#my Valkyrie insanity slipped through. just a little.

[eccentricmoonlight]

your opinions don't have to be interesting they just have to make your friends mad. there's a running gag in my friend group where whenever i talk about my favorite and least favorite songs they're immediately at my neck. I hate tsubasa moratorium and because of that they hate me you know how it is

I love that sodbdofnwofne unfortunately none of my friends (that I talk to regularly) like Enstars. In fact most of them vocally hate it. The only people I know who like Enstars are my tumblr mutuals lmao.

(Just for u. Here’s my silly little list)

[padsmoonymine]

Peter Parker x Reader: Letting Go

Being half-Goddess came in handy, especially when you were fighting Thanos.

Tony, Thor, Cap, and you were all alternating fighting Thanos. Sure, you were younger than the rest of them, but you were also much more powerful. You were easily the most powerful, of the whole lot, because of your godly powers. Wanda and you trained together a lot because of your matching powers, before she...faded.

Wanda was like your sister and best friend. But her disappearance wasn't the only one that affected you more than normal. It was also Peter Parker's. Peter, your best friend at Midtown, your school, but also your ally, Spider-Man. You were going to confess your feelings towards him before he faded, thinking you were going to die, but he had gone before you could say a word.

You were in agony, but you were lucky your dad, Tony Stark, was still alive, though he was hurting as much as you were. It was too hard to stay on Earth, so you visited your mom up in another world. Time worked differently there. A day there was a year on Earth. 5 days later, you had gotten the alert that the Avengers needed your help once again, as they found a way to save the world. You quickly came down, excited to rescue your friends, and only five days older than when they last saw you.

When you heard about Nat's death, you broke down. She was like your older sister, protective, fierce, sarcastic, and loving all in one. You almost couldn't go on, but the thought of bringing others back was the only thing that kept you going.

You quickly got your mind back to your battle. Thanos kicked Thor down, and battled Steve, who had wielded Mjolnir and his shield at the same time. They both fought each other quickly. Steve threw his shield and Thanos deflected it easily. Then, Steve threw Mjolnir at his shield, creating a shockwave which made Thanos trip a little bit. Steve quickly fought Thanos on the offense, shooting his shield and lightning at him.

It didn't last for long, though. Thanos eventually received the upper hand and took off his helmet, stabbed Steve in the leg, and knocked Mjolnir out of his hand and onto the ground. You yelled, but you were wounded and on the ground. There was a stab wound in your arm and it was quickly healing thanks to your Goddess mother, but you were still on the ground.

Steve tried to get up, but it was too hard. Come on, you willed yourself. Even though you could barely walk, you stood up and glared at Thanos, who looked at least a little bit scared, but easily hid it. You shot small bolts of ice at him. Then big ones. You shot fire after that, creating smoke around him. When he started coughing, you shot more and more fire at him, but he managed to knock you over. You rolled over and hit the ground. Stupid stab wound.

"In all my years of conquest– violence– slaughter– It was never personal. But I'll tell you now– what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet– I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much." Thanos laughed like the insane thing he was.

He raised his arms, and all of his army appeared. The Children of Thanos. Chitauri, Sakaarans, Outriders, gorillas. Everything suddenly brought you motivation to get back up, along with Steve. You both winced in pain, but looked at each other determinedly, knowing you would die saving your country (in Steve's case) or your friends (in both of your cases).

Suddenly, your com starts to crackle. You frowned as you heard a familiar voice speak.

"Hey, Cap, Y/N, can you read me?"

You stopped and stared at Steve, confused.

"Guys, it's Sam, can you hear me?"

You heard something behind you and turned. It was a shiny, yellow portal. "On your left," Sam said, making Steve smile. The portal opened up and people come out. Okoye, Shuri, and T'Challa all walked out, making you gasp. More and more bright portals open up around the field. Sam flew in from the top, his falcon wings gracefully completing the beautiful sight. The people you loved came out of the portals: Dr. Strange, the Guardians, and your beloved best friend, Spider-Man. Your heart thought it was going to burst. It felt good, seeing him after 5 whole years.

More and more heroes came out. The Wakandan army, Valkyrie and the Asgardians, Wong and the Masters, Ravager ships, and more and more beings. Another portal opened, and your own dear friends came back. There was Bucky, Groot, the Wasp, and your own best friend Wanda. Your heart was so full of joy.

"Is that everyone?" Strange yelled.

"What, you wanted more?" Wong called back.

The last few remaining heroes came back. Your army was up and running. You just had to fight. You nodded at Steve, who looked curiously at you.

"Avengers!"

He summoned Mjolnir.

"Assemble."

Battle cries came. Warriors charged on both sides. It was chaos as everyone battled each other.

You fought through everyone, pushing Chitauri and weird gorillas everywhere as you tried to get to Peter.

You got close to him as you heard his distinct voice. "Hey! Holy cow! You will not believe what's been going on. Do you remember when we were in space? And I got all dusty? I must've passed out, Because I woke up, and you were gone. But Doctor Strange was there, right? He was like, 'It's been five years. Come on, they need us.' And then he started doing the yellow sparkly thing that he does all the time–"

Tony brought him into a hug. "Oh, this is nice."

You started crying. It felt so good to hear his voice again.

"Peter."

He turned immediately. "Y/N? Oh my God, it's really you." He couldn't say anything else, and neither could you. There was nothing to be said, after all. You immediately rushed to him and hugged him, squeezing him tightly. You sobbed onto his shoulder as he held you comfortingly. You pulled away, not wanting to but knowing you had to.

"I didn't age." You said.

He laughed. "Neither did I."

You suddenly saw Dr. Strange, beckoning to you. "Okay, I'll talk to you later? We need to fight." You kissed him on the cheek and rushed off, running toward Strange.

"What do you want?"

"Y/N. This is important, and you have to promise you won't tell anyone."

"What, are you gonna show me the future or something?" You forced a chuckle.

"That's correct."

Your smile disappeared. "Who dies?"

Strange sighed. "I think you know."

You felt a sudden pain in your chest as it finally hit you. This was why Strange wanted to talk to you. Because you were the only one who could take the fall.

You came back when Wanda and Thanos were fighting each other. "You took everything from me," she said angrily as she fought him.

"I don't even know who you are," Thanos said annoyed.

"You will."

She picked up some debris and crushed him with it, or at least attempted to.

Ebony caught the gauntlet and tried to stop T'Challa from getting it by using his telekinesis.

"Here!" You yelled, grabbing it using your goddess powers. Chitauri surrounded you and you created an ice trail to make them slip as you skated away. They were gaining on you when-

"I got it!" Peter yelled. You threw it to him and he swung around as Chitauri started crowding him instead.

Suddenly, fire began to rain down upon all the troops. In return, you shot out ice to make it disappear. Somehow some of the fire broke a dam, and water spilled out. While you tried putting out the fires, Strange used his magic to remove the water from the battlefield.

"I got this! I got this! Okay, I don't got this, help, somebody help!" Peter yelled, still trying to hold onto the gauntlet.

"Hey Queens, heads up," Steve called. Peter got saved by Pepper. As you continued fighting, the other women help Carol, who now had the gauntlet, to get through everyone. You were stuck destroying everyone who followed them in their tracks. They all fought, and alternate between taking the gauntlet.

At one point, Thanos was about to snap, but he ended up not doing it as Carol pulled his fingers apart. But, at the last second, he pulled out the power stone, which made Carol fall back.

You looked back at Strange, who pointed his finger at you, signifying a one. The one reality in which they won, that was at risk. You know what to do. The voice resounded in your head, and you nodded. Thanos put the power stone in and you could easily tell the gamma radiation was almost too much for him. You made one more attack on him and with some struggle he knocked you away.

"I. Am. Inevitable."

Snap.

Nothing happened.

The Infinity Stones were missing.

"Hey, where did my gauntlet go?"

It was your dad. You held up your hand, the gauntlet on it with all the Stones.

"And I am (Y/N L/N)."

You snapped your fingers.

There was a blinding flash of white light. All the Chitauri and the rest of Thanos' army disappeared. Thanos sat down in despair as he started to fade away too.

It was over.

Your entire right side felt numb. You stumbled for a few seconds before finding your balance by leaning against a tree. Everyone crowded around you.

Wanda came next to you, bowing her head, knowing that all of the damage was done and there was nothing she could do about it.

Suddenly, your dad came forward.

"Dad..."

"Hey, (N/N)." He said gently. He grabbed onto your hand, and you held it, grateful for the support.

"Hey, we're going to be okay, yeah? Me and Pep and Morgan, you don't need to worry about us. We love you, so so much honey." Tony gave you a sad smile, and you managed a small one back.

Suddenly, you heard the voice that you were waiting to hear. Spider-Man swung by, and Peter took off his mask quickly and knelt down next to you.

"Y-Y/N?" You could tell tears were starting to form next to his eyes. "Hey, can you hear me N/N? It's Peter. We won, N/N, we won. You did it, you did it Y/N. You're amazing."

"P-Peter-"

"No, don't say anything Y/N. Save your breath." He actively started crying at this point, and you gave him a sad smile.

"I don't have a lot of time, Pete—"

"No! Don't say that, you can't die on me Y/N, I need you," he sobbed.

"You're going to be fine, Pete, but I have to t-tell you something. I love you, so much. I've wanted to tell you for so long."

"I love you too," Peter breathed. You both knew it was now or never, and you brought your lips to his. You wished you could say your kiss was slow and sweet, but it was passionate, deep, and rushed, yet gentle at the same time. Because this was the only kiss you would ever have with your superhero.

"Y/N, I'm not ready for you to go."

"You're going to be okay, Pete. Find someone else, fall in love with her, and be happy, yeah? You're going to be just fine without me. I know it's hard letting go, Pete, but you can do it. I believe in you."

"I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too, Parker." You were fighting to stay a little longer, just a little bit longer.

"You can rest now."

Your heart stopped.

You didn't know this, but that was when Peter broke down. He put his head on your shoulder and let it all out. Pepper and Wanda and Tony were crying. Everyone else was somber and sad and crying and it was too painful.

Slowly, every single warrior kneeled. Because you had sacrificed your life willingly for the people you had loved and cared about, and for the world. Because, that's just the kind of person that Y/N L/N was.

[chrisevansgoodgirl]

when you touch me you take me to heaven

summary: reader is in a submissive club with two soft avengers and they bring a surprise dom along for the ride, you know, just so things don’t get too crazy. or Carol and Steve decide they want to make the most out of reader’s crush on Natasha.

warnings: inadequate skincare (seriously, do not just take your makeup off with a single product and then put moisturizer on. But hey, if you’re drunk and that’s all you can do, you’re a star) and a lot of sex. i don’t even remember it all. anal. oral. choking. hair pulling. squirting (but like written in a boring way tbh). some slight edging.

word count: around 8,700.

pairings: carol x reader x steve, carol x reader x steve x natasha

a/n: so, a tad more steve focused than carol just bc the fucking brotp is steve and nat. if you just want smut, skip to the last break bc there’s a lot of talking before that. p.s. this was an ask that was sent to me, i was not creative enough to think of this idea on my own.

You weren’t exactly nervous.

Well, okay, you were. Anyone would be. But not in a bad way. You weren’t getting sick or light-headed or regretting everything that led you to this—though, you were making the mental note to never be around Steve or Carol while you were drunk again.

That was how it had started. You wanted to spend a night out with Wanda, Peter, and Valkyrie. Wanda was having some issues with Vision and she just wanted to forget all about them. Of course, there was drinking.

Two weeks earlier:

When you had even an ounce of alcohol, your control just went straight out the window. You wanted Steve and Carol essentially every god damn second of every fucking day, but when you were drunk? Oh, the same, you just weren’t overly concerned about hiding it.

You were a little too drunk when you returned home to the apartment you shared with Steve and Carol. Even Valkyrie knew the two Captains who could be fun and would be fun if you asked them to, turned all pouty and whiny whenever you had fun without them.

She set you on your knees in front of the door and only moved when she was sure you were going to sit upright on your own. She knocked on the door, ducked down to kiss the top of your head, then sprinted away with a snicker and a ‘see you later’.

Steve opened the door.

You felt impossibly small on the floor before him. And much smaller when he turned down to you and arched an eyebrow. You tried to erase the tension with a smile, but he didn’t look like he was buying.

Honestly, you felt like a child. And that feeling didn’t go away when he leaned down to pick you up off the floor and take you inside. You wrapped yourself around him the very second you could, paying no mind to your dress hiking up so far that nothing was covered.

“Oh, look who finally decided to come home,” Carol called out from the kitchen table.

You looked at her over Steve’s shoulder, smiling only when you saw that she was. Truly, neither of them cared that much about what you did—drinking, staying out late, talking back, being “bratty”, it just made good excuses for them to be assholes in the bedroom.

She was in a thin cropped shirt and a pair of sleep shorts. Steve, well, you couldn’t remember what he was wearing, but you could feel his chest, his arms were around you, and god, he was so fucking tall. And big. And you wanted him inside you. And Carol was fucking stunning and her fucking arms, ugh. You wanted her behind you, one hand around your throat, the other between you and Steve, touching your clit.

You kissed his shoulder first, then turned your head to kiss his neck, his jaw, his cheek, until you found his lips. He didn’t let the kiss last long, instead turning away as he continued toward the bedroom.

“Sleep it off, Y/N,” he directed.

You huffed. “Are you insane?”

He snorted, and you weren’t sure, but you might have heard Carol do the same. “You’re drunk.”

“So?”

“We don’t do this when you’re drunk.”

“But there are different kinds of drunk. Like a little drunk, then a little bit more drunk, and a little bit more than that, then a little more, and then completely wasted… I don’t really remember how many I just listed, but I think I’m only at level 2.”

“Do you even remember your last name?” he inquired.

You didn’t. But whenever you were coming up short in a dreaded interrogation run by the Captain America, you always got around that by being cute. So, you shrugged, and tried, “Rogers-Danvers?”

“For fuck's sake, Y/N,” he sighed. Finally, you were in your room. Only the bathroom light was on, that must have been where he was prior to Valkyrie’s terrible drop off job. He slid one arm completely under your ass and used the other to turn the light on before moving further into the room.

“You have to give her points for that, at the very least,” Carol called out from where she was leaned against the door frame. “It was pretty cute.”

“Sure.” He rolled his eyes, setting you down at the foot of the bed. He glanced between the two of you, contemplating something. “I’d prefer Danvers-Rogers. Makes sense. Alphabetical.”

“And you want to end the name because then Danvers might just sound like a middle name,” Carol accused.

“Well, yes.”

“No, she said Rogers-Danvers.”

“Y/N, really think. Rogers-Danvers or Danvers-Rogers?”

You looked at her, then him, then her again, then him as you leaned back on your elbows. “Whoever takes my dress off first can be the second name.”

Carol scoffed. “Well, Rogers, it seems like that invitation sounds more tempting to you.” She honestly loved watching Steve deal with you when you were drunk. Sober, you liked giving him a hard time, when you were drunk, that only increased. And Steve was easily overwhelmed when you were drunk, torn between his attraction to you, his genuine deepest nature to take the best care of you, and his second nature not to let you push him into doing something he initially said no to. Though, if Carol had to pull out the scoreboard, he didn’t win the battles too many times. That was why there were still Halloween decorations up around the apartment in April.

He went to the bathroom without a word, came back with your makeup remover and a washcloth—the bamboo cloths that Carol always kept you completely stocked on because she knew how seriously you took your skincare. Steve removed the small amount of makeup that had managed to outlast your drunken adventures and you had to remind yourself how uncomfortable your tears made Steve. But really, did he have to be so perfect?

Carol left her spot to enter the bathroom, walking out with your moisturizer which she handed off to Steve. You were so weak for these two idiots. They actually liked to watch you go through your morning and night skin routine, and whenever you put on makeup. They said it was so inexplicably domestic.

Steve got down on his knees before you and set everything aside, reaching out to pull the straps of your dress down. When you went to sit up, he assisted you with a hand to the small of your back. It was a pathetic excuse of a dress, nothing more than a satin slip that you had always pictured them taking off you, the only reason you’d worn it.

He leaned in to kiss across your collarbone, then from the left back in toward your throat. He was so slow about it and you knew he wanted you to voice your impatience, but you would not. You weren’t sure where he was going with this because you knew he wasn’t going to have sex with you, but then what was he going to do?

He gathered the dress around your waist before pressing you back to the bed with his hand on your shoulder. As he pulled the dress down further, he set his lips to the center of your chest and kissed downward until he was under your navel.

You lifted your hips for him, and he skillfully managed to get you out of it despite that you weren’t helping him as much as you thought you were. Then he leaned back, sitting on his heels—ever the gentleman, he didn’t once look away from your eyes even though you were completely naked in front of him. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes.”

“Who were you with?”

“Wanda, Valkyrie, and Peter.”

“That’s an odd group. I thought it was supposed to be a girls’ night.”

“Well, it was…”

Finally, he leaned in, placing the smallest, softest kiss on your inner thigh. It was nothing, especially compared to the way he usually touched you, but it was enough to get you wet. “But…?” he prompted.

“But then Peter looked so down, so Wanda invited him.” You took in a sharp breath when he repeated his actions with the next thigh. “Then I guess it was kind of…a submissives’ night?”

He lifted his eyebrows. “Valkyrie, submissive?”

He was moving closer, you could feel the heat of him on your exposed core and it was driving you insane, though, you figured that was what he wanted. “No, she was the chaperone.”

“Why wasn’t Nat the chaperone?”

“Because we all have a crush on Nat, but we wanted to forget about all of that—” You cut yourself off, hand flying up to cover your mouth. Oh, no, no, no. It had been years, you’d never once revealed your crush on your first favorite Avenger. Sure, by principle, now you had to say it was Steve and Carol, both your number ones. But before all of that, it was Natasha!

Of course, it was Natasha! She was hot and had gorgeous red hair and she was so scary but also funny and smart, and you loved her laugh. And she was so soft! But she also helped you train and when she was really tough on you, that was also hot. 

Steve’s eyebrows rose. “You have a crush on Nat?” He glanced at Carol. “Did you hear that?”

“I did.”

“I don’t,” you claimed. “Wanda does. Peter does. Valkyrie does.”

“But not you?” he pressed.

You shook your head. “No—that would be weird. Like…I have a crush on you. You know? And I have a crush on Carol. And you guys are basically the same person. And so, like, if I had a crush on Nat…then who else do I have a crush on? Bucky? Do you think I have a crush on Bucky, Steve?”

“I’m really not sure, honestly,” he admitted, thoroughly amused at your rambling, blushing cheeks, and wide eyes. He wasn’t upset that you had a crush on Nat—he had eyes. And Bucky? Well, not that he was going to delight you with that story, but someone had to teach Steve how to kiss after he managed to get a date with a girl that he liked all the way back when. Long story short, he was freaking out because he had never kissed anyone and Bucky thought he was going to have a heart attack, so he helped.

“I don’t,” you insisted. “I only have a crush on you two. I love you. And I love Carol.”

“We know, baby,” he promised. “Right, Carol?”

“Right,” she assured.

He set his hands on your knees and finally, his eyes lowered to get a look at how badly you wanted him—this was it, you were finally going to convince them that drunk or not, you always wanted them. It was just cruel to deny you when you had little to no inhibitions. Smirking, he stood up and fixed you with a firm look. “Time for sleep.”

Your mouth dropped and he sent you a pitiful look—did you really think you were going to win? “Fine! It is Rogers-Danvers!”

He simply went to turn off the bathroom light and then headed for the door. How sick was he? First, nothing, and then he was just going to make you fall asleep alone? Though, you were sure that was more for your lack of control. Would you really have stopped trying to get them to fuck you? Probably not.

One week and two days earlier:

Regardless, you weren’t nervous… You supposed you had butterflies. Being laid out on a bed in nothing but a red lacy bodysuit that was so lowcut you were practically falling out of it whilst three other people surrounded you, fully clothed called for butterflies.

It had been several days, you’d completely forgotten all about the conversation you had with Steve. Honestly, you couldn’t remember much of what occurred after Peter told you that he could drink more than you. Too many shots were consumed and the three of you ended up crying outside on the sidewalk about how much you loved each other as Valkyrie recorded on her phone—which you learned three days later because she sent it to everyone she knew.

Steve and Carol thought it was hysterical.

But still, everything was blank. You had assumed that Valkyrie brought you home unconscious. Or at least very close to it. You were under the impression that not a thing had been said. Not until Carol got in the shower with you that morning.

She wrapped her arms around you, hands moving to your center as she pressed her body against your back. “Good morning, Mrs. Rogers-Danvers.”

And then it all came crashing back. You turned in her arms, blurting out apologies. You loved her, you didn’t want her or Steve to think that there was anyone else that had caught your eye. Sure, you were physically attracted to other people, but you would never entertain the idea of actually being with someone else.

Before you were even fully through your speech, she pushed you against the shower wall, told you to shut up, and ordered you to get off on her thigh. You weren’t sure if she was mad. You’d had a lot of angry sex over the years and you always thought you could tell by looking in their eyes, but you weren’t seeing anger. But you were sure that she should have been. They had to be mad, right? You were talking about someone else in a way that you should have only been talking about them.

You went to ask but she told you to shut up again, then got on her knees and ate you out until Steve came in and told you both that breakfast was getting cold. Her eyes locked on his, she pressed two fingers inside you.

Steve, always mindful of your safety, reached inside to hold you up against the wall—good, you were surely about to collapse. He had one hand on your shoulder, the other holding your jaw, keeping your gaze locked with his.

Carol placed her mouth back on you and you moaned. Steve took advantage of your open mouth and started choking you with his fingers sliding against your tongue. You closed your mouth, humming blissfully.

 She gave you one more finish with and let him lick the taste of you out of her mouth and then off her fingers.

Steve pulled you out of the shower, seemingly not minding that you were soaking his clothes. “Finish your shower, I’ll reheat the food.”

Carol winked at you, pulling the curtain shut.

Steve kissed you hard as he carried you to the bed, hands holding your ass and waist, pressing you against him as much as he could. He laid you down and carefully slotted himself between your legs.

It took seconds before he had his jeans out of the way and he was inside you, rolling his hips desperately. There was something overly flattering when Steve dropped the gentleman ‘you finish first’ routine and fucked you like you were the only thing in this world that could get him off.

When you were all finally sitting down to eat breakfast, Carol decided it was time for a date night. Soon. It confused you because you guys had just had a date night the week before. And it wasn’t a rare occurrence whenever they were off missions, which they currently were, but it certainly wasn’t frequent either.

“Didn’t we just have date night?”

“This will be different,” she claimed.

“How?”

“Well, we want to invite Natasha.”

Your eyebrows pulled together. “Like…for a double date? Who is she bringing?”

Carol shook her head. “Nope, we want to invite her for you.”

Your heart dropped for a second, this small part of you that was always there, always scared that they would get tired of sharing you and just decided to move on. You were getting better about knowing that part of you was stupid, but still, it was difficult to silence at times.

But then, you remembered how competitive these two were. They may want to leave you one day, but that will not be without the most extra competition in the world. They will go with one last battle for you—and it will look ten times worse than when they’re both in moods and they fight over you in bed. Though, you never have many complaints about those nights…

“I don’t think I understand…” No, you were utterly sure you were in the dark. What the hell were they up to?

“Well, you are attracted to Natasha, aren’t you?” Steve finally spoke.

You rolled your eyes. “You guys—”

“And we both love Natasha,” he continued. “I trust and respect her.”

“Yeah, and she is the only person who I’d be willing to let do this. I guess you two could make a case for Bucky, though.”

“Bucky?” you blurted out. “Okay, what the hell are you talking about?”

“We want to watch her fuck you.”

Your eyes widened. You had not heard that right. “I’m…sorry?”

“If you want to,” he clarified.

“Which we would completely understand,” Carol promised. “Natasha is beautiful, and I think she’s always had a little thing for you.”

“You guys think everyone is obsessed with me,” you pointed out. “And you’re crazy.”

“We don’t want to pressure you,” Steve insisted. “We just want you to know that this is something we are completely open to. If you want to do it.”

“We would be there the whole time,” Carol explained. “In control of the whole thing.”

“Well, mostly,” Steve countered. “Nat is very dominant.”

You guys had never spoken about bringing anyone else in and you weren’t entirely sure how you felt about it. It was something you never thought you would have to deal with. It wasn’t like you thought of your relationship with Steve and Carol as primarily sexual. Sure, you guys had a lot of sex, but that was because you were insanely in love with them.

Did you even want to have sex with someone else? Technically speaking, yes, you wanted to have sex with Natasha. Didn’t everyone? But did you, girlfriend of Steve Rogers and Carol Danvers, want to have sex with someone who was not either of those people?

“Babe,” Carol took your hand, “Think on it, we don’t need an answer right now.”

“And there’s no time limit. And don’t feel like you have to say yes. We just thought we would propose the idea. We are fine either way. We could be generous and share you, but we definitely don’t feel like it’s something we need to do.”

“Yeah…I need to think about it.” But you honestly had no idea where to fucking start.

One week and one day earlier:

So, because if the night that got you into trouble taught you anything, it was that there were people you could trust wholly and who would never judge you or tell anyone anything you said. You called another “submissives’ night” and demanded Valkyrie to chaperone again even though you were not going to be drinking much. You just needed to get their opinions on the whole thing. You were scared, for starters. 

Did this mean they were getting bored? Wanda told you she would slap you if you ever suggested something like that again—you weren’t drinking, but she sure was, and she always got a little violent after some vodka and tequila mixed. She promised that they were still as in love with you as the very first day that she had read their minds to find out if this was just a sexual relationship or a real one. Something you had not known she did but that you couldn’t really complain about it since you were asking for their help.

Were they testing you? Did they actually want you to say no? Valkyrie took this one. She informed you that she had offered an invitation to hers and Thor’s bedroom addressed to Sif. It had been her idea and there was never a petty thought in her mind hoping Thor would say no or any part of her that felt lesser when he said yes. It was just adding someone into a situation, someone they cared for and trusted completely. You guessed you all felt that for Natasha, she was Steve’s best friend, one of your fiercest protectors when anyone tried to question your relationship, and she’d just always had such a special bond with Carol.

Should you feel some type of way that they were so willing to share you with someone? Usually, they were jealous of anyone who looked at you too long. Peter tackled this with a rambling speech that was actually kind of cute. The gist: he’d never seen anyone love someone the way Steve and Carol loved you. He figured if they wanted Natasha to touch you in a way that they had long ago decided only they could, that just meant that they wanted to spoil you even more than they already did.

But despite their reassurances, they told you that you needed to talk to Steve and Carol some more, before deciding. Of course, they were right, but you had kind of wanted to avoid talking to them about it. You were scared that if you asked too many questions that they would just drop it and then it would just be this awkward thing you guys never spoke of.

But if you couldn’t talk it out, what kind of relationship did you really have? Your questions were random and occurred over the course of many days. One night when Steve was in the home office and you were getting ready for bed, Carol joined you in the bathroom to braid your hair. You decided to go for it.

“You don’t think I’m getting bored with you guys, right?”

Carol snorted. “Babe. First, I can make you come in seconds. Second, I guess Steve has some talents. I don’t know, I’m just taking all of your crying and begging as proof of that.”

You scoffed. “Carol, be serious.”

“No, we don’t think you’re getting bored.”

“Do you think that I’ll eventually want to have sex with Nat so badly that I’ll leave you? Is that why you’re offering this, as like, some way to get it out of my system?”

“No, absolutely not. Look, I think that I am your soul mate. And even though I refuse to say it to him, I think Steve is also your soul mate. There’s something about us that just…clicks. Everything fell into place when we all got together. I genuinely think we’ll all be together forever.”

You turned to her after she tied your hair and she wound her arms around your waist. “Soul mate?”

She arched an eyebrow. “What, you don’t agree?”

“I’m just saying that you guys always accuse me of being the emotional one.”

“Oh no, that’s Steve—he’s a Cancer.”

You smirked. “I do love you both, so much. I couldn’t imagine a life without either of you.”

“You’ll never have to live without us, babe.” She kissed your forehead. “Anything else?”

“No, not at the moment.”

“Good, now get in bed with me before Steve comes and ruins everything.”

“Carol,” you scolded, but your laugh sort of took away the edge in your tone.

Five days earlier:

When Steve was in the office again and Carol was out for lunch with friends, you were bored. You decided there was nothing better to do than bother him, and well, get some answers.

You wormed your way onto his lap, despite his protests that he was working and that he had something important to finish. You completely ignored his promises that it would only take a couple of hours and that he would find you after.

But he was always smart, and he figured your insistence meant you wanted to talk. So, he soon shut up and just waited. He didn’t want to pressure you into speaking, even the conversation was something he wanted to happen naturally, of your own will.

“If we do this…like, if I have sex with Natasha…is that going to be a regular thing?”

“Well…I guess that I want to say no. But I can’t tell you who you can and can’t have sex with—”

“You kind of can, you’re my boyfriend.”

“What I mean is, no. For me, this relationship is you, Carol, and me. Yes, we want to include Natasha in this but that’s something else entirely. Our relationship is not just sex, so you having sex with someone else isn’t that big of a deal to us when it’s with someone like Natasha. This would be a one-time thing. Just…something we want you to experience, something we also definitely want to experience.”

“Okay…so, Natasha once. But then, are you going to want other people—?”

His eyes widened. “No.”

“Well, if I have sex with Natasha…does that mean I’m supposed to be okay if you want to have sex with other people?”

“No. Not at all. Who else would I even want to have sex with?”

You rolled your eyes. “I know you like Bucky, Steve.”

“That is—I mean. Okay, fine. Yes, I like Bucky. He’s…attractive—”

“Yes, he is…and I like his hair.”

He scoffed. “Yeah, I like his hair, too.”

“But I don’t want you to have sex with him or anyone else.”

“That’s okay.”

“Really? Because I feel like it’s selfish and…I don’t know. I just feel immature and controlling and possessive—”

“You know, I like when you’re possessive. Makes me feel less insane.”

You attempted to give him a flat look, but he kissed you before you could.

“I love you and I will never want to have sex with someone else. Okay?”

And that led you to now. Now, dressed in nothing but a low-cut lacy bodysuit that you were practically falling out of. You were surrounded by three fully clothed people who were staring at you like you were their last meal.

Carol had dressed you. Normally, when that happened, that meant there was a lot of touching and she would always eat you out. But nothing, not a single brush of her fingers and you knew it was because tonight, you were Natasha’s.

Everything was happening so fast. One minute you were talking and the next, you were underneath Natasha. She had dressed in a pair of tight black pants and a tighter shirt. That sight alone had been enough to get you wet.

Steve and Carol were sitting against the wall—two loveseats you had never seen. Did they buy them just for this? You were focused on everything but this. You weren’t sure why. Even if this was a one-time thing…you did have a crush on Natasha and part of you couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. And maybe you were starting to get into the idea of Steve and Carol watching, but you were also concerned because were you allowed to enjoy this? How much?

“Hey,” Natasha whispered to you. It didn’t matter that Steve and Carol could hear, she just wanted to speak to you this softly. “Do you want to do this?”

You did. You never would have said yes if you 100% were not interested in this happening. “Yes.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Kind of, yeah.”

“Why?”

“I’m not really sure," you admitted. There was no reason to be nervous, you knew that.

She lifted one hand to pet away the hair that had gotten in your face. Almost experimentally, you did the same. You loved her hair, if you could only do one thing, you wanted to touch her hair. You pulled a curl behind her ear, letting your fingers move down to trace her cheekbone.

She smiled. “Well, let’s see what we can do about that. What do you want me to do to you?”

About a million things. But if you’d learned anything from Steve and Carol, you didn’t just get to ask for things. You had to earn them. And there was only one way to do that: submission. “I want you to do whatever you want to me. Anything.”

Her smirk was wicked until she began kissing your face everywhere. “You are so fucking beautiful.”

You were blushing. You knew you were, and the only confirmation you needed was Steve shifting in his seat. He loved seeing you blush. Your eyes shut and for a moment, you just let yourself feel Natasha.

Her lips gently pressed against the skin of your neck, a contrast to her hands that moved with purpose and dominance.  One had pressed up to touch your breast through your thin bodysuit, and the other went down to pull your left thigh up higher up the side of her body.

She brought her lips up to yours, shoving her tongue into your open mouth. She pressed her body to yours, her stomach to your center and just the feeling of her against you, even through the thin layers of clothing you both wore, was enough to make all those nerves disappear.

You loved Natasha, obviously not romantically, but this was not going to be scary in any way. She was one of your best friends and you would die for her. You knew she felt the same about you.

She finally touched you where you wanted her the most but used the lace to tease you further. There was a reason these people got along so well, they all clearly took immense joy in torturing you.

It wasn’t enough. But you couldn’t just start undressing or asking for things, you had to get permission. Or you had to make her want you so badly that she just tore your clothes off and fucked you. You decided the latter was the best option, and you were going to go through all your Steve tricks first—he was weaker—and the Carol tricks if that didn’t work.

You buried your hands in her hair, dragging her mouth down to one of your breasts as you arched your back. “Natasha, please.”

She hummed, turning up with a smirk. “I thought you would last longer.”

“She usually does,” Carol asserted.

“Does she?” Natasha asked rhetorically, eyebrows lifted at you.

“She’s lying,” you claimed, feigning innocence.

Nat scoffed. “Well, I suppose you can have something…but only because you’ve been so sweet.” She began kissing along your jaw as her hands found your shoulders. She rolled the lace down until your breasts were bare.

You shuddered when her lips closed around your nipple, teeth teasing your sensitive flesh. “Fuck.”

She bit down and your hips jerked upward. She caught you with one hand and held you down, her other hand coming up to touch your neglected breast. She pinched your nipple between her thumb and forefinger and pulled back harshly as she pulled on the nub with her teeth.

You shivered as the pain slowly ebbed away.

She pressed against you again and realized that you had completely soaked through the lace. “You’re being such a good girl,” she cooed. “You’re waiting for whatever I want to give you. Do you want me to touch your pussy?”

You nodded frantically. “Yes, please.”

“How?” she wondered as her hand snaked down between your bodies. She grabbed a handful of your suit and yanked it upward, the lace catching on your clit.

You gasped as your hips lifted, desperate for more contact.

“Like that? Or did you want something else?”

“I want to feel your fingers inside me.”

She smiled while she moved the cloth aside. She made a low sound in her throat when she discovered how absolutely wet you were for her.

You clutched her to you tighter as you felt the slide of her fingers. “Oh, god, Natasha.”

She began curling her fingers and you were lost in her in mere seconds. She was good at this, too good not to have been with several women. You had never really thought of Natasha that way—who else was she fucking? “You are tight, baby. I can’t imagine how hot it is watching you take Steve’s cock.”

“Maybe we’ll let you see,” Steve commented.

She hummed, green eyes still fixed on yours. Her thumb began the search for your clit, which she knew she found when you gasped her name. Natasha watched you carefully, curious to see all the different reactions she could pull from you.

Part of you wanted to shy away, no one ever watched you like this. Except for Carol and Steve, and it was almost easy to forget entirely that they were on the edge of the room. Watching you. Watching her watch you.

She slipped in a third finger despite that you’d already started tightening around her fingers.

“Oh, fuck,” you cried. “Natasha—”

“Does that feel good?”

“Yes, it feels so fucking good,” you managed through breathy moans.

She set her forehead against yours, her lips barely pressed to yours as she worked you toward your end.

It was then that you needed to act out. Behaving, truly? When was the last time you'd done that? If you liked behaving, you figured you wouldn’t have been bent over Steve’s knee earlier that morning, which he made you promise not to tell Carol about. He didn’t fuck you, however, so with nerves out of the way, you were fucking worked up.

You bit down on Natasha’s bottom lip as you came, whining and whimpering as if you weren’t clearly asking for some form of retaliation.

She took the hand that wasn’t inside you and wrapped it in your hair, yanking your head back. You stared up at her with sparkling eyes and a small smile. “Open. Your. Mouth.”

When you obliged, she ordered you to suck on her fingers.

“She has an attitude problem,” Carol pointed out. “We warned you.”

Natasha still only watched you. “I didn’t think she would try anything so early on.”

Steve snorted.

She climbed off you, hands crossing over her arms as she watched you sit up.

You waited patiently, suit still gathered at your hips.

She leaned forward slightly, one hand coming to move your hair out of her way. She stared at your breasts for a long time then sighed as she met your eyes. “You have a beautiful body.”

“Thank you,” you echoed, trying not to blush. She’d just had her fingers in you, certainly that comment wasn’t a big deal. But Steve made a noise and you knew you’d failed.

She moved closer, arms reaching under your thighs to pull you toward the edge of the bed. She wrapped your legs around her hips and took your chin in her hand to force you to look at her. “Are you still nervous?”

“Not really.”

“What do you want? Go on, you’ve earned a little. You are a fucking masterpiece when you come.”

“Can I…taste you?”

She blinked, humming as she cast a glance back.

Carol shrugged, eyeing you almost curiously. “Usually, she’s not so eager to please. She’s a greedy brat when she wants to be.”

Carol calling you a brat? Humiliating. In the best way. She rarely did it, but you knew when she did, you were getting fucked, hard. She would use you for hours and not let you come once. You told yourself you would act up in a few days so you could get her there.

Natasha turned to you, still somewhat surprised. “You can.” She reached for her pants, but you caught her hands.

“Can I take off your clothes?”

She smiled down at you, once more touching your face as she leaned down to kiss your nose. “Sure.”

You rose to your knees, pulling down the thick straps of her tank top, leaving the bra for now. Her body wasn’t like yours and it wasn’t like Carol’s. Natasha had curves, round breasts and hips, and an ass you could stare at too long. The bra was second and your mouth immediately sought out her skin, sucking, licking, biting and just feeling her stomach, shoulders, and arms.

She always looked soft to you, but you were surprised to discover just how soft. It went so far against the myth of the frightening Black Widow,

When you yanked open her pants and shoved them down, you wasted no time in following. She grabbed your hair again and pulled your mouth against her soaking core. You kissed her there once, twice, then licked her slowly. Glancing up as well as you could, you saw that her head fallen back and her mouth dropped.

You let your tongue run through her three more times, teasing her entrance just a little. Something you knew annoyed her or that she enjoyed too much because her hand was tightening in your hair.

“Don’t tease,” she warned.

But you had few opportunities to show the power you held over these people, so you didn’t stop. Not until she had your hand clutched in her hair and tore you back. She shoved you back onto the bed and all you did was smirk.

Natasha didn’t look annoyed, there was a clear thrill in her eye. Yes, she was going to punish you, but she was going to have fun doing it. Her hands gripped the suit and she tore it down your legs.

She sat down next to you on the bed and tapped her fingers on her thigh. You hurried to get onto her lap, and she smiled at you. She set her hand, palm up, on her lap, holding out her first two fingers pointedly. "Ride my fingers."

You watched it all as you situated your hips over her hand and then sunk down on them. You threw your head back, arching your breasts closer to her.

She took the hint and began biting and kissing you there.

You rolled your hips once a tad gently, something she clearly didn't like as her hand came down on your ass.

"Fuck my fingers," she said. "Make yourself come and give me a good show."

You moved your hips with a bit more force, hands clutching at her shoulders, nails digging into her skin.

"What do you need, baby? How can I make you come?"

You let go of one of her shoulders, searching for her hand on the mattress, but didn't dare stop moving. When you found it, you placed it over your neck.

She didn't need to be told twice, she tightened her hold around you, getting wetter over the sounds of your strangled moans. 

When you finished with a cry of her name, she shoved you back down on the bed, her fingers thrusting in and out of you at a devastating pace. You were screaming as well as you could manage with limited breathing, terribly oversensitive, and she was completely uncaring.

She stared into your eyes the whole time. You kept whimpering to her, telling her you couldn't give another one. She didn't believe you for a second, she knew a needy pussy when she felt one. You would come as many times as she told you to.

After you had finished around her fingers, she pulled them away and sucked them clean.

"If you want to see how beautiful she looks when she's riding, I have a few straps," Carol offered.

Natasha perked up, smirking at you. "Get one."

She was underneath you again. She laid there waiting as you slid down onto the thick purple piece between her legs. It was big but you were determined to take it all, knowing that once you did, it would bury deeper inside her pussy as well.

You started off slow again, trying to adjust but she tsked at you.

"Ride me like the needy little whore I know you are."

Your cheeks automatically flushed—Steve and Carol had never, they just weren't into it. You weren't sure that you were either, not until Natasha said it. Now, you were soaking wet and bouncing on her like your life depended on it.

"Shit," she cursed, propping up on her elbows to get a better look at you. Of course, she was obsessed with watching your breasts move with you. But now your skin was flushed and glowing, your eyes were glassy and watering, your lips were swollen and wet. She had officially destroyed you and she was nowhere near done with you.

When you were just about there, she rolled over so she was on top. You whined unintelligibly and began rolling your hips upward. She caught you, pressing you flat down to the bed and shushing you.

"I was close," you blurted out. "I—"

"Shh," she interjected, now carefully pulling out of you and pressing back in the same way.

It took you a few seconds to realize that she didn't intend to let you come. She wanted to ruin your orgasm. Shit.

The second time she let you on top of her, she directed you to fuck yourself like you had been before. You noticed Steve and Carol had moved much closer and taken off all their clothes, her hand was around his hard cock and his fingers were buried inside her pussy.

Natasha grabbed your jaw and forced you to look at her again. "Right here, don't make me tell you again."

As her hands roamed every inch of your body she could reach, you once more built yourself up. And again, just before you could finish, she threw you onto the bed.

"Please," you whimpered, and yet again, were shushed. Steve and Carol were getting louder and you were growing more frustrated.

Natasha adopted a torturous pace even despite your pleas. You were shaking and sweating, nearly on the verge of tears, but that was how they liked you. The sixth time she pinned you to the mattress, she turned your head to Steve and Carol.

They frantically touched one another and were vocal about just how close they were. Carol collapsed against the couch first, moaning loudly as Steve continued crooking his fingers inside her. He hissed a curse and long streaks of his cum painted his stomach and chest.

Natasha pulled out of you completely and you looked at her curiously. "Go clean them up."

You nearly stumbled off the bed, all three prepared to jump into action if they needed to catch you. You fell to your knees before Steve first, leaning forward to lick his cum from his skin. He watched you the entire time, fingers running through your hair.

You crawled over to Carol and she grabbed a handful of your hair, bringing your mouth straight to her hot, wet cunt. You didn't make her finish, that wasn't the point.

Natasha pulled you away before you could manage it, dragging you onto your feet when she was satisfied. She kept you facing them, equally between the two seats.

They watched in complete awe as Natasha slid back into your pussy from behind. Her hands came up to your neck to hold you against her and she began pounding into your relentlessly.

Tears were falling when you got close again, you were so frustrated and wound up you felt like you would explode. You were so, so close, something she noticed when your legs began to shake.

You were just about to beg her to let you finish, tell her you would do anything for it, when she pulled out and threw you back onto the bed.

"Natasha," you sobbed, "please."

She came over to you, fingers running up and down your spine. "Shh, baby, just keep waiting and being a good girl."

You buried your face in the blankets and felt her moving one leg at a time off the bed. She had you bent over the edge, ass perfectly propped up for your captains to see.

"May I?" she asked.

"Let me get some lube first," Steve responded.

Of course, she would ask. Of course, Steve's best friend would know how possessive he was when it came to your ass. You felt her pour the cold liquid against your asshole and you shivered. There was no way you would last long if she fucked your ass. You startled when you felt Steve's hand move along your ass and you turned your face to watch him.

"You okay with this?"

You nodded. "Yeah."

He nodded once at Natasha, gaze stuck where she was pushing into you.

You clutched at the sheets as you felt that familiar stretching sensation, eyes focused on him. His eyes were darker, his jaw set. He stroked himself, mouth parting with a small sigh.

When she was flush against you, Steve reached out to brush your hair away from your face with his free hand. "Is she making you feel good?"

You nodded.

"Are you ready for her? Let me hear you, doll."

You reached back toward her, hand on her head to pull her down for a kiss. "Fuck me, please."

That was all she needed to hear. She held your waist to the bed and began moving her hips steadily.

You turned your head once more when you heard her tsk. She was pulling Steve's hand off his cock.

"Patience," she directed. "I'm going to need your help in a second."

Steve's attention found your face once more. He sat on the bed next to you, once more shoving your hair back. You caught his hand, intertwining your fingers and squeezing his hand hard.

"Carol," Natasha called out. "Get a strap on and come here."

As Carol moved around the room, Natasha rolled onto her side, taking you with her. Your body was completely displayed to Steve as she began pounding into you.

You directed his hand to your neck, a silent plea for him to choke you. He made a small noise in the back of his throat as he curled his fingers around you, applying just the slightest pressure.

The bed dipped as Carol laid behind Natasha and the latter moaned in your ear. Her hips stilled and she let Carol control everything for just a moment. Every time her hips rolled, Natasha's followed, pushing the dildo deeper into your ass.

"Touch her," Natasha ordered.

Carol reached over, fingers almost instantly finding your clit. Your strangled moans filled the room, along with slapping skin, and the wet noises from your pussy echoing Carol's quick fingers.

You were so close you couldn't breathe. Natasha had kept you on this edge for too long and now, it was nearly shameful how desperate you were for a finish.

Unfortunately, Natasha pulled Carol's hand away just before you could come. You whimpered indistinctly, latching onto Steve's forearm—he would spare you, he always did.

"Nat," he scoffed, "Don't be cruel."

She laughed a little. "You know, maybe that's why I'm here. You're a little too easy on her."

He kept one hand on your throat, letting his opposite touch your cheekbones, your swollen lips, the wet skin under your eyes. When you had started crying was something you were unaware of. "Maybe. But isn't that why you love me, baby girl?"

You nodded and choked out, "Yes."

He smirked.

"Is that the only reason?" Carol teased and Natasha snickered.

"No," you hurriedly promised.

Steve shushed you. "She knows that baby. Come on, guys, she needs something."

"Get inside her," Natasha suggested. "Wasn't I promised a show?"

He leaned closer, briefly kissing you as he pushed his body closer to yours. Natasha laid the side of her face on your shoulder, turned down to watch his cock slip inside you. She pulled your leg back to give herself a clearer view, sighing when she saw how slowly he was sinking into you.

Tears fell from the corners of your eyes and you bit down on your lip to silence some of the pathetic sounds you knew you would make. You didn't even care how used your pussy felt, how sore you had already come from just riding her. Everything was second to your desire to orgasm.

Steve didn't stop until you had taken him completely and by then you were shivering, so built up you felt you would faint if you didn't get some relief soon.

"Shit," Natasha muttered. She turned up, kissing the side of your face. "You are such a good girl, aren't you?"

"Yes," you agreed.

She grinned. "You wanna come?"

You gasped, "Please, please, I need it so bad."

Natasha finally let Carol touch your clit again. Both she and Steve took that to mean that they could resume. Carol thrust hard because she knew that was the best way to make you feel her even if it wasn't her directly behind you. Steve was just a tad gentler, most concerned with keeping you close to him and making sure you were getting what you needed.

Natasha angled your head back to her, lips gliding over yours. Your mouth was open, asking for her tongue and moaning into the kiss. It was sloppy and wet and everything you wanted in that moment.

You felt yourself getting close once more and you were terrified that Natasha would make them stop. You were begging before your brain had even though up anything coherent.

"It's okay, baby. You can come for us."

Without the fear that she was going to take it away from you again, you could just focus on what you were feeling. It was overwhelming but you had waited too long to take any of it for granted. Up until nearly the last moment, you'd thought what you were feeling was the result of being denied for so long.

Not quite, Carol and Steve definitely knew how to edge you. But this wasn't that, this was more in every possible way. Every thrust, every touch of Carol's fingers, or Steve's unrelenting hold on your neck was pushing you somewhere you'd never been.

You felt like you could just burst. Like you were a ticking bomb about to go off. You reached out blindly and felt skin but you'd lost all sense of direction and had no idea who you were holding onto, who you were silently begging to keep you grounded.

You'd lost sense of most things, in fact, but when you finished, you were distinctly aware of the liquid pouring from your pussy, completely drenching Steve.

His hips halted for a moment but that was merely so he could steal you away from Natasha and Carol. He rolled over on top of you, using his hands to part your thighs wide. He was concerned with nothing but his own end. Now flat on top of you, his pelvis never lost contact with your clit and he was hitting this sweet spot inside you that was driving you wild.

Once more, your orgasm tore through you and as your body moved completely of its own accord, you squirted all over him. You'd never sounded so wet, his cock slamming into you had never sounded so messy.

"Fuck!" He held onto you tight, hips barely moving anymore as his cum filled your pussy.

"God, Rogers," Nat complained, shoving at his shoulder hard enough that he had the good sense to get off you. "Try sharing a little."

Natasha pulled you back to her, turning you in so you could curl up to her. You were not yet over your high and were completely satisfied just letting her hold you.

"She's never done that before," Steve informed.

"Really?"

"Really," Carol confirmed.

"Huh," Natasha echoed thoughtfully. "Well, you're welcome."

"Yeah...make her do it on me now," Carol suggested.

Natasha snorted, hand running through your hair. "Give her a minute." She turned down to you, hand lifting your chin so you would meet her gaze. She was overly satisfied with herself at the faraway, hazy look in your eyes. "Did you like that, baby?"

You nodded because words were not something you could currently produce. You were barely aware that she was running her hand up and down your arm, trying to pull your focus back to her.

"Good, we're going to do it again in a minute."

You weren't sure you could but the look on her face was uncompromising. 

[lady-o-ren]

The Hunger of My Heart

//PROLOGUE//

//PART ONE//

Long before he begged his heart away,wrecked and ruined beneath his breast. 

It had beaten with love, irrevocable as breath

                                                 _________

                                   Carried by the briny seawinds and over the jutting peaks of the highland mountains was an inexplicable sound of a bell-like hum that had bewildered Jamie since boyhood, seeping like a sun-touched caress to his heart, calling him to elsewhere. 

When the lad finally came of age he was determined to do something about it. Longing to know why it was only he and no one else who could hear this incessant other.

He followed the beseeching siren across land and begrudgingly by sea, supported only on his savings, then as a freelance writer when the money went dry, submitting scribblings of his misadventures to local papers and occasionally something worthwhile to stamp the family name to. 

Now it beckoned him to London.  

But over a year of living little better than a vagabond Jamie's hope began to wane and he questioned if this chase towards wonderment was nothing more than a delusion spurring him further and further into madness. 

Then the tether that bound him to the unearthly other twisted sharp and taut around his doubtful heart, scarcely could he breathe til he yielded to its shrill command that drummed wordless in his ears.

"Whither thou goest, I must go, eh?" He gasped breathless with defeat.

So be it then. 

Once more he'd follow. To London he'd go. But after that he would journey no farther, let it tear his heart out by the roots, he dared. Maybe he'd finally know peace. Be free to roam where he desired like he did as a corbie in his dreams, always flying towards home. 

To Lallybroch.

He'd soar between the rocky crags and across the sweeping hills, swoop down to the fields dotted white with sheep, fat and spoilt by his sister, and forever escaping their pen. Then there at the end of the valley, thick with oak and larches, would be the auld stone manor glowing umber in the warm sunlight with his mother's roses climbing up on either side of the doorway, welcoming him home. 

And Jamie was sure the second he crossed the threshold his sister would clout him over the head like the diminutive Valkyrie she was for being away so long. Then just as suddenly grab him by his curls, "Be still, ruadh," she would order and hold him close like when he was a bairn and all that was left to mother him.

Thinking on it, he well deserved her bumps and bruisings. 

Upon first footing off the plane, Jamie felt an electric spark rush hot underneath his skin, heard a silvery chime in the air that signaled the alluring presence was near. 

But for once the sensation hadn't faded to a distant echo like it had always done before. Only growing stronger, more pronounced, the longer he stayed in the city, stalked the insufferably crowded streets. Nights left him bleary-eyed, for how dare he try to sleep when enchantment was out there closer than he'd ever come before.

If only he knew what he was supposed to be searching for.

After days of endless wandering, Jamie was lured to a barren, nameless street. The pull there suddenly faint as a wind-swept whisper, piercing his heart with dread that he'd been abandoned once again.

Then noise blared all around him violent as a storm, rattling down to the throbbing marrow of his bones. 

He staggered blindly, head spinning, to reach for a rusty lamppost when he felt a palm press strongly at his chest, and another inquiring as moth wings to cup his stubbled cheek. He breathed a ragged sigh, a moan, as their thumb stroked and stroked the furrow from his brow and the chaos in Jamie's head was replaced with the rousing sound of his heartbeat aflame.

A voice gentled with kindness then spoke to him. An ethereal sound he'd been tortured by, had ached to know.

"Open your eyes for me, lad. Let me know if you can hear my voice, see my face. Else I'll have to throw you across my back and carry you to a bench. A damn feat I assure you that would be." 

The breath of a broken laugh passed between his lips as his hand rose shakily to envelope hers so much smaller than his own and so very, very real. 

"I've heard ye all my life, lass."

Jamie then opened his eyes to hers radiant as a midnight flame with curls spiriting frightfully, beautifully awry around her face, lovelier than any delusion could ever conjure.

A siren had captured him indeed.

"A charmer you are," said the woman resisting the urge to roll her eyes and slipped her hand from his reluctant grasp (that was quick to find solace against her other still lingering between the catching rise of his breasts), pressing two fingers against his pulse that fluttered keenly underneath his jaw.

"Tell me, has this happened to you before or is this just a stumble from the pub?" 

Jamie shook his head, blushing brightly pink

"I've had naught but water to drink and barely even that I assure ye. And this, here wi' ye -" He gazed at her half in awe, half in disbelief. "I feel all the better just having yer kind touch upon me, lass," he said with breath coming short, but enough to grasp the scent of oak moss, dirt and leaves dewed with rain, spun sweetly around her as if she'd ran through a glade to find him.

Had she? 

This willow-curled faerie, this freckled nosed nymph?

Unaware of the utter besottment beaming in his face the woman responded with a huff, more concerned with this babbling stranger's alarming color and the way his body heavily leaned as if to envelope hers.

"Is that so, charmer?" She held him by his shoulders, surprisingly strong she was. "Because you're likely to fall and crack your head with the way you're swaying. Both your arms too if I were to leave you where you stand. And I will eventually have to."

"Leave?!" Jamie choked, squeezing tightly to her wrists that left her worried-eyed.

Had she not heard his voice calling from afar all these years as he?  

"But I've only just found ye, know ye to be real. Myself no' insane wi' the haunting of ye!" His haggard voice then cracked on the verge of a sob. "I - I dinna even ken yer name."

His grip ashamedly loosened then, coiling anxious between them, but his gaze stayed fixed to hers. Desperate, imploring.

But she remained silent. Cocking her head to one side in scrutiny of him. Her eyes glowing like the wild nameless thing Jamie imagined her to be as they searched his, delving deep til he felt an extraordinary brush of Her within him somehow, curling impossibly around his wearied heart with exquisite gentleness. 

A shuddered gasp escaped them both as she brushed against a tender wound that Jamie had felt all his life and all at once her face softened with understanding and sympathy.

"Oh dear lad, my name is Claire," she breathed softly, soothing his cheek.

"And yours?" 

It took Jamie a second too long to gather his dumbing wits as Claire's name wove itself to the gaping part of his soul he never knew was missing. When he found his voice, he gave all five of his names. But she neither laughed, nor commented on his parents indecisiveness, only hummed the one that mattered most, "Jamie," with a curious glimmer in her eyes. 

"And you say you've been searching for me?"

He nodded, his forehead nearly flushed against hers. "Aye, for sae long. I thought I was going mad. Am I, ye think?"

Claire shook her head, the cloud of her curls bouncing eager as her grin. She then wove her arm in the crook of his.

"The better question is how can I help you?"

_____

A/N: So...this happened....I feel like there are a million mistakes. I won't see them until I post. Definitely could be better written. Be kind please. Just skip right over if it sucks. Also I haven’t posted in forever so sorry if the format looks wonky.

Descriptions of Lallybroch and the bit of the corbie are taken and reworded from the first two books as well as the quote whither thou goest.

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: King-Size Annual Avengers #11: In Honor’s Name!

August, 1982

“Why do the AVENGERS battle the Defenders?”

I dunno, man. Is it Tuesday again?

“And who is the mystery woman Nebulon has fallen for?”

Nebulona? She’s clearly just him but a woman.

Oh, hey Beast. So this is where you got to after quitting the Avengers.

Soooo.... Annuals, amirite? Pain in my butt. I actually forgot to cover this one and #12 is going to be somewhat plot relevant soon so I’ll shove this in wherever.

Its a blast from the past of the previous year.  Back when the Avengers were fantastic but only numbered four: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Wasp.

And the Defenders seem to number many so this isn’t a very fair fight at all.

This issue starts with a PRELUDE

(J. M. DeMatteis again? Is this going to be weird?)

Nebulon the Celestial Man and damn fine dresser fades onto a hilltop shaking his fist and yelling that someone can’t do something to him.

Nebulon is mostly a Defenders villain and the major thing I know about him is that he’s supposedly exceptionally handsome but the handsomeness is a ruse and that the Squadron Sinister stopped helping him destroy the world once because they discovered he wasn’t as handsome as he was letting on.

Goes to show where their priorities lie. Also, the experience was so jarring that the evil Nighthawk decided to join the Defenders much to their chagrin.

So basically I know nothing about Nebulon. Hi, Nebulon.

An angry yelly fish head with the Rocky Horror Picture Show lips inside its fish lips shows up (I think this is what Nebulon realy looks like) and tells Nebulon that his punishment for constantly dicking with Earth is to be stranded on Earth with his powers reduced to half and stuck in his handsome-to-some-but-grotesque-to-fish body.

Okay. That clears things up.

Although I wish all of space would stop using Earth as their place to dump stuff or exile people. Its bad enough when Asgard does it. Its worse enough when there’s a whole crossover about all of space deciding to make Earth its supermax jail. And its a medium amount enough here.

But apparently the shouty fish people have a Prime Directive and Nebulon keeps breaking it, specifically on Earth. But a Prime Directive that also lets them dump troublemakers on planets where they’ve been troublemaking.

Nebulon tries to defend himself that, hey, Earth makes you do crazy stuff. But the yell fish is hearing nothing of it and just tells Nebulon to kill himself if he doesn’t want to be on Earth so bad.

... Eesh.

In his rage at being stranded on Earth, Nebulon teleports inside the Sanctum Sanctorum and starts yelling at Wong.

Wong tells him, dude, Dr Strange isn’t even here. So Nebulon starts beating up Wong.

How dare you, sir. Wong is a great guy!

Nebulon: “Then Wong shall die -- just as your master shall soon die -- and his accursed Defenders with him! They shall all pay for bringing this tragedy down on my head! For, if they had not risen up to thwart me. If they -- if they... Listen to me. Listen to the words of -- a fool! Forgive me, Wong! Neither you, Strange, nor the Defenders are responsible! The blame belongs solely to -- NEBULON!”

And then he teleports away, no doubt leaving Wong very confused.

CHAPTER 1: IN HONOR’S NAME!

Later, Thor flies over the Himalaya mountains and over the chapter title.

He has come for some peace and quiet sitting on a mountain away from the bustle of mortals but what does he find but someone already in his thinking spot!

Thor lands to see who would be sitting on a mountain with no pants on and its Nebulon, of course.

But I have to say. He’s sitting and hugging his knees. That’s advanced brood. That’s, in fact, verging on pout.

Although lets not let the fact that Thor flies out to the Himalayas to be alone sometimes slip on by uncommented.

Thor asks what brings the guy out here and Nebulon has a dramatic exile speech ready to go.

Nebulon: “For hours now I have sat, lost in thought, pondering that very question! What is it that brings any creature to the depths of despair, the edge of doom, but... himself?”

And since he senses a kindred spirit in Thor, one who is as different from the Earthly masses as Nebulon is, he unloads his full story onto Thor’s ears.

Upon hearing all about this dude who tried to take over or sell the world multiple times, Thor is like ‘this guy has got to meet the Avengers!’

Nebulon thinks Avengers sounds like Defenders and he’s not into that but Thor says that the Avengers are way cooler than the Defenders.

(Ooooh, shots fired, Thor)

Thor: “No, my friend -- there are none in all creation to compare with the Avengers! A hardier band of warriors hath ne’er been assembled! Where else could a god walk among mortals and find -- his equals?”

If Nebulon has truly repented of his past deeds, the Avengers will help him make a home on Earth.

And with a manly armclasp, like the one from Predator, Nebulon accepts and Thor takes him AWAY!

While the person who looks like Nebulon but a woman and with better boots watches them go and disappears in a bright flash of light.

CHAPTER 2

Yes, already.

“Avengers Mansion... Over the years, many fantastic beings have walked through the doors of this august Manhattan townhouse: Gods, mutants, androids... even a were-woman. But, of all these unique individuals, few -- if any -- have been more honored, more respected... More willing to serve the cause of freedom, wherever the place, whenever the time.. than the living legend whose only powers are his wits, his daring, and his years of hard-won skill... Captain America!”

And we see Cap leaping and gamboling about the exercise room, exercising.

Cap: “Ah -- there’s nothing like a good workout to make a man feel truly alive! It might pay to run through it once more, though --- my timing was a hair off on the parallel bars!”

Wasp comes in to... well, its Wasp. She comes to eye the eye candy and flirt a little, in a friendly fashion.

Wasp: “I see you’re here early for our meeting -- as usual! Don’t you ever slow down?”

Cap: “I seem to remember catching a few winks back in 1942 or so!”

Wasp: “Why, Cap -- that was two jokes in a row! I didn’t think you had it in you!”

Cap: “Oh, come on, Jan -- I’m not really that serious a guy, am I?”

Wasp: “I was just kidding, handsome.”

Cap: “Oh.”

Heh.

So, Thor called a super special emergency meeting of the Avengers to introduce his cool new friend.

Iron Man (secretly Tony Stark, true believers) is a little tense about the meeting because he had to cancel three business conferences, an address to foreign stockholders, and two dates.

Geez, for one meeting? You ever consider your calendar is way too packed, Tony?

Thor arrives with his cool, new pal and introduces the Avengers to NEBULON -- THE CELESTIAL MAN!

And Iron Man lunges out of his chair to get into better pointing distance.

Thor: “What irks thee, comrade? Why art thou so angered?”

Iron Man: “What irks me, Thor? He does! Haven’t you ever bothered to study our computer-file on alien threats? Your ‘newfound ally’ almost totalled the Earth -- several times!”

Nebulon: “Don’t you see, Thor? They react as I predicted they would!”

Also, geez. I know Tony is frustrated about all the schedule juggling he’s had to do but in this and the Black Knight two-parter he’s a lot ruder to Thor than you’d expect considering how close they are.

Some writers just don’t get the Avengers, I guess.

Cap and Wasp try to get Iron Man to calm down.

Wasp: “I’m sure there’s a darn good reason why Thor brought Nebulon here -- isn’t there?”

She’s downright staring daggers at him when she asks that.

We’ve jumped back in time a little from where I was covering but Jan is still the chairperson of the Avengers. It happened right when she returned from her divorce related hiatus and this four person group has to take place post-Tigra leaving and pre-membership drive.

So, she’s the boss and she just gave angry boss eyes at Thor. And Thor did his default squinting always-looks-pissed look back at her.

Thor tells Nebulon’s whole sad story off-panel.

And damn if it doesn’t hit the Avengers right where they live.

Wasp tells him that they all know what it means to lose something precious “whether it’s an entire world... or the love of one person -- it makes no difference! It hurts to suddenly find yourself -- alone!”

And Captain America sympathizes because when he was defrosted after twenty years, it was like a strange new world!

They’re both on team ‘give Nebulon a chance!’

Iron Man is more reluctant but decides to give Nebulon one chance.

Then the Defenders bust in.

Beast, Valkyrie, Silver Surfer, and Gargoyle who is not Etrigan at all.

And they’re here to kick Nebulon’s ass. Which is entirely fair considering that they’ve been the ones who keep having to stop Nebulon’s planschemes.

Since the Avengers seem to not be beating up Nebulon, obviously they’ve all been mind controlled. Nebulon is clearly planning to blow up half the Earth and use the Avengers to control the rest.

Cap: ‘what’

Silver Surfer: ‘HE’S MAKING A HOSTILE MOVE!’

And then Silver Surfer blasts the floor, sending all of the Avengers sprawling every which way.

MEANWHILE, IN SPACE

There’s a huge spaceship, in space. And within the huge spaceship in space, the lady who looks like a lady Nebulon watches the fight on a screen and cries.

Hey, I get it. Doing the Avengers vs Defenders Again But Worse makes me sad too.

CHAPTER 3

See, that’s more of the length for a chapter. You could learn something from chapter 2, chapter 1.

Anyway, the clock winds back a little for the Defender’s side of the story.

Valkyrie returns to the Sanctum Sanctorum in a good mood and also on a flying horse.

For a long while, Valkyrie’s status quo is that she was inhabiting the body of Barbara Norris, a woman that Dr Strange accidentally drove insane. But she’s gotten her original Asgardian body back so she’s stronger than ever and also not bodyjacking someone else.

She flies into the window, alarming Gargoyle, Beast, and Wong.

Gargoyle tearfully flies up and hugs Valkyrie saying that he thought she was leaving for Asgard forever.

Hey, um, who dis?

-wiki- Ok so he’s an elderly man who was trapped in a gargoyle body by some demons who he broke an agreement with. Cool, cool, cool. I would have guessed much younger based on how he acts here.

Valkyrie also smooshes Beast’s hand when he gives her a handshake hello, because she’s much buffer than she was when she left. Also, she talks more like Thor.

Valkyrie: “I am, at long last, the true Valkyrie! What more need be said?”

Then the Lady Nebulon teleports in and introduces herself as Supernalia. She tells the Defenders that she’s here to save the world from the evil of NEBULON!

Beast doesn’t recognize the name but Valkyrie definitely does. What with all the existing history that I keep alluding to.

Supernalia: “Indeed! I am a bounty hunter from Nebulon’s homeworld come to bring him to justice! He has fled to your Earth, taking sanctuary among the so-called Avengers! Using celestial mind control, he has usurped their will, and -- after decimating part of your world with four pre-set anti-matter bombs -- he plans to use the Avengers to take control of the surviving population!”

Beast goes ‘uh cool story but i’mma verify this real quick by ringing them up’

But then he remembers he already did do that and they were very rude to him!

He remembers this interaction very clearly even though it didn’t happen at all.

Ironically, the Defenders are the ones who are being mind-controlled into accusing other people of being mind-controlled. Yes, I’m pretty sure that’s irony.

Wong suddenly remembers that Nebulon rushed in the previous night but he can’t remember how that interaction actually went.

AH HAH, decides Beast. Clearly proof that Nebulon mind-controlled Wong. Lets go half-cocked everyone.

No, no. Beast decides they’ll need more than just the three of them and wonders who they should call to bolster their numbers to a whole four Defenders. Dr Strange is busy chasing Daimon Hellstrom and Namor soooo...

Valkyrie suggests Silver Surfer because he kicks ass but they have no way to get in contact with him.

Supernalia goes hey allow me.

Supernalia: “Although my planet’s laws forbid direct involvement with alien cultures -- and thus my need of you Defenders -- I can help!”

And she baps Valkyrie in the forehead and instantly transmissions Silver Surfer right to the Sanctum to his existential annoyance.

Silver Surfer: What force has swept me halfway ‘round the world? Who toys with -- the Silver Surfer?”

Valkyrie explains off-panel because this is very much “let me explain! No, there is too much. Let me sum up” kind of day.

CHAPTER 4

We cut back to right after the Silver Surfer knocked everyone on their ass with a warning shot.

Thor: “Surfer -- art thou mad?! Thy ‘warning’ came close to slaying us all!”

Thor gets up to kick Norrin’s rad ass but Valkyrie grabs his arm. She tries to convince him to trust her that Nebulon is controlling the Avengers. She appeals to their shared history, their shared love.

Thor: “Brunnhilde -- thou art truly the one blinded... by thine own prejudice! Because, once, Nebulon stood as thine enemy -- thou takest him for that again!”

Valkyrie: “Thunderer -- once I loved thee -- but now I see -- that thou art -- A FOOL!”

Then she just up and tosses him.

It’s pretty great.

Thor just rights himself midtoss by helicoptering his hammer and tells Valkyrie that she’s the fool. And also that because she fucking threw him, now he knows that its her group that are under some kind of control.

Nebulon starts yelling too because he’s not going to sit by while other people fight his battle so he’s like ‘come on if you’re hard enough, dickfenders’ and Beast is like ‘ok.’

Wasp, team leader, thinks Thor is onto something re: the Defenders being against some kind of influence and asks Iron Man to create a distraction so the Avengers can skedaddle.

Iron Man has the perfect distraction and fires the UNIBEEEEAM. At his own roof, collapsing it on the Defenders.

Iron Man: “Wait till Tony gets the bill for this!”

... so depending on the time frame, either only Nebulon or both him and Wasp are the only ones who don’t know Iron Man is Tony so who are you putting on a show for, Tony?

Or maybe you’re just so used to grousing about the Avengers breaking your shit that you do it even when you do it.

Anyway, since Thor has a hunch that the Defenders are being controlled, he decides that the best thing is to teleport somewhere safe and make a plan.

So Nebulon teleports himself and the Avengers to the Himalayas where he and Thor first met.

The effort nearly kills Nebulon, since his powers have been curtailed by the yell fish. But now they have some space.

Wasp: “And don’t think we don’t appreciate it, Nebulon! But couldn’t you have zapped us to a more temperate climate -- like the Bahamas... or the French Riviera? It mean, it’s COLD here!”

Cap hopes that the Defenders won’t find them somewhere so remote and isolated but Thor, whose idea this was by the by, isn’t so sure because they don’t know who is pulling the strings.

Iron Man: “Good point! Are we dealing with one of our old foes -- one of the Defenders’ -- or perhaps someone out for Nebulon’s head! Let’s face it: we’ve got a wide field to choose from!”

Annnnnnd thennnnn, the Defenders just show up anyway so trying to get some breathing room was a waste of Nebulon’s efforts.

Beast: “Cap, Thor, Iron Man, Jan! You’re all my friends... more than that -- you’re family! So why won’t you believe me when I tell you that this nut’s gonna wipe the whole planet out in a matter of hours! Please -- hand him over or --.”

Nebulon: “Or... NOTHING!”

Then he shoots an energy blast at the Defenders.

Which sadly arcs to the ground with a SHOOOM! and does little more than splash some snow on the Defenders.

But awwww, Beast considers the Avengers family! Shame that once the X-Men pull him back into their orbit, he only hangs out with them and decides never to ask the Avengers for help, either when Professor X gets shot by Stryfe or when trying to solve the Legacy Virus.

I think that social group is a bad influence on Beast. He never broke time or pretended to be gay to dunk on his ex when he was an Avenger. He just got high, practiced polyamory, and yukked it up with his bffsie Wonder Man.

Anyway, Silver Surfer gets up and disses Nebulon for his sad laser blast.

Silver Surfer: “Like all who seek conquest, Nebulon -- you refuse to recognize truth! You alter reality to serve your own malefic ends! But the power you no wield, tyrant, is as nothing compared to that which you once had! You are weak -- as Supernalia said you would be!”

Nebulon is aghast to hear that Supernalia is the one behind all of this. And also aghast when Gargoyle shoots a bio-mystic bolt at him.

Apparently, Gargoyle can shoot bio-mystic bolts. Are there mystic bolts that are not bio? Shrug.

CHAPTER 5

Hey, some of these chapter divisions feel arbitrary. We go from the fight to the fight. At least some other chapter divisions had scene or temporal shifts.

Cap begs the Defenders to fight off Supernalia’s influence. Or the Avengers will fight off Supernalia’s influence for them. Probably via punches.

For whatever reason, this makes Valkyrie go stickycaps.

Valkyrie: “The hour of Earth’s doom draws ever closer -- and, to prevent that doom, we will do whate’er we must! wHaTeVeR wE mUsT!”

Mystifying.

Anyway, with both sides thinking the other side are dumb easily mind-controlled doodoo heads, they both get to the slugfest that neither side wants but thinks there’s no other way to reach the other side but by punching some sense into them.

This panel feels like a microcosm of a lot of Marvel events.

And as this goes on Nebulon just watches the fight with calculating eyes.

I’m sure that’s fine.

Thor and Valkyrie continue sparring verbally, as well as with punches. Valkyrie asks how Thor can let Midgard be destroyed when they both love it so much. And Thor is like ‘for the last time, there’s no danger except from your mysterious new golden pal’

Meanwhile, the Defender’s mysterious new golden pal Supernalia is monitoring the fight from her spaceship. And monitoring the Defenders’ brainwaves.

Thor is actually making Valkyrie doubt. And Supernalia can’t have that.

Supernalia: “I cannot afford to lose control of the Defenders now! For honor’s sake, their rage must grow! And more -- they must retain a psychological surety that cannot be breached! In Valkyrie’s case, the introduction of something... familiar -- something to increase her confidence -- would seem appropriate!”

So Supernalia teleports Valkyrie’s sweet flying horse Aragorn to just. Appear on the Himalayas. Between Valkyrie and Thor.

Valkyrie doesn’t know how her horse suddenly appeared but she’s not going to look a gift teleporting winged horse in the mouth. She jumps on his back and takes to the air.

Thor gets pissed and hammerflings himself after her.

While Thor is chasing Valkyrie around the sky, Iron Man squares up with Silver Surfer.

Silver Surfer tells Iron Man that “you see to halt one who has outraced comets! Soared faster than light itself!” and basically that he rules, Iron Man sucks. And then to prove it, he blasts Iron Man with the power cosmic.

Just that one attack nearly tore Iron Man apart and he’s pretty sure that Silver Surfer was holding back. Oof, that’s some power gap.

BUT MAYBE just maybe if Iron Man puts all of his might into one staggering punch...

It’ll do jack shit to the Surfer.

Well, damn.

Gargoyle fights Wasp but says its not proper for a man to fight a lady. Wasp points out ‘hey you’re fighting me anyway so maybe someone is making you do it.’

Gargoyle: ‘.... NUH UH’

Cool. Good talk.

Supernalia: “This Gargoyle is too... soft! His mind accepts -- but his heart rebels! These beings are not like us! Their minds are filled with too many questions! Their souls overflow with conflicting emotions!”

I can’t believe humans (and Asgardians) have too many feelings and emotions to be easily controlled.

Well, I can believe. It really checks out.

So Supernalia increases the celestial mindwaves to shore up her control, even if it means burning out the Defenders.

Rude.

Thor blasts Valkyrie off of Aragorn with lightning and then catches her, saying he won’t let her fall. So, reasonably enough, Valkyrie elbows him in the face for treating her like a damsel.

They both fall toward the ground. Aragorn catches Valkyrie and Thor catches... a cosmic bolt from Silver Surfer.

You had one job, Iron Man.

And that job was to sneak up on Silver Surfer while he’s self-flagellating for doing a shameful opportunistic attack on Thor.

Iron Man uses those... hip... power pod... things. To zap Silver Surfer’s temples and siphon off some of his power.

And with that power, Iron Man tips a chunk of the mountain on top of Silver Surfer.

This doesn’t keep the Surfer down for long. Despite the fact that trying to contain the incredible surfing energies he absorbed threatens to damage his armor, Iron Man absorbs more when Silver Surfer blasts him, to try to turn the energy back at the Surfer.

Instead, they both explode.

Double KO.

Elsewhere in the fight, Gargoyle blasts Wasp with his bio-mystic bolts, knocking her into the snow.

Gargoyle panics because his bio-mystic bolts are supposed to drain off a fraction of a person’s life-force, not up and kill them.

So Gargoyle shouldn’t have been surprised when Wasp pops back up and zaps him in the chin. And Wasp shouldn’t have been surprised when Gargoyle zaps her back.

She passes out. But so does Gargoyle, to his confusion. His hide should be tough enough to take a truckload of punishment, yet he suddenly feels so weak.

I mean. Wasp is strong enough to blow up a house with her own zaps. But this is probably intended to be Supernalia’s mind control burning him out.

I choose to believe that its Wasp’s cool house-blowing-up might. She’s kicked bigger ass than Gargoyle.

Wasp’s defeat scream momentarily distracts Cap from where he’s fisticuffsing with Beast.

Beast: “Holy cow! I hope she’s not badly hurt!”

Cap: “You hope she’s not -- ?! You can still say that after all you’ve done today? After all the pain this Supernalia has driven the Defenders to cause?”

Beast: “We’ve caused? You’re the ones harboring the lunatic with the anti-matter bombs --.”

There’s no guilt-tripping some people.

Cap throws his mighty shield but Beast must not have heard the song because he not only doesn’t yield, he also catches the shield with his feets.

Then he sleds on it down a snowy incline and tackles Cap.

Beast: “It’s time we quit all this clowning around!”

Cap: “That’s right, Hank! This is serious business -- so hit me! Hit me, blast you! HIT ME!”

Beast: “Hey! wHaT tHe HeCk Am I dOiNg?”

Cap: “Coming to your senses, I hope!”

Beast realizes that Cap dropped his guard and let Beast beat the shit out of him on purpose, let Beast almost kill him.

Cap: “You’re no killer, Hank! And no force, however great, could make you kill! I counted on that fact to snap you out of it!”

Wow, good going, Cap!

Out of everyone here, you’re the only one who successfully snapped anyone out of anything. Although I think Wasp coulda if she had played possum and let Gargoyle think he killed her instead of popping up to zap him.

But Cap has insight into Hank. That probably helped.

Me and Jan know jack about Gargolye.

CHAPTER 6

With exactly two people conscious but not fighting anymore, Nebulon is like ‘hah eat shit Supernalia’

So Supernalia appears.

Beast feels like he’s about to keel over even though he beat the shit out of Cap and Cap feels weaker too. They blame Supernalia because its very easy to blame someone whose fault everything is.

But Supernalia blames Nebulon.

Nebulon slams a drama bomb in response.

Nebulon: “Do not seek to reclaim the upper hand with more lies, Supernalia! Such sophistry is unbecoming in... my wife!”

I heard that in Borat voice and I hate myself a little.

But now that Supernalia’s relation to Nebulon has been established, Nebulon is like ‘but why are you trying to ruin my exile?’

Supernalia: “You were convicted of high crimes, my husband -- and the sentence was a choice of honorable death by your own hand... or ignominious exile! In 500 generations, none of our people have ever chosen exile! All have proudly faced extinction! But you, lacking courage, brought shame upon your wife and children!”

HE HAS KIDS??

Anyway, she came to Earth to just. Kinda. Kill him. To restore honor to their family.

But when she got there, she found that he had already made friends and decided well I need some pawns of my own. So I can kill him.

Nebulon isn’t really impressed because in his one day as an exile, he’s had some epiphanies.

Nebulon: “Unlike you, I have traveled far across this universe! I have learned to see in new ways! Our concepts of honor are archaic! Our laws are cruel! I now dare to dream higher dreams, for I have learned what it means to have -- friends!”

Supernalia: “I have been your friend... and much more! Since our childhood betrothal have I stood by you -- despite your constant avoidance of responsibilities! Despite your failure to achieve glory or rank!”

Oof, imagine if your childhood friend and spouse told you that being exiled on Earth taught him what friendship really means.

I have to imagine that Cap and Beast are just listening to this like ‘god why do cosmic people always have to dump their relationship baggage on Earth?’

Supernalia then tries to tell Beast and Cap that Actually Nebulon is up to no good.

Beast is like yeah nice try.

But this time Supernalia has actual proof evidence.

She dispels the invisibility cloak hiding the Ennui Device that Nebulon left on a prior trip to Earth and is now using to drain energy from the Avengers and Defenders to beef himself up.

Now, Cap and Beast turn to Nebulon like ‘but buddy, why?’ and also to punch him a little bit, in a friendly manner.

Nebulon: “I did what I had to -- to survive! Believe me -- I truly wanted the friendship you offered -- but observing the unfolding battle, I realized I could never find peace on this or any world -- without the POWER!”

And this rude boy who doesn’t understand what friendship means punches both Cap and Beast.

Beast sprawls right at Supernalia’s feet completely burned out and goes hey feel like stepping in??

Supernalia: “I can do nothing directly, Beast. I am not permitted to interfere!”

Beast: “You... stupid... self-deluding... idiots! Don’t you understand that all this has happened... because you already have... interfered?!?!”

Supernalia: “So           I              have!”

And since now she’s done the big bad transgress of the Prime Directive, she decides that unlike her shitbird husband, she’s going to do the honorable thing and kill herself.

I. Have no words. At this entire exchange.

Its too much.

Nebulon is distraught so slaps the gun out of her hand and begs her to instead of killing herself, not do that. She could stay on Earth and rule at his side!

This latest bout of cosmic interpersonal drama gives Cap the opportunity to muster his strength and throw his mighty shield.

It deflects the ray emitter of the Ennui Device so it hits Nebulon instead of the Avengerdefenders.

Except, oops, the Ennui Beam was calibrated for “humanoid physio-psycho energies” so instead of draining his energy, the Ennui Beam just straight up starts killing Nebulon.

Amazing how you can stretch vocabulary to encompass humans, Asgardians, mutants, power cosmic imbued Zenn-Lavians, and whatever demonic biz is going on with the Gargoyle.

It sure is amazing how it affects all these different things as intended but its accidentally fatal in a way that will help wrap up the story.

Beast wet noodle jumps to try to redirect the beam and save Nebulon but Supernalia shoves him out of the way and then jumps into the beam herself.

Supernalia: “Thus, I join my husband -- in oblivion!”

Geez, when she sets her mind to killing herself, she sticks with it

.__.

Nebulon agrees that Actually This is the Right and Correct Course for them, I guess because couple counseling is a hassle.

Then the Ennui Device overloads and explodes and Nebulon and Supernalia turn to their true forms of giant weird fish people with Rocky Horror Picture Show lips inside fish lips.

Beast laments that Supernalia didn’t just let him save both of them but she’s like ‘HONORRR’ and then dies.

Thor: “I called Nebulon friend and he decieved me! Yet now -- Thor mourns his passing!”

Silver Surfer: “What manner of beings were they, to cherish honor so much... and value life so little?”

Cap: “Perhaps, Surfer -- not so different from us. Not so different -- at all!”

Okay, shut up your face, Cap.

First off, I don’t think much of an honor code that says its okay to mind control and lie to people and use them as pawns in a way that could kill them but then also goes ‘this is an honorable death’ when you stupid yourself to death.

And neither should you! Don’t put a poetic, poignant spin on things! This whole affair was a weird couples spat that two space weirdos forced you to participate in!

Follow @essential-avengers​ because I went back and covered an inconsequential annual and now I can’t go back and not do that. I wasted my time for you. Also, like and reblog. I need positive reinforcement. It makes me happy.

[arandompostarchive]

SALEM - Ch. 6

SAVED WORK

Summary: In all the centuries of your existence, you had never been dragged out of hiding by another god, put in a superhero team and forced to save the universe. But it seems your luck has run out.

Loki was not having any fun.

Three days in a cell, right after finding out you were alive? And this time he didn’t even do anything. Talk about torture.

But here he was. Still just waiting. Before he heard shoes click against the stone, much too fast to be yours, and he was sure there were at least three. He straightened up on his bed, just waiting for them to approach.

“Okay, here’s the deal Reindeer Games,” He heard a man say. “You’re getting out of here if, and only if you help us defeat whatever supposed evil we’re dealing with. Got it.”

He saw his brother standing in the background, smiling at him. He was certain it was you and Thor who got him out of there. He was thankful, though you would be the only one he told this. The Captain was the one leading him out with Thor and the Man of Iron behind him. They lead him down the long hallway into the actual compound. To his slight surprise, they took his cuffs off. Not that he was expecting to help the team with them on, but nonetheless it was surprising the Captain didn’t put up a fight.

He was lead into a small common room, one or two people were up there, likely waiting for him. You weren’t there, which was a slight surprise. The Captain stepped in front of him.

“I hope you understand that even one mistake, one small slip up and you’ll be right back down there. And we’ll make it permanent this time.” Loki sighed in response.

“The only reason I didn’t ‘try anything’ was because I actually want to help for once, did you consider that?” The Captain didn’t respond. “Well, I suppose that’s fair.” He finished before he heard a voice through the room.

“Fury has asked you to meet in the meeting room, he asked that you make it quick.”

The members of the team shared a small glance at each other before the Captain responded. “Okay, call Y/n. We’ll head over there now.” He then turned to Loki. “Someone needs to stay here and show Loki to his room.” That prompted Loki to let out a sigh again. He anticipated doing that a lot.

Eventually the Widow agreed, taking him towards a hall with only a few doors. Each had a small decoration on them, it seemed childish, so he made the assumption that at least one of them was Thor’s. Which was proven right when he saw his brother walk out of the closest room down the hall past him, smiling at Loki. He tried (and failed) to resist rolling his eyes. Since Thor was in this hall, he assumed the next room was yours. He was right. The door had a small pentacle on it, something he noticed you started wearing. So, that left him with the room furthest down the hall.

The Widow, who introduced herself as Natasha even though he had no intention of referring to her that way, was saying something about how he’s staying here and shouldn’t do anything stupid. He was much more focused on your door. Thor had left, probably to go to whatever meeting was going on, but you hadn’t yet.

Did you not want to see him?

Maybe he’s overreacting. You might not be there. You might just be in another room or something. Who’s room?

The Widow said something along the lines of “make yourself comfortable” or “don’t screw this up” whatever it was, he didn’t care much. The room wasn’t as bad as he first thought it would be. A nice couch, a bed. It had a tv on one side, which made him think this room used to belong to someone else, there’s no way the team would let him have the same luxuries they had. They still didn’t like him.

He wasn’t sure exactly how long he was waiting. But he stayed on his chair, listening carefully for any sort of footsteps to signify the meeting had ended and he could actually talk to you. Eventually he heard you. Your footsteps stopped but he didn’t hear a door open or anything. Instead he heard a small knock. With absolutely no hesitation he opened the door to see you standing there, looking fairly distressed.

“Are you alright C-uh Y/n?” You shook your head. He instinctively wrapped his arms around you. He knew the two of you couldn’t just pick up where you left off. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want to.

Your arms wrapped around him. For all of a second he forgot he was going to say something.

“Oh, come in.” He lead you back to the couch in his room where you sat on the opposite side. “What’s going on? Do they not believe me or something?”

“No, they believe you. The woman you were fighting. She sounds like my sister, Ker. And apparently she’s been in California. She keeps painting the phrase “ Doom is rising”, we aren’t even sure what that means.”

To be completely honest, Loki wasn’t sure either. In the time he spent with Ker, she had barely talked. Hadn’t said anything at all. In fact, the only thing she had ever said, was about the world of the punished, a place she called Tartarus, which he still wasn’t sure if that was a person too or if she was just insane.

“No one has told me exactly how long I’ve been gone, but I think I know where I was. Ker kept disappearing though. I managed to get out when she left, but I guess she found me.”

You nodded, “If you know where she took you, we could always go back there?”

He remembered Tartarus, with all the pain and death it was hard to forget. But if doom was rising anywhere, it would probably be from there. He still didn’t want to go back. And how could you blame him?

“I’d rather not. I narrowly escaped as it was, and not before she came chasing after me. Besides, what would we even do there? She doesn’t have anything we want.”

You didn’t seem phased by this. “She knows what’s going on. Always have to do is get there, defeat her, and figure out what’s happening. You narrowly escaped because it was just you. With both of us it’ll be much easier!”

He wasn’t sure. He fought Ker. If it hadn’t been for the interruption, he was certain he would’ve lost. And if he was being honest, if Ker hadn’t disappeared, the Captain would’ve lost too. But in fairness, you were a god. He wasn’t and if Ker is you sister, you’d know her a lot better. He still didn’t think it was worth the risk.

“This is a bad idea. It’s not worth it. Even if we get out of there with exactly what we want, is it really worth it?” Sure he wanted to help, but he wasn’t looking to die along the way. “I mean, this is death were talking about violent death. And I’ve fought death before. It took me, Thor, a Valkyrie and that Hulk thing.” That made you smile. “Oh no. What did I say?” He mumbled. “I really don’t like that look on your face.”

“Loki, you just came up with the perfect plan.” He raised an eyebrow. He was willing to be he really wouldn’t like what came out of your mouth next. “We’ll ask Thor!” He was right.

“No, no. Absolutely not. We are not bringing my brother.”

You sighed, “Loki, three gods could definitely kill death! Besides, she’s more of a spirit anyway.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Loki, I’m on the wrong side of almost every myth. I’m always trying to do what I think is right, or what I have to do, and I’m almost always wrong. For once, with this team? I know I’m on the right side. I know how to be a hero. But if you would’ve lost the fight with Ker, I think the three of us could do a lot better.”

He thought about it. He was almost certain you were being dramatic just so he’d agree (in fairness, you were) but you did have an actual point. The three of you would do much better than the two of you.

“Fine. Only because we could an extra hand.” You smiled. Definitely dramatic.

***

You didn’t have much of a plan. Get Thor to go off world with you, have Loki lead the way to wherever he was captured, defeat Ker, come back to the tower before anyone gets too mad about you leaving. Simple.

So, you knocked on Thor’s door, Loki standing next to you. He was insistent that he didn’t like this idea, but he hadn’t made a real effort to stop you yet, so you figured he was at least a tiny bit on board.

“Y/n and Loki? Not that I don’t want to talk with you, but why are you at my door?” Thor said once he opened the door.

You smiled, “Oh, you know. Just wanted to see you is all!” Thor looked a bit confused.

“I just saw you? Not more than 20 minutes ago? You sat next to me?”

“Oh yeah, right. Well, you wouldn’t mind if I ask a favor right?”

Thor looked up at his brother, who only shrugged. You were definitely doing something. He just wasn’t sure what. “What kind of favor are you thinking of?” He almost didn’t want to ask. Normally it ended up being something slightly ridiculous. Like asking him to shock Barnes’ arm and make him think it was Sam. But you seemed a little more serious this time. Just a little.

“We want to hunt down Ker. We kinda need your help. Three gods are better than two, right?”

Thor wasn’t sure. “We can’t chase down death, especially when Fury is already planning on sending a team. You were at the meeting.”

He was right. Fury didn’t think these messages were as big a problem as you did. Doom could mean quite a lot of things and none of them were good. He was going to send a small team. You knew your siblings well. Most of them were not kind of merciful. If she even suspected that whoever Fury sent was there to fight her, she’d kill them. Especially if they were human. It felt like sending troops into battle, but not telling them it’s a suicide mission. In fact, that’s exactly what it was. Not stopping deaths that could be prevented. You tried saying this, but it seemed Fury had already made the decision.

Loki spoke before you could. “Brother, you’ve fought death. You know mercy is hardly in her vocabulary. As much as I don’t like it, we have the best chance of succeeding.”

He was probably right. “I’m sorry, Loki. If we’re going to fight her, we need the team. We should try to convince Fury not to send anyway if you think it’s this important.”

You sighed. “I tried to. That’s the first thing I did.”

Thor shook his head again.

“You really aren’t going to come with us, huh Thor?”

He sighed. “I’m sorry. I know it’s important but… I think we’ve got a better chance with the team.”

You wanted to be mad. Even a tiny bit, but you really couldn’t blame him. He was right. But the rest of the team were mortals. The could take a knife through the chest like you could. Ker didn’t waste time speaking, she never did. She wouldn’t wait for the Captain to finish talking about how she should ‘do the right thing and help’ or even just tell you what was happening. Sure, it was probably one of your dumber ideas, but oh well.

“Fine, but just promise me: don’t tell the team. They shouldn’t know unless they really have to. Just to keep them safe.”

Thor nodded and closed his door. You headed back to Loki’s room and sat down on his couch.

“Okay, I guess we can’t be the ultimate trio. We really could’ve kicked ass.” You said, smirking.

“We can be the ultimate duo and do the same thing.” Loki sat next to you. “We do, however, need an actual plan. I think I can get us back to where Ker was, but what will we go when we get there?”

You smiled. “Hit her hard.”

“No, something that will actually help.”

“Hit her harder?”

“No.”

You looked at him. “Okay, you do better.” He opened his mouth to respond, but you added on before he could. “Something that doesn’t involve stabbing.” His mouth closed for a second.

“Very funny.” In all honest, Loki’s plan had included stabbing, he could figure something out.

“We should get the Tesseract.” He said. You looked a bit confused. “I do actually know where it is, and if we really need it, it’s a quick escape.” He was right.

“Okay then. Step One: Find the Tesseract. Please tell me you hid it on a super peaceful planet?”

He sighed, “Why would I do that if I actually wanted to protect it?”

***

[chickensarentcheap]

Sanctuary - Chapter 29

Warnings: some violence

Tagging: @innerpaperexpertcloud, @alievans007, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y, @thorsbathroomchicken, @valkyrie-of-the-light

If you can, please leave even the smallest comment so I know someone is reading lol  <3

“I thought you said you knew how to do this?”  Esme whispers, as she nervously bounces up and down on her heels, arms crossed over her chest, hands vigorously rubbing her shoulders in a vain attempt to warm herself up.  Enormous poplars tower over either end of the McMann's front porch, effectively blocking out the sun and bringing a chill to the air.

“I do,” Yaz responds, as he uses a picking tool to manipulate the lock on the front door. He'd already used a high tech blocker to jam the security system; once inside no alarm would sound and no police or security would be alerted to their activity.  “It just takes time.”

“It's been fifteen minutes. If there's anyone watching, they're going to see us.”

“If there is anyone watching, they would have seen us by now.  I can't believe you even talked me into this.”

“I was getting tired of waiting around for Nik to make up her mind about whether she wanted us to check the place out or not.  What's with her dragging her heels? We are running out of time. Those kids are running out of time. We need information, Yaz. It's not going to fall into our laps.” “I thought you were going to get information tomorrow. On your date.”

“It is not a date. It's a ruse. To get what I what.  This clock is ticking. We don't have time to fuck around. Those kids have been missing for two weeks. And you know as well as I do, that they're on borrowed time. So it's time to pull out all the stops.  Go big or go home.”

'Tyler's going to flip his shit, you know that, right?”

“Tyler is a big boy that realizes that we need to get the show on the road. And that sometimes means  making....uncomfortable...decisions.”

“You really think he's going to be okay with his wife going out on a date with some random guy?”

“Again, it's not a date. I'm using this person to get information. Information we all desperately need, I might add.  This is the only way I'm going to get it, Yaz. And it's messed up and it's weird and it's going to get incredibly awkward.  But this has to be done.  He's got names. People who have way more clout and info than he does. We are so close to finding out just who has those kids and where they are.”

“You're crazy if you think Tyler is going to go along with this.  I wouldn't if I was in his shoes. I wouldn't want my wife putting herself out there like that. Pretending she's single, flirting with other men, having dinner and drinks with them.”

“It's for the job. He's not going to feel threatened over some two bit hood that I have to con to get info out of. He's forty years old, Yaz. He's far beyond being the jealous and irrational type.”

He smirks. “You keep telling yourself that.”  There's an audible 'click' as the lock finally gives way, and he shoots her a victorious grin as he turns the handle and pushes the door open, holding it for her and gesturing for to step inside first.  

“Oh so it can be me the attack dogs come after first,” she teases, slapping him playfully across the chest before stepping into the foyer. “Not too shabby,” she gives a nod of approval as she surveys the polished marble tiles, cove ceilings, and rich cherry wood accents. “I didn't picture McMann as the type to have wainscotting and antiques. He seems more like the leather and chrome type. Look...” she picks up a small knick-knack from the hallway table; a small porcelain figurine of a young boy with his dog. “...he even has Hummels! Talk about someone being a total mind fuck! Total study in contradiction, don't you think?”

“How do you even know what Hummels are? You don't seem like the type to collect frilly and pretty shit.”

“My grandmother used to collect them. She had a whole china cabinet full of them.  She used to threaten to beat our asses if even dared step a single toe in the living room where they were kept.   She was the type that had plastic on the couches and fancy hand towels in the bathroom that no one was allowed to touch. Oooo...look...mail,” she picks up a stack of envelopes from the table.  “Let's snoop.”

“What are we exactly looking for?” Yaz asks, as they fall in step alongside of each other, curiously watching as she thumbs through the stack of mail, then selects a handwritten letter bearing a New Zealand postal stamp.

“Anything and everything,” she tears into the envelope, plucking the stiff writing paper out from its confines, carefully opening it.  “Fancy,” she releases a low, impressed whistle. “Someone doesn't realize the art of good penmanship and snail mail died a long time ago.  This has to be from an older relative. Someone still hanging onto the past. Maybe Heather's grandmother?”

“Maybe. What's it say?”

“It's about the business. Maybe the grandmother's shop? The one where she was helping Heather hide out from her father? Where McMann found her? There's no name of the place or an address. The letter is personal. Nothing business like about it.  All about how sad it is that the end of the era has come and how the writer wishes things could have been different. But they accept the decision and won't contact them again. It's signed Nan.”

“Definitely the grandmother.” Yaz concludes.

“We'll take it with us,” Esme says, and then pauses before she slips it into her purse. Then drops all of the envelopes inside. “We'll talk all of them, actually.”

“You don't think he's going to realize his mail is missing?”

“Who cares. Let him think he's gone crazy and tear the place apart looking for it.  Let's start upstairs and work our way down.”

“You seem to enjoying this a little too much,” Yaz comments, as he follows her up the spiral staircase, loose floorboards sagging and creaking under their feet. “Were you a cat burglar at some point in your old life?”

“No,” she laughs. “I just get a perverse satisfaction out of snooping through peoples' shit and finding out the skeletons in their closet. Especially people like this. The ones who have the fancy house and the fancy cars and the designer clothes. The ones that look so perfect on the outside yet have the most twisted shit going on behind closed doors.”

“So about this date...”

She sighs.

“Sorry...about this 'non date'.  You honestly think Tyler is going to be okay with it? That you're going to let some IRA dude wine and dine you?”

“First all, I think you need to stop worrying about what goes on between Tyler and I.  Our marriage is good, Yaz. It's beyond good. It's amazing. We love each other and want to spend the rest of our lives together and totally intend on doing just that. We have four amazing kids.  If we've managed to get through the past five and a half years, this bullshit with Michael McMann isn't going to break us.”

“But you're pretending like your single. You're flirting with this bartender. You agreed to go out with him.”

“It's for the job,,” she reminds him. “There's nothing scandalous going on. It is strictly business. I'm not running off to cheat on my husband. This isn't committing adultery. This is lying and conning someone into giving us what we want. What we need. And Tyler is going to understand that. Any rational human being would.”

“You realize that he isn't exactly understanding and rational when it comes to you, right? You realize it drives him batshit insane if another guy so as much looks as you when you're with him? He doesn't even like me checking you out.”

“You've been checking me out?”

“It's kind of hard not to. At the risk of sounding like a pervert, you're kind of hard not to notice. I so would have scooped you up if you weren't into tall, buff, Australian dudes.  I'm just saying that this is a horrible idea. You hooking up with this bartender. It can be done another way. Getting information. Why risk pissing Tyler off and causing issues between you guys?”

“He isn't going to be pissed off. He's a professional.”

“He's also your husband.  Maybe he'd be okay with it if it was just some girl off the street Nik brought in. But you guys have history. You're his wife. And no husband is going to like the idea of his wife being with another man. Whether it's for business or not.  Doesn't he at least get a say in this?”

“What he is going to say?”

“That you're insane and there's no way he's letting you do it.”

“I admit, when I tell him, he may get a little upset...”

Yaz stares at her pointedly.

“Okay so he may get very upset. But when he calms down, he'll realize that it's for the best. That things like this have to be done from time to time. I'm going to have a dinner and a couple drinks and I'm going to get the info we need. I'm not running off with some strange man to cheat on my husband. Give me some credit, would you? Sheesh. You don't really think that about me do you? That I'd do that to Tyler?”

“I don't think you would. I know you're crazy about the guy. But this is some serious shit you're wadding into. This guy is IRA. Not just a bartender. A bartender that's in a terrorist organization. And you're walking right into his bullshit. This is crazy. You know it is. And I agree that we need information, but...”

“You check the master bedroom,” she suggests. “I'll hit up the kids' rooms”

He captures her by the wrist before she can walk away. “Esme, I'm just worried about you, okay? This is some scary shit we're all getting into it. You're my friend. Tyler's my friend. I don't want to see this screwing things up for you guys. You two have a great thing.  He has a normal life. A wife and kids.  A house. All the things he'd never thought he'd have, you gave him.  And I don't want to see all that fucked up because of this Michael McMann bullshit. Just promise me you'll hear him out. When you tell him about tomorrow night. Don't just ignore what he has to say. Because I don't think you realize just how much he loves you. How much it would kill him to lose you. To lose what he has.”

“I'm not going anywhere, Yaz.  I plan to stick around. For a very long time.  Or least until you end up killing me for making jokes at your expense.”

He grins at that.

“Tyler knows I love him. He knows that I would do anything for him.  I'm not going to let anyone screw my life up.  I've worked too hard at this and put too much work into my marriage...into my family...to let the job mess that up. I promise.”

“Good,” he says, and then playfully tousles her hair. “Now lets get to work.”

****

McMann is already waiting for the them at the scheduled, a long abandoned school on the outskirts of town. A one story sprawling building; faded and chipped red bricks, broken and missing windows, weeds and grass to the knees, industrial sized dumpsters filled the brim.  The area itself is a disaster; most of the houses empty and boarded up, junk of various shapes and sizes filling the yards of the tenants who still remain.  A foul stench hangs in the air; rotting trash, pollution from the factories only blocks away, the smell of mould and mildew that comes with years of neglect and decay.

“That's him?” Mark mutters as they approach,  McMann watching them with narrow, darkened eyes, taking one last, long drag of his cigarette before tossing it aside.

Tyler nods. “Just remember what I told you. Just go with it.”

“Who the hell is this? McMann barks. “You're supposed to be alone. What the hell kind of shit are you trying to pull, Rake?”

“I was just going to ask you the same thing,” he retorts, and before McMann  can get out another word, Tyler is grabbing a hold of the front of his t-shirt and slamming his forearm into his throat; using his height and weight advantage to shove the startled man into the side of one of the dumpsters. The back of his head slamming off the metal with an echoing thud.

“What the fuck?!” McMann roars. “What the fuck do you think you're doing? Are you fucking crazy? What is wrong with you? We had a deal!”

“Everything you told me was a goddamn lie,” Tyler snarls. “Right from the very beginning. Right from the fucking start you've been bullshitting me. Playing me. You didn't think I'd find out? You didn't think I had ways of looking into you and figuring out what you're up to?”

“I don't know what you're talking about. I don't...”

He increases the pressure of his forearm; leaning into the other man. Until McMann is coughing and sputtering and his face turning a vivid shade of red.  “Don't lie to me,” Tyler hisses.  “If there was ever the time to tell the truth, this would be it.”

“You're crazy,” McMann manages through the gagging; spit rolling down the sides of his mouth, sweat beading across his forehead. His eyes wide with a mixture of fury and terror. “You're fucking crazy. I was warned about you. How unhinged you are.”

“I haven't even got to the point of being unhinged. I know about your little plan. All the bullshit you spewed to get me here. Away from my family. You wanted me alone. You thought it would make me vulnerable. You thought you'd be able to get the drop on me.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about you. You!” he barks the last word at Mark, who stands idly by with his hands shoved in his pockets, enjoying the exchange. “Do something would ya? Get him off of me!”

“No,” Mark says, and casually leans against one of the brick walls. “I don't think I will.”

“Your little friend showed up at my hotel,” Tyler continues. “What is she? Your little girlfriend? Your side piece?”

“What girl? Who...”

“She gave me the pictures. The pictures of your wife and your kids. The proof of life. And she gave me the pictures of my family. Of my wife, my kids. Didn't I warn you not to fuck with my family? Didn't I tell you it was the worst possible thing that you could do? Go after my wife and my kids? That I would kill you if you even thought about it?”

“I swear...” McMann claws at Tyler's forearm, struggles in vain to get away from the strong, solid body keeping him in place.  “...I don't know what you're talking about...”

“Tell me the truth,” Tyler orders.  “All of it. Or I will snap your neck right here and now and I'll leave you here to rot.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about!” he insists, his skin turning a hideous shade of purple, blood vessels popping in his eyes. And with his free hand he reaches up to grab a hold of Tyler's hair; yanking and twisting it.

“You stupid fucker!”  Tyler roars; the act dissipating, the rage suddenly all too real.

That simple and desperate act of violence and retaliation against him sends him over the edge.  Five and a half years of pent up anger and frustration.  The confusion he'd felt during those months in the hospital and all through those long and tedious days of rehab and wondering if he'd ever been even half the man he once was.  The guilt that he carried around over what he had put Esme through; her fight to keep him alive on the bridge,  the nights she'd spent sleeping beside his hospital bed, the animosity she'd felt towards him for having pushing her into a life she didn't  want. The lingering fear that he'll lose her. That she'll disappear from his life just as quick as she entered it. Leaving him broken and alone and raising four kids by himself. He wouldn't survive. He knows it.  He'd turn to the booze and the meds again and his life would fall apart and then he'd no longer even have his children.

His forearm slips from McMann's throat and his hand wraps around his throat. Knuckles cracking and turning white from the pure, brute force that he uses.  Nostrils flaring. Chest heaving from a mixture of rage and exertion. Eyes dark and crazed.  The eyes of a predator that has managed to catch his prey and will show no mercy.

“All right...” Mark is stepping alongside of him now.  “....take it easy....take it down a notch...this isn't what we came for...”

“You fucking lied to me,” Tyler's voice is low, menacing. Fingers pressing further into McMann's throat.  “I told you to leave my family out of it. I told you to stay away from my wife and my kids. And now they're caught up in this bullshit. Your bullshit.  And if anything happens to my wife because of you...”

“Hey...hey...” Mark lays a hand on Tyler's arm. “...look at me, kid....look at me...”

Tyler inhales sharply, breath slowly leaving his lungs and his lips, turning those furious blue eyes on Mark's concerned hazel ones.

“Nothing is going to happen to her, okay? She's going to be fine. She's safe. With you. Now just take it down a notch. This isn't what we came here for. Step back, take a breath, and get your shit together. Understand me?”

Tyler just stares at him. Just heaving. Fingers finally beginning to relax around McMann's throat.

“You kill him and then what?” Mark asks. “You kill him, you don't get what you want. You need whatever information he has. He dies, those kids die. And you know that.  That's not what you want, Tyler. You don't want the blood of those kids on your hands. So take a step back and calm down, you hear me?

He finally relents.  Hand relaxing and falling off of McMann's throat, stepping back as the man's body collapses to the ground in front of him.  

“Just take it easy...” Mark encourages, and rubs his shoulders in the same way a manager would do a boxer in between rounds.  “....just take a few deep breaths and take it easy...”

Tyler rakes his hands through his hair;  then bends at the waist, hands resting on his thighs. Eyes closed as he struggles to regain his composure. Sucking in long, shaky breaths. Releasing them slowly. Until he feels all of his muscles begin to relax; the rage and the tension disappearing first from his shoulders, then spreading down his arms and his arms.  

“You stupid sonofabitch,” McMann gasps for air as he struggles into a sit, back against the dumpster.  “Do you know who you're messing with? Do you know the people I know? The people I'm involved with? What they could do to you? To your family?”

“Shut your goddamn mouth,” Mark snarls. “I've calmed him down once. I won't be able to again.  Keep his family out of this. If you know what's good for you. You good?” he pats Tyler on the back.  “You think you can hold it together long enough to get some information out of this prick?”

He nods, heaving a sigh as he stands up. “I'm good.”

“What kind of information?” McMann asks, eyes narrowed as Tyler approaches him. “I've already told you everything I know.”

“You lied to me, mate.  Right off the hop. You told me that your wife was a shop keeper in New Zealand. That she was feeding you information while you were there for a job. I know that's all shit. I know who she is. I know who her family is. Who her father was.  You were working for him. He hired you to extract her.  She was a kid.  She was a fucking kid and you took advantage of her. She was weak and vulnerable and you were responsible for her and you preyed on her, you sick fuck.”

“We fell in love,” he tries to reason. “I never forced her into anything. It was mutual.”

“She was a teenager! She was seventeen and you took advantage of her. What the hell is wrong with you? You were thirty three. You were supposed to protect her. Bring her home to her father.  She was vulnerable and she trusted you and you took advantage of that. For that alone I should break your fucking neck. We both have daughters. Would you want that for your daughter? I sure as hell don't. And if someone like you ever even so as much looks at my daughter the wrong way. I'll do shit to them  that they couldn't even begin to imagine in their worst dreams.”

“She was almost an adult,” McMann continues. “She wasn't a child. She was...”

“I know about everything,” Tyler says. “I know that you started taking jobs for friends of her old man. That you'd take the money and not get the work done. I also know that you killed him.”  He's taking a shot in the dark with the last part; there's no proof that McMann is the one that did the hit himself. Or had one put on his father in law.

“He knew too much.  About me being part of the IRA. I told him I left and he found out I didn't and he was going to try and convince Heather to take the kids and leave.”

“You're still part of them?” Mark inquires. “The IRA?”

“No. I did leave. Two years ago. I have nothing to do with them now.”

“Why'd you lie about who has your wife and your kids?” Tyler asks. “We know it's not the IRA.  They deny having anything to do with it. They won't claim responsibility.  Why'd you tell me it was them? Do you realize what could have happened? If I'd just come in here believing what you said and caused all kinds of shit with them? How bad things would have gotten? You wanted me to take the fall for you, didn't you. You wanted me to come here and blow shit up and take a bullet for you. To cover up who's actually behind all of this. You were willing to have me killed to cover your shit up.”

McMann nods.

“Who has them?” Mark asks. “Who has your wife and your kids?”

“Her family,” he replies. “The Buckmans.”

“Whose in charge?” Tyler inquires.  “Of the family? Is it your wife?”

“I can't...I can't tell you that.  You have to understand.  If I tell you everything...”

“Is your wife in charge?” Tyler presses, and takes a step closer. “Don't fuck me around here, mate. You've lied to me enough. So unless you want me snapping your neck for good this time...”

“I'm not sure.  I'm not sure she's involved. At first I thought she was innocent in all of this. That she was just as innocent as the kids. And then things started not adding up. The more and more I thought about it, things didn't make sense.”

“Why? Why would she do it? Why would she do that to her own kids?”

“Revenge?” McMann suggests with a shrug. “For what I did to her father.”

“And because you've been sticking your dick where it doesn't belong?” Mark smirks. “Yeah, we know about that too. You're just one big shit show, aren't you.”

“Where are they?” Tyler asks. “Where are your wife and kids?”

“That I don't know.  I honestly do not know. I've got both of them after me . The IRA. The Buckmans.”

“Well you're well and truly fucked aren't you, mate.  And I'd give a shit if you didn't go after my family. Was it you? That sent that girl? Erin? Was it you that had someone take pictures of my wife and my kids?”

“No. I had nothing to do with that. I'd have no reason to do that. I needed you here. To help.”

“No. You needed me here to start a whole bunch of shit. And die in the process.  Then shit really hit the fan with your wife and your kids and you realized you did need me alive. That you needed me to do your dirty work. Because you're a coward. A fucking coward that preys on young girls. You were never going to try and get your wife and your kids back, were you. You were going to leave that all to me.”

“I'm not like you,” McMann says.  “I can't do the things you do.  I can't turn it off.  The emotions.”

“And you think I can? You think I like doing this? You think I like having to kill people? I do it because I have to. Because  I have no other choice. Because it's me or them.  Because I have a family that needs me  and going home in a body bag isn't an option.”

“Where are they?” Mark asks. “The kids.”

“I told you. I don't know. I'm not in on this. I have nothing to do with this. I would never do something like that. To my own kids.  I do need your help,” he turns pleading eyes up at Tyler.  “I do need you to find them.  To get them out.  You're the only one that can do it.”

“And if I was to leave right now?” Tyler asks “If I was to just say 'fuck it' and leave? What then?”

“You wouldn't be able to live with yourself,” McMann replies. “You have kids of your own. And every time you would look at them, you'd think about the kids you left behind. To die.”

Tyler gives a derisive snort. “Let's go,” he says to Mark, and then turns on his heel to head for the car.  “We're done here.”

“Don't you fucking walk away!” McMann roars, as he struggles to his feet. “Don't you bail on me, Rake! Don't you bail on my kids!”

“I'll find your kids,”  Tyler assures him.  “Just as long as you stay the fuck out of my way.”

*****

The McMann house is eerily quiet; nothing but the soft hum of the central air conditioning  filling the air. Outside is just as still; no breeze tousling the tree tops, no sounds of children playing in nearby yards or cars on the street. The sky gray and dreary; an imminent threat of rain.

Esme scours the little girl's room; the boy's had turned up nothing out of the ordinary and it had left her frustrated and feeling helpless. One moment it felt as if they were getting closer to finding out their whereabouts, the next it seemed as if they were taking a hundred steps backwards.

The room is the quintessential girls room. A white wood canopy bed with a billowing sheer panels; white with delicately embroidered pink and purple flowers around the edges. An obviously handmade quilt boasting panels displaying rainbows, unicorns and other mythical creatures. The hardwood floor covered in places by impossibly soft bubble gum pink shag throw rugs, a wall to wall bookcase filled with the little one's favourites and a wide selection of stuffed animals. A desk in one corner; covered with drawers and loose markers and crayons. A towering dollhouse in the other; filled with every possible kind of decor and furniture and several different Barbies.

She searches the closet; flipping through hangers of clothing.  Mostly dresses;  all flowing and made from expensive fabrics and boasting rich, vibrant colours.  A handful of more casual items; jeans, a few t-shirts,  a couple of zip up sweaters.  And she sticks her arm in as far as it will go; blindly feeling along the walls for any shelving or even tucked away spaces and corners that could be used as hiding spots.

Nothing.

Sighing, she closes the closet door and journeys to the dresser.  Fingertips tracing along the various toys and small figurines that sit on top of it.  Unicorns the current favourite; ceramic ones that have been hand painted, others made from glass, a couple constructed of heavy crystal, two with multi-coloured flowing manes and tails. There's a hair brush and a handheld mirror; antique by the looks of it, likely passed on through generations.  A small jewellery box that when opened, held a spinning ballerina and played a soft lullaby.

And suddenly the emotions hit.  Raw and powerful.  Thoughts of her own little girl. Of Millie and her brilliant blue eyes and her light brown hair done up in braids.  Of that bedroom back in Colorado that boasts all the little touches that make Millie the spirited and beautiful five year old that she is;  the paintings she'd done on her own and insisted be framed and hung,  the fleece Winnie the Pooh blanket that she'd been given as a baby by a neighbour in the old apartment; it was tattered and faded yet she still insisted that it be kept at the foot of her bed.  Family pictures on her dresser; even ones of her brothers who she was adamant she hated, yet always told them she loved them before bed.  And that stuffed koala; the one that her daddy had given her when she was only an hour old and had been tagging along with them everywhere they went.  He was missing one eye now; his fur wasn't as soft and it had lost most of its colour. But he is treasured and well loved.

The tears come now. Hot. Bitter. The realization of just how desperately she misses her family.  Just how far away they actually are. How messed up things are and how there's a very real chance that she may never see them again. Or, at the very least, be returning as a single parent.

She flees the room; nearly knocking Yaz clear off his feet as he exits the master across the hall.  And she's barely aware of him calling her name and asking what's wrong; tears blurring her vision and burning her cheeks, chest heaving with sobs as she rushes down the stairs.  She feels as if she can't breathe. She's nauseous. Dizzy. Desperate for escape.

She's sitting on the front steps when the door opens behind her. Clearing the tears off her cheeks with one hand, the other rubbing at her bare arms. She's tired. Emotionally and physically. The stress and the worry and the overwhelming loneliness just too much to bear.  And Yaz doesn't say a word. Just silently slips out of his jacket and drapes it over her shoulders before taking a seat on the top step beside her.

“Anything?” she asks after several minutes, thankful that he hadn't asked questions or pressured her to tell her what was wrong.  Just sitting there in silence; a comforting, friendly presence.

“There's no women's clothes,” he replies. “In the closet. Or any of the dressers.  No things belonging to a woman in any of the bathrooms.”

“This just gets weirder and weirder,” Esme sighs. “McMann said that his kids and his wife were both taken. On the same day. But if there's no sign she was even here...”

“Maybe she came back and got her things.”

“Which would mean she's not being held.  That she's free to come and go as she pleases. And no captor or captors are going to allow that.”

“Which points towards the idea that she's involved.”

Esme nods.

“Are you okay?” he asks. “You've been a little weird the last couple of days.”

“You call me weird three hundred and sixty five days a year. What makes the last couple any different?”

“You're even weirder than usual,”  he teases, and playfully leans into her. “I'm serious. You've been acting all out of sorts. Are you okay?”

“No,” she admits with a shake of her head. “I'm not.”

“You wanna talk about it or...”

“I miss home. I miss the kids.  I miss my life. The one I had before all of this. Before Michael McMann showed up.”

“You'll get that back,” Yaz assures her. “We're getting closer.”

“How can you say that? We have nothing. If seems like with every two steps we take forward, we take ten backwards.”

“I can just feel it,” he says. “I can just feel that we're close. To something. We should get going. We should really be back at the hotel before Tyler gets there. He's going to wonder where the hell we went if we're not there. And I don't know if we should be telling him about this.”

Esme rests the side of her head against his shoulder. “Our little secret?”

“Our little secret,” he confirms.

“Think they'd mind if I used their bathroom? Those two extra large teas on the way here practically have my eyeballs swimming.”

He laughs at that. “You want me to wait here or go start the car or....”

“Just wait here. In case someone does see us here and decides to pop in for a visit.”

She steps back into the house, hurrying for the small three piece bathroom that she'd seen when they'd first started their search of the house.  While in there, she finds a bottle of anti nausea meds in the medicine and takes three; swallowing them down with a palm full of water and then hurrying out to meet Yaz.

She is three feet from the door when she sees it. Out of the corner of her eye.  The corner of an ornate cherry wood dining table behind a set of French doors.   And when she slips into the room for a closer look, she frowns at the odd sight of only five chairs instead of the usual six.

The chair, she thinks.

The one that Heather Buckman was bound to.  The one with the unusual carvings on the legs and the back and the very distinct cushion; burgundy with silver and gold flecks.

The one that matches the five still remaining in the room.

Her hands are shaking as she pulls her SAT from the pocket of her jeans. A sudden rush of adrenaline and the resurgence of hope causing the tremors.  And she snaps a picture of one of the chairs before composing a text to Tyler and sending it to his phone.

WE FOUND SOMETHING.

[lnfours]

paradise | t.h

summary: tom’s not crazy about anyone but you. not my gif

warnings: language, smut, a little fluff towards the end, rich kid!tom, college!au, and this is heavily inspired by ‘paradise’ by bazzi.

words: 1.5k

masterlist | add yourself to my tagged list | paradise by bazzi

it was late when your phone buzzed next to you, your lock screen lighting up with the usual ‘are you awake?’ text from tom. to which you replied with the address of the rental home off campus you got with a couple friends to spend spring break. the three weeks you were off campus felt like an eternity to tom.

when he snuck in through your window, you felt like a teenager all over again. the adrenaline coursing through your veins like a rush. his grey sweatpants that sat low on his hips made your heart stop, his chain sticking out against the black t-shirt. you played with it between your fingers, the ring hitting against his chest.

“mm,” he hummed, his hands slipping under the tank top you were wearing,”you gorgeous, darlin’. fuckin’ stunning.”

you smiled, fingers gripping his curls softly,”you’re gorgeous, too, tommy.”

he chuckled, leaning towards you and connecting his lips with yours. you kissed him back, the feeling of his soft lips taking over your senses. tom always tasted like a mint along with a hint of cherry from his chapstick. you never minded, the taste of him becoming your new favorite thing.

toms lips moved to your neck, leaving soft kisses along with hickeys, marking you as his. your hands slid under his black t-shirt, soft fingertips tracing against his abs. tom groaned as you slowly moved against him, his hard on pressing against you, causing you to whimper.

“tommy,” you breathed as he kissed up your jawline,”tommy, please.”

he smiled against your skin,”tell me what you want, baby.”

you rolled your body against his again, grinding down on him,”you, baby, i want you.”

he let a moan rise from the back of his throat, biting down on your shoulder softly. you let your fingers run down his back, scratching softly. he sat up, stripping the black t-shirt off before tossing it onto the floor. you kissed his neck, causing him to lean back against the cool, wooden headboard.

you kissed down his neck and to his chest. he let out a sigh as you reached the top of his calvin’s that were sticking out from the top of his grey sweatpants. you hooked your fingers onto the waistband, pulling the grey material down his legs before he kicked them off and to the ground.

tom had pushed your panties off, tossing them onto the floor where the rest of your clothes sat. tom pulled father up his body, curls wild.

“i’ve got a seat for you, darlin’.”

you almost choked, catching what he was saying. you swallowed, heart thumping against your chest.

“you sure?” you asked. you had never sat on his face before, the idea being a little intimidating as you weren’t sure if he’d be into it. but as the words flew effortlessly off his tongue, your stomach twisted.

“c’mere, babygirl.”

you moved so you were positioned over top of tom’s face. he licked his lips before pressing a soft kiss against your thigh,”ready, angel?”

you nodded, lowering yourself closer to tom as you held onto the wooden headboard. he licked up your folds, causing you to let out a soft moan from the contact of his warm, wet tongue.

you reached down, taking a handful of his curls in between your fingers. he smiled softly, licking again, this time swirling the tip of his tongue against your clit. you let out a moan. tom gripped your thigh, letting you ride his tongue, his nose bumping your clit with every move.

“tommy,” you whimpered from above him,”i’m close.”

“cum for me, love.” he mumbled against you, the vibrations sending you closer to the edge. as you rocked your body against his tongue, he pushed a finger into you, making your mouth drop open as you let out a moan.

“c’mon, love, cum for me.”

his words alone sent you over the edge, moaning above him as you came undone over him. he rubbed soft circles into your thigh, helping you ride out your high.

you climbed down from his face, legs on either side of his hips. he wiped his face with the back of his hand, licking his lips, and just like that you were wet all over again.

“you taste good, petal.” he smiled. you smiled too, leaning down and kissing him. he kissed you back, the taste of yourself on his lips making you moan. he grabbed at your hips, pulling away to press a kiss on your collarbone.

“can i,” you were cut off by a groan that left your lips as he sucked a hickey on your left boob,”ride you.”

he smirked, nodding softly before reaching over the bed, grabbing the sweatpants from the floor. he grabbed his black leather wallet, opening it before grabbing the foil wrapped condom that was tucked behind a couple hundred dollar bills.

“never expected you to be the ‘i keep a condom in my wallet’ kinda guy.” you joked. he smirked at you, ripping open the packaging before handing it to you.

“i’m full of surprises, darling.”

you rolled your eyes playfully, leaning down and rolling the condom onto his length. the feeling of your hand around him made him moan. he took both of his hands, ripping the tank top off your body.

“hey!”

“i’ll buy you a new one.” he mumbled, kissing you before removing the remains of the black tank top from your figure.

“okay, ready?” he asked, arms wrapping around you to help you move against him. you nodded, lowering yourself onto his length, the both of you moaning as your walls clenched around him.

“fuck, you’re so tight.” he mumbled, leaning forward and kissing your chest. you tangled your fingers into his hair, pulling softly as you sunk back down onto him. he let out a moan against your skin, the kind of moan that let you know he wouldn’t last long if you kept doing that.

so, you did it again, this time the both of you moaning as one of his hands snuck between the two of you, rubbing his fingers against your clit, causing you to breathe out,”tom, keep doing that.”

you rocked your body against him, his arms moving you up and down on him. your fingernails sunk into his shoulder, his mouth moving to your jawline. you were so wrapped up in tom, his hands, his jaw, his biceps, his cologne; he was your boy, no one else’s.

“tommy,” you moaned out,”i’m gonna cum.”

“cum for me, love,” he said in your ear,”c’mon, you got this.”

his praises led you to the edge, but his moan that left his mouth as you sunk back down onto him was enough for the coil inside you to snap. he let out another moan, feeling your walls clench against him. he soon came undone himself, the two of you riding out your highs before you climbed off him, letting him throw the condom away in the trash can near the doorway.

you laid on the bed, catching your breath, staring up at the ceiling. tom climbed back onto the bed, hovering over you. you smiled, reaching up and brushing the pieces of hair from his forehead.

“you never did tell me,” you started, playing with the chain that hung around his neck,”why’s the ring on the chain instead of your finger?”

he shrugged, looking down at you,”don’t really know, to be honest. the ring means a lot to me, was my grandparent’s. told myself from the day i got it that i was going to give it to the girl i plan on marrying.”

you ran your fingers through his curls, your heart sinking as he mentioned ‘the girl he plans on marrying’. but he could see right through you, could see the flash of sadness behind your eyes.

that’s when he reached up, tugged the necklace off his neck. you looked at him confused before he tugged it over your head, letting the necklace sit on your neck, the ring falling low between your breasts. your heart stopped as you looked at him in the eyes.

“tom-“

he placed his index finger over your lips,”i love you, y/n.”

it was true, he did love you, loved you more than anything in the world. even through all the other relationships and hooks up he’s had, only you could drive him absolutely insane, and he knew that as soon as the two of you were ready, that he was going to put an expensive and shiny ring on your left ring finger. he wanted you, no one but you.

your heart quickened at the three words. they would normally fall from his lips effortlessly, but in this moment, it almost made you cry.

“you’re high.” you chuckled, moving to take the necklace off, but he grabbed your hand.

“i’m not,” he said,”i want to marry you, y/n. for 3 years, that’s all i’ve ever thought about. when i picture my future now, all i see is you. you’re the love of my life. i wouldn’t want anyone but you.”

you saw the look in his eye and you nodded, knowing that he was serious. he moved a piece of hair from your face, tucking it behind your ear. you played with the necklace that sat around your neck.

“i love you, too, tom. more than anything.”

tagged: @tomshufflepuff @behxndthemask @tsukishiromiki @i-love-superhero @scorpiostunner1027 @queensholland @lostamongstthecosmos @feeling-straange @lauren2408 @kaitlynthehuman @cutehollands @zpidey-sense @maggie-starz @heyrogers  @peterparkeroos @stephie-senpai @lol-you-thought @cutie1365 @avengersgirllorianna  @hista-girl @casualprincess77 @keithseabrook27 @tomhollandsmouthfr0g @wtfholland @dark-night-sky-99 @wowitstonystark @no-aaaahhhh @sskidizzle @sholla4-314   @maggiepalma @awshucks-ace @httpmcrvel @peterparkers-waffles @casuallifexcreativesoul @inspiredbynewt @chennyetomlinson @pvnk-bivch @iaiabear @spidey-pal @lovelyh0lland @spicygrethan @woah-jess @embrace-themagic @annahollanddd @savethebabyseals @sighspidey @spideyyypeter @yourwonderbelle  @organicmillie @ravynnn-12 @nichu @valkyries-bi @superserumstark @iamgabriellelambert @utsoftie @yoinksholland @mischiefmanaged49 @paradoxparker @sdrecsfics @solarspidey @randomfandom3599 @quicksoldier @notunlimited @smexylemony @captainbuckyy @ashely313-blog @tom-hollands-eyelash @slytherinholland @tomsobriens @delicately-written @kiggys-newblog @alexindahouse @aoonai @babylsn @musicgirl234 @tomhollandandmarvelsworld @shortieminn @lushparkers @sweetenedangeltears @gopnista @jackiehollanderr @purple-ash27 @tomsmelanin @tsukimi-ackerman @the-queen-procrastinator @estillion14 @awkwardfangirl2014 @lovelyspidey @gorl-d  @xitzbrookiex @playbucky @luutaku @kathykat243 @slytherinrising @luckyplums1 @wekindadepressed @maggiekelly51 @summernykole @fairydustparker

[anavantgardener]

Frost and Mischief Ch. 1

Summary: The first chapter in a Loki Laufeyson (MCU) fanfic. Elska’s introduction to the world of Asgard.

Pairing: OC x Loki

Warnings: death, prejudice

Word Count: 3,437

*****

A Deal of Sorts

Odin never wanted Elska; the girl was half Frost Giant. Jotun blood, despicable. He saw her as just another conniving Devourer. He would have thought a Valkyrie would have chosen a more suitable man to fall in love with. Surely any Asgardian would have been better.

Elska's parents met on the battlefield during the war over Jotunheim many, many centuries ago. A Frost Giant and a Valkyrie, two beings that could not be more different. A lawless scoundrel and a Disir spirit of protection. Purely because he saw a gleam in her eyes, Elska's father saved her mother from a dagger through the heart. When he was struck with an arrow to the shoulder, she helped him to a cave, where they called for Heimdal to open the Bifrost. Miraculously, the all-seeing man complied and got them to safety, hiding them in the attic of a servant's house in the lower district of Asgard. He saw the change their future would bring.

Years later, after they had birthed a beautiful stormy-eyed baby girl, they were discovered. It was not long after that someone slipped them a potion meant to rot them from the inside out. Soon, the smell seeped through the walls of the attic. The servants sent word to the palace and Odin himself came to investigate, along with his wife, who wouldn't stay put even if he ordered her to.

The little girl, barely old enough to walk, sobbed in between her parents' blackened bodies. Curly auburn hair, tangled and matted, reached to her collar bones. Big, pale gray eyes stared into Frigga's as she knelt down, attempting to soothe the little one.

Frigga calmed the girl enough to convince her to tell them her name. Elska. Love. A sweet rarity, this little one.

Once Frigga showed her the slightest kindness, Elska latched her hand to hers, holding tight. Odin told his wife not to get too attached, he would be banishing the child back to Jotunheim as soon as he was able, but Frigga bid him otherwise. Take the child in, raise her as an Asgardian. Teach her their ways, their customs and traditions.

Odin complied, making a deal of sorts with Frigga; the child could stay in Asgard as long as she was a servant to the palace. She would wait on the royal family hand and foot. She would know her place, from now to the day she died.

Knowing this was her only chance, Frigga agreed with her husband. The goddess had some tricks up her sleeve, and she knew Elska was meant for something so much more.

-----

"Elska, you will be late for the palace, you will," Eira called from the kitchen.

"I am coming, Eira," Elska replied, irritation present in her tone. The servant girl took one last look at herself in the mirror, willing herself to take on the Frost Giant for half a second. The icy blue tinge to her skin was there and gone within the blink of an eye.

"Elska!" Eira called again.

"Let a girl strap her sandals, will you?" Elska huffed, bending down to pick up her shoes.

Eira giggled at her friend, always cranky in the mornings. She prepared some bread and honey for her to eat on her way into the palace. It wasn't much, but it would keep her pleasant until the next meal.

Elska walked briskly through the doorway to the kitchen, grabbing the bundle of food from Eira.

"Thank you, I promise I will be home in time to cook dinner tonight," the girl promised her housemate. She had an unfortunate habit of dawdling on her returns from the palace.

The girls bid each other farewell and Elska started her early morning walk through the various districts of Asgard. Taking small bites of her breakfast, she watched as people milled about, preparing for the day's activities. As she did every morning, Elska wondered what sort of lives these people led, what complexities scattered across their lifetime. Were they family oriented? Did their time revolve around their position in the Realm Eternal?

This people watching continued until Elska arrived at the palace. Tucking the cloth used to wrap her bread into a pocket of her servant's apron, she straightened up before entering the grand double doors that led to the main hall. She stepped lightly as to avoid disturbing anyone she passed. Soon enough, she reached one of the maintenance chambers where she grabbed a cloth and a broom.

The path to the Royal Library was burned into Elska's memories, for she had been beginning her mornings by tidying that room for quite some time now. She considered herself lucky, being responsible for the care of the All-Father's family and favorite rooms. He made it clear from very early on it was meant to be a slap in the face, a point about her heinous parentage, but she didn't care. Working in the palace gave her special access to rooms most couldn't even dream of seeing.

Elska had been sneaking books from the Royal Library since she was a child. Using them to aid in her education of magic, sneaking around only became easier and easier. Stealing herbs and potions from the healing chambers had saved numerous servants she lived with in her dwelling.

Food was never something she had to worry about, though; the cooks and other palace staff had taken a liking to Elska. Many of them lived in the lower district as well, so they had watched her grow into the young woman she was today. She wove stories of adventure and terror and sorrow, all finishing with a happy ending. She entertained with her magic, and used it to help clean up sometimes when she finished her own chores early. Her homemade healing balms had helped a number of people in the lower district.

Elska arrived at the Royal Library in a short matter of minutes. Pushing the door open, she glanced around the vast room. Her eyes landed on the young Prince Loki, only mere decades older than herself.

"Good morning, my Prince," she curtsied, as was custom upon greeting royalty. The prince nodded, acknowledging her so she could continue with her duties.

Prince Loki was seemingly the only one to ever use the Royal Library (other than herself, of course). Cleaning the room was always quick. Wipe the tables, return any books that may have been left out. There was one desk that she never touched, though, and that was the prince's.

Research papers and books with marked pages scattered across Prince Loki's desk; Elska dare not touch one small thing. She had made that mistake once and he nearly had her head for it. Since then, they have had a cordial greeting every morning... A sort of "don't bother me, I won't bother you" agreement.

She quietly walked about the room, straightening up the desks, organizing the books that likely hadn't been touched in centuries.

The books Prince Loki did allow her to move and return, he always set on the desk adjacent to his. As Elska began shelving them, one title piqued her interest.

"The Magic of Telepathy," the binding read.

Well, Elska thought to herself. How nifty. She suppressed a smirk, making a mental note of where the book was shelved. She'd be returning for it later tonight.

-----

The day felt like it was dragging by; it was only midday and Elska was struggling to stay focused. There was no reason for this inability to concentrate, she was just bored with her chores. When one does the same thing every single day, what else can you expect of them. It's quite close to the definition of insanity.

Servants and palace staff were always provided a midday meal of bread, cheese, and a few assorted slices of meat, along with a cup of tea. After picking up her meal, Elska went to sit with a few of the other servants.

Taking her seat, she was met with various head nods and greetings.

"Everybody doing well today?" she asked the group. Many were too distracted by their meal to answer, but a couple looked up: Vidarr, a young boy with bushy hair and copper eyes, and Ingemar, a blue-eyed woman about Elska's age, maybe a little older.

"Just fine, delightful even!" Vidarr beamed.

"What has you so giddy this afternoon, little one?" Ingemar giggled at the boy.

"The healers gave me a sweet for tidying the potion bottles so well," he replied. "And mother told me this morning father earned the money to buy all the ingredients for a cake!"

"My, that is grand news indeed, isn't it," Elska encouragingly nudged Vidarr.

The three continued on with their meal, chatting about their morning walk to the palace and the latest rumors that were spreading through the servants. Eventually, some of the others began chiming in.

"I did hear that the merchant district is dealing with some thievery," Nidhoggr, one of the older servants mentioned.

"Thievery is quite common in the merchant district, though, is it not?" Ingemar asked.

"Yes, but not like this," Nidhoggr put his bread down. "Petty theft of fruits and loaves of bread, a dress or a shirt every now and then, yes, but this is weapon theft. Like someone's building an army within Asgard. One separate from the All-father's army."

Glances of concern were being exchanged when Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstag, came in with Prince Thor, Prince Loki following close behind. The servants and staff took this as their cue to clean up and ready the main hall for the midday feast prepared for the noble and royal Asgardians each day.

"We must be quite early," Prince Thor's booming voice filled the room, echoing. "The servants have not even finished their meal."

As the plates were being cleared of their remnants, Elska caught the eyes of Lady Sif, who gave her an apologetic look. The servants hadn't much food at home, and here they were, tossing out what they were given at the palace.

Elska gave her a reassuring nod; all was well, the servants would be okay. This was not an unusual happening for them. Guards and warriors quite often came in before the servants and staff were finished with their meal, and they were not so kind about being kept waiting.

Plates were cleaned off and new dish settings were placed. An assortment of meal options were set out in the centers of each table, fruit scattered throughout. To top it all off, cakes and other sweets were added to the immense pile of food. Finally, the servants and staff parted ways and went to their next respective job.

For Elska, it was her favorite part of the day: tidying up Queen Frigga's personal study. Oftentimes, the queen was in her study while Elska cleaned, and the two would have such interesting, pleasant conversations.

Elska had always been fond of the queen. Without her, she would probably be long dead. She was the very reason Odin agreed to let her stay in Asgard. Queen Frigga was always offering her tips on magic (Elska suspected she knew of her frequent book borrowing) and even shared her potion recipes with her. The first time Elska ever created a successful illusion of herself, it had been through encouragement from the queen in her study.

As Elska progressed in her studies, their conversations extended into lore and history of the Nine Realms. The stories that built this wonderful realm were quite beautifully epic. The way it came to be, the Tree of Life, the Apples of Idunn that keep the people of the Realm Eternal alive for millennia upon millennia.

In all probability, Elska most likely knew more of Asgard than most Asgardians did.

Perhaps it was not the conversation that caused the servant girl to appreciate Queen Frigga so, but that the queen seemed to treat her as an equal. As someone with worth, someone to be really seen and loved for who they were. Queen Frigga listened to Elska, and in many ways, the young woman saw her as a mother.

-----

Today, Queen Frigga came into her study halfway through Elska's cleaning. A smile came to both women's faces upon seeing each other.

"Elska, my dear, how are you today?" the queen placed both hands on Elska's face, looking into her eyes as if they would answer for the girl.

"I am most well, my queen," Elska grinned. "And yourself, my queen? How do you fare this afternoon?"

"Very well indeed," she moved to sit in her reading chair. "Now, where were we?"

"I believe we were just getting into the history of Jotunheim," Elska's eyes fell to the floor, knowing this was her own heritage, a heritage that most Asgardians despised.

"Now, my dear, you most certainly have nothing to be ashamed of," the queen said, bidding the girl to sit in a chair across from her. "All realms have committed crimes. All realms have begun wars. Does that mean we should be held accountable for the sins of our ancestors? I think not. We can only learn from them, and that is what we are here doing, are we not."

Elska's eyes met the queen's, and any tension she felt melted away.

"We are, my queen," she replied.

"Now then," the queen smiled and continued. "Jotunheim, the world of giants. Jotunheim is also known as Utgard, which means?"

"Beyond the fence," Elska reached into her mind.

"Yes, referencing the concept inangard, inside the fence, and utangard," Queen Frigga stated matter-of-factly. "That which resides inside the fence is good, law-abiding, civil. That which lies beyond the fence is chaotic, evil, untamed."

The two spent the next hour or so delving into the beginnings of Jotunheim, and the ways the Tree of Life stretches through the realm. Elska heard of things she already knew, like eternal winter of the realm. She also learned new concepts, like the effects of Jotunheim on Midgard, which was situated between Asgard and Jotunheim. As such, the middle realms experienced effects of the other two realms, unbeknownst to Midgardians.

"I should finish my cleaning, my queen," Elska said, noticing the sundial by the window. She was already ten minutes late cleaning Odin's study.

"Of course, my dear," the queen stood and straightened out her deep purple gown. "We shall continue tomorrow."

The two bid each other a good rest of the evening before parting.

Elska continued her work, organizing quills, papers, books. She picked up a couple tea cups and saucers before heading to the kitchen to drop them off. Leaving the study, she started the walk across the palace, keeping her pace quick as to not be any later than she already was.

-----

"Running late, are we?" the All-father didn't even glance up as Elska entered the room.

"My sincere apologies, All-father," she said, curtsying. "I became caught up with the queen and lost track of time."

"Do not blame my wife for your shortcomings," his tone was curt.

"Yes, my lord," Elska bit her tongue and got to work. How fitting that her favorite part of the day should be followed by her least favorite.

No matter how quickly she worked, her time in King Odin's study never failed to trudge by. The man never left the study, especially not when a girl with Jotun blood was in it.

Oh yes, Elska thought to herself. I would definitely wreck the study, seeing as I am the volatile one in this situation. She often wondered if he would ever see the prejudice ingrained into his own thought process.

On this evening, King Odin seemed especially irritable; crumpled papers scattered the ground around his desk, and his knuckles had gone snow white from his grip on the arms of his chair.

"My lord," she said softly. "Might I fetch you some tea for your stresses?"

"I am king of the Nine Realms, child," he snapped. "I know how to deal with my stresses on my own." He sneered as he spat the last bit.

Child. You would not refer to your own youngest son as a child, and yet he is barely older than myself.

"Of course, my lord," she said, head down. "My sincere apologies."

She continued cleaning the paper wads off the ground when the All-father cleared his throat.

"My lord?" she stood.

"Some tea would be nice," King Odin said, still refusing to look at Elska.

Curtsying, she took her leave, feeling the unease leave her body as she stepped into the hall. It was like a breath of fresh air.

"Feeling crushed by the overwhelming presence of my father?" Prince Loki was suddenly standing next to Elska, startling her.

"My prince!" she caught her breath. "I was not aware you were here."

"The palace is my home," he had a slight smirk. "As such, I am here quite often."

"Yes, my prince, of course," Elska curtsied before beginning her walk towards the kitchens. Prince Loki stood outside King Odin's study for a second before catching up to the young woman.

"He can be quite overbearing sometimes," he said, looking straight ahead. Was the prince trying to comfort her?

"I can assure you, I do not know what you mean," she said, lest she be caught in an act of disrespect. The youngest prince was known for trickery, and she refused to fall into a trap.

"Ah, yes, of course you don't," he said with a crooked grin. "I believe you do, but we can go with this. For now."

"The All-father is stressed, I simply offered to bring him some tea," was the prince always this fascinated with what the servants thought of his father?

"I shall accompany you to the kitchens, then," Prince Loki said, matching pace with her.

"This is quite unusual for you, my prince," Elska dared to sneak a glance at him. He was quite handsome, with dark hair, piercing green eyes, a striking jaw line.

Her glance, however, did not go unnoticed.

"I am making my way that way, anyway," he looked over to her. "And I rather think you are enjoying the company."

"One would be wise to enjoy the company of all," Elska grit her teeth, choosing to be polite and regretting her admiration of the prince's features. "It ensures we do not make too many enemies."

"Was that a warning, dear Elska?" he was toying with her now.

Always games with this one, she thought to herself.

"Not intentionally, my prince," she gave a cordial smile. "Such a thing would be considered vastly rude, I should say."

"And you could never find it in you to be rude," Prince Loki jokingly scoffed.

"But of course not," she smirked.

"Because stealing books from the Royal Library would not fall under the category of rude things to do," the prince returns his eyes to the hall in front of them as Elska's jaw dropped.

Stopped in her tracks, Prince Loki turned to face her, an eyebrow raised, hands behind his back. He had a look of expectation on his face.

"My dear prince," she nearly spat the words in his face as she marched up to him. "Not all of us have the same luxuries as royalty. Some of us can't afford books or education, let alone food or proper clothing. These are not things I would expect you to understand. As such, I will not bother to explain something to you that you will be utterly unable to fathom."

The prince's face fell, and Elska immediately regretted her words. It was not that she was afraid of the prince, but was afraid she might lose her position at the palace, or worse, in Asgard.

"My prince, you must forgive me for my outburst-" she began, but was interrupted.

"No, my lady, I am sorry," and with that, Prince Loki walked off in the other direction.

-----

Elska was quite preoccupied throughout the remainder of her day, feeling a mix of confusion as to why the prince spoke to her and fear as to what his accusation (correct accusation) could lead to. Perhaps nothing would come of it, but now the god of mischief had information that could destroy what little reputation she had spent the past almost millennia building.

On this night, she decided against going back for the book.

During her walk home that night, her thoughts were too distracting for her to realize that it was snowing in Asgard. Needless to say, she made it home in time to make dinner.

[askweisswolf]

Blue Lions Maddening, No NG+: Unit Review

I’m going to be totally honest: I wasn’t planning to initially do my Blue Lions replay on Maddening difficulty. I wanted to replay the route, and I wanted to marry Hapi. Pretty simple, right? Well... see, here’s the thing. A little before I started my replay, my good friend @moczothe1st​ had just finished his Maddening run of Crimson Flower. Then here on Tumblr I found @ultrakatua​ and deeply enjoyed the commentary on a Golden Deer Maddening run. So... I made a decision. I started the first map of the game on Maddening, and told myself that if Dimitri got a decent level on my first try, I would stick with the difficulty for the rest of the game. I mean, it’s all RNG, surely he won’t actually get a decent level on the very first map of the ga-

... Well, shit. (Tons of pictures past this point!)

Because I’m a small, stubborn blonde woman who can never back down from a challenge, I ended up completing the whole game on Maddening. It was... an experience. If people like this, I might go into more detail about my experience on the maps, but right now this is primarily me thanking the twelve main units who carried me through the whole game. 

Class progression: Lord --> Fighter --> Brigand --> Wyvern Rider --> Wyvern Lord

I don’t have much to say about Dimitri, honestly. He’s one of the three Lords, and just by virtue of that he ended up becoming one of my best units in the game. He wasn’t as bulky as I was used to in my first run, but I figure that’s more the class line I had him go through this time. With his strength + Death Blow he could one-shot most enemies with a Combat Art, his speed meant he could double some of the slower enemies, and he had a surprisingly decent crit rate with a Killer Axe+ that saved my butt on more than a few maps; looking at you, Arundel.

Class progression: Commoner --> Fighter --> Brawler --> Grappler --> War Monk --> Warmaster

I’ll be honest, outside of wanting to play a male Byleth to marry Hapi at the end of the game I had no real plans for how he was going to grow throughout the game. His class progression actually ended up being completely accidental; I had noticed early on gauntlets can double early game Maddening enemies and I wanted to raise my brawling to recruit Caspar, so it ended up working out and.. well, I think the picture speaks for itself. Byleth was legit my best unit in the game, capable of doubling and quading enemies with a truly insane crit rate, and he ended up carrying a fair number of maps in the mode.

Class progression: Brigand --> Wyvern Rider --> Wyvern Lord

.. Yeah, it’s Caspar and I’m as surprised as you. I won’t lie, I primarily recruited him for his paralogue with Mercedes, and he actually turned out surprisingly decent for me during this run. I wouldn’t call him one of my top five combat units, but he was fairly sturdy, could slip in and kill enemy units when I worried about sending others after them before flying away, and he was fairly dangerous with a Brave Axe in his hands in the late game. He did his job and he did it well, and honestly that made him a worthwhile recruit for me.

Class progression: Commoner --> Monk --> Dancer

Yuri came, he saw, he danced. Not much else to really say about that. His Relic ability makes him an incredibly handy Dancer unit, able to refresh a unit and run out of the danger zone, and the fact that he has access to a fairly decent Faith list meant that in a pinch he could be an extra healer. He had one job, and he does it very well.

Class progression: Commoner --> Monk --> Mage --> Warlock --> Gremory

I’ve always had a lot of luck with Mercedes in past runs, and this time around was no exception. Bonkers magic growth, decent speed, and a surprising amount of HP to give her some bulk and Res to help her tank magic attacks made her surprisingly decent bait for enemy mages, and having Dedue as her adjutant on later maps protected her from some of the doubling BS. She was really more of a healer than an attacker on Maddening, but she did it very well and could attack in a pinch if needed.

Class progression: Brigand --> Pegasus Knight --> Wyvern Rider --> Falcon Knight

True story, Petra was originally supposed to be my third Wyvern Lord. I had it all planned and prepped... and then she passed the Falcon Knight exam on a 31% chance, and it felt like some kind of gameplay sign. I didn’t regret it, either; while she’d always been fairly solid for me, she really came into her own as my primary lance user and I legit won the last map because of her ability to bait the reinforcement mages with the Chalice.

Class progression: Swordmaster --> Thief --> Trickster --> Assassin

Catherine is an interesting unit, limited a lot IMO by the fact that Three Houses has garbage options for sword units in Master Classes. I decided fairly early on I wanted to use her, as I rather like her supports and ending with Dimitri, and the question then became how. While she dipped a little for awhile as a Trickster, once she was made an Assassin she became an utter monster and got the honor of killing the Death Knight at Fort Merceus.

Class progression: Commoner --> Monk --> Mage --> Warlock --> Valkyrie --> Dark Knight

It wouldn’t be much of a run if I didn’t use the person I want to marry, and honestly... Hapi is slept on as a Faith magic user. Physic and Warp? Mmm, yes please. She was always a fairly solid unit for me; not amazing, but she did her job of healing as needed and getting in magical potshots where she could, and her special ability was very handy with monster encounters while her surprisingly bulky stats meant she could tank a few hits as long as she wasn’t doubled. Plus, you know, her entire support chain and especially her S-rank is adorable.

Class progression: Monk --> Mage --> Priest --> Warlock --> Gremory

Somehow Lysithea ended up being the fastest of my magic users, which was... unexpected but very useful in some situations. Magic is honestly kind of ass on Maddening, so she wasn’t up to her usual nuking standards, but she was still all around an excellent unit. Warp utility is never a bad thing, especially on the later maps, and her magic stat combined with Thyrsus made her a particularly potent magical sniper in the right situation. A worthwhile recruit who held up until the end, even if she only got to fight the Death Knight once at Remire Village.

Class progression: Commoner --> Myrmidon --> Thief --> Archer --> Sniper

Oh, Felix, Felix... this boy never let me down. He ended up taking an interesting class path, due to his proficiency in bows and the fact that Ashe fell off like a stone for me fairly early on in the game, and honestly? Sniper Felix is awesome and I would highly recommend it as an endgame path for him, especially on high difficulties. Hunter’s Volley was especially handy in some late game situations, and he had great levels pretty much the entire run.

Class progression: Commoner --> Soldier --> Cavalier --> Pegasus Knight --> Paladin --> Bow Knight

Much like Felix, a lot of Ingrid’s class progression was determined by the fact that Sylvain fell off for me fairly early on into the run and I needed someone to compensate for what he would have been doing. Luckily, Ingrid is a fairly versatile unit (even if she needed a bit of babying) and Bow Knight IMO is one of her slept on class options. She may not have the insane stats of her childhood friends, but what she did have was insane flexibility; her magic stat was high enough that the Magic Bow was viable on her for units with low res, she was fast enough to double most things on attack phase and not be doubled on enemy phase, and she ended up fairly bulky. She was probably the unit I invested in the most early on, but it was well worth the effort when she was carrying more than a few paralogue maps for me.

Class progression: Monk --> Mage --> Warlock --> Gremory

Dorothea tends to be all over the map for me, and I honestly initially recruited her to make her my Dancer, but then her levels were fairly good and Yuri’s levels were crap, so she ended up joining the small army of mages I had by the end of the game. Meteor was always handy for sniping at enemies from a safe distance to soften them up (or even kill them) and you can’t go wrong with another Physic user in Maddening. A very solid investment altogether, helped by the fact that she can get some decent supports in the Lions so she fit in fairly easily.

And that was my main team for Maddening! They’re crazy kids, but they’re my crazy kids, and I love them a lot. If you guys liked this post and you wanna hear me ramble about something else in my Maddening run, please let me know!

[misssophiachase]

Klaroline AU Week: Day 1 (Mythological Creatures)

Late yes but...please still read!

She’s a Valkyrie-in-training, he’s a warrior on the eve of fighting on the battlefield. Can she convince him to change his mind? 

Here Comes the Sun

Night had long fallen. The greenfields peppered with brown tents were now shrouded in darkness. The mild rumble of conversation and a few stray lanterns burning the only sign that life existed.

Tomorrow would be different. 

Tomorrow, the war would begin. 

And end.

She moved about the tents quietly, the swan feathers she adorned like armor teasing her bare shoulders while her eyes darted around for any sense of danger.

Caroline was one of Odin’s Valkyries. Well actually, she was more of a Valkyrie-in-training. Born from simple beginnings and absent parents, her sweet nature, golden halo of hair, mesmerizing eyes and true beauty had captured the attention of the all-powerful God who’d decided she was destined to serve him. 

Caroline, being free-spirited and feisty, held no allegiances and declared she served no one until her parents decided to sell her into Odin’s service. They claimed they were doing what was best but Caroline saw it as nothing but forced slavery.

She’d rebelled at first but the rules were so strict amongst the valkyries that she couldn’t have escaped if she tried. She’d met Bonnie early on who’d encouraged her to fit in and try to make a life in Valhalla. For Caroline, it was difficult given just how forced she felt about being there.

7 months earlier...

“I’m so bored here,” Caroline groaned. It seemed as if all they did was inhabit Vallhalla and serve warriors and their Gods who didn’t truly appreciate them or their work ethic. 

She’d always wanted to make something of her life. If Caroline had her way she’d be the one on that battlefield holding a sword and shield against the approaching army. 

“Once you know them better.”

“I don’t care to know any of them better.” 

“That’s how I felt, well until Kol.” Caroline knew their unlikely love story. They had grown up in neighboring villages, their parents were rivals until she met their son one day and everything she believed quickly disappeared because all she cared about was him.

The Valkyries had chosen him and sent him to Valhalla and the young lovers had finally reunited. She was overjoyed and Caroline was pleased they had their happily ever after. 

Not knowing or having experienced that kind of love, Caroline continued to live in a sheltered world. Well, until she was ordered to visit one of the nearby villages in anticipation of an upcoming war only because it held Odin’s special interest. It was Bonnie who suggested the still learning Valkyrie go, but why she didn’t know. 

Well, at first. 

Upon first meeting the local leader, Caroline had done everything she could not to ogle him. Blonde hair, blue eyes and a toned body that deserved to be worshipped. 

However, the man under that armor was another story.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, Odin...”

“Newsflash, love. I don’t answer to Odin or any of his Valkyries,” he chuckled, his blue eyes inspecting her further. “He’s certainly sending his most novice personnel.” 

“You have no idea who I am,” she growled. Yes, he was gorgeous and imposing but he was also a chauvinistic ass. 

“Oh really?”

“Really,” she shot back, stepping closer to him and trying to ignore his proximity. “So, I suggest you stop making assumptions and speak to me in a polite manner.”

“No one has ever talked to me like that,” his expression was argumentative at first but Caroline couldn’t miss the way his features softened slightly. “But I like it.”

“I’m too smart to be seduced by you,” she shot back, their gaze unflinching. 

“And that’s why I like you, love,” he smirked. “So, what exactly am I doing wrong here?”

Caroline wasn’t usually so affected but his gorgeous accent and those dimples were messing with her concentration. “Everything, including calling me that. I do have a name.”

“And it’s a name I’m so desperate to learn,” he murmured, his gaze unflinching. 

“Then you’ll have to earn it.”

“Oh really?” He cocked an eyebrow, no a sexy eyebrow. 

“We have work to do.”

“And then will I learn the name of the Valkyrie who has stolen my attention?”

“I’m not like the women you bed.”

“No, that you most definitely aren’t, sweetheart.”

“Sweetheart?”

“Well, until you tell me your name I really have no choice but to offer alternatives.”

“You could call me master.” She puffed out her chest, hoping her bluff would work. She was well below him status wise but Caroline hated the fact he seemed to think he was better than her. 

“Will do, master,” he smirked, his eyes dipping lower for a brief second and then resting on her face. “So, put me to work.”   

Caroline was surprised that he’d been so amenable. Not that she was complaining. 

They’d worked together side-by-side for two days straight, the chemistry threatening to overwhelm them both. His crimson lips were an unexpected target taunting her incessantly with every word he spoke.

They’d been in very close quarters. But to his credit, Klaus Mikaelson hadn’t attempted to touch her. Caroline would be lying if it wasn’t driving her insane.  

“My brother died in the war,” he shared one night after the sun had slipped down over the horizon. They were sitting in a meadow trying to chase the last remaining hours of light.  “I thought I’d be the first sibling but he decided to surprise us and go rogue.”

“He died?”

“He did,” Klaus mumbled, his gaze lowered. “Kol has always been wild and impulsive. I was worried that perhaps Odin sacrificed him on that battlefield.”

“Kol is your brother?”

“You know my brother?” His tone was hoarse and the combination of hope and relief crossing his features was enough to tell Caroline she’d probably overstepped her duties. But for some reason she didn’t care, all she wanted was to bring him some comfort. 

“I do, and I’m happy to report that he is safe and well.” 

“I’m glad,” he smiled. “Hopefully I can join him soon in Valhalla.”

“You’re not afraid to die?”

“That is why I was put on this earth. I have existed for twenty-five years but never really lived except knowing him and now you.” She tried not to react, why would he care about her along with his brother?

“You don’t know me at all.”

“But I would really like to know you.”

“I have to leave,” she uttered. The pull between them was obvious but something had told her that she’d gone too far and this connection they’d built was now extremely dangerous.

“But you just got here,” he pleaded. “Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“If only I could,” she’d replied off-handedly before making her way out of his life. 

It would be easier this way.

Well, that’s what she kept telling herself.

Fast forward seven months and, against her better judgment, she’d left Valhalla under the cover of darkness determined to find him before the battle began. Usually, they would tend to the dead well after it had ended but Caroline had no intention of letting him die no matter the consequences.

Her breath caught in her throat, sensing an overwhelming presence behind her but before she could react, a strong hand wrapped around her mouth and pulled her away. 

The tent was small but the lantern in the corner was still burning. Caroline should have been afraid but for some reason, the atmosphere was strangely comforting and once the hand was removed she knew why.

“What the hell are you doing here, love?”

“That’s not a very nice greeting,” she snapped, trying to ignore his bare chest and rippling muscles. “And if you’re going to kidnap someone probably best you don’t run around naked while doing it.”

“I was trying to sleep when you decided to skulk around my tent, excuse me if I was more concerned about your safety and not about clothing,” he muttered, his jaw clenched and his tone terse.

“I’m sorry,” she replied. “I was only here because...”

“You can’t save me.” He murmured, his voice hoarse as his eyes gazed downward, avoiding her eyes. 

“But I can try,” she whispered, calling upon the last shreds of willpower she could muster. 

“You can’t,” he confided, his fingers finding their way to her golden waves. “This is my destiny.”

“Well, between you and me, destiny is messed up,” she mumbled, attempting to avoid shedding more tears but knowing she was failing miserably.

“If I could change things so we could be together, you know I would.”

“Not so sure given your macho/martyr type behavior.” His blue eyes were on her immediately, his gaze unforgiving. “Couldn’t you be more ruthless and unforgiving?”

“I could but I was hoping to learn your name,” he offered. 

“What? You don’t like Master?”

“Not as much as you do,” he shot back, sending her a wolfish grin. It certainly felt like the tent was ten degrees hotter even in the dead of night. “But as I moved inside you in all of my dreams I imagined calling out your name over and over.”

“You think I’m that easy?” She balked, pretending to be offended but feeling heat and arousal in places she never had before.

“Not at all, as much as I’ve fantasized about you, I just really want to know your name.”

“Why is my name so important?”

“When I die I want to know the name of the woman I love so it is the last thing I utter through these lips.” Caroline stood in awe, those crimson lips even more eye-catching than usual. 

“It’s Caroline.”

“Caroline,” he purred. That sound of her name rolling off his tongue was going to kill her. 

“I only told you that so you could utter it on your death bed and leave me all your earthly possessions.” He didn’t hesitate, leaning down to capture her lips with his.

Joking comments aside as they shed all willpower and clothing. He’d uttered her name countless times that night but not due to impending death. 

She’d slipped away without his knowledge just as the sun was rising. Klaus had insisted she stay away and not mourn him but Caroline had other ideas.

Fast forward a month and Klaus was now in Valhalla by his brother’s side and Caroline could keep an eye on him, much like she had since they first met. She’d tried to reinstate the master moniker but he wasn’t so obliging unless it was uttered between the sheets.   

[fic-for-fic-sake]

The Night of the Ball

 Description: The reader is a Valkyrie and has grown up with both of the princes of asgard since she was five. Now, it is time for Thor to find a wife. He wants you as his bride but you don’t feel the same way. In order for Thor to find a bride, Odin sets up a ball where everyone will be disguised so as not to reveal the identities of those there. Will you be able to find Thor and tell him how you feel or will something or someone else stop you? 

Previous Parts: Prologue, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Part 14

You grabbed your sword and quickly made your way back to Loki’s room, careful of being detected by guards. Technically what you were about to do would be considered treason but you didn’t care anymore. How dare Loki toy with you like this? You were not some silly plaything he could bend to his whim when he was bored. You were a Valkyrie goddamnit. 

As you continued your logic started coming back to you. /By threatening Loki you’re jeopardizing your position with the Valkyries/ your mind whispered to you, /you've worked so hard, don’t throw it away to settle a personal grudge./ 

Your fast paced walk began to waver. Maybe you shouldn’t be doing this. It was madness after all. But then you saw Loki’s door and your rage came back renewed. It was too late to turn back now. With a renewed sense of fury you kicked the golden door off its hinges. Your eyes were wild as they locked with the reason behind your current state. Loki. 

“You’d better have a good reason for doing that.” Loki mused as he stood up and gently shut his book before placing it on his chair. His calmness only added to your resentment and you went into overdrive. Without thinking you gripped Loki by his shoulders and slammed him into the nearest wall, effectively knocking the wind out of him. 

“What in the Hel-” 

“Loki.” You snarled as you picked him up by his throat until his feet were dangling off the ground. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” 

“Find out about what?” He gasped as his legs slashed beneath you and his hands clawed at yours, trying to stop you from crushing his trachea. 

“Don’t play dumb, it really doesn’t suit you.” You commented as you squeezed his neck a little harder. Not enough to kill him but it would leave a mark for a few days. “I know you’re Grímur and that you’ve charmed me for the past two nights. I’m here to tell you it’s over.” You stated, your voice steely calm. 

You held Loki in that position for a few more seconds before you dropped him. He curled into a ball and began coughing in an attempt to get air back into his lungs. 

You stood above him like a vulture. Waiting for a weak moment to swoop in for the kill. Loki regarded you with cool eyes before you spoke again. 

“Why did you do it? Hmm.” You questioned as you crouched down in front of him, a knife at the ready. “Did you think it would be a good joke? Let’s seduce the weak link in the Valkyries and then embarrass her in front of her fellow warriors?. ‘Oh look at poor Y/N who fell for one of Loki’s tricks’.” You mock teased as you twirled the small blade in your hand. 

Loki, instead of regarding you with anger or fear, looked amused. He let out a hearty laugh before his mirage disappeared in a green flash. 

“Show yourself trickster!” You bellowed as you stood to attention and looked around the room in confusion. 

“You really think I went through all of that because I wanted to trick you?” Loki’s voice questioned. It was unnerving, it was coming from everywhere at once. You couldn’t tell where in the room the god was, and that made you feel uneasy. You frantically tried looking around the room for him as his voice continued to echo around you. 

“Tell me Y/N, you’re smart. Does it make any sense for me to pursue you for two nights at the ball unless it somehow benefited me?” 

You hated to admit it but he had a point. Loki was all about causing mischief but his magic always had a point. It was never mindless. You shook your head in the empty room. 

“That’s right” he whispered into your ear. You gasped in shock as you whipped around expecting him to be there. But he wasn’t. He had vanished as quickly as you felt him. Suddenly he materialized in the space in front of you. 

He began to stalk toward you as he spoke. “Everything I said to you in that other form is true.” He stated simply as he continued his slow pace. With every step he took in advance you retreated further and further away until you were backed against a wall. 

He brought one of his hands up and rested it on the wall just above your face, trapping you between the wall and him. 

“I. Desire. You.” He said slowly as he brought his other hand up to caress your cheek before he hooked a finger under your chin and lifted your face gently to greet his. 

“Wha- I don’t understand.” You whispered softly searching his face for a sign he was deceiving you. You found no such sign. Instead, his face gave away a more terrifying detail, that he was telling the truth. 

“Think about it Y/N. That pull that’s between us every time we’re together. When we sparred, when you ran into me, and even now. Can’t you feel it? Like electricity is charging the space between us, pulling us together.” He whispered darkly as he brought his head down to slowly graze his teeth on your ear. 

You felt all reason leave your body as your knees slightly buckled and you grabbed onto Loki’s shoulders for support. He moved his head to the crook of your neck and you could feel his sly smile on your skin as he kissed you there. 

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing from him. All this time you thought what you felt was insane. Impossible even. You couldn’t be falling for the God of Mischief, but isn’t that exactly what had happened at the ball? Hadn’t you fell for Grímur? If what Loki said was true, he meant every word of it. Didn’t you want to give in? Gods it felt so good what he was doing to you now you couldn’t help it when a small moan passed your lips. 

“That’s it pet.” Loki murmured into your neck as he wrapped an arm around your waist. “Give yourself to me, be mine.” 

Gods you wanted this, you really wanted this. Why keep fighting this pull between you two? No matter what you knew, after tonight it would be harder to resist anyway and weren’t you tired of resisting? You had better things to spend your energy on than fighting the inevitable. In that moment you made your decision. You grabbed a fist full of Loki’s hair and pulled his lips away from your neck. He looked at you with lust and hunger in his eyes and you could feel yourself getting more aroused the more he looked at you. 

“Yes.” You breathed as you brought his head to yours and crashed your lips together. It felt amazing, like all your senses dialed to an eleven. You could feel every nerve ending where Loki had his arms wrapped around your waist. How soft his lips were and how his tongue slipped past your lips and claimed your mouth. You moaned into his mouth as your hands snaked through his raven hair. As wonderful as his hair had felt when it was Grímur’s you preferred Loki’s more. Silky and soft between your fingers. 

One of his arms left your waist and slowly made its way under the silk skirts of your dress. You gasped in surprise and pleasure when Loki began rubbing his fingers against your core. 

“My dear, so wet for me.” Loki commented as he planted kisses on your collarbone and continued to rub you. 

“Fuck, Loki.” You sighed as he slowly plunged one long finger between your folds. Your hips bucked as you grabbed onto his shoulders, urging him to continue. 

You hooked one of you legs around his waist to give him better access. While he continued to work his finger in and out of you one of your hands made their way to his now visible bulge. 

You made quick work of undoing his leather pants as you freed his member. You stroked his length and could feel him begin to rut into your hand. You could hear his stifled groans and felt the vibrations his lips made on your collarbone. The feeling was divine, you decided you needed more. 

“Please Loki, take me.” You pleaded as he continued to pump his finger inside of you. He quickly removed his finger which granted a small moan of disapproval from you. 

“Jump.” He commanded, his voice husky with lust. 

You complied as you wrapped your other leg around his waist. Slowly he reached down and lined his member up with your now dripping center. 

Just as Loki was about to enter you a knocking sound rang out in his room. 

“Loki,” Thor bellowed from the other side of the door. 

Loki stayed where he was, pinning you against the wall while his erect member was teasing the outside of your dripping core. As you eyes widened in shock he quickly moved a hand to his lips gesturing for you to remain silent. 

“What is it? Did the kitchen finally run out of mead?” Loki quipped back, not trying to hide the annoyance in his voice. 

“Very funny Loki, it’s about Y/N, do you have a minute?” 

With the mention of your name you used your strength to push Loki off of you. Why the hell would Thor need to talk about you to Loki? Did he know you were in here? Panic quickly overrode all rational thoughts in your mind. If Thor knew that meant that your fellow Valkyries must’ve known, and that wasn’t good. How would it look knowing that you almost slept with the God of Mischief when you told Thor that Valkyries weren’t supposed to have any familial attachments. How the hell would you explain this? Casual sex? Somehow you didn’t think that would go over very well either. 

In a split second decision you grabbed your dragon toothed sword and ran for the secret passage in Loki’s room. He grabbed your arm and made a silent plea for you to stay but you quickly shrugged him off as you ran into the darkness. 

[caroldanversmohawk]

Quidditch Captain Danvers - Chapter 3 POSTED!

Chapter 3: You are insane, my desire

Carol had been stalking her prey for the last five minutes. It was too perfect. Saturday morning meant the classrooms were empty. And Natasha's path had brought her past a hallway full of them.

Carol crept up behind her, waiting until they were outside a door. She used one arm to loop around the petit girl's waist, and used her free hand to grasp her wand, quickly casting the unlocking and opening spells, before she spun them both inside the room. As she pulled Natasha's back closer to her chest, she closed and locked the door again, leaving them alone in the dimly lit room.

"Carol!" Natasha's soft, breathy voice didn't have any edge on it. Carol knew she had caught her lover by surprise. She clenched her arms around Natasha from behind.

"What's up, baby?" Carol chuckled in Natasha's ear. "You miss me?" Natasha leaned into Carol's embrace, coming down from her shock and sighing contentedly.

"I saw you yesterday," she laughed, feigning indifference even though her body was indicating something different altogether.

Carol slipped one hand under Natasha's robes, finding the waistband of her skirt and sliding her hand under that to massage the bare skin at her hip. Natasha groaned, leaning back into her more, much to Carol's satisfaction. "Hmm, I guess you did. But we didn't even get to touch." Carol placed a few soft kisses on the side of Nat's neck.

"Is this an apology, Danvers? For almost dueling Stark?" Natasha's voice was fully under control now, less breathy and more teasing.

Carol chuckled against Nat's neck, scraping her teeth lightly down the side until she felt her squirm under her. "Nope. Stark deserves what I would've done to him if we hadn't been interrupted."

"Oh? My fierce little lion." Natasha grabbed Carol's wrist, using it as leverage to turn herself around in Carol's arms to face her. Their lips were hovering over each other, hazel with gold speckles staring into deep green. "Do you want to tell me why Mazie Stanton showed up with Combusting Chalk all over her?" Natasha raised her eyebrow in question.

"You know her?" Carol decided she was done waiting for the conversation to finish. She captured Natasha's lips, hungrily crushing them against hers. Natasha moaned, responding just as aggressively, her tongue slipping into Carol's mouth and fighting for dominance. Carol moved her hand around to Natasha's lower back, teasing the skin there under her fingertips. Natasha countered by pressing her hips into Carol's.

When they pulled back for breath, Natasha continued the conversation as if nothing had interrupted them. This wasn't the first time this had happened. "I know her. She's helped me out on occasion. Sweet girl." 

"She's got a sassy streak too." Carol added.

Natasha raised her eyebrows. "Not that I've ever heard. But you have a way of bringing out the best in people, Captain Danvers." Carol was about to protest but Nat was pulling her down for another kiss, and she wasn't about to stop that.

Nat pulled back suddenly, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you trying to make me jealous, Danvers?"

"You're the one who brought her up!" Carol reminded her. "Though I do like making good girls do bad things..." She gave Nat a challenging smirk.

"Hmm, aren't I the bad one? That's what your Gryffindor friends say anyway." Nat nipped at Carol's lip, tugging on it gently before running her tongue over the sting.

"Right, right. I'm the model student.” Natasha almost snorted at Carol’s words. “You're just the Slytherin Prefect." Carol slipped her hand under Natasha's shirt, grazing the swell of her breasts with her fingertips. Nat shivered under her touch.

"Huh. Maybe we're both the bad girls then." Natasha smirked. Her hand came up around Carol's throat, applying light pressure as she brought their lips together.

"Fine by me," Carol murmured when she finally had a moment to breathe. Natasha brought her lips back down to hers.

Carol was lost in the heat of Natasha's lips, the feel of her fingertips sliding under her robes, alternating between featherlight touches and harsh raking marks. Carol moaned squirming under the surely bruising onslaught, but only feeling the rush of adrenaline released by her body. She felt hot all over, and she pulled Nat even tighter against her to share that fire. Natasha's responding groan told her that she was succeeding. 

Carol pressed forward until Natasha was forced to slide onto a desk. The other girl was already shorter than Carol, but now that she was sitting, it gave Carol even more of an advantage. One that she took advantage of, cupping Nat's face in her hands.

Natasha had other ideas. She leaned back until Carol was off balance. Once she was leaning precariously over her, Natasha made her move, pulling the other girl down and over so that Carol fell into the desk next to them. Natasha then hopped off her desk, straddling her lover, who was uncomfortably draped on her back across the desk. 

She smirked, leaning down for a quick kiss. "Some predicament you got yourself in, Danvers." Carol was breathless staring up into those mischievous, green eyes. Natasha was looking down at her hungrily. Natasha continued to tease her tongue-tied lover, “Too bad you caught me by surprise. I don’t have my strap.” 

Carol’s core clenched at the words, a wicked idea popping into her mind. “Not like we’re witches or anything.” She smirked sarcastically, looking up at Natasha with a suspiciously innocent gaze. “I could just use a spell and have it here in a moment...”

Natasha’s eyebrows furrowed, trying to think how Carol would do that. Objects couldn’t apparate. Carol, on the other hand, was thrilled by her lover’s confusion. She managed to get her wand free of her robe, holding it aloft she said, “Accio stra--” the rest was muffled by Natasha’s hand.

“Bloody hell, you’re insane!” Natasha’s eyes were wide as she wrestled Carol’s wand away from her, for good measure, still keeping her other hand on Carol’s mouth.

Carol had descended into a fit of laughter, imagining Natasha’s dark green strapon flying through the halls of Hogwarts, past traumatized students, professors, and ghosts until it banged up against the door they were behind. “If that spell actually worked, I’m going to fucking kill you, Danvers.” Carol’s laughter was renewed, watching Nat continue to glance at the door, dreading a THUMP that would indicate that Carol had indeed summoned her strap through the entire school.

It took a number of long minutes before Natasha sighed, the tension in her shoulders visibly relaxing. She pocketed Carol’s wand, not trusting her anymore to keep it. But she let up on the pressure of her hand on Carol’s lips. To which Carol immediately responded by taking Natasha’s fingers into her mouth, and sucking hard. Natasha moaned, caught off guard again, grinding her hips into Carol’s. Carol sucked hard, using her tongue to trace each digit in her mouth, before finally releasing them with a pop. “You don’t need your strap to fuck me.” Carol challenged Natasha with a smirk.

Natasha pressed Carol down against the desk and descended on her with a harsh kiss. She took her revenge with passion, pinning Carol with both her mouth and body, and exacting her toll. Her tongue thrust into Carol’s mouth, making her moan. Her hands slid under Carol’s robe, alternating between scraping her nails across her skin and pressing her fingers harshly into her. Natasha swallowed each of Carol’s whimpers, revealing as her lover arched into her. She wanted to take control, to stay in control. To bend Carol to her will under she was nothing but a writhing mess beneath her, begging for release.

Carol looked up at Natasha, seeing the lust and dominance burning in her eyes. She had pressed and pressed until that switch finally flipped in her lover. And now all she could do was ride out the consequences. All the fire and confrontation that Carol usually craved just melted away when Nat looked at her like that. She didn't even try to resist, letting Nat take what she needed.

And Natasha demanded everything of her, wrapping one hand through Carol's blonde hair and the other pressed into her bare skin at her thigh, bringing her leg up to wrap around Natasha’s hip. Carol's moan opened her mouth to Natasha's invading tongue, sweeping in and across until Carol was arching into her, begging for more contact, more pleasure. It was absolute heaven.

They spent a few hours in the empty classroom, finally getting out the pent up sexual frustration that they both had accumulated over the last few days of public confrontations. Natasha was mostly in control, but Carol wrestled it away a few times when she wanted to see her squirm. Otherwise Natasha would neglect her own pleasure, so preoccupied with Carol's. And while Carol liked being on top, she also loved the spark in Natasha's eyes when she did what Nat wanted, that darkened lust filling those sharp green eyes…

Natasha’s parting words to Carol were ones that she would take to heart. "We should do this more often."

"Mmh," was all Carol got out before Natasha kissed her chastely on the lips, opening the door to slip out into the deserted hallway.

Carol made a mental note to surprise Nat more often in the future. There was no where else she would rather be...until Quidditch practice. Which she was late for, again. Showing up with tousled hair, scratch marks, and smelling oddly like a certain Slytherin Prefect’s perfume. No one said a word to her about it. But one of her Beaters, Valkyrie, kept making comments all practice how they were going to “completely fuck” Slytherin next week. And Carol had to wonder if they knew...but she was so high on the endorphins from that morning that she just didn’t care if they did.

[lexiusschlongus69]

When the valkyrie tends to a maiden

The sounds of blades and spears clashing resonated on the battlefield along with diverse explosions echoing through the landscape. One would think it was due to an horde of soldiers at war but all this havoc was caused just by Athena and Freya who were apparently doing a sparring fight. They were coming at each other at blinding speeds , swinging their weapons and parrying each other with technique and grace. Freya had the advantage when it came to mobility and pace thanks to her wings but Athena still managed to stand her ground and anticipated the valkyrie’s moves so far.

After not getting anywhere at close range , Freya kept her distance then bombarded Athena with her aurora pulse attack. The goddess of knowledge just put up her shield to block the barrage of offensive magic with ease but the onslaught didn’t seem to cease any time soon. Seeing that Athena was too focused on shielding herself, Freya flew around at immeasurable speed and got behind Athena then launched another magical energy beam at her , which reached the greek goddess and knocked her down on the ground.

"Looks like victory is mine." Freya landed then pointed her sword down near Athena’s face

"It was a great fight , I did not expect any less from you queen of valkyries." Athena sighed with disapointment about the outcome but still complimented Freya’s performance then the norse goddess reached out her hand to help Athena get up on her feet.

"You’re no pushover either olympian. It’s not often someone can push me to my limits in battle." Freya smiled at Athena as she helped her standing back up then a moment of silence took place until Freya cut it short and spoke back. "Although as thrilling as it was , you remember what happens after a duel between gods is over , right ?" The valkyrie stated neutrally as she put her swords back in its sheath.

"Of course , the victor can ask or take anything from the loser. Still , I will not flee and will go by the rules accordingly." Athena replied in a serious and calm manner but secretly hoped Freya would request anything somewhat reasonable. She heard rumors about the aftermath of other deities duels and most of them ended up with rather humiliating or ridiculous outcomes.

"I’m glad you are honourable to the very end but you don’t have to worry because I’d never humiliate a warrior of great caliber." Athena felt reassured after what Freya just said but was still curious about what she would request. She told to herself it couldn’t be anything too drastic but Athena was confident Freya would stay true to her words. As wise as Athena was , she could recognize any form malice and villainy just by looking at someone’s demeanor and such so she’d notice if the norse goddess was lying or not.

"Oh ! That’s great to hear. For a moment , I thought you’d request something ridiculous from me or worse." Athena laughed a bit relieved that her assumptions turned out to be correct.

"Like I said you don’t need to worry. However , since I won the only thing I want is...you..." Before the greek goddess could react , Freya pounced on her then their lips met after she pushed Athena down on the ground. The valkyrie held Athena’s head with one hand while running the other one on the blonde greek’s hips down to her rear. Athena’s heart skipped a few beats while making out with Freya and she could not process yet what was happening yet. All she could do was moaning into their kiss while twisting her body and flailing her arms in a frantic way.

Freya began to be bolder in her touch as she slipped one hand underneath Athena’s dress then reached her ass while squeezing one of her breast with the other. The greek goddess’s moans became more softer and Athena was less agitated then she shyly put her hands on Freya’s hips. Noticing that , Freya moved up her head thus interrupting their making-out session and giving Athena a breather.

"W-Wait ! You can ask me anything you want but please , don’t do this..." Athena stuttered and looked pleadingly at Freya in the eyes.

"Oh please ! Drop the act already. As powerful as you are you could have already pushed me away and besides , you seem to enjoy having your hands full right now..." Freya chuckled as she glanced back down at Athena’s hands caressing her rear. The greek goddess yelped with embarassment and removed her hands from the valkyrie’s behind. "Now , where did we left off ?"

Afterwards , Freya leaned back down for a kiss and once again her tongue struggled for dominance with Athena’s while one of her hand found its way to Athena’s untounched womanhood. The valkyrie didn’t hesitate on slipping underneath the blonde greek’s panties and started to rub with her fingers Athena’s lower parts.

Athena’s eyes widened and she began to squirm a lot the moment Freya touched her nether regions as she moaned and whined into their kiss. Freya continued to lightly stimulate Athena but it was enough to put her in a frenzy of pleasure in no time. After a few moments , Athena let out a louder muffled scream while the rest of her body shivered and her eyes almost rolled back up.

"So , how did that feel pretty girl ?" Freya asked teasingly afterwards but only got loud panting from her fellow goddess as a response. Athena could not make up a proper thought of what she just experienced in these few minutes but all she had in mind was all the pleasant sensations that ran through her. Meanwhile , Freya lifted up her dress then pulled down her panties while she was laying down still recovering her breath and after that , Freya took off her breastplate and clothes as well.

Next , the valkyrie sat on the greek goddess’s lap then suddenly snapped her fingers as a little appeared on them and instantly disapeared. Freya looked down quicky between Athena’s legs to see her magic had made the modifications she wanted which was to give Athena a new set of genitalia. Speaking of which , Athena had regained enough sense to lean her head and look down at her body in dismay and horrified.

"What kind of trick did you use on me ?! Change me back !" Athena screamed in complete panick but Freya just smirked and glanced a bit at her new parts while licking her lips.

"Don’t be like that~. Despite my victory , I’m still willing to respect that little chastity vow of yours by changing your body so you don’t lose your purity. Now , lay back down and enjoy the heavenly pleasure a goddess can offer , okay ?" Freya whispered seductively into Athena’s ear as she began to rub gently her newly given length , making Athena whimper from the soft touch of her fingers.

"What you are saying does not make any sens-Ahhhh !" Before she could finish arguing , Athena let out a surprised moan after Freya wrapped her fingers around her "second spear" and stroke it. Athena twisted her body and whined as Freya gradually picked up the pace of her ministrations.

The valkyrie leaned back up then used her the palm of her free hand to rub in random patterns the tip of Athena’s newly made shaft as she continued to stroke the base up and down. Athena digged her fingers on the ground to keep herself from going insane because of the recently added stimulations as she groaned and clenched her teeth. Freya chuckled as she watched Athena trying not to give in to her sexual urges then when she felt Athena swelling up in her grasp , Freya stopped stroking her member.

Athena panted still feeling the pleasure backing up into her then stared up at Freya’s exposed body. Earlier , she was not paying attention to it after all the wreck of events happening so fast but right now Athena could not take her eyes off the valkyrie’s voloptuous body features , almost drooling at its sight. Meanwhile , Freya still held the cock in her hand and positionned her nether entrance above it then slowly put the tip of Athena’s length.

The goddess of wisdom moaned as she felt the warmth and moist womanhood about to swallow her cock. "F-Freya ! Please ! Don’t do it !" Athena muttered unsure and scared but Freya didn’t care one bit then just slammed her hips down and now had the greek blonde’s whole shaft inside her.

Athena screamed in pure bliss as she felt the valkyrie’s vaginal muscles tightening around her cock like it wouldn’t let go of it. It was too much for the maiden deity to endure and couldn’t help herself from letting out a big load inside Freya. "Oh you poor thing~ ! It’s okay , I’ll take good care of you from now on." Freya purred as she gave Athena a little smooch on her lips.

The pleasure hit Athena’s mind so suddenly hard she began to sob while the rest of her body convulsed. She was still hard inside Freya and still throbbing so without any warning , the valkyrie proceeded to move her hips up and down , not showing Athena any mercy at the rythm she was gradually going. Athena helplessly moaned and panted as she felt another orgasm building up quickly. Completely overtaken by her lust , Athena instinctively thrusted up her hips but since it was her first time doing this , her movement looked somewhat sloppy and awkward at times.

Freya laughed a little at how Athena got into the mood and saw on her face she was struggling to hold herself from giving completely into her urges. The valkyrie smiled as she now swang her hips and squeezed her inner walls harder making Athena screeched in response at the sudden change of pattern and pace. It was more than enough to send Athena over the edge in no time as she squirted out another load. Although , Freya did not stop grinding her hips and overstimulated the former virgin goddess who was crying out in both pain and pleasure.

"Athena my dear~...We are not done having fun together...You have much to learn about one’s enjoyment~." Freya stated eagerly as she continued to bounce onto the shaft and grabbed the blonde greek deity’s breast at the same time

Later on...

Freya was up against a tree while Athena lifted up one of the valkyrie’s legs somewhat forcing Freya to fully extend her leg up and rammed her cock inside the norse blonde. Both goddess were completely naked and seemed to have continued mating for a good amount of time judging by the semen that was sticking on Freya’s body. As for Athena , she had her eyes closed but her mouth wide agape as she moved back and forth inside Freya’s tight little crevice.

"Freya ! I-I can’t hold it any longer..." The olympian goddess panting grew faster and her moans louder as she penetrated the norse goddess. Her tongue sticked out of her mouth and her head almost leaned up as she got closer to release.

"Go ahead...Let it all out..." Freya whispered and smiled as she felt Athena cumming inside her. With each thrust , Athena pumped her remaining seed and drew out her orgasm each time she moved her hips back and forth. After it ceased , Athena’s member went limp and the rest of her body was out of energy as well then she let go of Freya but her legs gave out.

She almost crumble to her knees but Freya caught her before she fell on the ground but her head now rested on the valkyrie’s chest instead. The only sounds coming out of her mouth were tired blabbering as she barely held onto Freya and after all that , Athena told to herself that she needed to get "more knowledge" about what she went through before shutting her eyes and losing consciousness.

[ausp-ice]

Apparitions, Scene 6: Nightmare Characters: Raffle/Wenzel ( @the-valiant-valkyrie​ ), Incisura/Wren (me) Words: 1763 Archive | 1 2 3 4 5 6

That’s what happens when you’re exposed to nightmare fuel!

Wren was sitting at their couch, staring blankly at the wall. Their phone was held loosely in their hand, hanging off the edge of the couch. The screen darkened at another tap. They felt... detached. Tired. The shadows seemed to dance at one moment, and be perfectly normal at another. They should just... sleep....

“Wren??” Wenzel was only semi-confident in the fact that he actually had the right address (despite literally having a map in front of him on his phone, he was never good with direction), but he certainly pounded on the door as though he were the most confident man in the world,

“Wren you better be alive in there! Don’t make me find a half open window!”

Something pressed at the corner of Wren’s awareness, but... The phone slipped out of their hand, clattering to the floor as they slumped to the side.

“WREN! C’MON OPEN UP! DON’T MAKE ME CALL THE COPS I DON’T LIKE THEM TOO MUCH-!” He sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he’d like it to be...

Just as he threatened, he began looking for anything to help him ‘break in’ (it’s not breaking in if it’s a medical emergency) ⥎

Whispers.

.̴͓̇.̷̢͋.̶͇̈́

It was dark. Endless.

̷̢̛-̶̪̊n̷̛͔.̶̳̆.̵̱̄.̷̟͌.̷̹͠

But... not empty.

̴̠͠W̸̤̽r̸͇̆ḙ̷̇ṉ̶̀.̵̗̅.̵̮̆.̶̟͗ ̷͍̉W̶̊͜r̸̥̈́a̴̛͇ị̷͝t̴̗̏h̷̻͝.̴̤̑.̷̨̽.̷͛ͅ

They jerked in their sleep.

̸̱͌T̸͎̊h̵̘̕e̵̯̎ ̵̞͘s̵̪̓h̶̯̚a̸͖̍d̷͍͒ő̶̠w̴̒ͅs̶̫̀ ̶̜͋i̸͙͘ń̵̯v̶̼́i̵̟̽t̸̥̀ẽ̷͜ ̸͙̄ỳ̷̳o̴͝u.

...Dance for us.

⥎

Wenzel waltzed around the house a moment, looking for any way to get... In. It wasn’t as though he was skilled in breaking and entering- that was more up a villain’s alley, and he... Could barely be considered some sort of a hero.

He rapped on the windows, pulling on each one in an attempt to find one that was loose or unlocked.

One was, indeed - it just so happened to be one in view of the living room. Wren was lying on their side, splayed on the couch. Their hair hid their face, but their fingers seemed to be twitching.

“I even said- I even said, ‘Wren you idiot don’t go to sleep’. I take ten minutes to go over there and what else are they doing-” He fumbled with the window for a little bit, slipping his body in little by little and just hoping no one was around to call any sort of security

They rolled over a bit, hair slipping away from their face. Their eyes were scrunched up, as if they were in pain - but they made no sound.

"Wren-!" Wenzel fumbled a little as he hit the floor (though if anyone were to ask he's simply explain with confidence he took a skilled roll), but pulled himself back onto his feet with no delay, clapping a few times in the poor fool's ear,

"Wren, c'mon. Wake up." Every syllable punctuated with yet another clap.

One moment, Wren was prone. The next, they had Wenzel's wrists gripped tightly in their hands, wide eyes locked onto his face.

"Woah jeez-!" He flinched almost automatically, trying to wriggle his hands free from their grip,

"C'mon, Wren, it's just me-! I told you not to sleep didn't I? Look at you- you're a mess!"

Their grip loosened slightly, and they blinked. The tension bled from their shoulders slowly, awareness coming back to them piece by piece.

"Wenzel...? I..." Their eyes flicked to their hands and they jerked back, letting go immediately. "Ack! I'm- sorry-"

"Yes, its Wenzel." He finally wormed his wrist away, rubbing it for a second or so,

"And what did I tell you, huh? I said not to fall asleep, aaand you did. You did fall asleep. You could have gotten possessed or something-! Or turned into sludge!"

Wren grimaced. "It was strange, alright? I might even argue that I was under the influence of whatever that stuff was. I couldn't seem to stop myself." They rubbed absently at their chest. "And I feel like... I feel like I saw something. Heard something. Just now. When I was asleep."

"Yeah..." Wenzel looked them up and down suspiciously, as though he'd find anything of notice of concern on his person,

"Yeah you need to go to the doc or something on that."

Wren pouted petulantly. "I am a doctor! Who would I even go to? Do you know someone that might know about this?"

"You can't doctor yourself, that's not how doctors work." He pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation,

"I mean... I might know a guy who knows a guy?"

"Hmmrrgghhhhh...." They put a hand on their head. "I guess I'm not really in much of a place to argue."

They sighed. "Alright, fine. Who's this person who you know knows?" Wenzel gestured to the couch again, pushing Wren back a little,

"At least make yourself a little comfortable; I could get you some water or something. 'V got half a sandwich on me. If we're gonna chat you might as well stay stable- you've got aspirin?"

They sunk into the cushions of the couch. "Ah... yes. I'm not very hungry, don't worry about that. I've got water in that filter and aspirin in the cabinet- I can go grab it-"

Wenzel could be heard from the other room, fumbling around with glasses and such while he tried to make himself at least somewhat useful,

"So, uh, you know that neat little electronic repair place? Cool little joint not too far away from the bus station, ever took a peek in it before?"

Wren had already taken a bite out of the sandwich. "Mmm. Prh'ps?" They hummed thoughtfully, swallowing before they continued. "I tend to use modern technology. But I think I've passed by a few times. Is the person you know there?"

"Yeah. He's a real friendly sort once you get passed all the sorta gruffness he sprinkles about just a little. Doesn't really get a lot of business, so I don't really know what he does half the time, but I've reason to believe he's got maybe a couple of connections. You know how those non talkative folk are; they know all sorts of things."

Wren snorted. "Sprinkles. And connections, huh? I suppose it's worth a shot. Do you trust him?" They peered at Wenzel, one eyebrow raised as they took another large bite of the sandwich.

"I don't talk to folks I don't trust." He shrugged, leaning over to steal a piece of cheese hanging a little off the edge of the bread. After all, it was originally his sandwich,

"Once you really get to know him, you sorta can't help but trust him. Not that he looks trustworthy- he's just not not a good liar, and he knows it."

Wren's eyes followed the piece of cheese, expression revealing nothing, before they gave a soft laugh. "Heh. Sounds like an interesting guy." They started to get up, "Shall we go now, or-"

"Are you in any condition to go now? I mean look at yourself." He gestured vaguely at Wren's entire person, "You freaked out when I tried to wake you up. Not to mention you were twitching all over the place like some poor piece of roadkill-"

They sat back down. "Ngh." They looked like the admission pained them. Their eyes flicked to Wenzel, "and you're sure you haven't felt anything?"

"No, because I'm not the one who eats blood and sticks their whole nose in suspicious black goop."

"Ughhhhhh." They flopped an arm over their eyes. "I've never seen anything like it! And Winter! She should have been dead! I wanted to know what was going on with all that gunk."

"We don't even know what the stuff is yet, and not to mention how that freaky lady just melted into it all of a sudden... And those bad sensations it was giving off was just terrible." He could have shuddered, but refrained,

"Whatever it is, it's bad news. With a capital B and an N."

Wren was silent for a moment. "When... when I was asleep. The voices I heard. I... it's not clear, and it evades the conscious grasp of my mind." They lifted their arm. "But it felt like... They were calling to me." They looked towards Wenzel. "Perhaps... not unrelated."

"Calling to you..." his brows furrowed, and he tugged nervously on his bottom lip with his teeth,

"I... I'd say that's not good... But most assuredly not unrelated... Otherwise you'd seriously need to see a doctor."

They laughed nervously. "Ah, goodness! It's like this gunk is made to drive you insane!"

"I certainly hope not..." He swallowed, dryly, "Imagine how... Dangerous that sorta thing could be for the city."

"... That's true." Their eyes narrowed. "I must... investigate... later..." They muttered under their breath.

"Yeah, you... You're really not looking so hot..." He suddenly stood up, picking at one of his nails,

"Lets, uh... Tell you what, huh? As much as I'd love to chill here and make sure you don't kill yourself, I've gotta go to work in like..." He checked his phone (which was dying again, he noted), "Thirty? Forty minutes? So here's what we'll do, huh? Since you don't look to be in any condition to do anything whatsoever, you can just chill here and nap. But set like, an alarm on your phone for every hour. That way, if something happens, you won't be sitting around dying or hearing any more whispers, or whatever fever dream stuff happens then-"

Wren gave another snort. "Alright, alright, you mother hen. I can take care of myself, don't worry. I'll do as you say." They set their alarm on their phone to every hour. "Now, go do your thing. Don't let me keep you." They waved a hand at him.

He shoved his phone in his pocket, taking one look back at his accident prone friend,

"Don't die. If you start to, call like, the police or something? Or me? Even though I'll be at work I probably won't be able to come- but then at least I can call the police-"

"I will, I will! Go do your work. Be a responsible citizen. I will be resting. Oh, and tell me whenever you want me to meet that electronics guy."

"I'll text you-!" He called back, hopping carefully through the window again (it was easier than unlocking the door- and besides, Wren'd have to get up to lock it again). He'd never think, of all his friends, he'd be one of the most responsible.

Wren watched him go, before flopping back on the sofa. Well. Into darkness, then.

[sserpente]

In a heartbeat (Chapter 26)

A/N: Heyho there my lovelies! Enjoy this new chapter. I certainly did!

He followed you into the kitchen without hesitation, watched you prepare the counter. What about some vegetables and chicken? It was simple, fast and most importantly, it was delicious.

Humming happily, you took the ingredients from your fridge and poured some oil into two frying pans. Loki never took his blue eyes off you. It was amusing, really. Back on Sakaar, he had been the one in charge, knowing how to act to survive but here… here you knew what to do. You were independent and strong and it made you feel so sexy it was practically radiating off of you. Loki seemed to notice too. Perhaps this was the reason he kept following you around like a little dog.

Once you had turned on the hob, you took a breadboard and a knife from one of the kitchen drawers and got to work. Right after washing the vegetables—some pepper, corn and carrots, you started cutting them into mouth-sized little pieces.

Loki sat down at the kitchen table. His blue gaze fixed on your busy hands.

“Have you practised in my absence?”

Surprised, you looked up. It took you a moment to get what he meant. “Practised what?”

“Combat. Throwing knives.” He said.

“Oh. No, not really. I haven’t exactly had a lot of time for that lately… or motivation.” And I was trying to avoid anything that reminds me of you, you added silently as you finished chopping the vegetables and continued to slice the meat after pouring them all into the pan and seasoning them a little.

The same you did to the meat once it was done.

“How long will it take?” Loki asked, cocking his head towards the frying pans.

“Give it a few minutes.”

“Hm…” He stood. Smirking, he walked around the table so slowly you felt the urge to back away. It was a dangerous smirk. Mischievous and cunning, promising no good. He had smirked at you like that when training with you and oh, he had come so close…

“I fear I might not be able to wait this long. I would much rather eat something… else.”

Your face fell, your heart skipping a beat as he lifted you off the ground without any forewarning and carried you over to the kitchen table. Loki had obviously taken a liking into carrying you around. You felt your sex pulsating with lust already as you bit your lower lip and looked up at him in joyful anticipation, watching him as he tore down your trousers and underwear. There they went, together with your shoes, a useless pile on the floor.

The God of Mischief licked his lower lips as he eyed your glistening pussy like a feast after parting your legs for proper access.

“Loki,” you whispered. “I’ve never done this before.”

He smirked in response. “I promise to make you like it, little minx.” And with that, he buried his face between your legs.

The moment his thin lips touched your petals, you were moaning shamelessly in defeat. Throwing your head back in pure pleasure, you jerked every single time his tongue darted out to taste your juices, flick over your clit or circle your entrance teasingly. He pushed his tongue into you, lapping up your arousal and groaning approvingly before focusing on your most sensitive bundle of nerves. He nibbled on it, sucked it into his mouth, played with it with his tongue and even gently bit it.

He was so invested in eating you out he had closed his eyes.

“Ohhh… Loki…” There was no way to control it. Bucking your hips to meet him, your hands covered his. He had gripped your thighs tightly, making sure you did not back away from him. He groaned once more when you buried them in his raven hair, the vibrations of his smooth voice sending you straight over the edge.

Loki kept on licking your pussy until you stopped shaking and twitching, your juices coating his mouth. He could taste your orgasm.

There was a cold shiver on your wet sex when he pulled away, licking his lips lusciously. They were glistening with your arousal.

“You taste ravishing, little minx.”

Panting, you giggled at him, allowed him to pull you close and kiss you. You could taste yourself on him, your eyes falling shut as you wrapped your arms around him and slipped your tongue into his mouth.

“I love you…” You murmured. And every single time you said it, it felt even better. You knew he would not say it back right away. You did not expect him to and you certainly would not force him to.

Loki seemed to have read your thoughts, for this time, he did react to it.

“The last person I have spoken these words to has disappointed me greatly.” He spoke gently.

You smiled. “I will not disappoint you, never.”

Peaceful silence spread between you, the room filled with only your breathing. For a couple of minutes, you simply rested there, you on the table in his arms, half-naked and him, holding you like a treasure chest.

“The food…” You breathed out eventually. Loki smirked.

While you brought the food to the kitchen table after cleaning it properly to eat on again, Loki’s words back in the office still hummed in your brain like a hive. My woman… What was it he had planned for you? Bringing you back to Norway, to live among Asgardians? You had heard him talking to Thor a few nights before your departure—that it would be unwise to keep mortals with them, for they lived a whole different way of life. And now, he wanted you to be with him? You were glad, beyond happy of course, still, however, you would only love to learn what was going on inside that brilliant mind of his.

He hadn’t even told you he loved you, claiming he was scared to get disappointed and now he already wanted you to live with him. Technically, what Loki had done to you wasn’t nice. It wasn’t nice at all.

Loki groaned approvingly while shoving the first bite of your late lunch into his mouth. A giggle escaped your lips.

“I’m glad you like it.” You said amused, emptying your own plate in no time. Apparently, orgasms made you even hungrier—a good thing to know. “I… Loki, can I ask you something?” You added more serious then.

“You just did, little minx.”

Rolling your eyes, you gently kicked him in the shin. This was important. Sitting at the kitchen table and eating with him proved to pose the perfect time to talk.

“I mean… why now? After four months? Did you plan this?” You asked coyly, hiding the rising anger in your voice.  The thin bubble you were floating in threatened to pop with a start. Yet this was something you needed to know. You had been avoiding it for way too long already.

“I did not. I believed my mind would no longer bother me with thoughts about you once you left.” Ouch. “I have never harboured proper romantic feelings for a woman before. I must admit… it took me a while to realise. Back on Sakaar I never wondered why I kept you around for a long time.” Until he understood he cared for you? “The day you left… I almost held you back.” Romantic feelings. Your heart skipped a beat.

He must have been convinced he would forget you—just like you had attempted to forget him. But it hadn’t worked. Fate hate bound you together the first day you had met in New York City. The way you had looked at him… back then, you could never have imagined to once be telling this man you loved him. But you did.

“I could not be sure you felt the same, I only assumed it… until we almost kissed. When Thor reported you were feeling unwell, I knew there was only one reason why. You were devastated the day you found out about Valkyrie’s and my engagement.” He continued, noticing idly you wanted answers.

“The longest time I was convinced you would never even look at me twice. Compared to her, I am mortal, and weak and—“

“You are not weak, (Y/N).” Surprised, you looked up again, meeting his blue eyes.

“I-I… I just never had any hopes. That’s why I never told you.” You would die for him. You had known the day you had fought with him on the rainbow bridge. It took you a moment to process his words. “I mean… You assumed… and still, you decided to announce your dumb marriage right in front of me? You knew I was devastated? What the hell, Loki?”

The God of Mischief frowned. “I hardly had a choice in that matter, little minx.”

“You had the choice to tell me earlier, Loki. Valkyrie is the woman who told you you’re a monster, in case you have forgotten. Do you have any idea how I felt? I was on a different planet, for Fuck’s sake, I was the only human, my best friend had gotten killed by an evil goddess and I was so fucking scared! As if this wasn’t bad enough already…” Frankly, you had no idea where this sudden rage was coming from. It felt like with a start, all of this bottled anger now broke free with Loki shattering the glass to millions of tiny pieces.

“You cried the day you left.” Did it break your heart as well as mine?

“Oh, really?” You remarked sarcastically instead.

Loki glared at you now, his blue gaze darkening threateningly. “Watch your tone.” Your face fell, your lips parting in shock.

“Excuse me?! You don’t get to order me to be quiet, do you hear me? Loki… you showed up here after months. You… I… do you realise how relieved I was? How relieved I still am that you are here although you should probably be planning a bloody wedding right now? But that… that doesn’t mean you can bully me about!” You bellowed.

“I am not bullying you about.” Still, Loki was oddly calm. It drove you insane.

“No? What about Ricardo? You forbad me to meet him before subtly telling me that you are my king and I am to obey you. What happened, is the air in Norway too thin? You just… you don’t get to kiss me like you did without explaining things.” You never noticed the tears forming in your eyes. You were devastated. Happy and angry and sad at the very same time. Why was love so complicated?

Finally, Loki snapped, the bubble popped with a start. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, his lips pressed together to a thin line.

Were you being unfair? You knew what Loki had been through and how he had never experienced proper love. Maybe this was his way of proving he loved you too, even if he did not yet say it out loud. But… this wasn’t your fault. Loki had some apologising to do. Just because you saw the world around you through pink glasses, that didn’t mean you were going to let him treat you like that, even if you had to destroy the perfect afterglow of a passionate oral sex session.

“What was I supposed to do?! What do you want me to say to you, (Y/N)?!”

“WELL, HOW ABOUT ‘I’M SORRY’?!”

The God of Mischief silenced. Taking a step back, his lips parted as if he was unsure of what to say.

“(Y/N)… I am not one of those men you read about in books. I am not the hero in your story.”

Your lower lip was shaking when you answered him. “I don’t want you to be the hero, I want you, I fell for you. You just… you hurt me. More than you might think. I … I want to know if you even care about—“

Loki shut you up by pressing his lips against yours. With but a single, determined step, he stood and had wrapped you in his arms, phrasing with actions what he could not phrase with words. It was ironic, was it not? Loki, the Trickster, the silver tongue, unable to pick the right words to direct at the woman he… loved? Did he love you, truly? You did believe that he did. This… this was his way to say sorry.

“What happens now, Loki?” You whispered when he pulled away, still hugging you tightly. “I mean… you’re the king, you’ll eventually have to go back, won’t you?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “But I will not leave you here, little minx.”

“So you… really want to take me with you?”

Loki frowned. “Would you not want that? You seem rather horrified by the thought.”

“No, I do! Of course, I want to be with you … I just don’t speak Norwegian. I rather like my job too, I love it, in fact. It’s just… fast. And what about Valkyrie?” Besides, you have chosen it for me, not asked me about it first, you added silently. You only kept quiet because his bossiness somewhat aroused you as well and that both terrified and excited you.

“Norwegian is hardly a language you could not learn. It would not be the first time for me to teach you, now would it?” He smirked. “You will still be able to work—if that is what you wish. The Valkyrie is none of your concerns. I will see to it she behaves around us. If she does not…” He raised his eyebrows and faked a smile. “…I shall banish her.”

There was another question, of course. Who exactly would you become in this new Asgard? Loki’s lover? Some kind of secret whore he screwed when the people did not look? You highly doubted this. What was his intention? He could not possibly want you to become… his queen?

“Now come.” He said, waiting patiently for you to finally finish your plate. “I believe you promised me that luscious mouth of yours.”

You would think about it later. Your brain was malfunctioning whenever he said dirty things like that.

A/N: And all was well? Hmmmm... I’m not so sure... what do you think? ;-)