#it would be so so easy to live in a world where thor Didn't get adapted

[tyrannuspitch]

hey guys. i think thor might be good

[katyaromanoffpetrova]

A lifetime of dates (part 3)

After being together for twenty years, Natasha and Katya have been on many dates in their lifetime. In this series, we see one from every part of their lives.

• Natasha Romanoff x Fem!OC (Katya Petrova from the Forgotten Ghost series) • Wordcount: 1.8k • Warnings: very angsty!!! • This part takes place a month or two after the events in Infinity War (after Tony gets back on Earth) do not repost my work as your own or translate my work Masterlist

A/N: thank youuuu @milfs69420 for this idea <3

2018

"Meet me on the roof."

Natasha hated herself for perking up with pointless hope when her phone chimed. But she hated herself even more for the way her stomach fell with disappointment when it was just Katya's name flashing across her screen. In fact, she resented herself for it. 

Every night, when Katya cautiously reached for her body in bed, she counted herself incredibly lucky to still have her wife. The odds had always been against them; Katya should not be here right now. But she was, and Natasha struggled to find solace in it. 

Sam, Wanda, Fury, T'Challa, Peter, they were all gone, their names never popping up on her phone anymore. Their absence outweighed Katya's presence by miles, and she couldn't get it to change. The darkness was too powerful, the one single star that represented Katya lost in the vastness. 

The lights in the Compound flickered on as the motion sensors picked Natasha up along her journey to the roof. She could hear the fluorescents in the eerie silence, above the sound of her shoes on the stairs and the soft click as the doors fell into the frame behind her. 

Everything was fully abandoned two weeks ago. Recruits left to find out what remained of their families, and the other Avengers—Steve, Bruce, Tony, Thor, Clint—abandoned their tasks and left the two Russians to fend for themselves, just as the world needed this team the most.

Tony fled to the countryside with Pepper, Steve into the city. Duties to his own people called Thor away, and Clint chose to run away from his pain instead of facing it. Nobody had been in contact since, their coats still hanging on the coat rack in the hallway like they left behind a past life.

Why were they allowed to move on and not her? 

Natasha didn't have it within herself to be angry about it anymore. She had been, in the beginning, but everything took so much energy these days. Eating, getting out of bed, brushing her teeth, showering. She had no energy to even think about anger as an emotion. The empty pit in her chest sucked it all in. 

She didn't want to acknowledge it for what it was, but the diagnosis lingered in the back of her head.

The roof was so dark that she had trouble locating Katya when she first stepped through the door. Where the city's skyline and the Compound's outdoor lighting used to outline her seated figure, there now was nothing. Half the city missed electricity, and entire buildings were abandoned. Natasha had to squint to make her eyes adjust quicker. 

She found Katya at the very edge of the roof, facing the silent city. Her back was turned and her legs dangled off the side of the building like it wasn't a three story drop, a bottle of some kind in her hand. 

She looked peaceful, but a dark thought flashed through Natasha's mind as she crossed the distance, fueled by the knowledge of her wife's unstable past. It was obvious Katya was struggling again, dangerous thoughts no doubt infiltrating her brain and convincing her to do irreversible things. But Natasha breathed easy knowing they lived for each other. As long as she was alive, so would Katya.

Quietly, she sat down beside her, the smooth pebbles that covered the surface of the roof unpleasant under her butt. Katya didn't acknowledge her in any way, but Natasha had a feeling she knew why they were up here. It wasn't for nothing that she planned a "date".

Neither of them said anything. They just sat there, watching the dark skyscrapers, the rustling trees, the rolling clouds that revealed parts of the moon. One nice thing about the reduced city lights; the stars were visible again.

Katya handed Natasha her bottle of beer. She felt indifferent about it, but she took a sip anyway. It tasted like crap.

They'd done this countless times before, having a drink on the roof. Especially after a tiring day, or on a warm summer evening. It was a nice way of unwinding and finding more privacy than their apartment provided. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they sat in silence. But it had never felt like this.

The air between them wasn't tense, but it was loaded with unspoken knowledge. They were losing their grip on each other and they both realized it. Natasha could feel her wife starting to slip away. She could feel herself starting to push her away.

There was already a distance between them. The love that had always been right there on the surface when she was around Katya was being pushed under by feelings stronger and more powerful. Anger, sadness, guilt, self-hatred, fear, they made that fiery flame turn into a smoldering piece of wood. 

"Stay with me." Katya said suddenly. 

Surprised, Natasha turned to look at her, thrown off by the interruption of the silence and the odd conversation starter.

Katya's words sounded like an order. One that Natasha could not disobey for the desperation that lay right underneath the surface. A plea, hidden as a command.

The light of the moon caught the fearful, sorrowful glint in Katya's eyes as they flickered towards the sky. Natasha was caught by surprise when the sight triggered a rush of feelings within herself. She didn't think she could feel anything other than heavy emptiness.

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised.

"You're already miles away," Katya whispered, carefully glancing at her. 

Shamefully, Natasha averted her eyes to the bottle in her lap. Her heart ached in her chest, but she cherished the sharp stabs. It meant that she still cared about Katya's pain. 

"I'm just so…" Her fingers curled into fists, that powerless feeling that threatened to crush her day and night fighting its way to the surface and making her tear up with anger.

The tears kicked Katya to life. Broken souls or not, they were wives, and protective mode would always kick in when the eyes glossed over. She leaned into Natasha's side, carefully prying her clenched fingers open to slide her own between them. 

"I know. Me too."

Natasha relaxed slightly, but she couldn't help but focus on how even this touch felt foreign. Their palms were touching each other, but it's as if they were both wearing gloves. They couldn't fully reach each other. And the more she fixated on it, the more terrified she became. 

She loved her wife. She loved her. Why could she not summon that feeling through the thick cloud of emptiness? Why did this touch not magically heal her?

Panic rose in her throat. 

Not this, too. After everything they lost, she couldn't lose this too.

"I'll always stay with you," Natasha vowed desperately, the beer bottle in her hand trembling along with her fingers. 

Katya didn't relax, her voice fragile and quiet as she asked, "Even if we'll forever feel like this?"

Dread wrapped around Natasha's broken heart. Forever? Forever this emptiness, forever this awful feeling of guilt and self-loathing? The only thing she feared more than living the rest of her life in darkness, was blindly stumbling through it without Katya. To have no one to talk to. No one to find comfort in. No one to live for.

She'd already gone through life like that once, before Clint found her, but she knew she wouldn't survive that a second time. Not after knowing what she'd lost.

Her throat closed with tears. "I don't want to be alone again," Natasha choked out.

"You will never be alone again." Katya's voice wavered with tears too, her grip on Natasha's hand tightening. "I'm staying too."

Natasha wanted to feel confident in their future, to know that she could provide what Katya needed. But the truth is, she already had nothing to give. All her energy and focus she put into running the Avengers brand alone. "I can't give you what I used to," she muttered, fearing Katya would leave eventually after she figured that out too.

Katya looked away, towards the swaying trees, the dark city. The reality slowly started to sink in. This would be their future for a while. Bland, hopeless, empty. It'd be hard. "Neither can I," she whispered. "Maybe we just give what we can."

Maybe. It'd have to be enough. She wasn't leaving, and Natasha wasn't leaving either. They had to make this work. They'd been through worse. They'd faced armies, death, and losing the love of their lives, and overcame it all.

Natasha's tears had long dried, the lump in her throat shrinking until it was easier to swallow. She wanted to scream in frustration. Beg whoever was listening to just fix this, so the world would be okay, and so she and Katya would be okay. But there couldn't be a god after what happened.

Her thumb traced the scar on the back of Katya's hand, memorizing the shape in case she wouldn't feel it for a while. "The love I have for you is always there. Even if you can't feel it, and even if I can't show it," she said into the silence. No horns, no sirens, no birds.

Seeing the acceptance in Katya's eyes broke her. They wanted to cherish each other like they deserved, but they knew they weren't able to give that. And to see her wife accept that reality hurt more than getting stabbed in the gut. Katya deserved everything and more.

Katya gently squeezed her hand. "Knowing is enough." The dark circles under her eyes betrayed that she'd not slept in a while, but her mind appeared clear. This bottle of beer must have been alone. "Never doubt my reason for being here, for staying. I love you, and I always will. And that single thing is enough. You are enough."

Those stupid tears. First, Natasha felt nothing, but now that the dam broke, the emotions would not stop flowing out of her. 

She was never enough. Not fast enough, not smart enough, not cold enough, not ruthless enough. And not enough to stick around for. 

Nobody thought she was worth more than someone to throw away if it was more convenient for them, if she could no longer provide what they needed.

Nobody but Katya. 

Katya didn't need anything from her. Not a hug, not a kiss, not a home cooked meal, not a way to fix every problem in the world. Natasha just needed to exist, and that was it. Exist in whatever way she could and Katya would love her. 

"We have to be okay," Natasha said, in the same tone as Katya started this conversation. An order, filled with desperation. They both knew what would happen if they wouldn't be okay, and it would not be pretty.

"We will be," Katya promised, her determination falling slightly flat. "We will be."

[jessybarnes]

Tell Them, Honey

Title: Tell Them, Honey

Pairing: Stucky x F!Reader

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 1,235

Tags: Angst, fluff, pining, Steve and Bucky are concerned, Natasha is plotting, Stucky, drinking, metal arm kink, implied fingering, implied sex, explicit language, and I think that's it.

Written For: @comfortember and @stuckybingo

Square(s) Filled: I5 - Metal Arm for Stucky Bingo

Comfortember Day 12: Concern

Beta(s): Just Grammarly

It isn't fair.

How does Fury expect you to focus on anything as an assistant when you're tasked to work with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes?

The moment you met them, you were knocked off of your feet... almost literally.

You were running late to your first day of work after being stuck in traffic. You'd rushed off the elevator and down the hallway toward the conference room to try and get to your morning meeting on time. Right as you rounded the corner, you smacked into Steve's hard chest and lost your balance. If it hadn't been for Bucky catching you, you'd have hit the floor.

Now, almost two years later, you're just as head over heels for them as you were then, if not more so. It's no secret that the two super soldiers are a couple. They've been together for years, and you'd be lying if you said you haven't thought about what it would be like to be fucked by both of them.

It's a miracle that you've been able to hide your feelings for them this long. Normally, you're easy to read, but maybe it's because everyone you work for and with is always so busy.

Tonight is one of the rare occasions where everyone has the evening off, and Tony, of course, isn't letting it go to waste.

It's nothing formal, but you're still in a shimmery cocktail dress, courtesy of Natasha. She practically had to drag you here, and you haven't left the bar since everyone started arriving.

You scan the crowd and smile at all of the familiar faces. Thor, Loki, Stephen, Bruce, Wanda, Vision, Tony, Pepper, Peter, and so many others seem to be having the time of their lives, and after all they do for the world, they deserve it.

Natasha makes you another rum and coke and slides it down the bar into your hand. You swirl the dark liquid around for a moment and bring the glass to your lips just as Steve and Bucky walk up to order a drink.

"Hey, Nat! Can Bucky and I get some of that stuff Thor always drinks?"

Your eyes drag over their muscular frames and you bite your lip. It really should be a crime to look as good as they do. Steve leans against the bar and smiles at you, his action making Bucky turn around. His metal hand brushes your knee and your breath hitches.

"Oh! I'm sorry, doll. I didn't realize how close I was to you."

Natasha rolls her eyes and begins preparing their drinks. It's a wonder that these two haven't picked up the signs because she certainly knows you want them. Hell, she's stood here and watched you oogle them for the past five minutes. Add this to the list of all the other times, and well, it doesn't take a genius to see that you're infatuated.

You set your drink down with a shaky hand and look down at your lap. "It-It's umm... it's okay..." Smooth...real smooth, Y/N. Now he's going to think you're hurt or something.

Bucky furrows his brow, "hey, are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Yep...real fucking smooth. Now you have to talk to them again.

Steve reaches over and tilts your head up with two of his fingers, "you can always tell us anything, sweetheart. Just because you're our assistant doesn't mean you're beneath us."

"I-I'm not hurt. I've just ah...had a long day and am pretty tired."

They don't look convinced, but at least they don't push you any further. Natasha hands over their drinks and shoos them away. Once they've crossed the room she leans across the bar so only you can hear her.

"Tell them, honey."

You choke on your drink, "t-tell who what?"

"Oh, don't play me for a fool, Y/N. You're not as subtle as you think, babe. I, literally, just watched you practically drool over Rogers and Barnes in real time, and it's not the first time either."

You glance over at them for a moment. They're laughing with Thor about something and it makes your heart skip when Bucky leans over to peck Steve on the cheek.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

She sighs and wipes down the bar top with a damp towel, "staring, Y/N."

You shake your head, "Nat, I can't tell them! They're in a relationship already and it doesn't look like they want to add someone else to the picture. Plus, I don't think they even swing my way, so..." You trail off and she points a finger at you.

"Natasha!" You squeak and blush furiously.

"Those two may have been around for over a century, but I can promise you that they've been with a woman before. I can speak from experience with one of them, and the other may have had a few late nights with one of the USO girls."

You gawk at her as she smirks, "you...you mean... w-with umm...you...Bucky?"

She chuckles and pours herself a martini. "Yes, James and I...we were a thing once. It hasn't happened in years though. Not since Steve got his head out of his ass and told Bucky how he felt. Which you also need to do if I'm being honest." She brings the glass to her lips and smirks again, "oh, and his metal fingers? Fucking fantastic."

"What? I'm sure Steve will agree with me." Her smile widens and she nods over your shoulder. "Let's ask him, shall we? Looks like he's coming over for another round."

You give her a pleading look, "no! Oh, my god...please don't ask him!"

"Ask me what?"

Steve leans against the bar and glances between the two of you quizzically. He notes your flushed skin and shaky hands again and grasps your wrist gently, your pulse thrumming against his fingertips.

"Jesus, sweetheart, you're shaking like a leaf. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

You open your mouth to answer him, but Natasha beats you to it.

"Oh, she's fine! I was just telling her how skilled Bucky is with those metal fingers of his. You agree with me, right Steve?"

The blonde super soldier looks deep into your eyes and you swear you see them darken a fraction.

"So, you're curious about Bucky's arm, hm?"

"Who's curious about my arm?" The man himself comes up behind Steve and wraps his flesh hand around his waist.

Oh, god...just please let the ground open up and swallow me whole...

You bury your face in your hands and shake your head. "Just, please...forget I was even here. I-I'm sorry... I'm just gonna go to bed."

As you get up to leave, Steve steps into your path and blocks your way. The smirk on his face doesn't ease your mind in the least bit.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I think we should talk about this, Y/N. Bucky deserves to know what you and Natasha have been talking about over here, now don't you agree?"

Bucky raises an eyebrow curiously, and you nervously play with your hands, "I...um...yes?"

"Good girl," Steve praises and places his big hand on the small of your back.

"Come on, doll, we'll walk you to your room."

Bucky puts an arm on your shoulder and Natasha watches as the three of you head off toward the elevators.

She chuckles and shakes her head, "and my work here is done."

Tagging: @sarahrogersevans @chrisevansdaughter @brandyywar @nerdygingermoose88

[themculibrary]

Completed AO3 Fics Masterlist 2

Links Last Checked: April 13th, 2024

part one

1796 broadway (ao3) - rainproof, teaberryblue steve/tony, bruce/natasha M, 460k

Summary: Captain America respectfully requests that all complaints be addressed to him in writing. On paper, the nice old-fashioned way, because the computer screen hurts his eyes.

Put your phone down, Tony.

A Parent Apparent (ao3) - happyaspie pepper/tony T, 528k

Summary: In which the author indulges herself in some shameless Irondad/Spiderson with fluff, angst and everything in between because she needs more of that in her life.

OR

Just another one of those, oh so overdone, fanfics where Tony and Peter's relationship grows into more of a father/son relationship after an accident involving Aunt May (who lives)

cascades. (ao3) - orange_crushed steve/bucky, peggy/gabe M, 152k

Summary: “Holy shit,” Howard says, crackling through the speakers. “You alive in there?” Lying is a sin, of course, but Steve’s not sure what else he can do. He’s already lied to the government and Bucky and God Almighty; and himself, himself most of all. He ought to tell the truth. That he’s not quite what they hoped for. That perhaps they should put him back into the ocean.

“Probably,” he says, instead, listening to Howard’s tinny laughter; and waits for the blast doors to unlock.

Children of the Old Moon(ao3) - old_blue stephen/sam M, 78k

Summary: After an encounter with a supernatural killer goes wrong, Stephen is pulled into another world. There, he meets a very familiar face...

Now he just needs to catch the murderer, save the multiverse, and find a way back home.

Curious Scars (ao3) - Amerna darcy/steve M, 95k

Summary: Darcy Lewis’ first solo mission as a SHIELD agent was supposed to be easy: Get to Germany, retrieve the data, get out. With Captain America as backup nothing bad could happen, right? But when Steve and Darcy wake up two weeks later in a hospital in Brazil with no recollection of what happened, SHIELD ready to arrest them for going AWOL, and married to each other, things start to get weird. They struggle to piece together what happened to them: Where did they go? What did they do? Why can they not remember anything? And why on earth would they get married to each other?

darkness will be rewritten (ao3) - princessironspider natasha/tony N/R, 104k

Summary: Peter is Tony’s biological child.

Natasha Romanoff has been married to Tony Stark secretly for years.

What would the movies be like if this were the case?

Everything She Didn't Know She Wanted (ao3) - bluecurls bucky/darcy/steve E, 137k

Summary: Knowing she had two soulmates comforted Darcy Lewis during the toughest moments of her life.

Then she met them.

Life On The Farm (ao3) - BeenAsleepFor70Years clint/laura, bruce/natasha, steve/bucky, jane/thor, pepper/tony, scott/hope G, 101k

Summary: Set after Civil War. Stories about Team Cap (minus Bucky) and friends hiding out on Clint's farm.

maybe we can’t be okay (but maybe we’ll try anyway) (ao3) - impravidus, notapartytrick steve/bucky, pepper/tony T, 68k

Summary: The Avengers thought it would be a simple mission. Kill the giant, sixty foot worm monsters, head home and maybe take an hour long shower to get the worm guts off. But when they come across a hidden town in the depths of the forest, the last thing they’re expecting to find is a secret underground base and a fourteen year old boy sticking to the ceiling.

The team finds themselves becoming a dysfunctional family to the teen while he learns how to find a life out of captivity.

Featuring dolphins, puzzles, and frosting art.

On the Streets Where You Live (ao3) - secretkeeper karl/stephen M, 276k

Summary: When single parents Karl Mordo and Stephen Strange meet while bringing their children to school, a tentative bond is formed between the men and their children. But as time goes on, Karl's past as well as Stephen's secrets will challenge their families and their relationship in ways that neither imagined possible.

peter's stars (ao3) - IronPengu, parkrstark steve/tony T, 175k

Summary: Steve and Peter lose their apartment and are kicked out on the streets. Steve has to juggle between jobs to earn whatever money he can, take care of his son while resfusing to let him realize how much they're trouble in, and keep them warm and safe on the city streets in winter.

So, he really doesn't have time to date the billionaire that flirts with him everyday as he buys his cup of coffee. Even if he did, he can't let himself fall for the man. Because if he knew that he lived from a backpack and showered in a public bathroom there's no way he'd still want him...right?

pirate’s heart (ao3) - NotEvenCloseToStraight bucky/steve/tony E, 267k

Summary: The 1700s, the Golden Age of Piracy, and Captain Steve Rogers has all he wants: a ship, a loyal crew, Bucky at his side, and the horizon offering a new adventure everyday. But an impulsive kiss gone wrong leads to a marriage between Steve and Tony Stark, and now Steve doesn’t know what to do about ANYTHING. Steve loves Bucky, but something about Tony draws him in. Tony is too innocent for this life, but he picks up a sword anyway. Bucky is Steve’s, but when he offers his hand to Tony and now the three of them are something new. When the truth about Steve’s mission to ruin the Stark name comes out, Tony runs away, leaving Steve and Bucky behind in search of answers to the secrets hidden from him his whole life– about his company, about Uncle Obie, about his parents death.

Steve and Bucky cant abandon their mission against Stane and Tony cant deal with the answers he finds in New York. Is this the end? Is Tony gone forever? Or will he leave his old life and return to the sea and the Pirates that hold his heart?

rock me gently (ao3) - enigma731, invisibledaemon gamora/peter M, 479k

Summary: “She is our–She is Gamora,” Nebula says. “There is only one Gamora and I know her better than any of you do.” She pauses and glares at Peter, clearly challenging him to protest that. For once, he doesn’t dare. “This Gamora has jumped forward in time nine years, but she is the same person at her core. Just as you are the same despite not having experienced the last five years I did. We are all just–out of sync at the moment.”

show me what i’m looking for (ao3) - JamieB93 mj/peter, pepper/tony M, 381k

Summary: Peter Parker has spent the last year struggling to believe he has finally found a place he belongs. He has come a long way and whilst there is still a way to go, Peter begins to blossom and open himself up to the world. Which brings with it all the usual teenage dramas.

A touch damaged and more than a little rough around the edges, Peter is very often his own worst enemy. Still plagued by the scars of a traumatic past and newer challenges - it seems Peter’s happy ending might not be so easily in reach.

Steve Rogers Is A Child (ao3) - LagLemon steve/tony, clint/phil M, 290k

Summary: Tony gets into fights with Steve all the time and it's driving him insane. Sure, he's not the nicest guy in the world, but all he did was steal a little of the guy's sesame seed bagel - he didn't deserve to get yelled at for something stupid like that.

After drowning his sorrows in hot chocolate and complaining to Pepper about what happened, Tony gets a phone call from Natasha telling him to hurry back home. Something's happened - Steve has been attacked and he's not quite the same man he once was - he's been turned into a child.

With Steve out of commission, the team struggles with what to do and Tony finds himself filling roles he had never expected: babysitter and friend.

The Contract (ao3) - Laily loki/stephen M, 60k

Summary: An awkward dinner party brings Doctor Stephen Strange and Loki of Asgard together; though ill-at-ease, still they seek the company of each other, being the odd ones out. One wakes up somewhat rested, the other in the worst pain of his life.

Thor is not a happy camper.

The Puzzle that is Peter Parker (ao3) - Neuropsyche pepper/tony T, 279k

Summary: Peter is reeling from the after-effects of the spider bite and seeks out Tony Stark. If anyone can teach him how to be a superhero, it's Ironman, right? Tony isn't impressed at being stalked by an eight year old

Time After Time (ao3) - fancylances tony/stephen T, 47k

Summary: Tony Stark is unstuck in time. Stephen Strange might just be the only person in the universe qualified enough to help.

Two-Point Perspective (ao3) - FestiveFerret steve/tony E, 109k

Summary: Dear omega,

Congratulations! You've been selected. Alpha #95847872 has been assigned as your pre-bondee. A group bonding ceremony will take place on the 14th, unless other arrangements have been made by your alpha or their family. A valid bonding license must be submitted to Omega Services within 45 days of this letter or all services will be cancelled and any transferable benefits will not be applied to your alpha's package.

If there is some reason why you cannot be bonded on this date, please apply for an extension by calling 1-800-555-6827 within 7 days of receiving this letter.

Sincerely, National Omega Services

We'll Haunt This Place (The Two of Us) (ao3) - ElloPoppet clint/steve, sam/bucky E, 25k

Summary: Huh. Captain America showing up at his farm unannounced in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon with a suitcase. Somehow, not the strangest thing to ever happen to Clint. Not even the strangest way he had been woken from a nap, honestly.

[blindtaleteller]

I cover this a few times in my fics, because.. no: it would not be that easy. ESPECIALLY where this happened on a universal scale, to societies and species of all levels and sorts, because let's think about that taking that whole universe that we've seen, plus the ones we haven't into account.. AND not forget that, the snap didn't just take half of people in a group .. it randomly took half the population of a whole planet and applied that everywhere.

Regardless of age, gender, occupation, or anything else.

(One major on screen example of this is Clint's family: of the five people on screen including the very youngest at three years old, only Clint himself survives the snap.)

So what happens when half of the government PLUS important people like energy management, and eco management disappear and cannot be replaced?

It's very unlikely that there were no repercussions there, leading to burst dams, whole sections across the world without power and or water, and even fewer people to upkeep what could be recovered, after. AND all of this while tattered, swiss cheese governments on ALL levels are trying to recover a semblance of sanity and control to get things at least back to moderately normal.

Now.. that's just talking about Earth, who is comparatively pretty far behind the rest of their galaxy and universe in the MCU. Take that a little further out? And shit gets really crazy. We're talking space stations that suddenly lose their upkeep crews in order to continue to breath in it (and the people snapped back into space and into those of them shut down; pretty likely just to die) geothermal plants, terraforming, and pretty much any sort of tech level that requires even their maint bots if that's a thing, to have personnel take care of them in order to do their jobs, and again: upkeep that environment to livable standards.

It's very likely that a LOT of people died because of that huge gap in time between snaps: snapped back into a flooded valley their house in now at the bottom of when an already understaffed dam site malfunctioned for instance.

A lava field, dead space where a space station used to be, but was powered down and pulled elsewhere because there weren't enough people to run it (if they were THAT lucky even, there are worse scenarios possible too like everyone in it but two or three being snapped and unable to escape or get them help before they die.)

Ultimately, I don't think the current writers thought much about these basic everyday life things, and just how much chaos all of it hitting at once would have really caused.

Either that or, they try not to, for convenience sake.. which is.. honestly and in complete agreement with the post above: lazy and I'm also going to add pretty ignorant of the reality of how even the moderately modern society we live in functions.

It honestly makes me wonder what fantasy world they themselves live in sometimes, if not just how unprofessional a writer can be to ignore this stuff..

.....but then again, this is the same company that keeps giving Waldron & his carbon copy follow ups a job, without checking their work appropriately fits the franchise, or whatever title and title characters they're working on, either.

Fic snippets below the cut...

 OVERHAUL: Chapter 2 (Quill and Clayton bring this up discussing their relationship, and Thor a bit all at once)

  Slow nod, because yes. Yes he did. " We get the fanfare every time we head back that way; yeah. Only been back like.. twice, though. Neither one a us really got great memories as our last there: if you know what I mean. We made up for it a bit, but.. we lost folks in between, and since the.. y'know. Vanishing, snap.. blip. Whatever the hell you wanna call it. Some of them.. aren't coming back. "

     " Mm. And some, came back to die. " was a point Peter tried not to think about too much. But had been a thing.

        Five years, give or take with half the population gone the entire universe over? Himself, Clayton, and others included? Some of them; really important people who ran things like dams, and geothermal control stations, and atmospheric emitters, and hell.. terraforming modules. Left unchecked, or unattended; or just plain forgotten in the chaos between?

     Yeah. Some people had been snapped back into literally unlivable conditions. Middle of a burst open volcano. A flooded valley. A space station with no air, was the most common kind of living grave they'd come across; being spacers. They'd stopped taking clean up and salvage jobs after the very first one of those had proven to be just that. Body collection and delivery of an orbital station that had been snapped to a portion of it's crew: too few to upkeep and too few to run their lower tech craft back down to the surface. " ..yeah. "

Simon Says (Safety) - (Carol Danvers points some of these things out point blank to Tony in the universe I have where Loki snagged the glove when T'Challa dropped it, and snapped instead of him: only to KO afterwards and use the stones to fix some of it after as an extra kick of spite in Thanos' direction)

       If Tony had any idea what to say, it had been blown completely out of his reach with that string, or rather with what it meant. Clint wanted confirmation. " Hold up.. " caught those blue eyes on Clint again, and he noticed, thought; maybe if they shut out the lights again; they might be a lot dimmer than they had been before Carol had come in.  " ...you're saying you've actually been doing this. In your sleep? "

   " I haven't been asleep. As I said.. Strange would understand the logistics. Astral projection allows for a much sharper point or nine to focus on. The remainder of how though, is simple enough? And I am surprised at your reaction.. " adjusting his position a little took visible effort. " ..as it shouldn't surprise you lot of all and any; that the stones can affect the entire universe from well: anywhere in it. Not after what they did at the least with that first conjoined use here. "

          And didn't that just land an extra kick to the head; because: that was a damned good point. A world away; his own family had been snapped out of existence. Which had been bad enough. But he knew, maybe better than most knew it: that had happened everywhere. Danvers looked.. unsure, of what to make of him now; if she wasn't before. But Clint could give her this: she was fast to suck up a breath, square her shoulders and snap out like a real trooper without need for much more: " I'd ask if you were being genuine but; I've seen some of the things you've done. So. " and get a disbelieving are you serious stare at the side of her face when she asked " What about Kree space? If we take knowing the area and people into this; I can hop the border and start helping planets there. Mark the ones I might need your help to better, for you when I run into them..? "

      " You cannot seriously, be talking about this? " from Tony, and she wasn't the only one giving Tony a look for it. Because Clint got it; he did, even before it came out of her mouth. " This isn't about the easy displacement Earth has as a major lashback, Stark. Just because Thanos is gone, doesn't mean the damage he left behind is. Or that people aren't still dying as a result! Some of them literally brought back just to die! Why? Because the place they were snapped out at is toxic now, today; or on fire if not under a burst volcano that used to be under control of the indigenous. Or under water. Or even worse; especially if they lived in space itself. Our world? Is just one of literally countless worlds affected. And frankly: we got it easy. "

           Which did shut Tony up, well before she got through the second sentence. The last, had him sitting back down and staring at Loki like .. well. Exactly what he was; something they didn't know. Something they thought they had beaded and didn't. Danvers looked and sounded a lot like she had made up her mind though....

thinking about the MCU this morning and how cool some of their concepts are and how they fucking waste them

the one on my mind today is The Snap, which is an existentially horrifying concept. some guy with infinite power snaps his fingers and half the population of the world vanishes, which is terrible in itself, but then five years later some other folks undo it, but the undo isn't retroactive, the snapped people are gone for five years and then reappear where they left from!!!

and disney are cowards, because they handwaved it to "oh but no one was hurt <3" instead of embracing the absolute horror of it all and letting us bathe in the darkness of it

a pilot who gets snapped out of existence mid-flight, and then reappears in the exact spot he left from. to him the plane would just have vanished from around him.

half a passenger jet's worth of people!!! just disappearing!! and then reappearing halfway across america, raining down upon the city the plane happened to be over

someone halfway through sex with their partner turning to dust and then five years later reappearing in the exact same place, but there partner isn't there anymore, instead they're on top of a stranger who moved into their apartment

entire buildings demolished between The Snap and the undoing, people coming back to the top floor just to find there's no floor anymore

parents reappearing to find their children five years older.

children reappearing to find they're now the youngest sibling.

people vanishing while driving cars and the fucking carnage that would come from that

surgeons vanishing mid-surgery and then reappearing without knowing they ever vanished to continue surgery on the wrong patient

pregnant people disappearing mid-birth. does the baby vanish too? what if the baby disappeared mid-birth? Where does that come back to?

did half the pregnancies vanish from the pregnant people who were left? did those come back? i promise some of those pregnant people were beyond relieved to be without that pregnancy, and some of them even had their lives saved by it

pregnant people snapping out of existence, then coming back to find their partner's moved on, married again, had kids again, and they're still pregnant

someone in an accident or drowning or something and they're about to be saved or rescued when they snap out of existence. they come back and their savior's not there anymore

someone about to fire a gun in self-defense coming back to find they shot an innocent instead

half a military coming back to a war that's already finished and starting it again

the simple horror of finding that five years of everyone else's lives have passed without you and you're still the same as you were

and these are just off the top of my head? I had more while I was brushing my teeth but I forgot some. Imagine the depth of personal and horrifying stories you could tell with all of these things.

but no, instead:

Thanos activated the completed gauntlet and initiated the Snap, causing a universal genocide which eliminated fifty percent of all life, randomly disintegrating individuals into dust.

The Snap had devastating universal repercussions. On Earth, the Snap led to a five-year period in which the world fell into societal collapse and many countries abandoned their national borders. In 2023, the victims of the Snap were resurrected by the Avengers, after they went back in time to alternate timelines to acquire their own set of Infinity Stones.

and

The Snap was remembered as a historical event. Although the Blip eventually brought back all living beings who perished, their sudden return was unsettling to most of the survivors, who had moved on with their lives without thinking they would ever return. Their return also caused confusion surrounding their identity documents, because those who returned remained the same age they had been before vanishing, despite the five year lapse. For example, the students of Midtown who returned had to repeat the entire school year the following term, despite having already completed midterms, much to their frustration. In 2024, a documentary film about the event, entitled The Snap, was released.

and

However, the Blip was not without repercussions. As a result of the five years between the Snap and the Blip, many of the previous victims were displaced from their homes. The mass displacement of so many people was so acute it caused the United Nations to create the Global Repatriation Council, a supranational organization which was given a mandate to help the returned people get housing and several forms of social security. In the United States of America, the National Blip Support Hotline was founded for Americans victims of the Snap. In New York City, the Salvation Army sought donations to provide housing for displaced persons, with volunteer May Parker using Spider-Man to draw attention to the fundraising campaign. In San Francisco, a dating service exclusively designed to pair up victims of the Snap known as Blip Sync was launched.

Meanwhile, restored students like Peter Parker, Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, and Jason Ionello found themselves five years behind their 2018 classmates due to not having aged the five years. Since many of Midtown's previously snapped students had failed to go through the entire school year and take finals, they were told that they had to restart all over again, notably with Parker's class having to retake junior year during the remnants of the 2023-2024 school year.

It just makes me groan softly that they had this amazing, creative and downright unique narrative device to play with, and the level of consequences they decided to go with was, "People are homeless and for some reason the Government actually cares about this" (as if) and "Some high school students have to re-take their classes."

anyway i watched this video the other day

which summed up a lot of my boredom with the MCU in general. There's a lot of excellent ideas and concepts within the MCU banner, but they're so attached to status quo and no actual change to the world can ever happen (probably because it has to stay "relatable"? It's suffering from what a lot of shows suffered from when they needed to be syndicated back in the day: you have to be able to watch one episode (movie, in this case, or entire show) at random and still understand what you're watching, even if you've never seen another one ever, as well as it needing to stay "present day" instead of becoming unrecognizable from the world people paying for the tickets or Disney+ live in). You can't solve racism in the MCU because racism still exists in our world, you can't solve world hunger or homelessness, because those things still exist here. It would make the world unrecognizable.

Having actual consequences for the Blip or whatever it's called would require letting the world change, and would make new viewers have to have a primer on how that world got to where it is now, and there's no way Disney are going to risk isolating even 2% of their viewer base, because then they might not make *checks figures* $546.3 million off the next movie. It might be $500 million instead. Shocking.

Frankly, I think adding a pre-movie/show section that gives a rundown of what's happened so far could be pretty cool. They could make it a bit with a reoccurring actor playing a news guy or something, with smatterings of the news of what's happened for the last x amount of years. You could make it comedic, add commentary to the universe, have the guy vanish for the whole period of the blip, replaced by someone else, then come back later and be frazzled and unsure what he's doing because they just expected him to go back to work. There's so much you could do, and if they wanted they could easily make it a bit that people looked forward to and enjoyed due to the comedy and narrative aspects of it.

But instead they just said, "Oh no, it's fine. No one dies from knock-on effects of the Snap or the return. It's all fine, don't think too hard about it. The gauntlet compensated for that," and that's fine, it works, but it's disappointing to me. I would love to see more consequence.

Then again, I'd always like to see more consequence in my MCU, and I never really do [insert my AOS rant here]. So I'm used to it by now. I'm also massively behind on all the movies and that's likely one of the reasons why.

(If you like my thoughts, I have a Substack I'm hoping to put stuff on soon.)

[space-mermaid-writing]

AHHH THANK YOU FOR THE SUPERIOR IRONSTRANGE FIC!!! He really does seem like fun to write, I love the evil characters that just do whatever tf they want with no specific agendas. If you ever wanted to write a follow-up where SIM tracks Stephen down I wouldn't be opposed 😜 I already ask so much of you tho so no sweat, thanks for making my morning ! ❤️

Summary: Superior Iron Man visits 616 Stephen Strange

Ko-fi | Masterlist | Word count: 1.4k | Part 1 | Part 3

Chapter’s Notes: I‘m happy you like the first part, anon. It was actually thinking of writing another, so your request played right into it. And jokes on you, I have also a third part planned, in which Superior Iron Man visits Sinister Strange. This is getting out of hand, SIM is so fun to write, send help.

Being superior was... honestly, kinda boring.

Tony flew over the city, his silvery white suit a symbol of regime and fear. The Illuminati had fallen, the Scarlet Witch from the other universe had shredded them like a cat shreds wrapping paper. The incident had shaken things up a bit, made them more interesting. It had been just the thing to wake Tony up. Admittedly, he'd retreated to his workspace, into his world of 1s and 0s,  since the fight against Thanos. Since Stephen's execution.

It wasn't sadness, not even anger, that made him do that - he was above those emotions. He didn't know when the last time was since he had felt anything at all.

There was only excitement or boredom. Or indifference.

Stephen had been excited. He and Tony were something else. Two brilliant minds. Superior and supreme. The world almost didn't deserve them. Almost.

Tony had always been aware that Stephen had held him back. He had kept Tony at bay. They had been both ambitious, but the sorcerer had somewhat of a moral compass left. That's why he installed the Illuminati. And Tony had led him.

But now, with the Sorcerer Supreme gone, no one was stopping him. No one was able to.

After the Illuminati had fallen, he had taken over the world. It was ridiculously easy. Boring.

Tony had made some improvements, shaped it to his liking. He was a god. Not one like Thor or Loki, who were basically just glorified rulers. Spoiled princes. Tony was an actual god; he controlled the entire planet, was networked with every single device in this world. He saw everything, heard everything. He judged everything.

But it did not satisfy him. He loved his new order, the technology he had created. But something was missing.

He wanted to share his achievements. He wanted someone who understood.

His mind wandered to the Stephen Strange who had stumbled into his universe almost exactly a year ago. By accident. It was pathetic how weak that Stephen had been. His moral compass was very strong, he had a conscience. Tony snorted in amusement.

Still, apparently he had survived the Scarlet Witch. That was nothing to sneeze at.

Tony had monitored his journey and knew that Stephen returned to his own universe. A universe with no Tony Stark.

Tony grinned. It was basically a logical consequence, the result of a simple equation.

He had been busy for the last year, but now he had time. And he was bored. A bored Tony Stark was alway dangerous, in every universe.

He decided it was time to grace the universe of the living Stephen Strange with his presence.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a splash of color that didn't belong there. Something red in the otherwise chrome-colored city. Someone had dared to put a red parasol on his balcony.

A quick order to his A.I. was all it took to carry out his law. An Ultronbot would remove the parasol - and the person who had put it up.

~~

There were a lot of records about 616 and so it was not difficult to locate that universe. The actual journey turned out to be a bit more difficult. The multiverse didn't like it when someone left their own prescribed world. But Tony loved to cross boundaries. He was the one who set them. There was no higher power than him that could dictate him.

His technology was superior, and he entered this other New York. It was untidy, chaotic, alive. Tony watched it with a raised eyebrow as he flew over the city.

There was a lot of work to do. He could hardly wait to get started.

Although it would not have been difficult for him to locate Stephen - Tony knew where the Sanctum Sanctorum was - it was the sorcerer who found him first. Well, Tony hadn't been subtle on his sightseeing flight. People had recognized him, pointed up to him, taken pictures of him. He was probably trending on Twitter right now.

Good to see that people in every world looked up to him. Even long after his death.

He was somewhere near Central Park when Stephen flew into his path. He was wearing his cloak of levitation, which was red in this universe. Tony wasn't sure he liked the color on him. Blue had always suited him better.

"How did you get here?" Stephen asked. He didn't seem happy to see him.

Tony flashed a smile that was cold and arrogant.

"What, like it's hard to jump universes?" He made a sweeping motion to the surroundings. "I have to admit your world is far more behind on tech than I imagined. I'd say it's time for an upgrade."

"We're good. So, thanks for stopping by, but it’s time for you to leave."

Tony floated closer to Stephen, right in his personal space. Unlike last time, Stephen didn't back away. Back then he had been cuffed, now he had the cloak and magic at his side. This was his territory, he won't back down.

Tony liked it. He saw a glimpse of his own Stephen in this one and cupped his face.

"Why do you want me to leave, doc? We can stay together and I'll show you the true meaning of power."

Stephen closed his eyes, just for a moment, and for a split second he wished it could be true. That he could have Tony back by his side.

"But you're not him, are you?" he repeated Tony's words from the last time they met. He looked at him, into those ice blue eyes, almost like cold steel.

"I'm better."

Stephen tilted his head, away from the touch and put some distance between them.

"You're not even close to him. This is your last warning: go back to your own universe!"

Tony's gaze darkened, the repulsors lit up on his hands. It was a bummer. They could have had so much fun together.

And they fought. Stephen was powerful, he had been the Sorcerer Supreme for a reason. And that was even before Thanos. He had learned so much since then.

But this Tony... he was unhinged, in a calculatingly murderous kind of way.

Stephen needed the help of the New Avengers, of other super teams, and it was still a close call. There was a short period when technology turned against them. It was almost like Ultron all over again - not that Stephen had been involved in that specific event back then - but still.

Everyone helping was shocked to see the face of Tony Stark. It was like that ghost of future christmas showing them the worst of possible what if's… They have never been more glad that their Tony Stark had been nothing like this maniac. He had been human.

Tony laughed. Fighting Stephen was fun. He reminded him of his own Stephen, when the sorcerer unleashed the demons of Thar'galloth on him. Brilliant move.

But this Stephen held back, he was too collected. He didn’t do what had to be done. He was sentimental and hesitated to kill Tony. Pathetic.

Tony was annoyed when he had to fight a whole group of heroes. They were in his way - this was not about them. It was about Tony and Stephen.

Finally they managed to contain him. It was a very close call, they almost didn’t make it.

Stephen stepped up to the magical field they had locked this Tony into, while the others watched his back. He was bleeding in several places on his face and his left shoulder was dislocated.

Tony looked less battered, his hair was disheveled and he was missing several pieces of his armor that were not supposed to be removable in the first place.

"It's over," Stephen panted. "You lost."

"Then end it. Like you ended him."

It was a bluff, Tony couldn't die. He was part of his technology. There were millions of pieces of him in his universe. But Stephen didn't know that.

"I won't watch another Tony die," the sorcerer whispered. Then he put on a neutral expression. "You helped me in your universe. Count us even."

"You're cute to think that."

Tony probably had much more to say, but Stephen, with America's help, sent him back to his own world and closed the portal. He realized that he desperately needed to erect wards around his universe, to prevent Tony from coming back.

Tony, meanwhile, was offended and angry. However, there was something good about the trip: he realized that there were so many more Stephens he could visit and play with.

[jasontoddswhitestreak]

what died didn’t stay dead

(originally posted by vormirjumper)

dedicated to @starsvck and @artipotter hope u enjoy this <333

summary: the last thing you remember was fainting in wakanda thinking you saw your own fingertips turn to dust only to wake up in a world where natasha romanoff no longer existed. inspired by marjorie by taylor swift

content warning: natasha romanoff x fem!reader, set after endgame, angst, mentions of death, trauma, their relationship ending on a bad note, trust issues & previous steve x nat, (WANDAVISION SPOILERS AT THE END)

‘моя любовь’ = ‘my love’ in russian <3

REQUESTS ARE OPEN! (please lmk if anyone written something similar to this! & if you want more nat content lmk!)

masterlist

PART TWO

You forced your eyes open.

Pulling yourself up from the ground you glanced at your arms in confusion. You swore you saw your own hands turn to dust before fainting. You glanced around to take in your surroundings eyes widening in shock as you saw the hundreds of Wakandan's you fought beside minutes ago appearing out of dust. You stared speechless as you watched people materialise out of thin air, the dust forming into fingers, then a whole hand and eventually becoming a person who's mirroring your exact reaction.

You felt guilty about the first thought that came across your mind.

'Is Nat okay?' You panicked while rushing to look around, ignoring how you spent the last few years loathing her to hide your heartbreak.

You were an avenger since the beginning. The two of you were on the same team during the airport fight which wasn't surprising due to your history together. Despite the slight age difference between the two of you, your personalities worked well together which is why you got along well, so well in fact that those platonic feelings you thought you had for her developed into something more and somehow you found yourself in her bed many times in her arms with your bodies pressed against one another's, struggling to catch your breath, bliss written all over your face. Your legs were intertwined with hers as you embraced the warmth radiating off her. You refused to acknowledge the unspoken tension in the atmosphere due to the fear of speaking out about your feelings and end up ruining what you had. You couldn't help but let the insecurities build up as you gently caressed her cheek, her eyes met yours back in adoration, full of what could've been love.

But you knew she once looked at him in the same way.

"I love holding you in my arms моя любовь." She muttered, as she stroked your hair gently, you hummed in response, not trusting your own voice. What you both had felt right, you didn't want to ruin it, you didn't want to label what you had together due to the job you both have. Being an avenger doesn't exactly mean stability, anything could happen.

You remember the panic you felt when Ultron took her, the chance of losing her filled you with dread, but you also had faith. You knew how strong Natasha was. Your faith gave you strength and it kept you alive, Nat admired that about you.

The two of you fit together well, whether it was on the field or outside of the field. You could predict each other's moves and although telepathy isn't either of your powers, you know what the other was thinking. You made her better. You helped her wipe out the red in her ledger and when everyone's files was exposed to the globe you were right there by her side comforting her as she feared the reaction from everyone. You were there for her when nobody was and you stood by her side no matter what. Those feelings were reciprocated, you knew Natasha would've done anything for you.

She would even sacrifice herself for the possibility of you coming back.

Then the Accords happened and Nat betrayed the Accords, ending up on the run with Steve, Sam, Wanda and Vision. You were left alone at the compound with an injured Rhodey.

"How could you do this?" You spat out, voice full of hatred as you watched Natasha let Steve and Bucky get away. Your pistol shook in the palm of your hands, pointed directly at Natasha who lowered her own onto the ground, allowing herself to be defenceless.

"It's not that easy моя любовь, you out of all people should understand that." She explained, and you scoffed in response. The pet-name which once caused a flutter in your stomach now fuelling the fire that's building up. All the insecurities you felt during your relationship suddenly turned to hatred. You should've expected this, you should've expected that after all this time she would've chosen Steve over you.

"I guess you'll never change." You responded flatly, admitting defeat. You silently walked passed her and climbed out of the rubble that was created, allowing a wall to be in between the two of you not knowing you tore a piece of her heart as you did so.

That was two years ago.

You thought you'd never have to see her for a long time. You hoped you wouldn't have to see her. Clearly things never go the way you wanted it to go as you found yourself staring back at the person who once owned your heart.

"Well, you guys look like crap." Rhodey teased, wrapping the fellow avengers in his arms as you stood to the side, awkwardly watching the scene in front of you while fidgeting with your fingers. The atmosphere in the compound was comforting, it's been a long time since you've heard so much laughter in one room despite the war that's brewing.

Natasha, who was now blonde but as gorgeous as ever, hesitantly approached you. The two of you stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the next move.

"Romanoff." You nodded, greeting her before moving away to greet the other Avengers, missing the way she muttered the now bittersweet name she specifically picked you.

"моя любовь..."

Did she really love you? Or was it just for revenge? You believed that love blinded you, you managed to convince yourself that your love wasn't enough for her and that's why she left you. Your relationship with her died. It was over. You thought you buried it all, all your feelings. But you were wrong, when your eyes met her green eyes all those feelings came back to life, flowing through your veins.

After all this time you still loved her.

But your feelings for her weren't the only thing you couldn't bury.

Within an hour of reuniting with the Avengers, the team found themselves on the quinjet travelling to Wakanda. You wouldn't have said this out loud but you had faith that everything would be okay, Nat was finally by your side after all these years.

You felt as though nothing could go wrong.

That was a couple hours ago you estimated, you glance at Wanda who appeared a couple feet away from you the tears were evident on her face.

"Where is he?" Wanda cries out, clenching her fists, you saw the scarlet red energy glowing around her. You knew she must've been talking about Vsision who should've been on the ground next to her. "Wha- why does everything look different?" You realised, noticing the damages caused by the battle has disappeared. The grass was greener as ever. The corpses of the creatures you fought were no longer on the ground.

It looked as though the battle never took place.

You ran over to Wanda, helping her up from the ground when you hear someone call your name out. "That sounds like Sam." Wanda points out as the two of you held each other up.

"Wanda!" Sam called out.

"Come on, we gotta go! They need us! The fights not over yet!" He shouts from a distance, the two of you made your way to the direction you heard his voice come from, you saw all the superheroes surrounding him and a man in a red cloak. "What about Nat? Or Rhodey?" You questioned, looking for them in the crowd. You missed the sympathetic glance the man shot you before waving his hands up in the air, creating a yellow ring in the air that transformed into a portal.

"We're going to fight beside them right now." Sam confirms before flying through the portal.

The compound was completely destroyed. Your home was crumbling apart. Thor looked completely different, Tony had grey hair and Natasha was nowhere to be seen.

You wanted to finally tell her, tell her that you loved her with all of your heart.

You fought beside hundreds of Avengers that day, but you couldn't help searching for one specific Avenger. You ran over to Clint who was on the ground struggling to fight off a bunch of creatures, saving him within moments.

"Thanks kid." He pant, out of breath from all of the fighting. You smiled at him in response, reaching your hand out for him to take which he gratefully took, lifting himself up. "Have you bumped into Nat on the battlefield yet?" You asked, hopeful. There were hundreds of people fighting so you didn't expect to find her easily. The smile on Clint's face fell.

In that moment he relieved everything that happened moments ago. Flying to Vormir with Natasha, climbing the cliff with her, reminiscing about Budapest. And the way he witnessed her body hit the ground, the crack echoing so loudly he managed to hear it more than just once. He glanced down the cliff and saw her lifeless body faced towards his.

His closest friend. The person he trusted with his entire life. The person he named his son after. The Godmother of his kids.

Gone.

Just like that.

"I need to do this for her Clint, she's моя любовь." Nat whispered to him before smiling back at the oldest friend she had, pushing away from the cliff and inevitably falling to her death.

You found out what happened to Natasha, hours after.

The Avengers won, but at the cost of the lives of the people you cared the most about, the person you'd do anything for and the person who owned your heart the minute you met them. Clint broke the news to you, he felt as though you deserved to hear it from him.

"She loved you till the very end." He finished after explaining what happened on Vormir. You felt as though you couldn't breathe, like your soul was crushed and pulled away from you.

Natasha Romanoff was dead and there was nothing you could do about it.

She never got to hear that you felt the same towards her.

"I didn't think the ending to be so soon." You struggled to hold back a sob, holding the letter Clint gave you tightly in your arms. Scott somehow found a letter on the ground while trying to save Clint, it was slightly damp and covered in mud. But it was written for you in Natasha's handwriting.

You couldn't bring yourself to read the letter even nine days after the blip. You had to live in a world without her, a world where people drag her name through the mud even though she is the reason they're still standing. You adjust to a world without Natasha Romanoff and reading a letter she wrote for you months ago wouldn't help.

You regretted everything. You regret spending those last few years in anger, you should've stayed with her, you could've told her how much she meant to you. You could've told her you loved her, you could've held her in your arms once more. You would do anything to have her in your arms once again.

Sometimes it felt as though she was still there, laughing at something she saw on the TV. You always felt her presence around you after she passed away, it felt as though she never died. It felt as though a part of her lives through you.

You sat in the passenger seat of Wanda's car, staring at the Sword logo plastered on the side of the building, you could feel the letter in your back pocket, dying to be read. Wanda made her way back to the car, face flared in anger, tears threatening to spill.

"Wanda?" You called out as she got into the car, turning on the ignition but not pulling out of the car park. She sniffled quietly, wiping her eyes before glancing back to you. "I saw him." She responded, her eyes glancing to the folded paper on the backseat of the car, she could see the faint colour of red that was in the shape of a heart. "But they're not letting him have a funeral." You realised, looking back at your friend, heartbroken. "I figured at least one of them deserved a funeral, it's not fair. It's not fair that the world can just go on like nothing happened and we don't get to mourn the people we lost." Wanda rants, pulling out of the parking lot and beginning to drive.

"They both deserve a funeral." You agreed solemnly, remembering the fact that Natasha's body is at the bottom of a cliff in space in 2014.

"Where are we going now?" You asked, wanting to distract yourself from that thought. You felt as though you and Wanda were left to mourn your loved ones alone as the rest of the avengers scattered across the country.

"To the only thing I have left of him."

The two of you sat in silence as Wanda drove, you stared at the shrubbery outside the window before closing your eyes and resting your head on the window, allowing yourself to drift off.

It felt like it was only seconds later when you felt the car turn harshly, you opened your eyes and glanced around in confusion when you saw that you pulled into a quaint town, you had only just missed the town sign plastered with the words "West View." You watched the pedestrians walking by, noticing how some of them sat on their own with no one to comfort them similarly to you and Wanda.

The two of you pulled up to a plot of land with the foundation of a house on the ground, it looked at though the house never had the chance to get completed.

"Stay in the car, I won't take long." Wanda reassured you before reaching towards the back of the car to grab the folded up sheet of paper and getting out of the car. You nodded, staring at the built house next to the plot of land.

Your mind wanders as you stare at the home. You think about Natasha. You think about the future you could've had with her, living together in a quaint home like the one in front of you. No stress about being an avenger, just the two of you and your family. You softly smile as you imagine Natasha's reaction to wanting to adopt 5 cats, knowing she was more of cat person. You imagine holding her hand while walking down the street and watching movies with her in your shared bed. You wanting to stay in for the day and watch movies to ignore the real world outside and her letting you.

You think about what could've been.

A heart wrenching scream snaps you out of your thoughts, you rush out of the car and look for Wanda but is blinded by a scarlet red light that knocks you unconscious.

Your eyes open on command.

The room you stood in was black and white. It was a nicely decorated living room with a dining room connected to it, you couldn't pinpoint which decade the interior was from, too preoccupied by the woman standing in front of you.

Although the lack of colour in them, you could recognise those eyes from anywhere, that smile that you've wished to see was right in front of you. The dress she wore matched the decade and decor of the room, her hair curled up neatly. Natasha stood in front of you, reaching her hand out towards you waiting for you to take it.

You hesitantly reach out towards her, happiness flooding your emotions. She pulls you closer to her, welcoming you into a hug. The palm of her hands are warm as they rested on your back, you could feel her heartbeat as you laid your head on her chest, melting in her arms.

"Welcome home моя любовь."

[karolamurdock]

Matt Murdock x OC

"Those are not your pants".

Since the Devil of Hell's Kitchen and Cassandra had overcome their initial discomfort in each other's presence, and finally reached the level "my pride prevents me from calling this a friendship, but I can openly say that I tolerate you" (which Cassie considered a victory), there were nights where they would meet on some lonely roof to share the recent discoveries about some of the criminal groups they were trying to get out of New York. A text message and a confirmation would suffice for them to  exchange information at some improper time, when the shadows still provided shelter and Matt still had a chance to continue his night watch.

They were very rare occasions. The whirlwinds that represented the lives of both often left them with little time available to take five minutes and chat, but it was something that little by little they were catching the taste. It wasn't that Matt had ceased to be apprehensive and accepted other people's help without grumbling; rather he had resigned himself to the fact that the Avengers and the X-Men would stick their noses into their affairs without listening to him and Cassandra was nicer than having the eyes of Stark's conceited all the time. On the other hand, Cassie liked to visit Hell's Kitchen not because she found it a precisely dazzling city, but at least it felt good to be able to get away from the mad scientists she got used to dealing with and make a difference in more particular cases for a change.

They never talked more than necessary, despite Cassie's small attempts to make the Devil more confident to them. Matt was painfully aware of how easy it would be for any of these enhanced humans to search for him and discover his identity, no matter what sincere promises they had made to him from the start. Their treatment was delicate, though useful, and they had gradually managed to locate some networks that tried to traffic mutants under the noses of the city.

As long as the number of deaths stayed at zero, Matt might consider letting them wander around his neighborhood.

However, this time, when Cassandra replied to Matt that they would have to leave their board an hour later than usual, it wasn't because she was at the other side of the world fighting alien armies willing to eradicate humanity. It was much simpler: Thor was visiting the city and Tony, being Tony, would organize a small welcome party for him.

She almost felt guilty about devoting some of her day to such superficial matters, when she might as well be doing more productive things. But her work, both as a teacher at the Xavier Institute and as an international superhero, had been exhausting in recent weeks, and Stark Tower was not so far from the ten blocks guarded by the Devil and ... What could go wrong for spending time with her teammates?

Well, in her defense, Cassandra didn't count on Thor bringing as a gift (and in large quantities) the most exquisite mead she had the fortune to taste.

At first nothing seemed out of place. Her drink was magnificent and between talks, Thor happily did not stop refilling her glass as soon as she lowered the level of the liquid a little. Cassandra had not seen him with bad eyes, sure that her metabolism superior to a normal human could resist better. Maybe she wasn't like Steve, who could never get drunk, but she did have a stamina that just several bottles of the strongest alcohol could destabilize a bit.

Anyway, drinking was in her veins. Even the illogical myths about the Vikings had got that right. She can't even remember precisely when it was the first time she tried an alcoholic beverage, although she could proudly tell about her strong self-control and how it had prevented the number of times throughout her life where she had truly lost self-awareness from alcohol from not exceeding more than a couple dozen occasions.

Maybe that list was about to drag on that night.

 

~ * ~

 

He had waited for Cassandra's arrival  beyond the agreed time, getting no trace of the woman. Luckily the night had been quite quiet and although he was constantly focusing his senses throughout the streets, he did not listen to anyone who needed his help.

At some point in his eternal wait he had been tempted to communicate with her, surprised by her absence. Something that made him prefer her to any other nosy superhero was the respect she gave to both his methods and his responsibilities. She gave him enough space to work and never made him waste time, until now.

By the time Matt heard someone climbing the fire escape, the weather around him had dropped a couple of degrees anticipating the sunrise, and he had been about to leave. Matt bowed his head to the direction of the noise, tense; his body already adopting a defensive position.

The first thing he noticed was a strong smell of alcohol, though it wasn't any he'd noticed before at Josie's (to be honest, any drink that was a little bit decent definitely didn't make it onto the menu at his favorite bar). But it wasn't until his new companion began staggeringly walking across the roof calling him by his nickname in a low voice that he knew immediately who it was.

Coming out of the shadows that had protected him from prying eyes, he greeted Cassandra.

“An apology for the delay. Today I had a long day.” Although her words contained a strong foreign accent that she usually knew how to hide very well, Matt was surprised that she managed to speak with such fluency in her state. Foggy would have fainted with less than half of what Cassie had taken that day— "or was it yesterday? What time is it?"

“Past midnight.”

"Damn," Cassie murmured, though it wasn't clear if it was because of Matt's response or because she lightly tripped over the tubes strategically placed on the ceiling floor. With an exasperated snort, Cassie sat gracelessly on the floor, stretching her long legs in front of her. "I overindulged in drinking."

“I can tell.” Matt was torn between being offended by her lack of professionalism (is there such a thing in the vigilante work?) or amused by the obvious lack of righteousness she always carried around him. “Maybe we should leave this conversation for another day, when you're more sober.”

“Please, I'm not too bad... compared to a while ago.”

“How drunk were you last night?”

“Well, I still have my pants on, so… not so much.”

“Those are not your pants," he replied, unable to help but do so. Now it was definitely fun.

If their little dates had thrown anything at her, it was that she was meticulous in choosing her wardrobe. Her civilian clothes always met the same characteristics: the expensive material of the fabrics assured Matt that they were probably worth more than his office rent, were cool enough to combat the sweltering air of New York in summer and never as tight as used today to limit her movement. They were for practical uses, at best, and his theory was confirmed by the amount of things he managed to detect that she hid between the layers, from a couple of knives to her car keys and, of course, the goodies that never seemed to be missing in her handbag. The trousers in question sounded too plasticized for her taste; uncomfortable and of poor quality. He could bet without fear of being wrong that if a hand-to-hand fight was necessary that night, the seams would not withstand the sudden movement. They were designed to embrace curves and leave no secrets, but even in the middle of a party Matt doubted that Cassandra was so open with others.

Cassie's scent hadn't caught on to discord pants either to signal her as its owner for more than a couple of hours. Between the alcohol, sweat and smell of those who were close to her, her essence stood out smoothly for Matt. Over time he had already managed to identify quite well the discreet smell of fine perfume, chalk and trees that seemed to accompany her even when she wore her X-Men uniform.

It's not like, of course, he spends a lot of time thinking about her.

In a cloud of confusion, Cassie narrowed her eyes to what covered her legs, analyzing. She remembered putting on dark long pants, formal enough to meet her friends in the Tower but allowing her to comfortably climb to the rooftops where she would met The Devil. But just as her vigilante non-friend had predicted, the torn pants of an electric blue very youthful for her were not what the night had started with.

Who had she exchanged clothes with?

“What the he...?”

She hadn't tangled up with anyone, right? Shit. 

"Wait," Cassandra looked at him accusingly, "How did you know?"

“They're not your style. And they smell different.”

“And what do they normally smell like?”

Matt hesitated on what to tell her. People didn't usually take the exposure of their intimacy very well thanks to his enhanced senses.

"As if you usually keep a lot of candies in your pockets," he replied at last, downplaying it with a shrug. Not a total lie, but not a complete truth either.

Cassandra kept silent. Bowing her head, she slowly scratched the synthetic material of her mysterious new pants.

"These pants doesn't have pockets," she said, sadly.

Her pitiful tone was enough for a little surprised laugh to sprout from the bottom of Matt's chest.

The sound caused Cassie to turn her attention to him again. The most she had managed to get from the Devil so far had been a couple of smiles here and there, but from the first moment she met him she had always felt that a large barrier was applied between them, avoiding any attempt towards a more relaxed camaraderie.

Would it be a good night after all?

"Come on.” Still in a good mood, Matt approached her until he reached out to help her get up. “You should go. Get some rest. There is nothing very urgent that cannot be dealt with another day.”

Cassandra was already opening her mouth to discuss him, but an alarming thought crossed her head.

"I can't go to the Mansion like this!" she exclaimed quickly, "What… what kind of example will I set for my children?"

“To take care of their pants while they are drunk, perhaps?”

Cassandra looked at him in amazement.

“I didn't know you were capable of joking.”

Smiling innocently, Matt took her arm gently, leading her across the roof to the stairs.

“A taxi is driving a couple of blocks away. Maybe the trip to the Mansion will cost you an arm and a leg, but it will be safer for you than driving.”

“Do you also see the future?” she complained, letting herself be guided.

As he said, the yellow car stopped in front of her a few minutes after she had reached street level and he had vanished into the shadows. Her journey back home was quiet, if expensive, and to her relief none of the students at the Xavier mansion were awake in those early hours of the morning to watch their teacher secretly enter her room.

 

~ * ~

 

The next day, shortly after lunchtime, Cassandra received a simple message from her vigilant non-friend:

"Tonight I will start the hunt for the pants thief. Do you want to join me?"

[avungerthatgotaway]

The Soldier of the Night

heyyyy guys!! this is my first ever request fic and im so excited to do iiiit. please tell me what you think of it in the comments🥰

it's made for this request

summary: y/n finally takes matters into her own hands and escapes hydra. but it won't be as easy as she tought...

warnings: mentions of blood and child neglect

pairings: avengers x teen!reader (platonic)

genre: angst-ish, fluff at the end

Sorry for grammar mistakes.

If you have request feel free to ask🥰

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

Y/N Y/LN, but no one calls you by that name. To the world you are known as The Soldier of the Night, the merciless murderer. Mothers all over the world use you to teach their kids about most dreadful dangers. People gather around campfire in woods and share scary stories of your cold heart and homicides you don't feel guilty about. You are the biggest fear of each and every government there is in world.

And you always wonder what all those people would say if they knew how old you were. Or that you never kill willingly. Or that you silently pray every night for the victims you harmed or killed in your brainwashed state.

Or that hydra has no control over you anymore. You are currently running, without exact destination, just to get as far from hydra as you can. They are probably alerted of your absence by this point, but you are already in New York, so you can maybe find a hiding spot before they find you.

-

-Avengers pov

-

Nick Fury hurried to the avengers tower, where he called a sudden meeting this morning.

When he came in Steve and Sam were sweaty, probably just came from their morning jog. Bucky was still fighting sleep in his pyjamas, hair sticking out in different directions. Wanda was starring daggers at him for waking her up so early. Tony and Bruce were in lab coats, probably didn't sleep at all. All other avengers were at their respective missions.

"I called this meeting because my resources told me infamous Soldier of the Night is out of hydra HQ. We don't know why, but it's probably another killing mission for hydra. He is currently laying low, somewhere around south entrance to the city. Your mission is to stop him from harming anyone and bring him here. Alive if possible, it would benefit us to know what are hydra's plans at the moment." he finished.

"Alright." said Steve dutifully. "Any information we can get on him before we go?"

"Not much. Only that he is dangerous, and doesn't spare anyone. He is a ghost story. We don't even know if it's a he, that's just a guess."

"Very well. Everyone suit up, I expect you in front of tower in 10." Steve said and left, other avengers following behind.

-

They came back that evening, exhausted of their unsuccessful search. There was no trace of the soldier. But they had to keep looking as long as there's hope to get rid of the monster.

-

-2nd person pov

-

Your heart was racing a hundred miles. You were well aware of the possibility of hydra finding you. But you didn't expect it to be this soon. You were in hiding for only 2 months and they already tracked you down.

Windows broke on your left side and hydra agents started piling in. At the same time on your right side the door broke down revealing whole avengers team, with few additions. You faintly remember one of them as The Winter Soldier, but what was he doing with avengers? Your toughts were cut short by a punch in your face delivered by one of hydra agents.

That's when it snapped: you had to fight for your life. And you probably had to fight both sides.

You started fighting hydra agents, harming them as much as you can without killing.

The avengers stand at the doorstep, and you faintly hear one of them saying "What the actual fuck?". They seemed belivered.

But they soon join the fight knocking out hydra agents. A fist connected with the back of your head, knocking you out into pool of darkness.

-

Light clacking of bottles was the first thing you hear when you wake up. You squint your eyes open, panic finnaly kicking in to where you are. Your first tought was that you were back in hydra HQ, but the room was way too light for that, and hydra wanted you dead.

You started panicking and franatically got out of the bed, trying to escape. Whoever this is, they nean no good. Even avengers want to kill you. But as soon as you got up, black dots invaded your vision, causing you to fall. But before you hit the groung a pair of arms caught you, leading you to sit back in bed.

"Hey, hey sweetie calm down. No one will harm you here. Don't make any sudden movements, your head is still not completely healed." a man told you.

You just layed back and watched him bandage your wrist.

"I am Bruce Banner, by the way. What is your name?" he asked kindly.

"Y/N Y/LN" you whispered, almost inaudibly but he heard it.

"Alright, Y/N. I think I bandaged all your bruises. Rest of the team is waiting out, do you maybe want to meet them?"

By 'team' he probably meant rest of the avengers. You saw a big 'A' painted on the wasll, so that had to be it, right? You immediately shook your head no, eyes widening in fear. You still weren't sure they won't harm you, and meeting them seemed overwhelming in your current state.

"It's okay, calm down. You can meet them later. I will stay with you a little. We could talk if you want?"

You just shrugged your shoulders, not particularly fond of talking with anyone, but not wanting to seem rude because he did help you.

"Okay. How old are you Y/N?" he asked slowly.

"(your age)" you quietly said.

"Dear lord, you really are just a kid. I'm so sorry for everything you've gone through."

You just zoned out, thinking about everything that happened, when something poped up in your mind.

"Mr. Banner?" you asked shyly.

"Call me Bruce kiddo. What is it?"

"I tought I saw The Winter Soldier at the door when you guys came to get me?"

"Oh yes. Bucky. He was also in hydra, as you probably know. He was brainwashed. I suppose you were too?"

"I was, every time I killed somebody. Sometimes I went to missions with other agents and they didn't brainwash me, but I never killed anyone when I was in my senses." You started thinking about your victims as teers pooled in your eyes.

"We supposed so. Do you want me to bring Bucky in a little? Maybe he can help you feel better, because he knows what you're going through."

You slowly nodded, not wanting to reject meeting avengers the second time.

"Alright, he'll be here in a minute." Bruce gave you a gentle smile and patted your shoulder.

A minute after he exited, in came Bucky. He looked better than when you saw him last, but you doubted he's seen you. You were sneaking out, tryna find some food, when you heard and saw agents torturing him. That's about only memory you have of him, along with stories you've heard from other people.

"Hello there doll. How are you? Bruce told me you remember me." he said gently, sitting at the edge of your bed.

"I-I am alright, i guess. Th-thanks. And yes, I do. A little. I was passing by door, when I saw them torturing y-yo-you." you started sobbing a little, the memory bringing back others. Memories of them torturing you. And you torturing other people in your brainwashed state.

"Hey don't cry. It's okay, shhh. Come here." he opened his arms, and you hesitantly scooted closer, not exactly sure what he wanted. He circled his arms around you, and you flinched, thinking he's gonna attack you. But he just gently kept his arms wrapped around you, soothingly rubbing you back. after some time you wraoed your arms around his middle, still not sure what's going on.

But it was a nice feeling. You never felt something like it before. You felt so safe, like nothing could harm you as long as you two stay like that. You wanted to know what was all this about.

"Wha-at are you do-oing?" you asked after you stopped sobbing, but still hiccuping a little.

"Oh, I'm hugging you. Are you uncomfortable? I will stop if you are. Sorry." he said starting to draw back.

"No!" you quickly said, clutching onto him like koala. You were afraid the sense of comfort will leave you as soon as he withdraws from you.

"Shhh, doll. I won't let go. Never. Nothing will ever harm you here kiddo. We will take care of you. You can live normal life, like all other kids. Maybe go to school after you adapt to your surroundings. Here is a kid Peter he is about your age. You can make friends your age. And of course we will be your friends. For as long as you want it."

"Wait, I can live here? I'm not a burden?"

"No, of course not. Don't ever think that, please."

"B-Bu-Bru" you struggled to remember what Bruce told you his name was.

"Bucky. Or James, whichever you prefer kid."

"Oh okay. What are hugs Bucky?"

"Well I'm hugging you right now. You hug people ti show your emotions. Like comfort, thankfulness, happiness, love. It's what friends do."

"Wait wait wait. You never had a hug before?? Like ever????" a new voice boomed. It sounded genuine but way too loud. You flinched instinctively and hid your face in Bucky's shoulder. He tightened his hold on you for comfort.

"Can you be any louder Thor? And no she was practically raised in hydra, they don't exactly hug around." Bucky said.

"I am sorry, lady Y/N. For frightening you, and for my inappropriate question. I am Thor Odinson." he said coming closer to you.

"It's okay Mr. Thor. I'm Y/N Y/LN, nice to meet you." you said shyly.

"Oh it's lovely meeting you too. I came here because brother Stark asked me to ask you if our presence is wished upon now."

"Huh, what do you think, doll? Ready to meet 'em now? No pressure." Bucky quietly asked, only for you to hear.

You tought about it for a second, but if everyone is nice as three you already met, you'd like to meet them all. And with quiet "okay", Bucky nodded to Thor and he left to call the others in.

-

That night you layed in your bed, thinking of that day's events. You met everyone, since no one had missions assigned. They were all really nice to you. Even Loki, which surprised every avenger. You were not sure why tho, Loki was nice, and his voice was comforting. The Maximoff twins were really funny, and Tony already started making you your own room! Everyone else you've met was aweosme: Natasha, Clint, Steve, Sam and Rhodey. Peter was shy but nice, he promised to show you some good movies and he was belivered when you said you don't know what those are.

Bucky was still you favorite. He stayed the longest, promising to come and visit you first thing in the morning. You hoped he'll hug you again, you were quite fond of hugs now.

-

Few months passed since avengers saved you. Life couldn't be better at this point. You were home schooling, or rather preparing to go to real school next year. Peter already introduced you to his friends from school you are going to attend. You were training to become an avenger, and it was so exciting.

You were currently having breakfast tho, sitting in between Sam and Bucky who were bickering about one thing or other. Tony was dancing funnily while making pancakes, while Nat was trying to throw as many blueberries as possible at him. You heard Clint somewhere in wents above you, probably setting up a prank. You smiled to yourself. Even though you never knew love, or had a family until two months prior, avengers accepted you. They were slowly becoming your family, and you couldn't imagine your life without them. ;)

[dreamifics]

Oneshot

A day with the Avengers..

Avengers x Y/N (all platonic, maybe a bit of loki pining..)

The whole avengers entered the part of the compound where a busy Y/N is.. S/he was busy with and was doing things all over the place.

"What are you doing?" Natasha cautiously asks, the remaing avengers behind her..

"None ofnshahana.." S/he utters without looking up from what s/he's doing..

"What?" Tony questioned confused..

"She said none ofnshahana, Mr. Stark.." Peter answered..

"What--No Peter--"

"Y/N, what are you doing?" Sam asks again, and it pushed one of Y/N's buttons..

"I'm doing something for me and it's called NONE OF YOUR FU,--.."

"Languange!" Steve yelled, this time Y/N looked up and rolled her/his eyes..

"Ugh, didn't see you there Capsicle!" S/he said sarcastically causing Steve to shake his head either in amusement or disappointment. It's really hard to tell..

"What are you working on, Y/N?" Natasha continue to ask the questions..

"Nothing, school project!" Y/N answered going back to whatever s/he's doing..

"Didn't you graduate school like five years ago.." Wanda chirped in..

"Oh..Did I say school project?I meant--hahaha!" S/he laughs nervously, Y/N faked a cough.. This made all the Avengers more suspicious of his/her actions..

"I meant just a project.." S/he answered timidly and focuses back to whatever s/he was doing.

"Is it dangerous?" Vision asks as the others wait for Y/N's answer..

"Umm--Not that I can think of.."

"Alright then!Let's drink, throw the party Stark!" Thor announced, he only received glares from the rest..

"No, were not leaving unless we find out what Y/N's working on.." Stark whispers as he lead them away from Y/N's earshot.

"I have a plan Mr. Stark!" Peter pitched in..

"No, I don't want you to get hurt son.." Tony subconsciously called Peter son.. Which he regrets but he had no time for that.

"Di-Did you just call me son?" Peter was in the verge of tears, he finally had a father figure in his life..

"What?!No!I mean---nevermind kid, I need to find out what Y/N's working on!" Tony left but Peter followed him..

"But Dad--i mean Mr. Stark!"

"I love being here!" Thor said earning a praise from the others.. A eerie silence passed by and no one has talked..

"Wanna bet on what Y/N's working on?" Sam broke the deafening silence. All the remaing heroes seemed to agree on Sam's idea..

"Hell yeah!" Clint cheered while crossing his arms.

"Sure, im bored anyways.." Natasha answered while leaning on the wall..

"I bet my 20 dollars, that Y/N's working on a kind of laser end of the world thing.." Clint took out his 20 dollars and showes it to everyone.

"That doesn't make sense.." Natasha countered Clint..

"Well, it does to me.." Clint just rolled his eyes to Natasha 

"Fine, I bet 50 bucks that Y/N's working on some kind of serum.." Natasha offered..

"Specify what kind of serum she's making.." Bruce questioned while working something in his phone..

"I don't know Bruce, I don't have fancy diplomats like you do.."

"I bet 10 dollars that Y/N's working on something related to me!" Thor said proudly with a cheeky grin on his face.

"What?That's stupid!" Sam utter.

"Like your plans?" Bucky jokes, making the rest laugh except for Sam..

"Oooh!Sick burn, Buck!" Clint high five Bucky but he was just confused..

"Okay!" Clint said in disappointment.

"Just bet you guys!" Sam was growing impatient.

"I bet that--" Wanda didn't even finish her sentences when Sam cut her off..

"Not you.."

"Why?" She asks..

"You can read minds, I'm not gonna risk my money, Wanda.."

"I don't read people's mind without their permission!" Wanda counteracts.

"You sure?" Vision questioned knowing that his girlfriend was lying..

"Fine!Let's just go and watch Seinfield.." Wanda scoffs and pulled Vision into their share bedroom.

"Alright, call T'Challa and ask him if he wants in.." Clint points at Nat but she mouthed 'no".

"Why not?"

"You're seriously bringing the king of Wakanda into a stupid bet?" Natasha was seriously surrounded by stupid heroes..

"Fine, just call Shuri.." Now Clint has just earned a slap from Black Widow..

"Hey!Why did you do that?!" He shrieks..

"We are not calling anyone!" Natasha lost her patience..

"Scott Lang?" Clint slowly asks..

"No--Maybe.." She gave up, there was nothing keeping Clint from calling their resources.

"Yes!" Clint excitedly leaves to call Scott..

"What about you, Cap?" Sam asks..

"I'm going for a run.." Steve said while almost half way to the door.

"Boooring!" Sam teases, he turns to Bucky..

"What about you Barnes?"

"I bet that this bet is stupid, and I'm going to run with Steve.."

"Geez, what a fun couple.." Natasha mutters, Sam just shrugged it off and focuses on Banner.

"What about you Bruce?"

"Very busy.." Banner answered, not looking up from his phone..

"Alrighty then, so Clint has 20 dollars on lasers, Romanoff's 50 bucks is on a serum, and thor's 10 dollars is on himself? And me!Well I bet 100 dollars that Y/N is working on a weapon to destroy humanity!" Sam recapped quickly..

"Woah, geez Sam.. Not so dark!" Natasha scolds.

"What?I just said she's working on a weapon, I never said she would use it!"

"Still that's so horrid!" Natasha groaned at Sam.. Suddenly Clint was back and he came from one of the vents..

"Hey--I just got off the phone with Scott, he said he bets 10 dollars that Y/N is working on a device that will turn him/herself into a--horse?" Clint explained confused..

"Wait--that's so detailed.." Bruce wondered..

"I know, but hey, easy money!" Clint toss his phone back into his pockets..

"Alright, let's wait on what Stark would be able to find.." Sam announced as they all walk towards Tony's office.

"Your money's mine, Romanoff!" Clint jokes..

"Your wife's mine, Barton.." Natasha smirks and sashay her way to their destination.

"What?" Clint said in a sad tone, he stopped on his tracks as Natasha's word replayed in his mind.

"Let's just find Stark.." Sam pats Clint's back as a sign of comfort, his friend just nod and followed Natasha.

Some of the Avengers were sitting on the living room watching a movie when a loud scream followed by a--

"I HAVE DONE IT!! BWAHAHAHAH!" interrupted them..

Sam came rushing out of his room with a bathrobe covering his body.. There were still soap in his face and hair, he was obviously in a hurry.

"Did you guys hear that?!" He asks..

"Yepp, sounds like a mad scientist to me.." Natasha answered while the others try to focus on the tv.

"LOL, yeah.." Steve was trying on some slangs he heard from Peter and Y/N.. But when he said that, they only gave him weird stares.

"Cap, that's very weird.." Sam whispered to the super soldier.

"I agree.." Bucky agreed.

"Wh-Why?"

"Just-Just don't.." Natasha didn't want to explain that it was weird seeing a fossil say slangs.. Steve was just heartbroken, he tried to fit in but that seems impossible.

"Anyways, Stark said he found something.." Wanda change the topic of their conversation.. They all gave her a thank you look.

"Alright!" Tony's voice boomed out throughout the whole place, he walked up to them..

"Hello, everyone.. No need for applause, I just find out what Y/N was inventing!"

"Yes!Wooh!" They all cheer as they ready their money.. The tension was on just like when Tony and Steve had a petty fight.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, can you please tell Y/N to come to the living room." Tony said to his A.I .

"Calling Y/N, sir.."

"Y/N is coming, sir.."

They all seem giddy and excited to what Stark found, the money in their hands was getting hot as the seconds pass.. Y/N walked in, s/he was covered in hair, it kinda looks like it belonged to an animal..

"Make it fast, Stark..I'm a busy person.." Y/N's voice pulled everyone out of their minds and back to the current situation.

"I just found out what your working on.." Tony blurts out, it made Y/N gasps..

"Wh-What?!How dare you?!"

"And to settle all the bets, I will announce it to everyone.." Tony continue, this was the cherry on top of Y/N's anger..

"You bitch!"

"Languange!" Steve was already wired to say that everytime he hears a profanity but this was obviously not a good time.

"Shut up, Capsicle!" Y/N and Tony both shushed him, he flops back down to his seat..

"Don't you dare disobey me, Stark!"

"Y/N has been working on a device that will turn her into a horse!" Y/N gasps, she felt her heart dropped on the floor..

"Peter is Stark's true son!" Y/N blurted out due to panic in his/her mind..

"What?!" The rest shout at the same time, they were confused on what's going on..

"Peter is not my son, but Y/N is building a device that will turn her/himself into a horse.." Tony explained making everyone calm down a little..

"So, Scott won?" Clint asks dumbfounded, he just lost his money.

"No!This bet is stupid anyways!No one won, this bet is cancelled!" Sam shouts, he just bet a hundred dollars and he was so sure that Y/N was creating a machine to destroy humanity.

"I told you this bet is stupid.." Bucky whisper shouts to Sam but he didn't listen and just gave Bucky the finger..

"I think, I think the bigger issue is Y/N's weird---fondness on horses.." Vision stated..

"Ugh!" Y/N glared at all of them..

"This is your fault Stark!I would kill you if I didn't love Morgan!"

"Do it then!" Stark taunts causing everyone to try and calm the situation down.

"Woah, woah calm down.." Bucky intervenes..

"Y/N what's with this horse thing?" Steve asks causing Y/N to blush and back down.

"Ha ha!Petty humans.." Thor was standing from a far spot away from the rest and just watching with popcorn in hand.

"Well.." Y/N muttered..

"Explain.." Natasha ordered.

"Fine, but first.." Y/N oblied, ,s/he had a soft spot for Natasha due to their one similarity.. And that's to piss off Stark..

"Is Loki here?" Y/N asks in a hush tone.

"No, he's still sleeping.." Wanda answered.. This answer made Y/N relax, s/he sits down on one of the chairs..

"Now tell us everything!" Natasha barks.

"Alright!"

"This information that I'm about to tell you is very confidential, if I find out that this gets to Loki I would kill every one of you.." Y/N threatens causing some of them to be scared.. Y/N was a brutal killer, and s/he was even worse than the Winter Soldier  .

"S-Sure.." They all stutter, obviously scared of what information Y/N was about to drop..

"I was reading a book about Norse mythology, and stumble upon a story about.." Y/N couldn't bring herself to say the rest..

"About what?" Sam asks curiously..

"About Loki and a horse.." Y/N finally utters..

"What's with loki and a horse?" Steve questioned..

"He--Umm, I can't do it!" Y/N panicked and broke down..

"Ugh, I'll take matter on my own hands.." Tony said, earning a little applause from the rest of the Avengers.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, search and read the story about Loki and the horse?" Tony was unsure that this even exist..

"Oh god.." Thor whispers under his breath as it daunts to him, slowly backing away from everyone..

"Sleipnir was the eight-legged horse born of Loki, and belonged to Odin. Loki gave birth to Sleipnir after turning himself into a female horse when his father demanded he sabotage the work of a craftsman from being able to complete the fortification of Asgard in one season.." The A.I read the information it got.. They all seem dumbfounded, Y/N seems embarrassed and was shifting weight to every part of her body.. Thor was just shaking his head in disappointment..

"WHAT THE FRACK Y/N?!" Natasha questions..

"DID YOU DO ALL OF THE HORSE THING TO HAVE SEX WITH LOKI?!" Wanda asked..

"No!I was just curious if--umm he was attracted to horse.."

"Why not just buy a horse?!" Sam asks.

"Because--"

"That's just a myth Y/n!" Bucky shouts at Y/N..

"And how do you know that?!"

"God, just ask Loki out the normal human way!" Clint utters as he hide his face in disappoint.

"Bu--"

"No buts, you're banned from my lab.." Tony cut Y/N off..

"Why?!" This causes outrage to Y/N..

"You were doing weird things in there!"

"That's unreasonable!You have sex there with Pepper and you don't see me bitching about that!" Y/N blurted out, the rest suddenly felt weird and just gave each other looks.

"How the hell do you know about that?" Tony questioned..

"Well Pepetony, if you two would have sex make sure no one's around to see it!"

"Shut up!You're grounded!" Tony was mad, he didn't knew that someone knows about that..

"You're not my dad!" Y/N answered..

"But I'm in charge!"

"Of the bills?Yeah!But Steve is really the one in charge, right Cap?" Y/N looked over to Steve but he panics and stands up fast.

"Uhh--I'm going for a walk!" Steve excused and walked away from this uncomfortable moment.

"Me too!" Some utters as they follow Steve..

"We're all coming!" Natasha announced, walking away she follows everyone outside..

"BYE TONY!" Sam shouts..

"I'm coming too!" Y/N was walking when s/he was stopped by Tony..

"Nope!"

"Son of a gun!"

"I'm also taking you to a therapist.." He announced, but Y/N gave up, s/he was tired and need to rest..

"Ugh, whatever..Imma throw out my horse convertible.."

"That's a stupid name.." Tony mutters..

"Not as stupid as yours.."

"I'm giving you back to Strange.."

"I rather live with Voldemort.." Y/N answered as s/he rolls his/her eyes..

"Ehh, he is weird.." Tony commented..

"Tell me about it, you know his cloak?" Y/N was suddenly intrigued by talking dirt behind Stephen's back but s/he knows that Strange already knows that this is happening..

"Yeah.." Tony answered unsure of what Y/N was pointing out 

"He doesn't wash it.."

"That's disgusting!" Tony gasped and shakes his head..

"I KNOW!"

Loki was sitting from the surveillance room, watching it all happen with a scared Bruce on his side..

"Are--Are they always like this?" He asks..

"Yeah.." Bruce answered, obviously terrified of Loki..

"Fascinating.." Loki said as he relax more into the chair and played with his dagger.. To Bruce, this scared him but he knew that Loki was change.. He was just baffled by his obsession with daggers and how his eyes are always dark.. But he still can't believe that Y/N 's working on a device that will turn her/him to a horse..

If you guys have any request for imagines about ( marvel characters, DC characters, stranger things, game of thrones, brooklyn 99, friends, basically anything! I accept everything!)

[ladywinterwitch]

Run Away (Ten - Strangers)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Avenger! Reader

Summary: You and Steve complete each other. Your love is that strong and devoted kind of love that pushes people to things like marriage, making a family. You couldn't imagine that a baby would be something you really wished, until the possibility wasn't your choice anymore.

Warnings: pregnancy talk, fluff, A N G S T, I think that's it??

Words Count: 3739

A/n: Next chapter is longer and INTENSE

Series masterlist , main masterlist

(GIF not mine)

Y/n and Steve ended up falling asleep, which was a bit embarassing especially on his part. In the end tho they woke up around two in the afternoon and were starving. You also thought about the fact that Helen must've already set in by now. After cleaning up a bit and getting redressed the two actually went to separate directions, Steve to the gym because he had a bunch of new recruits to train by three sharp, while Y/n was heading to the kitchen.

-FRIDAY, would you call up ms Simon for me?- she found Tony, Vision and Thor in the common room so she quickly greeted them.

-Hey guys, taking a break?- she smiled when Thor got up to greet her properly. He was such a physical and affectionate person. He reminded her of a golden retriever; huge, with long hair and a heart of gold. Your smile widened when he bent down to press his ear to her belly.

-Well yes darling, do you forget that aside from kicking some ass every now and then we're basically jobless?- Tony joked. Both he and Vision were looking at you two.

-How is your pregnancy going, Y/n?- Vision asked in his posh and polite manner. She tilted her head to the side. Thor still touching the smooth and round surface. She didn't mind at all.

-It's going smoothly, thank you. Tho if I have to be honest I can't wait to at least give birth. I love my belly but it's so complicated to live with. I also miss actually moving around and exiting the tower. I don't think I've ever been so still and babyed in my life.-

-If it was an easy job, God wouldn't have gave it to women.- they all turn around when you hear an unfamiliar voice, which they soon found out to be Helen's. Thor stands straight in all his tallness and gets in front of her protectively.

-Who are you?- he asks suspiciously. She put a hand on his arm to calm him down.

-It's okay, Thor. This is Helen Simon, she's my new midwife. The one me and Steve hired this morning.- her head turns quickly to Tony then back to Helen. Tony stands up, fixing the invisible fold in his tracksuit pants and smugly walks to the older woman.

-Stark. Tony Stark. I actually hired you, but I'll let the happy couple have the glory.- he joked and you shook your head amused. They shook hands and then Vision introduced himself as well. Thor just acknowleged her with a nod. It's not like the God of Thunder had to introduce himself.

-Okay guys, see you later. I'm starving so.- you decided to cut it, but obviously Tony had to sneak in a joke. Had to.

-I'm sure cap worn you out.- Thor, which didn't know what timing was, bless his heart, decided to burst out laughing. You rolled your eyes not looking back.

-Jealousy doesn't match with your shoes Anthony.- you clapped back, still hearing Thor laugh and Tony calling him out.

A few feet down the corridor there was the kitchen, and when Y/n finally tought that her and Helen could have a minute alone, they found Wanda intently reading a book while she mover her finger around to spin the teaspoon in a mug. She looked up when they entered the room. Her finger stopped working and so did the spoon, the faint magenta colored aura disappearing.

-Hello?- she said, tentatively. Y/n ignored her cold stare and walked to the fridge taking out the leftover chicken and some salad to mix.

-She's Helen, the midwife me and Steve talked about.- there was a subtle warning in Y/n's voice. She thought 'Be nice' in her mind, and when Wanda sighed she knew she read her mind.

-Nice to meet you. If you'll excuse m- - Wanda was about to get up from the stool but the old woman's voice stopped her.

-You aren't eating that chicken cold are you? How old is it?- she walked closer, grabbing the plastic box from her hands. Both her and Wanda were a little taken aback by her bluntness, and shared a look.

-Uh..Yeah? I was actually going to put it in the salad. And it's..I'm not sure, a couple of days old? Still perfectly fresh and untouched.- she answered trying to reassure her, but she wasn't having it at all.

-This isn't eating healthy. If you want a healthy baby you need to eat properly. I'll take care of your meals from now on. - she stated, putting the box aside. - The non pregnant teammates can risk getting sick with that chicken. - Wanda's gaze darkened and her eyes took a light shade of red.

-What's that supposed to mean, old lady? - Y/n saw her fingers starting to move around with the corner of her eye and put her own hand on hers.

-Helen didn't mean anything, Wanda. She just meant that I have to be extra careful in comparison to the rest of you, ok? Don't you have to be somewhere right now?- she asked in the most calm way. The last hting she needed was Wanda yeeting Helen out of the tower on the first day. Wanda closed and picked up her book and mug, walking towards the exit of the kitchen.

-I mean, I'd like to go to the terrace to chill, but I can't.- Y/n frowned while sitting on a stool. Meanwhile Helen had already started to inspect their whole frige.

-I can feel Bucky and his girl going at it so yeah, I did not plan to watch a live performance.- she choked on water and the old lady turned around with a rather disgusted face. Wanda just shrugged and left them. The girl turned towards the older woman with an awkward smile.

-Welcome I guess.- the short fake laugh was over as soon as Helen sat in front of her, her hands conjoined in front of her.

-This isn't good.- the girl shifted uncomfortably, then uncosciously starting to rub her belly as a sign of comfort.

-What isn't?- the lady sighed. -First off, there are way too many people here. This place is chaotic, the people aren't giving you the peace that you need. This isn't a baby-space. At all. I just looked into your frigde and there isn't a single thing ready or 100% healthy probably except vegetables. Y/n if you want to be a good mother and be healthy for your baby you need to change a few things.- her words at first irritated her, setting off her protectiveness towards the people she called family, but then as she went on, she made her feel little. Like a little girl who wasn't good enough. She sighed silently.

-What would you have me do then?- she asked. Helen shrugged, still mantaining her perfect posture.

-I'm not gonna suggest you to buy a new place, because where you'll live after the baby is born is your business, but..- she paused, -I can offer you to come live at my place for these last two months or so. I have a nice, peaceful place a little outside New York. I already had eight of my patients do this, it's not so absurd.- she explained like it was the most normal thing in the world. Y/n was listening, but she wasn't convinced. She decided that she had to think about it first. She had to know for sure that she was professional and competent.

-I don't know, Helen. I'll admit that it isn't the most tranquil place to live, but...these people are my family. They have always been by my side, pregnant or not. And what about Steve? The father of my firstborn?- she marked the last phrase, tilting her head to the side. A little habit she probably took from Wanda.

-Because they care about you. But in truth, tell me, aren't you feeling like a burden? Like you get into their business?- she mirrored the young woman's expression. Y/n didn't answer at first.

-You're really not going soft on this are you?- Helen released a dry laugh. Shook her head and paused before talking.

-Yes. I began working as a nurse unofficially when I was 13 years old, during the Prague Spring reforms in '68. The hospital was in short of nurses so.- she explained, -That time wasn't easy. Not that the one before it and after it wasn't, that is. You either grow a thick skin or you don't survive.- Y/n felt for her, as she had a very similar destiny. First she doesn't know how she ended up in an orphanage, and then when she was fifteen and nobody took her, they kicked her out. She was homeless for a year until SHIELD recruited her, and the rest is history.

The older woman got up and took some vegetables, washed them and then placed them down to slice them. Y/n got up as well and started helping. She eyed the fresh eggs, so she guessed that Helen wanted to make a quick frittata.

-How did you end up in America? As midwife, nonetheless.- she asked.

-Why most foreign people come to America? Certainly not the food.- The woman responded with a slight hint of irony. The girl chuckled.

-Touché.-

-In any case, I've been here more than half of my live, moved many states mainly for my own choice. Being a private midwife pays decently.- she paused to dump the sliced vegetables into a pan with a little oil and salt.

-I became one because I was fascinated by the whole process that the woman's body goes through both before, during and after birth. I assisted two of my older sisters, and in the end ended up doing it as a job.- Y/n nodded, listening.

-That's actually amazing. But if I can ask, you do not have kids yourself?-

-No. Didn't have the possibility at first. Then decided that just it was my profession but not my future. No regrets.- she answered even tho the girl could sense that something was off. She decided not to intrude.

Silence fell between them while they were cooking, and the younger woman took the popularity to think about what she said. The woman was practical, a bit harsh maybe. But she also had a lot of experience. She didn't like the thought of leaving her family, but she had to admit that she often felt like a burden lately. More than once someone stayed behind to look after her, and even tho they didn't seem to mind at all, she did. She wasn't used to being so pampered and looked after, and sometimes she almost felt suffocated. Guess that spending many years of your life having to take care of yourself takes a toll on you.

She didn't want to decide anything without talking it out with Steve first. And it wouldn't be permanent, just for the last couple months or so, until she had the baby. If she really thought about it maybe she needed some time to reconnect with herself, to learn how to take care of her baby in the best way possible. Even the stupidest thing like cold chicken could potentially make her sick, and it was such a small thing. But that doesn't change the fact that she didn't knew. She wasn't one of those moms who surrounded herself with books teaching her every do's and don'ts, but at this point insecurity was kicking in. The last thing she would ever want was to be a bad mother even before actually becoming one.

-

Between a baby shop and another, and a whole new diet including an embarrassing amount of tea, Y/n finished her eight month of pregnancy. She was feeling as tired and as big as ever. Helen actually helped a lot both with the cooking, the health tips and with the shopping. She actually sobbed when they bought the crib. Both because she was emotional, a bit because hormones and also because Steve was again away on a mission. The whole team was actually. They had new leads in the Hungarian case and another completely different mission in South Korea, a tough one. So it required the whole team split up. That was the fist time Y/n was left alone since she knew she were pregnant. It all went smoothly, the tower actually felt quiet for once.

Y/n and Helen had found a nice dynamic, and most of the time spent time in a comfortable silence, each doing their thing. A downside that she wasn't realizing was the distance that was slowly creeping from her to the team. They didn't really like the midwife that much, Wanda, Thor and Bucky especially didn't like her at all. But Y/n felt for her, she felt like she knew her better than them so she often took her side, which hurt them back.

Steve on the other hand wasn't realizing it almost at all. All he cared about was his wife being healthy and that she got along with the midwife. They didn't sleep together often anymore, due to the fact that he was often away and she was constantly tired. Bruce did warn her at the beggining that this 'enhanced' baby would've probably tired her out, and it did at first but then she was feeling very well. She and Helen both blamed it on the tiredness of the pregnancy as a whole.

The last straw was when some of the guys, specifically Sam, Thor and Peter, whom didn't live at the tower and was rarely involved in missions because of Tony, went to see them and in some way, nobody actually know how, they made a whole ass hole in the floor above the library. Fate wanted that Y/n and Helen were reading just a few feet away. If they were just a bit closer to the door, they would've been hit by the pavement pieces.

Helen gasped and jumped out of her seat, book still in her hand by the corner. The younger woman on the other hand was more mad than anything.

She rose from the armchair, struggling a bit and marched towards the now destroyed door. The damage wasn't so bad, but it was still damage and it could've been way worse. She was fuming.

-Y/n! Shit are you okay? - Sam yelled from above. The three guys looking down from the hole they created.

-I'm so sorry it wasn't me! It was Thor! - Peter joined in and caused the God to respond, and from that a whole lot of mess arose.

The people who weren't on a mission, which were Wanda, Bucky and Tony, came running.

Y/n didn't know where to look and all of a sudden started felling a bit suffocated. She brought a hand to her forehead, distubed by the chaos arouns her.

-Stop! Fucking stop it! - she yelled, groaning from frustration. Everyone stopped talking while the girl started to feel her eyes prickle with tears of frustration.

-Why is never, ever a single day if peace in here? There's always someone around, making a mess, making noise, complaining- - she almost stumbled on a piece of ceiling that had fallen, but Bucky and Tony were right behind her and helped her stabilize herself, but she shoved them off.

-Leave me be!- she exclaimed frustrated. She huffed, trying to take a deep breath. -I'm moving out.- a chorus of 'What' arose. Bucky stepped forward and grabbed her wrist gently.

-What are you talking about?- his eyes showed confusion and panic.

-And when would have you decided this stupid thing?- Tony crossed his arms and went straight up 'Tony Stark' on her. Y/n rolled her eyes, ignoring both questions and walked out of the now damaged library. Helen followed suit.

-At least wait for Steve to return!- Wanda said. Thor jumped down, through the new hole in the ceiling and followed her like the others.

-Y/n, we're sorry! Look, I'm gonna fix the ceiling myself okay? Please don't go- Y/n's ached to see them upset, but she was tired. Too tired. She was afraid that if she had stayed more than she could withstand, their relationships could've been ruined. That was the last thing she wanted. She didn't knew exactly what was that overwhelmed her so much. She felt constantly tired and in pain, all the noise, number of people..it had become just too much. She needed to finish this pregnancy alone, or at least in a more quiet place.

She stopped in her tracks and exhaled silently. Her eyes passed through everyone in the room. Even in that moment, they were decimated because of the mission, yet there were still eight people in the room. When normally it would've been around 15. That's too many people.

-It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault, specifically. I just.. I feel overwhelmed. There's too much going on here at the tower. And for me it's like seeing life go on without being able to do anything. I need some space, okay? It won't be forever. Hell, if everything goes well it's gonna be a month, at best. But I really, really need a break. I am going to pack and leave by afternoon, when Steve returns, just send him to the address that I'll leave for him. Okay? I love you guys, you're my family and I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Its just temporary.- she smiled softly, trying not to get emotional. Wanda was visibly upset, on the verge of crying. The others just looked sad, maybe disappointed. But nobody said anything, so she turned her heels and went straight to her room.

-

By five pm she and Helen were already gone. The older woman called them a cab, the driver took care of their stuff and then they were gone. Y/n was silent during most of the trip, both because of the extreme tiredness and sadness. She never changed home since she moved to the tower. She also thought about what she would tell Steve. She knew she couldn't contact him, so she didn't. They had left two days prior, so it was a bit early to know when he'll be coming home. But she knew a hundred percent that he would've gotten to her even before going home.

The two women were headed to the older one's house, which was in Avalon, New Jersey. Helen had told her about her beach house, quite far from the city. Y/n did actually fall asleep after the first hour or so, they had around three in total so she didn't worry about not waking up. By her surprise though, she did sleep throughout the whole trip, and yet, she was still tired. In those days her head gave her particular discomfort, so any noise at all really disturbed her.

Helen woke her up gently when they arrived, the she helped her get out of the car. Meanwhile the driver, which was a quite young man, probably around her age, which was 27, with curly black hair, stubble and dark green eyes, took their luggage off of the trunk.

-That's all. Have a nice stay.- he smiled slightly. Y/n frowned, what about the money?

-How much do we owe you?- she asked sweetly. He waved his hand dismissively, going back in the driver's seat.

-The lady already paid me, I'm ok. Bye.- he waved goodbye and drove off. Y/n and Helen dragged the luggage insider her villa, by which the girl definitely was taken aback.

-You didn't tell me that you live in a Villa?-

-Maybe, but I did tell you that being a private midwife pays well. I also need space if I want to take people living with me.- she explained. The first thing that you could see was the huge open space which showed a not exaggeratedly large living room with a window door on the right, on the left there was the kitchen and in the middle a staircase.

It wasn't very decorated, but the light palette of the whole place defines had a calming effect. Y/n was so used to the high rise and high technology of the Avengers tower that she had almost forgot how nice and intimate a normal house could be.

Helen showed y/n around a little, then ended up in the spare room, which had a large bed, a balcony and some essential forniture pieces such as a wardrobe, a vanity, a full length mirror, an armchair.

-This is really nice, Helen.- she smiled tiredly, caressing her big belly while she walked around. But as she was walking towards the balcony, she had a slight attack of vertigo, and her knees buckle for a second. The woman was at her side in a few seconds, helping her onto the bed. Y/n huffed, the back of her hand on her eyes.

-Why am I so shitty? I was pretty good until a few months ago.- she whined, and Helen shook her head while she stroked her arm.

-Every pregnancy is different, Y/n. You're just tired, from the car and that chaotic place.- the disdain in her voice didn't really pleased Y/n, but she didn't say anything. She didn't have the strength and besides, it's not like she was particularly liked at the tower anyway.

-I'll get you a tea, be right back.- Y/n chuckled.

-I drank more of your Hungarian tea than water in the last months.- Helen pulled a tight smile.

-Well, it is a traditional recipe for pregnant women. Not that you seem to mind it either.- the girl relaxed her eyes and discarded her sneakers to the ground.

-No, it has a peculiar taste but not bad.-

-Good.- and with that she left the girl alone. Helen went down the stairs, and turned on the stove to warm some water. She then opened a drawer, forcing the wood layer to come up by using her fingernails, pulling out an old fashioned phone.

She went to the contacts and dialed the only one there was. She waited a few minutes, when someone picked up.

-Igen?-

-Közeledünk. Készülj fel.- she said, hanging up.

************

Translation from Hungarian: ‘Yes?’ ‘We’re close. Get ready.’

Hiii, this is quite a short chapter but I wanted to end it with ✨ suspense ✨ the next one tho is gonna be way longer. Lastly, friendly reminder that my taglist and my ask inbox are open!

***********

Taglist : @polarcrystall @a--1--1--3  @jessyballet​

[deexchanel]

Don't do this to me.

Word Count:

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x BlackFem!OC

Warning: Angst, Sadness.

Summary: Charmaine's first mission with the team but it doesn't end well and the team loses a member.

Go to the series masterlist before you read this chapter, if this is your first time: Charmaine

A/N: Okay so I feel way more comfortable posting this chapter after I said I wasn't going to post the rest. Let me know if this cringy, I love feedback.

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The day was Friday and it was the same as any other day, Charmaine was back home from her class, Peter was getting out of school, the team either train or helped find the location of the Hydra base that held the scepter. One month after the avengers been staying in the tower. The relationship between Charm and Bucky was growing every day, at times they act like a couple without even noticing.

"Did you enjoy dinner?" Charm questioned while washing the few dishes that were in the sink. Bucky walked over placing a kiss on her cheek and putting his dirty plate in the water.

"I loved it, that lobster mac and cheese was amazing."

She blushed at the comment and his boldness of him kissing her on the cheek. He winked then walked over to the couch sitting down beside Sam, joining him in the movie that was playing. Bucky let go of the nervous breath he was holding,  he seemed confident on the outside but on the inside, he was scared as fuck.

Charmaine wasn't no easy girl that he would flirt and take home the same night in the '40s. She was the girl that he wants to get to know fully, learn the little things about, be himself around. So most time he was around Charm, he was nervous as hell praying that he wouldn't say something dumb.

Charmaine hummed one of her favorite songs while cleaning up the last dish thinking about a certain long-haired brunette. She turned around coming face to face with spiderman who was hanging upside down.  The 21-year old let out a yelp clutching her heart.

"Peter don't do that !! What the hell dude."

"You okay Charm?" Bucky questioned from the couch looking over at her. He saw Peter hanging down so his concerns washed away. "Oh, Peter just scared her."

"Yeah, you alright?" Sam asked as well not taking his eyes off the screen, ignoring what Bucky just said.

"Sorry Champagne, I just came back from patrol and I rushed in here before you left to ask you this. Can you make brownies? I wasn't here the last time you made them and everyone said they were good. " Peter rambled as he let himself come down, sitting on top of the perfectly clean marble countertop.

"They were!" Sam chimed in.

"See! I want to try them." Peter pout poking out his lip.

"I be spoiling you guys I swear. I'll make some just for you Peter."  Charm groaned playfully, opening the cabinet grabbing the brownie box. "Get your ass off my counter, I just cleaned it."

Peter hopped off happily," So? You and Bucky?"

"Peter if you continue to say something about that topic, I'm not making the brownies." She warned looking in the fridge for the eggs.  Maria walked in from the elevator with a serious face grabbing everyone's attention.

"They found the base. Cap said suit up and meet them in the lab in 5. Peter, Happy is downstairs waiting for you."

Everyone nodded and Charm hugged Peter. Tony had let slide with one of his kids going on the mission, not both so Peter was going home until they got back. She kissed his forehead.

"This mission shouldn't take long, I'll be back to make your brownies. Be good for Aunt May."

" I am Champagne, be safe and please come back. "

"I will Petey. I'll always come back."

-----------

Charmaine walked in beside Sam as they were the last two to join the rest in the lab. She found a spot beside Scott. Everyone was in full armor ready to go except Bruce and Tony because you know.

"Glad of you two to finally make it," Tony said sarcastically then started swiping away on his tablet. It projects a hologram of what seems to be Rome. "We are going to Rome. Intel tells us that hydra has a camp in the countryside."

The hologram shows a huge vineyard with a building that looked abandoned with little buildings surrounded.

"Inside sources tell us that the person who is over this organization called M.A.Z.E is supposed to be visiting any moment now. We're taking down two operations at once so be prepared for this mission to be one of the hardest." Maria said reading something off her tablet. Charm snuck a glance at Bucky who was in his winter soldier attire. She hoped that this mission wasn't going too hard for him.

"Brief explanation. Stay focused at all times, take out as many as you can, feeling overwhelmed? Walk it off. Get in, Get out. Anyone that has the chance grabs the scepter." Steve spoke with determination.

"When we get there we fight anyone that comes our way. Sam or Stark will find a way to get us in. Charm you stay by someone at all times okay? first mission and we don't want to lose you."

"Gotcha." Charm nod her head understanding his rule.

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

Inside the quinjet, she sat beside Bucky. Both had their mask off to communicate with each other. Everyone was in either their own zone or in a conversation. Bucky closed his eyes so he could converge on how to not lose control of himself, he didn't want to completely turn back into the winter soldier.

"You like my suit?" Charmaine asked softly taking him out of his trance.

Bucky turns his head giving a smile, "I like it. You make it look good and very badass."

"I feel like a badass." She jokes making them laugh. As their laughter died down, Charm grabbed his hand pulling it in her lap. "Are you okay about this whole mission? I know history with you and hydra isn't really that good."

"I should be good, I just don't want to be captured again, you know? Steve and I are still working on me not reacting to my trigger words. It's hard but it's working. Plus I got you fighting by my side so we are going to be the coldest duo."

"Well I'm not going to let that happen, you protect me so I'm going to always protect you . If you don't mind, I could help with the trigger words? I'll be there to hold your hand or something." Charm said with quiet empathy giving him a soft smile. " Coldest duo? Well, this mission should be over in no time. When we get back can we finish watching Legally Blonde? You fell asleep before it started leaving me up by myself."

"I'll check with Steve when we do it the next time, I wouldn't want you to get hurt if anything happened," Bucky said nodding his head towards Steve. " And I told you that I was tired! You didn't listen and put on the movie anyway."

"I'm not going to get hurt and I thought you were playing!" Charm said in defense then calmed down. "Hey, Bucky?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm always going to be here for you okay? You mean the world to me and I don't want to lose you under no circumstances." She said holding his hand to her face. Charmaine looked him in the eyes, showing that she was serious. A world without Bucky is a world that she can't live in. She needs him.

His hand opened and Charm cuddled to it. Bucky looked at her in admiration rubbing his thumb against her cheek. He admits it, Buchanan was head over heels for her,"You mean the world to me as well so don't think you're going anywhere. You're my lucky charm."

In the next four hours, they had arrived Rome's countryside and everyone prepared for landing. Charm stood next to her dad as his Iron Man suit connects over his body. Before his helmet covered his face, Tony turned to Charm.

"Kiddo, be safe alright? Don't get hurt or anything."

"I will." She reassured and he kissed her forehead. 'Now thinking about it Tony has a weird way of expressing his feelings' Charmaine thought to herself. The doors to the jet opened and Steve spoke up, "Stark, Sam you're up!"

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

A/N: I am not good with action so skipping to the juicy part.

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

Charmaine ran down the hallway trying to find the exit to the big building. Thor didn't retrieve the scepter and they were still looking but time was winding down. She ran into this room where there were big computer screens on the wall with a closed-cell in the corner.

"Ahh, I have been looking for you." A female voice came from behind her making Charmaine turn around swiftly. "I'm Mazikeen and you are going to be on in my unit."

The room filled with tension as they circled each other not losing sight of one another. "Unit? I'm not going to be anyone's slave. Let alone let you lay a finger on me, so let go of that stupid ass idea you have." Charmie snapped holding her fist up. Mazikeen winked getting in defense mode as well.

"Snarky? I like that. Let's do this shall we?"

She swings on Charm who easily blocks it. The two fight hand-to-hand combat for a couple of minutes, none stop. Charmaine was getting tired but she held her weight up. She kicked Mazikeen on her back, placing her foot on her neck. The Demon grabbed her ankle smirking then rolled over making Charm fall on her side. She gets on top, pulling out her knife.

"This won't hurt one bit. Well, maybe just a little."

"Anyone have eyes on Charmaine? The building is going to blow in 3 minutes." Tony's voice came through the comm.

"I'm busy at the moment!" Charm yelled pushing Mazikeen's arms up so she wouldn't get stabbed in the face. The dark skin girl moved one of her hands to the side grabbing the demon's hair yanking it.

Mazikeen fell off and it gave her enough time to get back to her feet. Charm kicked her to stay down but Mazi grabs her foot mid-air then twist it making her body twirl, falling on the ground.

"I will have you to myself and make you my eternal flame. Right along with the other 3 elements. You are going to be the most powerful." Mazikeen leans down grabbing her hair yanking it making Charmaine cry out in pain. The demon moved her mouth close to Charm's ear with a sinister smirk.

"I'm going to have you kill anyone that stands in our way."

A guard's body flew in the door from someone kicking him through. Bucky walks into the room angrily seeing Mazikeen holding a handful of Charm's brown hair.

He runs over punching her in the face making the demon drop his lover. Bucky grabbed Mazikeen by the neck with his metal hand dragging her towards the closed-cell.

The bounty hunter's eyes widen from the pressure that was on her throat, she hit his arm repeatedly but that didn't do anything. Bucky flings her into the closed cell like she was discarded trash.

Charm sits on the ground rubbing the back of her head, the words haunting her mind. Bucky goes back over to help his best girl onto her feet.

"We need to out of here now."

But it was muffled because of the mask. She nodded putting her weight on him as they walked to the exit. On the roof, the two ran to the middle.

"We're on the roof! Bring the Quinjet!" Bucky yelled taking off his mouth cover. Charm was hunched over trying to catch her breath, she literally just fought 5 minutes straight now she doing a full-out run. She needed more exercise.

The explosion sounded off and the building shook. Just in time, the Quinjet hovered down lowly so they could get on. A huge crack in the roof separated the two.

The building was going to collapse.

They looked around frantically as Charm's side start to slowly but gradually fall.

"Jump!" Bucky yelled, holding out his hand.

Charm did as told, not even second-guessing, leaping off the fallen building. She catches the side of the broken roof, barely holding on with one hand. All she needed to do was use her upper body to lurch her forward so her other hand could grab his. Bucky bends over, reaching for her hand, not taking his blue eyes off her brown ones.

Charmaine's eyes were filled with fear, feeling herself slowly losing grip, "I can't reach it!"

"Use your strength, Charmaine. Grab my hand!"

"I can't, Bucky; my body is too tired. I feel myself slipping!"

"Charm, grab his hand! Bucky, you need to need to grab Steve's hand. That building is going to collapse any second! He will pull you guys up." Natasha said in the comms but was ignored by both.

Bucky leans forward more without noticing that he might fall himself, "I'm not leaving without you charmaine. grab my hand!"

"I'm trying!" Charm yelled when she tries to lift herself; it aches in pain. She drops her hand down in pain. Tears clouded her vision as she knew this was it; Bucky stared at her scratched-filled face knowing what she was thinking.  He shook his head; He can't lose her, not now, " No Charm, you're leaving with me!"

Charmie could feel the building she was holding on to began to fall, sobbing; she looked into Bucky's blue eyes one last time. "I'm sorry Bucky."

"No Charmie, you have time. Just grab my hand! P-Please." Bucky yelled as tears clouded his vision. "You're my lucky charm. I need you!"

The building collapsed, and his feet slip from under him. A hand grabs his keeping Bucky from falling in the rubble; Natasha lowered it down in time just for Steve to grab the back of his armor from falling with her.

"No!" Bucky stared in horror watching Charmaine screamed, falling into the explosion reaching out for him.

Steve gasp as tears fell down his face seeing the horrible fate of his sister.

There was nothing either could do.

With the help of others, Steve pulled Bucky into the quinjet.

Bucky laid on his stomach sobbing with heartache.

Tears weld in Thor's eyes as he saw that Charmaine wasn't on the jet. This didn't seem real to him; he couldn't accept it, "Where is Charmie? Why isn't my sister on this jet?!"

"Steve, where is Charmie?" Natasha asked, slowly getting up from the pilot seat as Clint took over. Her heart raced, hoping that he would say that Tony has her or something. Bruce grabbed her waist, but she snatched away from his touch.

"Natasha, sit down."

"Don't tell me to sit down! Where is she?!"

Steve couldn't say anything as he drops to his knees, breaking down. Sam catches him before he hit the floor. "I got you man."

The jet doors opened as Tony flew in; he raised an eyebrow to see the team in tears. He was getting files in this underground room but got out in time just as the building collapsed. He noticed someone was missing.

"What's going on? Where is Charmaine?"

No one answer, which made Tony panic.

"Where is my daughter?!"

"Tony, she died; she f-fell into the explosion," Scott informed him while wiping his tears.  Her falling replayed in Bucky's mind like it was his personal hell. Charm reached out for him, and he couldn't save her. He failed.

Tony's world crumbled as tears blurred his vision looking around the jet as if she was hiding, "What? Barnes tell me he's lying! Where the hell is my daughter!"

Bucky sat up now with his knees to his chest; he couldn't stop crying no matter how much he tried. He lost the one person that meant the most to him other than Steve, the person he saw a future with. His best girl is no longer here.

Tony sat down in a seat in disbelief; for once in his life, he cried. He completely broke down, not being able to hold it. She filled the lonely hole in his heart; everyone he ever loved was gone, and the person who made him happy.

Was gone too.

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

It was evening time when they got back; they had been gone all day.

The living room was silent; the avengers sat down sulking and mourning. Bucky squeezed his eyes tightly closed as the memory of her falling hit his mind like a truck. Tony had his head in his hands, just letting his mind run all over the place. The elevator ding, and a frantic Peter walked out looking for Tony.

"Mr. Stark, I'm here! What happened? Is everyone okay? Are you okay?" Peter rambled, walking into the living room. He noticed everyone's sad behavior, then looked around for Champagne. "Guys?  Did something happen? Where is Charmaine?"

Tony gets up from the couch, going to Peter, engulfing him in a hug. Peter hugged back, shock that he did that but was still confused about what happened. "Mr. Stark, what's wrong?"

"She n-not co-coming back, kiddo."

"H-huh?"

"I'm s-sorry, kid."

"N-no, you're lying! This isn't a joking matter, Mr.Stark; everyone can put smiles on their fucking faces, and Champagne can pop up from under the couch." Peter said abruptly, pulling back from Tony's arms; doing a 360 to look around for a camera. Steve rubbed his hand over his mouth to keep from crying again.

"Queens, it's not a jo-joke."

Peter's face reddens from anger and sadness," She said she was coming back! She promised! What happened to her?!" Charmaine promised without even promising him because she always comes back. Peter prayed that this a sick ass joke; she was his best friend. Him and Her against the world.

"She fe-fell into the explosion Peter," Bruce said sadly; with that, Natasha broke down in his arms. Peter wasn't taking this well, and that broke everyone's heart even more.

"N-no guys, stop this, pl-please."Peter cried, shaking his head, then he looked Tony in the eyes. Her father nodded his head as a way of saying that it's true. Peter broke down mentally, " My Champagne is su-supposed to be here with me. My best friend is.."

Tony pulls his son into his arms; tears threaten to spill.

Peter sobbed his heart out.

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

2:43 a.m.

Bucky's body lurched forward after grabbing the gun that was kept under his pillow for 'emergency purposes' raised at...

Steve.

"Bucky, drop the gun. It's me."

"Shit, I'm sorry, Steve." His fingers slowly lost grip of the gun, and the weapon dropped to his lap. His chest drew up sharply with each breath as he tried to control his rapidly beating heart. Steve sat on the edge of his bed.

"It's fine Buck, you were yelling, so I came in here to see if everything was alright."

"I should be fine."

"Okay, I'm going back to bed and try to get some sleep before my morning exercise." Steve sighs, getting up from the bed. He wasn't getting any sleep at all, but he didn't want to tell Bucky that.

"Steve?" Bucky called before he could leave out the room. Steve stopped in his tracks looking at him.

"Yeah?"

"Can you stay with me and watch Legally Blonde? I was supposed to watch it with Ch-Charm when we came back, but..."

"I'll stay Bucky; I don't mind."

Bucky gave a small smile getting out of bed, grabbing some pillows and the comforter. Steve grabbed his laptop from the desk to find the movie. 5 minutes later, the two super soldiers were lying on the floor, eyes glued to the computer enjoying the movie.

-----

Awe this is a filler and it's long so bonus.

Give feedback plsss😂. If this is cringy let me knoww!

————-

Next Chapter: Eternal Flame

stay slutty my friends!

[queen-susans-revenge]

a meme, thank you @klaproos for thinking of me!

favorite color: I went into it a little bit more here but it's basically burnt sienna with a bronzy shimmer, like so

currently reading: Haley Campbell, All the Living and the Dead, mostly because Neil Gaiman recommended it. I don't read a lot of nonfiction but like everybody else I have been thinking a lot about death in the past couple years, so it's very interesting.

last song: okay I just fired up Spotify and here's what it was in the middle of last time I closed it. This is not even a great remix, I like the original much better, but I do listen to a lot of Grimes. In fact this came up because I was in the middle of the complete Grimes collection on Spotify, which I often put on loop when I just need music in the background.

I am in a perpetual state of "oh girl no" over Grimes but I completely love her music. I just wish there was more focus on her art and process as opposed to her personal mess, and I think the treatment she gets is sexist because dudes are allowed to be wild self-indulgent freaks who are still taken seriously as artists. Grimes is a wild self-indulgent freak who should still be taken seriously as an artist.

last tv show: The Netflix series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. I do not watch a lot of anime, but I love the art style on this one. All the colors, mmm. I'm about halfway through the series.

Cyberpunk in general is an easy sell for me. Take me to neon reflecting in rainy streets while hovercars go by overhead and cyborgs sit around slurping from bowls at noodle stands, and you don't even have to buy me dinner. I'm already a slut for it.

That said, there's a tension in a lot of cyberpunk, a retro fixation within a genre that ostensibly depicts the future but is rapidly being outpaced by the present. A weirdly large element of it is nostalgia for the 80s and 90s, and there's some social attitudes from those decades that get pulled in wholesale along with the aesthetic. Sex workers get murdered a lot. Depictions of racial minorities skew towards the cringe. There's a moral simplicity to the noir landscapes it tends to build: the heroes might be "edgy" but they're pitted against monsters so grotesque that there's never really any question about where right and wrong lie. Violence is cathartic and solves a lot of problems.

There's a trans critic, El Sandifer, who has written a couple of very insightful pieces of criticism, both on the cyberpunk genre in general and on the Cyberpunk 2077 world in particular. I love her observation that "cyberpunk is still a living genre; a successful prediction of the future that continues to be made long after it’s come true." And I think her conclusion—that the genre badly needs a queerer perspective—is the right one.

This series does not have a queer perspective. But what it does have is mirrorshades and samurai on motorbikes, and some really beautiful action sequences that unfold in supersaturated neon colors. So I'm in.

last movie: Thor: Love and Thunder. Iunno, it was all right. I didn't want my money back or anything. In terms of MCU movie rankings I would put it somewhere solidly mid. Better than Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness I guess.

I think we're all kind of burned out on Marvel content, right? The last MCU thing I can think of that felt fresh or compelling was the Ms. Marvel series and even that is already fading into forgetability. Can I get more of Yelena and new energy-flavor Hawkeye? I liked them a lot.

sweet/savory/spicy: savory.

currently working on: I'm now more than 100k words into the space pirate novel and probably have another 20k or 30k to go. It will be a long book but it is all one book (I was wondering earlier if I should split it up, which I kind of wanted to because it would mean I could start shopping around the first part, but unfortunately I think the answer is that I really do have to write the whole thing first.)

And the chapter I just finished was like, the most fun to write in the whole book. It was a sex scene followed by some pillow talk. Now I have to do corporate intrigue and hacker stuff, which is much harder to make interesting. It's part of why I'm watching cyberpunk shows, to get inspired.

tagging everybody! Anybody who wants to! I get anxious about tagging people both from the point of view of possibly annoying someone, and from the point of view of possibly making someone else feel overlooked, so as usual I will take the coward's way out on this one.

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 38

💖 first time reader click here 💖

Fluff and snowball fights. Forgiveness is a path and everyone's making their happy way down it. Friendly Steve slander. Hulk interaction!

"So, what now?" I asked, eyes still closed, not resisting the desire to remain under the covers, nested snugly into Stephen's side. On his other side, Tony snored away, sprawled like a starfish in what looked to be the first decent shut-eye he got in months. I could smell the coffee and omelettes from Tony's kitchen and the soft jazz music playing where Bruce was taking care of the breakfast.

It was an unambiguous decision to take it easy after the last battle. Bucky and Natasha had been ironing out the details from the interrogation after Stephen had un-possessed Cabre, Wanda and Loki were itching to get a minute with the mercenary on their own and Veddie, as I started calling my uncle and his symbiote after experiencing the incredibly immersive symbiosis with Venom, hovered nearby in case Cabre would make a good snack.

"What do you want to do?" Stephen's morning voice was, ahem, an experience. He put Corpse Husband to shame and I knew that it wasn't only me who got hot and bothered by it but Tony as well...

Speaking of Tony, I still had no idea where we stood. My engineer had been less than happy about my actions and I thought I blew it. He wasn't as warm and playful, and while I kept telling myself that it was just the exhaustion from weeks of stress and worry, I knew better.

"I don't know. I didn't think this far," I admitted, damn well knowing what I wanted. I wanted things to be like they were - clear, honest, easy. My mother's voice rang out clearly again. I was being childish. Of course I was.

"I'm sure Tony will have my head for this, but seeing as there's no stopping you, I'm sure Natasha and Barnes will be happy to train you," Stephen sighed, his breath warm in my hair.

I blanched, stiffening in his arms, confused. "Where did that come from?" My eyes finally opened to stare at his sleepy face.

His eyebrows rose. "You don't want to..?"

"Be a hero, like you? No," I shook my head, then snorted. "I was trying to figure out how to tell you I don't want to go to college just yet, maybe take a gap year. In fact, I want to avoid actual in-person classes as much as humanely possible. And I still don't have a clue what major exactly I want to pursue." I was being honest, prepared to be judged. In-between my three men, there were at least ten PhDs whilst I was only nearly done with the first step of my education.

"So what, it was a one-time deal? Let an alien parasite take over your body for a coupla' hours and then continue with your life?" Tony's scratchy voice startled me; apparently, he'd been awake and actively eavesdropping.

I wasn't prepared for this conversation, but then again, I'd never be. Might as well rip the bandaid off. "I'm not that flavour of stupid," I immediately retorted, heart beginning to pick up speed. My mouth was gonna get me in trouble. "I am not delusional, I know things aren't and won't be the same. I did what I did because there was no other option, I'm not sorry and I will do it again if the need arises. It's not what you want to hear but it's the truth." I paused, well aware that my speech was becoming quicker, I was well on my way to nervous rambling. "I'm not hero material, I won't go on a death march for a rando," Justifying my actions? No. I stopped myself again. "I am sorry for lying. I am sorry for hiding things. But I am not sorry for putting my own ass out there so we can get some fucking peace." I finally settled, fisting my pajama top under the blanket in an attempt to release some of the tension.

Twin sighs erupted from my men, as if their bodies synchronized in response to my stubborn nature. Stephen's hold tightened on me as Tony rolled over, sleepy eyes blinking from the space opposite of me on Stephen's chest. Tony's hand reached for my face, stroking the side of it wordlessly - he wasn't the most vocal about his feelings but his eyes said it all. Tony was sad, hurt, a little bit angry but mostly he was relieved. It was the way he moved - nearly no traces of the tension that had gathered on his face in the previous weeks.

"Natasha should still train you, some basic hand to hand and weapons training, in case someone has it out for any of us. SHIELD's security has holes, you're basically one of us now. Everyone and their mother saw Clint hauling you to the quinjet," Tony finally grumbled, admitting his defeat. Everyone knew that if it had been up to him, I wouldn't leave the tower without an armed escort at all times. Thankfully, Bruce was there to screw on Tony's bolts right each time he wanted to go overboard. They thought I wouldn't notice, but I did.

Stephen's free hand landed in Tony's hair, the sorcerer effectively calmed both of us down with his gentle, unobtrusive support. He was far more empathetic than he liked to show. "That seems like a smart idea," He rumbled as my eyes began to drift shut once again.

With each steady breath, my heartbeat slowed and the feelings of guilt and dread began to dissipate. Tony might not had forgiven me yet but I was on my way to inner peace once more. I remembered feeling exactly the same way before our relationship, when every time I took a step inside Tony's lab, I tensed inwardly, shielded my feelings from his eyes, too focused on the outcome I thought would be absolutely disastrous. I had always thought he'd laugh at me, and yet... Laying on Steph's chest, inches away from Tony, my past panic seemed ridiculous.

"What's so funny?" Stephen asked, amused.

I didn't even notice the snort that managed to escape me. "Nothing," I answered immediately, feeling my face heat up. Oh my Loki, what kind of an idiot I had been...

"Sure," Tony's finger poked my cheek without preamble. "Staging a world domination plan, aren't we?" He snarked, much more like his usual self.

"I was just remembering when I was so terrified you'd find out I have a crush on you and you'd laugh at me," I mumbled, willing to placate Tony to avoid any more unnecessary lies and deceit.

Tony, did, in fact, laugh at my confession, but so did Stephen and I am pretty sure I heard Bruce snort from the direction of the archway leading into the spacious bedroom. The bed dipped as the scientist sat down, running a palm over my leg.

"I was pretty sure you would laugh at me," He admitted just as quietly and bashfully. Stephen and Tony only laughed harder. I heard the sound of a pillow hitting Steph in the face. "Let's go, Princess, let's leave the mean geezers alone. I made breakfast."

I could practically hear the pout in Bruce's voice and couldn't resist to comply, leaving a grumbling Tony to stretch and roll out of bed like a disgruntled cat.

"You're older than me, Bruce," Stephen rolled his eyes, I could feel his stare linger on my exposed thighs before Bruce picked me up. My sorcerer boyfriend switched to staring at Tony's bare back, which was an action I wholeheartedly supported.

"Cocky bastards," I stuck out my tongue a moment before we turned the corner and then all I could focus on was the feast of gods Bruce had made for us. The man was really too sweet and too kind, he never ceased to make me mushy and stuff. I stole a kiss, and then another one, and another one, until Tony's whining about the toast burning interrupted our moment.

The bread was fine. Tony was just being himself.

Our phones beeped at the same time - mine being already in my hand, as all normal young people did in the mornings - I looked at the message expecting another assemble and feeling my eyebrows crawl up at Steve's suggestion we all get some fresh air that day.

It had snowed. The whole city was covered in white, crisp snow, and Bucky has been liking nothing but other people's snowman pictures for several days. I suspected the brunette had convinced his boyfriend to take him out to build one or something, but as Steve was known to be exceptionally dense at times, Cap'n Jolly had unanimously decided it was a team bonding-slash-relaxing opportunity.

I relayed my thoughts to my own boyfriends, all of us giggling at Steve's eagerness to cater to his boyfriend and his cluelessness when it came to all things romantic. I was tempted to shoot Steve a text explaining his epic gamer moment but before I could even open the app, Bruce's eyes turned green briefly as he had a very obvious internal conversation with Hulk.

"Is that offer to spend time with Hulk still up?" The scientist asked timidly.

I had a lightbulb moment. "Absolutely!" I replied, watching my other two boyfriends. They didn't even bat an eye, evidently at peace with the green situation. "As long as the snowball fight is had with Thor, Steve or other enhanced individuals." Personally, I had no desire to be flipped over by a snowball the size of a watermelon. Or get any of the pretty but cold stuff under my clothes.

Bruce's responding grin was mostly Hulk.

It was a couple of days before Christmas. I was never one much for the holiday season, but something magical had seeped into me - it wasn't the shiny lights throughout the tower, it wasn't Clint's ugly Christmas sweater and the smell of gingerbread cookies and cinnamon that came from Wanda's apartment. I had no clue what it was, but it seemed to be tied to my boyfriends and Loki and many others who lived in the tower.

Bruce was all but wiggling during the car ride to the park - rationally, I knew it was the Hulk being excited but I still couldn't take my eyes off the usually reserved man. Bruce was happy. It made me smile and hold his hand like we were middle-schoolers in love. The rest of the team pretended to not notice it, or maybe they didn't care, or maybe they had already gotten used to my unconventional relationship.

Either way, Bucky had whisked Steve away almost immediately and I did what every kid ever had dreamed of. As Bruce went to a more secluded space to transform into the Hulk and Tony went to retrieve his thermos of coffee, I ushered Sam over to Steve's car and unlocked it, retrieving his shield from the trunk. It was heavier than it looked but did it stop me and Sam from running up the nearest hill and fighting over who gets to go first?

No, it did not. In mere moments, my ass was being frozen to the metal despite my snowsuit as I parked it inside the shield , holding onto the straps as Sam pushed on my back, hollering "Yeet!" at the top of his lungs, sending me in a steep slide towards where Thor was enthusiastically explaining something to the rest of the team.

"Oh shiiiiit!" I screamed, unprepared for the sudden increase in speed and the surprisingly good gliding abilities Captain America's shield possessed. "Watch o-o-out!" I yelled as the group scattered at the last moment. I heard some strong Russian words coming from Natasha, paired with snorts of badly concealed laughter.

The tree line grew closer by the second but the shield had no plans of stopping any time soon. Whoda thunk that things made of vibranium had all the characteristics to be the perfect sled? Something green entered my field of vision, stopping my crazy train with a grunt.

I answered with an oof of my own. One green palm was securely wrapped around me and the other held Steve's shield. "Hello," Hulk snorted, lifting me up like I was but a feather and setting me on his shoulder. "Puny Princess, don't hurt yourself," He stated firmly as I looked down at him, intrigued by the sudden change in his speech patterns. He sounded almost human.

"Hey, Big Guy," I ruffled his hair. "Aren't you cold?"

"No," He replied, setting me onto his shoulder. Hulk appeared to be completely unaffected by the December cold in his purple shorts. I felt my rear end begin to thaw, such was the heat that he emanated from his body. Meanwhile, Hulk caught Steve's eye, preparing to hurl the shield back to the frowning Captain.

Steve caught it effortlessly while Bucky ignored the interaction whatsoever, caught up in rolling an obscenely large ball of snow a ways from the group, tongue all but hanging out in concentration. I caught myself thinking he was gonna build a snow dick instead of a man and it made me feel...

"Wanna build a snowman?" I asked my green companion, rubbing my mittens in excitement.

The Hulk pondered for a brief moment, adopting that mischievous gleem, eyes shooting to Tony and Stephen who stood regally on the side of the clearing, sipping their hot beverages like the adult men that they were supposed to be. I snorted and Hulk echoed the sound, taking quick strides to a patch of land opposite Bucky. "No," Hulk shook his head. "We build a fort. Then smash," The green bean was all but vibrating in excitement.

Realistically, I knew I was gonna get snow stuck in uncomfortable places and might even get knocked over by an overeager person with super strength. But was I gonna pass up an opportunity to show off my superior construction skills? Hell naw.

It wasn't long before Stephen and Tony wandered off to us and began to pile up snow with a resigned huff, unsuccessful in their attempts to rebuff me ordering them around. In the end, we split in three teams, snow flew everywhere and by the time the battle was in peak heat, all of us were cold, wet and red-faced.

"To the death! BLOOD AND VINEGAR!!!" I screeched, hopping up and down after a series of small rapid snowballs I threw hit their target - Steve had a face full of snow and Bucky wasn't faring much better next to him, having had let a few of them hit him in the chest because he was distracted, doubling over in laughter at Steve's indignant, red face.

"You're bloodthirsty," Tony smirked from my side, dumping a fresh batch of ammo between me and Stephen. "It's hot."

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[bestofblackwidow]

The "Let me go - it's okay," she told him the last time we saw the Black Widow, it was - to say the least - emotional. "Let me go - it's okay," she said to Hawkeye, plunging to her death on the arid planet Sleeping in Avengers: Endgame for the ultimate sacrifice to save the world. While the deaths in the Marvel Cinematic Universe go on - sorry, Iron Man - there was probably no more heart-stopping moment, since the former SHIELD spy who became Avenger gave her life to recover the Soul Stone.

Still, it left the MCU in a bind. For years, a Black Widow film had been mooted, right back to 2004 at Lions Gate Entertainment before the rights reverted to Marvel. When Scarlett Johansson first appeared as Natasha Romanoff - the former KGB assassin with a very particular set of skills - in 2010's Iron Man 2, it didn't take long before questions were asked about a solo outing. Marvel Studios conductor Kevin Feige even held discussions with Johansson, who was then only 25. But there was a caveat, he said. "The Avengers comes first."

While others - Thor, Captain America, Black Panther and even Ant-Man - had their moments in the spotlight, the Black Widow was forced to wait. And wait. And wait. Not that Johansson thought that her character demanded the same treatment; if she was going to be in front of a Marvel movie, there had to be a reason. "Is there anything exciting to do creatively, as an actor?" she says. “Will we be able to do something extraordinary and strong? And something that stands on its own? "It's what makes the independent Black Widow an intriguing prospect: an inauguration of Phase 4 of the MCU promises to step back in time before her dramatic death to answer the provocative questions that still hover over her Crucially, the script transports audiences back to the events right after Captain America: Civil War, after that huge internal confrontation of the Avengers.

Without relatives or an organization that employs her, the Black Widow is alone, says Johansson. "It gave us the opportunity to really show her when she's kind of out of her game, you know? Because of that, anything was possible." The actress was there "from the start" at the script meetings, as they began to figure out how to delve into Romanoff's origins. "You are trying to map all of this ... which is extremely stressful," she laughs, "because there are no guidelines."

Fortunately, Johansson was not alone. In another inspired choice for the MCU canon, Feige recruited Australian director Cate Shortland, best known for discreet dramas like Somersault and Lore. While she was surprised, Shortland was encouraged by the creative freedom that Marvel was offering. “They allowed me to be myself and encouraged me to make a movie that I was passionate about,” she says. "We were allowed to have a lot of nuances and make a character-oriented film."

After several Skype sessions with Johansson, who also receives producer credit, Shortland worked with a Russian researcher to embody Romanoff's dark story: "the red in my ledger", as she told Loki in 2012 in Os Avengers. As she sings in the trailer, "We have to go back to where it all started" - the promising teaser clips of Romanoff as a young man (played by Ever Anderson, daughter of Paul WS Anderson and Milla Jovovich) in a childhood that seems far from idyllic. That's what makes Black Widow a family reunion of the kind that only Marvel would have the courage to conjure. Joining Romanoff is Yelena Belova, a sister-sister and fellow murderer who trained alongside her in the so-called Red Room, the punitive Soviet facility that produced 'Black Widow' spies.

"Their stories intersect," promises Shortland. "They clash." Played by Lady Macbeth's British star Florence Pugh, Belova is more than a physical match for Romanoff. Still, emotionally is where it really matters. "What Yelena does is kind of point to Natasha's pain," says Pugh. “She is part of Natasha's story. And I think that's why we have an opportunity to look at Natasha's story, because Yelena has been knocking on the door and says, 'Hey, let's deal with this pain. ”As Johansson comments, Belova is not just a carbon copy of his own character.

"She is completely alone. She is strong and different. She is so different (from) Natasha." Beside them are Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexei Shostakov (David Harbor), two father figures whose own stories intertwine with Natasha and Yelena. "This is the coolest thing with this whole group of people. They all had parts of their past that they regretted," says Pugh. “They’re older. They’ve had more life experience. They know more about the system, about this world they’re all living in.” Harbor, the Emmy Stranger Things nominated star, managed to put an indelible mark on the muscular Shostakov, better known as the Red Guardian super soldier, the Russian equivalent of Captain America. "There is a gangster quality to him," the actor smiles. "And he's covered in tattoos. He's got a beard and those gold teeth. He's crazy." But after years of making bad decisions, he's also full of remorse.

"He's in a bad situation," adds Harbor. "And he needs redemption." Weisz's character, Melina, is another who experienced the rigors of the Red Room, a place that put her in contact with Natasha and Yelena. Marking his first dive at the MCU, Weisz acknowledges that the film addresses the idea of ​​discovering his favorite family. "It's definitely about finding out where you belong and where you came from, and what your background story was, and who you really are, and what matters to you - your ideology, I think." Along the way, Feige made reference to The Kids Are All Right - the 2010 Lisa Cholodenko film about a same-sex couple raising two teenagers. "Which is so weird," laughs Johansson. "You would never expect that from a Marvel movie." no it was the only strange nod to the film. Harbor speaks of Shostakov in terms of Philip Seymour Hoffman's drama teacher in the dramatic black comedy The Savages.

Or even expressing "the pathos of a small town, independent, family-run, weird movie... like Little Miss Sunshine". More understandable cinema references include "things like Logan and Aliens and The Fugitive," says Shortland. "We saw movies like that." Certainly, it's easy to see comparisons between Sigourney Weaver's determined Ripley, from James Cameron's masterpiece Aliens, and Johansson's Romanoff, an Avenger who has no superpowers. "We saw it as a force," says Shortland, "because she always has to dig really deep to get out of shit situations." According to the director, everyone in the production invested in deepening Romanoff - even Scottish composer Lorne Balfe (Pennyworth, His Dark Materials), who replaced Alexandre Desplat's original choice. Balfe looked at the character's origins, says Shortland. “He said, 'I want to put it on the ground, because it has been dug up in the movies in the past. I want to give her that flesh and blood. 'And he created this soundtrack that is really Russian."

However, perhaps the real blow here is to recruit Shortland, the first female director to face the Black Widow (and only the second, following Captain Marvel co-director Anna Boden, to enter the MCU). "This film would not be what it is without Cate Shortland," says Pugh. "I think having her eye, and having her mind with this script, has taken her to a whole different realm." Johansson agrees. "" You can feel it was made from a female perspective ... cooked there. "Although Ray Winstone's casting as Supervisor of the Red Room Dreykov (whose daughter contributed to the abundance of red in Romanoff's book, according to Loki) add more to the psychological battleground that the Black Widow will explore, it also deals with victimization, a very pertinent topic in the current climate. The Red Room itself is where trainees are brutally sterilized. "You will see that these women are hard working and strong, and they are murderers - and yet they still need to discuss how they were abused," says Pugh. "It is an incredibly powerful piece."

Judging by the 2020 Oscars, where Pugh and Johansson had their own private relationship session on the red carpet, the two actors got along very well. "She has a really beautiful career ahead of her ... she's a very special person," says Johansson, excited when Pugh's name is mentioned. More specifically, Pugh may well have more Marvel to chew on, if it is rumored that her character will take on the 'Black Widow' mantle for new adventures. By learning Parkour, kickboxing and knife fighting for role, Pugh can safely cut things physically, though she's reluctant to claim that the Black Widow is just a setup for future outings. "Even though it is obviously where everyone wants to go and want to think - think about what comes next - this film never really seemed to be what he was trying to underline." According to Johansson, however, test the audience who saw the film thinks otherwise. "Her character and her performance are so dear." Now, after more than a year of pandemic-related delays to July 2021), it will not be just a few lucky spectators who will be able to see. Black Widow will even be the first Marvel movie to debut simultaneously on the Disney+ streaming site (with a 'main hit' fee), an understandable move considering the uncertainty that still exists around the world. And in fact, after the success of the Marvel TV shows WandaVision and The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, it doesn't seem like such a strange home. Johansson believes that fans will respond to Black Widow, with this flashback of an earlier part of her life, bringing more poignancy to the Endgame's outcome. "Our goal was for them to be satisfied with this story; that maybe they could have some solution, I think, with the death of this character, in a way. It seemed like people wanted this." Shortland agrees. "We felt that we should honor his death," she says. And the Black Widow will surely honor him.

[secret-ssociety]

Let me down pt.3

Pairing(s): Peter Parker x Reader (platonically), Reader x oc

Warnings: I mean, in my eyes this is pure fluff, but who knows if it will hurt you

Summary: Peter and May have dinner with Y/N’s family, prompting a lot of questions to get an answer.

A/N: oKAY, I know that what happened wasn’t exactly what you expected and and it has taken me so long to write this but it's finally here. I want to thank you all, I never meant for this blow up like it did or to even become a series, honestly when I wrote the first part I was just in a really bad mood and I felt like writing something sad and that came out, but then people started to ask for a second part and well the rest is history. So yeah, I actually want to write even more parts to this so let me know if you would like it. Also, I tagged everyone who asked me to write more to this, but let me know if you want to be removed from the taglist

Masterlist

part one part two

Peter couldn't help but feel like his head was spinning as he walked back home from the metro that night. Claire had sat him down in her bed for almost an hour showing off all of her Avengers stuff. She had a replica of Thor's Mjolnir (and she knew how to pronounce it, which was even more impressing), she had the Spider-Man's Uno she had mentioned (it did make him kind of emotional to see a drawing of him on the package) and she had Iron Man's full suit.

Yeah, he did his best not to cry with the last one.

Even if she hadn’t ran up to you screaming ‘mommy’, he would’ve known that she was your daughter. Claire had your hair, your eyes, your nose, even when the rest of her tiny face was more like Mark’s. The corners of her eyes wrinkled the same way yours did when you smiled and she was as energetic as you, she got lost in her own thoughts just like her you used to do.

He had been counting the seconds to be out of your house and be able to break down on the guardianship of his loneliness, but when he found himself walking down the street after dinner... he just didn't.

Peter had gone to school that day being sure that as soon as he saw you, something would be okay, and even if it hadn't gone according to the plan, he hadn't been wrong. Something was okay: you were okay. You had a career, a good job, a loving husband, a perfect daughter, a beautiful family.

You had a great life and, most importantly, you were willing to welcome him in it, so yeah, maybe things were going to be okay.

So when Claire asked him to dinner with them again at the end of the week, and you said you wanted to say hi to May, he just couldn't refuse. That's how he ended up standing in front of your house again, with May by his side this time, holding a cherry pie they had placed and decorated on a plate as if to pretend they hadn't bought it from the grocery store.

As soon as the door opened, Peter handed the dessert to May, because he was prepared for the moment Claire jumped to his arms to greet him. You smiled openly at May, trying to blink away the tears in your eyes at the sight of the woman who had given you a place to call home everytime you felt like your own house was not it.

Both Peter and Mark noticed how you tried to keep your composure when her arms wrapped you in a warm embrace.

"Sorry, I'm a mess," you muttered in apology, trying to wipe your eyes without messing up your mascara.

"You look beautiful," May corrected, making your eyes wet all over again. "It smells amazing," she said suddenly, changing the subject to give you a chance to calm down, "what are you cooking?"

"Oh, I'm not cooking," you clarified rushing them inside, Peter still carrying the little girl in his arms, "Mark is. I somehow manage to burn the water."

"You could always make PB and jelly sandwiches," Peter said with an amused smile, earning a fond laugh from your lips, as if you shared an inside joke.

Only when Mark received the pie from May's hands did Peter notice that he was wearing a purple apron over his white unbuttoned shirt, and he couldn't help the sting in his heart at how perfect he was. He kindly apologized at the fact that the meat still needed a few more minutes on the oven, because he had been held back a little longer than expected at the office.

"What's that smell?" You asked, frowning.

"Daddy, the aspargaroos!" Claire exclaimed instantly, clearly unaware of how to pronounce asparagus, as she wiggled to let Peter know she wanted to be back on the ground. The tiny human ran behind her father into the kitchen, ready to do the damage control.

You decided to grab a bottle of white wine (and another Capri Sun for Peter) while her husband and daughter tried to resolve the asparagus crisis. He tried to pay attention to the conversation the two women in front of him were maintaining, but it was like they were talking in some foreign, alien, grown up language he couldn't understand.

This time, you took a little longer to finish your glass of wine than the last bottle you had opened, which had been a week ago when Peter had showed up in your doorstep. You were trying your best to hide your excitement talking to May, but you couldn't help the profound feeling of pride that took over your chest when you saw her eyes glimmer with amazement as they explored around the living room, where the pictures and prices of all of your family's accomplishments were displayed.

Peter was the first to notice Mark come out of the kitchen with a sheepish smile, "alright, so, the asparagus isn't salvageable, er, how do you feel about KFC salad?"

That's how they found themselves sitting at the round dinner table eating steak with a mushroom sauce Claired had been the one to think about, roasted potatoes and KFC salad, because apparently the always ordered some extra salad on their takeaways and stuffed them in the fridge.

"So..." May started, eyeing the young couple nervously. "There is so much to talk about. How... you... well..."

"How did I end married and with a kid at twenty three?" You finished for her, saving a sigh to yourself although you felt your husband tense a little beside you. The more you two heard that question, the more annoying it got, even when you knew May didn't mean to offend you.

Of course you knew you were young, and that many people your age couldn't handle such commitments, you didn't need people telling you that constantly. You had heard the same discourse from teachers, employers, even neighbors you had never talked to, it quickly got old and you tried not to become aggressive everytime you heard it.

Mark and you had a happy, healthy marriage, with a wonderful daughter that had brought light into a world as dark as yours was since the blip. You had good jobs that allowed you to have a stable economy and also take care of your family. You were happy, what else mattered? If you wanted opinions or needed help, you would certainly ask for it.

You never once had.

Still, you responded kindly, "well, we met in college, Princeton," you mentioned, earning two proud looks from your guests. "We were in different programs, so we met specifically through a praying group."

"That had never really been my thing," Mark picked up, "praying and all that God related talk bored me, but most of family and friends had been blipped... I was lonely. So I thought maybe I should give it a try."

"I honestly thought he had gone for the food, because when the meeting was over he looked like he hadn't understood a single word."

"Because I hadn't."

"A friend and I decided to come and talk to him, but after she left we hung out a little longer," you tried to hide the cheesy smile that took over your lips, but you looked over at Mark, who hasn't trying to hid his, and couldn't. "I don't know how to explain it, something about that moment just felt" you shrugged shyly "right."

The memories of you staying on the library, hiding behind the stacks of books so that no one would notice you trying to stay inside after it closed and talking the whole night long never failed to raise goosebumps along your skin. He would offer to read for you when your eyes got tired of working with the dim light that entered through the window, even when he was a law major and didn't understand a single word on the neuroscience and robotic books you were always studying.

It was soon after getting to know him, you just knew Mark had been made for you. There was something in the way you could see in his eyes that crowds freaked him out and that he tried not to cry after talking to his mom in the phone, something in the way he understood your whimpers in the days where anything above a mutter was just too much, that you knew this awkwardly tall curious guy was meant to cross your path.

"Things moved pretty fast after that," you continued, hoping you hadn't zoomed out for too long, "like 'we got married eight months after' fast."

May did her best to hide her surprise, while Peter choked on the salad. Was listening to your loving tone as you told the story easy? No, not at all. He wanted to throw up. Peter was still hopelessly in love with you, even when you were now five years older, even when you had a husband and a child, even when it was ridiculous and impossible, because for him it hadn't been years, it just had been months.

"Claire came soon after that," Mark concluded after pouring some more juice on Peter's glass and asking him if he was okay. "And all of this happened throughout college?"

"We had a really good support system," he nodded, smiling down at Claire, who had made a mess over her chicken sandwich. "A really good amount of friends willing to babysit whenever we had to work, understanding teachers who let us bring Claire to our lectures. My mom and Y/N's parents were also a great help."

"We were both on scholarships that gave us some allowances to support ourselves each month, too," you added. "It wasn't much, but it helped."

"And what are you working on now?" May switched to a conversation that would probably be easier on her nephew.

"Well, Mark is an associate on a buffet in Manhattan," you said grabbing your husband's hand. "What's your approach?" Peter asked, somewhat genuinely curious.

"Environmental law," he replied proudly.

"And I-"

"Mommy builds robot limbs!" Claire exclaimed excitedly, prompting a laugh on the others.

"Before I graduated, I got a job as lab assistant on a research for neuro prosthetics," you explained, "and after graduating, they hired me as researcher. Basically what we're trying to do is to create a non-invasive implant we can connect to the brain and spinal cord that controls robotic prosthetics for people who have lost limbs or return movement to paralyzed body sections."

Peter's skin prickled at the description of the research, for it was one he had known before it all went crumbling down. A memory flashed through his eyes, Tony helping his friend walk after he had been injured in Germany, on his first mission.

"That's..."

"A Stark Industries' research, yes," you nodded solemnly.

"Y/N told me you had an internship with Tony Stark before... it all happened," Mark commented carefully. Peter's head practically snapped in his direction, then, more subtly, in yours. You shook head slightly, almost imperceptibly, but clearly enough to let Peter know you hadn't told his secret.

"You met Tony Stark?" Claire asked him with a bright light in her eyes, one that Peter had seen thousands of times on other kids that, very much like himself, dreamt every night of robots and technologies that could change the world.

"Yes."

"How was he?"

Peter thought for a few seconds about his answer. What was Tony Stark? He was charming, sure, but he wasn't exactly friendly. He was a genius, yet he had never let that cloud his judgement. He had trouble expressing himself, but he always made sure the people around knew how much they meant to him. Suddenly Peter understood why Shakespeare was always making up words, there were just some things, some people, the english language wasn't extensive enough to describe, so he said the best he could come up with.

"He was the most amazing guy I ever met."

You smiled down at your nearly empty plate, it was impossible to forget how much had mr. Stark meant for Peter. Even when you guys broke up and cut off all communication, you still prayed for him to always be under the wing of his mentor. You couldn’t imagen what it was like for Peter to live in a world where Tony Stark was no longer there to help him walk through life.

Hopefully, you would be able to do that in his absence.

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