#i’ve been quietly anxious about ai for a while and it’s upsetting to see what it’s doing to my industry | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

forkanna · 4 years ago

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WARNING: I did tell you that Rise and Ai will have some views on gender and sexuality that I don't agree with. Well here they come in the next few chapters. Please take everything my characters say with a grain of salt; these are simply very realistic reactions and opinions, even if less than ideal.

[AO3] [WATTPAD]

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Why could she suddenly hear "Purity" playing in the background again?

"You… huh?" Rise finally managed. She had no idea how long it had taken her to say that much, even though it was practically nothing and she had already said that.

"Maybe… ugh. Now I'm embarrassed."

"What- now you're embarrassed?"

"Yes! Because clearly, it did something for me and it didn't do anything for you, so I'm all alone in caring about this, and I feel so stupid!"

Frantically waving her hands, Rise scooted a little closer as she hissed, "Wait, wait, slow down for a sec! I never said it didn't mean anything to me!"

"You did!" she sniffled, trying to recover from her emotional outburst.

"No, I said it wasn't the end of the world, and it's not that big a deal! But I… I'm not going to pretend I didn't feel anything at all. I did. You just seemed really upset about it, so I was… trying to let you know everything's okay."

Ai was glancing over at her occasionally now, clearly unsure of what she should do. Her mouth opened and closed a few times indecisively. "Ugh. I'm ridiculous. This is ridiculous, I don't know why we can't just be normal friends. What is wrong with me?"

"Um… can I ask you a question?"

"Might as well."

"Is this… Class S yuri, or… did you really…?"

They both looked at each other in shock for a moment. Rise was positive that they both were feeling the same thing, as well: the same sensation one gets standing at the edge of a deep precipice, fighting down vertigo and the unhealthy urge to throw oneself down. She couldn't help tracing the contours of Ai's stunningly beautiful face with her eyes, her proud chin and soft lips…

"O-of course it's just a Class S phase. I've never had a close friend, and everything got mixed up. It's probably similar for you, so we just… we have to work on not getting carried away. Right?"

"R-right! Yes, I…" Rise tried to get ahold of herself. This was too silly; they barely knew each other, all things considered. Brand new friends, fresh out of the shrinkwrap. So what was the use in going so crazy about them misreading signals and sending the wrong ones? They could sort this out.

"Great! Glad we settled that." Ai cleared her throat. "And I'm sorry for trying to blame you for everything."

"Oh, it's okay, we were both a little… y-yeah." Rise chanced a nervous giggle. "Sorry I smacked you."

"Hey, it's not like I didn't deserve it. You were right. Do… you want to…?"

When she didn't finish the thought, Rise prompted, "What?"

"Aiya? We, um, could stop by Aiya for a couple of beef bowls. O-or something." She grimaced. "I already feel like we wasted enough time fighting because I'm an oversensitive asshole."

Rise smiled and moved close enough to put her arm around her. "You're fine. And look; we're fine, too. Nobody's dying!"

"Yeah," Ai laughed very quietly. Rise could swear her cheeks were rosier, but that could easily have been from all the crying.

"I would love to go with you to Aiya. Like, we're friends! We should totally start hanging out like normal friends and stuff. Like, you could even come with me if I'm meeting up with Yuki-chan or Naoto-kun sometime."

For whatever reason, that made Ai stop smiling. But she cleared her throat and shook her head hard. "No. It's fine."

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to… offend, I ju-"

"Wait, wait. I meant… it's fine for you to ask me. I should hang out with other friends besides just you. This is normal. I was… kind of…"

Why did she look so embarrassed? "Go ahead."

"I was talking to myself. Stupid. Trying to reassure myself that normal people hang out in large groups, and it's not you trying to ditch me. I'm sorry."

"Awwww, no need to be sorry." She cuddled her closer, and felt Ai stiffen briefly before letting out a sigh. She could hear it, her ear was so close… "We'll figure this crap out, buddy!"

"Buddy," she snorted. "Don't go too crazy, Risette."

"And you're not a fan." They both laughed and they embraced — really, truly embraced this time, no holding back, no letting the awkwardness hold them back. And it was good. Rise still felt her heart beating a little faster, but that was definitely the kind of thing that could be ignored. And she would — until such time as it went away. Even if it didn't, she could take it; she was tougher than she looked.

"Okay, let's go before I get grosser," Ai half-laughed, half-hiccuped as she drew back. Rise could see she had been crying again — and was already trying to wipe the tears away before she realised what she was doing. "Wh-what?"

"Just… trying to help." She pulled back and got a handkerchief out of her bag instead, handing it to her. "Sorry. Here, this is probably better."

Nodding, she started dabbing at her eyes with one hand while the other fished out her compact. The sound of lamentation as she saw her mascara was loud, but she still just nodded and put the compact away. "Well, I did promise myself I'm going to be less vain. Let's go to Aiya."

"You got it! And it's on me!"

"Wha- no way, I will fight you for that check!"

"BRING IT!"

~ o ~

Everything was fine. Rise had been a little worried about how the evening would turn out, given how anxious they both were after their odd brush with lesbianism. No such issues. They were still just getting to know each other, and what better way to do that than over a steaming bowl of rice and beef?

Ai was a pretty interesting girl. She really didn't seem the type to like daifuku — Rise liked them, too, the sticky red bean paste and rice dough was so much fun to chew. But they were so very traditional, and Ai was a thoroughly modern girl who revelled in trends. Between that, her love of Korean dramas and old city pop, retro games, and hatred of aromatherapy, it was interesting how much they had in common even though a few things they definitely didn't. She loved uncovering this more well-rounded picture of the girl she wanted in her life more and more.

The week wore on, and Rise tried to track Ai down whenever she could to help cement their growing bond. They even hung out with the others a few times, and though Kanji and Yosuke kept getting nervous when she would snap at them for making some off-colour comment, generally everything went well. And by much the same token, Rise hung out with Ai's friends — or what passed for them. Kou and Daisuke had seemingly decided to give her another chance as manager. Yu had told her before that she basically just sat in the corner doing her nails, but she was doing much better at actually engaging with the team, by all accounts.

Thursday was different. Ai was gone again, and didn't respond to texts. Eventually, she did get a message back in the evening…

EBI: Sorry I just needed a day

RISE: What's wrong? RISE: Anything I can do? ;-;

EBI: No I'm…

RISE: Ai-chan?

EBI: Listen it's really dumb but my mom called. EBI: And I just needed a little time to get out of my head

RISE: Oh you ditched again? RISE: You're going to get in trouble you know…

EBI: Listen I know you're going to lecture me but just save it EBI: Oh too late you sent yours before I could send mine

RISE: I'm sorry, I just don't want you to fail and get held back

EBI: Yeah I know. EBI: Thanks. :heart:

RISE: You could have told me and I'd ditch with you

EBI: What? No. I wouldn't want you to miss class because of me

RISE: Are you ditching tomorrow?

EBI: …probably

RISE: Where are we going?

EBI: Come on I told you that's not necessary. This is my damage and my weird thing and I have to face it EBI: And sometimes I need to be alone.

RISE: OKAYYYY okay

EBI: Fine. I'm probably going into Shinjuku this time

RISE: I'm really sorry for pushing RISE: Wait what? RISE: ALL THE WAY TO SHINJUKU?!

EBI: Hey I said I needed space and Okina isn't cutting it EBI: And I promise I'll be fine

RISE: ...when and where? Straight to Yasoinaba Station?

EBI: Rise… EBI: Alright I guess I can't stop you

RISE: Really?

EBI: Pain in the ass EBI: Yeah fine… 8AM don't be late or I'll leave without you.

RISE: YAAAAAAAAAAY~ RISE: We're gonna have the best time just you wait!

EBI: Uh huh EBI: Lol you're amazing.

RISE: Huh? Why?

EBI: Nevermind EBI: See you tomorrow.

RISE: Can't wait Ebi-chaaaaaaaaaaan~

EBI: UGH

And that was that. The pop star curled up in her bed with her big plush Jack Frost, grinning into the stuffing as she contemplated what the next day could bring.

~ o ~

"What the hell are you wearing?"

"SHH!" Rise hissed at her as she strolled up to Ai on the train platform. "I'm incognito!"

"Uh huh. Can you take those big sunglasses off? It makes you look like a cartoon character."

Rise pouted as she pulled her shades off. At least most of her hair was still stuffed up into an oversized cap; no trademark pigtails to tip off Shinjuku residents that a famous idol had gone truant for the day. "Don't make fun of me. I'm not used to skipping."

"Weak. But I guess it still looks okay, it's just very… Parisian?"

"Whatever. You look cute, though."

"Oh, this?" Ai said airily, swishing out her long bohemian skirt around her heeled boots. Also seemingly suited to colder weather, but her top was a light blue babydoll tee; somehow she pulled it off, even though it was so much less ornate. Her bag was also a little simpler than usual. "I just rolled out of bed and was this fabulous."

"Right," she giggled, bumping her with her hip. The formerly-grumpy girl finally cracked a smile. "This is cute, but you usually have super pricey Prada or Anello or whatever."

"Hm? Yeah, I like this kind of bag. It is Anello — well, Legato Largo. It's more functional."

"Totally." The train pulled in just then, and Rise stepped forward to board once the doors opened, following Ai's lead. "Where are we off to?"

"Shinjuku."

"Well, I know that," she laughed. "But I mean, did you have anything in particular in mind? I mean, it's kind of… a rough neighbourhood, a little."

"Not if you stay out of Kabukicho. And we will," she reassured Rise with a raised hand. "Believe me, I'm even less interested in being jumped than you are."

"Why do you think I'm 'interested' in being jumped?!"

Ai snorted as she held onto a strap and the train took off. "I didn't say you were! Just… because I'm- nevermind, I just meant I don't have a death wish."

It didn't take them long to get to the bustling streets of Tokyo, and switch train lines to run up to Shinjuku. The same way Rise had been relieved to get to Okina, she was even more full of life now that they were really in a thriving metropolis again. So many sights and sounds! Grinning, she turned and grabbed Ai's hands, dragging her forward.

"H-hey, slow down!"

"You're the one that wanted to come here!" she giggled. "So why so slow?"

"Okay, okay, GOD." Taking a deep breath, she brushed down the front of her clothes needlessly, even though they had barely been rumpled, if at all. "Wherever you want. But I do want to stop in somewhere eventually."

"Where?" No response. So instead of dwelling, Rise just sang out, "Okaaay, then let's goooo!"

~ o ~

The day was everything she had secretly been hoping for. They dipped in and out of lots of shops, buying one or two things but mostly browsing. Took advantage of the big city to grab foods that weren't readily available in a small town like Inaba. Stopped to speak to some of the more colourful inhabitants. Rise knew vaguely that a lot of gay men hung out there, but she didn't expect to see so many in flamboyant colours, openly acting so, so… feminine. It was both bizarre and exciting. Were there really this many people in the world who bucked societal norms so openly?

All along the way, Ai was becoming more and more comfortable with her. She still sniped and snarked but there was a playfulness to it that surpassed her previous efforts. They further eroded their anxieties about the accidental lip-lock and started to hold hands and pull each other over to see something instead of being horribly shy all the while. Progress was progress.

Finally, a little after they had enjoyed steaming bowls of udon for lunch, Ai dragged her down an alley unexpectedly. Rise asked if this was where she was finally going to get them "jumped", but Ai only laughed that off.

"No, but seriously, where are we going?"

"You'll see… okay… here."

"'Crossroads'? Okay, cool. Is it a karaoke bar?"

"Not… quite. But I promise we won't be long."

The interior was dimly lit, and everything seemed tinted red. There was a sort of warm atmosphere, combined with a raciness because of the low mood lighting. Rise was fascinated; she had been to a few more upscale places because of her work, and some of the venues she had performed at had bars inside, but this was the first standalone public house she had entered. Mostly because she was a couple of years too young to really be doing that…

"Hey, sugar. You lose your way?"

While Rise was still goggling at how deep the voice was that had come out of the kimono-clad woman behind the bar, Ai was smiling and turning fully in her direction, hands clasped so politely in front of her. "Not yet. But you did help me find it once."

The woman squinted for a moment, then gasped and pressed a hand to her chest. "Little Ebi-chan? Is that you?!"

Rise half-expected them to run together like in a movie and embrace, but they didn't; Ai just smiled wider and plopped herself down on one of the bar stools. "It's me, Ai. In the flesh."

"Whooo! I see that, wow. Well heck, you got no business in here; you're no performer."

"No, definitely not," she admitted with a laugh. "And you helped me see that, Escargot-san."

"PFFFFF," she scoffed very loudly, waving one of those meaty hands. Rise couldn't help thinking that this bar definitely didn't need a bouncer because the hostess herself was so strong-looking! "You'll call me Lala or you'll get outta here. Now, I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna serve you two a drop, since your little friend there doesn't look any older than you. Want a lime-and-tonic?"

"Sure. One for both of us."

"Oh! I…" Rise cleared her throat. "Can I have a cherry, if you don't mind?"

"Sweetie, for you? Two cherries." Rise giggled a little, pleased at the concession. While she made the drinks, she asked, "What brings you back to the neighbourhood? Haven't seen you for a couple of years."

"Oh, I heard from Mother again." Even while Lala was sighing, she passed over Ai's drink, and she stared down into its sparkling depths. "Had to get out of my head. I tried bumming around Okina yesterday, but it's just too…"

"It's the sticks, honey. Of course that's not gonna be enough of a distraction. You need flashing lights, dancing, drinking- well… not drinking," she said firmly, pointing at her. "And I'd better not hear you started trying to sneak booze at any of the other places around here, neither. Everybody knows everybody in this neighb-"

"Okay, okay, wow," Ai cackled before taking a sip. "Mm. I promise not to try to scam drinks from other bartenders."

Lana nodded firmly, satisfied for the time being. Then she turned to Rise. "What's your story, sugar? In the same club as your gal pal?"

"Huh? Oh, I… no, I haven't joined her club; they already have a manager."

For some reason, Ai looked worried about this. Why? They both knew for certain that she had no interest in the basketball club — even just being their manager like Ai was. But her answer seemed to satisfy. "Really? Well hell, that's quite a performance you're putting on, queen! All that contouring, and those are fabulous!"

She had gestured to her chest. While Rise was blushing and looking down, Ai cleared her throat and hastily said, "N-no, Lala, she… don't you know her? This is Risette! You've probably, um, probably seen her v-videos, or heard her songs?"

"Oh, it's Risette, is it?" Lala chuckled, waggling her fingers like she were casting a magic spell or sprinkling glitter. "I used to have a thing for Cher — don't even say it, I know, I know. Walking cliché. But I'm sure you can guess how well that went over; I gave that up eventually, settled on this." She fluffed her violet-hued hair… which shifted. A wig?

"No, I mean she's really Risette. Rise Kujikawa? Like, we're going to school together." Nothing. "The Quelorie Magic ads?"

Now Lala was blinking and looking at her again. "Hmm, really? The hair's not right." Hoping to help clear this up and move things along, Rise took her cap off, letting her pigtails fall. They were messier, but she was still more comfortable with them that way than with her hair down. "Ahhh, there it is! Well I'll be- you two ain't kidding, are ya? This would be a pretty weird prank if you were."

"Nope, it's me," Rise laughed awkwardly. Still a little thrown off by some of their word choices — what contouring? What performance, and why were her boobs being complimented?!

"And no, we're not in the same clubs. In fact, I don't think she knows much about my club at all."

The way those words were emphasised threw Rise off even more. Conversely, Lala's eyebrows shot up, and she looked between them for a moment… before gasping. "OH! Ohhhh, well then, that's fine. Just found a famous friend when you moved to the boonies!"

"Y-yeah," she finally sighed in relief. If Rise didn't know any better, she would swear her friend was sweating now; maybe that shine on her temples was just a trick of the light. "It's pretty wild; I mean, she grew up there, but I don't think anybody expected her to go back after she made it big."

"Nope," Rise said distantly.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I, um… I probably shouldn't tell your whole life story."

"It's fine! So, um, Lala, you have a wonderful bar here. Crazy good atmosphere!"

The bartender was still smiling at her and chuckling as one of the curtains rustled that led to the restrooms, Rise assumed. She barely glanced over. "Well, thank you much. Real lovely soul for an idol; they usually end up kinda bitter." Then she did turn to the side properly. "Hey, you'd better stop stinking up my back room, gaijin."

"Whaaaaat?" called out the lively redhead in the yellow dress. Not that her bobbed hair could possibly have been that vivid shade of crimson naturally — though she was an American, so it was entirely possible. Rise had a hard time telling Westerners apart, but there was no way someone that gaudy couldn't be from the States. "Come on, Lala-san! I have to get on my perfume, where else will I?"

Her Japanese was just quirky enough, both in terms of word usage and her bizarre accent, that the others laughed. "You're a riot, sweetie. But congrats, I guess you're part of Ai's club for real now."

"YES!" The woman saluted, other hand on her hip. Then she laughed. "What club is that? The Love Club?"

"Close enough. Erica, this is… Ai-chan?" Ai nodded. That was funny; Rise could have sworn they were old friends of some kind, and she forgot her name? "Ai, this is Erica… An… Andeshi…"

"Anderson," she provided in her normal accent. "Boy, it's weird using English again after all that time Nihongo-ing!"

"Uhhhh, right," Ai laughed, clearly having no idea what she was hearing.

"Hey! I'm Risette, and I want to be the star of your heart!"

That single line made the woman's huge brown eyes shoot even wider. "Whoooaaaa! Holy Schnikes, your English is really good, like you sound like a Yankee and shit!"

Stammering, she managed, "Sorry! I do not… understand…" Then she switched back to her native tongue and hissed, "I just learned that part for a show and like, a handful of other phrases; I'm really sorry."

"Ohhhh, it's okay," she laughed with a huge grin. Something about this woman instantly set Rise at ease; like she was almost as used to doing that as Rise herself. "Why did you learn that?"

"You missed it, honey," Lala laughed. "Risette here's a big idol. And yes, I have seen you strutting your stuff on the news; you're killing it, girl."

"Oh, thanks," she laughed, having already forgotten about that thread of conversation. "But yeah, that was one of the phrases I had to learn for my New York City concert — even though that's the only one I performed overseas. I also learned, 'Everybody having fun tonight?' and 'I love you all!' and a few more."

Erica laughed and applauded, as if she were performing a particularly impressive trick. "Amazing! You might know only a small English but you sound very good!" As the others chuckled again, she turned back to Ai. "So what did she mean? Lala-chan. You and me in the Love Club."

"O-oh, um…" She glanced at Rise, who arched her eyebrows at her. "Ugh. Come on, I'll tell you back here."

While Rise blinked, Ai led the redhead over to a booth in the corner. They were both roughly the same height, though Erica was taller by a hair. Figuring there wasn't much point in watching them whisper to each other, she turned back to smile at the host of the bar.

"Ai-chan didn't tell you why she brought you here, did she?"

"Nope," Rise offered lightly as she tugged one of the cherries out of her glass. "Just that she wanted me to see this place. Maybe you were some kind of tutor? Helped her pass some class? I don't know."

Lala laughed heartily as she wiped down the bar. "Close enough. You know, I'm honestly kind of relieved."

"Huh?"

"Back when I knew this little squirt, she didn't know which way was up. And I could tell she was heading for a fall; she lucked out with her parents, but she was going to throw herself so hard into her new life that she would forget who she was. But it looks like that straightened out eventually."

"Uh… huh," she said dubiously, turning to look at Ebihara again. Now those two were hugging tightly. She would hug some complete stranger and not her? Though the longer she looked…

Erica's expression was taut and pained. It looked like a couple of things they had talked about were less than fun.

"You've got a pretty special friend, Risette. Just go easy on her."

"I will, Escargot-san," she said right away, turning back so she could bow properly.

"Woweeee, everybody's so formal today," she chuckled as she turned to head into the back. But just then, footsteps approached, so she paused in her action to wait and see what happened.

"…and don't you be worried," Erica was saying, her arm around Ai's shoulders. "I wish I could stay and help but I have to go back to Chicago. And I promise, it will get better. Look at me, over thirty years, and I am very happy! And strong, like a wrestler! And beautiful!"

"And humble," Ai laughed, and the others laughed with her. Then she reached up to rest a hand on Erica's upper arm. "But seriously, I could never thank you enough. It's so… nice knowing I'm not alone. Even if I would have to move to the USA to be less alone in a literal sense."

"Oh, you're alone. I'm in a class all by myself — Boss always says this. He even loves my feet because I am so special." When the others exchanged curious glances, she cleared her throat and said, "No! I mean, he takes care of them, with nice shoes! Sneakers?"

"Ohhhhh," Rise said, laughing a little too much to try to hide her confusion and discomfort. She felt like Yukiko. "I was about to say, that seems a little over the line if he's your boss!"

"Yes! Though I am sure he would love them if I gave him a chance. Look!" She slammed her leg up on the bar, and Lala was already rolling her eyes in mild exasperation. "See? Beautiful!"

While Rise was politely examining the pedicure shown off by Erica's strappy sandals, she caught sight of Ai out of the corner of her eye — and noticed she was blushing hard. So either she was a candidate to love Erica's feet instead of this Boss character, or she was being powerfully reminded of something embarrassing. Rise tried to recall a hazy memory, some story about Yukiko and Chie… she only wished she could remember what it was.

To Be Continued…

#We'll Face Ourselves #saphir de lune #rise x ai #rise kujikawa #ai ebihara #persona 4 fanfiction #forkanna writes #p4 fanfic #jess the writer

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peterparkercuddles · 5 years ago

Text

Brothers in Training : Second Half

Since Tumblr loves ruining my format and not letting me post everything at once, my previous one shot had to be divided into two parts! So here we are

“I didn’t mean to ruin our sleepover.” Clint chuckled. “It’s alright, kid; you didn’t ruin anything. I just want you to get a good nights sleep.”

Peter nodded with another sniffle, and the elevator dinged as the doors opened on Tony’s floor.

Walking into the penthouse, Clint wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulder, guiding him into the living room where they could hear a movie playing. Once they’d reached the doorway, they saw Tony with his head turned around, obviously waiting on whoever’d come in. “Hey, guys, what happened?” Tony asked, getting up off the couch and walking over to the pair, Peter’s breath hitching as he finally saw Tony.

“Kid got a little anxious,” Clint answered just as Tony engulfed the boy into a hug. “Just needed his dad.”

Tony frowned. “Alright, well thanks for bringing him back, and looking after him today.”

“Any time.”

Once Clint was gone, Tony had pulled Peter to sit on his lap on the couch. In his angst, Peter had nearly forgotten Harley was even there. So when he caught the boys eye after he’d been pulled into Tony’s lap, legs thrown over the mans, face buried in his chest, he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he just turned his head away, content to rest his eyes and sleep.

If only it were that easy every day.

Three days later, after endless torture from Harley, things finally came to a head. Peter had been extra emotional that day, all of Harley’s glares and insults hurting more than they usually did. He’d only have to endure it for four more days, but it was getting harder and harder.

As the day went on, it became harder and harder to keep his emotions in check, scurrying off to the bathroom more than once to relieve some of the pressure behind his eyes and shed a few tears. That’s why, around ten o’clock, Peter had hurried off to bed, leaving a confused Tony in his wake.

“Kid, you know you don’t have to go to bed; it’s summer,” he’d said, and Peter had only nodded along, supplying a short, “I’m just tired tonight.”

The man had frowned, but still invited Peter in for his usual goodnight hug, holding the boy a little longer that night. He’d noticed the teariness throughout the day, but chose not to say anything, just chalking it up to missing May.

Oh, how wrong he was. Peter was off to his room and under the covers as soon as Tony had told him goodnight, not even sparing a glance at Harley on his way out. He didn’t need the boy ruining his bedtime either. After that, things were relatively calm for the next couple hours. Tony and Harley stayed up watching movies, the two of them adding commentary every so often. The two were on their third movie of the night when F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupted, her Irish voice ringing through the room.

“Mister Stark, I would like to inform you that one of your protocols for Mister Parker has been activated. However, I am not sure you would like me to disclose the information in front of Mister Keener. Shall I send the information to your cell phone?”

Sometimes Tony swore that F.R.I.D.A.Y. cared as much about Peter as he did, the AI seeming almost parental when it came to the boy, as parental as the computer could be. “Uh, yeah, sure F.R.I.D.A.Y. . Send it over.”

As soon as he said that, his phone vibrated with a message from the AI, letting him know that the protocol he’d put in place for Peter’s occasional bedwetting had been activated. The boy didn’t experience it often, but accidents weren’t so uncommon, and Tony felt he needed a plan for when it did happen. So, he got up out of seat, shooting Harley a quick, “Be right back,” before beginning to walk towards the hallway. What he was not expecting was for Harley to quip back with an almost angry, “Seriously?” He turned around at that, the kids face softening up a little as he saw the look on Tony’s face. “I need to go check on him. I’ll be back in no more than half an hour. You can finish the movie if you want.” With that, he turned around and made his way towards his kids room, opening the door to peek inside at the still sleeping boy.

Good, Tony thought. At least it wasn’t a bad nightmare.With that in mind, he walked quietly over to the bed and squatted down to be level with Peter, placing a gentle hand on his back. “Hey, kiddo, wake up for me,” the man whispered, his hand making circles in the boys back. “We gotta get cleaned up.”

It didn’t take long for Peter to stir, the boy opening his eyes with a look of confusion on his face, before shifting and realizing what was wrong. Immediately, his facial expression changed to one of embarrassment, cheeks heating up so red Tony could see them even in the dark. “It’s fine, kiddo, we just gotta get cleaned up. Up and at em,” Tony murmured, watching as the boy grimaced as he stood from the bed. “There we go. It’s okay.”

Once the boy was out of the sticky bed, Tony put a hand on his lower back and led him towards the connected bathroom. As Peter worried his lower lip, Tony told him, “Don’t worry about it kiddo, you know I’m not mad.”

Starting the bath, Tony kept his back turned as the boy undressed behind him. He waited for the water to get warm enough before he put the stopper in, Peter climbing in not long after. He drew his knees up to his chest and tried to wipe his tears away, but Tony could still see them flowing. “Kiddo, don’t cry. You know I’m not upset; it’s no big deal,” Tony tried to console, but the kid only continued to cry, a hiccup escaping his lips.

“P-lease don’t tell H-Harley,” he hiccuped, and Tony’s eyes shone with confusion.

“I wouldn’t tell Harley, kiddo, this is your business. But Harley wouldn’t care; he wouldn’t make fun of you.” That only upset Peter further, a sob tearing out of him before he could stop it. “Y-Yes he would!”

“Pete, I don’t understand. What are you so upset for?”

He didn’t answer.

“Did I do something?”

Peter shook his head.

“Did Harley?”

Peter nodded. Finally, after all this time, he was admitting the truth. Tony didn’t respond for a moment, just staring as Peter cried, making him feel even more self conscious than he already did. He was a snitch now; he’d hurt Tony. “Kiddo, what’s he been doing?”

Yet again, Peter shook his head. Maybe if he didn’t tell Tony, it would all go away. He would forget Peter even said anything and could spend his last few days with Harley in ignorant bliss. But Tony was nothing without his ability to coax information, especially out of Peter. So for the next fifteen minutes, Peter finally told Tony the truth, about everything. From Harley’s glares and insults to his shoves and threats, Peter didn’t hold back, and the look on Tony’s face at the end of it made him want to cry all over again.

“I’m sorry,” he sniffled.

“No, Peter, I’m sorry. I should have watched you guys more; I never even realized something was up,” Tony replied, now helping the boy get dressed in some new pajamas.

“It’s not your fault,” Peter murmured, and leaned into Tony for a hug. As Tony hugged Peter back, he took comfort in his smell. It was almost as if he’d never outgrown his baby smell, still sweet and so, so young. Planting a kiss on the top of his head, Tony told him, “Don’t worry, kiddo, I’ll fix this.”

Peter only hummed.

So after checking in on Harley, who’d fallen asleep on the couch, Tony led Peter back to his suite where he helped the boy settle into what he always called ‘the big bed.’ Tucking the covers around him, Tony planted another kiss to the boys forehead. He couldn’t help it. “I love you, kiddo.”

“I love you too.”

The next morning, as soon as F.R.I.D.A.Y. alerted Tony that Harley had woken up, he told the AI to send the boy an alert that they were going out. Once Harley had told him he was ready, Tony got them into a car and onto the streets, headed to one of his favorite cafes. Peter had been taken down to hang out with Steve and Natasha while Tony was out confronting Harley, and Tony hoped the boy was going to have a better day than he was going to. The drive was quiet and tense on Tony’s part, and by the time they’d arrived at the cafe, he was sure Harley sensed the tension as well. They ordered when they sat down, and once they got their coffee, Tony set in on his original mission.

“So,” he began. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?” Harley asked, and Tony took a sip of coffee to calm down before answering. It wasn’t whiskey, but it would do.

“Peter told me,” he paused. “Everything.”

“W-What do you mean?” Harley visibly paled. For such a smart kid, he was a terrible actor.

“I think you know what I mean, Harley.” Once that was out there, Tony really laid in.

“Kid, I know you and Peter are different, and I know things aren’t always easy for you. I know that you’re like me in the way we like to hide our emotions. You know, we like to act all tough and hard, man up, or whatever. But Peter’s not like that; he’s sensitive and he’s one of the best damn people I’ve ever met, even after everything he’s been through,” Tony took a sip of his coffee and sighed.

“It’s not my place to tell you his life story, so I won’t, but trust me when I say that kids been through more than a lot of people I know. He’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, and to see him in tears over everything you’ve put him through the last week really got under my skin. I brought you here thinking you’d be like a brother to him, and instead you made him afraid to be in his own home.” Tony waited for the words to sink in.

“I’m sorry,” Harley finally said, quietly.

“Yeah? Well sorry doesn’t cut it.” Harley flinched. Tony closed his eyes and held his hands in fists, trying to keep his frustration inside.

“You don’t owe me an apology. You owe Peter one. What you do owe me, though, is an explanation. I would really like to know why you did all this.”

“I-I guess I was jealous,” the boy admitted. “It was weird coming here and seeing you with him; I-I didn’t want to hurt him. I just wanted your attention.”

Again, Tony sighed. “You had my attention. I wouldn’t have invited you here if you didn’t. But Peter has my attention too; he always will. I wanted you two to get along, to be like brothers, so that you both had another friend and so that you could co exist under my roof. I had so many plans and this was not one of them.”

“I’m sorry.”

Tony scrubbed his face with his hands. “Tell that to Peter. He’s the most forgiving person I know, so you’ve still got a real shot at being his friend here. But the minute I hear you’ve so much as looked at him the wrong way, it’s straight home. You got me?”

“Yes, sir,” Harley sniffled, and Tony knew he’d gotten through to the boy.

“Alright then, let’s go home and talk to Peter.”

Harley nodded, the two leaving the cafe and heading back to the tower to hopefully spark a brotherhood.

Upon returning home, Tony retrieved Peter and sat in on the apology session. As Harley explained his side of the story, Peter listened along and eventually reassured him that all was forgiven. Of course, everything wasn’t perfect at first, but Tony took it upon himself to extend Harley’s trip by another week, giving the boy more time to redeem himself, and he did.

As the two weeks blew by, he could see the relationship developing between the boys, the brotherhood forming. It had started small, chatting that eventually turned to banter, movie nights which turned into pillow wars with Tony, and eventually, “sleepover” between the two, which was really just camping out on each other’s bedroom floors. It was as if nothing had ever happened. When it was time for Harley to go home, Peter and Tony saw him off, the two boys exchanging a long hug before the older one left to meet his flight. As soon as he was gone, Peter’s phone had lit up with a Snapchat from him, a silly face with an even sillier filter on. Peter had sent one back, and the relationship went on from there. The two were constantly chatting online, be it through social media or FaceTime, and planning their next visits. Harley had visited for Peter’s birthday, and again at Christmas, Peter and Tony in turn making their way to Rose Hill for New Years. Tony observed with love as the two grew to be best friends, and eventually, brothers. Peter needed all the support he could get, and Tony was immensely grateful he got it from his other son.

Things weren’t always great, but with a family like theirs, anything was possible.

#iron dad #irondad bingo #peter parker #tony stark #harley keener #my fic

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omicuddler · 7 years ago

Text

Come Back Home: Part 2

Part 2/?

Clint Barton x Daughter!Reader

Summary: After months and months of fighting, you finally made the decision to leave the Barton household. As it turns out, the two of you need each other and can’t function without peace of mind. But when circumstances arise, will you be able to make it back home?

Warnings: running away, kidnapping, angst?

WC: 1,792

Prev | Next | Masterlist

The time was 1:24 in the morning, and you were pulled over on the side of a deserted road, alone and far from home.

Your hands were stuck like glue to the wheel as the previous events played over in your mind in a nonstop loop.

“You’re not my daughter”

“Get out of my house”

You hung your head in shame, but you still stood with your decision. The only problem was the fact that you only had a few more hours to get as far away from your father as possible, but you had absolutely no idea where to go or even where to start.

You banged your head against the wheel and took a few deep breaths.

“If only I could get a little help here...”, you mumbled to yourself.

“Vehicle Assistance Activated”, you heard an electronic female voice chime, “How may I assist you today?”

“Who-who are you?”, you asked confused and frightened. You looked behind you but the back seats were empty, “and where are you?”

“I am F.R.I.D.A.Y, a virtual intelligence system to aid you in the Avengers in any way possible. Shall I do a facial scan to further increase aid?”, the voice chimed.

Still awestruck by the AI, you just nodded before realizing that the system probably couldn’t see her. Nonetheless, a green light scanned the length of your face before chiming.

“Occupant Identified: (Y/N) Barton, daughter of Clint Barton. How can I assist you?”

“I-uh... I don’t quite know how to get to the city...”, you replied nervously, “and driving makes me anxious.”

“Shall I input the coordinates for the Tower and set the driving setting to automatic, Miss (Y/N)?”

“Sure... but can you please keep this between you and me? I don’t want my father to know...”, you replied quickly as you felt the car shift into drive and slowly creep forward.

There was a brief moment of silence.

“Of course, Miss (Y/N).”

You let out a sigh of relief before slumping in your seat. The car pulled forward and raced down the road. You looked out your window as you passed fields illuminated by the moonlight. It didn’t take long for you to fall asleep.

You woke up to the sound of traffic and pedestrians yelling and going about their day. You looked at the clock on the dashboard: 7:18 AM.

If Dad drank as much as you think he did, he probably wouldn’t be up until 8. And even then, he probably wouldn’t realize you're gone for another few hours.

“FRIDAY, how-how much longer until we reach our destination?”, you asked while trying to stifle a yawn.

“We will arrive in 5 minutes, Miss (Y/N).”

You just nodded again before looking out at the sight before you.

The city.

For a country girl, more or less, you in quite a shock. Skyscrapers towered before you, and hustle and bustle were everywhere. You were in paradise.

You noticed the car slow down for a second as you saw the road open down in front of you and you shrunk down in fear as the car slowly rolled inside. You were in some sort of garage.

“We have arrived at your desired destination. Is there anything else I can assist you with, Miss (Y/N)?”, the voice asked you.

“No, FRIDAY. Thank you so much. And this is between you and me, right?”, you asked one final time for confirmation.

“Yes, Miss.”, the system replied.

You let out a breath that you didn’t realize you were holding and you unbuckled yourself and opened the door as quietly as you could.

When you opened the door, you were greeted with booming rock music. A great cover for you to sneak around without being heard.

You slip out of the car and shut the door quietly, and sneak around what seemed to be the back of the garage. You look around in awe. There were cars and tools everywhere. But that wasn’t the best of it. On display were dozens of models of Iron Man’s suits.

Everything was going well and you haven’t been spotted yet. As you continue on around a table, you could see a man with his back to you. He seemed to be working on a model of one of the suits.

I just need to avoid him so that I don’t get caught. Just get some food, some tech, and leave (Y/N). You can do this.

Just as you neared the door, you stubbed your toe on a table and many tools clatter onto the floor, making the man straighten up and look behind him to see what happened.

He made direct eye contact with you.

“Who the hell are you?”, he asked surprised and confused, “and more importantly, how did you get in here?”

“I uh... I’m...”, you began to say before you got too flustered and, quite frankly, terrified. You were face to face with the one and only, Tony Stark.

“Hold on... you look familiar. Do I know you?”, he asked while stepping closer to get a better look at you.

Before you can reply, Tony exclaims, “Of course! The nose and the chin gave it away. You must be (Y/N) Barton, right?”

You were just so surprised and scared that you couldn’t muster up a reply, so you just smiled and nodded.

“Goddamn, you look so much like your father. Speaking of which, where is he? He’s so protective of you and he wouldn’t ever let you into the city by yourself...”, he said while scratching the top of his head as if he was trying to explain your presence.

“It’s almost my birthday!”, you blurted out without thinking all the way through, “and uh... this is my early birthday present.”

It wasn’t a lie, but you may have stretched the truth just an inch.

Tony just looked at you, shrugged, and smiled, “Well, you’re welcome here kiddo. As I understand it, this is your first time here?”

You smiled ecstatically and nodded frantically.

“Well, shall I give you a tour? You must be starving after that long ass drive”, he said with a chuckle.

“You bet.”, you replied with a smile and followed him out of the garage.

You wolfed down your breakfast as Tony and the newly introduced Steve and Bruce looked at you.

“Gosh, (Y/N), you must be starving!”, Steve exclaimed while chuckling at your behavior.

You continued to finish your plate and chugging the cup of OJ sitting in front of you before addressing Steve, “You have no idea.”

“So, (Y/N), why didn’t your dad come with you to the tower? Is everything ok?”, Bruce asked with a concerned look in his eyes.

You laughed nervously while trying to think of a reply on the spot, “No-no-no everything’s fine! He just... he wanted me to meet all of you without him hovering and fully living up to his name.”

Steve and Tony laughed at the joke, and Tony rubbed your head lovingly.

“Well, just know that you’re welcome here anytime, (Y/N)”, Bruce replied with a kind smile on his face.

You smiled back, but you felt a pang of guilt inside of you.

There were dad’s friends... just imagine how upset he must be if he ever finds out.

You snapped out of your thoughts and stood up to put the dishes in the sink. As you turned back to the adult in front of you, you heard laughter coming from the hall. Familiar laughter.

And from the corner of your eye, you see a head of red hair make her way toward the kitchen with a tall male with long brown hair and a metal arm.

Your eyes widened as you ran at Natasha full speed, “Auntie Nat!!”, you yelled with excitement.

She turned around and her eyes lit up while opening her arms to embrace you in a hug, “(Y/N)?! What are you doing here, sweet cheeks?”

“I’m just... stopping by”, you said as your smile faltered for a split second, “What are you doing here? Dad said that you wouldn’t be back for months!!”

She just shook her head and laughed nervously, “Why would he tell you that? Nevermind that, you’re probably wondering who this stud is standing next to me.”

You felt your face flush before you made eye contact with the man in front of you.

Gosh, this man is such a stud... and he’s so hot.

Natasha simply laughed before saying, “Well, this is Bucky. Bucky this is (Y/N). Bucky is Steve’s best friend that got taken and brainwashed by HYDRA. But it’s ok because he found a way to get to him, and he has been catching up with us, just like Cap, ever since.”

“Pleasure to meet you, doll”, Bucky said while planting a chaste kiss on the back of your hand.

You were speechless and your mouth was just agape.

“Close your mouth, (Y/N), or you’ll catch flies!”, you heard Steve yell from behind you.

You turned around and stuck your tongue out at him. The both of you just laughed it off before you heard the intercom system chime with a call.

“Guys, I just woke up with the worst headache ever. I drank too much and I’m hungover as hell. But I have a problem”

It was your dad.

Panicking, you quickly sidestepped into the nearest room and locked the door. You leaned against the door, your breath quickening and your heart racing.

“What? You got a shot glass stuck up your ass?”, you heard Tony ask jokingly.

“No, Stark. This is serious. The car is missing and (Y/N) is gone. I can’t find her anywhere.”, you heard his voice quiver and tighten.

You shake your head wondering what you could do to prevent your cover from being blown. You look at the table next to you and you see a gun and holster. Suddenly, an idea popped into your head.

And it wasn’t a good one.

“Well, Barton...”, you heard Tony begin.

You stepped out of the room and cocked the gun, “One more word and I shoot.”

The team turned to you surprised but lifted their arms in the air.

“FRIDAY, end the call”, you said with a dangerously quiet voice.

“Wait was that-”, your father exclaimed before being hung up on.

“(Y/N), what in the hell are you doing?”, Natasha asked while stepping toward you.

You stepped back and shakily turned the gun toward her. Tears were beginning to form and you felt your throat tighten.

“Stay back... you out of all people know that I know how to use this. And I’ve ne-never miss.”, your voice quivered.

“(Y/N), what are you doing?”, you heard Bruce ask worriedly.

“I’m leaving. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Tags: @flourish-et-blotts @phonegalhelp @elorajaii @dugan365 @ailynalonso15 @bakugaming @phire23 @huflerin @bellero

strikeout tags are those that do not work, my apologies!

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