#prob could mark open up to other heroes when he gets back as well.

[the-stove-is-divorced]

AND OH, GOOD IDEA, especially with the Keep Reading, lol! It was starting to get very long and confusing!

I know the timing for if he just left is sooo funny to me like everyone knows what to do here, while Debbie and Mark are so horribly lost. But trust, the gems are practically professionals on this. This exactly up their alley. I would kill for Pearl and Debbie interactions, exactly! Even if he does come back, do you want him in your life? Are you ready to let go for you? What do you want, Debbie? It isn't just adjusting to the absence, it's finding what you wanna be without him.

Maybe Steven's checking back in for a little bit, and they stumble into each other because yeah, It'd CRUCIAL for Mark to actually have, like, a role model of sorts. Steven made it, he's learning to be okay, he's been through this, and so can Mark. Lessons on how to not let being needed or Becoming Your Parent consume your soul. They swap numbers and lean on each other, they need it, lol. I think it's decent for Steven, too, someone who actually understands.

LMAOOOOOO. No that's so real, every time I see the Defined Washboard abs I just think passing the mf some water. Or spraying them with a hose. VILTRUMITE DIET CULTURE IM SCREAMING. No, because I literally think about if they're so joyless because it's all about colonizing, do they even have, like, yummy cultural foods? Are they chronically hangry? Dehydrated? Like, it's not uncommon for cults to deprive people of basic needs, sleep, food, etc to literally fog up your brain so you can't think as clearly, I can see that being part of the Vitrum Empire. Like, oh, you need this much water to do this, well I only need this little amount and I accomplished more than you! They're just grind/financial scam + diet culture lmao.

Part of me is utterly convinced Nolan enjoyed Earth because of the food istg. Bro is delighted to travel across the world and pick up whatever. My personal HC he keeps an internal map of different restaurants across the world, he keeps trying new places, keeps stock of menus. This also makes me wonder if powers are especially calorie draining, like flying is resisting gravity, using more strength, etc, and Viltrumites are hangry asf all the time, lmao. Mark gets cranky and irritable and feels like he's the worst 'cause he didn't adjust his caloric intake. Get the man some pasta.

Eve and Steven being separate buddies is SO delightful omg? They truly would bond so nicely. Steven can make non-shield shapes as well, I'm sure that'd be fun for the both of them. Pink buddies. It'd be so funny if neither knows they both met Steven, lol.

AND AAAAAA. THE SPINEL PORTION? Them both thinking it's both their responsibilities only to realize they could just, y'know, lean and help each other instead of putting it all on themselves. Talking about the weight of their issues, and realize they're not they're parents. Both of them having to deal issues their parents left to them, and realizing, yeah that fucking sucks. They should've have done that to them, that wasn't fair. AAAA, need this to be real.

Mark agreeing to go hang out on a beach w Debbie instead of refusing and the beach is Beach City (am now officially thinking too much about this crossover lol)

The way I got caught up on our back and forth I almost forgot this, lol! AND OH MY GOODNESS, IMAGINE? I forget exactly what which point Debbie makes the beach offer, but I’d love when exactly in SU/SUF-timeline they’d go? There’s something so fucking funny to me about them going during the SUF-timeline and always narrowly missing the strange, Steven-shaped mental breakdowns in the back. I know those don’t occur in a single day, but it’s tickling me. How could they miss anything? I don’t know I just think it’s funny.

Though, post-SUF is interesting if Gems can see the similar “world on your shoulders”, Mark has going on! Steven can shunt the narrative in the Gems’ minds, which I think is neat, if I’m not misusing the phrase since the guy’s on the road far away. Or maybe it’s just before Steven goes and they stumble into each other. I’d kinda love Pearl and Debbie interacting, honestly, if they could talk about loving someone who hurt you, hide things from you, even when you thought you knew them so deeply, and they left you to raise a child. Pearl being in a well adjusted space, and Debbie still grieving.

Honestly, the gems could help train Mark, they’re got experience and similar-ish powers in strength, sturdiness, and they can jump/run fast enough for flying to be vaguely similar enough to lecture about, I think. Or Lapis Lazulis, haha! Peridot with her trash can lid! Garnet, I’d love to see if she told Mark anything about his future in vague, well meaning advice. Or even giving relationship advice considering Amber. Or, importantly, how to convince an entire reign to end their colonizing ways, lol. Is Mark perhaps willing to start a war, take advantage of being related to any leaders, or fake his own death to varying results?

In general, there’s something so fucking funny to me about Nolan, in the sake of comparison, being Pink Diamond coded. Like OH, did an important or well respected of the colonizing empire come to earth and learn the beauty of its people and nature, including faking/lying/omitting things about his identity and background to being in, only to feel conflicted when his responsibility still remained, and he tried to free himself from them? Yikes! We’ve been through that before! Like gimme Pink Diamond and Nolan outfit swap rn. This is tickling me so much oh my goodness.

[bisexualsforprompto]

Miraculous: Reborn Chapter Three

Ao3

First    Next

Marinette had been miraculously brought back to life six years earlier. Truth be told, she didn’t remember much of her resurrection. When she was brought back she didn’t have any scars, not even the one she cherished so dearly, the first injury her soulmate gave her. It seemed odd or silly to celebrate such a thing, but she did, and now she never could again… Although she didn’t remember much of her resurrection she did remember her mother holding her and crying but that was about it.

Everyday for six years she was protected like some giant secret. In a sense, she was. She wasn’t allowed to go outside, attend school (she was homeschooled by Sabine), or talk to anyone. It was more boring than being dead, Marinette remarked one day when she had breakfast with her parents.

They promptly explained to her that they were only trying to keep her safe. What would the outside world think if the dead Dupain-Cheng child mysteriously showed up out of the blue? People had watched her die. It would be a witch hunt if they found out she was alive, her parents feared she’d be experimented on, but for some reason that made Marinette feel unsettled.

Not because she was afraid of being experimented on, but because it seemed like her parents weren’t being completely truthful. Marinette grew wary of them and that night marked the first day she snuck out.

Her parents were working in the bakery, and Marinette knew they wouldn’t be up to check on her for at least two hours. She put on sunglasses and a hat and made her great escape.

The world was so much more beautiful than she had remembered, but she had been cooped up in her room for three years before she even dared to venture outside. The only thing Marinette wasn’t impressed with when she left her house were the Parisians. There was even a man who was about to be run over by a car and no one did a single thing.

No one but Marinette, she sprung into action and pushed him out of the way. She ran back home as fast as she could after she made sure he was okay, that act would bring attention to her and her parents could not know under any circumstances that she decided to sneak out.

Oddly enough after her dinner that same night there was a black box with scripture she couldn’t recognize in her room…

Ladybug was her only freedom, that was why she got along so well with Chat Noir. They had both lost their freedoms in different ways, Marinette of course didn’t tell him the whole story, only that her parents were overprotective and she was homeschooled. She and Chat were best friends, inseparable. It reminded her of her relationship with Nino.

Nino...It broke her heart so much when she found out he was akumatized. He was one of Hawk Moth’s first victims and it was all her fault. Nino was akumatized into a villain who could raise the dead, after an insensitive classmate inadvertently brought up Marinette. Luckily for the red clad heroine, she was able to purify the akuma before Nino got to her grave (the Dupain-Chengs made one for show after Marinette was brought back to life). Part of her always wondered what would’ve happened if he got to her grave and realized she wasn’t buried there.

Although Marinette wanted nothing but to laugh with her best friend again she knew she couldn’t reveal herself to Nino, for her and her parents safety, but more selfishly, because she thought that he could never accept her, she’d basically lied to him for the years she’d been alive without telling him.

She made it a point to check on him as Ladybug every so often.

Her freedom was stripped of her though, when she and Chat Noir defeated Hawk Moth. She almost cried, she should have been happy Hawk Moth no longer wielded his miraculous, but it just made her empty inside. When Hawk Moth’s identity was revealed Chat Noir revealed his identity as well so he couldn’t be seen as an accomplice to his father. Marinette was really the only one who stayed out of the spotlight, she didn’t tell a soul, not even Adrien. After all, she was legally dead, what would Paris think if their hero’s life was a lie?

Although it had already been an excruciating month since Master Fu took the Ladybug miraculous away from her, Marinette couldn’t help but reach for her earrings ever so often. Sometimes she’d even open her bag to talk to Tikki, only to find she wasn’t there.

The month without her freedom had been so hard to bear that Marinette snuck out in her disguise once more. Only, there was a strong wind that day and Nadja Chamack was passing by when Marinette’s hat blew off her.

Careless, she remembered scolding herself when she got home. She hoped Nadja wouldn’t recognize her, after all she still had sunglasses on, but when her parents came up to her room in a furious rage she realized that she wasn’t so lucky.

Sabine yelled at her and Tom lectured her about going out. It was all a blurry haze of swirling emotions, she could barely recall what her parents yelled at her. She remembered the moment that broke her heart though.

She could still hear Sabine’s words in her ear, “Pack up, you’re going to live with your uncle in Gotham. It’s no longer safe for you here.”

Marinette understood, she really did. She didn’t harbor any resentment against her family either, they were just trying to help. She knew her parents loved her, they even acknowledged they were sending her to the crime capital of the world, so they sent had her uncle enroll her in a private school far away from Gotham. Her parents told her that it would take a while to get to school each day, but it was all in her best interest.

She believed them.

What a mistake that was.

Marinette was excited for her first day at West-Reeves. She could live as Mari Dupain without anyone remembering the girl who was a mere ghost. She hadn’t been to school with other people for awhile but she surely wasn’t expecting such a big fanfare.

The moment she arrived in the office she was whisked away by a cheery half-Guyanese girl with a green jacket and LGBT+ patch. Marinette surveyed her surroundings with suspicion, something she’d gotten used to as Ladybug. She hadn’t had human interaction outside of being the heroine for six years, the only way she knew how to act was how she acted as Ladybug. She even instinctively touched her earrings only to find her ears bare. She almost sighed, but she didn’t have time for her tour guide was dragging her to her homeroom.

At that moment Marinette realized she hadn’t really been paying attention. She was focused so much on the small details, or what would’ve been useful for her as a hero (emergency exits, possible defensive weapons) that she had missed pretty much all of what her tour guide said.

She scolded herself and tried to pay more attention. There wasn’t much to pay attention too however, before Marinette knew it, she was outside a room which her tour guide started to open slowly as she said her goodbyes.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Marinette said as she shook the girl’s hand for the last time. “No prob!” Said her guide shooting finger guns at Marinette as she scurried off to class.

Marinette chuckled to herself lightly before gulping and entering the room. She hadn’t been to school in a while, sure, but she wasn’t expecting the reaction she was given.

Everyone’s eyes were on her as soon as she set foot in the classroom. She stepped in the front of the room, choking back her nervousness. She was greeted with a bombardment of two blonde girls who looked like...Chloé.

Marinette wrinkled her nose at the thought, one of her last memories was Chloé telling her off, saying she wasn’t good enough. ‘Thanks but no thanks.’ Marinette rolled her eyes as she brushed past them.

The two blondes gaped at her as she rudely shied away from them. Marinette walked to the back of the classroom, friendly waves thrown at her (besides the two girls she shook off) as she tried to find an empty seat. She felt confident that if more than two people could fit at a desk someone would’ve invited her over, or maybe they already knew how unnatural she was…

Was it possible the waves and smiles were out of pity? Marinette entertained the thought before pushing it away and moving to the very back of the class.

“Oh my god, she’s gonna sit with the Ice Prince!” Marinette heard a juvenile voice snicker. “Serves her right.” Whispered one of the blondes under her breath in a very Chloé like fashion.

“You think he’ll yell at her?” Whispered a voice too low for Marinette to hear. “Nah I bet he’ll start throwin’ punches!” Exclaimed a burly and immature jock.

Marinette didn't understand who the so-called ‘Ice Prince’ was or why they were being so mean about him. She decided immediately that she didn’t like any of her fellow classmates.

Marinette slid wordlessly into the only empty chair, towards the back of the room. An alluring boy with tan skin, green eyes and black hair that complimented the navy blue uniform the school had was sitting with perfect posture while reading a book. Marinette was actually relieved he didn’t talk to her, she was able to enjoy some much needed quiet time. She never had this much attention when she came back to life, although the only time she really got out of the house was as Ladybug.

Marinette and the boy sat in silence for a while until the teacher hurried into the room. The woman stood in front of the class and clapped her hands, “Okay class! We will get started in just a few minutes, but as you might have noticed, we have a new student!” Marinette felt all eyes flicker to her. “Could you introduce yourself sweetheart?” Asked the teacher kindly.

“Sure,” Marinette said as she stood up, hand rubbing the back of her neck, “I’m Mari Dupain. I come from France, specifically Paris.” She had guessed that the teacher would ask her to introduce herself, Tom and Sabine had been drilling her over and over again so she didn’t slip up and reveal her real identity.

“It’s a pleasure to have you Mari! Why don’t you come up and get your copy of Animal Farm. Everyone had to read it yesterday, and we will discuss it, but it’s okay that you haven’t read it yet.” The teacher said sweetly motioning towards a book at the front of the class.

“A-actually I have read it.” The boy next to her raised an eyebrow as she continued, “When I was homeschooled my maman- I mean mother made me read it in English.” The teacher gave her a blinding smile which made the class roll their eyes, another try-hard. Marinette walked down to the front of the class to grab her copy anyway and walked back to the boy in the back who had set down his book.

“Alright! Let’s dive right in then!” The teacher clapped her hands as she sat on the desk. “What do you guys think Animal Farm is an allegory for?”

It was so quiet Marinette could hear a pin drop, she wanted to raise her hand but was nervous to. When nobody did the teacher remarked, “Ok, raise your hand if you read the book.”

Marinette and the boy beside her were the only two who raised their hands. The teacher sighed and rubbed her temples, “One more than last time.” She mumbled. Sitting up straighter she asked, “So Damian, Marinette, can one of you tell me what Animal Farm is an allegory for?”

“It’s-“ Marinette began.

“Russia under the reign of Stalin and communism.” The boy- Damian interrupted. Marinette gaped, she was about to say something why did he start?

“Well technically not communism.” Marinette muttered under her breath. Damian raised an eyebrow, “How would you define it?” He asked with a slight bite underneath it.

“Damian-“ the teacher started.

“Totalitarianism.” Marinette gulped, “Because communism was they wanted to achieve but it's impossible because of human greed.” The class almost hid under their desks, prepared for the next war. They motioned to Marinette to stop but she hadn’t seen it.

“Hmmm. Interesting point Dupain.” Damian said, Marinette beamed at him sweetly, she enjoyed having a conversation with someone else interested in academics.

She hadn’t had that in so long.

She hadn’t had human connection in so long.

[syncogon]

[RS] PV 2

it’s ya boi back with more commentary. and hopefully fewer screencaps bc i don’t actually have as much time as my wordy and useless rambles as well as the quarantine situation might suggest alas

- who’s talking in the opening line? kela?? if so, the voice is totally off, but the theme of “the world belongs to the strong” is consistent with quotes from him and themes from that whole arc

- i guess this is a dream / unconscious sequence... i’m sad to see him like this. also one of the analyses i read was like you can track when in the movie a scene probably takes place by the progression of the markings on his skin, which is very obvious and i should be paying attention to that more -

^ i really like this visual. and i like how the galaxy eyes designs are all so distinct

^ Alliance soldiers i think, guessing from the uniforms? bc I thought the Eyes had all black uniforms. but i’m not sure. actually it prob makes more sense it’s the Eyes. rip the one guy facing the wrong (?) direction

^ actually these shoes are consistent with Eyes designs i think. nvm. also is that the announcer robot guy?? why is his body so small is that his real body or something??? what’s happening to him rip

^ what the FUCK is with this tattered cloak design?? it was definitely not tattered before? he would definitely look better with just like, a normal cloak, his cloak would never get tattered unless intentional, this is just a really weird and creepy image. then again ig if it’s part of the dream sequence, but this is implying that this is redeye’s actual design, and i don’t like it. tbh s1 redeye outfit with the short cloak was great

^ kiss kiss ki-

hope we see more of jupiter, the city design is tbh quite cool. though i wonder what exactly this Eye thing is supposed to be? is it part of the tower and just always here? 

THE ENEMY’S GATE IS DOWN

flashback scene! but what about? the golden cube or the engine maybe? but i was hoping for something more interesting.

AW FUCKING HELL THIS FUCKER IS BACK.

FUCK.

ARGHHHHH.

ngl im really disappointed that they decided to bring kela back, i think that defeats the narrative significance of an especially significant arc. we’re already done with this antagonist! let’s move on! it isn’t cool or hip or logical to bring back antagonists when their story arcs have come to such a clean end! throw trash away when you’re done! ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i have more to say but i should move on maybe i’ll write another post/rant or something

yo what the fuck is going on here though. i don’t even know what planet that is jesus

wait is this. a hypothetical or like. an actual. planet. 

ok so. WHOMST THE FUCK is this??? another galaxy eyes secretary? or someone higher rank? surely not the head honcho bc if so i will be super disappointed. actually his vibe kind of reminds me of kela. we’ll see i guess, hope he brings something interesting to the table. 

it’s the guy from the poster! ppl say most likely he’s involved with auroras’ backstory somehow. our four major protag backstories all had like mentor figures, so maybe this is auroras’? but following that logic he shouldn’t be here in present day tho, so. 

wonder what the pink smoke is tho, and also why he’s being shot down, and also everything about him :0

but what’s with the shattered... glass? rock? tornado thing around maidang? hmm. and they’re all just watching... and it’s in the arena with that ox man statue 

white eye. in action! 

AAAAA so i got 2/3 right. so weird seeing ox man just walking tho lmao his proportions look wack he’s way skinnier than i expected. 

hey, hey. kela. look at me. 

bitch.

i like this cut. is it significant? who is this galaxy eyes person OH WAIT if the rumor is true that aur was formerly Eyes then he must be story related to this guy somehow... maybe he was sold to medici or something who knows

this was so cool!!! like sanji from one piece. i dig it.

this actually almost looks 3D modeled for some reason haha

wait so is this... the finals of the tournament? 

what. is the context of everything in this set i’m so curious aaaa

is this a) a cool app of diya’s abilities b) the Eyes guy from earlier attacking but what is that supposed to do, capture magically? c) aur/diya (jidi) moment???

... yeah somehow this whole scene looks 3D modeled. maybe it’s the lighting.

fun char designs to look at?

damn those muscles. but yeah i think a lot more markings appeared after this moment in his revival fight

mmmm.

red eyes... and is the stone purple now?? ahh.

also the cut from this to redeye was really cool! their eyes were like overlapped in positions. so cool. i wonder if this was intentional

maidang has gotten so much better at fighting, like, the basics. i dig it. 

emotional but this just reminded me god i miss s1 diya. competent. cool. occasionally sassy. the movie just made her worry about maidang and weak, it’s like her only personality trait. (actually is this shot from the first movie? i don’t remember.)

god the more i think about it the more the jidi agenda feels like a thing. anyway what’s he blowin up hm.

i kind of wish we got backstory on why this is a bee haha but i like how it’s so distinctive

so cool!!!

beat his ass!!!

tUrBUleNce also gudong so worried :( 

:0

cool new power app??? is this her power. i just thought it was but maybe that one shot of her wasn’t her using her power. who knows.

also the cut from this to aur doing basically the same thing..... (adjusts glasses)

see?? the shading looks fake. hhh

AIGHT ok that’s all. actually there were sound/voice/line comments which i will edit in later. 

ok it is later.

- “i just saw the galaxy eyes fleet surrounding jupiter” sounds like tang wude actually! so im excited, that’s reason for him to get back here in time?

- “i already knew the eyes wanted to destroy solar” sounds like medici...?

- “people need heroes, and to become a hero one must pay a price” ok i really like this line it’s super cool, but i can’t say who is or might be saying it. one of the new antagonistic chars possibly?

- “there is a word called ‘miracle’” sounds like medici, as does “the era of new heroes”, though the latter could be someone else

- rest of the lines are all either maidang or diya or gudong

other thoughts:

ppl kept commenting in chinese on the youtube vid like whens the release like it says right there! on the video! in chinese!

still no medici (visually) or shu, huh. 

sound quality for the trailer was wack tbh. hopefully the movie won’t be like that.

i’m a little worried, actually, that this has lost the core of what made it so good. that it’s become cheap. but only time will tell. i’ll still have hope. 

anyway countdown continues let’s goooooooooooo (pls let me be able to watch...)

[afewmarvelousthoughts]

Only For A Moment Ch. 5

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

Pairing: Bucky X Reader

Summary: For most of your life you’d been able to keep your abilities a secret, that is until Hydra got wind of you. After years of being in their clutches, you break out when The Avengers expose SHIELD/Hydra. Since then, you’ve been on the run. Things are going as well as you could hope when you see a familiar face… Could the Winter Soldier really be in Bucharest too?

Warnings: PTSD, imprisonment, references to past physical violence.

A/N: Like I said last time. Getting into (aka only scratching the surface) of the Bucky feels that are coming. Tbh it’s Bucky/Reader feels because, this character... woo. I hope y’all love her/love reading yourself as her as much as I love her/love writing her.  Also 5 chapters in a week... who does that? I’m going to try to space them out more (1 or 2 a week prob) but... I’m just eager af because I’m having a blast writing this. 

Word Count: 1461

Tags are open!

@l0kisbitch @disagreetoagree

You take a deep breath and pluck the Glock out of the air, the knives clatter to the floor released from your hold. Part of you suspects he’ll rush for them but he just sits there, hands up eyes shining and glued to the books on the bed. You de-cock the gun and tuck it in your waistband. Not wanting to take your eyes off him you lift the bag and its contents from behind you and dump them in his lap.

Immediately he begins to look through them, checking each, mouthing the title. “There was another boo-“ the spine of Silent Heroes slams into his temple, admittedly a little harder than you intended, he flinches but as soon as he sees it’s ok he visibly relaxes.

“Who the fuck are you,” your voice is low without an ounce of softness. Your gut may be telling you he’s not an immediate threat but that does not mean you trust this man.

His mouth opens to answer and snaps shut. His eyes look to the books, to the bed, the wall. Anywhere but at you. “I… I don’t really know.” He appears small to you suddenly. Like a kid that’s lost at night with no clue where to go.

The fight drains from you and you plop heavily onto the bed. He’s just staring at the book, at his photo from so long ago. Suddenly you feel guilty for going through his bag, a ridiculous emotion given the situation but it rankles all the same. “Do you really think Lombardi’s is shit?”

He lights up. A raspy chuckle escapes. “Yeah.” Your eyes meet and again he’s a different man. “Everyone thought because it was first it was best but man, Totonno’s, that was pizza.” His tongue flicks over his bottom lip and he looks ravenous, you can relate.

“The sauce,” you both longingly groan at the same time and laugh despite everything.

“Wait…” he sounds excited, like a kid on Christmas, “Is it still there?! I mean you’re not… I was… it was…” He takes a moment, “a long time ago…” with that a cloud befalls him again.

“As of 2007 it was still there slinging the best pies in Brooklyn.” You pull your phone from your pocket to check.

“So you’re not…”

You look up, “Not what?”

“Like me…” you stare confused and he says with a small dark laugh, “A relic.”

“I don’t know how alike we are but no, I’m not a relic. I’m…” honestly you hadn’t thought about it in a while, how old you were. “Fuck I guess I’m about 30.”

Your age was always an awkward subject. You’d ran away at 15 and landed in New Orleans, where you met Nix. He was a few years older but was just like you, a kid alone. He helped you get fake documents, a new birth certificate, social, everything. A new date of birth made you 18, a new last name made you someone else, and a high school diploma complete with transcripts made college an option. You can’t help but sigh, you had already killed one version of yourself before Hydra had even found you.

Google has graciously saved you from this line of thought and informed you that Totonno’s is in fact still in business. “Yup, Totonno’s is still there to this day. Thankfully all the aliens seem to be destroying is Manhattan. They’re smart enough to leave the best borough alone.”

His face breaks into a breathtaking smile that genuinely surprises you. “I guess that’s a bit of silver lining in this mess of a world.” His voice is rich and melodious. At this point you’re honestly wondering how there are so many different sides to one person.

The silence hangs for a moment. His hand runs over the cover of one of the composition books that has ‘Home’ scrawled in a shaky hand. “So…” he trails off. “Are, uh, you from there, Brooklyn I mean.”

You scoff, “No. I’m from nowhere.” That’s always been your answer. Ghost girl.

“Everyone’s from somewhere.”

You stare at him a moment, his face is open and, frustratingly kind… dammit. You slump a little, “Yeah well most people have a hometown, someplace they grew up, but I never really stayed anywhere long enough for that.” He remains quiet, giving you space to form your thoughts. “But,” your voice cracks and you clear your throat to reel in your emotions, “Brooklyn, was the first place I made a home.” The only place.

“It’s a good place.”

“It was.” And you could never go back. You stared at your phone. The little red dot marking a place that may as well have been on Mars. When the screen turned black you kept staring into it, your reflection warped in the shattered screen. When you looked up he was flipping through pages in that composition book looking so serene it almost made you want to throw something at him.

“Ferdinando’s?” he whispers. Then again, “Ferdinando’s,” as though he’s answered a question and scrambles for one of the pens on the floor. You watch him quickly jot something down.

“Ferdinando’s?”

“Oh!” It was like he had forgotten you were there. “I… just something I remembered. Sorry.”

You smile despite yourself. “You’re talking about that old Italian place in Cobble Hill?” His head shoots up. “Yes, that’s still there too last I knew. And they made a damn good cannoli.”

A small chuckle skips past his lips and he stares into the middle distance for a moment. “I,” another little laugh, “used to take dates there.” He runs a hand absently through his hair and writes something down.

His pen freezes, his eyes don’t leave the paper, “To make Him they had to kill me…” He’s so quiet you have to strain to hear, “this,” he gestures lazily to the books, “is my attempt at raising the dead.”

Mournful eyes, more grey than blue meet yours. “But I can’t pretend the bad didn’t happen too… that He, I, didn’t do horrible things.” He pulls a three subject spiral from the pile, thicker than all the others. There’s no title here. “I’m not sure what book you belong in… but if it’s this one,” he lays his palm flat on the cover, “and I think it is. I…” his voice breaks and you think he’s going to sob, “I’m truly sorry.” No tears fall but you swear you could drown in his eyes, in his grief.

A very strong part of you doesn’t want to give him anything, push him away, make him leave. Wants to shut him out. But if you’re being honest with yourself your loneliness is far stronger. And his loneliness… I mean for fuck's sake he just opened up to a woman who he only thinks he knows, who knocked him unconscious and chained him, however ineffectively, to a wall a few hours ago.

Fuck it. 

“No…” You stare at your hands, unable, unwilling to hold his gaze any longer. “I don’t really think that’s where I belong in your story.” You hear him let out a breath. “How do you know me, or think you know me, Mr… Sargent-“

“Bucky,” that crooked smile again.

“Mr. Sargent Bucky, then.” It’s a shitty joke, hardly even a joke, but he gives you a little laugh all the same.

The slight humor isn't enough to lighten his next words, “When I saw you nine days ago-“

“Nine?!” You can’t help but be alarmed. Nine days, nine fucking days he had been following you and you didn’t notice a goddamn thing.

“… Yeah.”

It hits you, “You wanted me to see you today… You wanted to see how I’d react.” He just nods. Small again despite his size, shoulders slumping. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

“If it’s any consolation you’re doing a great job laying low.” You snort. “No really,” he says insistent, “I mean you did pick the same city as The Winter Soldier, that says you know how to disappear.” There’s an awkward beat, “I don’t know that anyone else would notice you.” You don’t say someone already had, in Berlin.

“But… yeah…” He picks up again. “I saw you, your face, and I saw.” He stops suddenly his eyes  staring at his hands, balled into fists sitting on his knees, “I thought I remembered…” He just can’t get it out and his eyes find yours begging you silently to tell him he’s wrong.

You feel for him, you do, but you won’t sugar coat this. “You remembered,” your hand wanders to your right cheekbone where a thin scar runs up from there up around your eye socket, “beating me.”

[toglidethroughlife]

Borrowed Pens and Promises (A Choices Fanfic)

Pairing: Grayson x F!MC (Lena)

Summary: A memory from their university days replays in Lena’s head on the day of Silas’ takeover.

A/N: Hey! So this is just a little something I wrote to ease myself into writing my MC for my Grayson playthrough... and I had a little too much fun with the banter? LOL. Also, I wrote this in parts so I’m not actually sure how cohesive this is, but anyway, it’s here and I’ll probs just edit later. Hopefully it’s not too bad lol

Shit.

Lena scrambles through her bag, fingers digging through countless notes, packets of gum, and one too many tubes of chapstick -- but not a single pen in sight.

"You have 45 minutes," the professor announces. "Good luck."

Her midterm exam booklet stares at her hauntingly, the minutes ticking away.

Shit, she curses repeatedly in her head, her hand running through her hair.

The professor is busy typing away on his laptop, the rest of the class busy with their exams, heads hunched over their tables.

Can she really be that girl, she thinks -- the stupid one who forgets to bring a pen to her midterm and asks the professor if she can borrow one.

God, this is embarrassing.

She panics when she realizes she's eaten up 15 minutes of her time debating over whether or not to stand and decides to just go for it -- when she hears something hitting the floor beside her, the professor glancing up her way.

She looks down to find a pen by her feet.

"Dropped my pen," she mouths to the professor with a sheepish smile, crouching down to pick it up.

The professor goes back to ignoring her.

She examines the pen for a quick second, not recognizing it as hers. She steals a glance at the people beside her -- and they're all busy and stressed-looking, as they should be -- all except one.

He was sitting two seats down her right, smirking casually as he answers his exam, the slight crinkle around his eyes showing his amusement.

She makes a mental note to catch him after the exam, turning immediately to her booklet when she notices the time.

25 minutes. Shit.

---

The professor signals the end of the session and people begin to stand to submit their booklets.

Lena's still finishing the last few sentences of her essay when she catches her blond haired friend standing from the corner of her eye, and she immediately scribbles the rest of her closing argument, hopeful that it still made sense.

She's almost running as she walks down the classroom to submit her paper, her eyes trained on the back of his head.

"Hey!" she calls out when she reaches the doorway, grateful that he comes to a stop.

The light from the window hits him just right as he turns around, his eyes locked on hers.

Wow, those eyes are blue, she thinks, mesmerized.

She mentally slaps herself before she stares too much -- she feels like she already has -- and pulls out the pen from her pocket.

"This is yours, I believe."

The statement comes out as more of a question though, her eyes gaging his reaction.

He smiles.

"Yes," he says, taking the pen from her hand. "Were you able to finish the exam?"

Something about his easy tone and friendly demeanor made her want to smile as well.

"Barely," she chuckles, unsure why she was doing so, "but yes. Thank you, you are a lifesaver."

And she didn't think it was possible for his smile to grow bigger, but there he was, beaming at her.

"I'm glad." He shifts around nervously before meeting her eyes again. "Well, I'll see you around."

And he's already walked a few steps away when something in her gut kicks in, her feet taking her forward.

"Hey!" she calls again, catching up to his side. "Are you doing anything right now? I feel obligated to thank my knight in shining armor with a cup of coffee. I mean, if he'd like one, that is."

He chuckles softly, considering her offer. 

"Obligated?" he asks, his tone tentative.

"I want to," Lena affirms, grinning.

He seems to relax after that, returning her smile.

"Okay. Sure."

"Great!" She extends her hand out to him. "I'm Lena, by the way."

His hand is warm as they touch. "Grayson."

---

It becomes a thing that they share more often when finals approach — coffee sessions turned study dates.

Lena's scribbling furiously with another pen she’s borrowed from Grayson — she swears Poppy stole the one she keeps in her bag. They were answering the mock exam together with the intention of comparing notes after.

Lena runs a hand through her hair, flipping her part as she grows more frustrated at the equations in front of her.

"I hate this!" she groans, crossing out her answer with decided pressure, the paper almost tearing under her pen. She leans back on her seat to find Grayson jotting down notes across her, the beginnings of a smile on his lips.

Lena bites back the urge to roll her eyes.

“Okay,” she sings. “You were right, I was wrong. I should’ve studied more before doing the mock exam.” Taking another glance at her now messed up pad paper, she adds, “this stuff is hard!”

Grayson smiles, looking up from his notes. “I never said you couldn’t do it… but, you know, it never hurts to actually study before taking the mock exam.”

He throws her a knowing look and they laugh good-naturedly, her mind not missing how easy this feels, how easy being around him always feels.

They settle into a productive pace right after, exchanging notes, sharing thoughts. It’s not long before Lena’s finished going through the mock exam, a triumphant grin on her lips.

“I. Am. Done!” she announces, stretching her arms over her head.

Grayson gives her a quick smile before looking back at his paper, his hand busy at work.

He's always so calm, she thinks. It’s almost relaxing just watching him.

She loves little moments like these — when Grayson’s too engrossed in what he’s doing to give her the time of day — and she knows she sounds crazy thinking that, but she just enjoys watching him so passionate about his work, and she knows, she just knows — he’s going to do something spectacular someday.

In the meantime though, she would really like her friend to give her some attention.

“What are you even working on?” she asks, her hand already slipping across to steal the notepad he was writing on.

Grayson opens his mouth to protest but no words come out and he resigns onto his seat.

“Uh… I know you like to put in extra work, Gray,” Lena begins, brows furrowed in confusion as she reads the contents of his note. “But this topic is like... two semesters ago — AKA not gonna be on this week's final?"

Grayson can't help but laugh as he throws her an accusatory look, taking the notepad from her hands. "I know that. But the poor guy who borrowed this book from the library needs to know how to get the price at equilibrium and I figured it wouldn't hurt to help."

She watches him tuck his answer between the sheets of the borrowed textbook, placing it right beside the large question marks and "WTF"s the last person who had borrowed the book had inconsiderably left.

She smiles.

"Always gotta be the hero, huh, blue?"

He lifts an eyebrow in question — whether at the nickname or the comment she's not entirely sure. 

Recognition hits him when she raises his pen to eye level — the one he lent her.

The one he keeps lending her.

They laugh.

"I really should just give that pen to you at this point," he tells her.

Lena beams in agreement. "You really should."

Their laughter fades comfortably, their eyes locked on each other.

"But really, Gray. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you."

Grayson's gaze holds hers as a smile slowly grows on his lips.

Lena reaches over to touch his hand.

"Thank you for being incredibly kind and generous. And for helping strangers who might not always deserve it."

Grayson leans in from his seat and flips his hand to give hers a gentle squeeze. "You're welcome."

She squeezes his hand back.

"Besides, you haven't given me reason to regret it yet. I mean, I do kind of like you."

Lena bites her lip to contain her smile.

"You kind of like me?"

Grayson looks like he's about to say more, but she isn't sure she's ready to hear it, so she deflects, adding to her statement with an easy smile. "I better not do anything to make you hate me then. We've still got finals after all. I might still need a pen."

He lets out a dejected laugh but a patient smile still paints his lips. "I don't think I could ever hate you."

Her heart warms at the sincerity in his voice.

"But that doesn't mean I'm always going to lend you my pen!"

He pulls the pen from her grasp and she gasps at him mockingly.

"How dare you, Grayson Prescott! Give that back!"

The rest of the afternoon is filled with more coffee, mathematical equations, and easy laughter.

And she doesn't know why this memory replays in her mind as she watches Silas Prescott walk onto the stage at the mayor's assembly years later, her team — Talos and Minuet — ready to fight by her side.

Everything that happens after goes by in a flash, her superhero instincts kicking in, sentimental thought thrown to the side.

It isn't until she catches him in the crowd again — sees the pained expression on his face, the confusion in his eyes — that she remembers, years of friendship weighing on her heart.

"Grayson," she calls him out of instinct, not caring for much else at the moment. "Look I know this is crazy, but I need your help."

"Anything!" he immediately offers, his eyes worried. "I... I have to make up for what my father’s—“

"I know," she cuts in, her voice a gentle plea for him not to blame himself. “Go help DA Katsaros get these civilians to safety. Can you do that for me?"

And you, she thinks. Stay safe too.

The determination in his eyes doesn't surprise her, her faith in him strong.

"I'm on it," he tells her. "I won't let you down!"

Lena's about to fly off when he speaks again, his voice coming out softer. "And... I'm sorry."

But she doesn't let him elaborate any further, understanding him completely.

"I'm sorry, too."

A reluctant smile plays on her lips. 

"See you around, blue."

And moments pass before she hears his voice again, her body already meters up in the air.

"Lena?! Lena!"

But she can't turn back now, her heart holding onto a promise he made her in that quaint coffee shop a few years back, between textbooks and equations, borrowed pens and promises of tomorrows. 

Please. Don't hate me just yet.