#jemma strikes again

[royale1803]

I stg jemma this is gorgeous ilu

wip!

[incorrect-multiverse]

*at some point, probably*

Daisy: In my defence, I was left unsupervised.

May: Wasn’t Simmons with you?

Simmons: I was also left unsupervised.

[and-to-you-its-just-words]

Little piece from one of the new 60th BTS. Jemma’s laugh strikes again!

[skyler10fic]

Lightning Strikes Twice: Ch. 13

Summary: Time to gear up and put the new plan in motion as Saber launches its first mission, but Skye running into Pierce and Yon-Rogg wasn't what they anticipated!

Notes: Next to last chapter, so it's a longer one!

Read on Ao3

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

Using Carol’s recovered escape pod, the Shield scientists had secretly been working on the final missing pieces to develop Saber, the space division of Shield. Technically, Saber was more akin to NASA, focused on research, rather than military aims. Its older sister, Sword, had been requisitioned by the Special Forces of the U.S. military and joint operations with other Shield-affiliated nations. While Sword sent armed satellites up to monitor and protect the earth from extraterrestrial and foreign aerospace threats, funded by Pentagon dollars and international equivalent budgets, Saber stayed a dream within Shield until now.

“Ironic,” Carol quipped, hearing this explanation. “It’s supposed to be for research instead of action, and its first mission is tactical?”

“Convenient,” Natasha corrected. “We need space tech we have complete control over. Pierce is heavily involved with Sword.”

“Of course he is.” Melinda rolled her eyes at how predictable the man could be. “Skye—”

“Already on it.” Skye opened her laptop and set it on her crisscrossed legs. As she worked on preparing distractions to divert the attention of the Sword satellites, the Marias took turns explaining the spaceship to Carol, Melinda, Natasha, and Phil.

Jemma and Fitz arrived again, with first aid and survival kits in case anything went wrong and they couldn’t get home for a few days. Skye looked up at the couple’s earnest, cheery faces as they held the bags out like they were delivering the day’s lunch order.

“Wait, sorry, is that typical with space travel?” Skye eyed the bags skeptically. “We might just be stuck out there?”

Jemma sighed and set her bag down at Skye’s side. “The ship is untested. Maiden voyage, remember? But historically in the industry, yes, it’s something to be aware of and prepared for. Like so.” Jemma gestured to the bag again, expecting a little more gratitude than the anxiety she was met with.

“Thank you,” Melinda said genuinely. “Preparation is what we’re here for. We don’t know what we’ll be dealing with out there.”

They ended the hour with a revised plan: Carol and Natasha would play along with Yon-Rogg and Pierce. Maria Rambeau, Melinda, and Skye would follow, flying the Saber spaceship to the Kree base to take out as many guards as they could to clear the way for Carol and Natasha to sneak away and rejoin them on the Saber ship before anyone noticed.

“In a perfect world, at least.” Maria Hill shrugged. “In reality, we know you’re going to need Kree-level icers, and Fitz has helped us add cloaking to the ship that will work in space.”

Fitz let out an “ah!” as if that was his cue. He opened a case on the conference room table and distributed the upgraded handguns to Maria Rambeau, Melinda, Natasha, and Skye.

“Given what we know about Kree skin, normal bullets are useless, as are our current icers. These work the same as standard issue but the toxins are powerful enough to be absorbed into Kree bodies. That said, if you accidentally hit a human, they will be out for days, not hours. So be careful with these.”

Skye opened her mouth, but before she could protest that she didn’t need one, Melinda chimed in. “Yes. Because from what Carol’s said about the inhumans there, it’s safer if the Kree think you’re just a normal human. No powers unless you have to.”

“Good point.” Skye accepted the gun and returned to her laptop. She already had a job besides enhanced agent. She was the only one who could make this plan work so they could even get out of the Earth’s atmosphere undetected.

Carol knew Skye and Melinda could grate on each other’s nerves, but it made her heart twinge to see a mother-daughter pair so close that they knew exactly what the other would say. They were so similar, from little mannerisms to their stubbornness and courage. Inherent in their banter was the unspoken understanding that Melinda was Skye’s idol, and Skye was Melinda’s pride and joy.

“Carol.” Maria Hill brought her back from her thoughts about the family she loved already and the family bonds she’d never had. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“More than, ma’am.” Carol raised her chin in confidence. “I’ve escaped from that base before. And this time, it’s even planned in advance.”

She winked at Skye’s nervous expression to reassure her.

“I’ll be there the whole time,” Natasha promised, seeing through Carol’s bravado as few could. “I’ll have to play my part until I get the signal from Rambeau though, so sorry in advance.”

Maria Rambeau chuckled, “We’ll make it as quick as possible, I promise.”

Melinda nodded. “In and out, just to damage as much of their systems as we can and keep them from coming back.”

All eyes turned to Skye who smiled devilishly from behind her laptop. “I’ve got a virus made especially for their nav systems, built using the code from the pod. They won’t even know how to get back here if they wanted to.”

Fitz tossed her a USB drive with a dongle adapter made especially for the ports on the pod, which Carol said were their universal connectors and would work anywhere in the Kree systems. Hardware wasn’t the problem; access to the system once it was plugged in was a complication only a coding magician like Skye could handle.

Natasha noticed the hour was up and stood. “We need to get back to the training center, and then Carol and I will take the elevator up to Pierce’s office. Phil, comms?”

Everyone gathered by the door for Phil to hand out the clear micro communicators that would fit so invisibly and deeply in their ears that no one would notice. “I’ll be with Hill, quarterbacking from our hidden command center. I want regular updates when you can, and I’ll be monitoring the ship the entire time.”

He paused at Skye and Melinda. “You’ve got this.”

Skye put in her comms and hugged him tight while Melinda put hers in. Melinda and Phil kissed, and Carol considered whether she could sneak in a goodbye kiss to Skye. It was too late though; her opportunity was lost as Natasha rushed her out the door. Carol looked back at Skye one final time, and Skye sent her a tentative go-get-em smile meant to reassure her.

Hurrying along the hallways of Shield with Natasha, Carol reminded herself to trust their team. With any luck, they’d be reunited in no time.

—-------------------

Skye held it together until she got to the roof, metal stairs trembling under her. She let the door slam shut behind her and shouted into the cloudy sky. She balled up her fear in tense fists and yelled again as she released the pressure with arms outstretched. To anyone watching, it might have looked like her voice had the power to split the clouds, but it was the power channeled through her hands. Just like Dr. Garner had taught her when the storm inside her grew too strong. She came up here where she couldn’t hurt anyone or anything. She could even jump from and land on the helipad without destroying the roof. But it had the obvious advantage of being out of sight as well. Here, she could let it out without scaring anyone, literally parting the grey hanging over her to see the light again. She panted in exertion and gathered herself. A plastic bag floated over the roof and Skye used the remainder of her fear and anger at the situation to blast it into oblivion.

A slow clap startled her, and she turned to see a ship being decloaked.

She outstretched a hand in warning and demanded, “Who are you?”

But she knew as soon as she asked.

The man smirked. “You can call me master or sir. After all, you’re the inhuman girl lost all those years ago, aren’t you? Well, Daisy Johnson, all grown up. I’m here to take you home.”

“I’m not who you think,” she lied. Before she could even fire a warning quake in his direction, he raised his fist in her direction and a painful jolt shot through her. Inhibitor wires surrounded her with a power so strong, she struggled to remain alert.

As she slumped to the ground, Pierce emerged on the rooftop with Natasha and Carol.

“No!” Carol shouted. “You’ve got me. Don’t hurt her.”

Pierce ran to Skye with a concern that surprised Natasha and Carol, though they could only exchange worried glances. He ensured she was alive and pulled her to her feet, but Skye could still barely think or keep her eyes open through the pain.

“You FOOL!” Pierce scolded and grabbed Yon-Rogg by the neck, shoving him against the Kree ship. “That’s the daughter of some very powerful people around here, and the prodigy of the director himself!”

Yon-Rogg remained unbothered despite being trapped in Pierce’s grasp. He patted Pierce’s arm patronizingly. “There, there, brother. I was only recovering our stolen property. Are you to tell me that you knew the inhuman girl was here and you weren’t planning on bringing her along? Or did she escape your notice right under your nose this whole time? The Supreme Intelligence will want to know.”

Pierce grunted but relented and let Yon-Rogg go. He adjusted his tie and commanded, “In.”

“C’mon!” Natasha said harshly, playing her role. She pushed Carol forward and then grabbed Skye by the shoulders to shove her up the ramp to the ship.

Yon-Rogg took over Skye-steering duties and threw her into a cage in the cargo section at the back. He commanded to Natasha as he passed back toward the cockpit, “Stay here and watch her.”

Carol tried to stay too, but Yon-Rogg grabbed her by the bicep and pulled her to the front. When he turned to face her, she wanted to spit with anger. Right on his smug, cocky, fucking—

“You know, I never understood why you asked so many questions,” he said, a tone of empathy now coating his sneer. “Poor girl, needed to get a taste of the Terran base desires, is that it? Sample a little of the hometown fare, hm?”

Carol stole a glance toward the back of the ship to check on Skye, but he grabbed Carol’s chin and held her attention on him. “You could have been so much more. And you will be. I haven’t given up on you, Captain. And I’m sorry.”

He dropped his hold on her as they took off, hovering off the roof of the Shield building. They sat down on opposing jump seats and strapped in, trapped in this together now.

“Sorry? For what? Stealing me from my home, my family? Kidnapping me again now!? Raising me to think I was doing noble heroic things, but all the time you were filling my head with LIES!” Carol lashed out as the ship launched, jerking them against the multipoint seatbelts.

Yon-Rogg laughed, “Carol, be serious, this Shield has been the one lying to you. Your true home is with us. Who taught you to use your powers, to reach your potential far beyond these humble origins? Who was there for you every day and night, teaching you to fight with honor?”

Carol shook her head and gritted her teeth. “You know nothing about honor.”

Their silent stares, waiting for the other to break, ended in a stalemate as Pierce summoned Yon-Rogg to the cockpit. He patted her on the head as he passed, and she tried to trip him with her boot. He then turned on a dime and shot her with the same inhibitor wires he’d wrapped Skye in. He sighed. “I didn’t want to have to do this, but you’ve made it necessary.”

He opened a pouch at his side to retrieve handcuffs. He clicked them on Carol’s now-immobile wrists and flicked a switch. “There. You could have come back and pled your case by my side. You were young, naive, bewitched by that which you did not know. You could have repented and begged for mercy. But I see you’ve made your choice.”

He retracted the wires with the press of a button on his gauntlets. She didn’t need them anymore. The handcuffs were enough to rob her of her powers and even some of her natural strength. Satisfied, Yon-Rogg joined Pierce in the cockpit, leaving the women alone in the back. Carol scrambled to check on Skye, who was still slipping in and our of consciousness on the floor of the cage.

They reached the hyperspace jump point, and the high-pitched noise from the ship was enough to mask their voices.

“Romanov!” Maria Hill called through the comms. “What the hell happened up there?”

“We have Skye,” Natasha said. “She’s in some sort of net that is keeping her sedated. That’s the best way I have to describe it.”

“Inhibitor,” Carol mumbled, settling into a jumpseat across from Natasha. “Turns off our powers, but it drains our energy too.”

Skye stirred but whimpered when she moved.

“It’s hurting her,” Natasha said. “But I don’t have a way to turn it off and they locked her up where I can’t remove it.”

“It’s like,” Carol slurred, “tiny pricks of pins? Needles, not too bad, but no fun.”

Natasha softened her gaze at Carol. “Why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll keep watch.”

“Mmmkay.” Carol nodded. Without the wires on her, the only thing she had to fight was the inhibiting power of the handcuffs, so a nap would help her regain her strength. She was going to need it if they were walking into a battle with an entire base of Kree warriors.

—----------

Skye startled awake in a cold, sterile white prison cell. Outside the window, she saw only stars in every direction.

“Good morning, princess,” a smooth voice greeted her in amusement. It belonged to her cellmate, a ruggedly handsome blond with scruffy facial hair and captivating, kind eyes, the type that made Skye want to trust him.

“Where are we?” Skye rasped out. She looked out the window again, but no planets provided a point of orientation.

“Thought that’d be obvious,” the young man chuckled. “Prison. I’m Dr. Lincoln Campbell, by the way. But you can call me Lincoln.”

Skye stuck out a hand, unsure if handshakes were something they did here. He looked at it carefully but didn’t reciprocate. “I’m Skye. I was kidnapped by a guy named Alexander Pierce. Know him?”

Lincoln furrowed his brow and sat on his bed, attached to the plain white wall. “That doesn’t sound like a Kree name. And he’s not inhuman, or any of the other species I’ve seen around here.”

Skye sighed. “Right. Yon-Rogg was the other guy?”

Lincoln was intrigued now. “Yeah, Starforce commander. Wait, how did you know him?”

Skye decided he was trustworthy enough, and besides, she didn’t have anything to lose at this point. “I don’t. He came to my planet and tried to take my girlfriend. When he saw me too, he decided two for the price of one.”

Lincoln put the pieces together. “But you’re in here and she isn’t. You’re in here… in the inhuman holding area for rehabilitation. You’re inhuman.”

Skye hesitated but nodded. “I’d prove it to you, but they seem to have drained my powers on the flight in.”

Lincoln pointed up to the metal plates next to the lights. “These work as broad inhibitors. Without our powers or energy, we can’t make trouble. So, really, what’d you do? Destroy something with your powers in public? Pick a fight with a Starforce guard? Had to be something big for this level of detainment.”

Skye paced the cell, looking for weak points or exposed electronics she could exploit to her advantage. “Not really anything I did so much as who I am.”

“Because of your girlfriend, who is still being questioned?” Lincoln guessed.

“Her name’s Carol, and no. Well, sort of. I got caught because they were looking to bring her back here.”

Lincoln stood and approached, forcing Skye to stop pacing. The hope in his eyes surprised her. “Carol Danvers?”

“Yeah, how? She said she didn’t know many inhumans.”

Lincoln smiled. “She made it home to C-53, then? She’s why I’m in here, you know.”

“Wait, you’re the inhuman doctor that helped her? Dr. Campbell?”

Lincoln winked and laid down on the bed, tossing up a ball of wrapped bandage fabric like a human man might play idly with a baseball. “And now I’m the inhuman prison doctor. No good deed goes unpunished here.”

Skye wanted to say thank you, to express how much his help had changed her life and saved Carol’s, but the words died in her throat. He was in prison—no, “inhuman holding and rehabilitation,” which sounded like a fancy word for torture. And now, at least from his perspective and potentially truly if things didn’t go according to plan, his sacrifice was for nothing. Carol was facing judgment somewhere else on this ship.

A ringing and then static filled Skye’s ear. “Ow!”

“Skye,” Melinda came in over the comm, “can you hear me?”

“Mom? I hear you,” Skye said. Lincoln caught his bandage ball and glanced over at her. She pointed to her ear.

“You’re alive. Are you okay?” Melinda exhaled in relief, possibly the first deep breath she’d taken in hours.

“Yeah, I’m in inhuman prison, which isn’t great, but my cellmate is the doctor who helped Carol escape.”

Lincoln pressed a finger to his lips in the universal sign for shhh.

Melinda asked what floor of the space base, or any identifying markers that would help them find her, but a guard walked by so Skye couldn’t answer.

The guard pressed a button at the end of the hall that beeped. “Reporting floor 47 clear. Requesting access to door 32.”

When the door shut automatically behind the guard, Skye repeated these numbers to the team listening on comms.

“Let’s hope that’s a sign luck’s with us tonight,” Maria Rambeau quipped. “Wait, without Skye to do her coding thing to make the docking bay doors open, how are we going to get in?”

There was some background noise as they consulted with those in the common center back on Earth, and then Melinda, with a smile in her voice, repeated, “Sniper style. I can handle that.”

“Please be careful!” Skye begged. The transmission cut out, and Skye met Lincoln’s waiting gaze.

Skye shrugged. “Okay so the whole thing wasn’t an accident. Me getting caught was defiinitely not in the plan and is going to make this harder. But if you can help me get out of here, I can get you and as many inhumans as we can to safety on Earth, uh, I mean C-53. I’m an agent with an organization called Shield. Keeping people safe from alien threats is our main thing.”

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. “Alien threats? Like you and me? Do they know what you are?”

“Yeah,” Skye defended. “And the people who don’t, it’s more because I’m beyond their clearance level. We have a whole team of people like us, the enhanced division.”

Lincoln laid back on the bed and began tossing his stupid ball again. “And if you weren’t using your powers for your job, but just because you wanted to, would people in public freak out about that?”

Skye approached his bed and caught the ball. “Hey! I’m offering to get you out of this place. From what I’ve heard, it’s not great for people like us here either. Maybe we can’t go around with alien pride flags or something, but you’d be free to make your own choices, not anyone’s weapon or toy or clown or whatever.”

Lincoln sighed and sat up. “You’re right. Sorry. I’ve just heard stories. Inhumans like you from colonies who get sold or traded or win a fight and then end up back here with a reality check for the rest of us. Here, at least no one’s surprised when I use my hands to restart someone’s heart.”

“Electrical powers,” Skye recalled. “You can turn off the lights.”

“Yeah, I was really hoping the saving lives part of that sentence would be the impressive one.”

Skye considered him for a minute. “You haven’t asked what mine are.”

“It’s considered rude, in our culture.”

“Oh.” She tossed back his ball. “Well, I can use the vibrations that objects give off to manipulate them.”

“Huh.” Lincoln turned the ball in his hands. “Every inhuman power fills a void, where there’s a need in our kind. Of course, I’m guessing the inhuman population on C-53 is still pretty small. From what I know, there’s only a hundred or so families who have ever made it there.”

Skye blinked at him. “There are other inhumans on Earth? I’m not the only one?”

He watched Skye carefully. “Yeah… Did your parents tell you much about us when you went through terrigenesis?”

The secure door at the end of the hallway beeped again and the guard appeared. The cell across from them opened, and a muscular young man was pushed in. On Earth, he would have been assumed to play football, but here, Skye guessed his powers had something to do with feats of strength unthinkable for the average human man.

“Joey!” Lincoln called out when the automatic door had shut again, leaving them alone. “You alright, man?”

“Hey, yeah, they just needed me for some metal bending upstairs. On purpose this time, and no one got hurt.” His laugh was self-deprecating and sheepish, and Skye assumed that’s what he was in prison for. “Who’s this?”

“Hi,” Skye stepped up to the cell door. “I’m Skye. New arrival from C-53. Terran, or well, inhuman, but raised just as a normal human. I was just about to tell Lincoln here that I’m adopted. I never learned inhuman culture, and frankly, you two are the first other inhumans I’ve ever met. At least as far back as I can remember. From what I know, I was born here, but when I was really little, I ended up on Earth, sorry, C-53, and got adopted by the people who found me. I actually didn’t know I was inhuman or get my powers—terrigenesis?—until pretty recently. Anyway, how about you guys?”

“You’re…” Joey stared at her and paled like she was a ghost. “You’re her. The kid who got away.”

Lincoln shook his head. “Hey, no, man, she doesn’t need all that. I’m sure Skye’s had a long day…”

Skye remembered, right before she fell, Yon-Rogg had called her something else. “You knew about her? Daisy Johnson, is that right?”

She turned to Lincoln, who was avoiding meeting her eyes. “Carol said my parents were killed. That you would have heard about me, in stories and warnings? Even if you were just kids too, you’d have known about them. Please, all I know is how they died because they tried to save me.”

Joey sighed in sympathy. “I’m so sorry. That’s all we were told too. After you disappeared, things got worse for a while, but now it’s just normal for us. It’s not your fault. My parents were killed too. I try to honor their memory every day. That’s how we survive here.”

“I’m sorry.” Skye pressed a hand to the bars. “Joey, we’re going to get out of here, and I want you to come too.”

Joey’s eyes widened. “You can’t talk like that! If they hear you—”

“You’ll see.” Skye said simply.

Lincoln shook his head at her delusion and went back to tossing his bandage ball. The guard passed by again and called lights out, and they settled into their beds, Skye on her side with her hand over her ear so she wouldn’t miss even a whisper of an incoming transmission.

[themculibrary]

Wintery Romance Masterlist

A December Story (ao3) - dot11 leo/jemma T, 21k

Summary: It's December at Shield Security Systems. Amidst the festive party planning and hoards of holiday shoppers, an IT worker (Fitz) and a temporary Admin Assistant (Jemma) meet while trying to prepare a career-changing presentation. When they find themselves working together during a month already filled with so much stress and obligation, tensions rise and tempers are tested. Will they realize how perfect they are together before the clock strikes midnight?

As a Rule (ao3) - Sunshines_Fabulous_Legs steve/bucky, shuri/peter T, 18k

Summary: What was supposed to be a simple journey into the forest to prepare for the autumn equinox leaves Peter and Shuri horribly lost. They must travel through dangerous territory to get home, unsure if they will get home, or even survive.

When a bearded stranger helps them find their way, Peter and Shuri start to have hope. Only to run into a strange man from the bearded man's past. With this pair, Peter and Shuri must fight against a group of hunters bent on chasing them all down. In this fight for survival, Peter and Shuri also discover secrets long forgotten; mysteries that have more to do with them—and the two men—than they would expect.

Framed within a poetic narrative with its own mysteries, "As A Rule" tells two love stories; but will both of them have happy endings?

awash in golden light (ao3) - glim steve/sam T, 1k

Summary: The snow-covered world around them is awash in golden light, on the brink of a new year, and Steve feels the newness, the joy and warmth, in the press of Sam's mouth against his, at the brush of Sam's eyelashes against his cheek as he leans up to kiss Steve over and over again.

Blanketed in Snow (ao3) - ashes0909 steve/tony T, 767

Summary: “I know you’ll say this isn’t the best time for me to point it out, but I mentioned needing a survival bag in this car last month,” Steve greeted.

“And yet…” Tony quirked up a half smile. “Pointing.”

Brightly Colored Little Treats (ao3) - Marv_with_a_v bucky/m'baku T, 2k

Summary: Bucky brings M'Baku another gift and M'Baku asks him out on a date. That's what friends do, right?

Ever Since We Met (ao3) - deweydrops loki/sigyn M, 73k

Summary: Modern-day Logyn AU. Grad student Sigyn is spending winter break scraping by working at a jewelry store, managing her two roommates, and adjusting to life in the city. When ambitious but lonely attorney Loki crosses her path one snowy day, they'll discover how to keep each warm during a winter of ice, snow, and record lows.

Falling Like Snow (ao3) - STARSdidathing loki/tony T, 10k

Summary: Tony shouldn't have been out in the forest alone. It wasn't because he should have feared the 'fearsome beast', it was because he should never have trusted good weather.

Five More Minutes (ao3) - ItsDrippingRed clint/natasha T, 1k

Summary: A shiver ran down her spine as the cold night air bit at her face and attempted to seep in around the edges of her leather jacket. It almost made her miss the comfortable warmth of the bar that Clint had eventually lead them out of.

Let It Snow! (ao3) - Must_Love_Dogs steve/bucky G, 891

Summary: The city is covered in snow, so Bucky and Steve decide to have a perfect snow day!

Love Will Thaw (ao3) - Boopoopeedoo wanda/vision T, 5k

Summary: Cold may have meant home, there may have been beauty in Winter snows, but cold also meant danger. Wanda could not bring herself to like it much.

Well, not until she became an Avenger, and even then, it had taken a while, through quite a few experiences. And not even so much the experiences, but the person with whom she had shared them..

Over the course of her relationship with Vision, Wanda learns to love the cold.

My Heart Melts Like the Snow (ao3) - fangirlSevera clint/phil, bucky/natasha T, 27k

Summary: Clint Barton, wandering contractor, Ren Faire archer, has finally put down roots. He's bought a house, lives close to his best friend, and has a proper boyfriend.

He's determined to have a traditional, merry Christmas and enjoy all the winter fun the Midwest can offer. He won't even let the occasional snow storm or the return of an ex ruin how well his life is going (much).

Soft (ao3) - Jennifer_Collins natasha/tony N/R, 2k

Summary: Natasha and Tony share a special moment during the holiday season.

The Secret Ingredient (ao3) - Brimstone_Assembly clint/matt T, 1k

Summary: After a rough night of superheroing, Clint makes Matt some hot cocoa.

Thin Ice (ao3) - 0_P_A_L steve/bucky, bucky/natasha T, 4k

Summary: Bucky takes to the rink to calm his nerves. Steve tries, but well... Steve tries. And Bucky almost can't take it.

Twelve Times It Snowed (ao3) - Deejaymil steve/bucky T, 3k

Summary: It’s impossible, but Steve’s never taken impossible as an answer.

upon all the living (ao3) - ace_verity matt/karen G, 2k

Summary: Matt walks Karen home in the middle of a snowstorm.

Warm skin, cold snow (ao3) - Gabiisfics pietro/peter E, 5k

Summary: Pietro Maximoff walked carefree through the streets of downtown New York, enjoying the cold weather and the falling snow. He certainly didn't expect to find Spider-Man injured and freezing after a fight, wanting to help he takes him to his apartment to take care of him, just didn't expect the situation to get heated, not that he's complaining.

Winter Song (ao3) - sleepygrimm steve/natasha E, 44k

Summary: The Siberian wilderness served as a backdrop as two tortured souls found their way into each other’s arms. And a second chance in love.

[pers-books]

Star-studded Opening night for Wilko World Premiere at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch.

A dazzling Opening Night unfolded on Saturday, marking the world premiere of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s inaugural show for their spring season. Wilko is a production skilfully written by renowned journalist and TV broadcaster Jonathan Maitland, playing until 24 February.

The star-studded event drew in illustrious personalities, including Jemma Redgrave, celebrated for her roles in Dr Who, Holby City, and Grantchester. Currently sharing the screen with Jason Statham in The Beekeeper, Jemma expressed her enthusiasm: “I absolutely loved it. It’s brilliantly written, exceptionally well-performed, and the music is fantastic. Come and see it!”

John Michie, known for his roles in Holby City, Coronation Street, and Taggart, revealed his admiration for the Canvey Island legend, saying, “I’m a big fan of Dr Feelgood. I loved Wilko Johnson, and this cast tonight absolutely nailed it. The music was spot on. It’s a great show; I highly recommend it!”

Patrick Gibson (Shadow and Bone, The Tudors),Richard Gibson (‘Allo ‘Allo), and Penelope Rawlins(award-winning voice artist) praised the evening as “the best evening imaginable,” commending the amazing cast and the performance of fantastic music.

Sadie Nine of BBC Essex Radio described the show as “absolutely fabulous” and urged those near Canvey Island to attend.

The list of VIPs included Richard ‘Kid’ Strange, founder of the mid-1970s proto-punk band Doctor of Madness, and Rebecca Harris MP for Castle Point.

From standing ovations to heartfelt commendations, audiences have showered praise on the world premiere of this rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza. Its enchanting blend of humour and emotion has captivated viewers, who lauded the cast’s brilliance, the well-crafted script, and the superb staging.

Here’s a glimpse of the audience’s acclaim for “Wilko”:

• “An extraordinarily brilliant show. It had integrity; amazing performances, fabulous music, and much to say about life…go see it!”

• “Great show. Brilliant cast. Very well written and staged. Went last night and will be back for sure.”

• “Anyone who is a fan of Dr Feelgood or Wilko Johnson should see it.”

• “It’s brilliant. The actor who plays Wilko is great. All the cast are fantastic. Some laughs and some tears.”

• “Take my hat off to the writer who gave us great insights into Wilko’s life and career.”

• “10/10 – I want to see it again!”

Wilko is a striking biographic play with live music celebrating the extraordinary life of Dr Feelgood co-founder Wilko Johnson. In 2012 the iconic rock star was told he had inoperable cancer and a year to live. Refusing all treatment, he decided to spend his last months living meaningfully: seeing the people, places and things which meant most to him during his remarkable life. Then, a miracle happened….  This new play is a mixture of words, rock ‘n roll, and quotes from the man himself – tells the amazing, uplifting true story of Wilko, the Essex legend. 

Tickets from £19 (plus 65p QNext fee), under 26s £8 (age guidance 11+). To book, call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or visit queens-theatre.co.uk 

[tangent101]

Critical Role mini-Fanfic

Writing Prompt: Imogen's father died in an accident just a few years after Imogen's mother vanished. But just when the town gathers together to chase off the threat a six-year-old Ruidus-born could bring upon a town... she is rescued by the most unexpected of people

Imogen shrank into herself at the shouting around her, wrapping her arms close. It had happened so fast… one of Master Faramore's horses had lashed out with its hooves. Her father's body flew through the air, striking the wall with a sickening thud before he tumbled to the ground. The light dimmed from his eyes as she stared at him, unmoving, his chest not even laboring for breath. Others rushed around her, grabbing the horse's reins, as everything blurred. Heat ran down her cheeks and her lungs burned. Daddy… and everything went dark.

"She doesn't belong here! She's cursed! She brought doom down upon her father and if she stays she'll doom us all! We must be rid of her!"

Imogen stirred at the harsh voice, belonging to Jemma. The old lady had loathed her for as long as Imogen remembered, looking down her bulbous red nose at her and muttering how she was born under an ill omen.

"Now let's not jump to any conclusions, Jemma," Master Faramore said, his voice soothing, but Jemma shouted him down.

"And what? Who's going to take her in? We all know she's Ruidus-born! Too much of her mother in her, that one. None of us are going to risk taking in her curse! We need to drive her from the village before she curses us all!"

Cursed. Jemma's words echoed in her ears. She'd heard the word spoken before in hushed tones, though the six-year-old child didn't exactly know what it meant. But… the memory of her father flying through the air, hitting the wall… I'm to blame. I'm the cursed one. Tears filled her eyes, running down her cheeks, and she stumbled, trying to flee. But she could not escape the taunts and shouts following her.

"Get out of here, you witch! You've no place here!"

"Cursed child! No one wants you!"

"Better you died instead of Relven!"

Better you died… the words echoed in Imogen's head as the world blurred around her until finally she fell to the ground.

"What are you doing? She's a child!" one woman cried out, but as she wiped her eyes clear, she saw the woman being drawn away from a shame-faced man. Other people looked at her and then turned away while the haggard face of Jemma loomed closer.

"Do any dare speak for this child? Her father be dead by her curse. Will any of you risk taking on her curse?" Others were by her side, their low muttering growing in volume. Something struck Imogen, and she felt something hot and sticky running down her face and she turned and started running blindly toward the gate before she bounced off of someone's legs.

Gentle hands grasped her, helping her to her feet, and Imogen looked up at concerned blue eyes, one a sapphire blue and the other the pale blue of a hazy summer sky. Her raven-hued hair was shorn short, held in place with a silver tiara, a bright green stone centered on her forehead.

"Be gone, stranger! This matter concerns you not!" Jemma snapped. At that, the woman's gaze narrowed and while her hand still held her shoulder, she straightened and turned her attention to the small mob gathered before her. Imogen glanced over her shoulder and at the glares and hate just boiling off of them and fled into the woman's arms, sobbing.

"My goddess would never forgive me if I failed to intervene. She has long had a soft spot for children." The woman said, her words a strange dissonance, what was heard different than what Imogen somehow knew was spoken. The woman paused, touching the wound on Imogen's forehead, and then spoke a soft prayer, closing the wound, though crimson still stained her lavender hair. She looked her tone grew colder. "Who threw the stone?" No one responded and she spoke again, her tone positively glacial. "Where are her parents?"

"Dead. Dead and gone, as she deserves to be. This child was born under Ruidus's glare, and you'll be cursed for sheltering her, mark my words!" Jemma responded, spitting toward them.

"And none will take her in? You would abandon her? Have you no shame?!?" She knelt and took Imogen in her arms, standing again to stare them down.

"You try to shame us? We have families to worry about! She's been cursed by the Gods! Drive her away!" Jemma shouted and several men and women around her chucked rocks at them. First one, and then a second and a third paused in their flight, floating in the air as the green stone in the woman's tiara started to glow.

"Cursed, you say? So be it. But you seek to slay a child out of superstitious fear. I cannot abide that. So I call down the Doom of Gelvaan upon you all." The very air dimmed as she spoke, the green of its light illuminating those around the woman.

"The Gods will forsake your town. Their priests shall pass you by. Their magics will fade in your lands. And in time, so too will you fade. Merchants will leave and pass you by. Minstrels shall stop not at your door. Your crops will falter and barely keep you fed. And your children will leave, one by one, until only pale memories remain. Not even the Dead shall wander these lands. You are forsaken."

Her words echoed and those around Jemma quailed and first one and then another broke and fled until only Jemma remained, tears running down her cheeks. The glow of the woman's tiara faded until only the diminished light of the sun lit the land. "You have no right! She is Ruidus-born! She is cursed by the Gods! As will you be!"

The woman ignored her and turned, walking out of Gelvaan with Imogen in her arms, passing through the gates. Soon the light of the sun brightened, beyond the borders of the town, and Imogen let herself be carried by the woman, hiding her face in her shoulder. Finally they paused, and the woman let her down. "Sorry. You're getting heavy," the woman said, a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry," Imogen said with a sniffle, and the woman knelt before her, a sad look in her eyes.

"You did nothing wrong, sweetie. Sometimes people are just assholes. And if a little illusion dimming the lights in the area scares them, that's on them."

"You didn't curse them?" Imogen asked, and the woman shook her head.

"My Goddess wouldn't approve," she said, and then paused. "Okay. They weren't very nice so maybe she would do a little curse but… not everyone. So. What's your name?"

Imogen sniffled and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her dress and then whispered "My name's Imogen."

The woman smiled widely and whispered back "Imogen's a beautiful name. You can call me Angel."

[tryalittlejoytomorrow]

Get To Know Me: Friendships

tagged by the lovely @winterlovesong1 thank you!! 💜

rules: name at least five platonic relationships you love, each from a different fandom.

1) The Crows (aka My Crows) / Six of Crows & Sab

It's the found family of it all for me, but mostly the fact that every relationship within that group is iconic af. Don't get me started about Kaz and Nina being the absolute best worsties. Don't talk to me about Jesper and Inej. Wylan and Matthias being the newbies judging the crows until they realize these are the best companions they could ever hope for. Inej and Nina and all their small rescues. Matthias begrudgingly learning to respect and admire Kaz. Jesper and Nina. Wylan worrying about Inej and deciding to stay until they get her back. Kaz and Jesper being brothers. I love all of my crows and I love how much they all love one another. They are simply perfect, I'll take no criticism about this

2) Lucy/George/Lockwood / Lockwood & Co

Ding ding ding, found family my beloved strikes again. What's better than living with your partner and technically your boss and risking your life with them every day? Nothing, that's what. I simply adore trios in general and it's such a delicate balance to write, but this trio is perfect. Each of them believes themselves to be the normal one bringing balance to the other two and I adore that because they each bring something very specific to the table: Lucy, with her emotional maturity and intelligence; Lockwood and his bravery and skillful leadership; George with his cleverness and his humor. They're best friends and they're a family and George will be best man at their wedding and godfather to their daughter and still their friendship will never waver.

3) Alex Stern & Pamela Dawes / Ninth House

My girls!!! My beautiful badass baby girls. If Ninth House made me love them, then Hell Bent made me go 'this is my ride or die favorite friendship'. Literally Dawes is Sunshine and Alex Midnight Rain and I love them. The love is so potent!!! They think they're opposites at first but truly they're both made of steel.

4) The Bus Kids: fitzskimmons / Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

God, I miss my tiny babies!!! I just adore these three together but also the duos within the trio. Inseparable fitzsimmons even without the romantic aspect, fresh out of the Academy, one brain, one heart; Jemma and Skye ("I already have one sister and her name is Jemma Simmons"), Fitz and Daisy when she feels like her entire world is falling apart and he's the one reminding her that who she is is perfect and doesn't need fixing. My most special children.

5) Weller & Patterson / Blindspot

I just love the big brother/little sister vibe between these two. It's another example of found family, no surprise there, but I think that out of all the relationships, this is the one that stuck the most with me over the years. It's the little things: how much he believes in her, how small she looks in his arms, how fierce and feral she is to defend him. Guess I'm gonna have to rewatch the whole show now and get back in that spiral.

tagging @flythesail @sunshineandsciencebabies @katherineebishop

[sundayinthcpark]

guys i deadass just saw the beekeeper in theatres again just. just so i could film jemma’s scenes. and make an edit. or president danforth. please someone send help (gonna post the edit on tiktok in a couple days when the strike is over)

[likea-black-widow-baby]

Coulson: Do you see me as a father figure, Agent Johnson?

Daisy: No. If anything I see you as a bother figure, because you’re always bothering me.

Jemma: Hey! Show your father some respect!

Daisy: I didn’t call him Dad!

Coulson: No, no, Daisy, I take it as a compliment.

Fitz: It’s not a big deal. I called Jemma mom once and she’s my wife.

Daisy: Guys! Jump on that, Fitz has psycho-sexual issues!

May: Old news. But you calling Coulson daddy...

Daisy: Hey, daddy is not on the table here.

Prisoner: Well you did call him Dad, dude.

Daisy: You shut up, you’ve done nothing but lie since you got here.

Prisoner: Okay, I was lying about the Hydra thing, but the dad thing? That happened.

Daisy: Ah-ha! He admitted the alibi was a lie. All part of my crazy devious plan.

Coulson: I believed you-

Daisy: Thank you.

Coulson: -daughter. You want to talk about it later over a game of catch?

Daisy: ... I’d like that.

[royale1803]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

here for a good time not a long time 💜🧡

[midalah]

That moment you see a meme online about Tony being Peter’s dad and you get a ‘fic idea when they discover he actually IS Peter’s father...

[tvseries-writings]

Love the Road Trip series!!! Would love another part/parts of course- maybe Reader like going unconscious again and still getting seizures/ Wanda has a hard time connecting in their brains and like some science-y tool is needed to help repair that part of the brain (thinking like supergirl black mercy scenario with a twist)

Road Trip IV

Part I - Part II - Part III

WandaNat x Bioquake x reader

A week later, your brain finally seems to have made a full recovery. And you have not slept more than eight hours and you consider it a victory since in the previous days you woke up shortly and for a short time, spending all your time sleeping. Your day was beautiful, until the doctor came in and opened his mouth, giving it some air.

Your glacial gaze stops on him as he stands, facing you, at the end of the couch you're lying on.

"I won't stay here for another week, I don't care what he says"

You see your girlfriends stiffen out of the corner of your eye, ready to come against you in this choice of yours. You shake your head and get the doctor to look away, four of them.

“We won't put it to a vote, it's my choice and I would like to be discharged immediately. Tell me where to sign "

You do not know how, perhaps thanks to the determination filtered through your voice or thanks to who knows what miracle but after less than an hour you find yourself out of the hospital.

Sadly though, all your girlfriends are sulking at you and you can't take it anymore.

"Will you be sulking me for a long time?"

You sigh, sitting a little more comfortably on the sofa without even turning to look at your girls sitting around the table in the kitchen and turning your full attention to the phone screen.

Jemma gets up from her chair and quickly joins you, taking the phone out of your hands and throwing it across the sofa, away from you.

"Hey!"

You complain and Jemma gives you a dirty look.

“If the doctors tell you you have to stay in the hospital, you stay in the hospital y / n. Your health is not something you can play with "

You open your mouth to protest but freeze when Natasha takes the floor.

"So yes, we will hold" this sulking "for a long time yet"

You sigh and lean your head against the back of the sofa. Their disapproving looks strike you particularly.

Your hand reaches for Jemma's and the biochemistry, surprisingly, doesn't shy away.

"I'm sorry girls but you know I hate hospitals and then ... I'm fine now" you caress her knuckles and see her body relax under your touch.

Daisy gets up, quickly followed by Wanda, and they both drop onto the sofa. Wanda on your left and Daisy on your right.

They hold you in a hug and soon Jemma joins the two of them too.

"For any discomfort we go back to the hospital," Wanda whispers into your neck as she rubs her nose against your skin.

"Anything little, you really scared us and if you do it again I'll kill you"

Daisy mutters and a little chuckle escapes your lips. You nod and leave a kiss in her hair as your gaze rests on Nat.

The redhead is still sitting at the kitchen table and you are sure that if you keep twisting your neck like that, you might as well break it sooner or later.

"Nat, love, are you coming here?"

"No."

"C'mon honey"

You give her your best puppy eyes. Even the mighty black widow can't resist those.

The Russian rolls her eyes and with a frustrated groan she joins the embrace.

"I can not stand you"

"I love you too"

You poke your tongue out before her kissing her.

Puppy eyes always work.

Exactly six days pass before that little bubble of so desired and deserved tranquility bursts.

You get up with a terrible headache and spend the whole day like this, between oki and other medicines, to appease a headache that cannot be cured. Not from any medicine, at least.

You are having lunch when it happens again.

"Uh ... I heard that Maria kicked a rookie's ass during the exam"

Daisy takes a bite as her eyes light up with amusement, imagining the scene.

Jemma nudges her and gives her an exasperated look.

"Dee, it's not nice to laugh at other people's misfortunes"

"Are you calling Maria a" disgrace "for all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?"

Wanda giggles as Jemma opens her eyes wide and shakes her head, placing her fork on her plate.

"What? No, I-"

"Don't worry Jem, after all Maria is really the nightmare of all newbies"

Natasha grins as she leans to her left to leave a kiss on Jemma's cheek.

You watch the scene and if it were a normal day, you'd be enjoying the blush on Jemma's cheeks and the amused looks on the faces of your other three girls. But it's not a day like any other.

Your mouth kneads and you struggle to sit upright in the chair. Your head feels as light as ever and the voices of your girls reach your ears as if muffled.

You move your hand along the table, looking for any kind of support. As you do this, your hand hits your glass which falls to the ground and breaks into a thousand pieces.

The noise makes your girlfriends focus on you and they immediately understand that something is wrong.

"Y / n, love, can you hear me?"

Jemma is the first to get up and move your chair towards her.

Natasha takes your head in her hands when she sees that it begins to swing dangerously to the side.

“Hey, hey, focus on me. Eyes on me, love. ”Daisy kneels in front of you and her worried gaze focuses on you, noticing how glassy and almost unconscious your eyes are.

Wanda puts her hands on the sides of your head when she hears no verbal response from you. There is only silence in the apartment as well as in your head and this worries her terribly.

"Y / n, blink once if you can hear me"

Jemma says; her voice is steady as she suppresses the "worried girlfriend", letting the "doctor" take control.

Her hand grabs your wrist as she checks your pulse.

A quick glance at your pupils and vital signs leads her to lie you down on the ground, on your right side before your body is shaken with convulsions.

Natasha almost kicks off the chair as Daisy and Wanda kneel next to your body, moving any objects you could hurt yourself with during the seizure.

Anguish and worry grip their hearts for about two minutes before your body stops, motionless on the floor.

Jemma checks your pulse once again and a sigh she didn't know she was holding from her leaves her lips as she feels it slow but steady.

All the accumulated tension is released. Wanda and Jemma let the tears held up until that moment run down their cheeks.

Daisy leans on Natasha as the Russian lets out a shaky breath, hugging the inhuman a little closer as all four look at you, stroking each one or your hair or arms or intertwining their fingers with yours to feel the warmth. of your body. A certain proof that you are still there with them, alive.

"It's not good Jem, this is not normal"

Natasha says and everyone can hear the anger in her tone. She hates to see you this way, weak and helpless, while she can do absolutely nothing to help you out.

"It's terrifying," Daisy murmurs as she runs her hand through your hair over and over.

Jemma shakes her head, hiding her head in her hands as she thinks about any possible solution the medicine might offer. Yet you have had the surgery, the CT scan is normal ... she does not understand what is wrong with you.

Wanda brushes your temples as trails of red magic float around her thin, cold fingers.

She frowns when she doesn't feel any thoughts coming from you, like there's actually nothing in your head but that's not possible. She tries to break through that "barrier" two more times before a stab passes through her head, causing her hands to quickly withdraw from you.

"Are you OK?"

"II ... I can't hear her thoughts"

Jemma jumps to her feet at those words and heads for the bathroom, and reappears next to your body still lying on the floor. A syringe held in her right hand, filled with some greenish liquid.

"What is that?" Natasha asks about her as she continues to caress your face softly, never letting her gaze move away from your body. Almost as if she were afraid that you might disappear at any moment.

"It's a serum ... when I saw the results of the CT scan I feared this could happen"

Her hands tremble slightly as she brings the syringe to your neck but Natasha's hand resting on her wrist stops her and her gaze focuses on the eyes of biochemistry.

"Jem, what's going on"

“Brain death… Wanda can't read her mind because she's brain dead. There is a part of her brain that was deeply damaged by the accident and it is one of those wounds that medicine alone cannot heal. I hoped it wouldn't happen but now I really need to inject this into her, Nat. Because I love her and I don't want to see her die "

Jemma untangles her hand from Natasha's grip and exchanges a look with Wanda, who she nods.

The two girls worked day and night for two days in a row to create that serum, a blend of medicine and magic that they wholeheartedly hope it will work.

Jemma sticks the syringe into your neck and a small part of her is glad you're unconscious; with your hatred of needles that syringe would have driven you crazy.

The needle sinks into your flesh and, when she is sure it is well positioned, pushes the liquid inside you.

It takes five minutes, which seems endless, before your body reacts to the serum. Your eyes snap open as you sit up, almost bumping into Jemma who can only pull back at the last moment.

“Detka, calm down, you're fine. It's us ”Wanda whispers, stroking your back softly and letting her magic flow between your bodies to calm your heartbeat.

Your breathing slows down and your mind clears up thanks to Wanda's help.

You rub your temple and look around trying to remember what happened. You feel weird, stronger and more stable. What you are feeling is indescribable.

"Did I have another seizure?"

Your tone sounds uncertain; you are not confused and your brain thinks quickly or at least as fast as ever. This is not like the last time.

An unspoken pact between your girls, a look you can't understand, leave you with a sense of restlessness in your chest.

Jemma nods and takes your right hand in hers.

"Yes, we had to use an experimental cure, let's say"

You wrinkle your nose; the last "experimental" cure you tested was Tony's and it didn't end well for you. But Jemma is not Tony and you completely and blindly trust her.

"Apparently it worked"

A smile purses your lips as you reach out to kiss her.

"Thanks Jem"

You turn to Wanda and extend your free hand towards her, sending her a smile of the most sincere and full of love you have ever given to one of them.

"And thanks to you too, Wands. I know you have your hand behind it too"

The Sokovian shrugs your shoulders and gives you a smile.

Daisy swoops over you and her arms surround your neck as she threatens to knock you both down on the floor. You surround her hips and move her close to you.

"I'm fine Dee, everything is fine"

Daisy nods as she sniffles, continuing to hold you close. You glance at Nat of her and motion her to come closer and, as soon as she does, you add her to your embrace.

"We can't bear to lose you"

Nat's voice breaks and you give her a reassuring squeeze as the Russian leaves kisses on your neck.

Wanda shakes your hand, throwing you glances full of love; as well as Jemma while Daisy says nothing, just holding you tight in her arms. She has no intention of leaving you.

"You won't get rid of me that easily Nat, you can be sure."

"We love you"

"Too"

"It sucks to love you so much since you always get in trouble"

Daisy says about her before rubbing her nose against your neck as Wanda laughs, shaking her head, followed by the other two girls.

"Oh, that's unfair ... for once it's not even my fault"

A pout is painted on your face and Nat smiles, kissing the tip of your nose.

"And here she is back sulking"

Your girlfriends laugh and you squint, looking at them.

"I hate you"

"No moya lyubov, you love us"

"And very much, detka"

"Who couldn't love me, after all?"

"Dee! How do you always spoil the moment ?! "

You watch the little bickering between Jemma and Daisy and Natasha and Wanda laugh at their behavior. Hell, yeah. You are in love with those girls.

Thanks for reading! I hope this fulfills your request and have a Great day! If you have a minute, please donate. It is very important to me and even one dollar can make the difference. Thank you <3

Buy me a coffee ☕️ ~ Paypal

Marvel Masterlist

Taglist: (send me a message to be added) @mmmmokdok @chaekhan

Taglist: @marie45019 @resilientpendragon @yaretzim15 @so-no-kissing-then @thearchpitbullmx @ashadash0904 @kingshitonly @alwaysgoodnight @callistic @xjule @yuleni18 @simpforwandanat @alexxislex @mrsdanversluthorplease @coollemonsaresour @hushed-woodsman @whitebear27063 @razorscooteer @eponine-xx @maniacallinc @michelle1708 @classyig @elenaguarnieri @scarletwidow @tati3001 @cristin-rjd @your-my-mission @m-r-nicely @hi-i-1 @fayhar @anniethurs @ktstwice @scarlet-raccoon @maria-403 @liladoesfanfics

[themculibrary]

Roleplay (Smut) Masterlist

99 problems (and the dice ain't one) (ao3) - kellifer_fic steve/tony, clint/phil, bruce/darcy E, 10k

Summary: Tony's life is almost perfect. He lives in a converted warehouse full of friends (and one frenemy), has a job that leaves him plenty of time to think about other things and a regular Friday night campaign. If his best friend, Steve Rogers, hadn't moved away to New York and left him behind, then perfection would've been achieved.

Tony can roll with the punches though and he's almost all the way over that little bump in the road (shut up Bruce, he totally is) when Steve moves back, looking taller and broader and more confident than ever and Tony's left with a converted warehouse full of friends (and one frenemy), a job that leaves him plenty of time to think about other things, a regular Friday night campaign and the uncomfortable realization that maybe he's in love with his best friend and has been since he was sixteen.

and from my knees grew flowers (ao3) - yasgorl steve/bucky E, 14k

Summary: Bucky picks at the delicate fabric to reveal a silken black lining underneath. He holds it up in front of him and suddenly it’s like he can see himself looking at it, like he’s in a department store picking out his size, wondering if he should take it to a fitting room. He wants to hold it against his body, low on his hips.

Bucky drops the skirt like it's caught on fire.

“Uh,” he calls out, panicked and wavery.

Then he stops because he doesn’t know what to say now, or even that he wants to say it.

Castigatio (ao3) - justanotherStonyfan steve/bucky E, 13k

Summary: “So explain to me,” Steve says, “and I mean give me one good reason I should let you get away with that shit you pulled today.”

Doctor Feelgood (ao3) - notlucy, piglet_illustrations (thefilthiestpiglet) steve/bucky E, 10k

Summary: Things are practically perfect, as far as Steve’s concerned. He and Bucky are happy. Healthy. Working through their shit and living a normal life in Brooklyn. Said normality extends to their nice, regular, fulfilling sex life. Which isn't to say it’s perfect - maybe Steve has a fantasy or two he hasn’t shared. Certain proclivities he’s happy to indulge privately. Why bother Bucky?

It’s fine. Really. Until the day Bucky comes home early and catches Steve with his pants down. Literally.

Five Secrets Worth Spilling (ao3) - longwhitecoats clint/natasha, steve/natasha, natasha/thor, bruce/natasha, natasha/surprise E, 16k

Summary: Steve helps Natasha with some secrets she's been harboring.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait (ao3) - memorizingthedigitsofpi leo/jemma E, 12k

Summary: Mr Fitz and Miss Simmons are back again, and this time the focus is on pleasure instead of pain. Fitz has read up on something that strikes his fancy and Jemma is just as eager to try it out.

Honeymooning (ao3) - starrdust411 steve/sam M, 20k

Summary: Sam took a step back from the door, laughing quietly to himself as he rubbed at his eyes, pushing the frames of his glasses up to his forehead in the process. "Whoa, what are we doing?" He chuckled, shaking his head at how ridiculous he sounded. "I'm sorry man this... this is getting weird."

I Need A Favor (ao3) - EndlessStairway loki/tony M, 23k

Summary: Tony is desperate to save Pepper, he knows someone who can help, but what price will Loki, trickster god, sorcerer, enemy of Earth demand from Tony?

kept on the wing (ao3) - yasgorl steve/bucky E, 17k

Summary: “I just wanted to know if it was alright — to get you things,” Steve says, stiffly. He’s very still under Bucky, his hands on Bucky’s head and chest.

“Things,” Bucky repeats, flatly.

Kink Negotiation (ao3) - samptra steve/tony E, 10k

Summary: “Steve, I want you to know that no matter what I love you. I never want you to anything that makes you uncomfortable, or unsure.” His tone was serious, and his expression open and honest, this was his real Anthony Stark; loving and kind.

“This is kink negotiation, isn’t it?” Steve wished for the millionth time his voice wasn’t such a mess.

Anthony smiled at him brushing his hair back, tucking it behind his ears. “Yes, I guess it is,” he smiled at him softly.

Ms. Carter (ao3) - indiefic peggy/steve E, 27k

Summary: Steve Rogers is a former soldier, now an underemployed artist working for an escort service. Peggy Carter is too busy to date.

Pieces Form The Whole (ao3) - t0bemadeofglass loki/natasha E, 40k

Summary: Loki and Natasha decide to experiment with a few kinks they haven't gotten a chance to try yet.

Raise Your Glass (ao3) - minkeys steve/bucky E, 10k

Summary: Bucky knows Steve in ways that his 21st century friends could never even begin to imagine. Or at least, they couldn't until tonight. It's about time somebody corrected all those historians that painted Steve as a straight-laced, God-fearing soldier, and what better way to do it than over a harmless game of "Never Have I Ever." What's the worst that could be said?

Schooled (ao3) - hannahrhen loki/tony E, 3k

Summary: Loki as the naughty schoolboy. Tony as the stern headmaster.

The challenge? Keeping a straight face.

Start All Over (in a Little Bitty World) (ao3) - Dira Sudis (dsudis) steve/bucky E, 18k

Summary: Steve had been all of nineteen years old, frustrated with the obvious pretense of dominating Bucky when he barely came up to Bucky’s shoulder, even though they both desperately wanted it to work. He’d snapped, “This is stupid, Buck! I couldn’t really boss you around when you were six years old!”

Bucky, without hesitation, had said, “I’ll be five, then. Come on, here, I’m five.”

He’d folded to his knees and looked up at Steve for the first time with Jamesy’s eyes, spoke for the first time with Jamesy’s voice, and said, “Mister? I need somebody to look after me.”

Steve hadn’t always done the best job of it, but God, he’d tried, and he’d loved trying. He wasn’t ever going to quit trying.

Writing His Own Happy Ending (ao3) - LightningStriking steve/bucky E, 25k

Summary: Bucky Barnes is a writer. A gay erotic fiction writer to be precise. With a successful career, a questionably functioning computer, and an addiction to watching cat videos while eating Chinese food. Steve Rogers is an editor. Of many things, not least of all, Bucky Barnes gay erotic fiction. A working relationship that was working just fine for both parties. Until, after years of communicating purely via e-mail, the two men meet in person. And Bucky quickly realizes that Steve not only has a fantastic eye for detail, he's got a smile that could melt any heart, and a body any one of Bucky's fictional heroes would die to touch. A sentiment Bucky shares. So how does Bucky begin his immediate campaign to win his way into Steve's bed, and his heart? By playing to his strengths. In other words, by writing a new series of sex filled stories staring a muscle bound blond and a seductively enticing brunet. Any resemblance to actual persons purely intentional. If editing Bucky's steamy stories hadn't given Steve all sorts of inappropriate fantasies before, it certainly does now...

[jamiedc-they-them]

Ward capturing you and trying to turn you to his side

You had hoped you would never hear from your brother again after what he had done to your friends 

His betrayal had hurt you in more ways than one; you were more on edge with the team now, despite what they said about how they didn’t think any differently of you; you weren’t you brother in their eyes 

Then he found you, nabbed you when you went out to go to find May and warn her about Ward, but you never made it

You then woke up in HYDRA 2.0, with him sat across from you with a smile on his face; not the welcoming type 

“What the fuck…” You got out, looking around at your new surroundings 

“Hi, Y/N. I missed you.” You hate the fact that part of him sounds sincere, that part of him means it 

“I sure as shit didn’t miss you.” 

He sighs, “Yeah, I can see that. Plus, we didn’t exactly have time to talk on the BUS…” 

You spit right in his face, “You hurt my friends, the only people we could call family” 

“I am your family, Y/N! I’m all you’ve got!” 

“...No, I lost my brother the day he killed Hand....Or, I thought I did, but I lost him a long time ago.” 

His face falls, but is soon covered up by anger, “No, that’s them. That’s what they told you; Y/N...I want you here, with me, fighting by my side. I want my sibling back.” 

You don’t answer him, but tears come to your eyes; and he sees the genuine fear you have now; the sadness you have been keeping in for so long now…

He looks away for a moment, turning away from you and shutting his eyes; then his face - that is away from you - goes cold, he has to in his mind 

So, he strikes you. As your head rolls, he comes up close; but it’s just what you want

“You’re weak, nothing like me.” 

You undo your bindings, slamming your head into his and you take off outside

Bullets fly your way for a moment from HYDRA agents (more like mercenaries) but they soon divert to other gunfire from SHIELD 

Then, Ward  finds you and tackles you! 

“If I can’t change you, then I guess this is second best.” He says as he starts to strangle you. 

Your hand reaches for something, anything 

It finds some glass on the floor 

You send it up, slicing his arm before you push him away and roll, right into the feet of someone 

Hands grab you; for a second you go to fight, but you then hear a voice:

“I got, Y/N.” It’s Daisy. Together, the two of you look at your brother as he gets up and faces you, gun in hand 

Daisy puts you behind her as she quakes the bullet into his leg 

She goes to finish it, to end it; but --

“No,” She turns to you, “Let him go. We’re not the monster he is.” 

Despite the situation, Daisy does smile. 

She’s glad you see it too now. 

Blood means nothing.

When outside, Daisy hugs you and kisses you on the forehead; she is happy you embraced that fact now, but she can also see how shaken you are by this 

At Base, Jemma already has the bed set up, “It’s alright, you’re safe now, I promise.” She tells you 

And you believe her, you have your actual family here now. 

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Crown For Two {6}

Henry Cavill AU x OFC Xari Thornton 

Warning: Plot, Mild Cursing, Cheesy Christmas Themes, Slow Burn, PLENTY OF WORDS

Words: 7.1k

Summary: Xari Thornton is a travel photographer with a blog and social media that garners some heavy-duty traffic. People tune in to see where she is and what she’s doing there, all in hopes of either living vicariously through her or to plan their next vacation.  

Her slogan; “Traveling the path to the most off-beaten places, so you don’t have to.”  

Her next stop on her four destination travel itinerary of “Places You May Never Have Heard Of” is Sandvell, a small European country. When her plane makes an impromptu stop due to bad weather, she has no idea where she is. It feels like she’s stepped inside of a snow globe and back in time in a modern way. It leaves her fascinated.

This bad weather forces her to stay at an Inn, The Beaux, for the night. Rather than letting the hours tick by in her room, she explores and meets the friendly locals. While taking photographs, one local in particular captures her lens with eyes as blue as the ocean and a jaw that was chiseled from stone. They strike up conversation during their time drinking at one of the local bars, Ickles. Once they separate, she gets herself into a harrowing situation.  

As soon as she awakens, she realizes she’s not in some fever dream, but a palace and the owner of the palace is none other than the local she met before with the piercing blue eyes, His Royal Highness Henry Wellington Leopold Danglishton, First of his name, Crown Prince of Brexendor.

Note: All right, all right people, the ride continues. I really, really hope you enjoy this. As a reminder, I am gonna overload you with pictures because why the hell not, it’s a Christmas Fic. 😁 Feel free to come by and tell me what you guys think.

As always, thank you all for reading, I appreciate each and every one of you.

If you enjoyed this, please, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!!! ❤️❤️

***VERY Loosely Edited/Proofread***

***Interactive***

***Picture Heavy***

Previous Chapters: {1} | {2} | {3} | {4} | {5} 

-Y/N-

Standing in the middle of the sea of flowers, you felt as if you were in a field rather than the grand ballroom where that night’s gala was being held. The mixture of scents took you away and almost tricked you into believing that it was the prime of summer outside the fancy glass windows, rather than the dead of winter. You almost believed that the sun was beaming from the sky and warming the grass on the ground rather than the reality of the current weather.

 The forecast foretold of a clear blisteringly cold night. What was actually happening outside at this very moment was much more than just a cold night. It was snowing again and hadn’t stopped. So far, the total snowfall was tipping twelve inches with more expected. Though this was the case, everyone said that the show would go on and the only way it would be canceled was if power was lost throughout Brexendor. Opening your eyes, you took a look around you at all the bodies swarming around placing the final items in the room.

 Slowly you walked through it ensuring everything was perfect. This was your first time putting together something on this grand of a scale and you were in love with it. Money and a great space really made all the difference you thought to yourself. When you stepped into the designated hall and walked along the grand carpet you gave the final approval for things that passed and did what you could. At the top of the grand stone steps, you looked down and released a pleased sigh.

 “Perfect.”

 “I concur.”

 Looking beside you, you found Jemma in a royal blue jumpsuit.

 “Your--,” you began only to have Jemma give you a stern look and a high eyebrow.

 “Jemma.”                                  

 A smile spread across her face. “As I thought,” she began looping her arm with yours. “You have done a marvelous job. Everything is so breathtaking and airy. I love it.”

 “Yeah?”

 Jemma nodded her head profusely. “I took a walk with Henry early this morning and even he was mystified by how well you did.”

 A bubble of pride filled your chest. It felt good to hear.

 “Thank you.”

 “Hold that compliment dear, my brother does not shell them out easily or to anyone really.”

 “Really?”

 “Really. If you haven’t noticed yet, my brother, our future king is a bit of a stick in the mud. He rarely smiles, laughs, relaxes, or anything that isn’t related to work.”

 “Has—has he always been that way?”

 Jemma took a few moments to think then replied. “Not always. Ever since our father--,” Jemma’s voice drifted, and you easily filled in the blank. Since their father died.

 “Well—he’s changed a lot more. Before that, he took a moment or two to smell the roses within moderation. Let’s say he’s always had the weight of a country on his shoulders, but that weight seems to be affecting him more since the death of our father,” Jemma finished.

 You nodded fully understanding. He was under a lot of pressure. Most of that pressure he probably put on himself. You softly sighed and rewound Jemma’s words.

 Future king.

 Holy shit, you thought, he was going to become king of this country. You scoffed mentally slapping yourself for your thoughts the night before. Were you really about to drop your panties for a king?

 “What are you thinking about?”

 Jemma’s voice brought you back to reality.

 “Nothing, just going over the checklist in my head that is as vast as this castle.”

 “I think it is time to hand off the rest. You have done your best and your best is good enough. Everything else is for the staff and I am sure you have drilled what needs to happen.”

 She was right. You’d had plenty of meetings with the entire castle staff as well as events staff that was brought in to assist. Everyone knew what had to be done and when it had to be done. You were an organized professional who hated surprises and had lost plenty of sleep to ensure tonight went off without a hitch.

 “I was instructed to bring you somewhere,” Jemma added.

 “Where?”

 “Follow me please.”

 Jemma led you in the opposite direction to the part of the castle that was quartered off from the public for tonight’s Gala. This rounded and led the path to the plethora of rooms in the castle.

 “Where are you taking me?”

 “You will see soon.”

 Five or so minutes later you found yourself walking into a room that looked like a massive dressing room and spa. That was when you saw four racks of ballgowns just waiting to be touched and three people sitting patiently.

“What is this?”

 You and Jemma approached the clothes and people just as they approached you.

 “Your highness,” a man with his hair in a stylish and tamed mohawk and expertly done makeup said as he bowed to Jemma along with the other two people who were with him.

 “Franz, how are you?”

 “Blessed to be here to service the crown tonight.”

 “Happy to hear it.”

 “And who is this gorgeous creature?”

 Jemma smiled widely again. “This is Xari, and she is our guest of honor, the mastermind behind tonight’s feast for the eyes and my new best friend.”

 Franz approached you, took your hand, and proceeded to twirl you in a circle.

 “My goodness, she is gorgeous with a body to die for.”

 “Is she not hot!”

 The two people with Franz swarmed you, circling you assessing you at every angle.

 “Your job is to make her gala ready.”

 “Of course, so from head to toe?”

 “Yes,” Jemma confirmed.

 “Consider it done,” Franz said snapping his fingers at his entourage who went into action.

 “Uh—Jemma,” you began as they brought you away to the other side of the room to plop you in a beautician chair.

 “Don’t worry Xari, you’re in full control. They work for you. Whatever you like and nothing of what you don’t,” Jemma assured.

 “Don’t worry darling, you’re in good hands,” said the only woman in the entourage as she began to take a closer look at your hair.

 “Jemma, I don’t think this is necessary.”

 “My orders were to get you here and for you to enjoy yourself.”

 “Whose orders?”

 “Henry’s of course,” Jemma finished sitting beside you just as the door opened again bringing in Aneka.

 She squealed as she hurried over to drop into the seat on your left side, “Queue makeover montage music!”

 That was when it all started. The swarm got bigger and soon you were surrounded by at least six bodies who were all doing something different. Aneka was right, it really felt like you were having that makeover in the 90s movies that transformed the main character into a hotter version of themselves that was supposedly hidden under the ordinary. You wondered what you would come out on the other end. Would it be the super glam, can’t tell me nothing, barely recognize me pageant contestant or would it be the you were still you just done up?

 The entire time the three of you laughed together, drank champagne, and told each other stories of your dating history. It was a lot of fun and the time allowed you to relax from the stress and pressure you’d put yourself under for the last few days. You were beginning to look forward to the events of the night. It was, after all, your very first royal gala and you wanted it to be unforgettable.

 Four hours later, a few layers of makeup, and hairspray, you found yourself in a robe perusing the racks unable to make up your mind. All the dresses were gorgeous, yes, but none of them seemed like you. Either they were too grand, or they made you look like someone you weren’t. a knock at the door turned your attention there and in walked MacArthur, Henry’s driver, and assistant.

 “What brings you here, McArthur?”

 “I come baring gifts for Ms. Xari,” McArthur said answering Jemma.

 You took notice of the large black box he carried.

 “For me?”

 “Yes, his highness ordered me to bring this to you for tonight.”

 You looked at Aneka who had a huge smile on her face.

 “Oh my god, your Pretty Woman moment,” she squealed.

 Kissing your teeth, you rolled your eyes. She was too much. You hesitated for a few moments but in that time Aneka managed to take the box from him and bring it to a nearby table.

 “Hurry up and open it or I will.”

 “Aneka, I don’t think it’s right,” you began.

 “He thought you’d say that, so he instructed me to give this to you first,” McArthur added holding out a black envelope with blush pink borders.

 You slowly took the envelope and even slower opened it revealing a note card with details that were opposite the envelope that had writing over it.

 -Xari-

 I wanted to give this to you myself. I doubted you would have been able to refuse it then, but unfortunately, I was swept away to work. I have not had a moment to myself, and it is tragic because I really wanted to see your face as you opened this box.  I assure you that accepting this is right and appropriate. These were picked with thought, care, and anticipation. Please accept this gift as a symbol of my growing fondness for you.

 -Henry-

 A smile slowly spread across your face and butterflies filled your belly. The man had a way with words. You reread your favorite line of the note. Please accept this gift as a symbol of my growing fondness for you. Pressing the back of your hand to your mouth, you tried to cover your smile that was only getting wider and wider with each passing second. You quickly put the card back in the envelope and held on to it so Aneka couldn’t snoop. Approaching the box again, you lifted the lid and revealed its contents.

 The second your eyes took in the items you gasped. On a bed of blush-colored tissue paper that overflowed the box was a strapless white gown that looked like twinkling snow under moonlight. The details at the top of the gown looked similar to applique flowers leading down to the torso that was reminiscent of a star that went on top of the Christmas tree.

 “Wow,” Aneka said filling in for your speechlessness.

 “Way to go, big brother,” Jemma added.

 Those of the entourage that was still in the room spoke in hushed tones of different things, the beauty of the dress, how expensive it looked, how perfect it was for you.

 “Is it to your liking, Ms. Xari?”

 ‘Uh—uh—uh--.”

 Aneka snorted and elbowed you.

 “Uh, it’s—it’s beautiful.”

 “Shall I send a message back to his highness?”

 You glanced back at McArthur unsure what to say. What should you say? Was anything needed to be said? Nibbling your bottom lip you wracked your brain for a response. After almost a minute, you still couldn’t think of anything.

 “Tell him thank you and she can’t wait for him to take it--,” Aneka began before you loudly cleared your throat drowning out anything else she was going to say. That only amused her more.

 “Tell him thank you please.”

 McArthur nodded, bowed his head then turned and left the room. Your eyes landed on the garment again and you chewed your bottom lip some more.

 Another hour passed as you dressed and put the finishing touches onto the outfit Henry had chosen. When you stepped in front of the mirror to look at the finished product, you were alone and shocked by how you looked. You looked every bit the super glam, can’t tell me nothing, barely recognize me pageant contestant but you also looked like you. You definitely looked as if you’d added a few zeros to your net worth though. You couldn’t believe how perfect the items you wore were for you. the dress fit you like a glove and accentuated features you liked and even showcased some legs. Even the shoes that were underneath the gown in the box looked like you’d chosen them for yourself. It all fit your personality. It was hard to believe someone else had picked these items, hard to believe it was someone who you’d only known a few weeks.

 “Madam Xari.”

 You spun around to see Carolina, the queen’s royal personal assistant.

 “Yes.”

 “Her Majesty would like a word.”

 “Oh is something wrong?”

 “Not at all. Follow me,” Carolina said with a warm smile that assured you a little bit.

 You nodded then followed her out of the room and down the hall. It took longer than five minutes to get where you were going and when you got there it was then you realized what a good choice the shoes were. Your feet felt as if they were stuffed into clouds rather than shoes.

 “Right through here.”

 Carolina scanned a badge then a metal door that looked close to titanium opened. You both walked through it and came face to face with the queen herself.

 “Your majesty,” Carolina breeched.

 You began to dip down into a curtsy, but she quickly stopped you, holding your arms in hers. “None of that.”

 Cecelia looked over your body with wide eyes and a bright smile. “Wow, Xari. You look absolutely regal.”

 “Really?”

 “Yes. You’ve made a wonderful choice.”

 You smiled and tried to not let her compliment go to your head. Picture a queen telling you that you looked regal.

 “Um…I didn’t choose it. It was--.”

 You quickly bit your tongue before the rest came out. If you told her that she might misunderstand. A soft smile graced her lips.

 “Henry.”

 She said it certainly as if she had no doubt. You began to wonder if he’d done this for others before. You knew princes and kings had women at their beck and call and had plenty of conquests, the information was littered throughout history. In seconds, you decided that he possibly had chosen gowns for the women he paraded around with. Slight disappointment settled in your belly, preventing the flight of the butterflies.

 “He does have good taste. It looks made for you,” Cecelia added.

 You nodded and kept your smile demure.

 “Come. I have something for you.”

 She looped her arm with yours and walked forward with you.

 “What is this place?”

 After three steps, lights flickered on down a long hall that had both walls on the right and left filled with display cases.

“This is the vault, and this is where we keep the crown jewels.”

 Your jaw dropped as you gawked at all the jewels. There were diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and pearls, bracelets, necklaces, rings, broaches, clips, crowns. You couldn’t help but gawk at them with your face damn near pressed against the glass. They were all so stunning. Easily the room looked like it was packing over one hundred million dollars’ worth of jewels.

 “Amazing isn’t it?”

 “Amazing? I’d say that’s an understatement.”

 Cecelia laughed and nodded. “I remember seeing it for the first time, it was the day after I’d married Cornelius.”

 She sighed but still held a smile. “He brought me here and said everything here was mine, then he showed me his favorites. The family has accumulated plenty of jewels since the beginning of their reign. Ninety percent of these I have not worn. I stick to his favorites.”

 She touched the jewels she was wearing, and a melancholic feeling filled you. She still loved him and missed him dearly. She cleared her throat and walked ahead a few feet then stopped.

 “It only seems fitting that you get to wear something in here.”

 “What!? No. I absolutely couldn’t.”

 “You absolutely could, and you will. I had a selection in mind before but seeing that gown on you had made me change my mind.”

 She turned to you and held out her hand waiting for you to take it. You did but not without hesitating. As you came beside her, she nudged her head to the case before her.

 “It has your name written all over it.”

 Like a magnet, your face dropped coming close to the items. “Oh my god, no this is too much.”

 “I don’t think so. I think it is just right. Everyone present tonight has brought out their diamonds to show off and you should be no different.”

 Cecelia opened the case and took out the blue velvet that the items laid upon.

 “What do you think of them?”

 You looked over the necklace, earrings, and tiara comb set and found yourself lost for words. Somehow beautiful seemed like an understatement for the items.

 “They’re—jaw-dropping.”

 Cecelia giggled and nodded. “There is no way my son will be able to focus on dignitaries and politicians. I think you will be the center of attention tonight.”

Your head spun to her to see a sly smirk on her lips as she held the items out to you. Wondering what she was insinuating, you took the items ignoring the way your hands shook. You were probably holding the value of a small country in your hands, and she’d handed it over as if it was nothing. As if she had no worry that you’d run off with them. Cecelia softly patted your shoulder.

 “Worry not. Come.”

 She lead you out the way you’d come and walked you part the way back to the salon all the while complimenting all the work you’d done for the gala and praising you like there was no tomorrow. Though you knew she was being kind, you didn’t get that she was being overtly so. You felt as if every word she spoke was genuine. When you parted ways, she gave you the classic upper-upper-upper class double cheek kiss then floated down the hall in her classic for Brexendor blue gown.

 Once you were standing in front of the mirror again, Aneka who was dressed in her figure-hugging half-sleeved silver gown was the one to put the jewels on you.

 “Oh my god, Xari! Look!”

 When you opened your eyes you hardly recognized yourself. The jewels put you over the top. Every little girl imagined wearing a tiara and going to a ball with queens, and princes but here you were standing inside a castle, wearing a gown that looked like it cost a cool million, wearing crown jewels, and looking as if you belonged.

 “Wow,” you breathed.

 “You look so good. You look like a queen.”

 You elbowed Aneka. “Stop. That’s probably a treason sentence.”

 She snorted and came beside you. “Oh please, I look like a queen too.” She straightened the modest diamond necklace she wore and posed.

 “I can’t with you.”

 Before either of you could get another word out, one of the castle attendants walked inside to give you a final report as well as instructions from the queen. She wanted you to walk in with them. That was where you had to decline. Sending the attendant to deliver a message of your polite declination and alternative plan you left with Aneka to calm your anxiety that something was wrong.

After forty or so minutes of you calming your nerves with Aneka’s help, you settled into a corner to watch the opening tradition. A castle attendant unlocked the golden gate of the floral archway you’d thought up and faux snow began to fall from the ceiling. The line of guests let out a collective gasp that brought a wide smile to your face. From your spot, you watched as they all walked through the gate for their welcome pictures and flow up the grand stone staircase that was decorated with thousands of flowers. Every detail they passed you watched as they touched, giggled, and exclaimed to one another how grand it was.

 “It’s a hit,” Aneka said nudging you.

 Thank goodness, you thought before walking away with Aneka inside the first room which was to be the mingling room. Here refreshments were being walked around, hors d’oeuvres displayed, and other feasts for the eyes in almost every corner of the room. If it wasn’t a harp player expertly playing Beethoven, it was a life-size snow globe with a ballerina inside showing off her graceful pirouette and plie, it was another life-size snow globe with flying snow that changed shape every thirty seconds to replicate many different things like a swan, a Christmas tree, Santa, elves and so on. Everywhere you passed you overheard conversations about every display. They all seemed pleased. One thing was frequently said, it was new and fresh.

 After about an hour of mingling, trumpets blared, and all the guests quieted down. A short video played on a lowered screen of Christmases past all centering on the royal family. You were able to see their interactions and the happiness in their eyes as they were all together. Jemma was right, Henry looked different in each video clip. He smiled more, not a lot but more. when the video ended the message on the screen was “Brexendor Welcomes You.”

 Nice touch, you thought nodding to Aneka who also looked impressed. The guests applauded and cheered but only as the rich did. Quietly and reserved. From a balcony in the room, Henry, Jemma, and the queen took center stage with a spotlight on them. All the guests then either bowed or curtsied.

 “Long live the royal family.”

 You and Aneka exchanged impressed looks at the display of regimental behavior. They all looked and sounded like robots. Falling into line you and Aneka mirrored them.

 “Rise,” Henry said.

 When all eyes were looking ahead, Henry spoke again.

 “Welcome diplomats, dignitaries, religious and military leaders, politicians. Friends.”

 You smiled. That was your special touch to his speech. Everyone wanted to be thought of as a friend.

 “It brings me joy to welcome you to Brexendor for this year’s Brexenavid. Our people welcome you with open arms, our country welcomes you with open arms, and I, my mother and sister welcome you with open hearts. Tonight, a feast for all senses has been prepared by an incredibly talented and creative individual for all of you to partake in. Enjoy your night and thank you.”

 Again, the crowd applauded and talked amongst themselves. Aneka leaned to you then whispered, “Incredibly talented and creative individual. Get it!”

 You rolled your eyes and gave her a stern look that said behave. She was always trying to drag you down into debauchery at the worst times. You couldn’t let her tonight. Aneka leaned to you again.

 “He looks delicious, don’t you think?”

 “Scrumptious,” you said without thinking as your eyes remained glued to Henry.

 “Huh, honesty. Refreshing.”

 You shook your head and tried to think straight. Tonight you had to keep your wits about you. As you and Aneka walked around the room taking in all the people who were there and their outfits you made a game of it trying to guess who each of them was and the types of personalities they had. The backstories that Aneka came up with for most of them were so insane she should have become a writer for a soap opera instead of becoming a social media manager.

 “What about homegirl in the blue gown that plunges to show off her c-cups?”

 You scanned the area and quickly found the woman Aneka was referring to. She stood at one of the tables with a martini glass before her. Her perfectly French manicured nails tapped against the stem of the glass all the while a perfect debutant smile rested on her lips. She looked as if she’s been groomed from birth to be this perfect blonde-headed Barbie doll.

 “She’s clearly a debutant. She probably has a title; I don’t think she’s a princess. She looks like she can dance with a stack of books on her head without dropping any. She looks as if she has plenty of admirers and the man talking to her now is probably one of them. She has a lot of friends and is probably the leader of her friend group.”

 “She looks like she doesn’t take any bullshit and might be difficult,” Aneka added.

 “Madam Xari.”

 You spun around to see one of the event attendants who proceeded to tell you about a mix-up in the sit-down dining room. After Aneka assured you she’d be fine you went off with the attendant to fix the problem. When you got to the dining room what they considered a problem was something easy for you to fix. It only entailed replacing one of the handmade floral wreaths that you’d had enough foresight to have fifty on standby as backup. It was a simple fix, but it was not quick due to how seamless you wanted the change to be.

 Once the crisis had been averted, you made your way back to the mingling room but were stopped by Carolina.

 “His highness and her majesty are asking for you.”

 “Right now?”

 “Yes. Everyone is inquiring about this year’s events coordinator. I think you’ve impressed them.”

 You followed Carolina through the room and around bodies until you saw Henry in the distance. Once he came in clear sight, his eyes found you and that was where they remained. Everyone else in the room turned to white smoke and that smoke quickly filled the room and all you saw was him. It was so cliché. The way his eyes rested on you made every hair on your body stand up and all the butterflies in your gut take flight. He looked at you as if you were all he cared about and wanted. It would have been easy to rest assured in the look and all it possibly meant, but reality was creeping up your spine keeping you firmly grounded on the stone floors.

Once you got to the table he stood he was still all you saw though the white smoke around you slowly took human forms. Good lord, he looks good, you thought. The blue of his tux looked incredible on him especially since it was off set with the white of his shirt and his tie. He looked perfectly put together like a king.

 “You look so great, Xari.”

 Jemma’s voice brought you out of your haze, so you were able to look away from Henry’s captivating blue orbs. You dipped your head then slipped into a graceful curtsy. Those around all whispered among themselves.

 “Rise darling, Cecelia said.

 Looking at her she smiled brightly, as did Jemma. The only one not smiling was Henry. The look on his face was a pained, confused one. He looked slightly constipated.

 “Eh-em, let us introduce the mastermind behind this evening’s gala. This is Ms. Xari Thornton, our Christmas angel.”

 Everyone spoke in unison extending their hands to shake yours as they welcomed you.

 “I must say Ms. Thornton—or is it Lady Thornton?”

 It was the blonde in the blue gown from before that Aneka had you give a backstory. She stood beside the queen, and you noticed how perfectly her gown matched Henry’s tux. Part of you didn’t register it because nearly eighty percent of the people here wore blue, and you knew it was a form of respect seeing Brexendor’s colors were blue and white.

 “Uh, no. Ms. Thornton.”

 She slyly smiled and nodded. “What you’ve managed to put together is quite different from Brexenavid of the past. I almost didn’t know what event I had walked into.”

 “I think that is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with bringing something new.”

 “Not to say there is anything wrong with Brexendor’s traditions, right?”

 You clenched your jaw. She was trying to put you in a bind. Scoffing softly you pasted a smile on your face. “Not at all. However, if traditions hold you back from experiencing anything new then wouldn’t that be a tragedy? In the words of one of the greatest rulers, if you aren’t moving forward, you are slowly dying.”

 You saw Henry’s smile from the corner of your eye.

 “Those are father’s trusted words,” Jemma disclosed.

 “Yes, they are. How did you hear them?”

 You looked back to Henry. “Another great ruler mirrors the same sentiments.”

 Silence stretched and again everyone began to fade except Henry. Before you got lost in his eyes again you cleared your throat and looked around at the faces.

 “If you all would excuse me, I’m going to leave you to enjoy your evening.”

 You dipped into a curtsy again then backed away before turning and walking away into the crowd. Balling your fists you tried to ignore the effect Henry had on you but worried you wouldn’t be able to ignore it much longer.

 You mingled around the room smiling at guests, saying pleasant hellos, and being dragged into conversations probably because you looked like someone of importance thanks to how you were dressed. Every so often you caught glimpse of Aneka doing the same, but she looked to be enjoying herself a lot more than you were. She looked right at home in the middle of a circle of men who all looked like they were on some eligible bachelor’s list. They all looked completely hypnotized. You didn’t blame them, your sister had it in her to hypnotize anyone.

 “I don’t believe I have ever seen you here before.”

 You turned to see a tall, dark-haired black man before you with piercing hazel eyes.

“Wow.”

 He smiled widely and bowed his head. “I thank you, but I believe those should be my words.” He looked over you and bugged his eyes. “My compliments to the designer and condolences to every woman in this room who has realized they pale in comparison to you.”

 Sweet talker, you thought. “Thank you—I think.”

 “You are very welcome. Would you like to get a drink?”

 You thought about it for a moment then nodded. It seemed harmless enough. The gentleman walked beside you leading you to the bar area that was decked out with ice sculptures. Once there he ordered another whiskey for himself and allowed you to order for yourself.

 “Whom may I say I have the pleasure of drinking with?”

 “Uh—Xari.”

 “Xari. What a unique and beautiful name.”

 “Thank you.”

 “Xari of Brexendor?”

 You shook your head.

 “Xari of Sandvell?”

 “Nope.”

 He smiled but didn’t look annoyed, instead, he looked intrigued.

 “No? Then please enlighten me.”

 “Xari of America.”

 The gentleman widened his eyes, the shock clear on him.

 “America? Well goodness. What in the world are you doing all the way here? Did you come here on purpose?”

 You snorted and shook your head. “No. It’s a long story.”

 The bartender placed your drinks before you then walked off.

 “We have all night.”

 You studied him for a moment then gave him the CliffsNotes of your recent ordeal leaving out that you were staying in the castle or knew the current monarchy. As you told your tale, he looked more and more interested in every word you said. He never looked bored, or as if he was only listening for his own means. You appreciated it.

 “Wow, what a story. I can’t say that I am sorry you’re stuck here though. If you hadn’t been here tonight I would have been forced to smile and laugh with all these people who are only here to kiss the ass of the soon-to-be king. Everyone wants Brexendor as a friend rather than an enemy.”

 “Does that include you?”

 He shrugged and finished his drink. “Friend or enemy makes no difference to me, but the most important fact is I am a friend to Brexendor.”

 You nodded then spun your head back to him, realizing you didn’t know his name.

 “After telling you all of this, I realize I don’t know your name.”

 He smiled and held out his hand. “Albee.”

 You shook his hand and exchanged pleasantries then continued chatting for several more minutes. He sounded like a nice guy and the fact that he was also gorgeous didn’t hurt. For a split second, you thought Aneka would look great with him and made a mental note to get his number and give it to her. Maybe if she had her own fling she would lay off of you.

 Before long everyone began filing into the dining room ready for the seated dinner portion of the evening. Somewhere in the crowd you lost Albee but found Carolina who brought you to Henry who was adamant about you sitting with the family and wouldn’t hear a word of your protest. You took your place beside Aneka with Henry in full sight. Everyone stood and waited for Jemma, Henry, and the queen to sit as per customs. Once the three did everyone else followed.

“I didn’t expect to sit with them,” Aneka whispered.

 “Me neither.” Part of you felt out of place as you knew others were wondering why you got to sit with the family as opposed to any of the others who were actually VIP of the evening.

As dinner progressed, the chatter turned to how beautiful the decorations were and how everyone felt as if they were in a tropical Christmas Forest. The feedback was heartwarming because it was exactly what you were going for and you’d hit it out of the park. You’d never had any formal etiquette training, but you knew good manners from no manners and managed to keep up with the royals. It was slightly nerve-wracking because you didn’t want to make a fool of yourself or the kindness of the queen.

 Halfway through dinner, your eyes met Henry’s again as he raised his spoon to his mouth. He smiled and politely bowed his head to you before he looked away to give his attention to the others around him. A strange feeling filled you, it was one you didn’t quite understand. The best you could describe it was a feeling of being rejected. It was stupid and completely irrational, but you couldn’t shake it. Rather than have the feeling take over you did your best to keep your eyes on your plate and your attention on Aneka and those nearest you who pulled you into conversation.

 After the ten-course dinner, everyone followed Danglishtons to the ballroom where the events would finish off. Henry walked ahead first, followed by Jemma and his mother close behind then a handful of older men and you and Aneka behind them. To your right, you saw the pretty woman dressed in blue again. She glanced at you with icy eyes and gave you a once-over before looking away. You weren’t an idiot; you knew when a woman was snubbing you. Ignoring her, you focused on the others around you who took in the ballroom and expressed their pleasure with it.

 Keeping your arm looped with Aneka’s you fell away to the side of the room to watch whatever was about to unfold.

 “These rich people sure know how to spend a night,” Aneka whispered making you giggle.

 “I’m tired already. I don’t know how Jemma does this on repeat. My cheeks and jaws are killing me.”

 “Just know you are standing out to quite a few of these people. So many are wondering just who you are to be wearing the Darling Set.”

 “The what?”

 Aneka nodded to the diamonds you wore.

 “The Darling Set?”

 “Apparently the queen has never taken it out or worn it, so it was last seen on the previous queen who wore it to all openings for Brexenavid,” Aneka enlightened.

 “Wow, you’re well informed.”

 “Of course, it’s always been easy to pry information from people.”

 You had no idea what you were wearing had so much symbolism. You then began to wonder if the queen knew what giving you the items to wear would start. She didn’t come across as oblivious.

 “I think the queen knew just what she was doing when she gave them to you to wear,” Aneka said like she’d read your mind.

 “I found you.”

 The man from before, Albee approached you both.

 “Yes, you were lost for a while. Welcome back.”

 Albee looked at Aneka then did an elaborate bow to her. “Greetings to you.”

 “Greetings right back,” she replied with a slight head bow.

 “Aneka this is Albee. We met earlier. Albee this is my sister Aneka.”

 Albee took Aneka’s hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Aneka.”

 She giggled and nodded. Looking between them you could tell the attraction was mutual. The chances of at least Aneka getting her rocks off while being stuck here seemed good. For the next few minutes, the three of you chatted and laughed together as if you were old friends which was refreshing. Albee proceeded to point out who was who in the ballroom while giving a little information on each of them. It was amusing to both you and Aneka that the game you’d played was more than half accurate. You’d both been right about most of them.

 After one complete walk around the ballroom with Albee filling you in on those you passed, you stopped for a glass of champagne near one of the windows. Glancing out, you saw it was still snowing and wondered if all these people would be able to leave after the events.

 “The opening dances,” an announcement declared.

 Henry led his mother onto the dancefloor and began dancing to the orchestra’s rendition of Swan Lake. His head remained high and back straight as he twirled her around. They both moved as if they’d done this dance hundreds of times and could do it without even thinking about it. With every turn, his mother remained as graceful as ever. They both gave off the pure regality and by looking at everyone’s faces you could tell they all respected them both.

 After Henry and his mother bowed and curtsied to the crowd he took Jemma for her turn on the dancefloor. They looked equally matched in moves neither better at it than the other. You began to wonder how many hours of ballroom dancing they had both taken instead of being outside playing or even hanging out with friends. You felt sad for them thinking their lives were so restricted all because their paths were meant to lead here.

 “The Dance of Harmonies,” came the announcement.

 “What is that?”

 “That is the last official dance anyone in the royal family is obligated to perform. Normally the king, in this case, the king to be will choose a woman in attendance for the dance. Usually, the women that have been chosen were all daughters of politicians or dignitaries from neighboring countries, and so forth. It was a political strategy that was used by the ministers to begin accords with a country or secure them,” Albee explained.

 “So more than likely he will follow his predecessors and choose accordingly,” Aneka surmised.

 Albee smiled then shrugged. “Quite possible, however, you never know with this prince.

 You were so busy listening to Albee’s words you’d lost Henry while he looked through the crowd. As you rose your glass to your lips to finish the champagne you saw a hazy image of someone approaching you. In the middle of your third gulp, you felt an elbow to your ribs and heard Aneka clear her throat. Lowering the glass, you looked at her. She nudged her head forward. You came eye to eye with Henry who stood there with his hand held out.

 You nearly cursed and had to bit your tongue so you didn’t.

 “Would you do me the honor of a dance, Xari?”

 Bugging your eyes you remained there hoping he could read your eyes. Henry smirked but didn’t budge, he just stood there patiently waiting for your decision. You couldn’t turn him down with all these eyes and already wagging tongues. You took a deep breath, handed Aneka your glass then took his hand. Henry squeezed it firmly as he led you to the center of the ballroom. You felt all the eyes on you and the majority of them felt like daggers. You took your places before each other and waited. You had no idea what to do. More than likely this was going to be a formal dance and your repertoire of formal dances only registered two.

 “Trust me,” Henry whispered loud enough for only you to hear.

 You took one last breath and watched him bow to you. Mirroring his, you curtsied then waited a few seconds. When the music began Henry pulled you to him and took lead. Within the first few moments, you recognized the dance he’d led. Relief filled you as you began to relax a little knowing this one.

 “There you go. Relax, the daggers are meant for me not you,” Henry whispered in your ear before he sent you out for your first twirl. The bodice of your dress swirled around you creating a beautiful sea of sparkling fabric. The crowd applauded. Henry wrapped you in his arms again and continued.

 “So you feel them too?”

 Henry dipped you back almost touching the floor before he pulled you up and turned you around the room.

 “I do. I expected them. I am after all breaking decades-old customs with this dance.”

 You glanced at the side of his face. “Because I am not a dignitary nor politician’s daughter and hold no weight to bring countries together? If that is the case. Why choose me?”

 Henry finally looked at you before he spun you out again. You stood still and waited for him to approach. When he did he circled you once then stood beside you with his hand out waiting for yours. Once your smaller one was in his, he led you forward then backward before he turned to you to continue your turn around the room.

 “Because I have wanted to see you all day. I have wanted to talk to you, touch your hand, smell your scent, and have you close since the second I woke up. Any hopes the ministers had of me falling in line jumped ship once you walked to me a few hours ago.”

 Breathless and speechless was what you were. The man had the best way with words. It didn’t matter if he were talking to a country or one woman. Again Henry dipped you. When he brought you back up you gazed into each other’s eyes.

 “Forgive me for taking so long to tell you how utterly spellbinding you look this evening. Through my nervousness of speaking to you, I could not get the words out.”

 Dear god, you thought. This was probably the stupidest thing you’d done in all your life. You’d just fallen in love--with a prince, nonetheless.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***If you want to be tagged/untagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!***

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TagList:

@caramara3 @chaneajoyyy @caplover22 @queenoftheworldisdead @liquorlaughslove @shinebrightlikeafanbase @night-of-the-living-shred @dangerouslovefanfic @areubeingserved @maxcullen  @jovanaprime @pananegra @bakarilennox @littlepreciousangel @shar74nett @pananegra @laketaj24 @blackgurlkillinit @maeleeme @live-laugh-love-ki  @mary-ann84   @mery-be

@jamesbarnesappreciationclub @momobaby227 @naturalthrone22 @emjayewrites  @kikimiyazaki @minton131 @aar-journey @sincerelyglowing @theonewithherheadintheclouds @livinglifeformemyselfandi @kittykatlow @mauvecherie @give-me-a-million-dollars-pls @angrybirdcr @winchwm @alyxkbrl @rn7rocks @thesecretlifeofdaydreams

@simply-heaven @winchwm @maximumninjavoid @offrostandstarlight @angrybirdcr @maxcullen  @xsweetdellzx @sausagefest1996 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @bellaamor88 @alyxkbrl @hello-therree @mery-be @that-chick212 @smuttywriter @ljstraightnochaser

@mrsbarnes-rogers @melanicia @live-laugh-love-ki @deadpixie22 @asiaaisa77 @queenshikongo3 @queenreignssupreme @cltex84 @helenasmirkedno @areubeingserved  @petty-bitch-akira @rynabarnesrogers-reading @themeforanudebeach @i-just-like-fanfics

@october505 @msblkfire84 @msbrightsidestuff @youremysuperstar @storiestoldbyjazz @themeforanudebeach @i-just-like-fanfics @titty-teetee       @wellthirsted @t3mporaa @jd-now-jq @libbymouse @queen-zelieonna    @abschaffer2 @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @ramp-it-up  @kianya-loves @cutiebubbleboo @koko-michelle @keytodespair