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ad1thi · 5 years ago

Text

3000

this caps at 3676 words, which is the most ive written ever; and this fic is my absolute baby i have never slaved over something more so please give her some love

Morgan Stark was, is, a strange woman

She’s quiet where her father was loud, stoic where her mother is loving, calm where her family is grieving

She wasn’t always like this

She hears snippets from her mother when Mom thinks she’s asleep; of how loud and boisterous and full of life she was

The tipping point, her mother muses over a glass of wine to Zia Nat, was her sixth birthday party

See Morgan, Morgan isn’t like everybody else

Everybody else got back their father and husband and brother and son in the Great War

Morgan lost hers

She was 3 years old, but her father always said she was exceptionally smart for her age

but this, this she didn’t quite understand until she was 6 years old

She knew her father had died, he’d died saving everybody’s life of course she knew that (how could she forget when its all anyone talked about, its all she saw all around her, the consequences of his death) but she never knew quite what it meant until her sixth birthday

The house is loud, louder than it usually is

Mom has invited ‘round all of her friends, and all of Morgan’s classmates from school too

There’s a healthy amount of awe and wonder in the room, and Morgan; Morgan is sitting in her room watching the hologram her father left for her sixth birthday

God, you’re growing up so fast,” hologram-him says, six already huh tesero? six is a big year isn’t it, first year of elementary, carrying your own lunches like a borghese, god i’m so proud of you. i want you to remember to enjoy yourself this year huh tesoro? ti amo 3000

Its how her mother finds her, moving towards a hologram that frozen in the motion of cupping her cheek; and tilting her head ever so slightly to put into the empty space that his hand’s left

“mai?” Morgan whispers, when she feels a hand on her shoulder, “he’s never coming back?”

“No mon coeur,” her mother whispers, and she crumbles like a marionette has cut her strings

After that, she changes

She knows what’s expected of her

The daughter of Anthony Edward Stark, grand daughter of Howard Walter Stark, niece of the Avengers

(if anyone ever asked, she’d tell them how much she hated the labels)

She’s subdued in class, makes 2 friends her entire year and keeps to herself

(Riri and Kamala are blessings)

She’s whipsmart but she never raises her hand, runs like a dream but never tries out for track; and only paints when nobody else is watching

On her eighth birthday, when she opens the door to see Uncle Steve’s hopeful face; she closes it

“I don’t want them here,” she says, making it half way up the stairs before turning around and saying, “Maybe Uncle Bucky can stay”

When she’s 14, Uncle Bucky asks her what she wants for her birthday as they’re looking over the lake near her house and she says “I want you to teach me how to fight”

And he nods once

They start with the basics, hand to hand combat; and graduate to knifes and guns within a matter of months

He only asks her once why she wants to learn and she says, “My father was Tony Stark. It’s in my blood”

He smiles at all, all bloody from where she managed to clock his nose and never asks again

guardati tesoro mio, her father says on her fifteen birthday, all grown up and shit. do a little spin for your papa, let him see what you’re wearing

and its a hologram and she knows he’s not really there; but she spins anyway

fifteen, thats a big year right? Taylor Swift’s got a song about it and everything

He walks towards her, bending down so they’re eye level and Morgan swears she can feel their nose touching

it means you’re going on dates and shit, and i don’t know how i feel about that, his nose scrunches up like he’s smelt something foul, i guess i’ll just have to greet all your dates wearing the ironman suit huh. god thats a brilliant idea; weed out the weak ones by seeing who pees themselves or who gets overly cocky

Morgana he says, turning sharply from where he’s ranting, your dad is a genius, never forget that

“mai” she whispers into the open air, tears falling freely

Every year, her mother asks if she can invite the avengers over for her birthday, and every year Morgan says no

There are exceptions of course

Zio Rhodey, Zia Natasha, Uncle Bucky

Peter when he has time to spare, and Harley whenever he isn’t holed up in an SI workshop

but never anyone else

The first time Morgan brings Riri home and introduces her as her girlfriend instead of her bestfriend, an Ironman suit falls out of the sky

Her mother flinches back on instinct, Riri pales, and Morgan laughs until she cries

“Protocol: Tesoro is initiated,” intoned the automated voice before it shifts to the lilt of her father, “So, you wanna date my daughter”

“Yes sir,” Riri squeaks from where she’s hiding behind Morgan, and her mother is trying desperately not to cry

There’s a pregnant silence before her father’s voice says,”Her background checks out, you can date her”

and Morgan is turning to press her lips to Riri’s cheek; mindful of the glint in Riri’s eyes when she moves past the fear and takes in the armour, and thinks to herself no, i can’t

“Why Bucky,” her mother asks once, “You let nobody else in but you let in Bucky. Why Bucky?”

Morgan takes in a deep breath, “Zio stays because he’s the closest thing I have to a father. Zia stays because she’s the closest thing you have to a lover,” Morgan ignores the flush on her mother’s cheek, “and Bucky stays because he’s the only person who sees me”

“Je t’adore mama, but you see me and you also see Papa, they see me and they see Papa”

“Bucky? Bucky just sees me”

She’s 25 and still dating Riri, who’s around more than she’s not; now that she’s working under Zio Rhodey

It’s late at night, and Morgan extracts herself from Riri’s limp arms- shrugs on the first piece of clothing she can find, makes her way down the stairs

She takes in a deep breath, and turns on her father’s interface for the first time in 22 years

It’s still one of the most advanced pieces of technology out there; even if Morgan is cataloging all the ways she can make it better

“Pull up,” her voice cracks, ‘Pull up my father’s last project”

and in front of her, the room lights up in the shape of a mobius strip, inverted

She applies and gets a job at Pym Industries, and her mother furrows her brow but congratulates her all the same

She moves up the ranks seamlessly, except for one isolated incident when she drop kicks someone and sends them to the hospital because they call her little miss

Hope Pym adores her, and she gets privileges in R&D that she knows nobody else has

(she doesn’t know if its because she’s Tony Stark’s daughter, or because Hope genuinely thinks she’s that smart- but she doesn’t question it)

And there, after hours, in the laboratory where it all started; she puts her plan into motion

When she’s 27, Zio Rhodey falls sick

She’s in the middle of hour 73 of her work binge, and she’s so close to recreating the Pym Particles when an arm on her shoulder startles her and throws her into a defensive position

Her mind clears slightly when her would-be attacker’s head is between her thighs, and she scrambles back in shock when she realises its Riri

“When I said I was into trying new things in bed,” Riri’s voice is raspy from where Morgan’s knee pressed against her throat, “this isn’t what I had in mind”

“What are you doing here?” she asks, pointedly ignoring the bruises forming around her neck

“Its your Zio Rhodey,” she says solemnly, and there’s a tang in her voice when she says Zio; a word that doesn’t belong on Riri’s tongue, “he’s in the hospital”

Morgan is numb all over, going through the motions as she saves her work and slips on her jacket

She’s silent on the drive over to the hospital, fingers drumming against the door of the car

Logically, she always knew her parents were much older than most; her mama was on the verge of 40 when they had her and her father was pushing 54 when he died. She always knew that Zio Rhodey was growing old, but she never expected it to catch up to him quite this quickly

“Hi there squirt,” he whispers from the hospital room, moving up to clasp her face in his hands before groaning in pain

She rushes over and eases him back into a comfortable position, raising his hand to her mouth and kissing the back of his palm lightly, “What’s this then Zio Rhodey?”

He sighs, “The braces that your father built me gave out on me, and I fell down a flight of stairs”

She gets up, looking around for the braces, “I have a toolkit in the car I can tweak it a bi-”

She’s cut off when Zio pulls her down with surprising force, “Have I ever told you?” he asks, like she hadn’t spoken, “how much you remind me of your father?”

She slumps against the chair and indulges him, “Only everytime you see me”

He grimaces slightly, “I do say it a lot don’t I?”

“It’s only because I see so much of him in you squirt. His drive, his big heart, his desire to help everyone,” he nods slightly at Riri, “his taste in women”

He moves slightly when Morgan squats at him, cackling; and Morgan pretends the hand squeezing around her heart is fear that Zio might not make it the night

“I know I’m not your real father,” he says softly, reaching out to cup her face, “but I do love you like my own Morgana”

“And he would be so proud of you”

His eyes go glassy just then, washing over and un-focusing, and she’s about to call for a nurse when her Zio says, “Tony? Why the fuck have you grown out your hair then?”

and it clicks

Dementia

She turns to Riri to ask how they all could’ve missed this, but her gaze is furtive and it takes but a second for Morgan to realise that the only one who missed this was her

“How could you not tell me?” she roars, as Riri stares defiantly back, “he is my Zio!”

“He asked me not to, said he didn’t want to burden you while you were busy with your work,” Riri replies, “Plus, you never step out of that lab anywhere I was sure nothing short of a heart attack would remind you that he even exists”

“That is a low blow Ri”

“Is it?” Riri stands up, “I don’t see you, Peter and Harley work ‘round the clock to make sure Pepper doesn’t miss her daughter, and I cannot remember the last time you came over for dinner”

“My work is important!” she yells, but she might as well have been yelling into empty air, because Riri’s face hardens

“So are we Morgan,” she’s near the door when she turns back and says, softly, “I know losing your father hit you hard. But you still have a parent who’s alive”

Morgan and Riri break up the next day

Morgan always knew it was coming, ever since Riri became Ironheart

She just never expected it so soon

She keeps a constant vigil at Zio’s bedside, until the hospital kick her out

She can’t go back to her lab, not when he’s so fragile; so she cashes in all her leave from the last 3 years and shows up to the cabin with a large suitcase

“Morgan?” her mother’s grown so frail, and Morgan feels a stab of regret that she hasn’t been around more

“Je suis ici mama,” her mother crumbles against her like like there's nothing holding her up anymore, sobbing into her shirt

“Je suis désolé, ça a pris si longtemps”

Her mother bustles around the kitchen, clearly desperate for anything to do

“Mama,” she calls out a few times, before getting up and physically grabbing her mother in her arms and stilling her

“Mama its okay,” she says softly, guiding her to the sofa, “you don’t have to do anything”

“Mon coeur, you’ve come home after so long and I can’t even cook for you,” her mother has gotten so weak without Morgan noticing, and the guilt festers

Riri was right, she had forgotten about her mother, too caught up in her work

She runs her fingers through her mother’s hair, manoeuvring her so they’re on the sofa, “I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long Mama,” she whispers

“but I’m here now”

Her leave gives her a full 2 months off and she splits her time between the cabin and the hospital, until Zio is ready to be moved to the cabin

She calls up Harley for the first time in 3 years and he comes down the following weekend, and they brainstorm over the ideas that her father left uncompleted

“20 years later and he’s taking me to school,” Harley whistles lowly, “not bad for a mechanic”

After dinner, Morgan curls up against her mother, who obligingly runs her piano fingers through Morgan’s hair

“Harley’s good at SI,” she starts off, “did business as a minor in Stanford”

Her mother hums, “I’m half convinced he’s your father’s bastard”

“You should name him CEO,” she turns so she’s facing her mother completely, “he’ll be good”

She stills above Morgan, “you,” she pauses and takes a breath, “you don’t want it?”

She shakes her head, and pretends like she doesn’t see how her mother’s entire body shakes

“Your father did always like to be left to his own devices,” she says finally and if Morgan tries really hard, she can pretend like she hasn’t disappointed her mother, “I’ll talk to the Board tomorrow, but they’re going to give me hell”

Her mother sounds so defeated Morgan almost takes it back, but the photo frame of her papa and mama catches her eye; and she holds her tongue

She finagles and negotiates with Hope, and gets permission to work from home.

(not that Hope had much choice, Morgan had set Pym Inc decades ahead of every company and finally put them in close competition with Stark Industries, but it was the principle of the thing)

A team of 5 come in and renovate the basement into a lab that’s workable, and Morgan breathes easier

She spends her days with her mother and Zio Rhodey, and her nights

working

“Pull up the simulation again,” she says into the open air and pulls apart the mobius strip, running each equation individually

“JOCASTA,” she calls out, “run the enhanced Pym Particles against my father’s software”

She rummages around the mini fridge for juice pops, sucking the first one in her mouth

“Simulation complete,” her best decision by date was to give JOCASTA an italian accent

She turns back to the screen, and stumbles back into her chair

“Shit,” she says, breathing heavily- looking but not comprehending the screen in front of her

“Shit,” she says again, because it bares repeating, because she is the third person to ever crack time travel

30 is a big year tesero, her father’s AI says as she slips into a red dress and walks down to greet the guests

After 22 years, she’s agreed to let the Avengers back onto the cabin; and the naked gratitude on Uncle Steve’s face when she moved aside instead of slamming the door like she did every year was another chink in that guilt deep in her gut

you’re so big now tesero, her father says, leaning against the wall when she wraps her arms around Riri and thanks her for coming

where does the time fly? the hologram dissipates when she comes near her Zio Rhodey, and she looks away as he dabs away a set of tears

“i’m sorry squirt,” he says when he’s settled a bit more, “the holograms still get to me I guess. But 30 huh?”

“Big day,” he says decisively before his eyes go glassy again

She wraps her hands around him, looking at the space left by her father’s hologram and thinks, you have no idea

Steve knocks on the door of the cabin, as he does every year

Sam is waiting for him in the car, stubbornly refusing to turn off the gas because she’s just going to turn us away man i don’t why we do this year every year

But he comes every year with Steve, so Steve suspects he knows why

(because Steve loved her father)

(because Steve killed her father)

(because Tony died to save everybody else)

Bucky left the Compound a few hours earlier, since he’d promised Pepper and Nat that he’d help with the cake

That had taken some time to get used to, the fact that Morgan allowed Bucky to be a part of her life and not Steve

(in the darkest parts of his mind, Steve admits that he hates it, that he wanted to be the one teaching Morgan to protect herself, to be the one loving her)

He knocks on the door and waits, and like clockwork Morgan opens the door and assesses him like he’s under a microscope

And then

She moves aside, letting him in

Steve’s knees threaten to buckle, but he holds it together just long to ask, “Are- are you sure?”

She stares at him mulishly, and Steve can’t help but compare it to a pre coffee Tony, “Are you looking to piss me off Rogers? Come in before I change my mind, and tell Birdbrain in the Maserati to turn off his engine because he’s killing the planet my father gave his life to protect”

Steve nods like she’s a drill sergeant and she shifts inside, seemingly satisfied with that 5 second interaction

Steve is on alert the entire party, flitting between being elated to celebrate Morgan’s 30th with her and wary that she’ll kick him out

She disappears upstairs once everyone’s trickled in, and comes down in a simple red summer dress, hair slicked back

There’s a hologram of Tony hovering behind her, muttering in her ear, and it knocks the air out of him, because he’s here but he’s not all at the same time and Steve dimly wonders if the pain of losing Tony Stark will get any easier

(from the glistening cheeks around him, and the surreptitious way Morgan wipes her eyes, the answer seems to be no)

The crowd moves around Morgan and her father, as if Tony’s really here instead of just a product of his tech; but dissipates into the air when Morgan goes over to Rhodey

Rhodey, who’s in a wheelchair

Everyone around him is frail and old, the signs of ageing so evident on their face and physique; while Bucky and Steve look like they’ve just touched 40

Morgan is settled down in Rhodey’s lap and laughing at something that he said, but there’s this gleam in her eyes that sits with Steve wrong, which is why he makes his way over to Peter

His relationship with Peter was hard work, almost a decade of back and forth before he let his guard down around Steve and joined the Avengers under his command

“Hey,” he says, smoothly cutting through whatever conversation Harley and Peter are having, “Mind if I borrow the spiderkid for a second?”

Harley spread his arms wide, “He’s all yours. Damn idiot hurts my brain”

“I’m only 4 years younger THAN YOU!” Peter yells the last part to Harley’s retreating back, huffing when Harley gives him the bird - before turning to Steve, “What’s up?”

“You have your suit on you?”

Peter rubs at his chest where the nanites are stored, “Always. Everything okay?”

“Yeah I just,” Steve sighs, “Something seems off”

“Ah the Cap sense, never gets old”

“Just be alert okay?” and he waits for a second before he adds, “and keep an eye on Morgan. I don’t want her getting hurt”

They’re in the middle of dinner when Steve notices her slip away, glancing back and forth before making her way down to -

isn’t that the way to Tony’s lab?

He looks up and catches Peter’s eye, nodding once before following Morgan

Its not easy, Bucky obviously taught her well, but Steve’s been hiding from Bucky since before she was born

She punches in the override code and slips in, and Steve has a 5 second warning to avert his eyes and she thumbs out of her dress

When he looks back, she’s slipped into something that resembles the undersuit Tony used to wear; but modified somehow

She’s very engrossed in the screen in front of her so its easy to follow her into the lab, but nothing can stop him from keeping quiet when he sees what she’s working on

“What are you doing with Tony’s time travel device?”

shit

Morgan turns to face Steve Rogers, adjusting the suit around her

“What are you doing here Rogers?”

“I asked first”

She chances a glance behind her, and the simulation needs a few more seconds to boot, she has to stall

Steve looks frozen between between going up and calling reinforcements, and making his way over to her, which works in her favour

She pulls at the last strap

“27 years ago,” she says, and there’s just a couple of seconds before all of this is fixed, “you killed my father.”

“I’m going back in time to save his life”

And before he can react, she presses down on the Pym Particles; closing her eyes as a blinding flash covers the room

Steve instinctively raises his arms against the light, and when he lowers them again, she’s gone.

Fin

hope you liked it!

italian translations:

tesoro- treasure borghese- commoner/ civilian/ middle-class person (its meant to be a joke not an insult) ti amo 3000- i love you 3000 mai- never guardati tesoro mio- look at you my treasure zio/zia- uncle/aunt

(all translations are taken off google translate!!)

french translations:

mon coeur- my sweetheart/ my heart j’adore mama- i love you mama je suis ici mama- i’m here mama je suis désolé, ça a pris si longtemps- im sorry it took so long

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stony-ao3-feed · 3 years ago

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A Daring Rescue

Read it on AO3

by ChokolatteJedi

After a certain super soldier is caught on cell phone cams in Times Square, Tony does a little digging. He has no idea just how deep the SHIELD rabbit hole is going to go, and now what's he supposed to do when he finds a time-traveling Capsicle on his hands?

Words: 29371, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Tony's Bots and AIs, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Pepper Potts, Phil Coulson, Howling Commandos, Peggy Carter, Other Marvel Characters, Minor Characters

Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Big Bang Challenge, Cap_Ironman Big Bang, Awesome Howling Commandos, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, POV Multiple, Military, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The First Avenger, Nick Fury is Not Amused, Manipulative Nick Fury, not SHIELD friendly, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Past Consensual Teenaged Sex, Non-Consensual Sex Tape, Banter, BAMF Tony Stark, Protective Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter is Tony Stark's Godparent, Minor Character Death, Terminal Illnesses, Dementia, Mentions of Cancer, Time Skips

Read it on AO3

#stony #fanfiction #ao3feed #superhusbands #stevetony

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ao3feed-stony · 3 years ago

Text

A Daring Rescue

by ChokolatteJedi

Words: 29371, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/35076157

#stony #steve rogers #tony stark #iron man #captain america #fan fiction #ao3 stony feed #stony fan

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xxx-cat-xxx · 4 years ago

Text

we’re collecting dust (but our love’s enough)

Have a little bittersweet Pepperony & Ironfam fic. As always, thanks to @whumphoarder for beta reading!

_________________

And here’s the thing about getting old: it’s marked by an ever-rising contrast between the good days and the bad days. On good days, Tony can still spend hours tinkering in the garage or playing ball with Peter’s eight-year-old son, Ben, down by the lake.

But on bad days, when phantom pain is hijacking all of his senses (despite the fact that two decades have passed now since that final battle), putting on the prosthesis is out of the question—as is getting down the stairs from the master bedroom.

And on the really bad days, his joints are so stiff that he’s barely able to lift his one remaining arm high enough to bring his migraine medication up to his lips.

“Pep?” Tony croaks, hating the weakness that’s echoing back at him. He’s not sure if she’s even close enough to hear him, but he trusts FRIDAY to relay the message that his wife is needed.

It takes her longer than it used to, but then Pepper is by his side, putting an arm behind his back in a practiced motion to help him sit up a little more. He bites back a groan when the change in elevation only increases the stabbing pain behind his right eye.

“Open your mouth,” she directs, firmly but warmly, before placing the pills on his tongue and bringing the water glass to his lips so he can take a sip. He loves her for the lack of pity in her eyes, for her focus on the practicalities of caring, for the calmness masking her worry― although none of that is surprising. Hell, they’ve been through far worse than the thunderstorms in his head.

Pepper adds a heating pad to the collection of pillows propping him up and pats it with an inviting gesture. Wincing, he lies back down, then curls onto his side, pulling his legs up to his stomach.

“Here, just in case.” Pepper puts a trash can next to the bed, freshly lined in order to avoid the smell making his nausea any worse. Tony really hopes he won’t throw up the pills he just took, but the possibility is definitely there.

“You’re the best, Miss Potts” he mumbles, and only then realises that this particular nickname is already a few decades too old.

“Get some sleep, Tony.” She brushes a kiss on his forehead and gently shuts his eyes with her palm. He opens them again the moment she’s left the room, unable to find rest just yet.

With difficulty, Tony turns onto his other side so that the photos on the nightstand come into view. Morgan and her girlfriend Riri with their surfboards at Malibu beach, the sunset bathing them in a warm, almost otherworldly light. Peter and Ben, who is sitting on Rhodey’s lap in the wheelchair and laughing at someone behind the camera. Happy and May, arm in arm and a little drunk on the evening of their tenth anniversary.

Tony keeps looking at the photos until the drugs kick in and they turn blurry in front of his eyes while he finally drifts off.

It’s early evening when he wakes again, his head still throbbing and his body tired, but feeling miles better than earlier. The house is quiet and Pepper is nowhere to be seen. Tony lies still for a moment, marvelling at the simple fact that he is able to form comprehensive thoughts without feeling like his brain is being eaten alive.

After a while, he’s able to sit up on his own and slowly make his way to the bathroom. He uses the toilet and brushes his teeth to get rid of the stale taste in his mouth. Then he has to hold on to the basin for a while because he starts to feel lightheaded from being on his feet for a phenomenal five full minutes. Finally it passes, and he washes his face with cold water to get his blood pressure back to a more reasonable level.

When he looks up, there’s an old man staring back at him from the mirror, rumpled grey hair and an even greyer beard. He bears a vague resemblance to Howard Stark―Howard Stark if someone had tried to melt away half of his face.

The snap has left a long-term toll, and not just in the gruesome scars all over his body. Tony had a stroke last summer, after which he’d temporarily lost the movement in his one remaining arm and was drooling for weeks, and he’s already on his second pacemaker this year. Not that he’s complaining―better to be old than dead, thank you very much―but some things really just suck. He stares at the mirror image a moment longer and then sticks out his tongue at it, content to see that this makes him stop looking like Howard.

“Tony?” He flinches when he hears Pepper’s voice from downstairs, though she doesn’t sound like Pepper at all. Her tone is scared, almost desperate. “Where are you?”

“Hon-” he stops to clear his scratchy throat and tries again. “Honey, I’m up here!”

Her footsteps run up the staircase and he turns around to see her enter, dressed in her favourite light blue summer dress, the long hair cascading down over her shoulders.

“Tony?” she asks again, breathing hard. Then she takes him in and relief blooms on her face. He registers the tears on her cheek and automatically raises his good hand to wipe them away.

“What happened?” he asks softly. But he already knows.

Closing her eyes, she leans into his touch. “I was in the garden,” she starts. “I was, I think I was watering the sunflowers, and then, for a second, I―I didn’t know. Where I was. Where everyone was.”

“Oh Pep,” he sighs, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. It’s not the first time this has happened, but all the other times she’s been inside the house where FRIDAY could help her make sense of the situation and get back to reality quickly. “How long were you out there?”

“I don’t know,” Pepper mumbles. “I thought―I thought it was a park, maybe? That I was back at my parents’ place and went out for a walk. But then I saw Morgan’s little house and remembered.” She takes a shaky breath. “God, Tony, it’s all such a mess.”

“You’re alright,” he whispers, and then, knowing it’s not herself she is scared about, he adds, “I’m here. Morgan and Riri are flying around the world somewhere. Peter is in Queens—it’s his weekend with Ben. They might be visiting Happy and May just now. Rhodey is… I don’t actually know where Rhodey is right now, but he’s fine. Everyone’s doing okay.”

“I know,” she mumbles, pulling away. “Now I remember.”

“Good. That’s good, Pep. It was just―a glitch. A tiny glitch in your memory.” He forces a smile and shifts a bit of his weight against the doorframe, his legs suddenly feeling weak.

Pepper, of course, catches on to that. “How's your headache?” She seems to have caught herself, but he wonders whether she remembers his migraine or just guessed it from the situation. “Why are you up?”

“Had to pee. But I’m better, promise.” She looks at him critically, and he adds, “Just won't be up for anything demanding for the rest of the day.”

“That’s fine.” She runs her hands through her hair, combing it with her fingers before tying it up in a bun, her way of reasserting control. “You should go back to bed. I’ll fix us something light to eat.”

Tony doesn’t like the idea of leaving her alone right now, but making it down the stairs to the kitchen seems... challenging. But he’s already got a better idea. “Actually, I was thinking of taking a bath. Getting a little ripe,” he jokes. “Will you help me wash my hair?”

It's always good to give her something easy to do when the dementia is playing tricks on her, something to busy her hands and distract her mind.

“Uh-huh.” She looks right through him, then sighs a little. “Sure. Why not.”

There used to be a time after Afghanistan when Tony couldn’t have set foot in a bathtub if an army had forced him to. He avoided them the same way he avoided caves and, later, endless night skies or Sci-Fi movies with wormholes. It was only Peter’s immense disappointment over not being able to watch the fourth Star Trek movie together that finally pushed him into seeing the counsellor who helped him get a grip on some of this.

(Almost starving in space, Peter’s five-year disappearance and Pepper’s pregnancy might have also played a role, but hey, saying you started therapy to be able to watch Leonard Nimoy in a bathrobe saving whales makes for better dinner table jokes).

Either way, he’s glad that his bath-o-phobia is mostly cured now, because their lakehouse tub is plain amazing, and not having to stand to shower on days like these is a blessing.

The hot water and the essential oils Pepper added to it do wonders for Tony’s aching body. He breathes in the steam that reminds him of expensive spas on New York’s winter days. Pepper has turned her back towards him, organising the already neat collection of tubes and bottles on the counter. Unimpressed with the solemnity of the scene, he playfully splashes some water at her. She turns towards him and smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Tony could tell from a mile away that she’s still shaken.

Time for plan B.

“Will you join me, honey?” Drawing out the last word, he blinks his eyelashes up at her seductively, which finally makes her laugh for real.

“Well, Mr Stark, if you’re asking like that…” The dress slides down her shoulders and collects around her feet, and her undergarments quickly follow. She glides inside the tub more gracefully than should be legal for anyone over sixty, and, copying him, flicks some water onto his nose.

Ignoring the perfect opportunity for a water fight, Tony extends his arm and pulls her close to his chest, taking in her wrinkled skin and the roots of grey in her ginger hair where the dye has grown out. She intertwines her legs with his and lets her weight, minimised by the water, be borne fully by his body. Her cheek comes to rest on the soft spot between his collarbones. She is moving up and down in rhythm with his breaths, creating tiny ripples on the surface of the water, and he holds her tighter, ever tighter.

Pepper readjusts her position and runs her hand down from his neck, to his stomach, and back up again. He responds with a kiss to the top of her forehead and then starts tracing the outline of her breast with his index finger. She stops to look down at them critically. “Not really what they used to be.”

“Still better than what I have to offer,” he deadpans. At this point, his chest is basically one big scar tissue. “And personally, I’m still a fan of them. It. All of it.”

He can hear her smile in the way she lets her breath out through her nose.

They stay like that for a while, Tony feeling the tension bleed out of his body, the pounding of his temples ease a little, and his eyes slowly falling shut again.

“I was so scared,” Pepper suddenly admits into his collarbones. He feels drops of water trickle down his neck and knows she’s crying even before she sniffles quietly.

“I know,” he says quietly. “But it will be alright, love.”

“Will it, though?” she asks, ever-critically, ever-questioning. Too many of his promises have shattered before her eyes for her to blindly believe him now, so he doesn’t make her any new ones, doesn’t talk about the world-renowned team of scientists he already hired when the first symptoms showed themselves, about the devices he’s working on down in his garage. She already knows all of that. It’s not what she needs to hear right now.

Instead, he swallows hard and says, “Pep, listen. We’ll get through this too. And if… whatever will happen. I'll be there.” What he doesn’t say out loud is what she already knows from how tight he’s holding on to her:

I won’t give you up without a fight.

“I know,” she whispers. Then she takes a deep breath before untangling herself from his embrace. “So, are we going for the anti-dandruff shampoo or can I use something that won’t make you smell like coconut?”

Tony positively purrs while Pepper massages the shampoo into his scalp. “Close your eyes and mouth,” she commands when she tilts his head back before starting the shower. And a laugh bursts out of Tony, because this is the same tone she used to use on Morgan when washing her hair, and in response their daughter would screw her eyes shut and bite her lips so tight in such concentration that her whole face scrunched up with it.

“What’s so funny?” Pepper asks, so Tony, not one to admit to nostalgia, just twists the showerhead out of her grasp to point it back at her, finally getting himself that water fight.

After drying off and pulling on a fresh pair of pajamas, Tony is put back to bed with his tablet and a promise that Pepper will join after making pasta. He checks his email, then sets the tablet aside and gets back up to open the window. He lets his eyes wander to the garden and lake that are just visible in the last rays of daylight.

Sometimes, on bad days, he cynically wonders what will give out first: his broken body or Pepper’s battered mind. But on good days, that's not what counts. They might have months, or years; if things go great, they might even have another decade. Tony has long, long ago started to regard every additional day in his life as something he doesn’t have a right to, and sworn to himself to use them to the best of his ability. That’s what it comes down to, in the end. He and Pepper will do what they have always done―simply keep going as long as they can.

“Hey, old man.” Pepper is standing in the doorway, holding out a bowl of blueberries. “I picked them earlier in the garden―forgot all about them. You want some?”

“Sure.” He turns around to fully look at her. “I'd love to.”

_________________

I hope you liked it! Credit for the idea of Riri Williams and Morgan Stark getting together goes to @fuzzydeergirlart‘s wonderful art (or at least that’s where I go the idea from).

All my fics

#pepperony #old tony stark #old pepper potts #migraine #dementia #ironfam #dad peter parker #blueberries

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buckleyirondad · 4 years ago

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Mini-sequel and Notebook AU!!!

I seriously cannot let go of this universe, can I? Haha.

The Mini-Sequel: it will be two chapters, one released New Year’s Eve and the other, New Year’s Day.

I don’t want to spoil it too much, so here’s the summary:

It’s been eight years, since Peter and Morgan escaped captivity. Life is somewhat normal. There’s a few ups and downs, but they’re happy. They still rely, on one another and share an unbreakable bond.

Everything changes, when Peter and MJ find out, they’re expecting their first child. Peter is freaking out about being a first-time dad. Morgan is scared about where she’ll stand, in her brother’s life when the baby arrives.

Tony is trying to hold everything together, but things take a turn when Morgan disappears.

Moving on to the Notebook AU:

This will be my first spideychelle-centric fanfiction, and I am super excited about that prospect. Obviously, the entire ironfamily ensemble will be included, and it isn’t an Endgame complaint.

I do not have a summary yet, but here are the basics:

Due, to Peter’s Spider-Man genetics, breaking down over time, he is diagnosed with dementia, in his early seventies, which is worsened by his overactive healing factor.

Michelle tells him, their story, on a weekly basis.

It consists, of moments of the pair, in their elderly years, discussing the story, but it will primarily be stories from the past.

I will be writing Michelle’s parents, for the first time.

I’m also including her sister, Gayle, from the comics, but I have renamed her Abigail, and her part is minimal but important.

Tony is the softest grandpa.

It is incredibly fluffy, in moments, but it is angsty, especially considering we will be covering the loss of Tony, May, Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy.

Before all of that angst, we get to see Peter and Michelle be parents!

#cmdhb #the notebook au #irondad #spideychelle #wips #libby answers

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everbecomesreal · 4 years ago

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Someone just posted that they see MCU canon Steve as bisexual but the idea that MCU canon Tony is bisexual is ridiculous.

I mean, really? That is such a hypocritical viewpoint.

Firstly if we look solely as canon both are straight.

If we are scrounging for breadcrumbs, then Tony is the one who is affectionate and flirtatious with people of both genders. Tony is the one with the promiscuous past where it’s implied he experimented. There is a real tension and hint of something more in the scenes between Tony and Loki, whether you see it as a battle of egos, or a deep seated animosity or romance is entirely up to you but there is definitely something electric about that scene. By contrast his relationship with Bruce is soft and relatively insecure with more touching than most other characters get who interact with him. Then again in the scenes between Tony and Stephen Strange in Infinity War we get a similar type of tension to the one’s with Loki in Avengers Assemble. They mirror each other very closely. The character Tony interacts with who most supports the theory that Tony might be bisexual is Justin Hammar. The implication is that they have known each other for years and in their scenes to my eyes they have the kind of love/hate chemistry that would be really unhealthy if it were turned into an actual relationship. They never state that they could have had a fling or been in a relationship, but the behaviour is not unlike two exes trying to one up each other by how well they are doing now.

It certainly isn’t conclusive, but there are enough breadcrumbs there to justify a headcanon. The person he has the most chemistry with is clearly Pepper who is amazing, the love of his life, and who has killed 12% of all the villains in the MCU so is arguably the most successful superhero too. This is why he marries her. While Tony is definitely not gay, you don’t stop being bisexual because you are in a monogamous relationship with someone of the opposite gender, so it is possible for him to be a bisexual man married to a woman. It is a little squinty to see Tony as bisexual, but only a little.

Whereas with Steve, I just don’t see it. Honestly the way he’s played by Chris Evans he comes across as either asexual or straight, because he was clearly in love with Penny in a romantic, let’s grow old together way, and later he had a real chemistry with Natasha. Again like the Loki/Tony and Bruce/Tony scenes I think they are written without a romantic pairing in mind, but there is a chemistry there, especially in the scene at Sam’s house in TWS and in Endgame.

The two people Steve is most often paired with in fandom are Bucky and Tony, and honestly having watched the films several times I have never seen anything that indicates Steve having romantic feelings towards either of them. I think people paired him with Bucky because it was convenient. If you look at the first avenger, from the very first scenes Bucky is acting like an older more responsible, less rash older brother. He takes care of Steve in an older sibling type way, and as the film continues and Steve matches/surpasses Bucky physically that dynamic evolves in the same way sibling dynamics do between adolescence and adulthood to become more equal. Not to mention they’ve been acting like brothers since they were very tiny, and if you act like siblings with someone, regardless of whether or not you are related to them, often you develop the same aversion to seeing them in a sexual way as with blood siblings. It’s why siblings who have never met are more likely to be attracted to each other sexually than adopted siblings. Another relationship in the MCU that is similar to this in terms of the sibling dynamic being portrayed really well is the one between Tony and Rhodey as well as the Thor and Loki relationship.

There is so much Stucky content out there that I have really tried to see the romance in the pairing so I can enjoy it. I have rewatched the films and read some of the fanfiction but the pairing just feels like incest to me and it squicks me out.

With the Steve/Tony romantic angle. I never saw it from either side. I don’t think either character saw the other for them self instead of the bundle of expectations they had until fairly late on. I don’t think we saw Tony develop a real relationship and respect for Steve until Age of Ultron where it seemed established, even if we saw flashes of it from Tony’s side in the scene when the helecarrier was being attacked in Avengers Assemble. I don’t think there is a scene where Steve speaks to Tony with the respect you show another human being until Endgame. Without that level of connection there can’t be a romantic connection.

Honestly I think there is more evidence in canon for Steve being asexual, but not necessarily a romantic than for him being attracted to men. With his aversion to going on a date and his continued attraction to a woman who had completely moved on and was so impaired by dementia that it would be difficult to have consensual intercourse. The discomfort with which he reacts to Natasha when she kisses him in public or when she pretends they’re engaged at the Apple store could be because he sees her as a friend, because he has feelings for her that he doesn’t feel comfortable expressing, or because sex makes him uncomfortable and he isn’t interested.

Again, in MCU canon both men are straight, but if we’re analysing details for hints of other sexuality’s, there is a possibility that Tony is bisexual and a possibility that Steve is asexual from what we are given in canon but both are a long way from having enough info to confirm. Steve as interested in men just doesn’t quite seem supported in the original material to me.

I think sometimes if you consume a lot of both canon and fandom material it is possible to merge the two in your head, to the extent that the character you see doesn’t bare a lot of resemblance to the one shown on screen or in the text. I think this might be what happened with particularly Steve being shown as bisexual a lot in fandom, because people have consumed a lot of content and created a lot of headcanons around it when they rewatch the films they apply their “knowledge” from fandom and either see what they want to see or get cross their preferred pairing isn’t obvious in the film, or the sequels.

TL;DR both characters are straight in canon but there is more justification in terms of breadcrumbs for Tony being bisexual than Steve.

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kimannhart · 4 years ago

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Sorta angsty ironhusbands concept that I will hopefully someday write, dementia tw:

Tony is a piano player, learned from his mom, and would always play and sing different songs for Rhodey, and y’all know the drill. They fall in love, are cute, raise some kids together, and start to grow old together. And then one day, Tony starts to lose his memory and they find out tony has early on-set dementia (they’re both in their early 50s). And as Tony starts to forget everything, he still knows how to play piano. So, he’ll just play piano for Rhodey and Rhodey gets really sad about it because all the songs Tony will play were the songs Tony used to play and serenade Rhodey with

#ironhusbands

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tonystarkbingo · 4 years ago

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TSB MIV Week 17 Roundup!

We have only TWO MONTHS LEFT for this round of TSB!

Title: When We Break With Tradtions - Chapter 1: A New Path Collaborator: J_Gun_i (Fighting_for_Creativity) Card Number: 4004 Link: AO3 Square Filled: T5 - Fatigue Ship: Ironhusbands, (pre)M'Baku/Rhodey/Tony Rating: Mature Major Tags: Spiritual Man M'Baku, Established Rhodey/Tony, Meddling Shuri, panic attack (?), strong opinion against outsiders (at first), kinda soulmates. Summary: M'Baku was approached by Princess Shuri who had an unusual request. Agreeing to it, M'Baku found soon out that he set things into motion, he'd never have dreamed of. But what can he do when souls are bound to be together. Also, no one is safe from a meddling Princess Shuri. Word Count: 8625

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Title: a moment in between Collaborator: ohjustpeachy Card Number: 4017 Link: AO3 Square Filled: S5 - Fears appear in reality Ship: IronHusbands Rating: Gen Major Tags: hurt/comfort, angst Summary: Those few blissful seconds right before he regains complete consciousness sometimes feel like all he has left. Then, of course, the realization hits, and Rhodey feels the loss all over again, hears the words anew every time. Complete paralysis. Tonight is one of those nights. Or, Rhodey wakes from a nightmare and Tony does what he can. Word Count: 1203

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Title: Rumor Has It Collaborator: Faustess Card Number: 4059 Link: AO3 Square Filled: K3 - Holding Hands Ship: IronHusbands; Pepper/Steve Rating: Gen Major Tags: Implied (not actual) Infidelity Summary: Rhodey wakes up to find Tony reading aloud to Pepper and Steve about his (supposed) wild, playboy lifestyle and their respective roles in it. Jim Rhodes is not caffeinated enough for this kind of hilarity. Word Count: 1319

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Title: m the Edge (Screaming My Name) Collaborator: ralsbecket Card Number: 4056 Link: AO3 Square Filled: A3 - Free Space Ship: Stony Rating: Mature Major Tags: Major character death, angst/tragedy, canon-typical violence Summary: They’d gotten there too late. Everyone used to joke with Steve about him being the Man Out of Time, and today of all days the reminder is just a sharp slap to the face. Maybe he needs a slap to the face, Steve thinks briefly, because then at least he would feel something. Word Count: 5128

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Title: a lifetime’s a short time (when love never ends) Collaborator: deehellcat Card Number: 4028 Link: AO3 Square Filled: A2 - whump Ship: Pepperony Rating: Teen Major Tags: Canonical Character Death, Dementia, Grief, Aging, Avengers Endgame compliant, with all that implies, I'm Sorry, Implied Suicidal Actions Summary: Years have taken a lot from Pepper, and in the waning of her life, even her memories begin to fall away. Word Count: 2101

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Title: Along Collaborator: periwinklepromise Card Number: 4053 Link: AO3 Square Filled: A1 - Lip Sync/Karaoke Ship: Maria Hill/Natasha Romanova Rating: Teen Major Tags: none Summary: “Remind me again why I agreed to this?” Maria grumbles. Natasha gives a slim smile. “Because I asked you to.” Word Count: 388

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Title: That’s Fiancé Badass Collaborator: JehBeeEh Card Number: 4058 Link: AO3 Square Filled: K3 - Image (IM3 - Tony Handcuffed by his captors) Ship: Stony Rating: Mature Major Tags: Mob AU, Fluff, BAMF Tony Summary: Steve Rogers was many things. Patient was not one of them. This usually seemed to be less of a problem where his beloved Tony was concerned, but tonight his patience was wearing thin. He had plans. And Tony was late for them. When his phone rang, 20 minutes past the hour, he did his best not to let his irritation show. He really did try. “Anthony,” he answered in a levelled but commanding voice. “You better have a very good reason for being late tonight of all nights, my love.” Word Count: 1880

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Title: At the End of the Day Collaborator: Politzania Card Number: 4007 Link: AO3 Square Filled: A2 - Writing Format: Past Tense Ship: Stony Rating: Gen Major Tags: domestic fluff, established relationship, sleep deprived!Tony Summary: Steve helps Tony get undressed after a long day, gently fending off his overtures along the way. Word Count: 416

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Title: i am the horizon that you ride towards - Chapter 1 Collaborator: deathsweetqueen Card Number: 4066 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R4 - Kink: Alpha/Beta/Omega Society Ship: Stony Rating: Explicit Major Tags: major character death, rape, underage content. Warnings for this Chapter: forced marriage Summary: Tony’s mother and father die when he is sixteen. He doesn’t mourn his father, but when he sees his mother’s still, gaunt face, the dark colour of her skin washed out, there are tears in his eyes that falls, running down his face in rivers, matting in the collar of his jerkin. “Come,” Obadiah says, coldly, his hand landing on Tony’s shoulder. Tony cringes, but follows, mostly because he has no other choice – Obadiah, as his father’s second-in-command, had made his feelings clear; he had no intention of caring for his dead liege lord’s omega son, not when he could get to business and begin making alliances with Tony as the thing to be sold to some stranger like a horse. Word Count: 4664

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Title: My Favourite Day Dream Collaborator: startrekkingaroundasgard Card Number: 4048 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: T5 - arranged marriage Ship: Stony, Natasha/Reader Rating: Teen Major Tags: mentions of homophobia Summary: Forced to marry as young nobles, both Anthony and the reader had to abandon the people they truly loved for status and reputation. When Sir Steven and his trusty assassin Natasha agree to spend a few nights at their estate, the pair have the chance to see their loves again. However, around Steven, Anthony is a blabbering mess and Natasha is still angry that the reader chose to marry for duty over running away with her. Can they find their happiness or will they waste their second chance? Word Count: 1581

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Title: Iron Man + Avengers A Collaborator: rebelmeg Card Number: 4034 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: T5 - framed Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: cross stitch Summary: Cross stitch of tiny Iron Man flying around an arc reactor blue Avengers A

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Title: In Victory, and in Defeat Collaborator: JehBeeEh Card Number: 4058 Link: AO3 Square Filled: A3 - free space Ship: Stony Rating: Teen Major Tags: marriage proposal, fluff and angst Summary: The Battle of New York seems all but lost. Until it isn't. And Tony can't risk saving the world without knowing the answer to a very important question first. Word Count: 2146

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Title: soothing Collaborator: ohjustpeachy Card Number: 4017 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: A1 - writing format: drabble Ship: Stony Rating: Gen Major Tags: fluff, drabble Summary: Steve realizes that the arc reactor has a sound. Word Count: 100

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Title: untitled Collaborator: Nicnac Card Number: 4048 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: S2 - Riri Williams Ship: Tony Stark & Riri Williams Rating: Gen Major Tags: none Summary: Ironheart moldboard Word Count: N/A

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Title: Bowling for Platypuses Collaborator: newnewyorker93 Card Number: 4042 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: A5 - Dark Alleys Ship: IronBros Rating: Gen Major Tags: Moodboard Summary: A moodboard for rebelmeg’s and my yet-to-be-actually-written fic in which Rhodey out-pranks Tony at a glow-in-the-dark bowling alley using an intriguing fact of platypus biology. Word Count: N/A

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Title: Skinmage Collaborator: 27dragons Card Number: 4027 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R5 - AU: Urban Fantasy Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: AU: Urban Fantasy, Tattoos, Magic, Pre-relationship Summary: The magic for making pictures move was relatively well-documented, though it was a difficult and costly process. But getting marks on the skin to react -- that was infinitely harder, complicated by the living cells of the canvas and compounded by the changeability of the shape.There was archaeological evidence of past civilizations that had dabbled in it, usually reserved for especially high-ranking leaders. But those cultures had jealously guarded those secrets, and to the best of Tony’s knowledge, no one had ever managed to actually replicate the art. Word Count: 1027

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Title: A nice day for self-discoveries Collaborator: Gottalovev Card Number: 4077 Link: AO3 Square Filled: A1 - Kink: Figging Ship: Stony Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Slight BDSM (hair pulling, exploring power dynamics, talk of kink, talks of figging-but do not get your hopes up, I didn't tag it for honesty), blow job, hand job. Summary: Tony gets the wrong idea when he sees what Steve bought at the grocery store. (It leads to sex anyway). Word Count: 3772

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Title: Stanley Cups Before Wedding Rings Collaborator: JehBeeEh Card Number: 4058 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R3 - Arena Ship: Stony Rating: Teen Major Tags: N/A Summary: Steve Rogers and his team just won the most coveted trophy in hockey. And yet, that's still not the best part of his night. Word Count: 2040

#tonystarkbingomarkiv #tsbmiv #tsb miv weekly roundup #tsb miv week 17

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colonelenby · 4 years ago

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@itswasteland said: Tony drops several pamphlets on retirement homes into Rhodey's lap. "What are your priorities--good Jell-O or a good chess community? Or has the dementia set in already and you can't decide? You want to just go ahead and sign me in as your power of attorney now or after you finish your crossword? I promise to only pull the plug when the rest of your hair turns grey. Or you annoy me."

“Lookin’ for me to recommend you a place, Tones? You’re getting up there too. Rust’s starting to form on your suit, Iron Man.” James countered, glaring at their friend. “And with all the brain damage you get from screwing around in battle, you’re more likely to go crazy than I am. Any place that allows two to share a room so I can keep an eye on your crazy ass is my preference. You’d be horribly misbehaved in an old folks home.”

#(( rhodey wants to live in a retirement place with tony uwu ))#(( even if they hide it behind mean jokes ))#itswasteland #[ answered ]#| idiot best friend. (tony) |#| next time you ride with me. (rhodey x tony) |

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logangarfield · 4 years ago

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Rules: List 10 words or phrases that have something to do with your work(s) in progress and then tag 10 people to do the same

I was tagged by @spideypeach (thank you!!!)

Hamartia:

Extremis

Villian

Arc reactor

Pain

Why does everything bad happen to Peter?

“You’re not your mistakes.”

Recovery

Nightmares

Bitter

“Give me back my Rhodey”

To Be Human:

“Barbed wire would be helpful, ya know.......Negan style.”

Dementia

Start Of Time

Sheltie

Mythology

“We could be heroes.”

Connections

Old friends

Mostly still canon (I’m so sorry)

The Humans

This Love:

Cliche

Boxer and artist

Looking For Alaska

Soft

Misunderstanding but no angst

Restaurant

Big anxiety

Hurt/comfort

Rooftop talks

“Why do I have to be a what could have been or a what if?”

Feel Something:

Bonfires

Don’t try this at home

mechanics

movies

friendship

summer nights

awkwardness

texting all night and not getting enough sleep

Dogs

leaning to change a tire

im tagging: @bi-writes @madmadmilk @keepingupwiththeparkers @spiderboytotherescue @ptrbprkrs @naturallytom @gyllenwh0re + anyone else who wants to do this!!

#tag game #hamartia #to be human #this love #feel something

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talentedliarloki · 4 years ago

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SURPRISE ME WITH A KISS

spots to kiss.

random number generator chose: 31. a kiss on the palm.

Tony’s symptoms are consistent with early onset dementia.

The dialogue sounds warped, like Loki is hearing it while being held underwater.

The rapid progression was probably caused by an acute case of delirium brought on by the quantum realm. His blood work shows his BAC is zero-point-three and he is severely dehydrated, which likely intensified the delirium.

His diaphragm spasms, fearing drowning around the need for breath.

We can treat the dehydration and the delirium with medication, but the dementia will continue to compromise Tony’s function. I can’t say how long, but eventually he will need assistance with all the activities and daily body functions.

The sound that leaves the trickster is either a choked gasp or a barely-suppressed sob.

We asked Tony is there was someone he trusts, and he said you…

It was after the doctor stepped out of the room to allow the two of them a moment of privacy that Tony finally looked away from the saline drip infusing through the crook of his arm to Loki. Loki, who looked as divine as he had the moment he’d met Tony, if not more so due to the distinct lack of influence from any Infinity Stone. But time had passed through Tony as effortlessly as the man had passed through time and he was left bearing the evidence of both: his once bold brown eyes were dim and ashen, hair more gray than mocha anymore, and the smile and frown lines and crows feet had all met each other like highways, mapping out Tony’s every expression over the years.

“I’m sorry.” Was Loki’s first whispered sentiment as he reached for Tony’s cheek, then his jaw, finally settling on the nape of his neck as an anchor with which he could draw closer and touch their foreheads together. He avoids Tony’s pithless gaze for a moment. “I am so sorry, Tony.”

Because Loki, an ageless demigod, had more than once chosen to leave the realm and man in search of else; never more because there could never be more than Tony Stark, but he was still an immortal and he was still tireless and timeless but always intending to return.

Maybe it was an attempt at ignorance or perhaps he was denying the inevitable, what he knew in his heart of hearts all along…

Tony’s life would be a long and painful unraveling that would pull Loki to pieces and Loki didn’t know what do with him or without him, and he had to cope with both, all of a sudden, at the same time.

Death by a thousand thousand cuts…

There were good days, like when Tony remembered something from days or weeks prior and reminded Loki of a chore he said he’d do; there were bad days, like when Tony looked at Loki as if he were a stranger; but the worst days were when Tony would pretend to follow along with conversation, nodding here and there, but when he tried to add to conversation his contribution was so disconnected and unnerving, it leadened the weight in Loki’s gut and broke his heart all over again.

That was the hardest time, when Tony was not totally gone but yet not there at all.

Sometimes Tony was glib and hilarious, other times his anxiety toward his whereabouts bordered on paranoia. He asked about Pepper and Rhodey and Natasha and Steve…

Sometimes he was mean and it was all Loki could do not to return the hurtful attitude back tenfold. Loki tolerated the year-long bad days so he could bask in the warmth of the good as long as they kept occurring, no matter how few and far between they were becoming.

They were sitting together on the couch, Tony with his head peacefully resting against Loki’s shoulder, as Loki cruised memory lane in his mind for the millionth time.

“Loki?” It’s quiet, but the tone is thick with relieved recognition, like Tony had just stirred awake from a nightmare.

The godling looks at him and smiles softly, taking the man’s hand in his own giving it a squeeze. “I’m here.”

Tony returns the pressure around his fingers. This disease had softened Tony’s hands; his workshop had been dark for months. His calluses were almost entirely gone. “Did I fall asleep?”

Loki hummed and lifted the man’s hand to his face, caressing it against his own cheek and placing a kiss against the heart line in his palm. “How do you feel?”

Tony blinks slowly, touches a warm fingertip to Loki’s temple and his hairline, and offers only a nod in response. It wasn’t an inappropriate answer, but he was narrowing his eyes at Loki as the god pressed another kiss to the heel of his hand and another several to the base each finger, and suspicion leaked into the man’s gaze. “What’s the matter?”

And it’s a question that sounds in and of itself like an answer. It sounds like there’s knowing pushed between each syllable, like Tony is perfectly aware of what’s happening but he wants to hear Loki say it. Tony was never one to suffer fools, even (and especially) his beloved trickster, so the extra adoration was understandably suspect. But Tony was a genius, with an emotional deftness of which even Loki was envious, but in that moment he resented how exposed it made him. Tony could lay bare Loki’s every feeling with just one look and just like that, his fear was there in the open.

And in spite of himself, Loki wanted to will away the holes in Tony’s memory so that they could be whole again, together. He wanted Tony to remember every moment they’d spent together—every laugh and every tear and every ounce of jealousy and hatred and lust and love—if only because Loki wasn’t sure how he’d go on without it.

But in spite of that spite, Loki couldn’t help be consumed by peripheral thoughts of, I know you’re tired. I know you hurt. If you want to go, you can go.

“I don’t know what I will do without you.”

His vision is blurred by hot tears that threaten to spill over and drop into Tony’s hand that is still cupped against the trickster’s cheek. With the pad of a thumb, the wetness is brushed away and Loki actually breathed shakily. He was afraid, as a divine being, of being unable to follow when Tony let go. It wasn’t right by any means, it was the furthest thing from fair, and to a teleporter who until that very moment never focused on the journey as much as he did the destination, the thought of moving on was incomprehensible.

#ask #answered #kingofdirtandnothing #;meme nation #spots to kiss #/ brought to you by the fb group called ''i didn't ask to be brought to tears in this taco bell drive thru yet here i am''

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weirdefilippis · 6 years ago

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The Ending of Endgame Broke The World… But Doesn’t Have To

So I saw ENDGAME and I loved it. Seriously adored it. And then came the ending, and that worked emotionally, but utterly destroyed the movie and the MCU.

I thought about it and realized it can work perfectly… from a certain point of view.

SPOILERS AHEAD

OKAY IS THIS ENOUGH SPACE? (MAYBE NOT)

OKAY, WE CAN COMMENCE WITH THE SPOILAGE

So, let's talk about that ending. Not the big fight or the big death. But Cap. Let’s talk about it.

Cap goes back in time to return the stones and stays with Peggy and lives out a full life with her. Instead of coming back via the Quantum Tunneller, he is revealed sitting on a bench nearby, saying his goodbyes and giving Sam the shield so Sam can be the next Captain America.

Beautiful, wonderful, emotionally satisfying, and I love Sam as the new Cap… but it destroys the movie, destroys the MCU, all of it. Here’s why:

1) The Rules of Time Travel no longer make sense in ways that can preserve the MCU

Endgame works really hard to create rules of time travel that work. Tony corrects Scott’s reference to Back To The Future, Bruce corrects Rhodey and Scott’s references to… well, every time travel movie ever (plus Die Hard).

What they say is this – you cannot go back in time and change history, because in so doing the “future” you change is your own past. They are very clear about this. This is reinforced (a little confusingly) in the conversation with Bruce and the Ancient One. She’s not asking Bruce to return the stones because taking them creates an alternate reality. She’s saying that taking them brings chaos to her “timeline.” The existence of an alternate timeline is implicit in that conversation, meaning a new timeline is created regardless, but that timeline (her timeline) must also be protected from the chaos of having the time stone taken.

Just by changing the past, you are creating a different Quantum Reality. It’s the only way the plot of this movie works. This story creates alternate realities.

One in which right after the battle in New York, Cap fights a version of himself and is told Bucky is alive, while Loki escapes with the Tesseract, and Stilwell and Rumlow hear Cap say Hail Hydra (which they will ask Pierce about and the events of Winter Soldier will explode years too early).

An additional one in which Thanos and his whole force disappear in 2014 and never return, leaving everything they do from then on undone. Nebula of that timeline is killed by a possible future version of herself, and Gamora of that timeline disappears into that same possible future.

Maybe even one in which advice from a guy named Potts makes Howard Stark a nicer dad.

The movie works because none of these things create paradoxes, they create alternate realities.

The minute Cap can go back in time, age with Peggy and then just walk up to his buddies, we’re dealing with one unified timeline where changes don’t create alternatives, and the returning of the stones was meant to prevent changes to time. Which means Nebula is killed by her future self, thus preventing her future self from even existing. Where Thanos disappears in 2014 and never does the snap so there’d never be a reason to time travel and bring him forward from 2014, etc., etc.

The MCU comes apart with paradoxes. Simply because Steve is sitting on a bench.

2) It eliminates AGENT CARTER the series.

The only way for #1 not to happen is if we say that this particular change fit seamlessly enough in history so as not to create an alternate timeline (as opposed to those other changes).

But Cap and Peggy’s dance looks to be in the 40s. Which means he returned not too long after the events of First Avenger, and he and Peggy lied to the world for the next 80 years.

That changes (in a huge way) the Peggy scenes in Winter Soldier. Maybe we can explain them as lies, but lies in moments of dementia are weird, you know?

But, worse, it wipes out AGENT CARTER. In that show, we see Peggy grieving Cap, not just in public where lies explain it. But in private. Which means she’s lying about Steve’s return… to herself. By herself.

This eliminates that show from continuity. A change that is big enough that it should mean an alternate timeline. Unless we pretend that show was never part of the MCU canon.

I refuse to accept that.

SO DOES THIS BREAK THE MOVIE (OR THE MCU)?

Sort of. But only if your read of that final scene is that Steve lived his life, and walked over to that bench on the right day. While that read of the scene is what we might logically conclude, it actually is never stated to be the case.

Because the problem isn’t Steve going to be with Peggy. He deserves that. And so does she. The problem is assuming that him being on the bench means that it’s part of the main timeline. But we only assume that. We assume he doesn’t come back through the tunneller… but what if he did?

What if Steve lived out his life in this new timeline (which I presume played out differently, as the Director of Shield now had info from a man who knew it was being infiltrated by HYDRA), got old, and went to that bench on the exact day and time he was supposed to return, and then synced his device?

That would mean that when Bruce activates the recall, Steve appears on the bench (possibly because this isn't a time jump anymore but a reality shift). Then they all freak out because he’s not on the platform. He turns off his Quantum suit, and waits, as they see him there.

The rest plays out the same.

He’s visiting his old Timeline, shield in tow, so he can say goodbye after having lived a full and happy life in this new alternate timeline.

If viewed this way – from this point of view – it all still makes sense.

So that’s my explanation for why the ending doesn’t work on a first read, but totally does from this point of view.

And it’s why and how I can still love the movie and have my AGENT CARTER and temporally coherent MCU.

- ND

#avengers endgame #endgame #captain america #agent carter

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