#peter five minutes later: i totally had a head injury

[erinwantstowrite]

Ref: LoF Chapter 1

Jay this is KILLING me just wait until Peter finds out about Aquaman 😭

[stark-tony]

underrated irondad and spiderson fic recs part 1

Men's Synch 3m Platform by loudestfandomsoftheworld

summary: or 5 times Peter Parker goes dumpster diving, and one time he does something else... " “You took my nephew dumpster diving?” Ben asked incredulously.

 His wife stood tall with a toddler strapped to her chest, tugging at one end of a couch with all her might. “I did not,” 

“Twash!” Peter yelled."

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

do you even remember what the world looks like? by iron_spider

summary: Tony’s heart has been working on overdrive since this whole thing started. Friday has a countdown clock plastered on the heads up display, but it feels like hieroglyphics to him at this point, like some ancient language he could never master.

Because when Peter Parker is missing, things start losing their meaning real quick.

“Should be around here,” Rhodey says on the com. May is still on the other line, listening in, because once a certain amount of time goes by without word from Peter, things move into Extremely Worried Aunt territory. They’re already in Tony Is Panicking territory, and when both of those territories overlap it’s never a good time for anybody.

Time? What the hell is time? His mind is blanking numbers out entirely. Minutes are seconds are hours are years.

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort

warnings: none

Empty Casket by Jen27ny

summary: After the Vulture, Tony should have known better.

He should have listened to Peter.

But he didn’t.

And now, Peter is dead.

pairings: none

tags: angst

warnings: none

Patient #2252 by TheSoulOfAStrawberry

summary:  When a warehouse comes down on Spider-Man’s head and leaves him with a brain injury, Queens social worker Bianca Browne and Dr Grace Li of NY-Presbytarian Hospital find themselves racing the NYPD to uncover Spidey’s identity and get him help before he can be charged with a litany of crimes.

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort

warnings: police brutality

That's why they call me mr. fahrenheit by SparrowFlight246

summary: Peter’s on fire.

He wakes up fast, and before he even gets the chance to feel the pain, the aches, the dizziness, he feels the heat. It’s all encompassing, a raging inferno blooming from within him and burning him up from the inside out, and god, it—

—god, it hurts.

-

Peter gets whammied by a 24-hour superbug, and Tony’s left to keep him alive until tomorrow morning.

It sounds a hell of a lot easier than it ends up being.

pairings: none

tags: angst, hurt/comfort

warnings: none

not like megatron by iron_spider

summary: “Hi! This is Peter Parker, I can’t get to the phone right now, so leave a message and I’ll call you back later! Hopefully not too much later, but don’t get your hopes up!”

Tony knows that message by heart. He’s heard it hundreds of times, in a greyer world, and it sends shivers down his spine as he climbs into the car.

He doesn’t think about that place. That half-world. No way, that’s done, that’s over, that’s history.“Hey, kid, don’t you know it’s bad etiquette to go and disappear on your birthday? Not allowed, really, really bad vibes from the universe. What’s going on with your suit? I wasn’t watching. Nope. Just got an alert. What’s going on? Uh, call me back.” He clears his throat and hangs up like a moron, driving out into the street.

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort, fluff

warnings: none

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater by frostysunflowers

summary:  ''Dying.''

''You’re not dying.''

''Totally am.'

'''God, I hope not, otherwise May will skin me alive.''

or

A weekend visit to the cabin doesn't go according to plan.

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort, humor

warnings: none

an irondad's misguided approach to homesickness by livingtheobsessedlife

summary: Peter mentions it once. Once. That he’s maybe kinda sorta vaguely somewhat homesick. MIT is no Queens, that’s all really. All in all, Pete’s having a great time at college. Really, truly.

The thing is that Tony’s never really taken the whole ‘only mentioning it once’ thing all that well. Not when it comes to Peter at least.

This time is no exception.

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

you held your pride like you should have held me by searchingforstars

summary: “I had to take the risk!” Peter snaps. “I saved your life.”

Tony’s stare hardens. “Yeah, and nearly ended your goddamn own. This isn’t a trade-off. It wasn’t your call to make.”

“You would have done the same thing to protect me,” Peter points out. Tony just seethes at the statement.

“I don’t care about what you think I would have done. You are not me. And I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself."

--

or, as the timer ticked down, Peter knew his only option was to take things into his own hands. He just didn’t expect Tony to be mad at him for saving his life.

pairings: none

tags: angst, hurt/comfort

warnings: none

always on duty by parkrstark

summary:  Peter manages to convince Tony to take him to a gala, but when Tony is hurt, he realizes that it's just as dangerous to be Tony Stark as it is to be Iron Man. 

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort, fluff, humor

warnings: none

Out of Left Field by blondsak, seekrest

summary: Even if Tony didn’t end up becoming a big fan of the Mets, Peter knew they’d still have a great time at the game. And the fact that Tony wanted to go with Peter badly enough to make it clear that he should buy a pair of tickets as a birthday gift?

Peter shakes his head fondly.

Maybe for once the month of May was going to work out for him after all.

pairings: spideychelle

tags: fluff, humor

warnings: none

three weeks, two days, seven hours by crowkag

summary: It was a mess. A real mess. Peter had been gone for three weeks, two days, and seven hours, taken right out from under their noses.

And Tony was laying on the floor.

(AKA “you’ll always get there first”, but from Tony’s POV.)

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort, fluff

warnings: 

for as long as i live and as long as i love (i will never not think about you) by searchingforstars

summary: When Tony first started to forget things, Peter thought maybe it was just age. People’s memories fade as they get older, right? Minds get weaker. It’s just natural.

But Tony has arguably the sharpest mind of the 21st century. Peter should have realised that it was never going to be just getting weaker. It was never going to be just age.

No - not when the sharpest mind of the 21st century also happened to come into contact with the deadliest amount of gamma radiation known to man five years ago.

--

or, Tony’s sacrifice is still haunting them five years later. Peter has to come to terms with the fact that Tony’s memory is fading.

pairings: none

tags: angst

warnings: none

a dream is a wish by floweryfran

summary: Tony seems to panic for a moment, shifting his weight foot to foot, before spitting out in one mouthful, “I have a business trip in Florida right before your spring break and I talked to May and she says I can bring you to Disney for the week once it’s done ahhh.” He then breathes, grins plastically, and holds his hands out, like, I’m Tony Stark, hold your applause.

Peter runs the words through his head no less than three times to make sure he had understood them properly. “Disney—you and me—spring break?” he repeats.

Tony nods, hair flopping. “I mean, like, don’t feel obligated to say yes, but I thought it would be fun since May says you’ve never gone and she would’ve been working for your whole break anyway, y’know, at least this way we won’t be worrying about you sitting home alone for hours doing G-d only knows what—building accidental robot armies or something, or, worse, becoming a couch potato and forgetting every bit of knowledge I’ve ever carefully placed in that rat trap you call a brain—”

“Tony,” Peter says, waving his hands to shut Tony up. Something warm sits in the core of his chest, hovering. “Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, yeah, for sure, let’s—Disney. Let’s go. Wow.”

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

Of birthday cake and millennium falcons by frostysunflowers

summary: "You still haven’t answered my question," MJ says, taking another sip of her juice.

 "Isn’t it obvious?" Tony replies, scratching at one of the scars on his neck with the end of a screwdriver. "It’s Ben’s birthday."

"And Ben’s birthday warrants a…" MJ waves a hand vaguely, "what the hell is that thing anyway?"

or

Tony has no self control when it comes to birthday parties and his grandson.

pairings: spideychelle

tags: fluff

warnings: none

what i have, i give to you by aatticsaltt

summary:  Tony would give everything to Peter Parker, if he asked for it. When May calls telling Tony she thinks Peter isn't feeling well, he drops everything to go check up on his favorite spider kid.

pairings: pepperony

tags: fluff, hurt/comfort

warnings: none

Smile! by aatticsaltt

summary:  Taking Peter to Disney World was one of Tony's better ideas.

pairings: pepperony

tags: fluff

warnings: none

and when it's hard, i'll place your head into my hands by hopeless_hope

summary: “Tony,” Pepper sing-songs to get his attention. “Your mother hen is showing.”

“What?” he snaps indignantly. “I am not a mother hen. This is just... concern. Of the average kind. Perfectly normal.”

“Of course,” Pepper humors him, and he shoots her a dirty look as he types out a quick text to Peter.

or

It's been five days since Tony's heard from Peter, who's away at college, and Tony is not coping well. (Neither is Peter.)

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort, fluff

warnings: none

Of Wally-Crawly Harnesses and Over-Enthusiastic Hat-Bestowing Capabilities by TheOceanIsMyInkwell

summary: Tony raises a brow at him in triumph, then sniffs and rubs the side of his nose. “Besides, think of it this way. Now you got a bullet-proof neck.”

“Nobody would even shoot a sad-looking orphan bundled like a spring roll in Red Heart yarn,” Peter points out. “That’s just low.”

“Excuse me, young buck, I resent the implication that I would let Red Heart come within an inch of your skin.”

“You’re insufferable,” Peter says flatly. “I hate you.”

“And just for that, I think this calls for those wool socks I was working on,” Tony says brightly.

“No--no, wait--”

“It’s time to learn that your consequences have actions, Parker--”

“Wait, wait, I love your knitting, I think it’s super healthy and fulfilling and honestly the best thing that’s ever happened to you since you retired!” Peter hollers at the man’s figure as it retreats quickly down the hallway. -- After Peter faints into hibernation because he can't thermoregulate, Tony isn't taking anymore chances. Out come the wool skeins and the knitting needles.

pairings: none

tags: fluff, humor

warnings: none

how do you sandwich!? by killerqueenwrites

summary: “Why are you buttering toast before you toast it?

”“I’m not toasting this.”

“Then what are you doing?” Peter demands.

“I’m making a sandwich.”

pairings: none

tags: fluff, humor

warnings: none

What I Can't Live Without by aatticsaltt

summary: Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Heavy lies the heart of the father who has to watch his son bow beneath the weight of the world.

or: When Peter calls Happy needing a ride out of the Netherlands, it's Tony who comes to the rescue.

pairings: none

tags: angst

warnings: none

Tales from Quarantine by just_a_hungry_author

summary: Peter, Morgan, and Tony are all stuck inside during the Coronavirus quarantine. Morgan learns to play Monopoly, Tony struggles to help with 1st grade math, and a prank war ensues.

God, this is the longest two weeks ever.

pairings: none

tags: fluff, humor

warnings: none

if we have each other by ftmpeter

summary: "Do you ever just, like, feel like you’re upside down?"

"You are upside down, Pete."

"Sounds fake."

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

What Happens in the Blanket Fort Stays in the Blanket Fort by TheOceanIsMyInkwell

summary: “Well, I was gonna discuss with May some legal particulars about changes to my will that involve you,” Tony drawls, “but looks like I’ll just have to change my plans.”

There’s a beat. And then a yodel: “I’m just a poor boy, I need--”

“If not for this goddamn quarantine, I’d be there in a flash to shut you up myself, Spidey-Tighties.”

“You made these ‘tights’.”

“Funsie-onesie.”

“Mr. Stark.”

“Cooty-footies.”

“Mr. Stark. I’m begging you. What does that even mean.” -- Tony comes over to keep Peter company during the quarantine while the kid waits for May to come home from work at the hospital. Bants are had. Feelings are spilled. And maybe, just maybe, a hug or two is shared.

pairings: none

tags: fluff, humor

warnings: none

On his Shoulders by snarkymuch

summary: “Please, please,” Tony begged, “Keep breathing, kid. Don’t do this to me. You can’t leave me like this.” The morning started like any other for Tony. He kissed Pepper good morning and sipped his coffee. He scanned his emails and chatted with Pepper about the vacation they were always planning but never took. The calm should have been a warning, as the storm always followed.

OR

Peter and Tony get trapped in a building collapse and Peter is gravely injured.

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort

warnings: none

coronapocalypse by peterstank

summary:  “This whole quarantine thing shouldn’t even apply to me.”

“Uh, I beg to differ, it’s very serious,” replies Tony’s voice, slightly muffled like he’s got his phone pressed between his shoulder and chin. “We’re all on lockdown, which means no leaving your place unless it’s for emergencies.”

“And what qualifies as an emergency?”

There’s a pause.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not in your apartment?”

pairings: none

tags: fluff, humor

warnings: none

Little White Lies by snarkymuch

summary:  Peter gets injured and tries to treat it himself, hiding it from Tony, but he can't keep it hidden forever.

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort

warnings: none

Peter Parker and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Semester by just_a_hungry_author

summary: "So tell me, Kid." Tony said, patting the space next to him. "What's been going on?"

"Nothing's been going on." Peter denied, but he sat down anyway.

"Pete, don't bottle your emotions up. Only I'm allowed to do that."

When Peter again didn't smile at his joke, Tony continued. "I know you're stressed, Bud. But tell me why so I can help you."

"It's nothing you can help." Peter mumbled.

"Can I at least try?"

"I've just been having a bad week."

OR: Peter’s been having a rough time at college, Tony tries to jump in and help. 3000 words of pure fluff.

pairings: none

tags: fluff

warnings: none

Windy Webs by silentsaebyeok

summary:  And that was it. He was officially an idiot. Peter didn’t mean to be dramatic, but this was one of the most embarrassing things to ever happen to him, even if there was no one around to witness the fall of the century. -- Peter goes web-slinging in dangerous weather and gets seriously injured. It doesn't help that he has to spend the whole summer living with the consequences.

pairings: none

tags: hurt/comfort

warnings: none

Peter gets the chickenpox by snarkymuch

summary:  Peter and Morgan both catch the chickenpox. Morgan's case is mild, but Peter's is severe. Tony takes care of them both.

pairings:  none

tags: hurt/comfort, fluff

warnings: none

[side-shawty]

Burn XIV (Stark!Reader)

XIV: Family Business

Fandom: Marvel (MCU)

Type: series

Prompt/Summary: Family is not just blood.

Pairing(s): Peter Parker x Stark!reader, Tony Stark x daughter!reader

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

•

The next morning you somehow found yourself a tangle of arms and legs with Peter. 

After the initial wariness of your surroundings faded you were still finding it hard to believe this was all real you relaxed into him again. You pushed your face into his chest and breathed in his calming scent as his strong arms unconsciously tightened around you. 

Your eyes slipped closed again and you were almost asleep again when the light sliding of the door opening could be heard. 

You hoped they’d go away once they saw you were both asleep but there was no such peace with the Avengers.

“Aww look at how cute they are. You owe me five bucks Sam,” Natasha spoke.

“No you owe me, I said they’d be attached at the hip within 12 hours and you said 20,” you could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

“Okay, but I said 8 so, both of you pay up,” Bucky interrupted and it took everything in you not to look at them and roll your eyes. 

You could hear the exchange of money and Bucky’s over-enthused “Thank you,” in reply.

Peter groaned beside you and held you closer, “You guys are way too loud,” he told them, eyes still closed.

“And you’re way too stingy, can’t we see her too?” Nat said and you giggled a little at that, effectively blowing your cover.

“She’s up!” Sam said and you and Peter both sat up, rubbing at your eyes and stretching.

“She wants to go back to sleep,” you told them and they laughed lightly.

“No time for that. Time for hugs,” Nat said, coming to your side of the bed. 

Meanwhile, Peter got out of the bed and told you he’d be back with breakfast before kissing your cheek. The simple action made you giddy.

“Bleh,” Bucky fake gagged as Peter left and he and sam sat in his now vacant spot.

You hugged each of them tight, you hadn’t realized how much you missed everyone. 

“So lover boy was here all night, huh?” Sam asked wiggling his eyebrows as if he didn’t know the answer.

“Yes he was, we talked and we slept and I will take no more questions,” you crossed your arms over your chest. 

“That better be it,” Bucky said but there was no threat in his voice that warranted concern.

“Gosh, you’re really showing your age today aren’t you Buck?” Nat teased before turning to you. “Earlier he asked me what an AirPod was,” she laughed and you laughed with her.

“And here I thought you were getting the hang of this new fangled century,” you told him.

“Listen I’m trying okay, everything is so fancy for no reason,” he sulked and you laughed again.

“Seriously though kid, how are you?” Sam questioned and they all looked at you expectantly.

“In one piece,” you said honestly. “Some scrapes and bruises and a cut on the back of my neck that’ll probably scar but I’m alive,” you smiled.

“Was it a shock device?” Bucky asked darkly.

You hesitated before answering, “Yeah.”

Bucky’s metal arm flexed as he balled his hand into a fist, “I’ll fucking kill those HYDRA assholes one day.”

You placed a hand on top of his fist, “Hey,” he looked up at you, “I’m alright. Thanks to all of you I’m here and breathing. I love you guys.” 

Before you knew it they pulled you into a hug and you held back tears giving you their own declarations of love. When Peter came back in with food they all decided to let you eat in peace with your boyfriend. Peter told you the doctors would be here around one and in the meantime, you’d probably get several visitors. 

All too soon, he had to leave for the city, there was only so much school he could avoid without the possibility of not graduating on time. He left with a promise returning that evening and a soft kiss on your lips. 

Before anyone new came in you asked FRIDAY to call your mom downstairs. She helped you shower and change into sweats and one of Peter’s shirts with a wink. She told you that she would have stayed longer but Morgan would be waking up for the day soon. 

Your dad stopped by for a little after she left and after Sam and Bucky blew something up he also had to leave.

The next ones to walk through the door were Steve and Rhodey.

“Well if it isn’t two of my favorite soldiers,” you smiled as they walked in.

“As long as I’m the number one favorite I accept,” Rhodey said before gathering you into his arms for a tight hug.

When he let go Steve was next, “Keep dreaming Rhodes.” 

“Well I would tell you who my favorite was if I thought it wouldn’t hurt your feelings,” you told them as they had taken the same positions as everyone else and sat on either side of you.

“C’mon now Y/N you wouldn’t want to give the old man a heart attack.”

Steve rolled his eyes.

“Anyways, how are you Y/N?” Steve asked.

“Good, healing, y’know? Seems like it’ll be a long process but I feel better than I did when I first woke up last night.”

“I’m glad to hear it, we’re only going up from here.”

“Definitely, by the way, I haven’t seen Thor, Clint, or Bruce today.”

“Thor is off-world, apparently whatever HYDRA used to brainwash Harley is similar to the mind stone so he’s trying to get it out ahead of it,” Steve told you.

“Clint had to run home, Laura is going to give birth soon and Bruce should be by later with your other doctors,” Rhodey finished.

“Ah got it. I cant wait for little Y/N to be born,” you said.

“Yeah because Barton is definitely gonna want to name is kid after the girl who put retractable grates in the vents to mess with him,” Rhodey rolled his eyes.

“Well he shouldn’t have tried to prank me on my own turf.”

“Everywhere is your turf,” Steve said.

You grinned, “Exactly.”

Steve hesitated before speaking again and his face became solemn, “Listen I’m sorry that I couldn’t do more for you that night.”

“So am I, we’re family, I should have protected you,” Rhodey added. They both let their heads hang low.

You took one of each of their hands into you, “You guys, look at me,” they obeyed, “I’m so incredibly happy right now you have no idea. A lot went wrong but I’m okay, even if I do have to spend a couple extra days in here.”

They both smiled at you and things felt okay again. They stayed for a little while longer leaving you with words of encouragement before you were once again left alone.

However, you weren’t suffocating the way you had been at HYDRA. You asked FRIDAY to project the water by the compound onto the right wall, it felt like you could finally release all the tension in your body.

Before you knew it your eyes slipped closed and you fell asleep.

——

You were awakened again by the sound of the door opening, this time Bruce and your dad walked in with —

“Well this is quite the surprise,” you said smiling.

“How could I not visit my favorite fire-wielding hero,” he spoke and made his way over to bring you into a tight hug.

Bruce hugged you next with a smile and then went over to one of the machines you had unhooked when you first woke up. Your dad gave you a kiss on the forehead and then stood beside the other scientist.

“To what do I owe the pleasure Doctor Strange?” You asked.

“You know me,” He took a seat next to you on the bed, “I love popping in and out but after I heard what happen I made sure your dad kept me in the loop. I know magic stuff keeps me busy but I am still your Godfather,” he told you.

“Mystical Godfather,” Tony threw in, “A totally made up title.”

Strange rolled his eyes and silently mocked your dad, “Still a title.”

“Debatable.”

You laughed lightly at their childishness.

“In all seriousness though, your dad ordered a full workup. He said your flames turned purple and wanted to make sure it didn’t damage your body in a non-tradition sense,” he told you and you nodded.

“So I only get a visit if my life at risk?” You asked overdramatically, throwing a hand to your forehead, “You wound me.”

“Haha, very funny. Now sit up straight while I work my … magic,” he said.

“Booo, your jokes have gotten worse since Christine got pregnant,” However, you sat up straight as he stood.

Strange was quick to begin in a flash of warm light symbols surrounded you, several of them had even went in and out of your body. 

After a few minutes, he was finished and the light and symbols faded away. His face was littered with mixed emotions.

“What is it?” You asked, concerned.

“Are you alright?” Strange asked and the question grabbed the attention of Bruce and Tony.

You were confused, “I mean aside from some injuries that might scar I feel fine.”

“Tired? Weak? Foggy mind?” Strange asked.

“Barely, it was bad when I first woke up though. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Part of what a ‘full workup’ is is looking into your soul or aura and it seems like whatever happened when you released those purple flames caused a hole,” Strange explained. 

The room was silent. All three men looked at you anxiously as you sat in shock, you weren’t sure what to say.

“So a piece of he is just poof! Gone?” Tony asked, bewildered at the idea.

“It’s a small piece but essentially, yes. There’s a chance it may come back over time but things like this are usually done only in dire situations of stress or emotional turmoil.”

“Well my situation checks all the boxes,” you said quietly to yourself.

It was then that tour father decided to move from his spot beside Bruce and wrap an arm around your shoulders. 

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“I think so, this is just a lot to process.”

He nodded and the room fell into silence once again.

“Well on the bright side,” Bruce spoke up, “It seems the damage Hydra did to your powers was temporary. If your readings are correct, you should be at 100% in no time,” he finished with a comforting smile.

“Thanks, Bruce. That actually does make me feel a little better,” you smiled with him.

After that Bruce ran a couple more tests and then the three men were gone again. However, your father did leave you your phone which you were beyond grateful for. You were playing a random game on it when Dr. Evans came to give you a quick check-up and update before leaving. 

You had a few more hours of peace before your next visitor decided to show their face, it had to be well after sunset by now. 

There were two knocks on your door and you replied for them to come in. You locked your phone and placed it on your bed as he entered and for some reason seeing him made you lose your breath.

“Harley,” you whispered.

•

NEXT CHAPTER

[waitimcomingtoo]

I See Fire

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Synopsis: the school bus to Washington D.C crashes and you can’t find Peter

Warnings: bus crash, mentions of death 

Masterlist

“All right boys and girls. The drive from here to Washington D.C is gonna be about five hours. I suggest you go over your flashcards. I will be at the front of the bus if anyone wants to play I Spy.” Mr. Harrington said from the front of the bus.

“Thanks Mr. Harrington.” A chorus of students mumbled.

“Thanks Steve.” Flash stated.

Three hours into the drive, most students had fallen asleep or were quietly playing with their phones. You snuck a glance at the front of the bus and caught sight of Peter. His head was resting on his shoulder, most likely from dozing off. You smiled at the sight and shrunk down in your seat. You were the newest member of the Academic Decathlon team and didn’t know too many people yet. Peter and Ned were your first friends at Midtown Tech and finally convinced you to join the team after months of begging. You said yes, mostly because it looked good on your college applications, but also because of the adorable smile Peter got on his face when you told him you were joining. You snuck one more look at him and felt a blush warm your skin. 

It suddenly began to rain, the rain drops hitting your window and creating a relaxing pitter-patter. You soon grew bored with looking out my window and looked around at your sleeping classmates. Your eyes naturally went to Peter and you nearly jumped when you saw that he was already looking at you. Peter got out of his seat and knelt down next to yours.

“Is it okay if I sit with you? I just heard Flash refer to the Founding Fathers as the “discovery daddies” and it made me ill.” Peter whispered so he wouldn’t disturb any of the sleeping students around you.

“Go ahead.” You chuckled softly and moved your backpack so he could sit.

“Thanks.” He said graciously as he took the empty seat.

"How come you’re still awake? I thought everyone was asleep." You asked quietly.

"I just had my eyes shut.” Peter shrugged. “Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I'm not tired." You answered him. “And Washington DC is the furthest I’ve been from home. I don’t want to sleep through the way there.”

“Really? You’ve never left Queens?” Peter asked curiously.

“My grandma died in a ferry boat crash so my mom doesn’t like to travel. I had to beg her to let me go on this trip.” You told him and he nodded in understanding.

“I’m sorry about that.” He said sincerely. “Do you think she’ll let you come to Europe this summer?”

“If I come home alive, then I don’t see why not.” You smiled slightly.

“Good. I hope you go.” Peter returned the smile as a faint blush painted his cheeks.

“I hope so too.” You said softly. Peter’s eyes studied your face before they traveled to your hair.

"What's this?" Peter asked, gently touching the hairpin you had in your hair. It was a delicate purple flower with green leaves.

"It was my grandmothers. She used to say it was her good luck charm.” You said shyly. “My mom made me wear it for a safe trip.”

"That's sweet.” Peter grinned, liking your family dynamic. “It looks good on you."

"Thanks.” You bit back a smile as his unexpected compliment. “It's kinda all I have left of her. I don't wear it often in case I lose it." You explained.

"I get what you mean. I have my moms watch in nightstand. I never wear it because I'm afraid I'll break it." Peter told you. “And I keep my dad's briefcase in my closet. My uncles suitcase is in there as well. As I’m saying this, I’m realizing I might be a hoarder.”

“You’re not a hoarder. You’re just sentimental.” You assured him and he nodded softly in agreement. “I’m the same way. It’s nice to have someone who understands.” You said honestly. You felt like you and Peter were like the two sides of the same coin. He got you in a way you deeply appreciated.

“I totally understand. Traveling makes me really nervous too.” Peter said and your eyes softened.

“Your parents died in a plane crash, right?” You asked carefully as not to upset him.

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “Planes don’t scare me though. It’s just fire that makes me really anxious.”

“Does that mean you’re not gonna today marshmallows with us tonight?” You asked cheekily.

“That’s a little fire. I can handle it.” Peter said smugly.

“Good. Maybe we can sit together, then.” You said coyly.

“I’d love too.” Peter answered with a bashful smile. You looked at him for a moment, not entirely sure what to say, but just enjoying his company.

“I’m really glad you joined the team.” He said finally.

“So am I, Peter.” You said sincerely.

You stare at each other for a moment. You let your eyes lazily trail down his face, stopping at his lips. Peter stared back at you with the same expression, lovestruck. You were drawn together like magnets. He moved in closer, painfully slow. Just as you were leaning in, Flash sneezed, startling you both and breaking you out of your trance.

“Bless you.” Peter said with a beet red face. You stared at each other, neither of you knowing what to do. The moment was ruined but the desire remained. The silence was once again broken by Flash.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Parker.” He grumbled.

"Our first kiss shouldn't be on a crowded school bus anyway." You thought to yourself, trying to convince yourself that it was for the best that you were interrupted.

Forty five minutes later, you were still sulking. Peter had fallen asleep with his head on your shoulder, so you had no one to talk to. The cute position you were in almost made up for the missed kiss from earlier, but you still felt the sting. You were about to doze off when you heard Mr. Harrington's voice.

"Hey, watch out for that deer!” Mr. Harrington shouted. The bus driver turned the steering wheel quickly, making the bus swerve towards the side of the road.

"I can't see!" The bus driver yelled. A mixture of heavy rain and the jet black sky blocked his vision.

"Get control of the bus." Mr. Harrington said above the noise of students beginning to panic. Your mouth felt dry and you absentmindedly grabbed ahold of Peter’s arm. He latched onto your hand and squeezed it tightly.

You were sliding all over the road, papers and flashcards flying everywhere. You felt nauseous from all the movement. The rain continued to beat down on the bus as the driver gripped the wheel. He tried to gain control of the bus, but to no avail.

"Look out!" Mr. Harrington yelled again. His exclamations weren't exactly helping. You looked up in time to see headlights of another car heading towards the bus at full speed. Both drivers slammed their brakes but the wet roads caused a lack of friction.

Everything seemed to be in slow motion. The bus went in the air. Students were thrown in every direction. You tried to hold on to Peter, but you were ripped from his grasp once the bus hit the ground. The other car skidded away safely but the bus began to tumble

down the road. You could feel it flipping over and over, finally coming to a halt, upside down. You sat up a little to look around, but a students textbook fell out of their bag and hit you in the head, knocking you unconscious.

“Where’s Y/n?” You heard a distant voice call.

You jolted out of your sleep and opened your eyes at the sound. Your senses came alive, one by one.

You felt the cold night air on your skin, giving you goosebumps.

You smelt smoke and the ground from the rain.

You could see the night sky above you and tiny white stars.

You heard voices and sirens all around you, but only out of one ear. The other ear was ringing.

You realized you were lying on your back and attempted to sit up. A man in navy scrubs immediately came over to you and knelt down beside you.

"Ma'am, you've been in an accident. Lie back down for me, please. Can you tell me your name?" The man asked as he shone a flashlight in your eyes. You did as he asked and laid down again.

"My name is Y/n L/n. What happened? Where am I?" You asked weakly as you rubbed your head.

"Your school bus flipped over. You’re on Connecticut Avenue. Now, follow my finger." He answered. The name tag on his scrubs said Matthew. He held up one finger and a small flashlight. Matthew moved his finger and the light side to side as you followed them with your eyes.

"Is everyone okay? Where's Peter?" You croaked.

"Everyone is fine. A few students have concussions but nothing major." Matthew said, not hearing your second question. “All the backpacks and duffle bags on board cushioned the impact. You guys were very lucky.”

“Am I okay?” You asked him.

“No concussion but you do have some bruising on your forehead. You’re okay to sit up.” He told you.

“Thanks.” You said as he helped you sit up. He began to check your reflexes to make sure nothing was broken.

"Where's Y/n? Where did you put her?" You heard again. Your neck hurt so you couldn't turn your head and find the source of the shouting. The voice sounded panicked, wherever they were. They were too far away to make out who was speaking, and the ringing in your ear didn’t help.

"Sir, please calm down. We'll find your friend for you in a moment." Someone older answered the voice and you assumed it was a doctor.

"It's okay. She's around here somewhere. I'm sure she's fine." Another voice said. They were getting closer to where you were.

"You didn't see what happened, Ned. She flew right out of my arms. I think she landed on her neck." The original voice said and you finally recognized it as Peters.

"The doctors said there were no major injuries. She'll be okay." Ned said calmly.

"Can you tell me her name and a description?" The doctor asked.

"It's Y/n L/n. I think she was wearing a purple dress today." Ned told the doctor. You managed to look down at what you were wearing to make sure Ned was right. You had on a purple skirt and a grey top. You smiled to yourself, thinking he was close enough.

"It was a purple skirt, not a purple dress. And she had on a grey sweater.” Peter said quickly, desperation evident in his voice. “And she had a little hairpin in her hair. It was purple with green flowers. Is that enough information?”

“Plenty. Thank you.” The doctor confirmed.

“Please find her." Peter pleaded. You reached out your hand grabbed Matthews elbow.

"My friends are looking for me. Their names are Ned and Peter. Could you get them please?" You asked him and raised a weak arm to point in their direction. Matthew nodded.

"Sure thing." Matthew assured you. You listened to his footsteps walking away and waiting until you heard multiple footsteps coming your way. You painfully turned your neck in time to see Peter and Ned talking to Matthew. Ned was the first to make eye contact with you, immediately alerting Peter by smacking his chest. Peter saw you and his face melted in relief.

Ned and Peter rushed over to you, tripping over their feet as they came. Ned grabbed your hand to steady you as Peter held onto your waist. They helped you stand and set you down on the ground, not letting go until you were stable. Peter immediately enveloped you in a hug and took a deep breath.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I got so worried when I woke up and you with me anymore." Peter whispered into your ear as he embraced you.

"I'm all right. Just a little bruised." You said to assuage his fear. Peter stroked your hair for a moment, then stopped abruptly. He pulled away to look at you, seemingly displeased with what he saw.

"What is it?" You asked.

“Nothing. Just thought I saw something.” Peter said lamely. He looked past you at the bus and stared at it for a moment before swallowing thickly. You chalked his sudden indifference to shock from the crash and rubbed his arm to comfort him.

"ATTENTION STUDENTS. THERE IS A GAS LEAK ON THE BUS. WE NEED TO EVACUATE THE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY." A medical official yelled into a megaphone. Students close to the bus scurried away.

"What's wrong?" Ned asked Matthew, who was still standing nearby.

"There's a small fire in the front of the bus. The gas leak is in the back. If the fire reaches the gasoline, the bus will explode." Matthew said as he began to usher you guys away from the bus. You spotted MJ a few feet ahead and went to check if she was okay.

"Hey, I'll be right back. I forgot something." Peter said to Ned as he ran in the direction of the bus. Ned knew better than to question Peter’s sudden disappearances, so he nodded and followed the rest of the team.

The group stopped walking after they reached a far enough distance from the bus. It began to rain again so the doctors passed out ponchos. You declined on, the rain soothing your aching skin. You could still see the bus from where you were standing. Most students faced away from the bus, but you and Ned stood and watched it. A doctor came to inform you that a new bus was on its way to take you the rest of the way to DC. Students began to call their parents and tell them what was happening. You decided against calling your mom. You already felt anxious and didn't want to get back on a bus after what had happened. You knew your mother would only make your anxiety grow. Feeling scared all of the sudden, you reached out for Peter’s hand. When you couldn’t find it or him, you turned to Ned.

"Where's Peter?" You asked him.

"Right behind us." Ned answered. You looked behind him and saw a crowd of students, but no Peter.

"No he's not." You said, feeling a panic beginning to bubble up inside you.

Ned turned around and looked at the sea of students drenched in the rain.

"I don't get it. He said he'd be right back." Ned muttered, mainly to himself but you caught it.

"What do you mean he'd be right back? Where did he go?" You pressed, your mouth going dry again.

Ned turned back to you with a grave look on his face. He didn't say anything. He just pointed towards the ticking time bomb that out bus had become.

"Peter is on the bus?!" You nearly scream and Ned nods frantically.

“He said he forgot something. He said he’d be right back. He always comes back, he’s- never mind but he always comes back.” Ned shared your panic and you felt nauseous again.

As if on cue, the fire began to spread. The middle of the bus was now engulfed in flames. You acted on an impulse and took off running towards the bus with Ned running after you.

"Y/n, stop! Don’t go near the bus!” Mr. Harrington yelled.

“Y/n! Wait!” Ned called.

You ignored them both and kept running, feet slipping on the wet pavement. Your lungs burned as you got closer and closer to the bus. Suddenly, you were stopped. Your feet left the ground but kept their running motion. Someone was holding you above the ground. You whipped your head around, despite the pain, and saw Ned carrying you away from the sight.

"Ned! Let me go!" You demanded. You managed to get your feet back on the floor but Ned still held you back.

“I can’t. I can’t let you go after him. It’s not safe.” Ned said as he restrained you. You could hear how much it hurt him to stop you.

“I have to get him! He could be trapped.” You began to cry as you struggled to get out of his grip.

“If Peter is in trouble, he can handle it. He’s stronger than you think.” Ned told you. You ignored his statements.

"Ned, let me go this instant or I swear I will never forgive you." You swore as tears fell down your cheeks.

"Peter might not even be there, Y/n. He's probably back with the other students. Maybe we just didn’t didn’t see him. I'm not letting you near that bus. It's going to blow up and it will take you with it." Ned argued. You knew he was only saying it to spare you from the sickening reality: Peter wasn’t coming back this time.

"Let me go!" You cried. You managed to wiggle out of his grasp and get away. You continued to run until you were abruptly thrown backwards at full speed. You could feel burning hot air washing over you and smoke entering your lungs. You landed on the ground with a thud and felt the wind being knocked out of you. You took a few minutes to compose yourself just as Ned caught up to you. He helped you up and checked your for any immediate injuries before looking past you. You both stared at the bus in horror.

It had exploded.

It had exploded with Peter still inside.

“NO!" You screamed in torment. You collapsed onto your knees and felt sobs rip through your body. Ned just stood there with a vacant expression. You could hear doctors yelling at you both but you couldn't understand what they were saying. Firemen entered the scene and controlled the fire.

They were too late.

You were too late.

Peter was already gone.

“Why do students always die when I chaperone?” Mr. Harrington muttered.

You slowly stood up and turned towards Ned.

"I-I'm so sorry Y/n." Ned said softly. You forced yourself to look him in the eyes.

"I could’ve saved him, Ned. You didn't let me go." I muttered angrily. The soot in your throat weakened your voice.

"You would've gotten hurt too." Ned tried to justify.

"Well then at least he wouldn’t have died alone!" You shouted at him with a cracked voice.

Ned looked down at his feet. You bite your trembling lip and turned your back to him, shoulders shaking as you cried. As the smoke began to clear, you saw the silhouette of a body walking towards you. You assumed it was another fireman until he got closer. His shadow wasn’t wearing the bulky fireman uniform you were used too. He seemed to be wearing normal clothes.

"Hello?" You called out.

The man finally came close enough that you could see who it was. You blinked a few times to make sure you were seeing correctly. The man stopped and smiled at you weakly.

"Peter?" You whisper.

"Hey, Y/n.” Peter said in a hoarse voice.

You run towards each other and embrace like it’s the first time in years. You threw your arms around his neck and wrapped your legs around his torso. You squeeze each other so tight that Peter lets out a groan. You didn’t care enough to let go. You grip his hair and press your body against him, getting as close as possible. Peter buried his head in your shoulder and took in your scent once again.

He put you down after a minute and you tried to refrain from smacking him across the face.

"What were you thinking? You could've died!" You scolded him. As happy as you were to see him, you were also furious that he could be so stupid.

"I know, but I had to get something." He said in his defense.

"Get what?" You asked, desperate to know what he risked his life for.

"This." Peter says. He takes out his closed fist and drops something in your hand. You look at it for a moment in shock as Peter watches your face carefully.

"My hairpin?” You ask in disbelief. “You went back for it?"

"I noticed it wasn't in your hair when we hugged before. I knew it meant a lot to you and I couldn't stand to see you lose it." Peter explained. You felt your heart pound in your ears.

"Lose this? Peter, I could’ve lost you. It wasn't worth risking your life for." You insist, shoving him lightly on the shoulder to prove your point.

"But it was worth seeing how happy you are right now." He justified his actions, a dopey smile on his lips. You couldn’t help but smile back.

"You didn't have to do that.” You said gently, knowing you couldn’t be mad at him after what he risked for you. “Not for me.”

“I only did it because it was you.” Peter laughed lightly.

“Why?” You asked as Peter pinned your hair back with the hairpin.

“Because it’s nice to have someone who understands.” Peter smiled fondly at you. “I’m going to kiss you now, and if Flash sneezes and interrupts us again I’m gonna-“

You cut Peter off with a gentle kiss to his ash covered lips.

“Don’t worry. No ones ever gonna interrupt us again.” You told him.

Tag List 🏷

@maybemona​ @foreverxholland​ @writing-for-hours-on-end​ @lavender-writer​ @captainmandeestudent17​ @whatareyouhidingpeter​ @takenbyheartstrings​ @ultrunning​ @imyourliquor-youremypoison​ @theolwebshooter​ @andreasworlsboring101​ @guksmyfav​ @waiting-to-be-myself​ @letsloveimagines​  @peterparkoure​ @a-villain-vying-for-attention​ @m19friend @justcallmehitgirl​ @averyfosterthoughts​ @jackiehollanderr​ @tiny-friggin-human​ @celestial-skylines​ @loveat2am​ @mara-twins​ @iamaunicorn4704​ @delicately-important-trash​ @mjspxrker​ @spideygirl2003 @the-crazy-fanfictionist @kii-mii​ @maryjanee23 @spacebitch2 @vgiselle @geeksareunique

[theparanormalperiodical]

Top 10 Scariest Horror Films You Didn't Know Were Based On A TRUE Story feat. Trailers + Where To Watch

There’s something about horror films that are based on real events that just make me weak.

So weak, in fact, I’ve decided to spend the last *checks watch* one and a half years of my early 20s delving into the facts and the fiction haunting the horror genre. 

My parents must be so proud.

Most of these films wear the badge of ‘this is reality or close enough to it, anyway’ with dignity, leveraging gullible paranormalists like me to drive ticket sales. The Conjuring (2013) is just one of these films that is explicit in its basis in reality, going on to rake in 16 times its budget and inspiring me to delve deeper into my occultist journey.

(No, really, they’re so proud.)

But the ventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren are not the only experiences of horrifying and haunting events to be reinterpreted via the silver screen. There are some horror films you wouldn’t expect to have reality flushing through their veins.

Some of horror’s biggest hitters aren’t just living in your nightmares. They actually happened IRL.

Which is, ummm, fine, yeah, it’s not like I need to sleep anyway.

*Stay tuned to discover the horror films you didn’t know were based on true stories and the real accounts that inspired them.*

Jaws (1975)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1fu_sA7XhE 

This cinematic classic follows the adventures of a great white shark as it terrorises the summer resort town of Amity. A couple of corpses later, and the local police chief, rookie marine biologist, and wild-card shark hunter track the beast down themselves.

Most horror films use a person or a story as a basis for a film. Jaws, however, is an amalgamation of experiences recorded by the writer of the novel inspiring the film, Peter Benchley.

Benchley admittedly had a life-long obsession with sharks and was inspired to write a book on a rogue great white after reading about a bloke called Frank Mundus.

"...in 1964, I read an item in a newspaper about a fisherman who harpooned a 4,500-pound great white shark off Long Island. I remember thinking at the time, Lord! What would happen if one of those monsters came into a resort community and wouldn't go away?”

Quint, the wild card shark hunter, was based directly on Mundus.

Another influence, although not referenced by Benchley, was the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks.

In high summer, five Americans were attacked by a great white off the coast of the Jersey Shore with 4 falling victim to their wounds. For the next 11 days, the same shark cruised along the 70 miles of the beach towns and small villages. The shark even performed the first shark attack reported in US history, countering the long-standing belief that sharks couldn’t bite through human bone.

(Spoiler alert: they can.)

When beach goers came to the beach early morning to discover the 3rd victim bitten in half, this was disproven. After that discovery - which bares a striking resemblance to the opening scenes of Jaws - the story hit The New York Times front page.

Just like the film the mayors tried to deny there was a deadly shark making the rounds to secure profit to their seaside resorts. And just like the film a swimmer was even mauled in an estuary.

It wasn’t long before they settled on the identity of the perpetrator and the locals set off with rifles and pitchforks.

(Not sure how useful they’d be against a shark, but okay.)

The shark met its end after it attacked one of the hunters’ boats, a scene we also witness in the film.

You can rent it for £2.50 on Amazon Prime.

Deliver Us From Evil (2014)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWDM_p68HAQ

We follow a policeman who has a side gig as an exorcist as he encounters strange goings on in the Bronx. Ralph Sarchie chases up the paranormal activity and attempts to untangle why possessed people are painting ancient messages and images in various places.

Here’s the thing: none of this actually happened. As far as we know, anyway.

What this film is based on is the real Ralph Sarchie who wrote the memoir Beware The Night as an ode to his work as a demonologist. It’s based on his character, his tone of voice, and how he carried out his work.

Sarchie presents his work as his destiny, as some form of divine intervention he believes was signalled by his survival of a severe illness he contracted when he was 10.

He claims to carry a splinter of the ‘true cross’ - I guess the one Jesus actually died on - and considers himself more of a priestly figure armed with relics and holy water than a paranormal investigator.

Sarchie has worked on many possessions and hauntings, claiming he didn’t charge a cent despite the high fee he probably got from the book sales and the film’s debut. The most famous tale is that of the ‘Halloween Horror’:

A woman named Gabby began to see a woman floating in a cloud of white smoke in the corner of her bedroom. It wasn’t long before this smoky woman began to speak through Gabby according to her partner Dominick.

Gabby’s friend then says this was the ghost of a woman murdered on her wedding night. She then apparently saw the spirit of her father. Activity followed with flying books, moans and growls, and the word ‘HELP’ written on the mirror. Eventually an incubus rocks up and is hell bent on attacking various family members.

When Gabby gets possessed in the presence of Sarchie and his paranormal-busting-partner, he exorcises her of the spirit.

In total, Sarchie has assisted in 25 exorcisms and hundreds of ‘house exorcisms’.

You can watch it for free on Netflix.

The Blob (1958/1988)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdUsyXQ8Wrs

*cue the canned screams*

In some rural town in America, a meteorite crashes to the ground. Someone investigates and a jelly globule attaches itself to their hand before consuming it. It then begins to consume their entire body. It’s not long before it starts to consume, well, everyone and everything in its path.

8 years before the horror icon first became a cult classic, two police officers in Philadelphia saw something float down from the sky. They thought it was a parachute and decided to investigate.

What they discovered was a six feet wide purple glob of odourless gloop. It was filled with crystals and gave off a mist. One of the police officers took the plunge - quite literally - and dipped a hand in. He kept the hand, but noticed the sticky residue left on his hands.

The gloop quickly disappeared and left the grass underneath it unbent. It was allegedly only there for 25 minutes. They were the only ones that saw it. It soon made its way into the press and the FBI asked the Air Force to investigate. They declined.

You can watch it for £3.50 on Amazon Prime.

Wolf Creek (2005)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S13W69FQhs

Two British tourists are backpacking across Australia when they run into trouble in Wolf Creek National Park. A helpful local offers to help fix their broken down car and provide some shelter. Turns out the helpful local is actually a psychopathic xenophobic murderer. He entraps tourists, lures them to his shelter, and tortures/kills them.

Most gory horror films can be compared to real life murders and other crimes. Unfortunately, even the most imaginative forms of torture or murder has probably already happened. But the film was directly based on the backpacker murders committed by Ivan Milat in the 90s.

Milat murdered 7 people aged 19 to 22, preying on those encouraged to backpack across Australia after several tourism campaigns revealed how cheap and easy it was. In ‘92 and ‘93 the bodies were discovered in Belanglo State Forest with the wounds and injuries suggesting the scenes played out in film were similar to those Milat committed.

In late ‘93 a force dedicated to hunting the unknown killer emerged. It used gym memberships, gun licensing, and police records to narrow down a list of 32 suspects.

It was only when Paul Onions, a British backpacker reported he was nearly murdered near Belanglo State Forest that the police could pinpoint that Milat.

You can watch it for £2 on Amazon Prime.

Open Water (2004)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9q1qJi1nMs

It’s everyone’s worst nightmare: being left in the middle of the ocean. A distant couple decide to take a relaxing break and head out for a scuba-diving vacation. Their holiday is ruined, however, when the guy driving the boat f*cks up the head count and thinks everyone is back on board after a diving sesh. The couple come back to the surface and discover the boat is gone.

Yep, this all happened in real life.

In 1998, Thomas and Eileen Lonergan went on a scuba diving trip to Australia’s Coral Sea. They were mistakenly stranded by the boat crew leading the dive and their absence wasn’t noticed until 2 days later when a bag containing their belongings was discovered.

The crew and other rescue teams searched the area but did not discover their bodies. Personal belongings were found.

A diver’s slate - a device for communicating underwater - was one of these items.

"Monday Jan 26; 1998 08am. To anyone who can help us: We have been abandoned on A[gin]court Reef by MV Outer Edge 25 Jan 1998 3pm. Please help to rescue us before we die. Help!!!"

The other items that washed up, including a wetsuit, suggested they had probably not fallen victim to shark attacks but had become disoriented, dehydrated, or injured by coral. Alternate theories claim it may have been a murder-suicide to avoid the slow, distressing death of being left at sea, or that it was a faked death/disappearance. No bank accounts had been tampered with, however.

Tougher regulations for scuba-diving in Australia shortly followed their disappearance.

You can watch it for free on Amazon Prime.

The Rite (2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hG3ktopqv8

We follow exorcist-in-training Father Gary Thomas as he navigates the loss of this faith. When the opportunity for fighting growing demonic possessions arises, Thomas decides to become an exorcist. We see Thomas as he is confronted by evil and reaffirms his devotion to God.

Portrayed by veteran actor Anthony Hopkins, Father Gary Thomas is a real American exorcist - one of the 14 Vatican-verified exorcists working State-side. He did in fact study in the Vatican to become an exorcist, and another student he met there would chronicle his experiences in the book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist.

Thomas even spent a week on set advising the director, utilising his experiences of the 100 odd people he had seen possessed in his career.

Just like in the film, Thomas echoes that most people that come to him for an exorcism have been abused in their past, linking mental health issues to demonic attachment. Thomas also has a lot of praise for the film, claiming the way those possessed moved in a serpentine way is accurate to those he has seen:

“I was beginning to do some deliverance prayers. Within a few minutes she began to tremor and her facial countenance began to change. You saw a snake. She began sticking her tongue out like a snake and hissing and rolling her eyes. She coiled herself up.”

- Father Gary Thomas on a possessed Venezualan woman

You can watch this on Amazon Prime for £2.50.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Mm8Sbe__o

Anthony Hopkins refers to a staple horror film - a film with truth spilling like blood from a bloated corpse…

This psychological horror sees an FBI trainee as they work with an imprisoned serial killer to hunt down a murderer, Buffalo Bill. Add in just a dash of transphobia and we arrive at the film that made my parents actually walk out of the cinema when they first saw it.

First, let’s talk about Hannibal Lecter and his role as an advisor to the FBI: this has actually happened, using a seasoned killer to catch another. The most famous example of this is none other than Ted Bundy, one of the most infamous in history. Bundy told investigators to stake out the graves of victims or the places where bodies had been dumped as necrophiles like himself would return to the site.

Bundy actually helped them catch Gary Ridgeway who killed an estimated 90 people.

Now let’s turn to Buffalo Bill. The characters were never directly inspired by real people but their crimes were. He was an amalgamation of other crimes with Ed Gein serving as the main inspiration. Ed Gein, most known for skinning his victims and wearing the skins, took 9 lives and would also inspire the character Norman Bates.

He would make clothing out of body parts, make soup bowls from dug-up skulls, and build chairs from human bones.

Ted Bundy even made another appearance in Buffalo Bill’s character in terms of how he lures his victims, acting hurt and helpless until the victim was just within reach.

You can buy this film on Amazon Prime for £8.

Scream (1996)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWm_mkbdpCA

This satirical slasher redefined the genre, putting comedy firmly into horror as we know it. It follows Sidney Prescott, a preppy high school student, as she navigates high school drama and a rampant serial killer.

Just like The Silence Of The Lambs, the crimes witnessed in Scream had basis in reality. Daniel Rolling - the Gainesville Ripper - was an American serial killer who murdered 5 students in Florida within the short span of 4 days back in 1990.

Rolling would sexually assault, rape, threaten, and kill his young victims before leaving them in ‘sexual’ positions. He even decapitated one of those murdered and left the head on the shelf opposite the rest of the body amongst other vile acts. He later claimed his motive was to become a ‘superstar’ like Ted Bundy.

Yeah, that’s enough of that.

You can watch this on Amazon Prime for £2.50.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977/2006)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUQd9OB75dw

It’s time to hear about another vacay gone cray-cray. In the middle of a roadtrip to California, a family’s car breaks down in a mysterious area closed off to the public and they encounter a strange community of cannibals.

Instead of being based on modern crimes that hit far too close to home, this film is based on a historic event - or the legend of Sawney Bean.

Bean was a mythical leader of a cannibalistic group of insurgents in the 16th century. He grew up in a community of witches and later began his own community full of his children which he expanded with rampant incest. They would leave traps and eat their prey in a cave.

The King of Scotland, James VI, even led a team to root the family out of their lair. According to legend they were burnt at the stake while others were hung.

This tale also bears similarities to urban legends from Russia: there is a trope in the Southern Urals which claims after the Chernobyl accident irradiated peoples would become savage peoples, echoing the nuclear testing themes shown by the film.

You can watch this on Amazon Prime for £2.50.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1978)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKn9QIaMgtQ

In this cult class gore-fest we see a group of friends visit an old homestead but instead run into a family of murderous cannibals.

Yet again the crimes of Ed Gein make an appearance. The friends walk in on a home full of furniture made of human remains and meet a man - Leatherface - wearing a mask made of human skin. We also witness various people butchered in different brutal ways.

But this film also has a more political inspiration. Tobe Hooper - the director, producer, and writer - pinned his inspiration on changes in the cultural and political landscape, focusing on misinformation that overran America during the 70s.

*looks into camera a la Jim from The Office*

Hooper pinned the claims of a true story onto the film, responding to how he felt he was being lied to by the government regarding things like Watergate, the 1973 Oil Crisis, and the Vietnam War. The news only confirmed the brutal acts of humanity.

"man was the real monster here, just wearing a different face, so I put a literal mask on the monster in my film".

You can watch this for free on Amazon Prime.

Well that was, uhh, fun?

If you enjoyed these traumatic discoveries - you know, that some of the most terrifying horror films of all time are based on real people and crimes - then make sure you like ‘n’ reblog to let me know.

I post a new article on horror and the paranormal every Saturday + a new real ghost story everyday so make sure you hit follow to tag along for the ride!

[itsallavengers]

can i get uhhh #31 harleypeter??

“Can I kiss you?”

At his locker where he had been innocently putting away all his physics books, Peter froze, sensing the body as it leaned up against the lockers next to him. When he turned his head toward it, his eyes widened further.

Harley Keener grinned at him, relaxed and easy despite his question. “Hi,” he said, and Peter blinked at him. His brain wasn’t quite computing the information that his eyes and ears were receiving. 

Harley had moved into the school a few months ago, and almost immediately everyone had known who he was. Funny, smart as a whip and utterly unafraid of pretty much anything and everything, he’d risen to the status of top dog like it was nothing. And what was stranger was that he wasn’t even an asshole about it. Everyone just liked Harley Keener. Most people had a crush on him in some form, too. Peter included. He was very difficult to miss, was all. And there was something about the glint in his eyes that spelled excitement for anyone who got caught up with him. 

Of course, Peter had never intended to do anything about it. He was more than happy to just watch him pass in the corridors, occasionally smile at him if the other boy caught his eye. He wasn’t so great at approaching new people. Harley, however, seemed to not have that problem at all– which brought them back to the topic at hand. 

“Excuse me?” Peter said, words stumbling jarringly out of his mouth as his hand slipped off the handle of his locker. He tried to play it off by leaning casually against the wall, but from the way Harley’s eyebrows quirked in amusement, he noticed it anyway.

“Thing is,” Harley said with a jerk of his head, “I was just minding my own business, being a showboating asshole as usual and telling all my friends I could totally pull whoever I wanted if I set my mind to it, but then they were all like, ‘shut up Harley, no way’, and I was like, ‘yes way’, and then they were like, ‘if you can get a stranger to kiss you in under five minutes we’ll buy your lunch for the next week’, so I was like, ‘fine’, and so here I am.”

Peter looked at him incredulously. “You… you’re serious?” He asked weakly, because this was crazy. It was the break between classes. Peter was going to be late to Chemistry because apparently the hottest guy in class wanted to kiss him to prove a point to his friends. “Why me?”

Harley’s mouth quirked, and he gave Peter a full-body glance. “Because you’re cute as hell,” he answered like it was the easiest thing in the world, “and I thought I could kill two birds with one stone. Free lunches for a week and kissing the guy that always smiles at me in the halls? That’s a definite win.”

Peter’s eyebrows rose higher. Harley was just… saying all this. Like it was easy. Like, he had a feeling, and he was talking about it. How did anyone have the bravery for that? They didn’t even know each other. 

But Harley was looking at him like he expected an answer. Like this was a reasonable request to make to a stranger. 

And Peter was actually considering it. 

Oh God.

“You don’t have to,” Harley said, taking his silence for discomfort and putting his hands up calmly, “like I said, I’m an asshole, but I won’t hold you to it. I’ll just have to do the walk of shame back over to my–”

“Alright,” Peter blurted, because fuck it, honestly, if Harley Keener wanted to kiss him, Harley Keener could kiss him, that was cool, that was totally fine, Peter would definitely not take this one interaction and do something stupid like obsess over it for the next seven months- “you can kiss me. If you want.”

Harley paused, and then his face lit up with a worryingly attractive look of both mischief and glee. “Sure?” He asked.

“Who am I to get in the way of your free lunches?”

Harley laughed and stepped a little closer. “Okay, you’re awesome,” he said, “awesome and cute and not too freaked out by me. I’m liking you more and more every second.” He leaned in slowly, watching Peter’s face carefully. A dark curl fell across his eye, and Peter noted that he smelled faintly like strawberries. “I’m gonna kiss you now.”

And then he did. 

Briefly, Peter wondered whether this was a product of some sort of injury he’d received whilst out on patrol last night– some strange hallucination that was tapping deep into his subconscious– but he tried not to think about that too much and instead just focused on the fact that Harley was kissing him, soft and chaste, a hand gently pressing against his jaw as he tipped Peter’s head up further. It felt… good. Nice. Smooth. Harley was a good kisser. 

It only lasted three seconds or so, and then Harley pulled back a little, keeping his gaze on Peter’s slightly open mouth for another few seconds before dragging them back up to Peter’s eyes instead. He swallowed, blinked, and then shook himself a little, like he was pulling himself back to reality. “Wow,” he declared, “that was… nice.”

“That was my first kiss,” Peter blurted out of nowhere, because apparently he didn’t know how to let a good thing lie. “I mean– it was nice. Yeah. What you said. Cool.”

Harley’s expression was surprised. “What?” He asked, voice pitching higher, “are you telling me that this was your first kiss? Aw, man, now I feel like a tool.”

“Huh? No, I… why?”

Harley pulled a face and then waved a hand awkwardly. “Well, now you’re gonna remember your first kiss being from some asshole who wanted free food. That’s not fair.” He frowned and then leaned against the lockers, sticking his hands into his pockets. “I’ll make it up to you,” he declared, “I’ll take you out. And then at least I can be the asshole who kissed you but also had the decency to buy you dinner after.”

The corridors were starting to empty, and Peter was definitely going to be late, but he couldn’t really focus on anything other than the fact that Harley Keener, after kissing him, was now asking him on a date. Was that just how he operated? He said whatever came into his head, no filter, no restraint?

Why did Peter like that so much?

Harley was looking at him expectantly, rocking back and forth in his sneakers and smiling at Peter with a hopeful expression on his gorgeous face. He was definitely insane. But at the same time, Peter was hardly one to talk. He swung around New York in red and blue spandex.

“Alright,” he said, unable to stop himself from laughing at the incredulousness of it all. “Can’t believe this is happening, but, uh, sure. If you… what’s your number?”

Gleefully, Harley grabbed his arm and then whipped out a pen, uncapping it with his teeth in order to scrawl his number onto Peter’s forearm. His hand was warm and soft, and Peter could feel his skin tingle as they touched. 

“Keep your evening free,” Harley told him, eyes shining as he popped the lid back on his pen and then stepped away, “I’m gonna woo the fuck outta you.”

Peter knew his cheeks were bright pink; he could feel the warmth radiating from them and he looked away with a small, bashful smile. “Okay,” was all he managed to say, voice a little uneven, “okay, cool. Cool.”

“Great. Thanks for the free lunches. And the kiss. And agreeing to interact with me despite the fact you probably think I’m mad.” Harley gave him a mock salute and then sauntered backward, one hand on the strap of his backpack as the other twirled the pen around deft fingers. “I’ll see you later, Parker.”

He turned away, shooting a thumbs-up to the group of teenagers hanging around the corner of the corridor and looking their way. Peter just bit his lip and watched him walk off, perfectly calm and composed, like kissing strangers was an everyday occurrence for him. Maybe it was. 

Peter hoped not, though. He hoped maybe it could just be a Peter thing. 

[thwip--thwip]

MTBI

“Pete,” Tony whispers, and his breath has a hint of cayenne in it, what did he eat for breakfast? Peter’s never felt this overstimulated, what the hell happened? “Stay awake. You need to focus.”

“I can’t,” Peter’s embarrassed that it comes out a whimper, but frankly he’s surprised it came out at all. “I can’t, Tony please - “

*

Written for @iron--spider.

Read on AO3 | Or below the cut!

Peter wakes up to screaming.

When he puts it like that, it sounds alarming. It’s not. Well, mostly. Sometimes the screaming is Mrs. Reyes’ soap operas, three doors down the hall. Sometimes it’s the elementary school children down the block, chasing each other in circles on the sidewalk while they wait impatiently for the bus. Sometimes it’s a car horn, or a bird, hitting a frequency that makes Peter wake up in a sheen of sweat, breathless, fists curled. It’s not that bad.

Well, okay, this is bad. He’s the one screaming.

Peter jerks awake to white hot pain. Alright, maybe that’s an exaggeration. It’s red hot. Blue hot at best.

(“I’ve had worse,” Peter says later, defensive. Tony’s expression does something complicated and awful in response. “That’s not exactly a comfort.”)

His brain feels like it’s on fire, like somebody opened a hatch and poured bleach straight into his skull. And the smell! It burns his nose, makes him gag, something chemical that smells like piss -

“Kid!”

Peter clamps his hands over his ears, but Tony’s voice echoes painfully anyway. It rings and rings and rings, a neverending corridor in his brain - except it does end, at his eardrums, and it fucking hurts.

“Shh! Shh!” Peter says frantically, curling into a ball. Now that his hearing is rushing in, filling the void his unconsciousness left, he can hear everything in agonizing detail. Someone - presumably Tony - is struggling against something fibrous, something that chafes and scratches and tugs at his skin - and the harsh breaths dragging up Peter’s esophagus sound like sandpaper rubbing against itself.

There’s something beeping -

Drip drip drip

A dog barking -

Watch it, asshole, that’s my lane!

A gas stove clicks, clicks, catches -

I think I’m gonna pass out.

“You’re not gonna pass out.” Tony’s voice is a whisper, but it still makes Peter cringe on cold, hard, dirty - ew I can taste it - cement. “Peter, focus on me. Focus, kid, you can do it.”

He can’t, though. He can’t focus. It’s so much, all at once, and Peter keeps his hands clapped over his ears so hard it hurts. His mouth tastes like rainwater, like the muffins from the bakery he knows is around the corner because he can hear, feel, smell, taste -

“Pete,” Tony whispers, and his breath has a hint of cayenne in it, what did he eat for breakfast? Peter’s never felt this overstimulated, what the hell happened? “Stay awake. You need to focus.”

“I can’t,” Peter’s embarrassed that it comes out a whimper, but frankly he’s surprised it came out at all. “I can’t, Tony please - “

“You can.” Tony insists, his tone softening even more. Peter squeezes his eyes tight and tries to will the nausea away. “You’re Spiderman. You can do anything.”

The faith makes determination sit heavy in Peter’s stomach, and he takes a deep breath (ignoring the onions he can taste from the Philly Cheese truck, parked four blocks away), trying to find something to focus on. There’s too much, he can’t do it - but he’s Spiderman, he has to try.

Tony’s heartbeat is too fast, thumpthumpthump...thump, thumpthumpthump...thump, with an irregular arrhythmia Peter can only assume is leftover from the arc reactor. It’s something, though, loud and strong, and he takes every scrap of his focus, betting it on black.

Thumpthumpthump...thump

Thumpthumpthump...thump

Tony doesn’t say anything, as the minutes pass, but even with his eyes closed, Peter can feel the tension radiating from him. He listens to Tony’s heartbeat, which never falters, letting all the other sounds and sensations fade away. He’s not sure how long he lies there, be it minutes or hours, but eventually the overwhelming cacophony abates. His nausea subsides, and Peter’s left with just the dull ache in his skull. He’s not great, but he doesn’t feel like he’s about to faint anymore, so that’s something.

“I’m okay,” Peter whispers, slowly opening his eyes. Tony’s concerned face blurs into focus - the man is bleeding from his temple as well as his wrists, from where he’d pulled too hard on ropes binding him. “What...what happened?”

“Bastards got us outside of the falafel joint.” Somehow, Tony manages to infuse a helluva lot of anger into his whispering, and it makes Peter smile, despite everything. “They knocked you out, hard. You probably have a concussion, kid.”

Well that explains the pain in his head, and probably the sensitivity. If a concussion was bad for somebody normal, why wouldn’t it be extra horrible for someone like him?

“It’s a hard knock life,” Peter says, and Tony’s eyes narrow dangerously. Peter can’t help but grin, raising an eyebrow, even though he still hasn’t moved from the floor. “What, too soon?”

“Less than five minutes after you recover from having a seizure on the floor is the definition of too soon.” Tony hisses, and Peter knows he’s in for a classic round of mother-henning as soon as they get the hell out of there.

“Alright, alright, keep your pants on.” Peter picks himself up off the ground, swaying a little as he does so. He takes a minute to stabilize, and Tony watches him dubiously, like he’s expecting Peter to keel over at any second. Which, okay, fair. But still.

“Are you sure you’re good?” Tony’s head cranes to follow him as Peter walks around to undo the ropes; they’re knotted tightly, and flecked with Tony’s blood, where he’s rubbed his skin raw. Peter crouches and picks at them carefully, not wanting to cause him any more pain.

“Why wasn’t I tied up?” What, was he not good enough for rope? Did they run out? Are they just terrible kidnappers? Tony’s fingers flex impatiently, ever the fidgeter. Peter manages to undo the first knot and starts to work on the second.

“You were out cold, and you look like you’re twelve. I don’t think they thought of you as a threat. Are you sure you’re good, kid?”

“I’m threatening! I’m totally threatening. Grr.” Probably not the best way to prove it, if Tony’s pointed silence in response is anything to go by. Peter gets him out of the binds, dropping them to the floor, and circles back around to face his mentor. “I’m good, Tony. I’m fine. Let’s get out of here.”

“You’re not threatening.” Tony points out, hiding a wince as he pokes at his tender wrists. “You’re about as threatening as Elmo on sabbatical.”

“I won’t stand for this abuse.” Peter sways dangerously, and Tony catches him with a firm grip on his shoulder. He guides Peter into the chair he had just vacated, pushing him down firmly, and Peter can’t help but oblige. “...I guess I’ll sit for it.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“We can’t just sit here.” Peter protests, even as he does just that, and sits there. Tony’s firm grip on his shoulder is too much to fight, at the moment. “We have to get out of here before they come back.”

“No, we don’t.” Tony finally releases Peter’s shoulder and taps two fingers to the face of his watch, pulling up a hologram. There’s two red dots, and one of them is moving closer. “Morons didn’t take my tech. The team’s already enroute.”

“Oh,” Peter slumps in the chair, relieved. That wasn’t too bad, then, was it? Tony eyes him critically, flicking another hologram up that Peter has to assume are his vitals. The fact that Tony’s watch has the capacity to scan his vitals should be more worrisome. “What’s the ETA?”

His question is answered when the door flies open, making Peter flinch, hard. Two of the wannabe kidnappers are thrown bodily into the room, cursing and groaning when they land on hard concrete. Peter can see Falcon’s outline, as he flies into the room, hear Cap and company chatting on the man’s comm line, and it’s all so damn loud. Peter tries to concentrate on Tony’s heartbeat, thumping along, but before he can think too much about it, the man’s hands are on his ears.

Peter looks up, confused but grateful, as Tony’s palms cover his ears completely. Tony smiles gently, reassuringly, before pulling Peter’s head forward into his chest, giving him somewhere dark and quiet. Peter closes his eyes, blocking out the fighting - he can’t block it all the way, but it’s better, and more than that, the gesture brings a small smile to his face.

The fighting lasts a few good minutes, and Tony says something muffled that sounds like, Get them out of here, the kid has a concussion. When Tony does release him, the room is empty again - but the doors are wide open, beckoning freedom.

“That was easy.” Peter notes, and Tony snorts, stepping back to let Peter up out of the chair. “That wasn’t so bad, really. Pretty short for a kidnapping. Nothing even happened.”

“They gave you the mother of all concussions, I wouldn’t call that nothing.”

“What’s a little MTBI among friends?”

“Please tell me you didn’t just call the criminals your friends.” Tony pinches the bridge of his nose before rolling his eyes skywards, as if he could ascend to Heaven and leave Peter’s mortal plane bullshit behind him by sheer force of will. “MTBI?”

“Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.”

Tony sighs loudly even as Peter grins a bright, shit-eating smile. He loops his arm around Peter’s shoulders, pulling him into his side, and waggles an accusatory finger at him. “I hate you, you know that?”

“Yeah,” Peter snickers to himself, wrapping his free arm around Tony’s waist to return the one-armed hug. “I know.”

[christinesficrecs]

Bottom Derek (Sterek) MasterList

This fic rec idea was shamelessly “borrowed” from qhuinn’s original bottom!derek list which is much older and sadly contains a ton of broken links now. I attempted to mesh her list with fics I love but it turned out to be a MUCH bigger project than anticipated. As most things with me are :p 

Anyways, here are 100 bottom!derek fics. The mature or explicit rating is implied for all the fics that follow. We can only hope that I did not post the same fic twice!

I Do Do You? by Captain_Loki. Explicit. 6540 words. Stiles and Derek wake up hung over and married in a hotel room in Las Vegas. It wouldn't be so bad if the year before their relationship hadn't fallen apart.

One Night Pancakes by literaryoblivion. Explicit. 5643 words. Derek loves his kids. He does. But… every once in a while he needs a break from them. It’s natural. It’s totally fine. He needs some “me” time occasionally. It’s allowed, okay?At least this is what he keeps telling himself when he drops the kids and their overnight bags off at his older sister Laura’s house.

Nine Times Out of Ten by lielabell. Explicit. 4613 words. Part 2 of the Mating Habbits series. Nine times out of ten, Stiles is the one being pushed back on the bed with his head tilted back to expose his neck. Nine times out of ten, Stiles’s legs are the ones that are spread, his hands are the ones that grip the sheets. Nine times out of ten, Stiles gasps and moans and arches up into Derek’s touch, Stiles’s thighs grip at Derek’s hips; Stiles’s feet lock together behind Derek’s back. Nine times out of ten, Stiles takes and takes and takes and loves every single second of it. But the tenth time … The tenth time is different.

Take my Twist with a Shout by toomuchgawking. Explicit. 2889 words. Derek thinks that Stiles might enjoy topping the first time they have sex. Stiles is a little blindsided by how much he agrees.

Anatomy of a Werewolf by idyll. Explicit. 1533 words. Written for a prompt by descendingspiral on Tumblr, who asked for: Stiles needs to focus on studying for his Anatomy class. Derek volunteers his body.

Bank Windows by Moonbeam. Explicit. 2236 words. All human banking AU smut. Derek is a bank manager and Stiles is an irate customer. Best way to solve the problem? Sex against a window!

First Snow by Moonbeam. Explicit. 26341 words. In the future Stiles and Derek finally get together. One night Stiles wakes Derek up because it is snowing, they spend the following week enjoying the snow like Stiles did with his mum as Derek and Stiles try to move further in their relationship as the past keeps coming back to make it harder.

Melting in your vice dreams by hito. Explicit. 7445 words. Written last month for derekstiles. Scott and Stiles accidentally discover Derek’s secret New York career in porn.

I’m betting this wasn’t beta tested by dancinbutterfly. Explicit. 7870 words. Derek is thrown into a violent heat in the wake of Lydia and Peter’s actions at the end of Party Guessed. Debilitated by his own needs, Derek reaches out to Stiles, the only person he wants and can hope to trust.

Hyper heart alone by hito. Explicit. 34570 words. When Stiles returns home to help his father recover from an injury, he discovers that things have changed somewhat in his absence: Derek is working closely with Stiles’ father, around the house and underfoot, generally annoying and disconcerting Stiles with his presence. Well, Stiles isn’t sure you could call all the sex they end up having annoying, but he isn’t really willing to call it anything else, either.

The ETA from you to me by Rawren (Deshonanana). Explicit. 105038 words. In which Derek drives a tow truck and Stiles is the weekend dispatcher who attempts to woo him with his lack of a brain-to-mouth filter and affinity for run-on sentences.

Hypothetically: Wolfsbane by JenNova. Explicit. 7086 words. “So,” Stiles says, resting his elbows on his knees and settling his chin in his hands. “Hypothetical then: one of you guys gets dosed with some sex wolfsbane – how do we deal with it?”

I’ll just entertain myself by entanglednow. Explicit. 2942 words. Stiles is really bad at sitting still once he’s got an idea in his head.

Muérdago by starbolin. Explicit. 17674 words. “Mistletoe was often considered a pest that kills trees and devalues natural habitats, but was recently recognized as an ecological keystone species, an organism that has a disproportionately pervasive influence over its community. In Norse myth, an arrow made of mistletoe was the only thing that was able to kill the god Balder. The goddess Frigg had asked all other things to vow not to hurt Balder, but she had ignored the mistletoe because it seemed too small to be dangerous.”

Happy Endings by kototyph. Explicit. 2761 words. Stiles is a masseur, and very good at what he does. Derek was not expecting this.

Hypothetically: Potion by JenNova. Explicit. Sex Pollen. 9415 words. “Potion,” Stiles says, his eyes clearing as he focuses on Derek. “In a cup.”

This Time With Feeling by Crimson1. Explicit. 36132 words. “Derek Hale, if you refuse to learn from your past…then you will be doomed to repeat it.” In which Derek is turned into a 16-year-old and has to stay with Stiles until they figure out how to turn him back. Eventual slash and smut, set post season 2, semi-AU.

Won’t You Be My Mate? by Unloyal_Olio. 6228 words. Derek could just ask, but he’s not very good at that. Better to demonstrate.

Oh What These Headlights Have Seen by pterawaters. Explicit.2820 words. Derek’s boss is spoiled, demanding, and far too attractive. Or, the one where Derek is a mechanic and Stiles owns lots of cars.

Not Enough Postage by ecarian. Explicit. 5247 words. Derek doesn’t know how to ask for things in bed.

A Californian Werewolf in New York by dancinbutterfly & knight_tracer. Explicit. 16314 words. When Derek finally realizes that there’s nothing left for him in Beacon Hills, he goes back to New York, gets a life, falls in love and finds his home. (A podfic/fanfic collaboration)

You Make My Heart Beat (Faster) by lady_ragnell. Explicit. 2611 words. Stiles listens to Derek’s heart. Warnings: light medical kink, brief references to violence and past character death.

The Skies Above Are Blue by Trelkez  Mature. . AU. 95258 words. Derek is a wedding DJ. Stiles just happens to go to a lot of weddings.

It’s a break, not a vacation by dancinbutterfly. Explicit. Sequel to A Californian Werewolf In New York. WIP. 4296 words. The anniversary of the fire sneaks up on Derek. So he follows his instinct and leaves Manhattan to get to the one thing he really needs to survive the worst week of the year, Stiles. Unfortunately, that puts him in Beacon Hills - the worst place he could possibly be at the worst possible time. Yeah, Derek didn’t really think this through.

Exceeds Expectations by Captain_Loki. Explicit. 1411 words. Stiles had had greater let downs in his life…But losing his virginity to Derek Hale was still ranked atop a decently long list.

The Way I feel by elisera. Explicit. 10332 words. “Okay, go away,” Stiles says loudly to make sure that Scott and Erica can hear him over Derek’s growling. His hands are so slick with blood, he keeps fumbling his keys, barely managing to unlock the Jeep and get out his emergency duffel. “Leave him the fuck alone for a bit.”“We’ll go and take care of the corpse,” Scott says, taking the duffel out of his hands and unzipping it for him. He holds out a towel to Stiles, looks him up and down. “You’re sure you’re fine?”“It’s not my blood,” Stiles snaps, wiping down his hands, arms. Fuck, even his face and throat are slick with it and he really, really wants it off. Derek keeps circling them, eyes fixed on Stiles and his body’s still trying to shift back onto four feet, the bones and muscles bulging outwards against his skin and Stiles has no idea why Derek’s freaking out this badly.

Hunger by bigboobedcanuck. Explicit. 2918 words. There are no vampires in Beacon Hills. Until now. “Let him go.” Derek manages to keep his voice steady, although he’s aiming for cold and detached. “I’m the one you want. He’s just a human. What can he do for you?”

Thank you for my sex life by wearing_tearing. Explicit. 6630 words. Later that week when Stiles gifts Scott with the biggest chocolate cake he can find - the words thank you for my sex life written across it - he can’t help but think that maybe he should listen to Scott more often.

Like Falling by wearing_tearing. Mature. 13191 words. In which Laura kills herself on the five-year anniversary of the Hale fire, Stiles convinces Derek to take him on a road trip, some things feel like falling, and everyone gets more than they bargained for.

Not Your Typical Alpha by halcyon1993 9904 words.  Derek is an unusual alpha. He doesn't want some omega to hang off his knot but to hang off of someone else's. The only problem is that no other alpha is willing. Until the new dildo he orders is mistakenly delivered to his neighbour.

Track My Every Movement by derekstilinski. Explicit. 6660 words. Derek has had a lot of problems with his past, especially centered around sex. Over the years, Stiles has helped him through so much, and this is a big test of everything they’ve worked on.

Now Your Smile Comes Over in Your Voice by talktowater. Explicit. 19021 words. Part two of Love Comes in Spurts series.

What you do to me by verity. Explicit. 1566 words. The first time they had sex, it was the full moon, and things went very quickly from Derek talking to Stiles as Stiles flipped through the grimoire that Derek had brought down to Davis to Stiles rimming Derek on the bed, cupping his balls until Derek came all over the sheets, half wolfed-out, dick untouched, and deeply confused.

Jinx Removing by DevilDoll. Explicit. 6271 words. "Derek wished he would sit down or take his jacket off or something; anything that would indicate he was going to stay for more than a few minutes.“ This is an alternate universe version of the apartment scene in my story Love, Like a Sentence of Death.

I Wish That I Could See You Soon by talktowater. Explicit. 23606 words. Derek Hale is one half of indie duo Girls and the Dogs. He spent his late teens drinking and fucking his way around small clubs over the world, but now he is sober, sick of touring, and has rules. Or one rule at least. No hook ups on tour. When the guy with the impossibly tight t-shirt who calls himself Stiles follows him back to his bus one night after a show in London, he’s in no danger of breaking his rules because as Stiles quite categorically states, he is straight. Right… good luck with that Derek…

The Great Pretender by talktowater. Explicit. 45275 words. Stiles is the new kid at Beacon Hills High, class of 1958 and he’s trying to make an impression. Derek can’t figure out why this kid is so set on making such a bad one.

Absence Makes the Dick Grow Fonder by tylerfucklin. Explicit. 4191 words. Stiles frowned, “…do you want to hang up?” This time, Stiles could hear the hitch in Derek’s breath, and it was enough to give him the courage to ask, “do you want me to tell you what I’m doing?” “what are you doing?” Derek croaked lowly. There was the sound of a door closing on the other line, followed by the creak of bed springs. “Fucking into my hand,” Stiles blurted with a groan, his body getting hot just thinking about Derek lying on his bed back in Beacon Hills and touching himself, “thinking of you.”

All the Way to the Bone by otter. Explicit. 6514 words. Stiles wanted Derek to be happy, and he wanted Derek to be safe, and these things were as obvious and visible as the tattoos on Stiles’ skin, the shapes that Derek could trace now with his fingers without even looking.

DTF by Captain_Loki. Explicit. 2156 words. It’s nearly midnight when Derek gets the text, phone buzzing against the mattress beside him. Horny: DTF?

Navigating This Space Between Us by Omni. 9641 words.  Derek gets forced to watch some sci-fi show about a surly, secret prince and the sarcastic young spaceship captain hired to aid him on his quest. Strangely enough, he finds himself hooked on it. So much so that he's even drawn into the fandom. There he meets a popular fanfic author with an oddly endearing attitude, and he gets rather smitten. Maybe this mystery guy could actually help get him to stop pining for Stiles...

Tell me how all this, and love too, will ruin us by queerly_it_is. Explicit. 12381 words. Derek doesn’t get why he likes it so much. It’s just not – he hadn’t expected to need this. Not from Stiles. Not from anyone, ever. He doesn’t do this. Except he does, now. Because it’s for Stiles, and Derek – fuck, he likes it too.

with metal on our tongues (we’ll be dressed in rags) by Rena. Explicit. 18848 words. Double-oh agents are a piece of work; Stiles knew that before he became MI6’s new quartermaster. It’s cool, he survived Lydia in college, he can deal with stubborn, reckless, trigger-happy operatives. Derek Hale, though, is definitely trying to live up to his predecessor’s legacy and make Stiles’ life more difficult. AKA the one where Derek is 007 and Stiles is Q and they bitch and angst their way to a Happy Ending.

Dwells Amidst Your Walls by the_ragnarok. Explicit. 11441 words. Scott accidentally sells Stiles’ virginity on Craigslist. (Derek wins.)

Peer Pressure by betp. Teen and Up Audiences. 1615 words. Stiles squirms under the weight of Chris’ arm. "Can you let me go now? I have shit to do." "He has shit to do,” Chris tells the group, grinning. “Very busy, very popular. Can’t even answer a simple question, he’s too good for that. I hope he knows what we do to kids who’re too good to talk to us. In which Chris is fancied some kind of maligned star in Sterek’s union, and is thwarted by being above the influence.

All The Things I Learned by JenNova. Explicit. 2642 words. Kate Argent taught Derek two things. Never trust anyone outside his own species. Sex is power.

If I Had A Wish (Or Even A Choice) by ladyblahblah. Explicit. 3892 words. Stiles has a preference for written porn. He also has a thing for Derek’s voice. So when Derek finds his erotica collection, this is clearly either the best or the worst thing that’s ever happened to him. 

What You Think You Know, You Don't by Brego_Mellon_Nin. Explicit. 4501 words. Derek is in the kitchen when he hears the teasing start up again. He can feel his wolf roaring under his skin, wanting to defend their mate, but he stays put. Stiles has asked him to let it go, so he will.

The Pickup Line I Deserve by hannah_baker. 4227 words. Derek Hale has a type: tall, lanky, pale, brunette, passive. Stiles Stilinski is nearly all of those things - but not quite.Or, The Time Derek Hale's One Night Stand Was More Than He Bargained For.

Just Act Normal by zosofi. Explicit. 78677 words. If someone had told Stiles back in high school that he would be an Oscar winning actor by the time he turned 25, he would’ve probably told Scott to punch them. The thing is, though…they would’ve been right. Which makes returning to Beacon Hills, center of all that is supernatural and better left avoided, all the more awkward.

My Regrets Are Few series by secondstar. Mature-Explicit. Around 7000 words total. There was no way that Stiles was rolling over for Derek Hale, absolutely no way. He didn’t care if he was the Alpha, because Stiles was no werewolf.

You Don’t See Straight by annber. Explicit..174981 words. Stiles finds himself in a secret werewolf community to participate in a mating run. Sterek happens. Side OC’s.

Oh, The Places We’ll Go Series by KeriArentikai. Explicit. 18934 words.The five friends sat at a table in the student union building, laughing over their fast-food lunches."Okay," said Jackson, "which prof would you bang?""Hale," Erica, Isaac and Stiles all said together. No one was surprised at their answer.

Gravity’s Got Nothing on You by zosofi. Explicit. 84031 words. The one where the Hale fire never happened, Laura is a nosy sister, Derek is desperate, and Stiles is the only one that can help.

Stick Around by siny. Explicit. 9245 words. Stiles and Derek are always arguing about stupid silly things, but it gets worse every time Stiles gets hurt. or The first time that Derek admits that he loves Stiles. Will Stiles ever admit that he loves him back?

Stolen by Firenation. Explicit. 99099 words. Derek first meets Stiles when he’s fifteen years old, just after the fire, and realises that he’s his mate. You can picture the kind of joy that follows.

Enemy Lines by qhuinn. Explicit. 149179 words..This is the story of werewolf Derek Hale and human Stiles Stilinski: two people who grew up in the same town but completely different worlds, their realities split by the war between men and wolves. Years later when Derek returns to Beacon Hills, he does it as Alpha of a military pack on a mission to capture those responsible for the region’s resistance. With his main objective, Sheriff Stilinski, out of sight, he settles for the next best thing: his son, Stiles. Neither of them suspects they’ll need to trust each other if they want to make it out this alive.

First Date by Onlymystory. Mature. 15125 words. Stiles has Danny set him up with a date. But Derek’s reaction ensures the night ends very differently.

Shaken and Stirred series by secondstar. Explicit. 15350 words. Stiles is the voice in his ear and the man in the glasses behind the computer screen. At the end of the day, he’s the only one Agent Eta trusts.

The Sweetest of Words (Have the Bitterest Taste) by Omni. Explicit. 9902 words. Five or so years after the show. Stiles is in college, and finds himself getting stalked by a succubus. Derek’s determined that the best way to thwart her is to prove that he and Stiles are madly in love. It’s not really as much of an act as either seems to think.

Bubbles by always_addicted. Explicit. 58195 words. Stiles knew he was in trouble the minute his father sat next to him with *that* look on his face. But he didn’t expect the words “Governor Hale’s son” and “arranged marriage” to come spilling out of the Sheriff’s mouth. But really, he should’ve known it would be bad. He just couldn’t imagine anything worse.

Never Cage A Rabid Wolf by tty9. Explicit. 49734 words. Stiles is sent to prison, and guess who his cellmate is?

Your Majesty by grimm. Explicit. 22291 words. It wasn’t like he was a pro or whatever, but like any teenage boy he’d spent a lot of time jerking off, and there were a lot of people on the internet that liked watching that sort of thing. And while the idea of doing actual porn - like, porn with another person’s dick in his ass porn - kind of made him uncomfortable, jerking off by himself in front of a camera sounded okay. If you’re good at something, never do it for free, right? Based off a prompt asking for Stiles as a cam boy and Derek lusting after his hot virgin bod.

You Set My Soul Alight by Captain_Loki. Explicit. 5135 words. Derek finds Stiles’ toys…basically Stiles + Derek + Dildos.

Plus One by Moosey. 44838 words. “Dude, I can’t show up solo to my ex-girlfriends wedding. I can’t do that,” Scott stressed, his face arranged in an expression that was almost comically anguished, like one of those weird, sad-face, tragic drama masks.“So we find you a date,” Stiles shrugged, as though it was no big deal. Scott was adorable, in reasonably good shape, and probably the best guy Stiles had ever known, or would ever know. He wouldn’t have any real issues with getting a girl.“Stiles, it’s in two weeks. Two weeks. How do I find a girl willing to date me, and come abroad with me to my exes wedding, in two weeks?!”

Finger Bangin' by Hatteress. Explicit. 3464 words. Stiles starts bringing drumsticks to Pack gatherings, sitting himself on the edge of the group to tap out maddening rhythms on his knees as the werewolves train. The first time he’d pulled them out, spinning one stick in a showy twirl between his fingers, Derek had actually staggered a little, missed a basic move, and ended up on his back blinking up at fucking Jackson, of all people.

the one where Derek gets high by nighimpossible. Explicit. 1167 words. What it says on the tin. Derek needs to find a way to relax, and Stiles is more than willing to assist.

his descent was like nightfall by nighimpossible. Explicit. 2328 words. Derek is drowning. The creature that calls itself Stiles drags him ashore. (nymph!Stiles)

Special Collections by hannah_baker. Explicit. 16423 words. Stiles Stilinski is a senior in college working on his thesis. Derek Hale is the grumpy (though inhumanely attractive) special collections librarian. All they needed was a common interest to spark a friendship that becomes more than either of the bargained for.

Hold Your Breath and Count to Ten by secondstar. Explicit. 6611 words. Stiles is the voice in his ear and the man in the glasses behind the computer screen. At the end of the day, he’s the only one Agent Eta trusts.

Bogarted by HalfFizzbin. Mature. 3126 words. Alternate Title: "Dick Failwolf, Private Eye." (Or, Derek’s hit with a Film Noir curse, which forces him to narrate his own life in luridly-detailed prose.)

Politics of a Scandal by qhuinn. Explicit. 17097 words. The one where Stiles is the hottest new media consultant in the business and Laura Hale desperately needs his services. She’s about to launch a campaign for Governor of California and her brother, Derek, is a media nightmare waiting to happen.

You Might Just Find You Get What You Need by TWCooper. Explicit. 11254 words. Derek is one of the highest earning escorts at Peter’s Menagerie, where the roster of beautiful men and women are ready and waiting to give you everything you want. When Lydia calls begging him to cover for her with their biggest client he isn’t expecting to find himself in the hotel room of Stiles Stilinski, genius and billionaire founder of premier social networking site FriendSpace. What starts as a simple job providing companionship soon has Derek struggling with his own desires. Feelings that his profession has forced him to lock away come to the surface as he risks losing himself to his latest client. Sometimes what you want is what you really need.

Finally Know The Difference by GotTheSilver. Explicit. 12512 words. In which Stiles is working at the bar his dad owns and Derek Hale returns to Beacon Hills with a guitar slung over his shoulder.

One-handed Typing by Omni. Explicit. 6857 words. Stiles makes a cyber sex buddy who supposedly looks like a dark-haired version of his favorite character on his favorite show. Which, coincidentally enough, is also what Derek looks a hell of a lot like.

Alpha Complex by Hatteress. Explicit.  3354 words. “Hold still,” Stiles says, hand clamping down on the back of Derek’s neck to keep him from turning and it’s laughable, really – the thought that that would be enough to hold him. Except it is. Because Stiles’ fingers are gripping the nape of Derek’s neck, pressure sure and hard and Derek- Derek can’t fucking breathe.

Can’t Stand the Heat by LuminescentLily. Explicit. 14149 words. Still hopelessly in love and too dense to realize they both feel the same, Stiles and Derek have to try and deal with their feelings as hunters decend on Beacon Hills and Derek goes into heat at a most inopportune time.

A Mating Moon by unpossible. Explicit.  words. 37354. “Hey, Scott, so, I uh, there’s this amazingly hot guy and I’m uh, gonna spend the weekend with him but, you know, just to be careful, I’m sending you his picture, so if by some terrible chance my bloated corpse shows up sometime Monday, just, y’know pass this along to the authorities.” He pauses. “Uh. Kidding?” and then hangs up with a rush of air. “That is the worst voicemail in the history of voicemails,” Derek says.

Make A Little Noise by JenNova 1757 words.  So the first time Stiles got Derek on his back, worked him open and pressed inside with the long exhale of a perfect fit, he wasn't expecting the sound. Sure when they exchange handjobs, or blowjobs, or any other kind of orgasm, Derek can get a little vocal – sometimes even demanding in a hesitant sort of way – but the deep moans, the sharp grunts, the cursing and the constant use of Stiles' name was not expected.

Mauve by bleepobleep 7380 words.  It’s been ten years since he’s seen Derek Hale, but Stiles would recognize that ass anywhere.

Kintsugi by artemis69 7866 words. Derek is too big, and strong, and a werewolf. He knows perfectly well what men are and aren’t allowed to be.Stiles would beg to differ.In which there are pretty boys, flowers, panties, glitter, and Stiles gives a heartfelt fuck you to the concept of toxic masculinity.

Married at First Glance by WonderWolf 63558 words. Married at First Glance gives its participants seven weeks. Seven weeks, starting when they meet and marry their “perfect match”, to decide if they want to stay married or divorce.For Stiles and Derek though, the challenge lies within trying to pretend that they don’t absolutely hate each other’s guts. When you’re married to a werewolf who dislikes humans, however, this can get a little tricky.But the sweet, sweet cash reward at the end will be worth it. Right?

Getting To The Bottom Of It by KaliopeShipsIt 17031 words. When Deputy Stiles Stilinski's new boyfriend Derek refuses to bottom for him, even though Stiles is one-hundred percent sure he secretly loves it, Stiles draws the wrong conclusions and their relationship implodes spectacularly.Little does he realize that Derek's refusal has nothing to do with toxic masculinity hang-ups or his trust in Stiles and everything to do with the fact that he's hiding two very furry secrets.Cue kidnapping, rogue Omegas, and life-changing revelations.

Something More by kaistrex (weishen) 19148 words.  When Derek and Stiles stumbled into a friends with benefits relationship purely by accident, they weren’t expecting it would one day save their asses when a threat from Derek’s past comes knocking. All they need to do is pretend to really be in love to avoid an arranged marriage agreed to years ago with a pact of blood. Considering they hadn’t bothered setting up boundaries when the ‘benefits’ first started, it’s no surprise that the lines begin to blur and Derek’s eyes are eventually opened to a truth he hadn’t been ready to face.

The Unicorn In Me by Emela 18570 words.  Derek touches a Unicorn and it doesn't try to kill him, despite the fact he is no longer a virgin. When Peter tells the pack about Kate, Stiles makes it his mission to give Derek the kind of relationship he deserves.

Moved on from Whispers by wishingonalightningbolt 5346 words. He’s not dumb. Out of everyone in the school, Derek is second in grades only to Lydia Martin, and the only reason Stiles is third is because he’s taking more APs than Derek, so his grades are suffering the slightest bit. That’s why Derek knows, when Stiles arches an eyebrow at him, why what he said was so incredibly dumb.Stiles didn’t break into Lydia Martin’s upstairs bathroom to take a piss. He broke into Lydia Martin’s upstairs bathroom while Derek was in it, because—because of reasons.

Cornerstone by Vendelin 83738 words.  Suffering from PTSD, ex-Marine Derek Hale moves back to Beacon Hills to open a bookshop and find a calmer life. That’s where he meets Stiles, completely by accident. Stiles is talkative, charming and curious. Somehow, despite the fact that he’s blind, he’s able to read Derek like no one else.

my heart’s been offline by thepsychicclam 58893 words. 31/M/New York. Rich, lays in bed all day, likes to read (aka Derek Hale, son of an Oscar winning actress, brother of one obnoxious reality star and one rebellious fashion designer, hates the paparazzi so much he's a recluse)26/M/California. Boring office job, likes to read (aka Stiles Stilinski, co-owner of a 100 acre organic farm with his dad and two best friends, writer of obits for a newspaper, has absolutely no life)Or, where Derek and Stiles meet online, and Stiles has no clue Derek's part of a famous family.

Muffins As A Declaration Of Intent by JenNova 3731 words. “Top or bottom?” Stiles asks, off to Derek's right.“Bottom,” Derek says automatically, not really looking at him. “Wait, what?”

Stand Here At The Edge Of Something New by Chiomi 3233 words.  This is Stiles’ last night of freedom before he’s married to a man he hasn’t seen in over a decade - not even photos, not even Facebook. He intends to make the most of it.

The One Where He Pitches And Catches by mikkimouse 4272 words. Derek entered the conference room, spotted the table with "M. P. Stilinski" on it, and stopped short.Oh fuck.It most definitely was not going to be fine.Sitting on the other side of the table was the most attractive man Derek had ever seen, with whiskey-colored eyes and pale skin with dark moles speckled across his jawline, moles Derek was very familiar with because he'd spent two hours last night drunk out of his mind and licking them.

You Saw Me Standing Alone 43947 words.  A pack of alpha werewolves is burning a war path through Beacon Hills; Stiles shouldn’t have the luxury of trying to get laid.

Versus by secondstar 94521 words.  At age nineteen, Stiles Stilinski was the next big thing, according to The Guardian. It was surreal, not being able to turn on Sky Sports without hearing his name mentioned along with the names of players he grew up idolizing. Stiles couldn’t believe that this was his life.

Stomping Stereotypes by LadyDrace 2518 words.  Derek and Stiles have been dating for a while, and they've finally decided that they're ready for sex. There's only one tiny issue, and Derek has a little trouble bringing it up...

Booty Call by dragon_temeraire 1670 words.  Derek really needs to get fucked, and he knows just who to call.

A Second Chance at First Impressions by Cobrilee 7042 words.  Derek grew up with the world's most embarrassing soulmark, which is honestly not the best first impression his soulmate could make. Then he meets the guy, and all of a sudden the soulmark doesn't matter quite so much after all.

our lives are changing lanes by grimm 47537 words. There's a lot of screaming going on inside the first house Stiles visits. He isn't really worried, because it sounds like kids, but then the door opens and hi, says his dick, because the dude in front of him is gorgeous, built like a god with a face like thunder. Stiles wants to lick that solid jaw line. Hold the fuck on, says his cop brain, because the dude's got kids hanging all over him; one's on his back, skinny legs looped around his waist, and another two hanging off one arm, toes barely brushing the ground. There's a tubby toddler clinging to his leg like a koala, and he's got a baby tucked into the crook of the one arm that doesn’t have kids hanging off it. Stiles' mouth drops open."How many of those kids did you kidnap?" he asks before he can wrangle his brain into submission.The man gives him a look that says what the fuck is wrong with you and snaps, "You think I'd subject myself to this on purpose?""Oooh," says one of the kids hanging off his arm. "I'm telling Mom."

Sense of Home by siny 53067 words. Home can be a place, but it can also be a person.After the events with the Nemeton, Stiles starts suffering the consequences of their sacrifice. A journey he attempts to make on his own, but only becomes worse with every step he takes. In the process he seeks comfort in an unexpected place and it draws him toward an unexpected person.

Pack Up; Don’t Stray by the_deep_magic 55220 words.  Werewolves are an enslaved underclass, collared and tagged by human masters. Detective Stilinski’s on duty the night they bring in an untagged stray.

Advanced Vocabulary by wangler 4425 words. “Why do you like me?” Derek asks as he folds his shirt and drops it onto Stiles’ computer chair.“For your body,” Stiles says.

swallow me down raw, like you mean it by bleepobleep 7789 words.  Derek isn’t quite sure what to do, but he can’t look away from the way Stiles’ mouth moves while he talks, and then Stiles’ shirt rides up a little with a particular wild gesture, revealing an expanse of pale skin. The comment I have these in red reverberates in his mind, and now Derek is frozen, imagining the man before him clad in nothing but a pair of lacy red panties.

[theyearoftheking]

Book Forty-Nine: Black House

“Here is a true American loner, an internal vagrant, a creature of shabby rooms and cheap diners, of aimless journeys resentfully taken, a collector of wounds and injuries lovingly fingered and refingered. Here is a spy with no cause higher than himself.” 

After almost fifty books, The Talisman still stands at the top of the leader board as my favorite Steve book. It’s richly layered, full of memorable characters and horrible villains, with a satisfying conclusion. It’s the type of book fantasy and horror lovers alike are eager to escape into. 

It’s sometimes hard to embrace the sequel to a book you love so much... I mean, I can be bought, but my criteria are stringent:

Consider setting the book in Wisconsin... perhaps the beautiful, sad, remote, desolate western part of the state right along the Mississippi river.

Maybe a Dahmer reference? 

Scratch that. Instead, go with an old-school serial killer no one really talks about anymore. How about... Albert Fish? He’s pretty gross. 

On second thought, reconsider a Dahmer reference. Maybe an evil spirit that links Dahmer and Fish together? 

TONS of Dark Tower references. 

If Steve and Pete were to consider writing a follow up to The Talisman with all these elements, I might consider reading it. 

Spoiler! 

Dark House contains all this goodness, and more. 

It’s so fucking dark, y’all. I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to drive past a long-term care facility and NOT think about an old man inside wanting to eat the buttocks of small children.

Oh hey, trigger warnings for cannibalism, and violence against children. 

So, Dark House is set in fictional Coulee County, Wisconsin (not a place). But Steve and Pete (I need to start giving Peter Straub some shout outs as well) describe the western part of the state magnificently. Not too long ago I had a sales job that required me to travel the entire state, and I always loved my jaunts west. I’d park right along the Mississippi, eat my lunch and just soak up the isolation. I’d much rather make the drive to Pierce county than the Quad Cities, which my current employer is asking of me. *Silent scream for help*

Despite Coulee being fictional, the actual Wisconsin references are thick:

De Pere (where we recently found out Steve spent a few formative years)

The Brewers 

Miller Park 

Kingsland Ale- while fictional, it’s a nod to Wisconsin’s rich brewing history, and favorable climate for microbreweries

Dahmer (several times, actually)

Racine. Y’all. I have no idea what Steve’s obsession is with Racine... it comes up in multiple books. It’s really not that great. Take that from someone who spent a brief period of time working there. Honestly, my favorite thing about Racine is the authentic Thai restaurant right in downtown, Sticky Rice. If you find yourself in Racine, please go check them out... their red devil curry is amaze-balls. 

So, yes... lots of Wisconsin. Also, lots of Dark Tower:

Eye of the King

Crimson King

The Tower

Red roses

Breakers

Little Sisters 

Gunslingers and their weapons

Roland and the ka-tet

Monos! Blaine and Patricia

Chief Breaker Brautigan- who allegedly tells hilarious stories about his escapes. I miss him already. 

I have questions about how Steve convinced Pete to include so many Dark Tower elements into this book...

Steve:  “Pete, bud... I know you might have a different vision for how this book plays out. Buuut what about if we make it part of the Dark Tower universe?”

Pete: Stares for a long minute. “Um, I thought that series was dead in the water. Do we really need to use Dark House to resuscitate it?” 

Steve: “Remember the car accident? You know, the one that almost took my leg?” 

Pete *Oh fuck, he’s bringing up the car accident as a bid for sympathy, and to convince me to make this a Dark Tower book...* “Of course I remember!”

Steve: “Well, it shook some things loose. I’m about ready to finish the series. I just thought it might be fun if we make this book a lead-up to the finale” 

Pete: “It’s intriguing, but I’m not really sure it’s the direction I want to go in. I was thinking more-”

Steve: “I ALMOST DIED IN THAT ACCIDENT!” 

Pete: “Cool, Dark Tower book it is!” 

I should write fan fiction. I’ve obviously got a gift. 

Black House is told from a birds-eye narration view. Literally... there’s this fat, evil crow named Gorg flying all over town, giving us the lay of Coulee County. Bad stuff has been going on: little children have gone missing, and only a few of their bodies have turned back up mutilated and broken. 

The chief of police, Dale Gilbertson, knows he’s in over his head, and keeps trying to convince his pal, retired police detective, Jack “Hollywood” Sawyer to come consult on the case.

Jack isn’t having it. He retired young and moved to Coulee County from Los Angeles after tracking down and arresting serial killer Thorny Kinderling. The majestic beauty of western Wisconsin caught him by surprise, and he happily invested in reasonably priced (read: cheap) real estate with a view. 

Upon moving to Wisconsin, Jack befriended Dale’s blind uncle Henry Leydon; who voices several radio programs, including The Wisconsin Rat, which plays indy screamo bands and has plenty of shock-jock antics. The two hang out together, listen to jazz music, and sometimes Jack reads to Henry. Henry was able to use his elevated senses to study Jack’s speech pattern and figure out Jack’s mom was THE Lily Cavanaugh; the Queen of the B’s. 

While Jack and Henry are reading Bleak House, Charles “Burny” Burnside is wandering around the Maxton Elder Care Facility, pretending to have dementia, and dragging children into The Territories for Lord Malshun to either use as Breakers, or for Burny to snack on if they have no Breaking skills. So, Burny’s a bad dude who did some suspicious things in Chicago; but an evil spirit (the same one who invaded Albert Fish and Jeffrey Dahmer’s bodies) is what’s causing his kidnapping and cannibalistic urges. I know I say this every ten books or so, but Burny might be the worst King villain ever. I was not upset later on when his intestines were violently ripped from his body.

A sweet little boy (with strong Breaker powers) named Tyler Marshall goes missing outside the Maxton Elder Care Facility. While he was being pulled into the bushes by Gorg who kept repeating his name; his mother, Judy receives a taunting package and letter from The Fisherman, which sends her over the brink, and she’s institutionalized. 

Tyler’s disappearance really amps up the town outrage, and Jack agrees to help the police department out. He’s starting to suspect there’s some Territories nonsense going down, and he can help. 

From here, the book goes at break-neck pace and includes everything from micro-brewing bikers, a dog bite that causes one to dissolve into a foamy puddle on the couch, our old friend Speedy Parker showing up as a gunslinger, the world’s most annoying newspaper reporter, plenty of flipping between worlds via the creepy old black house hidden in the woods, and a happy(ish) ending. Honestly, there’s a warning at the end of the book, which allows you to choose your own ending. You can stop reading five pages before the end, and enjoy a happy ending where the good guys win; or you can get the real world ending. Both are satisfying... I recommend reading all the way to the end. 

So, just a few quotes for you... 

“Wolf died of a disease called America.” 

This line gutted me. I didn’t realize how much I loved Wolf as a character, until I had to read a follow-up that didn’t include him. His soul was too clean and beautiful for a fucked-up world like the one we currently live in. 

“He doesn’t like the cell phone to begin with- twenty-first-century slave bracelets, he thinks them...”

No explanation needed. 

“Why must life always demand so much and give so little? Parkus answers her question with a single word: ka.” 

Again, no explanation needed. 

Was this book as good as The Talisman? 

No. 

Did I want more? 

Absolutely.

But was I satisfied with the end?

You bet your (un-chomped on) ass.

Total Wisconsin Mentions: 33

Total Dark Tower References: 50

Book Grade: A-

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books

The Talisman: A+

Wizard and Glass: A+

Needful Things: A+

On Writing: A+

The Green Mile: A+

Hearts in Atlantis: A+

Rose Madder: A+

Misery: A+

Different Seasons: A+

It: A+

Four Past Midnight: A+

The Shining: A-

The Stand: A-

Bag of Bones: A-

Black House: A-

The Wastelands: A-

The Drawing of the Three: A-

Dolores Claiborne: A-

Nightmares in the Sky: B+

The Dark Half: B+

Skeleton Crew: B+

The Dead Zone: B+

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: B+

‘Salem’s Lot: B+

Carrie: B+

Creepshow: B+

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: B

Storm of the Century: B-

Cycle of the Werewolf: B-

Danse Macabre: B-

The Running Man: C+

Thinner: C+

Dark Visions: C+

The Eyes of the Dragon: C+

The Long Walk: C+

The Gunslinger: C+

Pet Sematary: C+

Firestarter: C+

Rage: C

Desperation: C-

Insomnia: C-

Cujo: C-

Nightshift: C-

Gerald’s Game: D

Roadwork: D

Christine: D

Dreamcatcher: D

The Regulators: D

The Tommyknockers: D-

Now I move onto From a Buick Eight. I’ve had an advanced reading copy since the book came out, but never had the urge to actually read it. That should tell you everything you need to know about my level of enthusiasm right now. I’m hoping it’s not a Christine 2.0. 

Until next time, Long Days & Pleasant Nights, Rebecca 

[kneel-before-queen-loki]

AU!Ragnarok, Part 2

@delyth88 @chaoticpostcollectionstuff @neverseenaspaceshipbefore @bosnianmoonwalker @worstloki Here is part 2! The ending is a lot of fluff (and I do mean A LOT) but I don't like writing endings so... :)

Part 1

“Assemble.”

That one word, though almost silent, sent all of them into battle with a vengeance.

Loki launched himself at her like a panther, aiming Gungnir and firing it at her before she easily ducked out of the way.

Bucky took his assault rifle from his back and fired at her relentlessly, but they didn't phase her at all.

Natasha went for the goons to the side of the throne, shooting and kicking with flawless grace.

Hela focused her energies on Loki. She threw several of her knives at him, continuing to dodge his parries and Seidr with ease.

"Not bad, little brother! Better than you were last time, at least."

"No, I think you're losing your touch. You've already fumbled twice today."

~

When the other Avengers arrived in the throne room, the only living being in the room was Loki. He looked eerily similar to how he had after being smashed by the Hulk, only... only worse.

He held a hand against his side with a strained groan, his head lolling back against the pillar that kept him from collapsing helplessly on the floor.

"Loki?" Tony darted over to him, followed by Stephen. "What happened, where are the others?"

"Courtyard," he wheezed. "All your soldiers were unharmed when I last saw them, Hela-" his words broke off into a coughing fit, leaving a few drops of blood on his lips and on the floor beside him.

Tony winced. "She got you good, didn't she?"

Loki nodded heavily. The weight that had been on his shoulders before seemed to have doubled. "I'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound."

"My medical experience disagrees," Stephen replied gravely. "Loki, you need help."

"Your men need your help, too. Hela will bring many casualties without it, especially now that she isn't targeting me."

"Stark, you really should go help out. I'll take care of Loki, I'm sure we'll join you shortly."

"Course." He stood again, putting his helmet back in place. "Hang in there. Alright, Salazar Slytherin? I was just starting to like you."

He laughed weakly. "I'll do my best."

Stephen put on his sling ring and quickly opened a portal to the refuge they had been in before.

"Eir! It's Loki, he's-"

"Bring him over. Do you need help?"

"Moving him would be quite ill-advised," Stephen replied sharply. "You'll have to come here."

"A little movement won't hurt me," Loki quipped. "I'd already be dead if so, considering she stabbed me with Gungnir."

Stephen followed Loki's gaze to look at the kingly staff that lay in the middle of the room, at least 50 feet away.

"You're a terrible patient, I hope you know."

"I know. Through the portal, if you would?"

~

The battle was looking bleak. The Avengers had managed to avoid any major injuries, but Hela was barely even winded, and they were fighting to catch their breath.

"Avengers, regroup," Tony huffed into the comms. "I'll distract the Goth Queen, you guys head inside." His suit was rather damaged from all her attacks, but he was going to fight until he dropped dead.

Peter Parker walked up next to him, completely fresh and ready to fight. "Let's do this, Mr. Stark. It's gonna be awesome!"

Tony looked at Peter quizzically. "How did you get here?"

Just as he spoke, a hammer smashed into Hela, dizzying her for an impressive moment as Thor continued to fight her with impressive skill.

"With him," Peter grinned.

"Where-" Hit. "Is-" Hit. "My-" Hit. "Brother!" He knocked her to the ground with a dark growl.

She grinned pridefully. "Our little brother is in Valhalla now. I destroyed him with his own weapon."

Thor tensed. No, Loki can't be dead, he can't be. Loki doesn't die. That's not how it works.

He yelled in his grief as he struck her with more vehemence. "Monster! Idiot! You vile woman!"

Eventually she threw him off of her, fighting more seriously now that she had another for worth actually attacking.

"Stark!" Thor barked as he ducked away from one of her blows.

"Yeah?"

"Get the Asgardians off of this planet!"

"On it! Come on, kid, let's go be heroes."

Tony grabbed Peter and flew away, going a different direction before he started towards the refuge.

"Salt and Pepper, where are you?"

"The refuge," Strange sighed through his comm. "It's not looking good for Loki, Stark. He lost consciousness when we pulled him through the portal."

"Well, the emo's gonna have to hang on a little longer. I just got orders from Captain Thunderpants to get everyone off of Asgard as quickly as possible. I need you to open a portal to Norway and get all of them through it as quickly as possible."

"I'll do my best. Where are the others?"

"Heading back on foot," Nat grunted. "We're all fine. Worry about Loki and the Asgardians first, Doc."

"I'll keep the portal open for you, as long as Hela's troops don't get here first."

"Otter Pop?" Tony landed in front of the hidden refuge door.

"Yeah, Stark?"

He hopped into the air again, leaving Peter there. "Let me know when you've all made it through. I'm going to help Thor. Help them out, kid. Make me proud!"

"I will, Mr. Stark!"

"Take care of him, Capsicle."

"I will."

Tony and Thor made quite the team.

Tony stayed in the air, firing at Hela while Thor dodged her attacks and distracting her while Thor attacked.

Thor grunted as he watched Hela gather herself again. "Are they almost through, Stark?"

"Steve, give me good news," Tony mumbled.

"Strange and I are hauling Loki through as we speak," he replied. "Everyone else is safe in the New York Sanctum."

"Are you actually being serious?"

"No, but you asked for good news."

"So what's the real news?"

"We're about to be overrun by Hela's troops, and it's only Strange, myself, and Loki--who is still incapacitated, by the way."

"Thor, we got a problem!"

"Solve it!" He snapped back.

"We got three people stuck on this side of the portal! Loki's one of them!"

"Then go help them get out of here! I'm going to trigger Ragnarok in three minute's time, you all need to be gone before that, alright?"

"On it! Oh, and have one of these." Tony darted through the sky after tossing Thor an earpiece, mowing down the reanimated corpses as he traveled along. "I'm on my way, Steve."

"Perfect."

"Grey's Anatomy, open that portal and get through it! I'll hold 'em back until I can join you," Tony barked when he entered the swarming refuge. He wasted no time in firing at the monstrosities, keeping them away from the portal as best as he could. Three minutes. We can totally do this in three minutes. I'm totally not panicking at all.

"Stark, we're waiting for you!"

"On my way." Tony dove down and flew at the portal. "Thor, we're through to New York, you're good to go!"

"Thank you, Stark."

Tony landed next to Dr. Strange, who was working with Eir to try and stabilize Loki. "How is he?"

"Not good," she quickly answered. "He's lost a lot of blood. He's fading quite speedily."

"I'd offer to take him to the nearest hospital," Tony grimaced, "but I don't think they'd be able to help him."

"If he survived the journey. Eir, do you have any other sorcerers left from Asgard?"

"I'll ask them." Tony patted his friend's shoulder and turned to the Asgardians. "Hey! Can I have your attention please? Does anyone know any magic?"

A few youngsters came to the front, as well as one or two women and, most surprisingly, three of the four men who had survived Hela. "We do," one of them replied solemnly.

"Do you know any healing spells?" Stephen asked hopefully.

"They're not that strong of spells, but yes. First useful spell we teach."

"Then all of you, come help us. Your king needs you."

The sorcerers each placed their hands on Loki, as close to his wounds as they could get. A light radiated from their palms as magic flowed into him.

He shifted as he regained his strength, slowly but surely. Tony noticed as he watched that Loki, for all this time, had been without a lower leg on one side. Hela had chopped it off at the knee.

But then... how had he worn a shoe on that side? How had it been so hard to notice?

Thor arrived with Mjölnir a mere moment before Loki opened his eyes. He knelt beside his brother humbly, praying to the Norns that he really would wake.

The light faded from the sorcerers' hands as it sunk into his wounds. They pulled away and stepped back.

The wind blew against the side of the building.

Cars and people alike bustled to and fro on the street.

Everyone just waited.

"You smell like smoke, brother," Loki grumbled weakly.

The people cheered more wildly than they had at Thor's coronation. Despite all their losses, there was joy in Asgard, for their beloved Loki had been saved against the odds. One person had been brought back from the brink of death by Hela, and that was cause for celebration.

"Could we soften the yelling?" The invalid winced.

"Of course. Silence!"

The crowd hushed.

"We do not wish to cause him unneeded stress, now, do we?"

"Thank you." With great effort he moved his hand to rest on Thor's knee. A simple token of gratitude, but it meant worlds to Thor.

"Save your strength, brother," he laughed warmly. "How do you feel?"

"That depends," he mused. "Did we win?"

"We did," Tony said with a smug grin. "No casualties. Well... besides the planet."

"The planet? Then where do we go? Where's Heimdall? I'm sure he'd have an idea or two."

"Loki," Eir hummed soberly. "You know where Heimdall is."

He visibly deflated. "Right."

Thor looked between the two on them in confusion. "What? Where's Heimdall?"

"Heimdall left Asgard a year ago," Eir began. "Retired to Alfheim to live his life as he wished. After serving Asgard for so long, we couldn't deny him that right."

"We received word five months ago that he had taken ill." He rubbed his eyes. "He died six weeks later."

"A poor-fitting death for such a man."

"He deserved to die in peace after the turmoil our family put him through," Loki chuckled, though it fell into a coughing fit.

"Easy, tiger." Nat couldn't hold in a smile. "Doc, do you have an extra room? He's gonna need some serious downtime, even after... that."

"Nonsense, I'm fine."

"You're really not," Stephen muttered. "Yes, I have an extra room for him. Unless you would prefer Stark Tower, Loki?"

Loki pushed himself up to his elbows with a restrained groan. "That depends. Where will the Asgardians be staying until we find a new home?"

Tony shrugged. "I have space."

"Then I shall stay in your tower with them."

Bucky offered a metal hand to help Loki to his feet. "You know, if you want a new leg, I know a guy."

"A wonderful offer," he laughed. "One I'll certainly consider. Until then, did anyone bring Gungnir?"

The Avengers looked at each other sheepishly. No, they certainly had not.

"We shall simply have to go to Nidavellir and make a new one."

~

"My king?"

"That title is no longer mine, Lady Eir. Thor is first in line, not I." He nodded to his brother soberly.

"He hasn't told you?"

Loki tilted his head. "Told me what?"

"No, no, no, it's not that easy. Go talk to him. I'm sure he wants to spend some time with you as well."

"Fine," he amiably sighed. "I'll talk to Thor."

He walked over to his brother on his uncomfortably new vibranium leg.

Thor looked over when Loki plopped onto the couch beside him. "Loki."

"Thor. Eir said you wished to speak with me?"

"Yes, yes I do... How are you, brother?"

"Still getting used to the leg, but otherwise quite well. And you?"

"Good, good. I'm doing very well myself. Almost fantastic."

"How wonderful. What was it that you wanted to tell me, Thor?"

Thor turned his body to face Loki and placed a hand in his pocket, as if to touch some special emblem of courage. "I'm... abdicating the throne."

Loki startled. "You're what? You can't be serious, you've wanted this your whole life."

"Yes, well, there are other things now that I want more than the throne. And besides... I'm not their king. They trust you with their lives. All of them do. Me, I'm just the oaf who abandoned them for a Midgardian woman."

Loki asked a side question as he tried to process what Thor was telling him. "How is Jane, anyway?"

"Nervous. She was afraid that I was going to take the throne from you. That woman is terrified of having to sit on a throne instead of studying science."

"I can imagine. Have you... asked her yet?"

He looked down at the pocket where his hand resided. "Not yet. I'm asking her tonight, actually."

Loki smiled warmly, patting his shoulder. "Good. I'm happy for you."

"Technically... as King of Asgard, you'll be able to marry us."

Loki chuckled. "Didn't you already ask me to be your best man?"

He shrugged. "You can do both."

"You place far too much trust in me, Thor."

"You think so? Asgard might disagree."

~

Loki stared pensively at what would soon be New Asgard. Tony had graciously supplied funding for building materials and crews until T'Challa stepped in and practically showered them in money when he came by with Shuri to check on how well the new leg was doing. Still, it would be a long time before his people could move in and make it their home.

"It's a nice place, y'know," Tony hummed as he walked over to Loki. "Beautiful weather. Breathtaking view."

"There's a sarcastic comment about to leave your mouth, isn't there," Loki mumbled.

"Almost as good as the view from Stark Tower."

There it is. "My people grow weary of sharing so little space. Your view does not compensate for the crammed nature of the living quarters."

"Wow, was that honesty?"

"Be careful. I'm still fully capable of wielding my daggers."

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, point taken. Point is, I think you ought to build yourself a palace. Open to the public, so they can feel more at home and be able to really enjoy what you've managed to do here."

Loki frowned thoughtfully. "Perhaps."

"You do that too much."

He scoffed. "Do what? Think?"

"Frown," Tony replied. "Don't you have anything to be happy about? Your people are safe again, you aren't dead, the list goes on. I'm sure kings are allowed to be happy sometimes."

"I will be happy after my people have moved into New Asgard."

Tony scanned his features. "You're a good monarch, Reindeer Games. You know that, right?"

Loki smiled slightly. "Thank you, Stark. I hope your words prove true."

"I don't know why, considering you're a psychopath sometimes, but something tells me they will."

[parkitleeds]

call it what you want (call it love)

A/N: hello welcome - just a little Ned/Peter drabble from Tony’s perspective. Ask is open for fic requests if anyone’s interested!

Tony was two hours into some new suit updates when FRIDAY interrupted him.

“Boss, I detect an incoming call on Mr. Parker’s phone.”

Tony’s brow wrinkled in confusion. He pulled his hands out of Mark 53 and wiped them on the front of his sweatpants.

He wouldn’t normally dress down during the week, but Peter was over. The kid loved to hang out in the workshop, and wearing suits near DUM-E was flirting with disaster.

“Why are you telling me, FRI?” he asked. “The kid can get his own messages.”

“Peter went up to the kitchens for food approximately five minutes ago,” FRIDAY said. “This is the third call from the same number.”

Tony walked over to the kid’s work table. The desk was littered with the components of Peter’s web shooters. He had been working on the distance capabilities earlier, if Tony remembered correctly.

It looked like he was making progress, but Tony could see at least one way to get the webs shooting even further. He picked up a screwdriver and the shooter, then sank into Peter’s empty seat.

“Boss?” FRIDAY prompted.

“Yeah, FRI?” Tony responded absently, mind already occupied with the shooter.

“The phone?”

“Right, right,” Tony muttered. “Kid’s got me playing secretary in my own workshop.”

He pulled Peter’s backpack toward him. He unzipped the bag and rifled through the contents for the kid’s phone.

Loose papers were everywhere, folded into books and spilling out of bulging folders.

Tony cursed as a pencil stabbed his thumb.

“Jesus, this kid can’t keep anything organized,” he muttered. He smiled, though. “It’s a miracle he’s not a mess. More of a mess, at least.”

Something in the bag vibrated. He searched for another few seconds before he pulled the phone out with a flourish.

“Well, that’s attractive,” he mused.

A below-the-chin selfie lit up Peter’s screen, alerting him that Ned was calling. The call timed out as Tony watched, and the screen changed to show five missed calls from Peter’s guy in the chair.

Tony tilted his head to the side. He frowned in concern.

Did the kid’s friend need something?

“Mr. Stark?” Peter asked.

“Oh.” Tony spun to face the door.

Peter stood just outside the entrance to the workshop, a plate in each hand.

“I, uh, didn’t know if you were hungry, too,” Peter said. “I figured a sandwich was a safe bet, and if you don’t want it now, you might want it later. I know DUM-E makes smoothies, but you said those sometimes have motor oil in them and I’m pretty sure you don’t drink motor oil even though you’re Iron Man. Actually, do you drink motor oil? Because—“

“Kid, kid, kid.” Tony held up a hand to silence the stream of words.

Peter only got like this when he was nervous.

“I was just grabbing your phone for you. It’s been buzzing like crazy.”

“Oh, okay, cool,” Peter said. He reached a hand out to grab the phone, but faltered when he saw the plate still in his grip.

Tony bit back a smile.

This kid.

“Thanks for the sandwich, Pete. If you set it over there by 53, I’ll just leave this here.”

Peter hummed his assent and set a plate down by Tony’s desk.

“What did you put in the sandwiches?” Tony asked.

“Well, mine is pastrami with extra pickles, but I couldn’t find rye bread so I used wheat bread. I’m not sure how it’s going to taste since I haven’t had it on wheat before, but I also think the most important part is the pickles, so it’ll probably be just fine.”

Tony wrinkled his nose. He hated pastrami.

“But yours is turkey, because you were talking about that new butcher you had started ordering from and the seasoning they put on their turkey. I also put that fancy mustard you like on it.” Peter wrinkled his nose. “Even though it doesn’t actually taste like mustard.”

Tony smiled, charmed.

“You’re something else, kid.”

Peter tilted his head. A curl fell onto his forehead. Tony’s chest tightened.

The kid hated his curls, but Tony loved them. He only really got to see them on days like this one, when Peter came over after school and his naturally curly hair broke through that morning’s gel.

Tony crossed the room and brushed the curl back.

“Don’t forget to pick up that phone, Pete.”

“Right,” Peter said, then set down his own sandwich to grab his phone.

“Oh, crap,” he muttered under his breath, nearly too quiet for Tony to hear. He tapped the screen a few times, then held the phone up to his ear.

“What’s the deal, kid?” Tony asked, gesturing to the phone.

Peter’s cheeks reddened. “I was supposed to call, uh, someone, back a while ago and forgot to,” he said quietly.

Tony narrowed his eyes. The kid was nervous. He was fiddling with the sleeves of his hoodie the way he did when he was hiding something. But this wasn’t a battlefield injury, so it must have been something else.

“Just a phone call?” he asked.

What was the kid hiding?

“Yeah, totally.” Peter’s voice came out an octave higher.

Tony smiled despite himself.

“You’re a terrible liar. I’m surprised people on other planets don’t know you’re Spider-Man, let alone people in this city,” he teased.

“Mr. Stark,” Peter whined.

“Sad but true, kid,” Tony said. “What’s got you so squirmy this time?”

“I am not squirmy,” Peter protested.

Tony rolled his eyes, then looked at Peter. And waited.

Peter let out a sigh.

“So, okay, I just started…dating? This person? And I’m trying to be better about making dates and actually, you know, taking them out and stuff.” Peter spoke quickly, words running over each other. His cheeks were crimson. “And we were supposed to figure out a date for this weekend, but I’m totally out of ideas. Like, totally and completely tapped out. And I just want to be good at this, and take him places that are, like romantic and stuff, but he’s way better at all this than I am. All I really want to do are movie nights and, like, hanging out with him? He’s just really great, and I like to be around him. But he’s had this really good ideas for, like, going out to dinner and museums and even a film festival one time. And I just really really really don’t want to let him down or let him get bored. So I’m sort of avoiding the calls because I don’t know what to do.”

Tony blinked.

“That’s…a lot of fear for one breath, kid.”

Peter tipped his head back and sighed.

Tony scooted across the room on his wheeled chair, exaggerating his movements to make Peter smile.

Peter tilted his head forward and smirked, pushing his own chair closer to Tony. They met in the middle of the workshop, and Tony put a calming hand on Peter’s shoulder.

“A few questions.” Tony said, moving his hand up to Peter’s neck and into his curls. “This boy, first of all, is he cute?”

Peter buried his head in his hands.

“The cutest, Mr. Stark.”

“And he’s the one who’s been calling so much today?”

Peter nodded.

Tony smiled, his suspicions confirmed. Now to calm the kid down.

“Pete, you know this boy is calling so much because he cares about you, not the dates you take him on, right?”

Peter lifted his head.

“He is?”

“Definitely. And it doesn’t matter what you do with the people you love. It’s about them making time for you, and you making time for them. Does it mean any less to you when we spend an afternoon in the lab than when I take you to science conferences?”

Peter shook his head.

“See?” Tony asked. “He’ll love the fact that you want to spend time with him. It’s good to mix it up every once in a while, but not every date has to be groundbreaking. Sometimes the best dates take the least effort. Just make it clear that you value your time with him.”

Peter leaned into Tony’s hand, which was carding through his curls.

“You’re right,” he said grudgingly.

Tony hummed.

“I usually am, kid.”

On Peter’s desk, his phone started to vibrate.

“I should probably get that, huh?” Peter asked.

“I think you should.”

Peter grinned and rolled his chair back to his desk.

“Hey beautiful,” he said into the phone, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Tony’s heart clenched. These boys were going to give him cavities.

“Pete?” Tony called.

Peter looked over, holding the phone to his chest.

“You can always bring Ned here and give him a tour of the compound. I bet that would be an exciting date.”

Tony turned his chair back toward the Mark 53.

From behind him came the sounds of Peter choking.

[dcmeterwrites]

oh boy, did you get tom ellis for an eight a.m.? wait no, that’s NOAH MADDOX. i heard the forty one year old professor gives a pretty tough lecture in archaeology. he tries to be thoughtful and even-tempered but on the stressful days, he’s prideful and evasive. when he gets a chance to relax, catch him at the local bar listening to start // end by eden.

— RUNDOWN. 

full name: noah rhys maddox

name meaning: rest, enthusiasm


date of birth: october 7th

place of birth: cardiff, united kingdom


age: 41


star sign:
 libra


department: archaelogy

specialisation: near eastern and greek antiquity, classical archaeology

alma mater: university of oxford, harvard university

alignment: neutral good

mbti: infj

spoken languages: english ( native speaker ), coptic ( proficient ), arabic ( proficient ), aramaic ( intermediate ), hebrew ( intermediate ), welsh ( intermediate )

mother’s name: elizabeth maddox née llewellyn

father’s name: peter maddox

siblings, if any: andrew and derek maddox

birth order: middle 

height: 6′3″

hair colour: black

eye colour: dark brown

— BACKSTORY. 

noah over here was born in cardiff, wales, the middle of three brothers. you couldn’t find a more accomplished family anywhere. his mother was a retired olympic gold-winning cyclist, and his dad an ex-member of parliament.

within just five years, three boys were born to the couple and they fought furiously. when they weren’t trying to get their parents’ attention and praise, they were trying to prove to themselves that they were capable of besting the others. if andy was student gov president, noah had to be the captain of the rugby team, and derek the captain of the swim team.

this installed performance anxiety from the very beginning. noah always felt like he had to earn love and praise — that nobody would ever give it to him unless he was working for it, and that he didn’t deserve love at all if he wasn’t. 

noah made it to university with star-struck academic records and extracurricular participation. he opted for history and economics: but ended up giving a lot more priority to history in his college years. 

trouble was, though, that the spirit of competition that had fueled him to oxford was just — gone. college left him so confused. no matter what he did, there was always someone else that he wanted to do better than, but just couldn’t. was there even a point to working hard if he was just barely keeping his head above water ?

in the last year of his degree, he accepted that there was no fucking point. in just a few months, noah began to drink more, go out to more parties, let himself go. at first, it was difficult. he was a reserved man by nature, but the books and the conversations were becoming reminders of his own inadequacy, so he took on a life that he used to look down upon. 

this was the life that gave him instant gratification. a busy night meant that he was valued by the woman in his bed, or by the bars he visited, or by the mindless crowd that cheered when he uncorked a bottle of champagne. 

one of the addictions that stuck with him a little too far was ecstasy. at one of his earliest raves, noah was offered some because he looked as though he was on the verge of a panic attack, and he started using regularly when he was twenty four. by twenty six and a half, it had utterly destroyed his life. he was irritable and aggressive when dealing with his family, concealed the fact that he used from close friends, leaving him a large circle of acquaintances, and no one to trust completely.

when he was nearing twenty seven, his secret was out. when high and euphoric, noah started a fight in a belfast nightclub. it was a lifetime of resentment at himself and everyone around him bursting out in a vicious break of violence.

noah doesn’t remember much of that night. he remembers waking up nearly a week later with an awful headache. turns out he’d suffered a skull injury that night, not to mention several bruises and a twisted ankle. but if he was bad, you should’ve seen the other guy, named dave watkins. 

a lot had to be done even before noah was out of the hospital. for one, noah owed an enormous fine for possession of mdma. for another, watkins was more than eager to press charges. hundreds of thousands of pounds were paid in an out-of-court settlement as compensation.

if you ask him, noah would take the injuries all over again over the shame. the one thing he was supposed to do was not fuck up royally — and that was exactly what he ended up doing. the entire family had to come together to clean up his mess.

nearly two years of his life went by in in-patient rehab and generalised therapy, during which he relapsed once. because finding work was going to be difficult due to social stigma, it was recommended that he return to studies, so he returned to his old love, history.

the degrees he completed were in antique studies and classical archaeology — because he was steadily rediscovering a practical use for what he loved about the subject. delving into lives he was not lucky enough to live, putting together puzzles and answering questions.

in the span of two years, he developed a friendly acquaintance with a fellow graduate student called elene keo, as they worked with the same professor on a research project. the project inspired him to do his own digging ( if you’ll pardon the pun ).

his paper on coptic egypt was a sensation in the field of archaeology. he’d struck gold. not only had he earned a bit of money, but also an invitation to work with researchers at harvard university. after negotiating a short undergraduate teaching gig there as well, just to pay the bills, noah was well on his way to a doctorate. 

then — new people entered his life. kamala jones was part of the same doctorate program he was, alongside callum winston, a bright scholar with a similar background and education to noah. the two men hit it off instantly as a result, but noah never told either him or kamala what exactly he was trying to get away from.

the three of them began to go on expedtions and excavations together, collecting information and soaking in the atmosphere of the rest of the world. it was a good time. 

too good. noah got soft. kamala was so clever and quick on her feet, ever ready for a new adventure with no hesitation. it was like having every good memory you’d ever had around you. he couldn’t help but get the stirrings of something for her, but what, he never quite had the courage to define. 

then she got married, and he had to sit through every minute of it. not to mention the stag night, planning the wedding, fixing out tuxes as best man. it was a miserable night all in all. 

noah stayed friends with callum for the while, but their collaboration was mostly professional, on joint research proposals, seminars, and most importantly — publications. 

at the age of thirty-eight, he and callum published their seminal work, essentially a textbook on myths and symbolism. soon after, callum and kamala split up. noah was curious, he couldn’t deny that much. but he chose not to pry.

while he had been getting teaching and research positions all across the united states, noah needed tenure, somewhere. the best way for him to find institutions to join was to look at where the people he knew went — and the only name that he remembered and respected was elene keo, who had ended up at riverbank university.

a small caveat: kamala was there too. but he had to be over her — it had been years since they talked, even longer since they were friends, and calling callum a friend was becoming a little generous. they could certainly have a totally professional relationship. bury the past and all that.

he applied for a specialisation in the near east and was given a position, but as a result of his past, the university’s mental health services kept a watchful eye on him. occasionally, he had been asked to talk to students about addiction, an offer he repeatedly and vehemently refused. 

at the moment, he’s doing — meh. he’s got a job, one that he likes. slowly and steadily, he’s built his life back up from the damage. withdrawal from dependency leaves him with serotonin and dopamine imbalances for which he takes anti-depressants. 

it seems, however, that things are coming back on track. 

[hymn2000]

Hope I’ve Got Something To Lose - MCU AU fanfic - C19

Story overview: Peter has an accident, and Tony makes a drastic decision. In the midst of everything, a face from the past reappears - but Peter isn’t too sure about reconnecting after everything that’s happened.

Previous chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  10  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Part of my irondad and spiderson series.

Warnings/themes: injury, hospital stuff, hurt/comfort, mental health stuff, family stuff, corporal punishment, friendship

You can also find me on AO3

Chapter 19 - All This Heat

-

The string of disturbed nights finally got to Peter. He was teary-eyed and distant in the morning, not speaking much, and not feeling great all round. So when Tony’s prediction about Loki proved accurate, it was all Peter could do not to break down and start sobbing.

“It’s alright, kiddo. He just needs some time to rest” Tony said, squeezing the boys shoulder.

“It’s not fair” Peter said, tears dripping delicately down his cheeks. 

“Hey” Tony took Peter’s face in his hands so he had to look at him. “I know. But there’s nothing we can do, you know that. Look, you’ve got your friends. Why don’t you three get on the train and go over to the next town?”

Peter pulled away from Tony and stood up. “I’m not going”

“Oh Peter. Peter!”

But Peter wasn’t listening. Tony sighed heavily as the boy left the room. He looked at the girls.

“Just give him five minutes”

“What’s the matter with Loki?” Liz asked.

“He’s got M.E., and he gets these flare ups” Tony said.

“What’s M.E?”

“I can’t pronounce it. It’s like chronic fatigue syndrome. When he gets these flare-ups, it just knocks him out for a few days. Basically just makes him unbelievably tired”

“Ooh, right” Liz said. “Why’s Peter so upset?”

“He doesn’t like seeing him poorly. And I think he was counting on spending time with him this week”

“He’ll just have to cope with us instead, then” Liz said.

Tony looked at her, and smiled. “You tell him, girl”

-

As expected, Tony found Peter curled up under Loki’s arm. 

“You can’t stay here all day” Tony said, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Loki.

“I don’t see why not” Peter mumbled.

“You need to go and spend time with your friends, and breathe in as much good, clean, sea air as is humanly possible. That’s why we’re here, remember?”

Peter didn’t respond. Tony carefully moved Loki’s arm, grabbed Peter round the chest, and lifted him off the bed and out onto the landing. 

“What did you do that for?!”

“Hey, keep your voice down”

“I wanna stay with daddy!”

“Tough” Tony all but snapped. “Go and get dressed and then go to the train station. I’ll stay with daddy. You go and have fun with your friends”

Peter scowled. Tony sighed and gave him a quick hug.

“Do as you’re told”

-

Despite it all, Peter was very soon glad of being pushed out of the house. They got on the train, and as it moved out of the station, Peter felt ok. Maybe it was the feeling of running away, or maybe it was the familiar sound of the trains wheels on the tracks. Whatever it was, he was grateful for it.

“So, what is there to do here?” Flo asked when they got off the train at the next town.

“I’m not sure: I didn’t look it up” Peter said. “I know there’s a big pier”

“Well then” Liz said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Let’s just walk down there and see where the day takes us”

She took hold of Peter’s hand, and Flo took his other one. 

“What’s that look all about?” Liz said.

“Hm? Oh... It’s just... Well, you’re both so nice to me”

“Well, duh. We’re your friends, aren’t we?”

Peter couldn’t help but smile and nod. “Yeah, definitely”

Flo kissed him hard on the cheek. “We love you”

“I love you too”

-

The day trip proved a success. They spent a little while walking across by the sea, and they ventured onto the pier briefly, although Flo fussed that she felt like she was going to fall through the gaps. The town seemed to be a pretty small one, and the beach itself wasn’t as nice as the one where they were staying. But that was fine. They contented themselves with the little RNLI museum, and then spent a good hour or two looking in all the shops they could find. 

“It’s kinda like a ghost town, isn’t it?” Flo said, reading yet another ‘closed for the season’ notice in a cafe window. 

“It is a little odd” Peter said. “But, I suppose that’s just what these towns are like when you come off-peak”

“Hey, Peter?”

“Yeah?”

“We never did the arcade where we’re staying” Liz said. 

“Well, there’s still loads of time. We can go later. Might get something proper to eat first, though”

“Yeah, I’ll be ready for food when we get back” Liz said. “What were you thinking?”

“Chippy?”

“We had that yesterday” Flo said. “What about that pizza place? That looked nice”

“Sure. Liz?”

“Pizza sounds pretty good, actually”

“Ok, cool. So, when we get back, pizza, walk down to that kiosk for a Mr Whippy, and then go to the arcade. Ok?”

The girls smiled, and nodded.

“Brilliant”

-

“Ok wow” Flo said, looking down at her pizza. “I think maybe we should’ve just gotten a couple to share. These are huge!”

“They’re not that big”

“No, she’s right, Liz: they’re huge” Peter said, picking up a slice and biting into it. “Oh my god..”

The girls followed suit, and they all looked at each other with the same expression.

“Ok wow, these are amazing!” Flo said. “This was such a good idea”

“Even if you do say so yourself!”

Liz soon started to realise that, yes, these pizzas were indeed huge.

“I don’t think I’m gonna be able to finish this” she admitted.

“Me neither!” Peter said. “We can always get the rest boxed up and drop them back off at the house before we head down the street”

They were sat near to the kitchen doors, and had seen the chef taking the takeaway orders out, so were confident they could get them boxed up. Two meals for the price of one, Peter thought. 

-

“Oh, wait!” Peter said. “I’m just gonna run into Tesco quickly”

“We were just gonna drop these boxes off!” Liz said. “Can’t you wait?”

“No, I need to get something. You can wait outside if you like”

Liz rolled her eyes, and leant against the wall. Flo joined her. Peter just smiled.

“I’ll be quick!”

-

Tony was in the kitchen when they got back to the house.

“Hey, kids” he said. “What’ve you got there?”

“Leftover pizza” Liz said. “We went to this amazing pizza joint on the main street. The pizzas were huge!”

Tony smiled. “Nice! How was your little train trip?”

“It was good” Flo said.

Tony looked over at Peter. “What’ve you got there, kiddo?”

“Lucozade” Peter said, putting the big bottles down beside Tony. “For daddy”

“Aw, that’s sweet, chick, but I already got him some”

“Well, now he’s got more” Peter said.

Tony ruffled his hair fondly. “You’re a good kid”

“How is he?”

“You don’t need to go worrying about him” Tony said, twisting the bread bag shut. “I’m just getting him something to eat. What are you lot doing now?”

“We’re going down to that kiosk for an ice cream��� Liz said.

“The one with the lady with foundation lips?” Tony said, nodding when Liz did. “She’s lovely. Get yourselves the large ones, with flakes”

“Of course” Peter smiled. “It’s not a proper Mr Whippy without a flake”

“I’ll give you that” Tony said. “Any other plans while you’re down there?”

“I thought we might wander onto the beach, climb the rocks”

Tony glared at him.

“I’m joking!”

“Well don’t, you cheeky blighter” Tony said, tweaking his nose. “Stay away from the rocks”

“We were gonna go down the arcade”

“Good idea” Tony said. “Just stay away from those bloody claw machines”

“Yeah yeah, will do. See you later!”

“See you later. Be good!”

-

They leant against the wall overlooking the sea while they had their ice creams, just as they had done the first time. Once they’d finished, they turned back and headed to the arcade. Despite what Tony had said, they did have a go on the claw machines, tempted by the toys with £20 notes tied to them.

“It’s a total scam” Peter said once they’d lost £5 trying. “Let’s see if they’ve got one of those pay till you win grabbers. At least then you know you’ll get something out of it”

They soon found one, full with little purple and blue rabbits and teddies with tiny silver spots.

“Gotta love a bit of seaside tat” Peter said, slotting a pound into the machine. 

“It does take some of the fun out of it, though, getting them so quickly” Flo said, watching Peter grab his toy from the prize return.

“It still kinda feels good to win though” Peter said, turning the little purple rabbit over in his hands. “What should I call it?”

Flo peered at it. “It’s sort of ugly, isn’t it?”

“Don’t talk to my son like that!” 

Flo giggled. “You can name it later”

“It’s not his fault he’s got tiny ears and a big head and no tail” Peter said, tucking the rabbits feet under his hoodie so it stayed sat on his shoulder.

“Poor seaside rabbit” Liz said, putting a pound in the machine. “My turn”

She won a similarly unfortunate looking toy, this time a light blue bear. 

“His ears are kinda rectangular” she said. “He doesn’t have a tail either. And one side of his snout is thicker than the other side”

“Poor little teddy” Peter said. 

“Yes, poor little teddy” Liz said. “I love him anyway, though”

“What are you gonna call him?”

Liz thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it properly later”

She tucked the bear through her shoulder strap, keeping it securely on the front of her shoulder. She gave Flo a nudge.

“Your turn” she said.

“No thanks” Flo said. “I don’t really want one”

“Spoilsport” Peter said, sticking his tongue out at her.

Flo stuck her tongue out at him. “I’ll get something else”

“Sure you will”

-

They stumbled across another prize every time game; a kind of rotating lollipop game. Peter wasn’t quite sure how it worked, but Flo figured it out. Once she’d finished, she stood up, holding up five chupa-chups triumphantly.

“Told you I’d get something else”

“Ours will last longer” Liz said. 

“Doesn’t matter”

Liz rolled her eyes, but she shook her head fondly. She turned to look at Peter, only to find he wasn’t at her side anymore.

“Peter?”

They heard a clattering, and turned to see Peter stood by a change machine, watching 2p coins falling into a little plastic tub.

“How much did you put in that machine?”

“Just a couple of quid” Peter said. “One of these penny-pushers has got a £5 note right at the end. I bet I can get it”

He picked up the tub of coins, gathering the few that had missed it, and went over to his chosen machine. The girls followed. Peter was right; there was a £5 note in the centre of the bottom shelf, partially hanging over the end. To all intents and purposes, it looked like it was ready to drop. But, the other part of it was heavily weighed down with coins.

“It’s a fix, Peter” Liz said. “You’ll never get that”

“I can try”

“Then you’ll be sorely disappointed”

-

Liz was right, of course. He spent a long time stood by the machine, feeding his coins into it, even after the girls got bored and wandering off for a bit. He managed to get a lot of coins out, but that was it. He kept listening out, occasionally darting to an unoccupied machine to grab coins that had fallen, trying to put off getting his wallet out again. He didn’t understand how it was fixed. It couldn’t be magnets, because copper wasn’t magnetic. He thought maybe there was a slope of sorts keeping the £5 fixed firmly in place. He scowled. He knew he should probably give up. 

“How much have you put into that machine now?” Liz said, appearing at his side.

“...More than a fiver” Peter admitted. 

“You need to stop”

“I did win this, though” he said, holding up a little woven bracelet, pink with rainbow beads.

“It’s beautiful” Liz said, raising an eyebrow. “That £5 isn’t going to come out”

“I know” Peter said mournfully. “Still, I bet I can get that other bracelet. It’s close to the edge”

Liz peered in his tub of coins.

“Right, ok, try for the bracelet, and then we’re going. If you haven’t got it by the time that tub is empty, I will literally drag you away by the ear”

Flo appeared at Peter’s other side. “Hi”

Peter gave her the little rainbow bracelet. “Merry Christmas”

“Oh! Thank you..”

She watched with Liz as Peter continued feeding coins into the penny-pusher. Peter’s coins were diminishing, and it was starting to look even more hopeless. The bracelet was tottering when Peter reached his last coin. He paused, and then they all held their breath as he put that last 2p into the machine. They watched the shelf and coins move - and the bracelet fell into the prize return.

“Yes!!”

Peter grabbed it happily. It was chunky, with silver and red alternating beads. Peter gave it to Liz.

“I love it” she said, slipping it onto her wrist, and then putting an arm firmly round his shoulders, careful not to dislodge his rabbit. “Lets go”

Peter took one last look at the £5 he’d spent so long trying to get, and then let himself be lead away.

-

The early evening breeze was a bit of a shock. They collectively decided to head back to the house. Peter brushed his hair out of his eyes, and stopped.

“What? Oh my god, look at this”

His thumb and forefinger were black. 

“Ew. Those coins must’ve been filthy!” Flo said.

“That’s... disgusting. Just a little bit” Peter said, wiping his hand on his jeans, which didn’t make much difference. “Hm. Yknow, I love you guys, but I’m abandoning you for a really long bath as soon as we get back”

-

Peter took his time in the bath. He usually had showers, and having a long soak was a nice change. He’d snuck into the en-suite in his parents room and nabbed the bottle of black pepper and ginseng bath soak Loki had brought with him, and poured a healthy amount into his bath. He had a good wash, and then spent a long time just lying in the hot water, watching the steam rising from the bath, and daydreaming. 

The water was getting cold by the time he climbed out of the bath. He wrapped himself up in a big towel, checked the coast was clear, and scurried to his own room, flopping on the bed. He felt funny, full and warm and happy. He was tired. Maybe an early night would be a good idea. He sighed, looking at the funny rabbit toy he’d won earlier on, and rested his eyes, just for a moment

-

Peter jumped awake, grabbing the wrist of whoever it was shaking his shoulder.

“Woah, hey, it’s just me. It’s dad” Tony said, stroking the boys hair firmly to reassure him. “It’s just me”

“Oh..” Peter let go of him, heart still thudding. “Sorry. You made me jump... I think I dropped off”

“Yeah, still in your bath towel, too” Tony smiled. “Put something on, give your hair a quick brush, and then come downstairs: tea’ll be ready soon”

“Ok, ok. I’ll be quick”

“Good boy”

-

Flo blinked a little when Peter came down to the kitchen, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

“What?” Peter said, somewhat defensive.

“You look cute!”

Tony laughed before Peter could reply.

“Sit down, kiddo. You’re just in time” Tony said, serving the three teens.

“Is daddy joining us?”

“No, he’s not doing too great. I’m gonna go and eat with him”

“He won’t like being woken up”

“You’re telling me! He nearly knocked me out when I woke him up for lunch earlier” Tony said, readying a tray. 

“Ouch”

“Ouch indeed” he ruffled Peter’s hair. “Be good. I’ll be back down later”

“Why does he wake him up if it makes him cross?” Liz asked once Tony had gone upstairs.

“If he doesn’t, daddy doesn’t eat. And then he just gets worse” Peter said. “He’s jus’ trying to look after him”

“Cute” Flo said, picking up her fork. “Did you fall asleep?”

Peter nodded. “I only meant to rest my eyes for a minute”

“Can I say something?”

Peter and Flo looked at her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a carbonara before”

Peter very nearly choked on his mouthful of food. He swallowed quickly, and coughed.

“I thought you were gonna say something serious!” he spluttered. “You had me worried for half a second there”

Liz reached across the table and tugged a lock of his hair sharply. 

“Don’t laugh at me! I’ll fight you”

“I’ll fight you right back” Peter said. “Don’t think I won’t”

Liz put her fork down and stood up. “Come on, then. I challenge you to a duel!”

“You’re on!”

Flo grabbed Peter’s arm as he jumped up. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I’ve been challenged, Flo: I need to defend my honour!”

“But if you start crashing about, you’ll disturb your parents. You're going to get into trouble” Flo said. “Especially if you end up breaking something”

Peter shook her hand off. “I'm willing to take that risk”

Liz pounced at him, and it wasn’t long before they were entwined in a mad wrestle on the kitchen floor. 

“You’re idiots, both of you” Flo said, trying to ignore them and continue eating. 

“You could always join in” Peter suggested, pinning Liz’s hands by her head.

“No, thank you. I want to remain an innocent party to your foolishness”

“A Millicent Bystander?” Peter grinned, laughing at his own joke.

“What does that even mean?” Liz said, bringing her knee up and knocking Peter off.

“Oh yeah, you haven’t seen Flushed Away; I remember you saying” Peter said, grabbing her upper arms. “We’ll have to watch it sometime. I haven’t seen it for ages, but Millicent Bystander still makes me laugh every time I think about it”

“Sure. Now less talking, more fighting”

They started getting louder, and a lot rougher. Flo couldn’t ignore them. She half-shielded her eyes with one hand, embarrassed, and a little nervous.

“You two need to stop”

“Absolutely not!” they said in unison.

Flo tensed as she heard footsteps. It wasn’t long before her prediction came true, and Tony burst into the kitchen.

“What the hell is going on down here?!” he shouted, grabbing Peter round the chest and hauling him off Liz.

“We’re just having a duel!” Peter said, grinning up at him.

Tony didn’t smile back. “You know full well your father’s not very well, and yet you still think it’s acceptable to start crashing about and shrieking like a couple of little banshees? What’s wrong with you?”

“We’re just having a bit of fun” Peter said, his smile falling. 

“You should be eating” Tony scowled. “Liz, get off the floor”

Liz did as she was told.

“I told you!” Flo said.

“You should’ve told them with a bit more force” Tony said, releasing Peter. “Now sit down and shut up and eat like a good boy. If I hear so much as a slightly raised voice from this room, there’ll be big trouble. Understand?”

Peter nodded, taking his place at the table. 

“So, who won?” he said.

“I did, obviously” Liz said.

“You did not!” Peter said, jumping up and slamming his hands down on the table.

“PETER!” Tony snapped, marching over and smacking him hard on the bottom. “What did I just say?”

Peter flinched, and slowly sank back into his seat.

“Don’t you dare move from that seat until you’ve finished your tea. Now all of you, be good, and for gods sake, be quiet!”

And with that, he stalked out of the room.

“I told you you’d get into trouble” Flo grumbled, picking her fork back up.

Peter rolled his eyes, picking up his own fork.

“Wanna call it a draw?” Liz said gently. 

Peter nodded, but he didn’t look at her.

“Hey” Liz reached across the table, moving his fork and taking his hand. “Are you ok?”

Peter took a deep breath, and squeezed her hand. 

“It’s your own fault” Flo said, setting her fork down.

Peter pulled his hand away from Liz and pushed Flo off her chair.

“Peter!”

Flo scrambled to her feet. “Fine, if it’s going to be like that-”

She pushed Peter off his chair. Peter sat in shock for a moment, and then jumped up and went for her. 

“Hey! Peter!” Liz jumped up and tried to get in between them. She hadn’t anticipated Flo’s strength or Peter’s anger, and it was too much for her to cope with single-handedly. “MR STARK!!”

Tony appeared again in a matter of seconds.

“Hey, are you two fighting?! Flo!” he tore Peter away from the girls, and pushed Flo into a chair. “What the hell is going on?! You two never so much as argue!”

“She started it!” Peter shouted. 

“I did not! You pushed me first!”

“Flo, stop this! You’re supposed to be the good one”

Flo sat down and went quiet, angry tears in her eyes. 

“Oh yeah, that’s it, start with the crocodile tears” Peter spat. “You did start it, saying-”

“Right, that’s it, you’re on a time out, young man” Tony grabbed hold of him, throwing him over his shoulder.

Peter shrieked indignantly, bringing his fists down against his back. “Put me down! You’re so embarrassing!”

-

Tony plonked Peter down on the stairs. Peter tried to get up straight away, but Tony grabbed him and held him there, despite his struggling.

“Stop this! Peter! Calm down!” he said, more worried than angry. “What’s the matter with you?!”

Peter gave him a shove, drew his knees up to his chest, and buried his face in them. Tony sighed heavily, rested a hand on his head for a moment, and then went back to the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.

“Right, what was that all about?” he said, folding his arms over his chest. “You two have never had a bad word to say about each other, and now I find you fighting!? What happened?”

“He got upset because he got into trouble, which I told him he would if he started clattering about” Flo said. “And then he pushed me off my seat, so I pushed him off his”

“You said it was his fault” Liz said.

“It was!”

“Yeah, but you don’t say that, especially when he was upset like that! It was my fault too, and you were just rubbing salt in his wounds. I would’ve pushed you off your seat too, and a lot worse besides!”

She stood up and stormed out of the room. 

“Liz? Liz!” 

She ignored him. He heard the back door bang.

Tony sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. He looked at Flo.

“Are you ok?”

“I didn’t start it, and I didn’t do anything wrong” she said, picking up her fork and turning away from him. 

Tony sighed. “Ok”

-

Tony found Liz out on the patio.

“She’s just so annoying!” Liz said as soon as he’d closed the door behind him. “Why does she have to be so perfect all of the time? I mean, how would she feel if her dad had told her off and someone basically just told her to suck it up?”

Tony just listened to her, not saying anything.

“I know he shouldn’t’ve pushed her, but I can’t really blame him. She was just-”

“Liz” Tony interrupted. 

Liz looked at him, and promptly burst into tears. She let him hug her, and buried her face in his shoulder. Tony rubbed her back gently, resting his cheek against her head.

“I know, chick. I know”

“I’m sorry-!”

“Don’t be. Peter spends a good 20-30% of his life screaming into my shoulder. There’s not a single shirt in my wardrobe that hasn’t had a tear-bath by now”

Liz laughed feebly at his little joke, but then continued crying. She felt awful, but she also felt safe in Tony’s arms. She’d felt safe in Loki’s during the night, too. They were both well practised. She’d cried on both of them now. Somehow, she didn’t feel embarrassed about that.

-

Once Liz had stopped crying, her and Tony had a good, long talk about everything, and it helped.

“Thank you” she said.

“No problem, chick. We all need a good cry and a bitch sometimes”

“Yeah... Oh, shouldn’t you be with Loki?!”

“He’ll be fine; he’ll be asleep again by now” Tony said.

“Did he eat?”

“He had about half his plate, which is better than I expected”

“Does it upset you? Seeing him ill?”

“Every time” Tony said. “But sometimes it’s easier than other times”

“And this time?”

“It’s easier. We... Well, we’ve had some good things happen, and I think we’re both using that to keep us up” Tony stood up, holding a hand out to her. “Come on. We should go back in. You can go and make up with Flo, and I’ll go and have a word with Peter”

Liz stood up and took his hand. Tony squeezed it gently.

“Ready?”

Liz nodded. “Ready”

-

Flo was curled up on the living room sofa with a book. She looked up when Liz came into the room. Liz hesitated, and then went over and sat beside her. Flo offered her the bag of sherbet lemons she had with her. Liz took one. The girls smiled at each other, and that was all it took.

-

Tony sat down next to Peter on the stairs. Peter was sat slumped against the wall, looking down at his hands.

“Liz told me everything” Tony said. “I can see why you got so upset”

“...I wish she wasn’t so perfect all the time” Peter said. “It’s so annoying”

“That’s just what Liz said” Tony sighed. “She’s not perfect, chick. She was pretty inconsiderate and smug, if you ask me, whether she intended it or not. Plus, she did escalate the situation. That doesn’t excuse what you did, mind”

“She was kinda asking for it”

“That’s no excuse. Play fighting? In the right situation, fine. Starting a proper physical fight with someone you love? Not ok. Absolutely not ok” Tony said. “That’s not like you. Something’s going on with you, kiddo. I don’t know what it is, but something made you lash out, and something’s made your nightmares flare up. Any ideas?”

Peter shrugged. “It’s just coincidence”

Tony sighed, putting an arm round Peter’s shoulders. Peter froze, but then melted into him, resting his head against his chest. He stayed like that for a moment, and then turned and hugged him properly, squashing his nose up against his chest.

“It’s alright, kiddo. I’ve got you” Tony said, squeezing him tight.

“Am I in trouble?”

“No. I’m not happy with you, but you’re not in trouble. This is something you need to sort out with Flo. So. How do you feel? Ready to forgive her yet?”

“No”

“I didn’t think so” 

“I want you to go now”

Tony looked down at him, and slowly let him go. Peter lent back against the wall. Tony sighed, and went to sort out the kitchen.

-

After a very frank conversation with Liz, Flo went out into the hallway. She hesitated a moment before sitting down beside Peter on the stairs. Peter glanced at her, but otherwise didn’t move. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Peter not wanting to speak, Flo trying to find the courage to.

“I’m sorry” she said eventually.

Peter sat up and looked at her.

“I wasn’t very nice to you earlier. I’m sorry for upsetting you. I shouldn’t’ve acted the way I did”

Slowly, Peter shifted closer to her, and wound his arms round her. Flo hugged him back, kissing his cheek.

“Thank you” Peter said.

“Don’t mention it”

-

Tony went upstairs to sort out the tray and check on Loki, and once he’d finished, he went through to the living room. He just about fainted with relief when he saw Peter, Liz, and Flo curled up close, watching a film and looking perfectly happy together. It looked like the little blip was over.

-

Tony knocked on the twin room door and pushed it open. The three teens were collapsed in a giggling heap.

“What are you three laughing about?” he said, amused.

“Nothing, dad” Peter said.

Tony raised an eyebrow. “What a naughty giggle, Flo. I’ve decided I don’t want to know. Now, you know what I’m here to say, don’t you?”

The girls nodded. “Bedtime”

“That’s it. Go on, go and get yourselves ready”

“Bagsy the bathroom first” Liz said, grabbing her night things and rushing off.

“Come on, Peter, same goes for you” Tony said, and then, when the boy didn’t move; “Peter?”

Peter blinked hard, and stood up. He gave Flo a quick hug, and then skirted round his dad and went to his room.

-

Tony went and shut everything down and locked up downstairs before going back upstairs to check on Peter. The boy was sat on the floor, pretending to look through his postcards.

“Peter” Tony said. “Come on, jump into bed now”

Peter looked up at him. “Do I have to?”

“Uh, yes, you do: it’s nearly midnight” Tony said. “Come on now”

Peter swallowed, looking away. “I don’t want to”

“Why not?”

Peter didn’t say anything. Tony sat down next to him.

“Peter” he said gently. “Why don’t you want to go to bed?”

Peter still didn’t answer.

“Come on kiddo, talk to-” he stopped, having a thought. He lowered his voice. “Are you scared of having another nightmare?”

Peter nodded. Tony sighed, putting an arm round his shoulders.

“Poor old tuppenny. You’ve had a tough few nights, haven’t you?” he kissed him on the temple. “You need to try to sleep, kiddo”

Peter looked over at the bed, as though the nightmare was already lurking there. He really didn’t want to go to bed. He’d only wake up screaming again, and not only was it scary and exhausting and horrible, it was embarrassing too. He didn’t know what to do. Unless...

“Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

Tony looked at him. “Sweetheart...”

“I don’t have nightmares when I sleep next to people. Hardly ever. Please?”

Tony looked into his big puppy dog eyes, and sighed silently. “Ok”

-

Loki was in a brief state of wakefulness when Tony carried Peter into the bedroom.

“He’s sleeping in here tonight, my love” Tony said, setting the boy down on the bed and going to the en suite. 

Peter wriggled under the covers, facing Loki.

“Nightmare prevention tactics?”

Peter nodded. “How are you feeling?”

“...Nothing feels real” he said. “How long have I been asleep for?”

“I don’t know, exactly”

“Is it today or tomorrow?”

Peter blinked a bit, thinking. “It’s today. You were ok yesterday. Now it’s the end of today”

“Ah good, now I know where I stand” Loki yawned. “Can you.. can you pass me my pig?”

Peter sat up, finding the old toy and giving it to him. 

“Thanks, chick...”

Loki settled down and closed his eyes, and his breathing soon slowed. Tony came back into the bedroom, turning the main light off and the lamp on to its dimmest setting.

“One down, two to go” Tony said, climbing into bed. “Lie down now, kiddo. Sleep time”

Peter did as he was told, cuddling up against his father’s chest. Tony held him close, pulling the covers round the three of them properly. 

“Goodnight, kiddo”

“Goodnight, dad”

Peter snuggled close, warm and safe between his parents. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep listening to the sound of Tony’s heartbeat.

*

[recentanimenews]

THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH Begins with Episodes 1-7!

*guitar*

*shadows*

COME ON!

Welcome to The Great Crunchyroll Naruto Rewatch! I'm Nate, and I'll be your host this week as we make our way through all 220 episodes of the original Naruto. Last week, I told you how all this worked, but everybody who's new I'll go over things one more time.

  Each week, we'll be watching SEVEN EPISODES of the original Naruto, and sharing our thoughts on them interview-style every Friday at 5pm PST.

  This week, we're starting things off with episodes 1-7, featuring an introduction to everyone's favorite super-loud orange ninja, the rest of our main cast, and this world of ninja that they inhabit. Things move pretty quickly--it's not long before Naruto's assigned to Team 7, they have their first real test against their teacher and commander Kakashi, and they face their first life-or-death fights against the Demon Brothers and Zabuza!

  But, before we discuss these episodes, let's take a look at the comments and questions that you had from our last installment!

  The number one question we got last week was a simple one: ARE WE GOING TO SKIP THE FILLER?

  No. We are not skipping the filler.

  You may skip the filler, but be sure to tune in to see our reactions to it... there's gonna be a lot down the road.

  Now, let's see what the Crunchyroll Features team thought of this week's episodes!

Alright, this is where it all starts--I know a bunch of you are new to Naruto. How did actually watching it compare to your expectations?

Paul: Judging from my previous experiences with the fans, I was expecting Naruto (both the show and the titular character) to be a little more meat-headed and hyper-masculine. Instead, the show sets a laser focus on evoking sympathy with a protagonist who wants to be the best in the world simply so people will recognize him. I didn't anticipate such feelings of internalized inadequacy from the shouty, fighty shonen hero.

Peter: I’m rewatching and also decided to read the manga alongside. So far I’m really impressed by how strong Kishimoto’s aesthetic was from the outset. The environments and character designs are all unmistakeable and his action is like this perfect combination of piece-by-piece panels and splashes. I like the anime’s additions, especially some extra Naruto/Konohamaru scenes which drive home the difference in how they’re treated and an early Ino intro that sets up her rivalry with Sakura.

Kevin: I was one of the people watching the original Cartoon Network run of the show’s dub back somewhere around 2003 or 2004. Going back and rewatching, I forgot how much the early parts of the show focus on Naruto’s emotional struggle, first of not being accepted by anyone and just trying to get attention, then how he feels about his various failings as a ninja. As a result, the stakes aren’t as high, but it feels like a much more personal story.

Jared: I completely missed out on Naruto after dropping off anime around 2003, but going in I was more expecting it to follow a similar structure to other shonen shows I’ve seen. From the start, the opening episode completely shattered any expectations I had with how tight the entire episode was woven together with regards to its narrative, characterizations, and how much info it packed into 24 minutes. Outside of that, I think I’d missed out on knowing that Naruto can act like a brat early on in the series.

Joseph: I’m in an interesting position, because I watched maybe 40 episodes of this a decade ago and I’ve read around 50 volumes of the manga. I will say I was surprised at how nostalgic it felt to watch this compared to, say, Shippuden, which has a much different vibe. It’s also impressive how much groundwork is laid for the entire series via Kishimoto’s designs and world and the way the anime adapted it.

Carolyn: I was very surprised at how quickly they dove into Naruto’s backstory. I have seen the show many years ago and didn’t seem to remember that such a “big reveal” occurred so quickly. I… honestly find the story quite boring and hard to keep my attention focused on, I guess I’m just not super invested in the characters. However, I can absolutely see seeds of how this show has affected and inspired many that came after it. I hadn’t really noticed that when watching other anime, but going back and rewatching Naruto makes that pretty clear. Also, I am cracking up at the totally rad ‘80s Breakfast Club-esque opening sequence. I didn’t remember that music at all.

Noelle: Naruto was one of my first encounters with manga when I first really started getting into it, but it’s been a long time since I touched it. I read the whole thing, but I never reread it, so a lot of instances I completely forgot about. For example, I forgot how kind of gruesome it was at the start, focusing on serious injuries instead of just fantasy violence. At the same time, I’m impressed how strong the characters are established, along with themes such as kindness and proving yourself that will resonate throughout the entire series.

Kara: I was five years out of college when Naruto started, and I remember in the circles I ran in it was Not The Done Thing to be into it. I can’t remember if it was because it was considered a “casual’s anime” or if it was based on run-ins with cosplayers at conventions. Likely a little of both. Watching it has been a lot more chill than I expected, and while I see a lot of the tropes I figured I’d see, it looks like it’s leading somewhere interesting.

David: I basically grew up with Naruto, but I fell off of it in high school so it’s been more than a decade since the last time I actually watched an episode or read a chapter. Comparing it to my expectations, it’s much more focused than I recall--the first episode could stand alone as a very emotionally effective short story, for example. Kakashi is still the only side character who seems to have a lot of thought put into their long-term character arc, though.

Daniel: I like it, though Naruto has always kind of been a blind spot for me. I’ve seen a decent chunk of it, but it’s always kind of been background noise, something to have on so that when people ask me “Do you only watch One Piece?”, I can say “NUH UH. I ALSO WATCH THIS ONE ABOUT ANOTHER LOUD BOY.” That said, actually paying attention to it, it’s pretty fun. I dig Kishimoto’s world building, and the environment that he’s set up. I’m really interested in finally figuring out why so many people adopted this show as their gospel.

Danni W: I actually did watch the first dozen or so episodes of Naruto around six or seven years ago, so this was more of a refresher than anything. It never quite clicked with me the first time, so I was surprised to find I enjoyed it more this time around. I think it helped that the show gets real pretty immediately. We’re only seven episodes in and Naruto has already had to face real combat three separate times. The characters aren’t enough to hook me yet, so the early doses of action have made for a good on ramp for me.

I've always enjoyed how Naruto hangs on to its emotional core, and we see that very strongly in the first few episodes. What did you all think of this part of the story?

Paul: I'm not fully invested yet in the emotional stakes of the series, mostly because I don't really know the scope and scale of the world that Naruto inhabits. Why are these children being trained to be spies and assassins from such a young age? What dangers does the outside world present such that it prompts entire villages to weaponize their kids?

Peter: I feel like I never gave Iruka enough credit in retrospect, maybe because his act was the first in what later emerged as the series core. Without him, Naruto probably would have been another Gaara. I also never realized that Naruto is wearing Iruka’s headband the entire damn story. After Naruto’s hand stab I’m trying to remember if grand masculine gestures are regularly mocked as an inverse toward the important compassionate gestures, so I’m planning to track that moving forward.

Kevin: While I like seeing the cool techniques and fights from later in the show, going back to the beginning and seeing much more of a focus on each character’s internal conflicts is an interesting change, giving each of their actions a bit more personal weight. It’s not inherently better or worse, just a different focus on the same story.

Jared: It really seemed like a great way to start the series and let people know from the onset that this is a story that deals heavily with empathy. I figured eventually the series would go that route, but to do it immediately sets a tone that allows for these characters like Naruto to instantly have layers that otherwise might take a long time to see. With the show really bouncing between emotional moments and comedy pretty frequently, I’m curious whether it’ll continue that or try and lean more in one direction or the other.

Joseph: Naruto is the most three-dimensional character in these first episodes, mostly because we haven’t had much time to delve into the stories that drive Sakura and Sasuke. I think they do a great job of making Naruto sympathetic, which makes up for his brattiness. One other thing I appreciate is that they make it clear from the outset that being a ninja isn’t just cartoonishly huge shuriken fun and games. People die on the regular here, and Naruto and the rest of his upstart era would do well do remember that before taking the next steps.

Carolyn: Just let Naruto live! Everyone is so mean to the poor kid. Again, I was surprised at how quickly they jump into this and I have a feeling it is what kept me watching the first time around. They do a good job of making you feel empathy for Naruto even when he is being totally obnoxious.

Noelle: While I remember pretty vividly the general plot, I don’t remember a lot of the small moments that make up a scene. Naruto is set up really well, and I to this day really enjoy that he’s not just cast as a quirky problem child with no future, but someone who genuinely wants to be acknowledged, and acting out is the easiest way to get attention. Knowing how things end up, seeing everyone at the start and how they are introduced is a good refresher and sets up a lot later on. At its heart, this really is a story about teamwork, empathy, and growing up.

Kara: It’s been all right—some cute and funny bits, and I like what action scenes we’ve had. From a writing standpoint, it feels like (except for Naruto himself) everyone’s categorized largely by wanting to be the Hokage, wanting to kill someone, or having a crush on someone. But I can also see that we’re quickly moving forward from that. Being on the News team means educating myself fast about unfamiliar shows, and the wildest thing to me has been seeing Hinata in the background crushing on Naruto when I just recently posted an article about her wedding figure.

David: Iruka and Naruto’s relationship has to be my favorite single part from this section. Iruka is given every reason to not like or just give up on this kid, yet he sticks up for him the whole time (while also never letting him slack--no free pass on the exams for Naruto!). Kakashi is setting up to be a good role model, too, but I’ll definitely miss how intimate Iruka’s care for Naruto is.

Daniel: You can really sympathize with Naruto because he’s the “chosen one” character without being a prodigy. He isn’t impressive right out of the gate, but he has the potential to be impressive. I think you can relate to him easier than, say, Goku, who is ready to dropkick most of the world the first time you meet him. That feeling of being meant for bigger things, but still struggling to even get on the path to those bigger things is pretty powerful.

Danni: I think it’s showing some promise. I really appreciate the lengths it goes to explain why Naruto is a troublemaker in the first place. He can be pretty annoying, but the reasons for that are mostly justified. In the end, he’s a victim. I like that Sasuke can already see that and identify with him in that respect. They both have a lot of trauma to work though in the next *checks notes* few hundred episodes.

I know we're really early in, but have there been any standout moments or characters so far?

Paul: I know everybody else is probably going to go with Kakashi as the standout character, but also cool as Kakashi may be, my heart goes out to Akimichi Choji, the chubby ninja who is stuffing his face with potato chips in Episode 3. I also like the design of the oversized shurikens and other exaggerated weapons, and I dig the visual aesthetic of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Peter: This question is kind of hard to answer since I’m retracing old ground but I definitely did not recall Sakura being such a little shithead. Completely forgot her putting her foot in her mouth with Sasuke saying Naruto’s a troublemaker because he’s an orphan. Funnily enough, I think her hating Naruto for who he is rather than what he represents is a really important connection between the two.

Kevin: Naruto freezing up in his first real fight and then stabbing himself, swearing that he’ll never be a burden again was a scene that I feel is an exemplar of how the early story focuses more on Naruto’s emotional journey, rather than just trying to fight increasingly strong bad guys, but still has the kind of payoffs that the audience can rally behind.

Jared: Iruka is a good dude who really wants what’s best for Naruto, even if it means taking an oversized shuriken to the back. Naruto stabbing himself in episode 6 was an immediate “YO” moment from me. The entire atmosphere of the fight in the back half of episode 7 was incredibly good. I really hope that Konohamaru continues to show up with either worse and worse stealth or continuously better ways to try and fight Naruto.

Carolyn: Glad to see Shikamaru show up so early. Love him. As I mentioned before, I’m not sure I’m fully invested in these characters. I am quite disappointed in Sakura. I remember loving her when I was younger and she is not the strong female character I remembered. She’s kind of desperately boy-crazy. Which is fine! But it feels like it comes on strong and the first several episodes don’t give her many traits beyond that. She must grow throughout the series, or my memories were warped? Kakashi Sensei feels sooooo much like a Shoto Aizawa (My Hero Academia’s Eraserhead) prototype. The mystery, the aloof manner, but secretly a big softie that just wants his student to do well. Similarly, Naruto has a lot of traits that seem to overlap with Bakugo and Soul Eater’s Black Star. More evidence of the show’s reach.  Sexy Jutsu has not aged well. Also, the ending theme song is beautiful.

Noelle: Kakashi’s great, and knowing that he’s pretty close to my age puts a lot of things into context now that I’m an adult. Kakashi’s got a lot on his plate with these three problem children under his wing, but he’s still a pretty laid back guy personality-wise. Someone who stood out to me more in my rewatch was Iruka. Iruka’s presence means so much to Naruto, being the father figure he never really had. If Iruka wasn’t kind to Naruto, and he really was the only person to treat Naruto like a kid and not just a monster container, this would’ve been a very different series. Naruto truly did need someone to be there for him, and seeing their relationship really does make my heart warm. Iruka’s a good guy!

Kara: I actually cannot believe how much I associate with Naruto, and 12-years-ago me would faint at hearing that. The absolute need to prove himself, the feeling that he’s sliding backwards the harder he works, all that is something I (and others, I’m sure) can relate to. Obviously he goes a little harder than most people would in his situation—seriously, if you’re wearing Safety Orange constantly, you’ve gotta think really highly of yourself as a ninja—but it’s really something to see how much of his attitude is couched in fear of failure.

Joseph: Kakashi’s kancho, obviously.

David: Konohamaru only gets his one episode here, but I actually thought his bit was the most emotionally effective. He largely has the same issues as Naruto but in reverse. Konohamaru isn’t necessarily "royalty" but treated as such, infantilizing him from his perspective. Even his name is a point of contention for him, putting a burden on his very existence that others can’t relate to. To these ends, he looks up to Naruto for being a free spirit, but as the viewers we understand that they are more similar than they know. Naruto is the main character--we see his troubles garnering respect and even love from his peers and mentors in these episodes--but Konohamaru grounds that conflict by mirroring it.

Daniel: In my high school band class in Freshman year, a kid asked the teacher to be referred to as “Sasuke.” He also had a ninja headband that he’d wear around some time, and while I thought it was goofy then, I think it’s ABSOLUTELY DOPE now. So, while I still figure out the characters, I’m gonna nominate broody ol’ Sasuke in honor of that kid.

Danni: Kakashi covers like 75% of his face with ninja gear and to show how badass he is fought one-handed while reading a book called Makeout Paradise. I want to be that cool someday.

The action escalated pretty quickly--we started with Team 7 having to take the bells from Kakashi for the first full-on action scene (even if it wasn't "for keeps"), and then we have to worry about Hidden Mist assassins and our first real villain, Zabuza. Any thoughts on the action?

Paul: I like all of the action that I've seen so far, but the resolution to Kakashi's test wasn't dramatically satisfying for me. The payoff didn't match the build-up. I wanted to see Team 7 put up more of a show of resistance than simply refusing to obey Kakashi's instructions not to feed Naruto. The scene plays more like everyone being recalcitrant teenagers and less like anyone taking a principled stand.

Peter: I can’t believe the action is so sick even this early on. I always thought of Sasuke’s style as the most orthodox and the intricacy of some of his combos and the shots are so damn satisfying to look. Kishimoto made it super easy for the animators to make some stylish shots and they ran with it. The series is already building its vocabulary with a Sasuke attack that obviously builds into the Lion Combo and some underground shenanigans.

Kevin: I feel like this is the show’s action at its weakest. None of the Genin know how to fight yet, so once the actually dangerous fighting begins, they’re relegated to standing around watching Kakashi and Zabuza fight, and even that hasn’t gotten to the more impressive techniques. It’s not bad since at least there is still a fight between two experienced combatants to watch, it’s just weaker than what the show delivers on later when the protagonist and major characters are experienced enough to contribute.

Jared: I was surprised how subdued the action had felt before Team 7 took on Kakashi with there being pretty minimal fight scenes until that point. Kakashi messing around with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura gave a good baseline of the complete difference in skill between all of them, but it wasn’t until Zabuza and his ridiculous cow print sleeves showed up that we truly get a sense of how much of a gap there is between Kakashi and Team 7. The beginnings of that fight truly gave the feeling of their being stakes involved which had been missing elsewhere.

Carolyn: Again, surprised at how quickly the show turns on a dime. They can go from goofy to serious in a heartbeat and it is very reminiscent of how things often progress on My Hero Academia. But I still find it hard to really get into the peril. I’m not sure why, exactly, I’m not very invested in the characters, but it’s early. I’m sure that will change.

Noelle: Since this series came out where it did, Jump was still very much comfortable with keeping pacing slow. As a result, the fights are a lot slower than what I’m used to, even if that was the norm back then. At the same time, the action itself isn’t bad--it’s pretty clever, and introduces the rules of the world in a way that anyone can pick up with ease.

Kara: I have a feeling a lot of my appreciation for the fighting will come as I start learning the different abilities in play. There have definitely been some cool moves, but I think we’re still in that exposition phase where we’re learning the types of things ninjas can do (and what our main cast’s strong and weak points are). A couple weeks from now when I’ve seen more of how this universe operates, I’ll probably be all in.

David: Sure, the action isn’t flashy, but the Kakashi training fight was much better than I remember it being for two reasons. One, it’s just funny. Kakashi doesn’t do anything truly harsh to the kids (well, aside from starve them, but that’s part of the plan), and what little physical combat he does with them is either light or just plain comedic. Two, it serves as a small show-don’t-tell of the show’s combat mechanics. For example, he calls out at the beginning that he’s going to use taijutsu, leading to his infamous kancho when he could have done a million other things; Sakura even believes he is using a more fancy technique before it happens. From there more involved strategies are used and by the end we have a basic primer of Naruto combat simultaneously serving as a team-building exercise for our heroes. Very efficient storytelling.

Joseph: The action is really clear and well-handled in these early episodes. I’m not sure how it gets later on, but I know in the manga I found some of Kishimoto’s action layouts much harder to follow than they should be. His designs and the intention behind his action translate nicely to animation, thankfully. Naruto is also really good at suddenly showing just how powerful a character really is within action, which is a total must-have shonen staple.

Danni: It’s not very flashy so far, but it is pretty tense. The high-level combat so far seems to entirely be a contest of clones and substitutions. The substitution jutsu seems way too broken. That being said, it’s a pretty cool technique. I hope we get to start seeing some good hand-to-hand soon.

For this batch of episodes, what were the highest and lowest points, respectively?

Paul: High point: Naruto getting caught in Kakashi's rope trap, grumbling about not getting tricked again while he frees himself, and then immediately getting caught in another rope trap. I love those kind of gags. Low point: ninja diarrhea.

Peter: In both cases probably the information reveals. Purely narratively speaking, a lot of the info that comes at the characters feels like common knowledge in retrospect. Kakashi is famous for having the Sharingan, how the village and mission systems work, and Sakura not knowing about her crush’s family being murdered seem like they should things the kids know. On the other hand, I’m super impressed with how much of a foundation Sasuke and Kakashi’s backstory have so early on and foreshadowing for both.

Kevin: The lowest point for me was the repeated use of the “Sexy Jutsu.” Once made sense to show Naruto as a troublemaker who could invent new techniques if he tried, and the Harem Jutsu showed that he can be creative and combine techniques for new tactics, but the other 2-3 times just feel like a joke being overplayed. The best moment was the fight against the Hidden Mist Chunin, since each of the kids’ personalities show through clearly. Sakura is terrified but keeps to her main duty, Sasuke starts retaliating to get rid of the threat, and Naruto freezes in place and needs to be saved, leading to an excellent emotional payoff when the fight is over.

Jared: The high points for me were Kakashi vs. Zabuza, Naruto’s hand stab, and Sakura and Ino’s incredibly ridiculous power walk competition in episode 3. Sexy Jutsu really beats you over the head with how many times they use that gag and Naruto’s stomach issues from episode 3 were just strange, so those would be my low points.

Carolyn: The music is a definite high! The emotional moments and humanizing of Naruto is nice to see. Using ninja skills to save a lost cat is completely adorable and feels like something All Might would do. Did the My Hero peeps grow up on Naruto? It feels like it. I also like how positive Naruto is in the face of adversity. He can make any situation a positive one. Laughing at the clunky exposition, “It’s going to take someone who is highly skilled.” Low point, again, definitely Sexy Jutsu (and teaching Sexy Jutsu to a little kid, WTF, these were different times) and Sakura’s desperate crush.

Noelle: Sexy Jutsu got old really fast. It was interesting to see Naruto expand it, as that showed he was learning, but aside from that, it’s an overdone gag. Glad they cut down on it. For good points, the Zabuza fight for sure, and each one of the kids standing up for themselves in the face of danger. And of course, Naruto stabbing himself in the hand to show his resolve!  

Kara: Low point was absolutely the diarrhea episode—add to that the weird middle school comedy of errors surrounding it. I only had so much tolerance for Sakura’s crush and Naruto’s willingness to either mess with or take advantage of it. High point for me was Konohamaru’s desire to be called by his name and not his function or association. It was such a goofy little episode, but something really resonated for me about being willing to go to ridiculous lengths just to be recognized for who he is.

David: The bizarre ‘love triangle’ dynamic as a whole is the low point--this is notably represented well in the “diarrhea episode,” but comes across everywhere else too in how obviously undercooked Sasuke and Sakura’s characters are at this point. On the other hand, the high point is how obviously fully developed Kakashi is despite us knowing so little about him at this point. Unlike the rest of the side characters, there is clearly a lot going on in both what we see him doing here and what is implied to be happening in his background, and that’s as exciting a hook as it was when I was in middle school.

Joseph: The gags are hit or miss, but mostly decent. For me, the low point is any time an information dump rears its head. Zabuza standing on top of his sword for an eternity while he and Kakashi trade off exposition about the Sharingan is sloppy. I dig most everything else, and the high point is how the story handles this early-stage version of Naruto. He is just straight up a bad ninja, and it shows. He’s loud, brash, and obnoxious in an all orange jumpsuit. He’s the anti-ninja. Best of all, he’s terrified, and he totally should be.

Daniel: I really like the show’s tone, usually. But the high point and low point were within five seconds of one another. In the first episode, it’s so rad when Naruto finally reveals his Shadow Clone Jutsu against Mizuki. And then they all beat up Mizuki, and you get these “BONK BOOP SCHWWWWOOOP” sound effects, which takes all of the power of the scene and kicks it out the door.

Danni: For me, the highest point of this batch was in the first episode when Naruto overhears Iruka defending him against Mizuki. That’s a potentially life-changing moment for Naruto, finally learning why so many in the village hate him. Had it been anyone but Iruka who had found Naruto, he likely would’ve ended up turning against the entire village in anger. It’s a touching moment of understanding not just between teacher and student, but also between a pair of orphans linked by the same tragic event.

The lowest point is anytime I‘m reminded the sexy jutsu exists.

  COUNTERS

Ramen consumed so far: 2 bowls, 1 cup

"I'm gonna be Hokage!" count: 8

Number of Shadow Clones summoned: 46

And that's everything for this week! Remember that you're always welcome to join us for this rewatch, especially if you haven't watched the original Naruto!

Here's our upcoming schedule!

-Next week, on JANUARY 25th, we'll be discussing EPISODES 8-14, hosted by KARA DENNISON! The mission in the Land of Waves continues! THIS IS THE ONLY INSTALLMENT WE'RE ACCEPTING QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR THIS WEEK!

-Then, on FEBRUARY 1st, we discuss EPISODES 15-21, with KEVIN MATYI hosting! Not only do we start the Chunin Exam arc, but we get our first FILLER EPISODE!

-On FEBRUARY 8th,we'll discuss EPISODES 22-28, with JARED CLEMONS as host! The Chunin Exam kicks into high gear!

Thank you for joining us for the Great Crunchyroll Naruto Rewatch! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you all next time!

Have any comments or questions about episodes 1-7? What about our upcoming installment, featuring episodes 8-14?

-----

Nate Ming is the Features Editor for Crunchyroll News and creator of the long-running Fanart Friday column. You can follow him on Twitter at @NateMing. Check out his comic, Shaw City Strikers!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[sciencelings-writes]

Heart of Gold-Titanium Alloy Chapter 2: the Light at the End of the Tunnel

Tony wasn’t sure what he would find when he checked Karen's personal settings. He thought that Peter was hiding an injury or trying to make Tony think that he was worthy of his attention. Peter definitely was, Tony just didn’t want the kid dying before he figured it out.

He did not expect to find the kid never going back to his apartment and staying in a random home. Tony didn’t think that May had moved so he hacked the nearby security cameras an found out that after a certain point, May had never come back from work and people came in to pack important items with a forlorn looking Peter. He noticed that one of the items was a child-sized Iron Man mask that Peter held onto the whole time.

It didn’t take Tony long to realize that May had died and that Peter had been first sent to a group home for foster children, he ran away. He was found by CPS and sent to a few different foster families that he ran away from until his current foster family with another foster child. He had stayed there for about a week so far, the longest that he had stayed in one place.

Tony had never called someone so quickly or with as much urgency. He listened as Peter whispered what happened and Tony was stunned when Harley was brought up. Tony had been keeping track of him until he left tennessee. Then he had no idea what had happened to the kid. He found out after a minute of talking to Peter.

If he had only kept track of Harley... He could’ve… done something. He wouldn’t have had to be in foster care for literal years. He wouldn’t have had to been separated from his sister.

In the end, Tony didn’t waste any energy in the decision. Tony’s parents had died when he was twenty-one and it was life destroying. Peter and Harley were only sixteen-ish and Peter has already gone through the same kind of loss. When Tony’s parents died, he didn’t have anyone. Rhodey was in the air force, Obie only cared about the company, he hadn’t seen Peggy and Jarvis in years, he had to mourn alone. He had to plan his parents funeral while his last conversation with them had been an argument.

Tony was not going to let Harley and Peter be alone after what had happened to them. They didn’t deserve to be alone. Sure, Tony had no idea what the fuck else to do. He likely wouldn’t be a better parent than a foster parent but at least the teens knew him. It wasn’t just another random person. He had the money, the space, and he honestly liked both of the kids. They were both geniuses and had their own senses of sass and humor. Tony saw himself in these kids and he would do everything he could to make sure that they don’t end up like him.

But first, he had to tell Pepper. His fiance would probably need to know if he decided to adopt a couple of teenagers.

“Hey Fri? When is Pepper free for a call?” The last time he called her during a meeting, she freaked the fuck out and almost stabbed him with her stiletto. It was a frightening experience.

“At the moment she is not busy with anything urgent. I’ll call her for you. Before you can avoid it sir.” The AI responded immediately and started to call the CEO of his company.

“Hello Tony. Did you miss talking to me?” Tony could hear the smile on her face and he smiled back.

“That too. But I actually have to talk about something important this time. Like, actually important.”

“Oh god. I forbid you from talking to terrorists or any of the Ex Avengers.” She ordered.

“No, it’s not like that. I’m not about to go talk to Rogers any time soon and I don’t plan on another mandarin incident. You remember the Spider-Kid right? And the kid with the potato gun that I met while I was almost dead?”

“Yes… where is this going?” Pepper still sounded anxious.

“So uh, I found out today that they are both orphans. No family at all and they aren’t old enough to live on their own or anything…”

“Tony, I know what you’re thinking but… do you think that… it’s a good idea?” Pepper responded before he could finish his thought.

“I think that it’s a pretty good idea Pep. You haven’t met them, they are… they’re good kids. They don’t deserve to be in this situation. I honestly think that you’ll love them.” Tony assured.

“But are you sure that… you’re the best one to do this?”

“I think I’m as good as they’re going to get. I can do this. I promise. I just know that I can’t do it alone.” Tony waited a moment for a response.

“You called me in the middle of a work day while I’m on the other side of the country to tell me that you want to adopt two teenagers and you want me to be… a mother right?” Pepper sounded a little bit conflicted. “I don’t know… this isn’t as much of a split second decision for me. Can you… can I think about it? You can tell me about them? I can’t just run into this.”

“Yeah that makes sense. I just, don’t want to wait for too long. I’ve already not known about them so so long, you know? We can talk about it when you get back to your hotel or whatever. Unless you have to go to bed early for tomorrow… when are you flying back again?” Tony knew that Pepper found it amusing when he was clingy.

“I only have a few days left and I can tell that this means a lot to you so I will think about it. But you have to tell me about them. Maybe later though, I have a meeting in ten minutes. I expect pictures. I have to go.”

“I love you, you’re doing a great job at running the company and I believe in you!” Tony encouraged as he was bringing up as many pictures of Peter as he could. He would have to ask Harley for his own pictures.

“I love you too. Now go to sleep at a decent time. If you try to be a better role model, I’ll be inclined to make the decision that you want.” Pepper chuckled before hanging up the phone. Tony sent Peter a quick text before googling how to adopt a child.

There were doubts of course, that he would end up like his father. But those doubts were vastly outweighed by Tony’s instinctual need to help the boys who reminded him too much of himself.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Peter got a text while he was on the subway with Harley heading back to their foster home.

‘Pepper wants pictures and I haven’t seen Harley in like five years so I have no idea what he looks like. This is my round-about way of asking for a picture of you and potato gun kid.’ -Tony

Peter raised his phone and took a selfie of the two of them while Harley was unaware. Then he took one where Harley knew what was happening but he wasn’t happy with it. He sent both pictures to Mr. Stark who sent an emoticon back with a comment about Harley being too tall.

Peter showed Harley the message and they could not be blamed for smiling fo the rest of the trip back to the foster home.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Peter shouldn’t be surprised that Tony got the adoption done so fast. He probably paid for it to go faster. No one can stop Tony Stark from doing what he wants. In any case, even though their case was a bit rushed, it only took a few days for Tony to legally adopt them.

Peter’s anxiety almost got the better of him while they were waiting at the New York City adoption office. They had arrived after Tony had been shooed into a room to finish up everything. Then they would sign some papers and that was it. Tony Stark was going to be his… his dad. That was pretty wild and Harley looked only a little better than him. Harley was probably just better at looking normal. Asshole.

The hour felt like an eternity but when the wait was over, a wave of overwhelming relief flooded over him. They were herded into a room with Tony and before they could even greet him, they were instructed to sign a paper and were lectured on everything about the adoption but he couldn’t bring himself to listen too explicitly.

Then that was it. The room was emptied except for him, Harley and Tony. There was silence for a minute before Tony wrapped an arm around both of the teenagers.

“Okay, so uh, I don’t think that I have the ability to be the perfect father or whatnot but I do promise that I will try to be the best parent I can be. If nothing else, I won’t abandon either of you. My dad was kinda the king of abandonment so I’m focusing on not doing that. Are we all good with that?” He started to lead them out of the room.

“I am totally on board with that.” Harley grinned while Peter wiped his eyes and gave a shaky thumbs up. Tony softened and held him closer and it was much more comfortable for them. It was harder for Tony to do that to Harley due to the teenager being taller than him. That didn’t mean that he didn’t try.

“Let’s go home. We have to skype mom.” Tony grinned as they made their way to the red Auti and not for the first time that day, Peter wondered what the fuck his life was.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sure, Pepper had been surprised when she got the call from Tony with him passionately talking about these orphaned teenagers, but it really didn’t take long for her to know how much this meant to her fiance. Not long after the call, she was sent pictures of the two boys. The one with the brown hair, Peter, physically looked like he could be Tony’s kid, and the taller of the boys looked like he could be her kid. He had sparkling blue eyes and a floof of almost too long blonde hair.

Then Tony talked to her about them. It really didn’t take Pepper long to see how much Tony cared. The same Tony that cared about the avengers, the same Tony that cared about Steve Rogers, who hid his parents deaths from him. Pepper was surprised that he would trust anyone so easily after what happened but here he was, gushing over a few genius teenagers.

Pepper was excited for when the adoption went through and she was able to skype them for the first time. She only had a day left of being stuck in the Stark Industries headquarters in California but a day was too long to wait to meet them.

She smiled when her phone buzzed for the video call to start. She answered it and immediately saw the familiar image of Tony’s workshop in the compound. It was a little more full than normal, with her new kids (weird) sitting next to each other working on something unidentifiable. When she answered the phone, they looked up at the holoscreen and Peter sent her a little wave.

“Hey Pep! You ready to meet the baby Stark’s?” Tony looked a little more bright and happy then he had in the past few months. It was a relief for her, Pepper has been worried about him for a while.

“I’m very excited.” Pepper smiled back.

“Come here children, I want to show you off. We’ve been here for like an hour, and guess who just figured out how to add wheels to the iron man boots that fold outward! That would’ve been helpful when it got all frozen up.” Tony said excited.

“It was Harley but the idea was mine.” Peter side eyed his brother who stuck out his tongue but didn’t refute the statement. Tony rolled his eyes.

“You should’ve done that instead of rocket boots. At least at first. I’ve seen your test footage.” Pepper grinned as both Harley and Peter’s eyes lit up. Tony looked a little bit dead inside.

“You are going to show that video or else I’m going to replace your coffee with decaf.” Harley threatened ridiculously, which made Peter laugh.

“If you do anything to my coffee, I’ll make you babysit DUM-E. With the fire extinguisher glued to his claw thing.” Tony assured seriously.

“Then show us the video. And your coffee is safe.” Harley grinned mischievously.

“Please? Come on, you’ve seen me imitate Thor with a meat tenderizer and a shitty accent.” He looked at Harley who looked interested. “I’ll show you later. If we see Tony’s video.” This was when Peter hoped that Tony wouldn’t show the video. Mostly because he was in his Spider-Man mask and so far he had managed to not blow his cover to Harley yet. Thank goodness that he texted Tony about that so he could reveal it in a funny way or something. Harley was going to figure it out anyway. He was no idiot.

“I’m being bullied.” Tony complained. “Fine, FRIDAY? Play video log: iron flight, test one.” Tony hid his face in his hand out of dramatic embarrassment.

A holographic screen appeared in view of everyone, even Pepper, who grinned at Tony’s reaction.

The video started with an almost decade younger Tony Stark with silver iron man boots and little handheld devices in his hands. He was in his old Miami workshop with most of it cleared out for the test except for Dum-E in the corner with a fire extinguisher.

Young Tony said something about only using ten percent power for his rocket boots, he went flying backwards and bounced upside down on the wall before falling to the ground. The real nail in the coffin was Dum-E reacting to the accident by spraying Tony with the fire extinguisher.

Harley reacted quickly by laughing hysterically while Peter hesitated for a second before trying to hide his giggles. The difference between them was just that only one of them felt a little bad for laughing at Tony’s humiliation. This seemed to be the moment the Peter realized that Tony was a human being and not just an idolized figure. He didn’t look like this was a bad thing. From her screen, Pepper looked calmly pleased.

“I send Tony that video every time he gets too cocky.” Pepper grinned. “There’s also one where he was drunk-” Tony interrupted before she could continue.

“Only one video a day dear, don’t get them too excited. We have to spread out the embarrassment.” Pepper decided to take pity on him while Harley looked up at the ceiling while he started to talk to FRIDAY.

“Remind us about it tomorrow Fri. I’m looking forward to it.” Harley grinned.

“I’m not. Pete, you’ve been pretty quiet… that’s not normal.” Tony spoke up while Peter shrugged.

“I’m an extremely empathetic person so I don’t find injury or embarrassment super funny. It was funny when Dum-E thought you were on fire though.” Peter smiled. Tony shrugged as he realized that it made a lot of sense. Sure, Tony knew that Peter was embarrassed about how emotional he got and how easy it was for him to cry, but he never realized how selfless it was. He felt for other people as much as he felt for himself. He wasn’t detached like Tony was.

“Yeah, that makes sense. Not everyone can be dead inside to deal with trauma.” Tony said casually.

“What time is it there again? Have you guys eaten dinner yet? CPS will be making sure that you are treating them properly, and feeding them often enough is a good start.” Pepper changed the subject to her future husband's relief.

“We should order pizza.” Peter suggested with a smile. “I mean if we’re worrying about publicity, we can’t exactly be seen in a restaurant.”

“Good idea, what toppings do you guys prefer? Fri, take note.” Tony requested of his children, including his AI.

“I vote meat lovers.” Harley offered. Peter just shrugged indifferently. Dum-E moved it’s claw as if it was trying to communicate with them. “Dum-E wants pineapple.” Harley interpreted.

“Dum-E is not making us get pineapple. Pineapple does not belong on pizza.” Tony made a disgusted expression.

“I like pineapple on pizza…” Peter muttered.

“So do I. Don’t insult our superior taste.” Pepper added with a playful smile.

“You guys are monsters.” Harley stuck out his tongue. Tony smirked a little while Harley and Peter gave each other death stares for a long, dramatically tense moment before busting out into giggles.

“I have to wake up early tomorrow for my last day at the office. Then I’ll be back by tomorrow evening. We’re having the first family movie night so choose a movie before I get home. I have to go, I’ll see you boys tomorrow, Bye!” Pepper hung up as they all waved back with Tony making a playful kissing motion.

She was more excited to go back home than normal.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Peter’s nightmares completely slipped his mind. Normally he could be hesitant to sleep but that wasn’t a problem for the first time in his new home. It wasn’t a problem getting to sleep but it was a problem staying there.

He woke up with a gasp and could only hear his heartbeat until the voice of FRIDAY was able to pierce through.

“Baby Boss? Would you like Boss to be made aware of your distress?” Her voice was softer than normal which he appreciated.

“I’m… I’m fine. Don’t tell Mr. Stark. I just need to breathe.” FRIDAY was silent for a moment.

“Very well. Please notify me if you require anything.”

“Thanks FRIDAY. I promise I’ll be fine.” He panted while he stood up from his bed. He just needed to not feel trapped. The room felt like it was closing in on him despite being quite large.

Due to being Spider-Man, he was able to silently sneak out of his room to pace around or something. He found himself in the kitchen and he soon realized that he wasn’t alone. Harley sat on a barstool with a stark industries mug containing hot chocolate

“Bad night?” Harley said quietly.

“Yeah. You too?” Peter started making his own cup of the stuff. He found an Iron Man mug and smiled a little.

“Yup. Wanna talk about it?” Harley took a sip of his hot drink and Peter was glad for the darkness. It was harder to see the tear tracks on his cheeks in the dim darkness.

“Not… Not today. What about you? Do you need to talk about it?” Peter poured the hot water in his cup and blew off some of the steam.

“Nah, Maybe eventually we should have a therapy night or something. With Tony. Maybe Pepper… I don’t know, we’re all a little fucked up.” He shrugged while Peter took a long sip of his hot chocolate which was a little too hot. He didn’t react as the pain grounded him a bit more and he felt less like he was stuck in his head.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while as they recovered from their night. They knew that they weren’t going to judge each other, they knew that they were safe and that they didn’t want to be completely alone. And that night was confirmation that they weren’t alone. They would hopefully never be alone, ever again.

[nastybuckybarnes]

Quiet (Part Eleven)

A Bucky X Fem!Reader series. 11/16

Summary: Steve Rogers makes an accidental discovery while on a simple hydra base raid. You. He brings you back to the Avengers Tower where they all try to figure you out. Your... interesting way of communicating makes that especially hard. Until one super-soldier proves otherwise.

Series warnings: Angst, Fluff, Smut, Pregnancy, Injuries, Violence, Sickness, a few mild spoilers (maybe), Nudity, Embarrassment,

Chapter warnings: Sickness, Angst (Maybe?), Fluff

Word Count: 1,284

A/N: *Gasps and pretends to be surprised with what’s happening*

SERIES MASTERLIST PREVIOUS PART

~A few months later~

"Be safe,” you whisper, pressing your lips against Bucky's. 

He snakes his arms around your waist and holds you against him for a moment before reluctantly letting go. "I love you. I'll see you in a few days." 

You nod at him and sigh, "I love you too." 

He kisses your cheek then gets into the quinjet with the rest of the Avengers, Vision and Peter included, leaving you alone at the Avengers tower with no one except for F.R.I.D.A.Y.

The jet leaves and you walk inside, plopping down on the couch you put on some cartoons and curl yourself up into a ball.

"Great. They're gone. All of them. And I'm here alone."

"Not totally alone." F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice chimes.

You smile. "Of course F.R.I.D.A.Y. My apologies."

"No worries (Y/n). Is there anything you'd like to do today?" She asks. You bite your bottom lip and ponder this. "Nothing comes to mind. Could you place a pizza order?" "Of course. Your usual?" "Yes please."

She chimes her acknowledgement.

You get off the couch and walk into the elevator, pressing the button for the floor with Bucky's room, you wait and think about how much your relationship with Bucky has increased.

You've been increasingly intimate, more open, and just happier with each other.

And of course, mind blowing sex is a very frequent thing between the two of you.

The doors open and you hurry into Bucky's room, grabbing one of his sweaters, his blanket, and one of his pillows.

When you get back to the commons area you toss everything on the couch.

The first few days without Bucky are always the hardest, no matter how long he's gone for or how many times you go through it.

You pull his sweater on over your head and bask in his scent, enjoying the comfort it brings you. "Hey F.R.I.D.A.Y? Could you get one of the Legionnaires to bring the pizza up for me?"

 "Of course," the A.I. responds.

You cuddle up in Bucky's stuff then sigh, the aching feeling of missing him settling deep in your gut.

~

"F.R.I.D.A.Y?" You croak, opening your eyes. 

"Yes?" 

"What time is it?" You inquire sleepily. 

It seems like it was only a minute ago that you had finished the entire large pizza.

"It is currently four fifty-six a.m." 

You nod and yawn, stretching your arms over your head. A pain in your lower abdomen makes you freeze then hunch forwards, gasping for breath.

The contents of your stomach claw their way up your throat and you jump off the couch and sprint to the bathroom.

You crouch over the toilet and expel everything you've eaten in the past 24 hours. Tears slip down your cheeks as you feel another burst of pain in your lower torso.

You squeeze your eyes shut and dry heave over the toilet for a few moments.

When you’re positive it's finished, you flush the toilet and clean your face and hands.

You walk slowly to the couch and curl up into a ball in the corner. You grab the screen device Tony gave you and find Bucky's icon, pressing it and waiting as the call rings. 

His face lights up the screen and you feel relief flood through you.

"Doll. What are you doing up? It's nearly five." 

Your bottom lip quivers and he rubs his eyes, looking at you closer. "Babydoll, what happened?" A tear slips down your cheek and you take a deep breath. "Bucky I'm sick. M'sick and scared cause I'm all alone right now." Bucky's heart breaks and he frowns.

"What kind of sick?" You shut your eyes and take deep breaths. "I've got a lot of pain in my lower abdomen and I threw up." His eyes widen and he rakes his hand through his hair, pondering what to do.

"What did you eat?" "Just some pizza. The kind we always get." Your eyes open slowly and you watch Bucky through the screen.

"I wish I was there Doll. We're on our way home but it'll take a few hours still." You nod and cuddle into the corner more, seeking comfort. 

"I miss you, James." 

His heart skips a beat. 

"I miss you too, (Y/n). So much. But I'll be home soon so don't worry." You nod again and exhale deeply. "Alright. I'll see you when you get back I guess." Bucky nods and you end the video chat.

~

"Babydoll?" 

Your eyes flutter open at the voice and you look up, smiling weakly at Bucky. He kisses your forehead and scoops you up into his arms bridal style, carrying you into the elevator.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower then I can run a bath for you if you want," he whispers. You nod your head yes and rest your palm on his cheek.

But I don't want to be alone. I want you to be with me.

He kisses your wrist and nods, "of course, baby girl." 

He kicks open the door to his room and sets you down on the bed. Your eyes open and roam around his room a bit. 

"I'll be five minutes or less. And then I'll get the bath ready and you can just relax." He kisses your cheek then walks into the bathroom. Your hands hold onto your stomach and you whimper as another bout of pain washes over you. 

The shower turns on and you squeeze your eyes shut, curling up into the fetal position with a pillow between your thighs to try and relieve some of the pain.

The shower turns off after a few minutes and Bucky walks out of the bathroom with a towel hanging on his hips. He picks you up and brings you into the bathroom, sitting you on the counter gingerly then running a bath. After rummaging through the draws he finds and drops a lilac scented bath bomb into the water then lights a few tea candles before dimming the lights. 

He turns off the water once it's high enough then helps you out of your clothes. 

He drops his towel then gets into the giant bathtub first. He then motions for you to join him and you do exactly that, getting into the bath and leaning your back against his chest. His knees poke out of the water and his fingers trace little patterns on your skin.

How're you feeling now?

You close your eyes and lean your head back over his shoulder.

I'm hurting.

He nods and kisses your shoulder.

You'll feel better soon. I promise.

The two of you spend almost an hour in the bath together, talking silently to each other about the mission, your sickness, how much you missed each other, and anything and everything else.

"Okay. C'mon Doll. Let's go to bed." He pulls you to your feet and you shiver. He quickly wraps a thick white towel around you and helps you step onto the heated tile flooring.

You dry off quickly then look up at your boyfriend. 

He kisses the tip of your nose and you smile lightly as he pulls you into the bedroom and helps you into one of his t-shirts. You throw on a pair of underwear then crawl into bed with him, clinging tightly to his warm body as you fall asleep.

~

SERIES MASTERLIST