#wall of text comm.

[secr3trings]

He can prove that very wrong , Shadow.

[demodraws0606]

What Cyberpunk DeadBoy Means and What it's Potentially Foreshadowing (aka very complicated analysis that makes a lot of sense and could happen depending on how colorpalet is feeling while writing the story)

Now I'm seeing so many people like running around wondering what this event could mean for the future for multiple reasons and like I've made like one post throwing my hat into the ring.

I've been frustrated with people's unwillingness to realise that this comm is prob foreshadowing because this is not the first time Colorpalet has hidden foreshadowing into comms weither subtely or not

Exemple's being :

-Akito's second comm foreshadowing his third event

-Lower's cover art literally foreshadowing what would happen to Mafuyu's phone in her event

-88 vocals being emurui and nenekasa foreshadowing the kind of dynamic the disbandement arc had with nenekasa wanting to move forward with emurui being scared of isolation

-Probably way better exemples that I forgot

I've seen people make Some assumptions which I don't agree with but there is one thing I think is true

There is 100 pourcent gonna be struggle between corporation/reality and WxS.

Purely because that's been WxS's entire theme since the beginning. They constantly bash you over the head with the theme of compromising with reality and the importance of dreams. In fact the pick of Maiki-P is not at all surprising as he basically has the same message WxS has just... well harsher.

The Big thing people have ignored however is by focusing on the lyrics, they've ignored something that's personally to me even more telling and that's the line distribution

We know for a fact colorpalet loves to mess around with line distribution, weither it's to make characters say lines that fit them or to kind of foreshadow their headspace.

Now something Big happens with the line distribution of Cyberpunk Deadboy that i've seen NO ONE notice and that's in the last chorus (that and also Tsukasa's lines which people have pointed out but it works less on it's own which is why I'm gonna analyse his lines afterwards).

This is the only time the chorus is like that, the others have a much more even distribution.

In fact the distribution choice makes it look like the rest of WxS is Talking to Rui.

It's even more evident considering the lines they chose to make WxS sing compared to only just Rui

Emu/Tsukasa/Nene saying kimi (you)

Rui saying boku (i)

Which honestly makes me think this is colorpalet foreshadowing some kind of issue reguarding specifically Rui. Remember Emu's second event ? The story of Rilley whose imagination was crippled by the industry to the point where he didn't really have any artistic vision until Emu's grandpa helped him.

In fact remember how the flashback that showcases that has Rilley working on a film

Now we get to Tsukasa's line which have been pointed out to be kind of sus but it's not just his lines.

Tsukasa refuses to sing with Rui (unless it's a line they all sing together but i consider those exceptions). In fact pretty much everyone has a duo line with each other except those two.

In fact in the section where Rui has duo lines with everybody, Tsukasa is the only one he doesnt sing with and the visuals make it clear that it's something that we're supposed to find strange

And then we of course have Tsukasa's solo lines

Tsukasa is the only one that say "fuzakeruna" outside of Rui (of course ignoring entire group WxS lines) and i've seen some people pointed out how it sounds like he's saying it in response to Rui's lines. Which I agree with.

Then we got his big boy solo lines

These lines will make more sense with my theory/analysis but right now if we go with the idea that WxS in the last chorus were speaking to Rui and Tsukasa in this comm refuses to sing with Rui then this implies those lines are Tsukasa speaking to Rui.

And this is where the insanity begins because people have pointed out a concerning trend with Ruikasa that I know some people use for shipping fuel but for me kinda feels more so like foreshadowing.

IGNORING all the ARG ass weirdness of the Fixer 2dmv, this choice to switch Ruikasa's colors have to mean something in my opinion outside of just wholesome shipping influence especially considering the two songs they do this are less than jovial.

What this kind of color switching signifies to me is that, Ruikasa somehow are/or will switch places.

And with that let me bring back Tsukasa's lines

These lines stand out because Tsukasa before remembering his dreams was extremely shallow only doing things for fame and probably the money that would come with it.

Now if you think about everything I've layed out I think you can gain a pretty clear picture.

Of Rui falling into the trap Rilley did, becoming jaded and losing the true motivation of his dream (or at least starting to have doubts). Becoming stuck with the struggle of managing dreams and reality.

Rui's costume even has a mask which can be a metaphor for his artistic voice and individuality being silenced .

Which now you get into the line distribution where WxS is implied to be talking to Rui.

And you get to Tsukasa, who is refusing to sing with Rui and in fact seems to be arguing with Rui if we really want to overthink it. In fact almost switching their roles from the main story.

Because Tsukasa has grown now and how else to show that growth than to switch Rui and Tsukasa's perspectives/roles.

Now how this would happen really depends since there are multiple ways they can go about it with the time they have.

There is obviously mystery dude dude (who i know now is sakaki) who still gives me bad vibes. However there is actually two way they can make mystery dude trigger this sort of plot :

-Mystery dude is malicious and actively manipulates/confronts Rui to make him rethink his worldview

-Mystery dude isn't malicious but instead is just jaded/has been through a lot of industry bullshit which ends up rubbing off on Rui accidentally

But you can even just not have mystery dude involved with this at all (which i doubt but still) because you know what loose plotpoint is still lingering over WxS, fucking Asahi

Rui still has not talked about Asahi to WxS, in fact Curtain Call ends on an explicit cliffhanger which is never really emotionally concluded (at least in Rui's own events, technically the arc ender did but there are still a lot of loose threads from that arc). Why would Colorpalet make Asahi come back after Rui graduates, they could've just had him disappear into the sunset but instead they hint at his potential comeback.

Unless Rui will be forced to again confront similar feelings he did during Curtain Call this time with possibly an added layer of whatever happens during WxS's freelance arc.

Anyways yeah this is overly complicated but then again colorpalet is not being easy with us so...yeah.

[scionshtola]

i’ve progressively given cori curlier and curlier hair which i think means i’m allowed to commission more portraits of them

[themosthatedbeingg]

“Just one ..my Human im haunting just cleans it up in between usage .. they can do that but can’t call the dentist on their own.. >.>”

// I will write you dying and make it painful //

[monterraverde]

"You got it!!"

She's off to throw a blanket over the Clodsire and give him a big 'ol hug.

[soulzerofever]

MY GOOBIIIIIIIIIES LOOK AT THEM POINTS LOUDLY LOOK LOOK

💛💚

[jedi-starbird]

Alpha-17 and Obi-Wan being friends (derogatory) on 17's part and friends (threatening) on Obi-Wan's part is such an underrated dynamic

They could be so funny and terrifying, like Obi-Wan went through a soul shredding experience with Alpha-17 as his only company. They're friends because what else are you gonna be after you witness each other at absolute rock bottom from torture.

It's like 'dog put in cage of cheetah who's threatening to go crazy', except the dog is a grizzly bear and also threatening to go crazy.

Emotional support trooper except the trooper in question has never done any sort of supporting in his life and is actively an emotional distress trooper to a great number of the CC batch.

I want them texting everyday, I want Obi-Wan mailing handmade BFF bracelets to Alpha and Alpha sending pics back of him flipping off the camera but still wearing them, I want Alpha using Obi-Wan to keep track of and occasionally terrorize his cadets, I want 17 ending problems in the GAR (like Krell) before they begin because Obi-Wan has him shipped out on a personal transport at the first opportunity, decked out with slug-throwers Obi-Wan got him for his decant-day.

Natborn officers think this is all just an odd indulgence of General Kenobi, the Vode, however, correctly identify it as a goddamn threat and their danger assessment of Obi-Wan ticks up significantly.

When Alpha arrives on Kamino, Shaak Ti presses a shiny new comm into his hand. It has the Jedi Order symbol painted onto it alongside a smiley face sticker, and it pings immediately with a new message: Hello! I hope you're settling in well!

Alpha stares at the message, stares at the singular contact named 'OWK' and then stares Shaak Ti in the eye as he pitches the comm straight into the ocean. Shaak Ti's serene smile only grows larger as she calmly reaches into her robes and pulls out an identical comm, only this one has a frowny face sticker, and presses it into his hand. It lights up: I'm afraid we've bonded, Alpha :). Alpha shuts it off and pockets it with resignation.

Cody arrives on Alpha-17's personal recommendation.

A-17: He's the most difficult little bastard I have. You're perfect for each other. OWK: Thank you, he's very handsome :3 A-17: No. Stop.

The first thing he asks once he gets comfortable is who his general is texting so much that has him swinging his legs and twirling his hair. Cody assumes it's Anakin, given they seem joint at the hip anyway, but little does he know Obi-Wan's ability to consistently have the Weirdest Relationships Ever.

"Oh, it's Alpha-17, I understand you're familiar with each other?" Hmm. OK. Cody.exe is experiencing a processing error, please hold. He exits the room instead of answering. The next day he peeks over the General's shoulder when he's texting and sees walls of rambling messages from Obi-Wan. Alpha-17 replies every hour with a single text: Lose this number. Obi-Wan giggles. "He's so funny." he says.

When Obi-Wan meets the rest of the CC batch, Cody makes sure to stand perfectly angled so that he can record the reactions when his general cuts off their introductions with "Oh, no need, Alpha-17's told me all about you." It's always immediate FEAR.JPG followed by a slow spiral of What The Fuck.

What do you mean by that General. What does that mean Cody. What do you mean they text. No. Cody. What the fuck is happening, Cody. Alpha-17 doesn't have friends he has enemies and enemies he tolerates enough not to shoot on sight.

OWK: Wolffe reached for his vambrace? when I mentioned you A-17: That's where he keeps his spare knife. OWK: Hm that does explain the way he eyed me up, ambitious. A-17: Clearly not enough, he should have followed through. I taught them better.

[please-destroy]

Magic

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

1.6K

.

That morning, Natasha came to breakfast brimming with excitement.

You sensed the change in her energy immediately. You ate together at the cafeteria every day, the rigid Shield routine making your schedules generally easy to coordinate. 

You observed her subtly. Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. 

Her long red hair was tied back in the usual ponytail. She wore an oversized grey t-shirt and leggings. She looked typically effortless. 

She tapped her fork against the side of her plate.

‘What?’ You asked at last, not able to stand the suspense any longer. 

Natasha looked up from her breakfast and her eyes were electric. So was her smile.

 ‘Are you free this afternoon?’ She asked you, ignoring your own question.

‘Yeah.’ You replied, elongating the sound as you tried your best to read her expression. 

Natasha nodded to herself and glanced down at her plate, You kicked her foot lightly under the table. 

Natasha’s attention snapped back to you and you noted just how bright her smile was. 

‘What do you have planned?’ You smiled back automatically.  

Natasha propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin against her hand. She shrugged her shoulders playfully. Your attention caught on her eyelashes. You pushed down the familiar feeling of attraction. 

‘Wanna have a sleepover?’ She asked you suddenly. The nervous excitement was almost buzzing from Natasha’s skin now.  

Understanding flooded you all at once. 

You forgot sometimes, because it was so easy to be Natasha’s friend.

You forgot that you were her first one.

‘Of course.’ You answered immediately, reaching over to steal a piece of food from her plate. Natasha’s reactions were always better than yours. She swatted you away easily.

.

You made plans to meet Natasha outside that afternoon. 

She refused to tell you where she was. Instead, she sent you a text with a picture of the view from where she was sitting and a smiley face.

You rolled your eyes at her teasing treasure hunt. Natasha was your favourite person. 

She was lying out on the grass behind one of the Shield residential buildings. 

Her eyes were crinkled, squinting from the sunshine as she identified you from a distance. 

Her wave was small. It seemed understated, but you knew she wasn’t this enthusiastic with anyone else.

Natasha got to her feet to greet you, her sunglasses were pushed up into her hair.

You caught her momentary hesitation and you opened your arms with the steady confidence you knew she sometimes needed.

Natasha hugged you with a subtle relief. 

You loved that she was beginning to trust in your friendship. You didn’t mind being patient.

You lay together in the warm sunshine for a few more hours, revelling in the lack of Shield tasks to do. Inevitably, the conversation kept moving back to your evening plans.

Natasha was going to cook you dinner.

She gave you an excited smile when she told you.

Her ear piercings glittered in the sunlight. 

You loved her. 

.

The sunshine made you sleepy and you ended up lying back with your eyes closed. Natasha kept her fingers resting gently at the top of your head, picking up her book and flitting through the pages artfully with one hand.

Natasha woke you as the sun was starting to slip behind the taller buildings. 

You smiled automatically when you opened your eyes to the sight of her.

Natasha insisted on carrying your overnight bag as you walked back to her place. 

You let yourself acknowledge your own excitement as you entered her apartment.

You’d only ever visited her place once before, a few months ago. You remembered it mostly for the sparse decoration. 

Now, subtle pieces of her personality had started to clutter the space. It looked much better for it.

Natasha walked proudly through to the living room, it took you a moment to understand her purposefully slow gait and side glances. To realise what she wanted you to see.

Your mouth opened in surprise at the fairy lights that she’d hung along the far wall. 

‘Wow.’ You commented, your heart twisting in a strange way. No one had any idea about this side of Natasha.

Natasha flushed, pulling her hair out of the pony tail and letting the wall of red hair partially obscure her. 

‘It’s silly.’ She murmured.

‘No.’ You smiled at her reassuringly. ‘I think it’s the best.’

You sat together on the sofa and at Natasha’s insistence, you chose something to watch on her laptop. As the evening went on, you noted all the new pieces around you that had been chosen by Natasha. The cartoon Easter bunny on the mug she offered you. The leafy green plant that took up a corner of the room. A birthday card you’d sent her. You tried not to smile too obviously.

.

Natasha made far too much pasta for dinner. You watched her brow furrow in frustration as she realised. 

You told her you didn’t mind but she shook her head.

‘I should have checked the recipe.’ She muttered to herself harshly. Natasha was rarely angry at anyone but herself.

You placed your hand on her shoulder and Natasha’s breath caught. Slowly, you felt the tension leave her. 

‘Sorry.’ She murmured softly after a moment. 

You wrapped an arm around her, giving her a careful side hug. 

‘Don’t apologise.’ You commanded easily. ‘This day is already the best day.’

Wordlessly, Natasha turned around in your hold. Her face buried against your shoulder as she hugged you tightly.

Her vulnerability settled in your chest. 

‘Come on.’ You suggested in a gentle tone. ‘Don’t worry. I know how sleepovers work.’

You led her back to the sofa and Natasha sat down, her head swivelling in confusion as you sat behind her on the very back of the sofa. 

You nodded over to her laptop.

‘This time, you pick.’ You prompted as you split her hair into several pieces and began a simple braid. Natasha’s lips pressed together and you sensed her quiet gratefulness. 

You squeezed her shoulders with your knees affectionately.

As the opening credits of a Julia Roberts rom-com sailed past on the screen, Natasha hummed to herself in satisfaction. 

Slowly, she leaned against your left leg.

You stayed still after you’d finished the braid, not wanting to disturb her. Natasha seemed to have become slowly engrossed in the movie. 

You tried to pay attention too. 

Absentmindedly, Natasha picked up your hand. She threaded her fingers with yours and let them rest near her shoulder. 

You felt shaky with a rush of love.

You tried to remind yourself that this didn’t mean the same to her. You closed your eyes, giving up on the movie entirely as you tried to ground yourself.

Natasha wasn’t your girlfriend. 

You couldn’t say anything. You couldn’t ruin her first ever friendship. It wasn’t fair. 

When the movie finished and the end credits were rolling, you looked down at Natasha for the first time. 

You should have guessed something was wrong from her silence.

‘Hey.’ You worried immediately as you registered the tear tracks staining her cheeks. ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’

Natasha’s lip trembled at your acknowledgement. She kept staring at the laptop screen.

‘I’m sorry.’ She told you, and for a brief illogical moment, you thought she was still talking about the pasta.

‘What’s wrong?’ You repeated, as slow rising panic filled you. Natasha had never cried in front of you before. 

You tightened your hold of her hand. 

‘I love you.’ Natasha whispered. You could feel the shivers running down her spine. 

Shock flooded you. 

‘You love me?’ You repeated dumbly. 

Natasha took a shuddering breath. 

‘I don’t want to ruin this.’ She mumbled as she got to her feet. ‘I know it must sound ridiculous.’ 

Your joined hands broke as she started to walk away. 

You watched her clench and unclench her fingers. You realised she was trembling all over. 

‘Natasha.’ You whispered.

‘I just hoped that maybe you might see today.’ Natasha continued nervously, her Russian accent catching at the end of each sentence. ‘That I can be normal, you know?’

She turned to you and her smile made your heart ache.

‘I know that you know some of the things I’ve done.’ She whispered sadly.

.

You’d been part of the extraction team from Budapest. Natasha had never mentioned that mission, but you’d seen the blankness on her face when she’d first arrived at Shield Headquarters. You’d read through her file once. Lots of it was guesswork, but it couldn’t all be wrong.

When you’d first become friends, you’d noticed the constant dark circles under her eyes that told of nightmares you couldn’t imagine.

You didn’t hold the things in that file against her. Natasha already held them against herself.

.

You stood up from the sofa and took a step forward. 

Natasha huffed a nervous breath, brushing a loose piece of hair away from her face.

You took her hand again, and watched a sweet relief calm her expression.

At last, you understood the feeling that was written across Natasha’s face.

You’d been feeling it just as long as she had. 

‘I do know some of the things you’ve done.’ You acknowledged slowly, watching Natasha’s lips part with shallow breaths. ‘There are things I know that you don’t talk about.’

You heard Natasha’s breath catch. You watched her go still with nerves.

‘But that doesn’t stop me loving you. Because I already know your heart.’

You kissed Natasha softly. Her lips pressed hurriedly against yours. 

Kissing Natasha felt like fire in the rain. 

When you broke apart, Natasha’s smile was vulnerable and bright at the same time.

Her skin sparkled under the fairy lights. 

She looked like magic.

[writingpoorly]

Jaster absolutely has a Tumblr

Ever since he’d been kicked out of the Journeymen protectors Jaster has been drunk. Drunk and furious. He'd been in the right! Since when was killing a deal breaker for a Mando'ade?

The priorities of the Mando’ade have been misplaced for generations. At that thought, Jaster goes back to his private documents folder and opens the Ori’ramikad’nare document he had been working on since his buir’s death.

He was no lawyer or politician and didn’t specialize in legal documents, but he thinks he’s done a pretty thorough job with it. Granted Mando’a was a straightforward language, unlike Basic. He’d broken down each tenant of the Resol’nare and expanded on how a modern Mando’ade should be expected to responsibly and ethically adhere to the six tenants.

With a reckless, drunken thought, Jaster decides to post it. Being hundreds of pages he didn’t expect any of his followers to actually read the thing, but it didn’t do any good sitting in his files. He’d cited everything so no one could accuse him of plagiarism or anything ridiculous like that.

Nodding to himself he uploads a link to it ensuring that no one should be able to edit it before giving a toast to his buir’s memory and promptly passing out.

-

Jaster wakes up past noon the next day with a pounding headache and an annoying dinging coming from somewhere near him. Ignoring the lesser issue for now, he gets up to relieve himself and take pain meds before slumping on the ratty couch set into the wall of his ship. He sets a glass of water down on his sorry excuse for a caf table and hope by the time he empties it he'll feel more human.

It takes a few long moments to realize that the dinging sound is still coming from somewhere. Eventually he finds a discarded pad and opens it to discover that the sound had been notifications on his blog. The simple tone he had programmed as the notification sound had turned into a droning noise with the excessive amount of comments and reblogs he was getting on something.

With dread he clicks into it expecting a drunk him to have posted some embarrassing picture or error ridden text post, he’s embarrassed to discover that drunk him had instead posted the ori’ramikad’nare last night. What makes him almost drop his pad though, is the steadily growing number of notifications in his ask-box, dms, and on the post itself.

Jaster quickly turns off his asks and privates his account so that hopefully less dms will come in. He has easily gotten thousands of notifications in the relatively few hours between passing out last night and now.

His comm unit on the table buzzes and Jaster looks at it warily. It buzzes again, somehow sounding like a reprimand and Jaster picks it up cautiously.

[Skirata: Mereel you kriffing dikut!]

[Skirata: What did you do?!?!]

[Skirata: Why is your blog all over the Mando’web?]

[Skirata: You better not be drunk again]

[Skirata: I swear to the Manda I will end you!]

[Mereel: Kal I don’t know what happened]

[Mereel: I posted the ori’ramikad’nare]

[Mereel: Now I have thousands of notifications]

[Skirata: Check the news pages on Mando’web]

[Mereel: I’m not sure I want to]

[Skirata: I will end you, don’t test me]

Deciding to do as he’s told, for a completely unrelated reason to Kal threatening him, Jaster grabs his pad. Ignoring the continuing notifications he opens up his preferred new channel.

‘Breaking News: Anonymous Source Posts Codex Challenging Current thoughts on Mando’ade Culture- Could this verde be trying to gather supporters to become the next Mand’alor?’

Horrified he opens a different news channel.

‘New Mand’alor Posts Manifisto Detailing How They’ll Change Our Culture- Page 234 will shock you’

How is it getting worse? Jaster snatches up his comm again.

[Skirata: You better be checking the news]

[Mereel: Kal what do I do?!??!]

[Mereel: They’re saying I’m trying to be Mand’alor]

[Mereel: I’m not qualified for that??]

[Mereel; I don’t even have a job anymore]

[Skirata: Jaster calm down. Go make shig]

[Skirata: I’m already on my way to you]

[Skirata; We’ll figure out how to get you out of this]

They did not in fact figure out a way to get him out of it. Turns out when you start a cultural revolution in a group largely made up of Bounty Hunters it’s difficult to hide from the people who want to follow you.

Go figure.

[spidermans-l-o-v-e-r]

Krampus, 2015

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word count:

Notes: Still working on my phone problems….when I tell you I freaking deleted my ENTIRE internet history…especially the research for this kinkmas series

Bucky checks the locks on the safe house one more time as you wander around, checking things out. The mission had gone perfectly, just a standard recon. What wasn’t supposed to happen was the sudden large snowstorm that blew in, the plane couldn’t take off and you and Bucky were forced to go to the closest safe house to wait it out.

Good thing it was kept fully stocked. 

You come back into the living room, Bucky is staring out the window, his arms crossed, with a frown on his face. You stand next to him, squinting at the pure white scene in front of you. 

“What’re you-“

“There’s a wolf pack. I don’t think they’ll give us any trouble… but still. I’ll get whatever wood we need and bring it in” 

“What? you don’t think I can take some wolves?” You scoff and he looks down at you, raising an eyebrow. 

“Nope” 

Your jaw drops as he walks away, grabbing his stealth jacket and zipping it up before unlocking the door.

“Don’t open this door” 

“Are you gonna lock it? You’re just getting some wood” You come over and stand behind it, peeking out at him as the wind whips his hair around, he looks…really good, in the snow. Which is actually pretty rude to think but still he’s really freaking fine. 

“Yes. It’s a safe house. You keep the door locked at all times?” He says slowly, like you need the time for your brain to catch up and you roll your eyes, closing the door. 

“I hate you” You mumble as you set to locking the door

“No, you don’t” 

You shriek and throw a punch at nothing, before spinning around and smacking your back against the wall. 

“You didn’t take your comm out, Y/N.” 

You can hear the smug smile in his voice as you stomp over to the couch and sit down to wait for him to come back in.

“Hope those dumb wolves get you” You sass and he rolls his eyes, piling the wood up in the metal arm. 

“I doubt they will” 

“Maybe I can use my secret mind powers and ask them to bite you in the ass” 

He smiles, shaking his head when you say that, not wanting to give you the satisfaction of a chuckle. 

“I don’t think talking to animals is one of your powers” 

“And just how do you know?” 

“I’m sure Tony would have told us” 

He comes back into the house, looking at you curled up on the couch for a second before he drops the pile of wood near the fireplace and starts stacking it. 

“Maybe I didn’t tell him everything,” you say, coming over and sitting on the floor next to him. Handing him a log, he looks at you again, studying your face before taking it from you and adding it to the stack. 

“Doesn’t seem possible, hiding something from him, with everything he’s got goin on to check us all out” 

“I have my ways,” You say simply and he drops the last log on top, turning to look at you.

“Yeah I’ll believe it when I see it” 

Dinner is simple, and by simple you’ve made two of the most beautiful steaks you’d ever been blessed to have in the fridge and some roasted potatoes. 

Bucky had decided to take a nap, after you profusely promised him you wouldn’t burn the house down, and that you’d get him if there were any emergencies, even then he was still reluctant as you pushed against his back to get him into the bedroom. 

You flop on the couch and pull up your telepad, scrolling through the contacts until you land on Steve’s. You get comfy on the couch while you wait for him to answer, you’re busy looking at your nails when his face pops up.

“Hey Y/N, how are things?” 

You smile as you set it down on the coffee table in front of you and curl up under your blanket. 

“Hi, Stevie! Things are good I guess, I think Bucky is still asleep, I made us dinner” 

“I don’t think he is, we’ve been texting for the past hour or so…”

“He’s awake?! That jerk! He promised he’d get some sleep!” 

Steve chuckles as he sits back in his chair, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “He’ll have plenty of time for sleep trust me. We don’t know when that storm is gonna let up enough to come get you two… it could be a couple days” 

“A couple days?” You gasp and he nods “If I go missing, it’s because I annoyed that man too much”

“You know we’ll never find you right?” 

“Oh, I know. The good news is, I don’t think he cares for me all that much, so personally I think I have a chance” 

Steve looks at you weirdly for a moment and you look at him back

“What’s with the face?” 

“You don’t think he likes you?” 

You shrug and look down at your hands “I mean, I think he tolerates me? Which is all I can ask for really” 

“He asked for you to be on this mission with him” 

Your jaw drops and Steve comes closer, speaking lower into the camera

“Said you really knew your stuff when it came to recons like this. Wanted you specifically, wouldn’t go with anyone else” 

“What about you?” 

“I mean I don’t think I count, do you?” 

No, he didn’t. You knew he didn’t. So what the hell? Why did he want it to be you? Sam could have gone… in fact, you were surprised he didn’t.

“Don’t- don’t tell him I told you okay? I just wanted you to know he likes you. He doesn’t just tolerate you.”

“I want to say I believe you, Steve, really. And it’s nice that you’re trying to make it better. But Bucky doesn’t have to like me just because we’re on the same team you know?” 

“I just don’t like understand-“

“He literally has nothing to do with me outside of missions? We don’t talk, we don’t hang out one on one like he does with everyone else, it’s always in a -“

“Have you made an effort to talk to him alone?” 

You stop, your mouth opening and closing and he shakes his head smiling 

“Seems like the perfect opportunity for you to get to know him too. Maybe past hallway pleasantries” 

Your head turns back as Bucky comes out of the bedroom, his hair is pulled back out of his face, and his arm in his hand. You’d seen him with his arm off. That was fine, but his hair? His soft, fluffy, hair pulled back in a half up half down ponytail situation??? 

“Uhhh hi?” he stops walking, you and Steve are staring at him. Steve ends the call and you whip your head around. 

“Traitor!!” You shake your telepad and toss it aside before getting up 

“Sorry I was gonna wake you, I just-“

He sticks his arm back on, swinging it around to re-lock it and you blink, he gives you a weird look before going into the kitchen and lifting the lid to look at the steaks. 

“Sorry I’ll uh, I’ll put that on in the room next time” 

He mumbles it, trying to be as nonchalant as possible as he gets you both plates and you rush over 

“No- no let me! I- no” your voice trails off as he turns to face you, you look up at him, a light blush on your cheeks

“I’m sorry if- if my uh- staring? Made you uncomfortable. I’ve just never seen you put the arm on you know?” 

“It’s okay, I know it can be a little…jarring” 

“Are you kidding me?!” You put a stupid amount of potatoes on his plate and a piece of steak and hand it to him, before putting some on your plate and handing that to him too so he could go sit down with them 

“That was like, the coolest, hottest, thing I’ve ever seen!” You grab the bottle of apple juice and pour it into two cups before coming over to the table 

“Hottest?” He pushes your plate toward you and you push your potatoes around with your fork, your cheeks flushing

“Yeah. I’ll admit it, I’m man enough!” 

“Whatever you say doll” He chuckles, stabbing his fork into the potatoes.

Dinner is freaking good, like really good. And the company is even better. Steve was right, once you finally got to talking to him Bucky was sweet, he was funny, he was interesting…

He was really…really attractive. 

And it wasn’t that he never was, because he’s fine as hell, that’s clear. But he’s charming, he’s got jokes, he’s got- 

It’s not until you’re back on the couch after dinner with a glass of wine in your hand, his arm around your shoulders as you lean into him that you realize it. 

“Hey!!” You suddenly yell, your wine sloshing in the glass with your movements “Are you flirting with me?!” 

Bucky looks at you from over his glass, an incredulous look on his face

“A-are… are you kidding me?” 

During dinner, he’d gotten closer, literally. He scooted his chair closer to yours, telling you how impressed he was by your cooking, he didn’t know you could cook. You smiled at him excitedly, telling him all about how you loved to cook! You loved to crochet too, you offered to make him a bunny and he smiled, graciously accepting it, on the condition he could name it after you. He listened to every single ADHD thought to go through your brain, easily following you from story to story. 

And it’s just dawning on you how much you were talking, and how much he was absolutely eating it up. How he’d coaxed you over to the sink, washing dishes while you dried them, how he’d poured you a glass of wine, occasionally tipping it up for you to drink more. How that asshat took your hand, leading you over to the couch to “get comfy” 

Your mouth falls open and you turn to him slowly “James Buchanan Barnes. Were you trying to get me tipsy?!!!”

“No?” He says it in kind of a high-pitched voice and you gasp dramatically. He chuckles and sets his glass down on the table and takes yours, putting it down next to his

“I think you’ve had enough” 

“Oh, have I?!” Your cheeks are flushed from the alcohol “Mr, Get a girl drunk! What’s your next move huh?” 

He rolls his eyes “I don’t think you’re drunk doll…”

“Maybe I am. What’s your next move?” You glare at him as he studies your face, something he seems to like to do 

“Well, I’m sure as hell not gonna make any move if you really are drunk. Maybe we can just sit together, how does that sound?” 

“Sounds awful, What’s your next move?” 

You’re not dropping it and he’s starting to think maybe he did give you a little too much wine…

“Well. I’ve got you where I want you right? Alone, in my arms, relaxed” He tilts your chin up to look into your eyes and you know he’d see the blush if your cheeks weren’t already so red. 

“Maybe I’d ask you for a kiss” 

Your eyes widen, your heart rate skyrockets, and he gives you a cocky smirk, you know that he can totally tell what’s going through your mind and body. 

“A kiss?” You ask quietly and he nods, leaning in closer, you can feel his breath fan across your face as he speaks 

“Mhm” He holds your chin in his fingers, turning your head to get a look at you, but your eyes stay glued to his, soft and hazy as you stare back at him.

“Shit, I did give you too much didn’t I?” 

He pulls away all too quickly and you feel that sudden loss of warmth so painfully deep as you shake your head. 

“No-no, please! I was just being a brat I’m fine!!” 

“If you still feel that way tomorrow, fine” He gets up from the couch, checking his watch, it’s already after midnight, he takes your hand, leading you while you sulk and pout your way to the bedroom. 

He pulls you into the en suite and flips down the toilet lid so you can sit down. 

“What changed?” You ask as he grabs some baby wipes from the cabinet and sets them on the counter next to you, he raises an eyebrow and steps between your legs before opening the package 

“What do you mean?” He opens the mirror and looks around for a second before grabbing a fluffy pink headband and helping you put it on 

“Why do they have this…” He mumbles while he takes a wipe from the package and holds your chin, carefully wiping at your eyes

“I think it’s great, they know how to cater to women here. I bet Pepper had a hand in this”

“I bet she did” He moves onto your other eye and you reach out, holding onto the front of his shirt to keep steady. 

“You didn’t answer my question”

“You didn’t answer mine, what do you mean?” 

“Why are you being so… nice? All of a sudden. Not that you’re not normally… you’re very kind most times you know? Civil. But now you’re getting me tipsy and taking off my makeup… so, what changed?” 

“You’re not gonna let me forget that huh? I just wanted you to relax doll, you’re always so… geared up you know? And trust me, I’ve learned that’s not… that’s not a great way to live”

“Says the guy with at least six weapons on him right now” 

“Hey, one of us has to be the sane one” He chuckles and you hold his shirt tighter, smiling a little 

“Are you on guard so I don’t have to be?” 

He doesn’t say anything to that, but you can feel the way he shifts a little, and it occurs to you the position he has you in. You’re safe in front of him, his entire body is blocking the door, you open your eyes again while he’s busy taking your lipstick off, the mirror is angled toward the door so he can see behind him and the bathroom door is open just enough that the mirror can see everything but no one can see in. 

Everything he does is calculated.

“Can you really talk to animals?” 

He’s changing the subject and unfortunately, it’s one that really attracts your attention. You reach for the gun at his hip and turn off the safety, letting it hang from your hand but still keeping it ready.

“How long have you been wondering about that?” You giggle and he rolls his eyes, wiping at your foundation 

“We don’t need to talk about that, just answer the question” 

“What do you know about my powers?” You look into his eyes and he shrugs, watching yours glow a soft purple. 

“I know you’re a lot like Wanda, but you have a lot of differences from her too. I know Thor trusts you? And I guess that’s all we really need in the answer of you being trustworthy and a good person”

“He and Steve nearly shit their pants when I played that prank on them? Moving his hammer from his room and hiding it in the workout room? I didn’t… I didn’t realize how impossible that was” 

“I know I had a good laugh” 

You smile as he throws away the baby wipes and tosses the package back into the cabinet. 

“That wasn’t regular wine was it?” You ask quietly and he helps you up, taking his gun and putting it back on his hip 

“Nope. Steve gave it to me” 

“So you’re also aware-“

“You’re a hell of a lot stronger than they’re making you seem. I saw you get hit by that fuckin’ pipe. I nearly…“ He stops for a moment, looking at you before continuing “I was surprised when you took it and hit him back” 

He takes you over to the bed and puts his hands on the edge of your shirt, looking at you for permission. You blush and give him a little nod before he pulls your shirt off, he stops for a second, his eyes on yours. You raise an eyebrow and he lets his eyes trail down… he’d seen your clothes ripped before, hell he walked in on you out of the shower once, but this, this is different. 

He trails his soft fingers down your arm and you reach out, grabbing his metal hand and pulling it to your cheek, you nuzzle into it, giving his palm a small kiss, and his breath hitches. 

“We should probably get you to bed…” 

“Are you coming with me?” You look up at him through your lashes and he looks away, a light blush forming on his cheeks 

“I was gonna stay up…” 

“The wolves can” 

You pull away and go over to the dressers, looking for something to wear for bed and his jaw drops. 

“Wait a second-“ 

“They really like you” 

Waking up snuggled in Bucky’s arms was definitely where you wanted to be forever. He holds you so close to him, the metal arm firmly over your side, you almost feel like he locked it that way if that was even possible. You’re surprised he sleeps with it on, though this was probably a special “there’s no way in hell I’m taking it off” kind of occasion. 

You turn in his arms, lying flat on your back, and turn your head towards his. 

“Good morning” 

You squeak and go to throw a punch but he grabs your fist, blinking at your connected hands. 

“Shit. You really are strong aren’t you?” 

“Why would you scare me like that!!” 

“All I said was good morning!” 

“That’s not how you’re supposed to wake a girl up!!” 

“I mean that’s how I usually did it…” he lets go of your hand and you turn over, snuggling your back into his chest and putting his arm back over your torso. 

“Okay now you gotta be smooth with it” 

“Are you really making me redo this? We should be checking in”

“I said what I said!” 

“You know what? Fine. You want smooth?” 

He drags his hand over your hip, feeling your soft curves, and nuzzles his nose into your neck. You giggle as he leaves a trail of kisses up to your ear, he turns you slowly, sliding his hand up your torso and wrapping it around your neck. Your breath hitches and he smirks, peppering kisses over your face before finally kissing your lips. 

“Good morning beautiful” He purrs, his voice low and rough with sleep. It sends an electric shock through your body, straight to your core as he nibbles your ear. He goes to pull away and you stop him, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Was that smooth enough for you?” 

He stays where you’ve trapped him, his body against yours, his hands on either side of your head. 

“Y-yeah I guess so, if ya like that sorta thing…” 

“Uh huh, that’s what I thought” He leans down, kissing you again and you cup his face, enjoying the stubble against your fingertips. 

“It’s cold,” You say when he pulls away and he chuckles, leaning his head against your shoulder. 

“The fire probably went out, I’ll go get it started again”

You stop him from moving again, running your fingers through his hair and blushing 

“I think- I think there might be a better way to stay warm?” 

“Are you… asking what I think you’re asking?” 

“How long have you liked me?” You smooth his hair back, looking into his eyes and he smiles, absolutely having been caught, not that he’d made it subtle these last few hours 

“Maybe a year or so… didn’t really think you wanted much to do with me… so I just left it alone” 

You throw little punches at his chest and he slaps your hands back, fighting with you. 

“Hey!!” 

“A year James?!?!! A freaking year?!! And you just didn’t do anything about it?!” 

“I said I didn’t think you liked me back!” 

“Why didn’t you ask?!” 

“If a lady doesn’t seem interested I’m not gonna be a creep and pursue her.”

“Okay, okay let’s talk. Can we talk?” 

“We can talk”

“So what you’re supposed to do, and I know this is gonna sound weird-“

“Smartass”

“You’re supposed to ask “hey? Are you into me?” And then- oh my god wait for it-”

“I’m already regretting this”

“You wait for their answer to make a decision!!” 

You punch his chest one more time and he rolls his eyes, grabbing your hand and tossing it to the side.

“This isn’t exactly how I saw this going alright?” 

“Wait wait wait” You giggle and he gets off of you, rolling to his side of the bed.

“You’ve thought about this? About us?” 

“Nope” 

“Are you being sarcastic?” You give him a little pout and he turns his head to look at you. You make your eyes big and watery and he sighs loudly, running his hands over his face. 

“Yes I’m being sarcastic” 

“Do I annoy you?” 

“Is that a trick question?” He gets up out of bed and you follow him, scooting to the edge of the bed and grabbing his shirt, he stops when you tug lightly 

“I-I’m sorry, if- if I’m-“

“Doll-“

“I’ve liked you too Bucky, for a long time and… and I realize I should have maybe made more of an effort to show you that” 

He cups your face, trailing his thumb over your cheekbone 

“I should have made more of an effort too” He leans down and pecks your lips, resting his forehead against yours 

“Can I make you breakfast?” He kisses you again and you smile against his lips 

“Sounds good to me” 

“Check in with Steve for us? I’ll go get the fire started and start on breakfast” 

You sit crisscross on the bed watching Bucky go, you wet your lips, your eyes drawn to the way his hips move with those stupid sweatpants. 

“I know you’re staring” 

“Shut up!!” 

You grab your telepad, call Steve, and wait, your arms crossed over your chest. You’re not surprised when he answers in his workout clothes, of course, he’s at the gym this early. 

“Did you know that bastards liked me for a year?” 

“Of course I did. I kept telling him to just freaking talk to you. But he wouldn’t” 

“Why didn’t you tell me!?” 

“How many times did I literally tell you… to talk to him?” 

“You’ve been trying to set us up!! Bucky! Buck-y” You yell and Steve face palms, dragging it down his face. 

“What?!” He yells back 

“He’s been trying to get us together!!” 

“Tell that little shit I don’t need his help!” 

“He says he doesn’t need your help” You turn back to the telepad 

“I can hear him, tell him he’s an asshole”

“Steve says you’re-“

“An asshole I know! Just find out how long we’re gonna be here for thank you” 

“So how long are we here for?” You smile brightly and Steve chuckles, going over to the weight rack to grab a couple 

“Unfortunately, probably a week… that storm doesn’t seem like it’s going to be stopping anytime soon and once it does we have to get to you, it’s gonna be a few days”

“Do we have supplies for that long?” You get up out of bed, carrying him with you, and into the living room. He blinks as you set him down on the coffee table and get comfy on the couch with a blanket. 

“You’ve got more than enough, probably enough to last a month, which hopefully it won’t be that long. But for now, the two of you just sit tight… are you wearing pants?”

“Nope! Thanks for the intel, I’ll call you later when I’m bored out of my mind” 

“Did you sleep in the same bed?” 

“….Maybe. Okay bye, Steve!” 

“Hold up-“

You rush to hit the end call button and get up, going into the kitchen. Bucky is standing in front of the stove and you wrap your arms around his waist, putting your head on his back. 

“Steve says it’s gonna be like, a week” 

He steps back a little, to keep your arms away from the heat and puts his hands over yours. 

“Sounds fun” He mumbles and you kiss his back, nuzzling your head into him 

“Guess we’re stuck together” 

“Sounds good to me. A whole week alone with you?” He turns around and grabs your waist, lifting you onto the island and stepping between your legs “Quiet, secluded… no one making us go anywhere” 

“No one making us do anything,” You sigh dreamily “A nice little vacation” 

He leans forward, kissing your neck, his hands gripping your sides possessively “Maybe get a chance to…get familiar with each other” 

“What’s for breakfast?” 

His lips don’t stop leaving hot kisses on your skin, each one more searing than the next, they send little jolts of electricity down through your core. 

“Quiche. Nat taught me” 

“That takes a bit” Your arms wrap around his neck and he picks you up off the counter, walking you back toward the bedroom. 

“Yeah I know, that’s why I did it” 

“You sure it’s not cause you suck at cooking everything else?” 

He drops you on the bed and you let out a squeak while he turns you over, his hand comes down on your ass and you yelp, trying to pull away but he holds you by your shirt. 

“I think our first step is controlling that mouth, don’t you?” 

He sits on the bed and yanks you into his lap, manhandling you right across his legs. 

“Bucky! Wait-wait I’m sorry okay! I’m sorry”

“The only thing I want to hear out of that pretty little mouth of yours is numbers. Count ‘em for me” 

He rubs the soft globe of your ass before smacking it, watching the way your cheeks jiggle.

“One” You sniffle a little, squirming in his lap and he smacks it harder this time, making you jump. You squeak and stop wriggling, hanging across his legs in defeat. 

“Bucky! That-“

He spanks you two more times, each harder than the last, you can feel the hot sting as he rubs it away gently. You’ve got little tears streaming down your face now and he tilts your chin up to look at him. 

“Are you done talking? Because they don’t stop until you are” 

You nod eagerly, begging him with your eyes to stop. His other hand slides over your ass, down to your pussy. He slides two fingers inside easily and you groan as he lets go of your face, letting you fall back forward. He pumps his fingers in and out, watching the way you stretch around them. 

You writhe in his lap, letting out soft little moans and opening your legs for him wider. One falls over the side of the bed as you start to grind into him and he watches you for a second.

“You like that, don’t you doll? The way my fingers work you…. You know what I like? Watching how desperate you are to get off. Why don’t you put on a little show for me huh? Wanna watch you get yourself off”

You blush and do as he says, rolling your hips back on his fingers, he keeps them moving, slowly in and out, curling just right to hit that soft spot inside you over and over. You grip the sheets in front of you and plant your leg a little firmer on the bed while he just sits back and lets you fuck yourself on him. You roll your hips in circles, rubbing your clit against the material of his sweatpants, the heated friction feels so good. Your hips move faster as you start getting closer, you can feel that little coil tightening, can feel his hard cock digging into your stomach as you grind down on him, your pussy drips down, leaving a wet mark on his pants but you don’t think either of you cares right now.

“Comecon, angel baby, wanna see you cum on my fingers. Bet you’re gonna look so pretty stuffed full of my cock” 

You let out a loud moan as you finish on his hand, your hips rolling erratically against him, your tight hole clenching over and over like a vice. He fucks you through it, his fingers pounding into you harder and faster as you start to come down. He finally pulls his hand away, once you’re trying to push him away from overstimulation. 

He gets up from the bed, carefully puts you down on your back licks, and his fingers clean.

“You think you’re ready for round two?” He asks as he grips your thighs and brings you to the edge of the bed. You nod yes like you even have a say in the matter as he drags the tip through your wet folds, teasing your hole and just pushing the tip in and out. 

“You know how long I’ve been thinking about doing this? How many times I’ve woken up rock-hard and jerked off to try and get you out of my head?” 

“Bucky” You whimper, your legs falling open more and he leans forward, capturing your lips in a messy kiss as he shoves his cock inside you, stretching you out fully. You moan together as he stays there for a second, just enjoying the way you feel around him. 

“Fuck you’re tight” He leans his head on your shoulder, pumping in and out slowly and gliding his hands down your thighs, he grabs your hips and turns you over, flat on your stomach, and kisses down your spine before dragging you off the bed. 

You shriek and he rolls his eyes as you place your hands on the floor “Im not going to drop you” 

“You better fucking not” You snap and he shuts you up with a harsh slap on your ass, you cry out, wriggling from the sting and he holds you steady, working you on his cock. 

“Hmmm that’s my good girl, willing to do anything to make me happy” he slams into you and your arms buckle, nearly folding completely but he keeps you up, that super serum working for both of you as he fucks you like a ragdoll. 

You whimper dizzily, this is such a specific position you know he’s really been thinking about it, he’s been thinking about taking you since the day he met you. Feeling this tight, wet, cunt wrapped around his cock, your walls fluttering helplessly, it’s so good, so overwhelming and you’re not sure just how long you can hold on before you’re exploding all over him. 

"That's it, baby girl," he pants, his hips snapping forward relentlessly. “Take my cock like a good little slut” 

Sweet curses fall from his lips in all kinds of languages you don’t understand but you’re pretty sure he’s saying the exact same thing you are 

“Holy fuck” You moan lowly, letting your head hang, your tits bouncing in your face. His harsh thrusts bang sweet little moans and whimpers from your lips as your legs spread wider, you can feel his hips stuttering, his breath shuddering as you open your legs into a perfect split. 

“Oh sweet girl, you’re just asking for me to cum in you aren’t you” He growls lowly, a deep rumbling rolling through his chest and you clench around him tighter 

“I am, please I am” you beg, rolling your hips on his cock as best you can as he pounds into your cervix. He lifts you up suddenly your back against his chest as he thrusts up harder into you, you gasp his name, clawing at his arm as you cum around his cock, your head spinning from the orgasm and suddenly being in an upright position again. 

With a final, brutal thrust, Bucky buries himself deep inside you, his cock pulsing as he empties his load deep inside you. He groans long and low, his hips jerking as he pumps you full of his cum. 

He staggers forward, putting you on the bed and pulling away with a sticky wet sound. He collapses on top of you, both of you panting together. You can feel his softening cock lying against your ass.

“Was it everything you thought it would be?” You giggle breathlessly as he stays on top of you, happy to smoosh you into the mattress

“Mhmmm, finally got you to shut up too” 

You reach back, trying to smack at him and he pins your hands down to the bed, grinding his cock against your ass. He bites your neck playfully and you squeal, trying to fight your way away from him. 

“Quit it!!” 

“You quit it” He mimics your voice and you whine, flipping him off your back. He gets tossed across the bed, reaching like a cat for the covers before he smacks into the floor. 

“Oh my god!! Bucky!” You scramble to the edge of the bed and he’s lying on his back, looking up at you 

“I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT YOU” 

[secr3trings]

a .. herocycle .. ?

[mawofthemagnetar]

TFC’s Completely Normal Afternoon Where Nothing Goes Wrong And Nobody Dies Horribly

(shoutout to @lindentree for inspiring this silly fic!)

TFC sat in his little bachelor pad, coffee in hand, watching the steam rise out of his mug. 

It was a nice mug, all things considered. A gift from the other Hermits. A handmade blue thing, turned on a potter’s wheel, with an extra-large handle to give his old hands a break sometimes. Full of coffee from his ancient coffee machine, that gurgled and growled like a jackhammer being waterboarded.

TFC took a sip, and winced. Okay, so maybe it was time to leave the mine and get more coffee. He’d re-used the grounds for the fourth time, and now it was really starting to get properly bitter. 

He drummed his fingers on his glass-top table, listening to the echo against the cold stone walls of his little antechamber. Maybe he’d decorate the walls at some point soon. 

TFC shrugged, and opened his comm. Hopefully one of the other Hermits had some coffee beans. He wiped the stone dust off his screen, and held down the three buttons to switch it on. Yes, he kept his comm strapped to his arm like almost every other player with some semblance of sense. No, he refused to let the damn thing be awake for any longer than it needed to be. The Hermits were chatty folks, and when TFC was deep in his mines and deep in thought, the last thing he needed interrupting his musings was a million buzzing noises as Cleo and Jevin got into a slapfight in the general chat. 

TFC’s personal logo flashed across the screen (the three letters of his name in red, natch) and he took another slurp of his bitter coffee, wrinkling his nose. The comm beeped, and TFC opened the group chat and tapped out a quick message. 

<Tinfoilchef> anyone got any more coffee? I’m clean out. 

He put his comm down, and took another swig. 

And waited. 

And waited. 

And waited. 

TFC frowned. He was a patient man by nature. The same could not be said of the other Hermits, who were usually falling over themselves to help each other out. 

And he hadn’t gotten a reply yet. 

It had been a whole ninety seconds.

TFC scrolled up in chat, and he sighed, rubbing his face. He sank back in his chair in annoyance. 

Of course. 

He tabbed upwards, watching things spiral out of control… in reverse. 

<Renthedog was blanched to death> 

<Renthedog> THE PAIN! THE PAIN IS INDESCRIBABLE

<Vintagebeef was portaged to death> 

<Vintagebeef> RUN! THE BOATS! THE BOATS ARE COMING!

TFC rubbed his temples with his free hand, sighing in exasperation. ‘

“Guys, I dug up five stacks of diamonds, don’t make me do this…I don’t want to re-dig those tunnels…” TFC groaned. 

And of course the nonsense kept coming as he scrolled farther and farther back. Gee, that last message from Ren was about four hours ago, now...

<Iskall85 became part of the weft> 

<Iskall85> HELP GOD THE LOOM’S GROWN LEGS

“Does anyone on this server besides me even know HOW to weave?!” TFC growled, averting his gaze from his pile of unfinished weaving in the corner of the room. It didn’t exist. He couldn’t see it. His WIP’s couldn’t hurt him.

And on and on it went.

<Xisumavoid was hooked to death>

<Grian was torqued to death>

<Tango was unraveled to death> 

<Zombiecleo was racqueted to death>

“Right, I’ve seen enough.” TFC sighed, “On the bright side, at least I’ll have all the coffee I had a week ago, so there’s that…” 

He carefully tabbed through his various screens and menus until he arrived at the one bit of his comm that was set aside for admin functions. Now, TFC wasn’t a server admin. That much was true. But he had slight admin privileges, for one thing and one thing only: server rollbacks. 

While, say, Hypno would have had an extensive wall of options, showing his permissions and all sorts of bells and whistles, TFC’s admin console had a text box to input a date and a big red “GO” button. 

He looked mournfully at his ender chest, and, with a sigh, keyed in a date one week prior. 

And TFC jabbed his thumb on the big red button. 

The world flashed white, utterly blinding him, and a second later TFC was deep in the branch mine in a half-finished tunnel, the same spot he’d been exactly a week prior. 

Unfortunately, he was still in a comfortable sitting position, resting all his weight on a chair that suddenly wasn’t there, so he immediately toppled to the ground, landing on his ass in an undignified heap. 

“Ow.” TFC muttered, sitting up slowly and tapping through his messages. 

<Xisuma> oh, we rolled back. Is everyone alright!?

<Tango> Mumbo you are BANNED FROM TIME TRAVEL

<MumboJumbo> It wasn’t me this time! I mean it was. But blame Zedaph! 

<Zedaph> ME?! No! Blame Cub! Cub gave me the doodad! 

TFC rolled his eyes and typed out a message. 

<Tinfoilchef> Does anyone have any fresh coffee beans?

Silence. 

No messages. No new complaining. As all the hermits re-read TFC’s words and soaked them in. 

Finally, Cleo broke the silence. 

<Zombiecleo> TFC. How many times did you re-use your last filter of grounds. 

<TinfoilChef> eh, six? Seven?

<Zombiecleo> are you telling me we’d all still be in shuttlecock hell if you hadn’t gotten sick of the taste of reused coffee grinds?!

<TinfoilChef> Pretty much, yeah 

<TinfoilChef> anyway 

<TinfoilChef> does anyone have some fresh coffee? 

[violent138]

Dick, tossing his phone to Wally as he grabs his Escrima sticks: "Comms are down, text the rest of the team that we're in deep shit."

Wally, accidentally sending a message to Batman re: calamity: "Dude! Why is Batman on your phone??"

Dick, full of horror as he punches someone in the face: "You sent it to Batman?"

Wally: "I'll fix it, I'll fix it." (accidentally sends an "All good, everything's fine" message to the Titans group chat)

Dick, crashing into a wall: "What's the ETA on backup?"

Wally, seeing Batman's message about being there ASAP and the Titans' thumbs up: "Oh no."

[themosthatedbeingg]

“.. aww that’s sweet … I think ?” He might have to ask Charlie about context with this one .

[monterraverde]

“Says the guy that was screaming my name not that long ago”

[rootedinrevisions]

Friends (with Benefits) Don't: Part 6

SUMMARY: As you grapple with the newfound intimacy that has blossomed between you and Jake, the lines of your casual arrangement begin to blur, leaving you both exhilarated and terrified. Fearing the depth of your feelings, you create distance, convincing yourself that this is the only way to protect your heart. But just as you're trying to navigate this emotional turmoil, the stakes rise when Jake is thrust into a critical mission that changes everything.

OTHER PART(S): PART 1 I PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4 I PART 5

WORD COUNT: 3.1k

WARNINGS: ANGST. LIKE THIS ONE HURTS.

TAG LIST: SEE COMMENTS BELOW

Sitting at your station in the control tower, your mind is a mess of tangled thoughts, and focusing on the job feels impossible. Jake Seresin is everywhere, lingering in your thoughts even as you try to shake him off.

Last night, the lines between you two were obliterated. Jake wasn’t supposed to stay the night. He wasn’t supposed to pull you close, hold you like it meant something, or kiss you like he never wanted to stop. This wasn’t part of the deal, and now you felt like a marionette with every string pulled tight by him.

To make matters worse, today you’re assigned as the comms person for the Dagger Squad, which means you’ll be hearing Jake’s voice in your headset all day long. His stupid, smooth, carefree voice makes you feel everything you’re not supposed to.

He acts like nothing’s changed, like staying over at your place, pressing soft kisses to your shoulders, and falling asleep together under the covers didn’t mean anything to him. Of course he’s fine—he’s Jake Seresin. It’s probably forgotten in his mind, while you haven’t stopped thinking about it since the moment he left.

Your earpiece crackles, and there it is: Jake's voice. “Halo, am I clear for landing?” His familiar drawl cuts through the comms.

You brush it off, keep it professional. It’s not the first time Hangman’s flirted with you over the airwaves, and you’ve never let it get to you before. You can’t react now, no matter how many teasing laughs filter through from the rest of the squad.

As soon as Jake lands his plane, your phone vibrates with a text from him.

Meet me at The Hard Deck later?

But the thought of seeing him in person makes your stomach twist. You politely decline, telling him you’re not really feeling up for going out or being around people tonight. Almost immediately, another text buzzes through. 

I can come over instead, just the two of us.

You brush him off again, telling him you're tired and planning to call it an early night when you get home. His next reply is hesitant, almost cautious, and you can feel his curiosity, maybe even concern, seeping through the screen. He already knows something’s off, even if you haven’t said a word.

And something was off. You were scared. Terrified, actually. The lines between you and Jake had shifted into dangerous territory, and you weren’t ready to face it. You were scared of how easily he broke down your walls, scared of how you craved more, and most of all, scared that he might not feel the same way.

Sure, he’d made you dinner, watched your dumb reality show, let you pick the romcom, and held you close all night. The kisses this morning, so soft and intimate, felt like more than just casual. His goodbye lingered longer than it should’ve. But what if you were just reading into it? What if none of it meant anything to him, and you were just a fool for thinking otherwise?

You couldn’t risk finding out. You weren’t ready for the possibility that this was all in your head, that you might lose him if you opened up about your feelings. The only thing left to do was end it before your heart got tangled up any further.

So when you get home, you send him a text, the one you dreaded but knew you had to write. 

I think we should stop seeing each other.

It doesn’t take long for your phone to light up with his name. 

He calls once. Then again. And again. You ignore every ring. 

And when he starts texting, asking if he did something wrong, practically begging you to talk to him, it takes all your strength not to crumble. 

You set your phone to Do Not Disturb, crawl into bed, and bury your head under the covers. 

You couldn’t deal with this right now. Not with him. Not with the way your heart was breaking apart with every unanswered call.

* * * * *

Jake’s phone buzzed against the bar top, drawing his attention away from the chatter of the Hard Deck. He glanced down to see your name flash across the screen, a spark of hope igniting in his chest.

But when he read the message, his heart plummeted.

I think we should stop seeing each other.

The words felt like a punch to the gut, leaving him breathless.

He stared at the screen, his mind racing. What had gone wrong? Had he misread everything? Those intimate moments, the way you curled into him, how you’d laughed at his stupid jokes—it had all felt so real. Now, it felt like a dream unraveling before his eyes.

With shaking hands, he quickly dialed your number, his heart pounding with a mix of desperation and confusion.

The call went straight to voicemail. He tried again. And again. Each attempt ended the same way, leaving him feeling more and more powerless.

Jake texted you repeatedly, each message filled with concern and frustration, but all he got in return was silence. The hours turned into days, and every day without a word from you drove him closer to the edge. He had done everything short of driving to your place, but a part of him held back. He knew that would cross a line, one that you had carefully set, but it didn’t stop the thought from nagging at him.

Finally, after a week of agonizing silence, Jake found himself at the Hard Deck, surrounded by familiar faces of the other daggers and Mav and Penny, but he felt utterly alone. The laughter of his squadmates bounced off the walls, but it all felt muted, distant. He nursed a beer, staring into the amber liquid as he felt their eyes on him, sensing their concern.

“Hey, Hangman, what’s up with you?” Rooster asked, sliding into the seat next to him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Jake forced a chuckle, shaking his head. “Just tired, man. Lots on my mind.”

“Come on, don’t play coy with us. We can see something’s bothering you,” Phoenix chimed in, her voice sharp with concern. “We’ve got a big mission coming up. We need you focused.”

Jake forced a chuckle, shaking his head. “Just tired, man. Lots on my mind.”

“Come on, don’t play coy with us. We can see something’s bothering you,” Phoenix chimed in, her voice sharp with concern. “We’ve got a big mission coming up. We need you focused.”

With a heavy sigh, Jake finally relented. He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “It’s about… someone. A girl.” He didn’t dare say your name, not wanting to expose too much of the personal side of things. “We were seeing each other, and things got… complicated. Then she just ghosted me.”

“Ghosted?” Maverick raised an eyebrow, leaning in. “Like she just stopped talking to you?”

“Yeah. One minute, we’re great, and the next, she says we should stop seeing each other,” Jake admitted, frustration leaking into his tone. “I don’t even know what I did wrong.”

“Sounds like she’s scared,” Rooster suggested, sipping his drink. “You guys got pretty intimate, right? Maybe she didn’t expect things to get serious.”

“Serious?” Jake scoffed, shaking his head. “I didn’t think it was that serious, but maybe I was wrong. We had a casual thing going and then we spent the night together, and now… nothing.”

“Have you tried reaching out?” Phoenix asked gently.

“Yeah, I’ve texted her like a hundred times. She reads them but doesn’t respond,” Jake said, feeling the weight of disappointment settles heavily on his shoulders.

“Dude, you’ve gotta talk to her before the mission,” Coyote said. “Not just for your headspace, but because she deserves to know how you feel.”

“I don’t want to push her away more,” Jake replied, his heart racing at the thought of you shutting him out completely. “But I can’t just sit here wondering what went wrong. I need to know.”

“You’ll never know unless you try,” Rooster urged. “And we need you sharp for this mission. Don’t let this eat away at you.”

As the conversations flowed around him, Jake felt a renewed sense of determination. He couldn’t let fear dictate his actions. He needed to fight for you, to find out if there was a chance to mend what had been broken.

* * * * *

The day of the mission arrived faster than Jake had expected, and he could feel the tension in the air as the team prepared for takeoff. The hangar was bustling with activity, the hum of jet engines filling the space as mechanics ran final checks on the planes. But Jake’s mind wasn’t on the mission—it was on you.

He hadn’t been able to get through to you. Every call went to voicemail, every text was left unanswered. And now, as he suited up and made his way to the carrier, the weight of unfinished business hung heavy on his chest.

As he passed through the hangar, something—or rather, someone—caught his eye. You were standing near the entrance, clipboard in hand, part of the logistics team overseeing the mission’s preparations. You hadn’t seen him yet, but the sight of you, standing there amidst the chaos, made his heart stop.

He should’ve kept walking and should’ve focused on the task ahead. But he couldn’t. Not with everything unsaid between you two. He needed to hold you one last time, just in case.

Without thinking, he made a beeline for you, his heart pounding in his chest. You looked up as he approached, surprise flickering in your eyes. Before you could say anything, Jake pulled you into his arms, wrapping you in a firm, almost desperate hug.

You stiffened for a moment, clearly taken off guard, but then you slowly relaxed, your arms slipping around his back, though not fully committing to the embrace. Jake could feel the hesitation in you, the distance that had grown between you two. But he didn’t care. Not right now. He just needed this one moment with you.

For a long, silent second, he just held you, his cheek resting against the top of your head. The sounds of the hangar faded into the background, leaving only the steady thrum of your heartbeat against his chest.

“I’ve gotta go,” Jake whispered, his voice rough with emotion.

You didn’t say anything, but he felt you nod against his chest. His arms tightened around you briefly before he pulled back, his eyes searching your face. He wanted to say something, to tell you everything that was racing through his mind—the fear, the confusion, the way you’d been occupying his every thought for days. But there wasn’t time. There was never enough time.

Instead, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, lingering there for just a moment longer than he should’ve. When he pulled back, his hand slid down to your arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Stay safe, okay?” you said quietly, your voice barely audible above the noise of the hangar.

Jake nodded, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Always.”

And then, without another word, he turned and walked away, the weight of everything unsaid following him as he made his way to his plane. He didn’t look back—he couldn’t. All he could do now was hope that when this mission was over, there’d still be a chance to make things right.

As he climbed into the cockpit, the reality of what lay ahead began to sink in. The mission was dangerous, and there were no guarantees. But one thing was clear—if he made it through this, the first thing he’d do was find you and tell you how he really felt.

No more games, no more holding back.

The steady hum of the control tower surrounded you, a sound you had grown accustomed to in the countless hours you had spent at your station. Outside the vast windows, the runway stretched endlessly beneath the sky, but your eyes were trained on the radar screen in front of you, where the dots representing the Dagger Squadron flickered across the digital map. Jake was one of those dots, leading the mission as Dagger 1, with Bradley right behind him as Dagger 2. Everything had gone according to plan. The mission was a success. You exhaled a quiet sigh of relief.

"Looks like they're on their way back," one of the other controllers muttered. There was a sense of ease in the room now that the mission's primary objective had been completed.

You forced yourself to stay focused, even though your heart rate had been elevated since the mission began. Your fingers rested on the controls, mind sharp, ears attuned to every bit of comm chatter between the jets and the base. Jake's voice—strong, confident, and ever so familiar—came through clearly. He was always in control, always steady. You'd heard that voice countless times both on and off duty, in your apartment, in the dead of night after he’d slipped out of your bed and leaned in to murmur something teasing.

You never thought you'd feel so grateful just to hear him over the comms. Today felt different. As soon as his plane had taken off, a knot had formed in your stomach, a weight that refused to settle.

Then the tone of the chatter shifted. The sharp edge in one of the pilots’ voices cut through the air like a razor.

"Enemy aircraft spotted—two bogeys on our six."

The control room went tense like the oxygen had been sucked out. Your fingers froze, hovering above the console as adrenaline spiked in your veins. You leaned closer, listening.

"This wasn’t part of the plan," Rooster’s voice crackled. "They’re engaging."

Your pulse quickened. You knew the risk was always there, but hearing it—feeling it—was different. Your hand gripped the edge of the desk, knuckles white.

“Dagger 1, report.”

A beat of static, and then Jake’s calm voice. “I’ve been hit. I’m down an engine.”

No. Your heart stuttered, and you swallowed hard, trying to keep your breathing even. You could hear the control in his tone, the forced calm that only made your chest tighten with dread. 

He was trained for this. He knew what to do. But it didn’t make the fear clawing at you any easier.

"He's losing altitude," another controller said in a clipped tone.

Protocol. Jake was following the protocol, running through every step like he was supposed to. But the sinking feeling in your gut grew as each second passed. Each time you heard his voice, it was lower, more strained. And nothing was working.

"Come on, Hangman. Come on," you whispered under your breath, desperate to do something—anything—but there was nothing you could do but sit there, helpless, with everyone else listening.

“Dagger 1, this is Control. You need to eject,” one of the senior officers instructed, his voice stern.

You leaned forward, pressing the comm button. "Dagger 1, eject," you echoed the command. Your voice wavered despite your efforts to keep it steady.

There was a moment of static, silence.

“Hangman, eject.” You repeated, this time you could hear the panic starting to set in as you said it.

Another moment of silence. Your mind was racing at this point trying to imagine what could be happening. Another controller asked Rooster if he had eyes on Hangman.

“Affirmative. He’s losing altitude, smoke coming from the left engine.”

“Jake…” You didn’t realize you’d said his name aloud, but the word was barely a whisper as if willing him to listen, to do what he needed to do.

Then you heard a long, heavy sigh through the comms, and your heart clenched. It wasn’t part of the procedure. 

He was hesitating. He wasn’t supposed to hesitate. He was supposed to eject the second he got the command. He should have been out of that damn plane by now.

Jake’s voice came through again, quieter this time. Different. It wasn’t just the seasoned aviator talking now; it was him—Jake, the man who had been in your life for months now. The man who knew your most intimate secrets, who held you close in the dead of night, who kissed you like you were the only thing that mattered.

“Halo, you know… I didn’t want to do this like this.” His voice was rough, but there was something else in it too, something vulnerable. “Not over the radio, where everyone can hear me. But… I might not get another chance.”

Your heart stopped. It wasn’t just you who could hear him—everyone in the room, every pilot in the sky, everyone on this frequency—they could all hear him.

“I should’ve told you sooner. Should’ve taken you out and done this right, instead of all this sneaking around.”

Tears welled up in your eyes. Jake’s voice cracked, just barely, and you could picture him in the cockpit—his hands on the controls, the cockpit lights casting shadows across his face, determination etched in every line.

“You mean more to me than I ever let on. I don’t know what we are, and I know I’m the one who said no strings, but I’m an idiot.” His breath hitched. “I can’t go without you knowing… that I love you.”

The world stopped.

You sat frozen in your chair, the breath caught in your throat as his words echoed through the tower, piercing through every barrier you had built to protect yourself from feeling too much for him. You never expected him to say that not here, not now. Not like this.

There was a heavy pause, a beat of silence that seemed to stretch on forever.

"Jake..." you whispered, your voice trembling. You wanted to respond, to tell him everything—that you felt it too, that you were terrified of losing him, that you didn’t want this to be the end.

He was going to eject soon. He had to.

“I’ll see you when I get back,” Jake said, his voice carrying a weight of hope, fear, and love all in one. “I love you, Halo.”

And then there was static. Nothing but static. 

You looked down and watched as Jake’s symbol on the radar disappeared, indicating he had ejected.

You didn’t breathe. Didn’t move. You couldn’t. All you could hear was his voice, those three words replaying in your mind as tears slid silently down your face. You’d never felt more vulnerable, more exposed, in front of all your colleagues. Until a minute ago no one about you and Jake. Now everyone knew.

And you didn’t care.

Someone across the room called for a relief controller, but it sounded distant, muffled. Everything felt far away—except the ache in your chest, the unbearable weight of not knowing whether Jake had made it out, whether he was alive. 

You took off your headset, hands shaking, as one of your colleagues gently touched your shoulder.

“You’re relieved,” they said softly.

But you didn’t move. You couldn’t move. Your heart was in your throat.

He said he loved you.

But now… you didn’t even know if he was coming back.