#most of the time I like to think of ghost!Tony messing around with Stephen with little pranks

[lilbitofmac]

The sorcerer feels a cold chill run down his spine…

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 29

First time reader click here

Feels like this story is flopping. Is it flopping? Idk. This chapter is 100% plot and it is spooky. Cursed demon box. Helpful Stephen Strange and grumpy Wong. Hovering Bruce and Tony. Loki being a honorary Gen-Z. Found family but make it ✨superheroes✨.

"That's a lot to unpack," Peter stated once I had given him the bare bones report of the situation at hand. "Uh, are you okay?" The boy was obviously upset at my predicament, placing a supportive hand on my shoulder.

"Kinda?" I offered, making space for Wanda and Pietro who decided to join me and Peter, away from the arguing adults. The mission discussion - an absolute disaster - started as soon as Peter had walked in. Evidently experienced in such matters, the boy ignored the bickering and came over to steal me from Bruce's clutches to peacefully finish his egg sandwich in the company of his peers.

"I wanted to ask if I could see your memory of that time," Wanda meekly offered me a piece of candy. I accepted it - sugar sweet sugar, how I love thee so! The witch continued with a smile: "I think it would be helpful to see what we're dealing with, magic-wise."

"Sure," I trusted her. "Just don't scramble what's left of my sanity, please," All of us laughed at my remark as I laid down on the cold floor with my head in Wanda's lap. Her powers felt like small brain zaps, tingles that began at the front of my forehead and ran down into my spine. I followed her instructions and thought about the times I remembered, finding the box, placing it into my closet, the nightmares. I had a mild headache by the time she was done; no grudges against her - Wanda tactfully avoided my private moments and looked only at the ones containing the artifact.

"You've gotten really good," I complimented her with pure adoration.

"Thank you," She blushed, smoothing back my stray hairs. "That stuff is really strong. I don't think you should go near the box," She admitted. "And Doc should take a look at you. You have a residue left. I don't think that's good either."

"Well, fuck," I said in muted resignation.

"Press F to pay respects," Pietro joked in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"Your luck is almost as bad as mine," Peter pointed out.

I scoffed. "Well, if I see any spiders around, I'll be sure to stay away in case they happen to be radioactive OsCorp runaways."

All of us laughed. Despite the grim situation, I didn't feel doomed. I was surrounded by friends and my boyfriends and my bestie who happened to be a mythical omnipotent god- welp, once again, I was getting too emotional. Once the adults were done arguing, we could start making sense of this mess and hopefully clean it up before the monster is out of the box.

"Mortals," I heard Loki scoff. The next moment, the Asgardian sat down noisily next to me, pout on full display. "This house is a nightmare."

His expression - or the accidental use of a meme - sent me completely, tension leaving my body via copious amounts of nearly hysterical laughter. Through tears and hiccups, I saw Wanda cackle with me and Peter show the meme in question to Loki, noting that he had been once sent to time-out on top of the fridge by Tony himself. Soon, all of us were laughing, much to the displeasure of the adults.

"Children, what is the issue?" Thor asked, irritated.

"We're just waiting for you to be done with arguing," I spoke before Loki could start bitching about Thor calling him a child. "Then I can show Steve and Loki where exactly have I buried the box so Stephen can take me to the healers and get this thing out of me or whatever," I pointed out the most logical plan of action.

Two long strides and the sorcerer was standing over me, boom-boom-whooshing and generally making very pretty golden patterns to appear and land on top of me. Tony and Bruce anxiously hovered behind him, both of my boys concerned and ready to mother-hen me. Ugh, so disgustingly adorable. Wanda's hand encompassed mine - she was nervous.

Stephen took a solid five-minute silence break before coming to a final conclusion. "Wong can get rid of the residual traces of the artifact's influence," The sorcerer announced curtly. "It's good you got rid of the artifact, a few more months and you would have started slipping into insanity if the magic within it was not released," He explained, slowly reaching out a hand to place it on top of my head. I wasn't sure if it was a gesture meant to bring comfort or another diagnostic test but leaned into the touch nonetheless. "Tell me, did you have any behavioral... Disturbances after...?" He trailed off.

I chewed on my lip, evaluating. "I honestly don't know. I've always been kind of an asshole," Honesty was the best policy. "Nothing seems out of order, sleepwalking aside."

"I see," Strange gave me a tight-lipped smile. "Perhaps, it was your stubborn nature that forbade the artifact from corrupting your mind completely. As evidenced by Captain Rogers, even undesirable character traits bring good into this world now and then."

That seemed a little bit hostile. I frowned, giving a questioning look to a frowning Loki.

"Speaking from experience?" Not the one to hold back upon witnessing first-grade bullshit, I withdrew from Stephen's touch, raising a sarcastic eyebrow.

Surprising everyone, the man laughed soundly, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I most certainly do," Shooting me a positively mischievous wink. I felt like I was missing something.

The room's inhabitants slowly ticked out in pairs and threes, eager to complete their assigned tasks. Loki had insisted on coming along to the sanctum with me, even almost getting up in Stephen's face, but Bruce - out of all people - managed to calm the Asgardian down, and together we convinced him his magic would be considerably more useful during the retrieval of the cursed box. Loki was worried - everyone with a pair of functional eyes could see that the spiky attitude was his way of showing he cared about me, which made my insides briefly turn to mush. I didn't expect him to take the title of my best friend so seriously and I definitely was not complaining.

Tony was the last to leave, jittery and shaky, clutching me like it was his last time seeing me, kissing me hungrily in front of everyone. The joke or two he made were weak ghosts of his usual sharp snark.

"I love you and I'll be back soon," I whispered into his ear, feeling him freeze and his fingertips dig almost painfully into my sides. Louder, I repeated: "Not planning on dying any time soon, y'all gotta chill. Let's go, doc?" I addressed the tall sorcerer who was tactfully pretending to be busy with his smartphone.

Wanda pressed a duffle bag into my hands mouthing "clean clothes" a split second before Stephen opened a portal and with a great deal of curiosity, I stepped through it, eyes immediately drawn to the dimly lit space filled with books and antiques. So many books, so many unusual trinkets. The chandelier that hung over our heads rivaled the ones I'd seen in million-dollar-homes of dad's friends.

"Follow me," Stephen extended an arm in the direction of a smaller door, "Please do not touch anything."

I walked a pace behind him, satisfying my curiosity by looking around like a child in a candy store. The air smelled different in the Sanctum, almost as familiar as Loki's magic but less frosty... Warmer. A dash of red fabric swished from somewhere towards me; I giggled. The Cloak of Levitation liked me - not nearly as much as it liked Peter though - so I brushed my fingertips along the fabric, greeting it quietly. Talking loudly in this building was out of the question. I felt like any moment, a disgruntled librarian would appear to chastise me for making noise.

"Strange," A short Asian man appeared, book in hand and looking none too happy. Guess that's the librarian... "I got your text. The room next to yours is prepared for the ritual," The man I assumed to be Wong gave me a curt nod in the way of greeting, doing a quick 180° and walking us back to a small but tastefully decorated room with a single cot in the middle. It was pleasantly warm, a small fire lit in the fireplace, willowy smoke of incense rising from a few strategically placed sticks.

"The bathroom is that way. I'm afraid you'll have to be fully nude for the procedure," Strange declared apologetically, pointing to a door hidden behind the divide.

I snorted, but of course, the weird voodoo shit would require me to be naked. Not that I was embarrassed or anything but still. Tony would have a field day. Locating a chair, I dumped my duffle bag on it, flying out of my hoodie and sweatpants in record time. My underwear and socks followed, feet unpleasantly chilly despite the carpeted floor. I ran a hand over the faint bruises on my hips, evidence of last night, fondly - either Tony or Stephen had left marks on my body and that was... It was great. I loved it, drugs or not.

I heard someone clear their throat and turned around, nearly cracking up at the way both men suddenly averted their gazes, blush riding high on their cheeks. I snorted: "I'm hot, what else is new?"

Wong shook his head, busying himself with some sort of a book; Stephen lingered, eyes fixated on the very same bruises. His tongue darted out, wetting the plush of his bottom lip, and damn, this wasn't the time to get horny. I shook my head and with that, the sorcerer caught himself too, mutely motioning me to lay down on the cot.

"Whenever you're done eye-fucking each other," Wong piped up sarcastically - wow, I liked this man already. Stephen grumbled something quiet and rude, provoking another snort from me.

I followed their instructions - shortly after the Asian man began reading - or rather singing - something in a language I didn't know, I felt myself fall into a deep sleep. Or, I thought I was falling asleep. At one point, my eyes opened to an empty room, a thin sheet covering my bare body, and a silence that made chills run down my spine.

"Stephen?" I called out. I sounded like I was underwater to my own ears. "Wong?"

I was met with silence so deafening, I had no choice but to sit up and look around. The fire was burning strong in the fireplace, several logs blackened from it as sparks flew. It took a second for me to realize it made no sound - there was no crackling. Something was very wrong, the dread was creeping up on me.

Very familiar dread.

With the sheet firmly wrapped around me, I hopped off the cot, suddenly noticing the drawings on my arms, my legs. I was covered in runes similar to the ones I had seen on the cursed box - and my memories weren't missing. As clear as day, I recalled messing around with the box, debating on opening it, taking it out of my room only to find it back on my desk in the morning, some serious Anabelle shit.

I jumped as the floorboards cracked somewhere in the house. Every logical thought I had, backed up by every horror movie I had ever watched, screamed at me to NOT go towards the creepy noise; like moth to a flame, I was drawn in and couldn't resist the unnatural urge to investigate it. On silent feet, I padded out of the room, desperately trying not to think about the lonely, dark hallways filled with strange ancient objects. My steps made no noise.

On the couch, in the main room we'd arrived, sitting lazily, was Tony. I'd recognize his hair anywhere - and the Led Zep tee, old, frayed edges and loose threads. "Tony?" I asked hopefully, trying to make sense of this...

He turned around.

It wasn't Tony. Whatever it was, it wore Tony's face, it held his brown eyes and crow's feet around them - it wasn't him. Wrong, like the lack of sound in this place, misplaced and unnatural. The doe browns didn't sparkle, lifeless, dull color of dried mud. As much as I wanted to go and bury my face in his chest, my limbs filled with lead, my whole body screaming "DANGER".

The impostor kept quiet which only solidified my suspicions. Real Tony would be running his mouth already, poking fun at my impression of a sheet ghost.

"Princess?" The... Thing asked in Tony's voice, but it fell flat and monotone.

"Whatever you are, you sure as Hell ain't Tony," I stated firmly, hoping for some answers. "What the fuck?"

Not-Tony's face changed, familiar features twisting into something sinister, the malice making me sick to my stomach. The creature stood up, causing my feet to take an involuntary step back as he advanced slowly.

"You have no choice but to submit," The Thing replied calmly. "You're not getting out of here. Not even your little Asgardian pet god can save you," Its tone was absolutely flat. I would have thought the thing was a robot if not for the obvious involvement of magic in this situation. Its words filled me with dread as thick as molten lava; unfortunately for the creature, unlocking my memories gave me enough rational balance to be acutely aware of it and therefore, able to fight it.

I could fight it. I didn't know how exactly, but I could resist it. "That's a really bold thing to say for something that... What even are you? Magical STD?" As my brain desperately focused on finding a solution to a problem I didn't know all the details of, my mouth had a mind of its own.

The creature growled, a far more primal noise than a human could make. "You don't know what you're up against, child. I am one for we are many," Suddenly, the room was filled with shadows as if someone had turned off all the lights and cranked up the moon to be the brightest it ever was. The shadows moved, oozed, motion sinister without any light to back it up.

I had no choice but to pucker up. Nobody was coming to rescue me; in fact, I always have taken pride in being a self-saving princess. Damsel in distress wasn't really my style. The hunch in my shoulders disappeared, giving way to a stubborn and stiff expectation of the upcoming altercation, hands bailed in fists.

"I mean, like Legion the demon from the Bible?" I recalled what little I knew from Wikipedia. "I mean, I'm agnostic myself, but if you feel like identifying with that, you should probably see a therapist."

The entity growled, shadows gathering around it like fabric on a string, and lunged. Paralyzed by sudden blinding, deafening fear, I turned tail and ran.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit ​ @littlegasps ​ @pilloclock ​ @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads ​ @hermione-grangers-wife ​ @individualistfem ​ @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @cutenessloading @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie @mikariell95

[thomotomo]

Fuck it.

Summary: Loki and Tony have been dating for a while in secret, one day where the ex-Rogues are getting too much on Tony’s nerves and he decides to say fuck it to their little secret.

Pairing: IronFrost Tony Stark x Loki

Words: 2.0k

A/N: 1st fic of 2021! Tell me what you think about it :)

Tony frowned as he felt the sun’s rays hit his face. He simply didn’t want to wake up and face the cold outside of his bed and the people outside his bedroom.

He nuzzled closer from the “not that hot” body that was lying next to him. He felt the body’s chest rise up and down quickly as the same time as hearing a low laugh. Tony groaned and half-heartedly hit the torso of the other male.

“Stop laughing at me Loki. You’re just a comfy pillow.”, Tony stated, voice rough because of the previous night.

“Oh, considering what happened yesterday night, I’m more than just a pillow to you huh?”, the Asgardian asked a smirk playing on his lips even though the other couldn’t see him.

“Meh, just an upgraded pillow.”, Tony grinned as he moved to take a look at his lover. He looked at his pale features and bright green eyes and kissed the dark-haired male softly.

“I wish we wouldn’t have to leave that room…”

“Me too darling… Sadly we have to go or those companions of yours will wonder why Tony Stark didn’t left his bedroom and they will find a stupid reason about it as if you’re going to murder someone…”, Loki said, a small frown on his face.

“I know, they act like assholes, but we have no other choices but have them here.”

Tony sighed and laid back his head on Loki’s torso, closing his eyes to savour the moment they were having before they inevitably had to separate themselves from each other for the day. After cuddling for extra minutes Loki regretfully pulled away and put on his clothes.

“Sorry love, I have to go back to my room…”

“It’s okay Loki-doki, see you later then.”, the nickname made Loki groan playfully as he pulled the last piece of cloth on him and left to go to his bedroom.

Tony stared at the now closed door and felt his heart ache from the emptiness he felt, even though Loki just left. He wishes they could spend every second with each other but alas they couldn’t. Mainly because they were housing the ex-Rogues with whom he wasn’t on good terms at the moments. After all, he received a nearly fatal wound from someone he admired greatly, of course their relations would be very strained.

Tony sighed and stood up, looking for his clothes and put them on before checking if he had any hickeys or not and when satisfied with the covering of his . He gathered all his mental strength and stepped out his room, locking it behind him and left to go to the kitchen, trying to dismiss the feeling of dread in his stomach as he neared the room and arbored a look of tiredness and confidence as he stepped inside.

Some ex-Rogues were eating but luckily for him Rogers was probably jogging or something else and Tony was glad for that. Even though he wasn’t the most aggressive of the band, Tony felt constantly judged by the man and the ghost of his father every time the blonde male was trying to talk about what happened.

Tony took a mug as he nodded politely to the Rogues present and made himself a cup of coffee and waited a bit impatiently and slightly anxious. He heard the haughty scoff which obviously came from Wanda and tried not to wince at the thought of her being able to use freely her powers against him if she ever wanted.

“Of course, the great Tony Stark wouldn’t talk to us. He’s better than that after all.”

Tony closed his eyes as the last drops of coffee fell in into his mug and grabbed it, trying to put a pleasant a face and turned to face her and the others.

“Well good morning then Wanda, good morning to you too Clint and Natasha.”

Tony walked away to his lab, a fake air of confidence to avoid any questions and once he was in one of his favourite places in the tower he dropped the act and sighed tiredly. Having the ex-Rogues clearly had taken a toll on his mental health but sadly he had no choices to accept them, mainly because he felt guilty leaving his ex-comrades even though they were the one who messed with him in first place but also partly because the government didn’t like to see their star super-hero being a fugitive so of course they wanted him to become once again a great team.

Tony sipped on his coffee and started to work on his current project, giving instructions to Friday and gently lectured DUM-E whenever he brought the wrong object to help him. Bruce came later in the room, starting his own work quietly, sometimes disrupting their quiet work by asking some help for something. Tony really enjoyed working in this calm but sadly every good things have to ends and it happened when Steve decided to step inside the lab.

“Stark, we need to talk.”

Tony kept working on his project.

“We can do it here. What do you want Rogers?”

“I’d like to know if we’re obligated to have Loki around. Wanda and Clint feel really uncomfortable whenever he’s around, and truth to be told I am too.”

“Oh and you don’t think I’m uncomfortable around Wanda?”, Tony scoffed but stopped working to avoid any accidents.

“C’mon Tony that’s ridiculous, she’s a child who made mistakes! Loki is a grown ass adult who tried to invade the Earth and murder everyone! Why is he here anyway?”, Tony could feel Steve trying to keep his “golden hero” façade by trying to keep himself from yelling at Tony. The dark-haired man turned to face the other hero.

“Well if you had read the news asshole, you would have known that Loki had been mind controlled, which means he attacked Earth against his will. He could have invaded Earth from anywhere but no, right in New York where a lot of heroes are stationed. A bit weird for someone who want to submit the planet huh? Seriously Rogers, Wanda is not a kid either she’s in her 20’s!”

“Tha-That’s not the same! She was tricked into thinking they were friendly!”

“Well the situations are quite the same in my opinion! Anyway, I don’t even know why I bother talking about this to you? If you have a problem with anyone in the team, I’m not the boss here you should see Ross and the council they’ll decide of solutions and all.”

“Tony you can’t dismiss this like that!”, Steve took a step toward Tony, making the man

“I-“ “Rogers, not only he can, but he just did. Why don’t you go see Ross like Anthony advised you?”

Loki stepped in, seemingly out of thin air (which wouldn’t be surprising considering the man’s powers). Steve stared at the Asgardian, turning a bit red and stomped awa.

Tony sighed as Loki approached him.

“Are you alright love?”

“Yes thank you Loki.”

Tony felt soft lips touching their forehead and he happily sighed. Bruce was still in the room but ignored the two lovers. They didn’t mind being affective in front of people who actually cared about them, they knew they wouldn’t be judged, and it was better to keep their relationship between people who really mattered to them to avoid any complications.

They stayed close to each other for a few moments before Tony told him he had to work on his project. Loki offered to help or at least stay in the lab in case Steve would come back to bother him, but Tony rejected the offer.

Loki kissed him in the cheek and left to train with Stephen. Tony kept a soft smile the whole time, that was the effect the ex-villain had on him. He heard Bruce laughing and he turned his head to hide he was laughing about Tony.

“Shut up Bruce there’s nothing funny!”

The other man tried to calm himself as Tony looked at him dead serious, trying not to break character because holy molly it was great to see Bruce laughing freely and in genuine happiness. Once Bruce calmed down they resumed their work but not for long before they got interrupted again, this time by Clint.

“Stark. Why is Loki roaming free around me?”, Tony couldn’t help but sigh, the Rogues weren’t able to discuss between each other to coordinate their complains.

“Barton. I can’t resolve this issue, I’m not the boss here and earlier Rogers came to talk to me about this issue. He went to see Ross so if you would please go and join them instead of bothering me during work.”

Tony heard Clint stomp away and sighed before continuing his work. He didn’t see the time pass and before he knew it, it was time for dinner and Bruce reminded him, forcing him to leave his work alone. It was something that happened during the time the Rogues weren’t here yet, he had taken upon himself to eat at reasonable hours and was “forced” by Loki to sleep a bit more than before and truth to be told, he felt a bit better.

When they arrived in the kitchen, everyone was already here and the only place available was next to Steve, but luckily to his left there was Loki and Tony sent a secret smile to his lover, which got reciprocated by a smile smirk and a heated gaze making Tony feel hot on the inside. But he didn’t ignore the glares Loki was getting from most of the ex-Rogues, mainly Clint and Steve who’s meeting with Ross didn’t seems to go the way they had hoped.

On the inside Tony felt really glad Ross and the council had denied whatever request they had made about Loki, even if he knew that it wouldn’t have been accepted, considering that the Rogues were on a kind of probation with everything they did prior to be re-integrated to the Avengers they wouldn’t be believed unless they brought substantial proofs.

Everyone dived in the meal, trying to keep it civil between but of course it didn’t last before Loki couldn’t help but make a sarcastic jab toward Steve’s behaviour with Tony, making everyone start an argument.

Tony sighed tiredly, he knew they shouldn’t have accepted trying to have a meal with everyone pre and post Russian bunker incident reunited in the same place for a meal. He just wanted to everyone to shut up and eat their meal but he knew it wouldn’t be so easy. He ignored the injunctions that were thrown at him by Wanda and Clint and instead observed Loki’s face who was sporting a smirk on his face as he was arguing with the Rogues, clearly insulting their abilities and, in that moment, Tony found him extremely hot.

Tony decided if everyone was already hot angry why not throw some grease on the fire. This would be fun. He suddenly stands up, catching Loki’s shirt collar in his hand and kissed his lover, cutting short the Asgardian insult toward Wanda’s magic and well shutting up everyone because they were now gaping at him.

Tony stopped kissing and winked at Loki who seemed shocked for a split second but quickly put on a grin and licked his lips.

“C’mon Loki-doki, let’s eat in the lab it’ll be quieter.”

Steve was spluttering, shocked, and most of the Rogues were trying to find something to say about the display of affection that just took place in front of them.

“Also, yes, I’m dating Loki and we’re damn happy. And you clearly don’t have a say in this. Go complain to Ross, again, and everyone who you think they care and see how they will react.”

Tony snatched his plate and left the room, quickly followed by Loki who had a shit-eating grin on his face. Once they were in the lab Loki talked.

“Well love, that some spectacle you put out there.”

“At least those little assholes will actually have something to complain about.”

Loki laughed, from now on the Rogues will definitely will have to worry not only about the PDA but also on which surface they want to eat their food on.

[ohgodanothersideblog]

5 Times Tony Stark Fell Asleep on Someone, and the 2 Times Someone Fell Asleep on Him

@bookeatingworm posted this in a discord we’re a apart of, and I wanted to write it. I hope you guys like it ❤️ any weird format issues I’m sorry, had to post on mobile 😭

Tony Stark didn’t fall asleep next to people. That didn’t change when a certain Sorcerer Supreme became his boyfriend. In fact it almost made the whole thing worse.

“Tony you need to rest.” Stephen sighed, bandaging up the engineers wounds. He had multiple lacerations on his chest and back and probably a few broken ribs. They both sat in the common room, the debrief had already happened, now it was time to patch everyone up.

“I’ll be fine doc, I swear.” Tony said, gently batting at the sorcerers hands. He didn’t need to rest, he needed to make his suit better. Tony attempted to get up but strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him back down onto the couch. He winced at the sudden pressure on his ribs before settling against the taller man behind him.

“How about this; we watch a movie and rest for a bit, if you’re still feeling up to attempting to not listen to me, we can go down to the lab, together?” Stephen offered, kissing the top the smaller mans head. He was going to convince Tony to rest whether the engineer wanted to or not. Tony just sighed and nodded. “Good.” With that, FRIDAY put on a movie without being told. The AI knew what the Doctor was doing and was planning on assisting him as best as she could. Tony was running on 12 hours sleep combined this week. He had a fear of sleeping because of his nightmares. They had been really bad the past few months. He also didn’t want to almost kill Stephen like he had done to Pepper a few years back.

“I can hear you thinking.” Stephen rolled his eyes, carding his shaky fingers through the engineers hair. Tony sighed, it was becoming harder to stay awake between the warm body behind him and the feeling of someone gently massaging his scalp. Soon enough, soft snores could be heard and the sorcerer smiled down at the sleeping figure against him.

__

It was another nightmare. The wormhole again. Dying again. Only this time he saw Peter and Stephen die too. Stephen tried to wake up Tony. He called in the suit again. Stephen wasn’t hurt, but Tony was shaking.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t--” Tony was cut off by Stephen pulling him into a hug. He sighed, resting his head against the bare clavicle, feeling Stephen run his scarred hands up and down his back.

“I’m not going anywhere, you’re safe.” The sorcerer whispered into Tony’s hair. Stephen pulled Tony back down to the bed and continued to draw small circles along the engineers back.

“Just go back to sleep, it’s okay.” Stephen whispers, Tony sighs and gets comfortable, laying on top of Stephen basically. If it were anyone else, he’d leave. He would go to the lab and stay up until he passed out.

___

Tony was on day four in the lab. He was running on coffee and sheer willpower. He needed to update one of his suits. He was reconfiguring one of the gauntlets that malfunctioned during a fight. Stephen had to patch him up after that fight. He was so absorbed in what he was doing, that he didn’t hear the door to the lab open.

“Tony...c’mon. You’ve been down here for four days.” Stephen sighed at the smaller man who was hunched over one of his work benches. He looked exhausted.

“‘m fine, jus’ need more coffee…” The engineer got up and staggered to the coffee pot. Stephen intercepted him and forced Tony to look at him. His eyes were bloodshot, the bags that were under his eyes were dark, he looked like a wreck.

“You’re going to bed.” Stephen sighed. Tony looked like he was about to argue “Try me, Beyonce.” He glared at the engineer, gently pushing him over towards an open portal.

“I don’t need sleep.” Tony huffed, trying to leave their room, quickly the cloak that was hovering in the corner swaddled the man and laid him on the bed, not retracting from said swaddle. “Asshole.” The cloak smacked him upside the head.

“Your tech can wait, sleep is important.” The doctor was coming out, Tony knew he wouldn’t win this argument.

“I’ll stay...can you please have your cloak let me go?” He asked. Almost instantly the cloak released him and went and settled in the corner. Stephen rolled his eyes and propped himself against some pillows. He began to read silently. Tony laid his head on the sorcerers stomach and soft snores filled the room.

______

“Boss, Peter is entering your bedroom.” FRIDAY’s voice filled the master bedroom. Tony was propped up against some pillows, doing work on his STARK pad. Peter pushed open the door and looked at the engineer sheepishly. He was trembling and looked a little pale.

“Nightmare?” Tony asked, looking at the teen. When Peter nodded, he patted the bed. Peter wasted no time climbing up and leaning into his dad. Normally he went to Stephen for nightmares. But the sorcerer was away on a mission of sorts. He never really had to talk about it with the sorcerer, he always knew what it was about. So they’d snuggle and watch a movie. When he went to Tony about his nightmares, he’d want to know to an extent what the nightmare was about.

“It was the water again.” Peter mumbled. Tony sighed and put down his work and put an arm around the kid, pulling him in a little closer. “Only you didn’t save me.” His voice started to quiver. If Tony could, he’d have squeezed the kid even harder.

“I did save you though. You’re safe. You’re alive.” Tony reassured him softly. Peter wrapped himself around the man and made himself as comfortable as possible. “Don’t use your spider grip on me and we should be good.” Peter just nodded. Tony turned on a movie and relaxed. Normally he would have tried to get the teen to go back to his room, but with Stephen gone for a bit, he was lonely. He began to match his breathing with Peters. Slow and steady. It was causing Tony’s eyes to feel heavy.

Peter looked up at his dad, not realizing he had fallen asleep. His dad never really slept around anyone, aside from Stephen. He was too scared of his own nightmares and of hurting those he loved. At least that’s what Aunt Pepper had told him when he asked. Stephen told him it took months for Tony to fall asleep around him, and it was only because he had gotten hurt during a battle. “Night dad.”

____

It was movie night in the compound. Most of the team was already sprawled out in their select spots. Tony strolled in last second and plopped himself next to Stephen. He leaned into the sorcerer this time. Stephen wrapped an arm around him and kissed the top of his head. Peter, once again, draped himself over both his parents only this time he also grabbed a blanket. Tonight's movie was Clint’s pick: Lord of the Rings.

“Of course Legolas would pick Lord of the Rings.” Tony rolled his eyes, only to be hit in the head with a piece of popcorn. “You’re cleaning up the mess if you keep it up.”

“Children, please.”

“I thought you were on my side!” Tony’s eyes widened with feigned shock. Stephen just smacks him lightly earning a grunt from the engineer.

Once the movie started, Tony settled back against the sorcerer and pulled Peter closer. A small smile played on his lips as he realized this was his family. With that, the engineer willingly fell asleep in a room full of earth's mightiest heroes.

“Is he actually asleep?” Rhodey’s eyes were wide. He hadn’t seen Stark fall asleep in front of anyone since their MIT days, and that was even a rarity back then. The others all stared at the engineer in shock. It was a few moments of silence until someone cleared their throat.

“Wake him, and I’ll kill you.” Stephen glared over at the others. He was terrifying when he needed to be and this was one of those moments. It had taken almost a full year to convince Tony to sleep in the same bed. Now that he was comfortable falling asleep here, in front of all of them, he wasn’t going to have it ruined. The others silently nodded and returned their attention to the movie.

__________

Stephen stumbled through the portal and into the lab. He had a few new cuts and bruises, but overall he was exhausted. He used too much magic and now he needed to sleep. He hated how much his magic could drain him at times. It made it almost impossible for him to do anything. It didn’t help that he had started to try to heal himself. Wong glared at him for that one.

“Stephen!” Tony rushed to his husbands side. He helps the taller man up and they slowly make their way to one of the couches in the lab.

“‘m fine, used all my magic. Sleep.” Stephen mumbled, collapsing on the couch, pulling Tony down with him. Before Tony could move, a soft snore escaped from the sorcerer. Tony chuckles, and settles in against Stephen before eventually falling asleep.

____

Peter was sick. Really sick. Stephen had barely slept the past week because of Peter’s temperature spiking. He ended up in med bay with Peter around 4 AM to put the teen on IV’s with Bruce. Bruce had also drawn some of Peter’s blood to see if he could figure out what was going on. The teen, who normally put up a fight about med bay, didn’t even care that he was there for once. Stephen was just glad that he was finally getting some fluids that he wouldn’t throw back up. Tony had walked in with a cup of coffee and his STARK pad. He’d be able to monitor Peter, while getting work done.Now it was convincing Stephen to get some much needed sleep.

“Steph, go to bed. I’ll stay here with him. I promise.” Tony reassured the worried sorcerer. Ste “I’ll have FRIDAY call you if anything changes.” He added, hoping to convince his husband to go lay down.

“Okay, make sure he stays here. Hopefully it’s a bad flu. Call when Bruce has the results.” Stephen’s sentences were short. Tony nodded, kissing him and then sitting in the chair. He glanced at Peter; he had lost weight, he was white as a ghost, he looked awful. Tony sighed and had FRIDAY put on a Disney movie to help the kid sleep.

“Dad?” Peter asked quietly, causing the engineer to look up. He had some color back and his temperature was maintaining. The teen moved over a little bit. Tony knew what the kid wanted without him even asking, he climbed into the bed and Peter wrapped himself around his dad.

A few hours had passed and Peter was looking more and more like himself. Stephen had woken up, feeling well rested and ready to take care of Peter.

[five-stages-of-gris]

Welp, @sadghostgirl001 here it is. Nearly 4K of salt and fluff. I hope you like this.

Warnings: omegaverse, Team Cap being dicks, some feminization but barely noticed

Stephen could say he understood both sides in this rift, as much as he hates to admit it. He still thought it was awful, as it didn’t affect both parties at all.

Let’s recap, to see why our soon-to-be Sorcerer Supreme was getting real tired of his workmates’ bullshit.

It began when Tony Stark proposed Peter Parker, one of his formers students at M.I.T. when he graduated with honors within five years, both undergraduate and graduate programs. He could understand why Tony was attracted to someone as brilliant as him, even though the young man wasn’t older that 23.

And yes, that was the factor that broke tensions between the Avengers. Stephen massaged his temples while waiting for his coffee to be over as his workmates sent the others murderous looks. Why, why did they were fighting for something so banal. Especially when neither Tony, nor Peter Parker where in the Avengers.

That caught you off ward, right?

Well, let me explain something first. After Tony was fatally injured in Siberia, he had to abandon the Avengers’ initiative because of his injuries, as he couldn’t pilot the Iron Man armor any more. He was offered a position as a consultant, but he refused, as last time he was just giving advice to projects he didn’t have control with ended up with three helicarriers crashing on Washington. Also, it was the best time for retiring, and focused his time both in his relief charities and reviewing projects from Stark Industries. It seemed new workers felt safe when he was around, so he was happy to see those fresh spirits making new stuff, and he was glad to mother hen them all. A few years ago, he also accepted a proposition in M.I.T., as part of the engineering department.

Peter was just a college student. He was majoring in Chemistry and Biology, and was assisting to a graduate program Stephen couldn’t actually remember. He wouldn’t have met Tony if the ex-avenger didn’t look forward to meet him, as Peter was currently one of the big gossips between the professors because his brilliance. And after that, as those pink press magazines Wong keeps around said, everything was history. Tony proposed Peter after the graduation ceremony at a restaurants that would probably cost more than the Sanctum maintenance. It was an open mic night, so Tony decided to dust off his musical skills and proposed to the young man while playing the piano, someone recorded it, and it went viral. Maybe that was the intention.

Of course, it became known for the Avengers too, received with different reactions. Rogers and his merrymen got the most visceral reactions: ranging from saying that Tony was a complete pervert for marrying someone nearly thirty years younger than you to saying that Peter was a temptress probably from Hydra who was seducing Tony to steal his new weapons, no mattering that neither Tony nor SI made weapons anymore, the closest to making weapons was checking and repairing War Machine equipment from Rhodes’ personal request, or that Peter PArker was completely clean, as he was a close friend from Gwen Stacy, their friendly neighbour spider sentinel. They met in a ballet academy since they were five and they quickly hit it off, even going to the same major and minoring in ballet studies. Gwen couldn’t understand how Peter could finish college so fast, but the young omega told her she could do the same if she weren’t getting any of her extra “night runs”. She was static after the notice and she was going to defend his friend with tooth and nail.

Alongside Gwen there were others, like Captain Marvel and the Asgardians who didn’t see the age difference as an obstacle, with Carol’s aging being slowed down by space and the Asgardians living for millenia. With them there were others, like Danny and Bruce, who, even though not outwardly supportive, preferred to leave Peter and Tony alone, as they didn’t have any business with the Avengers’ Initiative.

And so those were the sides, with Luke, Jessica and him at the middle, wondering for the one thousand time why did they decided to join.

“Is everyone here?” Asked Rogers on his usual “mission” face. For Stephen, he looked like he just sucked a lemon. As seeing how the rest made a hum of approvement, he began his speech.

“Avengers, we can celebrate that thanks to us the world is at peace. And we can thank all of that to our training and discipline…” Stephen wondered if anyone else had drifted off already. He just sipped his coffee from time to time, drifting some glaces to Rogers to look like he was listening when Gwen got up from her seat, at Stephen’s side, like pushed by a spring.

“LEAVE PETER AND TONY ALONE FOR FUCKS’ SAKE!” she shouted, and if it wasn’t for Jennifer and Stephen she would have thrown a punch to the face of America.

“Sit down, Stacy” Rogers ordered, and for a moment Stephen wished to free Gwen. She didn’t stopped in her accusations though.

“DON’T TRY TO GIVE ME ANOTHER OF YOUR MORALISTIC BULLSHIT! YOU KNOW SHIT ABOUT THEM! I’VE BEEN THERE! I’VE SEEN THEM! THEY LOVE EACH OTHER, AND THAT’S IT!”

“Gwen, I know you’ve seen them, and that Peter’s your friend” Steve tried to placate, something that didn’t work because he used the same tone someone would to a toddler. “But sometimes, we don’t know our friends as good as we think. Sometimes, they might be hiding dark intentions and we just can’t see it because they’re our friends”

“What. Like your friend Bucky, you say?”

The room fell in silence. If Khamala or Miles were there, surely they’ve just blown on screams.

“Ghost Spider. Out” Rogers said, and Gwen stormed out of the room, closing the door with a slam. Stephen leaned into Jennifer and whispered.

“I think I’ve chosen a bad moment to space out, what it’s going on?”

“Steve want us to make an “intervention” on Tony”

“What?”

“He wants to go to Tony’s home and convince him out of marrying his fiancée”

“You can’t be serious”

“He just asked for voluntaries to go to the mission. All his friends offered”

“Of course” Stephen frowned, this wasn’t going to end well. “Someone needs to go with them and keep an eye for problems”

“Yeah, sure, but who? Don’t look at me, I’m not going to bother Tony Stark with those headless chickens”

Stephen sighed. “If you want to do something you need to do it yourself. Hey Rogers! I’m coming”

“W-What?” said Rogers, and his surprise was contagious. Everyone turned their head at him, and Stephen began to regret already his decision.

Peter felt a tickling sensation on both of his sides and nearly threw the pot because of it.

“Tony!” the omega protested, turning to see his fiancee behind him with the biggest grin he could make. “You were supposed to help me with the dinner! Not to distract me!”

“Sorry baby, but you know that the kitchen is my mortal enemy” said Tony, picking a spoon. “By the way what are you cooking now? It smells delicious”

“Oh no, take your hands away from the gravy!” Peter ordered while swatting Tony’s hand with the wooden spoon.

“Ok, ok I’ll stop,” Tony giggled raising his hands in defeat. “What a poor destiny of mine, not being able to taste my fiancée’s delicious cuisine”

“Oh please, Tony. You eat what I cook every day! Nothing’s bad gonna happen if you wait ten minutes”

"Awww, but I'm hungry now!" Tony's hands traveled downwards to his top's end. Peter squirmed, trying to get away from the alpha.

"Please Tony!" he said before going back to the pot, the sauce began to boil, alarming the omega. "Tony, please, can you be a dear and get me one of the casserole plates?"

"Everything for my Prince" he said. He gave him a quick peck while putting the vegetables on the plate, despite Peter's protest. He wanted to help after all.

"Alright, so we have the potato salad, the green bean casserole and the pork chops with gravy, anything else?"

"What? Just that?" Peter closed the oven and looked at the kitchen. "Shit I forgot the croquettes!"

"Croquettes? Peter isn't it too much?"

"And the mashed potatoes! Fuck, fuck this is a mess, sorry Tony!"

"Hey no problem, it's just our Honeybear with Gwen and some friends, there is nothing to worry about"

"...Alright" said Peter with a huff. "Can you get the croquettes out the refrigerator please? I don't have time to make the mashed potatoes myself but there is some of the other somewhere"

In the end, they managed to prepare both the croquettes and the mashed potatoes before the doorbell rang. At the other's side there were Rhodes, Carol, Gwen, Luke and Jessica. Gwen and Peter hugged each other, the spider-woman lifting him and a King a whirl.

"Careful Gwen or you'll make Tony jealous" teased Rhodey, which the billionaire dismissed it.

"Sorry, Tony. I just missed Peter so much!" she said as Peter gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I missed you too, Gwen. Tell me, how has been your summer?"

With that they moved towards the dining room, staring in complete awe at the banquet Peter has prepared. The dinner was amazing, talking and laughing. It was such a nice evening, those at the start of the summer when the soft breeze cooling the place.

After they finished the dessert, three chocolate ice cream cups with caramel syrup, they began to stream a Spanish movie, something about a bunch of priest joining a soccer tournament, when the doorbell rang again. Peter looked at his guests, asking if someone else was supposed to come. When they answered that no, anyone’s going to come, Tony decided to be the one to get to the door.

He certainly didn’t expect Steve and his gang at the other side of the door, dressed in full costume that made Tony harden his grip of the doorknob.

“Rogers! Guys! ... What a surprise” he mentally chastised himself for the poor rhyme. “What… What are you doing here? There is a mission and you came to pick them up?”

“... Yes. There’s a mission” answered Steve, his expression softening. Tony had a bad feeling about it. “But it’s here, we don’t have to pick up anyone?”

“What? Here? Shit! PETER! GO TO THE BASEMENT!” Tony was about to get back to the living room when Steve’s grabbed him by the shoulder. Tony choked on his breath, he was going to have a long therapy session next Monday…

“Tony, the mission is here, in this house” surely Tony’s expression must have alarmed Steve as he quickly proceeded to further explain. “Tony, we need to talk”

“Wait,” Tony shook his head. “Are you telling me that your supposed mission is coming to talk with me? Steve, it has been years since I left the Avengers Initiative. Not because I want, but because I can’t pilot my armor after Siberia” He said. Someone could read between the lines that last phrase was a quip at Rogers, but that Captain was a bit dense when he was on a mission. More like, he didn’t pay attention to anything else but what it could affect it.

“Tony, is not about that…”

“Yeah, sure. Then why are you coming to my house close to midnight and saying you want to talk to me?”

“Well, technically, we’re not in your house…” commented the Ant-guy he didn’t remember the name.

“If you only came here to blurb ridiculous remarks like the last one, then you can go and kindly fuck off”

“Wow, so much for old friends” said Clint, winning a tired scowl from Rogers.

“Tony, I know we had been bothering you about returning to the Avengers in the past, but today’s different.” Natasha came to the front and leaned on the door frame, letting Tony see her feminine figure. Strange, at the back of the group, did his best to not to roll his eyes as the ridiculous scene. Wanda looked at him with her eyes narrowed, but he was sure the mind repelling spell was working.

“Yeah, right, like it will not jump to that after today’s pathetic excuse is over. Listen, if you came for anything else, I’d probably would have let you in! Really! Anything else! But no, for you I’m only Iron Man. Tony Stark is only a minor inconvenience as long you have my suits. But listen to this words very carefully: I. AM. RETIRED”

“Tony, I swear, we didn’t come to ask you to rejoin the Aven…”

“Tony? Is something wrong?” asked Peter from behind. Tony turned to see his friends behind his fiancée, and he circle a hand around him. For Peter to feel safe. For him to feel safe. “Are these your friends?”

“Well, you can say that…” smiled Steve before Tony could have the time to answer. Peter looked at Tony and frowned.

“Are these your friends Tony?” he asked again, at which Tony answered with a concerned look, like he was afraid of their reaction if he said no. Then, Peter turned to the others, whose were entertained by giving mean sideyes to Steve and his guys. Deciding to be the adult here, Peter put the most natural smile he could.

“I’m sorry guys. I wish we could invite you in but after today’s dinner we are nearly out of food!” something not completely false, as he was surprised to see how much their guests could eat. And the few left-overs that remained were packaged and ready for their guests to take, he was glad they liked how he cooked. “Why don’t you come next weekend so we have time to go grocery shopping?”

“Like Stark couldn’t call and get a supermarket right here in less than twenty minutes” scoffed Clint again, and this time it was Natasha who scowled at him.

“But it’s true!” Clint protested, and for Peter, it sounded like the neighbours’ toddler when she asked for a popsicle when she had already cookies for the afternoon snack. “Look at that ring! It probably costs more than my arrows”

At that commentary, Peter hid his left hand behind his back, feeling ashamed of his expensive gift. Yes, Tony loved to spend money on him, and Peter loved to wear his gifts to show how much he loved them, like that day’s outfit which were composed of a white, green patterned shirt, high-waisted cropped jeans and red and black espadrilles, all from the designer brand Fendi. Tony’s grip tightened, and Peter could smell the faint scent of his alpha, that citric, woody floral smell emerging past his cologne and the remains of motor oil. Peter surely must have been releasing pheromones too, as Tony got him closer, letting Peter’s head on his chest so he could secretly smell his fresh and fruity scent hidden beneath the smell of the kitchen and his perfume.

“I like to give presents my people I love, and my fiancée specially deserves those presents, no matter how expensive they are” said Tony with a possessive growl.

“That’s what we want to talk about!” exclaimed Steve, like Tony had finally gave the correct of an incredibly easy test. Tony didn’t like the other’s tone at all.

“What? That you don’t like how I spend my money?”

“No! not that. Well, it’s related but…”

“They want you to leave Peter” Carol interrupted, while Gwen was already on a defensive stance.

“Wait what?”

“It’s not what you think Tony!” Steve quickly began. “But, can’t you see? Tony, Peter’s way younger than you, don’t you think that there’s a reason for him to get closer to you?”

“What?” That was Peter’s turn to be confused. What was that man talking about?

“Steve, if you’re implying what I think you’re implying…”

“Tony, please, listen to me. I know what you’re thinking”

“No you’re not”

“Please Tony, let me talk for once. What we’re trying to say is that is not normal that a young man like him came to your life after you retired from the Avengers. How can you trust him?”

“Oh shit. Here we go again” complained Gwen before putting herself between the couple and Steve. “Listen I don’t fucking care you’re my superior because the President decided to get you back to being the public after your tantrum with the Accords. But hear me out when I say that Peter’s not, neither was nor will be a bad influence for Tony. Peter’s true to the bone so please stop this before you get himself in a even more embarrassing position”

“If Peter’s so good then why is he spending all Tony’s money?” asked Wanda. “He’s wearing designer clothes everyone can see that”

“She’s right Tony,” Steve squared up his shoulders, liberating some of his hormones that for Peter they smelled foul and rotten, burying his head on Tony’s chest.

“See? That’s one of his tricks Tony” accused Natasha this time, passing a hand through her hair so she could free some of her pheromones too. For tony they were sickeningly sweet, receiving Peter’s fresh smell like water on a dessert. “He’s playing the helpless deer in front of you to occupy all your time, so you can’t pay attention to most important things”

“And what are those more important things supposed to be?” Tony asked, nearly growling.

That question got them without words. Tony was almost impressed, seeing how suddenly everyone shut up with that question. Of course, Tony knew the answer, and he was sure the others knew it too.

“Hmmm…” Steve began, trying to win some time. “Hummh… Your work with SI…”

“I’ve been reviewing and checking SI most important projects since I retired, and I even get them done myself if there’s a request. I just took a step behind to let new talents grow”

“You? Getting out of spotlight? The world is ending” Wanda scoffed, getting a furious glare for Sam, the only one who didn’t talk, but he barely ever talked besides being Steve’s “yes man”.

“I do it for the people who deserve it, dearie” said Tony with such a saccharine tone that even the pet name sounded like an insult.

“You…” Wanda took a step closer but Steve rushed to calm her.

“Tony please…”

“Please what? You are the one who came into my house asking me to leave my fiancée who is, in fact, the person most important to me” Peter could see how Steve winced at the last sentence. “And, by the way, you didn’t answer my question. What are those “more important things” I need to take priority over Peter?”

“Well…” There was the uncomfortable silence again. “... You were a professor at M.I.T. wouldn’t dating with a former student be bad for your career?”

“Not if I don’t teach him, which I didn’t” Tony said in a matter-of-fact tone. Peter turned to see Rhodes’ barely concealed giggle. At least someone was amused with that situation.”

“And… what about your personal projects? ...Or private requests? ...You can’t take as much requests as before before you spend more time with your… with him” ooh goddammit, that was the last straw.

“What? If they are my personal projects I’ll take my time with them since I have no deadlines or whatsoever. And private requests? Are you serious? I don’t do private requests anymore. Now, if that absurd intention of getting my fiancée, my Peter, away from me is over, get away from my sight. And don’t come back, even if it’s not Avengers business related”

“Tony, I…”

“Leave, just leave Rogers. Please”

“I can’t leave Tony. We can’t leave. Not with Peter’s still at your side”

“Then I’ll have to kick you out”

“Please, Stark, like you can do something to us” Wanda sneered. Something completely foolish, as the other Avengers squared up.

“We’ll be happy to help Tony. I think it will be nice to throw out the trash after that dinner” Luke said.

“Guys, just get out please. I don’t want my house to turn into a battlefield”

“Too late Stark” said the Witch with a bright smile as the rest mist began to circle her, but before any of them could take a step, Stephen made a swift sweeping motion and the portal where they came from engulfed them one by one.

“I’m sorry of their number” apologised the wizard. “And to interrupt you, it seemed you were having a good time”

“Oh! It’s nothing. To be honest, we should thank you” said Peter. “Do you want to enter? I wasn’t lying with the food, but I can make tea and we have some pastries if you want”

“That would be great, actually” Stephen said and all went inside the house. Ster the tea the drinks went, and it was nearly four in the morning when they stopped talking.

“Stephen” Rhodey called before he entered the portal to his room. “Thank you for keeping an eye on them”

“Oh, it’s nothing”

“Seriously, thank you. You always seemed so neutral with this situation, I was impressed when I saw you sweeping them into the portal”

“I wasn’t going to let them hurt two civilians you know? Besides…”

“Yeah?”

“When Peter appeared, I saw their auras. I’ve been in many dimensions and worlds, Rhodey, and I can assure you, few times I’ve seen two auras as combined as theirs. It’s like they were…”

“Soulmates?”

“... Yes, you can say that”

“Keep that for the wedding speech, I’m sure Peter will love it”

“Do you think they’ll invite me?”

“After you saved Peter from Steve and his merry men? I should be afraid of you stealing the best man’s position” Rhodey joked before stepping to the portal. When Strange closed it, he took a last look to the cabin. The was a room light up, and Stephen could imagine them in the kitchen, Peter drinking an infusion while Tony cleaned the dishes. He sighed, wishing for them the best of lucks before going back to the Sanctum.

[escapingreality1992]

Strange Impressions Ch. 10

           Two days after our capture, I returned to the compound to pack my things. I planned on moving in with Stephen; a new step in our relationship. Everyone appeared to be fine with the change; all except Tony, who tried to get me to stay at the compound.

           “Tell him to move in here with you. I’ll miss you too much. Who will I go to for party ideas or for food? You’re one of the best cooks in the compound. Who will stop Loki from pranking me? Sophie don’t go. Please,” he begged, following me around the building as I moved boxes to the front entrance. I giggled at him, turning to place my palms on his shoulders.

           “One, he can’t move in here. He has to be the protector of the Sanctum. Two, I’m sure there’s someone else who’s better with cooking and you have your own vault of ideas for parties. If you seek advice, I’m a phone call away,”

           “But-,”

           “Three, I will talk to Loki before I leave and convince him not to prank you. Don’t worry Tony. I’ll come back and visit some. How could I leave you behind? Plus, Natasha still lives here. I have to see my best friend too,” I told him.

           “You better because who else will I talk to about relationship advice?” Nat asked, walking in the lounge. She came over to me, wrapping her arms around me.

           “I don’t know Nat. You’ve got a handle on things with Steve. You may not need me anymore,”

           “I’ll always need you. You’re my best friend. Stephen’s a lucky man. He’s got you after all,”

           “I plan on keeping her. I can’t imagine my life without Sophie,” Stephen’s voice said from behind me. I turned and placed a kiss on his lips, standing beside him with an arm wrapped around his middle once I pulled back. I almost burst out laughing at Tony’s face; anger contorted his features making his skin red, a vein popping out on his forehead, a frown deep enough to produce more wrinkles.

           “You! You’re taking my Sophie away from us. Give her back,” he growled. This time I did laugh at his outburst, reaching out with my free hand to pat his shoulder.

           “Calm down. It’s not like I’m moving that far away. We’re still in New York. Does it matter that I love him? You’d do the same if Pepper asked you to move in with her. Let me begin my future with Stephen. Please?” I stated. Tony’s features softened, releasing a sigh of defeat.

           “You’re right. Go on Sophie. Live with the wizard if he makes you happy,” he said.

           “Thank you,” Stephen and I grabbed some boxes, leaving a portal open to remove all of them from the compound. Sticking to my promise to Tony about talking to Loki, I confronted the God and convinced him of not playing pranks unless he wanted to face my wrath, which was never good in some situations.

           With the final box removed from the compound, we closed the portal and I placed my hands on my hips, staring at the stacks of boxes. I didn’t have much, but enough where I didn’t know where to start.

           “Where to begin? Hmm…Maybe with-,”

           “Sophie, you can have one of the spare rooms to store your belongings. Books can be added to the library downstairs. That’s the one where we keep our normal books separate from the magic volumes,” Stephen told me, grabbing a box and walking up the steps.

           “Spare room? You don’t want me staying with you?” I asked, grabbing another one and catching up to him. He chuckled, turning his sparkling blue eyes on me.

           “You’ll be sleeping in my room. Your clothes and other belongings will stay in the spare room next to mine. I’m not sure there’s enough room to fit both of our clothes. There’s enough room to fit you in my bed by my side. Think of all the possibilities,” he told me. The look he gave me at the statement sent tingles and heat throughout my body. I knew what he’s been implying, and a lot of scenarios came to my mind.

           “You’re such a flirt, Doctor. Don’t stop on my account. In fact, you can flirt all you want. I enjoy every bit of it. I might even flirt back, handsome,” I commented, leaning close to his lips; his breath hitched, anticipating a kiss from me. Deciding to be a tease, I pulled back at the last second, walking past him, hips swaying, to the right where the spare room was located.

           “You, Sophie, are a tease. Playing with my emotions like that. I might need to kiss you later or maybe…strip you from all those clothes and do some teasing of my own,”

           “I might let you. Strip and tease me? Is that all you wish to do Stephen? What were to happen if I took off all your clothing now? Would you have sex with me on these stairs? What do you say, sexy? Wouldn’t it be fun?” I responded, placing my box down, approaching him. I ran my hands over his chest, grabbing the box from him and placing it aside.

           I managed to back his body against the railing. He swallowed, getting nervous. His blue eyes darkened; pupils dilated with apparent desire. I ghosted my lips over his, those brilliant eyes of his closing as I did so. I moved my lips against his neck, kissing it swift and light, my hands finding their way under his shirt, his skin hot to the touch. Sliding them around to his back, I let my fingers brush over his muscles. I could hear his erratic breathing; it got heavier with each touch.

           I pressed closer, his erection pushing against my thigh. Using it to my advantage, I moved my thigh slow against his jeans, causing friction, his length hardening even more.

           “Sophie. Please, I…”

           “Sh. Relax, enjoy the pleasure,” I continued my teasing, withdrawing once I sensed I’d done enough, leaving him with a simple kiss.

           “Stephen, sweetheart. Open your eyes,” I stated. He released a shuddering breath, adjusting himself and cracked open his eyes, desire still lingering within them.

           “How do you do that? When I first met you, I never realized you could be so…so…”

           “Dominant?”

           “Powerful. It’s not just the teasing or the domination, or the fire. It’s power. You’ve got an innate ability to take control. You saved me twice by doing just that. You’re magical,” he responded. Heat flushed my cheeks at his comment.

           “You’ve realized this now? Did you think me weak before or-?”

           “Sophie, you misunderstand me. You’ve never been weak to me. I knew you had power, a strength to which everyone should have. I meant you have more power than I previously though. It’s one of the things I love about you,” he answered. The heat deepened and I feared I resembled a tomato.

           “Good. I love your power as well. I think it complements my own. We should get back to unpacking these boxes. Less mess in the Sanctum, the better,” We grabbed our boxes, toting them to the spare bedroom. I opened mine and put away my shirts, pants and dresses; Stephen helped hang thinks, discovering my lingerie at the bottom of his box.

           “Will I get to see any of these on later?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. I took the lacy dress from him folding it to put it away in a drawer.

           “Maybe. Do you…”

           “Do I what?”

           “Never mind,” I replied, tucking away the rest of the lingerie.

           “What do you want to ask me?” he pressed, coming to me and lifting my chin with his fingers. His gaze held mine, opening up my walls.

           “Do you ever think back to the night we met?” I asked. He smiled, kissing my forehead.

           “Of course. Not every day, but whenever I’m missing you, I like to look back on it. The focus should have been on Tony’s birthday, but when Tony introduced us, I got lost focusing on you,” he told me. He kissed me, long and sweet, pulling back so we could resume unpacking the boxes. As we continued, I let myself drift off the very night of our first meeting.

  One Year Ago

           Tony’s birthday party had me looking for the perfect gift at the mall, going from store to store, unsure what he might want. The problem is he had most of everything; technology was out the question; he had already upgraded to the latest gadgets. I didn’t want to pick out clothing, not knowing if I’d great taste in that department. He didn’t wear fancy watches, my options dwindling down to nothing; almost nothing. As it hit me what I could give him, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Glancing at the caller ID, I noticed Natasha’s name scrolling across the screen, answering it to hear what she wanted.

           “What’s up bestie? Do you need something at the mall?” I asked, still browsing around in case I saw something Tony might want at the last minute.

           “You’re still at the mall?! You’re going to be late. Guests are starting to arrive. Sophie, you need to get back here immediately. Get dressed and come to the party,” she barked at me.

           “What? I thought I had enough time. Okay, I’m going to head to the exit now. Tell Tony I might be running a little behind,”

           “Alright. Oh, just a heads up. He’s invited someone new. I looked him up a few minutes ago. Absolutely dreamy. There’s a possible chance you could fall in love with him,”

           “Dreamy huh? I thought you only had eyes for Steve. It’s not possible. Stop trying to set me up with someone. I’ll find the one when I’m ready,” I stated.

           “I do, but Sophie, he’s gorgeous. Dark hair, blue eyes, tall. He’s kind of interesting,”

           “What’s his name?”

           “No, no. I’m not giving you it to you. I want Tony to introduce you two. Hurry and get your ass back to the compound,” she told me, hanging up. Nice try Natasha. There’s no way I’m going to meet my soulmate tonight, I thought. Boy, was I wrong about that?

              I got back to the compound and sneaked in the back to get to my room and change into a sleek, strapless teal, satin dress and black booties. I pinned my hair back in a neat bun and left my makeup neutral except for the eyeliner which was teal to match the dress. I made my way downstairs to the lounge and located Tony to give him his gift. I spotted him by a makeshift bar talking to Steve and descended the steps to approach them.

           “Tony! I’m sorry I’m late. I couldn’t find an appropriate gift. It occurred to me that the best thing I can give you is one of my famous free hugs,” I greeted him, wrapping him in one of my special embraces which warmed anyone up inside.

           “Thank you, Sophie. I adore your hugs. Oh, hey, I want to introduce to someone. He just arrived. Let me go grab him and bring him over here,” Tony told me. He let go and walked over in the direction I had come from and I turned to see who he meant; my heart almost stopped at the sight of the new guest. He wore a long sleeve, burgundy button up shirt tucked in black trousers, black shoes to match. His midnight black hair had been combed back, a little gray at his temples accentuating more of his features, the main focus being his eyes; blue eyes, bright when he smiled. They shone even more when they flickered over at me. He also had a beard that more or less resembled Tony’s. Our gaze locked and held as Tony escorted him over to Steve and me.

           “Sophie, this is Doctor Stephen Strange. Strange, Sophie McIntyre. He’s some kind of wizard and she’s our very own firestarter,” Tony introduced us.

           “Sorcerer Supreme, actually. Nice to meet you, Sophie,” Strange stated, his hand outstretched.

           “Pleasure’s all mine,” I told him, taking it in mine, shaking it. Two things happened; first I noticed the contrast in temperature of our hands. Second, a spark of electricity shot through my hand as our skin touched. We didn’t release the handshake for a few seconds, Steve’s voice breaking the contact.

           “Welcome to the compound. I hope you’ll have fun at the party,” he interrupted.

           “I’m sure I will,” Strange commented, pulling back first.

           “I think I’ll go find Natasha. Excuse me,” I said, walking through the crowd of people to find everyone’s favorite red head. She happened to be right. I fell in love with no other than Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme.

             “Natasha! You should have warned me earlier. I just met Steph- I mean, Strange. Dreamy? That word doesn’t even begin to cover that man,” I told her.

           “Uh-oh, someone’s got a new crush. I’m willing to bed you two will be dating in six months. Where is he? Does his picture do him justice?” She stated, showing me a news article, she had found on him.

           “Neuro-surgeon? Tony said he’s a wizard,” I stated, viewing his picture. In it he was clean shaven, in a tux, the headline covering a benefit he had attended. He looks good with or without a beard. He even looks good in a tux. I wonder what he’d look like in scrubs or even without any clothes on at all. Damn, I’m in trouble, I thought.

           “Sorcerer Supreme. Hello. You must be Natasha Romanoff. Hard to miss the only red head in the room. I’m Stephen Strange, though I’m certain you already know that. Are you girls talking about me?” a deep voice said behind us, causing us to jump.

           “All good things, I promise. I have an unfortunate habit of researching new people who come into our life. Sorry. Nice to meet you. I…You know I should probably find Wanda. Excuse me. You two talk. Get to know each other,” Natasha commented, a little flustered, before walking off leaving me with the handsome sorcerer.

           “You’re a neuro-surgeon as well? What an impressive skill set,” I commented, breaking the silence.

           “Former neuro-surgeon. I got into a really terrible car accident almost two years ago. I severely damaged my hands to the point where I can’t operate anymore. It left some scars as behind. Both mental and physical,” He held up his hands, lines of scars running down to his wrist.

           “May I?” I asked, gesturing to his hands, hoping I didn’t invade his personal space or boundaries. He nodded and I took one of his hands in mine. With a light touch, I traced over the scars, his skin cool where nearly no circulation traveled to the area. There was also a slight tremor to them even as I held one in my grasp.

           “How did you become Sorcerer Supreme?” I asked. He told me of his training, of his battle with an enemy named Dormammu and of his adventures battling other foes. We moved to a couch to sit down moving from subject to subject. He asked about my powers, I asked for a demonstration of his magic. I talked about life in the compound, about other interests, which I found some he shared with me. We exchanged numbers to keep in future contact if we wanted to. Our conversation flowed very well, cut off when it was time to eat and cut cake.

           “Maybe Strange can help us out from time to time, should we need his help,” Tony mentioned, after a few toasts were given and things began to wind down.

           “Let me know. I’ll be glad to offer assistance. It was a pleasure to meet all of you. I should return to the Sanctum. Thanks for inviting me. Goodnight, Sophie. I enjoyed our conversation tonight. I hope I get a chance to have even more with you sometime,” Stephen said.

           “Goodnight, Stephen. I’m glad I could provide some entertainment for you. You have my number. Send me a text when you feel like hanging out or just talking to someone,” I told him as he smiled, crinkles at his eyes forming and as he walked through a portal to his home. I turned back to see everyone staring at me, heat flushing my face.

           “What?”

           “You gave him your number to talk. I believe he’s going to want more than a conversation,” Tony stated.

           “Don’t be absurd. We’re becoming friends. He’s sweet,” I commented, twirling a strand of hair around one finger.

           “Oh, Sophie. You’ve got it bad for him. I suspect he’s got it bad for you too,” Nat whispered in my ear.

           “Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way he’d ever date someone like me,” I stated. Funny how things work out.

   Present Day

           “Now this looks perfect. The room is all set up and it took almost all day,” I stated, inspecting the spare room to make sure I had it like I wanted it. Stephen and I had taken a few breaks, one to eat lunch and another for dinner; sandwiches, something simple to continue unpacking the boxes. Other breaks were more for the bathroom or water, sitting side by side, sharing a few kisses or subtle touches to get each other worked up.

           “You’re officially moved in. How about tonight we settle in and watch a movie? Snuggle some. I’m exhausted from all the unpacking. How about you?” Stephen said.

           “Mm-hm. All that teasing and I’d rather curl up in your arms and relax,” I told him through a yawn. I wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head on his shoulder.

           “Maybe we can fool around tomorrow. Celebrate a new step in our relationship,” he commented, walking us toward his bedroom, our bedroom, and switching on the light. He stripped down to his underwear, throwing me one his t-shirts to sleep in. I didn’t want to grab a set of pajamas from the other room, too tired to walk back. We climbed in bed and turned on a movie, cuddling close.

           “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to this,” he stated during one part, glancing down at me.

           “What? Cuddling all the time?”

           “No. I don’t think I’m going to get used to you living here. Indefinitely. Waking up in the morning and seeing your beautiful face, knowing you’re all mine. I’m excited you’re here Sophie. I love you so much,” he answered.

           “I love you too. I’m happy to be here with you. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here in your arms, in our home,” Stephen kissed me, gentle and long, sliding our bodies under the covers, my head on the pillows, him on top of me. He pulled back, coming back down for more, devouring me. The longer we kissed, the hotter it became, more desire building as we made out. He removed his shirt from my body, followed by my underwear. I pulled down his underwear, Stephen kicking them off when I reached his ankles.

           “So much for fooling around tomorrow. We appear to be moving it up a day,” I told him.

           “Apparently. Let’s go slow. I want to take my time making love to you,” he said, pressing his lips to mine, his hands tracing small patterns on my breasts, my nipples perking up at his touch; heat and wetness pooled in my center. Soft moans escaped my lips as he continued to touch me, going as slow as possible. We took our time, building up the foreplay, reaching a point where we needed to be connected. Stephen reached over in the nightstand and pulled out a condom, sliding it onto his member. He sheathed himself inside my folds, his thrust nice and slow, building up our climaxes. We touched each other as we made love, brushed over each muscle, each limb; my nails dug into his skin, the muscle there rippling as he thrust into me repeatedly.

           Hours crept by, moans, groans, and grunts escaping our lips; we were a sweaty mess by the time of the first climax. Multiple orgasms were achieved that night before we ended up in each other’s arms, sleeping and dreaming about what our future held.

[dracusfyre]

Here is my Masterpost for the 2019 Round of the @tonystarkbingo! Thank you to all the mods for a great experience, and I am very excited for the next round!!

Title: Tesserae Square: S1: Never Meant to Hurt You Warning: None Pairing: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes Summary: For the ImagineTonyandBucky prompt (I've waited two months for this I'm so excited) Post CW—Imagine a pining Bucky picking up on how Tony seems genuinely relaxed and comfortable (dare he say happy?) around Bucky, and being really, really excited about it... then noticing how Tony minutely flinches, shies away from, and is generally afraid of Steve. Which Steve notices of course, and feels terrible about it. Imagine Bucky trying to help fix things between them like they've both helped fix him. Sometimes when things are broken all you can do is find a new way to be...though that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19268848/chapters/45825247

Title:  The Pull of the Past Square: T1: Misunderstandings Warning: No Archive Warnings, TW for Panic Attacks Pairing: Tony Stark & Dr Stephen Strange Summary:   Stephen has Tony come over to fix a sink and things go very sideways. Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/17770640

Title: Take My Hand (Don’t Fear the Reaper)  Square: R1: Crossover Warning: Major Character Death, technically. Tony Stark is a Ghost. Pairing: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes Summary:  After Afghanistan tony became a part-time grim reaper assigned to the winter soldier, since Bucky has a messed up head he can see tony. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18475756/chapters/43776208

Title: Tinker Techie Soldier Spy Square: S2: AU Cop/Detective/FBI Warning: None Pairing: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes Summary: Tony is sure (pretty sure) that the new guy James is a spy for a rival police captain, and he’s not going to let little things like a dimpled chin or a world-class ass or a great personality stand in the way of his investigation.Well, he’ll try not to. His best friends certainly aren’t helping; Rhodey has washed his hands of the whole thing and Natasha is on the sidelines watching with popcorn. But he’s determined to figure out this spy thing and then he’ll be able to prove that James is up to something more nefarious than just being criminally good looking. Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/20153308/chapters/47744983

Title: Apotheosis Square: T1: Picture (Tony Stark with a Gauntlet) Warning: None Pairing: Tony Stark & Loki & Bucky Barnes Summary: Tony could sense the self-satisfied murmur of computer from across the room and the inquisitive trilling of the cameras in front of him. Which, he knew on an intellectual level, should feel strange. It should be weird that he can hear electronics talking to themselves and taste electricity like mint on his tongue, but it didn’t feel weird. At this point he was just rolling with it and saving the freakout for later; he also wasn’t discounting the possibility that he was, in fact, losing his mind. Tony Stark comes out of Afghanistan with powers he doesn't understand and the determination to make the most of the second chance he'd been given. Even though he saves the world (a lot), the most important thing he does may be when he gives others that same second chance. Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/18684448/chapters/44310397

Title: To Think I Saw It  MOD FILL by @tisfan Square: A2: Unreliable Narrator  Warning:  None  Pairing: Morgan Stark & Tony Stark Summary:  Morgan needs to build a robot to dig for treasure while she keeps a look-out for bears. And who is the best person to help her with that task? Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19876126

Title: Fancy Meeting You Here Square: S3 Holding Hands Warning: None Pairing: Tony Stark/Eddie Brock/Venom Summary:  Eddie sees an unexpected person from his past and decides to give him a hand, which turns into dinner, which turns into an unexpected reunion of a different kind. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17733776/chapters/41839076

Title: Cheesy One Liners Square: A3 Free Space Warning: None Pairing: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes Summary:  For the ITAB prompt Imagine Tony walking up to Bucky in a bar and saying the most cheesy pick-up line ever in a jokingly flirty way, and Bucky likes it (and him) and flirts back seriously. (no powers au) Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/19421329

Title: Tony Stark’s Guide to Being a Functional Adult Square: R3 Deep Throating Warning: No Archive Warnings, TW for Ableist language Pairing: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes Summary:   For the ImagineTonyandBucky prompt: Imagine Tony getting disowned by Howard before starting his second PhD and start working at Bucky's mechanic shop part time. Getting together shenanigans ensue. Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/18230297/chapters/43132445

Title: Close but No Cigar Square: T4 Spy, Secret Agent, Assassin, or Hitman Warning: None Pairing: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes Summary: For the ITAB prompt maybe you could write something where Tony is kidnapped & the villain tries to force Tony into something or makes a move, but then Bucky arrives just in time & there’s a heartfelt reunion. For some reason, bad guys still think its a clever idea to kidnap Tony and try to make him do things he doesn't want to. The one who planned said kidnapping for Tony's wedding...well. The less said about that the better. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19879267

Title: Fancy Meeting You Here (Ch 2) Square: R4 Date Night Warning: None Pairing: Tony Stark/Eddie Brock/Venom Summary:  Eddie sees an unexpected person from his past and decides to give him a hand, which turns into dinner, which turns into an unexpected reunion of a different kind. Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/17733776/chapters/41839076

Title: James Barnes, Entertainment Specialist Square: S5 Wedding Fic Warning: None Pairing: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes Summary:  Bucky meets a mysterious man while he's working at a wedding and gets a little bit- okay, maybe a lot -swept off his feet, both literally and figuratively. Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/19858885

[goingsllightlymad]

Stony - Aftermath

Summary: set after the snap, when Tony's back on Earth, pre-Endgame because I don't want to deal with all that just yet. Themes of Stucky and Ironstrange because they should have been canon and you can fight me on this. Tony and Steve reconcile and end up helping each other to deal with their lost loves.

_______________________________________________

In the new west wing of the Avengers compound, all was deathly still. Through the semi-gloom of the blue midnight, the ghosts of people lingered in the shadows. Their figures were illuminated only by the cool white moonlight that spilled through the tall windows, concrete walls and floor pooling with a conflict of light and shadow. Nothing moved.

Waking in the darkness of the vast, lonely bedroom, Tony reached out for the familiar warmth of Stephen Strange, curled against his chest in a comforting heap. His hand met only soft white sheets, creased where he had tossed and turned in restless fervour, his dreams a dark blur in the back of his mind that he didn't quite want to explore. The dreams were the worst part of it all, because at least when you were awake the worst had already happened, and would not happen again and again and again. At least when you were awake you could kid yourself you weren't entirely alone.

Shivering, Tony sat up, shrugged on an old dressing-gown and stumbled to the door.

"FRIDAY, what's in the fridge?"

"Cold meats, salad, Pepsi, ice cream and alcohol, sir, although Thor seems to be depleting the alcohol supply,"

"Goddammit Thor."

"Sir?"

"Nothing, FRIDAY. Thank you, you can go back to... doing whatever it is that you do."

"Goodnight, sir. Try to sleep."

"Not happening."

"I shall alert Ms Potts immediately."

"Also not happening. Pep's... she's fine. She's good. She needs her sleep. Tired Pep is angry Pep, and angry Pep is dead Tony." he winced, leaning against the doorway and forcing a half-hearted laugh that quickly degenerated into a pained silence.

Coughing violently and waving away the little black spots that swum into his peripheral vision, Tony straightened up achingly and pushed himself along the corridor. To his left, the wall was studded with locked doors, name-tags shining and half of them too painful to look at. He turned his face away. He knew what names were on those doors, and he knew he would not find them here. He knew he would not find them, full stop.

On the other side, the curved glass wall stretched around the gardens of the compound, where the customary array of garish, overly-cheerful colours of flowers had faded away to a grim monotone. The flowerbeds were riddled with the gaps where flowers should be and were no more, the line of treetops now a jagged ridge of dips and climbs where certain trees had simply ceased to be. It was somewhat melancholy, that even nature must answer to the same gods as him. It was somewhat melancholy that they answered to them because of him. His failures were not even his own, for when he had failed, everything had suffered. This was all his fault.

Rounding the smooth bend of the building, it took Tony a moment to pick out the tall figure looming in the shadows. But then the moon moved out from behind a dark cloud, and his face became clear. Standing by the glass, looking out over the garden to the distant LA skyline, the moonlight washed over the vacant face of Steve Rogers. For a second, Tony paused, wondering whether to go to him or to walk the other way. Then Steve turned his face a little, still unaware of Tony's watchful presence, and Tony could see the familiar sadness that welled behind his piercing blue eyes. He knew then that there was nothing else that he could do, and found himself already making his way down the corridor towards Steve.

"Can't sleep? I'd ask if it's too cold in the new room but, well. You're probably used to the cold by now."

Lost in a trance, Steve did not notice Tony approaching. Hearing his voice close to him, he did not move, and barely seemed to register the presence at all. Instead he smiled sadly, and his stiff posture appeared to relax a little as Tony stopped beside him to stare out of the window, their shoulders almost brushing.

"The room is fine, Tony. Great. You did a real good job. The world, however..."

"Working on that. I don't do so great at rebuilding things, but I guess I'm working on that too. Just seems like I mess up everything, these days."

"It... it wasn't your fault, Tony. I should have been there."

"Look, you're not wrong, you should definitely have been there and I'm glad we're on the same page and all, but you're also very wrong because I think we both know that what I did? Not saving the world. Hell, if I'd just stayed on Earth with the rest of the fight, then maybe-" Tony's fists balled at his sides, his stomach burning with anger and resentment, and for the first time he knew that none of it was for Steve. In that moment, he was almost grateful for Steve's presence. Steve had survived, and so had he. They were in this together, and for the first time that was a comforting thought. Steve could fight the bad guys - it was what he did. Steve would know how to deal with this. Tony knew that Steve could be better than he ever was, and now for the first time it was a relieving thought.

"Then you would have died. It's the worst thing I've ever had to say, but maybe there just was no way." Steve looked down at him, his smile soft and plaintive, and Tony almost wanted to cry. To tell him about the guilt, the nightmares, and about what happened on Titan, to run into his arms and stay there until it was all okay again and he was safe and Steve had dealt with it all as he always did. He wanted Steve to hold him and tell him that it would be okay, that it wasn't his fault. He wanted to break down and for once have someone there to help him. And so that it exactly what he did not do.

"There was a way." He met Steve's eyes, biting his lip to hold back tears, aware that his voice had cracked slightly on the last word, and that Steve had most certainly noticed it.

"Just one?"

"We could have done it. He... he told me." Tony turned back to the window to hide the tears that threatened to burst from his eyes. His reflection stared back at him from the glass, and in the sunken face, he could see that his eyes were wet and shining, bright as the cold blue triangle that glared up at him from his chest, in the cavity where his heart should be.

"Stephen?"

"Don't- Don't say his name. If it's alright with you, Cap, I don't really wanna face all that just yet."

"Tony, we'll find a way. We're the Avengers, it's what we do."

"What we do is saving people. Look how that went."

"We can get them all back. We will get them all back, no matter what the cost."

"And if we don't? Cap, I lost everything out there, on that godforsaken shithole of a planet. I had somebody I loved, more than anything else on this goddamn Earth. I loved someone, and I fucked it up, and now they're dead. You know how that feels, Captain?" his voice dropped to a low hiss, stepping aside to face Steve. Standing only inches apart, he lifted a finger to jab at Steve's muscular chest.

"Yes. Yes I do. You're not the only one who lost things, Tony." Steve's voice stayed smooth and calm, plaintive and exhausted as though he didn't even have heart enough to get angry. He gestured to the opposite wall, to the doors that stretched away around the curve. "Those bedrooms, I can tell you that right now all of them are empty. I know, I've seen it. Late nights, everyone's out here, just watching. We can't sleep - none of us want to face what happens when we do - so we just sit, or stand, or lie down, waiting for someone else to do something. Because we've all lost something, Tony, but some of us are really trying to get that back."

Standing so close to him, Tony could almost catch the glint of metal as it passed through Steve's eyes, the shadow of an arm hanging over his very soul. An arm he had built, and given away, and received weeping tears of dust that seemed to stain his hands no matter how many times he scrubbed at them. An arm that was locked away in the darkest corner of the basement where he knew he could not see it, yet he saw it all the same, every time he closed his eyes. He closed his eyes now, and saw it before him, and wrapped around it the pendant that he could feel pressing against the front of the arc reactor, under the faded pyjamas that now appeared so many sizes to large. Had they always hung this loose over his jutting ribs and thin arms? Not for the first time, he felt so very small.

"Steve, I'm sorry. I really am. I just... What am I gonna do?" and now at last he leaned his head against Steve's shoulder. Startled, Steve reached out an arm awkwardly and patted him on the back.

"I have no idea. But you don't have to do it alone." feeling Tony relax under his hand, Steve wrapped both arms around him, pulling him into a hug. With a muffled sob, Tony began to cry, pressing his face into the crook of Steve's neck and balling up his pyjama shirt into tight bunches with his fists.

"Shh, shh, Tony, it's gonna be okay. It's gonna be just fine," Steve murmured, lifting up one hand to stroke his hair and with the other rubbing small circles on the small of his back. They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, Tony shaking with sobs and Steve trying not to cry too as he comforted him, because he knew if he started he could never stop. There was something about Tony that made you feel utterly wretched whenever he was upset, as though you would do anything on Earth just to make it stop. It was something that Steve had never known before, even with Bucky. When Bucky was upset, as he so frequently had been after they had brought him back from HYDRA, he drew into himself, was cold and bitter, and Steve knew he could not ask, or share his pain. It was better just to leave him be, to sit it out alone because he didn't need your help and he certainly didn't want it. Bucky would let you see his pain but never let you help him, Tony never let you see his pain but always needed help.

"You should get some sleep."

"D-Don't need it." Tony whispered, the words broken by hiccupy tears.

"Then lie down, at least. Come on, make me happy." Steve broke away smile down at Tony. Tony's head sank, avoiding Steve's gaze. He brought his hands up to his face and wiped away the tears that stained his sunken cheeks yellow and red. In that moment he seemed so very small, so very vulnerable, and Steve was struck with the saddening remembrance that in the end Tony was only human. There was a man inside the flashy red-and-gold suit, and when he stepped out of it there was nothing superhuman about him. There was nothing that could protect him once the suit was gone. "Please."

"Sure, fine, whatever." His words were harsh and abrasive, spat out with a long sigh. They hung, heavy and awkward, in the still air, Steve guiding Tony softly along the corridor with a hand on his bony shoulder. As they walked, Tony kept his face turned away from Steve, fixing his eyes on the blank concrete of the wall and the cold, elegant paintings in their obnoxiously ornate frames. He had bought them in a fit of loneliness, as though the warmth of the paint could somehow fill the emptiness of the endless corridors. As though if he could make it all look beautiful, no one would have to look at the bitterness that lay within. It had worked with himself, after all.

But even as he faced the other way, Steve could not miss the heaving of Tony's shoulders as he cried quietly into the darkness. Not far from the bedroom door, Tony was forced to stop as a sob turned into a violent coughing fit that ripped through his body and pulled him in half until his forehead nearly met his waist. He threw out an hand, caught onto Steve's arm as he half-collapsed. Panicking, Steve took his other wrist and steadied him, wide eyes staring into Tony's half-closed ones.

"Tony! Hey! Stay with me! You're gonna be... You're gonna be just fine. Hang on, there we are. That's good." His voice quieted a little as he gathered Tony into his arms, holding him there bridal-style. Quickly closing the distance between them and Tony's bedroom, he threw him down onto the bed, pulling aside the lapel of the thick dressing-gown to make sure the arc reactor was still glowing as usual. Finding the customary deep blue glow of the reactor undisturbed, he let out a deep breath that he had not known he had been holding.

"Hey there, Capsicle, buy me a drink first!" Tony laughed weakly, but it trailed off as Steve, still kneeling by the side of the bed, put his head in his hands and leaned both forward to rest on Tony's chest. Startled, Tony ran a trembling hand through Steve's faded golden hair. Sometimes he could swear he could see a tint of silver among the yellow, and now in the darkness it was unavoidable. Moonlight shimmered on the dull grey around his temples. Tony lifted Steve's head to smile at him in what he hoped Steve would take as reassurance, pained as they both knew it was. Faces close together, neither daring to breathe, Tony could at last see those spiderweb creases that split the skin between his brows, and the flower-petal pattern of lines that extended from the outer corners of his eyes. There was no putting it off anymore; Cap looked exhausted.

"I thought..." Steve struggled for words, his mind still racing with the last traces of icy fear. There had been a moment when he had been so sure that Tony was decidedly not fine, and in that moment the whole world had ended. He could not say why, and he thought maybe he didn't want to know anyway, still the emotion had been pure and exhilarating, and he was almost glad of it. He could not say how long it had been since he had felt anything.

"I know. I know."

"Tony, if you're gone, I... I have no idea what I'm gonna do," the fear in his voice was undeniable, and Tony felt sick with self-hatred. He was all that Steve had left. Poor, poor Steve.

"Shh. Come on Cap, don't say that. Come to bed. Hey, hey, in a purely non-sexual way, come to bed... Steve." Cheeks still blotchy and eyes red, Tony put on a small smile. Steve stood up, opening and closing his mouth wordlessly for a moment or two as he turned to leave, before he at last found the right words.

"I shouldn't. I-"

Tony reached out, touching his hand tentatively. Steve froze, looked down at their hands, not saying anything. More confident now, Tony traced the veins of his wrists with his calloused fingertip, snaking his fingers around to close around the base of his hand.

"Please."

For a moment he could swear he could see something pass across Steve's sparkling eyes, the ghost of someone long since gone. Steve was right: they'd all lost things. That was the worst part of it - even crawling into his bed, it was not Tony that Steve saw lying there. But then again, it was not Steve that Tony saw staring down at him, for a moment. There was a moment when he let the veil slip, when he caught a glimpse of those piercing green-blue eyes smiling down at him, the smooth pale skin and jutting cheekbones. It hurt; it was the cruelest thing he knew, and yet somehow the kindest too. His heart tore into pieces for the millionth time that night, and it was always him that it broke for. It was always him. And there he stood before him, tall and beautiful and happy and alive, but most of all alive. But the shape of the eyes was slightly too sharp, the jaw too soft and the hair too silver here, too dark there. It was the inevitable truth that he could never say - that even now, he was beginning to slip away.

He wished they had more time. But time was the queen piece of the chess board, and once again Tony found himself locked in check, black and white king standing alone upon the board.

He tugged gently at Steve's wrist, blinking away that most beautiful of faces that swam before his eyes. Steve took a tentative step forward, then another and another, until he stood over Tony at the edge of the bed, on the threshold of something they both knew they should not do. He could not quite say why he did it, still Tony moved over until there was enough room for Steve to lie beside him. And so Steve did.

He had not expected the warmth, yet it was there all the same, unfamiliar amid the memories of another cool, angular body. The muscles were too large, the face that looked down at him through half-lidded eyes was nowhere near right, but Tony made it fit. There was room enough in this bed for three. Right, four, Barnes. Of course. They lay still, bathed in the quiet moonlight and soft white silence, bodies close enough for Tony to smell the faint traces of Steve's cologne, close enough for Tony just to reach out and...

And? It was not Stephen. It could never be Stephen, and now Stephen was gone and there was no other way.

"Stevie," he felt Steve tense up against him, realised too late what he had done, "I'm sorry Steve. I didn't think... Steve, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"There was nothing to tell. It was the way it had always been, there's nothing more than that. Me and Buck against the world. Guess it's now just me and you."

"If you want it to be," Tony grinned up at him, and the warmth seemed to twine with the sad, sweet kindness of Steve's tiny smile.

"I have no idea what I want, anymore." Steve's hand played with the hem of Tony's dressing-gown. He glanced up, eyes holding Tony's, faces inches apart.

"I think I know what I want."

Tony closed the gap between their lips, hand wrapping around Steve's narrow waist. It was slow and it was soft, soothing the two hearts that pressed together between the sheets. It was ending, it had been since it began, and both seemed to know that, and when at last they slipped apart to breathe, it was as though nothing had changed at all. There was a silence, filled with the screaming of the words they wished they could say. This meant nothing, this meant everything, and this meant everything in between.

When they kissed again, there was no doubt. Their lips moving together as though for the millionth time, there were almost two more people in that bed with them, pressed in between. Steve was not kissing Tony, not really, nor was Tony kissing Steve back, because between them stretched the plains of an infinity they could not see, and in which there still lay the ruins of the lives they had left behind them. Most people moved on, but not them.

And in the darkness of a midnight that was not so lonely after all, Tony fell once more into the black fog of a deep and dreamless sleep, tangled in the arms he did not know.

And when at last he opened his eyes to the watercolour melody of dawn, the room was cold once more, and the empty bed was far, far too large.

[loki-hargreeves]

Loki Imagine - Ready, Set, Past! [PART 2]

[PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 3] Warning: INFINITY WAR SPOILERS ⚠️ angst, offensive language

Your P.O.V.

Everything around me had a very strong blue hue. Lights were twinkling here and there, rather softly. I saw hints of violet and pink and then I recognized what I was looking at. Space. I was sitting on something soft and almost cold. It felt like wet grass, which was nice. The setting I found myself in was calming, so peaceful. It felt great.

I took a deep breath, allowing the cool air to fill my lungs. As I exhaled, I let go of my worries as well. My entire body began to relax, little by little, so I could focus on the reason I was here. This was a dream, a vision.  Now that I was as calm and collected as I could be, I got into action. 

‘‘Who is it?’‘ I asked the person who wanted to reach me. So far, I hadn’t seen anyone at all. Considering most of Asgard was gone, it could be anyone. Deep down in my heart, I hoped it was Loki. Everything around me was so quiet. I even held my breath as I tried to listen to someone. I got nothing at all. Although I wanted to get in contact immediately, I knew I had to be patient. “Loki, is it you?” I dared to be more straightforward. All of a sudden, the stars froze. Everything stopped moving completely. It felt like time stopped entirely. Honestly, it got kind of eerie. 

Focus!

“Loki is not here but I am here for him” A sweet, familiar voice answered me. My heart skipped a beat as I heard her. It was Frigga! Why was she contacting me? Where was Loki? Damn, I had so many questions.

Suddenly, all the blue turned into warmer shades. I saw beautiful golds, yellows, and reds. A white light appeared in front of me and out of it stepped Frigga, looking like a true goddess in a big, golden gown. It’s like she was glowing. Seeing her again was truly an honor. “My queen” I breathed out in slight shock. Then I cleared my throat and told myself to focus. I couldn’t afford to screw things up. “I know that Thor and you have gone through much. You are on the right path” Frigga spoke so softly but at the same time, she revealed that they knew what had happened. So they were watching over us.

“Is Loki alright?” I wanted to know. Perhaps I could get some peace if I just knew he was in Valhalla with people who cared about him. My question caused distress on Frigga’s face. Her gentle smile faded and she looked away. The stars of the galaxy reflected in her eyes now that she stared into the distance. “Loki is..in a difficult situation. The tesseract led him to a special path” She explained to me. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Was he alive? “I know it’s difficult, my child. But I have important news for you” Frigga changed the topic although I could tell she too was worried.

No matter how hard I wanted to question her, I didn’t. I had to listen to what she had to say, what was so important she met me in this vision. “Tell Thor to let you off on Midgard. If you hurry, you can contact the man who owns the time stone. I can’t reveal everything to you, no matter how hard I wish to do so” Frigga stopped, taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts. I just nodded, taking mental notes for myself.

“You must lose in order to win” She got poetic with me. Lose? To win? It could mean so many things but she said the word ‘order’ so it must’ve been my duty to figure it out. The bright white light appeared behind her again. It was so bright I had to narrow my eyes so it wouldn’t blind me. 

“Thank you” I thanked the queen for the precious information she gave me. 

“Good luck, do us proud” She nodded before stepping into the light and disappearing. I simply blinked and so, I found myself in the pod.

Thor was staring at me with knitted brows and..two eyes? “Woah” I breathed out as I saw his eye. How did that happen? It looked yellow. 

“You were acting weird. Did you have a nightmare?” Thor asked me and it seemed like he was genuinely concerned. It touched me because now, all we had was each other. 

“I had a vision, a visitor from Valhalla. What..where did you get that from” I told Thor, unable to ignore he had a new eye. 

“The sweet rabbit gave it to me” Thor let me know and smiled. I had to admit it suited him. He looked less like Odin now. Then I remembered what Frigga had told me. 

“You must drop me off on Midgard, now” I was quick to continue. Now even Rocket turned to look at me.

“You god-people are weird” He muttered to us. Both Thor and I looked at him, making him turn around slowly with a guilty smile. Thor and I might’ve looked stern, but it was difficult to be upset with someone that adorable.

“I am Groot” Groot told Rocket that he’s the weird one. Their relationship reminded me of a father and a son relationship. And Groot was having a hard teenager time. 

“Why Midgard?” Thor ignored what happened so we could discuss my vision.

“I need to find a man who owns the time stone” I let him know. It’s like Thor remembered something as I said that. 

“Y/N! I know who owns it. He’s a wizard. Loki and I...err- we met him, briefly.” Thor revealed some great news. At least, they knew where to drop me off. 

                                      As we flew past Midgard, they dropped me off to New York. Then the three of them continued their quest to get a ‘thanoskillinghammer', which would most likely be something like Mjolnir but hopefully stronger. I was wearing my armor which didn’t fit the Midgardian style, which was the least of my worries. I looked at the piece of paper with the address  177A Bleecker Street on it. It seemed like I was right in front of the house and it seemed quite different than the rest of the buildings around it. It had to be the right place.

So I knocked on the door and quickly changed my clothes, casting an illusion of the clothes I saw on a passing woman. Now I had a white, tight dress that ended slightly above my knees and red heels on my feet. It felt a bit odd but I didn’t care about that. I had more important business to take care of. “Who is it?” A man yelled from inside.

”Let me handle this, Tony” Another man said more calmly. The next thing I knew, I stood inside the house. The housekeeper teleported me inside but I was used to such things. Not on Midgard though.

“Asgardian, what are you doing here?” A man with a blue outfit and a fancy red cape asked me. I also saw a necklace hanging around his neck with a golden piece on it. That had to be where he kept the time stone!

“Asgardian?” Another familiar voice said. That sounded like Bruce! It was him indeed. Bruce Banner was dressed in some new clothes. He looked like he has showered as well. He walked further inside and stared at me like I was a ghost. 

“Hi, Bruce” I smiled softly at the man I had gotten to know during the events of Ragnarok and whatever the mess was on Sakaar. 

“You know her?” The man I assumed was Tony asked Bruce. If I remembered right, Tony was Iron Man, one of the Avengers. The only one I didn’t recognize was the wizard, the one I had to speak to. 

“I’m Y/N, Goddess of Time, Order and Space. I come for Asgard. My people are dead, only Thor and I..we survived, at least to our knowledge” My voice got caught in my throat for a second. Once again, I was faced with the awful truth that Loki was gone. 

Bruce’s expression turned blue from sadness. Even he had begun to like Loki. “Oh no,” Bruce breathed out before looking away. 

“I’m Doctor Stephen Strange. It seems you’re aware of my stone” Stephen clearly figured out why I came. Although I wasn’t completely sure, I had a feeling I had to do something with that stone. Perhaps I could get power from it? Or maybe I could use it to create something. I knew I wouldn’t take it from him, which would be wrong. I just had to do something. 

“Yes. I’m not here to take it from you. I was curious to see what I could do if I combined my powers with it” I decided it was better to be honest with him instead of coming up with dumb lies. 

“Where’s Thor?” Tony asked me, arms crossed and all. I faced the Midgardian bluntly. Loki had told me a lot about him.

 “He’s heading to Nivadellir. He should be there soon, he’s getting himself a new hammer” I filled him in with details. 

But he seemed even more confused. “A new hammer? What happened to mjol..njiln..you know, the hammer?” Tony attempted to say Mjolnir which turned out to be a challenge. It actually made me smile a little bit.

 “His sister destroyed it. I assume Bruce has told you about Hela and Ragnarok” I looked at Bruce who then nodded, confirming my suspicion.

Then I faced the wizard. “Are you willing to work with me? I just need to hold it. Perhaps the stone will guide us from there” I asked him and hoped he’d be willing to cooperate. He seemed quite hesitant but I could tell he wanted to do the right thing. I could almost hear his thoughts but I didn’t focus, thinking it would be rude. 

“Fine but it stays around my neck” He sighed, finally. 

“Thank you” I nodded and decided to get ready. I let go of my illusion so I was back in my Asgardian clothing. I did one little change. I took my cape away and replaced it with Loki’s which looked great with my golden armor and the black leather clothes I had underneath. Our style was quite similar only I used more blue than him.

“Is that like an Asgardian dress code? You know, with all that gold and green-” Tony wanted to know. I knew he was innocent but it still bugged me for I had to answer him. “Loki’s colours” My answer was short but it was enough. 

I heard Bruce whispering to Tony: “She’s Loki’s wife, Tony”. Loki’s wife. Hearing that made my heart clench.

“So you know what you’re doing?” Stephen questioned me as I stared at his necklace.

 “Trust me” I nodded and so, he moved his hands in a certain order. The necklace shifted slightly and revealed the green stone that had a beautiful glow to it. Although he didn’t tell me of any spells, I knew he had a spell on it. Nobody could take it from him and it was wise. Now that I was staring into the green light, everything else disappeared from around me.

It felt like it was just me and the stone. As the Goddess of Time, I felt a connection to the time stone. Slowly, I reached for it. At first, I only brushed it with my fingertips, afraid I would do something wrong. Then I dared to put my palm behind it. Now my hand was tingly but I didn’t mind the odd sensation. Finally, I dared to close my fingers around it so I was holding the stone firmly.

The second I did that, I gasped. The tingly, odd sensation spread to my entire body. My eyes widened and everything turned white. I had no idea what was going on but I trusted the stone, I trusted Frigga. The white light began to fade and I noticed a new surrounding around me. Everything was green. Through the beautiful shades of green, I saw people. 

Loki!

My heart jumped to my throat as I saw my husband. He was standing on a rooftop here on Midgard, dressed in his full armor with his helmet on his head too. Loki was holding the scepter and then I remembered this setup. Once again, I was forced to see the past, this time, the attack of New York. The one thing Thanos forced Loki to do which sealed his faith. Now that I saw it like this, it felt even more awful. The chitauri was destroying the city and I saw the original Avengers, Thor included, defending the people.

All I wanted to do was to run to him and embrace him in my arms. I wanted to stay with him, make sure he was alright. My heart yearned for his, to hold him, feel him and hear him. My eyes watered as I stood there and held myself back. This was not real. This Loki was upset and he wasn’t thinking straight. I had to be careful - vision or not.

As I looked at Loki, I saw past his vicious smile. He was terrified of failure. He knew Thanos would put him through hell. I saw my husband but I also saw strings attached to him, strings that Thanos was pulling. I began to walk closer to Loki until I was right beside him. The green light faded and it felt like I was actually there. I smelled the smoke in the air, I felt the vibrations from explosions all around us. I heard the screams of horror. It was so real.

I reached out for Loki and finally touched his shoulder from behind. He turned around immediately, looking at me in shock. He was looking straight into my soul and it sent shivers down my body. How did this feel so real? I just wanted to hug him and hold him close. I didn’t want to leave his side. Although this was a terrible day, it was better than whatever was going on in the present. 

“Loki” I whimpered his name sadly, tears stinging my eyes now. 

“What are you doing here, Y/N? You should be on Asgard!” Loki asked me worriedly. He didn’t have to say it for me to understand. He was afraid I would get hurt. This Loki didn’t know that I knew about Thanos, everything. But this Loki was just an illusion the time stone had created.

“I love you” I pushed the words out of my mouth. Saying it made me feel slightly better, for when Loki died, I didn’t return the words. Thanos hadn’t allowed me to do so and I would forever hate myself for that. What I said clearly went straight to Loki’s heart. 

“You’re acting weird, what’s going  on?” Loki noticed I was different. That’s when a couple of tears decided to roll down my face. I just couldn’t help myself!

Silently, I wrapped my arms around Loki’s waist and nuzzled my face against his chest. I heard him sigh before he hugged me back with one arm. This simple gesture alone caused goosebumps to rise all over my skin. I could live in this moment forever. Everything was so close to reality, even his scent. This time, I couldn’t smell blood. It was just him. He was all I needed. 

“Loki, I know this isn’t you. It’s Thanos” I revealed my knowledge. I had to remind myself I was working, no matter how hard it was.

Loki looked down so he could face me. I swear, he turned pale once I had mentioned the titan’s name. He seemed terrified of the fact I knew. “I..this..I don’t know how to explain it. Time is a strange thing” I chuckled sadly as I tried to speak. I had to think of what I could tell him. Would it be smart to explain what I already knew? I had to find answers, now. I wasn’t sure if I would get a second chance.

“Y/N” Loki whispered my name as I let go of him. Now I looked around us. The time stone wanted me here but why? 

“I’m going to put an end to this but you need to help me” I cleared my throat and got serious. Then I began to walk towards the door. This was the Stark tower. 

“Y/N you need to explain what’s going on!” Loki growled, clearly needing answers. It was almost funny how his illusion was so much like him. All of a sudden, my surroundings changed. I found myself up in the air by the portal in the sky that allowed the chitauri army to come to Midgard. Loki was beside me and we were both floating.The air was colder up here and the portal’s energy felt odd. Yes, I had been high up before but now that I had little control over everything, it was slightly scarier. The ground was really far away and we were right next to a portal to space.

“They come through this. The chitauri army leader leads to Thanos” Loki explained to me. I knitted my eyebrows together and faced my husband. It’s like all of a sudden he knew to help me. “He doesn’t have any infinity stones but I have two, one in the tesseract and one in the Scepter. Nobody knows that yet” Loki kept speaking, giving me very important information. But as he spoke, I noticed how broken he was. Seeing him like this reminded me of old times. I had been his shoulder to cry on so many times and he had been mine. 

“I promise you, Loki, I will do everything I can to..stop him” I stopped myself before I would ruin things. Yes, I knew it was an illusion but it was the closest I could get to Loki. I didn’t want to straight-up tell him that Thanos would destroy everything.

Thanos would kill him and I had just watched it happen..

Once more, our surroundings changed in the blink of an eye. At least we weren’t floating in the sky. It was a much darker place. We were on some kind of a spaceship that looked like a huge floating rock. The stars were twinkling around us beautifully but nothing felt right. I saw a weird creature in front of us. He had a black hood on so it was hard to see any details. As I glanced at Loki, I noticed he grew tense. This had to be one of Thanos’ children.

“Loki” I whispered and grabbed his hand nervously. Loki gave my hand a light squeeze and kept me close to him. Everything around us was so cold now. No matter how well I knew this wasn’t real, I couldn’t stop my heart from pounding against my chest or my breath growing heavier. I had no idea what would happen and it was scary. I didn’t want to see Loki getting hurt. I just wanted to see him well and happy. 

“Y/N, I need to give you something” Loki revealed, completely ignoring the third person on this space rock. Then he stepped in front of me, facing the black-hooded creature with his back. What the hell?

Once we locked eyes, the dark space around us disappeared. Everything was green again, looking like we were inside a green rhinestone or something. It was breathtakingly beautiful. There were so many different shades of green; forest green, jade, emeralds. Loki smiled softly and moved his hand. His fingers moved gracefully and then he connected his palms, making it look like there was a ball in his hands. As he took his left hand away, I saw something resting on his right hand. It was a golden ring with a green jewel on it. Although it was simple, it was absolutely gorgeous. 

Silently, I let him grab my hand and put the ring around my ring finger. It was a perfect fit. As it sat in place, I felt oddly relaxed. The ring was clearly made for me and it did something weird. It felt right in a warm way, giving me the confidence I didn’t know I had. “I’m counting on you, my love” Loki whispered quietly. “To do what?” I wanted to know. Now Loki cupped my face very gently, his touch making my heart race. Did I need to say once more exactly how real it felt? “First, you must lose to win. Then fix things but not from the present. Fix it from the past” Loki delivered a message to me that had important meaning to it. Everything signed me to look in the past but now it was just obvious.

I didn’t question him any more. Loki leaned close to me and his nose brushed against mine, which tingled slightly. “I love you” He whispered very quietly but I heard him since we were so close. Finally, the gap between us disappeared as our lips crashed passionately. That triggered my emotions and tears began to roll down my face, making this kiss quite bittersweet. I tried to hold onto him and savour the sweet kiss but nothing good would last forever.

Just as I attempted to deepen it, he vanished. I had leaned against Loki so now that he was gone, I nearly stumbled. A second later, I saw Stephen, Bruce, and Tony all around me. My hand was still holding onto the time stone and it was burning hot. I winced in pain as I let it go. As I looked at my hand to see if I had a burn mark, I saw the ring which truly surprised me.

“Oh my god” I gasped and stared at the ring Loki had given me. How did it transfer from my vision to reality? 

“What just happened?” Tony was the first one to speak. I was speechless. Yes, I wanted to answer him but I didn’t find the right words. That had to be the most realistic vision I had ever had and also the most emotional one as well.

“Loki...I saw Loki” I found some words. Then I began to feel dizzy. It wasn’t clear to everyone that visions like that were energy drainers. Bruce noticed I was struggling to stand so he grabbed my shoulders to keep me up. 

“Come on, you need to take a seat,” He told me and kindly guided me to the nearest couch. I was grateful for that, truly. Bruce was a good man.

I knew I needed to calm down and collect my thoughts but I was shaken. I could still feel Loki’s touch on my body. “My god- Y/N, you’re trembling,” Bruce told me worriedly. I faced my friend and saw how concerned he was. This was probably extremely weird for a mortal like him. 

“The time stone. It...It took me to Loki. He gave me this” I let the trio know about the mysterious ring. Then I showed them my hand with the gorgeous ring. 

“How did you get something from a vision to here?” Stephen wanted to know. He was obviously just as confused as I was. Oh, how I wished I had an answer for that.

Before I could reply, an explosion was heard from outside. It was followed by screams of terror and honking cars. What the hell? Had Thanos reached Midgard already?

“They’re here” I gulped, not sure if this would end well. “Who?” Stephen and Tony said in unison, both needing answers. It didn’t take long until I sensed the intruders’ presence. “Thanos’ children. They’re coming for the time stone”

[PART 3]

Author’s Note: I feel like this part was confusing but at least I gave you some Loki time. The next chapter will have some action in it :) How do you like this story so far? 

TAGS:  @twigleektribute23  @stayunderthelights​ @pinkieperil @lokiscure​ @mtb04308​ @rowenathewitch1200​  @iraniq  @embrycallsgirl  @blackroseyaz @puddins-princess  @r-alexandra01  @yuna-belikova

[escapingreality1992]

Fighting Haunts

Captain Marvel x OC

Carol Danvers and Cecilia go to fight a spirit in a mansion who murdered innocents who also reside there. The malevolent one tries to drown Cecilia but Carol saves her, confessing her love.

Standing in front of a massive mansion, I looked up into the middle window; three translucent figures were on the third story, standing there peering down at me. Children, they were; the ages not ranging past 13.

“See anything?” a female voice asked, breaking the silence for the first time this night. I glanced over to my left at my companion for this mission, Carol Danvers, or as she was otherwise known, Captain Marvel. Her long, blonde hair blew in the wind, the chocolate brown of her eyes set with determination and – dare I say it – a hint of fear.

 I turned my head back to the windows, almost screaming at the sight of the other one, the malevolent figure with glowing purple eyes and a deep frown etched on his lips standing in the far-right window on the same level. All the figures wore old-fashioned attire – I’d take a guess and say the clothing resembled pieces from the 1700s; petticoats and lavish dresses on the children, a nice tailored suit with coat tails flowing to the back of his knees. Three of these figures I had previously seen were innocents, caught up in a brutal murder by the man with the glowing eyes.

 I sensed nothing but evil pouring out from him and had a feeling we were going to have a long night ahead of us.

“Cecilia? Did you hear what I said?” Carol asked.

“Yes. Yeah, there are four spirits in the mansion. At least, I hope so,” I answered, hugging my body against the chills sliding down my spine. How the hell did I get brought into this mess? I’ve only just recovered from the last outing with spirits, I thought to myself. Wincing as my hand brushed over the large cut I received while fighting off a force strong enough to inflict harm.

“Alright ghost girl. Let’s go get this done,” Carol ordered, marching up the marble porch steps to enter the mansion. Oh right. That’s how, I thought as my nickname passed her lips.

  Three Days Earlier

“Explain to me why you brought him along?” I snapped at Stephen Strange, my master, as we entered an abandoned hospital. The “him” I referred to happened to be no other than Tony Stark and he started to become a pain to deal with on this mission. Not only did he panic every time something happened – paranormal or not – but he’d make stupid comments every now and then about the building or the supernatural in general.

“I thought he could be useful,” Stephen answered me, magic shields up in case of an unexpected assault.

“At least Rogers here isn’t afraid though I’m almost positive we could’ve handled this on our own,” I remarked, gesturing to the man on my right. Both men offered to help out with this insane mission; spirits still hadn’t moved on in the hospital and it was our job to banish them from the premises.

“I am not afraid. I still don’t understand how you three don’t find this place eerie though,” Tony commented, folding his arms over his chest in a defensive, yet protective position.

“Nature is taking over the building. It’s what happens when you…Strange, move!” I explained, before shoving Stephen out of the way of knife-wielding, corporeal spirit. I took the blow to my upper arm, wincing at the sharp pain. The spirit, a woman, screamed and turned back toward us, slamming my body against the concrete wall, more pain shooting through me. She tossed me to the floor like a rag doll and I slid a few paces, dirt and rocks embedding into my skin; I groaned as my head hit a medium-sized rock.

“She’s too…strong. Be careful,” I wheezed, slowly sitting up. I touched the back of my head, my fingers coming away red with blood. If that wasn’t bad enough, my vision swam as I tried to make out the battle going on in front of me.

“Tony, watch the knife,” Steve stated, dodging a slash at his stomach.

“Try blasting it away. Cecilia, is there something you can do?” Stephen asked, trying and failing to produce a binding spell. He dodged her slashing movements and conjured a sword to fight her off.

“Your apprentice got slammed down pretty hard. I’m not sure she can help us at all. Try one of your fancy spells. Get rid of it,” Tony commented, flying into the air to avoid the spirit woman. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on building the custom spell I often used to send spirits to where they belonged. My hands flexed and moved in various patterns to bring the spell forth, power coursing through me.

My eyes flew open as I sent it out towards our assailant, a bright, golden light flooding the room as she dissipated into nothing but space. It must have released into the entire hospital because the thick air hanging in the air when we first arrived became light and easier to breath, the temperature cool all around us.

“Excellent work Cecilia. We need to get you back to the Sanctum to take care of your injuries,” Stephen said, releasing his spell for the sword, everyone breathing hard after fighting the spirit woman.

“Actually, it’d be best if we go to the compound. There are better ways to treat them at my lab,” Tony stated. Steve and Tony helped me to my feet as Strange formed a portal to the compound; they brought me straight to the lab and helped me sit on a medical bed. I pulled down the top half of my spandex suit, my sports bra revealed, so Tony could get to the wound on my arm. I winced as stitches were sewn through my skin with help from one of his fancy technological machines.

As Steve cleaned up my head wound, a woman walked into the lab with a serious look on her face. I recognized her as Carol Danvers, but I never really had the chance to talk to her outside of missions and parties; even then I had a difficult time because she always seemed nervous around me. No surprise there, since I could see ghost and other entities. She was nice to look at though; blond hair falling to just past her shoulders, dark brown eyes, which were warm and inviting if you got the chance to glance into them.

Her body, lean and muscular, made heat flow through every inch of me and I’d find my gaze traveling to her ass when she’d walk away from conversations. I could imagine her in my bed, hair fanned across the pillow, naked with my body on top of hers…

“Damn. Look at those bruises. It must have been some fight,” She greeted me, breaking me away from my fantasies.

“Yeah, the spirit happened to be a bit too strong. I guess she had been there a while to build up enough strength to cause harm,” I commented.

“A spirit did that? Is it why you’re always covered in bruises every time I see you? Because of spirits?” she remarked, gesturing to the cut and the wound on my head.

“Most of the time. Sometimes it’s because Stephen whoops my ass during training. I’m not complaining though. He’s an excellent teacher,” I answered, giving Strange a wink, which made him smile.

 “Did you need something Danvers or did you come here to strictly talk to Cecilia?” Steve interrupted our conversation, eyebrows raised uncertain to her sudden visit.

“Sorry, yeah. I have a call to check out a mansion that’s supposedly infested with ghosts. They’ve been causing a problem in the neighborhood. I wanted to see if I could borrow the sorcerer in a few days to find out what’s been going on?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t help you. I’ve got something to take of myself. It’s out of state…well more like out of this universe,” Strange told her.

“Damn, guess I’ll have to go it alone then,”

“Hang on. You could take ghost girl with you. I’m sure she’ll be okay within a day or two. She should be able to tell you if it’s ghosts or something else entirely,” Tony offered, waving his hands around me. I rolled my eyes at the nickname, something everyone started to call me when they discovered my ability.

“I don’t know. She looks really banged up. I wouldn’t want her to get hurt. Strange might kill me if I got her injured or even killed,” Carol commented.

“She’s right here. I’ll be fine. When’s the mission?” I stated, annoyed at them talking about as if I was invisible.

“Three days from now. I’ll pick you up at 6 on Friday okay?” Carol informed me, placing a hand on her hip, leaning to the side so it jutted out. I tried not to stare, instead dropping my eyes to the floor, preparing myself mentally for the task at hand.

           “All right. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to change and grab something to eat,” I slid off the bed and pulled the top half of my suit back on, exiting the room. Nothing would prepare me for the danger coming my way.

  Present Day

           At Carol’s command, we entered the mansion, defenses up in case something attacked us. You can tell if a place is haunted based on the air and the heat surrounding you. The air has a thickness to it and sometimes the heat can be unbearable, and this place had equal amounts of both. Inside the mansion, the air had become almost suffocating, the sweltering heat already making me sweat, little beads forming on both my forehead and my back.

I suspected Carol started to sweat as well, getting confirmation when I glanced her way, sweat rolling off her forehead and dripping onto her suit. We cautiously walked through the living room in front of us to the stairs, ascending them to the third floor where I had seen the spirits.

“Listen, Carol, It’s much too humid in here for only four spirits. I think we’re dealing with something much worse than I previously thought,”

“We’ll need to be extra cautious then. I…” She yelped when a group of ghosts materialized around her, pushing her back into a corner. She fell to her ass, thrashing about, not hitting anything as these weren’t corporeal. I tuned into my senses and looked at them fully using my ability, noting their innocence. If anything, they were only here to warn us about something, unable to use their voices to do so.

“Don’t hurt me! Get away!” she continued to yell until I pushed through the group, taking her hands in mine, stopping her thrashing.

“Carol, it’s Cecilia. Stop screaming. You’re okay. Carol, they’re harmless. Relax,” Her actions ceased, those brown eyes filled with fear softened when she caught my gaze. Her chest still heaved, out of breath from screaming and yelling.

“Harmless?” I nodded, helping her to stand up and brush off the dirt from her ass.

“What makes you so certain? They could be fooling us,”

“Their eyes don’t glow like malevolent ones do. Though, I haven’t seen eyes glow as bright as the one in this mansion. But, look at the spirits surrounding us. Their eyes are colorless, white because they’re deceased. They won’t harm you. I think they might be trying to warn us or stop us from going any further,” I explained, making her glance at the group of children surrounding us.

           “Oh. Well okay then. We still need to investigate. Cecilia? Cee? Hey, ghost girl, what are you looking at?” My focus removed itself from her, shimmering water catching my eye from one of the windows. I moved closer to see what was out there; a pool, which should have been filled with dirty, greenish water, except it wasn’t. Instead it had clear, blue, shimmering water inviting any passerby to jump in.

           “I’ll be right back. The water…it’s calling me,” I mentioned, walking back down the stairs and to the back door in the kitchen leading me to the magnificent pool. I vaguely heard Carol’s voice shouting at me to come back, but I ignored it desiring to get a better look at the pool and why it had clean water in it, despite no one residing in the mansion.

“That’s it my dear. Come to the water. Don’t you want to get in? It’s so warm, so gorgeous. Take off your clothes, dive in,” a male voice – the male spirit – coaxed from behind me. I shivered, the touch of his skin against mine like ice as he placed his hands on my shoulders. The sound of his voice had a spell over me, and I found myself stripping out of the spandex suit I wore on missions, my underwear and sports bra on view for the world. I walked closer to the entrance of the pool, dipping one foot in to test the temperature of it, warmth spreading over it.

I stepped in further, immersing my whole body in the pool, swimming around unaware of what the malevolent spirit really wanted; my death. I closed my eyes and floated, my worries melting away, until icy hands forced me under. My eyes popped open, trying to fight against the evil spirit; his grip too strong as he plunged my body under again and again, oxygen escaping my lungs each time. My vision blurred as I struggled to get air, unable to break away from his wrath and his strength. My world went black, the last thing I saw being the entity’s true face.

 Carol’s POV

           I watched helplessly as Cecilia walked down the steps to head towards the pool, unable to get her to come back to me. Thinking she’d be okay, I continued my ascent up to the third floor, looking around for any clue as to why these spirits would still be hear causing trouble. Multiple rooms greeted me, and I explored each one, finding a study with newspapers strewn about the floor and the desk earning my curiosity. The first one I picked up showed a picture of a family – a man and his wife, three children, a boy and two girls – with neutral expressions on their face, the headline reading ‘Drake family buys house in 1701’. The children looked familiar, bringing my memory back to the ones who appeared on the steps before Cecilia and me.

           The next one I chose to pick up had a big headline on it reading ‘Chester Drake kills entire family. Drake seems to have disappeared from the area to avoid justice’. More headlines with missing children and missing people printed on each newspaper I read, realization at who haunted this mansion setting in. As I continued reading, the last headline read ‘Drake commits suicide in mansion bought with family. Trial was meant to start next day. No justice served to any family who wanted to see him hanged’, cold air brushed my face causing me to turn around abruptly.

           What I saw behind me gave me a new fear as the children before me resembled the ones from the first headline.

           “He murdered you. All of you. Justice needed to be served and he never got it. I’m sorry,” I stated. They tilted their heads, pointing to the windows as if to show me something.

           “What are you pointing at? Can you speak?” I asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

           “Your…friend. He’s…killing…her. He lures…people to the pool. Drowns…them. Almost…like a spell…is put on them. You…need to…save her,” one of the children, the boy told me. My heart almost stopped beating as I flew to the window to look out of it, Cecilia’s body being plunged under the water multiple times until it went still, the spirit grinning as his goal to kill her came to pass. Well almost. I blasted through the glass pane and flew down to him, firing off another photon blast, hitting him square in the head; he got flung into the wooden fence, immobile for the moment.

           “Cecilia!” I shouted, jumping in the disgusting, murky water to pull her out. I suspected he had put an illusion on the water to draw her in, the illusion fading once I cast him away from the pool. I laid her out on the concrete, pushing her wet hair from her face to get access to her mouth.

           “No, no, no. Wake up Cecilia. You can’t be dead. Come on, wake up!” I said, shaking her to try and rouse her. She was too still, and I started to panic. I couldn’t lose her. Not her; she became important to me, the crush I had on her growing stronger each time I saw her pretty face. Sure, I got nervous most days and could barely hold a conversation with her, afraid I wasn’t intelligent enough for her, especially since she worked with the Sorcerer Supreme, but I still liked her.

           Coming to the realization she wasn’t going to wake on her own, I began to perform CPR on her hoping she’d come back and take care of the evil spirit.

           “Come on, Cee. Come back to me. I need you. I like you. Please come back. Please,” I stated, placing my head against her chest when she still didn’t come around. Tears pricked my eyes, rolling down my cheeks, sobs coming out of me when I thought I’d failed at saving her.

           “Cecilia…come back. You can’t be dead. If you’re dead, I won’t be able to ask you out. I’m falling in love with you. Come…back,” I cried, succumbing to my feelings about her. Abruptly, she sat up, shocking me as I scrambled off her to give her room to cough up water from her lungs. She turned to face the spirit, whom had gotten up and made his way over to us, a grin spreading over her lips. She raised one hand, brilliant golden light flashing and surrounding him. The most awful scream erupted from his mouth; I had to cover my ears to block it out until it ceased from existence.

           “Carol. It’s over. He’s gone and he won’t be coming back,” Cecilia said, crawling over to me. She collapsed into my arms, her hands flat on the grounds and she released more light illuminating the entire mansion. I glanced up and saw all the spirits that resided there, vanishing one by one, smiles on their faces as they found the peace they deserved.

           “You love me?” Cecilia asked, my eyeline descending to meet hers.

           “No. Yes. I think so. Would you want to go on a date with me?” I asked, heat spreading on my face despite the cold water soaking my skin.

           “I’d love to,” She answered. I leaned down and kissed her lips and helped her up to return to the Sanctum. We explained what happened to Strange – he was furious at her almost dying, but grateful I saved her – and set our date within the next week, beginning a wonderful life together, something which would last an eternity.

[marvelsquicksilver]

Moving On

Pairing: Steve x Reader

Prompt: ‘it hurt me to realise you didn’t love me anymore, but it hurt even more when I saw you fall in love with her.’

Word Count: 3547

A/N: God I don’t know how this ended up so long, but I hope you enjoy it regardless. It’s been so long since I’ve written anything, but here goes nothing. Pleaaaaseeee if you have any comments let me know, hope you all have a lovely day :)

 “Are you sure you want another one of those?”

I squinted my eyes, “you want my money don’t you?” My speech was slightly slurred—even I was taken back. I never got to the point where my speech slurred.

“(Y/N)—“ Dan sighed heavily before swiping my glass from the bar, “you’re not having anymore, I’m cutting you off.” He placed the tumbler into a large plastic tub by the kegs and brought me a glass of water. “And you know I don’t want your money anymore, I haven’t wanted your money for years.” It was true, most nights I didn’t pay for my alcohol—but most nights I wasn’t getting blind drunk to mask my overwhelming sadness.

I gulped down the water, slamming the glass onto the wooden counter as soon as I was done. “I’m so pathetic Dan, look at me.” I could feel my eyes well up, “I don’t even know who I am anymore.” the lump in my throat began to rise as I tried to fight back the tears. “He’s getting married tomorrow and I’m here! I’m here getting drunk and the saddest part is for a year and a half—a fucking year and a half I’ve told myself, told everybody! I’ve told anyone who I could that I was fine—But I’m not, I’m not fine, I haven’t been fine since he left me.” I was flailing my arms; the guy beside me was blatantly staring.

“Aren’t you one of those superheroes?” He asked, a hint of disgust in his tone.

“Fuck off.” I flipped him the finger and turned back to Dan.

“Sorry buddy.” He rushed to apologise to the patron, “why don’t I get you another beer?”

“Forget it,” the man declined the offer, instead he got up and grabbed his duffle coat from his chair. “You’re right,” he said looking me in the eye, “you are pathetic.”

I felt the blood rush to my head, the glass beside me shattering without warning. “(Y/N)!” Dan screamed, before grabbing my hand, “control yourself!” I suddenly jolted back to reality.

“And these are the people we trust with our lives?” The man scoffed before scurrying out the door.

“Fucking prick!” I called after him, knowing it would fall on deaf ears.

“Jesus Christ (Y/N) you can’t just pull shit like that!” Dan slammed another glass of water down in front of me. “You know I love you, but I’m going to have to call someone to come get you, you need some rest.”

“I was dead!” I cried out, “I was dead for 9 months, is that enough time to grieve?” whatever I was saying, Dan wasn’t interested—he was far too busy on the phone trying to deal with the mess that I was. “9 months.” I whispered the words to myself again and again.

“Someone’s coming to get you.” Dan returned to me, “are you done with this?” he gestured to the water.

I nodded solemnly, “please don’t tell me you called Tony, he’ll be really mad with me.”

“I didn’t call Tony.” Dan mumbled as he wiped down a glass, “God knows I don’t wanna deal with that asshole again.”

“Why don’t you come back to the team Danny?” I grabbed his hand, “I miss you, I need you back.”

“It’s been five years (Y/N), I’m not coming back.” He whipped his hand away. “I can’t live like that anymore—it fucks me up, my head, you know?” I could see the pain in his eyes; the job had been tearing him down.

“I never was and never will be cut out to be a superhero.”

The sound of the bell above the bar door interrupted me before I could say anything, I didn’t bother to look at who it was—I already knew they were there to collect me, not that I needed collecting.

“(Y/N)” a familiar voice spoke as they placed a hand to my shoulder, “let’s get you home.”

My body went rigid as I stared at Dan in contempt, “how could you?” I muttered. I didn’t even have to look to see whose hand was on my shoulder, I already knew and I’d never felt so betrayed in my life.

“He’s the only one who’ll take care of you properly.” Dan couldn’t meet my eyes; he knew just how badly he’d hurt me. “The only one you ever listen to.”

“Don’t fucking touch me Rogers!” I shook Steve off of me.

“What’s gotten into you?!” He was confused; he had no idea how I felt. I’d pretended to be fine with his new situation—buddy, buddy, like he hadn’t chewed my heart up and spat it out.

 “Nothing!” the rage that had been building up inside me was returning and it was coming back stronger. I could feel my scalp heat up as the hair on my head turned purple.

 “Jesus Christ!” Steve pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me. “Stop,” he whispered to me, “stop please.”

All I could think about as he held onto me was, “why is this happening?” Why was he there? Why was he taking care of me when only a year ago he’d tossed me aside like I was no one? “Let go of me Steve.” I pushed him away, the anger refused to subside.

“How much did you give her to drink?!” He directed his frustration towards Dan.

“Don’t blame me Rogers, she’s here because of you!”

Steve opened his mouth to say something but was taken back by the comment, “what?”

Dan rolled his eyes, “you heard me.”

“(Y/N)—“ he grabbed ahold of my hands and looked me in the eyes, “listen to me—I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m gonna get you home and make you a cup of tea, two sugars, no milk—just the way you like it, okay?”

My heart rate began to slow as he recited the way I liked my tea back to me—he still remembered. “You still know.”

“How could I forget?” He quirked an eyebrow.

“I thought—I thought you wouldn’t remember anything anymore, because you stopped loving me.” I was blabbering, but that was a sign I was calming down. My blood stream was going from turbulent to a steady pump and my scalp was cooling—I imagined the purple was slowly fading back to brown.

Steve stared at me for a second, “let’s go home.” He ignored my comment; instead he steadied me on my feet���shaking off his coat, so that he could wrap it around me.

“You’re gonna be cold.” I mumbled, forgetting that he barely felt the seasons.

“I’ll be fine,” he pulled me into his side and walked me towards the door. He didn’t bother to say anything to Dan, but I couldn’t help myself—I had to turn back to look at him, an apologetic look etched on my face. I knew deep down he was just trying to help.

 --

 True to his word Steve managed to get me back home in one piece and even stayed to make me tea. I couldn’t help but stare at him as he stood waiting for it to brew. My heart felt like a weight in my chest—a weight heavier than a boulder. Just staring at him made my eyes well up—it was ridiculous, I was an international superpower, there were countries hunting me and nothing scared me more than my love for him. It was so strong and I couldn’t seem to get rid of it, no matter how hard I tried to escape it.

I pulled the blanket he’d draped around me tightly, my knees pressed to my chest as I sat waiting for him to say something.

“What’s wrong with you (Y/N)?” he asked as he placed my mug down in front of me—his eyes fixated on mine. He was searching them for answers, but I wasn’t sure I could tell him. It hurt me to even think about it, how was I supposed to say it out loud and to him of all people.

“You’re getting married tomorrow and not to me.” I averted my eyes to the floor as soon as the words left my mouth. “You expect me to sit there and be happy for you, but how can I? How can I when that was meant to be you and I?”

“(Y/N)—“ he sighed heavily, “I—you were dead, I thought you weren’t coming back. Last time I waited for someone, I waited too long and that ruined me. I thought if I waited again it’d kill me—It’s not easy you know.” There was clear pain on his face “I loved you, I loved you so much and when you came back I didn’t know how to feel—But she, she was there for me when you were gone, she gave me a second chance.” It had always been hard for Steve to love I knew that. Everyone he’d loved either moved on or died—time had not waited for him and fate had not been easy on him.

“I was only gone 9 months Steve.” I couldn’t stop the single tear from rolling down my cheek. “You know it hurt when I realised you didn’t love me anymore, but it hurt ten times more when I saw you fall in love with her.” Being stuck with Stephen Strange meant death wasn’t really death; the whole time he was bringing me back I was able to see everything that was happening back on earth—I was a ghost.

“I still love you, I really do. You were my best friend and god it was hard for me when you died—I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, typical withdrawal you know? I was so damn depressed.”

Hearing him say he still loved me almost killed me inside, but hearing him say he’d been depressed brought me physical pain. I still remembered seeing him struggle and feeling helpless—feeling like it was my entire fault.

“Then why won’t you come back to me?” I couldn’t help myself, the tears started to flow freely and I hated myself for it. I had always tried my best to look strong in front of him and now I was breaking down the perfect façade I’d built.

“It’s not that simple (Y/N),” he reached out to hold my hand. “I thought I—how could I break someone else’s heart like that?”

He was right, but I couldn’t care less. She stole him from me, so why did I deserve the pain and not her? I knew I sounded selfish, but I didn’t care—I deserved to be happy too. “You need to leave Captain.” I set down the cup of tea; “I can’t deal with this anymore. You’ve heard my peace; you know I’m still in love with you. If you still want to marry her, then go ahead—but if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

He got up from his seat and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Why did you wait a year and a half to tell me the truth?”

“Because I care about your happiness more than mine.” I always had and I knew it would never change.

“I would’ve left her, if you had just said something earlier.”

“I just need you to leave right now, I already tried to drink myself to death. God knows what’ll happen if you stay any longer.” Crying in front of him made me feel so small, so weak—he’d never seen me cry before, he’d always been the emotional half of our whole, so having him watch me cry made me angry.

“I’m sorry,” he kneeled down in front of me and wiped away my tears. “I really am.”

“Please go,” I sputtered, “please.”

He nodded, “I won’t see you tomorrow will I?”

I laughed through my tears; he really had the audacity to ask.

“Yeah,” he sighed at my reaction, “that’s what I thought.”

 --

 “That doesn’t look like a lovely formal dress to me.” Tony remarked as I shoved a spoonful of cereal into my mouth. He was referring to my bright purple pyjamas.

“Considering I’m not going anywhere today I thought these would be the perfect attire.” I continued to shovel down my cereal—all that drinking had left me with the most unfathomable craving for frosty flakes.

“I’m fairly certain we have a wedding to attend today, or Pepper just shoved this suit on me for no reason.” He tried to shove a spoon into my cereal, but I swatted his hand away. 

Get your own,” I sputtered, my mouth still full 

“Well, I can’t—“ he gestured to the empty box, “you’ve eaten them all.”

I shrugged, “too bad.”

“So wait,” he spoke as he rifled through the cupboards. “You really aren’t coming today?”

“No.” I said monotonously before gulping down some orange juice. “How can I watch the man I love marry someone else?”

He stopped searching for food and slowly turned to look at me. “You still—?”

“Wow I must be really good at masking my feelings.”

“I—wow, just—wow. Count me as not fucking surprised.” He slammed a box of fruit loops down on the counter. “You know for elite crime fighters we really do have an unnecessary amount of sugary treats around.”

“Wait what?” I almost spat out my last beloved mouthful of frosted flakes.

“Well, you’d think that because we were always on the move we’d eat healthier—you know? Have a balanced diet!”

“Tony!” I knew he knew what I was questioning; he was just choosing to avoid it. “I was not talking about the sugary treats.”

“Ah yes, well Rogers is an idiot for not realising that you still love him.” He sat down in front of me, “and marrying her of all people? I’m pretty sure he’s shot her twice, no idea why he’d want to marry her after that.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You know I still remember the day—“ I was cut off by the sound of Pepper shouting for Tony.

“Oh no, she’s going to find me.” He says it like he’s worried, but sits calmly in his place—looking quite unnerved.

“Oh thank god there you are—(Y/N), why aren’t you dressed?” She asks as soon as she sees me. 

“I’m not coming,” I gulp down more juice and trace shapes into the skin of my leg.

“Oh,” her face falls, “understandable.”

“See,” Tony speaks up from his fruit loops, “even Pepper can tell.”

“Well it’s not hard to see.” She marches up to the table and slides the bowl away from Tony “we’re going to be late, hurry up.”

He lets out a heavy sigh but gets up anyway, “see you later kiddo.” His tone is different, somewhat apologetic.

“See you.” I say quietly, before grabbing his bowl—not wanting to let the sugary goodness go to waste.

 --

 I was watching the time—I knew the wedding would be over, but I couldn’t bring myself to head back home. I’d made my way over to the park just below the tower—it was the worst decision I’d made all day. Everything there reminded me of Steve. It was the most convenient place for us to go on picnics, or to just relax—he even had a favourite tree. The feeling of being surrounded by all those memories made me sick, but I knew I couldn’t go back home. Knowing that everyone would be there celebrating his new life with someone else was the most horrible feeling in the world. Memories of our past seemed better than having to deal with that.

My phone buzzed from inside my pocket, a message from Wanda illuminating my phone 

‘Where are you? Come back quickly, something’s happened.’

It was a very vague message, but something inside me told me that I needed to suck it up and head back home. I didn’t bother to respond, it would only take me a few minutes to get back to the tower anyway.

As I got up I noticed someone jogging towards me—someone in a suit. Assuming it was someone from home, I picked up the pace. Surely if someone had left the reception then the situation at headquarters was bad.

When I notice exactly who was running towards me I almost threw up. “Steve?” I questioned, my voice shaky.

“(Y/N)—“ he stopped in front of me, barely out of breath. “I didn’t do it.”

I felt my heart pound in my chest like it was trying to escape. “You didn’t do what?” I held my hand out to cradle his face, before averting my eyes to his left hand in search for a ring.

“I didn’t marry her—the whole time, all I was thinking about was you—thinking about how I call your name in my sleep when I have a nightmare, or how I can remember every small detail of your body and end up looking for them on her, thinking about all your small quirks and how I loved every single one of them. The whole time, for the past two years, I’ve been trying to find you in her—and for a second there I had myself convinced, because I thought you didn’t love me—But I know now, I know it’s you.”

“Steve—“

“No—“ he raised a hand to silence me, “don’t try and tell me otherwise.”

“I’m sorry I lied to you,” I squeaked out the words as the lump in my throat began to rise. “I’m so sorry, I just didn’t want to look vulnerable, but I am—I am vulnerable and I need you.”

He pulled me towards his chest and wrapped his arms firmly around me. “You don’t need me (Y/N), you love me and I love you—but don’t ever say you need me, because I know you. I know how strong you are, and no woman as strong as you could ever depend on a man and nor should she have to.”

I wriggled myself out of his grasp and stared at him in awe, “this is why I love you so much.” I was crying again, but this time I wasn’t angry with myself. Because, for once showing emotion got me what I wanted. “You’ve always known the right things to say.”

“Somehow it’s all natural with you,” he grinned before looping his fingers through mine.

“Don’t get cheesy with me Rogers,” I moved towards him so that our faces were only millimetres apart.

“Is this the point where we dramatically reconcile with a kiss.” He raised an eyebrow, a cheeky smirk spread across his face.

“It won’t be if you keep talking.” I whispered, before his free hand made its way to the back of my neck, pulling me towards him—before I knew it our lips were slowly moving against each other. I knew he was smiling even though my eyes were clamped shut—Steve untangled his hand from mine and used it to grab my waist and pull me closer. I hadn’t felt happiness for a year and a half and yet in the space of five minutes I couldn’t think one unhappy thought—everything felt right again. My whole body was buzzing, from my toes to the hair on my head—he was like a drug, my body responded to him automatically—like he’d said before, it was all natural with us.

He pulled himself away from my lips and kissed my neck, a small shiver ran up my spine as his soft breaths hit the sensitive skin. “God—“ he whispered, making me twitch “I’ve missed you, I’ve missed you so much.”

“Stop,” I sneered, “or you’ll make me cry again.” I wasn’t lying, if he kept going the way he was going I was bound to end up a puddle.

“I can’t help it,” he pulled away. “It should feel strange to be with you again, I should feel bad, but I don’t I mean—“

“It’s okay to feel bad,” I knew deep down he had an ounce of regret.

“I know it is, but she understood. I think she saw it coming—I think everyone saw it coming.”

“How are we going to go back in there?” I bit my lip as I looked up at the tower, “they’re going to be angry.”

“I don’t think so,” he shook his head. “Sure it might be uncomfortable for a few days, but I’m certain 95 per cent of that room didn’t want me to marry the wrong person today.”

“Are you sure?”

“Definitely, I mean Natasha and Tony practically ambushed me before the ceremony and asked me if I was sure I wanted to do it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I imagined the two of them just sitting on Steve’s bed, waiting to have an intervention. “Well then Rogers I think we should take this public display of affection and turn it into a private one.”

He re-looped his hand with mine and shot me the biggest grin I’d ever seen. “I think you’re right.”

[newagesispage]

                                                              FEBRUARY          2020

PAGE  RIB

 *****

Just as we said good bye to 2019, 75 of The Rolling Stones outtakes and such were released for a minute on You tube.  The thinking seems to be that the tracks which could be found under 69RSTRAX were ‘released’ before public domain sets in.

*****

Check out Somebody up there likes me, a doc about the life of Ronnie Wood.

*****

Bill Wyman has a new book out set for release on Feb, 29 called Stones: From the Inside

*****

The film, The Burnt Orange Heresy looks great and will open on March 6.

*****

Steve Martin has been talking about next year’s Hulu series he did with Martin Short, Only murders in the building. I thought it was a bit but apparently it is real and I can’t wait!!

*****

I loved Samantha Bee’s take on ghost sex: Spook softly and carry a big dick. Too funny!

*****

Bill Maher just bought a new place in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island for a mil. The area boasts hardly any cars as most people get around on foot or by golf cart.

*****

Stephen Colbert’s executive producer Tom Purcell came up with the idea years ago for a home makeover show that does a re-do on murder houses. Someone else came along and thought it again because now we have Murder House Flip.

*****

Abby Huntsman has left the View.

*****

The Oscar noms are out with Joker leading the pack. There is Leo and Joaquin for actor and Hanks, Hopkins, Pacino, Pesci and Pitt for supporting. That is the TOUGH category. For actress there is Cynthia Erivo and Renee Z. Kathy Bates is up for supporting. Johansson is up for 2. For films, they love Ford V Ferrari, The Irishman, Jo Jo Rabbit, Marriage Story, Joker, Little Women, 1017, Parasite and Once upon a time in Hollywood.

*****

Dave Chappelle, Marianne Williamson and Donald Glover are helping to raise $ for Andrew Yang.

*****

The last season of Criminal Minds is officially underway and I was so fucking glad that Dorian Harewood was there for the final shows. Woo Hoo!!

*****

Neil Young and John Oliver are now American citizens

*****

Interrogation is a new tv series that looks promising.

*****

Wes Anderson’s new film, French Dispatch that he wrote with Hugo Guinness, Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola will be out on July 24. The production features Benecio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and Bill Murray.

*****

The Russell Simmons doc about his incidents with women has lost its executive producer, Oprah.

*****

John Stewart has written and directed a new film, Irresistible starring Steve Carell and Chris Cooper.

*****

I am so sick of the multiple pens it takes to sign the documents when they sign something into law etc. You are wasting our money signing a letter at a time, politicians just so U can give some crap as a keepsake. Let’s have a real signature! I don’t think the average person would be allowed to sign official papers that way.

*****

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has decided on their new inductees: Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, T Rex, Whitney Houston, Notorious B.I.G., Nine inch nails and the Ahmet Ertegun award will go to manager Irving Azoff along with journalist and manager Jon Landau.

*****

Julian Castro is out, Marianne Williamson is out, Cory Booker is out.** Sanders got the endorsement of Nevada’s largest teacher’s union and the black caucus.** Bloomberg says he will use his $ for whoever is the democratic candidate. He is also running an anti-gun ad during the Super Bowl.

*****

I wish Rep. Doug Collins would stop talking.

*****

Ken Jennings was the big Jeopardy winner in the showdown.

*****

Diego the tortoise has had so much sex that he saved his species. There were only a few of them left and now there are about 2,000.

*****

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be here July 24.

*****

Warren and Bernie got into it after the January debate. They sort of called each other liars.

*****

Hillary Clinton is the first female chancellor of Queens University.** The Justice department inquiry into Hillary has finally ended. They found nothing.

*****

The Golden Globes had some very deserving winners like Succession, Brian Cox, Laura Dern, Olivia Coleman, Patricia Arquette and Joaquin Phoenix. Tarantino was honored for his writing. I think the best dressed were numerous this year. There was hardly a wrong choice except for J Lo, Thomasin Mckenzie, Ryan Seacrest and Beyonce. I loved Joey King, Michelle Pfeifer, Kaitlin Deaver, Rose Leslie, Cate Blanchett, Ellen and Portia, Phoebe Waller- Bridge, Cynthia Erivo, Eddie Murphy and Paige Butcher, Brad and Leo, Zoe Kravitz, Helen Mirren, Annabelle Wallis, Lisa Lu, Bill Hader, Kerry Washington, Lisa Bonet, Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson, Patricia Arquette and Nicole Ansari-Cox.

*****

The SAG award also had some very well dressed which included Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Williams, Lupita Nyongo, Zoey Kravitz, Millie Bobbie Brown the Schitts Creek cast and Patricia Arquette. Christina Applegate was a bit too old school but she rocked it. The people on the SAG carpet were very chatty.  Parasite was named best cast. Other winners included Zellweger, Joaquin, Sam Rockwell, The Crown, Laura Dern and Dinklage. I have not seen The Morning Show but I was a bit shocked to see Jennifer Aniston win over Jody Comer, Helena Bonham Carter, Olivia Coleman or Elizabeth Moss. This was an award from her fellow actors so I suppose they wanted to send her some love. Her ex Brad Pitt won as well and went on and on about himself.

*****

The Grammys were pretty somber with a lot of ballads and the sadness of the death of Kobe Bryant that day. Aerosmith refused to let drummer Joey Kramer play with them and many found the performance a mess. A wonderful moment was Tanya Tucker and Brandi Carlile with their song that went on to win best country song. Tanya Tucker won best country album. Other winners included Billir Eilish, Lizzo, Elvis Costello and the imposters, Gary Clark Jr., Nipsey Hussle and John Legend, Willie Nelson, Michelle Obama and Dave Chappelle. I had no love for the fashion of Ariana Grande or Rosalia. My best dressed were Lizzo, Camila Cabello, Elle Mai, Jameela Jamill, Billy Porter, Bebe Rexha and Alessandria Ambrosia.

*****

Roman Polanski’s An Officer and a spy captured the most noms at France’s Cesar awards.

*****

What IS Iran’s cyber capability? Give us details when it comes to Trump’s act of aggression against Iran. Wasn’t he supposed to get us out of the Middle East?** Our own government has concluded that withholding aid to Ukraine was illegal even though half the Senate does not seem to care.

*****

Dori Miller is the first person who was not a President to have an aircraft carrier named after him. The African American hero was at first not recognized for his bravery but FDR changed that. Construction will be completed in about 8 years.

*****

Gustav Klempt’s missing Portrait of a Lady was found in a hole in the wall of a house. It had not been seen since 1997.

*****

Kathy Griffin got married on New Year’s Eve to her long time love, Randy Bick with Lily Tomlin officiating.

*****

Venture capitalist Imaad Zuberi pled guilty to obstruction of justice for impeding a Federal investigation into the inaugural fraud.

*****

Eric Swalwell has said that everybody will want the Trump trial in the future wherein the person on trial gets to make the rules. It will be a thing. Who needs witnesses?

*****

So there is a story that many Puerto Rican’s have had to move to the continental U.S. (mostly Fla.) because of the lack of help they have received from the current administration. Now, they can only vote in primaries in Puerto Rico but when they settle in other places they can actually VOTE for President. Lesson: Help Others!

*****

A Federal court just affirmed an injunction preventing the Trump administration from discharging air force members living with HIV. It is hard to keep up on all the despicable things this administration is doing.** Scary Clown 45 thinks he is responsible for low cancer rates. They have been steadily going down anyway. He wants a 4.9 bil cut in medical research, 897 mil cut in National cancer institute and a 763 mil cut for the CDC. Luckily it didn’t happen.

*****

Apparently before the impeachment trial began, Trump’s legal team gave thousands of dollars in contributions to Moscow Mitch, Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz. What a sad time for this country. KEEP INVESTIGATING ANYWAY.

*****

A new immigrant prison just opened in Baldwin, Michigan, run by GEO, a for profit prison company.

*****

The wall is costing about 20 mil a mile and the 100 miles or so completed have mostly been repairs to existing structure. When G W Bush was in office the cost was about 4 mil a mile.** About 30 feet of the wall feel into Mexico due to high winds.

*****

Season 7 of Grace and Frankie will be the last.

*****

The White House streamed a sermon from the Holy City Church of God in Christ in Memphis. The event that VP Pence attended for the MLK holiday was led by a pastor who claimed that our gay friends were possessed by demons.

*****

Days alert: Loved Kristen’s call back to Rosemary’s baby again when talking about little Andy or Jenny. I can’t believe that in those same flashbacks we learned what a horrible Mother’s Day they had.  How could so much go wrong in 1 day? ** Hooray, More Tony and Anna!! ** The heartbreak of John and Marlena and the evil of the brainwashed really harkens back to the heyday of Days.** I wish that the baby mix up story would bring Tate and Theresa back to town! It is time for she and Brady to get back together!

*****

Rudy has started a podcast.

*****

I am often not a fan of tradition (royal, religious or otherwise) but I admit it gave me great comfort to see the articles of impeachment walked carefully to the Senate chamber. We still have a little bit of order amidst all the chaos of the Trump era.

*****

The Astros are cheaters.

*****

The super bowl will be upon us on Feb.2 with Kansas City V San Francisco.

*****

6139 military vets committed suicide in 2019. R.I.P.

*****

R.I.P. victims of the Australian fires, Chris Tolkein, Neil Peart, David Olney , Terry Jones, Mr. Peanut , Jim Lehrer , victims of the Calabasas helicopter crash and Buck Henry.

[randomrichards]

MOVIES (THAT MIGHT BE) WORTH CHECKING OUT IN JANUARY 2020:

January 3:

THE GRUDGE

We begin with an attempted reboot of the hit horror flick based on another hit horror film.

Based on the Japanese import Ju-On, the film centres around a curse born from a fit of anger that attacks anyone who dares to enter a house. The pale boy ghost and the contorted woman became instantly iconic, especially when they made that crackling sound. Of course, people in North America are more likely to recognize its remake The Grudge. While not on the same level as its predecessor, the American was still a hit. It has become so iconic that there was a crossover movie where it faces off against the ghost from Ringu.

This time, the target is Peter Spencer (John Cho), a real estate agent who intended to sell a house not realizing it contained the title curse. Believing a homicide occurred, Spencer calls on Detective Muldoon (Andrea Risborough) to investigate. But they fail to realize the curse inside dooms all who enter it with a violent and it’s coming for them.

Here’s another of a long list of Horror remakes Hollywood has been peddling in the last decade. For every good one (It, Child’s Play), there are three times as many failures (the recent ones being Pet Semetary and Black Christmas). I’m not having much hope for this one. It can still be good, but it needs a director with as creative a vision as Takashi Shimizu’s.

THREE CHRISTS

Based on The Three Christs of Ypsilanti by Milton Rokeach, Three Christs tells the real-life experiment involving three men who claim to be a certain savior.

In Michigan’s Ypsilanti State Hospital in 1959, Dr. Alan Stone (Richard Gere) conducts a revolutionary experiment where he brings together three men (Peter Dinklage, Walton Goggins and Bradley Whitford) who each claim to be Jesus Christ. He hopes to use this experiment to force them to confront their delusions. It would certainly be preferable to electroshock therapy.

A real-life story like this comes with a lot of potential. But with the director of Fried Green Tomatoes helming this project, it looks like this will be a typical biopic. This is a shame with 4 great actors working together.

January 10:

1917

Sam Mendes, the director of American Beauty and Skyfall, takes us back to World War One and hopes to enter the Oscar Race with his latest war movie 1917.

Generla Erinmore (Colin Firth) tasks young British soldiers Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) with a difficult mission. 1,600 of their fellow soldiers are heading into a fatal trap and the two soldiers must deliver a message calling off the raid before tomorrow morning. And one of them is Blake’s brother. Racing against time, Blake and Schofield are forced to rush through enemy territory to deliver the message on time. Benedict Cumberbatch also

The film is already garnering high praise for its gripping suspense and graceful camera. It’s already garnering nominations at the Golden Globe Awards for Best Dramatic Motion Picture, Best Director and Best Original Score. It’s especially getting praise is how it makes the film look like one long camera shot following the two leads through their mission.

CHHAPAAK

All the way from India is a film inspired by real life acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.

This film looks at Malti (Deepika Padukone), a woman horribly scared after an acid attack. The film follows her through her physical treatment and eventual trial. It looks like the core of the film will be her journey of emotional healing, regaining her self-worth with the help of loved ones.

Unless you know films that show Bollywood movies, I suspect this film will be hard to find for many people. Kind of a shame

JUST MERCY

Writer/Director Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) brings ups the real-life story of a lawyer who battled systemic racism to free an innocent man.

Harvard graduate Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) heads to 1980s Alabama to assist advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson) to defend those wrongfully convicted. His first and most important case is Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who was sentenced to death for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl despite evidence proving his innocence including a group of people who could vouch for him.

As Stevenson works prove McMillian’s innocence and those of other death row inmates, he faces up against an uncaring political maneuvers and systemic racism.  But neither he nor Ansley will let this stop them.

Audiences love and underdog story and this one is sure to satisfy, especially with Jordan, Larson and Foxx starring in the film. It’s also sure to offer some catharsis for those frustrated with current systemic racism. But this could by a typical biopic forgotten by the end of the year.

January 17:

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE

I’m going to be brief because I don’t think we’re going to get anything special from this movie. This film is pretty much a checkmark of every plot element you see in every Buddy Cop movie. Cop considering retiring. Check. One last job? Check. Training arrogant young upstarts? Check. A forever disapproving superior throwing a tantrum of our heroes. Check. It doesn’t matter how flashy the trailer is, a cliché is a cliché.

But then again, the original two film were also piling of buddy cop clichés. The only thing they had going for them was Will Smith’s charisma and Martin Lawrence’s over the top delivery. Only the second movie was memorable thanks to some well shot, over the top action scenes. But I highly doubt this one will be memorable when Michael Bay has backed out of the film.

We don’t really need another Bad Boys movie, especially when we have the Fast and Furious series and the John Wick movies.

DOLITTLE

The famous physician who can talk to animals returns in a new reboot. This time the Doc is played by Robert Downey Jr, fresh from retiring his iconic role of Tony Stark after 10 years. It also looks like it will be going back to its roots as a fantasy story set in the Victorian era. There’s not much plot summary to go on, but judging by the trailer, it will have him setting sail on an adventure alongside his animal friends. At the core of the film seems to be his friendship with two kills. Also, among the cast are Jessie Buckley as Queen Victoria and Antonio Banderas as a pirate.

There is an all-star cast voicing the animals, including Tom Holland, Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes and Rami Malek just to name a few.

This film seems to rest its shoulders on Robert Downey Jr, hoping his charm will do for Dr. Doolittle what he did for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But the film lives and dies on writer/director Stephen Gaghan, who is an unusual choice for a family fantasy considering that his resume consists of gritty war movies like Syriana, Traffic and Rules Engagement and crime drama tv shows like The Practice and NYPD Blue. He’s even written for the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts. It’s strange that someone with this resume would be chosen to reboot this franchise. It’s especially risky considering the original attempts to adapt Hugh Lofting books for the big screen. But if Martin Scorsese can make Hugo, there’s a chance Gaghan can make Dolittle work

The first one was a musical that tried to bank on the Sound of Music’s success but was an epic flop. It didn’t help that lead actor Rex Harrison was a notoriously difficult drunk who couldn’t sing. In fact, his behind the scenes shenanigans were way more interesting than the actual movie as proved by Mark Harris’ non-fiction book Pictures at a Revolution. Decades later, 20th Century Fox reboots the franchise was a hit thanks to Eddie Murphy as the title character and a variety of comedic voice actors (especially Albert Brooks, Chris Rock and Norm McDonald) voices the animals. No matter the quality, there’s a weight of nostalgia for both movies with many people growing up with these movies. This film will face the challenge of pushing past the nostalgia.

WEATHERING WITH YOU

From beloved anime writer/director Makoto Shinkai comes another romantic fantasy about two teens.

Teenage boy Hodoka (voiced by Kotaro Daigo) runs away from his isolated island home for Tokyo. Homeless and desperate, Hodoka takes a job as an assistant for journalist Keisuke Suga (Sun Oguri). His job involves finding “The Sunshine Girl”, a local teen girl who can control the weather. He soon finds her in Hina Amano (Nana Mori), a cheerful teen girl living with her brother. He is in awe with her power when she freezes the rain and love soon sparks. But messing with nature comes with a price and soon Hodoka and Hina are fighting to stay together.

Of all the movies on this list, this is the one I’m most excited to see. Once I saw his recent his Your Name, I was in pure awe. Never has a sunset looked more beautiful than in Shinkai’s anime. Every environment in Shinkai’s films enchant you with their vibrant colours and stunning details. Just as beautiful are his fantastical stories of young people growing up. At the core of each story is teens in love kept apart by unusual circumstances, whether it’s distance or time or even being in each other ‘s bodies.

This film’s already a major hit in Japan, which is very encouraging for anime fans.

January 24:

COLOR OUT OF SPACE

And now for something a little weird.

Nathan Gardner (Nicholas Cage) has moved his family to a remote farm to escape city life and live a life of peace and quiet. Then God was like “LOL No!” and sends an asteroid down their way. Then weird shit starts happening, most with colours mutating everything.

With a crew like this, you know you’re getting into some crazy shit. First, the film is based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, the inventor of cosmic horror and the man who gave us Cthulhu. Then there’s co-writer/director Richard Stanley, known for his odd genre flicks including Hardware and Dust Devil.[i] And then there’s Nicholas Cage, whose as well known for his scenery chewing Kabuki acting as his acclaimed Oscar-nominated roles. Last year, writer/director Panos Cosmatos found perfect use of Cage’s Kabuki acting in the ultra-stylized revenge masterpiece Mandy. Let’s be honest, the only types of films Cage’s Kabuki acting can work are either stylized, unintentionally hilarious or tongue-in-cheek. With the producers of Mandy working on this film, there’s high hopes it will be deliver on the stylized goods.

THE GENTLEMEN

After remaking Aladdin (and making lots of money in the process), director/writer Guy Ritchie returns to his roots with his latest English crime comedy The Gentlemen.

From what I can gather, the films about an American Pot Dealer (Matthew McConaughey) who plans to sell off his Empire in London when a young gang led by Dry Eye (Henry Golding) starts a drug war. There’s not much plot to go on, but with a Guy Ritchie movie, the plot will be way too complicated to explain. What is guaranteed is that there will be lots of oddball gangsters with weird names, hilarious and gruesome deaths and shit blowing up.

The film features an all-star cast including Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant continuing his streak of getting his groove back by playing against type.

So far, Ritchie hasn’t made a film that’s reached the same level as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch. For the most part, he has been unsuccessful stepping out of his comfort zone. Here’s hoping The Gentleman will bring his back on his A Game.

THE TURNING

This day concludes with a modern take of Henry James’ classic novella The Turn of the Screw.

Kate (Mackenzie Davis) is hired as a governess for care for her boss’s orphaned niece Flora (Brooklyn Prince) and nephew Miles (Finn Wolfhard). But as she cares for them in a secluded mansion, she comes to realize they are being haunted by hostile spirits. Can she protect them for what lies in the mansion?

The film has been remade multiple times, with the most acclaimed one being the 1961 classic The Innocents. This once changes it up by setting it in current times, with a notable scene of Miles creeping Kate out with drums. The film also gives some Conjuring vibes, especially with its cinematography. But it should be noted that similarity doesn’t equal copying and there could be some unique elements in this film.

There certainly is a good chance with director Floria Sigismondi will offer a unique vision. She has already directed episodes of stylized shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, Daredevil and American Gods, but she’s already well known for her stylized directing from her work in music videos. Since Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People”, dilating, jittery camera work has become her trademark, working alongside artists including David Bowie, Bjork, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake (just to name a few).

January 27:

BEANPOLE

Here’s the film Russia hopes will be nominated for Best Foreign Language film.

Set in Leningrad in 1945, Beanpole centres on Masha (Vasilisa Perelygina) and Iya (Viktoria Miroshnichenko) struggling to trying to rebuild their lives in the ruins of a city demolished by war. At the core of film is the infertile Masha hiring Iya as a surrogate mother.

There’s not much go on, but with the film winning Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, there’s good prospects for this film. It seems to be a character drama like Roma. Here’s hoping this film’s as quietly engaging as Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece.

January 31

THE TRAITOR

We conclude this with an Italian biopic about Tommaso Buscetta, the first Mafia Informant in 1980’s Sicily.

Tommaso (Pierfrancesco Favino) was a member of the Cosa Nostra. Then in 1983, half of his family is killed in a gang war. Now he intends to make them pay using the arm of the law. He knows the mob will do whatever it takes to stop him, but he’s more determined than ever. But as the trials continue, Tommaso will show the rabbit hole goes deeper than the law expected with political figures in the mafia’s pockets.

This is another film that may fall by the wayside, which is a shame because this film seems like a great biopic. It could certainly give overdue attention for director/co-writer Marco Bellocchio, who has remained a criminally overlooked director despite making acclaimed movies since the 1960s.

[i] And being fired from the Brando version of Island of Dr. Monroe.