#hopefully coloring will help me cope w/ my stress

[foggy-milk]

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Send me line art of your ocs and I’ll print and color them when I’m stressed out of my mind

[cristinablackthornkingson]

Shadowhunters Short Story #63.

Thank you to @lightwoodalltheway for messaging me with this prompt, it was a great idea and I really enjoyed writing this story!

It is a bright August day in London, 1903 when 18 year-old Thomas Lightwood finishes the cure to the demon poison that killed his sister just a few weeks ago. 

Thomas, Cordelia, Lucie and even Grace had gone to great lengths to get the last ingredient for the cure, practically risking their lives by sneaking into the gardens at Tatianna’s Chiswick home to get the plant that would finish the cure. Of course non of them were complaining, The Herondales, Fairchilds, Lightwoods and Carstairs would do anything for one another, even Alistair helped out by persuading Charles to allow Thomas to use Henry’s laboratory to finish off the cure, and staying behind to help him. 

It had only taken Thomas about 20 minutes to finish off the cure, but they were the most terrifying 20 minutes of his life. He may have watched Christopher and their Uncle Henry working on this cure, for weeks now, but he was no scientist like them, he had never done anything like this before and he was terrified to fail, it was too late to save his sister, but he could not bare the idea of it being too late to save all the others who are attacked too, all because of him.

After what feels like an age, Thomas finishes the cure and sits back from the work bench, his shoulders sagging in relief, now he can only hope it really will work. 

“There.” Thomas says in a tone of relief. “There, it’s done. I have finished it.” 

“How do you know? How do you know it will work?” Alistair asks in a curious tone. 

“Well, Kit and Uncle Henry wrote down every step needed to make this cure once they figured out exactly how to make it, the last thing we needed was this plant from my Aunt Tatianna’s garden, though I suppose we will not know for certain if it works, until we try it.” Thomas  explains, rubbing at his heavy and bleary eyes, exhausted from worrying so much about Christopher and from working on the cure. 

“Well then we best go to The Silent City, every second is precious.” Alistair says, helping Thomas to his feet, clearly able to see how exhausted and worn out the other boy is. Thomas nods as he slips on his coat. 

“Thank you Alistair, for persuading Charles to allow me to use the lab and for staying behind with me.” Thomas quietly says.

“I-I did not do anything, I just sat here and watched you, no more use than Matthew’s dog.” Alistair quietly says.

“You kept me company in an extremely stressful and terrifying situation, you had faith in me, unlike Charles. And, I think you are far more charming than Oscar, though do not tell Matthew I said that or he will disown me.” Thomas laughs, as he and Alistair ascend the stairs and walk out into the courtyard, toward the carriage. 

“I did not stay for you or your sake, it was for Charles, to give him piece of mind and make sure you did not blow up his house.” Alistair snaps, spoiling Thomas’ good mood.

20 minutes later the boys arrive at the nearest entrance to The Silent City. They make their way down to the first level in complete silence, Alistair walking behind Thomas, holding his witchlight so they can see where they are going and so he can catch Thomas if he slips, while holding the cure.

When they reach the first level they are greeted by Brother Enoch, who almost makes a very jumpy and nervous Thomas jump out of his skin, when he steps out of the shadows. 

Thomas Lightwood and Alistair Carstairs, what brings you to The Silent City? Brother Enoch’s cold and toneless voice echos in their minds. Thomas swallows nervously before beginning to speak. 

“W-we... we need to see Uncle_ Brother Zachariah, please it is urgent, it is in regards to the cure for the demon poison, for my cousin Christopher and everyone else who has been afflicted by the poison.” Thomas stammers nervously. 

Very well, follow me. Brother Enoch says, before soundlessly turning and making his way down the next set of stairs, never once checking to see if the boys are following him.

A few minutes later the arrive in the infirmary of The Silent City, a bare stone-walled room with two rows of single beds with starch white sheets, standing out against the dull grey of the walls and floor. At least 10 of the beds are taken up, all with Shadowhunters who were attacked by the Khora demons.  Thomas’ gaze is drawn straight to Christopher, who is in the bed nearest the entrance. His face is pale, his brown hair lying flat for once, when usually it is stuck up at every odd angle imaginable, his eyes are closed and his glasses have been neatly and lovingly folded and put on the nightstand, next to his bed. 

In this moment Thomas feels as if he has been pushed to the very edge and can no longer cope, seeing his beloved cousin so ill and on the brink of death is threatening to push him over the edge and send him into complete despair and panic, he already lost his sister, he cannot lose his cousin too. Thomas and Christopher are possibly the closest out of the all the cousins, and always have been. They grew up together, Thomas was Christopher’s biggest supporter and defender, right next to Anna and Cecily and Gabriel. He had happily sat and listened to Christopher talking about science and inventions for hours and hours, Thomas had bought Christopher his first real science book, at age 10 with money he had been given for his birthday. He helped Christopher acquire his own beakers, test tubes, etc, so he would not have to constantly be borrowing Henry’s.

Christopher was Thomas’ first baby cousin, he had only been 18 months when Christopher was born but he can still remember walking into The Basilias with his parents and sisters. and seeing his Aunt Cecily sitting in one of the beds with her hair tied back, Uncle Gabriel at her side and a tiny little baby in a pale yellow onsie and wrapped in flame orange colored blanket. He had been fascinated by the baby, his baby cousin Christopher, and was delighted when Aunt Cecily and Uncle Gabriel let him hold Kit. It was in that moment that Thomas and Christopher’s bond began, Thomas immediately felt protective of his baby cousin and did not want to let him go. When Cecily and Christopher came home form The Basilias a few days later, Thomas begged his parents to take him to see his cousin everyday. He had loved helping his Aunt Cecily and Uncle Gabriel with Christopher, always devastated when he himself fell ill and was not well enough to go see Christopher, or to have Christopher over, due to his weak immune system not being able to handle even the flu.

Over the years, when Thomas was still ill and sickly, before he got better, when he was allowed visitors, Christopher would come sit by his bed and tell him all about the latest news in the world of science and talk to him about his latest inventions or read to him from his science books. 

Now the roles are reversed, Thomas is the one visiting a very ill Christopher, and he simply does not know it he can take it. 

You may wait here, Brother Zachariah will be along in a moment. Brother Enoch tells them, before stepping back into the shadows, no doubt to make sure they are not up to no good. 

Sure enough, a few minutes later Brother Zachariah steps into the room, his hood drawn back, the way it had always been when he would visit Thomas and tend to him, when Thomas was ill as a child. 

“Uncle Jem!” Thomas exclaims, darting to his Uncle’s side. “I finished it, the cure for the demon poison, I have it here!” He exclaims in a rushed tone. 

Well done Thomas, how must it be given to the patients? Jem calmly asks. 

“It’s a salve, we need to put it on their wounds, that is what Christopher and Uncle Henry told me.” 

Very well, let us try it and hope it works. Jem says, gently taking the box containing the salve, from his nephew. 

“Give it to Christopher first, please. We would not have found this cure without him, he should be healed first.” Thomas says in a shaky tone. Jem nods.

Alright, you come with me Thomas, if this works it will be good for Christopher to have a friendly and familiar face to wake up to. Thomas nods and follows his Uncle to Christopher’s bed.

As Jem unwinds the bandages around Christopher’s chest, Thomas kneels next to his cousin’s bed, holding his hand tightly. 

Just a few seconds after Jem applies the salve to Christopher’s wounds, Christopher begins to stir. Soon the color returns to his face and he blinks open his eyes, squinting at the bright witchlight filling the room. 

“Kit! Are you alright? How do you feel?” Thomas asks in an urgent tone, leaning forward to push Christopher’s hair out of his face, cupping his face in his hands and looking for any sign that the cure did not work. 

“Ahh get off Tom! You are worse than mama for fussing.” Christopher exclaims, pushing his cousin’s hands away. 

“Sorry, but you are alright?” Thomas asks, handing Christopher his glasses. 

“Yes, I am perfectly fine. You did it then, you finished the cure?” Christopher hopefully asks, slipping his glasses back on and pushing himself up into a sitting position. Thomas nods. 

“I did, but you did all the hard work Kit, you and Uncle Henry. By The Angel I am just so glad you are alright, I could not have bared it if I lost Barbra and you.” Thomas says in a relived tone. 

“It was a three person effort Tom, you, me and Uncle Henry, it could not have been done without any of us.” Christopher says, raking a hand through his hair. 

“Actually it was more of an 8 person job, I could not have gotten the final ingredient without Jamie, Lucie, Cordelia and Grace, and Alistair helped too, he persuaded Charles to allow me to use Uncle Henry’s lab to finish off the cure. I think Lucie is going to end up writing a story about what we went through to get that last ingredient, most of us almost died, but I know we would all do it again, for you.” Thomas tells his cousin. “Can I hug you?” He asks, knowing Christopher does not like to be hugged or touched at all really, he hates it when Cecily ruffles his hair or kisses his cheek and calls him her brilliant little boy. 

“Only if you promise to tell me the story of how you and the others got the last ingredient.” Thomas grins and hugs Christopher tightly.

“I will do anything you want Kit, I am just so glad you are okay.” He says, ruffling his cousin’s hair as he pulls back from the hug. 

“Gah! When did you turn so sappy Thomas? You know when mama says to give me a hug for her, you do not literally have to do it.” Christopher grumbles, making Thomas laugh.

“Uncle Jem, when can Kit come home?” Thomas hopefully asks, grasping Christopher’s hand again and looking at Uncle Jem, who is now tending to Ariadne. 

Soon Thomas, a day or two perhaps. But do not worry, you can come visit him as often as you like now. Jem assures him, seeing glimpses of himself and William at that age. If Thomas were not already 18, Jem would not have been surprised if he and Christopher became Parabatai.

“Tom, did you bring me any of my science books?” Christopher hopefully asks. If he is to be stuck down here fro two more days he would like to use the opportunity to do some more reading for his next experiment or invention. 

“Afraid not, old chap. I was mostly concerned about getting to you before the demon poison did. I will bring some tomorrow if you like.” Thomas offers. Christopher smiles and nods. 

“Thank you Tom, oh and if Cordelia is coming could you ask her to bring some of those lemon tarts she brought to the picnic in regent’s park?” Christopher hopefully asks, his eyes back to their usual brightness and full of intelligence and kindness. Thomas laughs and nods. Only their Christopher would be thinking of science books and lemon tarts after coming back from the verge of death. 

Thomas stays with Christopher for about another hour, before Jem gently tells him that Christopher needs to rest now, but Thomas can come back in the morning. 

“I will see you tomorrow Kit, I love you.” Thomas says, teasingly ruffling his hair again. 

When Thomas reaches the exit to the room, he is greatly surprised to see Alistair still there, leaning against the wall, witchlight in hand. 

“Alistair! I thought you would have left an age ago.” Thomas says in a tone of surprise. 

“I had to wait for you, I couldn’t very well take the carriage and leave you here, Lightwood.” Alistair informs him, folding away his mundane newspaper. 

“I could have walked.” Thomas says, as they start climbing the stairs. Alistair shakes his head. 

“Too dangerous, with the Khora and Mandikhor still out there, you know what the Clave said, we should travel in pairs or groups now, never alone.” Alistair says.

“Oh, well thank you.” Thomas says, still a bit shocked that Alistair waited for him. 

“That’s alright. Listen, Lightwood. Would you... perhaps like to go for a drink? You probably need it after the evening you have had and frankly, so could I.” Alistair asks, trying to keep the shy tone out of his voice. He does not want Lightwood to realize that he actually likes him, as more than a friend, and wants to spend time with him. 

“Alright, we could go the The Devil Tavern, if non of the others are there we can go up to the room the boys and I rent, so we can actually hear one another when we talk.” Thomas says, as they walk toward the carriage. 

An hour later, Thomas and Alistair are sitting in opposite arm chairs in The Merry Thieves rented room, above The Devil tavern, talking as they sip on glasses of brandy.

“Cordelia has told me about this place, it must be nice to have somewhere private to gather with your friends, away from nosy adults.” Alistair quietly says, looking around him and wishing he had somewhere private like this where he could meet Charles, so they did not have to sneak around, stealing kisses for five minutes here or there. If they had a room like this they would not have to worry about anyone seeing them. Alistair is sure if he looked he could find somewhere like this, but Charles would likely never agree to it. He seems ashamed of his feelings for Alistair, and though he says he loves him, Alistair is not convinced. The only thing Charles seems to love is his job.

“It is, I love my parents and sisters... well, sister now, but it is nice to get away sometimes and spend time alone with my friends. You know, I am sure the others would be happy to accept you into our little group, I could ask them.” Thomas says, sending a spark of hope through Alistair. It would be nice to have friends, and maybe he could confide in these friends about his preference for men. Christopher’s sister Anna is exclusively attracted to women, Matthew Fairchild is attracted to both men and women, and even sweet Lucie seems to harbor feelings of more than friendship, for his sister.

“Do you think so?” Alistair hopefully asks, sitting forward eagerly. 

“Yes, absolutely, I will ask them the minute I next see them, you will fit in perfectly with us!” Thomas cheerfully tells him. Alistair’s heart races with the thought of possibly being accepted, of finally having people to confide in. He never thought Thomas Lightwood of all people, would make him feel the way Charles does, but treat him so much better than Charles treats him. 

Maybe it is the alcohol, maybe it is the stress after such a long day and the relief of knowing that all those who were attacked by the Khora are now well, or maybe it is just his own desire. Whatever it is, it is what makes Alistair set his glass down, drop to the floor next to Thomas, take his face in his hands and kiss him.

[caps-lockdown]

Operation: Man Flu

Alright guys here it is the first part of my new series! I thought of this awhile ago but my life has been absolutely bonkers lately and I didn’t have a chance to get started on it til now! I hope ya’ll enjoy this insane and (hopefully funny) romp I’ve come up with.

Tagging @kaytizzle and @cuffski for now, let me know in the comments if you would like to be tagged for future parts!

Summary: As a hacker nobody agent of S.H.I.E.L.D you get roped into what might possibly be your worst nightmare come to life. Will you survive the long weekend? Will you have a chance to get closer to a certain reserved Captain during this extremely stressful (and hilarious) situation?

Pairings: Steve x Shield Agent Female Reader!

Words: 3,397

Ratings/Warnings: I’m going to put hard R here for the whole thing because there’s going to be cussing, mentions of sickness, alcohol consumption, physical fights, mental breakdowns. Jealousy, love triangles (sort of), angst, drama, and lots of crude humor. Just strap in.

Also no Beta so my mistakes are my only thing to claim, I don’t own any characters either, with the exception of the reader, a doctor, and some random characters here and there.

It is in Y/N (Your Name) L/N (Last Name) format. Enjoy!

 Part One

“Y/N I need more water!”

“Y/N my eyes hurt!”

“Y/N can you tell Bucky and Tony to shut the hell up? I’m trying to sleep off this headache!”

“Shut up Wilson!”

Pinching the bridge of your nose, nostrils flaring, you released a slow and irritated breath. The shouting was coming from the makeshift quarantine section in the Tower. Never in a million years would you be able to guess that this was going to be your job at some point. In fact, you would have laughed in anyone’s face if they told you that at some point in your life you would be stuck in Stark Tower taking care of a bunch of sick and over dramatic man children. This was supposed to be your weekend in. You were supposed to be comfy and cozy surrounded by happy things, not a bunch of sick cry babies. You were so getting a raise when all of this was over.

You looked to the ceiling praying to anyone upstairs for just a small moment of peace. The moment of peace could come in the form of a giant mallet to knock all of the whiny men in the next room unconscious. Perhaps a dart gun with Nyquil loaded ammunition? Anything to help you cope with being stuck with this lot of ill idiots for the next 48 hours. Why of all people did it have to be you? You were not someone that saw The Avengers in close quarters, you were sort of work friends, but you never thought your friendship would be put to the test quite like this. Who were they to ask this of you anyway? It’s not like you have any medical experience. Hell you get squeamish just thinking about blood. You rarely got sick. You cried watching Grey’s anatomy for cripes’ sake! You must have been cursed by some otherworldly power. Loki was messing with you. That had to be it. You were sure that had to be the reason behind this cruel and unusual punishment.

“Y/N BUCKY KEEPS STARING AT ME!”

“Well you keep sounding like you’re gonna puke Stark! And if you puke I puke! So don’t puke!”

“Damn I need a drink.” You uttered before squaring your shoulders and heading back into the fray. When did it all go to hell in a hand basket?

~~Friday Morning~~

0600

The crisp early autumn air made its way into your room from your half opened window. The birds chirping slowly woke you from your slumber as your eyes opened to take in the leaves changing colors on the trees outside. The smell of coffee starting to brew at your small desk invaded your senses and you smiled out to the rising sun in a good mood.

Your alarm clock went off which caused you to scream and nearly throw it out the window, groaning as you heard the rumble of the Quinjet touching down a few floors up. So much for a quiet, easy day. They were back early.

Dragging yourself out of bed, you hastily threw on your uniform and secured your hair up, reaching for your travel mug to hold your life juice as you sloshed it into the container and headed out the door.

Life hadn’t always been this fast paced for you. You were never a morning person, and even though it had been years that you have been with S.H.I.E.L.D, these caffeine fuelled mornings were something that never got easier with time. Being an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D just wasn’t a picnic for you most days, but you certainly had it better than some of the others in your line of work. You weren’t one of the people willing to put their life on the line out in the field. In fact it was the complete opposite. You were behind the scenes, knee deep in technology. Hacking files, constantly bypassing security, you name it. You never had to leave the comfort of your own country. It was hard work, but it was also your calling. It had been since you were a teenager in high school. It was a habit that got you caught several times breaking into the school security systems, changing when the bell would ring so you and your friends could get out a few minutes early. Especially during Geometry with Miss. Wilkins.

You had been given a scholarship to New York City College of Technology after you graduated high school and you packed your bags and moved from your small town in Ohio to the beautiful state of New York. After graduating in record time with high marks you were recruited by Agent Coulson to join S.H.I.E.L.D. You accepted without any hesitation (Along with constant reassurance to your always worried mother that you would not actually be in the field. Ever.)

After a few years, and more importantly the battle of New York, Nick Fury created a small unit specifically trained to work alongside The Avengers. It was truly amazing getting to move into the Tower, always being there in case of emergencies. Which there often were plenty of. You were under the command of Agent Keaton, your unit possessing a mere ten agents total. No one knew who you were, or what you did, except The Avengers and a small number of others. You were shadows, able to breach the toughest security, get what you needed, and get out without a trace. Or in most cases, get Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into places they previously didn’t have access to. Everyone called you “The Ghosts of Stark Tower”. The hours were sometimes long, missions often stressful, but it suited you just fine. One of the many upsides was knowing that you were making a difference in this messed up world.

The down side was these way too early mornings. At least it was Friday and you could look forward to the three day holiday weekend ahead of you. It was Labor Day weekend which meant that after today you wouldn’t have to return to work until the following Tuesday, unless an earth shattering catastrophe happened. Trudging your way down the hallways your mind drifted to the future that awaited you at 1800 hours. All you had planned was a giant fort of blankets and pillows to call sanctuary as you caught up on the six books that sat unloved in a box by your bed. They were feeling extremely neglected since you had gotten most of them as birthday gifts, which had been some time ago now.

Stepping into the elevator you let out a wistful sigh as it began to climb the few floors leading to the floor that held the landing pad for the Quinjet. Smiling to yourself as you day dreamed about being nestled in a blanket cocoon and not seeing a soul for 72 hours, you couldn’t stop in time and ran smack into Sam Wilson as you exited the elevator and took a sharp turn. His back of toned muscles acted as a wall as it threw you backwards and onto the floor with a loud and ungraceful oomfph.

“Shit. Sorry Y/N. My head isn’t on straight today.” He offered a hand to help you up which you gladly took, pulling yourself up and pretending to brush yourself off.

“It’s fine Sam. Ya miss Bucky that much?”

“Ha. Ha. Ya I missed him like a hole in the head.” You snickered as the two of you made your way down the hall together.

Sam Wilson and you went way back. Back to before you were working (usually) with the Avengers. Back when you were just starting out and he wasn’t cleared for all the “fun” missions, as he called it. Those were the days when you trained together, ate together. Hell you even shared a bed together. It was only once, and nothing romantic happened, but you two only got closer because of it. You didn’t know where you would be without him in your life. He always seemed to know what to say to make you feel better after a hard day, and he always had you laughing. It usually bummed you out when he went along for missions, so you were extra thankful he opted to stay behind this past week when they announced a new mission would take place. It had been nice spending time with each other outside of work hours, catching up, shooting the breeze.

He was one of the only people here that seemed to see you for everything that you were. With the exception of today of course.

“Any issues with the mission? Why are they back two days early?”

Sam raised an eyebrow as you reached the double doors that lead outside to the landing pad.

“Now how did you know they were supposed to be back in two days? That was classified information L/N.” You quickly shot your eyes to the ground, releasing a heavy sigh.

“I…I may have hacked into the mission details…”

The look Sam gave you made you bite your lower lip in embarrassment before he merely shook his head in response.

“Damn Y/N, you should have come with a warning label. If you missed Steve that much you could have just called him.” You swatted his arm as he pushed the door open for you, the fresh air hitting you in the face and causing your eyes to water.

Sam had known about your small crush on Steve Rogers, otherwise known to many as Captain America, since the first time you had met the larger than life super soldier. He pegged you as a giddy school girl from the gate and you found yourself threatening his life on a weekly basis to keep his mouth shut about the whole thing. Steve and you had a professional work related friendship, nothing more. It’s not like what you and Sam had, and you had come to accept that it never would be that. Or more, no matter how often you caught yourself thinking about it.

“Why would I miss Steve Rogers when Sam Wilson has been here to keep me company?” You batted your eyelashes at him, causing the man to chuckle as you neared the group of fellow agents that were gathered around the jet.

“Nice try slick, but I’m still telling Tony you broke into the mission files. Again.”

You pouted at him but he only clicked his tongue at you.

“I swear Tony just needs to give you a raise already and put you in charge of that tech stuff here. His old ass mind is clearly slipping.”

“You suck Wilson. I was only worried.”

“Worried ol’ Blue eyes was gonna take a dirt nap? Come on Y/N,  he’s stronger than that.”

“Actually I was worried for Tony and his,” you made air quotations “Old ass mind”

You and Sam’s laughter was quickly silenced as the jet ramp lowered and you watched Steve Rogers exit, a deathly pale Tony leaning on him as they disembarked.

“Shit. He looks worse than normal. Pepper is gonna pitch a fit when she sees him.” Sam remarked, the team headed towards you.

Your eyes couldn’t help but dance across the Team’s faces. They all looked beat. Thor and Bruce seemed deep in conversation, their hushed voices angrily biting at each other. Clint kept quiet, focusing his vision forward and not looking at anyone. You noticed Nat and Wanda were missing, only for a moment before you realized they were on a separate mission elsewhere. They were slated to come back sometime next week.

Your vision drifted over to Tony, taking in his sickly appearance. The color was drained from his face, the area around his eyes dark and his body too weak to walk very far. Bucky walked to his left, his worried expression evident as they neared you and Sam through the crowd.

You quickly snapped your line of sight to Captain Rogers, your pulse picking up just a little at the sight of him. His uniform was still in really good shape considering how ragged he was looking. Apparently he had forgotten his razor or something because his facial hair had grown a considerable amount since they had been gone. His strong jaw was set tightly, his lips in a thin line while his large intimidating frame effortlessly helped the injured billionaire along.

“Why do I have a feeling my weekend plans just got cancelled?” You grumbled, clearing a path for the Captain as the rest of the team followed behind him, none of them sparing you a look. You were used to it by now.

“Wilson, debrief. Now.” Rogers’ voice boomed with authority and you couldn’t help but grimace in Wilson’s direction.

“Sorry Sam, tough luck.”

“L/N you too.”

Jumping at the acknowledgement you cast a worried glance to Sam who merely shrugged before picking up his pace to catch up to the group headed into the building. That could not be good at all. You followed after him, struggling to keep your mind calm with all the questions currently swimming in it. It didn’t take you long to reach the small conference room, paramedics cutting off your journey about halfway to take Tony into the medical bay to run tests.

You quickly took a seat next to Sam, everyone at the table looking to Steve for answers you were fairly certain he didn’t have. It didn’t mean you couldn’t admire his tall, gorgeous body though as he stood in front of all of you. Nope, you’d drink in the sight of him any day and any time you could. It wasn’t illegal to look after all, even if most of the time he saw right through you. Just like a ghost.

“Look L/N, I’m going to give you the extremely short version,” Steve started, blue eyes staring into yours and you could only bring yourself to nod. His voice was hard, short, he was clearly on edge with worry.

“Might as well shorten it even more Rogers, L/N here already hacked the mission files. She knows the mission.”

You could only give Sam a “What the hell?” look, trying not to let the disappointed sigh that came from Steve’s lips sink into your stomach like a boulder of guilt.

“As much as I want to be angry with you L/N, I need to know how much you know. It might help speed things up so we can get to work faster.”

All eyes seemed to shift to you as you began to fidget with the edge of the table, training your eyes to stay focused on the smooth wood surface as you recalled the details you briefly scanned last week.

“You were all sent to Tal-q’eiek to retrieve an energy source for another planet…Mon…mon something..who’s current environmental health is unstable. The planet’s self defense measures made most of the planet toxic to keep predators from other neighboring worlds away.” You started, looking up at the people around the table as they all nodded in agreement.

“ You were made special suits and would split up into teams to search the planet for the energy source. You were sent out of your element considering Danvers was unavailable to join you, as well as Quill and his team being currently MIA as well.” Taking a deep breath you couldn’t help but notice the smallest of smiles on Steve’s face as you finished divulging what you knew.

“Correct L/W, I’m always impressed by your sharp memory.” Steve complimented you and you had to grasp the chair to make sure you wouldn’t fall out of it. It was the first and so far only time Captain Rogers had made a positive comment in your direction. Usually he was far too busy to pay you or any of the other Ghosts of Stark Tower any mind. Not that you could blame him. If you were being honest, you didn’t even think he knew your first name for the first two years you worked together.

“So based on your knowledge, what conclusion can you come to on your own?” Thor pried, your gaze moving to catch his.

“ My assumption is that Tony was simply  in the wrong place at the wrong time and managed to inhale some of the toxic air of the planet, and that’s why you had to come back early. Because he’s showing symptoms of a sickness and you didn’t know what to do.”

“Two for two L/W, well done.”You felt a swell of undeserving pride at Steve’s words, wondering if this was to be your Christmas gift or something. Two compliments in one day? Within minutes of each other? You most certainly weren’t complaining but it did make you a bit nervous, especially when those beautiful blue eyes weren’t leaving yours.

“So now what? We just wait for the doctors to come back and tell us Tony is going to be ok?” Sam’s voice broke you out of your trance, Steve clearing his throat and Thor nodding in agreement.

“Unfortunate, but until we know more there isn’t anything to be done.” The other blonde’s deep voice boomed and you couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of dread.

“I don’t understand why I was needed here…” You trailed off, Bruce chuckling at your statement causing you to blush with embarrassment.

“You never know when we may need a Ghost on our side Y/N.” Bucky smiled at you, giving you a small wink.

“Yea besides,” Clint continued, “We actually like you. You’re not some stuck up, loud mouthed, cocky know it all like some of the others.”

“You shouldn’t talk about Tony like that, after all he’s the one sick right now.”

Your comment earned you a chorus of laughter.

“I’m gonna put that in Stark’s Christmas card this year.” Sam got out in between laughs, patting you on the back.

“That’s my Y/N, always one with the fast quips.”

His statement caused you to beam in response, allowing yourself to be grabbed in a small side hug. The expression on Steve’s face was a bit puzzling to you as you looked at him, but no sooner had it appeared, it was gone.

What seemed to be hours passed, but your eyes shot up at the sound of one of the doctors on standby walking into the conference room, her HASMAT suit creating a hideous scratching noise against the floor as she moved. You recognized her as Doctor Kelly Hooper, she had been working for Stark for years. She was a short and stout woman, with dark blonde hair that was always up in a tight bun on top of her head.

“What’s the diagnosis Doctor?” Clint tried, his voice humorless despite the poor attempt at a joke.

“Firstly, you should know that Mister Stark is going to be alright.”

The entire table collectively sighed in relief at the Doctor’s news, a huge weight seemingly being lifted off of everyone’s shoulders. You and Tony didn’t always see eye to eye on things, but you still respected the hell out him, and definitely didn’t want him dying anytime soon.

“However, there is some bad news.” The older woman continued, turning her attention to Steve.

“He’s going to be sick the next forty eight to seventy two hours, and will need constant care. He’s going to experience the worst equivalent of the flu we’ve seen in years. Fever, vomiting, dehydration, chills, extreme pain, and maybe even hallucinations. What’s also troublesome is we don’t have the proper staff to take care of him, as most of the day and night crew have left for holiday, and we can’t risk taking him to a hospital where it might spread.”

“Got it, can it get any worse than babysitting a sick Tony?” Bucky groaned out, his head hitting the table.

“Actually it can Mister Barnes. I’m afraid the illness he has contracted from the foreign planet is very peculiar in the fact that it only seems to attack beings with the combination of XY chromosomes.”

“Doc, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Bucky suddenly looked up at Doctor Hooper, who had now locked eyes with the winter solider before nodding her head.

“That’s right Mister Barnes, any male who has come within contact with Mister Stark within the last twenty four hours has a seventy five to eighty five percent chance of falling ill as well.”

[womenofcolor15]

Go Behind-The-Scenes Of Zendaya’s Blackity Black & Uber Fab InStyle Magazine Cover

Zendaya is perfection personified on the cover of InStyle magazine’s September 2020 issue. And a bomb team of black creatives, stylists, designers and artists are who made it happen. Take a peek behind-the-scenes inside…

          View this post on Instagram

                  Thank you @instylemagazine for this very special cover and interview with @osopepatrisse Styled by @luxurylaw Shot by @abdmstudio Makeup by @officialsheiks Hair by @larryjarahsims Wearing @alietteny @mateonewyork

A post shared by Zendaya (@zendaya) on Aug 6, 2020 at 2:14pm PDT

  All black everything! For real, for real.

When it comes to slaying pages in a magazine, Zendaya def has that on LOCK. And her InStyle cover and spread proves it to be true.

Not only does she slay the cover and spread, she surrounded herself with all Black creatives to bring the vision alive. Several melanin folks helped the 23-year-old for TWO InStyle covers and a flawless spread for the September 2020 issue, including her longtime stylist Law Roach, photography duo Ahmad Barber and Donté Maurice, hairstylist Larry Sims, and makeup artist Sheika Daley.

Oh, and she didn’t stop there….

The “Euphoria” star and 2020 Emmy nominee also rocked all black designers on the covers and spread, including designs from Jason Rembert, Pyer Moss, Cushine, Hanifa, Romeo Hunte, Thebe Magugu, and Victor Glemaud.

On the newsstand cover, Zendaya rocked a satin dress from Rembert's fall 2020 Aliétte collection paired with earrings from Mateo New York. On the subscriber cover, the actress posed it up in a color-block pleated dress by Hanifa and Tori Soudan boots:

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                  @instylemagazine Styled by @luxurylaw Shot by @abdmstudio Makeup by @officialsheiks Hair by @larryjarahsims Wearing @hanifaofficial @torisoudan

A post shared by Zendaya (@zendaya) on Aug 6, 2020 at 2:46pm PDT

The fashion maven - who turns 24 next month - also rocked a magenta ballgown created by Christoper John Rogers – who is the 2019 CDFA Fashion Fund winner. And guess what? We’ve got a behind-the-scenes look at Zendaya working her magic in the dress for the camera:

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                  This girl.... @zendaya

A post shared by Law Roach (@luxurylaw) on Aug 6, 2020 at 2:45pm PDT

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                  Thank you @laurabrown99 and the entire @instylemagazine team for giving me a safe (from COVID-19) space to create. No rules No advertisers! You allowed me a BLACK stylists to creative direct an editorial with my beautiful BLACK muse @zendaya and feature clothing from all BLACK designers , shoes from all BLACK shoe designers, jewels from all BLACK jewelry designers, we feature BLACK art from BLACK artists. You allowed me choose my team which started with @abdmstudio (photographers)2 young BLACK men, and @larryjarahsims (hair)BLACK man, @officialsheiks (makeup)BLACK woman. Look at the magic we can create when someone gives us the opportunity. Also special thanks to @zerinaakers and @black.owned.everything for introducing me to a lot of the brands I pulled from. I’m so proud of this one!!!!

A post shared by Law Roach (@luxurylaw) on Aug 6, 2020 at 6:18am PDT

"Thank you @laurabrown99 and the entire @instylemagazine team for giving me a safe (from COVID-19) space to create," Law Roach wrote on Instagram.

"No rules No advertisers! You allowed me a BLACK stylists to creative direct an editorial with my beautiful BLACK muse @zendaya and feature clothing from all BLACK designers , shoes from all BLACK shoe designers, jewels from all BLACK jewelry designers, we feature BLACK art from BLACK artists. You allowed me choose my team which started with @abdmstudio (photographers)2 young BLACK men, and @larryjarahsims (hair)BLACK man, @officialsheiks (makeup)BLACK woman," he wrote.

"Look at the magic we can create when someone gives us the opportunity. Also special thanks to @zerinaakers and @black.owned.everything for introducing me to a lot of the brands I pulled from. I’m so proud of this one!!!!"

        View this post on Instagram

                  Z E N D A Y A x L A W #PerfectionPersonified #AllBlackEverything #WhatHeSaid #Simstyled #FlawlessByGu #Repost @luxurylaw ・・・ Thank you @laurabrown99 and the entire @instylemagazine team for giving me a safe (from COVID-19) space to create. No rules No advertisers! You allowed me a BLACK stylists to creative direct an editorial with my beautiful BLACK muse @zendaya and feature clothing from all BLACK designers , shoes from all BLACK shoe designers, jewels from all BLACK jewelry designers, we feature BLACK art from BLACK artists. You allowed me choose my team which started with @abdmstudio (photographers)2 young BLACK men, and @larryjarahsims (hair)BLACK man, @officialsheiks (makeup)BLACK woman. Look at the magic we can create when someone gives us the opportunity. Also special thanks to @zerinaakers and @black.owned.everything for introducing me to a lot of the brands I pulled from. I’m so proud of this one!!!!

A post shared by Larry Sims (@larryjarahsims) on Aug 7, 2020 at 8:43am PDT

  The Disney star killed this spread:

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                  Me: “Hey Zendaya be a beautiful tropical bird” Her: “Ok, how’s this?” Me: “That’s PERFECT” .....

A post shared by Law Roach (@luxurylaw) on Aug 6, 2020 at 5:23pm PDT

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                  #Zendaya #InStyle #SeptemberIssue #Simstyled #FlawlessByGU @zendaya @instylemagazine @luxurylaw @larryjarahsims @officialsheiks @ahmadbarber @dontemaurice @abdmstudio @flawlessbygu

A post shared by Larry Sims (@larryjarahsims) on Aug 6, 2020 at 4:00pm PDT

  The blackness didn't stop there. For the cover story, Daya spoke to Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrice Cullors where she opened up about being an activist, using an all-Black creative team, dealing with anxeity, Season 2 of her hit HBO show "Euphoria," and more.

Below are the highlights:

PC: I want to ask you about your activism. What do you want to say to the young people who look up to you around this moment of Black Lives Matter? What feels important for you to share with them?

Z: I have always hesitated to use the word "activist" for myself. That is a lifestyle. That is a choice every day to be doing the work and devoting your life to a cause. And I don't feel I am deserving of the title. There are a lot of words that better describe what I do. I'm an actress, but I'm also just a person who has a heart and wants to do the right thing. I care about human beings, so this time is very hard to talk about. It's painful. I remember when I was with my dad in Atlanta shooting the first Spider-Man movie, and it was around the time that the murders of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling happened. I was extremely emotional, and I remember thinking about my dad, who was out picking up food at the time. And I started worrying and calling him like, "Are you OK?" I didn't want him to go out and do anything. But my dad is a 65-year-old Black man. He's been on this planet a long time, so he knows what he knows. But I still had that fear, and that scared me.

PC: We have to talk fashion next because you wore some incredible pieces for this cover shoot. You also had an all-Black team around you. Was that the first time you ever experienced that?

Z: I've always had a Black stylist and Black hair and makeup artists. But we were able to work with two talented young Black photographers on this shoot too. We're actually around the same age, so it was cool to be with my peers and have an opportunity to show what we can do. There are also so many Black designers people don't know about, so having an opportunity where they can be in InStyle and get the love they deserve is really special. I hope people are like, "Oh, I like that dress!" And then go support them.

PC: You and I have both opened up about having anxiety, and I think it's so important to share how we're coping with it. How are you're managing stress in these times?

Z: My anxiety first started when I was younger and I had to take a test at school. I remember panicking, and my teacher had to walk me out of the room and say, "Calm down, deep breaths." I don't think it really came up again until I was about 16, when I was working and there was a project I had turned down. That was kind of my first time dealing with the internet, and it made me feel sick. I deleted everything and stayed in my room. Live performing really gave me anxiety too. I think a lot of it stems from the pressure I put on myself, wanting to do my best and not make a mistake. I definitely don't have it under control yet. I don't have the key, so if anybody does, let me know! I do find that talking about it is helpful, and that can often mean calling my mom in the middle of the night. Sometimes I make her sleep on the phone with me like a frickin' baby. [laughs]

PC: Since Euphoria filming is delayed, are you missing your character, Rue? How are you feeling about having that part of your life on pause?

Z: I do miss Rue. She's like my little sister in a lot of ways. And going back to that character is a home base for me. There is a beautiful second season that has been written, but in order to do it the way we want to do it, we need to wait until it's safer. There is an idea to do a couple of bridge episodes that can be shot safely but aren't necessarily part of Season 2. So, hopefully, we will be able to do those in the coming months. I can't wait.

We love a conscious queen who walks the walk she talks. You can read her full interview here.

InStyle’s September issue starring Zendaya will be available on August 21st.

In new movie news, Zendaya stars in the upcoming film DUNE that's set to drop December 18th.

Photo: Tinseltown/Shutterstock.com

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