#tripp grunt

[ripplover69]

Not only did the woohoo fix their relationship, but Ripp goes into labour! He gives birth to the first baby and hands them to Lana.

He needed his hands free because he had two more coming. Ripp and Lana's new triplets, Dripp, Tripp and Pipp.

Ripp and Lana couldn't be more happy despite their extremely cramped trailer and the obvious need for a new house now and they spend the rest of the night stargazing between caring for the new babies.

Ren and Brooke also get older and they grow up into teens!

A beautiful family of 8.

[kamiiri]

The three of them quickly became a tight trio, hanging out constantly—which was usually whenever Ripp found an opportunity to sneak out of the house. He was rarely permitted to leave, as his father didn’t trust him to behave, and he definitely wasn’t allowed to bring these friends over to the Grunt household. Sometimes, though, when the stars aligned, he was able to get out of there for a while.

Ripp drunkenly giggled at a memory of his friends waiting outside in Johnny’s car one evening. A little too excitedly, Ripp had sprinted out the door, only to stumble over a little light fixture in the sand and go flying. As soon as the three of them drove away and knew they were in the clear, they’d laughed and laughed and laughed. Johnny and Ophelia called him Tripp for weeks.

Maybe it was the alcohol. But Ripp thought he might cry.

[poshfind]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Anthropologie Guest Editor Ruffle Back Raw Hem Army Green Patch Swing Jacket M.

[brantodd33-blog]

When one golden fleck appeared over the roof top. Tripp begins getting worried, remembering the eyes of the Hollowmonger. Then the one gold fleck turns into two, and both began spiraling out turning into four, six, eight, and ten before Tripp loses count. Boss Snally threw Ryder Chronos aka “Tripp the Voyager” low onto the roof. He hit hard, and slides on his back in the snowy slush and mud.

Tripp slams his feet down coming to a stop, braking himself with his van sneakers. He sits in the freezing night air, just under the massive gold spiraling light. Breathing out puffs of moisture, with steam rolling off his cold damp clothes, and soaked curly head. He looks up noticing it is about fifteen feet above the building. And he now knows it is becoming a doorway of some kind. He starts to see a dark shape beginning to appear. As the doorway gets larger, so does the behemoth shadowy figure. “It is some kind of giant!” Tripp says out loud. His air pods blaring Chevelle in his ears still, he doesn’t realize he is speaking only to the Snallygasters as they float beating their wings just beside the research, and medical facility.

The spiraling portal completely opens with a bright beam of gold flares, and a loud trumpeted blast. Tripp stands, backing up now not taking his eyes off the massive luminescent portal. He thinks “God, it is at least twenty to thirty feet around, and the giant silhouette is growing taller.”

As it walks closer its hard footsteps becoming heavy thunderous stomps, rattling the roof top security lights. Tripp still backing up, unblinking in shocked astonishment. He bumps the mound of dirty frozen slush, where his axe is still planted, looking like a comical axe in the stone.

A drizzle of ice starts to fall, quickly gaining intensity turning into a flurry of thick snow, the Tower of Snallygasters start to grunt snorts of freezing breaths. Slowly gliding back onto the rooftops edge, all watching the large silhouette stopping right at the opening of the enormous entrance it places it’s gargantuan hands on it’s hips.

Tripp still in a trance, and breathing heavy, taking the air pods from his ears. He hears the figure speak. Its voice is a roaring stern Old Norse accent.

“By the fires of Helios, ‘Ramsey The Great Defender’ is it really you?” The huge Viking giant leaps from the gold portal, with a loud booming slam on the rooftop rattling everything, and shattering the windows of the master control room. Tripp falls back splashing in the mound of slush. Freeing the fireman’s axe, it lands in Tripp’s lap, and the Tower of Snallygasters leap up in a flutter.

The Giant Viking stands fully up right, and begins walking over to Tripp, still in darkness.

Tripp thinks “This man, or giant is easily twelve foot tall.”

The creature steps up to Tripp with only his lower half showing in the lamp light.

Tripp looks down to see a pair of massive boots. Made from goatskin or cow hide, woolen wraps under chainmail running up to leather suede pants bound with suede lacing, a thick wide bronze, and bear skin belt over the top of the pants with a hatchet hanging on each side. Four worn cracking leather bags laced closed through brass eyelets, a row of daggers, and one very large skinning knife.

The giant bends down placing his enormous, and irregularly hairy hands on his knees, Tripp notices leather strapped gauntlets embossed with what look like two Phoenixes rolled into a circle of fire, on each wrist.

Then the face of this giant hairy Viking lowers into the light; saying well,

“Ramsey it seems you’re no longer “The Defender”, are you?” bellowing gruff laughter.

“No that’s right you’re “The Voyager” on this go around aren’t you?”

Tripp looks into the giant’s dark green eyes.

Seeing for the first time, the face of a being with the features of a man mixed with the features of an ape.

Low prominent brow, a short nose, thin cracking lips, weathered tough tanned skin.

With a long single braided beard.

Blonde brown ombre hair pulled back with woven beads, stone, and large red feathers showing two Norse tribal tattoos on either side of his massive head.

Tripp has a sudden mind-blowing realization.

“Holy shit you’re a Sasquatch, oh damn you are some kind of giant Viking Bigfoot! “Tripp yells.

“Hey, boy you watch that, God pounding mouth!” “Do you hear me?” The giant said.

“We prefer ‘Wendigo.”

“The Wendigo find Sasquatch or Bigfoot to be offensive, and a derogatory slur. Those are the names given to us by the outer Eden dwellers or humans, as their called.” Ragnar informed Tripp with stern, but good humor.

“Consider this, your first warning ‘Voyager’. Here let me help you up.”

Reaching out his big right hand, he grabs Tripp. Picking him straight up, and off the cold concrete. He places him onto the top of the control room.

“My name is, Ragnar the Rugaru, Of the Rising Phoenix tribe, and what is your given Samsararian name, ‘Voyager’?” Ragnar asked.

“Huh, I’m Tripp. Well I mean Ryder is my real name, but everyone just calls me Tripp.” He exclaimed.

More gruff laughter, and a huge pad on the back. “Well Tripp nice to finally meet you, “Heil og seal”. Oh sorry, nice to meet you healthy, and happy.” Ragnar exclaimed.

[mwolf0epsilon]

Tatooine Odd Encounters

---

The trek towards his little hut had been quiet, just as it always was after a hard day at work processing the slabs of meat that he was paid to cut-up and prepare for distribution. His Eopie, Silas, was always rather peaceful after Obi-Wan brought back the old boy a little morsel of a treat. Content to stride across the sand at a leisurely pace without ever grunting derisively at his passenger.

Today however, his silence was one of disquiet. Something had been bothering the Eopie since they'd left town, a sentiment Obi-Wan couldn't help share in. He'd heard some rather strange (and honestly quite alarming) rumours about one of the Empire's outposts far beyond the Dune Sea, where only the Sand People dared trek.

The word that had been spread across town was that supposedly some kind of tremendously sized beast had taken out the entire outpost. Crushed the structures with it's impressive paws, and devoured the troopers and officers stationed there before they had the chance to call for aid.

Obi-wan had listened quietly while he untied his only companion, taken in great consideration the fear in the townsfolk's voices as they wondered if these rumours could be true. If there really was such a beast out there, rivalling even the largest sarlacc or oldest krait dragon they'd ever seen. The children, on the other hand, had seemed ecstatic in the way that only children could be when hearing such tales.

He'd briefly seen Owen Lars, carting parts for one of his moisture farms, seeming quite bewildered when he'd caught Luke and several more children playing together, pretending to be towering giants taking out an encampment of toy troopers. Obi-wan hadn't been able to help the smile that he'd cast when Owen caught his eye, shaking his head and shrugging while glancing at the boys before busying himself once more with Silas.

They weren't friends, not necessarily, but they'd come to a sort of truce. Obi-wan was permitted to be around so long as it was in passage or in the best interest of keeping the boy safe. If he just so happened to pass by to have a cup of tea with Beru once in a while, surely there would be no harm in having a quick chat? He wasn't very involved in the boy's life, just...A distant friendly neighbour he could run to if anything were to ever happen to the Lars.

Somewhat amicable allegiances or not, he wasn't a fool enough to bother Owen when he was clearly busy... And whether or not he believed word of mouth was not something up for debate. A beast of such proportions not native to the sandy and twin-sunned domains of Tatooine surely wouldn't survive out in the Dune Sea for long. If there really was any danger roaming about, it wouldn't be something to fear for long.

Or so he thought.

The farther he'd gotten from town the more Obi-wan began to believe that such wild stories were not to be taken lightly. Tatooine might not be a host to a very populous natural fauna, but the air seemed too... Still. Too quiet.

Silas's apprehensive demeanour did nothing to quell his concerns. The old Eopie was wise with age, brave with loyalty to the owner that tended to his needs, and ready to snap like a twig at the first sign of danger.

The closer they got to Obi-wan's distant little hut, the more unsettled the two became. And yet there was nothing to be afraid of for miles. Neither above, below or deeper still under the sands. There was no danger that he could sense. Just endless dunes and a sense of unease that seemed to be without reason... Until the sands beneath them both began to shift, that is.

It could almost be described like reverse quicksand. Rather than fall beneath the Eopie's feet, it rose. Like something that had been slumbering had suddenly woken up and begun to sit up. Only this wasn't one of those multiple limbed brute lizards that often tormented the Sand Folk, nor was it a krait dragon coming up for air. Neither was it the burrowing sarlacc hoping to prepare it's new pit. Whatever this thing was that had tripped up Silas and sent both he and Obi-wan tumbling, was quite large indeed.

All he could see was a blur of shaggy dark curly fur, the slightest hint of bare skin, and then an immense canvas of grey that continuously rose up in height, taller and taller and taller yet until Silas let out a cry of terror and began to buck wildly in distress. The Jedi let out his own cry of alarm, trying to reach out with the Force to calm the frightened mount, before he lost balance and was flung off the Eopie's back.

While sand was a relatively soft thing to land upon, the impact of his back against ground still felt very solid. Air knocked out of his lungs, and the twin suns blocked out by whatever towering monster they'd stumbled across, Obi-wan barely had time to process that this might be his end before his eyes rolled into the back of his skull and the world faded to black.

Above him, blinking tiredly against the blazing light of the suns, an old rather oversized clone took in a few shuddering breaths before glancing down towards whatever was making such a shrill noise. He spotted the Eopie first, bucking and hollering up at him. Very clearly terrified of the giant before it. And then his eyes drifted down to the collapsed figure on the sand. The red curls, the beard and the clothing he wore causing the giant's eyes to widen.

"General...?"

Tatooine certainly was a planet of odd encounters.

[strideofpride]

📖

I’m so glad you sent this because it gives me a chance to talk about the dair good girls revolt AU that I’ve become obsessed with and desperately want to write once I have time again.

Okay, so Good Girls Revolt is a show set in 1969/1970 about a feminism movement that takes hold at a magazine (based off a real story - Nora Ephron is a character but like…that’s the worst thing about the show cause Nora worked at Newsday back in the early 60s not late 60s I hate inaccuracies like that especially when Nora didn’t even have to be a character but anyway anyway). Basically all the reporters are men and all the researchers are women and the men get all the credit for the stories even when the women do all the grunt work and the men often take paragraphs verbatim from the women’s work. And the women aren’t allowed to become reporters. So they end up teaming up with the ACLU and file a lawsuit at the end of season 1 but then it got cancelled. :(

Anyway there’s this pairing I became obsessed with, Sam/Jane. Sam is a reporter and Jane is a researcher and they’re basically partners. Sam is a Jewish boy from the working class Bronx and Jane is WASP to the bone. And I’m sure you’re starting to see where this is going…there’s obviously a flirtation between them but Jane’s parents have very specific expectations of her and are also anti-Semitic and yeah.

Jane is also engaged to be engaged to her fellow waspy boyfriend Chad (cough Nate cough) who dumps her on NYE after she gives him an ultimatum and then she goes and loses her virginity to her neighbor (Carter Baizen).

Of course, in the show this isn’t the main focus, Jane is just one of the central trio. There’s also Patty (Serena) who is in a relationship with her reporter, Doug, who’s from a wealthy background but likes to pretend he’s more bohemian than he seems (Aaron Rose) but she also has a flirtation going with the married Editor in Chief (Tripp van der Bilt). There’s also Cindy (Nelly Yuki) who starts out meek and in a bad marriage but has an affair with the photo editor (tbd). And Patty and Cindy are kinda the catalyst for the lawsuit after Nora quits and hooks them up with Eleanor Holmes Norton, an ACLU activist (Vanessa) but they eventually get Jane on board and get her to be the face of the lawsuit knowing her image will help people take them more seriously.

I haven’t decided if I’m gonna include chippy but there is a friend of the editor who’s brought in who ends up sexually harassing Jane so…

Anyway, yeah! It would probably be more loosely inspired, cause obviously the show got cancelled before Sam and Jane actually got together. I’ve been thinking about it sooooo much. I really wanted to do a dair reporter AU and then I realized I wanted to do it in the 70s though and then I realized Sam & Jane were already so Dair like and then everything kinda started to fall into place after that. But I still have to write it hahaha

Put "📓" or some other version of a book emoji into my inbox and I'll explain the plot of a fanfiction that I haven't written but daydream about.

[daisybeewrites]

Academy Blues

sometimes you punch the bag, sometimes to bag punches you

word count: 4.5k

warnings: none. heavy handed use of italics

ship: Dousy (Daniel Sousa/Daisy Johnson), background Fitzsimmons and Philinda

ahaha.. and the fun begins (the cryptic-ness is for a reason i promise)

“Ow!!” Daisy exclaimed. This was the second time today she had gotten distracted and let the punching bag swing into her. Sans Bobbi or Mack, her usual workout partners, there was no one to hold the bag still while she was pummeling it. Her side of the gym was entirely void of people, most opting to use the treadmills or other cardio machines lining the wall of large windows that faced the forest to the south, or stick to circuits on the resistance machines throughout the middle of the gym. The universe seemed to be telling her to get in some boxing, so she walked over to the bag with the intention of punching until her arms hurt.

Now her nose hurts, too.

“You need a spot?” May asked, silently crossing the padded floor to Daisy.

She nodded. Waiting for May to get into position, Daisy stretched out her arms over her head and across her body, twisting her torso to feel her abs stretch. When May gave her a thumbs up, Daisy started to punch the heavy bag again, this time with a little more force now that she knew it wouldn’t fly back and hit her in the face.

“Something on your mind?”

“No,” Daisy grunted. “Just slacked off the last few weeks. With everyone gone on break there wasn’t as much of... everything, I guess, to keep me in a routine.”

May nodded. “Breaks can be tough. No classes, schedule disrupted, more free time than you know what to do with. I get it. If you ever want a time-filler, text and I’ll be there.”

Daisy nodded, going back to silently punching. The breaks weren’t all bad. They only happened eight times a year, five two-week breaks and three three-week breaks. Enough time that those with families and lives outside of SHIELD could visit and vacation, but not fall behind. Plus, it gave Daisy the campus pretty much to herself. Only about forty students stayed at The Academy over breaks, and it seemed to decrease every time.

Another good thing about breaks was that Daisy got to know more people personally. Whether it was how the tall, fifth-year red head took her morning coffee or that the new group of first-years liked to run the same trails through the forest as she did. So, when an entirely new face had cropped up out of nowhere, Daisy was intrigued. He walked with a limp, had nice hair and kind eyes. She didn’t recognize him, and despite the fact that he had arrived the same day as the rest of the first-years, he was definitely the oldest of the pack. That was unusual, Daisy had thought, SHIELD almost always recruits directly out of high school or college. The last time anyone over the age of twenty-five had been accepted to the Academy was when Daisy herself had started. However, that was a bit of a… special situation.

Every morning, New Guy crossed through the computer lab and waved, smiling confidently at Daisy. His sudden appearance and amicable interactions confused her. Classes weren’t in session, but he always had a backpack with him. Maybe he had tutoring with one of the professors? A new student trying to catch up before the term even began — an enigma.

Once classes had started, he still came by everyday. Daisy liked to think it was because he wanted to see her. They had never spoken more than tired greetings to each other, and yet Daisy felt herself pulled towards him. She shook off the thought. It made her skin crawl, thinking about the last time she felt such a magnetic attraction to someone.

She realized May was studying her through the mirrors lining the wall next to the row of punching bags. She cleared her throat and asked, “Is my form okay?”

May gave her a long look that clearly said, ‘You know that your form is fine.’

Daisy pulled her eyes away from May’s stare, announcing, “I’m going to fill up my water, do you need any?”

May shook her head, pulling out her phone.

Daisy bent down to grab her water and headed to the back of the gym, towards the locker rooms. A couple of reusable bottle-filler stations were stuck into the wall, right next to the PT rooms. Daisy couldn’t help but peer into the closest one as she listened to the sound of water streaming into her bottle. It was filled with floor ladders, yoga balls, sports med supplies... New Guy. Huh.

Wondering why he would be sitting in a dark PT room by himself, Daisy took a swig of her water before continuing to fill it up. He hopped off the table as the lights came on, a young doctor-type walking in a smiling. She was reminded of his limp when he walked towards her, shaking her hand and flashing a large smile. Cute, Daisy noticed. Wait, no, what?

Daisy promptly turned and headed back to the wall of mirrors, choosing to ignore the smirk on May’s face.

“Ready?” Daisy asked.

“Actually,” May began, “Why don’t we get in some sparring? You’ve been at this for over an hour.”

Daisy caught the glance May threw at the half-assed wraps on her hands and nodded. With only a few jitters, Daisy quickly helped May unroll the sparring mats onto the floor. Daisy had only sparred with Yo-Yo since she got back from Columbia visiting her cousin. Sparring with May was an entirely different level.

After some warm-up drills, May silently took charge and got into a fighting stance. Daisy rose up on her tip-toes, then rocked backwards. The grey padding beneath her looked a lot softer than it felt while being slammed onto it. A quick lunge from Daisy and a swift deflection by May, and the two women were off.

Across the gym, Daniel Sousa and the doctor were chatting, watching Daisy and May.

“They look like they’re barely breaking a sweat,” Daniel commented after May leaped off Daisy’s leg, flipping forwards and attempting to grab Daisy around the shoulders. Daisy rolled backward, throwing May over her and getting to her feet as the shorter woman jumped up into a wide stance.

“You’ll get back to that level,” The physical therapist assured him.

Daniel shook his head. “Maybe. I hope so. If not, I’m a damn good shot, anyway.”

The doctor chuckled before motioning back to the PT room. “C’mon, you still have thirty minutes stuck with me before I release you from daily therapy.”

“It’s only been three weeks?” Daniel questioned, confused. They walked through a black door to a small room. Grey cabinets on one side, a black table on the other, physical therapy tools lined up in organized sections.

“Most of which was just assessing you. You already know the exercises and stretches, and you completed the physical therapy recommended by your primary care physician before you came to us. You have the strength mostly back in your residual limb, at least to the point where sparring shouldn’t do any damage. I still expect you to show up at least twice a week. Especially since you’re starting field training with May.”

He smiled. “How do you know about that?”

“I have access to your file, Sousa,” She reminded him, “I also know you were late to her class on the first day. Not a smart move, in my opinion.”

Daniel cringed at the memory of heads turning his way, watching him limp to the only open seat in the very front. May’s comment— “Thoughtful of you to join us, Agent Sousa,” —still turned his face a slightly embarrassing shade of red when he thought about it.

Noticing his uncomfortable silence, the physical therapist put on a sympathetic face. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. I was late to my first class, too. Professor Martin, advanced physiology. Granted, I was seventeen...”

Daniel playfully glared at her.

“...but I suppose that’s no excuse. Let’s get started.”

The rest of the day went by without Daisy or Daniel seeing much of each other besides a fleeting glimpse while changing classes. Not that they were looking for the other, or anything.

A few hours later, before dinner, Daisy was sitting on the counter in the girls’ dorm bathroom, watching Jemma curl her hair.

Jemma Simmons was one of the only people she immediately loved at SHIELD, and the first person she had trusted on Coulson’s team. Over the course of a couple months, they became closer than Daisy had ever been with anyone, spending almost every waking moment together. Over time, Daisy had grown to love the rest of the team, too, learning that they had also been hand picked by Coulson. Though, technically, Daisy hadn’t been chosen for the team. She was picked up as a consultant. But it didn’t matter, as the ragtag team had quickly been disbanded.

Knives shoved into your back can have that effect.

After the end of the team, Code-named Bus Kids, Daisy, Fitzsimmons, Tripp, and May and Coulson had come to the Academy to continue working with SHIELD. Daisy and Tripp were assigned as partners in their ops training, Fitzsimmons were partners in the lab, and May and Coulson still checked on them as if nothing had changed.

But people get busy, and it had been awhile since Jemma and Daisy had properly talked to each other.

“Does the bruise on my nose look like it’ll go away any time soon?”

Jemma glanced up through the mirror, shrugging. “It should. What did you do to it?”

Daisy fiddled with her hands, only answering when Jemma turned to face her fully.

“I kinda, uhm, got punched...”

The stern look Jemma gave Daisy quickly melted into laughter as the brunette added, “...by a punching bag.”

Reaching up to turn Daisy’s face towards the fluorescent bathroom lighting, Jemma gently ran a finger along the angry red splotch on the top of Daisy’s nose. She jerked her head a bit, wincing at the contact.

“You should be fine, I’ll grab some of the good anti-inflammatory meds from the medical storage.”

Daisy thanked her, hopping off the counter to grab an eyeliner pen. “So, how is Fitz? Is this a real date night or are you guys ‘just hanging out’?”

Jemma smiled at his name and rubbed her neck. Daisy smiled back at the subconscious reaction.

“You two are so meant for each other,” She teased.

Jemma tilted her face up towards Daisy, allowing her to start applying eyeliner.

“He hasn’t really defined it. We’re ‘going out’, but we aren’t dating.”

Daisy finished the subtle cat eye, shaking her head. When would he learn that Jemma would only believe they were together if he said, ‘Hey, Jems, I’m completely and totally in love with you and I want you and I to live happily ever after!’

Daisy watched Jemma inspect herself in the mirror, touching up her mascara.

“You look amazing. He’s a fool if he doesn’t see it,” Daisy assured.

Jemma smiled. Her Sheffield accent had gotten thicker over break, Daisy noticed, as Jemma responded, “He does, I know he does. We both just have trouble, you know? Voicing our thoughts and feelings.”

Daisy definitely knew…

“Well, he could do with a good reminder sometimes. If y’all are going to keep going on these not-dates, you might as well show him what he’s missing by staying just friends!”

Jemma laughed, smiling gratefully. She took one final look in the mirror, swishing her knee-length royal blue dress and fluffing her hair. “Okay, well, off I go. Have a good night, Daisy.”

Daisy gave her a thumbs up and went to watch out her window as Fitz handed Jemma a hand-picked bouquet of (slightly squished) wildflowers and took her arm to lead her to the parking lot.

Daisy sighed and turned away from the gold and pink sunset. She opened her personal laptop, immediately bombarded by three windows running programs. One was running an innocent algorithm to clean all the useless, unused files from her computer, one was a simulation that could (hypothetically, no harm no foul) hack the Pentagon, and another was trying to find video and audio feed from Los Angeles, four months ago.

Daisy’s gaze lingered on the last one, not expecting anything new. She sighed and picked up her laptop, deciding to go visit Mack in the garage. It was only seven on a Friday, he’d probably be there working on the run-down, close to falling apart Harley he had bought off an old friend for $200. Mack had been working on it for months. Daisy wasn’t even sure it had half its original parts.

A short trip across the grounds and a trek over a winding path cut through a field of thick tallgrass later, Daisy arrived at the garage.

The monstrous steel and concrete building was like a plane hangar and mechanics lab forged into one. Workstations around the edge were strewn with tools, motors, and half-finished pieces of tech. Shining black SHIELD vehicles and even two quinjets sat in the middle, outlined by rectangular blocks of tape and paint. Catwalks crossed the upper level so that mechanics could reach the tops of planes when necessary, though SHIELD planes hardly ever came to The Academy unless they were being used for a lesson.

Daisy followed the sounds of tinkering and the quietly moving shadows to Mack’s workstation. She carefully leaned against a nearby SHIELD van, not wanting to interrupt his work.

Now, to say that Mack wasn’t easily frightened was an understatement. Daisy had hardly ever seen the muscled giant of a man so much as jump. Ever since discovering this, Daisy had taken every opportunity to try to scare Mack. It was not going great.

Daisy pulled out her phone, silently thumbing through emails and checking Instagram. She was about to walk over and tap him on the shoulder when Mack turned around and screamed.

Clutching his chest, Mack exclaimed, “Tremors, what the hell?!”

“I just wanted to come check in,” Daisy giggled, happy that she had finally snuck up on Mack.

Mack stood with his hands on his hips, smiling wide, before cocking one thick eyebrow and gesturing at her face.

“What happened to your nose?”

“Punching bag won this morning,” She shrugged.

Mack shook his head, laughing in a deep rumble. “You wanna help me with this?” He asked, pointing to the small device on his desk.

She didn’t answer, just reached out to take a small screwdriver from Mack’s very large hand. He showed her how to twist it to create leverage without it slipping while he messed with some wires, and eventually he seemed satisfied.

“Have you eaten dinner?” Mack asked casually.

Daisy nodded, her grumbling stomach betraying her.

Mack eyed her up and down. “Sure. Well, I’m hungry, so let's get something to eat and then we can take the bikes out.”

Daisy liked the feeling of being on a bike, the wind in her hair and steady vibrations from the engine soothing her ever-present headache. Ever since this revelation, if Mack went out on his motorcycle, he invited Daisy to ride with him.

At first, Daisy had been skeptical. What was so great about a two-wheel speeding death trap? One of her best friends had driven a gleaming 1969 Dodge Charger, and she had enjoyed riding with the windows down, but it still wasn’t the absolute best experience of her life, like most motorcyclists claimed a ride could be. However, once Daisy had finally taken Mack up on his offer, she was never hesitant to accept another invitation.

In the canteen, Mack piled a plate high with salad ingredients and baked spaghetti, scooping some off into a bowl for Daisy once he got back to the table. She took a fork and picked at it, chewing the crisp lettuce slowly.

Once they were both finished, Mack put his plate and utensils on the circling dish belt. He let Daisy lead the way back to the garage. She immediately grabbed two helmets and Mack’s gloves.

“That leather jacket gonna be enough to keep you warm? I have a couple old flannels in my bag if you want one.” Mack offered.

Daisy picked at a loose thread on the worn black jacket, nodding and throwing a ‘Thanks’ over her shoulder. She quickly rifled through his duffel bag, pulling out a faded black and blue flannel and shrugging it on under her jacket.

Mack mounted his black and silver bike, Daisy choosing a smaller SHIELD one. She kicked the kickstand back with her foot, finding her balance. She followed Mack as he revved the engine and took off out of the garage. Daisy heard him speak into the helmet’s mic.

“I upgraded the bikes, bigger tires and a better visor. It’s more efficient. Plus, when I’m out on the highway, cars don’t push me around.”

Daisy gave him a thumbs up, focusing on the feeling of air flowing around her. She sped up as she reached the road. She felt as if she was flying high into the air, fighting the laws of physics. On the back roads surrounding the Academy, as familiar as the back of her hand, Daisy relaxed and let herself fall into autopilot.

She heard Mack in her ear, still talking about the bike. She had heard it all before, but there was something centering about listening to Mack retell the evolution of his bike for the hundredth time, like a kid who begged to hear the same bedtime story every night.

It was freeing, speeding down a deserted road on the bike, stars above and pavement below. Pine trees reached for the sky on each side of her. Shrubbery and grass waved to Mack and Daisy as they raced forward.

A slight burn pricked her eyes that she knew wasn’t from the wind. Daisy needed this after a stressful first couple weeks back in class. To be honest, it was what she needed all the time. Daisy was exhausted. Her powers may not be visible, but they were always on, always bouncing around her body. Times like these, though, Daisy felt free. Releasing the constant grip she had on her self-control, she let the vibrations of the engine flow through her. Slowly, surely, Daisy let her guard down. A whispering warble crept into her ears over the wind. She could feel the way the pavement below and the humid late-August air around her absorbed the miniscule quakes, bouncing lightly off the tall trees like a quiet laugh reflecting off the walls of an echo-chamber.

About an hour later, Daisy and Mack were rolling back into the garage. Daisy couldn’t hide the slight redness in her eyes, but the smile on her face told Mack he didn’t need to worry. The pair silently did maintenance on the motorcycles, re-fueling them for later use and checking for any loose parts on Daisy’s.

Daisy headed back to campus, refusing Mack’s offer to walk her back to the dorms. She would be fine on her own. Besides, Jems might be back by now, she could ask about Fitzsimmons’ date. Or she could wait until breakfast tomorrow and tease them both.

Daisy stopped in her tracks. Out of the corner of her eye, a shadow slipped behind a building. Daisy felt her back tense, her hands curling into fists.

Any remainder of twilight light had faded while Mack and Daisy maintenanced the bikes. Daisy couldn’t imagine that any of the trainees that went to parties at the nearby universities were back yet, but no student in their right mind would want to simply walk around the dark campus of the Academy.

She kept walking, more alert. No sounds apart from her steady breathing and the rustle of grass beneath her feet reached her ears. She walked slowly toward where the shadow had disappeared. It looked as if it was headed to the biochem building. Daisy raised her hands, quietly running towards the white building, slightly crouched. She circled it once, twice, before deciding she had been imagining things, the shadow was only a trick of the light. It seemed so real though, so solid…

Daisy shook her head and crossed the courtyard, heading towards the dorms. It was late, and she had important things to do tomorrow. She was probably just tired from her ride with Mack.

Behind her, unnoticed by Daisy, the shadow quickly crossed the field behind the biochem building, slinking into the tallgrass.

The next day, Daisy woke to the sound of her alarm blaring 90’s RnB at six thirty AM, sharp. She quickly shut it off and stared at the ceiling for a moment before groaning and dragging herself out of bed. She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night after her encounter with the shadow.

The sun was slowly ascending in the sky, golden light filtering into her windows. It was early, but she didn’t have the energy to go workout. Instead, Daisy stretched on her bed and sent a quick text to Jemma asking to meet up later to gossip about her date.

She grabbed shorts and a cropped sweatshirt, quickly dressing and making her way to the bathroom. She clipped her hair back, brushed her teeth, washed her face and headed back to her room. Trying her best to cover the bruise that had turned from red-violet to a blue-ish tinted black, she did minimal makeup. It’s not like it could get any worse, she thought bitterly. The concealer wasn’t much use.

Deciding to ignore the bruise, Daisy stood up, grabbed her backpack with her personal laptop and journal and headed to the canteen.

There weren’t many students around campus this early in the morning. Most were either asleep or nursing a hangover in their dorms. A few dedicated trainees were scattered amongst the different buildings, either in the gym or studying on their favourite bench. Daisy made a beeline for the canteen, hoping that no one had drank all the fresh coffee yet.

She slipped through the doors, sending small smiles to the students she made eye-contact with, faltering when her roving gaze reached a set of twinkling eyes the color of coffee. Maybe, she thought, I should go over and talk to him. What’s the worst that can happen?

She quickly poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a cinnamon raisin bagel from the pastry cart. Checking to be sure he wasn’t sitting with anyone (she wouldn’t want to intrude), Daisy walked around to the back of the large room, sitting in a spot diagonal from him.

After a few minutes of silence where Daisy ate her bagel and pretended not to feel his eyes on her, she turned and faced him.

“Good morning,” she said.

He dipped his head and raised his paper cup of coffee at the same time in response.

Does he not want to talk to me? Daisy questioned herself. She tried again. “So, is the coffee good?” He glanced at her cup that she had been sipping. Daisy recovered, “You know, in your opinion. I love the coffee here, the slightly burned aftertaste goes well with cream and sugar.΅

To her relief, he smiled. “Yeah, it’s good. I don’t usually use cream or sugar.”

Daisy raised her eyebrows, impressed. “Ah, more of a bare necessities, no-nonsense guy?”

His nose scrunched a little in thought, as if he was assessing his entire personality to see if it aligned with Daisy’s coffee psychology. He nodded finally, elaborating, “I was in the army. Most of us drank it black while deployed. I never got out of the habit. But, to answer your question, I like to think of myself as low maintenance.”

He sent her a small smile that had her insides melting just a bit. Daisy hid behind the rim of her coffee cup, trying to think of a response. Luckily, New Guy saved her.

“How do you drink your coffee?”

Daisy lowered her own paper cup, clearing her throat. “One half and half, just a bit of sugar. If I’m super tired I’ll add more.”

“So you probably adapt easily and have a deep hunger for answers to all your questions?”

Daisy’s eyes quickly flicked down to her coffee, wondering if her coffee order really exposed that much about her. Daniel laughed, his shoulders shaking with mirth. “I’m kidding. I noticed how you’re always in the computer lab before class, and Yo-Yo told me that you use that time to research.”

Daisy felt a blush creep up her neck. Yo-Yo knew New Guy? And gave him information about her schedule?

Daniel quickly explained, “We see each other in the halls a lot. And we have a class together. She noticed me in the lab and thought I knew you.”

Daisy relaxed. Yo-Yo had become increasingly more friendly to strangers the longer she spent at the Academy.

“I remember the first time I met her. She was so angry that SHIELD had stopped her from exposing the police in her city as corrupt. Our team was sent in to help her finish what she had started, destroy weapons and take down the corrupt members of the department. It was fun,” She chuckled.

Daniel watched her through his thin clear-frame glasses. She winced a little as her nose scrunched with laughter, recalling another story about a mission gone awry that Yo-Yo saved.

“How did you get that bruise?”

“What?”

He pointed to the spot on his face that mirrored the position of the bruise on hers. “The bruise. It looks like it hurts.”

Daisy shrugged, “Not as badly as getting shot. But you know, sometimes you punch the bag, sometimes the bag punches you.”

Despite the playful nature of the statement, Daniel couldn’t help but hear alarm bells in the back of his mind. She had been shot?!

Daisy noticed the change in Daniel’s demeanor and switched tactics, “It’s just a bruise. I wasn’t paying attention and the punching bag flew back and hit me in the face.”

Daniel laughed, becoming more and more intrigued with the enigma sitting across from him. Well, at least this enigma was beautiful, even if she had lost a fight to a punching bag.

A look of pure confusion overtook Daisy’s features. “Excuse me?”

Daniel’s face flushed bright red. He said that out loud. Daisy was still smiling though, Daniel let out a nervous chuckle. The two lapsed into an awkward silence. Daisy was finishing her bagel when he spoke up again.

“It was good talking to you,” he said softly.

Daisy’s eyes wandered his face with an unreadable expression. “Yeah, it was.”

He resisted the urge to offer to walk Daisy to wherever she was going as she headed out of the doors of the canteen, coffee with one half and half and pinch of sugar in hand.

————————————————————————————

hi hellooo! whatd you think? comments and notes are appreciated! (will go back and edit this later, for now i sleep)

tag list: @jaanulore

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Top 5 Characters in ANF Who Would’ve Made Better Love Interests Than Kate

There are a lot of mixed opinions on TWDG: A New Frontier. Some people like it, some don’t, and some people hate it so much that they refuse to accept as canon in the series. Extreme? Yeah, but hey, to each their own. 

One thing that always bothers me when I do my replay of the series and this game is how much Kate is forced on us and even kinda punishes us for not romancing her. Like, no offense, but I’m not really interested in dating my sister-in-law, especially when her husband is actually alive, and even if she wasn’t my brother’s wife, she’s still not a character I have chemistry with, y’know? 

And every time I play, I can’t help but think that almost anyone else in ANF would’ve been a better romantic interest for Javi over Kate, so I decided to make that the list for this week. 

I would’ve loved more choices and for the game to actually show Javi’s canon bisexuality outside of a flirty line with Jesus that most players didn’t even pick. Just sayin’.

I do want to note that if you enjoy the romance with Kate and the relationship between her and Javi, that’s totally cool. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean you can’t ship them, y’know? I’m not here to try to change your mind or tell you you’re bad for shipping something I don’t because I’m not a dingus. You do what makes you happy, friend. :)

Besides, going off the stats, a majority of players romanced her so if anything, I’m the weirdo. This list is just for fun! 

Before we start, just wanna say a big thank you to @pi-creates​ for helping out with this one! Really appreciate it! Now, here are my top 5 characters who, in my opinion, would’ve made better love interests for Javier than Kate.

5. Jane if the writers didn’t turn her into a dead potato

Oh man, you should see your face right now. 

Wait, wait, stop! Before you click outta here in a huff with your “Kenny good Jane bad” grunts and come yell at me, just hear me out-- this entry is mostly a joke and the other four on this list are serious, okay? 

I needed someone to put at #5 and after talking over some options and going back and forth.... Jane came up as a joke and then kind of made the list. Because really, I thought about it. I was like, “Would I really rather have dingdong “whatever happens stay out of it” potato face Jane as a love interest over Kate? Do I dislike Kate as an option that much?” and Pi and I talked about this for a while and yeah.... yeah I would actually. 

When I said anyone but Kate, I guess I really meant anyone. 

Trust me, I know, I’m just as surprised. I guess this really says a lot about my feelings for Kate. I didn’t know I disliked her this much either.

But for fun, let’s entertain this idea of the writers NOT pulling the ol’ character assassination on Jane and she made it to Richmond with Clementine and AJ because--

Jane: "One time I ate glass because I was drunk and thought it was sugar."

Javier: "I gambled on my own baseball matches and disgraced myself for money."

Jane: “Well, I dragged my little sister around with me after everything went to shit until I finally gave her what she wanted and left her to die.”

Javier: “I wasn’t there when my dad was fighting cancer and when I finally showed up, I was too late and he was already dead, then he turned and I bashed his skull in with a piece of wood.” 

Jane: “I shot a dude’s dick off once.”

Javier: “Oof. I insulted an old lady’s cake and then shot her eye out.”

Jane: “I screwed a guy when I was supposed to be securing a place for some lady to have her baby and it resulted in the death of a teenage girl.”

Javier: “I screwed my brother’s wife.” 

Jane: “...”

Javier: “In my defense, I thought he was dead.” 

Jane: “That’s fair.”

Clementine, exasperated and emo: “Oh my god.” 

....I mean... we might be onto something here, c’mon--

Okay, now onto the more legit entries. 

4. Conrad

Now listen... I know, okay? I know. I know this one can be seen as a bit problematic considering the fact that Conrad, in his grief and anger over Francine’s death, held a gun to Gabe’s head and threatened Javi and Clementine.... plus Javi can literally murder him.

...and if you don’t do anything, Conrad with murder both Gabe and Javi and you’ll get a “YOU ARE DEAD” screen...

But we don’t talk about that because it’s not canon.

I know, but listen... I’m allowed to have ships that are difficult, as are you, and this is my list so... there.

If Conrad was a love interest that’s the route I’d take because I love him and I think a relationship between him and Javi could’ve been so damn good if properly done.

I just find Conrad to be an interesting character with a great arc that you only get to see if you don’t shoot him... which is what most people did, so they missed out. And like, I get it, I get why y’all shot him but maybe next time you play, you could consider not doing that?

So here’s the thing, Javi and Conrad share something-- they both lost loved ones because of shithead Badger. Javi is heartbroken after Mariana’s death, Conrad is devastated after Francine’s death, and they both handle that in different ways. Conrad becomes so focused on revenge and getting into Richmond, that he’s willing to threaten two kids in order to get what he wants but the thing is... that’s not him.

He even says so himself when you keep him alive-- he genuinely apologizes for what happened and will end up coming back to save Javi’s life in ep4. The potential for this to work as a relationship? It’s there... the only problem is that my confidence in the writers handling something like this is low, but let’s pretend they used their time and brains wisely-- ya got yourself a classic slow-burn friends to enemies to friends again to lovers romance and I’m here for it. 

3. Paul “Jesus” Monroe

A lot of people really like the idea of Javi and Jesus and wanted him to be a romantic option, and I don’t blame them. They have chemistry in the scenes they share, and Javi can straight up flirt with him at the end of the season, and it’s super cute... of course, I wish we had more but Telltale was too scared to actually show Javi’s bisexuality outside of that one line, I guess.

But, anyway, this ship has a lot of sweet fanart that we love to see.

The only real reason he isn’t higher on the list is that Jesus is apparently already in a relationship at this point? I guess? From what I’ve been told? Listen, I don’t read the comics, I don’t watch the show, I just go off what y’all tell me. Plus, I believe Kent joked about Jesus having someone in each community during the commentaries so like... that’s a thing?

But let’s pretend that we throw that all out and Jesus is single and ready to be in a committed relationship with our boy Javier here. Like I mentioned above, these characters have a believable chemistry from the moment they meet and I think that has a lot to do with how charming they are by themselves. Those different charms work well together.

I also enjoy how much of a badass Jesus is when it comes to fighting off walkers. Javi has a lot of force that you feel with each hit, while Jesus almost has a lighter but just as impactful hit? I dunno if I’m explaining that well-- basically, Javi strong but Jesus can bounce off walls and do cool shit with weapons that feels effortless.

It’s a combo of fighting styles that I love, so these two fighting together? *chef kiss*

There’s also Jesus’ morality and how he wants to see Javier make “good” decisions, y’know? Sure, he gets pissy if you murder the shit outta Badger, which is mostly just Telltale showing you consequences, but I get it. He sees a lot of potential in Javi, more than Javi himself sees. And unlike certain characters, Jesus doesn’t completely hate you for doing something he doesn’t agree with to a frustrating degree.

If the game gave us the option to pursue Jesus as a love interest, he and Javier would’ve been such a badass couple with a sweet romance.

2. Eleanor

This one might come as a surprise to those of you who know my feelings about Eleanor... as in, I don’t like her. I never forgave her for the shit she pulled in ep4/ep5, and now every time I replay ANF and she shows up? Well, all I really hear is the hissing of a snake.

But, putting those feelings aside and looking at her from a different perspective, I do believe that she would’ve made for a better love interest than Kate assuming that if you romanced her, she wouldn’t rat everyone out to Joan, y’know?

Hell, most people believed that Eleanor was going to be the second option with Kate back when the episodes were coming out, and for good reason. The chemistry is there in the flirting, and their relationship could’ve been super cute.

Of course, Eleanor being a love interest also comes with things becoming awkward with Tripp, but c’mon-- as awkward as pursuing a relationship with your sister-in-law and never telling your brother after finding out he’s alive? Nah, I don’t think so.

Plus, for the first three episodes, Eleanor’s not a bad character. In fact, she’s pretty damn likable, she deeply cares for the group and wants to use her medical skills for good.

And you can tell through the dialogue that she and Javi are fond of one another... well, I guess until they shove the Kate thing in our faces and suddenly Eleanor’s like “oh, I thought you two were a thing??” like... Eleanor, we were flirting and I totally rejected all of Kate’s advances last episode I mean??

If she were a love interest, instead of turning on us, she would... y’know, not do that and instead help us out. We have a couple cute moments like back in ep1 where she’s patching Javi up but this time with a smooch? Super cute.

1. Tripp

Okay but seriously, why wasn’t Tripp a love interest? 

He’s the perfect option. I just-- uuuughhhhh. 

They already have a great believable bromance, so why not take it a step further and make it an official romance? Oh wait, that’s right, ya gotta kill off 95% of your determinant characters, I forgot. Sorry Tripp. 

Well, fuck that. Out of all the other adult characters, Javi has the most chemistry with this man. I believe them more than I believe him and Kate. Sure, they got off to a rocky start the progression of their relationship felt natural with every episode. 

That scene where Tripp is confiding in Javi about his feelings for Eleanor? And in turn, Javi can confide in him about Kate? One of my favorite scenes. I only wish there was an option to tell Tripp he can do much better and set the path for the romance. 

Seriously, I’d probably feel more okay about the romance with Kate if Tripp were the second option. That way, Kate wouldn’t be so forced onto the player, the writers confirming Javi’s bisexuality on Twitter or whatever wouldn’t feel like they were trying to earn points without actually showing representation, and we would’ve gotten the beauty that is Javier and Tripp. 

Also, then Tripp could make it to the end without dying that dumb death of his that no one likes. 

And if I haven’t convinced you yet, then look at these swaps Pi did--

--and tell me they aren’t fucking perfect?? You can’t, because look at them. 

Where’s my Tripp route, Telltale??

---

Honorable Mentions

-If I wasn’t sticking to just ANF characters, Luke probably would’ve made the list because that’s apparently a popular combo and I dig it.  -Pudding... because Javi fucking loves pudding.  -Honestly Max probably would’ve been a better love interest than Kate oof--

---

So, whattya think? Do you agree with this top 5 or nah? Do you have a favorite Javi ship? Let me know, I’d love to hear from you. :D

Next week’s T5F Top 5 Times Lee was the Absolute Best

[trippic]

“now say aaah.” tripp instructed as he held the cup in his hand. the female that sat next to him opens her mouth wide with her head slightly tilted back. rogue hovered the cup right above her mouth and cocked it down some, pouring some sprite into her mouth. “good girl.” he stated with a burst of laughter while coco was covering her mouth in a try to swallow the drink and not to giggle at the same time. “shit, i hate ya! i almost chocked!” her palm hit tripp’s shoulder and now both of them were sharing a good laughter together. 

they were at mc’donalds, higher than jesus, and instead of eating, they were messing with food, and with each other as well. “but did you die?” he smirked and threw a frie at the female. it hit coco right in her chin and fell down into her decollete. “shit, my bad.” tripp fake-sincerely apologizes and leans his face down to her chest, his lips brushing against her smooth skin before his teeth could capture a damn frie. coco’s manicured fingers kept covering her mouth to hold in the loud giggles, but she was failing at doing so. tripp’s mouth fished out a frie and ate it before licking over her bare skin. “you’re such a fool!” coco cupped his face so she could shower his face with kisses which trippie accepted with a mellow grin. rogue took a moment to capture the moment of getting smooches on his ig stories while his other hand snaked right underneath her skirt, finding it’s way to the female’s privacy. she exclaimed out a loud moan and hid her face in rogue’s neck. “can you shut the fuck up, dumb bitch? i’m trying to eat!” an annoyed yell flew at the two from the other side of the room. it was a guy in his twenty something, who was also with a girl. tripp’s face lost all the shades of fun and excitement; instead, it became cold and emotionless. “who the fuck ya just called a dumb bitch, pussy ass?” trippie’s tone was still yet loud enough for the male to hear. “ya hoe, and you too, motherfucker!” the male had something else to say, he kept going on but rogue couldn’t hear him no more. nor did he care. almost pushing coco off himself, he rapidly rose from his seat and headed towards the guy who kept running his mouth. with each new step rogue was getting closer to a lot of trouble for himself. he knew damn well he’s on parole, but at the same time, he didn’t care at all. just like that, just a few wrong words can start the fire of rage, those moments when trippie is not himself anymore. all he could see is his aim, the victim, and here he was, throwing a punch in the male’s  face before he could even get up from his seat.

the scene has changed once trippie dragged the male outside. coco was screaming and crying somewhere behind, but rogue was deaf to her begging. his fists gleamed with the mix of the man’s blood, and his own that was pouring through his knuckles. it’s not like the other one haven’t tried to fight back; he did, until the moment when he figured out that this red headed devil is just crazy. the way his fists flew right into the male’s face and under his ribs, it was clear as a day tripp went for a kill. like a pitbull, he wasn’t going to let go until he’s done. 

the sound of the sirens. someone screaming. a steal kissing his wrists before clenching onto them tightly. the backseat, where it smells like shit, dirty hoes and vomit. trippie shook his head and finally got back to reality. the wave of rage has disappeared and left trippie all by his lonesome with realization of him being caught by the fucking cops. “fuck!” he growled out and kicked the front seat with his foot. busted. and there’s no one else to blame for that. “fuuuuck...” he murmurs lowly to himself as he throws his head back and closes his eyes. a slow exhale and sequacity with the situation. what’s done is done, he just violated his parole, and he’s going back to jail.

he did it to himself. but, to tripp’s surprise, the car has stopped but not by the police station. it was the secluded area with the old, abandoned warehouses. the place where no one is going to bother you when you need some business done. rogue squinted his eyes some. what in the hell is going on? but he barely had time to think about it, instead, the door opened and his body got pulled out the car and pushed right over it’s hood. “well, well, well, rogue redd. long time no see.” one of the officers walked back and forth in front of him. trippie knew that motherfucker damn well, it wasn’t his first time meeting officer bellic. “yea, i missed ya’ll.” tripp hissed while trying to re-adjust his posture. “fuck ya’ll need?” he questioned and got a hit with a baton in a reply. “language.” bellic smirked while his colleague prepared to deliver another hit in case if trippie might have some more questions. instead, rogue scrunched the side of his face while his wolf like, animal stare focused on bellic. “i don’t care about the son of a bitch you just beat up out there, kid. and guess what, i’ll let you go but we need to have a little chat before that. is that clear?” bellic stopped from his slow pacing and looked down at trippie, who was leaning back against the hood. rogue refused to reply, so bellic continued. “okay. dan hernandez. taykashi. i bet this name is familiar, isn’t it?” bellic chuckled as he kept his eagle, piercing glare on trippie’s face. rogue did his best to show zero emotions, but, he knew that name damn well. his ex-best friend. “me and my friends got so sad after finding out taykashi is no longer with us. such unfortunate. you were probably sad as well, right?” bellic questioned trying to force emotions out of trippie. still, silence. “oh come on, i know you have a lot to say. he was your best friend who ended up snitching on you. you were probably dancing on his grave.” bellic lifts his eyebrow in already annoyed manner, awaiting for trippie to finally speak up. “may his rainbow hair rest in peace.” rogue mumbled through his teeth, something that tickled bellic’s nerves. “you’re being funny again, son? okay, looks like your best friend’s death didn’t bother you that much, but it did bother us. i think you know he was very helpful.” bellic chuckled and then smiled like a damn villain from the cheap, poorly executed cartoon. he saw how tripp’s top lip jerked some. “wait, what’s that? oh, right! he sung like a bird and dropped a few names. your’s included. so here’s my question, kid, and i better get my answers.” in the next moment bellic’s hand grippied around tripp’s throat. “who the hell killed taykashi? i need names, now. was it you?” trippie could feel bellic’s sour breath, he wanted to close his eyes and stop breathing so he won’t smell nor see this pig, but he wasn’t going to do that to please bellic’s ego. “i don’t know. i don’t fucking know!” trippie rasped trying to free himself from bellic’s grip. and, it wasn’t really welcomed by bellic. “stop lying, little motherfucker.” bellic grunted and tossed trippie onto the ground. bellic wasted no time throwing the same question over and over again. trippie wasn’t replying, instead, he tried to cover his head with his arms while bellic and the other officer tried to beat the names or confession out of him. but, they got nothing.

trippie coughed some and spit out the blood. he carefully peeked up. the car was gone. his hands weren’t handcuffed anymore. his body on fire, his busted lip swollen and his clothes all fucked up in the dust. rogue slowly got up and looked around. it will be a long way home, but taykashi was dead and trippie’s laughter boomed through the empty area.

[ericsonclan]

The Lure of Adventure

Summary: The lure of adventure and treasure has drawn many a man to their doom. Now Mitch has fallen for the temptation, creating a path filled with memories both bitter and happy.

Word Count: 2967

Read on AO3:

“So, when were you going to tell me that you had found a clue to the treasure?” The mercenary looked up with annoyance at Mitch.

“I was planning to tell you once lunch was over. I was fucking hungry so I guess it slipped my mind,” He cautiously moved closer towards his younger brother, trying to block him from the gun.

“Just put the gun down, Tomas,” Justin stepped forward with his hands raised. “We’ll come up with a new agreement, right here, right now,”

Tomas studied his supposed ally with a wary eye then slowly placed the gun back in the holster. “Half,”

“Excuse me?”

“Half of the treasure. That's what Mary and I get,” Tomas��� eyes challenged the three of them.

“That’s not fai-” Willy was cut short by Mitch who glanced back at his younger brother.

“Ten percent,” Justin spoke calmly as he kept moving closer to Tomas. His sudden movement made the mercenary rest his hand on his holster,

“Forty percent,”

“Twenty five,” Mitch looked at Tomas. “That’s fair. Split it four ways,”

“Yeah, four hundred million gets split up pretty well four ways,” Willy gave a toothy grin.

Tomas silently thought on the matter. “Alright, I’ll talk this deal over with Mary,”

“Sounds good to me,” Justin smiled and leaned against the table right next to Tomas. Tomas frowned over at Justin, his eyes studying him carefully.

“You better not pull any shit again or else-” Tomas froze, his words caught in his throat as the cold taste of metal pierced his side. Glazing down he noticed that Justin had plunged a shiv into his side. Tomas blinked in confusion for a moment then tried to get his gun but Justin quickly stabbed him again and again. In a desperate last ditch effort the mercenary sent out a warning shot before collapsing to the ground. Justin smirked, spitting on Tomas for a moment while Mitch shielded Willy.

“Justin! What the fuck was that for?! We had it handled!” Mitch growled at his ally; he was beginning to doubt it was ever a good idea to pull him in as a partner for this treasure hunt.

“No, Mary wouldn’t have agreed to that. But now it's handled. All we have to do is-”

Suddenly the booming sound of footsteps appeared nearby followed by the voices of mercenary grunts. Moments later the door was opened up with two armed grunts.

“Shit!” Mitch sprinted forward, taking on the grunt on the left while Justin took the one on the right. “You fuck everything up!” He threw a punch at the enemy’s gut then uppercutted his jaw. The grunt groaned as he fell backwards, his gun flying through the air. With a well-timed catch Mitch reloaded the gun.

“I just made us all richer, so you’re welcome!” Justin heartlessly stabbed the grunt repeatedly until a pool of blood gathered around his limp form. Motioning for the two brothers to follow, Justin led the way down the hall. “Don’t be pissy with me because you brought your twelve year old brother along,”

“This job was fucking safe until you brought in these mercenary assholes!” Mitch snapped back, pushing through the hallway.

Justin seemed annoyed at those words. “Stop your bitching and focus on surviving!”

Mitch grew quiet. As much as he was pissed at Justin at this moment he was right. So he worked to clear a path to a hopeful safe escape. Sprinting through the courtyard, Willy took down a mercenary after some close calls then caught up to Mitch who had shot a grunt through the hand, disarming him before knocking him out. Justin, meanwhile, was the most lethal of the trio, gunning down any mercenaries that got in his way then stabbing those he could when in close range.

“This way!” Justin yelled, gesturing over to a wall. Mitch followed closely behind, vaulting over a collection of crates before positioning himself by the wall. Justin placed his foot in Mitch’s hands and got up to the top of the wall. Reaching out his hand, he helped Willy then Mitch.

There was no time to rest though as more gunfire filled the area. Bobbing and weaving, Mitch and Willy made sure to keep each other safe at all costs while Justin led the way. It was a crazy escape from this potential deadly encounter when suddenly Justin spotted the exit. Sprinting forward on the rooftop, he leapt over a large gap and rolled onto the grassy hill that held promises of safety.

“Hurry up! Move your asses!” Justin motioned with his hands, his eyes impatient. Mitch ducked his head from a hail of bullets and with a war cry vaulted himself through the air and onto the other side.

“Jump, Willy! I’ll catch you!” Mitch held out his arm for his brother who nodded and dashed forward. With a deep jump Willy launched himself through the air, his limbs flailing about before his hand snatched onto Mitch’s. “I got you. We did it!” Mitch smiled down at Willy then noticed the shocked pained expression on his brother’s face. Looking down, he saw that he had been shot.

“No! Hold on, Willy! We’re gonna get out of here!” Mitch tried to encourage his brother who spat up blood. Willy’s hand was slipping through Mitch’s despite how desperately he was holding on. “No, fuck, stay with me!” Mitch begged but Willy’s hand went limp and he fell down, back into the mercenaries’ camp. “No! Willy!” Mitch tried to move to search for where his brother had landed but the copious amount of gunfire stopped him from doing so.

Suddenly Justin’s hands gripped his shoulders. “We have to leave!”

“Fuck that! Willy-”

“Is dead and you will be too if you don’t move!”

Mitch gritted his teeth and spun round, punching Justin square in the jaw. “He’s fucking dead because of you!”

Justin frowned deeply as he brushed blood from his nose and threw a punch of his own. The two soon broke out into a fight until the gunfire made it impossible to stay there. Reluctantly Mitch ran away, the guilt in his heart tearing through his body as his eyes blurred with tears. In just one moment he had lost everything.

Mitch’s eyes stared at the golden coin in his hand, a trinket that he had made with Willy all those years ago when they had foolishly hoped to find pirate gold. His heart stung with memories as he looked at the fake pirate coin in his hand. The matching trinket was now bloody and gone, just like his brother. Mitch angrily tucked away the coin then downed his drink in one swallow. Placing the empty glass on the table, he was about to head outside to meet up with Tripp on the potential latest lead he had for treasure when suddenly a conversation happening a few tables down caught his attention.

“Listen, lady, I’m not letting you in on this hunt. I’ve focused too many years on tracking it down; I’m not gonna let some uptight reporter get her mitts on it,” a man grumbled as he finished a drink, his body swaying a bit to the side afterwards. He had clearly had too much to drink. That didn’t seem to stop the auburn though.

“I’m not trying to steal your treasure. I just want to document it. The tales that surround it-”

The auburn reporter was cut short when the man slammed his glass down on the table, causing a hairline crack to appear on it.

“Back off. Now,” He stood up. “Or I’ll make you,” His hand reached out towards the auburn who flinched.

“Leave her alone,”

Mitch’s voice caused the man to look back at the treasure hunter.

“What did you say?”

“I’m saying to walk away. You’re being an asshole. If you don’t want her to stick her nose in your business, then just fuck off out of here,” Mitch picked up on the man’s anger radiating off of him.

“I can do whatever I want. If I wanted to pick a fight here I could,” The man strolled over towards Mitch. “In fact, I think I will.” He grinned as he curled his fist and threw it at Mitch. Mitch dodged the attack then grabbed the man’s arm. With a small grunt he used the man’s weight to throw him over his shoulder, causing him to crash into the floor.

“You piece of shit!” The man coughed and tried to attack again. Mitch sidestepped another attack but got hit with the next. Soon both of them were exchanging blows until Mitch finally got the upperhand and with a sharp punch to the jaw knocked the man out. With a shaky breath Mitch turned around to look at the reporter. “You okay?” “Yeah,” She reached into her glass, picking up the ice cubes, and held them up the bruised side of Mitch’s face. “Sorry you got dragged into that,”

“Heh, it's no big deal - he was begging for a fight. Better it be with me than you,” Mitch winced at the cold sensation on the side of his face.

“Brody Anderson, reporter who will follow any interesting adventure or story she can find,” She smiled and held out her hand.

Mitch returned the smile and grasped her hand. “Mitch Baker, treasure hunter and badass,”

“A treasure hunter,” Brody’s eyes grew large. “Then I want to hire you!”

“Hire me?” Mitch quirked an eyebrow. “That’s right. I’m trying to find this lost city supposedly hidden in the mountains not far from here. So how about it? Up for an adventure?” Brody’s eyes danced with anticipated excitement; she had a good feeling about this treasure hunter.

“Sure, why not. You better get ready though. When it comes to me, everything is a hell of an adventure,” MItch smirked confidently.

Brody challenged that smirk. “Oh yeah? Well then I’ll hold you to it,”

“You weren’t kidding!” Brody gasped for air as she sprinted down the mountainside, the sounds of angry mercenaries growing louder behind them.

“Nope, there’s two things I never bullshit about,” Mitch caught up to Brody as the two were desperately trying to escape from their enemies. After months of searching for this lost city they had finally found it only to learn that a group of mercenaries had been following them in hopes of stealing the treasure for themselves.

“Oh yeah? What are those two things?” Brody looked over at Mitch and noticed his mischievous smile.

“One, my adventures always turn out like this,” Mitch ducked when he heard the sound of gunfire.

“And what's the second one?’ Brody asked as she weaved left and right. “That I’m really, really good at blowing shit up!” Mitch grinned and held out an explosive. Brody’s eyes looked at it then back at their enemies before she noticed the snowy mountainside.

“Mitch…”

“Let’s get this fucking started!” Mitch lit the explosive and threw it at the snowy mountain.

“Mitch-” Brody’s voice was getting tenser when suddenly the explosive went off, causing a small avalanche that swallowed up the mercenaries that were following them. But it didn’t stop there; the snow was barreling down towards them.

“Hold on,” Mitch took out his rope and tossed it at a tree stump with a sturdy looking branch. The rope curled around the branch and the hook at the end of the rope locked it securely in place. Without warning Mitch wrapped his arm around Brody’s waist and pulled her closer to him as he jumped off the cliff.

“Miiiiiiiiitttttccch!” Brody’s voice rang throughout the mountainside as the pair swung on the rope. Mitch guided their direction and aimed for a small cave that stood on the side of the mountain. With a rough landing Brody stumbled about, her back hitting the wall while Mitch couldn’t get his footing right and ended up slamming his hands by either side of Brody’s face. The two of them stood there, frozen, their lips inches apart as each of them felt the romantic tension they had with each other overwhelm their sense. Brody stared at Mitch’s lips for a second before her eyes wandered up to his. A moment passed like this then another until Mitch broke the silence.

“Fuck, sorry,” He took a step back and sat on the cold stone floor.

“It’s okay,” Brody soon sat beside him. “How the hell are we going to get out of here though?” Her eyes searched round them for anything to start a fire so they could get warmer.

“Tripp will come through. Just gotta get a signal with this fucking thing and we’ll be set,” Mitch whacked the walkie talkie and tried to turn it on again but it was no use.

“Guess we're stuck here for a while then,” Brody sighed and let her head rest on her knees. “That city was so amazing - all those artifacts, all the buildings. If I could just have gotten my hand on some of the items then I could convince Aasim to get his museum team up here,” Brody gave another sigh; this one sounded more defeated.

“Well guess you better call him when we get out of here then,” Mitch had a confident smile on his face as he emptied his pockets, revealing a few small trinkets from the lost city. “”Because I was able to snag up some shit,”

“Mitch,” Brody whispered, then tackled him with a hug. “This is amazing! I’m so happy right now I could kiss you!” Her statement made the auburn’s cheeks grow a bright red and she immediately pulled back, noticing that Mitch’s were just as red. An awkward moment passed between the two of them before Brody cleared her throat and tried to switch the focus. “You  definitely got some cool stuff, like this coin,” Brody held up the coin with a smile.

Mitch’s eyes grew dimmer for a moment and he immediately grabbed the coin back.

The sudden movement alarmed Brody, making her wonder if she had done something wrong. “Sorry,” The auburn mumbled. Based on how tense Mitch’s body had become she had accidentally struck a nerve.

Mitch was quiet for a minute. “I didn’t find this in the city. It's mine,” He wondered if he should say any more. After a moment he went for it.  “My brother used to have a coin that matched it,”

“Used to?” Brody’s curiosity caused Mitch’s eyes to shimmer with painful memories.

“He died a few years ago because of me. I trusted the wrong person and-” Mitch’s voice caught in his throat and he changed his sentence. “This is one of the few things I have left of him,” Mitch felt his eyes sting with unshed tears. He tried to swallow away the sorrow but it was no use. He focused his gaze on the ground, trying to get away from his emotions when all of a sudden he felt Brody’s hand on his shoulder.

“I’m really sorry to hear that. No on should have to got though that loss,”

Her kind words made tears slip down Mitch’s face. Immediately he worked to brush them away, not wanting to let his emotions overwhelm him but he soon stopped as Brody hugged him. The gesture made more tears stream down his face and in that moment Mitch threw away all cares about how he appeared. His arms wrapped around Brody tightly and the two allowed themselves to become lost in that moment. Mitch felt his shoulders relax, his exhaustion quickly consuming him. With how much running and fighting they’d done in these past days no wonder he was tired. Soon Mitch felt his adrenaline slipping away and within moments his eyes closed.

He wasn’t sure how long it had been since he had fallen asleep but he quickly realized that Brody was fast asleep in his arms. Mitch’s heart pounded in his ears and he felt his face heat up as she stirred slightly. It didn't take long for her to realize the position she was in and the two instantly moved apart. The awkwardness stood in the air, neither of them knowing what to say when they heard Tripp’s voice appear on the walkie talkie.

“Hey! Mitch! Mitch! Kid, pick up if you can hear me,”

Mitch pressed the button on the walkie talkie and held it close to his mouth. “I’m here,”

He heard Tripp sigh in relief. “That’s good, I was about to start shitting my pants if I didn’t hear from you in the next half hour. I’ve been trying for ages. How about the lady, she alright?”

“Yeah, she is,” Mitch smiled over at Brody who returned it although hers was somewhat more shy.

“Well, just tell me where to pick you up and I’ll be there,”

“You better have some wings then because we’re pretty fucking high up, stuck in some cave in the mountainside,” Mitch peeked outside while he heard Tripp sigh deeply.

“Luckily I do have wings, I’ll be there soon so sit tight,” Tripp’s voice disappeared from the other side of the walkie talkie and left the cave in silence again. “He should be here soon,” Mitch looked over at Brody who nodded.

“Okay,”

Another long pause was created between them when suddenly Mitch heard a few footsteps and felt Brody’s pinky twist around his. With large eyes he looked over at her to see that her face was just as red as he was sure his was.

“How about you tell me some of your adventure stories while we wait,” Brody suggested and noticed Mitch’s smile grow at that.

“”Okay!” His pinky held on tighter to hers. “I’m gonna start with a classic. So it all started when I found the coffin of Sir Francis Drake….”

[saadiestuff]

of rings and things (Malex ficlet)

SUMMARY: Michael thinks he's out of time. But it turns out their new story is just beginning. TAGS: post season 2, fluff, mentions of past Alex/Forrest. 900ish words. AO3 LINK.

------

“I know why you asked to meet me here,” Michael says dejectedly as he settles into the booth across from Alex.

“You do?” Alex questions, an eyebrow rising in doubt.

“Yes. And I know you’re doing it as a courtesy, and I don't have any right to--”

“I don’t think you kn--”

“Fuck,” Michael says to himself, but it still cuts Alex off. Michael rubs his hands over his face and grunts. Then he looks at Alex, and blurts out his next words. “Alex, you can’t marry Forrest.”

“Michael--”

“I mean you can, obviously, but I don’t want you to. I’m asking you not to. I’m sorry I’m taking so long, I just-- I wanted us to be ready so we’d have a real shot. And I thought I had more time. You’ve only been dating a few months and I didn’t think it was that serious--”

“Guerin--” Alex says louder.

“Not that I’m judging! If he makes you happy-- I just--”

Alex interrupts this time, though he is loath to stop Michael’s speech when for once he’s actually communicating. But Alex can’t let him continue. “I’m not marrying Forrest. What made you think I was?”

Michael sputters, “Isobel saw you two ring shopping!”

“Ooh,” Alex says softly, realization dawning, but Michael has already launched into further explanation.

“The store hired her to help with their display and social media.”

“They liked what she did for the Crashdown,” Alex correctly speculates.

“When she saw you come in with Forrest she hid behind one of the displays. She said she couldn’t really hear you from where she was.” (It then occurs to Michael that may have been a lie to get him to go spill his guts to Alex, as he is now doing.) Michael sucks in a much needed breath. “But she said you were over by the rings, and you left with ring boxes, and--”

“Hah,” Alex chuckles, “So that’s why I smelled rain.” But he turns serious. “I, uh, broke up with Forrest because of it.”

“What?” Michael says, horrified that Isobel’s spying would have caused the breakup, and sad for Alex, even though he also feels a huge sense of relief, and a surge of hope, the strongest yet.

“Uh huh. Should tell me something that, standing next to a display of wedding rings with my boyfriend, I get a smell-o-vision of you.”

Michael sighs. “But you didn’t, really. It was Isobel.” He scrunches up his nose. “I didn’t know you could smell her.”

Alex shrugs. “I think once you know what it is… after that I could smell Isobel and Max too.”

Michael makes a mildly disturbed, pouty face.

Alex snorts, “Don’t worry, your smell is still very unique to-- uh, to me…” He clears his throat. “And I probably would have realized it wasn’t actually you if I hadn’t also been thinking of you anyways…”

“...While looking at a case of wedding rings,” Michael quietly finishes for him.

“Even though Forrest was always game to just-- and he knew all along that I-- well,” Alex stops short and huffs out a breath. “Sorry, this is a lot. We’re practically talking about--”

“Getting married.”

“Getting married. Yeah,” Alex says, half synced with Michael.

Michael inhales sharply. It is a lot.

“Uh, anyways, the reason I wanted to meet...” Alex continues, rubbing the back of his neck briefly, “I was at the store because I was picking up a ring of Tripp’s I got resized to fit me.” He holds up his right hand; the ring sits on his fourth finger. “It seems Tripp wore it on his thumb, so it was too big.”

“You find it on his corpse?” Michael asks, eyes wide.

“Greg noticed it, yeah. He told me I should have it. I finally got around to dropping it off at the jewelry place a few weeks ago, and yesterday I had to go pick it up. Forrest really likes rings, so he tagged along. I hadn’t considered how awkward it would end up being as a couple activity for us.”

Michael smiles sympathetically.

“So the ring…” Alex wiggles it off his finger and holds it up above the middle of the table, “The jeweler who worked on it said it contains a weird material she’s never seen before.”

Alex moves the ring towards Michael, who resists the urge to put his finger through it as Alex holds it out. Instead, Michael takes it in his fingers, turning it over, rolling the smooth object in his palm. But eventually, he slips it on.

“Alien tech,” Michael says, though he'd known the answer before he’d even touched it.

“Yeah,” Alex confirms, “I mean, it must be. That’s why it feels…”

“Like home.”

Alex gulps and nods. “You can keep it. If-- if you want it. The tech-- it should be with you.”

“Nah,” Michael says, trying to sound casual, but the longing in his voice betrays him, “I think I’d prefer it be on you… with me.”

Alex grins shyly, looking down, then back up, his smile gaining ground. “Okay.”

“Yeah?” Michael says hopefully, beaming back.

“Yeah.”

Michael smirks as he takes off the well-fitting ring and hands it back to Alex -- all the while hardly believing that he now dares let such bold words escape his lips, but it feels right. “Handy to know we have the same ring size, huh? You know, future reference...”

“Handy,” Alex says brightly, matching Michael’s confidence.

The future is bright indeed.

[jaskiers-sweetkiss]

Bombshell [B. Barnes] - 2

Pairing: British SHIELD Agent!Reader x Bucky Barnes

Warnings: swearing, (legal) alcohol consumption, explosions, memory loss, mentions of past trauma, mentions of death

Work Count: 5.8K

See end for Author’s Notes.

Masterlist  Previous Part

___

"Agent Y/L/N, what's your status?" the concerned voice crackled over the coms. "Y/L/N check in."

You huffed, rolling your eyes as you took out a guard.

"Jesus Rogers, we split up less than two minutes ago. I'm fine."

"I'm sorry for being concerned," Steve muttered sarcastically under his breath, the coms barely picked it up and you bit back a laugh, trying to remain stealthy.

You peaked your head around the corner, peering into the large room before you to ensure that it was empty. Once you were sure it was clear, you made your way around what appeared to be a storage room, checking for any objects of importance or secret passageways. As you cleared each wall, you made sure to slap a small disk to each one.

"Y/N, we're at the quinjet, what's your status?" Natasha came over the coms.

"Just finishing up down here Nat," you replied lightly, making your way back to the stairs, slapping a few more disks in the hallway for good measure. "Who's 'we'?"

"Steve and me."

You sighed, equal parts worried and relieved. "Wilson, what's your position?"

"Couple Nazis on the roof, I've got it covered," Sam responded with a grunt.

"Take them out quickly, please," you ordered, holding your position on the stairs. "I'm activating the bombs and we'll only have a couple of minutes to get out of here."

"Yes ma'am," Sam answered, and you almost thought you could hear him mock salute you, "Will you have enough time?"

"What do you take me for?" You gasped, offended, "an amateur?"

Sam barked out a laugh and you couldn't help but smile in response.

"Nazis down." He announced over the coms. "Commence explosions."

"With pleasure," you smirked, pressing the button on the activator. "T-minus five minutes to detonation." You announced, running up the stairs. "Nat?"

"We're in position." The redhead affirmed over coms and you ran harder, making sure to press the button on each floor to activate the bombs you had placed on your way to the basement.

You had about two minutes to spare by the time you reached the roof, pushing yourself harder as you sprinted up the quinjet ramp.

"Go!" You barked out, Nat immediately pulling the jet off the roof and into the sky, the ramp not even closed.

"I... am going... to kill... Stark." You panted, doubled over as you tried to catch your breath. You could hear the explosions in the distance as the building beneath you was destroyed. "Honestly... would it kill him... to make longer-ranged bombs?"

"Well, to be fair, we've never had an explosives expert on the team before." Steve defended only to be met with a glare.

"That's no excuse." You glowered. "They had better bombs in World War Two and you know it!"

You had seen some of them yourself in Tripp's suitcase of Howling Commandos gadgets that he got from his grandfather. They may have been bigger and a pain in the ass to set, but at least they gave an adequate amount of time to get to safety.

As if he could hear your thoughts, Steve echoed the same sentiment,

"These ones are a helluva lot easier to set." He argued, tossing one of the round explosives in one hand.

"Rogers, you idiot." You snapped, snatching the bomb out of the air before he could catch it again. "This is a bomb, not a toy!"

Steve had the gall to smile while you scolded him. "Jesus, that is not something I should have to say to someone who is nearly one-hundred-years-old."

"Relax, Y/N, it's not like it's gonna explode." The super-soldier placed a hand on your shoulder and you scowled up at him.

"It very well could!" You knew that he was right, the explosive was stable and could only be activated with the remote, however, now the argument was about principle. "Who's the explosives expert here, hm?"

"How did a history major become an expert in blowing things up?" Sam asked curiously, breaking up your petty argument.

"Well, I've been exploding things since I was a little girl," you began, making a show of putting the bomb back into its designated case before plopping down into one of the many seats lining the interior of the quinjet. "My dad was a science teacher and we used to do all kinds of experiments together. Coke and Mentos, baking soda volcanos, film canister rockets- the works."

You sighed happily, though Sam and Steve didn't miss the sad look in your eyes that was always present when you talked about your family.

"I sort of naturally drifted towards real explosives after SHIELD recruited me." You shrugged and Sam nodded understandably, but Steve was staring at you as if you had just told him the moon was orange.

"What happens when you mix Coke and Mentos?" He asked warily and yours and Sam's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Y-you don't know?" Sam spluttered out through his shock.

Steve shook his head slowly, looking even more alarmed by your response to his question.

"Oh, Stevie, we are going to have so much fun when we get back." You grinned already choosing which of Tony's labs you would be hijacking.

___

"So what did you do for fun when you were a kid?" You asked as you sat on the floor of one of the many Stark labs at the Tower.

A soda-covered tarp sat abandoned nearby and you and Steve were surrounded by nearly-empty two-liters of Coke. After touching back down in New York, you immediately ran out to buy the soda and mints necessary for the classic experiment. You had a hypothesis that Steve might want to repeat the explosion more than once, a hypothesis that the man readily proved correct. Now you sat facing each other, steadily drinking your way through the flat soda left in the bottom of the plastic bottles because you had insisted it was "tradition."

"Well, my ma and I were pretty poor, even before the Depression hit." Steve began, taking a swig of the nearest two-liter and grimacing slightly at the taste of slightly-minty flat Coke. "We couldn't afford to go out much, so we made do with what we had at home. I remember I spent about a week drawing playing cards when our deck fell apart. I used to draw a lot back then."

You recognized the look of mixed nostalgia and grief in Steve's eyes as he spoke about the past; it was a look you were intimately familiar with yourself.

"When Bucky and I moved in together after my ma passed he'd let me sketch him while he cooked or baked in the kitchen." Steve smiled, a faraway look in his eyes as he recounted the past.

"You never helped out?" You asked, teasing lacing your voice.

"Nah," Steve laughed. "I was hopeless in the kitchen, still kinda am. After I nearly burnt down the kitchen twice Buck stopped letting me anywhere near the stove."

You smiled, thoroughly enjoying Steve's storytelling. He seemed at ease in that moment, completely relaxed and open, something rare for Captain America. The wheels began to turn in your own head when he brought up his childhood best friend, now a fugitive with spotty memories of his own past.

"What were his favorite things to make?" You asked and Steve grinned, though it was so natural you weren’t even sure he realized he was doing it.

"I was too sick to work back then, and with only one source of income we were still pretty disadvantaged, but on special occasions, Bucky would make this baked apple pudding that was divine."

"Divine, huh?" You giggled, tucking that information away. "I wish I could've tried it."

"I actually might still have the recipe." Steve perked up at the thought and you stared at him, puzzled.

"How do you still have a recipe from the thirties?"

"When I went into the ice the SSR boxed up everything in my apartment for 'records.' When I woke up SHIELD gave them all back to me." The blond downed the last of the flat soda and jumped to his feet, practically buzzing in excitement. "C'mon let's go look for it!"

"Slow down there, cowboy." You held out a cautionary hand before gesturing at the lab. "We have to clean all this up first so Stark doesn't kill us."

Steve groaned but relented and you spent the next fifteen minutes making sure Tony would never know they had exploded soda in his "state-of-the-art, high-tech labs."

___

"Sergeant Barnes, it's Agent Y/L/N. I'm coming in." You announced into the speaker, the door beside it unlocking with a click as the technology recognized your voice.

The cabin was dark when you entered but before you could reach out to flip the light switch next to the door you were pinned to the wall, grocery bags falling to the floor.

You couldn't help the gasp that escaped your lips though you made sure to control your breathing the way you were trained to. You knew what to do in this situation but needed to remain calm to do it. The arm pressing across the top of your chest made it difficult to breathe steadily, but you were able to manage after a minute of focusing on remaining still and slowing your heart rate.

"Sergeant Barnes." You managed to get out, your voice a bit raspy albeit steady.

The man growled at the name and said something in Russian that you couldn't understand.

"Your name is James Buchanan Barnes." You began again. "You were a Sergeant of the one-hundred-and-seventh division in World War Two. On a mission to intercept an enemy transport, you were injured and captured by Hydra. Hydra experimented on you and brainwashed you."

You could feel the muscles in the arm relax, though the man wasn't close to removing it just yet, so you continued.

"I am Agent Y/N Y/L/N. Three months ago we met in Washington D.C. and I brought you to this safe house. Every week since then I have come here to check in on you and bring you groceries."

This wasn't the first time you had been met with the Winter Soldier when you arrived at the safehouse and you had had to quickly learn how to bring Sergeant Barnes back. You had found the Soldier responded best to facts, and so you would lay out the facts that led Barnes to that moment in the most even and calm voice you could, allowing the Soldier to stand down and Barnes to come through.

"You are not the Winter Soldier, Sergeant Barnes." You reminded him evenly, and after a moment you felt the man relax entirely and stager quickly away from you.

"Agent Y/L/N, I'm so sorry." He gasped, voice ragged as he quickly worked to pick up the groceries that had fallen out of their bags when you had dropped them.

"It's quite alright, Sergeant Barnes. I know that wasn't you."

It was easy to say because you believed it, though you hadn't always. When you had initially brought Barnes to the abandoned SHIELD safehouse it had been to monitor him to see how much of him overlapped with his assassin alter ego. After about a month of observation, you had found that there was no overlap between the two, other than the fact that Barnes held the Soldier's memories. Hydra had tried to erase everything that made James Buchanan Barnes the man he was when creating their super-powered assassin.

"What's all this?" Barnes asked quietly, starring perplexed at the groceries, particularly the bag full of baking supplies.

"I thought you and I might bake something together," you said, trying not to give away your entire plan.

You had hoped to jog the man's memories a bit however you wanted to avoid accidentally planting false memories.

"I... I think I would like that?" The man said, though it came out more like a question as he still wasn't really sure what he did and didn't like anymore.

You smiled reassuringly. "Well then, lets hop to it!"

You worked quickly to put away the rest of the groceries before you laid out the ingredients for your bake on the counter.

"First and foremost those apples are going to need to be peeled and chopped," You said, nodding towards the apples as you held out a knife to the man beside you.

The two of you stood just like that for a moment, you with your arm holding out the knife and Barnes not taking it from you before you finally looked over at the man.

"What's the matter, Sergeant Barnes?" You asked, your accent clipped with concern.

"I can't be trusted." He said softly, and you almost missed it.

"Really now, Barnes, would I be trying to give you a knife if I thought you would hurt me?" You tried to reason, hoping you were doing enough to quell his anxieties. "I trust you, Sergeant Barnes, even if you don't trust yourself."

"James." He spoke so quietly that you weren’t sure if he had even spoken at all.

"What was that?"

"James," He repeated, more confidently this time. "You can call me James."

He wasn't sure why he had said it. From what he could remember, he hated the name James, everybody had called him Bucky. You were confused by it as well. You had never once heard Steve refer to him as James, always Buck or Bucky. Regardless, a first-name basis was a step in the right direction and you would take it.

"Alright then, James," you smiled at the man, "Those apples aren't going to cut themselves."

"Yes ma'am!" He joked as he finally took the knife from your hand, seeming to surprise himself as much as he surprised you and you smiled even wider.

You worked in mostly silence, the kitchen filled only with the sounds of your labor and James giving instructions- you had given him the recipe right away, hoping it would spark some memories. He didn't tell you if it had, but he moved through the kitchen with an ease and comfort you had yet to see from the man. You thought maybe he didn't realize; that he was having a subconscious reaction to being back in the kitchen, baking something that had at one point held such significance to him.

"Alright, Stevie, desserts in the oven, whaddya want for dinner?" James asked, his back to you as he rifled through the fridge. As soon as the words left his mouth he paused, slumping inwards on himself.

"James?" You asked softly, cautiously stepping towards the man.

"I- I remembered something." He said brokenly, and you decided it was safe to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Steve- I- we used to live together, I think," James spoke, gripping the fridge door tightly in an attempt to support himself. "I- I used to bake this for him, I- where did you get this recipe?"

His voice had turned somewhat hostile with the last question but you stood your ground, not stepping back from the man in front of you.

"Steve gave it to me," you said softly, hoping he could hear the honesty in your voice, "He told me how you used to make it for him."

"Is he- does he know I'm here?" James asked as he turned around to face you, eyes and voice filled with panic.

"No, and I won't tell him until you tell me you're ready."

"Thank you, Agent Y/L/N."

"It's Y/N." You smiled kindly, "Now, what should we have for dinner?"

___

"This mean anything to you?" You asked, eyebrow raised inquisitively as you set the old paper down in front of Skye.

"Where did you get this?" The agent gasped, breezing past the fact that no one was supposed to know what she had been working on.

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for you, nearly everyone at SHIELD seemed to think you knew more than you did.

"The Avengers brought me along on a Hydra raid. Found that in the basement of the warehouse, thought it looked familiar." You pointed to the worn parchment laid out on the table.

It was covered in an interlocking series of lines and circles that you didn't understand but you had seen Skye working on something similar in the past months.

"Does anyone know you have this?"

"Nope." You answered, a sly grin on your face. "Nabbed it before I left and then blew up the entire building, so Hydra won't know it’s missing either."

"What do you know about it?" Skye asked, seeming to have realized that this was supposed to be between her and Coulson.

"Nothing, other than that Coulson's had you working on it in secret for a few months now," you answered honestly. "You have to be a little quicker when closing down the holoscreen." You added when you noticed Skye's confusion.

"Noted," Skye responded dryly. "Well, thank you for the old parchment but I can't tell you anything else."

"I didn't expect you to," you smiled before asking, "How about something you can talk about? Like what happened with Browning?"

"Hunter's still pissed we've been shadowing them," Skye smirked and you laughed, not even slightly surprised. The mercenary was more a fan of his paychecks than of SHIELD's protocols. "But an enhanced took out Browning before we could get to him. We're pretty sure he's with Hydra which means they're after the 0-8-4 too."

"Big surprise there," you sighed, the world may think Hydra is gone but you knew the truth: they were just biding their time in the shadows once again.

"So when do we go out to collect it before they can?" You asked curiously, having been off base when the first mission had occurred and Coulson wasn't exactly accepting visitors to his office.

"As soon as we figure out where the government is keeping it." Skye sighed and you groaned. The US Government, or more specifically General Talbot, had been making SHIELD's operations even more difficult lately.

"Is he in the lab?" You asked, changing the subject.

"He's barely left, he's working on the samples we collected from the enhanced right now."

You frowned but nodded in thanks to the agent before making your way towards the lab.

Fitz hadn't been doing much better, he was still struggling to come up with words and his hands were still shaky. Additionally, he seemed to be talking to himself, or rather, a version of Simmons he had conjured up for himself. In your downtime on the base, you found herself just sitting in the lab, an option for Fitz to talk to if he wanted but you always brought a book or something to occupy yourself if not. Today you were sitting on the floor, leaning against a lab station while reading Rob Chernow's biography Alexander Hamilton.

"Uhh, Y-Y/N," Fitz began to panic, waving his hand wildly to get your attention.

"What is it?" You asked worriedly, quickly getting to your feet to stand next to the scientist.

"Y-you see that too, right?"

You did see. The metal samples Fitz had been analyzing had begun to ooze with a red liquid.

"Is that... blood?" You asked, face contorted in disgust and slight fascination.

Before Fitz could answer, the two of you watched as the pieces of metal turned into what appeared to be human flesh.

"What the hell?" You muttered under your breath while Fitz relaxed beside you.

"This is good, I mean- weird, but I can-" Fitz stuttered out tensing up once again and shaking his hand as he tried to come up with the words, looking over his shoulder as if looking to someone else for the answer.

"Figure out who's blood it is?" You supplied and Fitz nodded.

"Shouldn't be too hard." He affirmed quietly under his breath as if he needed to convince himself.

"Well you've got my help regardless," You smiled and Fitz nodded lightly before doling out instructions.

It wasn't the first time you had served as Fitz's hands in the lab and you fully intended to offer your services as long as he still needed them. Working together it took you about an hour to analyze the sample and search the various world DNA databases for a match, eventually finding one in SHIELD's own database.

"Carl Creel?" Fitz read the name out loud as you both peered at the monitor.

"We crossed him off the Index?" You asked skeptically, it wasn't uncommon for SHIELD to take out potentially dangerous enhanced individuals in the past, but clearly they hadn't done a very good job with Creel.

You pondered how SHIELD could've been so careless when Fitz pointed to the supervising agent listed on the report.

"Of course it was Garrett," you sighed. "We should get this to Coulson."

___

"Why am I here Maria?" You asked harshly, arms crossed as you stared at the woman. "I could've been helping Coulson."

"I get that you want to help, Y/N, but you still work here and you have to keep up appearances," Maria said firmly, ignoring her friend's scowl. "If you really want to help SHIELD, you'll keep your cover intact."

You rolled your eyes but you knew Maria was right. If you spent too much time away from the Tower the Avengers would get suspicious and they couldn't know that Coulson or SHIELD were still alive.

"Plus, you know you can't get involved with Talbot."

You rolled her eyes again.

"Why does it matter Mar? He clearly saw us both when we crossed his team at Providence. Why does it matter if he sees me with SHIELD again?"

"Y/N, you and I both know why it matters, you're just being stubborn. As far as the world is concerned, SHIELD is a terrorist group and if you're associated with them-"

"It'll bring a lot of bad PR to the Avengers and I'll have to step down from both organizations to protect them." You finished for her, sighing frustratedly. "I know, Maria, I just hate it."

"Go blow off some steam, hang out with the team, whatever you need to do," Maria instructed in the motherly tone she had used when she was your SO. "There's a classified mission on the books to explain your absence."

As if summoned, Sam walked into the conference room moments after Maria had finished speaking.

"Hey! Y/N is back!" He exclaimed, a grin on his face. "Where ya been?"

"That, my friend, is classified," you answered with a sly smirk before turning to Maria in order to keep up appearances, "Am I finished with my debrief, Agent Hill?"

"You're free to go, Agent Y/L/N," Maria confirmed before turning to Sam, "Next time, knock before you burst into occupied meeting rooms, Mr. Wilson."

"You could just lock the door," Sam shot back but retracted it when he was met with Maria's no-nonsense glare. "Yes ma'am, I'll knock next time."

You did your best to hold back your laughter at the interaction until you and Sam had left the room. You immediately erupted into giggles and Sam groaned.

"I don't know why you guys even bother with all that 'Agent Hill' 'Agent Y/L/N' crap." He said, trying to turn the tables on you as you boarded the elevator. "We all know you're friends, it's so unnecessary."

"It's about professionalism, Sam," you answered, smirking. "I know you don't get it because the Avengers lack any sense of professionalism whatsoever but-"

"Hey! I take great offense to that!" A voice yelped from behind you and you turned to see that Tony was on the elevator as well.

"Oh please, Stark, you're the worst perpetrator of unprofessionalism." You pointed out and Sam snorted.

"I'm not the one who exploded coke all over one of the labs with Rogers last week," Tony shot back and you flushed.

"That was on our off time and we cleaned it up!" You protested, "How'd you even find out about that?"

"You think I don't have surveillance in my labs?"

"Wait you guys did the Coke and Mentos without me?" Sam whined right as the elevator doors opened on the gym floor.

"Oh, look at that, this is my floor," you said, rushing off the elevator to escape your friend's inevitable wrath for leaving him out of the childish experiment.

"No way, Y/L/N, you're not getting off that easy," Sam followed you and you broke into a run.

You sprinted down the hallway towards the gym doors, Sam hot on your heels.

"Steve! Nat! Help!" You squealed as you burst through the double doors, darting behind Steve's tall frame as he stood in front of a punching bag.

"Get back here, Y/L/N!" Sam yelled as he ran through the doors, still swinging from your entrance.

"What's this about, Sam?" Steve asked in mock seriousness as the man stalked towards them.

"Oh good Rogers, you're here too," Sam said and Steve had the mind to look alarmed right before Sam landed a hit on the super soldier's arm.

"Sam! What the hell was that for?"

"You guys blew up pop without me!"

"I didn't know you were supposed to do it with us!" Steve protested and the pair went silent for a moment.

Then you found herself struggling in Steve's arms as he turned on you.

"Steve! Let me go!" You gasped.

"Tell Sam you're sorry," Steve instructed, and you bit back a laugh, schooling your face into one of determination.

"Never!" You yelled, using your years of training to maneuver out of Steve's grip and using his weight to your advantage to flip him to the ground, his back landing hitting the mat below them with a thud.

Natasha let out a whoop from the other side of the gym where she had been silently observing. "That's my girl!"

You shot the redhead a grin as you took up a defensive stance. "Try me, Wilson." you dared.

Sam looked between the British agent and the blond supersoldier who was still lying between the mat before standing down.

"Nah," he shook his head, "Just invite me next time."

You snorted but agreed.

"Hey Y/N, wanna spar?" Nat called from the other side of the gym where she was already wrapping her fists.

"Sure," you answered with a laugh, "I love getting my ass kicked by former Soviet operatives."

Sam, Steve, and Nat all laughed and you flipped them off mockingly as you walked to the locker room to change out of your work clothes.

___

"I got here as soon as I could," you said sadly as you knelt next to Skye.

You were in Hartley's room and Skye was packing up the agent's belongings.

"How's everyone holding up?"

"I think we're all compartmentalizing," Skye sighed, folding up a piece of clothing and placing it in the suitcase. "Coulson won't mourn until we find out if Hunter snitched, and Mack and Tripp are putting all their efforts into reverse-engineering the quinjet's cloaking."

You had to remind yourself to take a deep breath to stop yourself from going off about the cloaking. You were less than thrilled with how Coulson, and truly the rest of the team, had been handling Fitz since the accident, and now they had gone ahead and found a cloaking solution even though Fitz had been working on one for months. You knew the organization desperately needed it, but you thought Coulson could've at least brought Fitz on to what they were doing instead of keeping him in the dark. But now wasn't time to get into that debate, now was the time to mourn Hartley and Idaho.

You helped Skye pack up the rest of Hartley's belongings until you were joined by Hunter, who had apparently decided not to betray SHIELD. You gave the two of them space, heading to the lab instead. Your presence there had started as a way to comfort Fitz, but at some point, the grey tiles and sterile surfaces had become something of a comfort to yourself. You had planned to just sit in a corner and stew in your emotions, maybe text Nat or Steve or Sam, but when you approached Mack was there talking to Fitz. You stood in the doorway, not wanting to enter the room and interrupt whatever they were doing. It was rare for other team members to seek out Fitz in the lab, everyone was too afraid of what they'd find.

You watched as Fitz handed Mack a file, the taller agent looking them over.

"I didn't solve this today." Fitz blurted but instead of wincing or pointedly looking anywhere but at the man, Mack looked up from the files to look the scientist in the eyes.

"You think you can?"

You cursed yourself as you let an excited gasp escape you. It immediately drew the two men's attention and the atmosphere of the lab changed.

"Y/N," Mack acknowledged and Fitz looked down shyly.

"I was just coming here for some peace, but I'd love to help," you explained your eavesdropping sheepishly.

"I think we could use the extra hands." Mack smiled and you grinned, stepping into the lab.

"What're we looking at?" You asked, stepping forward to look at the file that was now placed on one of the many lab tables.

It wasn't long before you had a cluster of lab techs gathered around the three of you as Fitz doled out instructions.

"It's about the.. the resonant," Fitz explained, though it was clear that none of the techs quite knew what he meant by the way their eyes flitted between you and Mack for help.

Fitz noticed the looks and you frowned as he clutched the wires he had been holding closer to his chest. "I didn't solve this today."

"So, what is this?" Mack asked, holding up another object that you didn't recognize. "Is this some sort of sonic device? Like the cloaking?"

You watched as the two men grew increasingly frustrated with each other.

"No, I- ugh, I didn't-" Fitz fumbled, his tone becoming more helpless as he continued to be misunderstood.

"Sorry, forget the cloaking." Mack waved it off and you glared at the techs as they exchanged wary looks. "No one blames you for that, let's just focus on Creel."

You yelped slightly as Fitz threw the papers off the lab table they'd been working at and Mack yelled for him to calm down.

"Get. out." You growled at the techs as they exchanged another look when Fitz turned his back to the group. They scampered off and Fitz turned back around to face them.

Okay." He said, taking a deep breath.

"Take it easy," Mack told the man and you frowned as you saw Fitz become visibly upset again.

'Look, I didn't solve this today!" He exclaimed and Mack matched his frustrations.

"Yeah, I know! You've said that already!" He yelled back.

"No!" Fitz exclaimed, "I didn't solve this today."

Mack looked like he was about to blow his top but you finally made the connection.

"You mean you've solved this before?" You asked him eagerly, eyes alight with the realization.

Fitz nodded excitedly, his posture relaxing slightly now that he had gotten his point across.

"Wait, you mean this is an old design?" Mack asked

"Yes! Yes!" Fitz said and you reached for a tablet, pulling up the designs from the past year.

"Okay, we're with you, Turbo," Mack said as they gathered around the tablet.

You began to flip through the designs, a few of which you recognized from various SHIELD reports until Fitz stopped you at one called the Overkill Device.

"Let's tell the team." You grinned at Fitz who looked quite proud of himself as he looked over the schematics.

___

"Did you get the 0-8-4?" You asked eagerly as the team filed off the quinjet.

You had been bitter that you weren’t brought in on the mission, especially since it had nothing to do with Talbot or any other government official but you knew you had accomplished something big back on base so you were willing to let it go.

"No," Hunter shook his head, "But we got Creel."

He jerked his thumb behind him a few agents escorted Creel off the Bus. Hunter wore a shit-eating grin and even dared to throw some taunts at the man as he passed them. You knew this was important to him, after what the man did to Hartley and Idaho.

"So Fitz's device worked?" You were thrilled, he needed a win, and this was a big one.

"Worked like a charm!" Hunter answered, taking a break from yelling insults at Creel's back.

"Woah, what the hell happened to Skye, Tripp, and May?" You demanded as the three slowly made their way off the plane with help from Coulson, each of them glaring daggers at Hunter as they passed by. "And Coulson was in the field?"

"A lot happened, I'll fill you in over a beer," Hunter said, making his way into the base and you followed.

You were mostly quiet as they made your way to the kitchen, Hunter grabbing you two bottles from the fridge.

"So what did you do to piss off May, Tripp, and Skye and to get Coulson into the field?" You asked as they sat on the barstools that lined the kitchen island.

"Might've iced them all to get a shot at Creel," Hunter shrugged nonchalantly and you gaped.

"You what?"

"Then Coulson took Creel down with Fitz's device and offered me a job at SHIELD." Hunter continued, speaking like this was just another day at the office for him.

"Hunter, that doesn't make any sense. You shot three of our agents!"

"With ICERS!" Hunter protested, "I wouldn't have killed them!"

You merely raised an eyebrow as if to say "wouldn't you have?"

"Y'know what? I take great offense to that, Y/L/N." Hunter said, using the hand holding his beer to gesture at your face. "I think I'd quite like to drink alone now."

"You're such an ass, Hunter." You laughed, standing up from your stool.

"Funny, that's what my ex-wife told me before we split up." He joked and you rolled your eyes.

"Well, I suppose I'll be seeing you around, Agent Lance Hunter," you smirked at Hunter's grimace and grabbed two more beers from the fridge, carrying them back to the Hanger.

As you expected, the Bus ramp was down and Mack and Fitz were stood inside.

"You look like you could use some refreshments." You joked as you walked up the incline to stand with the two men, handing each one a bottle.

"What's this for?" Mack asked, an easy smile on his face as he accepted the drink.

"To celebrate, of course," you answered, "Without Fitz, we never could've captured Creel, and if Coulson's plans to hand him over to Talbot works we might finally have the military off our asses."

"I'll drink to that," Mack said and you saw Fitz smile, the three of you clinking your bottles together.

___

a/n: Lot’s of jumps in this one. I think I’ve kinda decided that’s how most chapters are going to be- I’ve got a lot of ground to cover between here and endgame and I don’t want this story to drag on too much. Since the story is in Season 2 of Agents of SHIELD right now I think the Avengers parts are going to be a little lighter to balance out the heavier SHIELD moments (Though I did manage to get in an Avengers action scene). That’ll shift once we reach MCU territory. Also, first full Bucky encounter! Let me know what you think!

[canumoveurseatup-no]

Call of the Void

Summary: you’re the rock star heartbreaker but Clint wants to change that and it took him a long time to do so, he finally introduces you to the team and come to find a certain speedster can’t help but be head over heels for you.

WC: 10.7k (this was 30 pages omg)

Pairing: Husband!Clint x Black!HexGirl!Reader x Sub!Boyfriend!Pietro

Warnings: This is based off EG Clint but everyone is alive. There’s smut so this is of course 18+, spirituality, finger in the bum, squirting, listening to people have sex, like one mention of suicide

A/N: i dunno if the hex girl au has been done and if it has i doubt there’s a black version so i’m glad i came up with this idea and ran with it. please comment and reblog!! SHOUT OUT TO @noire-griot FOR MAKING MY LOVELY MOOD BOARD!!

————

“Who’s the babe over there with all the tats?,” Clint looked over to one of his buds as he drank a beer and scanned the room, eyes stopping on you.

“Oh that’s Y/N... they call her Thorn. She’s the lead singer and bad ass guitarist of that new band, used to be called Hex Girls but changed it to ‘Call of the Void’” his friend took a swig if his beer and shrugged his shoulders, “I’d stay away from her though, she’s trouble, man. Absolute heartbreaker,”

Clint watched the chains on our pants swing back and forth as you danced with your band mates. He watched the way your faux locs swished like an ocean as you threw your head back in laughter. You were right up his alley, music artist with wonderful taste, bad ass tattoos and killer style. He wanted you.

“Mm,” Clint shrugged as well, “I can change that,”

“Clint, they don’t call her Thorn for nothing. She’ll stick her thorns on ya and leave ya bleeding out while she watches in enjoyment,”

“Maybe you should have been a fuckin’ poet rather than a drummer,”

“Eh, I do slam poetry on Wednesday’s,”

“Whatever, man. I’m gonna go talk to her,”

Clint’s friend said something that he couldn’t quite catch because he was already more than ten feet away in no time, the music was screaming through the dark room and you were screaming right along with your bandmates in each other’s faces.

“‘Scuse me,” Clint said into your ear. Usually you ignore guys who come up to you but someone about his voice intrigued you. You turned your head and your brows raise in interest as your eyes scan him up and down.

“Excuse you is right considering you were interrupting some fun,” Your voice was like velvet and it wrapped him in a tight embrace, “But I’ll allow it this once for a fan,”

He didn’t want to correct you, he’d actually never heard a single song, but he’d make sure to after tonight.

“Just wanted to let a little lady like you know you look good,”

You kinda just chuckled at him, “Not that little. Don’t get too much dip on ya chip, might break,” you tum back to your friends to continue your night of fun

“Guess I’ll just have to get another chip then,”

His voice made you freeze and slowly turn back to him, arms crossed and tattoos bold against your skin, “Persistent fella,”

“A woman like you only shows up once in every blue moon, gotta cease my chance,”

Your Tripp pants fell on your hips nicely and just under your cropped band tee, he could see the outline of a snake come up the side of your ribcage to under your boob.

“And men like you come and go just as the tide does, what makes you think I’m not gonna ride this wave out and throw you out like an old surfboard when I’m done like the rest?,”

Clint loves your attitude. He could tell you didn’t take any shit and that only made him want you more, “Not a regular ‘ole ripple like you’re used to, Thorn,”

You could smell his cologne as he stepped closer, it took everything you had in you to not close your eyes and bask in his scent. You watched him lick his lips and raise a brow at you. You liked this one, you could keep him around for a bit.

“Then what are ya?,”

“More like record breaking tsunami. Lasting effects, hard to forget something like me,”

With your Demonia Trinity’s, you stood at perfect eye level with him, he wasn’t giving up and while most of them usually don’t, this one was different. He had spunk to him.

“Hey, Tove,” you call over your shoulder to your bandmate. Sweet girl with fast fingers when it came to the keyboard and synth.

“Yeah?,”

“Lock up when you guys get home, don’t think I’ll be back tonight,”

———

A few foiled packets hit Clint in the chest and he looked down at them, shrugged before tearing one open and rolling it down on himself. He’s probably the first to not complain about having to wrap it up before he tapped it up.

You heard him let out a slow deep breath as he pushed into you slowly. He was boning a rockstar, someone of his caliber, he definitely made sure to show out so you’d be the one coming back for more.

You ran your hand up his tattooed sleeve until he pinned your hands above your head with one of his, “Can I choke you? Wanna feel your pulse pounding against my fingertips,”

“Holy shit, please,”

Usually it was you who did the turning out but now you were the one being turned out, you hated being out of control but here you were, legs busted wide open with a hand right around your throat. This man was something else.

Hard staccatoed thrusts are fucked into you and your body can’t help but fall subject to him. Seeing you now, under him, you were a completely different person. Out in the open you’re a badass sadist but here you are a submissive good girl.

“Not so tough are you now, huh?,” Clint was practically hate fucking you and that’s all you needed. You didn’t know you needed it until it was happening, “Wanted to be a bitch at the party but look at you now. You’re my bitch,”

“Oh fuck, yes,” normally you did the bitch calling, but dammit was Clint putting it down. You couldn’t help but be putty in his hands, “Harder. Need it harder,”

He fucked you until you broke free of his thigh grip and tapped out. He pulled out of your throbbing pussy as you wiped your tears trying to catch your breath.

“What are you doing to me?,” you cover your face and laugh.

“I told you I’m not those little ripples you fucked with before and I meant that. You wanted to ride the tsunami so now you get to drown,”

His finger pushed into your soaking pussy and your wetness was absolutely obscene. Your eyes rolled into your head and he hadn’t even started moving yet. He might as well had been drowning you, it was getting hard to breathe as another wave crashed down you, bringing you to yet another orgasm.

“I need you. I need you so fucking bad,”

His hands gripped your hips fighting before he sunk back deep into you, your back arching off the bed and toes curling into the covers. His lips never left your body. Lips wrapped around your brown nipples and sucked until he decided to move to your neck, biting and making sure you would feel him for a few days after.

“You know what I’m gonna do?,” he whispered in your ear

“Cum for me?,”

“Gonna cum hard for you and leave you to stew with your thoughts for days to come. Leave you wanting more,” he moved his hips harder, knocking the air out of you in moans and whimpers, “Gonna have you thinking about how I felt inside you like this. Not even your own hand can make you feel good like I can, you’re gonna have no choice but to come back for more,”

You knew he was right. He already exceeded your expectations at the underground party. Now he was really showing out.

“So you’re gonna cum for me like I want you to and not say a damn thing,” he lifted your legs on his shoulders and went harder, grunting loudly to chase his own orgasm.

“F-fuck fuck fuck!,” your nails dig into his forearms as you came another time, your body entirely spent.

His hips stilled as he came into the condom, panting with a slack jaw, hair sticking to his forehead, tattoos glistening in the glowing red room.

“I’ll call you a cab in the morning,” he simply pulled out of you and went in the bathroom to take a shower. You laid there shocked, usually you’d be the one calling the cab and leaving them to lie there in filth.

He was really something else

———

“Get your head in the game, Thorn!” Amity scolded. You kept forgetting the lyrics with Clint running through your mind, “We have a big show this weekend and there’s a huge prize at stake here,”

“Alright alright, Dusk. Just.. just shut it for a minute!,” sighing, you pinched the bridge of your nose before taking a sip of your water.

“Blood, blood, blood

Pour more through my veins

I'm a dirty, dirty girl

I want it filthy”

Muttering the lyrics to yourself you took a deep breath and stood back at the mic. It was a new song and granted, you wrote it, but something else was flooding your mind.

“She’s dickmatized,” Tove snickers and you throw your guitar pick at her

“At least I get some, Luna”

“We all can’t have ethereal pussy like you, Thorn,”

You three barely called each other by your real names now. The stage names stuck and worked as nicknames.

She handed you your guitar pick back and started on the synth again, ready for you to come in.

“I hate you for the sacrifices you made for me

I hate you for every time you ever bled for me

I hate you for the way you smile when you look at me

I hate you for never taking control of me

I hate you for always saving me from myself

I hate you for always choosing me and not someone else

I hate you for always pulling me back from the edge

I hate you for every kind word you ever said

I'll bleed you dry now,”

Your body swayed to the verse before you put your all into the chorus, screaming the lyrics and moving around like you had an audience. You imagined Clint there and that’s when you really started to feel the song. You imagine him in the front row, sweating and smiling at you, jumping up and down, headbanging. God, that would be a sight to see.

The intensity of the song had you thinking about that night and how he ruined you for any other man

“I love you for everything you ever took from me

I love the way you dominate and you violate me

I love you for every time you gave up on me

I love you for the way you look when you lie to me

I love you for never believing in what I say

I love you for never once giving me my way

I love you for never delivering me from pain

I love you for always driving me insane

I'll bleed you dry now”

You felt chills run down your body as you strummed the strings faster and faster, feeling your face heat up. You couldn’t wait to get there out front of a crowd where you’d have a whole crowd screaming out and moshing, fists pumping and eyes glazed over from the drunkenness and inebriation from all the pot.

You end the song with huff and a big smile

“See, all you had to was get your mind in the right place. We’re gonna kill it!,”

“So- was the dick that good? or should I say cock?,” Luna smiled mischievously and made sure to put extra and weird emphasis on the word.

“Coming out of your mouth? Hell no,”

You all sit on the couch and take a break. Creating music was not easy, creating good music wasn’t easy! So giving yourselves breaks was needed, especially with recording and working with modulations and screaming and the instruments, it was all a clusterfuck until it all came together.

“Come oooon, Thorn. Tell uuus, spill the potion,” She pleaded. She always liked to live vicariously through your stories lately, something about a sex fast to keep her energies in check.

“It was different. You know how I am. I barely let anyone touch me but goodness, girls. His hands were just- unreal. They were so rough and experienced. You know I like to be the dominant one but him? He took the wheel. He choked the hell outta me. Dirty talk is A1.. stroke game- it’s like a game of archery and he hits the bullseye every tiiiiime,” you clenched your legs together just thinking about it. You wondered when you’d get to see him again.

“He got a brother? Cousin? Best friend?,” Dusk looks over her glasses at you and sets her cup down.

“I don’t know all of that!,”

“Fuck me sidewaaaays I need some,” Luna screams out into the studio room.

“How far are you in your 100 day sex fast?,” you nudge her.

“Bitch, only day 30,” she sighs, “but it’s for a good cause. My body rejects dick that’s not for me, so I’m protecting her for the time being,”

It made sense- you never really had to worry about that- condoms were always a must- and you never really had a person come into your life that made you not want to use them.

“Your vagina is gonna become depressed,” Dusk adds nonchalantly.

“That’s not possible!”

“Oh but it is,”

They always went back and forth like that. Dusk was like the instigative sibling that was monotone about everything to sound more serious and Luna was like the younger sibling that believed everything and whined while you were like that single parent that had to break them apart.

“Thooooorn, tell her that’s not truuue,” she flung herself back in the chair.

“Sorry, buttercup, read up on it. The vagina can become depressed from lack of sex”

“Listen, I already gotta deal with regular depression now my vagina gotta go through it?!,”

“Just masturbate,”

“Okay okay- enough,” you stand up and laugh at the two, “Let’s get back to work. We still have three other songs to work on for the set list this weekend,”

—————

The crowd was rowdy. You were peeking from behind the curtain and saw the other bands getting them excited for you. Being an all black girl alternative band was already intimidating but headlining a music festival? Yeah that was different.

You stood on side and held your crystal, giving it purpose before you went out on stage and gave it your all.

“Now for the act you’ve all been waiting for” the announcer gets the crowd going and their screams put a smile on your face. You’ve still got a long way to go but you’re proud of how far you’ve come with your band and music. Starting out as a little garageband known as the Hex Girls now you’re here, performing at music festivals.

“Oh no-,” Luna turns to you, “I got the nervous poops again,”

“Well I hope you wore ya diaper because we don’t have time for a potty break,” Dusk tightens her guitar strap and gets ready to walk on stages

“I don’t need a diaper! It’ll pass once we get on stage!,”

“Call of the Vooiiidd!!,”

You adjust your ear piece and pat Luna on her butt, “It’s shooow tiiiime”

The lights were hot as hell, but it helped distract you from the large crowd. They were so excited to see you guys perform though. You used the adrenaline of you being nervous as a charge to get you going. You’ve all put in long hours of hard work and lyrical artistry to be here. The breakdowns, the arguments, broken instruments and wanting to give up on multiple occasions is what got you here. 

You got this.

“We’re Call of the Void,” the screams were like a welcoming hug, comforting in a way and took any fear you had away, “And we’re here to fuck shit up,” 

Dusk came in with the drums and there was no turning back now.

What you didn’t know was that Clint was there. At the first mention of your band being there he had to come and support, he spent days listening to your songs and learning the lyrics just so he could be here today and support you. He spent nights pleasing himself to the sound of your voice growling invigorating lyrics through his headphones. He’d be lying if he said you didn’t run laps in his mind, just like he did in yours. 

He watched you run all around and jump around the stage, getting the crowd going. A mosh pit opened up right behind him and while any other time he’d join in the exhilarating moments of fighting strangers to music, he stayed right where he was to watch you. The way you moved your body was so languid and fluid, the way your lips moved to sing, scream, growl every lyric and modulation had chills running down his body. 

Sure your music was great through headphones, but live was such a better experience, this made him realize why you all got big so fast.

He watched Dusk get wild in the drums, his eyes glistened at the way Luna’s fingers moved on the keyboard and synth. He admired you all, this was a band, he thought. 

You on the other hand, you are having the time of your life and you know this is just the beginning. You stepped to the front of the stage and got low, that’s when you saw him... mouthing your lyrics and smirking at you. 

You got on your hands and knees and crawl to the edge, getting as close to him as possible as he was a couple rows away.

“I know you want me I know you need me But I just wanna fuck”

You wink at him and the crowd only screams louder and Clint can feel himself getting hotter. Not because of the propinquity of the pit, but because you just did that to him. It was like  you could set him on fire but extinguish it at the same time. 

You could give him life yet take it away. 

That was the kind of power you had. 

You ran an entire set, 45 minutes worth of pure adrenaline and sweat. Some people in the crowd suffering from nosebleeds and busted lips and bruising just because your music made everyone that wild. They loved it though because at the end, everyone was left grinning and screaming for an encore. Everyone knew they’d be getting a good sleep tonight.

“Thank you all for the ride,” you were catching your breath as you paced the stage, “You definitely will be seeing and hearing more from us. This is just the beginning,”

You were thankful to have such a diverse fan base, even more blessed to see more alternative people of color like yourself. This is what you wanted. This was a dream come true and it only came true because you had people who believed in you and people who never told you to give up.

“Be safe getting home,” You, Luna and Dusk run off the stage and hug each other, still full of energy.

“That was the beesst show we have ever had!,” Dusk was wiping her forehead and smiling back at you both as if what just happened wasn’t real. But it was real alright. 

“The energy tonight was amaziiiing!,” Luna squealed as she skipped to the trailer, the crystals around her neck creating a small clinking sound every time she landed on the balls of her feet. 

The breeze felt good against your skin as your body finally started to cool down. 

“Thorn,”

You stop in your tracks and the girls turn around at the voice as well. They were almost in the trailer when they saw him walking behind you. 

“Ouuu he’s baaaack,” Luna teases.

“Get ya dumbass inside!,” 

“But I wanna seeee,” 

Dusk pushes her inside the trailer and shuts the door behind the two of them, leaving you and Clint at the steps.

“You killed it out there,” 

“Of course I did,” you sat on the steps and glared up at him. You couldn’t let him onto you, couldn’t let him know that you’d been thinking about him ruining you all over again just like he did only a week ago.

“Let’s not play games or beat around the bush and drop hints hoping the other will catch on,” He stands tall, crossing his arms and looking smug. Damn him, all the other men were just play toys but him? He wasn’t with the shits. He wanted to lay down the law which was completely opposite of what you were used to.

“Not sure what you mean,” you were sure he could read you like a book. You enjoyed remaining an indecipherable code to everyone else but Clint just had this ability to crack the code and everything he found inside was for the taking.

“I’m think you do,” He leaned down and got in your face, noses touching and his eyes boring into yours, “So let’s just be adults and admit we can’t get each other off the other’s mind, yeah?,”:

You really did a number on yourself with this one.

----------

“Try not to need me,” Clint sat down with the team at dinner and explained that he’d be going away for a bit. For what exactly, they didn’t need to know all of that, they just needed to know that they’d have to make due with the resources they have now.

You two had been together for two years and married for about six months now and your band had made it big. He was going on tour with you, after you had done enough begging. In and out the bedroom.

“Why do you always disappear like this?,” Steve couldn’t help but ask. They always ask, it was a game of cat and mouse and he always got away.

“I have other obligations,” Clint always kept his answers short and vague.

“Like?,”

“Like minding my business, Tony,” 

This was the norm. They had no idea what Clint was up to and he made sure Fury kept it that way. Sure you were already big, but the world didn’t need to know you were his wife. You knew about what he did, the avenging by day, rock star husband by day and night. 

“I can’t see anything, guys,” Wanda’s voice gave off a defeated tone, as if she was supposed to succeed in some top secret mission and failed. 

“Really guys? Trying to take a look into my head?,” he eats a piece of pepperoni that fell on his short and shook his head, “That’s a new low,” 

“We just wanna know what you’re hiding from us,” Nat nudges him with her foot.

“Clearly if I’m hiding anything it’s for good reason,” Clint snatches the remote from Sam to turn up the TV to avoid any more conversation, “Now shut up, this episode is great,” 

-

You were at home packing everything into the tour bus. This would be your home again for the next few months. This was your first tor since you’ve all made it big and while it was nerve racking, you wouldn’t give it up and the fact you have a husband now? and he gets to experience this with you? yeah you definitely wouldn’t trade this. 

You have two days left at home before you all hit the road cross country. You told Clint to spend time with his avenging friends. You made a list of everything that you needed and made sure to check it like ten times before setting it to the side. 

You knew Dusk and Luna would wait till the last minute to pack just to whine that they forgot something and have to make a pit stop at the nearest store to get what they need. It was classic them to do so, it’s happened on past trips.

You hear the jingle of Clint’s keys and the heavy patter of his boots coming down the hall just as you set his duffel bag and suitcase by the closet door.

“I love it when you wear my shirts, love the side boob,” 

He always adored you in all your glory, even when your hair was all over the place because you were in between styles. Even when your nail polish was chipped, even when you didn’t feel like shaving any body hair and it was grown out. 

“I thought I told you to spend time with your hero friends,” You stand on his boots to lean up and get a kiss. He tasted like his favorite beer, “You taste like beer, what did I tell you about driving home after drinking?,”

“It was a couple sips before I threw it out and came home because they started badgering me again. So I came home to my wife,” He throws himself back on the bed and kicks off his boots before pulling you into his lap to straddle him.

You love the feeling of his hands on your thighs, just rubbing them so his hands didn’t remain idle. You couldn’t help but kiss him, you’ve missed him lately. All the board meetings and planning and extra time in the studio had separated you two more than you’d like to admit. While you did tell him to spend time with his friends, you were glad he returned home early. 

“Ou, this is new, which one is this?,” his hand reached for your necklace but he drew it back when you slapped it away.

“Hey! Didn’t anyone ever tell you to not touch another person’s crystals?” You smooth your hands along his chest and give him a look that lacked amusement.

“Well excuuuse me,” his arms wrapped around your thighs so that he could flip you over, “I wanna have coitus with my wife now though and I’d like to choke you out so I’d recommend removing it,”

“Oh.. oh okay,” you raised yourself off the black sheets for a second to remove you necklace and set it on the bedside table, “I’m all yours,”

“Glad we had that talk,” 

You loved to see him smile, especially when his eyes became tiny slits because that indicated how genuine his smile was and hey, it’s you he’s smiling at, of course it’d be genuine.

His hands slipped into the sides of his homemade muscle shirt that you were wearing and his cool rings clashed with the warmth of your pierced nipples as he groped them and rolled them in his hands. You opened your legs wider for him to get closer while his mouth was working on your neck and lips.

Tonight was about to be full of rounds as this was the last time you both would be able to have all types of sex in the comfort and privacy of your own home. You could be as loud as you want. He would be as rough as he wanted without people thinking you were being hurt.

“Take the shirt off, Y/N,” the way his voice rasped always got you going, always ready to let him have his way with you, you loved feeling vulnerable under him because outside of this you were that independent woman who didn’t need a man despite her having a husband and Clint was there to support you independence, but you still appreciated his support and efforts no matter what because sometimes you did need to be brought back down to Earth and he was there.

“Fuck I missed you,” you gasp as his teeth tug on your hardened nipples, barely giving you time to throw the shirt to the side. 

He showed you how much he missed you by burying his face in between your thighs. Feasting on everything you had to offer. You’ve thanked the cosmos over and over for giving you a man who treated you right, stayed in his lane yet supported you and put his foot down when needed aaand delivered a good sex game. He was the perfect package, including all the bits and pieces that made up his own personality. 

“Yes, baby” you spread your legs wider and hold the back of your thighs to watch his tongue move fast against your swollen clit. 

“I will never get sick of the way you taste,” he groaned, staring at your pussy like it was the best meal he’d ever have in his life. He got into it every time, closing his eyes and shaking his head, moaning against you at the juices that flowed for him. 

Those fingers, absolute gifts. Something about getting fingered always had you ready to explode. He moved them fast, made sure to stimulate all parts of you. He never failed to make you whine and your toes curl in the air.

“I want you to cum for me,” 

And what he wants, he gets. You’re moving your hips up against his fingers in a needy little motion with wanton cries and chills running down your body. 

“That’s it,” 

He was so encouraging and it never failed to make your face heat up. You damned him for it from the moment you met him. Clint knew what he was doing, pushing every button, threading the eye of every needle, hitting every target dead set in the center. He just knew.

“C’mon, no more games. I need you,” you pulled on his hair to get him back up to you, “I want it, all night,”

------

Today would be the last day everyone got to see Clint before he went on another hiatus without a word of what he would be doing or so much as a hint to where. For months, again, the team wouldn’t know if he was dead or alive until he popped back up.

Pietro was alone in his room, spending his free time watching your music and behind the scenes videos. 

He was obsessed with your band, but for the most part, just you. The way you’d look into the camera made him feel like you were looking at him. Your hair always sat atop your head like a crown no matter the style. Whether it was your natural big puffs, your individual braids, wigs, locs, anything, he was mesmerized. He was a hardcore fanboy and was not afraid to admit it. 

“I think... I think being spiritual is much more than just trying to stay positive all the time,” 

God, he loved your voice. He loved how low in register it was to others. You sounded so dignified and established, just by talking.

“Honestly, fuck the whole notion that you have to be nice to be seen as spiritual. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is put a bitch in her place, I’m not saying be an unwarranted asshole but don’t let people walk over you just because they think you can’t help but be nice” He laughed at the genuine answer, he didn’t know you personal but he felt so close to you, granted you are human, but you just didn’t let the fame get to your head and sometimes he had to remember you were a real life human, 

“Respecting your boundaries is spiritual, not being taken advantage of is spiritual, allowing yourself to feel anger is spiritual. It’s so much more than crystal wearing and sage burning and trying to be happy go lucky. No one can be like that all the time... no matter how hard you want to be, because there’s always that someone that wants to get you out of character,” 

Pietro felt connected to you, he’s never felt like this before. He was never the type to rush to a computer to buy the early bird tickets or the latest merch but here he was, being that person and he didn’t give a damn.

“Piet, time for dinner. Clint’s here and he brought a guest, so clean yourself up,” Wanda threw something at him to get his attention away from the phone but he just grunted while getting out of bed.

“I’ll be out in a biiit,” He shooed her away and fixed his hair and hung up his room shorts for a nice pair of dark jeans. He decided to keep your band’s tee crew neck on, that should be good enough for Clint’s guest. How ‘cleaned up’ did Wanda want him to get? 

Pietro slipped on some shoes and trudged his way into the dining room. He still had his phone in hand watching your videos when he heard the melodic, sultry vibrations of your voice, and not just from his phone, no. You were actually here, sitting down, eating dinner in his home.

He dropped his phone and stood there with his mouth hung open. He was in such a shock he was surprised he didn’t piss his pants in excitement.

“Is he okay?,” you noticed him staring at you and found it weird until you noticed your band name on his crew neck. A fan, interesting. 

“Yeah he’s just obsessed over you,” His sister shrugs and places mash potatoes on her plate, “Piet, sit down and close your mouth. You look silly,” 

“How cute,” 

He turned red at the sound of you calling him cute. You found him cute... you’re seated right in front of him and you called him cute!

Pietro slowly slid into his chair and tried not to stare but he couldn’t help it. You’re real.

“Anyway,” Clint cleared his throat and looked around the table to make sure he had everyone’s attention, “Now that everyone is here. This is my wife, Y/N and she’s an artist,”

“You owe me 50 bucks,” Sam points to Natasha and Bucky.

The two groan in in defeat and slap the money in his hands. You found it amusing, they all had a cute little team going here. 

“Babe, this is everyone,” 

Your eyes pan around the room to get a good look everyone, putting a face to a name, you knew who was who just by his vague descriptions from before.

Your eyes stop on Pietro and he’s still looking at you as if he’s seen a ghost. He was honestly adorable and he reminded you of your early days when you’d make men like him your toys. You send him a wink and his yes only get wider.

“Piet stop ogling her!,” Wanda slapped him upside his head and he hissed, sending a glare her way for embarrassing him.

“It’s quite alright,” you smile at the twins and turn to look at Clint who had a brow raised at you. He knew exactly what you were thinking. Before you two even got married, you explained to him that you were in polygamy and he was fine with that. He never really had eyes for another woman and he knew how other times you liked to feel dominant and while that wasn’t his thing, he was willing to let you have that with someone else, but the moment never presented itself, until  maybe... now?

“What?,” you knew he was onto you but you loved playing bashful with him. 

“We’ll talk when we get home,” he tried to hide his smile but it was you he was talking to, hiding his smile was useless. 

“So, Y/N,” Tony cuts in, “What kind of art is it exactly that you do?,” 

You notice the way he’s eyeing you and Tony himself wasn’t sure if he found you odd or if he was fucking with it, either way, he liked it. 

“I make music,” plain and simple, “My childhood best friends and I made a band when we graduated high school, at first we didn’t think we’d honestly get anywhere but we’re about to go on our first tour,” 

Taking a sip of your wine you await a response

“Is that why Clint always disappears? You know to be with your band when you do stuff?,” the one that you believed to be Natasha asked before forking a piece of chicken in her mouth.

“Well I sure hope so or else we have something to talk about,” you nudge Clint and he nudges right back. On the outside, it seemed like you two were that evil, vampire couple that lived in an all black, old fashioned, tall, Victorian style home with a sphynx cat. While the house and cat part was accurate, you were just a normal married couple that lived life with a little stardom.

Pietro would never get tired of your voice, he always repeated that to himself but hearing your voice in person, he never thought it would be possible. You were radiant, aura calming and bright. The tattoos that decorated your skin looked even cooler in person, eyes twinkling even brighter, you were so tall and he loved it. 

You could stomp him out and he’d still say thank you-

“Pietro!,” Wanda slapped him upside his head harder this time, “Stop being weird,”

He cursed himself for saying that out loud. Your presence was just so intoxicating and hypnotizing in the best way possible. He always got nervous around attractive women. 

“You’re just so cute,” you lean forward on the table and just shake your head at him and point to your band’s crew neck that he was wearing, “What’s your favorite song?,”

Pietro felt his mouth go dry. You were talking to him, he had to play it cool, he couldn’t embarrass himself in front of you anymore. He felt his hands get clammy and he felt his eyes burning, he was really about to cry happy tears because you were talking to him.

“All of them,” he croaks

You give a gentle giggle and nod, “If you had to choose one.. what would it be?,”

You found it adorable how still he sat with his eyes wide like a deer in headlights. He licked his lips and moved his jaw up and down as his words got lost.

“I uh... uhm.. i..,”

“It’s okay, take your time,” you encouraged.

Pietro took a deep breath and calmed himself down, “I’d probably choose.. Natural Born Sinner... c-ca- because it’s raw and I like the statement. It’s always the first on my playlist. I just love your voice,” 

You grinned at how he talked as if you were a dream come true. You’ve met plenty of fans over the years but he was the cutest. So pure, so... ruinable. 

“Good choice,” 

Clint chuckled and shook his head at you, you were really something else. You couldn’t be tamed so like the lioness you were, he let you roam and trample what your willing prey.

Dinner went on and much of the conversation consisted of where you’d be performing, who your bandmates were, what your favorite clothing brand was because you definitely inspired Wanda to change her wardrobe. Tony made a mental note to listen to your band. Peter and Bucky wanted to meet your other mate, Sam and Natasha made sure they’d have to look up the price of your tickets because you just seemed so cool and genuine they had to support you. 

All while Pietro had an erection and was thinking of many things to make it go away.

Those sad puppy commercials, washing dishes with wet food, stubbing your pinky toe, ripping a hangnail, a cat hacking up a furball... Y/N has a cat... her name is Obsidian.. Y/N’s eyes are like black obsidian, Y/N is here right now.. .I bet she’d look so good above me... Just look at the way she’s looking at me now.. oh shit she’s looking at me!!

Pietro snapped back into reality and realized his erection had gone away just to come back when you winked at him. He shouldn’t like that- your husband is sitting right there...

“If you guys would like to come see us live one day, I can definitely make that happen,” you lean into Clint and he rubs your arm while everyone looks at you as if you were Oprah saying  “You get a ticket! you get a ticket! everyone gets a ticket!!,”

“Please?!,”

---------

“You made him so nervous,” Clint leaned back in his seat while driving.

“That wasn’t a look of nervousness, babe. I definitely made him horny. I know that look,” 

You’ve seen many give you that look in your life. You made them so nervous they couldn’t help but be turned on and they always begged for you to give it to them.

You heard Pietro’s pleas for sure. 

“I want that one... for sure,” 

The drive back to your house consisted of talks about how you both would work around this arrangement. Clint was totally fine with it, he wasn’t the jealous type plus he knew at the end of the day you were his wife. He knew you loved it when he took control and while he changed your life, your dominant side itched to come out and now it finally does, as long as Pietro is 1000% sure. You were presented with the best of both worlds as a switch and now you were so close to holding the two in your grasp.

“You’re acting like he’s a puppy or a new toy,”

He might as well be... please daddy I promise I’ll be nice,” you tease and beg like a child.

“I’ll see what I can do, sweet pea,”

---------

Today was the day, you were all packed and ready to go, but you and Clint had to make one pit stop before heading to Dusk and Luna’s house where the tour bus would meet you.

You had your braid up in a knot and sunglasses on, leather jacket spiked, skirt short and boots tall. You looked irresistible.

“Clint.. Y/N- waddaya doing here?,” Steve asked when he sees you two get off the elevator. 

“Where’s the nervous one?,” you question, wanting to get straight to the point. 

“Pietrooo!,” Clint called out and Pietro zoomed into the foyer and almost ripped when he saw you looking down at him.

“Y-you’re back,” already a stuttering mess he was.

“Yeah, got any plans over the next few months besides fanboying over me?,” you pop your gum and Piet could have busted a nut right then and there with the way your eyebrow coked up over the rim of your glasses. 

“J-just missions,”

“Great. I pardon you. So waddaya say you come with tour with me?,”

Pietro’s ears began ringing. There’s no way he just heard you correctly, right? Oh but he did hear you right. 

“You’re joking?,” 

“Do I look like I’m joking?,”

No, not you do not look like you’re joking and he doesn’t know how to handle it. Clint is just standing there, smug as ever.

“I’d... hell yeah I’d love to,”

You smile how how much thicker his accent had gotten from the excitement but you just nod and turn on your heels, 

“You have fifteen minutes to be in the lobby before we head out,”

God you looked so good walking away. Clint pushed him in the direction of his room, “Get a move on. We’re on a time schedule,”

--------

Even two months into traveling with you and Clint it still doesn’t seen real that he’s here. Experiencing you perform live was so surreal he couldn’t help but go into his hotel room or bunk and blow one after every show you all had. 

Luna knew he had a crush on you and she always teased him for it

“You better hold Clint doesn’t find out. He’s gonna kill you,” 

She didn’t mean it seriously. She just liked to see him flustered. It was adorable to hear him stutter and try to lie saying he doesn’t see you that way, he’s just a friend of Clint’s who admires the band. 

“Luna leave him alone. If Clint definitely knows... that’s why he’s here,” Dusk adjusts her ear piece backstage before it’s show time. The team would be here to see this one so he’d have to go out soon to meet them and take them to the front to the VIP rows.

“What’s that supposed to mean?,” He was always confused and could never read between the lines. You have given subliminal hints the entire starting from the night you met him but he still hasn’t gotten it. 

Tonight would change that.

“Piet, they’re here. Head out front now,” Clint peeked his head out from your dressing room and noticed the way his pants were unbutton and his hair was a mess. God, he wishes that was him. 

It was no secret that before performance sex was a common ritual with you two, one time he heard it and had to go to the bathroom to situate himself.

“Pietro! you hear me?,”

“Uh,” he snaps back to the present and nods his head feverishly, “Yeah, yeah,”

He rushed to meet everyone. Wanda clearly took a page from your book and used you as inspiration for her outfit. Everyone else looked kind of normal, save for Bucky who hard dark liner around his eyes and was wearing one of your band tees with the sleeves cut off, black pants and boots. He fit in with the crowd perfectly and didn’t give a damn if Sam made fun of him for it, he knew he looked good and Pietro had to admit such a truth.

“I’m so excited!,” Wanda spray dyed her hair black and had it in cute pigtails so as she jumped up and down the pigtails moved back and forth. She wore a cropped band tee with a skirt that was decorated with chains and a pair of ripped tights and a pair of tall platform boots, much like yours.

“You think if I crowd surf people are gonna keep me afloat?,”

“Tony, I think it’d be in everyone’s best interest if you don’t crowd surf,” Natasha shook her head and laughed as they followed Pietro into the arena.

“Well why not?,”

“Because I want to crowd surf. This crowd isn’t big enough for the both of us,”

“Oh but it is,” 

They went back and forth about who should be the one to get to crowd surf as if the arena wasn’t big enough for the both of them.

“I’m gonna head back, I’ll be back before the show starts,” 

Pietro books it backstage and sits in Luna’s dressing room knowing he would hear you and Clint perfectly. 

He could hear the slapping of your skin and the little whimpers you tried to hold back. God you sounded delicious. If only that were him making you feel good, or at least if only he got to sit in there and watch you get fucked before you went out on stage ans used all that good energy and put your all into your show like you always do.

“Right there, right there,”

He loved to hear you beg but he really just want you to make him beg. He wants to be the one making you feel good. He wants you to use him for your own pleasure. His wants were insatiable when it came to you. He you to want him, wanted you to make him your little play toy. But he was too nervous to do admit that.

He had confidence with the girls his age, but those girls are not you. You’re a woman, a goddess, so it made sense that you made him feel so small and he loved it.

“That’s my girl, cum for me,”

If only Pietro could jerk off right now, so he sufficed with palming himself through his jeans. He couldn’t make noise or else the jig would be up. 

“Yes, yes, yes!,”

You sounded so breathless. He imagined how good you looked with your legs spread open on the table, breasts bouncing, mouth hung open because every sensitive spot his being hit. 

On the other side of the wall, Clint’s mouth was suckling on your nipples hungrily, growling every time you clenched around him. Your hands ran through his hair and you felt yourself about to cum all over again. 

“You feel so good, baby,” you kissed his cheek as you cum around him. He fills you to the hilt before cumming deep inside of you. 

While the act of fucking before a show would tire anyone else out, it always gave you more energy and made you feel like you could run a marathon.

Pietro on the other hand was pleading to himself for you guys to not be done already. He needed to hear more, he needed more. 

“No, no. nooo,” he whispered to himself.

“10 minutes til show time!,”

Pietro heard your manager yell down the hall. 

“Fuck” he sighed. He was so defeated and knew he wouldn’t be able to get there right now. So he thought horrible things to make his dick go down before heading out to the team to wait for you guys to come out on the stage and get everyone riled up.

“You look flushed,” Sam points at his face, “You okay,”

“Dandy,”

They all talked and waited around while time dwindled down before the show began. His nerves were getting the best of him and he wasn’t sure why. All he had to do was stand here and enjoy your music. Which he always did but tonight just felt different.

*Listen to Sexual Hallucination by In this Moment*

The smoke started to fill the stage and the Luna began playing on the keyboard and synth. Everyone immediately got quiet and payed attention,”

“Red lips, a sinister toongue,” 

The way you breathe, the way you whispered into the mic had Pietro whining. He just wanted one taste of you, just one taste and he would be fine. 

“(I'll taste you until I can't),”

No one expected Clint to come out on stage, so just imagined how their jaws dropped when his voice flooded through the speakers and and he slowly walked onto the stage.

“Our trip has just begun (I'll fly with you til the end) Psychotic voice (You are in my veins now) And there's no denying (There's no denying) As we both burst into flames”

It didn’t take long for everyone to begin singing along.

The way you had your back up against Clint’s chest and moved your hips to the flow of the song had Pietro’s mouth watering and this was only the first song of the damn set. How was he gonna make it through the set? How was he gonna make it through another four months?

“You watch me come undone (It makes me want you more) I'm crawling into the unknown (I'll follow you to the core) I feel like I'm dying (I'm right beside you) You whisper, "we're flying" (There's no denying) We both converge as one”

Pietro couldn’t even sing along, he could only stand there and enjoy the sight of you. You noticed him though. Often times throughout the song you’d make eye contact with him and you could see his eyes flutter. 

Tonight he made the decision that he couldn’t keep these yearnings to himself anymore, he had to say something. 

Tonight you made the decision to turn him out. You couldn’t take him being oblivious anymore.

You wanted him and he needed you.

--------

Bucky found himself in a mosh pit and got a bloody nose, Steve and Bruce took their shirts off and threw it on stage, Natasha and Tony both got their turns to crowd surf. Sam met a pretty little lady and went somewhere with her, Wanda lost her voice from screaming along with you and her eyeliner smudged. But Pietro was just standing there thinking about how he could tell you he wants to sleep with you without Clint beating his ass.

“We can’t thank you all enough for coming out tonight and supporting us and having fun,”

It was the end and you were sweating bullets, pacing the stage and talking to the crowd before it was time to leave.

“We can’t thank you all enough for making the dreams of three black women come true. Especially in a white male dominated genre. Had you told us when we were four. five years old that we’d be famous, we probably wouldn’t believe you because it seemed so impossible but here we are.. and it seems so surreal,”

You smiled at the screams from the crowd while Dusk and Luna said their piece and you all waved to the crowd before heading backstage where your crew and manager all congratulated you on another smooth show.

“Babe, that was amaziing!!,” Clint lifted you into the air and twirled you around before you wrapped your legs around his waist and kisses him. He hugged you tight despite you being sweaty and gross.

“Thank you! You did great out there. I bet they’re gonna ask for more collaborations with us,”

“And that’s something I’d be willing to do,” 

Striking the stage took forever and packing up took even longer. The ride back to the hotel wasn’t that bad though and his team members met you all there where you all cleaned up and relaxed.

“They didn’t have music like that when I was growing up. It was so invigorating!,” Steve talked like a kid who just met their favorite superhero. 

“I gotta ask-,’ Tony pipes up

“Uh oh”, “Oh no”, “Maybe you shouldn’t” was heard all around the room and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Shoot,”

“It’s not that bad,” He rolled his eyes, “What’s the significance behind your band name? and why the change?,”

The question was valid, you’re surprised no one asked you the question sooner. 

“Hex Girls was like the baby and babies grow,” Luna smiled as she scooted closer to Bucky. She’d had her eyes on him for a while now and he seemed to be feeding into it, “It’s like Pokemon evolution. You start off small and cute until you evolve into something bigger and more badass with a larger impact,”

Tony nods in understand but looks as if he has more to ask, “What does Call of the Void mean though?

You take a sip of your wine and think of a way to explain it to him. 

“You know how when you’re on top of a building and just feel like jumping but without any protective gear? You know how sometimes you’re driving and just feeling swerving into the other lane? or when you’re blending something and feel like putting your hand in the blender to see what would happen even though you already know how it would end?,”

“Yeah.. but I don’t do that,” 

“Exactly,” you nod, “It comes from the french phrase ‘l’appel du vide’ which translates to call of the void,” 

Everyone else is still looking as if they don’t understand so Dusk takes it upon herself to explain further.

“Call of the Void is where you have self-destructive thoughts even though you’d never actually do them. It’s a sort of miscommunication in the brain. It’s really your brain kind of sending a warning signal like ‘be careful’ and it makes you take a step back or snap back into reality so you take notice of your surroundings,”

You point at her as a way to confirm her statement, “Now call of the void can be classified as suicidal thoughts but it’s honestly a phenomenon. People who experience this phenomenon aren’t necessarily suicidal rather, the experience of high place phenomenon may reflect their sensitivity to internal cues and actually affirm their will to live,”

You hear ouuu’s and aaahhh’s around the room before a clap of hands. 

“Okay well we got an early flight to catch so I say it’s about time we turn in for the night,” Steve says to everyone.

They all agree and say goodnight while leaving and you notice Luna and Bucky leaving together and going to her room. You shake your head at the two until you see Pietro get up

“Where do you think you’re going?,” you ask.

He turned around and noticed how beautiful you look with a bare face and your hair tied up in a wild bundle of colorful braids.

“I- I was..”

“Sit down and stay a while. We have a lot to talk about,” you pat the spot beside you and laugh at the way he takes slow steps towards you and sits down.

“Is everything okay?,” 

“You seemed really tense tonight,” 

Clint sat back and rubbed your legs that stretched across his lap.

“Did you not enjoy the show?,”

“N-no I did-,”

“I mean the other show, Piet,”

His breath hitches and his eyes get buggy. He knew exactly what you were talking about and he wondered how the hell you knew!

“I didn’t mean to-,”

You skin felt so good on his when your fingers ran down his cheek while shushing him.

“We wanted you to hear. Don’t be shy. I know you’ve been getting frustrated,” You sat up straight and scooted closer, “You had to have known why I invited you on tour with us... or are you just that oblivious?,”

“I’m just that oblivious,” he whispered.

Your hands ran through his hair and and tugged at the roots causing him to let out a breathy moan. He sounded beautiful.

“Clint, baby. Give us some space, will ya?,”

He grunted as a yes and kissed you before leaving for the bedroom, “Don’t worry, man. You have my blessing,”

That made Pietro calm down instantly. Once you heard the bedroom door shut, you straddled Pietro’s lap and ran your hands all over his body. 

“I like it when you look at me like you need me,” you nip on his earlobe and he lets out an unintentional whine which went straight to your core. You loved it when they sounded helpless.

“Because I do?,”

You pouted a small smile and gripped his cheeks in your hand, “You think you can take it?,” 

His breath shuttered and he blinked really fast, trying to comprehend that you were really sitting in his lap

“No but... I need you. I’ve been wanting you for so long I just-,”

He was taken aback when you kissed him with such force it knocked the wind out of him. Your tongue pushed its way into his mouth and he was kissing you as if it was his last and only chance to do so. His hands landed on your thick thighs and he rutted up into you.

“I want you to lie back on this couch and eat my pussy while I sit on the pretty face. You hear me?,”

“Yes ma’am,” 

You stood up and pushed him down on the couch. You undressed yourself in a rush and climbed over top of his face. He was ready, mouth already open, tongue resting on his lip.

“Be a good toy and eat it,” You pulled him by his hair and he buried his tongue deep inside you, working you, handing kneading your ass while he made sure not to disappoint you.

“Fuck, that’s good. Yeah, give me more,”

Damn you tasted so good. He basked in your flavor. This is what he wanted, you smothering him in your pussy, chasing your high.

His slurping could be heard through the living room but he didn’t care. The sight of you above him, tugging at the metal bars that pierced your pretty brown nipples had his dick leaking precum. 

“That’s iiit. Make me cum,” you directed.

You thrust yourself into his mouth and hold his head there as you finally cum, “Take my sum like a good boy,” 

He happily slurped up every drop, he’d never been with anyone who got this wet. Strings of your cum on your pussy connected to his lips and he greedily licked them up.

“Take your dick out,” 

You stood up and got on your knees in front of the couch and made him sit up. Your mouth felt perfect on his mouth. You were like a sex goddess and he was having a hard time containing himself. You got so sloppy your spit was dripping down his balls. You gagged unapologetically and rolled his sac in your hand. 

“Fuck, fuck, you’re so good. That feels so good!,”

He braced himself against the couch and tried not to buck his hips up but his legs were shaking like crazy. 

You used your dripping spit as lubrication and swirled it around his pink puckered hole. This had him shook, but he didn’t know shook until  you pushed your finger in and his a spot in him that he didn’t even know he had.

“Oh.. God!,”

Your mouth didn’t let up and your finger was thrusting in him at a pace he couldn’t comprehend. His legs were hiked up he felt like a little bitch but that was fine because it was you making him the little bitch, this is what he wanted.

“I’m gonna cum,” His eyes were in the back of his head and his body trembled when you pulled away from him. You pulled your finger out of him and removed your mouth.

“You’re gonna fuck me until you can’t think straight, now. You hear me?,”

“Please. That’s all I want,”

He was so needy and responsive, you made a good choice picking this one.

You lied back on the couch with your legs wide open,rubbing your clit. He admired your pussy. You weren’t completely shaven but it wasn’t wild either, your pink clit stuck out from under it’s good, and your brown lips called out for him. 

“Get moving, Piet,”

“Yes, Ma’am,”

He aligned himself at your entrance and prayed he would prematurely bust. When he pushed in he whimpered to the point tears came to his eyes. 

You felt so good it was unreal. You loved with way his slim cock felt inside of you, was a different sensation from Clint’s thick uncut cock. 

“Make me cum then you can get yours, baby,”

He braced himself on the arm of the couch and went wild. Your legs up on his shoulders and encouraging and praising him. He felt invincible. He was fucking a rock star, better yet, the rock star he’d been fanboying over for so long. 

He made sure to hit deep, knowing that’s how you like it from hearing you with Clint.

You pulled him down for a kiss and bit his bottom lip, making him groan in your mouth, “You’re doing so good fucking me like this, I’m so close,” 

He loved being at your disposal. He lost it when you started fucking him back and clawing at his shoulders. His momentum picked up because he was so close. His hips became a blur as the skin slapping filled the room.

“Yes, yes, yeeess! Make me cum,” you pushed him back and rode him into the sunset. He could barely catch his breath as he felt your pussy hug him in tighter while you began cumming. He’d never been with a women who could squirt, so you could imagine the hungry look on his face when it started happening, all because of him. He bucked his hips up harder to make you squirt harder and he felt his balls twitch with an impending orgasm.

“I’m gonna cum, can I cum? Please let me cum,”

You sat up off of him and used your hand to get him there. He was a squirming, mewling mess, and turned red when white ropes of cum shot up into the air and landed on his stomach. He covered his face and you giggled, knowing he just blew the biggest load he’s ever blown.

“Good boy,” You trail kisses on his chest and lick up the mess he made of himself. You shush him and massage his body until he’s calm and breathing evenly. He kept thanking you over and over.

“I reckon it went well?,”

Clint comes back with snacks and smiles a the post sex mess you two are. 

“Yeah... I definitely plan on keeping him,”

~~~~~~~~~

THIS. IS. MY. LONGEST. FIC. YET?! HOLY COW!!

It feels nice to finally get a fic out after not being able to for the past month. So here’s my treat to y’all. Thank you for being so understanding, lovely and patient. I love you all so much!

PLEASE COMMENT AND REBLOG!

Tags- @blackreaders-assemble @vozit @yournonlocalpoc @babybubastis @mbaku-babygirl @dumbchick @marvclheaux @noire-griot @warmchick @m00nlightdelights @retroxvailles @spideys-wife @xye-weirdo @micki-smiles @veryhellshdia @never-enough-time-for-sleep @here-for-your-bullshit @valynsia @valkyriesnymph @honeynmlk @chonisberonica @valentinevirgo @mokacoconut @crawlingnightmares

[andreisvechnigod]

John: “broken stick go ahead Tripp.”

Tripp: *long angry grunt*

[enyas-sojourn]

A Capture on Genesian Road

(07/05/20 10:51) ~ Warrior Of The North ~ Bejar Bjorntand Master Tharlarion Rider ~ ~ Hraesvelgr ~ ~ says to ALL: Enters ... (07/05/20 10:52 am) Absolute Obedience Enya -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to ALL: I am forever amazed, and rendered speechless which in and of itself is a bargain for anybody who really knows me. But, alas!!! There aren't very many who can honestly say that. Not that I'm a difficult slave. Nor am I the type of slave that balks because I do not like the kiss of the whip upon the flesh of this back. It stings and though the welts are visible for days, those same welts create when itchy fabric comes into contact with it. I've had my share and I do my best to avoid being whipped. Or cuffed upside the head. Then again, the majority of the whippings were purely educational purposes only. When a slave does something wrong, punishment soon follows and the type of punishment is at the sole discretion of a slave's owner. Personal or City owned or even if the slave is being put through her paces at a Slaver's House. Indeed... sometimes lessons need to be learned the hard way. These lessons aren't always as difficult as they are challenging. I've always enjoyed challenges and look at them as pieces of a puzzle that just has to be solved. (07/05/20 11:04 am) Absolute Obedience Enya -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to ALL: These proclamations are, of course, based on my own experiences. There are a few scars that stripe my back and are quite visible when you know what you're looking for. Whip me once, shame on me, but whip me twice for the same thing then it's ALL on me. It usually is regardless, but the point is, is that slavery isn't for everybody. That pitiful creature that kept whining about what to do now? I don't see her as slave material. But, what do I know? I don't have an eye for slave flesh. Except my own and I will do whatever I can to ensure that my flesh remains intact unless told otherwise. I've always been owned by an Inn or a Tavern. Once I was even part of a Camp. That didn't last very long and within 4 hand I had been sold. Back to the beginning some would have told me. But it's not going back to the beginning at all. My future owner just hasn't discovered me. Yet. (07/05/20 11:12 am) ~ Warrior Of The North ~ Bejar Bjorntand Master Tharlarion Rider ~ ~ Hraesvelgr ~ ~ -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to Absolute ObedienceEnya: grunts (07/05/20 11:20 am) ~ Warrior Of The North ~ Bejar Bjorntand Master Tharlarion Rider ~ ~ Hraesvelgr ~ ~ -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to Absolute Obedience Enya: The medium sized tarnship had made landfall to a small port middway between Brundisium and Bazi. I had some bussines inland and thusly had brought my high tharlarion with me as it was mutch faster then walking. While the crew would resply fresh water and suplies i had made the short tripp inland to meet an old friend of mine that had agreeded to serve as a "mail office" between myself and my oldest son that was the commander of a unite of mercenarys. After some proper man hugs- and some paga letters were exhanged and i was on my way back for my ship. Taking a shorter route over some knolls rather then following the small dirt road out to the main coastal road i would halt on my vantage point as a spotted a small caravan. I was some 400 yards away so might not be noticed from the road unless someone were on alert and scanned the knols and surrounding terrain. I had not been on the hunt but i was a man of Gor and more so a Torvaldslander. hmmm......i would squint...then grunt and pull out my builders glass to get a good look of the small caravan moving on the road down below. And should anyone down there have a buildersglas and spy back on me they would see a man and beast that looked something like this I was mounted atop of my high tharlarion Scar, the reins held with calm to the left hand*1*. My frame was that off 6´4. 230lbs. I was dressed in a leather tunic with a raven sewn into the chest peace over the heart. A leather cloak with the hood up tho with the helmet under it the hood held a somewhat triangular shape. Dark brown leathers and my feet and legs covered by high tharlarion rider boots. A northern helmet, with chainmail covering the neck and with the nose guard in the down position covered my head*2*.A 7 foot spear to my right hand held aprox mid haft with the tip skyward.*3* And a 3 foot round wooden center gripped Torvaldslands shield reenforced with steel band and a center steel boss held was held to my back with a thick leather strapp, it was painted with my personal crest of a crossed gladius with a northern battle axe in a circle in a background that was devided with a deep red to the left side and a deep blue to the right side.*4* Over my left shoulder the handel of a 3 foot long sword could be seen. The cloak having been pulled aside to uncover that of my left shoulder to enabel a draw of the blade that was .36 inches total length. 30 inch blade. 4 inch cross guard, 6 inch handel with a hammer shapped pommel.*5* To my right hip i held a quiver of 10 bolts for the cavalry crossbow.*6*. To the right side of the saddel there could be seen a cavalry crossbow It was positioned in sutch a manner it could easily be drawn by the right hand and with my right boot to the stearup used to drawback and make the weapon ready to fire another bolt.*7* The spear was resting across my lap while i held the buildersglas with my left hand to get a good look at the road and my current object of interest. (07/05/20 11:34 am) Absolute Obedience Enya -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to ~ Warrior Of The North : The caravan was making slow progress. I was, in my own way, anxious to reach our destination and see what the future might hold for a girl like me. I didn't dwell on such things as that. I was curious more than anything and I knew that whatever happened was meant to be. I never counted on anything being the same or remaining the same because nothing remained the same. Changes took place all the time. Most didn't see it or didn't want to see it. But me? I wasn't better than any slave. I was merely being me and who I was and not just who I was but what I was, too. I sighed and peeked out the back of the wagon. I almost wanted to get out and walk along side the thing ... but just at that moment, I heard cries for the caravan to stop. I honestly think that this was another deterrent in reaching our destination sooner rather than later... However, because the wagon was beginning to slow and because it was time for the noon meal to be prepared and served ... I, as well as three other girls and two thralls, were unshackled and told that we were to begin the meal preparations ... I just grinned. Didn't have to beg to be let out of the wagon and I'd be able to stretch my legs and tease some of the guards in the process ... (07/05/20 11:43 am) ~ Warrior Of The North ~ Bejar Bjorntand Master Tharlarion Rider ~ ~ Hraesvelgr ~ ~ -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to Absolute Obedience Enya: As the two wagons stopped i at first thought it was becouse of me. But as the slaves were let out of the 2nd wagon and started to sett up a simpel camp site off the road to the east i would take my time to counte you all cuz yes i did know how to counte sens mother had been a scribe from Ar- murmering to myself- 1..2..3...4 kajiras... moste of them seemed rather plain but then there was you.....There was a Slaver and a young man-perhaps his son or apprentice... And two other men the drivers of the two wagon. and the two thralls....hmmm......I considered my options...i wasnt really looking to kill anyone this day but you were pretty so what to do...what to do......But then as i saw you breaking away a bitt from the rest of them and go behind some bushes probably to gather fire wood or perhaps for a nature call- eather way you were alone- away from the group and so with a sly sleen grin i would sett away the builders glass to the saddel bag and bring my spear down along the tharlarions right flank pointing forward. I gave a low sharp whistel and the Tharlarion would start to walke slowly sideways down the knoll towards the area were you were at. My hope was that you all were not paying to close attention to notice the dust nor myself as i made my way down the side..... (07/05/20 11:49 am) Absolute Obedience Enya -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to ~ Warrior Of The North : FREE!!!! I almost laughed at the thought, but then I sobered because I was free. Freeer than most women ever imagined to be. I had been tasked to gather wood and other debris to start a fire. I was given a sack in case there were bosk chips missed or left or recently dropped. I wrinkled my nose and rolled my eyes, recalling the time I had accidentally stepped into some of these ... chips ... then I began to giggle. And the giggles turned to laughter and soon I was in a fit. Here I was, in the middle of nowhere ... really, I was somewhere between Bazi and Brundisium collecting items for a fire and recalling a time when I stepped into a mess .. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going nor to how far I had traveled from the "safety" of the wagons... Another quick glance over my shoulder said I was still within seeing distance of the small caravan ... I shrugged a shoulder. Turned my back on the caravan and continued to gather items needed... (07/05/20 11:55 am) ~ Warrior Of The North ~ Bejar Bjorntand Master Tharlarion Rider ~ ~ Hraesvelgr ~ ~ -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to Absolute Obedience Enya: Then as the Tharlarion slipped as it wasnt really built like a mounten verr but a sprinter on flat lands a small landslide of rocks and pebbels whent down the side with a clowd of dust some 200 yards behind of her. I grunted gave a sharp tug of the reins with my left hand to straighten up the beast and then wacked his right flank with the butt end of the spear and he came down the side like shoot out of a canon with a leap and a THUD he landed on even ground and sett off towards you like its ass was on fire with big long bounding stepps -this when in a larger group of the high tharlarions in full run would at times have a similar sound to thunder. The distance between us was shortened very fast as i moved the reins over to my right hand to have my left hand free while i hunched forward over the neck of my tharlarion. If she was dazed and got in a bitt of panic might not even see the man atop of the beast and simply the rather lage meat eating lizard comming at her in a full sprint..... (07/05/20 12:12 pm) Absolute Obedience Enya -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to ~ Warrior Of The North : Gor, at times, is very harsh. Some might even want to call Gor cruel. Hrump! No one ever menions the beauty found here. Or the wonders of Gor. I gave a mental shrug, knowing that most are usually swept up in what's taking place with them or around them. As a slave, I didn't have to worry about that. Did I? Of course not!! THUD!!! I was leaning to scoop some dried bosk chips into the sack I had been given when I heard the noise. And rather than bring my body upright to look, I turned my head in that direction expecting to see ... what I didn't know. But all I could see was a cloud of dust. And then I heard a rumbling sound. Deep and vibrating. I looked down at the ground, thinking it was going to leap up and meet my face half-way but it didn't. It was a pale Thassa gaze that saw an enormous dark shadow that seemed to be rising out of that pile of dust and moving. Fast. It was moving very fast. I felt my jaw drop. But could I move? No, because my mind was still trying to decipher if that huge, dark shadow that was still shrouded in that dust, was real or not. The dust was clearing. And the shadow loomed. The shadow was moving. And it was moving toward me. I was unable to move. My body wasn't listening to any command I was giving it either! The dust was clearing. The dust was clearing!!!! THE DUST WAS CLEARING!!! Racing toward me was a behemoth of a beast. And astride this beast, high perched in the saddle of the Tharlarion was a man that appeared to be larger than the Tharlarion!!! I moved then. Yes I did. I moved in the direction in which my feet were facing and I didn't stop. I opened my mouth and let out a screech, that, I'm sure, could be heard all the way back in Bazi!!! But could I look away to see where I was going? No. I could not. I wasn't making as fast as progress as that beast was!!! (07/05/20 12:23 pm) ~ Warrior Of The North ~ Bejar Bjorntand Master Tharlarion Rider ~ ~ Hraesvelgr ~ ~ -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to Absolute Obedience Enya: I grinned moste pleased as she got up and ran in a straight line away from us, that be me and the high tharlarion. Her scream did catch the attention of the Slaver and the other peopel scattered around the make shift camp. First they saw her run across the road towards the sea. And then with a might leap the muscular beast leap atop of the road and they would hardly catch a glimps of my dark brown cloths in a road runner similar fassion befor she whent down the left side of the road and the tharlarion after and we were out of sight from the camp. With a small sharp whistel ones the tharlarion was snapping at her heels i would have it adjust with a diagonal stepp forward and to its right as i leaned down and to my left with my thick powerfull tree trunk arm bent and then she feelt something akin to the oar of a serpentship hit her across her shoulder blades and a paw would then secure itself to her center torso as she was HEAVED UP -off the ground as i then leaned to my right and pulled her Up and over and the wind knocked out of her as you were sett belly down across the thick next of the High Tharlarion as i layed the weight and force of my left arm across her back while a vice like paw closed in a iron gripp to her neck so she would not slipp and dropp on her head-the fall would moste likely at this speed have killed her one way or the other as two short sharp whistels would have the Lizard named Scar due to the long nasty scar running down tween its eyes from the right tempel and down to head for the coste line and the port where my ship was . The port was not far off. (07/05/20 12:56 pm) Absolute Obedience Enya -=Genesian Road=- Is traveling along the Genesian Road connecting Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south says to ~ Warrior Of The North : I can honestly say I had never been hunted. But, from my experience, there is always a first time for everything. And this, of course, was no exception. I screeched again, thinking that it wasn't doing any good, plus I believed that I was too far from where the caravan stopped to be heard above the thundering that was right on my heels. I dared not look over my shoulder. I dared not stop, either. I was already gasping for breath and the sack I had been given to collect bosk chips was still held tightly and firmly between my fingers. I grinned because I lifted my arm as high as I could, thinking that if one of the guards from the caravan could see the sack they would know where I was and come after me. Is there such a thing as luck on Gor? Because if there was, I hadn't seen hide nor hair of it. Which meant that luck didn't exist or was nothing more than a figment of the imagination. I had to know where the thing was!!! Yet, I still didn't dare turn to look fearing that to do so would cause me to misstep and fall. Or stumble. Or get trampled on. I had to know though!! So, I turned my head and all I saw were grey and green colors. I wrinkled my nose again because of the odor that engulfed me. The combination of the dust and the smell of the beasts and, I'm sure, the aroma of my own fear that mingled with those other flavors were soon put out of my mind because I felt my body plunging forward. My eyes widened. My feet left the ground, and then I was gasping for air. Again. And as my mouth opened and closed, similar to a fish out of water, I felt as if I were being squeezed and that I would be making a trip to the City of Dust ... the last thing I do remember, were my eyes closing ... (07/05/20 1:08 pm) ~ Warrior Of The North ~ Bejar Bjorntand Master Tharlarion Rider ~ ~ Hraesvelgr ~ ~ -=Docks=- At the docks, where the Thassa meets the land says to Absolute Obedience Enya: There was a rison the high tharlarion cavalry of Lara was called Shock Cavalry. I had ones upon a time been there commander. Right here and now i simply keept her like that belly down across the thick powerfull neck of the High Tharlarion with my left arm keeping her secure in this position. The beast was keept in a full run right up untill we reatched the small Port only then would i slow down and as the clicking of metal shoed claws tapped on the rounded stones of the ports streets. Only then would i relax some. I would seat myself in my usual manner of straight back. Head held high and the spear held at my right side with the speartip for the sky. Making our way down for the docks my crew was ready some of the men loitering on the docks talking and laughing as they spotted me- THERE HE IS! They would shout and then point- LOOK- He got us a gift! The men would laugh- Whatcha got there Captain??? As i halted and slided you down into the awaiting arms of two Torvie men that even with there size were rather gentel as they captured her by the legs and arms and sett her to her feet and then held her-more so to keep her steady then so she would not run away. I took a moment to look down at her dust covered self.- she had looked pretty enough from afar but now not so mutch- And what WAS That smell?!? she smelled like bosk dung- The men would wrinkel there nose and waft a hand befor there faces- WHATCHA DO WITH HER Captain? roll her in bosk shit??? - Dontcha know he likes em smelly -would the skinny looking fella simply known as nose the knife say sitting on a crate picking at his nails with one of his manny knifes- and the men laughed anew.

[earth-to-dude]

@whcwashe​ ♥ ’d tripp’s starter call !

The condominium was a mess. Various woodworking tools and construction materials cluttered the once spotless and meticulously kept white carpets. Dust and drywall crumbs crunched beneath sneakered feet, alerting the currently manic man to the younger woman’s entrence to his current place of residence. Tripp’s voice could be heard muffled through the other room.

“ Back here ! ”  He called out to his girlfriend, followed quickly by the familiar sounds of a hammer smashing through a rental wall with a few heavy grunts of effort. 

He wasn’t getting that deposit back. Not that it mattered at this point - he hadn’t really stopped to think about how frustrated his landlord might be to find he had demoed half of the walls surrounding his bedroom. He’d build the walls back up soon enough. 

Tripp’s expression lit up as Liv approached, pulling the dust mask off his face and waving away the remaining particles, trying his best not to cough.

“ Hey, Liv! ”  He smiled, covered in dust and dirt as he came to give her a quick kiss, throwing his hammer to the floor and using his shirt to wipe away his forehead. “Hey, so, I thought I would build a little, walk-in-closet / bedroom combination for us. You know, we’re always sleeping in the bathtub, and not only is it not that comfortable, cold and hard to sleep in, but you’re going to end up giving yourself some pretty bad back problems. Like, scoliosis or something. And I figured, you know, I could probably build a small closet space that feels safe enough for you to be able to sleep in when you come over. I watched a bunch of construction videos and I went out and I bought a couple hundred dollars worth of drywall materials to build it for you - ” he ranted endlessly without taking a breath, looking over the mess he had made with a prideful smile, seeing the possibilities before his eyes.  “ I’m actually going to wire it up so you can watch whatever you want. Maybe put up some shelves inside. There’ll be a huge mattress that takes up most of the floor space and a lot of really fluffy pillows so hopefully your back will start to feel a little better and you don’t get those weird kinks in your neck anymore...                                                                                               What -    What do you think? ”

He turned to face her, grinning as he jammed his hands into his pockets. Not that she had asked him to do a damn thing, or that he had even brought it up, but once Tripp had his mind set to something, once he had convinced himself it was a good idea, well...