#the tony stark thing was the one thing i took no creative liberties on it's just straight up canon

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

Fantastic chapter like always and absolutely adorable.

I love how you expand so much on the characters even the dead ones in this fic in a way that makes them so present in the narrative. The way this makes Frank just completely absorbed by his family constantly while still building them as real people independent to him is great. Just the little details about Maria this chapter and how they relate to Matt is absolutely fantastic

The situation between Peter and Frank needed to blow up spectacularly before getting resolved I should have known that something would actually blow up.

The way you showed the Spidey sense in action through Franks pov was really good it's my favorite Spidey power and really fun to see in action.

Poor Peter though. I hope that once the situation gets resolved he can have a good cry about everything ever.

Also I really want Tony to get punched in the face. Just a small punch! Just once! But Jesus Christ the way he handled this situation has been so bad for Peter I am so angry at him. I know he's dealing with something behind the scenes bit still he needs to think about the impact this all has on Peter it's so bleak and isolating

i simply love explosions and add them in to everything i can. they're the spice of life. do not have the police investigate me i am so so normal about fire

Maria Castle is alive in my head and I love her. the version that lives in my head simply loves Matt. He's the dumbass little brother she's always wanted. He enchants her with his poor decision making and emotional unavailability. When he comes over she insists on throwing herself in his arms and he twirls her around because it annoys frank and they're inherently both assholes. The Maria in my head will never be showcased unless i end up pushing my Castle Family Agenda in earnest, but I will reference her as she exists in my head in works where she's still dead. I love her your honor.

The reaction to tony in kintsugi continues to be hilarious to me because kintsugi partially exists because I didn't see this reaction post-CW. Like the reaction I saw was mostly hardcore Iron Dad and i just didn't really see or hear a lot of commentary about how he handled the time between CW and Homecoming. And in kintsugi I changed literally nothing about how Tony treated Peter in that time and people are soooo mad at him. It's kind of funny

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Lightning Bug - Chapter 20

Masterlist

Warning: nightmare, mention of past trauma, Vision gets a little upset, panic attack, fluff and angst

Note: I took some creative liberties in one section of this story. I did do some research but my thinking is if there is a soul realm why can't every infinity stone have one.

Word count: 4.5k

You were exhausted both mentally and physically. You loved spending time with Natasha and Wanda as they brought you to Bryant Park and the New York Public Library (you did get a library card). At the end of your adventure, you got two slices of cheese pizza. Now back at the tower, you wanted to lay in bed and fall asleep. You didn’t realize how exhausting it would be so social. As the metal doors opened to your floor, you were expecting it to be quiet and empty. You were mistaken. Instead, you saw Kate, America, Yelena, and Peter on the couch with a dog. You gasped, eyes glued to the one-eyed Golden Retriever. “Puppy,” you whispered. Kate laughed.

“Well don’t just stand there come say hi,” you walked over, extending your hand to the dog for it to smell you. “His name is Lucky.”

“Or Pizza Dog,” America added on. Lucky licked your hand and it was you needed to drop to your knees and bury your face in his fur. You loved dogs. When you were younger, your next-door neighbor had a yellow lab named Buddy. Sometimes, you went outside to go sit by the fence and pet him. He was never afraid of you.

“Wait,” you said suddenly. “His name is Pizza Dog?” The group laughed which launched them into the story of how Kate found the dog. Which Yelena explained as a ‘cool way to die’ getting hit by a car to save a dog. Kate left the dog in her apartment in a panic and gave him pizza to eat.

“I mean what New York City dog doesn’t love pizza,” Kate defended herself. She had a point. “But Eleanor’s ex-fiancé watches him for me,” you weren’t going to question that one. “I’m thinking about bringing him to the Bartons,” she scratched underneath his chin. “They love him and I think he’ll enjoy all the land.”

“But I’ll miss him,” America said, burrowing her face in his fur. “I’ll miss him so much.” You giggled as the elevator doors opened and Tony walked onto the floor. He was holding an envelope.

“Bishop,” he said slowly. “Why is there a dog in the tower?”

“Because he’s cute,” you smiled, scratching the sides of his head. Lucky’s tongue hung out of his mouth. “How can you be upset with this face?” You looked at the billionaire, giving him your best puppy dog eyes. Tony sighed, admitting defeat with a roll of his eyes.

“I think Stark is having trouble saying no to you,” Yelena smiled. You merely shrugged, going back to giving your attention to Lucky.

“Is that a mission, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked, pointing to the folder in Tony’s hand.

“Oh right. I got distracted by that,” he pointed to the golden retriever.

“Please Stark you thought about buying an alpaca,” Natasha said from the kitchen.

“This is for you,” he walked over to you and handed it. You took it, not sure what was in the envelope. “It’s not bad. Just your test results.”

“Test results?” Wanda questioned. You looked at Tony and then back to the envelope, trying to figure out what he was saying. Then it hit you like a freight train.

“Oh. OH!” You said, opening the envelope. You noticed that the seal was opened already ripped. He must have looked into it.

“Want to fill us in, bud?” Kate asked.

“You didn’t tell them,” you cringed, placing the envelope in your lap.

“I forgot,” you defended. And you did. With everything going on it was the last thing on your mind. You sighed. “I took the placement test,” it was like you spoke a different language that no one understood how quiet it was.

“Why-why didn’t you tell us?” America questioned. You began to pet Lucky. He knew something was bothering you as he cuddled up against you.

“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” you explained. “I asked Tony to not tell anyone then everything went to shit,” you heard Natasha gasp out a ‘language’ which made you giggle. “Then I forgot about. I’m sorry.” You had every intention of telling them when you found out your scores.

“So,” you looked at the witch. “How did you do?” Looking at Tony, you motioned for him that it was okay to tell everyone. He smiled.

“Well, our girl tested out of reading comprehension and writing,”

“Shocker,” Yelena sarcastically said. You giggled, hiding the blush on your cheeks. It was weird being the center of attention.

“According to the test, those two skills are at a college level,” he continued. You liked the smile on his face, it was like he was proud of you. A warm feeling filled your belly at the thought of someone being proud of you. “As for science and math, you tested around a 6th-grade level which is amazing considering you’ve never set foot in an academic building.”

“See!” Peter said, pulling you into a side hug. “I told you were going to do great!” You laughed, thanking him for helping you study. It was a chorus of congratulations and hugs were given to you. Your cheeks were hurting for how much you were smiling. For once in your life, you felt proud of your accomplishment. The negative words of your father didn’t reach your head.

*    

You called Shuri immediately, getting her phone number from Peter, and she congratulated you. Stating that she told you so and that you had nothing to worry out. When you were done with your phone call, you found your friends in the kitchen on the common floor. “What are you doing?” You asked, walking over to them.

“Thank God! Your back,” America groaned. “She kicked me out of the kitchen.” She pouted and pointed to Yelena.

“She wouldn’t even let me help,” Peter mumbled, picking up a card from the pile. He and America were sitting at the counter playing Uno while Yelena and Kate were in the kitchen. Water was boiling on the stove and Kate was chopping a carrot.

“That's because she almost chopped my finger off,” Yelena said. “And Peter Parker, you burnt yourself boiling water. I can not trust you in the kitchen.”

“But you trust her?!” America exclaimed. Yelena sighed.

“Against my better judgment,” you giggled at Kate’s expression but it quickly vanished when Yelena kissed her on the cheek. They were really cute together.

“What are we making and what can I do to help?” You asked, washing your hands.

“Dumplings, fried rice, chow mein, and wonton soup,” Yelena told you.

“Bucky, Steve, and Rhodey should be coming back tonight and Yelena volunteered our services to cook,” America made Peter draw 2 cards. Which caused your friend to pout but it soon faded to a smile when he placed another draw 2 down. America gasped. “Rude!”

“You made me draw 8,” he defended. “It’s not the end of the world.” You smiled at the interaction. Yelena sighed.

“If I give you the dough recipe for the dumplings can you make it?” The blonde asked you. You nodded and she handed you a tablet with the recipe. There was a time in your life when you hated cooking. It meant that you were left alone and no one was there to feed you so you had to feed yourself. You remembered living off of toast and peanut butter because it was easy for you. You moved to make scrambled eggs and pancakes. But know you loved cooking with your friends around you and their laughter filling the silence. It was comforting. It was a gentle reminder that you weren’t alone.

*       

“Dinner smells amazing,” Rhodey said, helping you set up the table. He was the first one back. You were told he had to make a trip to DC to clear stuff over with a few politicians about the Avenger’s work with the Wakandans and the mission that sent Vision and a few SHIELD agents to South America. You were a little jealous of all places the Avengers traveled to.

“I helped,” America proclaimed and Rhodey frowned.

“Then it’s poisoned,” you chuckled, walking back into the kitchen as the Avengers filed in to take their seats around the table. You put on hand warmers to grab the last dish from the oven.

“Need help?” You jumped at Steve’s voice and spun around to see the American super-solider. His hair was damped, he must have just gotten out of the shower. “Glad to see you up and moving.”

“FRIDAY alerted you and Bucky that I was hurt,” Steve nodded. “Can I have a hug?” Instead of answering, he held open his arm inviting you into a hug. His arms circled you. He was warm, felt safe, and comforting. “Thank you,” you said. Steve let out a shaky breath.

“Scared the hell out of me kid,” you heard a chuckle, pulled away from Steve, and saw Bucky.

“Did I just hear Captain America say a bad word?” Steve rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. “Glad to see you are safe, doll,” you smiled, taking a step away from Steve. Starring at Bucky’s hands, you found yourself starting to panic. You’ve felt his hands on you before. They were cold, and strong, and caused bruises on your skin. You swallowed the growing fear and held out your hand. You weren’t ready for a hug from him yet. Bucky raised his flesh hand.

“The other one,” you stated. “I trust you, Bucky.” You tried to keep your voice steady. Did he hear the slight shake? Or was he just as nervous as you were to notice? He hesitated and connected his metal hand with yours. Still, it was a shock to your system. You knew it was coming but the hairs on the back of your neck stood up and all you felt was fear. You dropped his hand and forced a smile on your face as you busied yourself with getting the last dish ready. “Hope you boys are hungry,” you said, leading them back to the table. “We made a lot of food.” You set it down and took your spot between Yelena and America. The blonde gave you a questioning look but you gave her a reassuring smile. You were okay. You had another hurdle to climb over.       

Dinner was fun. You laughed at the stories Rhodey and the two super soldiers told about their missions. Tony told the rest of the team about your test results. It reminded you of your father and how he gushed and bragged about a test Caleb did well on. But the entire time Bucky kept watching you. You wondered what was going through his head. Was he trying to remember you? Or did he remember and was too ashamed to admit it? Once dinner was done and cleaned up, you said your goodnight to the team and went to bed.

Well, you tried to sleep. You lay awake staring at the ceiling. You were exhausted, right down to your bones but you were afraid to fall asleep. “FRIDAY, can you read to me?” You asked the AI, turning onto your side. You hoped the sound would fight away any nightmares.

“Of course, do you have a specific book in mind?”

“The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin,” was a book on your TBR that you’ve been meaning to read. You figured now would be a good night.

“Right away,” you closed your eyes. “Let’s start with the end of the world, why don’t we? Get it over with and move on to more interesting things…”

*   

You woke up with a silent scream. You barely had enough time to stop the sound from coming out of your mouth. His hands. You could still feel them as he pinned you against the wall or held you down as waves and waves of electricity moved through your body. Scrambling out of your bed, you fell to the floor and put your back against the wall. Breath, you told yourself, breathe. The tingle in your palms began to spread. You didn’t register FRIDAY alerting you that she informed Wanda and Natasha or when the door opened. “Sweetheart, can you open your eyes for me?” You weren’t sure when you closed them.

“Can’t,” the pressure was becoming too much. “Need,” you couldn’t form the words you wanted to say. Everything was a mess in your head. You needed a way to release this pressure without hurting yourself, the couple, or causing a power surge in the tower.

“I’ll be right back,” you heard Wanda say and rush out of your room. Natasha stayed, talking through your panic. It was helping, the pressure began to lessen. Finally, you heard Wanda and she pushed something into your hands. “Focus your powers on that. Let go, molniyenosnyy zhuk (lightning bug). We are here,” And you did. You heard the familiar sound of your powers dancing around your fingertips and the warmth it caused. You opened your eyes when it stopped, the couple was blurry from your tears but you saw their smiles.

“There’s our girl,” Natasha whispered, whipping away your tears. You surged forward, arms wrapping around her waist as you buried your head in her lap. “Sh, your safe. Your safe.” Your body shook against her and Natasha ran her fingers through your hair.

“Was it a nightmare?” Wanda asked, rubbing soothing circles on your back. You nodded. “Do you want to talk about it?” That was the last thing you wanted to do so you shook your head.

“That’s fine. We can just sit here until you are ready,” Natasha said. You turned your head to face Wanda. She held a battery, similar to the ones attached to the machine Tony made for you. Where did she get it?

“Tony gave us a few extras just in case you need them,” she answered your question. “But I do think we need to do some training, maybe it will help you regulate your abilities.” You nodded, rubbing your eyes.

“Let’s get you back to bed,” you forced yourself off the Black Widow and climbed into bed. Natasha pulled the blanket over. “Do you want us to stay with you?”

“No, I’m okay,” you finally said. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank us,” Wanda said, kissing your forehead. “Come get us if you need anything. Goodnight,” the couple left and closed the door behind them. You traced the spot Wanda kissed. You never received a goodnight kiss from your mother. She was afraid to touch you once you revealed what you could do. You sighed, twisting the blanket in your hands. You wondered what you did to deserve this life you were living and if there were any way to repay them.

*     

You tried to go back to sleep but your room began to feel too small and suffocating. You debated on waking up Natasha and Wanda but you already disturbed their sleep. You began to walk the tower. You enjoyed the peace the tower provided at night. You were alone to figure out your thoughts but close enough to someone if you needed it. “Miss. Y/n,” you smiled at Vision, who sitting by the windows and illuminated by a nearby light. He was playing chess. “What are you doing up?” You walked over to him and sat in the empty chair.

“Couldn’t sleep,” you said. “How was your mission?” You asked him as he cleared away the game he was playing to start a fresh one.

“It went well,” he gave you the first move. “We completed the mission with limited injuries,” you both didn’t speak, finding peace in the silence as you played. Until he broke it, “The team informed me you were hurt. Are you alright?” You sighed, tracing the groves of the pawn.

“I’ve probably been the healthiest and happiest I’ve ever been,” you took your turn. “But sometimes I worry this is all temporary, that the rug will be pulled out from underneath or my demons will come back to haunt me,” Vision stayed quiet as you continued, “Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning, unable to keep my head above the water.”

“Do you wish for advise or do you just want someone to listen?” He asked. You smiled, laughing slightly.

“If you have advice I’d love to hear it,” he smiled. There was something about Vision that made you feel connected. Unlike a few others in the tower, Vision could exist in silence. He didn’t want to be the center of attention and he was content with sitting back and observing. There was a natural calming presence around him.

“You were born to a family that didn’t appreciate you,” you recognized the quote from Matilda, the reference made you smile. “You bare the emotional and physical scars of those who hurt you and it’s very unfair. But,” you looked at him. “You are very special, resilient too. So if the carpet you are standing on gets pulled out from underneath you, you have the strength to overcome it. However,” his smile grew. “You have a family that will catch you.”

“Was that a Matilda reference I heard?” He nodded. “I didn’t expect you to be a movie lover.”

“I like to indulge in a guilty pleasure every once in a while,” you giggled.

“Thank you Vision,” you covered your mouth as you yawned. “I guess that’s my cue to try to get some sleep.” You stood up but before you went back to your room you stared at the infinity stone. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. You can ask me anything,” you suppressed a sigh. You were curious that was why you wanted to touch it. You wondered if it would feel like Wanda’s powers.

“Can I touch the infinity stone?” He hesitated. It was the first time you saw him so unsure of himself. You expected him to say no and you would accept that but he nodded.

“Just be careful,” he warned. You nodded. Your hand shook as you raised it and moved your finger to the yellow stone. Before you even touched it, a short surge of electricity left your finger and the world around you went dark.

*     

Your eyes slowly opened staring into the vast nothingness above you. You sat up, hands skimming the water you were sitting in but your clothes remained dry. Where were you? Where was Vision? Where was anyone? On shaky legs, you stood up. “Hello,” you called out. But your voice echoing back was your only reply. You began to walk unsure of where to or how to get back home. “Hello!” You yelled.

“There is no need to raise your voice,” you spun around but saw no one behind you.

“Whose there?” You questioned. “Where are you?” The voice chuckled. The sound bounced around so you were unable to pinpoint where it was coming from.

“That is an interesting question when I’m here but nowhere. I’m near but very far,” you heard footsteps walking towards you. Out of the darkness you saw yourself. It was like looking in a mirror. It wore the same clothes you wore now, the scar, even the color of your eyes. “I’m me but also you.” It mimicked the sound of your voice.

“Where am I?” You asked. The figure didn’t answer, instead, it titled its head from side to side and you couldn’t help but mirror it. You snapped out of the fog. “Stop that.” It laughed.

“You're in the mind realm, you stupid, foolish girl. Your lucky you aren’t dead,” Well that was a relief. You were beginning to wonder if this was some strange version of the afterlife. “But,” it raised its hands. “I can’t be too upset. I’ve been dying to talk to you,” it began to circle you. You stayed cemented to the spot, trying to call upon your powers but they didn’t answer you.

“What do you want with me?” You asked. Your voice was surprisingly calm.

“There is a problem, an imbalance if you want to call it that,” it stopped walking and stood back in front of you. “And you are going to be the savior or our downfall, the choice is yours.” Your stomach dropped.

“Me?” You questioned. “Why-why me?” You weren’t a hero. You were just-well you weren’t sure what you were. But you were just a kid, just finding your footing in this big scary world.

“Because I chose you. It’s very simple please try to keep up,” it turned on its heels and walked into the darkness.

“Wait,” it didn’t. “Wait, hold on.” You ran after the figure, the water splashing at your every step. “Are you going to tell me what this problem is so I can fix it?” The figure shook its head.

“Nope, I can’t do that. Sorry,” something told you it wasn’t but it did stop walking. “Think of it like a game of chess,” With a wave of its hand chess boards appeared in the darkness. At every board, you were sitting on one side and your opponent was one of the Avengers. “All the pieces have been placed,” you began to walk around, watching the games play out. “But there are thousands of possibilities that could be the outcome. You could lose,” a few captured your king. “But you could also win.” The boards disappeared, leaving one. It was you against Natasha. The image before you began to flicker; changing from you hugging her to you standing above her with a gun.

“No,” you whispered. You looked away as the gun went off. “No! I won’t let that happen.”

“Only time will tell and as the judge, I can’t change the outcome of how I want the match to end,” it closed the gap between you two. Grasping your chin in its hands. Its skin was cold against yours. “I want to make myself clear. I want you to win. Your loss will make my life difficult. But you aren’t ready,” it dropped the hold on you and its appearance began to change. You watched the mind stone form in the center of its forehead. “I gave life to the Vision, powers to the Maximoff twins, and Loki wielded me to enslave others and take over New York,” it smiled and began to float in the air. “I wonder what I’ll give you.” Its fingers began to glow, lighting up the darkness around you. It was like you were watching a movie, moments of your life flashed around you. “I wish you the best of luck and I do apologize, you won’t remember our meeting. You have to understand, it’s for the best.”

“Wait,” it was too late. The figure touched your forehead and you were forced back. Like a string was attached to your waist and someone yanked you back. You began to chant in your mind to remember. Remember. Remember. You had to remember.

*

You stumbled backward and you felt Vision grab onto your hand to catch you. “Are you alright? Should I get-”

“I’m fine,” you told him. He wasn’t convinced but you were. Your stomach was a little upset and there was a small ache in your head but you’ve experienced far worst.

“What did you see?” He questioned. You titled your head, eyebrows pinched together. “Tell me what you saw.” The grip he had on you tightened.

“Ouch,” he released you. His eyes said his apologies. You rubbed the spot on your wrist. “I-I didn’t see anything,” you said. “Honest. I wouldn’t lie to you, I promise.”

“Right,” he sighed. “I do apologize for my behavior. Have a goodnight,” you forced a smile, a little concerned by what happened.

“Goodnight, Vision,” And you went back to your room, holding onto the wrist that was going to bruise come morning.

*       

Vision watched the young girl walk over the staircase and return to her room. He rubbed the stone, that gave him life, and Wanda her powers. He valued the power and responsibility that came with protecting the stone. Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to warn the Avengers of Thanos. Something was coming. He could feel it but the stone was silent, not indicate what the threat was. All he knew was it involved his new friend and that worried him more.

_

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[buckys-little-belle]

hi! idk if your requests are still open now but if they are i was wondering if you could do one where loki accidentally finds out about the reader’s regression? (preferably he/they pronouns but she is fine if you’d prefer)

i hope you’re having a nice day/night, i love you and your fics so much! <33

“Little Man”

Loki (He/Him) x Little!Reader (He/They Pronouns)

Warnings - Reader has tears for like two seconds, reader drinks juice, mentions of staying up all night, mentions of a party.

Note - In this fic Loki goes by He/Him pronouns, I am always writing him with his queer identity in mind, in other fics I may write Loki with They/Them or She/Her pronouns as Loki is gender fluid and the character as well as other gender fluid people deserve genuine representation in media that is consumed by fans/themselves.

Note Two - I loved this request, of course as usual I took some creative liberty in brining it to life, and therefore if the decisions and creative directions made do not fit you were picturing please feel free to send me another message Bub and I will be glad to change things/create something that aligns with your original idea.

SFW - Please keep all interactions with this post and with this blog SFW.

- - - - - -

Loki loved and hated living in the Avengers compound, he was close to his brother, and friend Y/n, but he hated the idea of being surrounded by people who disliked him, who thought he was still the villain he once was. Sure, he tried to take over the entirety of New York, but he said sorry, and it had been a few years. new members added to the team, years of him proving himself, many late night crying, yet he still felt isolated from others.

Though, even in the darkness that seemed to surround him, follow him everywhere, there was always this overwhelming light, a sense of comfort and love when Y/n was around, his smile making Loki feel once again wanted and loved by someone so wholeheartedly.

Y/n was a new recruit a few years back, an analyst for the team, helping them track down, pin, and intercept the true villains that lurked around the world. They lived in the compound, his small room located closer to the main building so he could easily access the tools they may need to do their magic. When they moved in Loki had promptly requested a room change, hoping and successfully being closer to the one friend he seemed to have.

Y/n loved the company, they weren’t shy, but had a hard time relating to the Avengers, though Y/n was technically an Avenger he never really felt like he could adorn that title, they didn’t fight battles hand to hand, and therefore felt excluded. Maybe that’s why Loki was drawn to him, the two excluded people of the team teaming up seemed to be the most obvious idea, and it worked out great.

Y/n and Loki spent their days watching movies, playing board games, and participating in other everyday activities together. The two of them knew everything about each other, spilling secrets and confiding in each other was something they did often.

Though Loki was never told about Y/n’s age regression, him to scared to tell Loki, and no one else knowing. Y/n was good at hiding it, allowing Loki to be non the wiser. Loki would only know if he looked in the closed white bin in Y/n’s closet, their Little gear, stuffies, blankets and more organized and cleaned, ready to be used.

“Hi Loki!” Y/n cheered as they opened their door, the door Loki had just knocked on seconds ago. “I’m almost ready to go, I just need to grab a few things!” He said, walking around his room, shoving things into his bag.

Loki and Y/n were going to a classic Tony Stark party, one celebrating his and Pepper’s news of engagement. The party was casual, but it was in the Stark tower, a place where comforts were fancy and often not useable. Y/n always brought a water bottle and a sweater with him. “Is there anything I can help you with?” Loki asked, standing in the doorway, a simple black longsleeve tucked in slightly at the waist of his black jeans. His usual attire, black clothing always helped him blend into crowds, just the way he liked.

“Um.” Y/n thought. “Can you grab me a sweater from the closet over there?” He asked, pointing to the large white closet on the other side of the room.

Loki strode over, opening the door and peering inside, he looked at the sweaters, debating on grabbing a black or blue one. Then he looked down, a white box strewn open, a few things inside and outside, all in disarray, like it had been rifled through. Like the good friend he is, he bent down, picking a few things up and placing them back inside. A baby blanket, sippy cup, stuffed worm … Thousands of thoughts ran through his mind, originally he thought they were childhood souvenirs, but they were too well kept, too new.

“Loki?” Y/n called from the bathroom, wondering if he had grabbed a sweater or not.

Loki quickly cleaned the things up, placing them nicely in the box and then putting the lid back on, pretending to tie his shoe before Y/n could notice what he was really doing. “Yah, sorry here.” He said, grabbing the first sweater readily available and handing it over. “Ready to go?” He asked, ready to get the night over so he could do some more sleuthing.

- - - - - -

Loki had stayed up all night that night, hunched over the computer in his room, this being the first time he had ever really used it, his love for books often overpowered his want of technology. Searches like ‘why does my friend have baby things.’ ‘worm stuffed animal’ ‘what is age regression’ ‘is my friend a little’ ‘am i a daddy’ ‘am i a caregiver’ ‘amazon’ ‘worm stuffed animals’ ‘yellow worm stuffed animals’ ‘where to find worm stuffed animals’ haunted his computer, the thing whirling air at him, begging him to let it cool down.

When he heard a nock at the door he stood up, not even noticing it was now the morning. “Loki?” A voice called from the other side, when he opened the door a tired but worried Y/n stood in front of him. A coffee and a juice held in his hands as he stared at the sleepless and almost feral looking Loki. “You weren’t at breakfast.” They mumbled, handing him a coffee and whipping their eyes as they sat on Loki’s bed. “What are you up to?” He said, yawning as he snuggled deeper into Lokis pillows, enjoying the soft comfort they bring.

“Are you a …” Loki began, trailing off as he once again sat in his computer chair, taking a sip of his coffee, abandoning his sentence.

“Am I what?” Y/n asked, perking up. “Annoyed?” They laughed, sitting up and placing their juice on Lokis night table. “It was so weird at breakfast without you, I sat in between Steve and Bucky, I don’t recommend it, they workout before breakfast.” Y/n shuddered, laughing as they looked at a now lost in space Loki.

“No I just.” Loki began, unsure of how to approach the situation. “The box in your closet.” He whispered, half hoping Y/n heard him and half hoping they didn’t.

“Oh that’s just, you know, I, Loki, It’s just stuff from, well like you know the, I, Um.” Y/n began sputtering, Loki soon cutting them off.

“Y/n I know you’re a little.” He said, now looking at Y/n, who sat on his bed, slowly entering a fight or fight mode.

“No, I’m not.” Y/n lied, clear as day.

“It’s okay, really.” Loki comforted. “I spent all night researching, I’m not going to make fun of you.”

Y/n sat in silence, his mind racing at insane speeds, ‘what does this mean’ ‘what will Loki think’ ‘will he treat me differently’.

“Little man.” Loki said, his newly updated brain noticing clear signs of regression.

Y/n looked up from their lap, tears formed in their eyes as their mind was unable to comprehend the situation at hand. “You weren’t supposed to find out.” They cried. “I’m sorry Loki.”

“Don’t apologize, I want to be here for you, I’m glad I found out.” He smiled, walking towards Y/n and crouching down next to the bed. “Maybe we can even watch those dragon movies you have hidden away.” He offered, genuinely excited to see if they were worth the hype the caregivers on the internet gave it.

“Okay.” Y/n whispered, placing his forehead against Loki’s, his tears now stopped, a wave of comfort flowing over him. What he didn’t know was this is how Loki felt everyday, Y/n giving him that feeling of comfort and belonging that he now gave them.

“Go grab your worm and I’ll grab the movies.” Loki said, standing up and walking towards the door.

“My worm?” Y/n asked, confused as to what Loki was referring to.

“Yes your green worm in the box.” He said matter of factly.

“It’s a caterpillar and his name is Leafy.” Y/n said, their voice dripping with sass, how dare Loki call Leafy a WORM?!

- - - - - -

‘where to find caterpillar stuffed animal in many colours’

[sparkagrace]

lumière

For Day 6 of @stucky-week: art

Author: sparkagrace Words: 5,675 Rating: M Relationship: Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers Tags: Alternate Universe - Swimming, Established Relationship, Secret Relationship, Valentine's Day, Fluff, a tiny bit of angst for good measure, MoMA Summary: Bucky’s not looking at the paintings, he’s staring at Steve with his teeth caught between his bottom lip.

“Do you know that your eyes light up when you talk?” Bucky tells him. “You gesture a lot with your hands.”

Steve looks over, suddenly shy, as he becomes aware that he’s been talking for an awfully long time. “I’m sorry, I’m probably boring you. I learned all about it and I never get to talk—”

“No, it’s fine. I love it. It’s been the most enjoyable part of the day. I like seeing you so excited about something that’s not the pool.”

—

A semi-sequel to lane lines but can be read as a standalone.

READ ON AO3

Notes and photos referenced in the work under the cut.

This is not the official sequel to lane lines. That is still a WIP that I hope will be done before the end of the year (currently at 95,000 words so it’s coming!). However, when @stucky-week put together their prompt list for Valentine’s Day, they had an art prompt and funnily enough one of the scenes I was drafting for the sequel was set on Valentine’s Day with an art aspect, so I decided to expand it out into a fuller fic. However, this can totally be read as a standalone.

The only things you need to know are: Steve and Bucky are Olympic swimmers and six months into their relationship that they are currently keeping out of the press. They currently train three hours away from each other (Steve with Fury up in Albany, and Bucky with Tony Stark in Manhattan) but they visit each other every couple of weekends. They had an incident at the Wakanda Olympics that was a PR disaster but it’s all okay between them now. Steve is an Art History graduate while Bucky has an Engineering degree.

I also haven’t been to the MoMA in about fifteen years (and can’t visit because of *gestures wildly* everything), so I took some creative liberties and incorporated a winter lights festival that I have attended the past few years in London. Links of installations referenced are below (photos taken by me):

[twokinkybeans]

Four Times Peter’s Radioactivity Worked Against Him and the One Time It Worked In His Favor [STARKER]

Summary: Now that Peter is radioactive, his surroundings start responding to him. And he starts to respond to his surroundings differently as well. His newfound infatuation with bananas are a difficult thing for Tony to deal with. Note: there is a snippet of science-y truth in what I wrote, but I also took major creative liberty with what happens. Warnings/tags: Food kink, Praise kink, Dom/Sub undertones, Subspace, Under-negotiated kink, Teasing, Dirty Talk, “For science” sure Tones, Implied Blowjob, BANANAS! (also Peter is an adult when the sexy things happen). Read it on AO3!

Four Times Peter’s Radioactivity Worked Against Him 1. Tick Tock It’s been three days since Peter Parker got his spider powers. He’s still trying to get a hang of everything, but at least he’s got his stickiness under control. Everything is just so loud and so intense. Constantly. The sensory overload has made him cranky to say the least, but it’s not like he can just skip school. With the sweaty, yelling students, screeching chalkboards and itchy PE uniforms. Not to mention the school bell. The anticipation practically hurts as much as the shrill ringing in his ears does. Another sound that has shivers run up and down Peter’s spine is Flash’s voice. “Check out my new watch!” He announces to the class as he saunters in, wrist raised to the ceiling. He grins, showing off the expensive piece of technology. Peter doesn’t know why but the device has his eye twitch. He stands up confused and walks over to Flash, drawn by the watch, somehow. “What brand is it?“ He asks innocently. “Wow, didn’t think it’d catch your attention, Penis,” Flash scoffs. “Gucci. Nothing you could ever afford.” “Huh…” Peter frowns, unable to look away from Flash’s wrist. His eyes go wide when he notices the arms are shaking slightly. Are they supposed to do that? “I know, it’s pretty rad. Even glows in the dark!” Flash turns to Ned, who just walked into the classroom. “Ned, turn off the lights!” Ned pulls a face but moves to turn off the light anyways, but when it’s dark in the classroom, no light comes from Flash’s wrist. “It- It works, I swear!” Flash taps the glass three times. “Stupid fucking watch.” With Flash’s limited patience, it doesn’t take long for him to rip it off and toss it away from him. Peter’s newfound reflexes cause him to catch it mid-air, but the second his skin makes contact with the watch, a bright flash of light makes everyone in the room cover their eyes and scream. ... 2. Emergency Exit Peter has no idea when he started eating bananas so much. There’s just something about them that tastes absolutely amazing. How did he never realize this earlier? The fruit is now part of his daily diet now. They give him enough energy to run around school and as Spider-Man, so he’s not complaining. At least he’s not addicted to sugar or hamburgers, right? Peter munches on his second banana of the day when the fire alarm stirs the school. All the lights go out. Peter looks up at the ceiling, but he doesn’t feel any alarm. He’s learned he can rely on his gut way better now, with his spider powers, so this must be a test. He quickly stands up, though, not wanting to seem disinterested in the fact that there was an evacuation going on. The emergency exit sign lights the way to safety for all the students. Peter runs towards the fire escape and stops, wanting to make sure everyone else gets to run out first. Above him, the escape sign starts flickering. He looks up at it and frowns, wondering why now of all times it decided to give out. Maybe that’s why this test was happening? To see which emergency lights still worked? Once all of the students are out of the cafeteria, Peter leaves too. When there’s a bit of distance between him and the door, he looks back and notices the light works properly again. ... 3. Thrifted TV It’s been over half a year since Peter has last gone to the thrift store. He’s very excited to get some new-old stuff to tinker with. Ben’s death and him becoming Spider-Man put a damper on his hobbies. He was able to make his goggles and web shooters with the scrap he still had lying around, but now he’s in desperate need of some new-old stuff. The thrift store is creaky and dusty. Exactly the way Peter used to like it. Now everything just tickles his nose. Still, he can’t help the feeling of nostalgia curling around him like a weighted blanket on a cold winter’s day. Peter snakes through the clutter filled paths, keeping an eye out for hidden gems. “Peter Parker!” “Hi, Mister Cheung!” Peter smiles politely at the thrift store owner. “I haven’t seen you in a while. Thought you moved on to another shop.” The old man shuffles away from behind the counter and folds his hands together. “Wouldn’t dare, sir! You’re my go-to for old tech.” Peter glances around a table and picks up a few items to study them up close. “That’s good to hear, boy. What’s your latest project? Anything you need? Maybe I can hook you up with the right stuff!” Mister Cheung grins and excitedly bops his head side to side. “My latest project is- eh…” Peter glances down at his hands, hiding his web shooters a little more in the sleeves of his sweater. “Something for school, actually. Nothing too interesting, to be honest. Do you happen to have an old TV lying around?” “Just one, but yes! Follow me, follow me!” Mister Cheung excitedly makes his way to the back corner of his store. “This ol’ Philips still works!” He pats it proudly, with his flat palm. “Though, I don’t think you need it to work, do you?” “Nah, there’s just one part that I really need, honestly. If you’d rather sell it to someone who-“ Peter takes a step closer and the TV suddenly starts to tick loudly. Mister Cheung takes a startled step away from it and Peter gasps. His yet-to-be-named sixth sense buzzes every part of him, so he quickly jumps towards Mister Cheung, and closer to the TV. It ticks louder and louder, as a warning of something that’s about to happen. Peter shields the shop owner with his body at exactly the right moment. A loud bang thrashes through the store and something hits Peter’s back. When everything seems to be over, Peter steps away from Mister Cheung. “Sir, are you okay?” The corners of the man’s mouth curl down, but he nods. “Are you?” “Something big tapped my back, but I’m fine,” Peter says with an encouraging smile. He turns around to see a large chunk of the TV on the floor behind him. Any regular person would’ve gotten floored by that. He decides not to mention that to Mister Cheung, hoping he doesn’t notice. He looks back at the wreckage again and frowns. He squats next to it and wonders what’s drawing him towards it. Peter rummages around it for a bit and pulls out a specific piece. The CRT. “That what you need?” Mister Cheung asks quietly as he looks around the corner of the store. More items got destroyed in the process. Peter feels bad for him- for what happened. Especially once it finally clicks. CRTs emit low levels of radiation. “Not exactly, but…” He looks back again at the mess that was caused by the explosion. “Let me help you clean up.” ... 4. Wet shoes Peter never dared to dream of being in the Avengers Tower. More specifically, he never dared to dream of being allowed in Tony Stark’s lab. To work with him. On whatever project. Peter didn’t really care what they were going to work on, the invitation in and of itself already had Peter nearly puking with excited anxiety. Right now, he was being guided through the hallways by the hero he looked up to ever since he could remember. “Right, so-“ Tony explain as he carelessly points around the space as he talks. “You’re still too much of a young sprite so we’re not letting you up to the penthouse just yet. You’ve got clearance to most of the labs, though. I trust you know your way around them.” Peter somehow manages to listen both super intently and not at all. He stares straight at the back of Tony’s perfect hair with wide, wonder-filled eyes. “-if that’s alright with you. And then this…” Tony stops walking and gestures at a closed door. “…is where all the magic happens.” If Peter’s grin could grow any wider, it would have. He bounces from his left to his right foot and with an encouraging nod from his mentor, Peter moves to open the door. In Peter’s mind, a bright, inviting light shines upon him and an angel choir sings. This is everything Peter imagined it would be and more. Slowly, he sets one foot in the room, taking in the space and its contents. The desks and holo-table. The little kitchen area in the corner and the robots. Oh, the robots! And the cars on display! And the older Iron Man suits in the other corner! Peter is about ready to throw up for real. He takes another step into the room and then… There’s a loud, insistent alarm blaring through Tony Stark’s workshop and before Peter can turn around to rush out, the door shuts on him. “Woah!” Tony exclaims from the other side. “Kid, that’s the fire alarm! Barn door protocol! Everything’s fine, just don’t be startled when-“ The sprinklers turn on. Peter yelps surprised at the amount of water hitting his body and within seconds he is absolutely soaked. After a minute, the sprinklers stop and the door gets unlocked. The blaring of the fire-alarm is still going. Tony walks in, absolutely confused as to what’s going on and he finds a shivering Peter, hugging himself as all the water drips down his body, making the puddle on the floor even larger. Lucky for Tony, all of his stuff in this room is water proof and the cars were separated by glass. “Fri, was there actually a fire?” “No, sir, the smoke detectors were activated. Something is interfering with its signal.” “Is?” “Yes, sir. Is.” Tony glances at Peter and sniffs once, wondering what made the detector tick when Peter walked in. “Can you source it?” “It’s Peter Parker, sir.” The AI replies dryly. Peter scoffs out loud, causing Tony to look at him surprised. “How sensitive are your detectors?” The teen asks. There’s a slight edge to his tone and Tony doesn’t know what to think of it just yet. “Quite. More than regular ones, at least. Fri, please lower the sensitivity of the detectors.” Almost immediately, the incessant beeping stops. “Are you telling me this happened before?” Tony puts his hands on his hips as he walks towards the kitchen to grab Peter a few towels. “I only learned this a little while ago, but…” Peter sighs and turns. “The spider that bit me was radioactive and ever since that happened some devices respond strangely to me.” His eyebrows raise up to his hairline. “Do your smoke detectors happen to be the kind that have americium-241 in them?” “Well, yes, but-“ Tony interrupts himself, scoffing a laugh when he realizes why Peter asked. “That stuff’s radioactive too.” “Slightly, but yeah. Made an old TV explode, emergency exit signs become faulty when I’m near them, it’s annoying. Did you know ceramics are slightly radioactive? I’ve had old plates snap the second I touched them!” “Fri, give Peter a scan, please.” --- The One Time It Worked In His Favor Bananaddiction It’s been about eight years now and Peter practically lived in Tony’s workshop at this point. They are so in tune they barely have to talk anymore. When they do talk, nobody else can keep up with them Bruce could if he put in the effort, but then, it also takes a lot of effort. So he doesn’t usually join conversations unless the topic genuinely interests him. Peter is now completely comfortable in the workshop and around Tony. His teenage crush on his mentor might be gone, but that doesn’t mean there are no feelings left. They are now more deeply rooted inside him. More solid. Real. It’s no longer as fleeting as the puppy love he felt when he was younger. He was glad his younger self was never stupid enough to act upon his obsession with the older man, but now they are so in sync that if you told a stranger the two tinkerers are married, they would believe you. Unfortunately, Peter is painfully aware the older man would never want him in the way Peter wants Tony. He still calls Peter kid, even though Peter’s well in his twenties now. Everything about Tony’s behaviour screams at Peter that he really is just Tony’s mentee. Nothing more. And that hurts. There’s one obsession Peter still has. His extreme and undeniable love and craving for bananas. Something about it made Peter feel a little self-conscious. So, he only ever eats one in the labs. The others that he eats during the day are incorporated in his breakfast and during late night patrols. Peter never really cared to figure out why bananas are so absolutely, insanely delicious and he doesn’t want any of his now-colleagues to think he’s weird. So, his bananaddiction is a secret. Up until now. “Hey, kid,” Tony says from his seat. He’s bent over some file work as Peter walks into the workshop and tosses his backpack in a corner. “How was uni?” “Boring. Still fourteen classes ahead of everybody else.” “Good for you.” As sarcastic as it may sound, Peter can take it from Tony. He knows Tony is genuinely proud of Peter for performing so well, as it also means Peter gets to spend a lot of time in the workshop that way too. It only takes a split second for Peter’s eye to twitch and his body practically guides him to the fruit bowl in the corner kitchen like a Looney Toons character would float towards a good smelling dish. His lips are pressed together as he stares at the yellow gold in the bowl. Twelve bananas. Twelve wonderful, beautiful, delicious bananas were right there waiting for Peter to devour them. “Noticed you eat bananas literally every day, so I figured I’d indulge. Saves you some money too, since you’re still on a student budget,” Tony huffs, quietly referencing the fact that Peter still doesn’t want to get paid more than necessary for his work. Peter’s eyes are stuck on the bananas as he contemplates how many he should eat with Tony around. Not many. Not three. Maybe not even two. Maybe two? One. Definitely. Peter practically lunges forward as he takes a banana from the bowl and gratefully makes his way to Tony’s desk to have a look at what the older hero is up to. He cocks his head to read the paper. “Still working through the amendments for the Accords?” “World leaders are frustrating people, Parker.” As Tony talks, Peter strips the banana of its peel. He wraps his lips around it instantly and closes his eyes when the familiar taste hits his tongue. His eyes open wide when he realizes he just moaned. Tony’s entire body is tensed up, the ball point pen clenched between his fingers. He doesn’t look at Peter and the young adult silently hopes the man will ignore what just happened. Thankfully, he does. After an hour, the banana bowl already calls to Peter again. Like a siren on the shores or the Dark Side of the Force. The temptation is excruciating and annoyingly distracting. When Peter only had his one banana on him, there were no other bananas left to eat. It was easier to think of other things. Right now, with the other eleven bananas still waiting for Peter to stuff his throat with them, there was no telling when he’d snap. He takes a breath. And another one. He can get through this. He’s strong. He won’t break. He won’t eat another banana. “Pete, this is your fourth banana, are you okay?” Peter’s lips are still wrapped around what’s left of the third banana he didn’t mean to eat. Okay, so maybe he was weak. For bananas, at least. With big eyes, he looks up at Tony, who now stands next to him, from his desk seat. The man’s pupils are dilated and it’s only when Peter realizes what he must look like with his cheeks stuffed with banana and his lips half suckling on the length, that he looks down to see Tony’s very obvious hard-on. Peter scrambles to take the rest of the banana out of his mouth, but unfortunately for him, it makes a wet popping sound, causing Tony to curse under his breath. “I- I weally wike bananas, m-sowwy-“ Tony blinks at Peter. Once. Twice. Something about the shift in his expression makes Peter imagine a little bulb lighting up above Tony’s head. “Potassium.” Peter quickly swallows away the delectable fruit. “Wha-?” “Bananas are radioactive, Pete. You eat them because you- well…” “I vibe with them?” “Yeah, I guess you could put it like that.” Tony takes a step back and scratches his goatee. The man then turns to walk back to his desk. “Just… Just don’t eat too many a day, alright?” Peter swallows again and then nods. “I’ll try,” he replies sheepishly, a lopsided smile plastered on his face. It’s nearing 2AM and Peter is trying really hard not to grab his sixth banana. He already informed Tony that the fifth one would be his last. He can’t go back on that now. He curses his high metabolism, because he is actually hungry. There are a ton of other things in the kitchen to munch on, but his mind and his cravings still gravitate towards the yummy bananas. “Do you want me to get the stuff out of here?” Tony snorts. “You’re obviously not focussed because of them.” Peter sighs and drops himself back against his chair. “Mister Stark, it’s just so good. I can’t explain it.” A sly grin grows on Tony’s face. “Try me. For scientific purposes, of course.” Peter stares at the ceiling. When he opens his mouth to speak, Tony immediately interrupts him again. “Wait-“ Peter sits up straight to watch Tony walk towards the kitchen area. He takes one banana from the batch and tosses it at Peter who easily catches it. The fruit seems to vibrate in Peter’s hand, but that might just be his imagination. Tony grabs a chair and pulls it closer towards Peter, until he sits down right across from him, leaning his elbows on his knees. “I’m really curious how it is for you,” Tony admits. “To me it’s just a banana.” Peter faux gasps. “Just a banana?” He then smirks. “Oh, you wound me.” “Go on, kid, tell me.” Both of them laugh as Peter starts peeling the banana, already infatuated with it again. It’s a long one this time, at least nine inches. “Do you… Do you know that feeling that you get when you haven’t eaten something in a while and then you put something in that taste absolutely divine?” Peter’s mouth salivates as his eyes are still glued to the yellow fruit. “The little orgasm-in-your-mouth kinda feel?” Peter barely notices how Tony’s voice is a little lower. Darker. As a reply, Peter only nods slightly. “Every bite.” “Sounds intense.” “It is.” Peter’s lips part as he brings the length closer to his mouth. He sniffs once. “The smell tickles my nose. And… And the way it sits in my hand, the… The stiffness and the girth of it.” Peter wets his lips, breathing coming out in shorter pants. He can feel Tony’s eyes on him. Studying him intently. The man is slowly inching closer and closer, as if there is only a little bit of oxygen left in the room and it’s right between the two of them. “And then, when I put it in my mouth- when it hits my tongue, I just-“ “You ride a high,” Tony whispers. Peter still stares at the banana, half surprised with his self-control. He would’ve stuffed his face way earlier if he didn’t have Tony’s eyes on him like this. “Feels so good,” Peter mumbles. “Tastes so good.” “What do you do then?” Tony’s voice is so close to him, right next to him. Peter didn’t know when Tony had pulled the chair close enough for him to practically graze his lips past the shell of Peter’s ear. He gasps quietly when Tony’s warm hand finds its resting place on Peter’s thigh. “Like to wrap my lips around it,” Peter answers breathlessly. “Suckle on it.” “Suckle on it.” Tony’s reply doesn’t even sound like a repetition of what Peter said. It sounds like an order. Peter does as told and immediately moans when the fruit hits his tongue again. “That’s it, kid.” A shiver runs down Peter’s spine. Peter can hear Tony’s heartbeat and how it quickens. Can feel how the blood is racing downstairs for the both of them. Was this actually happening? Maybe Tony did want him? Everything that’s happening right now, sure points in that direction. “Keep going further down, Pete…” Tony encourages softly. His other hand makes its way to Peter’s back, gently massaging through his shirt. “Show me how far you can take it.” Peter sucks on the banana, letting his tongue run circles and stripes over the length. His eyes are shut and he pushes further and further until he feels it hit the back of his throat. “Oh,” Tony groans. “Perfect.” The hand on Peter’s back creeps up into his hair and clutches it tight. It starts guiding Peter to bob his head around the fruit and Peter can’t help but grin. Tony wants this. Him. Definitely. Thank you, bananaddiction. “You got a hand left, Pete.” Tony’s soft voice rumbles through Peter’s entire being, making the experience of the banana even better. “Why don’t you have a feel for how hard your nipples are, huh? I can see them through your shirt…” Peter complies, pushing his free hand under his shirt and crawling up until- OH! He moans and rolls his hips in tune with how he rolls the sensitive bud between his fingers. His eyes roll back and he doubles his efforts to feel even better. Peter sighs around the banana as it slowly falls apart on his tongue. It’s even more sublime now that Tony is helping him, steering him, forcing him. “Good boy,” Tony whispers, placing a gentle kiss behind Peter’s ear. The young man’s hips buck involuntarily in their chair but Tony’s hand that’s still on his thigh squeezes to keep him in place. Peter gasps at the pull at his hair and the hand moves to cup his balls through his jeans. Every part of Peter is on fire right now. “Nearly there…” Tony is right. Peter’s cock pulses with the need to release. He nearly has all of the banana in his mouth now and it’s not long before his right hand drops the empty peel to the floor. “Now…” Tony whispers. “Swallow.” Peter whimpers and does as told, automatically opening his mouth wide and sticking out his tongue when all of the banana has disappeared into his stomach. “Oh,” Tony coos, taking his hand out of Peter’s hair to push his thumb down on Peter’s tongue. “So beautiful…” Peter has already forgotten how to talk. His mind is swimming with lust. Want. Need. Tony takes back his hand, but Peter doesn’t see it. He still has his eyes closed, after all, relishing in the aftertaste of the banana. A soft whine escapes his lips when the hand that was gently massaging his clothed cock also disappears. However, when Peter half-opens his eyes, his smile immediately returns. In front of him, hard and aching, dripping precum, swaying and twitching, is Tony Stark’s cock. Something he had only imagined up until now as he jerked himself off in bed. Tony’s fingers curl around the shaft and stroke a few times. His other hand finds its way back into Peter’s hair. The man playfully guides Peter to follow his cock left and right. Absentmindedly, Peter opens his mouth, letting his tongue roll out in an attempt to lap at Tony’s dick. Every time just a little too far away to be successful. “Want it, Peter? You want it, don’t you?” Peter nods in Tony’s tight grip. “So hungry for cock, yet you probably don’t even realize…” Peter frowns slightly, unsure of what Tony is aiming for. “When you get off, Petey, do you eat your own cum?” The question takes Peter off guard, but he’s taken back to every single time he was in his bed, mindlessly lapping at his fingers during the afterglow. “Do you?” Peter nods again, smiling dreamily. His half open eyes still follow Tony’s hard cock in front of him. “Every time,” he manages to moan out. “So good…” “Not just addicted to bananas then?” Tony chuckles. “Bet you’re also infatuated with cum. With the taste- the feel of it when it hits your tongue.” Peter gasps, his own cock twitching and leaking in his now way-too-tight pants. “Such a slut for it, aren’t you? I know why…” Peter lets his head be pulled back until he looks Tony straight in the eye. The man grins and licks his lips, inching closer until the tip of his dick rests on Peter’s cheek as a promise that Peter will get what he wants soon enough. Tony grins wickedly. “There’s also potassium in cum, you know?”

[parkersjiggle]

Tony bored at work, and peter right here, looking up at him from his spot between his legs, on his knees under tony's desk and blowjobbing him.

Hey! Hope you don’t mind but I took some creative liberty and made it public blowjobs. It’s my first time writing anything with smut so, hope u like it.

TW: smut, public blowjobs, accidental voyeurism?

———

“Fuck,” Tony sighs, leaning in closer as he grabs Peter’s shoulders and shoves him down on the table in the executive meeting room. His stomach churns with a feeling of arousal and want. “Kid, I know we shouldn’t be doing this in here, but you just look so pretty right now.”

Their bodies are close enough for Tony to feel the heat radiating off of Peter. Tony snaps. He closes the gap between them, kissing Peter harshly. His mouth is hot and soft against his; it’s messy and rough. Just the way Peter likes it. When Peter gasps, Tony licks into his mouth, tasting him, drawing a loud moan from the back of Peter’s throat. Peter’s hands grip at Tony’s hair, pulling him in closer as his tongue pushes against Tony’s.

Tony comes up for air, gasping. Peter’s a little breathless too, pupils blown, lips parted and just the tiniest hint of beard burn on his chin. He takes great pride in the boy’s undoing. If this is the last thing Tony sees, he’s pretty sure he’ll die a happy man.

Tony dips down to kiss peter’s jaw, trailing rough kisses down his neck, scraping his lips and tongue along his throat. He sucks a bruise into the skin above his collarbone and Peter inhales sharply, shuddering. “Please, Mr. Stark, please.” Peter voice cracks over a moan and if it’s not just the hottest thing Tony has ever heard, God.

But as quickly as it started, it all comes to an end when they hear the door creaking open. 10 AM meeting. Pepper. Shit. Why didn’t he lock the door? Tony Stark is so, so, so screwed.

Luckily Peter’s quick reflexes save the day and he manages to hide under the table just in time.

“Tony?” Shit. Tony must look like a disheveled hot mess right now. “What are you doing here already? In fact, what are you doing here at all?” She questioned. “I believe you sent an email yesterday? Something about a meeting discussing the new prototype that I just had to be here for.” He responded casually, clearing his throat. “Yeah I did, but you never listen to me and now you’re not only here, you’re also early. What’s going on?” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“I’ve been such a good boy this week, Pep. I truly don’t deserve this suspicion. You want me here and then when I show up and do as I’m told you start doubting me? Make up your mind, woman.” Tony playfully rolled his eyes. Pepper looked a little guilty for distrusting him. “Alright then, the rest of the board will be here any second. Sit down while I get you some water. You look like you need it.”

Tony sat down and when Pepper had her back turned, he quickly shot Peter a warning look that said “behave or else.” However, the smug smirk that masked Peter’s face predicted nothing but mischief.

-

“Mr. Stark, I’m so glad you could grace us with your presence.” One of the boardmen said. What was his name again? David? Dennis? Dumbass? It didn’t matter. He seemed a little surprised, as if he didn’t expect Tony to be here. Well, who could really blame him.

“Uhu, I’ve got places to be, people to do so can we speed this up maybe?” He responded with a wink. Pepper just looks at him, with that arch in her brow raised in a way that signifies annoyance... he got that look a lot.

He really really tries to pay attention, but when nimble fingers fumble with Tony’s belt buckle, undoing it surprisingly quickly and hands slowly start to palm the growing bulge in Tony’s pants, his mind goes blank.

Hands immediately turn to the front of Tony’s slacks, tugging at the zipper. Suddenly he feels a warm mouth at the bulge in his briefs. Tony feels his cock twitch. “Jesus,” he says on exhale and everyone turns his attention to him. He manages to recover from his slip as quickly as his hazed mind allows him; “Why are we going on and on about the hardware and software integration? Move on to the next topic, we get it.” It’s not like they weren’t used to him being snarky, it’s all Peter’s fault anyway.

Peter takes his cock out and Tony gets sidetracked by the feeling of cool air hitting his aching cock. And then, fuck, Peter leans forward and softly kisses the tip. He knows he’s doomed, that all semblance of coherent thoughts are long gone. Peter knew just how to touch him, how to pleasure him. They’ve been together long enough to know what makes the other tick, what makes them fall apart into a pleading and trembling mess. Tony puts all his effort into maintaining a stoic expression.

Peter laps at the head of Tony’s cock once it’s pressed against his lips, digging his tongue into the slit just to hear Tony’s breath hitch. Peter pulls his own cock out of his boxers, squeezing it. It’s making a mess in his lap. His mouth stretches around Tony’s cock, sinking lower slowly. His hand, still wet from his own leaking mess, wraps around the part he can’t quite reach, stroking him into his mouth. Tony’s fingers curl around the table and he’s having a really hard time keeping his breath under control and his hands to himself.

Tony couldn’t help it; he let out what seemed like a painful moan when Peter’s tongue was doing something very interesting to the underside of his cock.

Pepper actually had the decency to look worriedly at him “Tony? Are you alright? Are you sick?” He swallows “Yeah actually I think I might be coming down with something. You know what? Meeting adjourned. See you all tomorrow. There’s the door” he waved in the direction of the door. “Leave.”

“But, sir, this is very crucial. We must-“ the boardmen quickly got interrupted “Dismissed.” He gave the man a cruel state that clearly stated “I’m the boss here.”

The second everyone left, Tony yanked Peter from underneath the desk by his hair, not entirely unpainful.

“Up on all fours, slut” Tony demands as he quickly unbuttons his dress shirt, cocking bobbing in the air. He’s dizzy with need, and his lips move of their own accord “You know Daddy’s gonna have to punish you for being such a bad needy boy, right?”

“Please, punish me Daddy.”

[writeroutoftime]

la la land - chapter one

pairing: steve rogers x reader 

summary: as a struggling actress in the big city, you aren’t sure how you are going to get your big break. similarly, starving artist, steve rogers, doesn’t know how to move on after a deal gone wrong. what happens when the two of you meet and learn more about yourselves, love, and the power of dreams than you ever thought possible? 

warnings: none 

word: 2058

a/n: oh my goodness, I am so excited to final be posting this story!! yes, I know you’re probably think - another series rita, really? but yes, another series!! so, this was actually for @marvelcapsicle​‘s writing challenge, and not only is it overdue, but beth has actually decided to step away from tumblr. however, I still wanted to write this story, and I hope you are excited to read it. the story will follow the general plot of la la land, but I will take some liberties here and there. anyway, please enjoy the first chapter and have a fabulous day! 

There are some lines of dialogue taken from the La La Land script and some song lyrics that inspire dialogue. I do not own anything from La La Land or Marvel, this is purely for creative enjoyment.

oOoOo

New York City. The big apple. The city that never sleeps. A city full of dreamers and a mesh of everything imaginable. Thousands flock to New York every year in hopes of achieving the impossible, pinning down that dream that makes their life worthwhile. It doesn’t matter if they are destined to be starving artists, each day brings a new sun and new opportunities, and no one can tell those dreamers otherwise.

The subway car rattled and whistled as you held onto the standing rail for support, your other hand gripped a rumpled sheet of paper. Eyes closed, you mouthed the words that had been memorized for days, playing the scene over and over in your mind. To any observe you looked ludicrous, but the only thought you could care about was getting that one line right.

“Damn it.” you mumbled when you looked down at your script to see that you had flipped two sentences.

Completely engrossed in your own world, you didn’t notice that the subway train had stopped, nor the tall man that stood before you impatiently tapping his foot and glaring daggers at you. With a scoff, you stepped by so that he was able to squeeze through the doors right before they closed with a ‘whoosh,’ though you didn’t miss the subtle finger he gave you. Some people were just assholes.

However, the man was pushed out of your mind a moment later when you realized, as the train began to move again, that you had missed your stop. Panic consumed you and one glance at your phone told you that you were already pushing making it to your audition on time. Jittery for the next few minutes, you ran out of the subway car as soon as the doors opened at the next stop and bolted up the stairs onto the busy, New York sidewalks.

Dodging against the flow of pedestrian, left and right, you saw that you only had minutes to make it to the theater on time. With your mind focused on the destination, you didn’t see the woman with a tray of iced coffees headed your way until they were spilled down the front of your white shirt. There wasn’t anything that could be done, and you ran away shouting an apology over your shoulder, speeding up when you saw the theater in sight.

Slightly sweaty, out of breath, and with a stained shirt, you shrugged the cardigan you had shoved into your purse on and handed your headshot and resume to the assistant collecting them in the lobby. He gave you an unimpressed looked at your tardiness, but still lead you back to the waiting room where other actresses sat for their turn to impress the higher-ups.

When you walked in the room there was a table full of producers and directors absorbed in their phones, fingers flurrying across their screens, not even given you a second glance. Once you cleared your throat, one of them looked up and nudged the others around her to signal that there was another ‘wannabe’ actress in the room. With a deep breath, you started the scene you had been practicing for days.

“And I swear to God, she was wrecked. It was pure lunacy. Oh God, I know…” you began the scene you knew by heart, phone up to your ear in faux conversation. “No, no, Turner’s fine. So, you- are you waiting ‘til Denver to tell her?” you recited, your smile tightening up as you let your character’s emotions begin to take over, though the fear that ran through you was 100 percent yours. “No, you’re right. I understand.” you said, tears shining in your eyes. “No, I’m happy for you, I just-“

“One second.” you were suddenly interrupted by one of the casting directors as he motioned for another figure to join the room.

As you stood vulnerable before these strangers, they had the audacity to treat you like a movie they could simply press pause on when it was time to place their dinner order. Holding your fake, and soon to be very real tears, you watched as the exchange took place before someone noticed you were still there.

“Uh, thank you.” the one director interrupted. “We’ve heard enough.” she told you and gestured for the door.

“Um, o-okay.” you mumbled with an incredulous look and tried to exit with what little pride you could muster. Out in the waiting room, you saw a handful of other women that looked exactly like you, and you sighed as you shrugged off your jacket, not caring if everyone saw your coffee stained top. No matter how much you practiced or how confident you felt, there was always another actress ready to one-up you, or an assistant ready to interrupt your audition.

Another subway ride later and you made it back to your apartment, kicking off your shoes before you flopped dramatically onto your bed. It had been such a long day between waitressing and another failed audition, that in that moment the only thing that sounded appealing was a hot shower. However, once you stepped out of the shower, it wasn’t long before your roommates barged into the bathroom door, disrupting your pity party.

“Where’s the sauna?” Nat asked with a laugh as she opened the door to the steamed-up bathroom.

“I was trying to give you a dramatic entrance.” you told her over your shoulder on the way back to your room.

On the way there, you ran into Wanda who gave you a hopeful smile. “How’d the audition go, y/n?” The grimace you gave her was all she and Natasha needed to know as they shared a look. “Well you are coming to the party tonight, right?” Wanda asked as you closed your bedroom door.

“I’m not going.” you called out, wincing slightly at their shrieks of protest.

The two rushed to your door and pounded furiously until you emerged, now donned in sweats and a sleep shirt, ready to spend the night with your latest Netflix binge. That was, until Natasha and Wanda cornered you in your own room, grilling you about the party.

“Come on it’s going to be so much fun. A party thrown by Tony Stark and we’re invited!  Besides, when else are we going to see New York’s finest all in one room?” Wanda teased as Natasha looked through your wardrobe.

“I don’t want to go.” you repeated. “It’s just gonna be full of social climbers and I don’t feel like ass kissing all night.”

“But you have the perfect dress.” Nat teased as she pulled out a dress that had sat in the back of your closet for months, never having the right time to where it. “You’ve got the invitation.” she told you.

“You’ve got the right address.” Wanda chimed in, and the two pulled you up from the bed, the dress pressed up against your frame.

“Come on, y/n. Someone in the crowd could be the one you need to know. What do you have to lose?” Nat pressed. “Directors and producers galore, looking for you to star in their next show.” she said as she framed the scene dramatically.

“I think I’ll stay behind.” you told them with a shrug and pushed your roommates out so they could get ready.  

Only a few minutes later you heard Nat and Wanda call out a goodbye quickly followed by the door closing behind them. As the silence of your apartment surrounded you, the thoughts began to swirl in your head. Yes, the audition today didn’t go as planned, but when had that stopped you in the past. Maybe the perfect part was waiting for you at that party. With a new sense of determination, you threw the dress and some heels on and rushed to catch up with your friends.

Nat and Wanda heard the clack of heels behind them and stopped to watch you approach. “Get it, girl!” Nat cheered as they gave you a moment to show off your dress before the three of you linked arms and pranced towards Tony Stark’s apartment complex.

Travelling through the city surrounded you with bright lights, neon signs, and an atmosphere that made anything feel possible. The party was in full swing when the three of you stepped out of the elevator, and you weren’t sure where to look first between the decadent decorations and glamorous people. Wanda quickly dragged you to the bar to grab a drink, but it wasn’t long until you found yourself separated.

While you tried to keep an optimistic attitude, the longer you were around these people, the faster the walls of silver and gold that had been built up in your mind began to deteriorate.  Instead of New York’s finest in the room, you saw sleazy, cheating elites, and when you wouldn’t give them what they wanted, they were quick to move on to their next, potential victim.

Finding the bathroom, you stepped away from the noise and chaos and reveled in the cooler, silent air for a few minutes. Clenching the porcelain sink, you stared in the mirror and wondered what you were doing there? Did you really expect to just be offered at a part by going to a party? You scoffed at the notion, knowing that out in the party, there were so many that shined brighter than you, and you were just another crowd chaser.

When would this end, and could you truly find what you were looking for in New York City? As a young girl, the city seemed so magical and full of hope. It was like a flame and you were the foolish moth who had packed up from the only home you’d ever known and tried to create a whole new life. But, just maybe, this wasn’t the city for you, maybe the flame had burned you too many times. There just had to be a place where you’d find you who were going to be.

It wasn’t long until you tried to find Wanda and Natasha to let them know you were going to leave. While they offered to leave with you, you knew they were enjoying themselves and didn’t want to ruin that. Instead, you grabbed your phone to call an Uber, but groaned when you saw no available drivers were near you for at least another twenty minutes. Deciding the subway would be quicker, and cheaper, you began to walk towards the closest station.

On your way there, you noticed a class or gathering of some sort going on under some tents in the park off to your side, but it was the art that lined the entrance to the class that caught your attention. The sign advertised one of those classes where people paid to paint along with the instructor to feel like an artist for the night. However, the examples displayed held so much more depth and detail than your typical skyline of New York. Whoever had painted these was wasting their time with these classes and deserved to be in a museum. Each one looked like it had taken ages and it was in a style you weren’t really familiar with, but one that sparked something warm and inviting within you.

Glancing up, you watched a tall, blonde man, hunched over his easel as he was sucked into the moment and threw colors across the canvas. While you couldn’t see the picture, you guessed it was just as wonderful as the others, and the way his eyes were slanted in concentration made you smile. Even when a man, who you assumed to be his boss for the evening, approached the artist and began to scold him, you couldn’t look away. When you looked at his art, you felt something, and you needed to let him know.  

The two of you locked eyes from across the way, and you felt your body bring you closer to him. As soon as he was in earshot, you were ready to sing his praise. “I just saw your art, and I-“ you began before he bumped into your shoulder as he walked away.

There was a moment of confusion in your mind as you stood there and stared where the man had just so rudely brushed by you, until you scoffed and continued towards the subway.

[companionjones]

A Story from the Avengers’ Tower

Requested by: @xxsilentlunaxx

Request: Hi I was wondering if you could do Loki x reader for me; Surprise me.

Fandoms: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Avengers movies, Thor movies

Pairing: Loki x Reader, Slight!Avengers x Reader

Author’s Note: The requester gave me creative liberties, so I decided to write a fic based on the era of Tumblr right after the first Avengers movie came out. If you’re familiar with Avengers fics during that time, you’ll hopefully recognize some similarities to them. Feel free to comment as many as you catch. Enjoy.

*******

    It had been several months since you’d joined the Avengers, and living in the Avengers’ Tower was truly a gift. Along with fighting bad guys together, you also closely worked in the lab with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Speaking of the awkward scientist, his big green fried liked you as well.

    As for the other Avengers, you were glad to have Natasha Romanoff as a badass role-model sister. Clint Barton, whenever you could get him out of the air vents, was more than happy to give you lessons on sign language and archery. You loved hearing stories of Steve Rogers’ old life from the man himself. Thor Odinson would often share his secret stash of pop tarts with you while the two of you dished on whatever was going on in his kingdom.

    Most of the time, Thor would complain about his brother. Loki Laufeyson  was different from everyone else in the tower. Yes, he lived in the tower with the rest of you, but only because he was forced to do so. In his past, the green-clad prince had made many wrong decisions. He was being punished for those decisions by living there in the tower where he could be watched by the Avengers. Loki wasn’t very happy about that.

    Loki’s feelings about his stay at the Avengers’ Tower were made apparent to you whenever you interacted with him. It’s not that he was straight out mean to you, Loki actually never really said much to you. Whenever you somehow managed to corner him into a conversation, he would only give you one or two word answers. That’s why you were so surprised that the following events took place.

    One afternoon, you were reading in the common room. You heard footsteps enter. They paused, as if deliberating staying in the room. Then, they continued. Loki settled down on the couch, a few feet away from you. He opened a book of his own.

    After a few minutes of the two of you quietly reading, you closed your book with a sigh. “Hi,” you jabbed, an attempt at a conversation.

    Loki didn’t respond. He turned a page.

    “What book are you reading?”

    You received nothing for an answer.

    “Jeez,” you huffed, leaning against the back of the couch. “You usually give me something to work with...Come on, I’m a nice person. I’m nice to people. If you’re a mellow guy, I can understand that. All I’m asking for is for you to talk to me. Say something, anything...Alright,” you resignedly shrugged, giving up. You got up to leave. “See you around, Loki.”

    That whole paragraph, the prince had been silent. He hadn’t even looked up from his book. That was, until you had almost left the common room. He still didn’t look up from his reading, but he advised, “I’m reading To Kill a Mockingbird.”

    You stopped, and turned around.

    Loki continued, “Atticus Finch is surprisingly respectable for a Midguardian...He is a good man.”

    Smiling, you returned to the couch, and leaned over the back of it. You skimmed over the pages Loki had in front of him. “Atticus was my favorite character, too. I also really liked Mayella.”

    Finally, Loki seemed to have eased into a conversation with you. “Yes, Miss Ewell is very wise for you creatures.”

    “You know what? I’m going to ignore the second part of that, and agree with you.” You couldn’t help it, you broke out into laughter.

    And that’s what started things for Loki. Sure, he had always viewed you as attractive. He also thought you were very sweet. The sweetness actually scared the god away because he didn’t think it was best for him to fall for someone that was actually kind to people, a trait that contradicted his own personality. But there you were, your laughter filling the room, and Loki couldn’t help a genuine smile from breaking out across his features.

    From then on, your friendship with the trickster grew. Your conversations eventually expanded from just literature to the pranks that Loki liked to play on those around him. You should’ve expected that he would soon involve you in the planning and execution of his jokes.

    You also should’ve expected that the two of you would end up together. Actually, the way that the two of you happened started in a completely unexpected way.

    One night, there was a knock on your door. It was Loki. You thought he was there to discuss the next grand prank he wanted to play on someone in the tower (your guess was Tony). Instead, the trickster only waited a few seconds before launching forward and kissing you.

    If you thought Loki was around you a lot before, you had no idea how clingy the god would get, once the two of you were officially together. He never left your side. Most people would find him annoying, but you could never (well, almost never) complain about your Loki. Especially when your boyfriend could transport you wherever you wanted in the nine realms in only a second.

******

Author’s Note: Thank you for reading! Fill up that heart and reblog if you liked it! If you would like to read more, I have more fics on the MCU over on my page, along with other fics on other fandoms. You should go check it out. Also, REQUESTS ARE OPEN. I take requests for one-shots, multi-chapters, headcannons, and preferences. No smut, please. I write for a variety of fandoms. If you’re wondering if I write for a specific fandom, please ask me. Have a nice day, night, or whatever time it is for you.<3

[irarelypostanything]

“Power” in fiction (I finally watched Endgame!)

To everyone who reads this, and everyone in contact with me in any capacity, I want to tell you how extremely grateful I am that you didn’t spoil Endgame.  Seriously.  It’s been so long, and I’ve been holding out until it went up on Amazon because physically going to a theater and watching a movie is too much work.

I’d say that I was satisfied with how it tied up every character arc, for the most part, but I wasn’t satisfied with the overall plot.

Let me see if I can articulate this:

*Spoilers*

So...generally speaking, people liked Endgame.  I liked Endgame.  I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, but I mostly liked it.  It was clear that this was the conclusion we were reaching toward.  Like the other movies, it was good at handling tone shifts.  It was pretty dark in the beginning, as you would expect.  It was a little lighter as it continued on, until it started to raise the stakes and culminate.  For a story with so many characters and so much to do, it did a remarkable job.  How is this possible?

Well, I would argue that it’s possible because they took a bunch of satisfying character arcs, and glued them together with an absurd plot.

......

Okay, so time travel isn’t absurd in and of itself.  A Brief History of Time is a book I read out of obligation, for a college class, and I understood next to none of it...but I do remember it describing the Grandfather Paradox.  There are a few ways around this paradox.  One way is what they established in Lost - you can try to change the past, but then the rest of the events will still happen as they did before.  A more plausible possibility, I think, even though this is all completely hypothetical, is what they did in Endgame.  You can’t really change the past.  You can’t kill Hitler, then come back and see that there was never a second world war.  What does happen is you create a new timeline.  You can’t kill baby Thanos and prevent your friends from ever disappearing, but you can steal stones.

What I find so absurd about the plot isn’t the concept of time travel itself, but the ease in which they perfected it.  This is the first thing Pitch Meeting jumps on.  Tony Stark thinks what they’re trying to do is totally impossible, but then he does dishes one night and then figures the whole thing out.  The plot demands it.

The other thing Pitch Meeting jumps on is the world of possibility this opens up.  Couldn’t they jump in time as many times as they want by continually stealing supplies?  Yeah, basically.  Still, my main complaint is that it happens too fast, which doesn’t really hold as a complaint because the movie was already three hours.

In fact, maybe instead of blaming Endgame for this, I’ll just let them have it, call it a good movie, and then explain why I think the concept of power is interesting in entertainment in general.

I mean, Black Panther was a great movie.  Who cares if it showcases a kind of unexplained element that can seemingly do anything?  Who cares if the real world will probably never have six gems that grant the user infinite power?  There must be a reason gathering items for infinite power is such a common trope.

Power.  And scarcity.

*****

I could write a story about a man who has infinite power.  I could make up gems for him, or just give him superpowers, or give him a mech.  Why don’t people actually write stories this way?  Well they kind of have, and in order to make it interesting there has to be someone to keep the power in check.

This is the idea of scarcity.  Other than One Punch Man, most fictional worlds can only function if power is checked by power.  And certain power is limited.  There are six stones...it wouldn’t be the same if there were another dozen lying around.  They can travel back in time once, at least in the beginning.  They can’t bring people back by altering the past.  By establishing that they can’t bring people back, we’re a lot more invested in the sacrifices and the deaths.

This was supposed to be a 10-minute write and it’s already been 15.  Let me see if I can wrap up.

There’s probably nothing wrong with these power dynamics, I suppose.  Maybe I’ve changed my mind in writing this.  When you’re going to write stories about people who can travel through time and space, who can teleport or snap their fingers to make people disappear...you have a certain amount of creative liberty.  Sometimes there will be holes.  Sometimes you’ll accidentally create too strong a character, then need to make a lame excuse to keep her out until she’s needed.  And some things will just have to fall into place conveniently.

Other movies explore power dynamics in things like starting tech companies, or timing the stock market, or even selling weapons and/or going to war in a more realistic sense.  But The Avengers was never trying to be that kind of world.  Even the Dark Knight trilogy is implausible, but it seems like a much more grounded and serious effort.  Avengers is the fun one, for the most part, even in some of its darkest moments.

But power is interesting, especially in fiction.

[aspiestvmusings]

ENDGAME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS #14

Because the film…went…there…and that is a very controversial topic, and they took some creative liberties, there were several things that left fans asking questions

QUESTION #13: THE LITTLE THINGS...

These are the things that are not inconsistent, but some of the things not explored because of the limited screen time that I  wish would have been explored/shown. But hey... there is always the possibility of a prequel/sequel that looks at these things

1. NEBULA’S LIFE BETWEEN 2018 - 2023

What about Nebula... where was she & what was she doing those 5 years between the two big snaps? (2018 & 2023)

We see that she has become part of the Avengers, and that tells us that she stayed with the Avengers, on Earth, and trained & worked mission with them.

But what about the details? Does she live at the HQ? Did she & Rhodey become BFFs...after their little moment at the Temple of the Stone? Does she hang out with the others outside missions? Does she keep in touch with Tony, his first real father figure...who was a big part of her final stage of personal growth (machine to human) during those weeks stranded in space?

This might be a small question, and maybe more just a fan wish...to see what she was doing in between, but still...

I really hope that even if Tony/others were not in speaking terms, then I imagine Tony did keep in touch with Rhoey (his old friend) & Nebula (his last “adopted” child...with Harley being the first one we know of... from IM3 & Peter being the best known...)

2. TONY’S GENIUS VS EVERYONE ELSE

Also... Thanos, the physically strongest character needed a wizard to make a device that can hold/harness the power of all the stones, yet a mere human Tony made such a device in his own lab...

And...he was able to use the stones & gauntlet (it’s Stark-tech, so of course it protects him & works... this way?) - yes, it did cause great physical damage to him, but he managed to control that energy & take the power...and use the stones. We’ve only seen Thanos & Professor Hulk do that. (and we know Thor can take the power of a whole star...so if he he’d been mentally in the right place, he’d been able to do what Bruce/Hul did, too) Both of them were damaged...badly... after using the stones. 

Tony did basically the same as these physically super-strong beings and he didn’t even falter when he "put on the gauntlet” (yes, I know, it was the Stark tech protecting him, but even so...) he didn’t even flinch. he showed no signs of being in pain. He didn’t screAm in pain (like Hulk did). He didn’t need a minute to get used to the power of the stones. He took the energy surge (that could light up a whole continent!)... like it’s nothing. And he did it all knowing how it ends...and what it costs him. Which makes him as strong physically as the strongest characters in this universe.

What does that tell us about this mere mortal human vs the mad titan?

It is a great contrast & parallel to Thanos. Thanos sacrificed his daughter for the stones & life, Tony sacrificed himself for his daughter. And though the cost might have been high...too high... and it’s sad, but this heroic act finally proved to those (both the fictional people in this fictional universes timeline & the viewers) in doubt that Tony is the hero & and not selfish as many had seen him. It’s a shame it took THIS to happen to finally have everyone see him... this way... but that’s how it is. (re: all the murals, drawings/paintings & shrines in FFH trailers... people finally realizing what they had...even if only after losing the best things they had in that universe)

[sensesdialed-a]

                                          welcome to the panic room - drabble 

words: 3,113

(mentioning @realitite for giving me inspiration for that! i took a bunch of creative liberties but still)

What if the soul stone isn’t as peaceful as everyone may think? Instead, the dimension trillions of unfortunate souls have been transported to with the snap of Thanos’s fingers, is meant to emphasize a single component of one’s soul and emotions. Every person who fades to ash, it means they must face whatever they felt the moment they disintegrated. Peter Parker...he felt fear.

                                                                “I’m sorry.”

A sharp intake of breath, a desperate gasp of air, and Peter’s eyes FLY open. He blinks at a rapid pace- one, two, three, four, five, as black spots dance at the edges of his vision. His hands are shaking, he’s laying down somewhere, WHERE is he? The last thing he remembers is….the last thing he remembers is FADING AWAY. Disintegrating into nothing but ash, layer by layer disappearing and becoming nothing more but dust in the wind, as he stumbled and fell into Tony’s arms, a desperate hold BEGGING to be saved. But it’d been inevitable.

He JOLTS upwards, breathing heavily as his gaze takes in the unfamiliar setting. His eyes dart downwards, STARING at his own body, slowly holding his hands out in front of himself. He turns them slightly, looking over the skin, flesh and bone, whole. He’s...back together. Immediately, Peter is flooded with both CONFUSION and RELIEF. The latter doesn’t last very long. Once his mind is able to process that he isn’t dying anymore, he takes a look around his surroundings, attempting to ignore the ever-present feeling of his heightened senses BUZZING underneath his skin, shuddering with the memory of them being the most intense he’s ever felt.

Examining the area, his lips twitch downwards, unsure where he might be. He feels LOST and ALONE, in some strange dimension with no end in sight. He’s surrounded by black fog, embedded with orange flecks like small embers. His eyes narrow, trying to find...something, he doesn’t quite know what. Life? Something besides endless dark smoke? Peter doesn’t have much TIME to look, though, because the eerie, yet calm silence quickly comes to a HALT.

                            Maybe he should’ve taken advantage of the quiet.

He has NO IDEA what sets them off, but all of a sudden his senses SPIKE, to the exact intensity that they’d been during his disintegration, maybe even WORSE. His face immediately contorts with pain, chest heaving up and down, desperately trying to get air through. What air? Is he breathing in smoke? It’s clouding his lungs, what’s going on? He can feel the stabbing sensation spreading across his skin- it’s as if a weight is PRESSING down on his chest, refusing to leave no matter how hard Peter tries. He can hear something. He doesn’t know WHAT he hears, but he picks up on sound, and as the seconds pass, the noise grows LOUDER and LOUDER. His senses are practically SCREAMING at him, hands lifting upwards to PRESS against his ears. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop. Except it keeps on getting WORSE. He can’t make anything out amidst the noise, only that it’s LOUD.

A bright light suddenly floods his vision, eradicating the previous darkness, and forcing Peter to shut his eyes TIGHT. He wants to try fighting back, wants to be strong, but how can he when he can hardly even think? Ragged breaths enter through his nose, an uncontrollable, pained cry, escaping him. IT’S TOO MUCH. And just when he thinks it’s beginning to calm down, he starts hearing WORDS.

If you’re nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it. No, it can’t be him. “Mr. Stark?” Peter’s voice echoes through the EMPTINESS, his hands still clasped over his ears and eyes shut. But he heard...it CAN’T be him. He can feel a familiar hopelessness overtaking him. It’s...it’s JUST like how he’d felt that day. Broken, empty, WORTHLESS. But he has the suit now, he doesn’t need it to be a hero, he KNOWS this. And yet, the feeling overpowers ALL of that.

While his senses still BUZZ underneath his skin, another voice exits the cluster. I’m sorry, Peter...true, but then again it wasn’t really trying to. CRASH! He suddenly feels a BURST of pain. Not his senses, but something DIFFERENT, a crushing pain pressing down on him. He knows there’s nothing there, he can’t see anything, but he can feel it. It’d been the VULTURE’S voice, and the feeling was exactly like the building dropped on him on Homecoming night. His breathing grows even more panicked, the MEMORY of that night hitting him like a truck. “Please, please, make it STOP! I can’t-I can’t do this, aGH!” He cries out, hoping for anybody to come, his strength lost. But nobody comes. He’s reduced to desperate noises, yelling as he tries to push up against whatever’s holding him down. But how can he get rid of something that ISN’T THERE? It’s too much, too intense, horrible, terrible, frightening, awful, extreme.

                                                        Until...it’s all gone.

The weight suddenly disappears, and as silent seconds pass, no NOISE or LIGHT overloading his system, returning to the calm black fog  (something he’s RELIEVED to see now), he feels his senses begin to die down. Peter’s chest heaves up and down as he takes in heavy breaths- he doesn’t care if they’re ragged, as long as he’s BREATHING again. He sniffs, his entire body shaking vigorously. He wants nothing more than to hug his knees to his chest and forget. At least...it’s over now. Wherever he is may be unfamiliar and lonely, but he’s calming down now. Things are okay.

                                                    He thought too soon.

At that moment, Peter hates his senses. He’s decided then and there that he despises them. He knows it’s just a temporary though, knows how useful they really are, but when they perk up again, he’s filled with the same sense of DREAD. Again, incredibly similar to when he’d been on Titan...almost...eerily similar. What’s going on now? The noises don’t start up, the light doesn’t begin to shine. Instead, he glances down at his fingers, and watches as they slowly begin to CRUMBLE into ash. Dread is heightened by panic, brows furrowing with worry and fear. “No, no, no, no-no-no, not AGAIN.” The same exact FEAR he’d felt while dying, it returns at full force, his chest tight and heavy again. He has no choice but to stare as his body begins to DISAPPEAR. His hands, his arms, his legs. The ashes TRAVEL up his body, accompanied by stabbing pain. “Please, please, I can’t-I don’t wanna-I don’t wanna go. Not again, please not again!”

He doesn’t even know what might happen to him. He’s ALREADY faded, where would he even go? But it’s still TERRIFYING. All that he can manage are soft, quiet whimpers as he shuts his eyes TIGHT, the ashes spreading towards his head until he disappears completely.

Blink. Blink. Blink. His eyes open slowly, throat closed up. What’s happened to him now? He’s...right there? That doesn’t make ANY sense. He just faded into dust AGAIN. How is Peter right where he’d been before? He glances downwards, eyes frantic, and any ashes are NOWHERE to be seen. He can still feel his senses, practically NUMB to the harsh tingling at this point. “What’s-what’s going ON?” He knows he won’t get an answer, but he practically yells it, desperately looking for some sort of solace. Instead, not even seconds later, it happens again. And AGAIN, and AGAIN, and AGAIN. Peter Parker fades to ash OVER and OVER again.

It’s some sort of illusion; he figures it out quickly. Something meant to TWIST his perception, make him believe he’s constantly facing an inevitable end, unable to escape. But even though he knows it’s fake, it doesn’t change the HORRIFYING feeling. It doesn’t change his senses going off each and every time, doesn’t change the pain, doesn’t change the twisting feeling of his insides as he dissolves layer by layer. He loses count of how many times it happens, can hardly process his own fear, his entire body shaking violently as hot tears stream down his face. “Please, please, please, just stop, I can’t-I can’t do this anymore, STOP, please!” It’s all he can do, the words slipping out involuntarily. Ashes fly in front of his vision, fall from his fingertips, and ALL he can do is endure it.

Waiting after he’s back together again, sitting there with the same panicked breathing and frantic gaze, the seconds pass, and he’s...okay. His senses die down significantly, not completely gone, but similar to how they’d been BEFORE all of this. Is it over? Peter lifts his hands, turning them slightly, and once they don’t begin to fade, he’s FLOODED with relief. A deep breath and a sigh, he gets a BREAK. He doesn’t even consider what might come next, only appreciates the time he’s given.

Apparently, wherever he is doesn’t enjoy giving him a break for long. Even during the calm, the eye of the hurricane, he can’t help the lingering fear. His senses DON’T activate this time, staying at the same consistency, a numb buzzing. Instead, everything around him begins to change, the fog warping into a different scene, and all of a sudden there’s a BODY laying on the ground in front of him. His brows furrow with confusion; what’s going on? Pushing himself to his feet, Peter takes a few steps closer, trying to get a look at the body, before his stomach DROPS.

                                                             It’s Uncle Ben.

There’s BLOOD everywhere, a perfect recreation of the moment his uncle had died. Peter feels TRANSPORTED to his fourteen year-old-self, hands beginning to shake furiously, air stuck in his throat and not quite making it to his lungs. He FALLS to his knees, his eyes stinging with tears as they begin to track down his cheeks, a guttural sob escaping. His trembling hand finds Ben’s, lacing their fingers together, crimson liquid staining his palm as he cries. “Ben, Ben, I’m-I’m so sorry, I should’ve saved you, I should’ve DONE SOMETHING!” He chokes out between sobs. A part of him KNOWS this can’t be real, knows it has to be an illusion like the other ones, but he won’t listen to that. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry-”

“Peter…” He opens his eyes, blinking a few times as wet drops slide down his face. Did...did he....that was Ben’s voice. Peter watches in awe, absolutely speechless as Ben stirs, staring into the familiar eyes of his uncle. Something’s off, and he knows it. It isn’t quite right, as if he’s looking into a cracked mirror. “Why…” His uncle speaks again, and Peter TRIES to respond, but nothing comes out. Why? Why what? Why what? Please, tell me!

                                             “Why couldn’t you save me?”

The words HIT him like a truck. It’s everything he’d told himself over and over again, ever since Ben’s death. He’s LIVED with the guilt of never saving Ben for years now, but seeing him right there, hearing him ask Peter that question, it HURTS. Even more than any of the physical pain he’d endured before. This isn’t real, this isn’t real, this isn’t real. Except the consistent reminder is DROWNED OUT by Ben’s voice replaying over and over again in Peter’s head.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, god, I’m SO sorry. It’s my fault, this was all my fault, I should’ve saved you, I should’ve listened. And you’re-you’re DEAD because of ME. I can’t-I should have-I should’ve done something, and-and I lost you, May lost you, and it’s ALL MY FAULT!” His voice is raspy and strained, crying even harder as he WATCHES the light leave Ben’s eyes for the second time. He lets out another broken sob, lifting Ben’s hand to press against his cheek, blood sticking to Peter’s skin. The rest of his body gives out and he falls against Ben’s, arms resting by his head as his uncle’s shirt becomes even more soaked. He stays like that for a while, shaking as GUILT overcomes him. It’s all he can feel.

Ben disappears eventually, the setting around him morphing into something different yet again. Peter is DONE. He’s done with ALL of this. Red eyes, wet cheeks, bloody hands, he CAN’T take any more of this. Hasn’t whatever this dimension is tortured him enough. His hands curl into fists, body tensing. “Why?! What’s the point?! Why is this HAPPENING? Is that all you’ve got? What else are you gonna THROW AT ME?! I’m not doing this anymore!” He yells, unsure who or what he’s yelling at, but screams all the same. He knows it’s hopeless, but he just wants it to STOP. Whatever it is that happens next...he isn’t going to let it break him again, not when he’s already broken enough.

At least, that’s what he thinks, until Ned appears in front of him.  

“Ned?” He blurts out, any ANGER on his face replaced with some strange mixture of worry and relief. It only amplifies his guilt as he realizes he left Ned on the bus, flying off to space and dying there. But this...he still holds onto the SHRED of determination he has to fight against whatever this is. He shakes his head, staring his best friend down. “You’re not real, you aren’t real, none of this-none of this real.”

He wants to keep repeating it, keep saying it until this all can’t get to him anymore, but it’s forgotten the moment Ned lifts his hands, and he can see them begin to fade, just like he had. All knowledge of this being some imaginary fabrication of reality goes OUT the window as Peter rushes forward, gripping Ned’s arms tightly. “Ned, Ned! Hey, buddy, come on, you’ve gotta-you have to stay, you can’t-” He feels tears prick at his eyes again, blurring his vision at the edges.

“Peter? Peter...what’s going on?” Ned’s words ring through his ears and he shakes his head, holding on tighter.

“No, no, Ned, please!” He CAN’T fix this, his heart shattering as his best friend fades to ash in his hands. His hands are covered in it, charred black pieces of...Ned mixing with the blood. He hardly even has TIME to react before he hears another voice behind him.

“Peter?”

He WHIPS around, immediately locking eyes with...May. “No, no, no, no, no, no-not you too!” He hasn’t learnt his lesson, he’s never going to learn. He just can’t process that none of this is real, having gone through too much in this place to be able to TELL what’s real and what isn’t. It messes with his mind, but all he can focus on is his aunt. He can see the disappointment in her eyes, practically feel the pain of her look. He’s failed her, he promised he’d keep safe, instead throwing himself into danger, breaking her heart in the process. And now, he can’t even save her too.

“May, May, please, I can’t-I can’t do this, you’ve gotta stay, c’mon, PLEASE stay.” He begs, tears streaming down his face. He remembers every single time they were there for each other. She was always there. When he was little, bouncing off the walls and wanting to play, taking him in when his parents died, there when he had a nightmare, there for each other when Ben died, she was always THERE. Which is exactly why he feels his heart shatter into a million pieces as her body does the same. He watches her eyes as she fades into nothing, feeling his insides twist with pain and guilt. “May, I’m sorry, I’m sorry May, I couldn’t-“ He couldn’t save her too, more dust decorating his dark red fingertips.

“Kid?”

No, no, no, no, NO. Peter’s entire body is quivering, face soaked with sweat, tears, and blood. He turns around again, and he’s met with exactly what he expected, but the last thing he wants to see. Tony. Seeing his mentor like this is...jarring. He looks exactly like he did on Titan; dirty jacket, cut on his face, a stab wound puncturing his side. But instead of Peter fading to ash, it’s the REVERSE. “Mr. Stark? Mr. Stark, please, don’t-don’t go, not like everybody else, you can’t! I lost them, I-I LOSE everybody, not you too.” But doesn’t he know how this works by now? Wherever he is, it enjoys TOYING with him.

“Please, please, you’re gonna stay-you can’t, you’re IRON MAN, you’re-“ My hero. The inevitable strikes again, and he’s forced to watch his mentor, no, his father figure, fade away right before his eyes. “Mr. Stark, no, no, no, dad,” The word comes out, broken and cracked, just too late- right when he’s nothing more than ashes crumbling to the ground. Peter lets out another fractured sob, dropping to his knees again, kneeling in the broken pieces of the people he loves. He can’t save them. Spider-Man can’t save them. Peter can’t save them.

                               PETER PARKER LOSES EVERYBODY HE LOVES.

                                                        And it terrifies him.

Blood, ashes, sweat, tears. Peter collapses completely, overcome by violent shaking and FEAR. It’s too much, it’s all TOO MUCH. He hugs his knees up to his chest, tucking his head close to them, laying in the dust. He can HARDLY breathe, only repeat the same words over and over again, breaking down right there on the ground. His heart feels crushed, his head pounding, guilt and grief and terror flooding through him. What’s real and what’s fake, he has no idea anymore. Is this all an illusion, or has he just lost EVERYBODY, including himself? He doesn’t know.

He’d give anything to be home. He’d give anything to be back in his apartment, hug his aunt with all his might and head off a school with the promise of a movie marathon later. He’d give anything to see Ned again, to walk through the hallways with him and build LEGOS. He’d give anything to swing around the city, stopping robbers and helping ladies cross the street. He’d give anything to visit the Compound, work with Mr. Stark in the lab and feel worthy when his mentor places a hand on his shoulder and tells him he’s done good.

                                             He wants to go home. But he can’t.

Peter wants to be a hero, but how can he, when he’s right there, sobbing on the ground in an unfamiliar, warped version of reality, every inch of him enduring the worst pain he’s ever experienced, a puppet on this dimension’s strings.

He’s afraid. Peter is afraid and alone. And as if everything is coming full circle, two words make their way out of his incoherent whimpering.

                                                               “I’m sorry.”

[sopherfly]

It Must Have Been the Mistletoe (Winteriron)

A/N: Written for the Winteriron Holiday Exchange for its_inherited. Fluff at the beginning, smut at the end! (If smut isn’t your thing, skip the Epilogue.)

Summary: Tony goes a little overboard with the mistletoe. Bucky can't say that he minds.

Tony's bed was the most comfortable thing Bucky had ever slept on.

Bucky still wasn't quite used to waking up in Tony's room instead of his own. It was too big; Bucky preferred smaller spaces, ones with lower ceilings and fewer windows, even if the blinds gave them as much privacy as Bucky could've wanted. The bedroom carpet was thick, always feeling too luxurious between his toes, and the bathroom’s heated tiles made Bucky feel more like a guest in a hotel than Tony Stark’s - what? Boyfriend? In the three weeks they'd been together, they hadn't quite gotten to that conversation. Not that Bucky minded. Whatever they decided to call it, this thing between them was good. For the first time in a long time, Bucky felt wanted. Needed. Necessary, and not because he was the Winter Soldier. Just because he was Bucky.

Bucky stretched, glancing over at Tony's side of the bed. Empty. Not surprising. Tony rarely slept for more than a few hours at a time, no matter what kind of bad behavior he and Bucky had gotten up to the night before.

“JARVIS? What time is it?”

“The current time is seven-thirty a.m.”

Bucky blinked, shoving a displaced pillow underneath his head. He still had an hour before his run with Steve. He glanced toward the door, wondering if he should go looking for Tony-

And there it was, hanging from the door frame.

Mistletoe.

(Watch out for the break, or continue reading on AO3.)

Bucky couldn't believe he'd forgotten about the mistletoe. It was like a weed growing all over the damn tower. He had counted - since the beginning of December, he'd gotten caught under the mistletoe seventeen times. He had even started a list to keep track of every place he'd found the stupid plant (which, according to several articles he'd read, was actually a parasite). Bucky grabbed his notebook from the bedside table drawer, reaching around for a few seconds before finding a pen. He frowned, reading through what he had so far.

Kitchen doorway.

Entrance hall.

Balcony awning.

Media room.

Quinjet pilot’s seat.

Curtain rod.

Bedroom doorway.

Steve's shield.

Backseat of Tony's car.

Redwing.

Dining room chandelier.

Freezer.

Swimming pool showers.

A couple more notable places to add. Bucky uncapped the pen and scribbled them down.

Elevator. Right. The elevator. Thinking about that still made Bucky’s face heat in embarrassment, not because anyone had caught them, but because Tony had barely touched him and he’d gone off like a rocket.

Ceiling fan. Bucky laughed. That one had been creative, at least, and more than a little entertaining. He and Tony had gotten competitive about it until Sam had turned off the fan and ruined the game.

Tailpipe. He still didn't understand why Tony had wanted to kiss him while he'd been on his back, sweaty and covered with grease, still halfway underneath the damn car.

Dum-E. Oh. Right. Bucky probably owed Dum-E an apology for the not-so-subtle threat of violence. The bot had only been following orders (by holding mistletoe above Bucky’s head and following him around the workshop until Bucky had had just about enough).

That was the last one. Bucky read through the list again in its entirety: kitchen doorway, entrance hall, balcony awning, media room, Quinjet pilot’s seat, curtain rod, bedroom doorway, Steve's shield, backseat of Tony's car, Redwing, dining room chandelier, freezer, swimming pool showers, elevator, ceiling fan, tailpipe, Dum-E.

Bucky shook his head. The list looked like it belonged in CLUE. Tony Stark with the mistletoe in the elevator. That sounded about right.

Of course, Tony still hadn’t admitted to hanging the mistletoe in the first place. He hadn’t admitted to any of it, even though Bucky knew Tony was responsible for all the decorations in the tower. Bucky had to hand it to him - Tony didn’t do anything halfway. Lights in all the windows, holiday music piping in from the sound system, a sixty-foot Christmas tree, not to mention that the kitchen always smelled like cinnamon or pumpkin or peppermint. Bucky had never experienced anything like it, not even before the war. The sheer magnitude of it all was overwhelming.

Bucky didn't hate it. He just didn't quite understand it. “Hey, JARVIS?” he asked, looking up at the ceiling.

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes?”

“Tony's been puttin' up all this mistletoe, hasn't he?”

A long pause. “I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say.”

Bucky snorted, dragging a hand through his hair. That answered that question, then. Sitting up, Bucky crossed his legs under the blanket and leaned forward. What did that mean? Was Bucky supposed to feel flattered? Or was he not giving Tony enough attention?

You oughta just ask him.

Except that asking Tony didn’t guarantee a straight answer. Tony was as stubborn as he was smart. Bucky could ask, but the conversation might get shut down with a breezy, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” No, Bucky would have to come at it a different way.

Bucky chewed on his lip. If Tony was hanging mistletoe, that meant he could catch Tony in the act. Then Tony would have to come clean. That would work, right? All Bucky needed was the right moment.

“Hey JARVIS,” Bucky said, trying not to feel too much like a traitor for conspiring with Tony's AI. “When Tony leaves the room tomorrow mornin’, could you turn on the lights and open the blinds?”

“Of course, Sergeant Barnes. Consider it done.”

“Great. Thanks.” Bucky slid out of bed to stand on the carpet, wiggling his toes. “Oh, and JARVIS?”

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes?”

“I'd appreciate it if Tony didn't know I was onto him.”

Bucky knew it was ridiculous, but for some reason he felt like JARVIS was smiling at him.

“I understand completely.”

~

Bucky woke the next morning to too much movement.

"Stop," Bucky said, even as Tony wriggled out of his grip. He missed the warmth of Tony's body almost instantly, and he rolled onto his side, trying to grab Tony's hand. "Stop," Bucky said again, not entirely faking the sleepy rumble in his voice as he reached out and found only empty mattress. “Stay.”

“Shhh,” Tony replied, leaning over to kiss Bucky’s temple. “It's early. Go back to sleep.”

Bucky growled a little, then nodded, closing his eyes. “’Kay.”

Tony padded quietly out of the room, and Bucky heard the door creak as Tony's footsteps grew distant. Damn it. Tony always left so early. Why did Tony always leave so early?

Bucky frowned. Something about that was important. Tony. Early. Mistletoe. Finally Bucky's mind caught up with his body, and it was a good thing too, because the lights were fading up, the blinds rising to reveal a pink and orange sky.

"Thanks, JARVIS," Bucky whispered, slipping out of bed and pulling on a shirt. Three minutes. He’d give Tony a three minute head start. Hopefully that would be just the right amount of time.

~

Tony hadn't gone far. There were only so many places a person could hang mistletoe, and this - the common room’s stupidly high vaulted ceiling - had been Bucky's first guess.

Game over, Stark. Finally caught you.

The evidence was damning. Iron Man was only holding a single sprig of mistletoe, but an entire basket of the stuff sat up on the ledge by the small windows near the ceiling, just out of reach.

Bucky leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. “So,” he said, smirking at the way the Iron Man froze in place at the sound of his voice. “That’s how you’ve been doin’ it. I was startin’ to wonder.”

Slowly, looking almost sheepish, Iron Man lowered the mistletoe, hiding it behind his back. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” came the metallic reply.

“Sure you don't.” Bucky raised an eyebrow and gestured with a nod of his head. “What's that in your hand?”

There was the sound of a repulsor powering up, then a brief flicker of light. “Nothing,” Tony said, sounding too innocent as he held up empty gauntlets, wiggling robotic fingers.

Bucky laughed, shaking his head. That was one way to destroy the evidence. “C’mon, doll. Take that armor off and come down here.”

The suit took an eternity to descend to Bucky's level, and Bucky watched, eyes trained on the faceplate. Finally the armor peeled away, and Tony stepped down in front of him, flashing an embarrassed smile.

“Hi,” Tony said.

Bucky’s heart clenched with affection. Tony was still wearing his pajamas, the too-long plaid bottoms covering all but his toes.

“Hi,” Bucky replied, reaching out to rest his hands on Tony’s waist. He traced his thumbs over the soft fabric of Tony's shirt, the heat from Tony's body radiating through to his palms. Would he ever get tired of this, of being able to hold and touch whenever he wanted? Bucky didn't think so.

“So," Bucky started, drawing Tony just slightly forward. "You're the one puttin’ up all the mistletoe.”

“Yeah. Guess that's me.”

“How come?”

Tony bit his lip. “I didn't do it the first time, I swear that one was just a fluke. But after that, I… I guess I wanted an excuse to kiss you.”

Bucky smiled a little. “Don’t need an excuse to kiss me, doll.”

“I just…” Tony sighed, looking away. “I didn't want to have to explain myself every time. I didn't want to seem needy.”

“You're allowed to be needy.” Bucky took a step closer, tracing his fingers gently through Tony's hair. “It's nice, bein’ needed. Stevie used to need me, back before the serum, but - I like takin’ care of people. Of you.”

“Yeah?” Tony asked, uncertain and hopeful.  

“Yeah.” Bucky moved his hand slowly, threading his fingers into the hair at the nape of Tony's neck. It was getting longer than Tony usually let it grow, and Bucky got lost for a moment in the softness of the strands.

Tony blinked, his lips parting softly. “So. I have permission to kiss you whenever I want?”

“Whenever you want,” Bucky replied, pressing closer to nuzzle at Tony's temple. Damn, but Tony smelled good. Bucky trailed a slow, deliberate line of kisses down toward Tony's ear, then nipped at the lobe with his teeth; Tony made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a moan, entirely too gratifying.

Bucky took Tony's hand with his metal one, lacing their fingers together. “C’mon, doll. Leave the mistletoe. Let's go back to bed.”

~

Epilogue

“Good morning, sunshine.” Tony stood in the doorway to the bathroom, still dripping wet, a towel wrapped low around his hips. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” Bucky replied from his seat on the edge of the bed, his mouth going dry at the sight. He licked his lips, and that couldn’t have been subtle, but Bucky couldn’t help it. Tony looked good. Tony always looked good. It was a miracle they ever made it out of the bedroom with Tony looking like that.

“There are presents for you downstairs,” Tony said as he crossed slowly toward the bed, “but I was thinking we could celebrate Christmas morning just the two of us first.”

Bucky sat up straighter, swallowing when Tony stepped close to him and nudged his knees apart in order to stand between them.

“What do you think?” Tony traced a thumb over Bucky’s lips, then a finger, smirking when Bucky sucked the digit into his mouth. He released it with a wet pop, licking his lips again.

“Yeah,” Bucky said with a nod. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“Good.” Tony sank to his knees, rubbing his hands over Bucky’s thighs. “Take these off for me?” he asked, tugging gently on the fabric of Bucky’s sweatpants.

Bucky didn’t need to be asked twice. He stood only far enough to pull the sweats down, and then Tony was pressing closer, lips skimming along the inside of Bucky’s thigh.

“Shit,” Bucky gasped, his cock already rock hard. Just looking at Tony shirtless was enough to turn Bucky on, these days. “Tony, you don’t have to - Christ.”

There was no point in arguing, not when Tony had already wrapped his lips around Bucky’s cock. Bucky’s head dropped back, and Tony took Bucky deeper, his tongue tracing the vein before circling experimentally around the head.

“Damn it,” Bucky groaned, muscles tense, determined not to arch forward into Tony’s mouth. “Damn it, Tony - Tony, stop.”

In the evening, Bucky had endurance for days. In the morning, it took Bucky an embarrassingly short amount of time to reach his threshold. He threaded a hand into Tony’s hair and tugged as gently as he could. “Too close, doll, already too close, can't-”

Tony pulled off, a devious look in his eyes. “You and I both know you've got more than one in you.”

Bucky groaned as Tony sucked him down again, taking him even deeper.

“Tony. You're - nng.” Bucky wanted to say that Tony was too damn good at this, but the words didn't make it from his brain to his mouth. How could they when Tony was sucking him off, looking so goddamn beautiful between his legs, tongue sliding along the underside of Bucky’s cock, perfect mouth and throat taking almost all of him? Shit, that was already so good, and then Tony hummed, the vibration traveling all the way down to Bucky’s toes.

Bucky tugged Tony's hair again in warning. “Tony. Please.” Bucky cursed, struggling to stay still.

“You’re holding back,” Tony accused as he pulled away, only a little out of breath. “Don’t.”

Bucky nearly whimpered, and then Tony’s mouth was on him again, hot and wet. The suction was incredible and too much and not enough, and Bucky gave in, fucking into Tony’s mouth with as much restraint as he could muster. Shit. That was - fucking damn it. Bucky was so close-

“Tony - gonna come, gonna-"

Bucky gasped and came hard, both hands tangled in Tony's hair as he pulsed down Tony's throat. Tony swallowed it down, and when Bucky finally opened his eyes, Tony looked up at him with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Ready for more?" Tony asked, standing up slowly.

Bucky shifted back onto the bed, pulling Tony down on top of him. "Ready for you to take that damn towel off."

Bucky yanked the towel away before Tony even had time to react, and then Tony lowered his hips. Yes, there it was, the friction Bucky so desperately needed. Their cocks brushed together, and Tony grinned, reaching down to take them both in hand.

“See,” Tony said with a wicked twist on the upstroke. “You’re already hard.”

“Nobody likes a know-it-all.” Bucky reached up and grabbed the lube from underneath his pillow, slathering it onto his palm, then replaced Tony’s hand with his own. “Let me.”

It took minutes to bring Tony off, and Bucky wasn’t far behind, the second orgasm punching through him hard and hot like gunfire.

“Hmm.” Tony hummed, wiggling his hips in what Bucky assumed was satisfaction before dropping a kiss on Bucky’s mouth. “So, be honest - would saying Merry Christmas right now not be appropriate? Because I really want to say Merry Christmas.”

Bucky laughed, a wry smile spreading across his face. “Go ahead and say it, doll.”

“Okay then. Merry Christmas." Tony's eyes sparkled as he looked meaningfully at the ceiling above their heads.

Bucky followed his gaze. “You gotta be kiddin’ me." He gave Tony an incredulous look. "I thought we were done with the mistletoe.”

Tony laughed, brushing a strand of hair fondly out of Bucky’s face. “Last one. I promise.”

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Bucky said, not objecting when Tony drew him into another languid kiss.

~

[all-theimagines-stuff]

A Genius Idea {Peter Parker x Fem!Reader}

I’m sorry my requests are coming out so slow. I am never home this time a year. Requests are open!

Prompt: @sassybasiliskvenom : So I want a peter parker x reader and the reader is Tony’s daughter! Also if not too triggering the reader is bullied at school and Peter tells Tony who gathers the Avengers and they come to the school and kinda get really mad at the kids after the kids get really excited because ‘oh my gosh the Avengers are here!’ (oooo and can you please mention them referring to her as like their niece when they come to the school?!) Thank you so much!!

A/N: Honestly my favorite thing is Peter falling for Tony’s daughter so this is perfect. And I tried to work the niece thing but it didn’t come out the way you asked but it’s there.

I also took the liberty of putting the Avengers back together so a little disclaimer

Warnings: bullying (very minor), language, cheesy

You sat in the parking lot for 15 minutes. You were still trying to muster up enough courage to walk into school. There was no way you were going to be able to survive the day without one of them coming over and attempting to ruin your life in increasingly creative ways. 

Finally, after 5 more minutes of trying to convince yourself, you walked into school. The day was going well, too well. And gym class was the perfect time to have it ruined. Now gym class was never a horrible class for you until you met the ever famous gym stars. A gym star is someone who may or may not be an athlete who tries super hard to be impressive in gym class. 5th-period gym was not only filled with overachievers but also the two girls that hated you most. Luckily they spent their time away from you today and you could quietly enjoy a game of volleyball on the opposite side of the gym. The side away from the locker rooms. 

You were unaware of their strike until you open your locker. Your gym bag was full and didn’t fit in your locker so you set it to the side. Giving the girls their chance to ruin your day. MJ walked over to you with a wadded up ball of paper towels. 

“You’re gonna need these,” she said once she passed them to you. You stared at her confused until she pointed towards the toilets. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” your voice was too calm. MJ put her hand on your shoulder trying to calm the storm raging inside. Your shoulders slumped and you went to retrieve your clothes. You literally had to wring them out they were so wet and you couldn’t help but feel a tear run down your cheek. 

You made your way to lunch as bravely as you could. First, it had been words, simple insults nothing you were going to let bother you. But it escalated quickly, honestly, you were starting to believe you deserved it. But at the same time what did you do to deserve any of this?

You slid across the bench next to Peter. He looked at you a frown.

“You do know it’s 15 degrees outside?”

“Yeah I’m well aware,” you snapped at him. He looked at you with concern. You opened your bag and pulled out your soaked jeans. 

“Again?” he asked with sadness in his voice. You nodded slowly. Peter gritted his teeth and sat up straight. “I can’t believe you just go on with your life. How can you let them get away with that? You’re (Y/N) Stark for God’s sake!”

“Peter...”

“(Y/N), I am not going to sit here and let them take advantage of you!” Peter stood up and scanned the cafeteria. You just tugged on his shirt, begging him to sit down. He sat down in a huff. You leaned on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around you. 

“It’s ok. I promise,” you said with as much confidence as you could muster. Peter didn’t believe a word but he had a plan.

That evening at the Avenger’s Tower, Peter devised the ultimate plan. He sat down with all of them and explained the situation. Tony was the first to have an outburst.

“And she didn’t tell me!” Tony was pacing. Everyone else looked just as concerned. You were family and they were going to do anything to help. 

“What are we supposed to do? Beat up a bunch of teenage girls?” Natasha asked completely serious. “I’ll do it just tell me who to punch.” Peter shook his head ‘no’, Nat frowned.

“Um, yeah let’s not do that. I was thinking you could just scare them. I know it’s not what you usually do, just do what you do best: protect.”

The next day was great, relatively speaking. You had no idea of Peter’s crazy plan until you pulled into the parking lot that morning. All the Avengers were standing in a pack in front of a crowd of teens. All the kids begging for photos and autographs. Even the people who relentlessly bullied you stood there begging for photos. If only they knew. Sure they knew you were a Stark but they had no idea that you were so close with the others. 

Peter kept walking a huge smile on his face. You, on the other hand, made your way to the crowd. Your dad caught you out of the corner of your eye. Your eyes widen to the size of basketballs. 

‘What are you doing here?’ you mouthed to him. His mask was down but you know he saw you. Kids continued to ask for autographs and photos while Peter walked over to you. Your dad lifted his mask.

“Now you’re probably wondering why we’re all here. Our job as the Avengers is to protect people the evil of the world,” you rolled your eyes, but he kept talking. “Some people here need that protecting from certain evils such as being stuffed in lockers or having their clothes flushed down the toilet. Those who commit such acts will have to deal with us and I really don’t think you want to do that.” Your dad smiled at the girls who had been causing your anguish for the past couple months. They shrunk away, trying to leave unnoticed, while other students looked uncomfortable. Some kids cheered as they watched certain people leave, their guilt apparent. Peter squeezed your hand, you hadn’t even noticed him standing there. He was beaming with happiness and pride.

The Avengers stood and talked with some lingering students. But you began to walk away with Peter still holding your hand.

“Did you plan this?” you asked with a smirk on your lips. 

“I don’t know who planned it but it was definitely the work of a genius.”

“Thank you,” you said quietly. Peter stopped walking and turned to face you.

“You’re very welcome!” he sounded so happy, the pride in his voice evident as well. You leaned in to give him a hug and you rested your head on his shoulder. 

“I love you,” you whispered. But the bell rang and you quickly kissed his cheek. “See you later Peter!”

“See ya- wait what- What was that?! (Y/N)!” he called after you but you were already inside. Peter smiled anyway and whispered to you even though you were already out of sight, “I love you too.”

[givemethatgold]

Beach Day

Pairing: Bucky x Reader Warnings: Being pulled underwater, light drinking Word Count: 2557 A/N: So I’m enjoying writing out memories from my past, taking creative liberties of course, and recreating them as Avengers adventures. They’re not amazingly written, I’d never profess to be a writer. The process is therapeutic for me, so be nice! That being said, I’m always one for improvement, so please leave feedback.  Would you like more details? Go into depth regarding character thoughts? What do you like reading?! I am eventually going to run out of memories worth writing about but don’t want to stop writing. 

Also, I’m in the Caribbean for a week starting today so this seemed like a good story to write out before I leave! Thank you, I love you my Freaky Darlings!

You woke up with a smile.  Not certain why, but you had a feeling that today was going to be amazing.  Not wanting to waste a minute of it, you hopped out of bed and threw on your bright yellow shorts and white tank top; feeling the need to look as sunny as you felt.

Your smile only grew at the sight that greeted you upon entering the kitchen area. Steve was making eggs benedict for breakfast, your uncontested favorite dish.  Bucky and Sam were bickering over the coffee maker, arguing over the merits of flavoured vs. dark roast beans.  Wanda, Clint, and Tony were sitting at the counter, all in varying stages of wakefulness. 

Then Natasha pranced into the room and it was like Christmas had come early, “I can’t find any intel on Hydra, terrorist, or alien activity.  Hell, even the President seems to be taking a day off.” 

You all looked at each other with a gleam in your eyes, knowing what this meant. This was a day off. A break from thanklessly saving the world, from scrutiny, from hero worship and fear. You lived for these days, where you could let loose and get foolish. They were your holidays and today was the first one you’ll have had in 5 months.

Tony rubbed his hands together conspiratorially, “What’ll it be today? Amusement Park?-” at the thought of possible clowns Bucky reflexively cringed but Tony either didn’t notice of pretended not to. “-Catch a movie? Head to a bar and shoot some pool?”

Everyone began yelling their own ideas on how they’d like to spend their time. You heard someone mention cooking classes, a male voice suggesting the mall, even reclusive Wanda was getting swept up in the hype and was pleading with Steve to teach her how to ride his motorcycle.

“How about a day at the beach?” Sam spoke up with his own suggestion, “It was shaping up to be a gorgeous day while I was out on my run earlier.” You all went silent as you mulled the idea over, trying to remember the last time you’d even been. It was at least five or six years ago for you.

“I’ve never had one of those,” Bucky’s eyes had gone soft for a split second but he quickly recovered back to his stoic features, “Not really my thing.”

“Bikinis, babes, beer, sand, sun…yeah sounds lame. You stay here to brood and leave it all for me then.” Sam smirked, always knowing how to push Buck’s buttons.

You knew Bucky better than everyone, even Steve who was still having a hard time separating post-war Bucky from who he was today. You had only ever known Bucky from his time as The Winter Soldier turned Avenger, you could see right through his poor excuse and quietly pulled Tony aside to see if he’d approve of your game plan.

You would have been out of the compound sooner, but it took almost a full half hour to convince Bucky to come.  You knew he hated being in public, the negative attention his presence drew weight heavily on his psyche. Also, the beach usually meant swimming, which usually meant taking off clothes.  For a super soldier with a body like his, you’d think this wouldn’t be an issue but Bucky was extremely self conscious about his bionic arm and the scarring where metal met flesh.

You took a break from playfully begging him to look him in the eye and very seriously remind him that he could trust you. That statement finally got his feet moving and soon everyone was gathering in the hanger.

You were all packed into one of Stark’s private jets. Much to his chagrin you had packed a cooler on board filled with beer and snacks even thought the jet came with a fully loaded bar and kitchen. Everyone’s mood was light and Tony even allowed each of you to help pick the playlist for the 2 hour flight. Taking up this much of the day was a risk you were willing to take if it meant that everyone on the team could relax. Opening a bag of candy, you leaned back in your seat and looked around at the group, smiling at how relaxed everyone was. 

Once you reached your destination you all clambered out of the jet to look around. Tony’s ‘beach house’ on his ‘small’ private island could have held a group twice your size with ease. The villa was surrounded by lush vegetation and you could just make out the sight of the beach behind a break in the trees. 

You and Wanda made eye contact and simultaneously started giggling jumped into each other’s arms. Being friends with Tony could be a paint in the ass but it was worth it for perk like this. The two of you starting running for the beach, leaving the rest of the team to deal with the bags and coolers. 

“Thank youuuuu!” You threw over your shoulder at Sam’s indignant “Hey!” 

You found the perfect spot in the sand, just around a bend in the shoreline and out of site from the house. You could suntan nude here if you felt like it, the idea making you blush. You were startled out of your thoughts by Bucky spreading out your beach blanket and plopping himself down; cracking a beer while shoving licorice into his mouth.

“Hey buster, this is my spot!” you glared halfheartedly, not entirely minding the idea of sharing the blanket with him.

Bucky just laughed through his nose and took great care in wiggling his body around in order to get more comfortable on the sand, making it clear he wasn’t moving (much to your delight).

Before you could take your place next to him Natasha was calling for you from the edge of the water next to the ‘dock’. Tony really needed to work on his underwhelming descriptions...

Natasha and Wanda ran to the end and flawlessly dove into the crystalline water while you opted for the ladder, carefully sliding yourself in. The three of you were floating in the water, enjoying the heat of the sun. Eventually you called for the others to join you, wanting everyone to get the full experience of a beach day. Running down the dock Clint and Sam jumped in and started swimming laps around you as you slowly floated your way farther from shore. The laughter continued as you all joked while swimming.  You and Nat ganging up on Clint, splashing water at him which escalated to him diving under the water and tugging on your feet, making your head slip beneath the water’s surface.

Immediately you starting panicking, thrashing around trying to break his hold on you. He must not know, how could he know, that being underwater was your worst fear. Your mind and body went temporarily blank from shock and fear and you suddenly realized you were sinking. Before the realization could effect you further you felt a cool arm snake around your waist, pulling you up towards the surface. Bucky.

Once your head broke the surface you gasped for air and clung to the body who was holding you almost as tight. A bare chested body. Even in your panicked state you celebrated the fact that he had felt comfortable enough to take his shirt off.

“Y/N!  What happened?  I’m so sorry!” Clint was treading water near you, apologizing profusely, unsure about what he did but feeling terrible regardless.

“It’s okay,” you choked out, coming to your senses, “Just a lingering fear from an accident a long time ago. It’s okay, Clint. It’s okay!” You attempted a smile and a wave of dismissal as Bucky swam, then walked you back to your blanket never letting his grip on you lessen.

He sat down with you on his lap, still in his arms and looked at you with worry. “You sure you’re alright?” he asked, being the one person on the team who knew about the ‘incident’ he knew how badly you could be reacting. 

“Yes, Buck. Thanks,” your heart rate had been back to normal but looking up into his steely blues you felt it spike again. Not wanting to linger on your little freak-out and risk spoiling the day you decided to distract yourself and him, “How-how on earth did you get to me so fast?! I didn’t even realize you could swim with this thing-” knocking on his metal arm “-never mind rescue a damsel in distress!”

“I was watching you,” he admitted with a small blush. “Was already halfway to you when I saw Clint dive under: had a feeling something might happen.”

What had you done in a past life to allow you to have such an amazing person in this one? Bucky was nothing like the obedient war machine the public assumed him to be. After a few seconds you realized you were staring at him and hadn’t responded, crackling tension filled the air.

The sound of your stomach rumbling saved your from acknowledging the moment. Bucky laughed at the loud growl and stood up, slowly allowing your legs down so you could support yourself. He held you close for a beat too long; apparently you weren’t the only one who would miss the close contact. Hmmm... 

The two of you made your way to the patio were Tony had his staff set up a buffet of BBQ’d meats, platters of fresh fruit, and even an ice sculpture of Cap’s shield. That man loved to flirt with the line of propriety. 

Stomach full, Bucky had resumed his former position on your blanket and promptly fallen asleep in the sun. You let him sleep for as long as possible but soon you just couldn’t let the opportunity pass. Stepping as quietly as you could you snuck up to the sleeping beauty clutching a glass in your hands. After a moment of enjoying the peaceful look on his face you let the ice water from your cup drip onto his chest. With a hell he jerked awake and swung his leg out, taking you down in one fell swoop. You couldn’t wipe the smile from your face even though your ass was sore from the harsh landing and your pride was bruised from being taken down so easily by a sleeping man. He glared at you, scooped the few remaining ice cubes off his chest, and made to grab you.

Predicting his actions you shrieked and scrambled backwards in an embarrassingly klutzy crab walk, trying to get away from his retaliation. Not that you stood a chance against the super soldier, but you were enjoying how flirty and carefree this back-and-fort teasing was today. Natasha, the traitor, blocked your path and allowed Bucky to pin you to the sand. You were victorious at least in the ensuing scuffle at getting him to drop the ice cubes, so you shot him a sassy smile and claimed a truce.

He only gave you a closed lipped smile, eye shining with laughter. Your breath halted in your chest when Bucky lowered his head towards you and started nuzzling his way down your neck, a cold stream on your skin following his movements making you gasp.  Pulling his head back up Bucky grinned at you, exposing the chunk of ice he’d hidden in his mouth.  

Well shit. You were so fucking turned on you were rendered speechless.

“So, what happens now?” Bucky asked loud enough so the group could hear but maintained eye contact with you, giving the statement a double meaning.

“Now,” Tony sassed at him, “You start us a fire.” Tossing Bucky a pack of matches then motioning towards the fire pit situated a few yards up from the beach. Soon you were all sitting in a circle, mesmerized by the flames. Marshmallows were passed around along a bottle of Vodka that popped up out of Natasha’s bag.

A few of the guys got up to throw around a football, the scene so stereotypical and normal it hurt your heart knowing that this was a first for a few of them. You began to wonder what life would have been like, had you all managed to stay out of war zones. You knew this line of thought was pointless and that you and Bucky would have existed in different times, so you forced the melancholy aside and just enjoyed the view.

The evening wore on and the eight of you found yourselves splayed over your towels and blanket, watching the dying embers of the fire. Sam began to make jokes and asking everyone who he ‘was supposed to be’. Steve was the only one not finding Sam’s impressions hilarious. Partly because he was the only one sober and partly because they were mostly of him. While everyone was distracted by Sam trying to dig his way out of the hole he had dug, Bucky grabbed your hand and tugged you to your feet.

You two slowly made your way to the dock hand-in-hand, enjoying the intimate moment. You weren’t dating by any stretch of the term but every so often Bucky would pull you close to share a quiet moment or hug you tight after a mission, taking solace in the close proximity of someone he cared about. Although, after the flirtatious events of today, you were wondering if something more concrete was a possibility. The sun was setting across the ocean and the sky was awash in oranges and pinks. You settled yourselves down on the weathered wooden planks and dipped your feet in the warm water. Resting your weight onto your elbows you leaned back to enjoy the painted sky. After a few minutes you realized Bucky was humming a tune, listening harder you could just make out Otis Redding’s Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.

You absentmindedly started singing along, and after faltering slightly once he realized you could hear, Bucky continued to hum and eventually sing along with you.

It was getting dark and the team needed to get back to the compound to prepare for whatever would come tomorrow. You and Bucky jumped up and jogged towards Clint and Wanda who were already packing everything up. Your efforts were slowed because nothing could be put into the jet without Tony inspecting it, making sure all the sand had been dusted off. Finally, after the precocious billionaire was satisfied, you were allowed to board. 

Steve was the only one in their right mind to fly and Sam opted to keep him company as a way of making amends for all the teasing earlier. Tony, Wanda, Nat, and Clint settled themselves in the lounge area.  Music already blasting and amber liquid being poured into glasses.

This left you and Bucky alone in the back of the plane, much to your delight. Buck pulled you down onto to plush couch, settling himself at an angle with his legs stretched out on your side of the floor. So, following his lead, you twisted around too but propped your legs up onto the seat. Bucky grabbed your feet and placed them on his lap, softly massaging the arches with his knuckles. With a smile you closed your eyes and leaned your head back to rest on the arm of the couch, enjoying the feel of his cool metal hand on your sun-heated skin. His hands slowly working their way up your legs were causing goosebumps and you hoped in vain he wouldn’t notice. 

“Hey,” he called to you softly causing you to open your eyes and lift your head to look at him. “Thank you. For today. I know it was you who asked Tony to take us here.  It worked, ya know, being away from the public eye allowed me to relax.  I even forgot about this-” he flexed out his metal arm “-for a while. So, thank you. I owe you.”

While he’d been talking you had sat up and your bodies slowly migrated towards each other until you were mere inches apart.  Glancing down at his mouth, you subconsciously licked your lips and whispered “Well you’d better start making it up to me.”

[aspiestvmusings]

ENDGAME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS #11

Because the film…went…there…and that is a very controversial topic, and they took some creative liberties, there were several things that left fans asking questions

QUESTION #11: TIME TRAVEL RULES & INCONSISTENCY 

This is actually the #1 main question & issue/problem in the film... and like all inconsistencies in the film it’s related to the idea of “time travel”

This is the only big question  and source of trouble (other than “time messing back with them” after they “mess with time” through their time & space hopping stone heist 

If, according to the Ancient One...removing even one stone from its (parallel) timeline puts that timeline in danger & makes it open/vulnerable to threats, then what would removing all the six stones do to a timeline? (Or...was she referring to just the one stone - Time stone & just the one event - the Dr. Strange standalone film event with her little stone speech?) Because she was talking about the stones affecting the timelines, when Tony/Bruce were talking about the jumps doing that. So which was it, MCU? I did not hear the film stating any of this as fact, I saw this as just different characters having different theories about how “time travel” works. 

The borrowed stones were each returned (hopefully...if Steve did his job & didn't make any mistakes...like the team did during the original “time heist”) to their correct moments (the right place in time & space... in each of the alternate timelines created by their visits to the past), then that would automatically fix/heal that timeline - the parallel  timelines created by borrowing the stone would be erased/realigned with the main timeline of that timeline... joining all the split timeline back to one singular one.... OR the issues created by the missing stone would be fixed, while the parallel timelines still co-existed (this depends on how you understand the films explanation. Cause I'm still unsure in which version do the writers believe in)

But... we are forgetting that one timeline exists where there are now no infinity stones. That is the MCU main timeline.....in 2023. Thanos destroyed the infinity stones of that timeline in 2018... a few weeks after his first snap....according to him. And the borrowed stones were returned to their respective timelines, so... it was suggested that the main timeline is now missing all six. And has been for the past 5 years (the time jump time)! But if removing a stone from it’s timeline create unbalance, and the stones (created by the Big Bang) keep the universe in balance, then does the all or nothing rule apply here? Does removing all the stones also restore the balance? 

What keeps the main MCU timeline in balance now... If there is no time, space, reality, soul, mind, & power to hold the universe together, then isn’t the main MCU timeline now in great danger & open to  threats? Or does that not work that way...for the future...just for the past? (removing the stones in the present doesn’t do anything, just removing them from the past does?)

Cause based on the Ancient One’s explanation the maintimeline (the MCU as we know it...since 2008...all the 22 films so far) is now out of balance due to the missing stones + missing their best defender (Tony Stark). Cause... Fury did not even think to call back-up (Carol) until Tony was out of equation.  And the Earth wasn’t protected by a “shield of armour” until Tony was removed from the planet. Which..in away...suggests that he is the ultimate protector and defender of the universe... And now he is out of the equation...completely..after Endgame events. Which makes the Earth & this MCU universe extremely vulnerable. (and this is how Phase 4 will most likely take shape...)

Or if we take Thanos word by word he reduced the stones to atoms, so do they still work...even if “destroyed”? In other words... do the stones still work even if they’re “dusted” (reduced to atoms), therefore still “existing” in the main timeline...even if not existing in their original physical form. Does their power remain & do they do their job...no matter what state they’re in? 

Based on Ancient One’s description the stones are necessary to maintain the time & space flow, which would mean that they do exist in the form of atom “dust”, and they can do their work even in this form... So they do exist. So the temptation does exist...for the next “Thanos”...who wants to use them (they can just have the technology to collect the “dust” & “recreate” the stones or be able to use the “dust” 

That’s the question. 

[aspiestvmusings]

ENDGAME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS #1

Because the film...went...there...and that is a very controversial topic, and they took some creative liberties, there were several things that left fans asking questions...

Basically all of the issue I had... and many have...are related to time travel. well..because... it’s such a controversial topic/theme...

QUESTION #1: OLD!STEVE IN 2023 

If by going back you can’t change your own timeline & your own past (everything that happened in MCU so far happens, including Steve going  into ice & coming back, Tony making that suit in the cave... right until the snap & even all the chaos that follows after... nothing can be “prevented”, but it can be “avenged” (reverted, sort of...after it has already happened)) then how did main timeline Steve going back, and thus creating a new parallels timeline/universe and living his life in there get back to the maintimeline...as Old Steve? 

Did he change his timelines history & take Tony’s time travelling technique back to 1950 with him? Did he somehow merge the two timelines (according to the writers that’s not it - their intention was it to mean that he went to a different timeline, and returned to this one in the end)? Cause it was not specified or really answered within the film. Not clearly anyway.

It was suggested that he did go back to each of the timelines they created. And that he did put the stones back...somehow... and that erased any future threats to those timelines thanks to the stones protecting each of the alternate timelines. 

My hope is that this was a hidden in plain sight end credits scene and “Steve” is the next villain. Wouldn't it be interesting if a character who had been the hero suddenly becomes the villain? Maybe he’s a Skrull in disguise. Maybe... it’s something else... 

And most importantly... how and why did Old!Steve appear NOT on the time travel platform? How is that possible? Or... is this not Steve, but 2012!Loki (who has the space stone... after the team lost it to him), and hence he was able to appear on the bench instead of the platform. Because that isn’t Steve actually. It’s Loki. 

How  did he time-hop back from the alternate timeline he created by going back & living his life (with Peggy?) Sure...as we saw with Tony/Steve 2012 to 1970 jump you don’t need a platform to jump between different years... so they could explain it that way. And since Steve knew exactly when & where (cause remember...what they are doing is space & time hopping, not just time hopping) to return to be there     on the day he went to the “return the stones” mission. I guess he kept the GPS-bracelet and just used it to get back to the original point. 

But...where did he get that shield? Is it the AU!Caps shield? Is it a new one made by that timelines Wakanda people (Shuri?), or by that timelines Stark (Howard or Tony)? And does i even belong to Steve in that other timeline? Maybe him going back to somewhere between 1918 - 1970 and living the life he missed changed things so much that someone else  became CA in that timeline. Maybe Bucky? Maybe Sam? Either way... him taking that shield away from that otehr timeline means that timeline now has either no shield (or that it originally had more than one and he's just taking one away)

Either way... the Old!Cap thing is weird. It’s not so much impossible (cause I understood from past films that the serum just makes himage slower & he didn’t age during the time he was in the ice because he was essentially “frozen”, not because the serum makes him not age..ever), as just strange. And just makes their whole time travel thing...handled not well. It just makes his character not cool (pun  intended! cause hes not cool as ice as he lives his life...somewhere). He comes off selfish...and giving him the happy ending, when some others weren’t given the chance...make shim look bad. 

Sure..it also fits. Because he has not been able to move on... and is still living in the past & haunted by the past. And his interpretation of seeing his picture on 1970 Peggy’s desk is that she, too, was unable to move on. And while it kinda is a soldier finally going home after the fight is over & war won...and hence fitting, then that makes him/them sound really dumb. Did they really think (after the failed attempts with Scott, where they pushed time though him not vice versa) & Tony’s comment that time messes back when you mess with it) that their shenanigans would cause no damage...in their & other timelines? 

Did they not at all consider what their way of “turning back events”, while “not turning back time” will turn out? (the unsnapping will create the same kind of chaos as the snapping did! I LOOK AT THIS IN ANOTHER PART OF THE POST) How can he rest when they’ve won the battle,but not the war. Or rather.. how can he rest when they’ve won this one war, while there are more wars to come? So yeah... while it fits his character..somewhat....it still feels like am easy way out (fairytale ending... because they are doing a DISNEY film, so feel obligated to do fairytale endings?)

HERE IS A VERY HELPFUL DIAGRAM THAT EXPLAINS THE ENDGAME TIME TRAVELLING. 

My own diagram/drawing I did after watching the film is so much messier & not nearly as pretty, hence linking this pretty one made by someone else.  

Think of the ENDGAME TIME TRAVEL as a tree. The main timeline (the 22 films we know and everything that happened in them) is the trunk of the tree. Each time & space visit they made created a new timeline. Think of those as the trees branches. The events up on the point they entered (2018 - Clint’s test run, 2014 - Vormir/Morag, 2013 - Asgard, 2012 - New York, 1970 - NJ “Caps’ Birthplace”, OLD!STEVE UNKNOWN YEAR) remained the same in each timeline. 

But from that point on a new reality exists next to theirs. Where things go differently from that moment they change things (in that timeline). The main timeline does not change... everything keeps happening the way it happened.... in their timeline. Up until the first branch the story goes the same in each timeline (the trunk of the tree)..but then the tree now has 6 branches (or did each change create a new separate timeline... meaning 2012 created more than 1 new branch... etc).