [took place]. […] By 3.0[0] a.m. George was serenading everyone with the help of his ukulele, Peter Tork was playing banjo like he had just invented it, Keith Moon was drumming on the table. Micky Dolenz was chatting quietly to Paul. Mike Nesmith and his wife had slipped quietly away and the crowd had thinned slightly. But the party still had another three hours to run!” - The Beatles Monthly, September 1967 “Peter was sitting beside George. They called me over right away. George sat on the floor to let me in. All night long we were singing and joking. George made up this crazy, mad song about Harry somebody. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a party so much.” - Lulu, Monkees Monthly, September 1967 The following day… “At George’s house, Peter and George exchanged thoughts on the sitar and got along like old friends.” - Ric Klein, Flip, November 1967 “The next day, George invited me and Bill Chadwick out to hang with him. He showed us his sitar and we talked about music — Indian and Rock.” - Peter Tork, Beachwood Confidential Newsletter, 1995 “[George] was kind enough to invite me and my pal Bill Chadwick out to his house, and to take us to visit Ringo later that day. He was as kind and as gentle a man as you could imagine.” - Peter Tork, Liverpool Echo, 28 November 2011 (x)

[captainsophiestark]

History

Jack Thompson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: Marvel

Summary: Jack's ex-fiance left New York and moved to LA to start fresh after she realized he would never see her as an equal. Now, however, their paths might be crossing again, and Jack Thompson's managed to have a lot of growth since the last time they saw each other.

Word Count: 5,152

Category: Angst, Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I hummed to myself as I steeped my tea, soft music floating through the kitchen. I'd finished eating my favorite dinner before now preparing to settle in for my favorite radio program. A calm, perfect evening after a long day. All torn to shreds by the ringing of a phone in my living room.

I closed my eyes and sighed, but left my tea on its own and moved to answer the phone. Hopefully, whatever this was could be dealt with quickly, and I wouldn't miss any of my radio program.

"Hello?" I asked, resting the phone in the crook between my shoulder and neck and reaching for a pad and pencil, just in case. I froze mid-reach when I heard the voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey, uh, this is Agent Daniel Sousa. With the SSR. I don't know if you remember me-"

"Of course I remember you, Daniel," I broke in. "What do you want?"

He hesitated, and I couldn't help feeling just a little bad. My tone had turned from friendly to harsh in a split second, and Daniel and I had always been friendly. But if he was calling, it must've had something to do with my ex, and I certainly didn't want anything to do with that.

I'd met Daniel through the course of dating Jack Thomspon, who I later learned was actually Agent Jack Thompson. I'd met him when I was young and in love with the idea of being swept off my feet by a tall, handsome man, and Jack had more than fit the bill. It wasn't until much later, after he'd proposed and come home from the war, that I'd realized I wanted so much more.

I wanted a partner. Someone to have my back and build me up, to support me through life the same way I supported them. Jack wanted a maid that he could also sleep with, a picture perfect housewife with no external life or ambitions of her own. So I'd left him.

Before that, though, we'd gotten far enough that I'd found out about the SSR, and met Daniel in the process. We were friendly, and had even been on our way to being friends before everything between Jack and I had fallen apart. Since then, however, we hadn't spoken.

"...I'm sorry to do this to you, but I need your help."

Daniel's voice brought me back to the present. I sighed, sparing a longing glance for the tea in my kitchen before plopping down in the seat next to the phone.

"I assume this is about Jack? Is he... alright?" I almost choked on the word, surprised to find I actually still cared about the answer. I gripped the phone a little tighter as Daniel responded.

"Yeah, he's fine. Look, it's a long story, but we don't have a lot of time. There are some very bad people putting the fate of the world at risk, and I'm working with another agent to try to stop them. We have a plan we're in the process of enacting, but... we need your help to make sure it goes off without a hitch."

"Who's the other agent, Daniel?"

"Agent Peggy Carter. She's one of the best we have."

I paused. I'd been fairly confident he was about to say Jack, and to have him say a female agent's name instead was a nice surprise.

"Okay... but aren't you in New York? I don't know if you remember, but I moved pretty far away after things ended between Jack and I."

"And landed in LA, right?"

"...Yes... How did you-?"

"It's not important right now, just... how quickly can you get downtown? To the parking lot behind the hotel hosting Calvin Chadwick's campaign event?"

"Daniel, I haven't even said yes yet! I haven't talked to you in years, and I honestly don't think I want to get involved in this."

"I wouldn't be calling you if it weren't important. Meaning end of the world important. Please."

I paused, letting out a long, heavy sigh. I could practically hear Daniel waiting impatiently on the other end of the line, but I ignored the pressure. Unfortunatley for me, I believed that he really wouldn't be calling me if it weren't an emergency. And I didn't want to leave the world out to dry just because I didn't want to see Jack.

Which, also unfortunately for me, I knew this would involve. Daniel had very carefully danced around the subject of my ex-fiance, and I knew that dodginess was intentional. One way or another, Jack would be involved. But damn it all, I wasn't willing to blow off Daniel's cry for help on behalf of the world just to avoid Jack.

"...Fine. Dammit, fine. I can be there in fifteen minutes. I'm on my way."

"Thank you, serio-"

I hung up on him, giving myself one moment to relax back in the chair with a heavy sigh before launching into motion. I'd just have to make myself a new cup of tea when I got home, and ask someone at work tomorrow what I missed on my radio program.

Just under fifteen minutes later, I pulled into the back parking lot of the hotel hosting the campaign event. Carefully, I stepped out of my car, on high alert for a certain blond SSR agent. I whirled around at the sound of a door flying open only to find Daniel Sousa climbing out of an undercover van. He looked basically the same as the last time I'd seen him, although he'd apparently traded in his sweater vests for a Hawaiian shirt and a blazer.

"Thanks for coming," he said, crossing the parking lot to meet me. I nodded, my gaze going to the woman behind him. Daniel noticed my attention shift, and nodded to her. "This is Agent Peggy Carter."

"Pleasure, I'm sure."

I nodded and took Peggy's offered hand for a shake, but didn't say anything else as I quickly brought my attention back to Daniel.

"Alright, Daniel, why am I here? Specifically, not just 'to help'. And where's Jack? Don't try to tell me he's not here, you wouldn't have been so dodgy and nervous on the phone if he weren't."

"Dodgy and nervous?" Daniel asked, sounding more than a little offended. I just raised an eyebrow at him, so he sighed. "Fine. Here's the thing... we actually need you to go in there and distract Jack."

I didn't respond right away. I just stared at Daniel, waiting for him to say 'suprise' or 'gotchya' or some variation of the same thing. He just stared back, grimacing slightly. I finally came to the conclusion that he was being serious.

"I'll... pop back into the van and make sure Dottie and Mr. Jarvis are alright," Peggy said much too casually as she backed away from us. I never took my eyes off Daniel, my stare cooling considerably from when I'd first arrived.

"Daniel. Do you want to explain to me what's happening here, please? And why you need to distract a fellow agent, and especially why you think this is something you ought to be involving me in?"

Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then shifted slightly closer to me. He lowered his voice, then spoke again.

"Look, here's the thing. You should know Jack's had some growth since you left. He's changed enough that I can actually stand to work with him, and I might still say I want to kill him, but I probably wouldn't follow through if I got the chance anymore. But recently, he's got his head up his ass again."

I snorted. "I really hope this is not going to involve you asking me to talk to him or get him to come around or whatever."

"Not quite. Recently, he's decided to take the side of some pretty bad people, although I don't think he realizes just how bad. A few of those people are in that event tonight, and we have operatives inside who need to get something from one of them. But Jack's in there, too. And he'll recognize our operatives if he's aware enough to see them, and since he doesn't seem to know better, he'll stop them. We can't let that happen. Which is where you come in."

I stared at Daniel again, then after a moment, started shaking my head. I was frankly a little speechless, which gave Daniel an opportunity to keep talking before I could get a cohearant thought together.

"Look, I know this won't be easy for you. I know it's unfair of me to ask, to call you out of nowhere. And I know the only reason you showed up at all is because we used to be friends. But please, please do this. I promise it's important, and if it weren't this important, I never would've asked. I... I've been out in LA for a while now, and I thought about touching base, but I figured you'd want your space, since I'm probably tied up with Jack in memories for you. But we need your help with this one."

I shook my head, holding up a hand to stop Daniel's pitch.

"Alright. I came all the way down here, and because it's you asking and I know that means this thing you're involved in is actually, seriously important... I'll still help. But then you are not going to speak to me for at least a month, after dragging me into this mess to manipulate my ex-fiance, and then we're going to go to lunch. And you're paying, because it's ridiculous that you've been out here this long and haven't talked to me, noble intentions or not."

Daniel huffed a laugh, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a smile. "It's a deal. Promise."

"Great. So... where exactly am I going to do your dirty work?"

"Just in there," said Daniel, gesturing for a set of doors at the back of the hotel. I nodded and turned to face the doors in question, intending to head in. But for some reason, I couldn't make myself start moving. "Uh... you alright?"

I cleared my throat and nodded, although I knew I wasn't convincing either of us.

"Yes, yeah, I'm... I'm fine. Just gonna... go in there. And see Jack. For the first time in a few years."

"Hey." Daniel shifted closer to me, resting one hand on my shoulder and lowering his voice. I huffed and closed my eyes, but didn't pull away. "Look, I'm sorry to put you in this position... if you really don't think you can do it-"

"No. We're not going down that path. I know you wouldn't have asked me if it weren't a legitimate emergency, so I can't afford to think about an out. Just... maybe you could give me a push?"

I didn't turn to face Daniel, but even out of the corner of my eye I perfectly caught the judgey, raised-eyebrow look he gave me.

"Are you serious?"

"Daniel, I am about to go in there and distract my ex-fiance. I am dead serious."

"...Alright. You ready then?"

"No, I'm not! That's the whole point of requiring a push!"

"Okay, okay! Geeze."

A moment later, I felt Daniel's hand on my shoulder, gently moving me in the direction of the ballroom. It had nowhere near the amount of force I'd been hoping for, but the thought at least was enough to get me moving.

I crossed the parking lot at a steady pace, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. I pushed open the door to the ballroom without letting myself hesitate, striding through without looking back. I tried to ignore the sound of it slamming shut behind me as I strode confidently into the room, head held high despite the warring storm of emotions swirling in my gut. It took every ounce of strength I had to walk into that ballroom, but somehow I managed it.

And then I saw him.

I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting, but the moment I saw Jack, my heart stopped in my chest and my knees threatened to give out. So much history stood between us, and even though we'd ended on fairly bad terms and I knew I'd made the right decision, my heart still couldn't completely ignore everything we'd been through. Everything he'd meant to me.

I took a deep, shaky breath. Apparently, a lot of the world was counting on me keeping Jack from interfering in whatever Daniel had going on tonight. I'd agreed to come in here, and now I couldn't afford to fall apart.

I squared my shoulders, then strode across the ballroom, past dancing couples and schmoozing politicians. Everything faded away the closer I got to Jack, until I was standing next to him, just out of his peripheral vision, and we were the only two people in the world.

I reached out a hand to tap Jack on the shoulder, and time nearly stood still. He turned towards me in slow motion, and I watched his face go from one slightly raised eyebrow to wide-eyed, gut-punched shock. The moment our eyes met seemed to stretch for years, until Jack finally broke it, saying my name in a breathy voice that shouldn't have been audible over the sounds in the rest of the ballroom. Surprisingly, I didn't have to fake the slight smile pulling at the corner of my mouth.

"Hey, Jack," I breathed. He blinked at me a few times, maybe expecting me to disappear like some hallucination. When I didn't, he managed to find his voice again.

"Wh... what are you doing here?"

"I feel like I could ask you the same question," I said, voice soft. Speaking anywhere near normal force or volume felt like it would shatter something about the peace of the moment, or bring our problems back to the forefront of our minds. "I thought you were still in New York."

"I was. Am. Still in New York, that is. I, uh... they made me Chief."

My eyebrows shot up. Daniel hadn't bothered to mention that.

"Wow. Well... congratulations. When did that happen?"

"A little over a year ago," he said, shrugging his shoulders and glancing away like it was nothing. I knew him much too well for it to fool, me, though. He was beyond proud, and he wanted me to be impressed.

"That's great, Jack," I said, not entirely sure whether I meant it. "So is that what brings you out here?"

"Something like that," he huffed. He shook his head, staring off at the wall of the bar, apparently snapping out of the moment we'd found ourselves in with something else hovering over his head. It didn't bother me to be a part of that something, although maybe it should have.

"I take it this is more of that highly-classified, highly 'over my head' stuff you always refused to talk to me about?"

Jack's eyes slid back to mine, looking genuinely sad in a way I hadn't expected. Honestly, I'd been expecting to spark some anger. Instead, he looked like I'd just punched him in the stomach.

"I... wasn't great at communicating with you back then, was I?"

I snorted. "That's an understatement."

Jack sighed and took a sip of his drink, nodding slowly.

"Yeah. Yeah, it probably is. Look, I don't know why you're here right now, but..." He cut himself off abruptly, glancing away from me again with a shake of his head. I raised an eyebrow, just waiting for him to work up the courage to say what he wanted to say. The longer he took, the easier it was for me to help Daniel with whatever this was, anyway. Jack took a deep breath, shot the rest of his drink, and set the glass down on the bar before looking at me again. "I was gonna look you up, while I was out here. I've been putting it off, because, well, I wasn't sure you'd want to see me. But... since you're here now...?"

I started shaking my head. I couldn't help it. Jack, apparently undeterred, stepped forward and took my hands in his. I wished I could say helping Daniel was the only reason I let him.

"You hate me. I get it, alright? But I'm not the same man I was the last time I saw you."

"Oh really, Jack? Then what kind of man are you now?" I asked, unable to stop myself. "What are you doing here, schmoozing at some party with a bunch of shady guys in suits? How different is that to the last time I saw you?"

"Very different! Listen, I get it now. I understand what you wanted from me, and I understand why you left. You wanted respect, and I... I wasn't willing to give that to you."

I frowned, scanning Jack's face for any hint of inscenserity or rehearsed speech. All I found was an honest, open expression staring back at me, my ex-fiance looking more open and interested in talking about the hard stuff than he'd been once in the time we were together.

"But sweetheart," he continued, after a brief pause to let his words sink in. I met his gorgeous blue eyes that I'd fallen in love with so long ago, and a hand clenched around my heart. "I get it now. And... I want a shot at giving you that respect, knowing what I know now. Being who I am now."

I huffed a disbelieving laugh, shaking my head as I broke Jack's intense stare.

"Jack... are you kidding me right now?"

"Not even a little bit." He squeezed my hands lightly, stepping even closer to me. The hand around my heart dug its claws in. "I... I love you. I never stopped loving you. If you give me a second chance... I promise, I won't screw this one up."

A choked sob forced its way out of my mouth as the room started spinning under me. I pulled my hands away from Jack, shaking my head fervently as I did.

"I... You can't... I can't think about this right now. After everything you can't just..." I huffed, shaking my head again and moving out of the way as Jack reached for my hands again.

"Baby-"

I turned on my heel and ran before he got another word out. Hopefully, that was good enough for Daniel and his friends. One way or another it would have to be. I couldn't stay there for another second, and it was starting to feel like it'd been a mistake to come in the first place.

I'd been expecting some slightly charged conversation, maybe even some arguing. Breaking off an engagement wasn't usually amiable, and our situation had been no exception. I hadn't been expecting to see real pain on his face, or real regret, or real love still lingering there. And I definitely hadn't expected to feel the faintest hint of the same emotions in my own chest.

Whatever the hell that meant, I couldn't face it right now. Not when I was standing in that ballroom in the first place to trick and lie to the man giving me the apology I'd wanted for years before finally excepting I'd never get it. The guilt started creeping in like a knife to the heart, another thing I hadn't been expecting.

I didn't check to see if Jack was following me as I headed straight for the parking lot, back out the door I'd come in. A thousand different emotions and thoughts screamed through my head, and the only thing that seemed clear was that I needed to get as far away as possible from here, now.

"Hey!"

I don't know why I hadn't been expecting to run into Daniel, but I'd barely gotten a breath of the cool night air in before he called out to me, moving quickly from the back of their undercover van to where I'd parked my car.

"Hey! Are you okay? We didn't mic you up, but one of our agents inside said they saw you running out-"

"This was a bad idea, Daniel," I said, shaking my head and pausing to talk only because Daniel was in the way of the driver's door of my car. "I shouldn't have agreed to this. I didn't... I don't know what I expected. The same asshole I broke up with, I guess. An argument. Not... not what I got."

I moved to push past him, but he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me in my tracks. His eyebrows knit together as he scanned me up and down, concern radiating from him in waves.

"What happened in there? Are you okay?"

I shook my head. "It was a mistake to get in the middle of this, with you and him. He said some stuff... I don't know. I don't know, okay? This was stupid, I should've just stayed home. I need to go home, Daniel. So please, get out of my way."

Daniel hesitated again, looking me over, this time with a more critical eye. I huffed.

"I promise I'm not hurt, and that I'm fine to drive, alright? I just... I need to get out of here."

After another second, Daniel finally nodded and stepped out of my way. I didn't bother sparing him another glance as I got into my car and pulled away, putting as much distance as possible between me and Jack and everything to do with that ballroom.

When I got home, I replayed the conversation I'd had with Jack over and over again in my head, on an endless loop. I didn't hear another word from Daniel, or from Jack, which I tried to convince myself was for the best. When the radio silence stretched on for days, however, my arguments to myself became less and less convincing, and every additional day of silence was another day to overthink myself into a frenzy. Had something gone wrong with whatever world-ending threat they were dealing with? Did something bad happen to one or both of the SSR boys? Or was there some other reason the SSR agents continued to give me space?

By the end of the week, I'd just about decided to go track down Jack or Daniel or maybe Peggy, although I'd only met her in passing, myself. Finding a secret agency probably wouldn't be easy, but I'd been reeling and replaying everything in my mind for days, and I couldn't go back to pretending none of them had ever been part of my life again. I'd just started flipping through a phone book over my morning coffee, looking for any businesses that looked like feasible fronts for the SSR, when someone rang my doorbell.

I sighed, marking my spot in the phone book before standing and moving to the door, my cup of coffee in-hand. I almost dropped my favorite mug when I opened the door to find Jack standing on my doorstep in a nice suit, holding a bouquet of roses.

"Before you say anything, Sousa's the one who gave me your address. So if you didn't want to see me... blame him."

I couldn't hold back a laugh, at least half the weight on my chest lifting off with the knowledge that Jack and Daniel were both okay. I bit my lip, trying to keep control of myself, as I looked Jack over.

"I... I'm really glad you're okay," I finally sighed. "When I didn't hear from you for a while, I got a little worried..."

"We had... some stuff to deal with. But it's dealt with now. I'd love to come in and tell you about it... if you'd be willing to have some company for breakfast."

My eyes shot up to Jack's. He tried to look calm and collected, but I could see the way his hands fidgeted around the stems of the flowers, and the way his eyes searched my face for any sign of an answer in either direction. I sighed.

"Listen, Jack... I don't know..."

"Alright, look. I'm technically supposed to be leaving for the airport to catch a plane back to New York in about half an hour. But I also got Sousa to agree to let me stay with him for a while, if... if I need to stay in LA for a bit longer, for whatever reason. But if you don't want me here, if it's too little too late for you..." He clenched his jaw, swallowing hard and steeling himself before continuing. "Then I'll head to the airport and get out of your hair. And I won't bother you again."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, looking down and shaking my head to try to clear it. I'd sworn to myself when I moved out here that I wouldn't let Jack Thompson back into my life. I'd been confident it was for the best. But he really did seem different than he had the last time I'd seen him. And I couldn't ignore the way my heart still skipped a beat when I looked at him, or how badly I wanted to believe what he'd told me in the ballroom.

Finally, I looked back up at Jack. I met his ice blue eyes, the same ones I'd been staring into since we were basically kids, before he'd served in Japan and a thousand other things in our lives had changed. And I knew I couldn't send him away without at least hearing him out. I knew it might mean I got hurt again, badly, but I also knew the regret of never knowing for sure would eat me alive for the rest of my life.

"Jack... there's something you should know first."

"And that is?"

"It wasn't fate that brought me to the ballroom, or whatever else you thought it was. I... was actually there because Daniel called me to ask for my help."

Jack sighed. "I know. He and Carter told me. They seemed to have a guilty conscience about it. But I'll tell you what I told them: I don't care. It brought you back into my life, so... I'll take it."

The corner of my mouth tugged up again, and I tried not to let the excitement take over too much as Jack leaned a little forward.

"So... does that mean I can come in?"

I bit my lip again in a failed half-attempt to stop the smile rapidly spreading across my face. Finally, I let it win, and gave Jack a nod.

"Oh, thank god," he sighed, sagging and flopping over the doorframe, the flowers falling to his side for a moment until he looked back up at me. "You really had me thinking I was gonna have to race to make my plane for a minute there, sweetheart."

I laughed and shook my head, taking the flowers from Jack as I motioned for him to come inside. I shut the door behind him, then turned to lead him from the entryway into the kitchen.

"So... do you want some coffee?" I asked, moving to the pot before Jack answered. I knew he did.

"That'd be great." He paused, and I heard him sit at the table himself me as I added sugar and milk the way I knew he liked (although he'd never ask anybody else to add it in). "This place looks great."

"Thanks. It's been a labor of love, for sure. I learned how to fix just about everything in here that could break, since it started out that way."

I shot Jack a little smile as I sat down at the table across from him, sliding his coffee over. The statement was a test, and whether or not he knew it, he smiled back.

"If only you'd known all that stuff when we were in our old place. Maybe you could've saved me from breaking the sink beyond repair."

"If I remember right, I did try to help with that. And you told me to let you handle it while I made something nice for dinner."

Jack grimaced, taking a sip of his coffee. "Yeah. I do remember that. And... I'm sorry. I was an idiot back then. I wish I'd known then what I do now."

I nodded thoughtfully. He seemed sincere, which truly might've been a miracle-level personal shift. I still tried to keep my hopes from running wild, but it was getting harder by the minute.

"Thanks for the coffee, by the way," he continued. "I haven't had anything this good since... well, in a long time."

I gave him a rueful smile as he bailed out of "since you left". I sighed, taking a sip of my own coffee before looking at Jack again.

"So... why don't you tell me about all this stuff that kept you from visiting earlier? When I talked to Daniel, he said it was end of the world-level."

Jack nodded, running his hand through his hair. "I mean, it sure wasn't good. Might've been one of the worse things we've had to deal with. You're gonna like this though, since we saved the day. One of my best agents who helped solve all this stuff is a woman. Peggy Carter, she said she met you?"

"Only briefly," I said, smiling into my coffee. "She seemed pretty cool."

"She's damn good at her job. And so were you, by the way. You covered for her and Sousa perfectly when you showed up at that fundraiser. It took one of the people you were covering for walking straight into my path for me to realize something was up, and even then I didn't suspect you. Masterclass."

I huffed a laugh, but my smile grew so big I couldn't hide it behind my coffee mug anymore. Jack smiled back.

"Alright, so, this is kind of a long story. Especially if I start from the beginning."

"I want to hear all of it," I decided. "If you're up for it... including the stuff that came before this mission. I want to know about what you've been up to since... since I left."

Jack nodded, a hopeful smile pulling its way onto his own face. I could see him wrestling with himself to keep his cool, and I was happy to see him losing.

"Deal. As long as you promise to tell me everything you've been up to once I'm done."

"Sounds like we have a wonderful plan for the morning," I replied. Jack absolutely beamed back at me.

"I've never been happier to miss a flight in my life."

I laughed, and for a moment, I got a glimmer of the parts of my life with Jack that had made me stay for so long. His humor, and all the good in him that he worked to hide, but now, without the layer of separation that came from him not seeing me as an equal.

It had barely been ten minutes total of time spent with this slightly older, slightly different Jack Thompson. By far too early to say anything difinitively. But that little seed of hope in my chest had bloomed into a full bouquet since I'd opened my door this morning, and I couldn't help feeling that this time, things actually were different. Jack was different. And this time, maybe things would work.

****************

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[cursivebloodlines]

As funny as their timing, as their everything was really - there was nothing Logan would change about the situation. Maybe the part where she knew how she felt sooner, would've been better. But it was better to be late than never at all. Sometimes, it took a wake-up call to get the ball rolling. And it sure as hell rolled a lot quicker than he could have ever anticipated. What mattered most was that it was with Danielle, no one else. It wouldn't have mattered to anyone else. It was common knowledge that he was awful at doing things in the proper order. It was something he dealt with when working with code, though - the obvious routes weren't always the correct ones. It sometimes took a different direction, or twenty before reaching their destination. And now here they were. Destination: the start of something new. Hopefully, maybe. If that was what Danielle wanted when they were back into reality. For now, he wanted to cling to this moment for a little while longer, refusing to even acknowledge the world going on around them. Outside of them. It didn't exist, not now, not yet. It was Logan and Danielle, Danielle and Logan. Nothing else mattered.

Their exchange of intimacy was something new even for him. Of course, he'd tumbled into bed with other women over the years, had been in other relationships, had fallen in love occasionally...but he had never been the overly affectionate type. 'Pillow talk' or whatever people called it these days wasn't really something he was entirely bothered about or comfortable with. Well it wasn't that he wasn't comfortable with it as such, it just felt awkward. Like it was something he would do to make others happy. But this... with Danielle? It was one of the most profound and natural feelings he'd ever felt, and to him that solidified his feelings (not that there was ever any doubt, but it reinforced that she really was the one person for him) for him. "Good. Perfect. I've never been happier than when I'm with you," he spoke softly, his voice filled with utmost sincerity. It was nice to just be open and honest, with nothing getting in their way. Yet. "So if you're happy that I'm happy and I'm happy that you're happy, and we are both happy...then that must mean we're double happy. Or triple. The happiest." It felt like such a dumb thing to say, but the thought made him laugh anyway. He laced his fingers with hers, intertwining their hands and brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a light kiss against her fingertips. Could she be any more perfect? And she did it all without even trying to be. She just was...everything. Maybe Logan was a bit biased. But it didn't change a thing. "What's surprising about it? Really?" he quizzed, in his usual playful way but also because he...wondered. He figured it was a given. The way her flush deepened had him grinning from ear to ear. Yep, he still could definitely push her buttons. Wonderful. That will never get old. "Only twice?" He joked, repeating himself just changing the number. Truthfully it made him wonder all sorts of things, silly questions that don't matter as such but it would be funny to see just how flustered she could possibly get; every time he thought they were at peak flushes with her, it would only deepen which only egged Logan on even more. He really was a pain in the ass, wasn't he? "In a panic? I....don't know whether or not I should be offended at that," the man teased further, understanding why she may have done that. Panicked. After all, she supposedly hadn't felt that way about him. But still - he wouldn't be Logan if he wasn't poking fun at Danielle. "Can refresh both of ours if you want...I certainly wouldn't be complaining..." he said, a cheeky grin on his lips, happy to go along with whatever she wanted from him. A muffled chuckle left him as he heard her words... he knew what she was saying but wanted to hear properly so he retreated - only ever so slightly, to murmur, "Say that again."

His hand still combed through her hair, though he allowed his eyes to flutter shut at the sensation of her hand caressing his cheek. How he could quite happily lie there, having her do that for hours. Her touch was the most soothing thing for him. Loved every minute, craved every moment. Made it all the more special. Logan forgot about the call as soon as Danielle started speaking again; what's it they say? Out of sight, out of mind? "Or never at all," he mused, not finding it funny by all means but...it was a possibility that she may never have realised it if it weren't for...outside forces. His face fell slightly as she trailed off, filling in the blanks in his head automatically. A pang of guilt tugged at his heart but shook it off just as fast. Not now. That would be dealt with later, if he chose. He didn't want to deal with it at all though, just stay in this little cocoon for the two of them. Enjoy their little bubble of happiness that little longer. "I'm glad it did... take over for a day, I mean." Did that mean it was only for the day? Today? Logan was too frightened to ask. He let his hand stroke her arm, softly drawing random shapes in her skin absentmindedly. Eyes opening, looking into hers with another little smile. "How about forever?"

Things were all out of order, and she couldn't help but wonder if they would always be that way. Out of order, and just veering off the path. It was great now, but would that way of life come back to haunt them? Probably. Scratch that, yes. They could handle it though. Right? That notion that if they were together, they could go up against anything. Danielle and Logan, against the world. Yeah, that had a nice ring to it. It was wishful thinking, but a lot about them was. What was one more thing?

The whispering was so intimate, it was quickly becoming a favorite of hers. She loved that it was something only they shared, no one else was allowed in. "I'm always happy with you, that's never changed." Danielle was grateful for his follow up. She wanted to ask, but somehow, was still afraid of the answer. Do I make you happy? It was a loaded question, but of course, he had the perfect words. "As long as you're happy...I'm okay." And they were back. One sweet comment in exchange for endless teasing. It was the way they worked. His grin was impossible to miss, and impossible to not love. Maybe she could withstand the teasing, just for that. A raised brow, assessing his mock offense. If Danielle didn't know any better, she'd believe he was genuinely shocked. "Nope, not complaining, just surprised to learn!" Admitting that was a surprise to her as well, she swore that was going to the grave with her. Oh god, Logan was relentless. The flush in her face darkened, "yes. Once...or maybe twice," she admitted. Why was she telling him this?! The daze was making her a bit too honest for her liking. "Reality was definitely better, I didn't wake up in a panic. That's for sure. Refresh my memory or yours?" she asked, eyes glancing up to catch his reaction. All in good teasing. This felt right, it was the moment in movies - just sitting together, letting the time pass. Enjoying each other's company and wishing it never ended. It was a rush of happiness that many chased their entire lives. Then, Logan said it. He'd said it before, so had she. You're so dumb, I love you. You're my best friend, I love you. God, I hate you! Fine, I love you. Everything in between had been said, but never like this. Any other time, Danielle would've frozen. A deer in headlights. It had happened to her before, someone tells her those words and she didn't respond. Just stood there, thinking of something to say. Awkward, no surprise that didn't go far. She was sure she'd told Logan about that time too. Not this time though. With Logan, it was so easy to let love flow, to just let it be. Their lips meeting didn't allow her to speak properly, the words surely came out mushed together. "I love you." Hopefully, he understood.

It was easy to notice his change, the few seconds of panic when their conversation shifted slightly. Her smile fading didn't help, did it? She couldn't help it, talking about the 'before' was not something she felt like smiling about. Danielle just hated making him feel that way. Luckily, his face softened and she absentmindedly stroked his cheek. The softness of his skin bringing her comfort as she spoke. Her heart was doing somersaults upon hearing him. His heart was hers. God, she really did this all wrong. Didn't she? This whole time, his heart was there - just for her, and she only realized it now? When he confirmed the call wasn't important, Danielle took it as permission to keep speaking. Who even called these days? Probably spam."Got it. Well, I was saying..I didn't want to. Get over you, I mean. Jealousy is a nasty thing, effective though. I wouldn't have figured it out otherwise, to be honest. Probably would've taken me a couple of years. It just didn't seem fair, to ruin your.." his relationship. It wasn't easy to say. "To ruin your life, because I figured it out late. That's why I came over today, to do the right thing, but I don't know, think my heart took over for the day." Clearly, her brain was on a much-needed vacation. Overthinking wears you out. "I do, I am in no rush at all...I'll stay here as long as you want me to."

[artchixs]

allow me to introduce wither & bloom (jeb + chad x men au)

[harrisonarchive]

In memoriam: Tony Bramwell. Condolences to his loved ones.

Photo 1 by Bill Connell or Les Chadwick; photos 2 & 3 by Tony Bramwell.

“[Prior to reconnecting on the bus to Litherland Town Hall in 1960, Bramwell and George had last seen each other] when he was a delivery boy on Saturday mornings for one of our local butchers, E. R. Hughes, who had a shop in Hunts Cross. […] I can remember the first time that George zoomed around to our house in it [his new car], a big smile pinned to his face. He honked the horn and Mum and I came running out. ‘Get in, Mrs. Bramwell,’ he shouted. ‘I’m taking you for a spin!’ We climbed in, and off we went on what was to be the first of many Sunday afternoon drives. It was the kind of thing that families did back then, going for a drive after lunch on a. Sunday and stopping off at some quaint little old-world teashop for a pot of tea and a few sticky buns. We would go to little landmarks like the famed Transporter Bridge at Runcorn, or to local beauty spots like Frodsham, where there were sandstone crags you could scramble up. Sometimes we went to the medieval black-and-white Tudor town of Chester, which on a Sunday was mostly shut up. We were quite happy to stroll around window-shopping and then have have tea in a cobwebby little teashop down a cobbled alley, or we’d go to Chester Zoo, one of George’s favorite destinations.” - Tony Bramwell, Magical Mystery Tours: My Life With The Beatles (2005) (x)

[yelena-bellova]

RDJ could not be more right in saying he did some of his best work in Marvel but it got discredited because they were superhero movies.

And why it bothers me so much that Marvel movies are just disregarded is because it’s a genre that contains some of the best actors in Hollywood, past and present, acting their asses off.

Oscar Isaac - Moon Knight/X-Men Apocalypse

James McAvoy - X-Men

Michael Fassbender - X-Men

Hugh Jackman- X-Men

Jeremy Renner - The Avengers/Hawkeye

Elizabeth Olsen - Avengers/Civil War/Wandavision/MOM

Chadwick Boseman, Angela Basset, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai, Guirara, Letitia Wright - Black Panther

Samuel L. Jackson - the whole freakin’ thing

Tom Hiddleston - Thor/Avengers/Loki

Most of these people have been hailed by Hollywood and are decorated. Some of their best and most memorable work is contained in their Marvel projects but guess what? Film snobs wouldn’t know because they’ve said the genre is worthless because of CGI and silly plot lines.

You don’t like superhero movies? Fine. But you’re missing out on some damn good acting.