#infinity war compliant i guess

[tonysbirthdaygala]

REVEALS PART 2!!

I meant to have two reveals today, but life got in the way.

Anyways, here's a mega-reveal of works! Tomorrow you will know the authors. Until then...can you guess?

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Workaholic (M) 683w

Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark/Sam Wilson, Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Alternate Universe, Husbands, Workaholic Tony Stark, Domestic Fluff, Birthday, How Do I Tag, Not Beta Read, Implied Sexual Content

Tony’s been busy with work lately, so much to the point that he’s forgotten his own birthday! Lucky him, his partner(s)/friend(s) have been preparing something special for him.

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The Masseur (E) 1.1k

Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes, Alpine the Cat (Marvel), Steve Rogers, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, love at first touch, Fingerfucking, Masseur Bucky Barnes, Soft Bucky Barnes, Not Beta Read, Flirting, Attempt at Humor

Tony is convinced by Pepper to get a massage after weeks of hard work in his lab. He didn't expect his massage therapist to be this handsome.

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I Would Do Anything for Love...  (E) 5.3k

Tags: No Archive Warnings ApplySteve Rogers/Tony StarkSteve RogersTony StarkBruce BannerBDSMSimon Eriksson's Love Language is Words of AffirmationNon-Sexual SubmissionBody WorshipPet NamesDaddy KinkSafewordsHurt/ComfortDom Tony StarkSub Steve RogersOral SexAnal SexFirst TimeLoss of VirginitySpankingImpact PlayDrinkingImplied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/AlcoholismTony Stark is a TeaseBondageLight PettingRimmingWhippingPraise KinkEjaculationAnal FingeringHe Used how Many Dildos?!So Many Super Soldier OrgasmsKneelingSubspaceBarebackingOnline RomanceBanner Banter

Tony Stark had a lot to be happy about. Today, this week, the month- hell, the past year had been going remarkably well. Construction had been finished for Banner’s own personal Research & Development, he and Bruce had been making headway with Hulk Buster Veronica, Stark Tower had been successfully renovated into Avengers Tower, Pepper had firmly established her role as CEO of Stark Industries, and last but certainly not least, this weekend would mark the anniversary of the attack on New York- a full year since Tony had come face to face with death yet again, remembering life is indeed short and promised himself he would rekindle his most passionate life style… he would get back into the scene.. the play scene, the BDSM scene.

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the only bad you’ve ever done is see the good in me (T) 2.7k

Tags: No Archive Warnings ApplyTony Stark/Sam WilsonSteve Rogers/Tony Stark (mentioned)Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson (mentioned)Steve Rogers/Tony Stark/Sam WilsonTony StarkSam Wilson (Marvel)Post-Movie: Captain America: Civil War (2016)Fix-It of SortsNot Canon Compliant with Movie: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)BirthdayCostume Parties & MasqueradesLove ConfessionsMutual PiningLight Angsteveryone is sorryHappy EndingNomad Steve RogersPolyamory

The script for a missing scene in which fugitive Sam Wilson risks it all to deliver a birthday gift to Tony Stark.

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Balancing the Scales (E) 4.1k

Tags: No Archive Warnings ApplyJames "Bucky" Barnes/Steve RogersJames "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony StarkTony StarkJames "Bucky" BarnesSteve RogersAlternate Universe - FantasyAlternate Universe - RoyaltyPrince Tony StarkDragon Bucky BarnesDragon Steve RogersLoss of VirginityAnal SexMale Homosexuality

Prince Tony has about a million questions. He could never imagine the answers he's about to get.

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Fragments of Another Life (T) 8k

Tags: No Archive Warnings ApplyLoki/Tony StarkTony Stark & Stephen StrangePepper Potts & Tony StarkTony StarkLoki (Marvel)Pepper PottsStephen StrangeVillain Tony StarkAvenger Loki (Marvel)Emotional Hurt/ComfortTony Stark Has Palladium PoisoningGetting TogetherAngstBanterSupportive Loki (Marvel)Tony Stark Needs a HugMultiversal travelPost-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)roughlyTony Stark Still Has Arc Reactorand it's killing himTony Stark-centricComic Book Science

Palladium poisoning was not how Tony was going to go out. Not after everything he had survived until now. But while trying to find the cure, Loki and him are forced to make a decision.

Tony's life or that of a universe.

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The Unexpected Choice (G) 7.4k

Tags: No Archive Warnings ApplyPepper Potts & Tony StarkPepper PottsTony StarkTime TravelTony Stark Has Palladium PoisoningPepper Time TravelsPepper Potts Saves The DayPast Pepper Potts/Tony StarkGrief/MourningBeginnings

There were certain expectations of the type of person who would travel back in time. Pepper was well aware that she didn’t fit those expectations.

There were very few things in life that she’d truly failed at. No, Pepper had made a habit of success. This was a venture on a scale like none other she’d ever embarked on, but Pepper was hardly going to let that stop her.

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For An Unspoken Vow (G) 1.1k

Tags: No Archive Warnings ApplyTony Stark/Stephen StrangeBackground Christine Palmer/Pepper PottsTony StarkStephen Strange5+1 ThingsTime TravelEstablished RelationshipPre-Movie: Iron Man (2008)Canon Divergence - Iron Man 1Afghanistan KidnappingPanic AttacksHurt/ComfortFluffAngst and FeelsPOV Tony StarkBAMF Stephen StrangeStephen Strange Needs a HugNo beta we die like Obadiah Stane

Of all the things Tony had theorized, he could have never guessed that his fiance is actually a very powerful Wizard who came here from the future. To save Tony.

Or

5 times Stephen acts a little strange, + the 1 time he acts badass.

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My Savior (T) 5.6k

Tags: No Archive Warnings ApplyTony Stark/Stephen StrangeLoki & Tony StarkPepper Potts/Tony StarkChristine Palmer/Stephen StrangeTony StarkStephen StrangeLoki (Marvel)Pepper PottsChristine PalmerFix-ItCanon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)No SnapAlternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Diesstuck togetherDeveloping FriendshipAngst and FeelsIronStrangePolyamoryPre-RelationshipPOV Tony StarkCanon-Typical ViolenceTony Stark Needs a HugStephen Strange Needs a HugSick Stephen Strangemagical feverCaring Tony StarkStubborn IdiotsStephen is an Idiot in LoveNo beta we die like Stephen Strangeas in revived only to die over and over again

Tony has limited options to choose from: either stay put in Titan with his unconscious Wizard and risk permanent damage from radiation while they wait for rescue, or take the Guardians’ damaged ship out for a spin and risk being stranded in space.

He makes his choice.

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A Stroll in the Woods (G) 3.3k

Tags: No Archive Warnings ApplyTony StarkAlternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Tony wakes up alone, in a forest. His memory is foggy. He doesn’t know how he got here. He doesn’t know where “here” is. Sure, there may be people looking for him, but he isn’t going to play the part of a damsel in distress; he’s going to figure out a way home.

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Darkness (T) 710w

Tags: No Archive Warnings ApplyTony StarkKarl MordoDormammu (Marvel)Alternate UniverseMovie: Doctor Strange (2016)Sorcerer Supreme Tony StarkMagic User Tony StarkAlternate Universe - Canon DivergenceCanon-Typical Violenceno beta we die like tony stark

Sorcerer Tony Stark defeats Dormammu in his own way. (AU where Tony Stark went to Kamar-Taj.)

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[ao3feed-irondadspiderson]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43590312

hello there, the devil in the waking world (alas, it is life) by Artemis3737 He went over Mr. Stark's eight days earlier than he was supposed to. He told him about a dog he saved from a bad fire. He happened to get a bad cough from smoke inhalation and a limp from burning wood. He had to lie eight days earlier than he expected. That night, he fell from a web on the tall ceiling. His neck repaired itself before any blood flow could be blocked from his brain for too long. Or: Peter is struggling and his healing factor is not helping. Words: 731, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers (mentioned), Sam Wilson (mentioned), Clint Barton (mentioned), Natasha Romanov (mentioned), James "Bucky" Barnes (mentioned), Thor (mentioned) Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark Additional Tags: Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Acts Like a Spider, for the health benefits i guess, Spiders don't feel pain like humans do, Dead May Parker - Freeform, Tony Stark is alive, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Peter Parker hides medical issues, BAMF Peter Parker, Sad, healing factor

[themculibrary]

Peter Quill Masterlist 2

part one

20 questions (ao3) - bevioletskies gamora/peter T, 118k

Summary: Wasp has a new competition in store for the students of Avengers Academy, and there’s money involved. So obviously, Peter and Gamora have to pretend to be a couple in order to win. Wait, what?

a bother-figure (ao3) - judypoovey T, 7k

Summary: It wasn’t going to do him any good to get all sentimental and excited about meeting his dad, considering his dad had kidnapped his sort-of-replacement dad.

all fucked up and no place to go (ao3) - scioscribe drax/gamora/peter E, 4k

Summary: Peter Quill is the only omega in all of space.

It sucks.

A Matter of Restraint (ao3) - fayedartmouth T, 3k

Summary: Peter’s not exactly known for his brilliant strategies.

And Get Nowhere (ao3) - Wawa_Girl gamora/peter T, 7k

Summary: "Why?" Gamora asked from several feet below them, an eyebrow raised and her tone slightly less hard - curious, suspicious, like she wasn't sure whether to buy this explanation.

Peter didn't know if she was asking, 'Why is that a common joke on Earth?' or 'Why weren't you thinking before spitting it out right now?' but either way his quick reply was the same. "No idea!" he said with the biggest fake smile. "No clue, makes no sense, stupid--I don't know why it slipped out, meant nothing, forget it, I'm sorry..." he continued rambling and reassuring to spare himself the fate of sleeping outside for the next month during the impending hail storm.

(Or: Sometimes Peter has really bad "no filter" days, and rooftop antics ensue.)

Base of Support (ao3) - interabang T, 3k

Summary: The Guardians discover that Yondu would do anything (when he feels like it) to give Peter help when he needs it.

break the chain (ao3) - evotter T, 16k

Summary: “Thanos is the worst threat you could possibly imagine.” Gamora says. Her voice sets a chill in Peter’s bones. “We need to get ahead of him as quickly as we possibly can or we will lose if he even gets the slightest bit in front of us. Please, Peter Parker. We need all the help we can get. You do this for us, and we will do something for you. Anything you need.”

Anything is pretty nice. Especially considering he might need them to guard him so Tony doesn’t totally murder him. And they seem like nice enough people. And if Strange trusts them… “Okay,” says Peter, rather reluctantly. “I’ll go with you guys to space.“

(or: peter contacts star-lord and meets the guardians of the galaxy. not infinity war/endgame compliant.)

bring it on home to me (ao3) - bevioletskies T, 19k

Summary: The fight of everyone’s lives may be over, but for Nebula, Peter, and the rest of the Guardians, the search for the person they love most has just begun.

don’t need no credit card to ride this train (ao3) - Sholio T, 5k

Summary: Peter gets a second chance to make a very important change.

Five times Rocket claimed Peter as his own (and one time he realised what it meant) (ao3) - prosodiical peter/rocket T, 4k

Summary: "You," says Rocket lowly, "keep your distance, and I won't have to kill you." He pauses, then adds, as though it isn't obvious enough already, "He's mine."

Rocket's got a bit of a possessiveness problem when it comes to Peter Quill.

Fox on the Run (ao3) - Sholio T, 13k

Summary: When bounty hunters get the drop on Yondu, 11-year-old Peter is the only person in a position to do anything about it.

Go For The Throat (ao3) - laylabinx T, 9k

Summary: Peter finds out the hard way what it means to be the Ravager mascot and Yondu uses this as an opportunity to teach him how to kick someone’s ass.

Happiness Goes On (ao3) - Wawa_Girl gamora/peter T, 25k

Summary: "What does it mean? The day the music died?"

The words were said without the inquisitor looking at the human beside her, owner and expert of the tunes they were sharing.

"I guess..." Peter spoke up, his tone distant. Faraway. Lost. Gamora realized she would have given nearly anything to obtain Mantis' powers and know what he was feeling, what was going on in his head. "It means when people stop...appreciating it. Or learning from it? Or...use music to do...bad things."

Please Rewind (ao3) - interabang gamora/peter E, 4k

Summary: When Rocket and Groot gift Peter with a TV and VHS tapes, he’s excited to relive his childhood memories with the group - so excited, in fact, that he won’t stop talking throughout the movie. After his rambling drives the other Guardians away, Gamora quickly finds a way to shut him up.

Ruins (ao3) - TheFictionalMe gamora/peter M, 51k

Summary: Five times Peter told Gamora to go right, and one time he didn’t.

“Why does somebody always have to die in this scenario?”

Vacation! All I Ever Wanted (ao3) - clockheartedcrocodile gamora/peter E, 7k

Summary: The Guardians of the Galaxy have a nice day at the boardwalk.

you lay your bets and then you pay the price (ao3) - orphan_account gamora/peter T, 32k

Summary: (or: five times Peter idiotically risks his life for Gamora, and the one time he… can’t)

Zuneology (ao3) - interabang gamora/peter T, 13k

Summary: After the war, Gamora listens to Peter's music player and reflects on her memories with him.

[grineerios]

Insomnia won and I got around to writing things down about my Operator and Drifter instead of just letting my thoughts do laps of my brain. So uh. Long-ass backstories, I guess?

I do have memory loss so I'm not entirely sure how canon-compliant this is, but I guess there's no harm with a few tweaks if I had fun doing it lmao

New War/Duviri Paradox/Main Story quests spoilers(?)

(I do not have names for these nerds, but I'll update whenever I figure that bit out. I've debated calling them Sigma (O) and Lavan (D) after railjack parts, but it just doesn't suit them. I guess only time will tell)

Both Operator and Drifter are He/They, and AroAce. I haven't figured out their gender(s) yet, because gender is hard.

THE DRIFTER

Drifter is a very different man when interacting with Duviri and the Operator, versus everyone else. To most of the world, he's a stubborn individual with a streak of having a short temper. His seemingly obsessive need to have some kind of control can easily get on folks' nerves, making him a hard person to work with. Occasionally, though, one can see a small glimmer of the man behind the persona.

When it comes to Duviri, as well as with The Operator and other children, a laid-back, almost jovial man emerges. He has a very strong "what happens, happens" philosophy. When faced with adversity, he mocks it. When faced with hardship, he pushes through with a stiff upper lip. When faced with loss, he waves his hand dismissively.

But this isn't the full truth either.

In reality, The Drifter is an extremely anxious person with a desperate need to protect The Operator, especially after the events of The New War. This manifests as him flip-flopping between letting the Operator do what they want, and needing to control and have a say in everything the Operator does.

When in Duviri, this anxiety manifested slowly over time, starting with the Void's subconscious influence on Duviri. The landscape's shape was the first to change, next the sky turned to Void-like clouds, followed by the fracturing point- the Zariman itself appearing in the sky.

Up until this point, the Drifter was a mere side character in Duviri's story, a manifestation of an unimportant and uneventful life far away from the horrors of 10-0. Primarily, he was a Tammherd, moving flocks across Duviri's verdant islands, even as the Void's influence poked and prodded at the memories he'd repressed.

After the 10-0 appeared in the sky, however...

Everything changed. No longer could he pretend that things were well, that the Void-spirals didn't poke at his mind, that the Void-forsaken ship wasn't real, that Duviri was all he'd ever known.

As his anxiety grew, Dominus Thrax became more and more maniacal, pushing new laws and standards that began crushing at Drifter's soul and personality, hardening him into apathy after being hunted again and again for seemingly infinity.

Long forgotten were the days of falling asleep under the stars, having nothing but a Tamm for a pillow- no, now his days were split between the void-contaminated Zariman and being hunted and executed by Thrax. The songs of Void Angels and the scream of arrows and blades set the soundtrack for his life, replacing the shawzin music he'd formerly enjoyed playing.

No matter how Thrax decided to execute him that day, he'd always wake up, lost in the world foreign to him of the Zariman, a horrifying feeling tugging at his mind as he wandered the halls, confused and lost. But.. he'd always find his way back to Duviri. Through a vent, a door, a mirror, or a broken screen- it didn't matter. He always found his way back into his personal hell away from hell, doomed to live in his damned loop forever.

On one of these loops, before Teshin beats into their thick skull that yes, you can just leave this situation dumbass, while stuck in the Zariman, he was injured by either a void-touched item or a Void Angel. Throughout subsequent spirals, void crystals began to grow from the wound. And it hurt like a bitch. If he'd ever let you look at the wound- or the scar, as it presents itself in the Origin System, you might faintly see the curled spikes, if you squinted, as they're mysteriously mostly invisible when exposed to direct and indirect sunlight. Under artificial light, they're slightly more visible, but the Drifter intentionally wears clothes with baggy sleeves so as not to worry The Operator. Regardless of where he is, undercroft or origin system alike, the crystals feel like it buries itself deeper and deeper into his flesh when he uses transference.

We all know how the story ends. With the help of Teshin, the Drifter finally Gets A Fucking Grip On Things and is able to voluntarily exit and enter Duviri at their leisure. The only real difference is that instead of Lotus' hand granting the Drifter Transference, it's his void injury that allows for weak Transference within the Undercroft. He must make physical contact with a Warframe to transfer into it, even after his Void abilities are strengthened in the New War.

THE BEFORE

Before the void-jump incident, and before Eternalism made the Operator and the Drifter, there was the Before.

The Before was an isolated and distractable child. He didn't do well at school, often losing himself in thought and awe over whatever was outside the nearest window. His parents were botanists and agricultural specialists who helped to tend to and monitor the Zariman's agricultural biomes. Sometimes, much to his parents' frustration, he'd skip school to watch them work. They often would joke that they wished he'd pick a normal activity to skip school over, like Lunaro.

Although he did eventually pick up Lunaro and tried to learn shawzin, he never was far from the agri-zones if he could help it. There was something that pushed away his fears. Besides, if these plants could grow here, then who was to say he couldn't thrive cultivating life in Tau?

Aaaaand then the void jump incident happened.

Of course he wasn't paying attention when it happened. He was wayy too distracted by all the amazing colors in Saturn's rings. Melica's words all sounded like the same stuff he'd hear her say after day. Blah blah blah Entrati this Golden Masters that and who could forget the Seven? Drivel. Meaningless drivel. It mattered a lot to the adults but not to him at all.

The jump hit him like a truck, when the force knocked him out of his seat, and when beautiful Saturn was replaced with the eerie, wispy void. That's when he felt fear nag at him.

In the time before Wally made their deal with him, he somehow managed to get a grip on his emotions and channeled that fear into taking control of the situation, despite shaking the entire time he was checking in on folks. He buried his emotions, focusing on the new drive in his heart, to protect the others. Even if he was a little... Blunt. Or rude. Or aggressive about the whole thing. No matter how hard you try to hide intense emotions, they'll bubble out somehow, and I doubt the Void helped with that very much. But, his practical and stubborn mind kept most of the kids he was with safe- until the Orokin dubbed them Tenno for the Operator, or until he decided to go search for more survivors alone in the Zariman, wandering the vents while the others were found and taken away; Left behind, becoming the Drifter.

I don't think the Drifter ever forgave himself for letting that happen. Even if it was because Wally twisted words.

THE OPERATOR

In the present, the Operator is less angry, and less socially isolated than the Drifter. What they lack in comparison to the Drifter's temper and isolationist tendencies, they make up for in flippancy and spite.

He took well to transference, and his training as a Tenno under the Orokin empire gave him a sense of purpose. He'd protected his kind on board the Zariman, and he'd continue to protect them even now. With the help of his warframe, a Volt, he'd stand by their sides, and ensure everyone made it out alive. They were his Tenno fellows. His Clan.

As time went on though, his faith in the Orokin evaporated, as he saw how little they actually cared about his friends and himself. Vowing to never trust Orokin word again, he relished the Night of Naga Drums, when he finally got to strike back at the Orokin for their foul play.

His distrust of the Orokin carried over from Margulis to the Lotus, instead, looking up to the Dax remaining after the fall of the Orokin empire, knowing that they too had likely been manipulated and used by their Golden Masters.

Even knowing he'd been hurt and exploited by the Orokin, he had (and still has) a hard time seeing himself as anything but an Orokin weapon, the confusion and intensity of which only became more overwhelming after awakening from the Second Dream.

Things only got worse from there, really. His distrust of Lotus burned into outright hatred and he isolated himself from his fellow Tenno, occasionally doing mercenary work for syndicates like the Arbiters of Hexis and Steel Meridian. What purpose the Lotus had offered, he rejected, leaving him with a void in his life. Depression set in, and all he could do was wait for purpose to find him.

THE PRESENT

(My memory is fuzzy on details of The New War, so I'll need to replay it before getting into specifics about what Drifter and Operator were doing at the time. but.)

In the aftermath of the New War, the Operator has brought himself to understand that Lotus too was manipulated by Orokin power. This doesn't completely nullify his feelings, but does certainly mellow them out a bit more, to the point that he willingly participates in Tenno culture once more.

Drifter and Operator are working together, although Drifter insists on doing most Tenno missions, saying that the Operator should "catch up on being a kid" while they have the chance. This of course, does not help the Operator who desperately needs to get out and do things, as they're prone to going stir-crazy if they can't do anything for even short periods of time.

Despite having the transference circuits damaged in the Old War, the Operator almost exclusively uses his Volt, who's probably the closest thing he has to a best friend post-New War.

In the times when he chooses to, or is forced to use transference, the Drifter uses primarily an Oberon, followed closely by a Kullervo and Excalibur Umbra, the latter being an ideal choice as he doesn't require transference to be useful.

TL;DR

My Drifter is typically stoic with a hotheaded streak and a tendency for intimidation as the solution to problems. This, of course, is all fueled by a desperate need to protect people, and keep the Operator above all, safe. He's kind at heart, but it's a side rarely seen by anyone other than children or animals.

My Operator is an immature ball of spite, nigh-dependent on other people for his purpose in life. He shares Drifter's anger and aggression, but it's tempered with a strong sense of justice. He's deeply bonded to his Warframe, and the two are nigh-inseparable. Has an insatiable thirst for action, and is high-energy.

Both of them desperately need therapy and ADHD meds.

[tessabennet]

Hello!!!! I'm an absolute fan of your work!!! I've read your series "What I'm looking for" and I loved everything about it. I think I've never seen such a detailed and well thought fic about the MCU and Steve and Bucky. Everything about their past, their feelings, the relationships they crafted, and that sadness and loneliness that surrounds specifically Steve after he comes out of the ice is beautiful. And while I obviously love the Stucky, I think one of my favourite things about your fic is Steve relationships with other people, like Tony, Sam, Natasha... Seriously, you made their friendship seem so organic, so real, they all have so much emotion and baggage and yet they all care so much, they are still sometimes distant, they fight, they don't always agree, they annoy each other, but they care and are trying to built something more. I read some other fics about the Avengers and when they are made to be super friends and family right after the battle of New York that really annoys me (kkkkk), like they literaly just met Clint? How are they like brothers now? None of them know each other but Nat and Clint like ????? How???? I love when they are friends, but they need to built it, and I think you've done it perfectly.

Anyway, super excited to read the other parts of your work!!!! (I'm literally melting and dying with curiosity, begging time to move faster). I'm curiouss about a few things if you could answer, like are you gonna keep everything canon compliant? All the movie deaths in Endgame are still going to happen (if Nat dies I don't thing I will get over it)? Is Bucky going to be snapped? I always thought it was such a wasted oportunity to make Bucky die in Infinity War, because him being there in Endgame with Steve and Tony could make good conclusion for them, and it would make the rebuilding of their friendship feel way stronger...

Again, love your work!!! You are incredible!!!! Big kiss for youuu!!!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Oh wow, hi!! Thank you so much, I'm happy to hear how much you enjoy the series. And I'm especially glad you like the friendship dynamics just as much as the stucky parts themselves, that really means a lot to me. Tbh those relationships between the different Avengers really took me by surprise when I was writing the whole thing, they just sort of... happened? I guess?

Anyway, to answer your questions: Yes, I will stay canon compliant, all the way to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. And yes, that means everrything that happens in Infinity War and Endgame happens in the fic but please don't worry it definitely doesn't stay that way. In the post-Endgame parts, I went into fix-it mode. I've done my absolute best to give everyone a happy ending.

And maybe as a small comfort in the meantime: I'm all but finished with writing the last part of the series!! There's only 3 chapters to go, and then a lot of editing - but once that's all done and dealt with, I'll forgo my established posting schedule and drop large chunks of the series (possibly all of it) in one go. My goal is to get all of it out there sometime next spring, though of course I won't make any promises.

So... yeah. Thanks again so much for taking the time to read my writing and for coming here and leaving such a lovely message in my inbox, you really brightened my day! And of course you're always very welcome to talk to me about the fic, and to ask more questions that may come up, ask for snippets (I'm very liberal with those) or background info. Or, you know, talk to me about the mcu and stucky in general ❤️

[a2on1break]

11, 18, 29 for the fanfic asks!

Hey! My first ask!! Thank you! And I apologize for taking so long to answer. :3

11. What's your longest fanfic?

That's easy. This Is Me (In My Eyes) at 92,055. Steve and Bucky fic, mostly about Bucky in Wakanda between Civil War and Infinity War.

18. What's your favourite writing prompt?

Hmmmmm. I guess I'm trying to figure out what exactly qualifies as a writing prompt. I don't usually use lists, except for when I'm trying to challenge myself or shake myself out of a funk. I use songs a TON in prompting my stories. So can I just say 'Trading Yesterday/David Hodges songs'? (If you want a different kind of answer, just let me know!)

29. What's more difficult: fanfiction or original fiction?

This one's tough. With ff you already have the world and characters drawn up for you; you just play with them. Unless you're like me and you decide to create an entire language for a people group in your almost complete rewrite of the story. Also I'm driven to be canon compliant wherever possible, like spending hours analyzing T'Challa's clothes, or watching a scene from a movie a hundred times to get the dialogue and facial expressions right, or spending hours trying to figure out if Ed would know CPR.

But then there's my original stuff which is harder in the sense of fleshing out plots, and remembering all the stuff I said before so I don't contradict myself, and I usually end up with a world and a story so big I don't even know where to start. And plots are SO hard. Inventing my own characters is a ton of fun, naming most of all. I love when characters surprise me, either by something they do or simply by their existence, a la Faramir. But Plot is really hard for me.

I have written WAY more fanfic than original stuff. So I think right now, I'll say that original is harder.

[gaslightgallows]

prompt: “Sometimes you get so close to someone you end up on the other side of them.” Thor and Valkyrie

There was a lot to do when they finally reached Earth.

Valkyrie’s public reunion with the king was brief and terse.There was nothing either of them could say, except, “I’m glad you’re stillalive.” And each of them meant it, even if they couldn’t accept it forthemselves. Neither of them especially wanted to still be alive, but that wasthe state of things, and they would rather be alive and on the same planet thandead and floating through space.

In private, they said even less. Simply found a bed, curledaround each other and went to sleep. They had never shared a bed before butneither of them questioned it.

There was work to do. Not rebuilding, because there wasnothing to rebuild, but starting over. Helping what remained of Asgard to startover, at least. It wasn’t a new beginning for Valkyrie and she knew Thor feltthe same. They had lost too much to begin again; they could only endure theending for as long as it had to last.

Thor was known on Earth, and the northern countries werewilling to make a gift of land to one of the old gods, especially one who hadhelped save the world so many times. It wasn’t Asgard, and it would never behome for him or for her, but the air smelled a little like the seas that werenow lost. That small bit of familiarity hurt, but it was the least of all thehurts they shared.

They each knew the other’s hurts now. They were lesspainful, somehow, than their own, so they kept them carefully.

They fell in beside one another, working to build andfinding ways of supporting their people in this new place. Fishing was notglamorous, but it paid, and brewing and distilling were things that Asgardiansexcelled at, and that paid even more. They got by.

Always, at the end of the day, they shared their hurts, theyshared a drink, and they shared a bed. He was king, but a king who had seenmany right hands crushed. She was a warrior, but a warrior alone, withoutfellowship. There was too much behind them to let them build anything newtogether, but they lived, and if they could not live for themselves, they couldlive, at least, for each other.

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[in-a-cave-with]

a list of fic ideas that i constantly think about all the time yet have neither the time nor skill to actually write them (from least to most absolutely off the shits ridiculous):

being framed for murder isnt all that great mr stark: (mcu) just as the title might imply, it entails spider-man being accused of the murder of general ross. peter then starts receiving messages from the actual murderer telling him that they’re holding his aunt hostage and that if he wants to get her back safe he has to follow their orders in order to carry out their next devious plan. peter plays along to track down the killer, undermine their plan, and prove his innocence. tony tracks down peter to get answers about this extremely worrying situation (as peter taking matters into his own hands and going off the radar makes him look 300% more guilty in the government’s eyes). 

my friend the ghost of captain america: (616) it turns out director stark's hallucinations of the recently dead steve rogers aren’t all hallucinations, because occasionally they’re actually the semi corporeal form of the actual steve rogers, who managed to free himself from the effect of the time bullets somewhat! emphasis on somewhat. follow tony and ghost steve as they try to turn steve back to normal while disagreeing on basically everything how to go about doing it. oh, and also extremis is slowly killing tony after it started malfunctioning from the fight with the mandarin (he’s not going to tell anyone this though)

hearts of kyber: (mcu-aligned, star wars au) tony stark (former imperial engineer turned empire’s most wanted after he sabotaged the early death star plans) runs into peter parker (former jedi padawan turned bounty hunter turned rogue after order 66) on a planet colonized by kree soldiers. they manage to escape the planet together and are picked up by nick fury (who is really mace windu with a prosthetic hand and eye also on the run from the empire). he eventually recruits them for his squad of rebels, nicknamed the avengers. together they carry out various missions for the official rebel alliance, and discover hidden plans from a secret sect of the empire’s engineering division for something called “UL-TRON”

space-dust crusaders: (616-aligned, jojo au but set mostly in space) after a fight with an enemy stand user [axis], tony stark (alter ego iron man) now has an evil double from another dimension named Superior who uses his own stand power [extremis 3.0] to give tony a disease that reaches fatality within 50 days (as he tells tony in a dramatic evil monologue). after the rest of the avengers (a team of stand wielding superheroes) manage to chase him off of earth superior fucks off to a far off planet and sets up a base there with the ultimate goal of taking over the galaxy, recruiting multiple stand users to help his cause. after finding out about tony’s predicament a couple of tony’s friends on the avengers team board a spaceship to find said planet that superior fucked off to and kill him to get rid of the sickness, but what they DON’T know is that tony has managed to tag along for the ride with every intent to bring down his evil double himself

[strawwritesfic]

Thor Odinson x Female!Pregnant!Stark!Reader: Shock

Summary: Rule number one: Don’t come between a thunder god and the love of his life.

Rating/Warnings/Tags: T (some coarse language; references to sex; Thor & Sif friendship; one-sided!Sif/Thor; set post-Thor Ragnarok; not Avengers: Infinity War compliant; Tony’s little sister!Reader; overprotective sibling!Tony; eye patch!Thor; Stark Tower; reference to Agents of SHIELD)

Challenge: "160 Collective Drabbles" challenge by BobaPop on Lunaescence Archives.  

Shock

Manhattan could not have been more different from Asgard if it had set itself up to be so. Crowds of people and of vehicles, smog, the noise and smells of street vendors all moved through the narrow spaces between blocky, towering buildings. A steely blue-gray sky peeked out only occasionally to dazzle pedestrians—pedestrians such as Thor and Sif.

“It is good to see Midgard is as well as we left it,” Thor commented as he and his companion swam upstream in the direction of their goal.

Rather than watch the approaching throng, Sif looked down and pulled at the cuff of her sleeve. “I’m still not sure about the clothes,” she said with a frown, “or about having Heimdall drop us off so far away.”

Indeed, both she and Thor had dressed themselves in garb more fitting of Midgardian civilians rather than Asgardian warriors. Thor thought he looked fine enough, but Sif did have a point. Her long woolen coat and scarf did not suit her the way her usual armor did.

“I enjoy a brisk walk,” he answered, then grinned, “and my arrival is to be a surprise. Heimdall’s typical method of deposit could hardly hope to avoid Stark’s attention for very long.”

“Aye, or that Strange fellow.”

“Or the Strange fellow. He I cannot afford to deal with this day.”

Though a small one, Sif allowed herself a smile of her own. “You truly are looking forward to see her, aren’t you?”

Thor’s smile grew softer. “It has been too long.”

“Asgard has had need of you.”

The lofty figure of the previous Avengers’ headquarters broke out of the otherwise uniform backdrop of metal and brick. Thor and Sif both drew to a stop in front of its smooth cement steps.

“And now that it does not, I hope to spend just as much time here. I am glad you agreed to join me, Sif.”

“Oh, I’m not joining you in surprising your girlfriend,” Sif said cheerfully.

His face twisted with confusion. “You’re not?”

“No, I rather think doing so might come across as awkward. I planned to visit the Son of Coul this afternoon during your joyous reunion.”

“It would not be awkward if you were there.”

“How little you understand of women.” Sif stepped around him, turning on the sidewalk to wave goodbye. “I will join you this evening. Give my regards to [Name].”

Her dark head disappeared into the constantly shifting horde of Midgardians before Thor could attempt to change her mind—not that he had much of hope of doing so. Once Sif chose a course, she saw it through. Though Thor felt slightly disappointed by the temporary loss of the last of his closest friends, he took heart in knowing that she meant her promise to return by sunset. Perhaps she was even correct. He had accepted Sif’s unreturned feelings for him with grace and appreciation. His girlfriend that had not seen him in eight months might not find it in her heart to do so.

Thor blinked to find he’d been waving after Sif for the whole of his ruminations on his tangled web of female relationships. A few nearby onlookers stared. He waved at them as well, then rapidly climbed up the steps to the door.

His heart pounded so hard that it nearly hurt. Since he had grown up fighting monsters larger than himself, he could only guess that Sif leaving him alone for his “joyous reunion” was more troubling than he knew. Jane—the sweetest-natured being Thor had ever met—had slapped him for a long absence before. What you would do to him, he could not guess.

His shoulders squared, Thor forced himself to step inside the tower. If you slapped him, it would not hurt. If you were angry, then he would simply have to do everything in his considerable power to prove his feelings for you were true. That was all. He was confident that he could manage that much. After all, while he had not entirely prevented Ragnarok, he had managed to get a considerable portion of the Asgardian populace to safety and mend his own bridges with his brother—neither an easy feat to do on its own. Surely re-winning the heart of his love would be simple in comparison.

This decided, Thor’s cheer returned. He strode with purpose toward the elevator…only for the doors to open before he arrived in front of them. A figure in jeans and a dark shirt stepped out.

“Stark!” Thor cried jovially. The sudden appearance of his friend called for a hug, he thought, but Tony put a hand out to forestall him.

“Easy there, Point Break. Where do you think you’re going?”

Thor stepped back, confused enough to momentarily forget the quarrel he had over that particular nickname. Tony stood with his feet braced on the floor and his arms across his chest.

“I do not understand. Did you come down here to stop me from entering the building?” Thor asked.

“Not the building, obviously, but close enough. We’ll count you right on the first guess. Color me surprised.”

“But how did you—”

“Know you were coming?” Tony interrupted. “I didn’t. Thought you were still in space. FRIDAY caught you on security cams waving to Xena for about five minutes. You’ve got some nerve.”

At first Thor could not figure out what had Tony so annoyed. This “Xena” was Sif; that was easy enough to work out. It was not the first time someone on Midgard had referred to her as such. Then it hit him: What if what Sif feared was true?

“That was the Lady Sif,” Thor assured him. “She is my friend.”

“Friend with benefits?”

This phrase Thor truly did not get the gist of. “She benefits me in battle through her strength and—”

“Woah there. Don’t care. Don’t want to hear it. Must not be benefiting you that much if you lost an eye.”

Though puzzled, Thor was determined to fulfill his quest. He could find an answer to the riddle of Tony’s strange attitude later on in the day. It was not he that Thor had come seeking, after all.

“I have come to see [Name],” he said in his politest of tones. “Where is she?”

“You think I’m gonna tell you? She’s got enough on her plate without you breaking up with her.” Tony turned and walked into the waiting lift. “Goodbye. I won’t tell her that you came by.”

Being rude to Thor was one thing. Keeping him away from the woman he loved was another. He braced himself in the middle of the elevator doors and shoved them apart with a great shriek of metal.

“Don’t you dare break my house!” Tony shouted.

“Then tell me where [Name] is.”

Tony frowned. “On second thought, break my house. Better that than my baby sister’s heart.”

That was, as the Midgardians put it, the final straw. With very little effort on Thor’s part, he pushed the rest of his body into the elevator.

“Main elevator door is compromised,” said a female voice from somewhere above their heads.

Tony lifted his eyes heavenward. “Thank you, FRIDAY. I know.”

“Whatever problem you have with me, we can talk it over later. I promise you that I have no intention of breaking your sister’s heart,“ said Thor.

“What, like you haven’t already?”

“Please. Unless you’d like to fight over it. I would leave, if you could defeat me in one-on-one battle.”

Tony eyed the “umbrella” in Thor’s hand with obvious trepidation.

“Your funeral,” he muttered at last, then lifted his voice to add, “FRIDAY, take us to [Name]’s floor.”

“Right away, sir.”

The broken lift doors wobbled as the mechanism sprang to life. Empty doorways and solid floors flashed past Thor’s eye.

“That’s more like it!” he said enthusiastically.

“You try to push me out of here, and the deal is off,” Tony said.

“I would not dream of it, my friend.” It was only an unfortunate side effect of Thor’s might that the jovial clap he gave Tony’s back sent the latter stumbling forward. “Sorry,” Thor said, in reply to Tony’s scowl. Perhaps now would be a better time to try making nice than later. “How have you been?”

“Busy,” Tony replied shortly. “I’ve got a kid in Queens that’s busting my ass.”

“I have been busy also. Much needed doing in the other Realms. Many battles have been fought since last we met.”

“Right.”

Luckily, Thor was not required to attempt further small talk. The elevator slowed, and FRIDAY announced:

“Now arriving at the floor belonging to [F Name] Stark.”

Tony wasted no time shoving around Thor and heading for the hall beyond the gaping space before them. Thor followed at a trot; a faint static electricity surrounded him.

“[Name]!” Tony shouted. “You’ve got company! I tried to kick him out, but he wouldn’t take the hint.”

“Who is it?” asked a new voice from nearer by than Thor expected.

The entrance hall led into a spacious living area. A figure rose clumsily from one of the chairs inside.

“[Name]!” Thor said, and you froze. Something about you didn’t look quite right, but in his eagerness, it took him a few seconds to realize what it was. The size of you; that was it. “You are…enormous!”

You certainly were. Though one palm was spread across your stomach, the obvious swell there could not be missed.

“Thor?” Your eyes widened so far they looked in danger of popping right out.

“Happy now?” Tony demanded. “Now will you leave?”

This shook you from your stupor well enough to level a glare at your older brother. “Tony,” you said in a warning tone.

“What? The guy knocks you up, disappears for eight months, and comes back with another woman. What am I supposed to think?”

“That I can handle myself?”

“Hardly.”

“You’re pregnant?”

Thor did not know why he asked. The proof stood right in front of him. Outside of a handful of inter-dimensional parasites he knew of, nothing could cause your body to look as it did then. He was fairly certain you had not been to space since he’d last seen you, so pregnancy seemed the only option.

You turned a wry smile on him. “You’re missing an eye?”

“It’s a long story.”

“So’s mine. You’re seeing someone else?”

His eye cut toward Tony, and this time Tony had the sense to back into the adjoining kitchen. If he had ruined Thor’s relationship with you through blurting out falsehoods, they would have words. Thor took a step in your direction. You did not back away, something he took as a good sign.

“The Lady Sif has friends on Earth as well, so she traveled here with me. We are friends. Nothing more.”

Your expression didn’t change. Tony coughed in such a fashion as to suggest that Thor had far overstayed his welcome. Imploringly, Thor took another step toward you.

“Is it mine?” he asked.

You rolled your eyes. “Who else would it belong to? The kid is huge.”

Thor let out a roar that made Tony flinch—but not you. You knew it was a roar of delight. At last—after months of waiting—Thor closed the gap between you. He wanted desperately to lift you into the air, but held himself back. Spinning you around in circles in the air might disturb the baby. Likely human babies were more fragile than the babies Thor had grown up around. Instead, he stopped and took you in, the smell and the sight of you after so much time had passed.Then he held a hand out toward your belly.

“May I?”

“Of course.”

Permission granted, Thor crouched, ran his palm around the swell, and pressed his lips to your shirt. You laughed as you kissed the top of his head. For those few seconds, he felt like it was just the three of you in the entire world—before Tony cleared his throat impatiently and ruined the effect.

“That’s it? You forgive him? Just like that?” he asked.

“What do you want me to do?” you replied hotly. “Kick him out on his ass?”

“Maybe! At least make him work for it!”

At that, Thor stood to his fullest height. Only your steady hand on his bicep prevented him from making to show Tony his displeasure.

“You would keep me from my own child?” he said in a voice full of cold fury.

Tony was not intimidated. “You kept yourself from your own child. ‘Much needed doing in the other Realms,’ remember?”

“It did. Had I known—”

“Had you bothered to keep in contact with her, you mean.”

“That’s enough,” you said sharply. Even Thor fell silent when you used that tone. But your hand slid into his open palm, and he knew that it was not he that was in trouble. “He came back, Anthony. That’s what’s important.”

Tony threw his hands up in defeat and turned to leave. “Fine. See if I ever play overprotective brother for you again.”

“I never asked you to play overprotective brother.”

“You’re grounded,” Tony called over the noise of the elevator grinding back to your floor.

“You can’t ground me! I’m a mom!”

As the sound of Tony leaving grew fainter and fainter, you and Thor held very still. Neither of you dared to breathe. About five minutes passed before he asked: “Is he gone?”

You answered by pulling him in for a very long, very passionate kiss.

“Tell me,” Thor panted afterward, “what is the baby? What did you name it? Did you truly think that I would not come back to you? When—”

“Later.” When you kissed him a second time, it was brief, but you smiled into it. “I take it we’ve got time to talk about it? You’re not planning on running off on me again any time soon?”

“Not unless the ship really needs me. I put Loki in charge of the people, and I put Heimdall in charge of Loki. There shouldn’t be any need for me until they all get here.” Then Thor recalled his conversation with Sif from earlier that very day, and a faint tendril of guilt crept into his stomach “Sif said to give you her regards. She did plan to stop by when she finished with SHIELD. Will that be okay?”

Your dragging him toward the couch was answer enough. “Fine, but she is not sleeping up here with us. I don’t need Tony dreaming up a ménage à trois on top of everything else.”

“No, I agree. She can sleep in one of the guest quarters.” As Thor spoke, he pulled your back against his chest with one hand and began to rub your upper arm with the other. “Now, tell me everything that happened while I was gone.”

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

And you did, snuggled up on the furniture with him. Thor closed his eye and smiled. To think, if he had not come that day, he might have missed the birth of his child. Thank Bor for Sif and her insisting on his coming to see you. Thank Bor for you and forgiveness. Thank Bor that Midgard was different enough from Asgard that it held you, and it held you safe. He couldn’t have asked for a better reunion if he’d planned it out—Tony’s overprotectiveness and all.

[idkxwriting]

carry you - chapter one

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader, mentions of Bucky x Reader, eventual Stucky x Reader

Warnings: grief, depression. Angst & eventual smut because I am who I am I guess...

Word count: 2k

A/N: It’s been forever since I’ve written!!! Sorry guys. Hopefully you enjoy this - I know it’s not my usual, but wanted to take a breather from my normal characters for a bit :) Takes place after Infinity War. I guess it will mostly be canon compliant, but I'm just kind of running with stuff, so if anything doesn’t make sense in the timeline just don’t think too hard about it lol. Anyway, no taglist - if you’d like to be tagged, please follow @idkxwriting-taglist and turn on notifications. You can also follow me on ao3 or wattpad

comments, feedback, likes and reblogs are much appreciated <3 

Requested by anon

Next Chapter | Masterlist

He answers his door with bed messed hair, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He doesn’t even bother to check, which is maybe irresponsible in his line of work, but he knows the routine by now.

He takes one look at you, and knows tonight is worse than most. Your eyes are red with dark circles beneath them. He makes a mental note to ask when you last slept... really slept, and wishes work wasn’t pulling him away as often as it did.

He doesn’t hesitate, pulling you into his chest and wrapping his arms around your frame. You haven’t been eating, and it shows. He’ll make it a point to cook you breakfast in the morning, but for now... now he just holds you.

You slump against him, and if you had any tears left you are sure you’d be crying, but you’re empty in every sense of the word. You’re a ghost, haunting him because you’re too selfish to let go of the one connection you have left.

Grieving isn’t unique to you, especially these days. But grieving Bucky Barnes is something no one else in the world could possibly understand.

No one except Steve Rogers.

And so you let him hold you. Over the last few months he has become your lifeline, the only thing between you and a complete and utter devastation that threatens to pull you under every second of every day.

He says nothing, instead taking your hand and leading you to his bed. He pulls back the covers, climbing in beside you and tucking you into his chest, because he knows the routine. You nestle in, focusing on his heartbeat, a reminder that you are still here.

Steve is still here.

You are not alone.

His hand traces patterns on your back, soothing you until you drift off wearing Bucky’s henley, and listening to Steve’s heart beat beneath your cheek.

                                                       *****

“Come home to me,” you say.

The first time you say it is in the beginning - the days you can’t stand to be alone. It steals his breath, filling him with an ache in his chest.

You sleep better in Steve’s apartment. There was nothing left for you in Wakanda, but you haven’t found anything waiting for you back home, either. Starting a life without Bucky has been such a daunting task. The places the two of you had once shared are hollow now, and Steve’s home feels safe.

Steve feels safe.

You still carry Bucky everywhere with you, and you know you always will - but at least with Steve you aren’t carrying him alone.

You start staying with him more frequently, until finally you stop going back to your apartment altogether. It’s subtle - a shirt here and there, a toothbrush just in case. A new set of keys so you don’t have to wait outside of the building in the middle of the night.

Then one day you find Steve in his office, building a bed frame.

He blushes when you ask him what he’s doing, shrugging and saying he wants you to feel at home, that his office isn’t really used anyway and he likes the company.

“Besides,” he shrugs. “I promised Buck I’d take care of his best girl.”

You smile at that, the first genuine smile in you weren’t sure how long.

So just like that you move in.

Sometimes you’re even strong enough to stay in your own bed, though more often than not the nightmares of dust and silence find you wrapped in Steve’s arms.

The world continues to move, even though yours has stopped.

And it still needs Captain America.

He finds he hates being away from you as much as you hate him leaving, and there is a part of him that knows if you ask him to stay, he just might.

So instead you hug him before he leaves on a mission, tucking your head under his chin, gripping his waist tight. A soft ritual falling from your lips every time.

“Come home to me.”

                                                         *****

“I keep wondering when I’ll laugh again,” you confess one night. Not just a chuckle, but a full belly laugh, one that makes your body ache and your heart soften.

He takes a deep breath, wishing not for the first time he had Bucky’s charm. Back before the war, before super serums and Hydra, before the world had weighed them both down, Bucky had a way about him. He was quick witted, a flirt - someone who could always make the pretty girls laugh. Maybe if Steve was more like his best friend, then he could make you laugh so your soul would be a little bit lighter.

Instead he promises you will, one day. His chest tightens at the thought of the guy lucky enough to pull such a beautiful sound out of you when you’re ready again.

And then he finds himself aching to know what other sounds could be drawn from your lips.

He shakes it off, chalking it up to exhaustion and loneliness - reminding himself that you’re his best friend’s girl.

He spends the nights holding you until you fall asleep, telling you stories about what Bucky was like as a teenager. You smile sadly, chuckling softly as he regales you with colorful tales of a Bucky long before your time, one you wish you knew.

And then one day you ask him about his life outside of Bucky. He tells you about his mother, how the first girl he had liked crushed his heart on the swing set. He talks about all the ways he had tried to enlist in the war. How things had changed for him after the serum, how women had reacted, but how (even now) sometimes he still feels like that scrawny kid getting beat up in the alley.

He tells you about Peggy, how she had been the first woman he had ever fallen in love with, and how he had never gotten that dance.

More than that, he finds himself wanting to hear your stories. You try to teach him how to cook as you tell him about the time you stole your parent’s car and almost got away with it until you smashed the mirror trying to park it back into the garage. You tell him about your best friend, and the trouble the two of you used to get into.

Then one evening you tell him about the first boy that ever tried to kiss you, and how you panicked because you thought he was going in for a hug, your arms flailing as his head smashed against the bridge of your nose. You had bled all over his shirt, and he had cut his lip open on his braces.

Steve throws his head back, his hand clutching his chest in fits of laughter at the picture you paint. The image of Steve laughing before you is so endearing, so foreign, that you can’t help but to laugh with him. It rolls through your body, and the two of you egg each other on, giggling harder until your sides hurt.

When things calm down again you smile, taking a deep breath.

He was right - one day.

After that the lighter moments come easier, more frequently. You find yourself able to laugh, really laugh, at stories about Bucky, at tv shows you share, and little inside jokes you create in your bubble as the months drag on.

Steve isn’t sure when things began to shift. But he knows from the first moment he hears the laughter bubble up and out of your chest that he is a goner.

There is no stopping it. Even before the world had changed he knew on some level it was inevitable. If things had been different maybe he could continue to build walls, to rationalize and separate. But it’s so gradual, and you’re too close now - tattooed under his skin.

Steve Rogers is in love with his best friend’s girl.

                                                           *****

Over time you learn to welcome the grief. You come to terms with the fact that Bucky had been the love of your life, and that part of your life is over. You settle into a new routine, a life that isn’t built around Bucky Barnes. You know you’ll never be over him, but you have learned that everyone else is moving on, the world doesn’t stop. So you are trying.

Still, you find yourself pulled under once in a while, misery getting the best of you. His memory haunts you, and some days you find it too much to bear.

It’s strange, how you can say his name or look at a photo and feel him close, yet hearing a song or coming across a specific book reminds you just how far he is and overwhelms you.

There is no rhyme or reason to what pulls you back into despair, and on those days you begin to shut yourself in, curling in on yourself only to wake and find Steve wrapped around you, whispering that everything will be okay.

That he misses him, too.

You are grateful for him - Steve, who helps carry your pain, who somehow always manages to be strong when you are anything but.

And when Steve is away, you find yourself walking the city streets, watching life move on and trying to convince yourself you are doing the same.

You spend more time at the library, digging for books that allow you to escape for just a little while.

“I actually read that one, it’s overrated…”

You glance up to see the source of the voice. He is handsome, tall with dark eyes and dimples when he smiles. He introduces himself, and cracks a joke that makes you smile, even if it doesn’t reach your eyes. He carefully snags the book out of your hand and replaces it with an old comic.

You raise your brows, holding the book that has been worn at the edges, bright colors flying off the pages as you flip through it. “A comic book?” You chuckle, amused at the contrast of the depressing drama you were eyeing up.

“It’s a literary masterpiece about good versus evil,” he corrects. He gives a synopsis, telling you why even as an adult it is still a classic. He is funny, and very charming.

And he isn’t the first guy to ask you out since Bucky.

He passes you his number, a shy smile on his face. “Tell you what, you read my recommendation and I’ll read yours. We can critique over coffee.”

Most of the time, Bucky’s face immediately springs to the forefront of your mind, and you find yourself saying no just as quickly because no one can ever measure up, so what’s the point? You love Bucky, and now he is gone. Your story has played out.

You wait for the familiar pang in your chest as you politely pocked his number. Only this time it isn’t Bucky that runs through your head.

Instead you imagine a different set of ocean eyes, a pair of strong arms, the way his fingers trace patterns on your arm as his voice lulls you to sleep.

“I’m not really into the superhero thing,” you shove the book at his chest and shake your head, excusing yourself as tears spring to your eyes.

You don’t stop, your mind racing as you walk all the way back to your apartment trying to clear your head.

You opt to take the stairs when you reach your building. When you are close to your floor your toe catches the edge of a stair and you lose your balance, falling and slamming your knee down. You curse, pushing yourself into a seated position.

And then the floodgates open.

You begin to cry and shut your eyes tightly, holding onto Bucky’s face.

Still, another face creeps in, his dirty blonde hair a stark contrast to Bucky’s dark brown. A wave of guilt steals the air from your lungs as the realization slams into you.

You have feelings for Steve Rogers.

[misstyless]

as someone who shipped sambucky since civil war, I feel like I have to recommend the best pre-tfatws sambucky fics I've read on ao3

double back by flowermasters

Sam gets stuck in a time loop. In 1943.

Things could be worse, but they could certainly be better.

quick time by flowermasters

He’s never bought Sam a drink in any of the other loops—all ten of them, now. Maybe he should’ve tried that earlier.

Companion to double back.

Thanks by TheHedgehogSong

He opens the door to find Sam standing on the other side. "Me and the others are going to watch some movies in the living area if you're interested." Sam says by way of greeting.

"Steve ask you to keep an eye on me?"

"Yep." Sam replies simply. "So if you could come and sit with us it would make my job a lot easier."

"You're so charming." Bucky deadpans and Sam smiles at him.

"Hey when I'm putting on the charm you'll know." Sam says and jerks his head in the direction of the living area. "Come on, otherwise Clint will start the movie without us and if I miss the start I'm going to be pissed." With that Sam walks away. Bucky watches him for a moment before trailing after him – he guesses there's worst ways to spend the day.

Marriage Counseling for the Inept and Oblivious by ToriCeratops

Or: How Steve Rogers likes to play matchmaker for his infuriating best friends.

my love language is annoying the shit out of you by desastrista

There's a lot of nuances of human romance that Vision doesn't understand, but he thinks he can see what is developing between Sam and Bucky. Even if no one else does.

semi-cataclysmic events by wilsonsnest

It took time travel for Steve to figure his shit out, so Bucky doesn’t think he’s doing too bad.

feat. Old!Steve, Cap!Sam and Pining!Bucky

Flesh And Bones by asgardianthot

in a world where people bond with their soulmates through physical pain, living in the same compound makes the search much easier (or it should, if they weren't so damn stubborn)

When I'm With You (i'm who i want to be) by theappleppielifestyle

Threat, his mind says, but Sam Wilson makes him feel the opposite a threat makes him feel, like he's safer than he has been in seventy years.

Honey, Til I Die You'll Have Me Too by Ithinkwehaveanemergency

Five of Bucky's Friday nights in the months following the battle of Upstate New York.

“You stayed for me?” Sam's voice is a whisper. His eyes are more open and vulnerable than Bucky has ever seen.

“Eh.” Bucky smirks, trying to escape the heaviness of the conversation. “Mostly didn't wanna go back to an era where I wasn't an honorary citizen of Wakanda. God, I love that place .”

three words that became hard to say by suzukiblu

“I wanna step out with Wilson,” Bucky says, audibly traumatized. Steve blinks again, and lowers the shield.

“Uh,” he says. “Come again?”

I just couldn't say it out loud. by ashers_kiss

“Are you flirting with me?”

“Yes?” Bucky tries.

Are you both courting? by daredeviltrash

Gamora and Mantis asks bird boy and metal arm guy if they're dating. hilarity and sad stuff ensues.

farmhouse by Tazmaster

"You know, I think I'd want a farmhouse."

"A what?" Sam turns to look at him, slightly annoyed. This was the first thing Bucky has said in the past hour and a half they've been cramped in this god forsaken car. He had a knack for impulsively voicing his dumb thoughts at the worst times, but whenever you wanted to know what was actually going on in that head of his, he'd never say.

They were staking out the front gate of a large mansion, very much not a farmhouse. It was mind numbingly boring, being stuck in a beetle with absolutely nothing else to do than stare at the gaudy gates of some rich asshole.

"A farmhouse," Bucky repeats nonchalantly, "If we ever get out of this business, or you know, live long enough to retire maybe--- I want a farmhouse. With a lot of animals."

---

Bucky keeps talking about a farmhouse and it drives Sam crazy, that is until he finally asks why.

These Walls are Shakin' with My Heartbeat by Ithinkwehaveanemergency

“Well now I need to know.” Sam rolls his eyes. “Please, enlighten me. Explain why an eighteen year old is so invested in our non-existent sexual relationship.”

“She’s almost twenty. You were at her nineteenth birthday party.” Bucky frowns at Sam, disappointed.

Or

Sam tries to process Shuri's inappropriate suggestion that he should have sex with Bucky, and Bucky won't stop eating his fucking pizza.

6PM/8PM by captainafroelf

Sam gets a call from a world away.

If I'm the Last One Standing, I Would Want to Watch it Burn With You by Ithinkwehaveanemergency

Just before the final fight in Infinity War, Sam and Bucky have a moment.

Or

My canon compliant explanation for why Sam and Bucky are so cozy and content with what happened in Endgame.

Just an illusion by Llixale

Bucky and Sam are back from the Soul stone, unaware that they shared more than the experience of being snapped.

The Simple Life by through_shadows_falling

One year since the Accords, and Steve asks Sam to check up on Bucky in Wakanda. Sam agrees, but the man he finds is the not the man he expected...though that's not exactly a bad thing.

Bucky is a peaceful goat farmer who enjoys the simple life, and who happens to be attractive as hell.

Sam is so freaking screwed.

Takes place between Civil War and Infinity War Part 1.

Alone, With You by cruxcantare

Sam's pretty sure they're dead. Bucky disagrees. But whatever this is, it isn't living.

warm blood (feels good, i can't control it anymore) by notcaycepollard

Sam's just chilling watching TV one evening when Bucky comes in and stares at him silently for a minute or two before sitting down on the couch. He's pretty close to Sam.

Okay, he's really close to Sam. Like, Sam would be using the word 'cuddling' if it wasn't so bizarre.

"What," he says, carefully not looking at Bucky, and Bucky huffs a sigh.

"Steve's not here," he says as if it's obvious. "Don't make it weird. Just- shut up."

Unexpected Houseguest by faeryn

When Sam comes across Bucky in the strangest of places, his first instincts are to run, and to call Steve. He does neither, and in doing so manages to form a strange bond with the Soviet assassin who once tried to kill him. Bucky is broken, a shell of his former self, and Sam wants nothing more than to help return him to himself. But can he maintain a respectable and responsible distance from the man, despite how Bucky draws him in, in order to help him? Or will he falter, and shatter all the progress he has made by giving in to his own desires?

The Multiverse of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier by OhHelloFandoms123

Sam and Bucky find themselves trapped in alternate realities of their lives due to Dr Strange, they have to find out how to get back to their reality.

or

“How come in every fucking universe we’re married?” Sam said, looking around the place, raising his arms in anger and confusion.

“I’m not sure, maybe it’s trying to tell us something.” Bucky replied, shuffling his feet, looking at the ground.

a couple more fics that I remembered later

[aelaer]

I am going to continue to forget to post that I finished this fic, for anyone who wants to read it and hasn't seen it. So yeah! FINISHED.

Fandom: MCU

Rating: Teen

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Pairing: Tony/Stephen (Starts as Pepperony, ends as IronStrange)

Characters: Stephen, Tony, Thanos, Wong, the Guardians of the Galaxy Team, the Avengers Team (basically everyone in IW makes a cameo appearance at some point, with dialogue by a good dozen others)

Other Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Torture, Captivity, War, Slow Burn (Realllly slow burn), Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Hurt Stephen Strange (and on a more minor note Hurt Tony, but uh, not as bad), Whump (no prizes for guessing on who), Tony Stark-centric, Stephen Strange-centric, POV Stephen Strange, POV Tony Stark

[ao3feed-irondadspiderson]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43905228

Part of a whole by tonyfavgirl Every action has a reaction. Some people can say vengeance will not bring back those who desapeared and maybe it's the truth. But as soon as Thanos snapped he sealed his fate. Because every single person is part of the human family, part of a whole. Because certain things are beyond words. Beyond understanding. Beyond forgiveness. Because 3,8 billion people were reduced to dust. Or People couldn't protect Earth, but you can be damn well sure they will avenge it. Words: 1195, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen Characters: Tony Stark, Bruce Banner Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark (mentioned) Additional Tags: Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Fix-It of Sorts, Fix-It, Hope, Family, Saving the World, Humanity, Social Media, Twitter, Happy Ending, Union makes strength, Fluff - I guess, Brazil, Earth, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)

[ironstrangeao3]

Nervous?

by Doctor_Strange_1963

~~ Originally a roleplay!!~~

"Hey," Tony called out as he walked towards the other man, moments later standing right next to him. "Guessing you're not much of a party person, huh?"

Strange jerked, visibly startled. His entire body then stiffened, and after went loose as it registered. Stark. Stark spoke to him. He stared a moment, still wrapping his mind around the fact that the man was right there, right next to him, talking to him. And then what he asked also finally registered. "Oh, I-- I suppose not." Strange's eyes flicked towards the waves again, and he tried to ignore the rattling of ice in his glass as his hand trembled more. "Not really. No." He paused. "I'm surprised you..." Strange stopped.

Tony could not help but arch a brow towards the man standing next to him, unsure of why Strange was well... acting strange. Not he did not already, what with his magic and spells, all of which Tony had a hard time grasping, even as fantastical as it was. But, for the most part, Strange seemed to be calm and collected. However, watching the glass rattle in his hand, Tony was pretty sure that something was up.

Words: 2034, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Doctor Strange (2016)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Tony Stark, Stephen Strange

Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange

Additional Tags: Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Eventual Romance, First Kiss, Can't read people!Strange, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Originally a roleplay

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/35653150

[boxfullofcats]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Thor (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Jane Foster/Thor Characters: Thor (Marvel), Jane Foster's Mother (Marvel), Darcy Lewis Additional Tags: Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, (I mean it kind of is but kinda isn't), Not The Cosmic Quest Vol. 2: Aftermath (Novel) Compliant, One-Shot, Not Beta Read Summary:

“Jane!” He called again, his heart pounding hard in his chest. They may have broken up - semi-mutually - but that didn’t change the way he cared for her. They needed to work on some things. Thor vowed to do that. He promised to always be there for her. He’d build her her own lab wherever his people settled. She’d have access to anything and everything she needed. He loved her. There remained so little of the ones he loved. He was so glad he hadn’t lost her.

Starts immediately after Avengers: Infinity War

(Lol, guess I'm still alive.)

[thelightofthingshopedfor]

lol okay so I dashed off most of this the day of and then kept not posting it because I kept thinking I needed to add stuff, but then I ended up adding more stuff mostly in reblogs instead (should all be under the “my meta” tag if anyone’s curious) and now episode 2 is technically coming out tomorrow night in my time zone so obviously I need to just post this. bullet points of disconnected thoughts, some of which are probably at least slightly outdated by now but whatever, here you go

seems very possible Mobius left the tape with him on purpose because he figured Loki wouldn’t be able to resist looking at it

would have to check the timing but I’m pretty sure he started looking terrified as soon as Thanos came onscreen without really knowing the context (aside from the very basic outline of “it’s been several years and he reconciled with Thor”), which at least underscores that they weren’t buddies--Loki knew something awful was about to happen the second Thanos showed up sadly this is not true, the clip he sees first is him trying to stab Thanos, so...yeah it stands to reason that he’d know it was about to end badly no matter what

other people have mentioned this but I love that we got to see Loki just like...existing?? like I know he’s never been the protagonist before and seeing him as the protagonist has always been one of the things that’s excited me most about the show, but now that it’s here I’m just kind of struck by how HE’S THE PROTAGONIST so we’re getting all these emotions and little gestures and moments when he’s alone that we only got in tiny, sadly easy-to-overlook snatches before (and it also occurred to me that I don’t think we’ve ever seen Loki eat anything, which is something else that might change)

also his projection is fascinating, and so is the fact that he explicitly turned it around on himself, which seems relevant to all the theories about a lot of his other statements (”freedom is life’s great lie,” most of what he said to Natasha, etc.) being things that were drummed into him on Sanctuary rather than stuff he just came up with on his own, so that seems to cover a lot of the stuff he says in Avengers and here

on the other hand it seems unlikely we’re ever going to get confirmation that Bad Stuff happened to him on Sanctuary aside from what we already saw in Avengers, which is frustrating, although to be fair I also wasn’t expecting to see Loki crying about his family in the first episode (and the most I’m really hoping for, still, is that nothing will explicitly contradict the idea, so...we’re good on that thus far, I guess)

so the first half of the episode was...ehhh, I don’t know, but the second half was amazing. I know some people didn’t like that part either, but I felt like...okay, I don’t love him being humiliated so I would’ve preferred different framing for some of this BUT a lot of casual viewers still see Loki as a cackling caricature without having picked up on any of the stuff that very clearly showed otherwise, and this show wants to treat Loki as a person, someone worthy of audience sympathy, so they kind of had to go in hard and fast on that aspect to get everyone up to speed. like, yes, fans who’ve been paying attention know that Loki’s a person, that he’s wounded, that he doesn’t hurt people just because it’s fun for him, that he feels things very deeply, that he loves his family, but somehow the mainstream perception of him has missed like 85% of that, and the show’s just not going to have much impact unless it gets everybody on board with those very basic ideas. in terms of story structure it probably doesn’t make sense for this to be his lowest point, but starting from the bottom and eventually getting somewhere better is fairly standard, so at this point I can imagine tons of ways things could improve for him

yeah I do hate the whole Sacred Timeline thing, see also my posts about how much I loved that Endgame canonically (I thought) established multiple timelines where everything was fine, so yeah I’m pissed about that because it means those timelines were canonically pruned

like I don’t...hate it as a storytelling device? I just hate it for fandom reasons, and I’ve hated it in other fandoms when canon did something that seemed to open things up to all this incredible possibility and then went “actually no, we’re boxing it up again into this one specific Way That Things Happened” and for fanwork purposes it doesn’t matter all that much, I don’t think it’s actually that much harder to do AUs or go “okay well in this universe the TVA doesn’t exist, whatever” (in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if AO3 quickly develops a new canonical “not TVA compliant” tag for basically all Loki fic), but it is annoying that it’s now like “canonically, every AU is Not Allowed”, and if that ends up sticking as the status quo with the TVA considered good guys or at least a necessary evil then yeah, I’m going to be annoyed

HOWEVER

I don’t think that’s inevitable for a variety of reasons

this whole show is going to deal with multiverse shenanigans and so will Dr. Strange 2, so it seems completely possible that the end result could be a status quo of “there’s a multiverse actually and that’s fine” (...although yes, I’ll be doubly annoyed if the end result of this show is a restored multiverse of some kind and the end result of Dr. Strange 2 is condensing it back down to a single timeline)

the multiverse is a long-running comics tradition, which still seems to be the case even after...whatever event it was that collided a bunch of them and tried for a Highlander thing, look I wasn’t really following it and I know some characters ended up in other universes from where they started but I’m pretty sure we still have a multiverse of some kind

almost all the recent Loki-centric comics have focused on questions of fate and agency

Agent of Asgard in particular was about Loki eventually going “fuck you I won’t do what you tell me” and forging a new path (and, okay, it does seem like runs other than AoA have been the most influential here but again we’ve only seen one episode)

Loki, specifically, is an agent of chaos and change, like that’s his whole thing going way back to mythology, because sometimes stagnancy is death and chaos is healthy, and of course myth!Loki (and earlier versions of comics!Loki) is always responsible for triggering Ragnarok, which isn’t just the end of the world but is also a natural, crucial part of a cycle of renewal, and yes the MCU already did Ragnarok but that doesn’t at all mean they can’t play more with those ideas

Tom Hiddleston has brought up this specific point several times in recent interviews, that sometimes chaos is the one thing that's really needed

also, on Jimmy Kimmel the day of the episode, he kind of...planted a seed about the TVA maybe not being uncomplicated good guys because seriously what gives them the right to make these decisions for literally everyone

so at the very least I think it’s completely possible that things aren’t quite what they seem, and that for instance we’re supposed to discover that Mobius is consciously manipulating him to turn him into the type of tool the TVA wants him to be

also “the timeline wants to break free” shows up on a lot of merch, which does seem to indicate a free will vs. predestination theme

I’m not at all familiar with comics!TVA, although I understand they’re considered villains (although to be fair, so were the Skrulls, and at least thus far that’s been inverted for the MCU), but their whole thing reminded me of a few other entities in a way that could be relevant:

the tape running out was like the Norns cutting the thread of somebody’s life

Those Who Sit Above In Shadow in AoA (and also maybe whatever was below the God Quarry in Infinity Wars although I’m less familiar with that)

the gods in Cabin In The Woods, who were also kind of audience proxies in that they really just cared about the sacrifice being entertaining, which kinda seems like the only logical reason for the Timekeepers to prefer any given series of events over another

my personal hope for the series: the Timekeepers are ultimately the Big Bad and the rogue Loki variant is ultimately right in trying to wipe out the TVA (because sure I realize it’s maybe dumb of me but I still don’t want any Loki to be completely a bad guy!!); the major named TVA characters realize they’re the baddies actually and team up with a whole army of Lokis to take them down and GIVE US BACK OUR MULTIVERSE