#husband wife problem solution in new york

[rocknbolan]

Recap 7-12

General News:

T-shirt theft continues, a rash of apparel crime, apparently. First crimes done in the Skid Row camp, and now Letti getting on Axl (GnR) to return her Faster Pussycat t-shirt or else!

Something happened to Jani (Warrant), Bret (Poison) arriving swiftly to extract him from a party. Where did things go wrong? Only someone well versed in drunk-ese will be able to decipher the Warrant frontman's type to figure it out.

Kitchen foibles continue in the Primus camp, Herb trying to put a taco into the toaster. For his crimes, banished to the chicken coop to sleep with Buckethad! Oh the humanity!

Rob (Skid Row) tackled the math problem of 2 + 2, with help from Arthur (New York Dolls), Dave (Megadeth) and Bret (Poison). While a number of solutions were floated around, and arguments/insults over who was wrong traded, eventually Snake slid in and helped Rob figure out the answer. (It's 4. FOUR. srsly.)

The Gossiptrain:

Rumor hazzit that øystein can't reach the sink! Height or skill issue? We just don't know.

Rumor also hazzit that Scotti (Skid Row) is kinda dumb. Rachel disagrees but he's also very biased. HEY I AM NOT!

Another rumor, Jani (Warrant)'s cat can open doors. Also he takes showers at 4:30 pm because he is from Ohio.

Fred (Cinderella) is rumored to e a grown man. IS HE? Inquiring minds want to know.

Joined the Chat: Jeff Nahherman @r3ign-in-bl00d has joined the chat!

Tom Araya @hauntingthechap3l has joined the chat!

And now, the weather:

It's a beefstorm, rockland. A cold front jettisoned down from up north and we got Lars (Metallica) beefin' with everyone. With Max (Escape the Fate), with Mozart, with Ron. Hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband cause he's beefin' with everyone out here.

Also affected are Snake and Rachel (Skid Row), arguing over... someone having a crush on Rob? Don't ask, we just don't know. That weather front stalled out over Rob, though, demanding both his bandmates apologize to each other.

Meanwhile, there's a flash flood warning in the Motley Crue and GnR vicinities, Nikki reporting pipes breaking or... is that sewage backup? Either way, steer clear. Turn around, don't drown!

[kay-wren]

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 58

"Well I don't care what you have to do to keep her! It's always cheaper to keep them than to replace them. If she won't move to New York, make it an offer she can't refuse." Rafe demanded over the phone as he walked through the kitchen the next morning. He leaned up against the counter to watch Jessie make breakfast for Charley, who was still fast asleep in the king size bed. Jessie whipped her head away from the stove long enough to put her finger to her lips to tell her husband to quiet down. It was way too early for him to be yelling, especially over work. He simply nodded his head with pursed lips and furrowed brows, clearly agitated but listening to his wife. She giggled at the sight as she went back to making breakfast.

The conversation continued for a few more minutes until Rafe abruptly hung up and flung his phone down beside him. He never moved from his spot on the counter, instead he folded his arms up, clearly in thought as he looked down at the ground. Jessie decided to lighten the mood as best she could by walking over to him and leaning on him with her arms wrapped around his neck.

"It's wayyy too early to be this frustrated." She simply said with a soft smile.

"Yeah well working out of three different time zones makes stuff like this kinda hard." Rafe explained through frustration. He wrapped his arms around Jessie's waist, albeit a little more aggressively than usual, looking at her soft eyes with stern ones. She dismissed the look, knowing it wasn't for her and kissed his lips gently.

"What's the problem now?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"My secretary doesn't want to move." Rafe simply stated through a short temper.

"So find a new secretary." Jessie replied as if the answer was obvious. Rafe just paused for a moment, trying to think of an appropriate explanation.

"She knows too much." Rafe responded with a guilty look. At that Jessie couldn't help but giggle a little. She then decided to pause to come up with a solution of her own.

"Well then you'll just have to kill her." Jessie joked with a shrug of her shoulders.

"That's a very real possibility." Rafe cracked a smile as he joked right along with her, to which she laughed. He brought Jessie closer to him to kiss her harder, this time getting a little more heated, until they were rudely interrupted.

"Oh god, okay, ya know what? It's sickening enough for me to be hungover and now I have to watch you two play tongue hockey!" JJ mumbled as he walked in the kitchen with squinted eyes. Jessie couldn't tell if that was due to the massive hangover or the fact that the two of them were making out right in front of him. "Seriously get a room." He sassed.

"Our room is occupied by a three year old little girl." Rafe sassed right back as JJ took a seat at the bar.

"And so your solution is to have sex in the kitchen? Seriously there's dozens of rooms in this house." JJ mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. The couple just couldn't help but laugh. Jessie dismissed his snide remarks and went to the fridge.

"Hey grab me a beer outta that." JJ said mindlessly pointing over that direction still holding his head.

"Seriously, Jayj? You know a beer is not gonna help." Jessie scolded as she opted for the milk.

"Yeah, and kooks don't typically drink this damn early." Rafe joked. JJ just groaned in annoyance as he laid his head on the cold marble counter. He looked quite comical they had to admit.

"You're getting toast instead." Jessie exclaimed as she went to grab the bread from the pantry. JJ knew better than to argue, especially when he was this hungover.

"Rafe will you go wake Charley up? I don't want her sleeping all day." Jessie asked. Rafe gave her a look that said he really didn't wanna do that. Jessie noticed.

"Oh come on, you're gonna have to be the bad guy at some point. She'll live." Jessie reiterated. Much like JJ, Rafe knew better than to argue. Instead, he marched back to their room.

Jessie slid the cinnamon sugar toast over to her brother, who's head was still laying on the counter. She figured he was asleep, so she snapped her fingers to get his attention. It worked, and he jolted his head up with eyes open, but not for long considering the pounding headache he just remembered he had.

"Eat up, I don't want you puking on the floor. This shit's probably priceless." Jessie joked as she pointed to the toast. She then brought him a glass of milk as well.

It wasn't but a few more moments until Rafe rounded the corner with a sleepy Charley clinging to his hip. Her head rested comfortably on his shoulder and Jessie could tell she was almost back asleep. She sleeps just like her uncle: anywhere at anytime. Rafe looked smitten as he just rubbed her back, wanting her to choose when to wake up. Unfortunately, he had to let go considering he got a call as soon he as he entered the kitchen. He huffed and gave Jessie a sympathetic look as he had to pass her off.

"What?" Rafe snapped as he walked out of the room. JJ watched as he marched away and looked back at Jessie.

"Does that not bother you?" JJ mumbled as he took another bite.

"What?" Jessie asked.

"The constant phone calls, the bad mood he's in, the stress?"

"That's all just a season. We're all going to find a new normal at some point and he won't be this busy." Jessie said dismissively with a head shake. JJ just shook his head in disbelief as he looked down at his food.

"How many times did you see Ward on the phone, stressed out, talking about business, and all that other shit?" JJ asked, allowing for a pause for his sister to think. "Right, a lot. Probably almost everytime you saw the man. That man had been running that company for decades and never got a break. The only time that man was ever off his phone was when he was entertaining all the other rich goons around him. You're kidding yourself if you think that's gonna change, sis."

Jessie just sighed deeply with an annoyed look on her face as if she knew a lot more about this situation than JJ did. She hated that he was so confident in his speculation. He decided to back off.

"Alright, alright..." JJ said as he held his hands up in surrender. "But all I'm sayin is... if I ran the same business he was running, I'd do hard drugs too."

JJ meant that as a joke, but to Jessie it was anything but. She didn't even want to think about the path her husband could go down if he didn't draw some boundaries and take a break every once and a while. But then again, Rafe had seen first hand the man that his father had become, so she liked to believe that he would be self aware enough to not let that happen. After all, he already revolved his life around Charley and her the second they came back into his life. She had to hold on to that truth to not let her mind run wild with doubt and fear.

Jessie was pulled out of her thoughts by a clearly flustered Rafe coming back into the kitchen, now breathing a sigh and scratching the back of his neck. He came to stand right beside his wife, putting his hands on the countertop and stretching his neck with his eyes closed. JJ noticed it too.

"You alright there, big guy?" JJ asked with knitted brows. Rafe just opened his eyes slowly to give JJ a subtle glare and brought his eyes over to Jessie, who had the same look of curious concern on her face.

"I'm fine." He muttered. "I'm going to get in the shower, if Pope comes down tell him I've got people coming at noon and he needs to be ready."

The siblings simply nodded their heads, trying not to push it.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Jessie asked with sympathetic eyes, genuinely trying to be of any assistance she could. Rafe picked up on her fragile tone and immediately shifted his attitude as best he could.

"No, baby, I'm fine, it's all gonna be fine." Rafe whispered as he cupped her face and gave her a reassuring look. He admired her beautiful face for just a moment, and took in his favorite sight of his two girls. He planted a sweet kiss to Jessie's lips and slowly peeled his fingers away. JJ tried his best not to ruin the moment by being disgusted with the public display of affection. With that, Rafe backed away and headed for their master bathroom. Jessie watched as his back muscles tensed as he clinched his fists on the way out. She could tell he was still deep in thought about anything and everything.

- - -

"Pope, I'd like you to meet Mr. Singh. Mr. Singh, this is Mr. Heyward." Rafe introduced the two men who were now standing in the grand living room, both dressed in collared shirts and perfectly ironed pants. Not Pope's preferred wardrobe, but he knew he had to dress to impress-- literally.

Rafe had his driver take the rest of the crew out for a day at the beach, with security standing back modestly of course.

The two men shook hands and exchanged nods of approval.

"So, Mr. Heyward." The man spoke up in a thick Bahamian accent. "I hear you have something of great value to me."

Pope had no idea what to say, after all, he'd never done this before. Pope's words got caught in his throat for fear of saying the wrong thing or giving off the wrong vibe. Despite Rafe's brief teaching before the meeting, Pope still forgot everything, now only looking at Rafe to rescue him. Thankfully, not too much awkward silence lapsed before Rafe quickly stepped in.

"That's correct, Mr. Singh." Rafe played it off as he rubbed his hands together and dawned a confident smile, making sure to look the man directly in the eyes. "It's a cross. Seven foot long made of pure gold and adorned with diamonds and other precious stones. Appraisers say it's priceless."

"Your father and I have been business partners for a long time now, Cameron. And although he hasn't screwed me yet, I would like to know... how did this young lad get involved?" Mr. Singh asked with furrowed brows in Pope's direction. He ran his hand mindlessly through his beard waiting for an answer. Rafe didn't waver.

"This cross— the cross of Santo Domingo— was found by this young man. And he wants to make sure that when this artifact is sold that it's sold to the right partner. Someone who's... going to appreciate it as much as he does. And of course I thought who better than you Mr. Singh?" Rafe calmly stated through a kind smile that Pope couldn't help but tell was fake. That's all these pleasantries seemed to be... fake. But Rafe told him it would be. These were negotiations, nothing more.

"Well that is a fair point but I still do not see how this man found you, Mr. Cameron? And if you found him then... why aren't you wanting this "priceless artifact" all for yourself?" The Bahamian asked with a knowing smirk. Rafe expected the man to always be looking to get under his skin.

"Well that's really none of your concern, Mr. Singh. Because what I have in front of you right now is much more important than any backstory you claim to need."

Pope just watched as the two men eyed each other up and down, clearly playing a silent game of dick measuring. He thought he was ready for this, apparently he wasn't. Still, he couldn't stand the thought of not saying something. He finally cleared his throat.

"It's worth at least 500 million dollars."

Rafe just pursed his lips just enough to keep himself from scolding Pope. No straight answers was what he was told, and yet here he was, spewing a cold hard number to this man. Luckily, Rafe was good at not letting anyone see that he was upset. Now was not the time to lose it.

Mr. Signh was visibly shocked that Pope spoke up. He raised his eyebrows and let out a slight chuckle as he leaned back in his chair, now feeling like he had the leverage.

"Well well well... he speaks!" Mr. Signh exclaimed as he clapped his hands together.

Rafe looked at Pope with a grin that he knew held so much sarcasm. Rafe decided against saying anything else, feeling like Pope needed to sort this one out now. Pope felt the judgement, and just decided to roll with it.

"Yeah I do..." Pope stated calmly, now inhaling deeply and rubbing his sweaty palms on his perfectly starched khakis. "And I want you to know that this cross isn't to be altered in any way if I sell it to you. I want this in a museum on display somewhere. I feel that that's what it deserves."

"Fair enough, Mr. Heyward..." The man leaned in once more with his hands folded together neatly, giving Pope an oddly genuine smile. "But I feel that Mr. Cameron has yet to inform you that... I'm more interested in... off the record purchases. One's that don't get put in museums but... ones that put 500 million dollars cash in your pocket today. Is that something you'd be interested in, Mr. Heyward?" He whispered. Pope looked over at Rafe, unsure of what to say or do. Rafe gave no physical indication of what to do. After all, this was his cross. Rafe's input or previous coaching clearly didn't matter to Pope.

"Well yeah but-"

"But what, Mr. Heyward?" Mr. Signh asked with harsh eyes and a tilt of his head. Pope just sighed.

"If it's not going in a museum or to a good cause... then I can't sell it to you." Pope said sternly, finally finding his voice. Mr. Singh looked down at the floor and tapped his freshly polished leather loafer against the expensive rug.

"Very well, Mr. Heyward. But just a word of advice." Mr. Singh said as he stood up from the couch and looked between the two men in front of him. "Mr. Cameron... doesn't do honest deals either."

With that, the man strutted out of the mansion with his goons in tow. Pope and Rafe both watched as he ominously walked out of the room. Suddenly, Pope whipped his head back around with fury as he looked at Rafe with narrowed eyes and a puffed chest. He looked like he was trying to control his breathing.

"What?" Rafe spat with arms slightly extended.

"What does that prick mean by not doing honest deals? You know what? Never mind, I know exactly what he meant by that! That guy's not from some museum! He's not a collector!" Pope fumed as he now paced around the room.

"Oh he's a collector..." Rafe corrected defensively. Pope had to physically stop and ball his fists in that moment to contain himself. He pursed his lips and let the pent up air out slowly through his nose. Suddenly the collared shirt he had on felt suffocating, and he hastily unbuttoned the top button.

"That's not what I meant, Rafe. He's a black market collector and-"

"And he'll make you more money than you ever thought possible if you give up the damn merit! Dude, I understand you're new to all this, but you gotta understand, I'm not... and I'm telling you... this is what gets you and your little friends to full kook just like you all wanted!" Rafe seethed as he now met Pope where he was standing, being sure to point a finger towards his chest.

Pope had to pause once again to contain his anger.

"My little friends are also your sister and your brother in law. God, Rafe, I thought you understood by now!"

"Understood what?!"

"... We're not friends... we're family... you're family. We all let you in on this despite having our reservations about you because we love Jessie and chose to trust her. You still don't get it! You're still trying to do things your way and you're not understanding that we can sell this cross to the right people, make money, and still keep the moral high ground! We may want to be kooks... but we're not gonna be sell outs to get there..."

"If you're gonna be a kook you're gonna have to-"

"What you just did was not treating me or anyone else like family. This is not just a transaction, Rafe."

Rafe matched Pope's demeanor, now eyeing the man in front of him up and down with fists planted firmly by his side and his chest slowly heaving up and down. Pope could tell he had so much left to say, yet he didn't. Instead he walked away still fuming. Despite everything that just happened, Pope had to admit he was impressed. Not a punch thrown, not a shove, not even one more venomous word.

Rafe marched back to his hidden room, planting himself firmly on the bed and rubbing his eyes furiously as if to try and forget the memory of what just happened. Rafe felt like he had been punched in the gut with all the family talk.

"This is not just a transaction, Rafe."

Rafe didn't understand family... he understood transactions. That was the problem, and it broke his own heart. After all, that's all he was ever taught. Life was not a journey, but a game, a game that his father taught him to win. Ward toured around as a "family man" but Rafe knew he was anything but. He couldn't help but wonder if he would ever view life as more than just transactions as well. He needed Jessie here to prove him wrong, but she wasn't. Rafe started to sob with his head in his hands as he grasped the weight of Pope's words. Jessie and Charley were clearly his family, but the Pogues? Maybe he wasn't as open minded as he thought. Years of hatred and a brainwashed narrative will do that to a person. Then again, he thought he was doing the right thing by Pope and the others by trying to make the most money, not giving much thought to Pope's true intentions. Maybe that was his problem, he was never taught to move morally, only strategically. The sudden rush of emotions and flood of childhood traumatic memories overwhelmed Rafe. He needed Jessie, but she wasn't there.

Before he could process what he was doing, he felt his legs move towards the pantry right outside his hidden door. His mind was numb, only processing what felt like weights around his feet weighing down his legs. He felt drunk and out of his mind and yet he had nothing in his system. He scoured the cabinets for anything he could find, of course, all the wines, champagnes and whiskeys one could possibly imagine were right where they were supposed to be. He quickly grabbed the closest whiskey he could find, not even bothering to grab a certain brand and downed one big swig. The burn down his throat still wasn't enough to drown out the pounding in his head. He held his eyes once more trying to forget. He stumbled back into his bedroom and towards the master bath, not from drunkenness, but from losing his senses altogether due to the overwhelming anxiety he felt. He managed to catch himself as he placed his arms on the marble sink, slowly looking up at himself in the mirror. He took notice of the blown out pupils and wet bloodshot eyes.

"Be a man, men don't cry!"

Rafe heard his dead father ring in his ears the same way he heard him when he was ten years old. He physically groaned at the thought and put his head down feeling like the weight could snap it right off. Given the migraine he was suffering from, he wished it would.

Speaking of migraines, Rafe remembered he was in the bathroom, and behind the mirror would be some medicine that could help. With that he sniffled, wiped his face and tried to pull himself together despite nobody being around to see. Suddenly the suit jacket he had on felt like a straight jacket, and he immediately pulled it off. He rummaged through the cabinet sure enough to find the bottle of pills he was looking for, but when he opened it up, it was not Tylenol he found. It was a plastic baggy of the all too familiar powder. God, why'd he have to hide that shit everywhere he wondered. Even after he decided to get clean he still couldn't seem to escape his former self who undoubtedly had the best hiding spots. Still he stopped in shock as he looked at the contents of the bottle. He expected to immediately throw the bottle down and run out of the bathroom out of fear. Instead, he gripped it tighter out of anger for contemplating his next move. He still felt drunk to his senses, yet now he was filled with rage. Rage that this bottle had so much control over him in the moment. He gritted his teeth at the thought of the cocaine undoubtedly taking his headache away... and all the other pain he was feeling. He needed his Jessie... but she wasn't there.

Finally unable to take the pressure that kept building in his skull and in his mind, he created the perfect line of coke that would carry him through until his girls got home.

[lavenderpenumbra]

here are my au fic recs that are either oneshots or series. most common aus here are college, mob/mafia, modern.

main fic rec masterlist

[fluff] / [angst] / [fluff & angst] / [implied smut] / [smut] / [dark]

oneshots

[f & a] [s] i wanna ruin our friendship by @marvelouslizzie (celebrity au)

James “Bucky” Barnes is a famous actor who just turned 40. He’s getting old and struggling with the fact that he isn’t what he used to be. When he finally opens up to you about how he’s struggling with body image, you assure him in a very unexpected way. Things take a turn after that point.

[f & a] [s] Hot and Cold by @buckyalpine (college au)

You can’t stand him, he can’t stand you

[f & a] [s] we can make it till the end by @sinner-as-saint (modern au)

You’ve known Bucky and his family for years. Bucky’s parents were close friends of your fiancé and soon, they became your really good friends too. But then in one terrible accident Bucky lost both of his parents and you lost your fiancé. Ever since, you and Bucky became each other’s rock for the years which followed. You were there for him like family. But then, Bucky’s behaviour changes and you realise that he wants something you’re not so certain you can or should give him: your heart.

[f & a] clingy as fuck by @kinanabinks (mob au)

you overhear bucky telling sam about how clingy you are, which breaks your heart.

[f & a] [s] [d] His Most Priced Possession by @bucky-barnes-diaries (mob au)

You’re the wife of the most feared man in all of New York City, James Buchanan Barnes, the mob boss of the biggest mafia in town. Your his—his girl, his beauty, his love, his property, his most prized possession. He will torture and kill anyone who dares to make any advances on his woman, and he won’t hesitate to show them who you belong to in the most sinful way possible before their end…

[a] The 30th by Billie Eilish by @arlana-likes-to-write (modern au)

It’s been 5 months since you and Bucky official divorced. You still don’t understand what happened between you and him but a phone call from Memorial Hospital stops you in your tracks and shatters your world.

[f] [s] Sugar by @/buckyalpine (ceo!reader & college!bucky)

You take care of your sweet college baby

[f] [s] Throne by @angrythingstarlight (biker au)

He did warn you what would happen if you didn't let him enjoy his dessert.

[i.s.] Spanking by @/angrythingstarlight (mob au)

Bucky has warned his wife over and over to stop smacking his ass. He let it go the first dozen or so times, but she's running out of chances.

[f] [i.s.] Masterpiece of Art by @/bucky-barnes-diaries (mob au)

Your husband gives you an anniversary present that has you looking like a goddess—a masterpiece, perfection in every way.

[f & a] [s] A Sweeter Place by @/sinner-as-saint (mob au)

Years after a messy break-up, and now seeking stability, infamous mob boss James Buchanan Barnes finds himself reunited with an old flame of his. Instant guilt and regret wash over him when he finds out that his reckless ways back then, changed an innocent girl’s life forever.

[f] [i.s.] untitled by @/angrythingstarlight (nfl au)

You and Bucky accidentally discover one of his kinks. Now that he knows he's into that, he can't wait for you to do it again.

[f] a million summers by @/intrepidacious (modern au)

Something shifts between you and Bucky when he comes back home from college.

[f] [s] Pretty Like This by @/angrythingstarlight (mob au)

Mafia Bucky believes you look pretty when you’re screaming his name. 

[f & a] Flirting and Football by @/lovelybarnes (college au)

Bucky barnes and a college au where reader is the only one who isn’t interested in him basically

[f] [s] Soft by @/buckyalpine (mob au)

(sub space reader)

[f] Pretend by @/buckyalpine (college au)

The perfect solution to a nagging problem

[f] Easy by @jadedvibes (modern au)

An impromptu night out at a local speakeasy results in you waking up next to your crush.

[f & a] [s] You had one job by @/buckyalpine (bodyguard au)

Bodyguard Bucky has one job 

[a] The Art of Sleep by @subwaysurf45 (college au)

Bucky Barnes was known to be reckless with his health, especially when it comes to his sleep. Doing the bare minimum as a girlfriend you knew you had to make sure he was sleeping for midterms. Bucky couldn’t disagree more.

[f] [s] King in your story by @/sinner-as-saint (viking!bucky & princess!reader)

Everyone in your father’s Kingdom knows that the Vikings often raid the castle’s warehouses. They take anything they want. Food, gold, weapons. Although they never seem to hurt your subjects. But you had had enough. Given your training, and your need to defend your Kingdom, your father agrees to let you trap the Vikings and bring them in for negotiation because this habit of theirs needs to be stopped. You hated the Vikings, and you thought you always would. Until the moment you met a pair of blue eyes which made your world stand still. Bucky was the Chief of his people; muscular, rough and tumble, and arrogant. Not to mention a shameless flirt, and he got on your nerves the most. But you knew it from the very day you laid eyes on his very handsome face that no matter how hard you tried, some part of you couldn’t fully hate him, nor resist him - even if he was the rival.

[f] Muse by @/navybrat817 (artist au)

Bucky is thankful to have you as his muse.

[f] Enchanted by @buckthegrump (royal au)

Balls bore you half to death. And the suitors that come from across the lands seeking your hand in marriage all seem to have forgotten about human decency. Until one day it doesn’t seem so bleak.

[f] Happily Ever After by @redhoodssweetheart (royal au)

Bucky has a tendency to rule with an iron fist, he can be strict when it comes to the rules, but whenever you enter a room he starts to show a softer side.

[f & a] [i.s.] spilled wine by @sunmoonandeddie (royal au)

You’re nothing more than a servant who happens to warm the bed of the king.  At least, that’s what you thought you were.

[f] [i.s.] Spoiling His Girl by @/angrythingstarlight (mob au)

Bucky is only getting started.

[f] [i.s.] untitled by @/bucky-barnes-diaries (mob au)

Reader and Bucky booking a hotel for a lazy romantic weekend, most of which they spend naked. Bucky decides that they feel too comfortable to want to get up and go out for food, so Reader decides to order out for them and get dressed enough to meet the delivery person at the door. While Reader is accepting the order, Bucky wraps up in a sheet and comes up behind them, smug as both Reader and the delivery person become flustered.

[a] Barrister Beaus by@/jadedvibes (lawyer/modern au)

You and Bucky were rivals all throughout law school, but over time you became best friends and fell for each other. A miscommunication leads you to think Bucky is not interested in you so you stay friends. Bucky finally admits the truth when he sees you with another man.

[f & a] And Everything Nice by @/navybrat817 (tattooartist!bucky & baker!reader)

You visit the tattoo parlor when an uninvited guest shows up at the bakery.

[f] Soft Spot by @holylulusworld (mob!bucky & librarian!reader)

He has a soft spot for you.

[f & a] my everyday by @/pellucid-constellations (college au)

Bucky Barnes was aggressive, annoying, and—worst of all—a hockey player. Not your type. At all. But, unfortunately, your roommate. 

[f & a] [s] Yours to claim by @/buckyalpine (royal au)

Your first night with the king 

[f & a] [i.s.] untitled by @/buckyalpine (royal au)

"No one else gets to decide that, princess, no one"

[f & a] You Matter To Me by @angstysebfan (modern au)

This is based on the song “You Matter To Me” from Waitress the Musical. It’s not a replica of what happens in the play, but the words in the song.

[f & a] [s] sweetie by @wwilsonbarness (dbf!bucky)

after yet another failed date your dad’s best friend Bucky cheers you up.. 

[f] [s] drabble by @/buckyalpine (ceo!reader au)

He came by your office, hoping to take you out for a coffee break but clearly you needed a lot more than coffee. 

[f] drabble by @/buckyalpine (bodyguard au)

How was he supposed to leave you when you were so sweet and cuddly and so utterly adorably drunk. 

[f & a] [s] Not a study date by @/marvelouslizzie (college au)

You have the biggest crush on Bucky Barnes but despite all your efforts, he doesn’t seem to notice you. Can one study date change it all?

[f & a] [s] After the Fall by @/jobean12-blog (modern au)

Bucky is your first love...your first everything so when things fall apart in college over a stupid misunderstanding you’re completely heartbroken but manage to move on...that is until your past comes back in a way you least expect it. 

[f & a] protector by @vxntagedior (mob au)

the moment bucky fell in love with you

[f] [s] Jersey by @inmyicyworld (college au)

Natasha’s idea of getting a jersey with Bucky’s name turned out to be much better than you expected.

series

[f & a] Cordially Invited by @navybrat817 (modern royal au, no separate masterlist)

You're a princess in love with your knight. Will the two of you get your happily ever after?

[f & a] [s] Labyrinth by @frostironfudge (modern au)

Bucky and You would do anything for Steve and Wanda, your respective best friends. In an attempt to avoid a tradition Steve and Wanda come up with a lie involving their best friends.  A lie, that involves building a labyrinth. Bucky and You begin to build but will you two find your way out or be caught in it?

[f & a] [s] Capture my Heart part 1 & part 2 by @/buckyalpine (lumberjack au, completed)

On the run from your abusive ex, a beefy lumberjack comes to your rescue 

[f & a] moth to a flame by @tmpestuous (college au)

Bucky Barnes was the love of your life, and you were his. There was no denying it. But after two years of dating, you found yourselves on different paths and decided it was best to go your separate ways. The only problem was how drawn you’d always be to him even after moving on.

[f & a] [i.s.] Everyone’s Watching Him (But He’s Looking At Her) @writing-for-marvel (celebrity au, completed)

The entire world’s eyes are on movie star Bucky Barnes, what he’s wearing, who he’s dating, even the mystery behind why he needs a prosthetic arm - but Bucky doesn’t care about all that, he’s only got one thing on his mind, you.

[f & a] [s] jealousy & flirtation by @/kinanabinks (college au, no separate masterlist)

There's nothing you want more than Bucky Barnes - but you and his best friend, Juniper, seem to have that in common.

[f & a] [s] [d] Arranged by @the-fallen-nightmare (mob au, completed)

Reader would do anything to make her parents happy and that included agreeing to an arranged marriage. She never expected it to be to one of New York’s most feared Mob Boss: Bucky Barnes. He is anything but loving towards Reader however when her parents are mysteriously killed, Bucky makes it his mission to find out who were at fault. And in the process, ends up coming close to losing Reader.

[f & a] [s] beneath the milky twilight by @bucksangel (ceo au, completed)

Being Mr. Barnes’ personal assistant has been tough, balancing a full time job while taking care of your younger brothers has you running yourself thin. Then, things take a sharp turn after a dinner with your boss when you disclose your financial situation

[f & a] [s] Tempestuous by @/sinner-as-saint (royal au, completed)

With his kingdom flourishing in peace, and no threats from enemies; recently crowned King - James Buchanan Barnes sets out at sea. With his finest ship, the best crew ever recruited, and a deep desire to see whether the edge of the world truly exists; the King sets sail. Hoping to find the marvels of the ocean, to find beauty and magic even; however he ends up finding a fiery soul – one he cannot get enough of. But then again, no love story is ever perfect, is it? 

[f] [s] false god by @notafunkiller (celebrity au)

On the night of your movie premiere, you and director Bucky finally get closer.

[f & a] [s] [d] Moment of Weakness by @/the-fallen-nightmare (mob au, completed)

Reader is the assistant to New York’s most feared mob boss, James Buchanan Barnes. He had the picture-perfect life: status in the mob, friends, and beautiful wife. So why can’t he keep his mind and eyes off of reader?

[f] Peachy Sweet by @straywords (mob au)

Your delicious treats attract your grumpy boss’ attention.

[f] [s] Sleepless nights & Sweeter mornings by @kikixreverie (roommate au, completed)

Weeks of not being able to get off leave you restless and without sleep, and after hearing your troubles through the thin walls, your roommate, Bucky, decides to help you out.

[f & a] [s] i could've chosen you (and yes, i would) by @welldonebeca (royal au, completed)

To form an alliance with another Kingdom, your father arranges a marriage between you and James, the duke of Barnes and best friend of King Steve I of a neighbouring kingdom, and you struggle to make a relationship out of your arranged union.

[f & a] Fieldwork, Conflict Of Interest I & II by @elixirfromthestars (detective!bucky & lawyer!reader, completed)

After the many failed dates Natasha set you up on, you decide to give up on the dating scene all together. That is until Bucky makes it his mission to change your mind, but will he be enough to change it?

[f] [s] heartless 1 & 2 by @/sinner-as-saint (incubus!bucky & witch!reader)

You learnt about them when you were young. You had tomes filled with information about them, how to invite one, how to control one, etc. You also knew that if done right, union with an incubus was said to result in the birth of powerful witches. And now, after having spent years all alone following the unfortunate slaughter of your family you have two strong desires; to have a child and to continue the witch bloodline. Both of which can be fulfilled by summoning and making the right arrangements with the right incubus. And the best part of it all, incubi were known to be incapable of love and emotional attachment, so ending the arrangement once you conceived wouldn’t be hard for either parties involved. Except, it’s not always that easy, is it? And perhaps, not all incubi are heartless. 

[f] Catch Me If You Can 1, 2, & 3 by @/buckyalpine (mob!bucky & single mom!police!reader, completed)

Maybe he isn’t so bad

[f & a] [s] He's Hazardous To My Health by @/writing-for-marvel (paramedic!bucky & resident!reader)

Bucky Barnes is a beefy paramedic with a traumatic past, who has left a trail of broken hearts behind him. You are a resident doctor new to town, who barely has time to date between long shifts. When your paths cross in your ER during a disaster, is it the start of something magical, or are you destined to be just another of Bucky’s former flames?

[f & a] [s] for the love of the game by @/pellucid-constellations (college au, completed)

Bucky Barnes was a menace. NYU’s top baseball player, he was used to girls falling at his feet and could smooth talk his way out of just about anything. You hated him. He couldn’t figure out why. So when the novelty of weekend parties and quick hookups finally wore off—and his feelings for you began to grow—he made it his mission to fix it. 

[f & a] [s] Unexpected 1 & 2 by @repressedqueen (sexworker!bucky)

After a crazy night out celebrating your birthday, somehow you ended up outside a brothel debating on whether it was time for you to finally have sex or not.

[f & a] [s] Plot Twist I, II, III and bonus by @winterarmyy (mafia au)

An arranged marriage with mafia!bucky.

[f & a] [s] Purity by @/rookthorne (pornstar!bucky & innocent!reader)

Softness was a trait you unwittingly carried - the wings of a dove taking you higher and higher, elevating you in the eyes of the devil. And that devil did not want to wait any longer. It was time to collect.

© lavenderpenumbra.tumblr.com 2023

[madelineorionswan]

A Fiery Surprise.

@hp-12monthsofmagic prompt for this July, surprise.

Summary: Long after the second wizarding war, Charlie decides to have his own dragon sanctuary in Southern England. But what is a dragon sanctuary without dragons? A new friend of Madeline's might just be the solution to this problem.

Warnings: Adorable dragon family and Madeline and Charlie, Fire, mentions of blood and injury but nothing graphic, Dragons... LOTS of dragons.

A/N: This was such a fun story to write! But honestly, any story I write about Charlie and Madeline and their future quaint family life gets me so excited, and it melts my heart🥰🥰. Hope everyone likes this!

"Did you take an extra water bottle? An extra shirt? Oh, and are you taking your gumboots? "

"Yes. Yes. And I don't need the gumboots, Charlie! We're not going to Dartmoor."

Today was like any other day in Madeline and Charlie's household. Chaotic, rushed, messy and homely. After a long while, Madeline received a new mission abroad. Needless to say, Madeline excitedly accepted the offer and took Harry, Ron and Edward on her team. Charlie was happy that Madeline was so excited about her mission and helped her by staying up nights with her and keeping Aro away from her work files ( The last time he had been near those, Madeline had to delay the entire mission and redo every single document, because someone thought eating the paper and sneezing fire at the rest was a good thing).

Today Madeline was going to meet her team and head for New York. Charlie had been busy doing a last-minute check through Madeline's luggage. But Charlie was only slightly worried for her (which was his way of saying he was Significantly worried). After all, l the wizarding world wasn't as safe as it had been once. While things were better than during the war, crime was still widespread. Many of the previous death eaters had escaped and wanted to gather power.

The entire ministry had been busy trying to arrest these stray death-eaters, but so far, they had had very little luck. So the ministry decided to investigate further away from England, hence the search in North America had been proposed.

After a final check, Madeline was ready to leave. She petted Aro, who had been sneaking around the living room all this time, although he had his own pen in Charlie's sanctuary outside. "I'll be back soon Aro, lovey," she murmured with a smile and the dragon, satisfied with the affection, skipped off through the open door.

"Looks like I better be off now," Madeline said to Charlie, a hint of sadness in her voice. Charlie brought her into his arms and hugged her tightly as Madeline kissed his lips deeply. For a moment, they both stood in each other's embrace, not wanting to let go. But Madeline reluctantly pulled away.

"Be safe there dragostea mea. And don't forget to make those bloody death eaters regret everything they did," Charlie joked, making Madeline laugh as she shouldered her bag. But before she could walk out, Charlie grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, pecking her lips one last time with a grin.

"I'll take that as a request to send letters daily?" Madeline teased with a giggle.

"Please do," Charlie grinned and let go of his wife with a smile, albeit unwillingly. Madeline then quickly put on her shoes and bid farewell to her husband before leaving their home. But when she took a quick look at her watch, she dashed to catch the portkey which she hopefully didn't miss.

---

For a second, there was utter silence. But then, all that could be heard amongst the shadows of the tall birches and pines were sounds of spells being shot violently at each other. Hexes clashed midway as Aurors and death eaters tried to defeat the other. Although the Aurors were outnumbered, they weren't proving easy for the death eaters to defeat.

"Harry! Behind you!" Madeline shouted a warning at Harry, who whirled around just in time to deflect a spell being shot by a death eater.

Madeline shot Bombarda Maxima at another one of the death eaters, who fell from the slope of the hilly forest along with two more of their cronies. Madeline backed up against a tree when she saw the coast was clear and sat down at the base of it. She wiped the blood that had trickled down her nose and let out a shaky breath. For a moment she observed the fight between the boys and the rest of the Death eaters when suddenly she heard a loud growl.

Her brows furrowed as she looked to the north of the forest from where the sound was heard. But she didn't get another chance to listen to it as she felt a massive blow against her and fell to the forest floor.

"Madeline! You alright?" Edward asked with concern and helped his senior up on her feet.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Madeline weakly said as she tried to regain her footing, "let's finish these blokes, so we can get this over with."

Edward firmly nodded and blasted a spell at a group of death eaters who were approaching them. He then dashed to Ron and Harry who were being surrounded by the remaining death eaters.

"This fight is getting tedious," Madeline thought to herself. She looked around and saw they were surrounded by the death eaters, despite the innumerable times they had defeated them. Suddenly, an idea struck her mind.

"Harry! Give me your wand!" Madeline yelled at Harry.

Harry flung his wand towards her, which Madeline caught in her hand and turned to face the looming shadows of people encircling her and the others. With two wands in her hands, each pointing towards the enemy, Madeline cast Bombarda, blinding the surrounding grove in orange rays.

It took a moment for the light to recced, but eventually, it did, and everyone could finally look around. Harry, Ron and Edward looked around and were astounded when they saw all the death eaters lying on the charred forest floor, groaning weakly in pain.

"That was bloody amazing!" Ron told Madeline, still a little awestruck.

"Well, I don't usually do this, but looks like it still works," Madeline shrugged and tossed Harry his wand, "Let's call in some support from the MACUSA."

It took them a while to contact the MACUSA, but eventually, help was reached. The team took a few minutes to round up the death eaters before they left for the headquarters in New York, leaving Madeline, Harry, Ron and Edward in the half-charred grove.

The walk back to their campsite was quiet and boring. Madeline was busy observing the lofty trees surrounding the camp while the guys walked ahead as they chatted about the mission review they would have to write later.

As Madeline strolled along the winding path, she abruptly halted and turned her attention towards the bushes nearby. She had picked up on a faint, quivering sound emanating from somewhere in the vicinity and slowly tiptoed towards it. She looked once towards the guys and found them strolling ahead, probably having forgotten her. So she moved aside the dense green foliage, and the scene she saw wasn't something she had expected.

A beautiful Antipodean Opaleye rested by her nest, which held three stunning pearly eggs. The sun's rays made her white scales shimmer brilliantly. She was snoring peacefully, entirely unaware of Madeline's presence. That is until Madeline stepped closer towards the nest and accidentally stepped on a branch.

The mother dragon's sensitive ears detected the quiet snap of the branch, and she woke up. She lifted her head and saw Madeline standing motionless near the nest with her rainbow eyes.

Seconds passed as Madeline and the dragon kept still and stared at each other. Madeline was no dragonologist, but she knew that if she kept stationary long enough, the dragon would perceive her as unthreatening and go back to sleep. Maybe she would let her pet her. But this Antipodean Opaleye clearly didn't trust her and kept on staring.

Madeline eventually gave up and stepped back, raising her hands to indicate to the dragon that she posed no threat. The great creature narrowed its eyes for a moment, but she quickly turned her attention to the nest. One of the pearly white eggs was shaking. Suddenly there was the sound of cracking. The mother quickly got up as Madeline too tiptoed closer to get a look.

Madeline witnessed a miraculous event as cracks appeared on the egg, then multiplied until the shell finally shattered, revealing a precious baby dragon. Despite spending nearly a decade at the Romanian sanctuary, Madeline had never witnessed a dragon egg hatching before. She was filled with awe and wonder at the sight. Soon after, the other eggs started to shake as well and the mother dragon snorted with excitement, whilst nudging the first little one out of its shell.

Without delay, Madeline dashed outside to search for the guys. Luckily, they had already realized she was missing and were on the lookout for her. When Madeline emerged from the bushes, Harry spotted her and signalled the others to join her.

"Thank goodness we found you, Madie. We thought one of the bloody death eaters might've kidnapped you," Ron said.

"Guys! I found something really cool! You've got to see it, but be extra quiet," Madeline said in one breath, quickly pulling Harry, Ron and Edward to the bush.

Before going through the foliage, she put a finger against her lips and walked through the leaves. The boys shared a look of confusion before Harry shrugged and followed Madeline along with Edward and Ron behind him.

Their jaws dropped in amazement as they gazed upon the scene before them. The mother dragon was lovingly attending to her newly hatched babies, with the third and final egg still nestled in the nest, yet to hatch. Madeline was crouched beside the two dragonlings as they waddled around. The dragon was still icy towards her but seemed to understand that she meant no harm.

But the second the boys tried to step forward, the dragon growled, her vivid irises darkening with anger. Lifting her head, she bellowed so loudly that all the guys stumbled back. Madeline quickly moved to caress the dragon, but she was still heaving with rage. One guest was fine, but 4 was an unwelcome party for her.

"Woah, girl! Easy, please, easy," Madeline gently stroked the dragon's scaly snout. The dragon initially gave Madeline a suspicious look but eventually appeared to calm down after she attempted to comfort it. She signalled the boys to come closer, and they tiptoed up to the dragon.

"Now, girl, it's alright. They're not going to hurt you. They're here to help you," Madeline whispered to the dragon. The dragon looked at the three men, who were standing as still as sticks. Then she laid down her head and looked at her dragonlings instead. The buys then let out a sigh of relief

"Blimey, Madeline! And here I thought we were going to be roasted like Mum's Christmas turkey!" Ron exclaimed, making the others chuckle.

"I still can't believe you found an actual antipodean opaleye here! Shouldn't they be New Zealand?" Harry said while walking toward the nest and egg with Edward.

"I'm not sure. But Whatever it is, we've got to get them to a safer place. With the babies, it's not safe here, nor is this climate suitable for them," Madeline said with concern.

"But where can we take them, there's no Australian dragon sanctuary," Edward pointed out.

"I might have an idea-

A loud crack was heard, and everyone turned their attention towards the remaining egg. There were a few cracks on it, and everyone waited with bated breath for the last little one to hatch. This little one certainly took its sweet time, slowly chipping away at the shell. Eventually, it made a small hole in the top of the egg and poked its head out. Everyone awed at the little guy who attempted to wriggle free but failed miserably. Edward picked cracked the remaining eggshell and took out the baby, handing him to his mother who gurgled happily.

"Looks like a happy family then," Edward concluded with a smile and the others agreed with nods.

"Then let's get them back to a safe place," Madeline said as she contacted the Ministry of America and England.

---

"Hi, love! I'm so glad you're ba- WHAT IN MERLIN'S BEARD ARE YOU DOING WITH FOUR DRAGONS?!"

Madeline smiled sheepishly and said, "Surprise...?"

Charlie couldn't stop gawking at the sight in front of him. In front of him stood a magnificent Antipodean Opaleye, accompanied by three adorable babies.

"What, How, why, when?" Charlie asked with excitement and confusion on his face.

"Madeline found this mama and her nest in the forest where we were rounding up the death eaters. We couldn't leave them there, and so we brought them here," Harry said while trying to keep one of the babies from running away.

"And I would say that it's a bloody brilliant idea mate," Ron said, smiling proudly. He too had a baby dragon in his arms, although this one was asleep.

"Oh, I don't need you to convince me. I'm just shocked, is all," Charlie said with a smile and walked to the Mama dragon. She seemed uncertain and started to fidget and growl. But Charlie's careful steps and soft voice worked wonders on her and within seconds she grew fond of him.

"How about you guys go and sit in the living room, we both can take the little ones and Mama to the sanctuary," Madeline suggested. The guys nodded and let the three little ones follow their mama. Madeline walked behind them, making sure none of them would get lost.

Charlie and Madeline closed the gates to the grove enclosure where the dragons would reside. Madeline was fond of the little dragons and kept playing with them, while Charlie had a constant smile on his face that made his cheeks hurt. He had been searching for an additional dragon to join the two already present in the sanctuary. The sight of the previously empty sanctuary now housing dragons filled him with excitement and joy. It made his heart beat with renewed life and his eyes sparkle with delight. This unexpected surprise was truly the best he could have hoped for.

[x-ceirios-x]

City of Glass, Chapter 15: Things Fall Apart

please see the masterlist for notes about this series/collection of works

-

Luke had spent most of the night watching the moon’s progress across the translucent roof of the Hall of Accords, like a silver coin rolling across the clear surface of a glass table. When the moon was close to full, as it was right now, he felt a corresponding sharpening in his vision and sense of smell, even when he was in human form. Now, for instance, he could smell the sweat of doubt in the room, and the underlying sharp tang of fear. He could sense the restless worry of his pack of wolves out in Brocelind Forest as they paced the darkness beneath the trees and waited for news from him. 

“Lucian.” Amatis’s voice in his ear was low but piercing. “Lucian!”

Snapped out of his reverie, Luke fought to focus his exhausted eyes on the scene in front of him. It was a ragged little group, those who had agreed to stay to listen to his plan. Fewer than he had hoped for. Many he knew from his old life in Idris—the Penhallows, the Lightwoods, the Ravenscars—and just as many as he’d just met, like the Monteverdes, who ran the Lisbon Institute and spoke in a mixture of Portuguese and English, or Nasreen Chardhury, the stern-featured head of the Mumbai Institute. Her dark green sari was patterned in such elaborate runes of such a bright silver that Luke instinctively flinched when she passed too close. 

Across from him, next to Maryse, was Aric Ashfair—he wouldn’t have called him a friend by any means, but he’d known of him in his time at the Academy. Word had it that he was in Malachi’s back pocket, which made him curious as to why he stayed. He’d heard things—he showed up to Institutes and people ended up on trial, usually for breaking the Accords. He was a ruthless investigator, not to mention fighter, and right-hand of the Consul and Inquisitor. Back in the day, he had a good group of friends, from what he saw—his girlfriend and eventual wife, Mollie Penhallow, Patrick’s older sister, Jeremy Lovelace, and Céline Montclaire. The last he heard, they’d cut ties with Céline because of her ties to the Circle. Sixteen years later, he met his child in New York without a sign of any of the three. He didn’t know what happened in the interim. 

“Really, Lucian,” said Maryse. Her small, white face was pinched by exhaustion and grief. Luke hadn’t really expected either her or her husband to come, but they had agreed almost as soon as he’d mentioned it to them. He supposed he ought to be grateful they were here at all, even if grief did tend to make Maryse more sharp-tempered than usual. “You’re the one who wanted us all here; the least you could do is pay attention.”

“He has been.” Amatis sat with her legs drawn under her like a young girl, but her expression was firm. “It’s not Lucian’s fault that we’ve been going around in circles for the past hour.”

“And we’ll keep going around and around until we figure out a solution,” said Patrick Penhallow, an edge to his voice. 

“With all due respect, Patrick,” said Nasreen in her clipped accent, “there may be no solution to this problem. The best we can hope for is a plan.”

“A plan that doesn’t involve either mass slavery, or—“ started Jia, Patrick’s wife, and then she broke off, biting her lip. She was a pretty, slender woman who looked very much like her daughter, Aline. Luke remembered when Patrick had run off to the Beijing Institute and married her. It had been something of a scandal, as he’d been supposed to marry a girl his parents had already picked out for him in Idris. But Patrick never liked to do what he was told, a quality for which Luke was now grateful. 

“Or allying ourselves with Downworlders?” said Luke. “I’m afraid there’s no way around that.”

“That’s not the problem and you know it,” said Maryse. “It’s the whole business about seats on the Council. The Clave will never agree to it. You know that. Four whole seats—”

“Not four,” Luke said. “One peach for the Fair Folk, the Moon’s Children, and the children of Lilith.”

“The warlocks, the fey, and the lycanthropes,” said soft-spoken Senhor Monteverde, his eyebrows arched. “And what of the vampires?”

“They haven’t promised me anything,” Luke admitted. “And I havent promised them anything in return. They may not be eager to join the Council; they’re none too fond of my kind, and none too fond of meetings and rules. But the door is open to them should they change their mind.”

“Malachi and his lot will never agree to it, and we may not have enough Council votes without them,” muttered Patrick. 

Aric Ashfair spoke for the first time in nearly an hour. He wasn’t truly sure if he’d spoken since he agreed to stay for the meeting. “I will take care of Malachi. He has to be reasonable.”

“Oh yes, the Consul’s dog is going to beg for a treat,” Senhor Monteverde said, a bitter yet smug look on his face. 

He pretended as if he didn’t hear it, averting his eyes from Monteverde and looking directly at Luke. He could tell the comment bothered him based on the tenseness in his hands as he folded them in front of him on the table. “I will do my best. If he’s going to listen to anyone, it will be me.”

Luke didn’t understand what Senhor Monteverde said to his wife, though he caught a few key words like Consul, Malachi, and something that sounded like some particularly derogatory insults. Aric, on the other hand, clearly did—he vaguely remembered something about him speaking Spanish, which probably gave him enough to piece together his comments. “Cláudio, you’re just angry that you couldn’t pay me off to save your son from trial on the Sword because he was killing Downworlders for kicks,” he said, a clipped anger behind his surprisingly calm tone. 

The room went silent. Monteverde held Aric’s challenging stare, only to break first. Aric didn’t look impressed or smug like he thought, he simply moved on. “Lucian. Without the vampires, how do we fight Valentine? What chance do we really have?”

“A very good one,” snapped Amatis, who seemed to believe in Luke’s plan more than he did. “There are many Downworlders who will fight with us, and they are powerful indeed. The warlocks alone—”

With a shake of her head Senhora Monteverde turned to her husband. “This plan is mad. It will never work. Downworlders cannot be trusted.”

“It worked during the Uprising,” said Luke. 

The woman’s lips curled back. “Only because Valentine was fighting with fools for an army,” she said. “Not demons. And how are we to know his old Circle members will not go back the moment he calls them to his side?”

“Be careful what you say, Senhora,” rumbled Robert Lightwood. It was the first time he’d spoken in a while, too; he’d spent most of the evening motionless, immobilized by sorrow. There were lines in his face Luke could have sword hadn’t been there three days ago. His torment was plain in his tatu shoulders and clenched fists; Luke could hardly blame him. He had never much liked Robert, but there was something about the sight of such a big man made helpless by grief that was painful to witness. “If you think I would join with Valentine after Max’s death—he had my boy murdered—”

“Robert,” Maryse murmured. She put her arm on his shoulder. 

“The reason you don’t trust Downworlders is you refuse to believe they are also part human, not just the demons you vilify them as,” Aric said. Luke didn’t miss the look he gave him—an apology for saying the quiet part out loud, he assumed, not that he believed it. From what he knew about Aric, he’d always been a friend of Downworlders, at least in their Academy years. That might have changed once he became more involved with the Clave, but that was no fault of his. Even though he was once one, Luke was careful around the Shadowhunter government. “There are good people in this world and there are bad ones. There are Downworlders I would trust with my children over some Shadowhunters.”

Monteverde sneered. “You mean the children you dumped in New York after your wife died?”

For the second time, it was silent. Luke glanced at his sister next to him, whose mouth had fallen open. He felt a pang of sympathy for Aric, though it quickly faded. It looked like Monteverde had lit a fuse on him and he was any second from exploding. 

Maryse was the only person to speak, a single word. “Aric,” she said, her voice warning. 

Luke was half-ready to break up a fight between the two because of the way Aric was staring him down. Monteverde didn’t back down, though—he stood there, challenging him the same way he had just a moment earlier. If there wasn’t a table between them, he might have had to. Aric slammed his fist on the table, a rage that Luke had never seen in the man flaring up. He started on a trail of curses and insults, said directly to Monteverde rather than muttered in a half-attempt to talk behind his back like he had.

He didn’t get very far, though. Maryse stood too. “Aric!” she said, pushing her chair out as she stood, hands on the table in front of her. 

He paused and took a deep breath. “I’m leaving,” he said, deathly calm. He turned towards Luke, to his surprise. “I will do what I can with Malachi. Keep me updated if the vampires change their minds.” 

Before anyone had the chance to respond, he stormed out, leaving a cloud of tension and anger at the table. Luke felt bad for him, though Monteverde's comment answered most of the questions he wanted to ask but knew he shouldn’t. 

“If we do not join Valentine,” said Senhor Monteverde, “all our children may die.”

“If you think that, why are you here?” Amatis rose to her feet. “I thought we had agreed—“

So did I. Luke’s head ached. It was always like this with them—two steps forward and a step back. They were as bad as warring Downworlders themselves, if only they could see it. Maybe they’d all be better off if they solved their problems with combat, the way the pack did—

A flash of movement at the doors of the Hall caught his eye. It was momentary, and if it had not been so close to the full moon, he might not have seen it, or recognized the figure who passed quickly before the doors. He wondered for a moment if he was imagining things. Sometimes, when he was very tired, he thought he saw Jocelyn–in the flicker of a shadow, in the play of light on the wall. 

But it wasn’t Jocelyn. Luke rose to his feet. “I’m taking five minutes for some air. I’ll be back.” He felt them watching him as he made his way to the front doors—all of them, even Amatis. Senhor Monteverde whispered something to his wife in Portuguese; Luke caught “lobo”, the word for “wolf,” in the stream of words. They probably think I’m going outside to run in circles and bark at the moon. 

[stuckysbike]

@bucky-barnes-diaries inspired me to do this. Hopefully it’ll give me a kick up the ass and get me focused.

Or I’ll get distracted by shiny things (arms)

My current WIP’s in my Evernote app. Also I’m crap at titles. Hate them. Worst part of all of it.

Howl: Werewolf AU.

Someone tried to get rid of you, made you leave town then tried to have you declared dead. When you ran you were pregnant and fate brings you back when your son is kidnapped.

But everything ends up being connected, someone is still out to get you and you don’t know why.

Meanwhile you never finished high school, and you made money stripping and dancing. So when your ex finds out you’re picking up shifts in the local club he’s less than pleased.

Bucky x Reader.

Untitled

Left as a single mother before your baby is even born after your fiancée Bucky is filled in the line of duty you reach out to his best friend Steve for support. As you grow closer you fall in love, marry and have a baby together.

Five years later your Bucky is discovered in a Russian Gulag. He’s been experimented on, and lost an arm because of it but he’s home and he’s alive.

As the three of you try to work out where to go next you find out that Bucky and Steve had a complicated past and are closer than you ever realised. Bucky isn’t as upset about you and Steve as you expected him to be, in fact, he has a solution to all your problems.

Stucky x Reader.

Untitled

You can’t help but fall for the handsome “Yank” who has interrupted your life. Your work at the Foreign Office in London is top secret and with the country at war he’s like a tall glass of water on a hot day.

You marry with haste, and as the war comes to a close you end up being a GI Bride. Alone in New York with only the name of a husband that every woman in the city seems to know, you need to find your way until he gets dismissed from service.

Will you have a happy ever after or will that wartime romance be a passing phase for both of you?

Bucky x Reader

Untitled

Natasha Romanov-Barnes wants a baby. What Natasha wants, she gets. Her doting husband is the most powerful man on the East Coast right now. Unable to conceive after a cruel revenge for her family’s misdeeds Natasha sets about finding the perfect surrogate.

But Natasha doesn’t just want someone to carry her child, she wants a friend, confident and someone she and her husband can share and spoil. Someone to keep her company when Bucky’s on business.

And Bucky is willing to do anything as long as his wife is happy.

Buckynat x Reader

Untitled:

The daughter of a Duke, you were a prize given to one of the leaders of the invading and victorious army to marry.

The man is a handsome brute but he doesn’t act like a beast. In fact he seems rather indifferent to your presence in his life and his bed.

Travelling to his home you get trapped during an early snowstorm and with nothing else to you you end up bonding. A lot.

Bucky x Reader

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[bb-e3rie]

Power of Awareness Chapter 23, Neville Goddard success story (2):

“Only the most complete and intense use of the law of assumption could have produced such results in this extreme situation.

Four years ago, a friend of our family asked that I talk with his twenty-eight-year-old son, who was not expected to live.

He was suffering from a rare heart disease. This disease resulted in a disintegration of the organ.

Long and costly medical care had been of no avail.

Doctors held out no hope for recovery. For a long time, the son had been confined to his bed. His body had shrunk to almost a skeleton, and he could talk and breathe only with great difficulty. His wife and two small children were home when I called, and his wife was present throughout our discussion.

I started by telling him that there was only one solution to any problem, and that solution was a change of attitude. Since talking exhausted him, I asked him to nod in agreement if he understood clearly what I said. This he agreed to do.

I described the facts underlying the law of consciousness – in fact that consciousness was the only reality. I told him that the way to change any condition was to change his state of consciousness concerning it. As a specific aid in helping him to assume the feeling of already being well, I suggested that in imagination, he see the doctor's face expressing incredulous amazement in finding him recovered, contrary to all reason, from the last stages of an incurable disease, that he see him double checking in his examination and hear him saying over and over, "It's a miracle – it's a miracle".

He not only understood all this clearly, but he believed it implicitly. He promised that he would faithfully follow this procedure. His wife, who had been listening intently, assured me that she, too, would diligently use the law of assumption and her imagination in the same way as her husband. The following day I sailed for New York – all this taking place during a winter vacation in the tropics.

Several months later, I received a letter saying the son had made a miraculous recovery. On my next visit, I met him in person. He was in perfect health, actively engaged in business and thoroughly enjoying the many social activities of his friends and family.

He told me that from the day I left, he never had any doubt that "it" would work. He described how he had faithfully followed the suggestion I had made to him and day after day had lived completely in the assumption of already being well and strong.

Now, four years after his recovery, he is convinced that the only reason he is here today is due to his successful use of the law of assumption.”

[midnightswithdearkatytspb]

Mob bucky/seb or mob chris/andy recs??

Updated 07/04/21 ✨ = Just Added

To be added please tag me in your future works!

Hey Anon! I’m so glad you asked this because Mob/Mafia! Any version of those boys is my favorite. In my previous fic recs I recommended...

If love was an option by @mianorth » Bucky Barnes x Reader — Part 1 🦋 Part 2 🦋 Part 3

Good Little Wife & Good Little Girl by @donutloverxo » Mob!Andy Barber x Reader – A little dark and it has some really good smut in it.

Blackmail by @stargazingfangirl18 » Soft!DarkMafia Andy Barber x Female Reader — You were just doing it to protect your family, at least that’s what you kept telling yourself, especially once you started to like it. (One-Shot)

Blow Sweet and Thick by @angrythingstarlight » Mafia!Bucky x Reader — Bucky is having a bad day, you can help him feel good. (Part of Mafia Monday’s)

Run To You by @bestofbucky » Mob!Boss Bucky x Reader — Mob boss Bucky Barnes hires you to be his bodyguard. (Series)

Can’t Run, Can’t Hide by @angrythingstarlight » Dark!MafiaBucky Barnes x Reader — When you get noticed by the infamous mob boss, you flee. But Bucky doesn’t like to be denied anything and he’s coming for you. (One-shot)

Six Feet | Ch.1 ⚰️ Ch.2 by @queenoftheworldisdead » Dark Mob!Steve x Reader + Dark Mob!Bucky x Reader — Your family’s small funeral home comes into financial trouble. In desperation your father finds the most unlikely solution to solve his financial problems. | (Short Series)

Bankrupt by @mypoisonedvine » dark!40’s!Mob!Stucky x Reader — Your husband’s gambling addiction quickly got him in hot water with the mob, and you by extension. When some debt collectors come by to settle what is owed, you realize that you have a lot more to worry about than money problems.

Partition by @angrythingstarlight » Mob!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Bucky comforts you after a bad day, and your boss learns why no one messes with his girl. —> Part 2: Let Me Show You — You wanted to know what your mobster boyfriend did, lucky for you he’s more into the show then tell.

Say the word and it’s yours by @angrythingstarlight » Mafia!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Your mobster boyfriend rescues you from a long, boring day at work. Bucky always said, “ask and its yours”

Lost Without You by @angrythingstarlight » Mafia!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Bucky Barnes would be lost with you. You’re his everything and he plans on spending Valentine’s Day proving it to you.

All Dressed In White by @angrythingstarlight » Dark!Mafia Bucky Barnes x Reader — You were going to marry someone else, Bucky won’t let that happen. You belong to him now and forever. Till Death Do You Part.

Thick As Thieves by @angrythingstarlight » Mafia!Bucky Barnes x Reader x Mafia!Steve Rogers — The only thing the Mafia hates as much as snitches are thieves. And you’re planning on stealing from Bucky and Steve, what happens if you get caught?

Won’t Let You Go by @kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay » Mob!Bucky Barnes x OFC!Kori — Kori met Bucky in one of his clubs, out to get shit-faced with a couple of friends to forget about her worries and maybe take home a guy to further rid herself of her numerous frustrations. Little did she know that the one-night stand with Bucky would turn into so much more than that.

Tell Me What You Want by @angrythingstarlight » Mafia!Steve Rogers x Reader; Mafia!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Your mob boyfriend, is none other than Steve Rogers and he is willing to get you whatever you wanted, all you have to do is ask. And be careful what you ask for because he’s going to give it to you over and over again.

To Have & To Hold by @slyyywriting » Bucky Barnes x Mob Boss!Reader — Bucky is trying his best to provide and care for his daughter who just entered first grade. Everything was alright until she asks why everyone else seems to have a mom except for her. You’re just a plain mob boss who wants to turn a new leaf. Challenges arise when the world refuses to let you take a softer, non-violent route. A little girl helps you navigate a compromise.(series)

✨ Mob!Sugar Daddy!Stucky Moodboard by @brattycherubwrites » Mob!Stucky x Reader

✨ Laced Around Your Throat by @angrythingstarlight » Mafia!Steve x Reader, Mafia!Bucky x Reader — Your Mob boyfriend knows that the only thing that looks even better than his hand around your throat is his custom made necklace. You’re his girl and the world needs to know it.

✨ Hidden Gems by @jtargaryen18 » Mob!Steve Rogers x Mob!Daughter Reader — Your father is the head of one of the most powerful crime families in Boston but he’s protected you from that life. In your quiet home outside the city, you’ve been cared for and protected. When the desires of a more powerful man with the will to dominate bursts into your life, all your illusions are shattered as he comes to claim what is his.

Necessary Arrangements by @stargazingfangirl18 » Andy Barber x Fem!Reader, Ari Levinson x (Different) Fem! Reader ft. Ransom Drysdale » One of my favorite series, chapters are decent sized and the smut is so good!

Hugs My Love by @thatfuckingweirdo » Mobster!Bucky Barnes x Reader — You just really need a hug, and Bucky is the only one you want it from.

my old man is a tough man, but he got a soul as sweet as blood red jam by @cloudystevie » Mob Boss!Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader — steve gives you what you want… kind of.

Brooklyn Wars by @world-of-aus » Stucky x Reader

Petals and Bullets by @revengingbarnes » Mob!Bucky Barnes x Reader (One of my all time favorites series)

I would check out @sinner-as-saint’s Masterlist they have quite a few Mob!Bucky series and one-shots that I have loved in the past.

Special by @buckycuddlebuddy » Bucky Barnes x Reader — this one-shot is really hot.

Love, Honor, and Obey by @constantwriter85 » Bucky Barnes — This one is good and I need to catch up on.

Mafioso by @captain-barnes-writes » Bucky Barnes x Reader — Please do yourself a favor and read.

Lipstick and Crayons by @oneoftheprettynerds » Dark!Steve Rogers x Reader - In Progress

A really good DarkMob!Steve Drabble called Please Hurt Me by @gotnofucks *chefs kiss*

The Mobster’s Little Girl by @smutsonian » Steve Rogers x Reader

off to the races 🐻 off to the races 2 by @harryspet » Soft!Dark Steve Rogers x Reader

The Ignorant Beauty & the Beast by @mysterioh » Steve Rogers x Reader – With 21 parts sadly it hasn’t been updated in 8 months, it’s one of my favorite Mob!Steve Roger fics out there. *Thanks to @inactivewhore I found out this story was moved to AO3 and is now called where angels fear to tread it was last updated on 13/11/20*

What It Takes by @cherienymphe » Bucky Barnes x Reader — You left Bucky once you found out who he really is. The one thing you thought would guarantee your safety ends up sealing your fate.

Welcome Home by @punani » Chris Evans x Black!Reader — He’s been away for awhile, but he knows that his girl’s loyalty to him knows no bounds. Knows she’s been waiting for him after her adamancy in telling him there was no other option. It’s only right to make the reunion a memorable one. | So, so, so, so freaking good!

These are what I found on Tumblr that I plan on reading.

Handmaid by @extremelyblackandwhite » Sebastian Stan x ingenue!Reader — y/n works as a handmaid for the daughter of an influential mob leader who is promised to the new boss of the most powerful mob family in new york, sebastian.

AO3 Website Reccomendations

Satellite Heart » Stucky x Reader — You used to be Steve and Bucky's girl. Then they fucking left without saying goodbye. Little did they know, you were pregnant. But life went on. You raised your Talia to the best of your ability. But one day, everything goes to shit. Now your boys are back in your life. And they're not planning on leaving anytime soon.

Little Fox A/B/O Series » Soft!Dark Bucky Barnes x Soft!Dark Natasha Romanoff x OFC! & Peter Parker x Soft!Dark Tony Stark — So I can’t stress this enough you need to read the tags for this series and I kept getting confused as I read this story as to how old Violet Mason is. But this series takes you on a roller coaster, I like it, my cousin didn’t finish it, I need to catch up.

Pelmeni *finished* » Stucky x Reader — James Bucky Barnes has a good life, as a member of a powerful organized crime syndicate. His best friend Steve is a member too and his literal partner in crime. Bucky's got a problem though. You. His longtime love and secret girlfriend. Unfortunately, your father is his boss and has plans for you that involve normal life. Steve has a problem too. Steve wants in on your relationship and more than the semi-regular/occasional steamy threesomes. You don't have a problem, you're just busy with a big mob wedding coming up, which means a big celebration, that you're busy catering for.

Dying For This Love » Dark!Bucky x Reader — That was before. When you were Bucky’s girl. Now, you have a score to settle. That’s why you’re wearing Bucky’s favorite red satin dress, the one with the cuts that reach right up to the tops of your thighs, the tennis necklace he gifted you for your anniversary, and are fresh off of a mani/pedi and hair appointment. He’s going to regret the day he fucked with you. | This one is intense and a tad bit dark, but the smut is good.

off to the races » Steve Rogers x Reader — In which you call the kingpin your Daddy.

The Mobster’s Little Girl » Steve Rogers x Reader — what happens when the big bad mobster gets blackmailed by your father to marry you? (kind of fluffy kind of not. kinda dark kinda not.)

Brooklyn Sweethearts » Dark!Stucky x Reader — Bucky and Steve had always been meant to keep her safe and happy. As far as anyone else was concerned, that was their sole reason for being alive. Unfortunately, the things that kept her safe were not always the things that kept her happy. Lately, she was making it pretty damn hard for them to compromise. | Probably one of my all time favorite Mafia!Stucky stories I have ever read, just sadly it also hasn’t been updated in like 8 months and I keep hoping it will get updated.

Hot Doll » Skinny!MobBoss Steve Rogers x Reader — Steve Rogers is on the rise in the New York underground as you’re trying to keep your own place there. | Dark and good!

Doctor Doctor » Steve Rogers x PlusSize! Reader — (1940 Mobster AU!) You're a war widow down on her luck; and the King of Brooklyn, Steve Rogers, takes notice. | Another one of my favorites. A little bit dark as well.

The Widow » Dark!MobBoss x Reader — It’s the 1920s and everyone’s having a roaring time but you. | Trust me it’s just dark enough.

Those are just some on AO3, I would just go through Mafia AU tag and go to filter and click Avengers or Captain America.

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Revised OC Masterlist

Marvel

Juliet Holden

A New York City paramedic, Juliet’s life gets turned upside down after getting blasted by unknown energy waves leading her to develop superpowers.

Gabriel Ramirez

Juliet’s future partner in crime and romance.  He’s a New York City detective who is more than a little salty at the mysterious S.H.I.E.L.D after they take his case involving the injury of a paramedic, one Juliet Holden.

Sigyn

Wife of Loki and Goddess of Loyalty, her comfortable life on Asgard begins to change after her brother in law, Thor, get banished to Earth leading her husband to be the new ruling King of Asgard.

Cassandra Jackson

Single Mother. Witch. Tarot Card Reader, Monday to Saturday, 9:00am to 6:00pm. Somehow, Cassandra manages to be all three. But with her daughter coming into her power, the past comes with it. She can only hope hell doesn't join in the fun.

Ellie Jackson

Puberty is hard enough, but add on a new school, new powers, a dad who is an actual spawn of hell and your mom making goo goo eyes at your teacher, it's enough to drive anybody crazy. Honestly, she should get a medal for self restraint. It's not like she could bring hell on Earth or anything.

Damien

Liar. Hell Spawn. Father of the Coming Darkness (if you believe what you read in the papers these days). Damien is on a mission to bring hell on Earth, the only problem, he may be becoming dangerously human.

Star Wars

Jayna Dar

Left for dead by the Jedi, bought and sold, and eventually saved by a passing bounty hunter, Janya Dar knows better than to look back. But with The Clone Wars raging around her, the past is bound to catch up.

Sera Darros

Found and raised by Cassian Andor since she was eight years old, she knows the cost of war. Things can’t seem to get much worse for the rebellion, until rumors of the Empires new weapon begin to surface.  A planet killer.  The Death Star.

Zena Lorell

Zena has spent her entire life on the no where planet of Mir and has spent just as long trying to get off it. Finally, after years of saving she finally has enough to buy her own ship. All is finally going her way. That is, until a Mandalorian walks into her workshop looking for information.

Lana Solo

Lana Solo has a lot on her plate right now.  The remnants of the Empire are rebuilding in The First Order.  She and the rest of the Resistance are trying to fight it, but that means having to face her past as the only solution seems to be to find her uncle, Luke Skywalker.

[smallestchances]

The Fourth Horseman (Thor x Reader)

synopsis:  thor has done everything in his power to be seen as an actual powerhouse and threat to the mobs of new york, but the council of the horsemen are in the way. knowing they could lose everything they’ve built, mor goes to the people she knows can make things happen, and strikes a deal with the apocalypse wives.

word count: 4.9k

a/n: Welcome to the first installment of the Apocalypse wives!! Buckle up for a ride and send in asks when you’re ready for more :)

warnings: cursing, slight smut, mentions of abuse & murder

MASTERLIST /// WIVES!MASTERLIST

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

 You were a lot of things to a lot of people. Some people knew you as a determined spitfire who was fierce, protective, and not afraid to get her hands dirty for the people she loved. They knew you were an amazing friend.

Others knew you were an even worse enemy.

They knew you as an unforgiving bitch who painted her nails with the blood of those who wronged her. You were an unbothered, spoiled witch who wouldn't know humility if it was beneath your red-bottomed heel.

Thor knew that you were all of those things on a good day.

You sat with him now, in the middle of SHIELD. It served as the hottest and the most dangerous club in the state, and therefore your meeting place. Thor's hand is fit snugly around your waist, the sheer panel of your body suit allowing you to feel a semblance of his touch.

He's happy at the moment--genuinely happy and it's something you haven't seen in a long time. You can only look at him fondly, the low light of the club highlighting his jaw and the laugh lines that appear. His eyes twinkle as he talks with Loki, their relationship finally repaired after the trickster was fatally wounded trying to save your husband’s life.

Though you're still skeptical of the mischief maker, you have yet  to remember the last time you saw Thor this happy. Knowing this is the only reason you've allowed Loki to build his way back into your lives, you let him know that you have a dagger with his name on it should his loyalties change again.

As they talk, your eyes can’t help but linger to the exclusive third floor of the club — the circular balconies that complement the hollow interior of the building. The people up there sneer at those below, and you feel your jaw tick. Escorts, wannabes, and the closest inner circles of the underground world are found up there, and you knew that's where Thor belonged.

Three years. Three years, you and Thor had to fight and claw your way to get anywhere in the mafia world, and still you weren't at the top. Thor has already gained throes of power, influence, and support. 

You just had to take him further. 

"He won't be a problem."

Thor's words snap you back to the brothers' conversation, realizing the tone has taken a turn.

"You've only experienced Odin's grace," Loki replies. "He knows how to keep the appearance of kindness. Don't forget that I know his wrath more than anyone else.”

Thor swallows heavily at the reminder of his father's sins. "Loki—“

"No need for pity brother,” Loki interrupts, a genuine smile creeping on his face. "Despite my past, I've finally found a way to win against certain demons. I've gained you, a home, a psychotic sister-in-law—”

You wink at him.

"I'm in a better place than before," Loki concludes. "However, Father sees you taking me in as a personal slight. That, coupled with your growing success—“

"We've become his targets,” Thor finishes.

Those simple words cause the bass of the club music to become white noise. Blinking rapidly, you sit up quickly, leaning forward into Thor's space. "Your father now has you both on a hit list?” The disgust can’t help but drip from your voice. Loki only nods. Your eyes fall to the floor, tracing the patterned tiles as you process the information. "What does Frigga know about this?”

Thor makes a noise at the back of his throat. "Mother was the one who warned us."

You nod, chewing on your lip. "So we take him down first.”

Both men clear their throat sharply, Loki looking around cautiously. “Odin is the oldest living patriarch of the New York’s...companies. He has the support of the Horsemen— taking him down will not be simple."

"Nor should we announce it so blatantly my love," Thor shifts, pulling you onto his lap effortlessly, and his arms never leaving your sides.

"Your coward of a father wants to assassinate his sons because of the power they've gained,” is all you can grit out. “Something has to be done—”

“If we move too quickly, then we risk losing everything,” Loki interrupts. “Odin will declare us as enemies, and per his requests, he'll have the arsenal of Conquest, the men of Famine, and the tactics of Pestilence at his fingertips. Right now, we don't stand a chance.”

You bite the inside of your cheek harder, going through what you know of the Horsemen and their capabilities. You yourself have had little interaction with the infamous mobster, once before you married Thor and once to get Loki out of his clutches of abuse. He’s well known for being the first Horseman to retire instead of die, but his seat of War hasn’t been empty for long.

Frigga, his wife, was the one you knew well and respected. You knew her as a woman who did the best in every circumstance she found herself in, and fell in love with a man who changed too much before she realized what happened. Frigga had one of the largest hearts you knew, and you were certain she was the only reason the Asgardians were still standing as a viable threat.

"Without the council, we can defeat him," Thor mumbles.

Loki answers with a sarcastic laugh, downing the last shot on the table. "Turning the Council on a veteran member is impossible; especially since we don't have an insight into their ranks.” He gestures to the third floor of SHIELD. "We either lay low and build an army...or surrender while we still can."

You scoff at the two suggestions, rolling your eyes only to balk at the fact that Thor has yet to answer. "You can't seriously be considering this,"  you spit at him. At the answering silence, you slide off his lap to the far end of the couch. If we build an army, we’ll be  forced to outsource outside of New York— and that means making the horseman an even bigger enemy for after the war. Don't even get me started on what these potential ‘allies’ will want.”

"And surrendering is not an option,” is all Thor mumbles, his jaw ticking as he rubs his palms together nervously. "Do we strike a deal?”

You stand abruptly, avoiding Thor’s sorrowful stare as you barely announce that  you’re going to grab more drinks. You don’t want to hear another word of their conversation, but their words echo through your head as you descend the stairs to the first floor. Pushing past bodies, your mind barely registers that you pick up the pace when the bar is within eye-distance.

After ordering your drink of choice, you scrub a hand over your face in an attempt to clear all the thoughts in your head. You have half a mind to try to take out Odin yourself and with your bare hands, but you know everything Loki said was right.

Thor was so close to the finish line. He’d tried so hard to establish his reign separate from his father’s, trying to do better for the people and the misfits that found their way to him. Odin had started to spit on the values of being a Horseman, even towards the end of his reign. He allowed his community to fall and even hung Frigga out to deal with his coming consequences, and Thor got tired of it when it got too close to the people he loved.

Just thinking about the night everything came to a head, and how far you all have come, your eyes unconsciously float to the third floor.

There.

There, you find a glimpse of the very men Thor & Loki spoke about. Tony Stark, Conquest; Steve Rogers, Famine; & Bucky Barnes, Pestilence.To the left of them, you find another group that everyone else in the club seems to have looked over.

Stunning under the multicolored lights, their skin tones are radiant as their tailor made attire fit their body types marvelously. They seem to be keeping to themselves, talking to each other in low tones, while holding themselves differently than the escorts around them.

The Wives.

You take a thoughtful sip of your drink as a glimpse of a thought passes through your brain...and you lie in wait to prove your theory. You don’t have to wait long as a commotion brings your attention back to the Horsemen, and you find Conquest and Pestilence unusually close to each other, tempers flaring.

Pestilence gets shoved back by Famine, and just as things comes to a head, faster than lightning, the Wives are there. Sekhmet Stark’s arms have wrapped around Conquest, Hecate Barnes has the attention of Pestilence solely on her, and Kali Rogers has found Famine’s lips on hers.

And that’s the moment that you knew the solution to your problem--well Thor’s problem. You’re almost vibrating in joy as you down the rest of your drink before going back up to the stairs.

Its surprisingly easy to get up to the third floor--just until you make it to the glass doors that separate the landing from the exclusive section.

Straight ahead, on a raised dias, you see that the Wives have returned to their place, with Sekhmet in the center, Kali to her left, and Cate to her right.

Taking a deep breath, you hold your head high and push the glass doors aside--just to be stopped by a bouncer.

“No walk-ins. Exclusive VIP only.”

You simply raise an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Exclusive Personnel only,” he repeats.

You flash him a wicked smile and tilt your head to the side, trying to give him as much of a condescending look as you can muster. Satisfaction fills you as the bouncer deflates just slightly. You try your luck as you step forward again, but stopped again. 

“Who are you,” he asks, but the waver in his voice gives him away.

You see your window, and cross your arms while pursing your lips. “I’m going to pretend you didn't ask that and let you go this time around.”

He doesn’t move. “I cant let you in.”

“Really? Fine,” you shrug. “Explain to the Wives why you’re keeping them waiting.”

When the bouncer looks back at the women you mentioned, you know he’s exactly where you want him. “I’m going to have to loop back to you--”

You snap your name impatiently, and he mumbles it back with a nod before walking away. You wait with baited breath, knowing that with this stunt you could either end up with a bullet in your skull or the world at your feet.

Your throat tightens when you catch Sekhmet’s gaze.

When the bouncer makes his way back to you, he looks pale and motions with his head for you to follow him. “I’m so sorry (Y/N),” he says. “Right this way.”

You don’t allow yourself to breathe, even as you walk the short path to where you want to be. You feel curious eyes on you, but you don’t shy away from either of them, and instead hold your head higher as if you’re meant to be there--because you were.

Sekhmet stands when you both reach the Wives, a sharp, gleeful smile on her face as she opens her arms up in expectation. “Darling! Hello, so nice to see you again!” 

The pleasantries continue with all the wives until you’ve sat in the middle of them,  and you know it’s the most dangerous place to be.

When the bouncer walks away, the smiles drop. 

“Who the fuck are you?” Is what Sekhmet demands, her eyes focused solely on you. 

You don’t put down your guard, but you cooly reach for one of the full glasses of drinks on the table before all of you. You take your time taking a sip. “I’m someone who knows who you all are,” you say when you’re ready. 

Hecate simply hums in unamusement. “Are we supposed to be impressed?”

“As if the wives of the most powerful men in new york are a secret,” Kali giggles.

You don’t let their words phase you. You hum back in response. “See I know that you’re the very people who keep New York from burning to the ground.”

A surprised silence follow your statement, before Sekhmet picks up the next words quickly and carefully. “I don’t think I know what you mean,” she smiles. 

You roll your eyes. “Mind you, this is coming from someone who understands just what you hold within your palms.”

The next silence stands longer. Hecate leans in, her hands gripping the couch beneath, her eyes intense as they pour into you. “How do you know you’re right?”

You let a small smile slip, and take another sip before gesturing down to where you can see your husband and Loki still speaking intensely. “Thor. I love him to death,  I really do, and there’s not a heart out there that I wouldn’t rip out for him. He has power, a lot of it, and he's starting to develop quite a hold on New York.”

Kali nods. “Thor Odinson. I’ve heard of him.” She tilts her head to the side, looking out into space. “That New Jersey border deal was ingenious, I’m disappointed a Horseman didn’t execute it.”

Her words get grunts of agreement, and pride swells in your chest, 

“You & I both know that Thor didn’t have a hand in that deal until he showed up the day he needed to,” you giggled, and they stare at you openly. 

“Well shit,” Sekhmet laughs out loud, picking up her own glass.

Before you know it, you’re toasting with the most powerful women in New York, laughing with them and even exchanging high fives.

“I told  y’all a man couldn’t pull that off!” Sekhmet cackles. 

Hecate nods. “It was too good to be true.” 

“We didn’t know he had a wife,” Kali winks. 

Smiling with them, the anxiety in your chest lessens. 

“So what do you need?”

Sekhmet’s words bring back the somber mood, and you laugh nervously.  “What do you mean?

Kali speaks up seamlessly. “Thor is the eldest son of Odin. Odin, the retired horseman of War, who controls the upper parts of New York as the Asgardians. If Thor’s wife has enough pussy to show up uninvited to confront us, you can’t expect us to believe you don't want anything.”

Looking at them all, you decide to lay all your cards out on the table. “Odin is going after Thor.”

No one replies, so you continue.

“Loki & Thor have made amends and their father now sees them as a threat to his empire. He’s going to call on the Horsemen to wage War…” you trail off, cursing internally as they exchange looks. “But by the look on your faces I’m guessing he already has.”

Kali only nods.  “He approached them with a meeting this morning. The old dick had the audacity to pull rank and get me thrown out of the room when I spoke against him.” She takes a deep gulp of her drink, her jaw clenching at the memory.

The hope that allowed you to strut your way into the third floor comes back tenfold. “So you aren’t on his side?”  

“Fuck no,`” Hecate snorts.  “I’ve unfortunately seen every side of that man when he and Brock were on the council together and…” she trails off, her eyes distant. “New York has never seen a darker time. How Frigga stays with him, I’ll never understand.” 

“Even with all the power as she has, he won’t let her leave,” you mumble. The conversation comes at a standstill, but a tense once that allows all of you to look in upon your own relationships--and just how bad it could get. Clearing your throat, you go in. “Don’t support him.”

No one answers you, but you see curiosity glint within the eyes of the Wives.

“Talk to the Horsemen,” you continue, sliding to the edge of your seat. “I know you have more sway than I ever could if I talked to them. Don’t allow them to back Odin, let him hang to dry and I’ll take care of the rest with Thor & Loki.”

Kali is the one who answers you. “Unfortunately, they’re not allowed to just sit this one out. If The Horsemen stand aside when something as big as this happens we’ll look like we’re going soft.”

 “And I swear to you,” you promise lowly. “That any retaliation you face will be borne by Thor & I. On the blood of my heart, I will do anything for you if you step back for this and let us take him down.”

Your heart has crawled into your throat, pulsing so strongly you don’t know if you can breathe. They haven’t said no outright, and you could practically taste the possibilities, taste exactly what you & your husband can achieve--

“On your heart?” Hecate repeats.

You nod sternly. “On my heart.”

Hecate and Kali merely look at Sekhmet. She gives you a thoughtful look, and blinks slowly, tipping her head down slightly. “Seems we have a lot to talk about. Will you give us some space?”

The last question is directed at you, and you can’t help but nod vehemently and stand up. “Of course,” you breathe, walking away.

You bite your lip hard enough to force yourself not to look back.

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

Sekhi’s eyes roll into the back of her head as she leans back heavily onto the bathroom mirror. Gripping the edge of the counter tightly, a strangled moan rips out of her throat as her husband’s lips wrapped around her clit, sucking at just the right pressure.  Wetness drips down the junction of her thighs, and still Tony takes it all in stride, moaning vulgarly at her sounds. He lets up only slightly to grab Sekhi’s hand to shove it into his hair, and it gives her enough space to remember that she had another objective when she got him alone.

“We--” She moans when his lips reattach and tug his face away from her core. He lets her breath, only to lap at her cum on her inner thighs. “We have to drop Odin,” She finally breathes out.

He only sighs, pausing to give her a quick peck on the skin he was worshipping. “That is not the name I want on your lips right now.” 

“We cant—Tony!--we can’t endorse him for his war.”

With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly gets up and places both his hands on either side of his wife. He leans in and she automatically reciprocates, lips meeting to exchange tastes. When they finally pull away, Tony speaks. “Since you won’t let it go...why the sudden interest in Odin, and betraying him.”

His words unconsciously allow a memory to flash behind Sekhi’s eyes, and she shakes it away just as quickly as it’s come. “You don't…” She tries to find the words before restarting. “I know he welcomed you into the Horsemen and helped you build your empire...but that man who sat in as War is not the same man today. He’s  an ass, too much of a risk, volatile—”

Tony shrugs. “People say the same about me.”

“Tony, you can’t imagine the things he’s done,” is all she snaps back.  “Since he’s retired he’s—”

Her lips run dry as the memory scratches again. Warm palms cup her chin and bring her gaze to meet warm brown eyes flooded with concern. “He’s what? Baby, has he done something?”

Even though his words are soft, you hear the threat behind it. The underlying danger that follows Conquest. Sekhi reaches up and holds his hands in hers, kissing his palm softly. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Tell me—”

“Tony.”

After a moment he backs down and nods solemnly. He drops his hands back to their previous position on the counter. “Okay. Say we don’t back him. You know we have to choose a side in this or we’ll look vulnerable.”

“So choose Thor’s.”

Tony stills in thought before stepping closer to his wife. “I’m listening.”

——-

“If we back Thor, Odin doesn’t stand a chance.”

Steve turns over Kali’s words in his head, rubbing her calf that’s been thrown over his lap. He ignores the bustle of the club around him, the quiet corner they’ve found the perfect setting for their conversation.

“He’d be decimated without too much of a fight,” he mumbles.

“Exactly.” Kali leans closer into him, lacing his fingers with hers at her ankles. “We support Thor, and gain his loyalty now...I’ve heard things. Things stirring in the air about him and how powerful he’s becoming. We show that he’s not a threat, that he's on our side—”

“And he immediately isn’t a threat any more. He becomes an ally.”

“Bingo,” Kali smiles brightly. “And, he’s just reconciled with Loki, meaning he’s got one of the biggest minds in the game on his team.”

Steve nods, turning his head to look her in the eyes. “So what you’re saying is we take him into one of our sectors.”

Kali shakes her head. “I’m saying more than that my love.”

——-

Bucky downs his shot before scrubbing a rough hand down his face. “You’re suggesting he becomes a Horseman.”

Hecate nods. 

Bucky can only sigh while pointing his eyes to heaven. “Doll—”

His wife only groans, wrapping her arms around his waist so that he can’t help but absorb him into her. “You’ve never said no to me before, don’t you dare start now.”

Bucky laughs nervously. “I’m not. But think about it, if we turn against Odin, we’re deliberately breaking the laws that say he’s under our constant protection after he’s left the table. If we break them now, there’s no turning back.”

“You won’t be breaking it! You’ll be bending it.” Hecate shines an innocent smile at him, trying to press her nose into his as their foreheads lie together. “The title is merely passing down onto his son--as it should have, had Odin kept his actions honourable. Thor’ll have the loyalty of  Asgard, Frigga, and the men he has now. No one will fault you.”

Bucky doesn’t answer.

 “Bucky!”

He groans. “I get it doll, I do. I’m as fond of that man as you are, but we’d have to have hard evidence that he’s broken our bylaws before we do. And even if we did, swearing in a new horseman is not a decision only I get to make…” Bucky trails off, sighing with a short laugh. “By the look on your face I’m guessing the girls are already on it.”

“Maybe.” Hecate gives her husband a quick peck on his lips, once, twice, until he melts into her. “Just tell me you’re on my side. You’re with me, aren’t you Buck?”

“Yea doll...I’m with you.”

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

When the bouncer comes down to meet you on the second floor, it takes everything in you to prevent yourself from smiling. You just know. 

As he escorts the three of you onto the third floor of SHIELD, you feel the men beside you tense even as you relax. When the bouncer called you by name, Thor’s eyes haven’t left you. 

“My love,” his deep timber resonates deep within you, caution in his voice. “What’ve you done.”

You meet his gaze levelly. “What needed to be done.”

Your husband doesn’t answer you before staring straight ahead again, the hallways you all turn becoming less and less populated until you find yourself within black marble halls.

“You work quickly,” Loki chuckles lowly in your ear.

“Enough to keep the title of psychotic sister in law?”

He smirks at you. “Seems so.”

The bouncer stops abruptly in front of a heavily bolted door, and after typing in a code it swings open. You lead the way in, but then hang back to grasp onto Thor’s forearm. He allows you to, but he’s tense and you bristle at the fact that he doesn’t respond immediately to your touch.

But the way he angles himself between you and the most powerful mobsters in the room, with the way his fingers flex towards his gun--you know he’s not directly angry at you. 

Sekhmet, Kali and Hecate sit on the opposite side of the room, in a similar set up to the one you infiltrated merely half an hour before. Their faces are nonchalant, but when Sekhemet winks at you, no words can describe the relief and the pure joy that passes through you.

Tony, Steve, & Bucky stand between you and the Wives, and you know you all will fit perfectly.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Tony says cordially, gesturing towards the couches in front of them. Bucky goes off to the side to pour a drink, and Thor’s eyes trail him carefully. “How do you feel about hypotheticals?” 

Loki takes it upon himself to sit first, and you follow, tugging your husband along. Only when you’re both sitting does he reply. 

“I find them fun to indulge in…” He trails off, grasping the glass that Bucky hands him, not even bothering to take a sip before he sets it down.

“Then indulge with us.” Bucky smiles, and within a blink of an eye everyone has guns pulled out on you. 

The tension in the room is palpable, and Thor stands defensively in front of both you and Loki. The latter presses a small knife into your hand, before standing beside his brother. 

“Let’s say you come in here,” Steve smiles, shrugging casually, his grip on his weapon firm. “As an invited guest of the Horsemen. You have the audacity to not drink the wonderful poison Pestilence has poured for you, so things have to get a little messier than intended.”

Tony is the one who continues. “We’re feeling creative, so we shoot you in the kneecaps, to make you helpless. We shoot your wife between the eyes to make it quick. Your brother, however, we make it slow. “ Thor’s whole body clenches tightly. “We get all the information out of him, about your home base, your arsenal, your men--”

“And then we kill him,” Bucky takes it up. “We let you go. You’re no threat, your empire belongs to us, and the most important people in your life are dead.”

“What would you do about it?” Steve finishes.

Thor stays quiet for a really long time. No one takes their eyes off of him, and he takes his time to look Tony, Steve, and Bucky straight in the eye. You wait with baited breath on just exactly he might do, ready to  fight your way out if needed--if he wanted you to.

It’s when he presses his chest directly against the barrel of Tony’s gun that your breath hitches, and you scoot slightly towards him. 

“I’d leave, and thank you for sparing my life,” Thor answers. “A year down the road, I’d have enough physical therapy to start walking again, with a cane most likely. I’d make it a nice one, lightweight but made of vibranium to give it leverage, with the names of who I lost engraved on the stem. Two years down the road, I have all of your whereabouts, your routines, your dealings, your accounts, all under the sole of my shoe.

“Year three, I let you know I’m co ming. But I make it slow. I take out the men around you, so you know I’m on my way, and when I finally get to you?” Thor steps closer, but Tony keeps his gun steady. “I incapacitate you with the head of my cane, just in the right spots of your kneecaps to make it irreversible. I shoot your girls in between the eyes to make it quick, and I kill Rhodey, Sam & Natasha slowly. For them to give me information I already know. When I’m done with them, I kill you all myself, but make sure to watch the life leave your eyes as your blood pools around my feet. The last bullet I’ll leave for myself.”

The standstill is unbearable. Thor’s confessions hang heavily within the air, and it doesn’t dissipate when Tony puts his gun away, the others following suit. 

“Gosh, you’re morbid,” he chuckles. “And three years? Seems a little tedious.”

Everyone goes back to casual stances around the room, but Thor stays clenched in the same spot. Loki looks at him warily, and you notice the way the others see that he hasn’t calmed down.

You get up from your spot on the couch, dragging your hand across the back of his waist leisurely. That simply action causes him to deflate, and he watches you walk over to the Wives, who have a drink ready for you. 

“Personally, I think their smartest plan was getting rid of me,” you declare, and laughs that resonate through the room.

“Getting rid of you? I was the one that they kept around for information,” Loki challenges.

“Mmm, maybe. But obviously they killed the biggest threat first.”

Thor looks at you fondly as everyone laughs again, watching you toast with Sekhmet, Kali & Hecate. 

“As pleasant as this exchange has been,” he says, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Is there a reason you brought me here besides to threaten my wife and my brother?”

Kali nudges you on the shoulder, and you take the sign to walk up to him slowly. He presses you into him immediately, and watches as Tony approaches him with a glass of gin. 

When Thor gives it a side glance, he merely rolls his eyes and takes a sip before handing it over. Your husband takes it gladly, but just before he’s about to take a sip, Tony’s words stop him. 

“How do you feel about becoming a Horseman?”

 -----------------

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[keplercryptids]

books i read in march, 2021

in total, i read 11 books and had a really great reading month overall!

The Golem and the Jinni, historical fantasy by Helene Wecker. 4/5. A golem and a jinni wind up in 19th century New York City and form a tenuous friendship. "He thought, if he could pick a moment to be taken into the flask, a moment to live in endlessly, perhaps he would choose this one: the passing city, and the woman at his side."

The Empire of Gold, third in a fantasy trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. 2/5, unfortunately. One-sentence summary (of the first book in the series, to avoid spoilers): con artist protagonist accidentally summons a djinn, unlocking the mysteries of her past. "If you rule by violence, you should expect to be removed by violence."

The Echo Wife, scifi thriller by Sarah Gailey. 5/5!!!! Woman's ex husband is marrying a clone he made of her, and it goes badly. "It's unspeakably galling, having to talk to people who never learned, who never felt the pain of a wrong answer, who never saw that fish-flash of rage in the eyes of the only adult who could tell them the truth."

Winter's Orbit, scifi romance by Everina Maxwell. 4.5/5. Princes in space get gay arranged-married for political reasons. "The strange feeling that had settled around Jainan like a combat shield since this morning was still there, and he found he had no fear of anyone's disapproval at all."

The Siren Depths, third in a fantasy series by Martha Wells. 4/5. One sentence summary (of the first in the series to avoid spoilers): outcast finally finds the place he belongs, and it's complicated. "While being eaten would end all his problems, he wasn’t quite ready for so final a solution."

Black Sun, first in a fantasy series by Rebecca Roanhorse. 4/5. Four protagonists in a pre-Columbian setting hurtling towards prophecy. "There are only two kinds of men: ones who betray you sooner and ones who betray you later."

Remote Control, scifi novella by Nnedi Okorafor. 3.5/5. An alien artifact turns a young girl into the Daughter of Death. "Her story travelled like an ancestor, always ahead of, beside and behind her."

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, nonfiction by Robin Wall Kimmerer. 4.5/5. Combining indigenous knowledge with western scientific tradition to illustrate how humans might have a reciprocal relationship with nature. "To be native to a place we must learn to speak its language."

i also read three poetry collections but i am bad at reviewing poetry! they were all good though. (Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón, An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo, and Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz.)

[blackmagicspells4-blog]

,

[lastsonlost]

BECAUSE THE CORONAVIRUS IS JUST HURTING FEMINIST AND ONLY FEMINISTS AND ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ELSE...

..........

Enough already. When people try to be cheerful about social distancing and working from home, noting that William Shakespeare and Isaac Newton did some of their best work while England was ravaged by the plague, there is an obvious response: Neither of them had child-care responsibilities.

Shakespeare spent most of his career in London, where the theaters were, while his family lived in Stratford-upon-Avon. During the plague of 1606, the playwright was lucky to be spared from the epidemic—his landlady died at the height of the outbreak—and his wife and two adult daughters stayed safely in the Warwickshire countryside. Newton, meanwhile, never married or had children. He saw out the Great Plague of 1665–6 on his family’s estate in the east of England, and spent most of his adult life as a fellow at Cambridge University, where his meals and housekeeping were provided by the college.

For those with caring responsibilities, an infectious-disease outbreak is unlikely to give them time to write King Lear or develop a theory of optics. A pandemic magnifies all existing inequalities (even as politicians insist this is not the time to talk about anything other than the immediate crisis). Working from home in a white-collar job is easier; employees with salaries and benefits will be better protected; self-isolation is less taxing in a spacious house than a cramped apartment. But one of the most striking effects of the coronavirus will be to send many couples back to the 1950s.

Across the world, women’s independence will be a silent victim of the pandemic.

Purely as a physical illness, the coronavirus appears to affect women less severely. But in the past few days, the conversation about the pandemic has broadened: We are not just living through a public-health crisis, but an economic one. As much of normal life is suspended for three months or more, job losses are inevitable. At the same time, school closures and household isolation are moving the work of caring for children from the paid economy—nurseries, schools, babysitters—to the unpaid one. The coronavirus smashes up the bargain that so many dual-earner couples have made in the developed world: We can both work, because someone else is looking after our children. Instead, couples will have to decide which one of them takes the hit.

Many stories of arrogance are related to this pandemic. Among the most exasperating is the West’s failure to learn from history: the Ebola crisis in three African countries in 2014; Zika in 2015–6; and recent outbreaks of SARS, swine flu, and bird flu. Academics who studied these episodes found that they had deep, long-lasting effects on gender equality. “Everybody’s income was affected by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa,” Julia Smith, a health-policy researcher at Simon Fraser University, told The New York Times this month, but “men’s income returned to what they had made pre-outbreak faster than women’s income.” The distorting effects of an epidemic can last for years, Clare Wenham, an assistant professor of global-health policy at the London School of Economics, told me. “We also saw declining rates of childhood vaccination [during Ebola].” Later, when these children contracted preventable diseases, their mothers had to take time off work.

At an individual level, the choices of many couples over the next few months will make perfect economic sense. What do pandemic patients need? Looking after. What do self-isolating older people need? Looking after. What do children kept home from school need? Looking after. All this looking after—this unpaid caring labor—will fall more heavily on women, because of the existing structure of the workforce. “It’s not just about social norms of women performing care roles; it’s also about practicalities,” Wenham added. “Who is paid less? Who has the flexibility?”

According to the British government’s figures, 40 percent of employed women work part-time, compared with only 13 percent of men. In heterosexual relationships, women are more likely to be the lower earners, meaning their jobs are considered a lower priority when disruptions come along. And this particular disruption could last months, rather than weeks. Some women’s lifetime earnings will never recover. With the schools closed, many fathers will undoubtedly step up, but that won’t be universal.

Despite the mass entry of women into the workforce during the 20th century, the phenomenon of the “second shift” still exists. Across the world, women—including those with jobs—do more housework and have less leisure time than their male partners. Even memes about panic-buying acknowledge that household tasks such as food shopping are primarily shouldered by women. “I’m not afraid of COVID-19 but what is scary, is the lack of common sense people have,” reads one of the most popular tweets about the coronavirus crisis. “I’m scared for people who actually need to go to the store & feed their fams but Susan and Karen stocked up for 30 years.” The joke only works because “Susan” and “Karen”—stand-in names for suburban moms—are understood to be responsible for household management, rather than, say, Mike and Steve.

Look around and you can see couples already making tough decisions on how to divide up this extra unpaid labor. When I called Wenham, she was self-isolating with two small children; she and her husband were alternating between two-hour shifts of child care and paid work. That is one solution; for others, the division will run along older lines. Dual-income couples might suddenly find themselves living like their grandparents, one homemaker and one breadwinner. “My spouse is a physician in the emergency dept, and is actively treating #coronavirus patients. We just made the difficult decision for him to isolate & move into our garage apartment for the foreseeable future as he continues to treat patients,” wrote the Emory University epidemiologist Rachel Patzer, who has a three-week-old baby and two young children. “As I attempt to home school my kids (alone) with a new baby who screams if she isn’t held, I am worried about the health of my spouse and my family.”

Single parents face even harder decisions: While schools are closed, how do they juggle earning and caring? No one should be nostalgic for the “1950s ideal” of Dad returning to a freshly baked dinner and freshly washed children, when so many families were excluded from it, even then. And in Britain today, a quarter of families are headed by a single parent, more than 90 percent of whom are women. Closed schools make their life even harder.

Other lessons from the Ebola epidemic were just as stark—and similar, if perhaps smaller, effects will be seen during this crisis in the developed world. School closures affected girls’ life chances, because many dropped out of education. (A rise in teenage-pregnancy rates exacerbated this trend.) Domestic and sexual violence rose. And more women died in childbirth because resources were diverted elsewhere. “There’s a distortion of health systems, everything goes towards the outbreak,” said Wenham, who traveled to west Africa as a researcher during the Ebola crisis. “Things that aren’t priorities get canceled. That can have an effect on maternal mortality, or access to contraception.” The United States already has appalling statistics in this area compared with other rich countries, and black women there are twice as likely to die in childbirth as white women.

For Wenham, the most striking statistic from Sierra Leone, one of the countries worst affected by Ebola, was that from 2013 to 2016, during the outbreak, more women died of obstetric complications than the infectious disease itself. But these deaths, like the unnoticed caring labor on which the modern economy runs, attract less attention than the immediate problems generated by an epidemic. These deaths are taken for granted. In her book Invisible Women, Caroline Criado Perez notes that 29 million papers were published in more than 15,000 peer-reviewed titles around the time of the Zika and Ebola epidemics, but less than 1 percent explored the gendered impact of the outbreaks. Wenham has found no gender analysis of the coronavirus outbreak so far; she and two co-authors have stepped into the gap to research the issue.

The evidence we do have from the Ebola and Zika outbreaks should inform the current response. In both rich and poor countries, campaigners expect domestic-violence rates to rise during lockdown periods. Stress, alcohol consumption, and financial difficulties are all considered triggers for violence in the home, and the quarantine measures being imposed around the world will increase all three. The British charity Women’s Aid said in a statement that it was “concerned that social distancing and self-isolation will be used as a tool of coercive and controlling behaviour by perpetrators, and will shut down routes to safety and support.”

Researchers, including those I spoke with, are frustrated that findings like this have not made it through to policy makers, who still adopt a gender-neutral approach to pandemics. They also worry that opportunities to collect high-quality data which will be useful for the future are being missed. For example, we have little information on how viruses similar to the coronavirus affect pregnant women—hence the conflicting advice during the current crisis—or, according to Susannah Hares, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, sufficient data to build a model for when schools should reopen.

We shouldn’t make that mistake again. Grim as it is to imagine now, further epidemics are inevitable, and the temptation to argue that gender is a side issue, a distraction from the real crisis, must be resisted. What we do now will affect the lives of millions of women and girls in future outbreaks.

The coronavirus crisis will be global and long-lasting, economic as well as medical. However, it also offers an opportunity. This could be the first outbreak where gender and sex differences are recorded, and taken into account by researchers and policy makers. For too long, politicians have assumed that child care and elderly care can be “soaked up” by private citizens—mostly women—effectively providing a huge subsidy to the paid economy. This pandemic should remind us of the true scale of that distortion.

Wenham supports emergency child-care provision, economic security for small-business owners, and a financial stimulus paid directly to families. But she isn’t hopeful, because her experience suggests that governments are too short-termist and reactive. “Everything that's happened has been predicted, right?” she told me. “As a collective academic group, we knew there would be an outbreak that came out of China, that shows you how globalization spreads disease, that’s going to paralyze financial systems, and there was no pot of money ready to go, no governance plan … We knew all this, and they didn't listen. So why would they listen to something about women?”

Remember this article the next time a politician brings up the draft again...

because I remember the last reaction.