#while i did draw mostly maria looking after shadow here he very much took just as much care of her. especially as they got older.

[monotone-artist]

the siblings of all time tbh

[id: several digital drawings of shadow the hedgehog and maria robotnik. shadow is wearing purple pajama pants with slightly lighter star pattern; maria wears a couple different outfits throughout the drawings, and for most of them shadow doesn't have the inhibitor rings on.

first drawing is of a young shadow, sitting back and bristling, his arms braced on the floor as he glares.

second drawing, maria is sitting down with her legs out in front of her, feet crossed. she's wearing a bluish shirt with a graphic on it: an orange circle, inside of which is a mountain silhouette with a lake in front. shadow is seated by her, his chin resting on his arms which he's crossed on her legs. he glances away from her, looking a little upset. maria rests on hand atop his head, and she's a little concerned but still slightly smiles encouragingly.

third drawing, shadow is sitting hunched forward, elbow on his knee to rest his head in his hand. he's staring vacantly at the ground in front of him, quills on end. little sparks fly off his body. text pointing to him reads, "pre-inhibitor rings, absolute overstimulation sensory nightmare."

fourth drawing is an upper body shot of shadow, pointedly staring ahead with his arms crossed. he says, "what the fuck?" in the background, maria puts her hands on her hips and crossly exclaims, "Shadow!"

fifth drawing, shadow is standing with his back partially turned toward the viewer, glancing over his shoulder. his brows are furrowed anxiously as he twists his hands together.

final drawing, shadow is finally wearing his inhibitor rings, and he has on maria's mountain silhouette shirt (which is a bit big for him) as well as his pj pants. he has his arms stretched out on either side as he peers curiously down at the shirt. maria is beside him, wearing a blue dress with darker hems and a striped skirt. she's leaning her weight on a crutch and appears a bit more sickly than before, but she's grinning down at him as she gestures with her free hand. end id]

[the-omni-princess]

Blood Bound [Chapter Six]

Author: @the-omni-princess

Pairing: Vampire!Bucky x Witch!Reader

Summary: Vampires and witches have been known enemies since the dark ages. Backstabbing, secrets, and magic turned supernatural brethren again each other. As a natural-born witch, you grew up on these stories, your own monsters under your bed. What happens when one of those sworn enemies claims that you are his blood mate, the vampire equivalent of a true mate? Will you give in to this man out of time? Or destroy him for the sake of your Coven?

Word Count: 3.7K

Warnings: fluff, angst, first time meetings, minor character death, minor injuries, near death, vampire stuff, blood, sacrifices, cursing, mature talk, sex talk (I think this is all the warnings if I missed something please let me know)

A/N:

Also, how do people like the “previously on” bit? Should I just erase it? Stop using it? (I don’t use the previously for word counts)

Also, AHHHHH my fav chapter so far, finally enough build-up TO DO SOEMTHIGN

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[Series Masterlist]  [My Masterlist] [Playlist Inspired by the Series]

-

----

Previously…

“Holy shit, I died in the Salem Witch Trials,�� your voice rang out throughout the room. Bucky squeezed your hands gently, and you let him act as your tether to the mortal whelm. “We were killed by the very Council that had sworn to protect all witches, and you were saved by the vampires we were told by them to fear.”

“Well, this is just getting deeper and deeper. Before you know it, you’ll be telling me the Coven to the North died because they found out the Council has been killing Naturals.” Tony quipped from the side of the room.

The room froze, taking in the statement. “Well, it would explain a lot,” you murmured. “They were getting powerful, and dominant witches who don’t need as much energy to have magic aren’t easy to control.” That was the last connecting dot. The darkness in the distance wasn’t just some mythical monster. It was the very same man that stood in your living room and drank your tea just an hour ago.

--

“But all of that leads to the question of, where are Nebula and Gamora? Their bodies weren’t found with the Mountain Coven.” Maria rubbed behind Sasha’s ears, enjoying the cat’s insistent purring as she curled up on her lap.

“Mountains… Oh shit, if the Council is going to start investigating the Mountains, I need to warn Steve and Sam. Our hotel is right at the base of the mountains, the Council will blame us first.” Bucky’s grip on your hand faltered, nervously tapping his foot.

“That’s less than an hour away right? Go, bring them here.” It was a simple solution, and yet you had multiple people against it.

“We are not housing the bloodsuckers, y/n. No damn way.” Carol stood, puffing up her chest. It was most likely unconscious, as she tried to assert dominance, but you weren’t buying that.

“Listen, you trust me, I trust Bucky, Bucky trusts these two. The Council will murder them for even being in the vicinity of the Coven’s murders. Please, we have to. They’re his family.” Your hands started to spark, your emotions rising as you tried to plead with your sisters.

Most of them were not going to be happy about housing vampires, so you tried one last thing. “We have to be different than the Council.” That had Wanda and Maria turning away, Maria focusing solely on the cat, and Wanda finding the book she held open very interesting. Natasha and Pepper both were proud of you standing up for your Blood Mate, though the later still thought you were insane.

Carol had calmed down, enough that she saw your hands sparking, to which Bucky had no issue with. The usual burning sparks didn’t affect him as he gladly held onto you. That wasn’t supposed to happen. But at this point, it was going to join a long list of ‘things that were supposed to be impossible,’ right under reincarnation. She sighed softly, running her hand through her short hair before placing both hands in her overall pockets. “Fine. But I still don’t trust them.” She warned, narrowing her eyes at him.

Despite the literal death looks, Bucky beamed a goofy smile, elated to earn the, though hesitant, trust of your Coven. Looking up at him, your heart melted. Seeing his crystal clue eyes sparkle as he smiled made you wonder why the Council even started to hate Vampires in the first place. “Go. I’ll be here, waiting.”

“I’ll be just a minute. Promise, Sweetling,” he grinned, a peak of his fangs showing in his smile as he leaned slightly down and kissed your temple before rushing off.

“Okay, well how can I hate him if he’s that adorable?” Tony whined, wanting the attention he was currently lacking.

“You literally wanted to kill him twenty minutes ago, Tones,” you gave him a pointed look.

He simply shrugged, “That’s before he was calling you sweet names. I’m only protecting you, kid.”

You shot him an appreciative smile before pulling the book Wanda had shown you closer. God, that drawing did look like you. Charcoal with yellow aging lines in the paper, a few smudges, but it most definitely looked like you but in a pilgrim dress, complete with a bonnet covering your hair. While you grazed through the surrounding paragraphs, Bucky had arrived again, this time flanked by two very nervous looking vampires.

Now set on edge, the entire Coven was tense, staring down the newcomers. You stepped forward, giving them a small smile and stretching out your hand towards them. “Hello, welcome to my home, I’m y/n.”

The two new vamps gave each other a look before the darker-skinned man stepped forward. He took your hand and bowed, locking eyes with you as he kissed your knuckles. “A pleasure to meet you, miss. I’m Sam, and the blonde idiot behind me is Steve,” he smiled warmly, a hint of fangs peaking behind his lips.

You blinked a few times, unsure how to react before Bucky thankfully took over. “Okay, okay, we get it, you have good manners. Hands off my girl, or I’ll get the silver,” he growled playfully, taking your hand from Sam and pulling you against his chest protectively. You blushed, tugging yourself away while giving him a glare before looking towards the two new vampires, unsure how to explain the insanity that was currently your life.

The blonde, Steve, took a step forward, hands in his pocket as he assessed you with a once over. “So, you’re the infamous Theodosia?” He wondered aloud.

Sparks lit up behind your eyes for a split second, “Is there a problem with that?” You challenged, squaring your shoulders and standing a little straighter, chin a little higher. You wouldn’t admit it, but Steve was intimidating; tall, broad shoulders and the knowledge that human killing fangs were just beneath those plush lips gave him a darker aura. Yet you had a strong feeling he was just as much of a puppy dog as Bucky was so you didn’t let your fear show.

Steve smirked faintly, relaxing, “None at all. Just curious is all. I’ve always wondered about the woman Buck would talk about in his sleep.” Bucky went red at the statement, glaring daggers at his packmate.

You couldn’t help but laugh, smiling warmly. “Well, make yourself at home. Look out for Tony, he bites. If you need me, I’ll be looking for more spells for memory loss, or information on the Council, or on Soul Bindings,” you turned, Tony growling at the two, picking up a new book and plopping down on the windowsill. You frowned, quickly scanning through the pages, most of the Coven either joining you in looking for more information or in Carol’s case, practically interrogating Steve and Sam.

Bucky sat beside you, and you, not wanting to get distracted, kept flipping through pages while biting your lip. He slowly leaned his head against your shoulder, “You look cute when you're worried,” he murmured.

You couldn’t stop the smile from appearing on your face, “Well, I am worried. I’m hoping for some sort of improving memories spell. I want to remember you. Fully. Not just glimpses of the life we used to share.” You sighed softly, closing one book to open another. “I don’t want you to forget me again,” you admitted in a soft voice. It was selfish, after all, he didn’t choose to be turned, and yet, you were horrified this was all some joke. That you were being too trusting, or that it was all too good to be true, or, worse, there was something bigger and darker hiding in the shadows about to strike.

“I’m scared I’ll forget you too,” he admitted softly. Pausing between pages, the library now mostly empty, only Natasha quietly flipping through pages on the sofa, it felt more intimate. “I’m terrified. I just found you, I’m finally remembering again, and yet, I’m immortal. I’m just going to lose you again.”

Turning towards him, you tilted his chin up before cupping his cheek. His eyes fluttered closed as he leaned against your touch. “I’m not going anywhere, James. We’ll figure this out, I promise.” He nodded faintly, losing himself to your touch, smiling warmly. “You don’t want to turn me, do you?” You questioned lightly.

“God no. I wouldn’t wish this curse upon my worst enemy. I want you to live a long healthy, normal life.” He quickly responded.

“Alright, relax vampy, it was only a question,” you teased.

Comfortable silence surrounded you two, content in simply existing beside each other. You ran your hand through his hair tenderly, letting him lean against you as you skimmed pages. Hours passed like this, quiet and searching, satisfied in the small moments. You didn’t learn much, not enough information was being written about Naturals, and even less so about Soul Bound Naturals, but you got the jest. Powerful alone and lethal together. Threatening one tended to make the other go wild. Hurting one hurt the other. They were each other’s greatest strength and worst weakness. You also had read up on vampire history, learning a bit more about your current nap buddy. Speaking of, you were also fairly sure Bucky had fallen asleep against you, not that you minded much. You realized this morning he must not have fed in a while, and he must be drained. You absentmindedly started thinking of how to bring up the subject of feeding to him.

A sharp crash in the other room had both of you jumping to your feet. You must have dozed off, the book you were reading was on the ground, and your hair mused. Sharing a look, the two of you rushed to the sound, keeping pressed to the walls.

A Council Member, Jack Rollins, stood there, a dagger pressed against Maria’s throat. You froze in the doorway, just out of sight, pressing your hand against Bucky, pushing him back through the door. Rollins was surrounded by the Coven, each with eyes burning straight into the man before them. Tony had his fangs bared, Sam and Steve beside him, fangs also bared, eyes red. Maria herself looked almost bored, rolling her eyes at the man’s threats, despite the blade against her throat.

“This isn’t that difficult, just give us the girl and her little Leech and we can get this over with. She’s a traitor who worked with bloodsuckers to kill the Mountain Coven, last chance. Turn her in.” He warned, a sick smile on his face as the dagger dug into Maria’s throat, making her whimper softly as the knife dug deeper, a trickle of blood dripping down her neck.

“She’s not here, just leave Maria alone!” Wanda’s eyes glowed red, hands swirling in burgundy, the Coven beside her, each witch faintly glowing in power, standing their ground.

“It’s either her or this little witch,” the man snarled, taking a step back and dragging Maria by her hair.

“Stay here, please,” you begged Bucky.

He gave you a glare, whisper yelling a response. “Fuck no, I can’t just-“

“Bucky, please. They’ll need you to figure out the memories, I can handle him.” You insisted, eyes boring into him, pleading for him to understand.

He finally nodded, albeit, hesitantly. “Please stay safe, Little Witch,” he murmured, tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear. The air was tense, his face only centimeters away from yours, and if Maria wasn’t about to get her throat slit in the other room, you would probably have had enough guts to kiss him. And yet, Maria needed you. Your Coven needed you.

Taking a step into the room, you let your electricity crawl up your spine, down your palms, the sparks gathering everyone’s attention. “Hey asshole, I’m right here. Let her go and get out of my house.” The sparks turned hot blue, your eyes most likely reflected the same color.

He simply laughed, tugging Maria against his chest as a human shield. “Where’s your little Blood Sucker? Got rid of you that easy? Eh, whatever, doesn’t matter. Let’s go, Natural.”

You swallowed against the bile in your throat. Him saying that out loud send a wave of anxiety through your body. “Let. Her. Go.” You countered.

He tossed a pair of cuffs at you, and you caught them easily, making sure they didn’t fall to the ground. “Wear those first.”

“Cuffs? Kinky, but I’m seriously not interested in you like that. Sorry, Darlin’”

“They’re power dampeners. Either put them on and come with me, or witchy savior here will be a reenactment of the Red Wedding,” he responded, growing frustrated.

Seeing no choice, and pointedly ignoring your sisters, you put the cuffs on, the sparks from your body dying out with a fizzle. Your coven had protected you since you were little, it was time to take responsibility. It was time to protect them. It was an easy decision really, you would die for your sisters without a second thought. “All cuffed up, my safe word is Pumpernickle. Now, let my sister go.”

He simply replied with a wicked smirk, the silver dagger moving away from Maria as he tossed her aside. Rough calloused hands grabbed onto you, the knife now lodged against your throat. “Sorry, not into knife play, darlin’” you snarled, squirming in his grip.

“God, do you ever shut up?!” He scowled, clearly getting more agitated.

“Nope, and you didn’t bring a gag so you're out of luck!” You ignored the faint burn of the dagger as it turned into your neck.

“Hush, unless you want your coven to know what the inside of your throat looks like,” he growled into your ear, fear shooting through your body. Nat took a step forward, gripping her own knives. “Take another step and she won’t be the only witch I kill tonight,” he warned. “Let’s go, fight and I’ll just pick one of them,” he nodded towards the vampires. He dragged you backward and at the last moment, Natasha took another careful step forward.

Time seemed to slow as you watched in horror. Rollins threw the knife, with absolute precision. It hurled towards Natasha, and yet a blur intersected its path towards its target. Bucky fell to the ground, the silver dagger buried in his chest, graphite grey veins and skin starting to grow outwards from the wound. Silver could kill vampires.

You cried out, a feral screech clawing from your throat as you let your emotions consume you. Electricity crackled, and you abruptly realized the cuffs around your wrists were broken and smoking on the ground at your feet. Agony shot through your chest as you leaped forward, kneeling beside Bucky.

“No, no, no, no. Why would you do that, you absolute idiot!” You cried out, tugging him into your body protectively, your hands struggling to find purchase near the blade. His own body was unaffected by the electricity sparking in your hands as you lost control. Vampires didn’t bleed, but they could turn ashen and die. And as Bucky started to turn grey, his veins turning lead, you realized this could be it. He would die trying to protect your Coven from the people who took you from him in the first place.

“I know what it’s like to lose family, y/n…” He gulped faintly, words starting to slur as he pulled the dagger out, tossing it aside. “Losing your Coven would devastate you. I couldn’t let you live like that.” He tenderly pushed a curl of hair behind your ear before running his thumb across your cheekbone.

Your vision blurred, practically sobbing as you held his hand closer to your face. “But I can’t lose you when we just found each other again. James, please,” you pleaded, your hands starting to tremble. Agonizing anguish started to fill your chest, and you felt like you couldn’t breathe. You tried to keep calm, tried to think of ways to fix this.

“You always were the stronger one, Theo. I promised to keep you safe, and yet you protected yourself. You’re strong, Little Witch. You’ll move on just fine without me,” His voice was getting weaker, and you were vaguely aware of Nat trying to calm you with her powers from across the room, and the fact that where Rollins was standing there was only a pile of ash and scorch marks on the carpet.

“But I don’t want to. Bucky, please,” you pleaded, hot wet tears streaming your cheeks. “Not without you.” You were most definitely shaking now, grief clouding your mind. “I haven’t told you that I’m falling in love with you. This lifetime, right here, right now. My goofy and mischievous, tenderhearted vampire.” You murmured, his cool hand pressed against your cheek. The words echoed in your ears. Vampire. “James?”

Your voice was meek, and his hand twitched, weak in your arms as he replied. “Yes, Little Witch?”

“Fed from me,” you whispered.

“I can’t use you like that…” he groaned softly, the grey veins climbing his neck. “I might not be able to stop, Y/n,” he warned.

You nodded, sniffling softly. “I trust you, Bucky. The ultimate trust, right? I trust you to stop, and even if you don’t…” The words were unspoken but were understood between the two of you. ‘I would die for you.’

“Okay, Sweetling,” he conceded, body too weak to fight your stubbornness.

You raised your wrist to his mouth, “All yours, Angel Eyes,” you whispered softly. He kissed your pulse point, sending a shiver down your spine. For a starving and dying vampire, he showed an immense amount of restraint and control. The artery in his neck turned light grey, the strain shown in his features. You glanced at your coven sisters, all of which were showing a variety of reactions. Mostly surprise you would do this, but Nat and you locked eyes. She could always feel your emotions the best out of the entire coven, and now all she felt was desperation and hope, yet she also felt an unspoken emotion. Love.

Looking back down at Bucky as he bared his fangs, he looked up at you before sinking them into your wrist, his vampire instincts taking over as he slowly drank from your lifeline. The coloring returned to his face, grey lines and skin disappearing completely. But he kept drinking, practically growling into your arm as his eyes flashed red before closing them, concentrated in what he was doing. You ran your free hand through his hair weakly as black spots filled your vision. “I love you, Bucky,” you murmured incoherently just as the black abyss pulled you into unconsciousness. An overwhelming sense of calm filling you.

---

Soft, enchanting humming pulled you into the world of the living. The velvet cushioning of your favorite blanket was wrapped around you, a cool arm draped across your waist, your face pressed into a chilled body. Even groggy you realized exactly who it was, and you didn’t hesitate to nuzzle deeper into his arms.

“James,” you murmured, your voice sounded raspy, wrecked. You most unquestionably noticed the satisfying feeling in your chest, as if being wrapped in his arms was the only place on Earth you belonged in.

“I’m sorry, Little Witch. I should have stopped sooner,” he whispered softly. You noticed he was playing with the ends of your hair, twirling the curls around his finger.

“I told you,” you managed to speak in a small voice, “I trusted you to stop. Even if you didn’t, I made that choice.”

He chuckled faintly, “Thought Tony was going to murder me, definitely looked ready to. Natasha stopped him, said you felt at peace.” He sighed as he pulled away gently, tilting your chin up to lock eyes with him. You absentmindedly noticed you were alone in your room, laying on top of the covers of your bed, contentedly cuddled close. “You were ready to die to save me.”

“You were dying to save my Coven sister.” You let your eyes close as you leaned against his touch, your own hands pressed against his chest. “I would blame it on my emotions, but I would do it again without hesitation.” You smiled faintly into his touch, kissing his palm that rested against your cheek. “My Angel Eyes.”

Your eyes fluttered open, everything felt at ease with him here. You caught him glancing down at your lips, making your smile widen. “Bucky?” He hummed in response as you leaned your forehead against his. “Please kiss me.”

His responding smile set your heart on fire. “As you wish, Sweetling,” he murmured, closing the distance and kissing you. He held your face in his hands tenderly, his own soft lips perfectly slotting against your own. You leaned forward as you deepened the kiss, running your tongue along his bottom lip. He groaned softly in response, pushing forward as he took control of the kiss, which sent a warm spark down your spine. His breathing hitched, and beneath your fingertips, you felt a small thump. You both froze, eyes widening as you pulled away.

“Did… Did your heart just beat?” you murmured softly, trying not to notice how his lips were starting to get kiss swollen.

He nodded, eyes just as wide as yours. “I thought I imagined that.”

You shook your head, the words of one of the Binding books coming back to you. “Bound are each other’s strengths and weaknesses. A heartbeat is a weakness for a vamp.” You tried to reason.

He chuckled, “And here I thought I was going to reason that you’re my life and found your way back to me.”

Blushing, you couldn’t stop the smile from lighting up your features. You also finally realized you were all alone, the house quiet. “How long was I out?”

“A few hours. Everyone went to Pepper’s house. Wanda said something about giving us space.” He shrugged, still busy thinking about the implications of a heartbeat. Was he becoming alive again?

“Hey, Bucky?” You whispered softly.

“Yeah?”

“Kiss me again.” He obliged, closing the distance to kiss you again. He was the one to deepen the kiss first, gentle yet dominating, demanding your full attention. You got lost in his touch, pressed against him as his hand around your waist pulled you tighter against him. “James,” you practically purred against his lips.

He groaned softly, smirking. “I love it when you say my name.” His lips brushed against yours, easily pulling your mouth back on his.

“Then I’ll keep saying it, Angel Eyes,” you murmured, pulling far enough off of him to run a hand through his fluffed up and mused hair. He groaned softly, making you grin as you lightly traced your fingertips against his scalp. “I want to remember, Bucky. Help me remember and I help you remember? All of it? From the beginning? I know a witch from another Coven who can help us.”

He leaned his forehead against yours, lips brushing past yours as he nodded. “All of it, Sweetling. From the beginning. And Theo?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

--

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For a tag, just reply/comment, if I don’t see it, just message me. Tell me what you think! Literally, any comment makes me happy! Like, comment, reblog, interact <3

[takaraphoenix]

Okay, so how about for Iron Hawk Tony first learning that Clint is deaf and learning ASL for him. (hmmm. How about he does only to find out due to only partial deafness Clint has actually been using aids since he was a kid and lost hearing and never bothered to learn sign language himself?)

Tony was used to working alone in the workshop. Even now that all of the Avengers shared a living space. Usually when Tony really got lost in his work, the others would flee. Tony knew mostly they were down there to give him company. Most of the things they did down there could be done anywhere in the compound, but the true purpose was to spend time with Tony.

The compound that Tony had designed, where the Avengers had relocated after a Hydra agent had put horrifying images into the head of a scientist named Hank Pym, resulting in a dangerous killer robot named Ultron. The Avengers had taken it out and had arrested the two Hydra agents.

In the wake of it all, they had moved places. Had moved into the compound and were currently working on expanding the Avengers. The team of six that had started out, well, the world needed more heroes than a ragtag team of six people.

The first addition had been Rhodey, through Tony.

Then, with the fall of SHIELD, Sam Wilson joined them. Well, together with all left-over trustworthy SHIELD agents and Maria Hill, who coordinated the agents now.

The latest addition had been Hope van Dyne, daughter to Hank Pym. She had been the one to alert the Avengers early on – despite her father's hatred for the Starks (a reason why Ultron had been born, because the delusions the witch had put in Pym's mind had made him afraid of a world where Tony Stark and the Avengers turned on everyone, resulting in a very faulty security program).

Hope was not her father. Tony knew what it felt like to stand in the shadow of one's father. She was a brilliant woman who had opposed her father on many occasions. She used a suit that shrank and could fly, giving the Avengers additional aerial support.

They all integrated well into the team and the team tried to spend time with each other outside of missions and training, to bond, to form trust and to truly learn each other's ways. The others knew Tony was a busy man though, he had more than just the Avengers – he still had Stark Industries to work for and take care of and he took to upgrading most weapons and suits for the Avengers himself, trusting no one but his own capable hands to make sure his team was safe. So the other Avengers knew that bonding time with Tony was best achieved by joining him in the lab.

Sometimes, Steve would sit on the couch in the corner and draw.

Bruce was a regular down here, working with Tony on multiple projects.

The same went for Hope, who preferred to update her suit and stings herself.

What Natasha did – well, Tony wasn't entirely sure, but she was there occasionally too.

Even Sam spent quite some time down here, ever since Tony had upgraded Red Wing and installed a simplistic AI that gave the robot enough personality (enough to befriend Dum-E).

But once Tony really got into his work though, blasting his music at top volume, most would leave the lab and leave him to it. Tony wasn't sure if it was consideration because they didn't want to disturb him when he was truly concentrated, or if it really was the loud music.

There was only one person who always stayed. And while Tony appreciated that the others were considerate, he really enjoyed having someone who'd always stick around. And that person was Clint. He'd usually be down at the workshop to tinker with his arrows. He had a vast array of trick arrows and special arrows, most of which Clint had either designed or even built himself.

At one point, Tony started to suspect that maybe Clint simply shared his passion for AC/DC. He knew for a fact that it was that band in particular that chased Bruce away. Too aggressive and loud, not what the harborer of the Hulk needed. Which was fair enough. Steve too, not a fan, though he wasn't big on music anyway. Adn Natasha, she preferred classic music over modern. Sam liked them alright, though not at the volume Tony preferred. And Hope just generally didn't like music when she was at work because it was distracting to her.

Clint however, he would stay. Regardless of what music Tony blasted at what volume. In fact, when Tony would go really loud, Clint would always have a smile for him. And no, that was just a random bit of information, it had no significance. It didn't mean anything to Tony when Clint smiled at him in that teasing, crooked kind of way. Any fluttering in his heart was due to a malfunction of the arc reactor or something like that, nothing else.

/break\

Natasha had one eyebrow raised as she took a sip from her coffee. It was still quite early. Sam and Steve had just gotten back from their morning jog and they were currently bickering over what to make for breakfast. Natasha had already been awake for two hours, training. It was however rare for Clint to be up this early. Yet here he was, sitting opposite Nat and grinning into his mug.

"AC/CD? Is that Tony's mug?", asked Natasha with a frown.

Clint shook his head at her, a smug look on his face. "Mine. He gave it to me."

"You've been wearing an AC/DC shirt yesterday too", noted Sam curiously. "I thought you didn't like them. Don't tell me Tony converted you, huh?"

"Awful music", replied Clint casually. "But Tony's been giving me stuff? I'm not gonna decline it."

"You could buy your own clothes and then they would actually advertise what you like", offered Steve slightly bemused. "You shouldn't abuse Tony's generous nature like that."

"What? Abuse-", echoed Clint irritated. "I'm not-"

Natasha raised her eyebrows curiously at that. How very interesting. Clint was hoarding AC/DC merchandise not because he liked it but because he liked the person he got it from. Tony. She filed that information away for later usage, knowing fully well it was going to be very useful.

/break\

Hope smiled as she listened to Bruce's latest theory on their way to the workshop. Though she was only listening with one ear, if she was being honest. Her main focus was on what Natasha had told her. The two women had grown quite close. Partially through sparring with each other and partially due to being the only female team-members. That did forge a tight bond; they were fighting hard in a boys' world. And while they were both tough in nature, it wasn't easy that they were never allowed any weakness, to a far greater extend than the men.

Anyway, Natasha had cued her in on something very interesting. Apparently, Clint had a crush on Tony. Now, Hope was rather close to Tony. Surprisingly enough. Then again, Hope had always opposed her father and she knew what it was like to stand in her father's shadow so when meeting the Avengers, she had given Tony Stark the benefit of the doubt. He was as much Howard Stark as Hope was Hank Pym. The two scientists had hit it off pretty well from the get-go.

So while Natasha provided intel from Clint's side, Hope was supposed to poke around and see what Tony's opinion on it all was – and if Tony was even aware of what was happening around him.

"Tony, can we please turn down the music?", asked Bruce gently and a bit amused.

When Tony was really in the zone, he was in another plane of existence really. It was fascinating to watch and even quite charming. Hope remembered all the press coverage on Tony Stark throughout the year. The playboy, the drinker. No one ever showed Tony Stark, in a ratty tank-top with holes in it and grease in his hair, grinning like a maniac as he gently talked to his bots and invented things that threw them all decades ahead of their time. The narrative really mattered.

"Su—ure thing, Brucie-bear. Jay, you heard the man." Tony sighed forlorn as the music dimmed down. "Why can't you all appreciate a good AC/DC like Clint does?"

Hope raised her eyebrows and exchanged a look with Bruce. "You really don't know that he doesn't even like AC/DC, huh?"

"What? No. Of course he likes it. He's been wearing the shirt this morning!", argued Tony.

"The shirt you gave him", tagged Bruce on, a little amused.

"...So?", asked Tony confused and sat down on his bench.

Hope sighed and shook her head. "Tony, if you want to get your boyfriend clothes, get him clothes of a band he actually likes, because this... isn't one."

"But he always stays, regardless of how loud I play it?", asked Tony, not minding the boyfriend comment for now because he was still too confused. "He never complains about it."

"...But you do know that he's deaf, right?", asked Hope very slowly. "That he just turns off his hearing aids when he doesn't want to hear something. Mostly Cap's debriefings. And this."

The way Tony stared at her told Hope that Tony did in fact not know this. Bruce shook his head before he went to his work, giving Tony the time to digest this information.

/break\

Clint blinked a little confused when he found a glaring small genius blocking his way. It was hard to take pouting Tony seriously because he was just... so short? Glaring was more effective when glared down at someone, not up at someone. All Clint wanted to do was pet Tony's hair (it was very fluffy. Good for petting), but he had learned his lesson. Last time he did that when Tony was furious, no electronics in the entire place had worked for Clint. The toaster, the washing machine, the dryer, the remote, nothing at all, not even the damn internet connection. Never again.

"How did you never tell me you're deaf?", asked Tony, gesturing widely at Clint.

"I... generally don't advertise it?", countered Clint a bit confused.

"Well. Yes. I mean-", started Tony frustrated, gesturing even more now as he started pacing. "I'm Tony Stark. You're walking around with those... mediocre hearing aids and you never thought of telling me that you're deaf? I could have whipped you up something proper years ago!"

Tony moved on to poking Clint in an accusatory manner into the chest. This whole exchange was utterly confusing for the archer, so he decided to move on toward the kitchen, having the genius trail after him. Was Tony angry with him for not sharing this? That seemed... odd.

"Wait", grunted Clint as he realized, slowly turning around to look at Tony. "Are you angry because you think I... don't trust your tech, since I didn't ask you to build me something?"

Tony looked like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie-jar. "I... No? I just... As your team-mate, I think you should have the best of everything. That, of course, includes hearing aids."

Clint hummed and tilted his head. "Honestly, I just... never thought of it? I've had these hearing aids for years now, they've just been... a part of me, for me, mostly. I never really thought about Stark Tech upgrades of them. And, in my line of work, I've learned not to draw too much attention to them. When people hear I'm deaf, they like to conclude I'm not fit to be a spy, an Avenger."

Tony frowned at him. "I... get that. But I want to... help."

It made Clint smile a little. Oh, he loved this small genius so much. Every time Tony had a new idea how to improve Clint's arrows or armor, he'd be so excited – well, with everything of everyone. And even when Clint didn't understand half the things Tony said in explanation, it was so captivating to listen to him. It made Clint wonder for a moment why he had never told Tony.

"I lost my hearing when I was a teen. It was a crazy circus accident", explained Clint softly. "It was... hard, at first. But with the hearing aids, most of the time... I don't even think on it. Or, I try not to. Ever since I entered SHIELD, I had to work against people who thought I'd prove too much a risk on the field – what if the aids fail, what if no one can contact me anymore then. Not to mention a potential lack of communication in general then. Nat was the first person who learned ASL for me, specifically. Just so she could tell the agent who had voiced those doubts to fuck off in ASL. Because it's a language that exists, that people would just have to learn."

Clint paused and jumped onto the kitchen counter, grabbing an apple. "Kids at school, they're encouraged to learn Spanish or French or... or Latin, which is like dead, you know. And that's cool. Languages are cool. But no where are they encouraged to learn ASL, a language that's literally the only means of communication for many people in the US."

Chewing on his apple, Clint watched how Tony sat down, staring at Clint in curious wonder and just listening, which was somehow a nice change from the usual. "It was how Nat and I became a team, you know. After that, we went on a mission together and... ASL actually proves to be really handy for spies, what do you know. Not being required to talk, or be in hearing distance, to communicate can actually be really useful. Shesh."

With a small smile of his own did Tony tilt his head. "So, why do you always smile when I play AC/DC then, if you don't even like it and turn your hearing aids off?"

"Who snitched?", sputtered Clint. "Was it Nat? No, Nat loves me."

"Actually, it were Hope and Bruce. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?", asked Tony. "Because I think I get now why you didn't tell me you were deaf, but why would you take all of that AC/DC merch and let me blast my music if you don't even like it?"

"Well, those are two different questions", started Clint defensively. "I let you blast your music, because... it doesn't bother me. I can just turn off my hearing aids and let you have your fun. I know it makes you happy to listen to your music, so there's that."

The blush suited Tony. "...Okay. That's... nice. But, doesn't explain the AC/DC hoodie you are literally wearing right now, Barton."

"It's cozy?", shrugged Clint. "Besides, it's rude to decline a gift."

"...Sure", grunted Tony, not buying a word his friend was saying.

Clint's eyes widened when he saw Natasha poking her head around the corner of the kitchen with a deadly death-glare. She signed Tell him it's time before crossing her arms over her chest in a very definite gesture, just standing there in the doorway behind Tony. Steve, Hope and Sam stuck their heads out to peek in curiously too. Clint made a face at them, confusing Tony.

"Okay, so maybe I accept them because they're from you", grunted Clint with an edge of defensiveness. "It's... nice. A lot like, you know."

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking", huffed Tony a bit frustrated.

"Like wearing your boyfriend's clothes, that's what it is", whispered Hope.

"Because he lo—oves you", whispered Steve.

"He wants to date you, he wants to kiss you-", tagged Sam on in a sing-sang voice.

"Okay. Enough. You're like children", grunted Natasha unimpressed, ushering the Avengers off.

Tony stared startled at them before he turned back toward Clint. The archer was properly flustered by this, covering his face with one hand and muttering to himself about what he had done to deserve any of this. Sure, he had pranked Hope by putting pink dye in her shampoo last week and maybe he had painted over Steve's shield with hearts and perhaps there had been that one incident where he had replaced Sam's favorite vanilla pudding with mayonnaise, but still he did not deserve this.

"You like me? Why? How? When? What?", asked Tony stunned.

"Believe me, it was as much a shock for me as it is for you now", drawled Clint dryly. "But you're... you. Not the press you I was debriefed on. The real you. The cute, excitable genius with the heart of gold who does everything for everyone he cares about."

"So... you... want to go on a date?", asked Tony unsure. "I mean, is that-"

"Yes", interrupted Clint and nodded wildly. "Only if you-"

"If I may interrupt, Miss van Dyne has taken the liberty to booking a table at sir's favorite restaurant for today, 7PM. Doctor Banner assures you that if anything comes up, 'the Big Guy will take care of it' so you should not worry about anything", interrupted Jarvis.

"...When did they...", muttered Tony surprised.

"After your conversation last night", replied Jarvis.

/break\

Clint looked very pleased in his Iron Man hoodie, drinking out of his Iron Man mug. This was the perfect compromise. Instead of merchandise of things he wasn't interested in, Clint now got merchandise of something he was very interested in. His boyfriend. Okay, okay, some merch was also of the other Avengers, but most of Clint's things now were Iron Man themed.

"I finished them!", exclaimed Tony as he came running into the kitchen.

A bit startled, Clint looked up at the very excited looking genius before being handed... hearing aids. Smaller than his, less obvious. And with a Stark Tech logo on them. Clint blinked surprised.

"Wait, Tony. Did you seriously...", muttered Clint.

"Of course", huffed Tony nearly offended. "My boyfriend needs to have the best of the best. And I've been meaning on branching more out."

Clint took a moment to appreciate the effort and time that must have gone into this – was this the secret project that had Tony locked into his lab alone lately? Even without Clint. To make it a surprise? What a total dork. Grinning tentatively, Clint took his old hearing aids out before putting the new ones in. Tony tilted his head like a curious puppy, watching him eagerly.

"How is it? Does it work? Is it comfortable?", asked Tony anxiously.

"It's perfect. Like everything else you do, Tones", answered Clint fondly.

He got up and pulled Tony into a hug, kissing him softly. In the background, Sam made gagging noises that somehow, Clint could hear even clearer than with his old aids.

"Shove it, jealousy doesn't suit you, Wilson", signed Tony over Clint's shoulder.

The entire team had learned ASL in the past weeks, after Tony suggested it, echoing Clint's words about him and Natasha. Nat had taught them and while some had picked it up quickly – Tony and, surprisingly so, Steve – others, such as Sam, struggled more with it. Sam huffed at them.

"You don't have to be all cute in front of my breakfast though", grunted Sam.

Tony grinned broadly, hanging off Clint's neck. "Can't help it. I'm always cute."

"That you are", agreed Clint fondly, kissing Tony's cheek. "Thank you, Tones."

------

Read this here on FFNet & here on AO3!

[junker-town]

WWE Battleground 2017: Full rundown and why you should care

SmackDown’s exclusive pay-per-view is all about setting up their side of SummerSlam

SmackDown’s latest brand-exclusive pay-per-view, Battleground, airs on Sunday, July 23 on the WWE Network, and it’s the prelude to the next of WWE’s Big Four events, SummerSlam. Don’t worry, I’ll avoid making weird references to war or puns about battles here. I’m supposed to make you care about this event, not roll your eyes at it.

This is a relatively lengthy card for one of WWE’s regular pay-per-views, so let’s get right into it.

Breezango vs. their mystery assailants

What am I looking at here? That is literally the question of the day with this match. Breezango — that’s Tyler Breeze and Fandango — are otherwise known as the Fashion Police. And the offices of the Fashion Police were ransacked by mystery attacks a couple of months back. Since then, the pair have been investigating all of their tag team coworkers, clearing them one at a time, and getting no closer to discovering the identities of their assailants.

Recently, though, Fandango was dressed up like a cowboy and he rode a toy horse and the horse was stolen and returned to the Fashion Police mutilate in a box. Also inside that box was a note telling Breezango that they would find out who did this at Battleground. And here we are!

Why you should care: Well besides the fact that the Fashion Files, the show within a show that has powered this story since it began, is one of the best parts of SmackDown, the way that this has all played out suggests that Fandango and Breeze are going to be fighting someone new.

Through process of elimination, we’re down to two guesses as to who could have been attacking these fashionistas. Why just two? Well, every single tag team on SmackDown has been cleared of suspicion. So, we’re left to wonder if Luke Harper and Erick Rowan have reformed their team, except this time outside of the influence of Bray Wyatt, or if we’re getting a brand new debut of SAnitY, who currently wrestles for NXT.

Either would be a fine answer — Harper is one of the top wrestlers on the show, and his previous work with Rowan as a tag team was excellent when they were actually given a chance to compete outside of Bray’s shadow. SAnitY is also incredibly promising, as Killian Dain is a big ole hoss, Alexander Wolfe has tons of promise, and, if Nikki Cross is coming with them, then SmackDown’s women’s division just got a huge boost.

Former TNA/Impact standout Eric Young is the group’s leader, but he’s been in more of a grooming role than a wrestling one, if you’re wondering why I put so much focus on the other three. That trio is the future of this stable.

Sami Zayn vs. Mike Kanellis

What am I looking at here? Mike Kanellis and Maria Kanellis are in love. They’re going to teach you about the power of love, but also seemingly just their love, specifically, as they don’t seem to care too much for anyone else around them. Like, say, Sami Zayn, who has had the misfortune of bumping into this pair on multiple occasions, which began a feud between the two when the Kanellis’ (Kanelli?) tired of Zayn’s Larry Davidisms.

Also, you’re supposed to hate Mike and Maria, and they make it very easy to do so, but their theme is also amazing. Listen to the lyrics!

“When they ask if the fire is gonna eat us alive, I tell ‘em I think we'll be just fine."

Holy h*ck, you guys. That is the corniest writing and I adore it.

Why you should care: Sami Zayn is wonderful of course, but this is the true debut for Mike and Maria — they got to wrestle on this week’s SmackDown against Zayn a bit, but it was mostly just a way to show you that Maria is going to be helping Mike out however she can without getting the pair in trouble.

Poor Zayn is going to lose this feud to help get Mike and Maria going, but it’s okay, Sami: you’re still the greatest love the rest of us have ever known.

Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya vs. Tamina vs. Lana to determine the no. 1 contender to the SmackDown Women’s Championship

What am I looking at here? Lana lost to Naomi three times, each match faster than the last, and SmackDown didn’t figure out who was next in line since the only other thing the show got through for weeks was the story of Carmella winning the Money in the Bank briefcase, being stripped of that case, then winning it back. Now, Carmella is lurking in the shadows with her briefcase containing a guaranteed contract for a SmackDown Women’s title match, while the rest of the division fights each other in order to figure out the new number one contender for the same championship.

Why you should care: Lana and Tamina have something going on, with Tamina very protective of her new Russian friend — how will that play out in this every-woman-for-herself format? Otherwise, this should just be some fine wrasslin, as Charlotte, Becky, and Natalya are all a joy to watch for different reasons. This feels like Charlotte’s match to win so she can get another shot against Naomi that doesn’t come on the heels of her facing down a stable that formed with the sole purpose of keeping Charlotte from winning anything.

Now that Tamina seems focused on Lana, Carmella is off with her case, and Natalya is flying solo, Charlotte actually has a chance to defeat Naomi if she comes away victorious.

Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles (c) for the United States Championship

What am I looking at here? Two of WWE’s best, in a rematch from a Madison Square Garden house show where Styles took the title from Owens. WWE performs at MSG each year in a non-televised event where they try to create some moment to share with everyone who didn’t see it, and this time around, it was Styles shocking the arena with a title win over Owens.

Why you should care: The feud hasn’t been as good as it should be, since SmackDown has Owens doing some evil foreigner thing even though audiences already had plenty of non-cliche reasons to hate the guy, but at the same time, this is Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles. The match itself is going to be good.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin

What am I looking at here? Baron Corbin interrupted Nakamura’s entrance at Money in the Bank last month, beating the hell out of the presumed favorite to the point the match started without Shinsuke in it. Nakamura would eventually return and set the match on fire by kneeing everyone in the face, but Corbin came away as 2017’s Mr. Money in the Bank, anyway.

Since then, Corbin and Nakamura have taken turns sneaking up on the other to attack them backstage, and now the pair get to take their frustrations out on each other in a ring.

Why you should care: Corbin has had tons of success in WWE in a relatively short span of time, and it’s for a reason. The dude is big, entertaining, and knows how to make this all look like it hurts. Nakamura is a different kind of challenge for him than he’s had in WWE to this point, and that works both ways, really: Nakamura has spent most of his time in WWE wrestling Dolph Ziggler or pinning Kevin Owens in tag matches.

Corbin is 6-foot-7 and more interested in throwing you into things and punching you in the face than performing flawlessly executed wrestling moves. Seeing how Nakamura responds to that should be worth your time.

This could also end up being a preview of a future match for the WWE Championship, considering Corbin has the men’s Money in the Bank briefcase already, and Nakamura showed up in the main event scene months ago and isn’t expected to leave it anytime soon.

The New Day vs. The Usos (c) for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships

What am I looking at here? The first title bout between these two on SmackDown was aggressive, hard-hitting, and also cut short once the Usos realized pinning New Day wasn’t going to be easy. Now, after weeks of singles matches and a rap battle decided by Wale thrown in for good measure, New Day gets their rematch and a chance to take the titles from the Usos before the champs can run away a second time.

Why you should care: New Day is great and all, and a victory here would set SmackDown’s tag scene up in a way that allows another heel team to rise to the top to face New Day, but the more intriguing option might come from New Day losing. If they can’t take down the Usos in their second chance, they might be done getting chances for a while. And if that’s the case, maybe we’ll see the popular group stay together (they should) but change their focus. Say, to Big E going after singles belts, perhaps?

Hey, New Day has talked about their desire for one of them to win a singles title and for the entire group to say they’re that champ, so why not?

John Cena vs. Rusev in a Flag Match

What am I looking at here? WWE took the returns of two of their most dynamic and talented performers and turned it into some bullshit 80s patriotism thing that no one cares about.

Why you should care: idk Bulgaria is America’s enemy or something even though that’s not true, just hope that Cena vs. Rusev in the ring is better than Cena vs. Rusev has been on the mic, though, how could it not be given the material the two had to work with?

Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal (c) for the WWE Championship in a Punjabi Prison match

What am I looking at here? I’m glad you asked! I made a brief video to explain this match earlier in the week and now I’m going to use it again here because recycling is the key to our survival. When I say “recycling,” am I talking about the planet, or this industry? Either way, the answer is yes!

If you don’t want to watch the video because the written word is still an integral part of your life and you don’t understand advertisers’ obsession with video or feel comfortable about the control they exert over the future of the written word, well, here you go.

Randy Orton wanted another rematch with Jinder Mahal, whose cronies attacked Randy’s father during their last title bout in order to draw Orton out of the ring and give Jinder time to recover. Shane McMahon said sure, that’s fine, but in the interest of fairness given Shane remembers that Orton is also the kind of guy to beat up a dad to get his way, Jinder gets to pick the stipulation. Mahal chose the Punjabi Prison match, which hasn’t been used in years, and Orton was all “what are you an idiot now your buddies can’t do your dirty work for you” as if Jinder and the Singh Brothers hadn’t already thought of a way to make sure they do interfere.

The Punjabi Prison is two bamboo cages reinforced by steel. There is a door to exit the first cage from, but eventually that is locked, and then climbing is the only way out, except there are spikes on the top of the cage. There might also be weapons lying around, and there are no rules, other than the thing about the doors locking and the need to climb over two cages in order to win. Those sound like rules, but who’s counting?

Why you should care: The feud has not been great, but the last Orton vs. Mahal match was pretty good, and seeing a non-terrible Punjabi Prison match is... well, it’s not a bucket list item since you could live without it, but like people doing stupid stunts just to see if they can survive them, finding out if a Punjabi Prison match can be good is just one of those things people need to know.

Also this match will end up setting up the fate of the WWE Championship for SummerSlam, since a Jinder victory could mean John Cena is coming for the heel wit the title, and an Orton win could send Baron Corbin down to the ring to cash in on an exhausted face as soon as Sunday.