#the way edwin flinches like he's been shocked

[dykeninthdoctor]

“tony getting deaged and rhodey being the only one he trusts/surprised rhodey is still in his life” for @official-impravidus. happy birthday, lexie my love!

“What the fuck happened to him?”

Jim knows his voice is shaking, but it’s better than yelling, better than seeing the teenager in front of him shrink away and curl in on himself, a habit that took years for Jim to coax out of him with gentle words and even gentler touches. Rogers raises his hands in a show of peace–I’m on your side–but it does nothing to quell the anger building in Jim’s throat.

“We don’t know what happened, Rhodey–“

Jim’s fists clench at his sides at the nickname from Rogers’s mouth as Tony–little Tony, tiny Tony, the Tony that used to be his–looks up in shock.

“Rhodey?” he asks breathlessly, hopefully. “You–you’re Rhodey?“

Jim nods, not trusting his voice.

And then his arms are full of a trembling teenager, a trembling teenager that was once his, and his shirt is slowly growing damp from the silent tears Tony cries against his chest.

It’s easier than breathing to hold Tony closer.

He starts carding a hand through Tony’s soft hair, the usual gel that Jim’s become accustomed to absent, and rubs his back with the other hand, humming just soft enough for Tony to pick up the melody and tap it out on his shoulder with light brushes of his fingers.

Rogers stares at them.

Jim doesn’t care, because Tony’s not shaking anymore.

-

He takes Tony to the lab first, because the lab is where his Tony feels safe.

But this Tony looks around with an unreadable expression–almost unreadable, except to Jim.

It’s disbelief. And fear.

“I did this? Not–not Howard?”

It breaks Jim’s heart.

“Yeah, Tones. It was you.”

“Oh,” Tony whispers. “Wicked.”

-

Jim tells him about the future, and Tony listens with wide eyes.

Jim tells him about Tony’s place in the future, and Tony understands with wider ones.

-

It’s not hard to tell Tony about his parents’ death.

It’s the hardest thing in the world to tell Tony about Edwin Jarvis’s.

Tony tries to make JARVIS again, for the first time in his lifetime, and Jim has to stop him, for the fifth time in his lifetime.

Jim holds him while he cries.

-

Tony doesn’t ask about Rogers until two days in, after two days of not leaving Jim’s side, after two days spent in the lab with the bots, his creations, his children.

They’re on the couch in the common living room, watching Star Wars Episode VII, because after Tony had heard there were more than just the original trilogy, he’d begged for a marathon and Jim’s never been able to resist his puppy eyes. Tony’s head is pillowed on his chest, Jim’s nose is resting against the crown of his head, and their arms are around each other. Tony’s watching the movie. Jim’s watching him.

Rogers walks into the room right as Finn and Poe reunite on screen.

Tony tenses. Jim holds him tighter.

“Oh–I didn’t realize you were in here–“ Rogers says. Jim taps a calming pattern against Tony’s back.

“It’s all good, man.”

There’s a beat, a moment of silence as sharp as glass where Rogers’s eyes stay on Tony, and Tony’s eyes don’t leave the screen.

Jim clears his throat and shatters it. Rogers blinks, nods, looks at Tony one more time, and leaves the room.

There’s an explosion on screen.

“How did he find him?” Tony asks, barely a whisper.  

Jim frowns into Tony’s hair. “How did who find him?”

“Howard.”

“No,” Jim says sharply, before he can stop himself. “It wasn’t Howard.”

“Oh.”

“He’s gone, Tones. Rogers wasn’t his find. And Rogers–he’s–“ Jim sighs. “He’s okay.”  

Tony relaxes against his chest.

“Okay, platypus.”

-

The overwhelming feeling of relief, and then guilt, creeps its way into Jim’s heart when Tony still refuses to leave his side, even with his newfound trust in Rogers, and to an extent, the rest of the team.

It takes them a week to figure out how to reverse it, a week for the flowers of relief and weeds of guilt to continue to grow, along with the coiling, painful root of longing, longing for his Tony.  

Tony’s always been perceptive, so when he picks up on it, Jim isn’t surprised.

“You miss him. Me. The other me. Your me.”

“Every you is mine,” Jim says immediately, and means it.

Tony will always be his, and he will always be Tony’s. It’s the way the universe works.

Tony just rolls his eyes. “No shit, Sherlock. But you still miss him. I mean…it’s weird to be in love with a seventeen-year-old when you’re like…fifty.”

Jim drops the casserole dish and spills Momma Robbie’s famous peach cobbler across the kitchen tiles, staining white with yellows and oranges.

“Shit,” he says, because Tony flinched, even if he tried to hide it. “C’mere, Tones.”

“Did I guess wrong?” Tony asks weakly, tucked into Jim’s chest, head under his chin.

They fit together like pieces of a puzzle; or, two puzzles with matching pieces.

“No. No, you really didn’t. You picked up on something my Tony’s been missing for years, though.”

“He doesn’t know you love him?”

“No, he doesn’t know I’m in love with him.”

“Maybe he just doesn’t want to believe it,” Tony whispers softly.

Jim doesn’t know what to say in response.

-

It takes them a week to figure out how to reverse it.

When they do, Tony, Jim’s Tony, stands in front of them, gray at his temples and in his goatee, a lifetime clouding his eyes, but still drowning in Jim’s old MIT hoodie.

“Tones?” he asks weakly.

“Hey, platypus. I think you’ve got something to tell me.”

“I hate you.”

“No, I’m pretty sure it was the opposite,” Tony says, a smirk that looks more like a smile on his face.

And then he’s in Jim’s arms.

His Tony is in his arms.

Jim smiles.

It’s easier than living to kiss Tony breathless.

[thebookwormfairy]

Captain The Retired Police Dog Part 6 (Final)

BookwormFairy: Sorry for taking so long, but I'm here with the final part of Captain the Retired Police Dog. I just wanted to thank everyone who've read, like, reblogged, commented, and wrote their own stuff with Captain. When I first started this I had no idea how big ot would get. I will be doing more stuff with Captain, but this is the end of this story. Thank y'all so much for accepting both me and Captain into the fandom.

-------------------------

The rest of the trip was like a dream for Marinette

Every chance they got Marinette and Damian would spend time with eachother

And after Ace met Captain she would come along on all of their outings as well

Damian would take Marinette every where in Gotham

From the fashion district to the zoo Damian made sure Marinette didn't miss out on anything

They couldn't explain it, but something just clicked with them

It was like they were meant to be

Damian even met Marinette's parents

Kinda

He video chatted with them and was actually invited over during the summer

Which he whole heartedly accepted but warned the bakers that his family might "unexpectedly" show up with him.

Only to be told that they would be more then happy to meet them as well

Basically Damian took up all of Marinette's free time

Though sometimes, much to Damian's annoyance, the other batboys would come and "kidnap" Marinette and Captain and take them back to the manor.

Marinette didn't mind it so much, except when they didn't even wait for her to get back to the hotel

When the class was done touring Luxcorp, Jason rode up on his motorcycle and took Marinette and Captain

Jason picking up Marinette and grabbing Captain's leash: Hey French people I'm taking her and her dog. Bye

Ms. Bustier: Are you okay with that Marinette?

Marinette: Yeah I know him

Ms. Bustier: Okay have fun

Jason was less then impressed with the teacher's response but took the duo anyway

Another time Tim hacked into the schedule and change the bus route to drop Marinette off at Wayne Tower

Then Dick feeling left out did the responsible (and legal) way and called Marinette's parents to get their permission to take Marinette back to the manor.

Damian was not impressed with his brothers

Neither was Bruce

On the outside at least

On the inside he was so happy to see Marinette and Captain again

Captain wasn't sure how to respond to these strange new people in his and his girl's lives

After a couple of days they did grow on him

But he still didn't let Jason pet him

Mostly because Captain found the older boy's attempts hilarious

And his girl seemed to blossom in this new pack

Captain could see that the spark that he brought back into his girl's eye turn into a whole galaxy

She was almost always smiling and laughing now

To top it all off Alix and Kim finally pulled up their big kid briches and tried to reconnect with Marinette

At first Marinette was very weary of them

And Captain out right growled at them

But slowly they were able to earn Marinette's trust back

Not enough to be able to come on Marinette's adventures with her, but enough so that Marinette would seek them out when stuck with the class

And they would seek her out

Not even Lila could bring her down

And she tried

On this trip alone Lila has stolen several of Marinette's projects, tried to get her sent home with no success, has tried to get Captain detained, and has even tried to lock Marinette in several closets throughout the city, but Marinette somehow always got out.

All in all Lila was harmless

Until the last night of the trip when Lila went too far

Damian had tagged along with the class on their finally outing in Gotham

They went to a teens club somewhere near crime alley

Which is why Damian was with them

They made sure to leave the dogs with Alfred so he could take them back to the manor.

The night was going great

Marinette spent the night dancing with Damian, Alix, and Kim

But mostly Damian

Everything was perfect

So of course Lila had to open her big fat mouth

Lila: Oh yeah I've helped super heroes all over the world. I've even helped Batman put away a few rogues.

Villian kid (Edwin) near by: Oh really who?

Lila: You know all the big guys the Riddler, the Penguin, Two-Face,

Edwin: Hm, the Riddler.....

Lila: Yeah he's not so tough.

Lila continue to bad mouth the Riddler as Edwin called his dad to tell him all about this little, french goody goody who helped but him in Jail.

Riddler over the phone: What an interesting development, I wonder if she would like to play a game? *evil laugh*

Marinette slow dancing with Damian: This has been a great night

Damian: I have to agree with you there Angel. *Damian nuzzles Marinette's hair* I don't know what I'm going to do when you leave.

Marinette: I don't either, but I know I never want this to end.

Damian: Even with my annoying brothers

Marinette: Partially because of your annoying brothers. You know I'm an only child, but I always wished I had siblings, so they're like the brothers I never had.

Damian chuckling: don't let them hear you say that. You'll never get rid of them.

Marinette: Who said I would want to. Especially with how close Captain, Ace, and Titus has become. We'll have to fly out to eachother just so they can see eachother again.

Damian smirking: oh most definitely we be terrible pet owners if we didn't

Marinette catching on: You are so right. You'll be coming to Paris during the summer so I guess I'll be coming back to Gotham during the winter.

Damian pulling Marinette closer even though it didn't seem possible: That's not soon enough.

Alix: Hey love birds you do realize that the slow song ended 2 songs ago right?

Damian glared at the pink hair girl as Marinette backed up slightly blushing

Kim: I don't think they did Alix. How cute?

Damian: Yeah yeah let's go get something to drink.

As the small group made their way towards the bar

But before they could reach it chaos erupted in the club

Teenagers were running towards the exit trying to get away from something the group couldn't see

Somehow in the made dash out Marinette was separated from Alix, Kim, and Damian as they got pushed out of the club, but Marinette was pushed further in the club and gets corralled by a group of minions dressed in green

She scanned around the group of teens that were left seeing that all her classmates made it out except for Lila who was standing in the front of the group, but was trying to get behind the frightened teens

Marinette ended up standing next to her facing on of the famous rogues of Gotham the Riddler

Riddler: Hello kitties so sorry to interrupt your night out, but I heard one of you tattletells are the reason I was thrown back in that hellhole we call a prison so I'll give the little pest a chance to step up and we'll play a little game if they win you will all be let go and the pest will die, if they lose, well you all die. Either way that person dies so come on speak up or should I just kill everybody right now.

Lila without a second thought: It was her Marinette!

Marinette: What?!?!

Lila: Yeah it is all her she was the one who was bad mouthing you.

Marinette whispering to Lila: I knew you were mean Lila, but this is just pure evil

Lila smirking at Marinette: Why so shocked Dupen-Cheng? I know you, you wouldn't put innocent lives in danger so there's no way you'll deny it and this way I can get rid of you for good.

Marinette continued to glare at the evil girl as she was pulled up towards the Riddler

Riddler: Well aren't you a little cutie. Is what the loud mouth said true are you to person who helped put me in jail?

Marinette through clenched teeth: Yes

Riddler: Well here's the game goody goody I'm going to tell you a riddle and if you answer correctly we're going to play a game of Russian rullet *Riddler holds up an old revolver* you might get killed, you might not, but if you get on wrong then you get shot with this *Riddler holds up a newer hand gun* instant death. Are you ready?

Marinette trying to hide her fear: Yes

Riddler: Oh what a brave little girl. What is full of holes. But still holds water?

Marinette a little surprised by how easy the riddle was: A spongue

Riddler holding the old gun to Marinette's forehead: Correct

Riddler pulls the trigger as Marinette flinches but only a click is heard

Riddler: Well you live for another riddle. What can you break without picking it up or touching it?

Marinette: A promise

Riddler : Correct again

Riddler repeated the process and got the same result

This process continued for another 10 minutes and both Marinette and the Riddler were starting to get annoyed

Marinette because the riddles were to easy and Riddler because she wasn't dead yet

It should be impossible for her to be still alive

The gun did not have this many rounds

Riddler growling: Okay, Jim and Kate go to the zoo and get eaten by the sea lions but nobody freaks out, why?

Marinette rolling her eyes: Now you just stealing riddles from TheOdd1sout. They're both fish.

As Marinette answers she hears a loud crashing sound

Riddler and his goons look up at the noice and Marinette takes the opportunity to escape

She swiftly pulls Riddler's belt off him causing his pants to fall

She then uses the belt to knock both the guns out of his hands the wrapping the belt around of one of his hands flips over his shoulder grabs his other arm and tie them behind his back using the belt

To add insult to injury she kicks him in the back of his knees bringing him completely down

As Marinette looks up she sees the goons being tied up by Batman and his sidekicks all with shocked looks on their faces

In fact everybody was completely shocked by what Marinette just did

Though unnoticed by her Robin's shocked faced soon turned into a lovesick smile

That's his girl

Batman walking up to Marinette: Good job civilian, we'll take it from here, there are some people waiting outside for you.

Marinette: Thank you Batman

Marinette and the rest of the captured teenagers ran out of the club as soon as possible

They were so busy trying to get away from the trauma they just experienced nobody notice Robin slipping away trying to meet his Angel up front

As Marinette made it out she was bombarded by police officers and camera flashes from reporters

Gordan: Okay boys break it up I'll take this one

Gordon wrapped his arm around the young girl who reminded him of his daughter

Gordon: I know you've been through a lot tonight but can you please tell me what happened?

Marinette nodded her head going over everything that happened including what Lila said to her

Gordon was shocked by what Marinette told him both about how she took down the Riddler and how Lila basically tried to kill her

Gordon: Okay thank you, you go over to your friends while me and my officers gather more information.

Gordon pointed her towards Alix and Kim

As she runs towards her friends she was engulfed in a group hug

Marinette pulling back from the hug: Are you guys okay? You're not hurt are you? Where's Damian? Is he okay?

Kim chuckling: Classic Marinette worrying about others instead of her self

Alix: We're fine Marinette. We got out pretty quickly but we got separated from Damian in the mad rush

Marinette got a worried look on her face as she started twisting around searching for the man she loved

Damian bursting through the crowd: ANGEL!

Marinette running towards Damian: DAMI!

The young lovers ran to eachother embracing eachother in a long hug

Marinette buried her head in his chest letting out a sob as everything caught up with her.

Damian burying his face in her hair: Shh Angel everything's okay now. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you. I should have never let go of you

Marinette sniffling into Damian's chest: It's not your fault Damian you had no control of our separation

Damian: I still should have tried harder to stay with you.

The two stayed together refusing to let eachother go afraid that if they did so the other would be lost

They stood there for 30 minutes just hugging eachother as Kim and Alix joined them trying to cheer Marinette up

Gordon walking up to the small group: Several other people collaborated with your story. Ms. Rossi will be takened to the French embassy to be held until your classes flight back to Paris tomorrow we just need to know if you want to press charges?

Damian angry: Of course she'll want to press charges! That girl tried to have her killed!

Marinette softly: I'll handle this Damian. *Marinette turns around to face Comissioner Gordon with Damian's arms still wrapped around her* I would like to press charges Mr. Gordon this has gone on too long, I would also like to look into getting a restraining order on her.

Gordon: of course, we'll make sure that Paris police force understand what happened and your request.

Marinette: Thank you

Ms. Bustier yelling: Okay everybody time to head back to the hotel.

Gordon: Wait one moment Miss but Ms. Rossi is going to be retained at the French embassy for attempted manslaughter of Ms. Dupen-Cheng

Alya: What? Is that what Marinette told you? You shouldn't listen to her she's nothing but a liar.

Gordon: Actually we're doing that not only on Ms. Dupen-Cheng's testimony of events but several other witnesses who heard and saw Ms. Rossi threaten and admit she was trying to get Marinette killed and we also have video from the security cameras showing the same thing. Boys take her away!

Lila most certainly did not go quietly she was yelling all the way to the police cruiser threatening that as soon as she was back in Paris she will be Akumatize and finish the job that Riddler couldn't

Marinette watched terrified as Lila was taken away knowing very well that she would keep her promise if given the chance

Damian tightened his hold on Marinette trying to comfort her: Dont worry Angel I won't let her do anything to you

Marinette pressed herself to Damian trying to get as much comfort from him as possible.

Ms. Bustier grabbing Marinette's arm: Come on Marinette it's time to go.

Marinette looked over at her classmates seeing the murderous glares directed towards her from some of Lila's more dedicated followers

Marinette: I don't want to go back to the hotel Ms. Bustier

Ms. Bustier sighing: Please don't be difficult Marinette. You've already caused enough trouble tonight just get on the bus before you ruin the night for everybody else

Damian: EXCUSE ME! ARE YOU-

Marinette: I'VE CAUSED ENOUGH PROBLEMS?!?!? ALL I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO IS NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS!! AND IT'S NEVER ENOUGH! WELL I'M TIRED OF BEING YOUR PERFECT EXAMPLE! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PRESSURE THAT PUTS ON MY SHOULDERS! IT'S YOUR JOB TO TEACH YOUR STUDENTS TO BE BETTER PEOPLE NOT MINE! AS SOON AS WE'RE BACK IN PARIS I'M DONE! I'M TRANSFERING FROM YOU CLASS HELL I'M GOING TO TRANSFER TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL IF I CAN BECAUSE I AM SO DONE! I'M DONE WITH THE BULLYING, I'M DONE WITH THE PRESSURE, AND MOST OF ALL I'M DONE WITH YOUR PACIFIST BULLSHIT!

Marinette was huffing from her outburst finally letting everything out after such a long time.

Marinette could her some clapping throughout the crowd but ignored it turning her attention to Damian.

Marinette: Do you mind if I stay at the Manor tonight?

Damian: Of course Marinette let me call Alfred to come get us and I'll escort you to your hotel room so you can gather your stuff

Marinette: Thank you

After a couple of minutes not only did Alfred show up, but so does Tim, Jason, and Dick

All ready to to kick ass and take names of anybody who even dare look at her the wrong way.

When they got to the hotel they surrounded her like a wall blocking her from reporters and classmates

Marinette gathered her stuff as fast as she could thanking herself for being smart and packing ahead of time

Once they got back to the Manor Captain tackled Marinette

Licking and cuddling into her trying to comfort his girl

He couldn't believe he let her be put in so much danger

He should have never let her out of his sight while is such a dangerous city

Captain let out a whimper trying to convey how sorry he was

Marinette: It's okay Captain I'm fine, I'm safe and everything is going to be fine better than before even.

Captain still stayed close to her side

Titus and Ace did also sensing the distress rolling of the girl followed her

As Marinette slipped into the bathroom she was finally able to comfort and thank Tikki for saving her life by using her power to make sure the bullet never got shot

And also promised to slip some cookies to her as soon as she could

After getting a good hug from each of the Wayne's and Marinette grabbing some cookies for Tikki she made her way to her guest room just wanting this night to be over.

When the Batfam was sure Marinette was in for the night they made their way down to the batcave to discuss what happened

Damian: Father if you think I'm going to let Marinette out of my sight after what happened tonight you're crazy

Bruce: Think this through Damian smothering isn't going to make her any safer it's just going to make her resent you.

Jason: I dont like it anymore than you do Demon Spawn but he's right. You can't hover over Marinette her whole life, but we do need to look into what's going on in Paris more.

Dick: You're right Jason, Rossi was saying something about being Akumatized and killing Marinette that can't be good.

Bruce: Your right Dick. So when Damian goes to Paris in a couple of weeks we'll come along and assess the situation and see if we need to step in

Damian: If Marinette gets even a scratch on her I'm going to do more than just step in I'm going to find whoever responsible and dual them to the pain

Tim: Did you just quote Princess Bride

Damian: I watched it with Marinette a couple of days ago

The rest of the batfam: Awwww

Dick, Jason, and Tim giving Brice a weird look

Bruce: Don't judge me

Marinette tried her best to fall asleep that night cuddling up to Captain but she jus couldn't

When the clock showed it was 1am Marinette decided to seek out Damian

Marinette: Captain? *perked up and looked at his girl* Can you please help me find Damian?

Captain jumped off the bed and headed to the door

Before Marinette opened the door she turned towards Tikki

Marinette: Tikki I'm going to go see if I can sleep with Damian do you want to come with or stay here?

Tikki: I'll stay here Marinette. I don't want you stressing about keeping me hidden tonight

Marinette: Okay Tikki good night.

Marinette followed Captain down a couple of doors before they stopped in front of the door

Marinette knocked on the door and after a couple of minutes Damian opened the door looking a little ruffled from sleep

Marinette: Sorry to wake you Damian, but can I please sleep with you tonight

Damian: Of course Angel come on

Damian and Marinette settled into Damian's bed seeming to fit together perfectly as Marinette rested her head on Damian's chest and he wraps his arms around her keeping her close

Captain made himself comfortable next to Titus but also lays across the young couple's legs

The next day Lila was sent on a later flight back the Fance to a town outside of Paris so that she wouldn't be akumatized by Hawkmoth and she can face the consequences of her crimes

Marinette shared a long goodbye with the Wayne's in the airport

They were nice enough to upgrade Marinette's seat to first class and even got Captain a seat so he didn't have to stay in the cargo hold

And as Marinette said her goodbyes to the people who've became her second (or third is you count Jagged, Penny, and Clara) family Captain was saying goodbye to Titus and Ace

Captain: I'm going to miss you guys so much you have become my pack and I wish I could take you with me

Titus: And I wish you could stay, I love you

Titus gave Captain a big lick to the side of his face

Captain: Thanks Titus, I... love you too

Titus: I'm going to cry

Ace giggling: Thanks for that Titus

Ace nuzzling Captain's neck: I love you Captain I wish we can stay together.

Captain nuzzling her back: I wish I could to your my mate and I hate to be away from you for so long, but my girl needs me, but I heard our humans talking and they do plan to visit eachother again so we will be together again. One day permanently I can tell.

As the girl and her dog boarded the plane they may be leaving their loves behind today but it won't be forever

Thanks to this trip Marinette is a stronger person, and Captain learned to be a little softer

As Kim pass he tried to give Captain a pat on the head only for Captain to give him a little growl before he could

Like I said he learned to be a LITTLE softer

Bonus

2 weeks after returning from Paris Marinette recieved a very interesting call from Damian

Damian: Hey Angel weird question but is Captain fixed

Marinette: Oh no, after everything that happened to him it just seemed cruel to do that to him too. Why?

Damian: Because Ace is pregnant Captain is the only one who could be the father

Marinette shocked: What?

Marinette looking at Captain: You little hound dog.

Captain: What?

@felicityroth @northernbluetongue @mystery-5-5 @sidefrienda @tbehartoo @hypnosharkrebeldreamer @sonif50 @t-nikki10 @dawnwave16

[the-hidden-writer]

I’ll Remember You This Way

Chapter 2: 4,379 words Read on AO3! (check reblog for link)

The story of one unsuspecting man named Edwin Jarvis and how his life and legacy are carried throughout the universe.

Edwin Jarvis -> JARVIS -> Vision

Snippets of that legacy include Tony Stark carrying his butler’s words in his heart for his entire life and Wanda Maximoff sensing an unfamiliar presence in Vision’s mind.

Chapter 2: there ain’t a cloud in sight

“Director Carter!”

Peggy is just about to finally leave the facility when the voice calls her name. She’s tired after having spent the past week helping to set up this brand new S.H.I.E.L.D. training programme, so she can’t help but snap when the young agent catches up to her in the hallway leading to the exit. “What?”

The agent flinches, the grip on the file she’s holding tightening, and Peggy feels slightly guilty. Not that she’d let it show.

Whatever courage the agent had must have dissipated. “I… I, um, was wondering if I could ask a question?” She fidgets under Peggy’s glare. “If you aren’t busy!”

“Well I am busy and you’ve already asked a question,” Peggy sighs, “but go ahead.”

Despite being utterly desperate to call it a day, she admires the girl’s enthusiasm and guts to ask her in the first place. Not many of the younger rookies have done so and she deserves a chance that not many other seniors would be willing to give.

The girl smiles nervously before clearing her throat. “I was just thinking about the name of the new division.”

Peggy can’t help but smile as the girl continues, having a knowing feeling to what she is leading up to.

“I just… I like knowing the meaning behind things and I love learning about S.H.I.E.L.D. history and I think I’ve got them all figured out but I’m so stumped on this one!”

Anger gradually receding as if she were washing some dirt off in the shower, Peggy’s smile broadens. “What have you gathered so far?” She asks curiously.

The agent takes a deep breath. Her confidence is visibly returning, presumably due to Peggy’s own change in mood. Her voice even sounds stronger as she begins to talk about a topic that truly interests her.

“It’s a name, right? That’s all I’ve really got. Nothing as obvious as the ‘Daniel Sousa Award for Bravery’-” Peggy’s smile falters slightly- “but it’s not an acronym or anything, so it’s gotta be a name.”

“It is a name, yes.” Peggy affirms, pride seeping into her voice.

“I knew it!” The agent squeals, causing another agent who was in the process of leaving to give her an odd look.

Noticing how this weakens the agent’s confidence again, Peggy tries to reassure her with another question. “Do you have any idea whose name?”

The agent giggles nervously. “I think it has to be personal. I know that some of the buildings are named for personal reasons but they’re all also somehow tied to S.H.I.E.L.D. history too. Or the person has some sort of connection to the purpose of their namesake. I guess it has to be someone called Jarvis that the textbook didn’t mention.”

She pauses and Peggy realises that all her anger has gone now and her smile reflects that, making the agent look at her in confusion. Peggy shakes her head and motions for her to carry on with her theorising ramble.

“…Looking at your reaction, it has to be someone close to you, right?” The agent pauses again, her smile fading. “But that makes no sense…”

“And why is that?” Peggy asks, quirking an eyebrow.

A blush forms on the agent’s cheeks and she looks down in embarrassment. “Because the closest I’ve got is Howard Stark’s butler.”

The silence between them is enough confirmation she needs.

“Wait, what-”

“Have you ever heard of Occam’s Razor?” Peggy interjects, relishing in the flabbergasted look on the agent’s face.

Said agent runs a hand through her blonde hair. “N-No.”

“It’s a philosophical principle.” She provides. “To sum it up, it basically means that the simplest explanation to a problem is most likely the true one.”

The agent’s eyes grow wide. “So-”

"So," Peggy continues, “while I commend you for your dedication to the matter, it seems you had the right answer all along.”

She doesn’t bother to stifle her yawn as she watches the cogs turn in the agent’s head.

“But… why?” She asks eventually. “What does the butler have to do with S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

The exhaustion is starting to sink deep into Peggy’s bones, and she knows that the agent would keep asking questions for as long as she could. So, to prevent herself from passing out on the spot, she knows she has to go home.

“Let’s just say,” she says as she turns to leave with one last knowing smile, “that you shouldn’t underestimate the need for support. Being a butler doesn’t define one’s personality and Mr Jarvis is an extremely fitting namesake for the new support division.”

She walks towards the glass doors (which to her, at this point, look like the gates of Heaven) and judging by the click of her heels being the only sound echoing down the corridor she knows that the agent hasn’t moved. Was it really that shocking that Mr Jarvis was a true ally to S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Actually, the more she thinks about it, she didn’t think there was much to him when she first met him either. He was quick to prove her wrong, though, and somewhere along the way he became her best friend.

And she thinks that the world deserves to know. Rumours be damned.

So just before she is about to exit, she turns back to the stunned agent one last time. “If you want to know more you should pop ‘round to my office some time. I’d be happy to tell you more.”

The agent snaps out of her trance and her face lights up with joy. That’s when it suddenly occurs to Peggy that she’s been too tired to even ask the young agent’s name. “What’s your name, agent?”

“O-Oh, um, Hill, ma’am. Nancy Hill.”

“Well since you seem quite the history buff, Agent Hill, I hope you do come to my office. There is a very special assignment I would like to entrust you with. Goodnight.”

Once she is finally out of the building Peggy feels relief wash over her. It’s been an incredibly long and tiring day but meeting Agent Hill has given her a small ray of hope for the future of S.H.I.E.L.D.

And yes, she knows that writing a new textbook isn’t the most thrilling of assignments, but she has a feeling that she would enjoy the challenge. Either way, someone will have to do it. It’s about time that forgotten names such as Edwin Jarvis, Robert Dooley, Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa got their stories told and the credit they deserve.

~-.-~

God, his head hurts.

Each time he thinks his anger is subsiding, an intrusive thought pokes its way into his mind and rekindles it again. The worst part is he doesn’t have anyone to take his anger out on because he’s the only one to blame.

It’s his fault. He shouldn’t have gone to the Hampers’ dinner party all that time ago. Such a small decision would have saved so many lives! He wouldn’t have met Maria, he wouldn’t have fallen in love with her, he wouldn’t have gotten the poor woman pregnant and have to admit he’s the father.

He takes another swig of the near-empty bottle.

But no, he had to be an idiot and go to the damn party. Not only that, he had to be the stupid womaniser he i- he was, and offer to take her home. And then she’d had the audacity to refuse him- which was a first for him- which made him all the more interested in her. And now he was stuck with upcoming fatherhood without a single clue of what to do.

He has no idea if it’s going to be a boy or a girl- hell, it doesn’t even matter since he’ll screw it up either way. And because the whole world has its eyes on him at all times, everyone will see how much he’s fucking up, too! And then then his entire reputation (which he built up from nothing) will be ruined. His life will be ruined, and so will Maria’s, and so will their unborn child’s.

He moves to take another long drink from his bottle of scotch, but when he realises it’s empty he lets out a low growl.

“Damn it!” He cries, thrusting the bottle across his workshop. It shatters against the wall, and shards of glass drop down like shimmering, deadly rainfall with a soft clinking sound as they hit the floor.

Great. Look, that’s another mess he’s responsible for.

But damn did that feel good.

In a sudden desperate frenzy, his eyes scan the room for any other glass items. In the corner of the workshop, on one of the tables, is a prototype self-charging electric torch. At the moment it doesn’t look like that though, just a mess of bits of circuitry and glass.

Perfect.

He hurries over to pick it up and lob it against the wall. Once again, it shatters and falls to the ground, only this time it's accompanied by sparks as weeks of hard work are destroyed in the process.

Who needs a self-charging torch, anyway? What a stupid idea thought up by a stupid man.

“Sir!”

He races over to the far end of the workshop to pick up a handful of lightbulbs and is just about to throw them when he feels two strong arms wrap around him from behind, pinning his arms to sides.

Jarvis.

“Let go of me!” He shouts, writhing against his butler’s grip. But Jarvis is a lot taller than he is and manages to lift him off the ground.

“Calm..! Down..!” Jarvis says through gritted teeth as he strains to keep his hold on him.

In retaliation to being restrained, Howard drops the bulbs in his hand. They fall and smash on Jarvis’s shoes, causing the man to yelp and let go of him in shock.

“HA!” Howard screams in both hysterics and triumph as he rushes away from Jarvis and plans his next move. Jarvis seems preoccupied with hopping on the spot for some reason and his head is bowed, so he could probably sprint over there and clock him in the jaw without too much of an issue.

So that’s what he does. He rushes toward Jarvis and is about to strike before Jarvis somehow catches both of his wrists and holds them as tight as cuffs.

“Calm down.” He repeats sternly, holding Howard’s arms in such a way that he has no choice but to look up at his butler’s eyes. “You’re drunk, Sir.”

Howard vaguely remembers drinking. There was a bottle, wasn’t there? Oh yeah, there was... that’s what he’d thrown in the first place. But then why is he drunk?

He remembers Maria’s ever-growing baby bump and he lets out a low growl.

“You have no idea-” He begins to snarl, but Jarvis cuts him off.

“Yes, you’re right, I do have no idea.” He says softly but firmly, and Howard can’t help but feel like he’s being told off. “So why don’t you sit down and calmly tell me about it, hm? Rather than destroy months of work?”

That does sound like a sensible idea. It was Jarvis’s idea, of course it would be sensible. Jarvis is a very sensible person.

“Hmm.” He says in reply, and he hears Jarvis let out a small exhale as he releases his hands (damn that man was surprisingly strong) and sits down on one of the workshop’s stools, beckoning Howard to join.

Howard reluctantly obeys. He doesn’t want to be told off by Jarvis again.

“Now,” his butler begins once Howard has sat down, “what’s bothering you?”

The ‘this time’ isn’t said, but Howard knows it’s being strongly implied.

Howard just scoffs and waves him off. “Pshh, you wouldn’t understand, Jarvis. It’s not like you have any kids.”

Something flashes behind Jarvis’s eyes for a brief second, and a sliver of guilt finds its way into Howard’s heart. Not that he can figure out why, and right now he doesn’t really want to.

“Ah.” Is all Jarvis says. “You’re worried about being a father.”

Howard lets out a humorless snort. “Good observation. Do I pay you for that?”

He doesn’t respond to what Howard thinks is a top-quality joke, and instead he lets out a long sigh.

“And what exactly do you have to worry about, Sir?”

See, Jarvis has this voice. This soft, caring, empathetic voice that only comes out when he needs it most. Howard doesn’t know if he puts it on or that’s just what his voice sounds like when heard by drunken ears, but he has this voice that can always soften him, no matter the situation. Granted, sometimes it takes longer to get through to him than other times, but it always does in the end. And, in the end, it usually results in Howard turning into a sobbing mess and spilling his guts to him.

A choked sob crawls its way out of his throat. “I… I just…”

His attempt at trying to explain is cut short when the tears begin to flow freely. Knowing that he is way past any dignity at this point, Howard gives up on talking and decides to try and cry it out.

Jarvis watches but makes no move to comfort him. Because Jarvis knows him, and he knows that he’d rather die than admit that he’s crying or that he needs comforting. And he can trust Jarvis to not mention it in the morning. Still… his butler watches him with worry in his eyes.

After what feels like hours, Howard clears his throat.

“Hey, uh, Jarvis?” He says eventually, his voice slurred. “D’you mind telling me I’m gonna get it right? That… that I’m not gonna fuck it up?” In that voice, he stops himself from adding.

The man sighs. “It won’t be simple, but you’ll pull through, Sir. Your love for Maria and your child won’t let you… mess things up. I have full faith in you. You have people all around you to help.”

Jarvis had been sitting beside him silently the whole time, and Howard knows that without him the entire workshop would be trashed by now. But he feels reassured because Jarvis is a sensible person and if Jarvis says something he’s probably right.

He yawns. “Thanks.”

Suddenly he feels very tired. He closes his eyes, perfectly happy to fall asleep right there on the stool, when firm fingers grab his arm tightly. “Hey-”

“You should go to bed. It’s very late and Mrs Stark must be waiting for you.”

It’s only then does Howard realise that Jarvis has been in his stupid-looking pajamas the whole time. The realisation is so funny that once he lets out an initial snort, he can’t stop laughing, so Jarvis has to half-carry him out of the workshop and back up to his room. That limey bastard had come all the way in his pjs to check on him.

Maria is somehow wide awake when Jarvis opens the door, and she curses quietly before taking him from Jarvis’s care and into her own. He vaguely thinks that Jarvis offers to help but Maria shoos him off.

Howard would much prefer Maria’s hands all over him, anyways.

She tuts at him and leads him to the bathroom, mumbling incoherently. Howard groans in response to whatever the hell she’s saying and she glares at him.

“You’re lucky Mr Jarvis found you. We’re talking about this in the morning.”

This time she speaks more clearly. It hurts his head.

But the words pull through, and all of a sudden he wishes he’ll get assassinated in the middle of the night rather than face his wife in the morning.

~-.-~

Ana knows that she and Edwin both owe their lives to Howard Stark. But that doesn’t mean that they have to spend every hour of every day bending at the knee for him. Yes, without his help she would almost certainly be dead (and Edwin definitely so), but it was done out of kindness. Stark isn’t divine, nor is he a particularly good man anymore.

So why on Earth her dear Edwin is having to leave their bed in the middle of the night to go and help him is beyond her.

It started happening a few months ago, when Mrs Stark’s pregnancy was really starting to show and Mr Stark was getting more and more anxious about it. The only problem is that when Mr Stark gets anxious, he usually turns to alcohol- and that doesn’t end well for anybody. Especially poor Edwin, with the amount of times he’s had to carry a drunken Howard up the stairs and clean up whatever mess he’s made that time.

She keeps on telling him that he should ask one of the other, younger members of the staff to clean it up but Edwin will hear none of it. The excuse he gives is something to do with Mr Stark’s privacy and faith in him, but Ana knows that the real reason is Edwin’s own insecurity and stubborn belief that he must serve Howard Stark until the end of his days to pay off his debt.

And today, even when he is halfway across the world, Edwin still leaves his bed to talk to a drunk Howard Stark on the telephone.

The bedroom door finally opens, and her husband stumbles in. Exhaustion radiates off him but it is nowhere near as much as when he has to physically help his boss. His eyes are alarmingly red and she can spot the wrinkles on his brow which is a worrying sign.

“Is Mr Stark alright?” She asks, trying not to let her voice reveal just how irritated she is at having her husband stolen away from her in the extremely early hours of the morning. She can be grateful to Howard Stark during the day, but at night she just wants a peaceful sleep with Edwin.

Edwin rubs his right eye and sighs. “He’s just had an argument with Maria. She was especially angry, this time and he needed me to calm him down.”

If Ana was slightly irritated before, she could definitely feel burning hot anger bubbling up inside of her now. Howard Stark had no right to ruin their night just because he couldn’t get over himself and his silly pride.

“He needed you?” She asks skeptically.

“Apparently so. Maria was just having a hard time settling into the hotel and decided to take it out on Mr Stark.”

Maria had left the manor earlier than evening to begin the journey to visit her parents and was planning to break up the journey by staying at a hotel overnight somewhere along the way.

Ana wants to know more about the argument and if Maria is alright, but whenever she asks about Mr Stark’s more… personal affairs, Edwin always brushes her off with some excuse about the man’s privacy. And while she respects that, it does rekindle her worries about who her husband prioritises: himself, or Mr Stark.

She pulls back their quilt to allow Edwin to slip back in, which he does with a small smile. Stress is still written all over his face though, and Ana knows that she has to step in or else he won’t get a wink of sleep.

“I still don’t think he needed you.” She says once he’s comfortable beside her. “That man is in his fifties, he doesn’t need you to coddle him.”

Edwin lets out a long sigh and she feels a twinge of guilt for bringing up the subject. But she knows that he will never rest if the issue isn’t resolved.

“He has nobody else to turn to.” Is Edwin’s weak retort.

“Poppycock!” Ana scoffs. “That man has at least a hundred servants, why can’t he bother one of them for once?”

“He-” Noticing that Edwin is about to spout his usual defence, she quickly cups his face to silence him.

“I’m sure he has done favours for some of the others too, dear. You’ve already given your life to him, what more can he want?”

After Ana lowers her hands he immediately shuffles in bed to face her. His eyes are filled with uncertainty and she wishes she could bear all of his burdens on his behalf and share his pain. Maybe then she could see the relaxed man that she hasn’t seen in months.

“He’s also my friend. I’m doing what I would do for any of my friends. And besides, you know that he’s a danger to himself and others, if I don’t step in there could be a disaster. It’s lucky that he decided to call me before doing anything drastic so I could talk him down.”

He’s showing no signs of backing down and though Ana hates that it has come to this, she must be direct and end the conversation here and now.

So she looks him in the eye and says gently: “He’s taking advantage of you, kedvesem. You’re as much of a tool to him as any of his screwdrivers in the workshop, and you’re the only one who can’t see this.”

There’s a heavy silence that fills their dimly-lit bedroom. She watches as the words slowly sink into Edwin, revelation coursing through his veins, and soon his hardened eyes begin to melt away into a sadness that causes her own heart to ache.

“He’s… he’s not.” He whispers at last, and she knows that the words aren’t directed at her. “He… Howard isn’t like that, he wouldn’t…”

He rolls over so that he has his back to her and Ana’s aching heart shatters into a million pieces.

“He’s not the same as he used to be.” She soothes softly, moving to grasp his hand under the covers. “He doesn’t deserve what you give to him, and I think that you and I both need to take a break from him. From both of them.” He doesn’t seem to react when she rubs his back in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Spend some time with just the two of us, hmm?”

Edwin lets out a broken sob.

He is finally realising what she has known for months. Edwin is too trusting and far too willing to give his life in order to serve others, and Howard Stark is an opportunistic man. It was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened.

After turning him back over to her side, she wordlessly wraps his large frame into her significantly smaller arms, stroking his hair as his shoulders shake while he weeps quiet tears into her. It is late, he has been very stressed lately, and he has just had to deal with a very difficult phone call. Her words simply tipped him over the edge into a long-awaited cry.

As he continues to sob, Ana believes she can hear some commotion happening over in Stark Manor. A few seconds later, she can see lights being switched on from her window. She chooses to ignore it though. Whatever is happening, her husband’s grief is much more important.

Once he is all cried out and she has gently wiped the tears away from his eyes, he utters a quiet thanks before moving to rest his head on the pillow and lie flat on his back. Ana moves forward to plant a small kiss on his forehead before doing the same herself.

They lie in silence for a few moments until Edwin speaks up.

"Ana, darling, I don't think I will be able to fall asleep at present."

It is just as she feared. Sitting up, she smiles a little tiredly. "Do you want to go and sit in the living room for a bit? We can plan our little getaway."

Although they are both in desperate need of sleep, they have just had an impromptu heavy conversation and they need to step away from the tension still lingering in the bedroom.

"Yes… I'd like that."

They move into the living room and sit down on their sofa together. She instinctively cuddles up to him and he wraps one arm around her to pull her close.

"So," she begins, the atmosphere around them already a lot lighter, "why don't we go to Scotland? You said you wanted to visit and I have always wanted to see the big hairy cows."

Edwin chuckles and Ana feels accomplished.

"Highland cows aren't exactly majestic beasts, my dear." He says and she pouts playfully. "But I think Scotland sounds like a great idea. I haven't been there in years."

Ana's heart flutters at the image of a young Edwin walking along a dainty Scottish country path in his old uniform, eyes full of wonder. She wonders if she could convince him to recreate that look.

"Well, I guess that's settled then. Scotland it i-"

There's a sharp, frantic knock at the door causing them both to jump. A loud female voice soon follows it.

"Mr Jarvis! Ana! Mr Jarvis, please, it's an emergency!"

Edwin is the first to recover as he rises and rushes to go and pull on his dressing gown before opening the door. Ana peers over his shoulder.

It's Miss Jennifer Bailey, the head maid. She looks panicked but somewhat relieved when Edwin answers the door.

"Mrs Stark's gone into labour," she blurts out, "and she's asked for you both. Get ready and hurry, we need to meet her at the hospital!"

She's running back towards the mansion before either of them can respond. Ana is only able to mutter "Oh my goodness" before Edwin suddenly pushes past her back into the house and into their room.

It's almost frightening how quickly he switches from her loving husband into a dog for the Starks.

Then it hits her that Maria is about to give birth, and she too hurries inside to get changed.

Minutes later, they are appropriately dressed and in the car with a bag of supplies, and Edwin is driving through the gates of the property with Miss Bailey sitting in the backseat.

So much for their break from the Starks.

[shadowdianne]

Half of it: Reunion

Welp. I threw this one in just 40 minutes the day I watched the movie. Didn’t proof-read it much afterwards and I merely thought on sending it to the roomie -narrows eyes at the Tumblr darkness: M, give me your Tumblr pretty pls.- But I guess... why not sharing it here xD

Attention: Not many spoilers or plot points discussed aside from, you know, the obvious. At any case proceed with caution if you haven’t watched it yet.

The air was icy when the train stopped, the rails whining at the sudden halt and by the time Ellie jumped out of compartment, boots firm against the pebbled road, she breathed in the scent of asphalt and soon-to-be snow that permeated the nighttime breeze.

She could have gotten in town much earlier, when the night wasn’t a shadow already passed over the horizon. On her wrist, dutifully annotated, where the timetables of the different trains that would have run from her campus to her childhood home but she had felt reluctant to do so and when she squared her shoulders and brought her right hand back to where she had put her trolley with a heavy thud mere moments before, she nibbled into her bottom lip, nerves getting the best of her once again.

It wasn’t the city on itself, she told herself as she started to walk towards her right, the train groaning as it picked up speed once more. She hadn’t felt a reaction inside of her the moment the rails had curled and run through the few and distant buildings that signaled the line between forest and town. The lush green marred with salt-peppered grey concrete had made her smile for once after all: the knowledge that she wasn’t stuck but merely passing a different kind of feeling to get drunk into once she realized that she had left for good. Yet, as she walked past the rails and the small cabin she had spent so much in, nerves didn’t quite leave her lungs. Spreading, mutating, they formed a tight ball around her throat that made her swallow by the time she reached her home, her former home.

She knew her father was inside, the lights on the kitchen’s window enough to tell her she had already been spotted by the man and the sounds coming from the ajar door signaling that he had already put a film to watch together while they ate. This time, though, the one he was probably giving her like every other pause he now used to give her whenever she called, amidst exams and outings and books that should be read for the next class she was supposed to take, a whirlwind of unspoken understanding.

He had never quite asked her why she had trouble wondering what life was back in town whenever she asked about Paul work. She suspected that, eventually, it didn’t matter how far off he was from the little town’s busy life: rumors were unperturbable to time. It was only a matter of it before he got to hear what had happened months ago. She would answer the questions that would spill of course, but she doubted very much that the man would ever question her.

And that, she considered while she pushed the door open, was as much of a blessing as it was a curse.

Not that she hadn’t talked to others about what had happened during her last months of her senior year. Private as she was there were things that eventually spilled out of one’s mind. Even if one didn’t want it so. But she still wondered if she would feel raw or betrayed if her father questioned it, if he told her to confide in him.

Morose wasn’t a feeling she often felt like but the thought of being halfway through her university career, the two years bell having been ringing on her ears ever since she had turned her last paper in, felt like a looming doom that she couldn’t run fast enough from. Which was probably the reason why that, when her father had asked her if she would be up for a small reunion of two to three days using up the few days between papers and the time she would need to go back to her in-university job, she had said yes.

Maybe to show him that there was nothing new about herself. Maybe to tell herself that there was, in fact, something.

Nevertheless, she took the last steps and smiled at his silhouette, at the way his shoulders hunched and moved as he stepped forward to hug her. Short, brief, awkward. They still were after all. That much hadn’t changed.

Patting his back, she looked around, spotting the bag that was emblazoned with Munsky’s Dinner symbol. The telling note on how his father has kept contact with the little glance of the outside world that she had brought into those years ago.

“You look good.” She said, words rusty but language prevailing and Edwin nodded curtly with just a shadow of a smile curving his lips. It felt good, she thought, pointing at what had been her room, trolley still behind her, secure on her already freezing hand. “Let me change and we can start dinner.”

He said nothing to her, merely remaining busy while she climbed up and by the time she reached the last few steps she tucked her chin into her chest, content and less anxious that there hadn’t been any tearful reunion nor cutting questions into the what or how. Pushing the trolley until it stopped at the end of her bed, she glanced around, flinching ever so slightly at the empty feeling of the room; the thought of being trespassing into a person she had been once not quite hitting her as strongly as she had feared it would. She hadn’t changed that much obviously. But there were things, small things, that made her look at the wood on the walls and the rickety pieces of written papers on the side table, before glancing towards the duvet, expecting almost to see something there, a letter that could have been sent but had never reached her for a reason she would get to listen to later.

Her bed was empty, though, devoid of a letter, and she looked at the window in where the dying lights of orange-ish lamps pooled around the rails as they mixed with the grey smoke that seemed to permanently come off from the nearby road. The one she had taken time and time again to get to school.

In there, dividing the slope that would eventually turn to the town proper, the stone wall made of red bricks blinked into existence. She hadn’t looked towards it when she had gotten off the train, the metal shielding her from it, the thought of seeing her father blinding her to anything else. Which, perhaps, had been her error because there, waiting, cans of paint and a blank slate of white painted over the red awaited her with one single word written in deep blue. The kind of one that could be water if one tilted their head enough, eyes narrowing until the lights hurt less.

“Hello.”

And it could be a message to anyone. It probably was, her rational part whispered to her as she turned and stormed out of the room, trolley forgotten, patterns of dust imprinted on her boots. But she had shared enough letters to recognize the handwriting, enough, she hoped, to be able to link to them in a second. And not like she hadn’t looked at the string of messages they had one shared a few times during her stay; hoping against hope to be on the receiving end of a message that would telegraph the longing she herself felt. Eventually, she had realized that she could also be the one sending a message, three dots that would eventually turn into a confession with a much deeper meaning that the one she had almost shouted to everyone in the midst of a proposal that should have never happened. And, at the thought of doing that, at the weight that on itself had brought upon her mind, she had revoked herself from the sentiment: unsure if she was strong enough to bear it.

It had been a fling. She had told herself. An almost maybe. A promise in the shape of a kiss in the middle of an empty road; a brave yet stupid declaration that had kept her on stitches every time she considered coming back there for just a spell. No one should weigh themselves for the things they did back when they were 17.

No one should be that cruel.

Her father said nothing as she run past him, the handle on the main door frozen beneath her fingertips, the shock minute with the way she pulled it back towards her as she stepped into the road once again. Crossing to the other side of the road she stood at the brink of the now empty rail, her boots straining against the metal, the sole of her feet protesting. Beneath the cans, tucked away, a note laid, paper that felt as if it could fling against her fingers if she wished hard enough. Crouching next to the cans, one hand caressing the paint, feeling the coldness coming from it, the slowly drying white, she unfolded the note with two fingers and her teeth, moving the paper away from her as she refused to move her other hand away from the wall.

“I wasn’t sure then. I am now.”

She tried to laugh, a blubber escaping her lips, peal of bubbles that piled up within her as she looked up.

It had been two years. Two stupid years made in a dare, in a flamboyant act of selfish righteousness. But she had gotten to learn that she could be selfish on her own love. If that made sense. It the words she had uttered had been something beyond an escapist explanation of why she had ever convinced herself that what she was doing was nothing but right. It shouldn’t be this complicated. It didn’t need to be. She had gotten the taste of how it could not be if she dared to look past the circle she had put herself in once.

And then, as a distant nagging sensation, her phone buzzed on her back pocket. Once, twice.

She never got to see what it was, as she heard the pebbles sliding off the path when a new set of boots moved in closer, waiting for her to look up.

Aster’s was looking at her with the same intensity she had once upon a time looked at her, when they had been in the lagoon and Ellie had thought she would combust if she ever dared to ask to feel her fingers around her forearms once more as she battled for a shirt that she had felt unsafe enough, exposed enough, to keep on wearing. She had her phone on her hand, the light illuminating her skin, her wrist, her nails. She had a stroke of dyed color on her hair. Not clear enough for the descending light to catch on it but deep enough for her eyes to pause on it, on the way it framed her eyes, her face, her smile. Pointing towards the wall, she shrugged half-way.

“Paul told me you’d be here. I wanted to leave as soon as you saw…. But I couldn’t.”

There were hundreds of questions Ellie felt like asking, and some others she didn’t feel like questioning. She could feel her father’s eyes on the kitchen’s windowsill, the scent of already heated food reaching them both as she stood, slowly, while curling her fingers, forming a ball she now made it reach the front pocket of her parka, skin wet and crackling from the humid paint.

She had wondered. Of course, she had. She had expected herself to be bolder in front of Aster only due to the years that had passed, for the exhilarating thought of maybe she being right.

She was none of those things: she felt robbed of both voice and temper. There was nothing but the ache on her muscles of thousands of steps never taken. Yet, she realized that she quite liked the thought: of the possibility that the message on her phone could be, even if she never dared to look at it.

“It’s been two years.” Her voice felt rough at the back of her throat, her tongue like wood and sand, the same sand she hadn’t gotten to see until she had left. And even then. Aster halted at her, lips half-closed, a look of recognition shining through her eyes. Laughing weakly, she nodded again, giving her a second half-shrug, this time aimed at both, rather than the wall that now extended at Ellie’s right, like a page about to be filled.

“You said two.”

“I said two.”

It was an idiotic set of words, combinations and grammar be dammed. Yet Ellie laughed a little as they kept on looking at each other. As if expecting something. She had been the one rushing last time, hasn’t she? Was that what was expected from her? To be the one keeping the promise she had told.

But then, Aster moved forward, timidly at first, more secure later, and promptly grasped her forearm, the one with her painted skin, and pulled, making her stumble as her fingers slipped away from the pocket, crusty and suddenly warm enough to be melt. She pushed back, because that had been them, at the very beginning, before anything had transformed into the mess that had been. And when she did, muscles answering, she felt a second pull, this one on her shoulder, poignant glance darkening the space.

Her lips felt numb at the end of everything, her chest open, her eyes hurting when her eyelids responded.

“How about no more waiting?”

This time she didn’t answer. Not with words.

Words could be screwed. And promises of a time that should be spent waiting scattered in the wind, against the windows, over the rooftops, beyond the town’s sign.

[stachmousworld]

Dear Dad, fuck you.

Pairing: Stuckony 

Summary: My take on Civil War, but with less property damage and as much betrayal and drama. 

TW: abuse both physical and verbal but not sexual (thank you Howard for your A+ parenting skills).

Ok, so you may cry and hate me at the end.

Also: This is the first installment of my universe A. The two others are: 

Dear Dad, fuck you Punishments

27 MINUTES AND 32 SECONDS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

Tony would have never guessed it would have ended like it did. Not in a million years would he have thought that his dead dad would be his demise. He was dead for fuck’s sake. He couldn’t beat Tony, nor verbally abuse him anymore. He wasn’t there physically, and yet he managed, from the grave, to shoot him in the soul. Literally. There were no other words to describe the way he felt.

He couldn’t breathe, his head felt loud and light at the same time, he couldn’t stand straight but sitting down made the earth spin faster, if that made any sense. 

Eyes closed his thoughts spiraled out of the control and images. No. Memories of his dad stuck to his retina, giving Tony a full 3D experience, sound included. And eyes opened, reality dawned him: Steve and Bucky didn’t want him anymore.

You are a worthless piece of shit, that’s what you are.

I should have made your mom abort you.

I won’t pay for any ransom.

Why can’t you die?

Funny how when everything goes to shit, his dad is the first one he hears. Always. Tony was long used to his voice in his head, muttering death threats, insults, or influencing his suicidal thoughts.

Tony finally decided to sit on the couch.

“JARVIS, lights out”.

He flinched at the sudden darkness. His left eye twitched. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea, after all. He’d rather suffer under the artificial lights than…his breath quickened and his thoughts spiraled. He could feel hands on his shoulders. A fist to his left eye. A blow on his lower back. A sharp pain to his right wrist…

The lights suddenly went on. Tony gasped, body shivering from the phantom pain, the adrenaline forcing him to stay alive through all his tortures, while shock and uncertainty chained him close to reality.

Focus Tony. You can do it, whispered a soft motherly voice. He wailed at the sound of her voice. She was the only one he heard when everything went to shit. Not his mom or Ana, Edwin’s wife. No. Hers. He called her mammina even though Howard would have had a heart attack hearing him. She was a nurse, who used to take care of him every time he was kidnapped. All 7 times.

She was a middle age black woman, who had worked as their personal nurse in case of emergencies. She had given him more love in the first few months after his first kidnapping than both of his parents in years. 

She’d smell like vanilla and cinnamon and talk softly. She’d always have a twinkle in her eyes every time she’d tell him a story. Tony used to be so thrilled to listen to her. Whatever the kind of story, whether it was fairytales or made-up ones from her life, he’d feel as if he was a part of it. She never made him feel worthless. She even learnt Italian for him, calling him her Tesorio, when he’d show her his grades reports and inventions, Cucciolo when Howard or Maria were missing his birthdays, and Luce dei miei Occhi, whenever she saw him.

If he’d been her light, she’d been his sun in the darkest night. He couldn’t recall one moment when he didn’t hear her voice calming him, cheering him, reassuring him. Even she wasn’t here physically, she was still in his head. Always.

Her death had hit him hard. Harder than his parents. Harder than the Jarvis. She had always been his pillar. His guide in life. He could recall a thousand proverbs, phrasing, advice for each different situation in life. She had prepared him for the real world, and yet, he somewhat felt like a failure. After her murder (she was shot while going to church), he had totally lost touch with reality. His parents had been dead for a few years by then and Jarvis and Ana for less than 2 years.

Tony should have been seen it coming. Everyone died because of him.

He went to the funeral and sat in the back of the church, feeling like an intruder. He had jumped to his feet a few minutes in the ceremony and tried to run out, when his mammina’s daughter, Celestia, intercepted him, calling him in front of the entire church, his name resonating in the holy building. He could still hear what she said, loud and clear.

“Tony, my baby brother. Mom wanted you with us, your brothers and sisters. Don’t run, please. Luce dei miei Occhi, come back to us.”

It only took a few words for him to feel the sun. The light he hadn’t expected to see again.

At the end, he found more than a mom, he had a family.

And every year he went to each of their birthday. He had[AB1]  two baby siblings, two older brothers and one older sister, nieces, and nephews and even grandparents. They all accepted him for what he was and never used him, nor his money. They welcomed him when he was down, teaching him how to recover with love, a lot of talking and proof of fatherly/motherly love.

To say he’d been surprised, when he had to witness an “argument” between one of his nieces and her dad, would be a euphemism. He had feared the violence, the insults and other dismissal, but had been floored. They both had decided to go to their room for a few moments, the time to cool down and then talked in the living room in calmed voices. Not ones had he experienced an argument in his new family, even the most vocal ones, which didn’t end up calmly.

Never in his life had he seen a more functional family. More props to burn Howard’s grave.

“Sir,” JARVIS urged him.

Tony focused on his surroundings. DUM-E held a poisonous smoothie under his nose. How hadn’t seen him before?

“No, thanks, DUM-E”, he replied softly. “I feel a bit…nauseous”

DUM-E chirped sadly but moved away.

“Sir, are you all right?” JARVIS enquired worried.

“Yes, thank you, J’” Tony replied softly.

Tony stayed down for a moment. His breathing was back to normal and his migraine was gone. Maybe he should go to his bed and take a nap. He didn’t dare ask Jarvis for how long he’d been awake. He’d work on the prototypes later anyway.

           He stood up, wobbling on his feet and made his way to the doors.

You should keep Cap’s name out of your mouth, Boy. He was worth ten of you.

He never was slacking; you should take example on him…not that you’d be able to reach his level anyway.

You may be a genius, but you still couldn’t free yourself. What are you, 9? 10? You’re old enough to get away from these clowns. Kidnapping? I call it attention seeking.

At your age, Steve fucking Rogers fought against bullies despite his asthma and scoliosis. What’s your excuse? Go back to work!

Tony tried to tune out the voice, but they kept getting louder.

“Stop!” He screamed panicked.

“Sir? Your heart rate is to high, do you need Dr. Banner?”

“No!” He exclaimed. “No,” he repeated softer. “I’m okay”.

Lies. JARVIS’s silence spoke volume.

“I’ll…Where are the capsicle couple?” he asked uncertain.

“On their floor. They had restricted the access.”

Tony ignored the tug in his heart.

“To whom?”

J’ took his time to reply. It didn’t comfort Tony at all.

“Only me, huh?”

Silence.

“If I had wanted you to be silent, I would have put you in a coffee machine, J’. But thanks for looking after me.”

“It is my duty and my honor to do so.”

Tony went back to the couch, took his clothes off, staying in underwear and laid down. The lights went down to a semi darkness.

“Where are the others?” Tony mumbled, half asleep.

“With the Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes, Sir.”

Tony snorted. J’ must be really mad at them to use their titles, he thought, dizzily. As he closed his eyes, he felt the embrace of his mommina and a kiss on his forehead.

 DURING THE CIVIL WAR

Today was a good day, so Tony had thought. He wasn’t late in his projects, he signed contracts, surprising Pepper to silence (“No, I’m not going to die, again.” “Are you sure Tony?” Grunts in response.), he had even eaten his breakfast, lunch and snack. It was good day. Until Bucky came back to God knew where, dressed in a blue midnight suit. Steve was also wearing a suit. And by the look on their face, Tony believed he’d missed something and messed up already. 

He probably had forgotten an anniversary. But even as he racked his brain he couldn’t think of a single anniversary. Christmas was in a few days and nothing remotely important happened in this month. Nothing worth being celebrated. So what?

“I’m sorry”, Tony said unsure. He didn’t even know why he was apologizing and couldn’t questioned J’. Glancing at the others, he could tell they knew about this “important” day. And what was it with the grim faces?

“Tony,” Steve called gently. “Are you not coming?”

“Where exactly are we supposed to go?” he asked in the same vulnerable voice. God, he hated that. The tension was torture. He half expected Clint to jump in front of him and admit it was a prank. No. Cap would never participate in this kind of activities. And Bucky had always expressed his resentment against suits and tuxedos in general.

“Tony” Bucky sighed. “The cemetery”

“Someone’s dead!” Tony exclaimed fear pumping in his veins. He looked sharply around trying to find clue. The others didn’t let anything show. Even Bruce who was bad a hiding his emotion.

“Stop joking, man,” Clint said calmly. “You can drop the mask. We are your friends too, you know. No one is going to judge you for mourning your parents.”

Tony’s laugh erupted. They…he…what now? He tried to stop himself as Steve’s frown went lower and lower and morphed into a disappointed face. Tony bit his lips and coughed for good measures.

“Tony, can’t you be serious?”, Natasha said coldly. “Have some respect. We know it is hard for you…”

“You know?” He failed containing his hysterical laugh. It kept bubbling and escaping is control.

“Yes, we know.” Bucky intervened. “He was not only your father, but our friends. One of our closest, actually. I…regretted more than anything murdering them. If I could…If I had been stronger…”

“Don’t Buck, it was not your fault,” Bruce reassured him. “There was nothing you could have done to prevent that.”

Tony laugh died somewhere between Buck’s guilt and regret. Tony’s right hand felt too heavy, hanging by his side. He crossed his arms to relieve the tension.

“I won’t go.” He stated firmly.

“Why?” Bucky asked with a small voice. “Is it because of me? Because I could stay in the-”

“No Bucky. If you can’t go, I won’t. But Tony, we’ve known Howard the longest. He was our closest friend, don’t do that. He had helped finding Bucky when he was tortured and helped me adapting to my new body. He provided us unique gears. He was there for us. He…he had respected me despite my small height, my sickness. He saw the soldier in me. He believed in me,” Steve pleaded.

Tony felt the glares from the others and shuffled on his feet. He resisted the need to give in.

Stark men are made of iron, but you are none that. I don’t know who your father is, but it is certainly not me. Always crying, complaining…(laughter)

Look what you made me do! Stopping the production of weapon to built this…(throws the object at Tony’s face). You should thank me on your knees, boy! No one would do that for a burden like you.

“It is not the problem, Bucky, Steve. It has nothing to do with their murder or your friendship. You can go, but I won’t. I wasn’t going to, anyway, so it doesn’t change anything.”

Silence. Tony’s eyes stayed fixed on his biggest “threat”, Steve. He was red, not the sexy, embarrassing kind. No. The ugly kind. Tony widen his stance preparing for the worst. Steve would not hit him. He was 100% sure. But his words had the same effect anyway.

“Can’t you be more respectful, Anthony. Some of us didn’t have the chance to live a lavish lifestyle with caring parents. I don’t even know where my ma’ and pa’ are buried,” Bucky deplored.

Et tu, Brutus? Tony’s head snapped toward Bucky. What the hell? And “Anthony”, really? Bucky’s face revealed discontent. His eyes were narrowed and he stood tall and strong.

“I beg you pardon, James” Tony hissed annoyed.

“Tony,” Steve warned him, inching to stand in front of Bucky. Tony’s eyebrow went so high he felt a strain in his left eyelid.

“What?!”

“After everything they’ve done for you (to you supplied mammina’s voice). And you couldn’t do that? Going to their grave and commemorating their lives should be the bare minimal. After all, if it wasn’t for them, you’d be (loved) nothing,” Bucky spat.

“No…nothing!” Tony spluttered indignantly. “They were never around me. I didn’t even call them mom or dad, they had always been Maria and Howard. They were never there for any of my birthdays, celebrations, school representations, not even the annual parents-teacher meeting. I. Made. Myself. I was born alone, and I’ll die too.” He ended up breathless. He hadn’t wanted to spill these details. Hell, he hadn’t even talk about the worse of it.

“All I heard was “poor rich Anthony Edward Stark, mommy and daddy worked too hard to make the Earth a better world for me”, “poor me, I seek attention…”

The rest of Bucky rant was lost. His father words came back in full circle.

Then Sunset’s words “you were always too much. Too needy. Always seeking attention”.

Tiberius “I don’t know what I’d done with this attention seeking whore. Really Anthony is only good when he opened his legs. I don’t see the genius in him.”

Obediah “God, Tony, lay low for a few months and seek help. Closing the weapon sector, but for what? My attention? You didn’t need that for me to care for you. Don’t be delusional, what would your father say?”

Maria “Anthony, stop, touching my dress, you’re ruining it. (She called someone behind the 3-year-old Tony.) Hey, you! Go take Anthony to his room and locked it. (She went back to her conversation). If I had known he’d be so clingy I’d have given him some sleeping pills in his baby bottle. (Laughter).”

Mammina “Tony, why are you so far from me, come nearer. You know you can always come to me. (Tony mumbles a few words). An attention seeker? Baby no, where did you hear these words? (Tony stayed silent) Cucciolo, I would never lie to you, you know that. You are the cutest little child ever, and I have 3 of them. You’ve met them and they absolutely love you. You are the perfect big brother, Tesorio.”

Tony closed his eyes, took a sharp breath and straightened his back.

“You can all call me by any name in the book: whore, worthless piece of shit...” Bucky flinched, panicked. He opened his mouth, but Tony kept going. “Warmonger, Merchant of Death, attention seeker --” He spat the name. “...but it wouldn’t change the fact that the person you knew as my biological father was a disgusting man, and my biological mother an air-head bint”. Tony approached slowly from the soldiers. He felt enraged. How could Bucky even say that? If he wasn’t so angry, he’d cry at the ice-cold words of his lover, but he was on a rampage. “I should actually thank you. Thanks Bucky dear, you made me a huge favor: to not be in the same world as them”, he finished with a deformed smiled. He knew he looked demented. And for the first time in a long time, he didn’t care.

Bucky’s expression went from guilty to confused. He pressed his left hand flat on Tony’s collarbone to push him away or hug him, Tony couldn’t tell. He brought his own hand on top of Bucky’s, moving the vibranium one to his neck. Immediately, Bucky backed off horrified.

“Was it with this hand you choked her to death? God, this stupid bint couldn’t shut up! How many times she drugged me, and put me to sleep, because I was “too attention seeking.” He screamed at the top of his lungs. Bucky stared at him with an unreadable expression. Tony may have lost his got damn mind, and he didn’t care at all. He strutted to the elevator facing them.

“Do you hear that Howard, you “made me” Tony cackled. “I’d blow your grave, if it wouldn’t give you satisfaction”. As he entered the elevator, belly cramped by his laugh, he yelled through his tears. “Burn to hell Howard and Maria! Burn…”

   TEAM CAP 

“What the hell was that?” Clint said in shock.

“Stark lost his goddamn mind, that’s what it was,” Natasha replied faintly surprised, which said something.

Bruce was the only one not saying anything. Tony’s act had reminded him of…himself. But, no…Howard could have never abused him. Bruce shook his head clearing his mind. No, Tony just acting as a spoiled child. A very insulting one.

“Should we go check on him?” Bruce asked with mixed feelings. Tony had the chance to have parents providing for them and he literally wish them hell. The Hulk pushed his walls. Bruce took a few deep breaths. Tiny tin man sad, Hulk repeated in his head. Bruce didn’t even try to explain the situation, Hulk wouldn’t understand the situation.

Bruce put his head in his hands. He could feel the headache creeping.

“No.” Stave said categorically. He had his Captain voice. “I don’t know who this man was, but I’m...” His voice broke. “...disgusted by this behavior. It was not our sweet Bambi,” Steve finished lamely.

Silence.

“I guess Natasha; you were right in your report on him,” Bucky commented defeated.

“And I was starting to believe that I had been mistaken,” she reflected disappointed.

“What are you doing to do?” Clint asked tired.

“What do you mean?” Bruce answered, head still down.

“Are you going to bench him? Because I don’t trust someone who could say that and act like a maniac. And what about your relationship? I know it’s not our business, but we are family. A fucked-up one, but still.”

Steve looked at Bucky and sighed. Bucky had this faraway look in his eyes. His left-hand twitching next to him. Whatever he’d say, he’d not be able to get out of the loop Tony had pushed him in. Steve massaged his own temples.

“Is it how you all feel?”.

Everyone raised their hand, even Bucky.

“Ok. He’s benched. I’ll tell him tonight at the dinner. As for our relationship…” He took a deep breath. “If we can’t trust him to have our backs on missions…” He left the rest unsaid.

“We’re coming with you!” Clint declared out of the sudden. The rest followed slowly, still under the effect of Tony’s outburst. “Give us 10 to change and we’ll meet you at the Quinjet or the car?”

“Quinjet. It’s quicker that way. They were buried upstate.” Steve answered quickly, as Bucky fled. Steve followed him worried. He waved at the rest of the group and entered the elevator, next to his lover.

“Do you think he is…ok? He looked like he’d do something crazy. And that laugh…” Bucky’s all body trembled.

Steve hugged him and kissed the crown of his head. Bucky went lax in his embrace. He sniffed a few times as Steve murmured sweet nonsense to his ears. It opened the gate for their tears. Steve didn’t want to end their relationship. Tony had been his home in this century, helping him and proving him wrong from left to right. But…he had to be strong for Bucky and, most importantly, the team. He resisted the need to go to the workshop, pounding on the tainted windows, and confront Tony.

It must be a big misunderstanding. It had to be.

Please Howard and Maria, forgive Tony, he found himself praying silently. He himself had wished for his dad to survive the war and his mom to see him become a man. Please God, let it be a big misunderstanding.

If Tony apologized tonight, Steve would take him back, no judgements. He’d be benched for a couple of days, but Steve would hold to him for as long he’d let him. The pain in his heart matched the distress in Bucky’s eyes.

“You know him, he probably is working to cool down. Anyway JARVIS is here to help him if he needs anything.”

“I would have never thought he’d blown up like that. I read the psychological report of Natasha but dismissed it. Tony had forgiven me and given me a new arm. He even went into a relationship with us. How couldn’t we that side of him?”

Steve shrugged. When he thought about it, Tony had never been particularly keen on talking about his parents. Jarvis and Ana, ok. At first, even Steve had thought they were his godparents, not the butler and his wife. And when Bucky told stories about Howard, Tony tended to shy away and changed the subject. Steve was now frowning. Something dark and ugly woke up in the pit of his mind.

“Well, I don’t know. At first, I thought he never liked talking about them because he missed them, but after what we’ve just witnessed, I’d say he really hates them.”

“Do you think they could have been more than distant parents? He said stuff about his mom drugging him and his dad being a monster. But Howard had never been like that, right Steve?” Bucky asked, guilt pouring in his voice.

Steve heard the rest of his questions loud and clear. Were we so blind that we inflicted emotional pain to our lover? And the most important, what if it was true? Steve couldn’t reconcile the image of Howard, sweet and joyful Howard, and the one from Tony’s memories. If Steve…he swallowed with difficulty. If he were to believe Tony, and a big part of him already did, because Tony had never seen so raw, begging for them to believe him through his rage, Steve would set the entire cemetery on fire.

So, he hugged Bucky tightly and tried to reassure him.

“Sweetheart, no. Don’t do that. You can’t guilt yourself for that. Even blinded by his anger, Tony didn’t blame you for their death. He was angry and lashed out. He would have done the same or worse if it was me.” Steve refused to talk about the thanks for their murder. What the hell, Tony! Steve thought anger flaring in his chest. It wasn’t fair for Bucky, his sweet love he shouldn’t have to relive his worst moments. They survived the Depression, war, ice/Hydra and they were still together. Has everything been a sham? They had given their life for a better future, putting their lives in their friends’ hands, who were supposed to hold the peace torch, when Steve and the other soldiers couldn’t anymore.

But, it also explained why Tony was so jagged, his control issues, lack of trust, insecurities, big mouth…

It wasn’t fair for him too, their Bambi…Steve contained his tears. The mere thought of little Tony being afraid, unsafe (Drugged, he said) and sad, made him sick and furious. 

Steve deflated. 

No, Howard couldn’t…he hadn’t…

“He thanked me…” Bucky said broken. He pushed Steve, bending and heaving. Steve massaged his neck slowly.

“He didn’t mean it, Babe. He wanted to rile us up. You’ve seen how hysterical he was…”

It took a few minutes for Bucky to come back to himself, and even then, his face had a greenish undertone. A fit despite the serum.

“JARVIS, could you tell us if Tony is not okay, please?”

The AI took a few moments to reply.

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes.”

Bucky nodded silently, while Steve cringed. What a fucking day.

   POST CIVIL WAR

Tony woke up at the sound of an alarm. He groaned and covered his head.

“Sir, the others are already here. They have prepared dinner and request your presence.”

“What are the odd I could charm my way out of this trap?” Tony asked sarcastically.

“Slim to none. Emphasis on the none.”

Tony laughed and stood up. His left eye was blurry, but alas, he didn’t have the time to fix it, as well as his hand, which gave him hell. Stark men are made of iron, he said out loud to give him more strength.

The voice of mammina replied full of wit. “Oh, really? I don’t know about the Stark men but my little Tesorio is made of love. No one can take love away from you. It makes you fly, melt, explode, you feel invincible. Once you love, Tonio, you could rule the world, and bend any types of iron. I love you, my Luce. I’m proud of you, no matter what.”

Tony wiped his tears. I hope you are still proud of me. As he entered the elevator, his phone rang. One of his little brothers.

“What do you want Darius?” Tony asked upfront.

“Listen, listen. Go on, talk to him” Darius replied in a hush tone.

“’Onc’ ‘Ony! Onc’ ‘Ony!”

Tony cooed and felt his inside melt. His baby nephew, Anthony, was just a few months old and already a beam of joy in his life. He had more pictures than he dared to admit. Sue him, his nephew was the cutest, with his little dimples and crooked smile. But then again, his other niece and nephew had him wrapped around their chubby fingers.

“Hello big boy, Oncle Tony is so proud of you!” He cooed in his “I’m going to melt inside and have cavities” voice.

“Do you imagine our surprise when his first words were ‘Ony and then Onc’ Ony’. I swear to God, we won’t invite you anymore. That’s the third baby doing that stuff. Are you sure you don’t have any magic, bro?”

Tony laughed through his happy tears.

“I guess I have some magic left from mammina”.

“True, true”, he conceded. “Are you still coming for the commemoration?”

“Of course! I have never missed one and wouldn’t dare. I don’t want mammina to haunt me and whoop my ass.” Tony joked.

“Pfff. She’d never do that. You were always her favorite, didn’t know why. We knew she worked for a white and rich family (Tony rolled his eyes amused), and then we saw your scrawny ass and lost puppy eyes. Couldn’t resist this kid who needed to be our protector, even though, he was pocket size.”

“Hey! Although I liked the beginning of your story, the wording could be better. I never was pocketsize; we call it fun size.” He pouted.

“Who? The members of your “fun size” group”.

Tony grunted. Darius laughed and bid him goodbye in a hurry. Apparently, his nephew had taken his diaper off and was smearing poop on the white walls. Tony’s laugh resonated in the stilled elevator. J’ opened the doors as he placed the phone in his pocket.

The sight in front of him made him frown. He prepared himself to stay calm and have a mature conclusion to their arguments like he’d seen with his siblings. Mammina’s advice about love was about to come handy. They at least deserve the truth and some apologies. Hearing them talk about his parents so fondly had made him angry, jealous, then sad. Why was he not enough? Could he have done better, be a more obedient child… no. He wouldn’t go there. He had to stay clear-headed.

 Steve and Bucky had changed clothes. They were now wearing hoodies and joggings. Their comfort clothes. Like him. He had found Steve’s hoodie and Bucky’s jogging, in one of his private stashes. He would deny taken them and some other of their items because it soothed him.

This was going to be long. He took a deep breath as he walked towards the kitchen. The rest of the team were standing up around the table.

Steve went on Tony’s left and Bucky next to Steve. Tony stared at them sadly. The fluffy conversation with Darius seemed like years ago.

“You had fun on the phone,” Clint noticed calmly. Almost too much. It was such a 180 with his jerk personality.

“It’s not every day that you nephew’s first words are “Onc’ Ony”. Well, the two others did the same. So, I was kinda happy.”

“Lying Stark? You don’t have no family left,” Natasha accused him, eyes narrowed.

“So, family is only the people from your blood, got it.” Tony replied without showing any annoyance. He took his phone, scrolled down a few family pictures and showed them one, where his papà was still alive. Before cancer took him.

He introduced each member, referring them as his baby brothers or older ones. His finger trembled as he reached the head of the family. Mammina and Papà. A little Tony could be seen standing proudly next to two smaller kids.

“It was my mammina.” He explained softly. “She was the best woman in the world. She took care of me when I got kidnapped. She was always here to help me, heal me. She built me.” He threw a glance at Bucky, who was frowning.

“Kidnapping?” Bruce asked in disbelief.

“Tony…Why would they kidnap you?” Steve asked, as skeptical as Bruce.

“I’m a genius. I was the one proofing Howard’s blueprint. By the age of 7, I had improved one of his Jericho. But people kidnapped me because of money. They thought Howard would pay them. He never did. (Tony raised a hand to cut the protestations.) J’ will send you all the medical reports and police ones. He will also forward my file from CPS. I know it’s hard to believe it. He was your friend and never showed his other side. When you both went down, he died too. He became…” Tony choked on his words.

“How can we believe you, when you were so maniac, this afternoon? You hurt Bucky and used his guilt to make a point.” Natasha asked, arms crossed.

“If you don’t believe the official papers, you should ask Coulson and Fury. They won’t lie to you.”

“What?” Bruce blurted.

“What do you mean?” Bucky asked concerned.

“I don’t have the envy, nor the will to go through the verbal and physical abuse of my parents. Coulson and Fury were there to retrieve me from Shield office after each kidnapping. They couldn’t do anything because my dad financed the entire organization,” Tony explained bitter. “Call me selfish but this woman and this man (he showed mammina and papà), were my real parents and those are my brothers and sisters, grandparents…They are MY family. They chose me when my real parents didn’t.”

The room grew silent. Tony tap his left eye and groaned in pain.

“Are you okay, Tony?” Bruce inquired, with a certain unease.

He waved at Bruce, brushing his concern. Gosh, it itched. Fuck it, they already knew too much already. With his right index, he pressed firmly his temple and with his thumb pressed the corner of his eye. He felt the prosthetic pop out, disconnecting from the electronical socket linked to his brain. After all these times, he still felt proud of himself. He had succeeded in something his dad could have never. 

Everyone can create a missile Howard, but it takes a genius to create something so complex connected to the brain.

“Tony!”

Bruce’s voice bloomed in the room.

“The fuck!” Clint swore.

“Bambi?”

Tony finally paid attention to his surroundings. The lack of pressure on his socket almost made him come. If only he had his cotton swab and alcohol. He gritted his teeth to recede his pleasure. It wasn’t the right time to be distracted.

He turned blindly on his left and bumped against a wall. A human one. Tony raised his head and met Steve’s blurry ones.

“We are so sorry Tony. We didn’t know. It certainly explained why you didn’t want to talk about them.”

Tony frowned. They believed him, like that.

“Don’t you want to read the files, before trusting me?” He asked with a small voice.

Bucky shook his head.

“No, Doll. If you want, you’ll talk to us about it, but we won’t read anything. We trust you. Like you trusted me with my issues.”

Tony was left speechless. He had expected screams, fat tears and a few blows. It was anticlimactic at best. He tried to remember what Darius had told him about reconciliation. Now was his time to “apologize”.

“Ok. Ok. I have some apologies to say.” He held his hand to stop them, from interrupting him. “I should have talked to you frankly. If we had discussed about them, none of that would have happened. I should have understood that the people they were with you and with me were totally different. You’ve known them as your friends. And you wanted to visit your friends and not them as my parents.”

“That’s stupid, Bambi, and you know it. If we’d known what they did to you, we would have been pissed, and maybe broke a tombstone or two.”

“Steve!” Tony screamed flabbergasted. He glanced at Bucky who shrugged smugly.

“I told you he was a little punk.”

Steve didn’t even resent this affirmation. He was smirking (SMIRKING) proudly.

“So…you are okay?”

Clint looked so out of it. Natasha didn’t look like she really believed Tony. As if pulling his own eye wasn’t proof enough.

“What Clint meant, is that we still don’t trust you, Stark. And we had decided to bench you.”.

Tony step back, eye going from each of them to stop on Steve’s pleading ones.

“What?”

“We weren’t sur you were ok. What you said without context scared us.”

Tony’s left hand flew to his neck as a reassuring gesture. He massaged the place under his jaw. Bucky made a strangled noise, making him stop.

“I’m sorry, Bucky. I should have never done that and sorry for thanking you. Even though, I am still relieved they are dead. I wished it wouldn’t have been by your hands.” Tony apologized ashamed; face pinched in a pained grimace. He sighed deeply. “I understand all of your concern and I…would stay out until you deem me worthy.”

Bucky surged forward pushing a frozen Steve. He grabbed Tony’s face, pressing their foreheads together.

“You. Are. Not. Worthless” Bucky said through clenched teeth. “I don’t care what Howard or Maria said to you, but you are definitely not worthless.” Tony couldn’t avert his eyes and felt compelled to spill more truths, Howards truths.

“You should keep Cap’s name out of your mouth, Boy. He was worth ten of you.” He mumbled eyes now closed. He couldn’t handle to see the pity in those baby blue.

Steve gasped audibly. Bucky’s hand gripped tightly his face, pleading him to stop.

“Cap and Sarge were never slacking; you should take example on them…not that you’d be able to reach their level, anyway.”

Bucky’s breath hitched. Tony felt two additional arms around him.

“You may be a genius, but you still couldn’t free yourself. What are you, 9? 10? You’re old enough to get away from these clowns. Kidnapping? I call it attention seeking.”

Bucky stepped away, breathing loudly. You have done it, Tones, they are going to leave you. They’ll see that you are not good enough and leave you, he thought darkly.

“Buck!”

“Bruce”

Tony opened his eyes just in time to witness Bucky breaking his kitchen counter and Bruce’s departure. Clint and Natasha went after Bruce, leaving them all alone. What the hell just happened! Steve walked carefully to Bucky. He looked wildly around him, in defensive posture. Steve’s hands were raised in front of him.

“Bucky, everything is ok. There is no threat.”

“Tony,” he replied miserably before breaking down. He sobbed in Steve’s arms, eyes locked on Tony. He raised an arm to make it come. Anthony E. Stark would have deflected and made a run for it, then hid in his workshop, but Tesorio raised by his fierce mama sucked it up and approached. Steve let go of Bucky and embraced them both, crushing them both into his chest.

Tony hissed in pain. Steve backed away.

“What is wrong? Did we hurt you?”

Tony shook his head. His right wrist was, again, acting up. He should have never slept on it. He massaged his wrist firmly and waited for a little whirling sound.

           Immediately, the servos in the socket released the prosthetic. Tony moaned as the pinched nerve in his human upper wrist relaxed. He held his right hand with his flesh one, as he kept massaging the injured one.

“J’, pull up the blueprint for the latest version of Dub 4 and add a note to look for any rust. And also contact Dr. Cho, for my usual appointment.”

“Done, Sir.”

“Thanks.”

Still in his thought, it took him more time to notice the heavy silence. 

Oh. 

Steve was again in his personal space, Bucky on his right. They both eyed  him with awe and sadness.

“I was 7, my third kidnapping. They wanted me to build something or were mad at my dad for not coming nor paying them. Knowing I was a genius they had the brilliant idea to extract my eye. I was unconscious. I guess.” Tony explained while massaging under the eye pocket. “The hand came before I went to MIT. I had already won multiple engineering /robotic prizes. They had wanted me to build a missile, the first one. Guess Obediah was already dealing under the table. When I didn’t want, they severed my hand. I was conscious.” Tony stated numb. He hated thinking of his past defenseless self. He wished he could hug and protect his younger self.

Bucky pushed Steve aside and scooped Tony in his arms. He squealed but didn’t try to escape for once. Steve followed them briskly.

Once in their room, Bucky laid him in the middle of the bed and hugged him. Sweet nonsense pouring out of his mouth. Tony tried to ask Steve for help, but he joined them and did the same. Tony closed his eyes, fighting his weaker side.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

His persona broke piece by piece.

“I want my mammina,” he cried loudly, tears rolling down his cheeks. He missed her warmth, her smile, her scent. She should have been here instead of him. He destroyed so many lives building weapons while she was killed by them. Mammina, forgive me, please, he prayed in his heart.

“We know, Doll”

“We are sorry, Bambi”

“We’ll make it up for you”

“We love you”

Bucky’s strong body in front of him prevented him from curling on himself. He placed his head his heart, as Steve pressed his body in his back.

Soft kisses made him relaxed. She used to do that when he had nightmares, kissing his demons away.

“I ‘ove you, too” He confessed softly.

“Tell us about them, your family.”

When I was 3, I met this nurse. She was…

   Notes: Two baby siblings one his Kareem, Ahmaud.

Two older brothers Darius, Joseph

One older sister Janice

Mother masterrliiiisssstt ✨✨✨🐱‍🏍

[alyssaiswriting]

Christmas Time

Before You Read: This is the beginning of my holiday collab!! Stay tuned for the next few days as my friends post their part :)

Summary: Zabdiel comes back and visits his ex Claudia 

Word Count: 1986

Claudia stares up at the tilted star at the top of her Christmas tree. Sleigh Ride plays softly in the background of the quiet shop. She looks around her parents' flower shop to find it empty then back up to the tall tree.

Her dad had accidentally bumped into it while carrying an arrangement to the van, it shook and all the ornaments jiggled as the star leaned more to the right.

Claudia tilts her head to the right then to the left willing the diamond-covered star to even itself out.

She gets an idea and is quick to rush to the back of the store, grabbing the broom. As she walks back to the front of the shop she hears the jingle of the bell as the front door is opened.

"Hi, how can I-" she is stopped in her tracks when she sees the tall figure standing right beside the Christmas tree.

Zabdiel's eyes watch Claudia the nervousness evident on his face, fear of her reaction towards him after so long of not seeing each other or talking.

Zabdiel takes off his beanie and  Claudia notices how his hair has grown since the last time she'd seen him, he's still blonde but she can finally see the curls he once had coming back to life. He looks older even though it's been less than a year.

"Hi" he says anxiously.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice is cold and Zabdiel almost flinches.

"I'm back in town the holidays," he says as he takes off his scarf stuffing it along with his beanie into his coat pocket.

"No, I meant what are you doing in my shop?" Claudia scoffs walking over to the Christmas tree beside him.

"I wanted to see you" he watches as Claudia uses the handle of the stick to push the tilted Star back into place but it's hopeless cause the star just keeps tilting back to the right.

"You follow me on Instagram," she says still pushing at the star.

"I meant in person" there's a pause before Zabdiel reaches up and fixes the star so it's perfect again. Claudia sighs bringing the broom to her chest and looks up at Zabdiel waiting for him to say what he has to say before she kicks him out.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" He asks hopefully now that she's looking at him expectedly but his hope is cut short when Claudia turns on her feet making her way to the back as she says "I'm watching the store"

Zabdiel is quick to follow behind her. "Then we can talk here" Claudia abruptly turns around making Zabdiel come to a halt before he crashes into her smaller figure.

"You stopped texting, we said we'd stay friends no matter what, but you left and you forgot I existed but now that you're back in town I'm back to being a person in your life?!" She's angry, her words holding venom that is intended for no one else but him.

"I never forgot you, Claudia, you never left my head" Zabdiel frowns.

Claudia scoffs turning back around to head to the closet in the back of the shop.

"You know it wasn't just on me" Zabdiel follows quickly after her "your texts had been dry for months" Claudia places the broom back in it's place before turning to Zabdiel ready to give him a piece of her mind when the familiar bell on the door rings as it's opened.

"Claudia can you to ask Joel to borrow his car, the van won't start" Claudia's dad shouts loud enough for his voice to travel through the shop.

You walk past Zabdiel towards the front. "I think I saw him leaving earlier," her mom says before looking at Claudia as she enters the room.

Claudia watches as both her parents look over her head at Zabdiel. "Hi" she can hear the nervousness again.

"Zabdiel, Mijo when did you get back?" Her mom walks past her and embraces Claudia's ex in a hug.

Claudia's parents loved Zabdiel, he was respectful, levelheaded and kind to their daughter. When Zabdiel left for school her parents knew it would be hard on the young couple. But everyone had hope for the pair.

Claudia's mom still has hope for the two, even after their breakup.

"This morning" Zabdiel answers her mom's question.

"Good to see you" is all Claudia's dad says to the Puerto Rican.

"I can drive you to make the delivery" Zabdiel offers.

"Perfect! You and Claudia can go" her mom says

"Oh no-" Claudia starts to reject but is cut off.

"I'll get your coat for you" her mom rushes out before going to the back of the shop to get Claudia's things.

Claudia looks towards her father for help but all he does is shake his head "come on Zabdiel I'll help you put in the arrangement."

"mom what are you doing" Claudia glares at her mother when she returns from getting her things.

"Claudia, mija i know you're still angry but" she pauses looking out the huge glass window to Zabdiel and her husband "you're the first person he came to see, hear him out"

——————

The car ride is filled with an uncomfortable silence, Zabdiel not knowing what to say and Claudia not wanting to say anything.

Claudia's eyes are focused on the street lamps that are decorated with green garlin and Christmas lights that are hard to see during the day. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing playing on the radio is the only filling thing air

Her eyes then shift to look out the window, passing by all the different shops that are decorated beautifully. They drive by the park and Claudia finds herself smiling at all the kids playing in the snow or and skating on the ice rink that was put up on the 1st of December.

Her lips start moving before she can stop herself. "You remember that one Christmas when my parents went out of town and your mom brought us ice skating"

Zabdiel is shocked that she's speaking to him and waste no time in answering her back. "Yeah we had just snuck some coquito and were tipsy as hell, you fell on your butt so many times you couldn't sit comfortably for a week"

Claudia laughs softly along with Zabdiel, "it was my first time drinking and ice skating!" She defends herself.

Once their laughter calms down they're left in silence once again.

"I'm sorry for not coming back more often," Zabdiel says "I need you to know that I wanted to so bad, because of you"

"Stop. Zabdiel, you got a great opportunity to attend college on a scholarship. Coming back because of me is just dumb teenager stuff" Claudia stuffs her mitten hands into her coat pockets.

"What happened, happened. All we can do is move forward" she says, eyes locked on the road.

Zabdiel is hesitant but he knows if he doesn't ask now, he'll never get the chance "is that together or apart?" He takes a second to look at Claudia quickly trying to get a read on her before looking back at the road.

Zabdiel pulls up to the curb of the address that was on the receipt just as Claudia says "I don't know yet"

She unbuckles herself before hopping out of zabdiel's truck. Opening the back door and getting out the huge flower arrangement of red roses, white cushion pompon and red carnations set in a red vase with shimmering snowflake detail, ribbon accent and completed with a shining snowflake pic.

Claudia takes off her mittens to get a better grip on the vase. Zabdiel offers to carry the arrangement but Claudia stubbornly shakes her head. Walking up the old porch stairs she gives the door a knock before stepping back and waiting.

Zabdiel stands beside her as they wait an unfair amount of time in silence. Claudia's face and hands start to feel numb due to the cold air nipping at her skin.

Finally the front door is pulled open to reveal an older lady named Shanon.  "oh" She gasps placing a hand over her mouth. Shanon's husband Dale has been a customer of Claudia's parents for years, he sends his wife flowers during every holiday time.

Claudia smiles brightly at the lady and Zabdiel doesn't even try to hide the fact that he's staring at her, this is the first time he's seen her smile in a year. The sight warms his heart and he doesn't look away until he hears the older woman say "Edwin told me about your date" Zabdiel frowns a bit as Claudia laughs softly

"Yeah it was fun" is all she says. Shanon smiles "I'm glad Ed hardly goes out anymore you know after-" her eyes trail up to Zabdiel, stopping herself and putting on a smile. "well thank you both and I hope you have a Merry Christmas" they all bid their goodbyes and soon Zabdiel and Claudia are back in his truck.

as they are driving back to the shop with yet another Christmas song playing in the background when Zabdiel abruptly pulls over to the side of the road making Claudia frown "what are you doing?" Zabdiel is already getting out of the truck when he says "come on"

reluctantly Claudia hops out of the truck slipping her mittens back on, her feet immediately sinking into the snow. she looks to Zabdiel before looking around in realization. They were in an empty field near their old high school where Zabdiel asked her to be his girlfriend, at the time the field was filled with flowers, bees buzzing around the couple. Now the field is blanketed with snow Zabdiel standing in the middle cheeks and nose blushed pink, a cloud of his breath follows his words as he says "you know this is where I realized I was in love with you" Claudia crosses her arms to try and keep herself warm.

"I passed by this place on my way home from the airport and it was like I was 15 all over again, I felt this warm all-consuming feeling of love and nervousness" Claudia is walking  closer to Zabdiel as he speaks "my love for you hasn't faded and being here with you again I think I've come to term with the fact that it never will"

Claudia looks up at Zadiel and even though his words did lots to warm her insides she tries to remain expressionless.

"I can't hurt like the way I did again," she says and Zabdiel can see her walls shrink.

"I won't ever hurt you again, I promise,"

"i understand that you're trying to do something with you life and you completely have my full support, that's why i can't stay mad at you" she sighs

"I'm sorry," he says sincerely.

"I know you are" Claudia sends him a closed-mouth smile.

Zabdiel smiles softly and Claudia tries to lighten the mood with "you look real cute with rosy cheeks" reaching her mitten covered hands up to cup his face.

Zabdiel leans down his eyes flickering from her eyes to her mouth, Claudia leans up connecting their lips in a soft passionate kiss. The feeling was all too familiar and something they both missed greatly.

their kiss is cut short when a voice shouts "Zabdiel and Claudia?" pulling away they both look to the road where Erick is stopped with his window down "when did you guys makeup? and when did you come home?"

Claudia is walking closer to his cars, when she spots a Pimentel Bakery box on his passenger seat "you stopped by the panadería?" she asks ignoring his question.

"yeah and Joel gave me these tickets to go ice skating" he holds up two blue-colored tickets. "you guys should come!"

"That sounds fun," Zabdiel says but Claudia physically cringes "not happening ever again"

------------

A/N

I’m so excited for the imagines my friends are writing!!

also I wrote this whole thing while listening to Christmas music and i never been happier  

[babyczk]

royally screwed | part one

introduction | cast

Isla’s feet were aching from the six hour shift of her standing around at Crass’s Bar & Grill, seemingly the only bar that people flocked to in the city of Odessa.

It was karaoke night, half of the bar filled with people Isla’s age, singing their hearts out on the small stage next to the area where Isla was positioned for the entire night. She found it entertaining, and she enjoyed working the nights that a theme was presented, the people being much friendlier then the grabby men that Isla usually dealt with during her other shifts.

“Isles, can you grab me some— woah, who are they?” Isla turned to her coworker, Juniper, who’d seemingly appeared out of thin air, her request being cut off by her intense stare at the group who’d all entered the establishment. Isla furrowed her brows, following Juniper’s hungry stare, catching the faces of three guys.

The first one had inky black hair, some of it falling messily onto his forehead, his eyes hidden behind thick-rimmed glasses. He assessed his surroundings with a hint of excitement, his fingers drumming to the beat of the music against his thigh.

The second boy that followed seemed a lot more put together. His hair slicked back, with the sides shaved down. His eyes were glued to the phone in his hand, fingers flying away on the keypad. Isla caught a quick glance of a smile, two sharp teeth gleaming against the dim lighting.

The last boy though, Isla and Juniper collectively sucked in a breath. He sauntered in far behind the rest, his dark eyes focused on the floor beneath his feet. His hair was coiled in tight, blonde dreads that framed his face nicely. Angles. That was all Isla could tell from his features. His jaw. His cheekbones. Everything seemed to connect in angular shapes. His skin practically glowed from the overhead lights in a way that Isla knew only happened if you were out in the sun for hours at a time.

“Tell me you weren’t just blown away by them?” Juniper questioned, her blue eyes honing in on each one for longer then necessary. Isla shrugged, tearing her gaze away as they each crowded around an empty booth.

“Doesn’t matter anyway,” Isla said softly, going back to wiping down the bar island. “Plus, you have Edwin anyway.”

That seemed to snap Juniper from her thoughts, a wicked smirk pulling at her lips. “It’s just ogling, Ed won’t mind that.”

“What won’t Ed mind?” Both girls turned to see Edwin walking over, a tray of empty glasses balanced carefully in his hand. Immediately, Juniper’s face lit up in the adoration that seemed to only be reserved for her boyfriend.

“That three hot ass guys walked in,” Juniper blurted. Edwin didn’t even look fazed, his eyes scanning the space before landing on their table. Isla stifled a laugh at how, without even questioning it, Edwin knew exactly what Juniper had been referring to.

“They aight,” Edwin shrugged, tossing the glasses into the sink for someone else to wash. Isla scoffed, and Juniper rolled her eyes, letting his fingers curl around her waist.

“They’re more then aight,” Juniper argued. “And I think, Miss Isles over there should wait them.” Her head shot up, mouth forming into a small o.

“That’s your job, June.”

“Well, now it’s yours. Plus, my arms hurt from carrying trays,” she complained.

“You can’t just switch up our duties like that,” Isla pressed, looking to Edwin for help.

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t look at me. Just because I’m the supervisor, doesn’t mean I handle coworker spats.”

“Yes it does.”

He glared at Isla. “Just wait the damn table.”

The brunette sucked her teeth, snatching the notepad from Juniper and ignoring her smug expression. Her feet shuffled against the hardwood floors as she tried to pacify the nervous twitch of her fingers.

Approaching the table, the boy with glasses looked up first, his face spreading into an easy smile that seemed to be reassuring. Isla felt herself relax slightly at the gesture as she sidled up next to the table.

“Hey, can I see some ID’s?” she asked, following the bar’s only real rule that had been drilled into Isla’s brain during training. The legal age of drinking was nineteen, implemented only five years ago and consequently bringing it down from twenty one. It was probably the only law in Odessa that didn’t seem illogical, and had taken basically Isla’s entire life to put into order.

They each pulled out their cards, flashing them in front of her. She squinted a bit as she read off their names in her head; Brandon Arreaga, Nick Mara, and finally Zion Wright. Her eyes flitted between Zion’s ID and his face, the picture looking fresh, as if he’d taken it within the last couple of days. He didn’t flinch under her questioning looks, simply staring right at her in return, which didn’t help the nerves. He was even more beautiful up close, his lashes dancing against the skin of his cheekbones whenever he blinked.

“Alright,” she relented, drawing back as they each shoved their ID’s back into their pockets. “What can I get you all?”

“It’s actually our first time here, what do you recommend?” Brandon asked. From what Isla had gathered, he seemed to be the nicest, as he was the only one making an effort to smile and maintain friendly eye contact, whilst Nick and Zion were simply checking out their surroundings. Although, Isla didn’t seem to notice that whenever she wasn’t observing them, Zion was observing her. He’d sneak quick glances at her, checking out her extremely curly hair that was pushed back into a bun, and her smooth brown skin that stood out against the white uniform shirt.

“Mojitos are pretty amazing, and I’m really not just saying that because I make ‘em,” she bragged.

“Cool, we’ll have three of those.” She jotted it down onto the notepad, nodding her head.

“Dope, they’ll be out soon.” Without waiting for another word, Isla turned and started walking back towards the bar area. Juniper was still standing in the same spots as before, Edwin probably having to move on to a different section of the bar, her brows slightly raised in a questioning manner.

Isla ignored her, walking around the bar as Juniper stared daggers into her. “So... how was it?”

“It was fine, June,” she responded, digging through the cabinets for the alcohol. “I don’t understand why it would be anything other then fine.”

“You can’t be serious–” Juniper’s mouth immediately snapped shut, and Isla looked over to see Zion had suddenly approached the stools, his fingers drumming on the countertop. Her eyes widening in slight shock, the drinking glasses almost fell from her hands.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Zion apologized sheepishly, noticing how she had to scramble to not drops the glass. Isla smiled at him, her way of letting him know it was alright, and for a moment Zion was entirely too captivated in the way her entire face seemed to light up with a simple quirk of her lips.

“What can I do for you?” she asked.

Zion shrugged, his mind pulling up blank. He usually wasn’t stumped by women, his easygoing personality and dimpled grin pulling them to him rather then him having to do much chasing. From the moment he’d entered the bar, his eyes had been cheesily drawn to the curly haired bartender. Brandon and Nick had been the ones to force him from his chair and walk over to talk to her, and Zion had thought the words would come easily by the time he reached her, but instead, here he was, wracking his brain for anything clever to say.

“I- uh, I realized I didn’t know your name.” He tried not to grimace at the lame excuse he’d managed to muster up.

“You came all the way over here to get my name?” she asked incredulously. Juniper coughed slightly, and Isla had momentarily forgotten her friend was still standing there.

“Her name’s Isla,” Juniper butted in, dazzling Zion with a pearly white smile. He blinked, before his face settled into a boyish smile, showing off the deep dimples on his cheeks. Isla’s stomach fluttered at the sight, not even caring that Juniper had put her nose into their conversation.

“That’s a really nice name,” he complimented.

“Thanks, it’s been in my family for generations,” Isla explained. “I used to really hate it though.”

Zion nodded in understanding. “I get that, the hating your name thing.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Zion’s a really nice name as well.” Their energy seemed to heighten as they stood three feet apart, the top of the bar island the only thing separating them. Zion was entirely too captivated with Isla, and as cliche as it sounded, he wanted to get to know her better. While Isla thought Zion was too cute for his own good, the exception to her, ‘men who come into this bar are always gross and i’ll never speak more then three words to them at a time’ rule.

“I don’t normally do this,” he started, rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. “but, when do you get off? Maybe I could buy you a drink or something?”

Before her brain could process anything, Isla’s mouth was already moving, even surprising herself. “I get off in fifteen.”

He flashed her another dimpled grin that Isla wouldn’t mind seeing for the rest of the night. “See you in fifteen then.” Grabbing the three mojitos she’d made during their short interaction, he started his trek back to his table, thankful that he didn’t turn around to see Isla melt into a blushing mess.

“Alright, what did he say?” Juniper asked, walking back over.

“Nothing important,” Isla said dismissively, not wanting Juniper to make a big scene. Fortunately, her friend didn’t question it further, staring out at the three guys again, her bottom lip pulling between her teeth.

“I don’t know about you, but I definitely get the feeling that there’s something about them...” Isla’s brows furrowed in confusion, pulling a rag out and wiping down the countertop.

“Like what?”

“That’s the thing. I just can’t seem to put my finger on it.” Juniper finally broke her gaze, shrugging her shoulders. “Whatever, Ed and I are clocking out now. You gonna be okay on your own?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

Juniper wiggled her brows in a suggestive manner. “Don’t have too much fun now.”

Isla flicked the rag at Juniper as she dissolved into a fit of laughter, blowing her a kiss from over her shoulder. Shaking her head, Isla went back to wiping, but looked up again, her eyes zeroing in on Zion and his friends table, only to see him already staring at her. His eye pulled down into a wink, and Isla was suddenly wishing fifteen minutes could speed up even quicker.

• • •

alright ladies, what do we think about miss isla, and this first part? please feel free to message me with any questions or if you just wanna talk, lmao i’d rlly appreciate.

also, zion’s id is obviously fake

[trig-loves-clowning-around]

Burning Bodies

Burning Bodies

This is an original story with various acts of violence

Tw: Stalking and murder and a writer that can't write action sequences or making Read More work on mobile

"Chrissy do not go near that! Dad'll have a cow!" Derek called to his little sister that was hovering dangerously close to the old house.  It was the eyesore of the neighborhood, a husk of its former glory. No one told them how the house across the street had been burnt. The older teens of the neighborhood said it was a meth house accident and that's why no one lived there. 

If someone asked the adults they would wave it off as a natural disaster and the whole family moved away, but no one bought the property. That was all, but it never felt like they were telling the truth.

Most people thought it was a safe haven for squatters.  Kids always whispered about how it was full of ghosts.

Derek was older and wiser, however, and he knew there was no such things as ghosts.  It was probably just the homeless trying to avoid the harsh weather of autumn nights. 

"But Derry, I can see a ghost!" The child squeaked, her red curls bouncing in the soft fall sunlight as she skipped over to press her tiny hands against the old windowsill trying to get a peek into a broken window. The shattered glass shards seemed to have been cleaned up long ago, however the pane was still jagged along the edges as if something large had been thrown through the window. 

"Christina!" Derek called running to drag her away, ghosts or no ghosts that house put him on edge.

 "I'm in charge right now! When I tell you to stay away from that house, you listen!" he grumbled as the little girl started to cry at her older brother raising his voice at her. She was just a kid after all. 

The wind whipped loudly around the two, the breeze was getting more intense as he all but dragged the upset child across the street to the safety of their front yard.  

The hairs on the back of the teen boys neck stood on edge. He couldn't tell if he heard breathing at the old meth house or if it really was just the wind.

If only Derek knew that this was the closest they would get to confronting death and walking away safely. 

At 2:35 A.M September 13th the Cadans Park police dispatch got a call, someone was found standing outside the home and was banging on the door of 2463 West, Police were dispatched to deal with the situation however upon arrival there was no sign that anyone there. 37 year old, Edwin Marshall was advised to set up security cameras after the area was secured. 

Edwin Marshall was snuggled up to his beautiful wife Stacey Marshall in bed. A normal, perfect evening for the pair.

That is...

It was perfect until he heard his 6 year old daughter scream from her bedroom. 

His eyes opened and he was looking into his wife's beautiful green eyes, she had clearly been startled awake.

"I'll go see what's wrong" Edwin insisted on getting out of bed, glancing at the digital alarm clock that read 2:30 in its harsh red numbers as he rushed out the door down the hall of their small home, he saw his son Derek rushing the opposite direction... to the kitchen.

Edwin ran in to see her daughter pressed up into the corner of her room (farthest away from the window facing the front yard), large tears trailed down her chubby pale cheeks and her father ran over to gather her in his strong arms. 

"What? What's wrong?" He cooed in his soft voice as he scanned the room until he saw it. 

A large shadow outside her bedroom window, the moonlight backlit the large shadow and no one could see the face of the predator looming outside. 

Edwin took a bit to realize someone was out there. Once it dawned on him it was a person scaring his daughter, he was full of rage "FUCK OFF" he yelled as he saw Derek reemerging from the hall a large kitchen knife in his hand for protection, he was a brave teen. 

But this wasn't the first time there had been someone outside in their yard at such an hour. His wife's family was very unhappy that she married a dark skinned man like Edwin and when they cut contact her father had started to stalk them.

However, this man was much taller than the stout man that was his father in law, in the moment he didn't realize it.

Edwin also seemed to forget his In-Law was across country with a restraining order, but they hadn't seen him since Derek was nine years old, 

"ARTHUR! LEAVE OR I'LL CALL THE COPS" he called out, the only response that was had was a hand coming up to violently smack the glass with an open palm making little Christina burst into even more tears, there was too much yelling at confusion as the shadow stood unwavering as his teen boy waved a knife around like a mad man. 

"It's too late, Father! I've called the Police!" Stacey yelled in a tired panic from the hall, sadly she had always been too terrified to confront even the idea of her father after they married. 

It felt like an eternity but eventually the shadow figure turned to stalk off into the night, right before a police car pulled up lighting the street with their police lights yet no one was around. 

After the officers made sure the area was safe they went inside to get statements, little Christina was cuddled up in her mother's lap, almost a clone of her mother, as they tried to coax a story out of her over some hot cocoa.

She was blubbering and sobbing about a scary noise, a scary noise woke her up and she saw the scary shadow outside the window waving at her. 

Edwin was pacing in the living room as the police got statements, he was sure his crazy father-in-law had finally found them. 

The two police officers told them they should invest in some cameras so they could get evidence and convict Arthur if he was violating his restraining order and kick him back to where he came from. 

Edwin and Derek got to work on that the next morning after a sleepless night with Edwin guarding the door with a kitchen knife. 

September 19th 2:40 P.M 

Derek Marshall placed a call to Cadans Park Police to report a break-in. Officer Jarvas was dispatched to clear the scene, door was destroyed completely 

"Complete splinters" to quote Officer Jarvas, once scene was secured Derek Marshall commented that nothing seemed missing as they did the traditional walk through. 

Until discovery that the master bedroom, shared by the parents, had been "Fucking Trashed" to quote Derek Marshall. 

Officer Tom noted that all electronic devices in the room had been destroyed, theorized that it was smashed with some sharp object, possibly a machete. 

A police officer is to be posted outside their home during the evening when the family is home. 

The call was made after school got out, at first it was assumed it was going to be an accident from the student drivers, however when the dispatcher heard a teen cussing about the door being "fuckin destroyed" she sent an officer.

There was a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, it was the house across from… THAT house. 

Derek was freaking out, the door was half way off its hinges, slashed in half diagonally.

"Don't worry sonny with the cameras ya got should be all good and caught the criminal" Officer Jarvas smiled at him as he went to make sure no one was inside, took him a long time to scan through the windows carefully before entering the house. 

"Stay right here"

Despite what Derek was told he felt off, like someone was watching him and he ran into the house to join the officer 

"Buddy I told you to stay outs-" 

"I'd rather be with you it's safer here" derek insisted "you're supposed to protect and serve right? Well I feel more protected here" he grumbled and Jarvas sighed and gave in. 

The one story house had a simple layout, a living room and kitchen were first when you enter, other than the destroyed door everything seemed fine and untouched, each step on the tile floor sounded like a drum beat in Derek's ears, eyes scanning as the officer had his gun at the ready for anyone to hop out. 

They left after checking the pantry, all was clear. Next to the right there was a long hall that held the bathroom and the three bedrooms. The bathroom was the closest on the left, it was untouched, next Derek's room right across the hallway, once the door opened Derek flinched waiting to see something like his electric base or PC missing but, no nothing had been touched. They looked around his room, Derek checked everything even under his bed but, there was nothing at all. 

Finally came the master bedroom, they slowly walked in and Derek looked around in shock, everything from the walls to the bed frame was hacked to all hell.

"Oh fuck mom's gonna have a heart attack its fucking trashed in here" he cussed and Officer Tom nodded his head.

"Oh god this is… more than I expected" he mumbled looking around for anyone, Derek all but glued to his side. 

In the corner was a computer, his dad's personal computer that controlled their new cameras everything was destroyed, even the monitor was smashed in until the screen was all but a fine powder. The Tv? destroyed. Headboard? Hacked up, some pieces were laying on the torn up mattress. 

Yet it was lacking any signs of life other than the two males sneaking around. 

Lastly they went to Christina's room, it was in its natural state of chaos from a little girl with an overactive imagination. Her bedroom closet had all the clothes pushed to one side but other than that it was completely fine. 

Derek had to call his parents about their houses break in while the officer called in for a report.

Before long the family was on the way to spend some time at their grandparents' place.

Little Chrissy was very upset when she was told that they couldn't take anything, everything was evidence in the end and they needed to leave everything but the clothes on their backs. 

She was whining that she couldn't sleep without Joy, her favorite Raggedy Anne doll, as they drove out of town for a weekend to try to think of their next steps since this stalker was clearly violent they would need to think away from the home. 

Of course Edwin's parents were ecstatic to see their precious grandkids again, they made their home open for them. The house was bigger than the one they left with a few guests rooms for emergencies such as the one they were in. 

Christina lit up at seeing "pop pops and mumsy" and the thought of the missing doll left her 6 year old mind. 

That is until dinner had passed.

The family was in the front room talking to happily, Derek was in the corner playing on his phone watching youtube videos ignoring it all until there was a knock at the front door. 

"I'll get it" pop pops smiled and stood on his old shaky legs as he walked to the front door, the old hinges squealed in protest as he opened the heavy oak door. The relaxed chatter didn't end, little Christina was leaning over to try and watch what Derek was watching whining even when the adults happy chatter turned into terrified silence. 

The two youngest looked up to see Pop pops holding a well loved Raggedy Ann in his hands. Christina lit up like a christmas tree, "Joy!" She squealed running to grab the doll from her beloved grandfather's hands.

"Thank you pop pop! You're the best!" She squeaked happily unaware of the terror behind her elders' eyes. 

September, 27 

Due to lack of evidence and activity the squad car will be left on the street however due to understaffing the Cadans Police Department needs to pull the officers out to only check every few hours at night while the Marshall family gathers their belongings to move.

Crime was something that increased every so often in Cadans Park, most in the town blamed the increase of drifters. With several entrances to the highway and the train tracks running through town it wasn't hard for hitchhikers to get there. 

Especially in the winter when they were trying to get out of the cold at any cost begging for mercy from shop owners or homeowners alike. Seen as an eyesore of the "good community"

Mayor Justin Lancaster wanted to take the problem out before winter by arresting and charging the homeless with any crime from loitering to disturbing the peace, a disgusting act but the squatters at least got a warm place to sleep while awaiting trial.

At least that's what the officers told themselves being forced to arrest the helpless, unfortunate people. The mayor seemed to not understand empathy, he never did and used that to his advantage to twist people's metaphorical hands behind their back until they had to cry for mercy. 

However with the amount of the small force already having to be on the lookout for the homeless to arrest the rest of the town was left unsupervised, that put the police chief on edge and he made a decision. 

This decision was questionable and put a family at risk but what else could the man do? 

He pulled the physical police presence at the Marshall's house but left the squad car hoping it would be enough. 

October, 3rd 9:33 P.M 

Cadans Fire Department, police, and paramedics were called by the 64 year old Joseph Markus Hughes, the Marshall's home had been found up in flames, no knowledge if the family was inside, firefighters were dispatched immediately.

 One more night. Just one more. 

They were moving with Edwin's parents while they sold the house, safety in numbers and all, they had spent the whole day packing up everything they could so they wouldn't have to sleep in the house where the stalker knew to look.

 It took a lot longer than expected and soon it was dusk. 

Derek was busy dragging a box of his room decor when he heard it. Heavy breathing His parents were outside loading in the heavy furniture into the moving van that was farther than necessary thanks to the empty squad car taking up space.

"Chrissy?" Derek called walking to her room where she was left to play with Joy.

The breathing got louder as he crept forward fear made his blood run cold, the breathing was far too deep to be the breathing of a child's. 

The door silently opened and he could feel his heart stop at what he was witnessing.

Someone was on top of his sister, large mostly gloved hand wrapped around her tiny throat she wasn't moving. 

The man (woman?) Was wrapped in bandages, reflective black goggles staring into Derek's very soul as they were tucking the doll next to Christina's 'unconscious' body (Derek refused to accept the truth of his sister's condition in his shock). The sound of heavy breathing was amplified by the gas mask on the assailant's face, it was hard to see them breathing as the large body armor seemed to mask their level breathing 

Derek Marshall let out a noise that could only be described as a choked sob before he threw his box at his sister's attacker. "Get the fuck off Chrissy!" He yelled before he could think he blindly charged at the person. 

The attacker stood and took the hit square in the chest but it only sent the two tripping over the child's body falling backwards onto the carpeted floor. 

Derek, now on top, threw a punch to the masked attackers face but they grabbed his fist, it was such a painful grip the boy let out a cry of pain before the assailant punched him square in the chin dazing him and sending him flat on the back laying on top of his sister's still warm body. The masked attacker got up and grabbed something he couldn't see leaning against the wall as his vision swam as he grabbed his sister's limp  hand and started to scoot backwards to try to save her to get away from the man as fast as he could. 

"Dad!" He yelled as loud as possible struggling to stand up to run, his little sister still being dragged away as he heard the front door slam open 

"Derek?!" 

Stacey had heard the scream of there son first and started running, her husband following close behind as they ran into the house, almost breaking the brand new door. 

They saw a hopeful look in their son's eyes as he dragged their seemingly unconscious daughter from the bedroom by her hands. The two parents started to run to him until an axe flew by hitting him square in the shoulder, making him scream in pain and collapse to the floor. 

Stacey let out a high pitched scream, one that could break glass as she watched the masked attacker stride out to take the axe out of her son's shoulder, he was still alive as it didn't go in too deep he was shaking in pain groaning weakly. 

Edwin acted fast running at the masked assailant trying to fight the axe out of the murderers hands yelling at Stacey to call the police and she scrambled to find her phone dropping it as she heard her husband scream in pain. She looked up in shock to see her husband alight like a candle, dropping to the ground to try and roll out the flames. His movements seemed spasming from the pain and Stacey couldn't take her eyes off her husband, time seemed to stand still as the axe came down to take Edwin's head off his shoulders with a clean slam through the neck. She felt faint and tried to stumble to her true love and babies… 

Her family

Her reason to keep going 

She didn't have to be full of such pain for long however when the axe slammed it into her gut. The killer started to stalk forward, going to finish her off when Derek lashed out with all his strength getting in front of his mother trying to stop him with a punch to the nose of the gas mask the killer flinched it off and grabbed the boy by the face slamming him into the ground. 

The killer spared no mercy to Stacey, hacking up her body, starting with her legs. 

Derek weakly crawled  to the killer grabbing their leg as a silent plea for mercy.

The fire from his father's body spread to the walls as the murderer paid the boy no mind, dismembering Stacey her screams died out with her. 

"Mommy" Derek hiccuped letting out a dry sob as he dragged himself to her decapitated head cradling it in his good hand staring into her vibrant green eyes until he felt a boot on the back of his head. 

The attacker raised their foot and the boy turned fearfully to look up at them as they brought their large foot down over and over, stomping the boy's head until they heard a satisfying crack even still the assailant continued to stomp as the fire raged around them, no stopping until the bottom of their boot was covered in his brains. 

The killer seemed satisfied, leaving through the back door into the dark, letting the evidence burn behind them, their axe dragging in the grass behind them.

Joseph Markus Hughes sat in his front room watching the television reading the subtitles of the soap opera he had been sucked into. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and looked down to read a text from his son, he sent a text back, he loved that he could still communicate with his far away family even with his disability, the future was so wonderful. 

He got up with his cane, he wanted to bring his dog inside for the night when he caught a glimpse out of the window and his jaw dropped. 

His neighbors home, the house across the street, was set ablaze panicking he pressed his panic button or as his children called it "I've fallen and can't get up" button 

Due to him being nonverbal the police, ambulance, and firefighters showed up, obviously they found the problem by then and got to work quickly. 

October 4th, 12:00 A.M 

Fire was extinguished, spread up to the nearby homes, family found dead. Sent in for autopsy while paramedics take care of the wounded, foul play suspected.

In the early hours of the morning in the neighborhood meth house there was a quiet click of a battery operated radio, tuning into the morning news already announcing the fire and death of the family.

"Police suspect Father of Stacey Marshall, Arthur Jacob Jones as committing the murder, for now we can only be struck with grief with such a tragedy" 

There was a wheeze of a laugh 

Grief from a tragic loss 

Good

They understood 

Click 

It was silent in the house once more

[loki-thorbrother]

This is a submission, written by a friend who does not have a tumblr. This is not written by me!

—

Whumptober #5- Gunpoint

Takes place between the events of Homecoming and Infinity War.

The objective had been simple enough: find the rest of Edwin Cord’s guys, steal the assets back, and blow the place to hell. 

Tony had beaten Cord himself; it’d made for a pretty wild Friday night, even for his standards, but once Rhodey disabled Cord’s power system, the guy had been helpless against Tony’s tech. There seemed to be more and more of those jealous moguls who thought Tony had cheated them out of something, but at least they weren’t hard to knock out of the park. It was ridiculous how those guys all seemed to repeat the same mistakes: overconfidence, fallible technology, and dependence on rookie guards. 

The first two were expected, but that last point was an insult to his intelligence. If he had to deal with one more sleeping guy guarding the power system, he’d leave the next mission entirely in Rhodey’s hands. 

And then there was this. He’d thought he was done with Cord, then he’d gotten an assignment from Ross; turns out they wanted him to root out the rest of Cord’s guys, rather than a low-level hero or even the police, who could’ve done it just as well. That was even worse of an insult. He was Tony Stark; he’d taken out terrorists, invented new elements, (destroyed a city, don’t think about that one), fought Captain America and the Winter Soldier at the same time; and for god’s sake, he’d thrown a nuke into freaking outer space. 

But Ross was barely tolerating him now, so he’d better go out and at least pretend he was obeying the Accords. 

According to the intel reports he’d received that morning, Cord’s main back-up guy--or something--was Ethan Rooker, who was holed up with some of the other boys at a place in South Manhattan, allegedly an old Irish bar. After drinking a full pot of coffee, Tony suited up and took off for the bar. 

“Hey, FRIDAY,” he said with a yawn, “you up and running?”

“More than you are, Mr. Stark,” came the reply. 

Tony blinked. His AI was getting more sarcastic by the day. 

“Great. Fine. Can you get me anything on one Ethan Rooker?”

“One moment, Mr. Stark.” There was a brief silence, in whichTony thought about how much he hated awkward pauses. “Rooker is American-born, but was raised in Afghanistan; he emigrated at the age of seventeen. No record of personal life. He was a brilliant child, but was refused admittance to MIT.” 

Tony snorted. “And here I thought Cord was the one who was jealous. Already we’re racking up some serious envy points: he can’t go to MIT, I graduate at seventeen and become a billionaire--”

“In all fairness, you did inherit that position.”

“Thank you for your honesty. I guess someone needs to keep me in check. So, no MIT, no family connections; and then I blew up an entire terrorist organization, which, since he’s technically American, he’d probably wanted to do his whole life anyway. So I stole his thunder, became a superhero, and put his first-rate felon boss in jail.” Tony rolled his eyes. “Some people find the most ridiculous reasons to hate me, don’t you--”

“Boss!”

FRIDAY’s sudden warning brought Tony’s attention back to the mission, and he lowered the rocket boosters enough to bring him out of the clouds. The skyline of east Manhattan appeared below him, and he grinned. Even with years of experience and a hell-mix of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and just a touch of alcoholism, that sight never failed to be amazing. 

A few seconds later, and the bar was right under him, like magic. 

“All right, FRIDAY,” he said. “We’re going in.”

                                                       ~

The bar was empty. 

That was the first sign that something was really wrong. 

Tony had crashed down, straight through the ceiling--just like they were on live TV--but when the dust cleared, there was nothing. No security guards, no Rooker, no back-up...not even a few terrified bartenders. It was empty. Of course, there was the possibility that someone could have seen him coming and run away, but that was unlikely. His timing had been too perfect(thanks to FRIDAY, he had to admit). No one would’ve had time to run without him seeing them…

So that meant this was a trap. 

“Come on, Rooker,” he said loudly. “I’m here, and I know you are, too. Show yourself now, and you’ll just go straight to prison. But if you keep playing games like this, I swear I’ll--” 

Tony stopped mid-sentence. The back door was opened. 

The metal of his suit clanking as he walked, Tony hurried to the back of the bar, past tables and chairs and expensive wine glasses--why he had to waste his time on this, he had no idea--seized the back door, ripped it off…

And there, in the alley behind the bar, was Ethan Rooker.

But he wasn’t alone. There were four guys behind him, and to his left...oh, god. To his left, kneeling in the dirt, hands bound behind his back, with a gun held to his forehead, was Peter Parker.

Peter turned at the sound, his eyes widening. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark,” he stammered quickly, “I-I didn’t think this was something Iron Man was gonna have to take care of, just a little neighborhood problem, I could figure it out. I-I mean, he was terrorizing a bunch of kids! I didn’t think--”

The words tumbled out one after another in that too-fast, overly earnest way of Peter’s that was usually so irritating. Usually. But not today. 

“Oh, shut up,” Rooker snapped, pressing the gun tighter against Peter’s forehead. “You see, Stark, you can’t lock me away.”

“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” Tony knew he probably shouldn’t sound so rude, but he couldn’t help it. The kid was right there--one twitch of Rooker’s finger, and he’d be...no. No, don’t think about that. Stop it. Fix it. “Want me to add threatening a sixteen-year-old kid with murder to your list of charges? Wouldn’t look good in court, I can tell you that.”

Rooker laughed. “You think I’m going to court? It’d be pointless. You’re here, and you’re pissed, which is why I’m willing to bet that this is an Accords-sanctioned assignment. They wouldn’t have put Barnes through the legal system, they won’t do the same for me.”

Tony laughed bitterly. “You’re comparing yourself to the Winter Soldier? He’d have killed you by now, and without breaking a sweat.”

“I’m doing no such thing. But my trial isn’t going to be fair...which is why I’ve got insurance.” His finger tightened on the trigger; Peter flinched. Tony’s hands clenched at his side. “One step forward, and he’s…” Rooker shrugged. “Well, you know.”

That callous shrug almost got Rooker killed then and there. Before he knew it, Tony was keying up his guns. “So you think I can’t take you in and save him?”

“Not a chance.” Rooker laughed. “You need me alive, Stark. Those precious world leaders don’t want you killing somebody else, or they’ll lock you up in the Raft, just like half the Avengers. You can’t afford to kill me.”

Tony glared at him through the mask. “Wanna bet?”

“Actually, I do. And I have a better alternative for you. You leave now, I’ll let the kid go in...well. Let’s say twenty minutes. Only once I’m sure you’re away, and that I’m safe.”

“And how do I know he’ll be safe?” Tony demanded. Peter looked up in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected Tony to say something quite so...protective? No, that wasn’t the right word. Not nearly. “If I’m back in my penthouse, how do I know you haven’t killed him?”

Rooker smiled. “You’ll have to trust me.”

“Careful, boss,” said FRIDAY in his ear. “There’s a forty percent chance he’s lying. There is also a chance that he hates all of the Avengers, not just you--”

Which includes the kid, was the unspoken rest of the sentence. And I can’t take those odds.

Tony clenched his fists again, the metal creaking; he had no idea what to do. He looked at Rooker, so smugly confident in himself, at the four bodyguards, ready for an attack...and then at the kid. For some stupid reason, he knew with an absolute certainty that he did not want Peter Parker to die. The desperate look on Peter’s face was enough to tell him that.

Sure, the world needed Iron Man. But how could it count on him, when he only had a solid moral compass four out of seven days of the week? 

The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man was just as important. If not more.

“Stark,” Rooker said again, looking unsure that Tony had heard him; he was anxious, even if he didn’t show it. “I said, you’ll have to trust me. Is that clear?”

Tony looked up, staring down Rooker; and then, thinking back to Afghanistan, he turned off his hand blasters...and instead selected five out of six targets he wanted dead. 

“Nope,” he said. “Definitely not clear.”

The most Rooker could do was gasp in shock as Tony’s shoulder guns shot him and his goons dead. 

Peter, no doubt surprised beyond anything he’d ever seen, began gasping for breath; adrenaline, Tony diagnosed. He’d had a rush of adrenaline, preparing himself to die, and now he wasn’t dead--and someone else was--so, boom. Loss of adrenaline, leads to exhaustion. 

In an instant, Tony lifted his face mask and hurried to Peter’s side. 

“Hey,” he said, and Peter’s head snapped toward him, eyes still wide. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.” The gauntlets vanished at his command, and then he was able to free the kid’s hands. 

Peter immediately started rubbing his wrists, which were chafed red. Second diagnosis--Rooker had died too quickly. “Wow. Uh--uh, wow, Mr. Stark. Uh, uh, thanks?”

“Don’t have to thank me. Heroes save people, and you know that. From experience.” Tony finished looking Peter’s body over, and then turned the kid’s head to face him. “Tell me honestly, you okay? Don’t you dare lie to me, I’m gonna know.”

“I...I think so, yeah.” Peter’s rapid breaths were becoming less and less frequent, slowing down; that was a good sign. Great sign. “Just, maybe…” He touched a spot on his cheek that Tony realized, belatedly, was a pretty dark bruise. “Hit me here. When I woke up, I--I had a gun to my--” 

Peter’s face went white suddenly, and he stopped talking. Tony knew immediately what was happening; Peter was realizing exactly how close he’d come to dying. 

“You’re okay,” Tony said again, then amended himself; that excuse never worked. “No, sorry. You’re not okay, that’s me lying to you, that’s on me. But here’s the thing, kid.” Peter’s eyes had lost focus; Tony had to turn his head back to him again, or else he knew Peter was going to pass out, or something. And that, he didn’t want to deal with. “Here’s the thing. You’re going to be okay, because it’s over now.”

Peter looked at Rooker’s body, and a tremble shook his frame. “But--”

“Nope. No buts. It’s over.”

Peter sighed. “But you killed him. Doesn’t--doesn’t that--”

“Violate the Accords? One hundred percent. Absolutely. That’s also on me--hey, look! Seems like we’ve found a common theme here: Everything Is Tony’s Fault. Perfect. But…” Tony raised a finger. “I think I’ll be able to get a little leeway here.”

Peter frowned. “Uh, I don’t think it works like that, Mr. Stark.”

“Uh, actually, it does. For me, at least...and for you, ‘cause you’re protected under the Accords, too. So if I saved you, they just might not send me to the Raft.” Tony let himself smile, just briefly. “Oh, and also because I can pay a fine of two hundred or three hundred or even two billion dollars if they want.”

Peter grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess you could do that, Mr. Stark.”

“I definitely can. Hand?” 

Tony held out his hand for Peter to stand, and the kid took it. “Yeah, definitely.”

They stood up; quickly, Tony dusted off Peter’s clothes and took one last look at him. “Yeah, you’re good, kid. Just go ice that bruise, and lie down. Rest.”

“Rest?” Peter exclaimed; Tony rolled his eyes. Here we go again. “Are you kidding me? Do you know how many problems I skipped on my way over here? Kids in trouble, cars locked, bank robberies, hostage situations--”

“None of which you will be fixing. Not today, Spiderboy. You need a rest. No more...no superheroing, not today. Tomorrow, maybe. But today you need a rest.”

“But, Mr. Stark--”

“What’d I tell you? No buts.” Tony threw an arm around Peter’s shoulder, helping him walk. “And if I find you sneaking out, I’ll call your aunt.”

“Okay, fine. No superheroing, and that’s not a word.”

“Sure it is. I can make up any word I want. I’m Tony Stark.”

Peter laughed. “Maybe.” They walked in silence for a few seconds, and then-- “Mr. Stark?”

Tony sighed. “Yeah, kid?”

“You were wrong, you know. About before.”

Tony frowned. “Before? Before, what?”

“When you said everything was your fault. It’s not.” Before Tony could say anything, Peter looked up at him with those bright, too-honest expression that somehow had come to mean the world to him. “You tell me not to lie to you, but you’re lying to yourself. You tell yourself everything is your fault, and it isn’t.”

Well. What the hell could he say to that? Not everything is your fault. Weren’t those the words he needed to hear, every hour of every day, after every nightmare and mission and before every breakdown and...and all the time? Yes. Absolutely. 

But he couldn’t say it to the kid, so he settled for slapping Peter’s shoulder.

“First rule of Avenging, kid--only complain up the chain of command. So, nothing I do or think or say to you is wrong. But you can tell the guard at my front door he thinks everything is his fault all day long. Sure he’d love that.” 

“But Avenging isn’t a word either.”

Tony couldn’t think of anything to say to that. Whenever he was around the kid, it was like a miracle; he stopped thinking about New York, Sokovia, Germany, and every other thing he’d ever done that would haunt him forever.

And that meant he could never let him get as close to dying as he had today. 

But instead of say that aloud either, Tony laughed. “God, Pete, I don’t know where you get these lines from, it’s like you’re a constant snark machine.” The physical contact was helping him somehow, he realized. He moved his hand up to Peter’s hair and ruffled it.

“Learned it from you.”

Tony glanced at Peter in surprise. “Now that’s witty. There’s no way I could’ve taught you that.” Taking Peter’s arm, he guided him around the bar and back into the city of Manhattan. “Come on, Spider-Man, let’s get you home.”

[winryofresembool]

Edwin Week, Day 5: Secrets

Summary: Ed brings Winry a gift from Creta. (Part 1/2)

A/N: I know, I’m late with this prompt. But since this is a two part fic, and the second part will (hopefully) be posted tomorrow as a part of the Promise prompt, I think it worked out pretty well in the end. I guess I don’t have much else to say, please enjoy :) And reviews are /always/ loved!!! (ps. I’ve been ranting about this fic quite a bit to @criis55 and @randomlyopeneddictionary, and I’m sorry about that) @503week

Second chapter

AO3: [x]

Words: 1700+

Genre: floof, the usual

Warnings: Ed’s language, the usual.

As the winds started getting cooler in Creta, an unfamiliar feeling settled into Ed. One that told him it was time to go home soon. There was a time when he had thought he would never get tired of traveling, or that he would always need to be on the move if he wanted to live his life to the fullest. And maybe that feeling still lived in him, but it had become gradually less notable while a new feeling in him was growing. He… he wanted to see what the new chapter of his life that he had started back at the Resembool railway station would bring him. Never before had he had a situation that he actually had the possibility to choose, but now that he did, his choice surprised him. He wanted to get married to Winry. He wanted to see her succeeding as an automail mechanic and be there to support her. A tiny voice spoke in his head added: he did also want to start a family with her.

“Hey, Elric,” a low voice said suddenly, snapping Ed out of his thoughts. “Huh, did you just flinch?” the man continued. “You must have been thinking about that lady of yours back at home.”

Ed’s host, a Cretan man called David, patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. “I’ve been there, son. When I met my wife, I couldn’t get her out of my mind.”

“Ye-eah? I wasn’t really…” Ed started hesitantly, but he didn’t see any reason why he should lie to his host. “Uh, I don’t know. Lately she’s just been popping into my head more often.”

“You’re feeling homesick, boy,” David said knowingly. “It’s perfectly understandable. So, tell me about her. What is she like? How did you meet her?”

“Winry is a childhood friend. I guess we have known each other pretty much since we were born because she lived in the house next to ours. She’s also an automail mechanic, a real gearhead…” A brief smile played on Ed’s lips when he thought about Winry working on one of her projects, a passionate expression on her face. “You should hear her nagging when I forget to oil my leg…” he added quickly, to not come off as too soft. “And every time I broke my automail arm, she…”

Ed didn’t realize his slip until David asked: “Wow, you had an automail arm too?”

“Yeah,” Ed admitted and stretched the neckline of his shirt a bit to reveal the huge scar on his shoulder.

“Then how… How did you get it back?” Ed’s host asked with awe. “Limbs don’t just grow in trees…”

“They don’t,” Ed agreed. “It was a long and painful journey that involved having to fight the truth itself… Luckily I didn’t have to do it alone, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend the same journey to anyone.” He stopped to consider his next words. He didn’t want to reveal too much about his involvement in the events of the Promised Day, because the last thing he needed was publicity for something he really wanted to leave behind. “Even so… I wouldn’t change… well, most of the things that happened to me and my brother on that journey. It made me the person I am now.” Nina Tucker’s picture flashed in front of Ed’s eyes. He doubted that he’d ever get over the guilt fully. But he’d continue to research ways to use alchemy for the good, for her sake.

“You are a weird man, Edward Elric,” David said. “When you first showed up here, I thought you were going to be just some random brat with mediocre alchemy skills, but you’re really proving to be something else. Catching sharks, studying at the library until you fall asleep on the books, apparently fighting ‘truths’ and daydreaming of your girl… I must say I’m quite impressed.”

“Eh…” Ed rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m just a regular alchemy nerd.”

“Anyway… I believe I interrupted your story about your fiancé…” David remembered.

“Fiancé?” Ed considered the word for a moment. “I’m… not sure if I can call her that…”

“But didn’t you mention once that you had proposed her right before you left?”

“I kinda did… but I don’t know…” Ed started rubbing the back of his neck, like always when he felt awkward. “It wasn’t very official. She just… kinda said she’d give me 85% of… Uh, why am I explaining this again?”

“So, you never gave her a ring?” David asked, mildly shocked.

“A ring? I didn’t realize I needed to…” Ed said, embarrassed that he had forgotten something so crucial.

“Of course you do! You are lucky she said yes with that kind of proposal! Luckily for you, this is easily fixable. I happen to know the best goldsmith in this town very well. I can give you the address if you want to.”

“I guess… that won’t hurt.” Ed noted, his cheeks flaming.

“Quite the opposite! Imagine her face when she sees the ring you have picked for her!” the host exclaimed, and that was enough for Ed to decide he was going to get the ring already the next day.

…

Soon Ed found himself at the goldsmith’s his host had recommended. However, the rings he had in his shop were not what Ed could picture on Winry’s finger. Sure, if it was up to him, Winry would get the prettiest ring in the entire country, but Al’s voice in his head nagged that he also needed to consider what was suitable for her. For one, she was wearing working gloves all day long, meaning that whatever stone it might have had couldn’t be huge. Secondly, he had known Winry long enough to know she didn’t care about anything flashy. Sure, she did admire the expensive automail parts in the shop windows of Rush Valley, but it was different to be able to build one than own something that pricey.

He explained his problem to the goldsmith, and the man nodded understandingly.

“How about this option? You could give her a necklace, the ring hanging from it? That way it wouldn’t be on her way constantly.”

“I think that sounds pretty good,” Ed told him after considering it a bit.

“Well, what kind of chain would you like to have for the necklace? Gold? Silver? Here we have…”

“Umm…” Ed stopped the goldsmith before he got any farther. “I was just looking at these rings and nothing really looked like her. I recently scraped the cover plate of my automail when I tried to catch a shark.” He lifted the hem of his pants to prove his point. The plate was hanging from its screws awkwardly, looking like it was about to fall. “… So I’d need a new one anyway. So… would it be possible to make a ring and a chain of this metal?”

“Uh… you really want to make a ring out of that cheap metal?” the goldsmith stared at Ed disapprovingly.

“It’s not some cheap scrap metal!” Ed exclaimed. “She has done a LOT of research to find out what the best possible composition for the metal is, so that the automail is both durable and light enough to use! She spent days making this for me, and I think it would mean a lot to her to wear something that is made of her automail leg.”

“Okay, your point is clear. But what about your automail? I don’t know your mechanic, but if I was her, I wouldn’t be thrilled if you came home without the top plate.”

“You… have a point there.” Ed looked lost for a moment. “But my brother is an alchemist, he will know how to fix it! Just take a little piece of it and screw the rest back on.”

“Fine, then. I must say, this is probably one of the most extraordinary wishes I’ve ever gotten...” the goldsmith said before starting to work on Ed’s request.

…

A couple of weeks later, Ed was back in Resembool. Winry was still on her way from Rush Valley where she had been completing her apprenticeship, for which Ed was grateful because he and Al had some business to deal with.

After hearing that Ed was coming home, Al had decided to take a vacation from his alkahestry studies in Xing, and the three of them had made plans to spend some time together for the first time within a year. But right now, the boys had something else in their minds than the upcoming sheep festival or going to the lake for a picnic.

“Brother, it won’t work! She will definitely notice!” Alphonse protested when he heard Ed’s plan. Ed folded his arms and glared at Al equally judgingly.

“So what? The harm is already done. It will take you like a second...” He clapped his hands together like back when he still could transmute. “… To make it at least look more presentable. This way, I might have 5 extra minutes to live before she kills me. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“Don’t be so dramatic, brother. But fine.” Al sighed. “I’ll do it on one condition. That you will let me change your ring into gold because you can’t give a ring made of scrap metal.” “I already told the goldsmith, it’s not scrap metal!” Ed exclaimed. “And you know it very well! She has spent hours…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Al stopped him before he could get any farther. “But seriously, this… isn’t just some random promise, you are promising to get married to her and spend the rest of your life with her! Do you really want to do that with a piece of your automail hanging from her neck?”

“Fine,” Ed finally gave up. “But if she doesn’t like it… or if she finds out we broke the law… I will blame you. Understood?”

“Understood. So, you will let me do it?”

“Yeah.”

With just a clap of his hands, Al changed the ring into gold. Then he attached the now gold chain into the wires of Ed’s automail, and screwed the plate back on. With another clap of his hands, he made the cover plate look more presentable. For a normal eye, it looked just like it had before. Now, the boys only had to hope that Winry wouldn’t notice, at least not right away.

[willowsandwastelands]

Tony’s given a lot of thought to death.

Seen more of it than he can say. Delivered it. Brushed it off his own shoulders a thousand times. The Grim Reaper has been an old lover for his whole life; breathed her dark breath into Tony’s face, been the first and last kiss on his lips, taken the air right out of his lungs. Easy as anything.

He was just eight when he first felt it. It came upon the rain and the wind, pounding up against his jacket, splashing from the mud getting all over the dress shoes Jarvis had shined just a week ago. Sang a little song to Tony while he did it, laughing when Tony laughed. Just a week ago.

“Edwin Jarvis lived his life kindly,” the pastor had said, like it somehow made sense. Like it made sense that Jarvis was here a week ago, and he wasn’t ever going to be here again. “He will be rewarded in the kingdom of the Lord for that.”

Tony couldn’t imagine a kingdom. Maybe he was just too young, but looking at the box that was supposed to hold Jarvis’ body underneath the ground, he couldn’t see it in his mind’s eye.

All he could see was Jarvis shining shoes. Just a week ago.

“Anthony, are you alright?” his mom asked, looking down at him with the corners of her lips turned down in concern. Like how Jarvis had always looked at him when Tony was sad, and it made him ache in a way he didn’t understand. He stared at the rain pouring off her hat like a steady stream, just trying to breathe. “Do you need to go to the car?”

Tony started to nod, feeling hot tears prick at the back of his eyes even though he fought them tooth and nail. His dad told him he was too old to act like a baby. He was too old to cry.

“Don’t coddle him, Maria,” Howard had said, right on cue, catching Tony’s shoulder in an uncomfortably tight grip. When Tony turned to look at him, his father didn’t face away from the coffin being lowered into the ground, but he didn’t need to. The message was clear. His voice was like metal and men that didn’t cry.

Tony knew from the way his mom had flinched that there was no hope of escape. He’d have to endure this. And he didn’t blame her. Not when he smelled like the beers Tony brought him to try and calm him down. Not when she once made sure Jarvis would read him his bedtime story for two straight weeks after Howard chipped her jaw (that had been a bad one.) And not when she spent over fifteen minutes covering both their bruises with makeup, albeit spending more time on her face than his, before they left today.

“I’m sorry, Howard,” she apologized, sounding wobbly but sincere.

“You will be,” was his answer.

And his mom, who hadn’t cried throughout the whole service, broke down then.

She wouldn’t curl her fingers around Tony’s little hand, but he still held tight. Squeezed her palm. Tried to tell her in the morse code he learned from whiskey-ruined Captain America comics that it’d be alright.

“Hold my hand, Mom,” he’d whispered to her, remembering all the times Jarvis had done the same for him. Comforted him when he was scared. It was all Tony could do to just try to stomach the sadness when he thought of how Jarvis should have been holding his hand, but couldn’t anymore. His palms were a Lord’s kingdom away, or so they told him. Tony pled, because he didn’t know what else to do, “You’ll feel better, Mom. I promise. Just hold my hand.”

The thing is, though, that she didn’t know morse. She hadn’t sat down with him to help him decipher dashes and dots as Jarvis had. The butler that became his best friend had tapped on the table, things like “-.-- --- ..- / .- .-. . / ... --- / ... -- .- .-. - (you are so smart)” and “-.-- --- ..- / .- .-. . / ... --- / ... -- .- .-. - (I believe in you).” Smiled when he got it right and smiled even when he got it wrong. Didn’t yell like his dad.

The only time Tony ever heard Jarvis yell was when he wasn’t supposed to. Howard had been drunk one night and Tony had been stupid, running into the workshop because he’d heard a terrible bang. And when he found his father bringing himself out from beneath jagged scrap metal, Howard was furious.

“You--- you shouldn’t be in here!” Howard had slurred in a rage, getting to his feet slowly but surely. “You… You never, never listen! I’m gonna-- I’m gonna make you listen!” Tony was too afraid to move, even though he had time to. He just stood stock still till his dad wound clumsy hands into the lapels of his shirt, shook him around something awful. “What the hell do you have to say for yourself?”

“I’m sorry,” he said. He couldn’t even cry, he was so afraid. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”

Howard had beat him anyway.

It was by chance that Jarvis saw him limping through the halls (he was supposed to have been gone hours ago, home with his wife and cat.) And Jarvis, because he loved him in all the ways his father didn’t, hadn’t been angry with Tony. He’d just picked up the crying little boy, hushed him gently, tucked him into bed so incredibly carefully and said, “I’ll be back in a moment’s time, Master Anthony.” He even shut the door soft when he left.

Tony was tempted by sleep, but before he could get there, two angry voices through the wall woke him back up. He recognized one instantly as his father, and felt a rush of fear, but struggled to place the other. It seemed vaguely familiar, though he was sure he’d never heard it before.

“Don’t tell me how to treat my son!” he could pick out Howard shouting.

“You don’t touch Anthony again, Mister Stark,” the other voice spat, furious. “Or I swear to God---”

“You’ll what, Jarvis? What will you do? I can fire you.”

Jarvis, Tony thought with some shock. He didn’t have much time to think about it before they were at it again, loud and clear.

“If you do that, I’m taking Tony with me.” Jarvis’ tone was dead serious. Not a single change of inflection.

“What?” Howard laughed, as disbelieving as Tony was hearing it. “You… You think you could do better, is that it? You’re gonna raise him right and—“

“I’ve been raising him for years,” Jarvis cut in, all the usual courtesy from his tone gone. Just leaving an angry, angry man. “And I’ve loved every moment of it. I don’t stay at this job for you, Howard.” He let the first name of his employer out like a curse before adding, “You’re a piss-poor excuse of a father and Anthony deserves so much better than either of us. But so help me God. I’m better than you.”

All was silent for a moment, stunned. “Well, I—“

“Never. Again. Don’t forget I’ve got enough dirt to bury you, Mister Stark, and I will if you even think of touching him while I’m on this earth to stop you.”

Howard had given a grunt of begrudging approval, someone who knows he’s been beat.

When Jarvis came back in to check on him a few minutes later (coming up to tuck the blankets even tighter, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, said “Goodnight, Master Anthony. Sleep well.”) Tony feigned sleep because he didn’t know what to do knowing someone loved him enough to risk their whole livelihood for him.

And as he stood over Jarvis’ grave, knowing no one loved him like that anymore, he cried. His father would punish him for it later.

But death was whispering in his ear, crawling up his skin. He couldn’t do anything but cry.

————-

[endof-theline]

AU Yeah August | Day Seven: Arranged Marriage

Tony's never met many people before so what happens when he has had marry a total stranger?

On Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20156599

Tony was shaking fearfully as people bustled around him, there were people pulling at his hair and clothes, he was being poked with different brushes as they all tried to put makeup on him at once. He had had been told about this day so many times and yet no one ever told him how terrifying it would be, he had to wonder if his mother had felt like this when she was getting ready to marry his father and if she were alive if she would approve of how his father and uncle were handling things.

Of course he was thankful for his father and uncle's help in getting him married to someone he hoped was kind to him, he had no idea who he was marrying but he did know that his family were happy about him.

"Leave the poor boy alone, you're scaring him" His father called out and the people around him scattered to edges of the room, Tony instantly got up and ran to him, he could hear a couple of the Omegas that had been going his makeup go to protest as he hide his face in his dad's chest "It's okay Tones, I've got you, I know this is strange for you but we want you to look great for Captain Rogers"

"Captain Rogers?" Tony asked as he looked up to him with a confused look on his face, Howard petted his hair in a way to avoid completely messing up the work that had been put into making it look nice "Is that his name?"

"Captain Steve Rogers is his name, I've worked with him and so has Uncle Obie,we wouldn't let you get married to someone we didn't know, your mother would have killed us" Howard laughed making Tony smile up at him before closing his eyes as his dad lent down to press his forehead against Tony's "Sweet boy, you need to be ready soon, let the other Omegas do their jobs so you look your best for your new Alpha"

"Okay, is Uncle Obie going to see me before I get married?" Tony kept asking questions even while the Omegas flocked around the youngest and started fussing with him again.

"Sorry, baby boy, Obie has to make nice with our guests" Howard waved to him and Tony whined sadly as he waved back and watched him leave, one of the eldest Omegas started to purr softly in the background making Tony whimper in response as he tried to search them out. The Omegas all shuffled around to let Tony reach the older man, they all recognised the terrified shaking and knew better than to try and keep them seperate.

"Hello there, would you like to sit with me while they do your makeup, I'm going to comb your hair out and we'll make sure you actually look like yourself, you are already so beautiful" The man praised him and purred louder when Tony clambered into his lap and hid his face into the other’s chest “We cannot do your makeup if your hiding, little one”

“Don’t want you too, don’t like it” he mumbled into the shirt before shying away when another touched his shoulder, tears beading at the Omega’s eyes “Don’t!”

“Omega Stark, if we do not do our job your father will punish us and our Alphas shall hear of it” One young girl spoke up nervously and Tony glanced over to her “I cannot afford to do poorly, most of us can’t, please allow us”

Tony allowed the makeup to be applied to his face and he sat still enough for the older Omega to sort his hair out, he flinched and panicked all the while he was dressed and tailored on the go before coughing hard as he was heavily sprayed in a perfume that would hide his emotional scent.

“Tony?” A soft voice called to him and his head whipped around to see Ana making him smile bright and beautifully before running to her.

“Mama!” He nuzzled his forehead against hers as she smiled softly at him, a red flower was produced from behind her back and she gently weaved it into his hair “Thank you, Mama, and look - the other Omegas made me look pretty!”

“You have always been pretty, Tony, but they have made you look stunning” She cooed at him sweetly. Ana and Edwin Jarvis had been taking care of him since he was born, they had helped his mother and had been there when she passed away. Edwin was always called Jarvis as that was what he had heard Howard call him while Maria had encouraged Tony to call Ana ‘Mama’ when she knew she wouldn’t be around for her son much longer, it started when a very young Tony couldn’t pronounce her name fully yet and it just stuck "Edwin wished so much that could have seen you now"

Jarvis wouldn’t be allowed to see him until the wedding and hopefully after it, if his new Alpha allowed it, but seeing Ana and his father had helped cool his nerves greatly so the Omega was no longer cowering in fear. Though he did not look or sound his age, Tony was in fact twenty-one and due to the laws for Omegas he had to be married.

Obadiah and Howard had been searching for an Alpha that they could gain benefits from and Captain Steve Rogers, a decorated war hero turned government spy seemed just the right guy. Howard had helped give the soldier the serum running through his veins, help to supply him for the war he fought as well and remained friends with him after it.

Tony looked up to Ana and let one last frightened whine slip from his mouth, she gave a sympathetic look but she couldn’t stop to soothe the man who had become much like a son to her. Tony had flinched at the sight of his Alpha-to-be, taller than anyone he had met before and all muscle, he had a stern expression on his face as he spoke to his father.

“You shall be okay, Omega" Ana purred into his ear softly as she led him down the aisle to his new Alpha. The Captain turned and smiled brilliantly upon seeing Tony which eased his nerves greatly before walking him down the aisle towards his new Alpha, if it wasn't for Ana holding onto him Tony would have probably stopped walking towards them.

“Hello Anthony” The Alpha’s voice rumbled in his ear softly, almost like a calming purr, Tony’s throat went dry as Ana kept her hand on his to stop him from stepping away.

“H-Hello” Tony’s voice was small and shaky, much like himself as he peered up to the massive Alpha, Captain Rogers knelt down and lent close to the Omega as he whispered.

“Please tell me honestly if someone is forcing you to do this, you seem very scared” He pleaded and Tony quickly shook his head before realising that the Alpha frowned at his speed.

"No Alpha, no one is making me do this, I just- I don't spend much time with people other than my family" Tony explained as he looked down, tensing slightly when Steve's hand cupped his cheek to get him to look up at him "I promise"

"Good, last question sweetheart. Have you been kissed before? By someone not in your family" Captain asked and he got his answer before Tony even reacted to the question as his face went bright red including his ears "That's okay, just didn't want this to be your first kiss in front of a load of people with a stranger"

"Th-Thank you Alpha" Tony whispered as he let his eyes flick away briefly before looking up to Steve, knowing the Alpha wanted him to look up at him, Captain gave him a bright smile again before rubbing his thumb over Tony's cheek and standing up to his full height again.

He offered his hand to Tony and throughout the ceremony Steve gently rubbed his hand with his thumb to soothe his nerves, every so often Tony would look into the crowd of people to search for Jarvis and always found him missing, he could spot Ana but there seemed to be an empty chair beside her. Before Tony knew it, Steve was carefully pulling his hand to get Tony to face him and lent down to kiss his cheek making Tony blush and look away shy as he smiled, looking every bit the shy, sweet Omega he was raised to be.

It all happened so fast, Tony was swept up and out of the hall, his bags had been packed and he was suddenly getting bundled towards a car with Captain Rogers at his side looking serious, he pulled in the Betas' grips to look behind him desperately trying to search out his family. He was getting overwhelmed and panicked, the Betas wouldn't let him go despite how he struggled and whined at them and Captain Rogers didn't seem to notice his frightened attempts of escape, that is until Tony bit the hand of one of the Betas making him yell out in pain as they other let go in shock, not wanting to risk getting bit as well.

"Fucking Omega!" The bitten Beta snarled furiously as Tony stumbled back from him, feeling his little fangs in his mouth as he saw the blood on the other man's hand "Spoilt brat, teach you a fucking lesson to bite me"

"I-I'm sorry!" Tony stuttered as he backed away from them, the Captain now turned around and forced the angry Beta away to the car, shooing his friend off with him "I'm really sorry, Alpha" Tony burst into tears as Steve walked over to him slowly, looking like he had been struck when he reached out and Tony sobbed as jerked back from him.

"It's okay, you're frightened, I understand that. Can you tell me how I can help?" Steve spoke softly and avoided moving too quickly and he crouched down to be closer to Tony's height and to appear less threatening.

"I don't understand! I wanna go home!" Tony's cries were heartbreaking for the Alpha, the poor Omega's body was trembling and his face had confusion and fear written across it, he noticed how the young man flinched at all the noises around him.

"TONY!" A voice yelled from behind him, Steve couldn't stop the small growl that escaped him but Tony was already running towards the man who called him with a cry of his own.

"Jarvis!" He ran straight into said man and buried himself away in his chest with ease "I tried looking for you and you weren't there, Mama said you couldn't see me and then I couldn't see you with her and I- I thought-" Tony rushed out in one breath, getting choked up and having to stop before admitting that he had thought he would never see the man who raised him.

"Anthony?" Steve's voice made Tony jump and the Alpha winced before looking startled at the older Alpha growling at him defensively "Um, I'm sorry I do not understand"

"You thought you could take my boy without allowing me to say my goodbyes?" Jarvis snapped angrily as he curled around Tony who was happy to nest in the older man's arms and settle with him there, even while the Alphas fought above him.

"No! No, sir, I was under the impression that Anthony had only his father and uncle to say goodbye too. Both are at the place Anthony and I shall be living in, you can join us of course" Steve explained and winced when he was smacked across the face by Ana who was snarling and stalking towards him after Steve had stepped back from the hit "Ah! What did I do?"

"Try and take our boy withou-" Ana started to yell at him before she realised the Alpha was looking more like a child being yelled at by a parent than a threatened Alpha "Captain Rogers, tell me what you were going to do"

"I was told that Tony knew we were going to live away from his home, Obadiah had helped put his things into the car this morning, as far as I knew Tony only had Howard and Obadiah to say goodbye to, I thought he was ready to leave with me" Steve explained once again, though he was still looking extremely confused by the whole situation, Tony whimpered sadly and wriggled his way out of Jarvis' hold and walked up to Steve with a soft whimper in his throat "Omega, I want to make you happy and instead I have made you fearful"

"I'm not afraid of you, Alpha" Tony insisted as he went on his tiptoes to tuck his head under Steve's chin with a soft purr.

"I think this marriage, arranged or not will be the best thing to have ever happened to you, my pup" Ana trilled sweetly, Jarvis nodded his agreement as Steve puffed out his chest in pride before nuzzling his new Omega's head and letting out his own mimic of Tony's happy purr as he spoke.

"To the both of us"

[edxwin-elric]

So Much I Can’t Breathe

Rating: T

Pairing: Edwin/Edward Elric x Winry Rockbell

Disclaimer: I don’t own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Word Count: 1670

Title: So Much I Can’t Breathe

Description: Edwin One Shot/angst/fluff? – Post-canon, married fic

Edward surprises Winry with some news, which leads to a fight more intense than their usual shouting matches.

A/N: Request by anon. #91 – “Tell me you need me.” From this prompt list. Idk if this is what you were looking for, but here you go. It’s time it was released from my WIP folder. Comments are always appreciated. Enjoy!

ffn || ao3 || JennIf

Winry

I hear the door open to my workshop, and I wince. Is it that late already?

“I’ll be out in a minute, Ed,” I call. “Let me just finish this–”

“Don’t bother,” he interrupts me gruffly. “I just came to say goodbye for the night.”

“What?” I drop the screw I’m holding and twist my neck to look over my shoulder.

I flinch when I see him. He’s wearing a face I’ve never seen before. Dark and surly. Like he has no emotion. It’s just…empty.

“I’m going to stay at the hotel in town tonight,” he announces in a low tone. “We can talk in the morning.”

“What?” I repeat, my voice faltering. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m sick of it, Winry,” he says quietly. “This…whatever this is. I can’t do it anymore.”

He turns to leave, and I jump up from my seat. “Wait!”

He doesn’t even turn around. My heart plummets as I chase him out into the yard.

“Edward! You can’t just leave,” I shout at his back. “Talk to me!”

He stops walking, and I freeze, waiting.

“Tell me you need me.”

“Tell you I—What?” I blink at him and take a step back.

“Tell me you need me, Winry,” he repeats, turning to look at me slowly.

“Are you serious?” I stare at him in shock. “You think I don’t need you?”

I watch a muscle in his jaw twitch.

“Well, it sure as hell doesn’t seem like it, Winry,” he bites out. “You’re always in your workshop obsessing over automail, and when I try to help, you just snap at me constantly about how I’m doing it wrong.”

“Ed,” I whisper.

“And no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to cook a decent meal or wash the damn dishes right. If I attempt to fix anything, I fuck it up. I’m just…done. I need to feel useful in my own fucking house, and right now I don’t. I just feel like I’m a nuisance.”

“Edward, please.”

“I’m not finished,” he snarls, holding his hand up.

I go quiet and wait while he takes a deep breath through his nose.

“We haven’t had sex in over a month, Winry,” he announces softly. “A month. Any time I mentioned it, you told me you were tired, so I quit bringing it up. But I heard you in the shower the other morning, and I know exactly what those sounds mean. So, you do have the energy, you just don’t want to spend it on me.”

“I thought you were asleep,” I say softly. “I didn’t want to wake–”

“You didn’t use to mind,” he cuts me off. “You used to wake me up in the middle of the night with your mouth between my legs. What happened to that?”

“I…” I feel my eyes start burning, and my chest gets tight. “I don’t know,” I confess. “You’ve been spending so much time working on your research, I didn’t think…”

“Do you even want to be married to me anymore?”

The question hits me like a punch to the stomach, and I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me.

“How can you ask that?” I whisper. “I love you.”

“Do you?”

My face heats with a rush of anger, and I ball my fists at my sides.

“Of course, I do, you idiot!” I scream at him, tears slipping down my cheeks. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you! But if you’re just going to-to–” I throw my hand out wildly. “To give up when things get hard for you, fine!”

“I’m not giving up!” he shouts back, walking toward me. “I’ve tried to talk to you about this, but you’ve been busy doing what-the-fuck-ever in your damn shop so much you haven’t given me the time of day! Since when are you so selfish?”

“Selfish?” I hiss. “You think I’m being selfish? Designing prosthetics for deserving people who have lost limbs?”

He frowns at me.

“Not like that,” he growls. “You know that isn’t what I meant. I mean the other times. The early mornings and late nights that I know you aren’t spending making customers’ designs. What about then? Are you avoiding me? What?”

“I’ll admit I’ve been putting in extra time in the shop, Ed, but there’s a good reason.”

“Is that so? I hope you’re not entering into another competition in Rush Valley. You have enough damn awards.”

I jerk back as if he slapped me, and feel my cheeks burn.

“I didn’t realize you felt that way,” I murmur, “but it’s not.”

“It’s not?”

“It’s not for a competition, and I’m not avoiding you either.” My voice sounds weak, and I hate it.

“Well then, what–”

“It’s your leg,” I speak over him.

Edward

“My…what?”

“Your leg,” she explains, looking up to meet my eyes. “I’m designing you a new one. It was supposed to be an anniversary gift, but…I guess there’s no point in keeping it secret anymore.”

“Shit, Winry,” I groan. “I…”

“I wanted to surprise you with it,” she whispers, blinking rapidly to keep the visible tears in her eyes from falling.

My gut twists, and I want to bang my head against the wall.

“That’s why I was working early mornings and late nights,” she goes on. “I was working with a new alloy and incorporating all these cool upgrades that I thought you’d like…”

“Look, I…” I exhale slowly. “I’m an idiot,” I mumble finally. “I didn’t mean any of those things I said, and I’m so sorry I hurt your feelings.”

“Usually, people are more honest when they’re angry,” she ventures carefully. “Are you sure you didn’t mean anything you said?”

“I…well, no. I mean, yes? I don’t know–”

“You don’t know?” she echoes bitingly.

“No! I mean, God, Winry, I didn’t mean to—Just…” I groan and run a hand over his face. “I shouldn’t have reacted like this. I let my insecurities get the better of me, and I let myself believe something ridiculous.”

“Insecurities? About what?” she asks, her tone losing its edge.

“Well, us.” I exhale slowly and look away. “You’re too good for me, and I know it, and sometimes…it gets to me. I love you like crazy, and the idea that you could do so much better than me–”

“Shut up.”

I blink and look up at her. She looks ready to slap me, and the way her watering eyes are glaring at me is unnerving. My entire body freezes at the intensity of her gaze.

“Don’t you ever say something so stupid ever again, Edward Elric,” she demands, her voice vibrating with rage. “If you do, so help me, I’ll knock you senseless.”

“Winry, I–”

“Do you really think I would’ve married you if I thought I could do better?”

I start to open my mouth when she waves a hand in my face.

“Don’t answer that.”

I watch as she takes a few breaths before turning back to me.

“You’re it for me, Ed,” she says softly. “You always have been. And…it hurts that you don’t think you’re good enough because I know that you’re so much more than that. I married you because I love you, and I want to spend my life with you. I want to have your babies and bring them up, teaching them about how their daddy saved the whole country and their Uncle Al. But it doesn’t matter how much I believe in you, if you don’t believe in yourself.”

“Fuck. Winry, I…”

“I know you’re trying to figure out how to live without alchemy still, considering you’ve been using it for as long as I can remember, but you’re not useless. Your research is important, and I’m sorry if I nag at you sometimes–”

“I love you so much sometimes I can’t breathe,” I blurt out over her.

“What?”

“I just mean…I’m sorry. For all of this.” I grab her hands, pulling her closer. “Can you forgive me?”

“Always.” She tugs her fingers from mine and reaches up to caress my face.

With her lips so close to mine, I can’t resist the pull, leaning down to kiss them. She melts against me instantly, and I slide my arms around her back.

God, Winry is everything.

After a long moment, she tucks her head into my shoulder, breaking the kiss. I rub my nose in her hair, the familiar scent instantly soothing my nerves.

“You know,” she murmurs, her voice muffled. “Since it’s not a surprise anymore, I could go ahead and fit you for your new leg.”

“Really? Are you sure? I mean, is it done?”

She tilts her head back to meet my eyes and grins. “I just finished it last night. I really wanted to show you, actually, so I’m not really upset that you know.”

“Our anniversary isn’t too terribly far away anyway.”

“And if I swap it out now, I’ll have time to do any alterations to make sure you’ve completely adjusted to it before the day.”

I frown at her.

“Why does that matter?”

“Well…” she starts leadingly, “maybe I should say the night.”

“The night?”

“Uh-huh. If you have plans for our anniversary night, Ed, I definitely do. Plans that don’t require…clothes.”

I swallow hard and almost choke when I feel her hand slide under my shirt.

“You know, if you want to, we could practice right now.”

“Practice?”

“Yeah,” she breathes, her fingers skimming across my waist.

“You don’t have work to do?” I grunt.

“Work can wait. I want to spend time with you right now.”

Well, how can I say “no” to that?

“Lead the way, Mrs. Elric.”

She lets out a giggle that hits me straight in the chest, and I brace myself as she leads me to the house and upstairs toward our bedroom.

What started out as a terrible confrontation took a wild turn, and I honestly couldn’t be happier.

[radiantcutice-blog]

Prison Break

Ten keys.

Not all of them are useful, not to Len, but the weight of them in his fingers is grounding, even more so than his gun strapped to his thigh. Barry had been aghast, of course, when Don and Dawn brought them to Len, but now Len wonders if they hadn’t known, somehow, that he’d need them. If it was really just a coincidence, or if it was something more. He hadn’t bothered asking, just thanked them softly, again and again, and promised he was getting their dad back.

Sam and Marc follow him up through the abandoned hospital wing to Iron Heights proper, surveying the cells around them as prisoners start to stir. Their time is limited; even with Barry playing along, Papercut and Folded Man can only keep him occupied for so long; so Len gets to work.

Blacksmith stays where she’s at- Len doesn’t have time to butt heads with Miss New Rogues, nor the patience to try and rein in her chaos. Murmur doesn’t get a second glance, either- he needs a breakout team, not a mass murderer.

The first person Len lets out is Girder, and it’s clear that it’s not out of any goodwill. He locks eyes with Woodward as he opens the door, breaking the airtight seal of his cell and watching the agony crawl across the metal man’s face. “Snart,” he creaks, lurching towards him, but Len keeps moving, letting Sam and Marc push the iron golem towards the Pipeline security that’s surely on its way. If he rusts away, good fucking riddance. Len has no sympathy for a rapist.

Abra Kadabra and Plunder both get passed over, Kadabra briefly meeting his eyes to sneer at him. The 34th century man has thrown in with the Light, and Len wants nothing to do with them, certainly not in a position where he’d be indebted to the shady fucks. He’ll get his people without throwing in with the death cult that nearly handed the world to aliens, thanks.

Plunder- well, Morillo’s just useless.

Len slows at Doctor Alchemy’s cell, rapping lightly at the door to draw his attention from his book. “Desmond.”

“Snart,” Alchemy replies, finger holding his page as he shuts his book briefly. “To what do I owe the honor.”

“Was wonderin’ if you were lookin’ to take a walk,” he suggests, and, while Alchemy sighs, he doesn’t go back to his book just yet.

“And what would incentivize this… walk, Leonard?”

He smiles, briefly. “Flasher’s takin’ it kinda hard over in the city proper. Heard Magenta was gettin’ called in to reinforce him.”

“How is Miss Kane?”

“One way to find out.”

Albert considers Len for another long moment before fully setting aside his book. “I think I’d like that.”

Len nods, unlocking the cell and lobbing the Philosopher’s Stone at Desmond underhand, the Heights-issued version of his costume melting from where it meets his glove outwards. Once he’s really dressed, Alchemy nods regally, striding past Len into the hall.

“Head for the abandoned hospital wing. There’s a tunnel out. And don’t let Girder follow ya, if you don’t mind?” Len suggests, chuckling as Alchemy makes a familiar face at the mention of Woodward.

“Certainly not,” he mutters, reaching out to touch Len’s parka lightly. “Tell your family, when you see them next, that I said hello.”

A nod satisfies him, and he turns to leave, slipping past Sam and Marc as they rejoin Len, past where Girder is engaging the Pipeline guards, and towards the exit.

Peek-a-boo is next, curled up in her cell with her knees to her chest, and Len knocks again, gentle, to get her attention.

“Lashawn?”

“Whatever you’re sellin’, I’m not buying,” she snaps, pulling in tighter on herself, and he sighs.

“Your pop’s at the top’a the transplant list. I figured you’d wanna get out to see him.”

That catches her attention and she stands, slowly, arms still wrapped around her torso. “What’s in it for you?”

“You see your family, I see mine.”

Len can see the doubt, can’t even blame her for it. She’s a good kid. “And after?”

“After, I got papers for you. Clean identity. You can get yourself back to school, see your dad every now and then- no strings attached. Even see what we can do about that metagene of yours.”

If she turns him down, Len’s willing to move on- it’ll suck, but he is. He figured he should at least give it a shot, though.

“One job,” Lashawn tells him, and he nods.

“One job, kid,” he agrees, unlocking her cell and giving her a wide berth to exit, Sam passing over her confiscated gear as their group keeps moving.

He doesn’t have a key for the final cell he stops in front of, and both Sam and Marc make disgusted little sounds, but they know they’re desperate. No one says a word, all regarding each other warily from across the glass.

“Your boyfriend know you’re here, Snart?” August asks casually, too casually, and Len doesn’t resist the urge to roll his eyes.

“The Feds shoved my people in a swamp to rot. You wanna help me help them, or you gonna sit here and twiddle your thumbs like you couldn’t leave whenever the hell you want,” Len challenges, and the spark of lightning in Heart’s eye tells him all he needs to know.

“You letting me out or not?”

Scudder fires off a shot into the glass of August’s cell and steps through, reaching to grab the speedster by the wrist and yank him through into the hall with the rest. August raises his brows and tilts his head a little, obviously offering his collared throat for Len to do something about.

He makes an indignant noise when Len turns away. “Hey, cabrón, forgetting something?” Heart calls, and Len would ignore him if not for the fact that he doesn’t hear his feet moving.

“I’ll take it off when we get where we’re goin’.”

That doesn’t make August any happier. “Really? Someone touches Baez and she blows, and you’re more worried about keeping me under wraps?”

Lashawn doesn’t look impressed by being dragged into this, and Len can hardly blame her, meeting her eyes for a moment before looking directly at Heart. “Baez hasn’t, to my knowledge, expressed interest in killing me before.”

The staredown lasts a good dozen seconds longer than Len would like, but, finally, August shrugs. “Fair enough.”

Marc snorts and Sam doesn’t bother hiding his grin as Len turns away again.

The screech of metal follows them out through the abandoned hospital wing and the tunnels- the screech, and the bellow of Tony Woodward in pain.

Maybe it says something about Len that he doesn’t even flinch.

They leave the Heights behind them, the sounds of fighting ahead in Central proper as Booker and Edwin keep Barry “occupied,” but the group turns towards Keystone instead, to one of Sam’s personal hideouts. He’s obviously still put out by bringing August, glancing over his shoulder with a slight sneer as he unlocks the door of the warehouse and hustles everyone inside and down to the basement.

One whole wall is covered in a mirror, and Len stares up at it as he waits for Sam to lock up and come downstairs, ignoring the heavy silence of their guests until Sam steps into his peripherals.

“Alright.” He turns, setting out the map of Belle Reve, created from his own stay and the twins’ memories, marked with guard towers, security cameras, and any other notes Len had deemed necessary, and begins laying out the plan.

Len counts down on his fingers and then signals for them to go, emerging simultaneously from four panes of glass on Belle Reve’s outer guard towers to take out all of them at once. It goes down without a hitch- Len can hear it over his earpiece, the quick confirmations from the others- and he looks out the window to see the dark clouds over the prison growing even darker, heavy with rain that starts to fall over the outer courtyard. There’s a ripple of unhappiness in the guards in the yard, noises of complaint coming over the tower radio, and they let it go on for a while before Marc increases the storm further, the distant first flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder signalling them to come down from the tower and meet.

When they’re in one place, he pulls one of Lisa’s devices from his pocket- his sister’s damn brilliant, not that Len didn’t already know- and deactivates August’s collar, scooping it up and shoving into an inner pocket of his parka. Heart’s whole body crackles with the familiar static of the Speed Force that makes Len’s hair stand up and his lichtenburg scar itch.

“Wizard. Give him a jump,” Len instructs, and both men glance at him, Marc in concern and Heart in confusion.

“You sure about that?” He nods, and Marc blows out a sigh, taking a moment to focus, eyes shut, more lightning streaking through the clouds over the prison to hide what he’ll do next.

Heart doesn’t look reassured. “What do you mean, a jump?” he asks, and Len can hear the tremor in his voice, used to hearing it when Barry’s stressed, the way he vibrates, trying not to just bolt.

“My wand manipulates electron fields,” Marc murmurs, opening his eyes- they, too, spark and glow with lightning, bright blue, and Len sees Lashawn step back in the corner of his eye. “I can turn potential energy into kinetic- what you speedsters run on. It’ll put you on top of your game, chabón.”

“M’already on top of my game,” Heart argues, but his interest is pretty obvious, and he takes a breath, glancing up and waiting for the next strike of lightning to let the Speed Force come over him, materializing his bright costume in a flash of white-gold lightning. His voice vibrates more now, Godspeed’s voice instead of August’s, and his gold lenses land on Marc. “Hit me.”

For the first time since Len suggested this, Marc actually grins- he can’t help being eager, and Len knows he’s been dying to test this theory for ages- and raises his wand, shocking August with the next lightning strike, blue mixing with Godspeed’s white until the speedster’s edges blur, glowing unearthly and wreathed with static. Lowering the wand again, Marc’s eyes return to normal, still grinning as he steps back.

“You alright, Godspeed?” His head moves- a nod, maybe?- and one speedster becomes two becomes three, and oh, Len hopes this wasn’t a mistake.

“Never better, Snart,” one of them answers, and Len nods curtly.

“You know your role.” All three move their heads- yeah, it’s gotta be a nod- and wait for the next crack of lightning to take off into the yard, disarming guards and knocking them out with a speed and precision that Len would take a moment to admire if he weren’t focused on the job. “Mirror Master, cameras. Wizard, storm. Boo, on me.”

They break, fluid, determined, and Len feels a pang of longing for the old days, when a small team like this would’ve been him, Mick, Lise, Sam, and Digger, just the five of them against anyone who got in their way. It’s so sudden that Len’s pace falters and Lashawn spares him a glance, but he waves her on, pulling the cold gun from its holster and powering it up as they pass the crumpled forms of guards, their dismantled weapons scattered in the mud.

He freezes his heart just like he does the prison wall, watching frost creep over the thick concrete as the beam of his gun reflects in his and Lashawn’s goggles until he releases the trigger, stepping back even further to let Baez do her part.

Standing close but not too close to the frozen wall, Baez shuts her eyes and teleports, the explosion sending brittle chunks of concrete flying through the air. A crack of thunder follows, and Len squints to see through the blinding explosion and the glow of lightning- Godspeed is there, one of him, at least, knocking aside shrapnel in a circle around Len and Lashawn and glancing over his shoulder when he’s done.

“Don’t get yourself killed. Barry would kick my ass,” he tells Len, and it almost seems like a joke, before he bolts again, leaving the duo to get back to their job.

Once the wall is down and Sam confirms he has control of the cameras, two of Godspeed dart ahead into Belle Reve, the clank of turrets and power suit pieces followed by the thump of unconscious bodies as Marc, Lashawn, a third August, and Len make their way in. Sam emerges from the dull shine of a polished metal “mirror,” making a face but not complaining as they head through the halls.

“How’s it lookin’?”

“Deadshot, Plastique, Frost, Bronze Tiger, and the Shark,” Sam relays grimly.

“We couldn’t have gotten any less?” Len grouses, the dull throb of a headache starting at the back of his skull. This is going to suck, but they’re going to do it. They have to. “If Waller lets Task Force X out, Heart, you’re on Bronze Tiger. He’s one of Waller’s enforcers on the team- least likely to listen to reason. Master martial artist, so watch yourself.” Heart nods and is off to help his doubles.

“Nanue shouldn’t be hard. Great whites fall into hibernation under a certain temperature, it’s just a matter of getting him there,” he murmurs, hand on the cold gun. “Peek-a-boo, I want you on Killer Frost. She needs to touch people to absorb heat-”

“-And touching me’s a bad idea,” Lashawn finishes. Not a hard conclusion to come to, but it still makes Len smirk when she does. “Got it.”

“Wizard-”

“Plastique,” Marc volunteers. “Same trick as Heart on her explosions.”

“I got Lawton,” Sam rounds out. “Wiz and I are gonna head for Glider and Top.”

Len nods and they split off to head for the thick glass that separates the two halves of the prison’s indoor exercise area, to the other side where the other Rogues await them. Lashawn keeps pace with Len, no longer faltering as he gets closer to his husband, freezing over unconscious guards to keep them down if they wake up before the job is done. It’s only when a bullet hits the ground in front of his feet that he stops his determined march, hearing Lashawn gasp as she nearly runs into him and hastily stumbles back, trying not to blow while Len searches for the source.

Deadshot waves down at him from a guard post and Len sneers.

“Hey, Snart.”

“Whataya want, Lawton, I ain’t got the time,” he snaps back, voice cracking like ice against the concrete walls, and Lawton raises his hands in innocence, showing that his finger’s off his trigger.

“The Wall was pissed you got to Boomer’s corpse before her. Could’ve been real useful to her,” Lawton drawls, and Len could shoot him, here and now, he really could.

“She wasn’t about to desecrate one of my people’s bodies.”

Lowering his hands again, Deadshot leans against the low wall in front of him, gun dangling in a loose grip that Len knows says nothing about how dangerous he is right now. “I know, Snart. I know.” He searches for his words, and, for once in the conversation, he seems sincere. “I’m glad she didn’t get him, either.”

Len eyes him for a long moment before Lawton nods, flicking on his safety and shoving his gun in the waistband of his prison orange. “My people and me didn’t see a thing. Never encountered you. Go get your family.”

Nodding back, Len gestures for Lashawn to follow, deeper into the prison until they reach the cell block, people gathering curiously at their doors, murmurs getting louder when they realize who and what this is.

Cries of “Cold” or “Snart” are ignored- voices he hardly recognizes or doesn’t care about, no, he’s not here for them- no, it’s the first tentative, tired call of “Lenny?” that grabs his attention.

“Motek,” Len breathes, and he’s at Mick’s cell in an instant, the bruises on his skin and under his eyes making Len’s heart ache, but the little smile he gives Len- god, he’s missed it. “Step back, Mickey.”

He does, his cellie taken back with him by a strong, scarred arm, and Len freezes the cell door, kicking one of the icy bars to watch the whole damn thing crumble.

Mick rushes him for a kiss, and Len grips him even as Mick shivers, even as the prison jeers and yells around them.

“Where’s everyone else?” he asks his husband when he pulls away, and Mick goes from lovey to his game face, confident strides leading Len to the other two Rogues scattered among the prisoners, each of them freed, collars deactivated, and joining the pack, their cellmates left to do as they please.

Len doesn’t stop them from going for the guards, embracing Hartley and muttering my boy into his long hair before bringing Roy in, too, slapping his back heartily as he lets go.

“Couldn’ta been any quicker about it?” Mick grumbles- Len knows, doesn’t snap back, just takes his husband’s hand and squeezes briefly before leading heading towards the rec area, getting a raised brow. “That ain’t the way out, boss.”

“Sam and Marc are getting Lisey and Ros, and we’re all meeting at the big glass,” he explains, the others’ eyes widening in comprehension and letting him push on, the crackle of static crawling up the back of his neck as they head further in.

Mick feels it, too, looks hopeful for a moment, but Godspeed skids into existence and his whole face darkens. “Him, Lenny?”

“I did what I had to, motek,” he answers, knowing that will be a whole other talk when they get home. “What’s going on, Godspeed.”

“Jump wore off,” he answers, voice still buzzing, but not as hard. “I can still maintain one other- he’s doing another round now. Be here soon. Guards are still out, but the cameras are starting to come back online.”

Len nods curtly, lets Heart flash ahead of them and follows the trail of lightning to the open rec space, face softening at the sight of his sister and her partner on the other side of the thick glass with Marc, Sam, and August’s double.

“Mr. Snart-Rory.” He turns to see Amanda Waller herself standing above them. “Did you really think this was wise?”

They stare silently at each other for a long moment before Len gestures to Sam, the fire of the mirror gun muffled by the glass wall, the Rogues on the far side vanishing into the mirror before the closer side ripples, Lisa’s hand reaching through. Hartley takes it first, disappearing through, and Waller can only watch Len’s people leave her impenetrable walls.

“I got a question for you, too, Warden Waller,” he answers evenly, watching Mick pass through before he steps up to the mirror. “Did you really think it was wise to cross the Rogues?”

He only narrowly stops himself from flipping her off before he steps through to the portal to go home.

[superhusbands4ever]

I was having some emotions because of Edwin Jarvis

Jarvis looked up from reading the mail when he entered the kitchen and heard a slight grunting noise.

He was greeted with the sight of young Anthony climbing onto the counter top from a stool he had pushed up against the cabinet. The cabinet above the counter was open (the cabinet that held all the unhealthy snack food in the house) and Tony was on his knees trying to reach the cookies on the top shelf.

“Master Tony, is there something I can help you with?”

Tony jumped a bit, not noticing that Jarvis was there, and hit his head on the cabinet. Jarvis flinched at the sound as Tony let out a little “ow!” and rubbed at his forehead.

“Nope,” Tony said, turning back to the cabinet. “I got it.”

(mobile watch the cut)

Jarvis hummed a bit in acknowledgment, leaning back against the counter behind him to watch as Tony continued to reach for the cookies, not quite making it. Tony had just turned 7 recently and had decided that he was going to be more independent, more adult. He had refused to give Peggy a kiss on the cheek as she had left the other day, instead opting to shake her hand to say goodbye while Peggy shared a look of fond amusement with Jarvis.

It had cumulated the previous morning when Tony had walked into the dining room for breakfast and ask his father to see the newspaper when he was finished. Howard had looked at Tony in bemusement before sliding the entertainment section with the comic strips towards him. Tony had accepted it and opened it, beginning to read, before asking Jarvis for a cup of coffee. Maria, Howard, and Jarvis were all openly staring at Tony now, Maria smiling slightly in amusement and Howard in confusion. Jarvis simply nodded and went into the kitchen, grabbing a coffee cup and pouring Tony’s customary chocolate milk into it. He went back to the dining room and handed it to Tony, who accepted it with a nod before turning back to the paper.

Howard continued to look at Tony for a moment before turning to Jarvis.

“Jarvis, you didn’t really-”

“No sir, of course not.”

Howard nodded, turning back to his paper, and that was that.

Jarvis was jolted out of his musings by Tony’s frustrated groan as his hand touched the package of cookies but accidentally pushed the package further into the cabinet.

“Master Tony, do you need me to get that for you?”

“No! I can do it!”

Jarvis put a hand to his face to cover his smile before turning back to the mail, trying to decide what to make for dinner that night. Tony may have been more advanced than the average seven-year-old, but physically he was a bit behind the average, standing at only three feet and eight inches tall. Which was no surprise, Howard and Maria both had never been particularly vertically inclined, but it frustrated Tony to no end.

He was just about to ask what Tony would like to eat for dinner when he heard a yelp, a crash, and a thud behind him. His stomach dropped and his heart jumped to his throat as he turned to rush to Tony’s side.

“Master Tony, are you quite alri-”

He arrived to the sight of Tony, laying on his back, legs and arms spread out like a starfish, staring blankly up at the ceiling but otherwise completely fine.

As Jarvis’ terror faded, he struggled not to laugh at the sight of the seven-year-old, laying on the floor and looking for all the world like he was questioning every life decision that had led to this moment. Jarvis could tell Tony was less hurt and more shocked and possibly embarrassed by his fall.

Jarvis struggled to keep his expression neutral as he addressed the young boy.

“Master Tony, are you quite alright?” Jarvis repeated.

“I need help,” Tony deadpanned, still not looking at him. Jarvis could see a slight blush making its way across the boy’s face.

“In more ways than one,” Jarvis muttered to himself as he reached into the top shelf and pulled out the cookie package. He could feel Tony’s glare at his back. He smiled widely as he handed the package to the now standing boy. He gave Jarvis that same unimpressed look he always saw on Howard, though Tony was struggling to keep his face straight.

more fic under ‘cady writes’ tag

[canadian-riddler]

Edward’s father backstory post

Keep in mind here this is from his dad’s POV, so his perception of what’s going on is skewed from what reality might be.

Really long so it gets a cut.

- Born Edwin Nashton in Trois-Rivières, Québec

- Third of four sons, the other three having great success as doctors and lawyers; about 5′11″ but broad-shouldered and somewhat stocky

- Moved to Toronto to attend the University of Toronto at the age of nineteen, intending to follow in the tradition of a medical degree

- Academia was stressed as very important throughout his life and he was driven to excel in everything

- He was not as naturally gifted as the first two of his brothers, so he at times had to make up for this with a bit of trickery and manipulation

- Two years into his bachelor’s he met a young lady he eventually began a long-term relationship with

- Two months later it was discovered she had become pregnant

- Pressure from both of their families drove them to keep the baby; Edwin’s father in particular said in no uncertain terms that he would no longer consider Edwin his son if he did not own up to this mistake

- With no support from either of their families, both Edwin and his reluctant partner were forced to leave school in order to support themselves; living in Toronto was too expensive for them to work solely part-time

- Edwin was not there when the baby was born, and refused to see him for as long as possible

- It was several weeks later that Edwin learned she had given the boy the middle name ‘Edwin’ as a way to further rub in his mistake, which made him furious

- It was evident early on that his son was every bit as intelligent as he was, if not more, and this triggered a resentment in Edwin that never faded

- Edward’s mother was equally resentful of him and they fought over him constantly

- When Edward was eight years old his mother left and never came back; she simply vanished off the face of the earth so effectively that not even her family knew where she had gone

- Edwin realised he now had to give up on his own life entirely to raise a boy he didn’t want, something he made very clear to Edward at all times

- Edwin’s family eventually disowned him anyway for failing to live up to their high standards in career and education, as well as the fact that he had never actually married the mother of his son, leading Edwin to become even more angry and resentful of Edward

- He became intensely frustrated with the fact that Edward was obviously intelligent, and yet had marks in school consistent of a child several years behind

- No matter how Edwin reprimanded him, Edward seemed simply unable to do his schoolwork and instead spent copious amounts of time staring out the window or reading anything that made its way into his hands

- The first time Edwin hit his son was the result of a disastrous parent-teacher meeting in which he was told Edward needed to repeat the grade; to a man from a family with such high academic expectations, this was unacceptable

- Edward did as he was told for a short while after that, and it soon became evident that it was the only way to get him to listen

- The first time Edwin really assaulted his son was upon receiving a call from one of his teachers stating Edward had cheated in some sort of puzzle contest; the boy somehow maintained that he had not cheated, but between the teacher and his son Edwin was convinced his son was the liar

- Edwin from then on felt that Edward was acting the way he was on purpose, in order to rub in Edwin’s face his own lost potential; why ELSE would a boy so obviously intelligent cheat?

- Into his teenage years Edward developed some incredibly bizarre habits that Edwin was convinced he had set into to infuriate him even more; to his chagrin this particular set of imperfections were made worse by his disciplinary measures, not better

- Over the years Edwin became increasingly resentful of how carelessly he perceived Edward to be squandering his intelligence

- Edwin had been forced to bring his life to a halt for a boy who seemingly did not value what he had

- Edwin had found himself driven to bartending to make a living, and as he did so turned to alcohol in an attempt to make the disaster his life had become less burdensome

- One night he lost control of himself entirely and assaulted a customer, which caused him to be terminated immediately

- When he returned home that night he took his drunken fury out on his son, now sixteen years old, who disappeared by the following morning

- Surprisingly, the boy finally being gone did not fix anything

- He managed to finagle some sympathy from an old family friend, who set him up in Philadelphia as a receptionist at a dentist’s office

- He did not hear anything from or about his son until almost eight years later, when he sighted him on the news

 - He was stunned initially, unable to believe that boy had gotten even worse than he’d been when he had disappeared 

- The one good thing he’d done was change his last name so Edwin did not have to be embarrassed by his relation to a lunatic

- He made the trip down to Arkham Asylum to see it with his own eyes, and it was true; Edward had thrown his intelligence away on baiting some vigilante in his underwear with silly puzzles instead of doing something useful with it, like getting an education and a good career

- Even as an adult, Edward was shocked and afraid to see Edwin when he arrived; if Edwin raised his voice or leaned forward too far, Edward would flinch or move farther back

- It soon became obvious to Edwin that he was the only one who had the ability to control Edward; he and Batman, that was

- In his opinion Edward knew, on some level, he deserved Edwin’s discipline and had turned to someone even more able to give it to him when he’d left home as recompense for his becoming even worse of a human being

- He periodically goes down to the Asylum to bait Edward in the hopes that the staff there will smarten up and send him to Blackgate where he belongs, but according to a sympathetic staff member Edward has somehow managed to secure a fantastic lawyer who studiously guides Edward’s cases through every loophole on the books

- Edwin eventually gets picked up for an aggravated assault charge on a future girlfriend and is imprisoned himself

- He has heard the stories of other supercriminals returning to their parents after decades of absence in order to kill them, but he believes Edward will only come back to apologise and beg his forgiveness; he does not think at all that Edward will enact any sort of vengeance, as he obviously deserved everything Edwin had done