#but nat is precious so i figured she would be just fine :)

[whereianonymouslypostfics]

Growing Pains Part 4

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader

Word count: ~9.2k

Summary: Little Nat is almost 13 and school’s a bitch. Retired mob boss turned stay-at-home mom Wanda has to figure out how to deal with bullies at her daughter’s school. 

A/N: Credit to @rianncreates for this fic idea. Sorry for not writing much. I've been very unmotivated and kinda depressed, but I'm working on it!

Warnings: Fluff, teen angst, injury, reference to previous injury/trauma, bullies, and pranks

It’s almost 1 in the morning and sleep isn’t coming easily for you tonight. The usual culprit, your chronic pain, isn’t to blame tonight for once. You are thinking about what Natalya had asked tonight, and how you suspect that she was unintentionally, possibly coming out to you. Despite your claim of not caring one way or another, you’d love to know if she liked someone. Especially if that someone was a friend.

After considering this for too long you start to worry that your daughter was being bullied. It seemed like a stretch just going off of what she’d mentioned tonight, but as you rolled it around in your brain it didn’t seem unreasonable. She was shy and a bit awkward when she wanted to be, and you and Wanda loved her for it. That said, if someone found out that she had a crush especially on a friend you could see them taunting her about it. 

You hate to think that your daughter could be targeted like this, but you blame your restlessness for the current spiral. Nat would tell you if she was having trouble. Wouldn’t she?

“You’re tense, detka. What’s wrong? Are you hurting?”

You’d failed to realize as you got more anxious, that your body was starting to reflect this without your consent. Given that Wanda’s in her usual spot right snug up against your side, she can feel how you grow stiff beside her. She shifts carefully in case you’re in pain, so she can see your face. Or at least try to. She sees that you’re looking down at her with a caught expression, and given that it’s late you don’t waste precious time trying to deceive your too smart wife.

When you don’t respond immediately Wanda frowns as she starts to sit up. You don’t let her go far as you tighten your hold on her with a shake of your head. 

“No, Wands I’m fine. I was just thinking about Little Nat.”

This surprises Wanda for a couple of reasons. Usually, you can’t sleep because of your pain or you had caffeine too close to bed. She hadn’t guessed that you were worrying about their daughter and she wonders if she missed something earlier tonight.

You don’t let her fret too much as you kiss her head and take a deep breath before shifting to get more comfortable. You’re a little cold and pull the covers up higher as you shiver beneath them.

“She seemed concerned about facing more people like that woman today, and I just can’t help but think she was trying to tell me something.” 

Wanda doesn’t say anything at first, and the silence leaves you time to continue thinking about what you might be missing. Wanda’s mind is working in a similar way, and she frowns at the thought that she’s missed something important with her daughter. She’d believed Natalya when she said she didn’t like any of her friends, but she allowed her faith in her daughter to blind her to the simple fact that Nat may have just been scared. Wanda hated to think that her daughter could fear her in any capacity. If she wasn’t being truthful because she feared her reaction then Wanda had failed as a mother. 

She feels you squeeze her arm and she turns to see you with a knowing look. You shake your head before leaning in to kiss your wife’s hair with a smile. 

“You’re a wonderful mother, Wanda. Anyone with eyes can see how good you are to all of our children.”

Wanda sighs in defeat and she shifts so she’s facing you as she tangles your legs together. 

“You’re a little biased, detka.”

You don’t get to refute this before Wanda’s voicing her fears, stopping you short from responding with a joke. You frown at the thought of Wanda thinking of herself as inadequate when she’s no such thing. You never thought you could love Wanda more than when you’d married her, but then seeing her become a kind, fair, and loving mom had proved you wrong. 

“If I’m such a good mother, why doesn’t Natalya trust me?”

Your heart sinks and you’re twisting in Wanda’s grasp so you can be face to face. Despite struggling with this question a little  yourself, you really just had to remember how you’d first felt when you had a crush on someone. Regardless of who it was, you’d been terrified to consider the truth and you’d lied to multiple people just to keep your secret. You don’t know if Natalya’s doing the same, or if she even has a secret, but you have to believe that she’s just scared like a teen tends to be when something seems daunting. You know that Wanda has experienced similar fear, but now she’s also contending with her desire to have Nat tell her everything, and it’s making things complicated. 

Wanda grumbles in annoyance as you move out of her arms, but you continue to sit up so you’re hovering over her. She can’t see your face anymore because it’s obscured by darkness but she hears the smile in your voice as you offer her reassurance that she’s not a shitty parent.

“My love, it’s not about trust. You know Natalya trusts you with her life, but she’s a teenager, and things were scary back then if you recall.” 

The memory of one of her most terrifying high school experiences makes her practically recoil. You have a point. Everything at Natalya’s age seemed too daunting to commit to. It was a time that was supposed to be exciting and new, but for some it was overwhelming and terrifying. Trying to figure out who you were and what you wanted from life was a task that couldn’t be taken too seriously. It was a sure-fire way to psych yourself out and become totally apathetic. 

Wanda realizes that her daughter has a lot on her plate, and that she shouldn’t take this personally. Knowing that and accepting it however are two different things. She sighs heavily before she reaches out for you wordlessly. You take her hand in yours but she just shakes her head as she pulls you closer until you’re almost face to face again. You hover over her feeling her breath against your cheek as she speaks up. 

“That was a long time ago, Y/n.”

Wanda’s tone tells you that she’s accepting what you’ve said and that she doesn’t want to dwell on it. She’s changing the subject and you’re more than willing to go along with it if it means you can go to sleep soon. You shake your head before leaning in to kiss your wife chastely. You pull back just enough to respond and you feel Wanda’s hands fall to your waist. 

“Not so long, beautiful. That was what? 20 years ago?”

You don’t need to be able to see your wife to know that she’s rolling her eyes as she huffs in disbelief. She squeezes your sides which makes you flinch and laugh from the ticklish feeling. The sound makes her heart swell and she kisses your cheek in thanks before urging you closer. 

“You’re either really bad at math or you’re full of shit.”

“Why not both?”

Instead of responding and continuing the banter, Wanda decides she’d like to do something else. It’s late and you have work tomorrow, but it’s been a while since the two of you had done more than kiss and cuddle. Most of their time at home together was spent with their daughter which they loved, but it was nice to have time alone occasionally. You can tell what your wife is after as she pulls you close and then flush against her front as she captures your bottom lip between hers. You groan as you deepen the kiss and shift so you’re settled more comfortably on Wanda’s lap.

“I love you.”

Your hands begin to wander to your wife’s soft stomach, and you run your fingers along the faint stretch marks that you committed to memory long ago. You wish you could see your beautiful wife, but for now you’ll settle for touching her and holding her close as you make her writhe and gasp in pleasure. By the time you’re satisfied and Wanda’s left feeling boneless, it’s almost 3 in the morning. You’re exhausted and you’re pretty sure that Wanda’s already asleep where she clings to you. You sigh quietly as you lay your head on your pillow and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow you’ll figure out what you’re going to do for Natalya.

The next morning, Nat’s bruise has darkened and looks a little purple when she comes downstairs for breakfast. You watch as Wanda sets her coffee down and grabs the plate of food she’d made for Nat. The younger Maximoff yawns before she walks up to you and then Wanda for a hug. 

“Hi moms.”

When your daughter pulls back, you take a moment to look at her face and you can’t help but frown slightly. You gently brush her cheek before setting her off to get her breakfast. 

“How’s it feeling?”

She shrugs as she walks back around the counter to where her other mom is, and she has to resist the urge to grab her food and immediately start eating. She looks up at her redheaded mom because she’s certain she’d like to look at her eye as well. Natalya lets her mom fuss for a bit before she hugs her while taking her plate with a grateful smile. 

“I’m really fine, Moms. It’s just another reminder to pay attention.” 

Wanda frowns at this and you can’t help but roll your eyes as you watch your daughter sit down at the table. She’s already dressed for school and Wanda double checks to make sure Nat’s lunch is all set before joining the two of you at the table. You’re grateful for the cup of coffee Wanda brings you with a knowing smile, and you just shoot her one of your own before you turn to Natalya who’s practically scarfing down her breakfast. 

“Slow down, kiddo. You’re going to choke.” 

“You have plenty of time before we need to leave.” 

This comment from Wanda makes Little Nat pause and her fork stops halfway to her mouth as she realizes she’s caught. She tries to resume eating like nothing is amiss, but her parents had been watching her closely and it was impossible for them to miss her reaction. You raise an eyebrow at your daughter who’s failing to look nonchalant, and Wanda decides to broach the subject before you head out to work soon.

“What is it?” 

Natalya pauses as she considers how to tell her parents that she’d come home and immediately texted Taylor about coming up with a plan to get Stacy off her back. She had agreed to come to school a little early, but she didn’t want to tell her parents about this. She tries to come up with a believable lie on the spot. Something she’s never successfully done. 

“I just might need to go to school a little early.” 

The vague answer makes both of her moms frown, but Nat focuses on her breakfast and tries to buy herself time. 

“I forgot about a science project that I was supposed to work on with Taylor, but we’re meeting before school to do it.” 

Wanda immediately checks the time and sees that there is less than an hour before the first bell rings. She’s not sure how Nat thought this would work out, but she’s already worried for her. You’re a little more focused on the fact that Natalya hadn’t mentioned anything about this last night. You’d asked her twice once she was finished with her work if there was anything else that she had to do. You knew that your daughter could be forgetful, so you just try to ignore your nagging suspicion and try to believe that she’d simply forgotten. 

“When’s it due? Are you going to have enough time to work on it? What is the project about?” 

Natalya quickly finishes the rest of the breakfast before addressing her mom who was already stressing out. She shakes her head before realizing that she should have come up with a different lie, but it was a little late for that. She smiles at the duo before she shrugs and mentions that it’s not a big deal. 

“It’s due today, but at the end of the day. It’s just a presentation about an element from the periodic table. It’s a little dumb honestly. We just have to list different things that are made from silver.” 

This does sound a little pointless to you, but Wanda’s more focused on the fact that their daughter apparently completely forgot about an assignment. This hasn’t happened in a while because Wanda made a point of getting Natalya a planner that helps her keep track of all of her assignments. She takes it to school every day and she’s gotten in the habit of taking it out for each class and writing anything she’d need to do for it. 

It helped her organize her sometimes jumbled thoughts, and both you and Wanda started to notice that she was forgetting fewer things. 

“Have you started on it at all, milaya?” 

Wanda was a little anxious about this, but her daughter, just like you, smiles at her and insists that it was fine. She had it covered. 

“Yeah, it’s easy! A lot of things are made of silver. Jewelry, knives, swords, bullets…” 

Wanda’s frown deepens at the fact that Natalya basically just named all weapons for some reason, but you just shake your head as you set down your empty mug. You’ll need more coffee given your late night, but you’re going to take it to-go at this point. You stifle a yawn as you sit back in your chair and look to your daughter with a small smile. 

“Bullets aren’t made of silver, Little Nat. Unless you’re a vampire hunter.”

Wanda rolls her eyes at this comment and is about to make one of her own about your priorities, but Natalya beats her to it. You don’t seem particularly thrown by her question, but Wanda holds her breath as she waits to hear what your response is. She tries not to think about the dozens of guns in the basement that she needed to get to her brother asap. 

“How do you know that, Mom?” 

You realize your mistake fairly quickly but luckily you have an easy answer for this question that doesn’t include bringing up Wanda’s past. You had learned a lot about guns during your years with Wanda, but it had been a very long time since you touched one with the intent to shoot it. 

“When dogs are accidentally shot while hunting, they’re brought in for lead poisoning. Not silver.” 

Natalya stops short of petting Boone and thinks about this with a frown. She supposes it makes sense that her mom would see a couple of these cases at work. They live in the mountains, of course people are going to hunt. Her frown quickly turns to a smile as she scratches her panting dog’s head. He’d come up to check and see if she has any leftovers, but unfortunately for him she’d eaten everything. Nat’s distracted by Rogue coming around too, so she misses the quick exchange between her parents before Wanda decides to get things moving. If Natalya really needs to be at school early, she might as well get ready now. 

“Okay, Natalya. Go on and clean up so we can get ready to go.” 

Little Nat nods before she goes off to do as her mom says. She hugs her vet mom bye in case you leave before she comes back, and you wish her good luck on her project before watching her retreat to the kitchen. You turn your attention to the furry head nudging your leg before smiling at your wife. 

“What do you have planned for today, Wands?” 

Your wife has to think about this because she hadn’t really gotten any further than taking Natalya to school. She doesn’t have too many errands to run today. She just went to the store, but she supposes she could run by the pharmacy and the dispensary for both yours and her medications. She shrugs before finishing off her coffee with a smile as she thinks of one more thing she can do. 

“Just a couple of errands. Might stop by Piet’s to give him some boxes.” 

You immediately know what she’s talking about, and you smile as you steal a glance at the basement door that you made sure had a lock on it years ago. Although it was mostly an out of sight, out mind type deal, occasionally you or Wanda would think about the guns down there and worry about Nat finding them. Despite the fact that she used to have nightmares about the basement, Natalya wouldn’t avoid it forever, and you’d rather not have to explain what was in the heavy, locked boxes that certainly were covered in dust and spiders. 

You stand up to get more coffee and you grab Wanda’s cup as well with a questioning look. She smiles in thanks and you plant a quick kiss on her lips before going to see how Nat’s doing. She’s finishing up with her dish as you arrive, and you laugh as she hugs you one more time before running upstairs to get ready. Regardless of what they’d be doing, she’d promised Taylor she would be there in about 20 minutes, and she had to leave soon if she didn’t want to be late. 

“Bye Mom! See you tonight. I’ll be right back!” 

When you return to the table, Rogue is trying to climb in Wanda’s lap and Fletcher has jumped up on your chair. You shoot her a glare, but you don’t move her because you’re about to head to work anyway. Still you give her a hard time before you set Wanda’s cup in front of her with a sigh. 

“Fletcher, you’re the worst.” 

Wanda shoots you a look that you just smile at before you bend over to kiss her goodbye. You need to head to work soon, and you forgot that you’d agreed to have someone shadow your appointments today. You need to be slightly more prepared than usual, and this would require a little extra time this morning. Wanda catches your chin as you try to pull away and gives you one more kiss before smiling at you. 

“If you’re not too busy for lunch today, let me know?” 

You nod in agreement before you head upstairs to finish getting ready. You walk past Natalya’s room and she nearly barrels you over as she comes running out with her backpack slung over her shoulder. You cringe as she slams into you and the sound catches Wanda’s attention from where she’s petting Fletcher who’s still sitting in your spot. She sees you stumble slightly before you hold up your arms to steady your overly enthusiastic daughter. 

“Oh, sorry Mom!” 

You shake your head as you offer your daughter a stern look that is softened by your small smile. You take a deep breath and pushed away the soreness you feel before waving Little Nat downstairs and heading to your bedroom. 

“Slow down, kid. You’re going to hurt yourself.” 

Natalya just nods before hugging you quickly and hurrying down the stairs, only a little slower than what she’d originally intended. You just roll your eyes before retreating to your room, and Wanda stands up at the sight of her daughter ready to go. 

“Ready?”

Taylor arrives at school before Nat, and she heads to their meeting spot on the hill outside of school. It’s nice out and she can tell it’s going to be cooler than it was yesterday. She’s glad because she doesn’t want to sweat too much at practice when she’s barely able to bend over. She’d taken something when she’d gotten home from the game last night, and she’d iced the largest bruise on her side before going to bed. However, she woke up stiff and angry all over again at the fact that she’d been body slammed with zero consequence to the other player. 

She took another pain reliever and tried to forget about it as she got ready for school early this morning. She’d agreed to meet Natalya to talk about what she wanted to do regarding Stacy’s continued bullying. Taylor was ecstatic that her friend was going to do something about it, and it took a lot of self-control to not tell Luke and Alyssa too. She wonders what the other brunette had come up with. Or maybe this would be a brainstorming session. 

When it’s almost time for Nat to get here, Taylor decides to go wait for her at the car circle. She’s a little antsy and wants to get started on plotting Nat’s revenge. She finds herself pacing as she waits for her friend, and at the sound of a car pulling up she’s immediately turning to see who it is. 

“Taylor!” 

She smiles at the sound of her friend’s voice and she hurries to greet the brunette who’s practically out of the car before it’s stopped.

“Hey, Nat. Mrs. Maximoff. How are you?”

Nat resists the urge to roll her eyes as Taylor smiles at her mom. She grabs her backpack before closing the door behind her and getting out of the way so the two can chat. 

“Hi Taylor, I’m well, how are you? Ready for your presentation today?” 

Nat stiffens and Taylor looks a little confused before she turns to Nat for a split second. She realizes she’s missing something and she decides to try to cover this up as best as possible. She offers the older Maximoff an awkward smile before her gaze shifts back to Natalya. 

“Umm, I thought this was a paper?” 

Nat just sighs in defeat and she doesn’t have to turn around to see her mom’s suspicion. She instead groans under her breath and opts to take advantage of her friend’s comment. She shoots her mom a sheepish smile before grabbing Taylor’s arm and leading her away. 

“Clearly, we have a lot of work to do. See you later, Mama!”

Wanda is still frowning as she watches Nat lead her friend toward school. She notices that Taylor’s hunched over slightly so she can listen to whatever Nat’s saying, but Wanda definitely can’t hear it. She decides to just let it be and check in later. For now, she’s going back home to sit with her cat for a bit before figuring out what to do with her day. She’d like to get around to planting the few vegetables she’d bought for her garden. It was supposed to be a nice day, and given that she’d put this off for a bit, she had at least a dozen vegetables to plant. 

She thinks about what she’ll be able to harvest, if anything, on the way home. She yawns before getting out of the car to greet Rogue who as usual was waiting for her return. He wags his tail, and Wanda scratches his head before she steps into the house. She looks around at the kitchen and the living room, and she heads toward the couch when she sees Fletcher sitting on one of the pillows. She sits down beside her and pats her lap with a smile. Her cat gracefully makes her way over and plops down in her lap with a loud purr. Wanda pets her for a while and scratches Rogue where he sits at her feet. 

She grabs her phone and texts her brother while she’s still thinking about it. If she remembers correctly, he’s busy for most of the day, but she’s in no rush to get this done. She considers what she could do with the basement after it’s cleaned out. Their house already has everything they could want, and far more than they could need. What could they put downstairs in a dark room? 

This thought makes Wanda realize that she can change this if she wanted to. She shakes the thought away for the moment because she wants to get outside before it gets too hot. She decides to go upstairs and get changed and then take Rogue with her to the garden. She would let Fletcher go, but she’s sure to just run off and Wanda was too high anxiety to let her cat just wander the woods. 

When she’s dressed and ready to go, she opens the back door and waits for Rogue to follow her out before she heads toward the shed. The very large backyard that basically extended toward the woods was empty for a long time. You and Wanda just enjoyed the natural beauty of the place when you first moved here. You loved seeing how the grass stretched out to the trees, and you hadn’t wanted to change that. Five years ago, Wanda had brought up the idea of having a garden where she could grow flowers and food. You’d mostly been interested in the food and after Wanda had told you her plans to grow a bunch of vegetables, you’d been game. You and Steve had built the garden according to Wanda’s carefully laid plans, and over the years you’ve only had to make a few modifications. 

Wanda had grown a majority of the vegetables you ate, and the extras went to their friends. During late summer, she’d grow pumpkins that are ready for Halloween so Little Nat would have them for her pumpkin carving contest. First it was a thing between the family, but she’d since introduced the idea to her friends and given her creativity she usually won.

When Wanda arrives to the garden, she’s smiling as she opens the gate and lets Rogue amble through first. He’s been in here many times and he knows that there are only three rules. Don’t step on the plants, eat the plants or pee on them. One of the modifications you’d made includes a small area for Rogue to sit comfortably while still watching his mom closely. He loved spending time here with her, and despite the temptation of the food grown, he was well behaved. Although he couldn’t eat any of the plants, Wanda sometimes fed him some of the veggies, mostly carrots after she washed them. Boone was less interested in the view of the garden and more interested in the food, and after trying to eat one of the tomato plants, he wasn’t allowed in for long and without direct supervision. 

“What should we do first, bud? Plant or pick?” 

After receiving no answer from the shepherd, Wanda decides to plant the tomato plants she’d bought recently along with some flowers. She’s almost finished when she hears her phone beep from her pocket. She takes off her gloves and wipes her sweaty forehead with a sigh before she reaches for her phone. She’s surprised to see a text from her brother already, but she’s quick to text back when he suggests stopping by this afternoon to pick up the guns. Wanda sends him a smile and agrees to 3pm before she puts her phone up and checks on her dog. He’s napping beside some lettuce and Wanda can’t help but smile widely at him. 

She picks up her trowel before adjusting her hat with a frown. It’s predictably gotten sunnier, but it’s still pretty nice out so she decides to keep going. After the last plant is in place in the bed, she grabs one of the baskets and decides to start picking some of the ripe vegetables. 

“Rogue, are you ready for the fun part?” 

He stands up excitedly and pants as he follows her lead along the paths. This was his favorite part because he got to follow her to each bed and sniff the food that she picked. She grew things all year round, but honestly summer was her favorite season because of the food she grew. She knew you liked it too, and she fills an entire basket with kale and okra. She’s going to need to grab some more soon, but she stops to take a break when she gets another text message. She hadn’t realized how much time had passed and it’s nearly 11 when you text her. 

I’ll be free for lunch, if you’re still interested?

Wanda considers this carefully as she looks around her garden. She still has a lot to do, but she supposes it can wait until tomorrow. She’d rather have lunch with you, and if she can bring you something that she’s made from the garden that will just be a bonus. She starts to text you before she has to scold Rogue for pawing at the basket she left at her feet. He knows that anything on the plant is off-limits, but once it’s in the basket or on the ground, he thinks of it as fair game. 

“No, bud. You’ll get some later, okay?” 

He only whines and lays his head on the ground before Wanda turns back to her phone. She smiles as she types out a response before getting to her feet. She’ll go find another basket and finish up with the tomatoes and green beans before leaving the rest for later. 

I’ve been in the garden all morning, so I’ll bring lunch.

When you see this a little later you can’t help but be excited. You loved when your wife brought you lunch, but when it was something she made you knew it would be amazing. You text her back before returning to your last couple of appointments before lunch. You’re certain that your mind will be on food until your wife comes to visit, but luckily these last two appointments should be pretty straightforward. 

Thanks, Wands. I’m already excited. 

Once Wanda’s finished gathering the ingredients for lunch, she washes just what she’ll need before she puts it in the fridge for a few minutes as she jumps in the shower. She only does it so it will be out of Rogue’s reach, but she’d cut up a carrot for him and put it in his bowl, so hopefully that will keep him happy. She doesn’t wash her hair, but she makes sure to get rid of any dirt and sweat from her time outside before she gets ready to cook. 

Rogue sits outside of the kitchen watching her carefully as she prepares a salad and a few things to go with it. Wanda has to shoo Fletcher away a couple of times, and when she bats at a carrot on the counter, she has to banish her to the living room. It’s 12 when Wanda finishes up packing everything for lunch, and she checks her appearance in the mirror briefly before she kisses her pets goodbye. 

“I’ll be back soon, kids. Be good.” 

She supposes she could take Rogue, but he’d spent a lot of time out in the sun this morning, and she wanted him to relax. She also didn’t want you to have to leave him alone anywhere in the office because he undoubtedly would complain. He could always hang out with Boone but that required their supervision and maybe they could save that for next time. 

When lunchtime rolls around at school, Nat’s smiling as she meets Taylor, Luke, and Alyssa at their normal spot. She and Taylor had discussed their plan at length, and after getting everything set for phase one before the first bell Nat was near giddy in anticipation. Taylor had to remind her to tone it down or else she’d risk tipping someone off. The brunette knew her friend was a shit liar and would probably spill everything. She loved her for her inability to keep a straight face, but it would not help in this situation. She’d done a lot of things like this, which is why she had the necessary supplies in her locker already, and Taylor was used to just watching and waiting. 

“You know, this is the first time that you’ve done something like this, isn’t it?” 

Taylor was mostly musing to herself, but when she thinks about it a little more she can’t help but smile. Her friend has always been one to abide by the rules which is something she respected, but didn’t concern herself with nearly as much. She got in trouble more, but it was never for serious things. The worst had been when she’d been accused of fighting. Both of her moms had shown up, as well as the parents of the boy she’s smacked and they’d all had it out before it was decided that she acted in self-defense. Either way, Natalya had only ever gotten in trouble for forgetting an assignment, but nothing that was really noteworthy. If everything went according to plan, she also wouldn’t get in trouble for this, but they’d just have to see. 

Surprisingly, Natalya just smiles widely before nodding in agreement. She was a little terrified, but also, she feels eager to see how this all plays out. It’s only the first step of several, but with her friends’ support and her newfound albeit tenuous confidence, she was going to get Stacy to leave her alone. 

“It is! It might sound dumb, but I am really looking forward to this.” 

The trio all shake their heads at the thought. They’re still a little surprised by how long Nat’s gone without putting her foot down or seeking help. They felt guilty for not stepping in earlier, or convincing her to do something, but they were making up for that now. They would have the brunette’s back, and they were also looking forward to what happened next. 

Luke’s smiling the widest because he’s imagining how Stacy will react to what Taylor and Nat had done. She was always a bit of a drama queen, and he knew that he was going to flee and encourage Nat to do the same if it came down to it. 

Alyssa had been against the idea because it seemed like they were asking for trouble. She knew that Nat was against going to anyone for help, but this was just going to cause a confrontation that she probably wasn’t ready for. If she was lucky, it wouldn’t involve her parents, but if she was particularly unlucky, she’d have Stacy’s there too. Still, she decided to keep her objections to herself because she really hadn’t seen Nat like this in a while. At the risk of losing their sleepover privileges this weekend, she was going through with this. 

“When do you think she’ll go to her locker?” 

It was almost as if Alyssa had summoned her by asking this, and the group sees an irate Stacy burst through the cafeteria doors at the bottom of the hill. They can hear the faint sound of muffled laughter as the door closes behind her and she immediately searches for them. Nat has to stifle her laughter at the sight of the blonde’s face. Her anger was less amusing than the fact that she was covered in silver and gold glitter. 

She and Taylor had gone back and forth with the idea of a while before she’d decided to go for it. She hated glitter because it never went away, and she refused to open gifts that were wrapped in glitter paper if she didn’t get gloves. You found it ridiculous, but Wanda seemed to understand and avoided the decoration like the plague. She mostly realized how much of a pain it was to get out of the carpet, and she didn’t want to worry about it. The one year that Fletcher had been covered in it made her reluctant to cuddle with her until she got a bath which neither of them enjoyed. 

“You little shit!” 

Nat was already standing up to avoid getting any glitter on her, and her friends followed suit as the brunette started to back away. 

“Hey, Stace, I love what you did with the…” 

She gestures vaguely to the blonde’s face, but she continues to back away from the glitter that she did not want to get on her. She watches her friends back up as Stacy comes storming up the stairs leaving glitter in her wake. She starts to run at Nat and the brunette quickly turns tail and runs. She has a destination in mind and she hopes that she makes it there scot-free. 

“Get back here, bitch!” 

Wanda arrives to your work a little after noon with a bag of food to find you waiting at the front desk. You are talking with one of the receptionists, but as soon as you see her you trail off with a smile. You move forward to greet her with a kiss on the cheek before you look toward the bag curiously. 

“Hey, Wands. Glad you could make it.” 

Wanda just rolls her eyes before she’s kissing your cheek and grabbing your hand. She’s reaching out to hand you the bag so she can fix your hair that’s a little all over the place. She doesn’t have time to ask before you put an arm around her waist and lead her back toward your office. Wanda smiles as you attempt to explain your appearance, but she honestly doesn’t mind. She feels like she looks a little rough too.

“Follow me, my love. Yeah, sorry, I had a puppy in my hair earlier.” 

Wanda doesn’t even have time to ask as she follows you up the stairs and past a few assistants that she just offers a smile. She visits a couple times a month probably. She is free to do it more often, but she doesn’t want to get in the way or disturb you while you work. She knows it’s important for you to have your time at work without her, and she wants you to have that. That said, sometimes when days are hard or you’re freer than usual, you’ll ask her to lunch like you did today. 

“That’s adorable. You’ve had a good day so far?” 

You hold the door to your office open for your wife before following her in with a nod. You shut the door behind you and quickly clear a spot on your desk for the bag of food that Wanda brought. You resist the urge to dig in immediately as you explain how most of your day had been very good so far. You were glad that Wanda was visiting too, and you move over to the small couch along the wall that you’d bought after Wanda mentioned that having a place to sit together would be nice. The first couple of times, Wanda had just sat in your lap or you’d borrowed a chair, but this was so much better. You hold your arms out for your wife and she obediently grabs the bag and sets in at the end of the couch before sitting beside you. 

“It’s been great. Nobody’s been sick yet which is nice. What about you? Did Rogue behave while you worked?”

Wanda smiles at this as she nods and curls up beside you with a sigh. She’s glad to take the time to relax after being on her knees in the dirt for so long, and she stretches out before offering you a response. She doesn’t notice that you’re just smiling at her as she thinks about her dog that she left at home. 

“He was very good. Only tried to eat out of my basket a couple of times.” 

You laugh at this and the image of Rogue scrounging for food in the garden. Boone was banned from it for a while since he dug up nearly a whole row of carrots. You sit up when Wanda reaches for the bag she brought because she knows you’re hungry. You probably have been for most of the day. She takes out the first container that has your lunch and then a smaller one that contained dressing. You smile and accept it with a kiss and a thank you as you take a peek at what’s inside. 

“Wow, this looks so good. Thank you.”

Wanda just nods as she takes out her own lunch which is basically the same as yours, but with chicken instead of salmon. You open the container and have to hold back a moan at how good the salad looked. You loved that your wife enjoyed growing food. It was your favorite thing, and you swore if you had the time and patience for it, you’d join her. 

“Of course, detka.” 

You two eat in silence for a minute and you hum happily as you spear another green bean through a leaf of kale. The excited noise you release as you realize you’ve snagged a tomato too makes Wanda smile widely at you. You’re so adorable she can’t stand it sometimes. 

“So is everything else looking good?” 

Wanda smiles at your predictable question, and she tells you about how the other vegetables are growing. You didn’t help much in the garden, that was Wanda’s thing, but sometimes when it was time to change crops you would pick up seeds or dirt for her. One time when the fence had been destroyed by something looking for easy food, you’d had to rebuild it, but beyond this you mostly just benefited from Wanda’s hard work. 

“It’s all looking great. We’re going to make Nat a fan of cauliflower in no time.” 

You laugh at this because despite your daughter liking a lot of different foods, this is the one vegetable that she couldn’t stand. She could tell if it was in a dish even in the smallest amounts and she wouldn’t eat it. It was almost a game to you sometimes. You were trying to get her to like one of your favorite vegetables by exposing her to it more, but so far, you’ve failed. 

You’re still eating and plotting how to make this happen when Wanda’s mind wanders to the only other thing she had to do today. She’ll go home and finish in the garden before organizing the boxes in the basement to help Pietro out. She doesn’t worry about that now though because she wants to run something by you. 

“How’s the rest of your day look, doc?” 

You smile before shrugging and only glancing at your computer for a second.  Your afternoon will be a little busier than this morning, but that’s fine you’ll be ready now that you’re well-fed and motivated by the fun appointment you get to see at the end of the day. You tell Wanda this and she smiles before setting her mostly finished lunch aside for a minute. She wants to ask your opinion on something, and she waits until you’re in between bites. 

“What about you, Wands? Any plans?” 

This is the perfect opening and Wanda nods before telling you her plan to have Pietro come over and remove hopefully all of the guns that they had down in the basement. You’re happy to hear this and you wonder what Pietro’s going to do with them. You and your friends didn’t go into details about how they were going to leave their mob lives behind. The general consensus though was that they would lay low and not walk around armed anymore once the dust settled and they seemed to be in the clear. You and Wanda had packed all of your guns away and you are pretty sure Steve and Bucky did too, but you couldn’t but sure about Nat and Yelena. That said, you and Wanda were the only ones who really had to hide your guns from anyone, namely Nat. Although she sometimes visited her relatives, she never stayed long enough to find any of the guns they might have lying around. 

Wanda would make sure that these stayed locked up or at least out of reach of her daughter if she ever visited Pietro in the future. 

“Now that it’s cleared out, I was thinking about doing something with it.” 

This catches your attention, and after you finish chewing you shoot your wife a curious look that she only sees out of the corner of her eye as she looks down at her hands. 

“What were you thinking?” 

Wanda hadn’t really come up with anything yet. She thought that it could be a work out room, or a movie room, although that’s what the den was for, so she wanted to ask you if you had an opinion. Maybe it could be a game room, or another bedroom. 

Wanda shrugs as she mentions her plans, or rather lack of plans, and you just nod before trying to think of something that could be done. The house had anything that any of you could need, and you’re not sure what would be worth doing. 

“If the dogs handled stairs better, I’d suggest giving them a floor of their own. Confine the dog hair to one place.” 

Wanda rolls her eyes at this because even if the dogs were younger and spryer, you would never try to keep them tucked away downstairs. Sure you would consider giving them extra space, but you wouldn’t want the door closed so they could come and go as they pleased. Still, Wanda imagines what this room would look like and she’s sure you would like it as much as the dogs. 

“Maybe 5 years ago. We could have built them a pool.” 

You freeze with your fork halfway to your mouth and Wanda frowns as she considers what she just said. You’re smiling by the time she looks at you and she can’t help but return it as she quickly wonders what all of this would involve. 

“A pool?”

���A pool.”

Natalya curses as she turns down the hallway back toward the main office where the principal spent most of her time. She hadn’t been to the office except maybe once in her first year here, and she hopes it’s still in the same place. She doesn’t have time to think much about it before she hears Stacy at the end of the hall accompanied by her friends’ voices. Natalya barely waits after she knocks on the principal’s door before she’s opening it and apologizing. Her heart is thundering inside her chest from the run here and her nerves now that she’s arrived at her destination. 

“Sorry, Ms. Lewis! I just had to tell you before she--.” 

Natalya’s cut off and she mutters a curse in Sokovian under her breath as she’s tackled from behind. She puts her hands out to stop herself from falling on her face, but she still feels the carpet rub uncomfortably on her cheek as Stacy pins her down.

“You’re dead, Maximoff!” 

“Ms. Jenkins!” 

As Nat continues to struggle beneath the blonde, she hears new voices and she’s lifted off the ground slightly as someone tries to get Stacy off her. Nat’s trying not to think about the glitter that she sees falling on the carpet and her clothes. She squeezes her eyes shut as she waits to be freed from underneath the irate teen. She could get her off if she really wanted to, but she was trying to appear like the passive party, and it only took a few seconds for Luke and Taylor to yank Stacy off. 

“Get off of me!”

“Chill, Stace. You’re getting glitter everywhere!”

Luke backed away from the copious amounts of glitter flying everywhere, and he’s almost out the door when their principal speaks up again. She’s a little bewildered by the sight in front of her. She wouldn’t have expected to have the daughter of the PTA president and quite possibly the quietest student in school in her office together, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. 

“Everyone sit down now! Explain to me what’s going on, please.” 

Wanda’s back at home and in her garden again when her brother arrives. She’d taken Rogue back outside and with her sunhat, and his umbrella, they both got to work. Well, she did most of the work, but Rogue supervised her and sniffed every basket she laid nearby him. 

The sound of a car coming up the road catches the shepherd’s attention, and Wanda hears the sound of a car door slamming. Rogue starts to get up to investigate, but Wanda shakes her head before telling him to stay put. She texts her brother that she’s in the garden, and less than a minute later, the older Maximoff is appearing from over the fence. 

“Hey there, sestra. Looking good.” 

Wanda rolls her eyes but says nothing as Rogue stands up as soon as Pietro walks through the gate. He sniffs him before huffing and turning back to his mom who had three baskets full of vegetables that she’s picked. 

“I didn’t realize how late it was. I just have to finish this section, and then I can help you.” 

Pietro shakes his head as she watches his sister cuts a few stalks of asparagus before tossing them in a basket. He’s always found his sister’s interest in gardening fascinating. He was mostly interested in the food, but he knew that his sister had it down to a science after all these years. He walks over to where one of the baskets is and glances at Rogue before he starts to pick it up. 

“It’s fine. I can take these in and then meet you there?” 

Wanda just nods before she finishes up and wipes her gloved hands on her already dirty pants. She’d changed again after getting back from lunch with you, and she would need another shower before she made dinner tonight. She watches Rogue follow her brother who’d grabbed two baskets before she collects her tools and goes to put them in the shed. She walks back into the garden as her brother’s returning and she hands him a basket before grabbing the last one and shutting the gate behind her. 

“Thanks for coming by, Piet. This is definitely overdue.” 

Pietro smiles at his sister’s visible relief at getting all, or at least most, of the guns out of her house. They’ve been in the basement for years and he knew that this was an important thing that kept his sister from being comfortable with guests. Sure there were other reasons, but the two dozen guns definitely stressed her out and would require an explanation if anyone stumbled upon them. 

“Of course. I hope you know they’re just going in my basement.” 

Wanda laughs at this as she follows him into the house. She takes off her shoes and shakes her head at the idea of them being so similar. She’s seen his basement and it’s more of a man cave, but there’s a huge vault down there as well behind the water heater that holds his guns and other illegal, valuable things. Wanda sets her hat down on a nearby table before she runs a hand through her hair and heads for the stairs. 

“I’m going to get the key. I’ll be right back. I made some chicken earlier if you want some. It’s in the fridge.” 

Pietro barely waits until his sister’s finished speaking before he’s searching for the leftovers from lunch. He’d eaten already, but he can always eat more and he’s on his second piece by the time Wanda reappears with some keys on a chain. In addition to the basement key, she has keys to several cars that she’s kept but not used often, in the safe. She knows she’ll probably have to part with them at some point because she pays more for the maintenance than she should, but she can’t help but be a little nostalgic.

“It’s six boxes, right?” 

Wanda nods as she unlocks the door and flips on the light with a sigh. She hasn’t been in here in a while so she’s not surprised by how dusty it is and she hides a grimace before she starts to walk down the stairs. 

“Yeah, did you bring the truck?” 

Pietro nods even though she can’t see it but she figures that he wouldn’t bring his sportscar to move all this. She was a little surprised when he’d arrived at her house one day with a giant pickup. She had wanted to give him grief about it, but apparently, he’d gotten it to go camping with Natalya. They’d done it a couple of times and it was always a struggle to pack everything that Pietro wanted including a list of nearly 40 items. Natalya had been so young she could barely get in the truck without help and Wanda couldn’t help but imagine her daughter just disappearing under it. 

One time you’d gone with them and brought the dogs and it was apparently a lot of fun. This is what Natalya claimed anyway, but you and Pietro were less vocal about your opinions to the point that Wanda had to ask you later what had happened.

Apparently the two of you had been surprised by a bear the last night and your two dogs had chased after it leaving you to chase after them. You haven’t gone camping since, but Pietro tried to take Little Nat out a couple times a year. 

“It’s filthy down here, Wanda.” 

Wanda just nods in agreement because she’s sure there are plenty of things living down here that she doesn’t want to know anything about. She knows she’s going to have to deal with it if she really wants to build a pool down here, but that’s a task for another day. 

“I’d be surprised if it wasn’t, Piet. Let’s get these upstairs.” 

It only takes a few minutes with the two of them working together before the boxes are stacked in the foyer ready to be taken outside. Wanda wanted to clean them off first, but Pietro argued that there was really no point. They were just going to another dusty house and she eventually acquiesced when she heard her phone ring as she stepped out of the house with their third box. 

“Shit, I should get that sorry.” 

Pietro sighed dramatically, but he lifted it just fine on his own and headed to the truck while Wanda went back inside. It stopped ringing as soon as she got there, but she only got to see the number of the caller before they were calling again. 

It was Natalya’s school. 

Wanda didn’t hesitate to answer and she completely ignored her brother as she listened to the woman on the other end of the line. Her jaw continues to drop with each thing this woman, her daughter’s principal says and she’s already looking for her keys when she’s told what is needed of her. 

“Mrs. Maximoff, if you and your wife could come at dismissal for a meeting, I’m hoping we can resolve this issue.” 

Wanda’s so stunned by what Natalya apparently did today at school that she can’t answer immediately. It’s not until she sees her brother shooting her a confused look that she gathers her wits and nods in understanding. 

“Of course. We’ll – I’ll call her and we’ll both try to be there.” 

Wanda honestly doesn’t hear the woman say anything in response before she just stares at her phone after the call’s ended. What the hell was going on?

Masterlist

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x female reader #wanda maximoff fanfiction #wanda x reader #post mob au #growing pains #natalya maximoff

[matthewmrdock]

SCARLETT JOHANSSON as NATASHA ROMANOFF in BLACK WIDOW (2020)

For @danvercarols thanks for sending in a request for my 700 celebration!

#sorry this took a million years #and that queen frigga wouldnt work #but nat is precious so i figured she would be just fine :) #marveledit #mcuedit #natasharomanoffedit #blackwidowedit #mcufam #dailywidow #dailymarvel #dailyavengers #dailyheroes #dailymarvelheroes #dailymarvelladies #marvelladiesdaily #dailymarvelqueens #dailymarveledit #natasha romanoff #black widow #by brooke

[writingintheshadowsforever]

Yelena Belova x Reader Nothing Scares Me

Yelena Belova swore nothing in the world was capable of scaring her. Which of course ignited a Halloween challenge among the rest of the Avengers.

Scare the bejesus out of Yelena and win some type of mystery prize from Tony.

It was safe to say they were trying every tactic possible to scare the blonde assassin. Tony turned the tower into a giant haunted house with thrills on every single floor. All in succeeded in was scaring the crap out of Clint and Sam, and getting a zombie actor nearly crushed by Nat's thighs.

Steve and Bucky went for the traditional fake kidnap prank. Both of them ended up with sore body parts. Thor didn't really understand the assignment he just made a really cool entrance. Yelena was impressed and demanded an encore. Natasha attempted to target one of her little sister's precious vests. She finally lost a tickle fight for the first time to the blonde assassin. Peter had a plan but all it took from her was a death stare, and he ran in the other direction.

You were the only one who choose not to partake in the ridiculous challenge. Instead you decided to treat Yelena to all the fun Halloween things. She missed out on like horror movie marathons of stupid slasher movies. It was safe to say that nothing of them even made her flinch. You also introduced to the fun movies to like Halloweentown and the Little Vampire. She enjoyed those a little more.

You and her had a pumpkin carving contest as well. She was surprisingly good at it carving a small village with a witch flying above it. It was grand compared to your cat with a jack o lantern. She won a kiss from you of course. Then there was baking and decorating Halloween cookies together. Both of you ended up covered in icing and flour. You saved the messy makeout for after the cookies were out of the oven.

As the days to the official holiday began to dwindle down. Tony and Natasha tried to pressure you into scaring her more and more. They were convinced you knew something that they didn't. You insisted you had no idea what terrified her, but they didn't believe you. But at the same time Natasha knew you wouldn't betray her little sister like that. So she came up with a new plan.

"Hey Y/N have you taken Yelena to the local haunted house yet?" She mentioned one morning while the three of you were hanging out in the kitchen. Her and Yelena sitting at the table while you made pancakes.

You froze right in the middle of flipping a pancake letting it splatter on the floor.

"Dekta no that was the pumpkin shaped one", Yelena whined too focused on the ruined pancake too notice your glare directed at Nat.

"No Nat I haven't she doesn't need to go considering with what she has to put up with here."

Natasha shrugged with a smug look "I just thought you would take her considering it's tradition for you to drag someone there with you."

You let out a groan as Yelena's attention snapped back to the conversation. At the word tradition she was obsessed with making sure. You stuck to any important traditions that you had prior to your relationship with her. You promise to introduce to all of your favorite Halloween activities, but decided to leave the haunted house out. For the simple fact that the Avengers had spent most of the month trying to scare her, and if they failed so would the workers at the house. Plus you figured Yelena was tired of people trying to scare her, and she might hurt one of the workers.

"I don't mind going with you" Yelena argued with a pout.

Great now she was curious and wanted to go. You really didn't like Nat right now, and made a note in your head to get her back.

"Fine we can go tonight" You gave in with a small smile as. Yelena's eyes lit up with joy a sight that would make your heart warm.

Natasha just sat there with her signature smirk, but it faltered when your eyes landed back on her. You had already came up with something for her. "Come on Nat you can help fix the pancakes since you made me drop the pumpkin one." The redhead let out a groan throwing her head back. She hated it when you made her help you cook. She might have attempted to say no, but Yelena turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay okay I'll help" Natasha got up and came to the kitchen. Standing right beside you waiting for instructions.

"Don't worry Nat I won't let you burn down the tower."

Later that Night

"Lena you don't need the vest" you insisted as she slipped it on. After complaining about her outfit missing something.

"Yes I do you never know when we we're going to need extra pockets dekta." Yelena placed a quick kiss on your cheek then took you by the hand. Before you could continue the argument.

"Guys wait" a voice called out

Both of you turned around to see Tony running down the hall. At a very fast pace to reach y'all once he got there. He was hunched over with his hands on his knees out of breath.

"What do you want Tony?" You asked knowing you wouldn't like the answer.

Tony finally stood up straight with a smirk on his face. He held out his right hand that held a small camera for recording. "I wanted to give this to you don't want to miss Yelena's getting scared."

Yelena let out a little growl dropping your hand to start for him. Tony let out a yelp and quickly danced behind you. You held up both of your hands catching the blonde by her arms to stop her.

"Come on he's not worth it and we're going to be late" You said.

Tony let out a sigh of relief as Yelena nodded at you, and the two of you proceeded to walk away again. Tony watched y'all walk away with a small frown. "Man we're going to miss it."

"No we won't" Natasha shot back coming out of the shadows of a dark corner. "I made sure of it last night."

Tony turned to his partner in crime with curiosity in his eyes. "How?"

She just gave him a smirk her eyes filled with mischief.

The Haunted House

"This doesn't seem so scary" Yelena said finally reaching the entrance to haunted house.

There were fake screams coming from the inside along with the sound of chainsaws. None of it fazed Yelena at all. "The noises are all for show, and to add to the effect. The monsters are just some people dressing up. So please be careful with them" you pleaded.

"Don't worry nothing scares me" Yelena reassured you. Pulling you to her side as the two of you took your spot in line.

It took about ten minutes to get the front of the line. In that time you and Yelena watched multiple groups exit the house on the other side. Screaming in terror and running away Yelena was still didn't seem nervous. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all you told yourself. It was your time to enter to the haunted house.

Yelena's grip on your hand tightened. "I don't want you getting separated from you."

"Awww you're going to keep me safe" You giggled kissing her on the cheek. "Don't worry I've done this thousands of times."

The start of the haunted house was tame with fake skeletons bursting out of closets. Some people in ghost costumes running by trying to surprise you and Yelena, but none of it was working. But she still kept a pretty good hold on your hand the deeper y'all went in. Everything was going pretty good till near the end. One of the actors dressed up like Ghostface made an big mistake. He wrapped a strong arm around your waist and with a hard tug. The guy managed to tear you away from Yelena who let out a cry. When your hand was ripped from hers, and watched as you were pulled away into the darkness.

Yelena demeanor went from calm to frantic as she called out your name. Looking around for you but there was only darkness. "Y/N answer me are you okay" she pleaded rushing into the hallway. She saw you get pulled into but it only led to two more hallways, but there was some doors. She kicked open every single one finding nothing on the other side besides decorated empty rooms. "No no no" she murmured moving as fast as she could searching for you.

An unlucky actor ran past her in Michael Myers mask trying to scare her. Too bad for him that she wasn't in the mood for games anymore. Yelena caught him by the back of his shirt with a harsh tug. The guy was pulled to the floor where she pinned him down with his arm in her grip.

"Hey hey chill we're just-ahhhhhhh hey cut-ah it out" He protested. His words broken up with cries of pain as his arm was twisted.

"Where. Is. She." Yelena sneered twisting his arm more with each pause. The bones were on the verge of breaking, but she didn't care.

"Stop please it's a joke" he cried

"Hey let him go" a voice demanded a few feet away.

Yelena looked up too see Ghostface standing in the hallway ahead of her. You were in his arms a hand covering your mouth, and a arm wrapped around your waist. Her eyes darkened as she dropped the other guy's arm. He scrambled to his feet and ran away holding his arms.

You tried to tell the actor that this was a very bad idea. But he wouldn't listen and was surprisingly strong so it wasn't hard for him to contain your struggles. You knew how to fight but didn't want to seriously injure him. But now you wished that you just did as Yelena stalked toward him. She was not happy.

He was laughing as she got closer once she was within five feet. Ghostface let you go and stepped back "calm down blondie it's just a scare tactic." But before you could stop her Yelena got past you and lunged for him. She took him down to the floor with a chokehold. As her hold tightened he let out gurgled noises grabbing her arm with one hand, and tapping it out with the other one. Yelena let out a growl tightening her hold more.

"Yelena stop let him go you're going to kill him." You whispered-yelled. Not wanting to draw too much attention.

"No he took you away from me" she replied as he gasped trying to beg. His face was starting to turn purple.

"Yelena it's a game they do when someone is really hard to scare. I was never in any real danger love please he's just an actor." You pleaded kneeling down beside her. Yelena looked as if she still wanted to argue but a gentle hand on her arm. Finally convinced her to let him go, but she still shoved him away. She turned to pull you into her arms "losing you is the only thing that scares me."

"I know love I know I'm not going anywhere" you reassured her. The actor laid a few feet away gasping for air.

The two of you made it to the end where security was waiting for you. Natasha was there as well to clear things up. She had setup hidden cameras in the house to catch her little sister's scare. When she saw that Yelena was going into assassin mode. She stopped watching and headed for the haunted house. With an apology and a generous donation from Tony Stark. The workers let the incident go and Natasha followed the two of you home.

"Did you hire the guy to kidnap Y/N" Yelena asked.

Y'all had finally managed to reach the tower and Yelena was still suspicious of her sister.

"No Lena I wouldn't go that far" Nat insisted for the third time. Yelena gave her the same angry look.

"Y/N a little help" Nat begged.

"Come on Yel we got a movie night Alvin and the Chipmunks are up next." You said tugging on her arm. She finally gave in and let you pull her away. Your room was already setup for movie night you and her just climbed into the bed. The snacks on the side of you on a bed tray. Yelena secured you in her arms pressing a kiss to your forehead.

"I love you dekta don't scare me like that again" she said. You reached up to capture her lips with yours "I love you too." Maybe now with the Avengers knowing her one true fear. They would leave her be next year because nothing truly scared her. More than the thought of losing you.

Taglist: @wandanatvoid @yelenabelovasgf @romanoffomixam @xxxtwilightaxelxxx

#marvel imagine #yelena belova imagine #yelena belova x reader #yelena belova #natasha romanoff #tony stark #avengers x reader #the avengers #yelena x reader

[youreobsessedwithtoomanyfandoms]

Hanahaki Disease AU

Word Count:1656

Warnings: kinda bad writing, sorry

You can tell where I originally had it start

Main Masterlist

MCU Masterlist

Y/N smiled at her friend. He had just got married to the one he loved. It hurt her because she loved him, but she could never tell him. She could never tell him and hurt her. She was happy for him though. He was happy so she was happy. But she felt bad because she had felt sick as of late and a bad cough. Speaking of having a bad cough, she grabbed a napkin and coughed into it. Freezing when she saw the red petals. 

No way could this be happening to her. No. She didn’t like him that much. There was no way she could have gotten it. No way she would even let herself get that far with her feelings. There was no way.

--------

Of course her saying there was no way would make it true. It was just her luck. “Now, you have two options here, tell whoever you have these feelings for and hope they return them, and let the flowers go away naturally or have the surgery and never tell him. Of course there is the chance of you telling him and he doesn’t share the feelings, meaning the surgery would still need to happen.”

“What if I do neither?”

“Then the flowers won’t stop growing and it will fill your lungs, causing you to suffocate.”

“How long does it last?”

“2 or 3 months is the average time. However, it can kill you within a few weeks.”

She nodded, “Okay, thank you.”

“Hey, listen, I get a lot of people a day about this, it’s more common than you’d think. So I’m gonna tell you what I tell everyone else, the surgery is painless, the more painful part is for your friends and family.”

“What do you mean?”

Her doctor sighed, “Most of the time, they change. That love that was once there, when it’s gone, it’s like a part of them is gone. They may not realize but everyone else does. It’s worse when they have the side affect that causes all memories of the person to fade away. All of those precious memories, instead of how they felt being seen as platonic feelings, aren’t even there.”

“Well, what do you suggest?”

“I suggest to tell the person you love them. If not that, then tell someone you trust that you have this and see what they would have you do. It’s better to go through this with someone you trust than without anyone.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Of course, come back if you decide to have the surgery and I’ll set it up.”

“Got it.”

--------

Y/N knocked on the door of Natasha Romanoff’s room. “Nat?”

“Hm?”

“Can I talk to you?”

“Yeah?” She pushed the folders and papers to the side, “What’s up?”

Y/N sighed as she sat down, “You know I went to the doctors today, right?”

“Yeah, what’s going on? Was that cough anything bad?”

“Yeah, yeah it was.”

���What is it?”

“I have Hanahaki Disease.”

Natasha’s hand lifted to her mouth, “What?”

“I had been coughing up petals so I wasn’t surprised.”

“How long has it been happening?”

“About 2 weeks. Since the wedding.”

“Tony’s?” Y/N nodded, “You love Tony?”

“Yeah.”

“How long?”

“Years.”

“You gonna tell him?”

“How could I? Nat, he just got married! I won’t do that!”

“I would.”

“Of course you would.”

“All that I’m saying is that you should tell him, you never know.”

“I know my luck and with it, he won’t--doesn’t like me like that.”

“You really think so?”

“Yes Natasha, I do.”

“Fine. So, what’re you gonna do about it?”

“I have no idea yet.”

“It’s either tell him, have the surgery, or die. I personally wouldn’t want that last one to happen. I don’t think anyone would.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” She sighed and dropped back on her friends bed, “I’ll figure it out before that happens, I promise.”

“You better.”

--------

She watched as he held his arm around her. It hurt. Knowing how much she loved him, but that he could never find out because he was with her. She didn’t even want to be there, but her and Tony grew up together. They were best friends and she always stuck by his side. Perhaps that was why the feelings were there. She had helped him through everything and they never faded.

She coughed some, some of those oh-so-familiar petals appearing in her mouth. She spit them into the trashcan next to her and went back to watching the newly married couple. The petals had been happening for the past month. Since he and Pepper got married. Y/N had chose to ignore them. The only one person knowing about them being Natasha. “Y/N, are you okay?” 

She looked at the girl and smiled, “I’m fine Nat. It wasn’t like it was a flower or anything.”

Natasha wrapped her arm around Y/N, “You should just tell him. You never know, he may feel the same.”

Y/N scoffed, “Yeah right, he married Pepper. Why would he share my feelings?”

“You never know.”

She sighed, “I could always get them removed.”

“And loose your feelings and possibly memories of him?”

She shrugged, “If that’s what it takes to get rid of this silly crush, then yeah.”

“Y/N, I love you, but even I have to admit, that’s crazy. And I know crazy.”

“Natasha, what if I do tell him and he does return the feeling. Then what about Pepper? What would happen with her?”

“What do you mean, “what about Pepper”, Y/N?”

Y/N looked at Tony and smiled, “Nothing, honestly.”

“Okay? Well, I was wondering if you’re okay. You look a little sick.”

“Oh! I’m fine! Just caught a small cold. I’ll get over it.”

And maybe it was just her mind tricking her, but it seemed as if he didn’t want to believe her, but it looked at if he didn’t believe her. “Alright, um, I’m gonna go back to Pepper.”

She nodded, “Of course! She’s your wife! It makes sense!” He nodded and walked back over to girl she believed he loved more. “See Nat, if I was to tell him, it would just mess everything up!”

“But maybe you have too--”

“No Natasha. I don’t have to. I never will have to because I can’t.”

“Fine, but I’m telling you, you’re making a mistake doing this.”

Y/N just shrugged, “You always think I’m making a mistake so.”

--------

As the weeks progressed, it only got worse. It was as if everything she did caused an issue. She couldn’t stop coughing up the petals, it had gotten to the point where she threw them up. She barely could breath and it took everything in her to do a simple task. Everyone was getting worried for her, including Tony. That was why he went to Natasha. If he didn’t know something about Y/N, then she did.

--------

“Listen, Tony, I can’t say anything. I promised her.”

“So something is wrong?”

Natasha placed the folder she had been holding onto the coffee table, “Yes Tony, there is. But I made a promise to her not to tell and as much as I want to, I won’t tell you”

“Is it something with me?”

“Yes. Only you can help her.”

“How can I be the only one to help her? And how is she so sick because of me?”

“Oh my gods, Tony, use your fucking brain! For fucks sake! Our friend is dying because of you and for some reason you can’t figure out what is happening?”

“There’s only one thing it could be, but that’s impossible!”

“Maybe it’s not! You never know!”

“Natasha, tell me, does she like me like that.” Natasha didn’t speak which gave him his answer. “Why didn’t she tell me?!”

“Because she saw how happy you are with Pepper! She didn’t want to tell you and hurt her if you did have feelings!”

“Of course! That sounds just like her. Thinking of others before herself.” He sighed, “How long has it been going on?”

“About 2 and a half months, she’s planning on getting the surgery next week.”

“2 and a half months?” He shook his head, that was how long it had been since he and Pepper had gotten married. “Where is she?”

“Probably at her house.” And as soon as Natasha said that, he booked it to Y/N’s house.

--------

Y/N shakily held her head over the toilet. She was barely able to breathe. She knew she shouldn’t have procrastinated on this and just got the surgery. But no, she kept telling herself that she was gonna tell him. Her idiot self kept telling herself she would do something she never would. 

She faintly heard her door opening and she just assumed it was Natasha. But she was surprised when she heard the familiar voice of Tony Stark. “Oh my god, Y/N.”

She slowly looked at him, “T-ony?” Her voice barely at a whisper.

“Hey, I’m here.”

“H-how?”

“How what?”

“You’re here.”

“Yeah. Nat told me.”

“S-she did?”

“Yeah, she told me it all.”

“She pr-promised me she wouldn’t.”

“There was one thin he didn’t. But Y/N, I want to hear that from your voice.”

“I don-don’t wanna h-hurt Pep-per.”

“I don’t care. Please, just tell me.”

“Tony, I l-love y-you.”

He pulled her closer to him, not caring about the blood he was getting on his shirt. “I love you too, Y/N. More than you even know.”

She gasped as she suddenly felt a gust of air go through her. She coughed for a while before it vanished, as if it was never there. She looked up at Tony, “You really like me?”

He smiled at her, “I always have. I’m just sorry it took so long for me to tell you that.”

“But what about Pepper?”

“Let me deal with Pepper later, but for now, let’s just celebrate the fact that you didn’t just die.”

She laughed lightly, “I can live with that.”

#Robert #downey #junior #robert downey junior #tony #stark #tony stark #tony stark x reader #tony stark imagine #tony stark hanahaki disease au #iron #man #Iron Man #iron man x reader #iron man imagine #iron man hanahaki disease au #marvel #marvel x reader #marvel imagine #marvel hanahaki disease au #x reader #imagine #hanahaki disease au

[thisisarcanereverie]

Should’ve Known Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Wanda or Steve they are owned by Marvel, I don’t own the gif either I just got it from Pinterest,

WARNINGS:Angst, Swearing, the stages of grief, loss, dark themes, 18 + from here on out. Also mentions of potential abortions.

WORDS : 2,329

SUMMARY: You are detained and questioned by S.W.O.R.D. Wanda reality is breaking and Vision is acting differently than she remembers.  

In case you missed last chapter

series masterlist 

ULTIMATE MASTERLIST 

You stared at the plain and depressing wall in front of you. If anyone saw you they would say you were staring into dead space but that wasn’t true. 

Your thoughts were consumed of Wanda and the baby. 

You didn’t plan on giving up on Wanda, she had woken up, it wasn’t long until her reality came crashing down on her and you needed to be there for her. You needed to help her with the pieces that were going to be left behind. 

Your hand rested on top of your stomach, gently brushing a thumb over the shirt. You didn’t know what the doctors did to you while you were unconscious, but you were certain that eventually they would find out if they hadn’t already. You still had mixed feelings about this pregnancy. You knew deep down it was likely the only time you will be pregnant and you can’t lie, already you felt a connection with the child even though at this point they were only a little clump of cells. 

This kid would be special, you felt it oddly enough. You immediately wanted to apologize even though it couldn’t hear you. You wanted to apologize for the life that they might have to live if that were the case. 

You remembered all the somber nights at the Avengers Tower and Compound. All the nights Steve told you he sort of missed being that boy from Brooklyn who always picked a fight he couldn’t win. He told you if he had known what would happen when he accepted the role of Captain America. He probably still would have done it, but still live on to regret it. 

Wanda had told you that she could never truly let go, she can never fully release all the emotions she kept bottled up. That people got hurt. That if she could go back and never sign up for HYDRA’s experiments, she would.

None of them wanted the life that they were forced into. Yeah some of them had volunteered like Wanda and Steve, but they didn’t fully realize the consequences of such actions then. 

Nat and Bucky never wanted this life, never signed on for it. 

Your child would be forced to the same fate if you allowed the pregnancy. 

You considered aborting the fetus, maybe it was better for it to never live than be born into this world. 

Were you even ready to be a mom? You had money saved up but that was for rent and the last of Steve’s avenging money that he had left behind. 

Steve. 

The kid would never know their father. Steve would always be that blank figure to them. That blank figure would be filled with so many questions and doubts. Everything but him. 

You didn’t want your kid to look at that blank spot and only think of what might have been or hate. You didn’t want them to think their dad left them because they didn’t love them. 

You thought back to the chair splintering under your hand when you remembered the pregnancy. 

You could easily hurt them and the thought alone terrified you. 

There were so many reasons on why you shouldn’t keep it, how maybe it was better this way. 

On the other hand you wanted to keep it. 

You wanted to be a mom. Or at least give it a shot, at least for this kid. Maybe you would break the cycle of abuse that either your parents or grandparents started. 

There was no maybe about it. 

You would. 

You had to. 

Rationally you knew you wouldn’t be a perfect mom and the kid wouldn’t have that perfect life you always wanted, but that didn’t matter. This kid would have their own life to live, their own adventures, their own highs and falls. This kid would have something that you didn’t receive and that alone would make all the difference. 

They’ll have their mother.

-

-

-

Wanda didn’t know when all of this started. The endless pit of nothingness consumed her and that was it. She remembers everything thus far, the black and white changing into colors. You support her through it all just as you did before. 

She wished she didn’t have to send you away but she had no other choice. You brought her back, made her remember that none of this was real. 

Wanda made a different version of you, it was simple enough, it was a simple illusion. You were there, but not there. 

This version of you was happy all the time, was her closest confidant, all the things she wanted you to be. Like how you used to be before Steve had left. 

Steve did a number on you just like Vision did with her. Steve left you in a different manner than Vision left her but the emotional toll it took was very much the same. 

Steve left you on his own terms, he was selfish and left everyone who was counting on him to return. For that Wanda would never trust Steve, real or not real, again. 

Vision didn’t have a choice, Thanos had taken that choice away from him. 

Wanda could feel her blood begin to boil at the thought of Thanos, wishing that she could have finished what she had started on that battlefield then. 

Avenging Vision. 

Wanda recalls the nightmares she had when she came back, the image of Vision's eyes turning milky white and the stone being ripped from his head and the way his head caved in. You would always hold her, you would always assure her that you were fine and that she hadn’t hurt you during the nightmares. She knew you lied but the thought that you cared enough that you didn’t mind her or getting hurt in the process helped a lot more than you would ever know. 

After the funeral Wanda didn’t know she was going to bring you back to her apartment. She didn’t know how more precious you would become to her after living with her. Wanda came to depend on you a lot more than she intended. At first she wanted to be kind, she knew the pain you were going through and didn’t want you to be alone. You didn’t deserve to be alone. 

Then you began to heal together, you sat with her while she was on the other end of the phone lines waiting for answers and filling out paperwork she needed to sign to legally locate Vision. You hugged her during her nightmares, even though her powers had more than once flown something dangerously close to your head. 

Wanda had held your hand when she helped you move out of the apartment you and Steve shared. She was simply there when you needed her to be. 

Wanda grew curious easily, after the first few nights she was tempted to look into your mind. She had mastered the art of doing it without anyone knowing. However, she wanted you to tell her, she promised herself to never use her powers on your mind. 

Now she had broken that promise and made you play your part in this reality, the best friend. Wanda didn’t read your mind but she had played with it. She had played with something so fragile and even when you woke up from her illusions you didn’t care about that. You had only cared about comforting her, about bringing her back from the waves. 

Wanda had no idea what she could possibly have done to deserve someone as loyal as you were in her life. 

But now she’s sent you away, like she did with Garladine. 

She walked into her home that she shared with Vision, her heart filled with something so bitter and so sweet when she looked at him. Like she was seeing the sun after a whole week of only rain and snow but knowing tomorrow there would only be more rain and snow. 

Vision turned around upon hearing the door close, Wanda was expecting to see him with that light and lovely look in his eyes just as he’s always done. She nearly stopped in her tracks when she saw instead nervousness and caution. He didn’t look at her the way Vision had always looked at her, or hell even how you looked at her. 

He looked at her the way that everyone else has looked at her before. 

Like she was going to hurt him. 

“Vision,” she called her voice as sweet as honey, “is everything alright.” Her husband flinched back when she tried to reach for him as though her touch had become poisonous. 

“I spoke to Norm,” He said his arms were crossed over his chest. His face contorted into a neutral state. Wanda felt unsettled, she felt him become reserved. 

“Oh?” she said not knowing what about talking to Norm would make him act this way. 

“I unearthed the man’s suppressed personality and I spoke to him free of your oversight.” 

-

-

-

“Hello Miss. (L/n),” You didn’t bother looking away from the wall, already whoever came in here was on your nerves. 

‘Miss. (L/n) we need you to answer some questions about the Hex.” You looked over and saw a man with the most punchable face you’ve ever laid eyes on. His tone may be nice but you met enough men like him to know how to spot them a mile away. 

“Only if you answer a few of my own.” You retort, you saw how the man stiffened. 

“I don’t think you're in a position to be demanding anything Miss. (L/n)” 

“You wouldn’t have come to ask me anything personally if you didn’t need to. Unless there was something that I may or may not know that could benefit you and even then you wouldn’t have come yourself, men like you have people get the answers for you, no you would only come yourself if it was something vital. Something that no one else on this base knows about.” You cock your head to the side and smile, feeling empowered as you see his hands tighten into a fit at his side. You apparently hit the nail right on the head. 

“So I feel like an exchange is in order,” You say standing up from your sitting position. The guards on either side of the man raised their guns at you. The man told them to stand down. 

“I answer 5 of your questions and you answer 6 of mine.” You held out your hand. 

“Miss. (L/n) why do you get to have more answers than I do?”

“Simple, you want something from me and me alone. I can ask any other agents around here my questions and not make a deal with you at all.” 

His hands flex and ball themselves back into fists and his jaw clenched in anger. You really were getting on his nerves. 

“I agree,” he reaches for your hand and shakes briefly. 

“I’ll go first,” he says. 

“How long were you in the Hex?”

“I’m not too sure of that but it’s safe to assume that I was there since it happened.” you responded, memories of the Hex were confusing and the memories of that day were blacked out almost completely. 

“My turn,” you say. 

“Who are you?” 

“I’m Director Tyler Hayward of S.W.O.R.D.” 

“My turn,” he says in a slight mocking tone.

“How did Wanda create the Hex?”

“Wanda’s powers are tied to her emotions; it's probably connected to that” You state. “What is S.W.O.R.D.” 

“Sentient Worlds Observation and Response Department.” He responds. 

“Someone really wanted your divisions to be named Sword and Shield really badly didn’t they.” 

“Yes,” he said, “How long were you aware of the Hex while in it?”

“I was subconsciously aware the entire time, although I wasn’t completely aware until the Hex was in color and a hag gave me a notebook.”

His expression was puzzled but he dismissed it. 

“What did my lab results come back with?” 

“Why do you think we took blood from you while you were unconscious?”

“You're a powerful man who set up a meeting with me in secret to ask me a question you don’t want anyone else hearing. It’s not beyond you to secretly steal some blood to run secret tests on it.” 

“Touche,” he admitted, “however badly I would want that Agent Rambeau interrupted me before I could give the order.” 

Finally he reached the last question, the question he wanted to ask all along. 

“How did Wanda reboot the Vision?” 

Vision, he was after Vision. Somehow this made you uneasy, why would he care how Vision for rebooted unless...

“You have Visions body don’t you.” It wasn’t a question, his body gave him away. For a man who was running a semi secret organization he wasn’t that good at hiding his body language. 

“I believe you didn’t answer my question Miss. (L/n), “ he pointed out, “I guess that means one less answer for you.”

You rolled your eyes, you would let him have that. 

“I don’t know how she rebooted Vision, much less without a body, I don’t remember much of the day it happened.” His eyes hardened, upset that he had hit another dead end he went to leave. 

“I still have one more question Haybitch!” You called out, his feet stilled and he turned to you, eyes wide and offended at the nickname. 

“What are you planning on doing to Wanda?” That was the question you wanted to ask. His eyes crinkled as he gave you a sarcastic smile. 

“I don’t know,” he said, “I don’t remember much of that meeting when it happened.”

He then left you to wallow in your own thoughts. 

You knew he had a secret he didn’t want anyone else finding out. 

You knew Wanda knew it. 

You knew he wasn’t going to let her talk. 

You knew whatever his plan was involved her not being able to speak again.

#should've known #marvel #wanda marvel #marvel x reader #marvel x you #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff #wandavision #wanda and pietro #steve rodger #steve rodgers imagine #steve rodgers x you #captain america #captain america x reader #captain america imagine

[iam93percentstardust]

ooooo, could you do #24: "You’re my ex but I think I still have feelings for you" for winteriron? 👀💖

ooh this one sounds like fun! here’s a no-powers office au for you!

24. You’re my ex but I think I still have feelings for you.

Bucky prides himself on being in touch with his emotions. Unlike Steve, who is nothing but a tiny ball of rage, and Natasha, who keeps all her emotions locked away in a tiny box, Bucky knows and proudly admits to what he’s feeling.

Which is why he’s absolutely baffled at the tight knot of jealousy in his chest when he sees Tony making out with Hammer at the office Christmas party.

It doesn’t make any sense. He and Tony broke up six months ago. It was an amiable split. They both decided this was for the best. There’s no reason for him to be upset about Tony kissing someone else under the mistletoe. So it can’t possibly be jealousy. No...he’s just - just angry about Tony ruining the sanctity of the Christmas party with his gross and disgusting display of public affection.

Yeah.

That sounds good.

“If you squeeze that cup any tighter, it’s going to crack,” Natasha observes dryly.

Across the room, Hammer’s hand slides into Tony’s hair and yanks.

“Tony doesn’t like that,” Bucky grits out through clenched teeth, hand tightening still further on his plastic cup.

“Huh?” Natasha follows his gaze and makes an interested noise. “Well, what do you know. Didn’t see that one coming,” she drawls. Steve gives her an odd look. “What? I only act like I know everything.”

Hammer’s other hand is slowly making its way down Tony’s back and Bucky makes a strangled noise.

“Why does it matter to you? You two broke up,” Natasha points out.

“They shouldn’t be doing that here. It’s a party. They should show...decorum,” he mutters.

“Right,” Steve says slowly. “And it’s got nothing to do with your breakup?”

“Why should it?”

“Because you’re looking at Hammer like you want to rip his face off. Don’t get me wrong, he inspires that feeling in everyone,” Steve says, “but then you said he wasn’t kissing Tony right so that sounds a little more suspicious, you know?”

“What’s so suspicious about it? Tony deserves to be kissed right.”

He freezes. Natasha and Steve freeze. No one else is in earshot or he bets they would freeze too.

“Bucky,” Natasha says hesitantly. “It was a mutual breakup, wasn’t it?”

“Course it was,” he says shortly and strides away, out of the office, and into the darkened stairwell. He leans over, placing his hands on his knees as he takes several deep breaths.

He’d forgotten how Tony could make him feel. They work in different departments so it’s been easy to avoid each other in the months since the breakup. It’s easy to avoid the fact that he still has feelings for Tony even though they’d both agreed their breakup was for the best. It hadn’t been out of a lack of love that they’d broken up but more that they came from two very different worlds and they couldn’t figure out how to bridge that gap.

But sometimes, like now, he remembers how beautiful Tony had looked lying in his bed, how much Bucky had loved holding him, how Tony had loved being treated like something precious.

The stairwell door opens behind him. He immediately straightens up, not wanting anyone to see how upset he is. 

“I’m fine, Nat,” he says.

“Not Nat,” a voice that Bucky’s been hearing in his dreams for six month replies quietly.

He breathes out slowly. “Tony.”

“Yeah.”

“What’re you doing here?”

Tony is a warm line against his side. He always ran warm. Bucky used to say that he didn’t mind Tony stealing all the blankets cause why would he ever need those when he had Tony himself wrapped around him.

“We’re doing the right thing, aren’t we?” Tony asks instead of replying.

“Having second thoughts, Stark?”

“Don’t,” Tony says. “Don’t call me that. Please.”

“Sorry,” he murmurs. He knows how much Tony hates being called by his last name, hates any reminder that he’s related to the owner of the company. “Having second thoughts, Tony?”

“Aren’t you?” Tony counters. He turns around, leaning on his elbows against the railing so he can see Bucky’s face. Bucky glances at him and then away again, unable to stand the worry in Tony’s brown eyes. “I mean, really, are either of us actually happy like this?”

“I’m not...unhappy.”

“Liar,” Tony says softly. “I know you still. And you know me.”

“Yeah, Tony, I know you,” he replies roughly. “I know that it takes you fifteen tries to make an omelet right. I know you like to sleep on the side of the bed closest to the window, whether that’s right or left side doesn’t matter. I know you think amusement parks are overrated but you’d go to an escape room every weekend if your friends would let you. I know you hate it when people yell and that that drink you were holding earlier was apple juice and sprite.”

He moves suddenly, pushing Tony back and into the wall. Tony’s breath catches but he doesn’t say anything, doesn’t fight back. Bucky gentles his hands as they come up to cradle Tony’s face and then slide back to cup his neck, thumbs softly rubbing over the skin behind his ears. 

“I know you like to be held when you’re kissed,” he whispers, feathering the words across Tony’s lips. Tony closes as his eyes as he leans into Bucky’s touch. “I know you like long, slow kisses over hard, fast ones but that’s not what you tell people. I know when I press right here, you make this sweet little noise - yeah, that one, sweet thing. I know you.”

“Bucky, why did we let this go?” Tony asks him. He looks tired and a little bit sad, the shadows deep under his eyes like he hasn’t been sleeping much the last few months, something that Bucky can understand.

“We thought it was for the best.” But right now, with Tony in his arms, he’s finding it almost impossible to remind himself of that fact.

“Yeah but for who? Howard? The company? We made each other happy, didn’t we? Isn’t that enough?”

He wants to tell him no, wants to say they’ll never escape the press hounding them if they do this, but he was willing to take that chance once. What had changed? When had he started listening to Howard’s insidious words about what Tony deserved? When had he let someone else decide what was best for them?

“Yeah, sweet thing,” he whispers. “It’s enough.”

Tony’s smile is brilliant when he pulls him down for a kiss.

#winteriron #alle writes #alle answers #i'll leave the ending up to y'all #maybe they live happily ever after #maybe they decide it's a mistake #i know which ending i prefer #if you like please consider reblogging #rhodee

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Saved

Summary- 2.6k Bucky x You. Based on a ASK from anon-Hella Bi Bitch. Hydra tramautized you and you go to Bucky for comfort. Angst/Fluff. Also written for @jtargaryen18​ 4k Challenge. 

“Sweetheart. They are not coming.” Brock leered over your face, his hot breath washing over you, and it was almost impossible to miss the leer in his brown eyes as he cupped your face. If you had the capabilities, you would jerk away, but you were strapped down. All over, even your head was strapped flush to the hard metal table. The only thing you would do that would be satisfactory was work your mouth, draw up that last bit of spittle you had left and spat at him, making him curse while jerking back. 

It would be worth the pain he would cause next, knowing that at least he couldn't break you, just tie you down. Captain would be here soon, Iron Man, Natasha, Bucky… someone, someone would come for you. 

Brock retaliated by slamming an open palm across your face, biting back a cry, a burst of blood interrupted from your nose, racing down your face. 

As parched as you were, you welcomed the hot iron taste swarming your mouth, even through the pain. 

“Rumlow! You will step away from the girl. We need her.” 

Dread filled you as his face went from rage, to a cold smirk, pulling away from you. “Don't worry sweetheart, once they are done breaking you, you and I are going to do great things.” 

Your eyes flickered to the Hydra Agent, laying out his supplies, tools of pain and vials of poison to flood your system. Nauseated, you looked back up to the ceiling, and squeezed your eyes shut, clamping your mouth shut. Tears welled up, you would probably be gone, dead before the team would find you. It was what you hoped for now. 

You would rather die then let them turn you evil. Wasn't there a saying? You either die a hero or turn into a villian. You prayed, prayed for death instead. 

A year you were tested on, preyed on until you became a shell. Moved from base to base, handled by various people. None had a shred of kindness, and Brock especially took joy in your torture. 

He was able to use the various instruments, had access to your cell whenever he wanted. Your personal bodyguard, your personal hell. In these times you sink away from yourself, your body started to work on their command, your mind an empty shell of your former self. Intelligent? Yes, but yourself, no. 

It wasn't complete yet, there was still a shred of you left. Holding on, barely. 

Your rescue happened one sunny afternoon, but you weren't to ever know this. You were deep underground, away from air and light. They had just dumped you in your cell when there coms went off. To weak to pay attention to the Hydra agents fear as they hurriedly locked you in, you crawled to your cot and folded yourself onto it. Another day of survived hell. Squeezing your eyes shut, you really just wished for it to end. At this point in any manner. So much pain. To much.

Alone for a while, you start to drift off into nothingness when metal on metal jolted you awake with a terrified whimper. You heard the clang on your bars and lifted your head up to see Bucky trying to see who was curled up on the cot. 

“B-b-bucky?” You eased up slowly to make sure you weren't seeing things, and then right next to him Steve stepped up, flipping his shield to hang on his back. 

“Doll, we finally found you.” Bucky exclaimed with relief, grasping the bars and wrenching them as hard as he could, the metal whining in protest, but it wasn't strong enough to hold him back from what he wanted. 

Steve kept a watch of Bucky's six, speaking into the com at his ear. “We got her, Bucky is collecting Y/N now, have the jet ready Clint. Nat, you just about done? Sam, cover us when we come up."

“Five more seconds and data is secure, Tony can blow this hell hole to dust.” 

Bucky's arm went around you for support as you went to stand, sore from earlier, he saw you hobble forward and he swept you up. 

“Just faster this way Doll, come on Steve. Before Stark gets trigger happy.” Bolting for the nearest set of stairs, everything became a blur as Bucky and Steve bolted from the building. Hiding your face in Buckys shoulder, you never did see that sunny afternoon. 

A shadow passed over Bucky and Steve bolting across the ground, and when you glanced up, lifting your head off Buckys shoulder, the flash of red and silver covered out the blue sky above, and you smiled to yourself, between Sam, Steve and Bucky, you were safe. Exhaustion dipped your head back to Buckys shoulder.

It wasn't long till you were back at Stark Towers, which hadn't been your home in a year. Bucky carried you down into the medic bay with Sam close by. The rest of the team went to debrief on the mission, knowing you were taken cared of. Bucky easily set you down on the table, hovering nearby, he seemed hesitant to leave you, you who were so quiet, so shut down. Sam hovered close by, his jaw clenched. Quiet at well. Not knowing what to say or do, You just stared at the floor till Bruce came in. 

“Give us some privacy Bucky? I need to give her a full examination.” Bruce said softly, and your eyes welled up with tears, hiding away from them both. Bucky shook his head in refusal. “I'm not leaving her alone.” 

“Okay, but on the other side of the curtain, if Y/N needs you, she will call you.” Bruce looked over at you to confirm that was okay, and you nodded, still unable to look at any of them. Your shame and fear pounding at you. Sam clasped Buckys forearm, nodding his head to the door. "We will just be on the other side." When Bucky stepped on the other side, you could see the worried look flashing across his face, somewhat in recgonition to your pain. Sam gave you a slight nod, and a smile of encouragement.

Why couldnt you be stronger? 

The start of your recovery was rough, locked in your room a lot. It took some time for you to open back up to the team. Bring a sense of normalcy to you again. Your normal for the past year has been to be tortured. Everyday life was a lot. Things so simple, like going to get a glass of water, took all your willpower to do. The team, they did everything they could to make it easier.  Natasha and Clint immediately made you a part of their movie nights. At first you would sit stiffly away from them, not wanting to be touched by anyone. But soon you loosened up. Curling up against Clint while his arm draped over you, your feet in Natasha’s lap while she painted your nails. “How are the nightmares Y/N?” Natasha would ask, and you could feel Clint tighten his arm around you slightly, listening. It was no secret, your nightmares were a nightly occurrence, often waking up screaming and trying to hide somewhere in the room. 

“They are fine, fewer and fewer every day.” You lied, covering your shame. 

Steve, you often went with Steve out for walks where he would find some subject to draw. You would lay in the sun, while your friend sketched away at some piece of nearby building, sometimes a landscape. Once he even did you while you were sitting a bit away, catching your profile watching the clouds above. Often you two would sit in easy silence, not needing to have long intense conversations, you were just happy to be with your friend. Once in a while you would ask him. “Steve, you think I can join the team soon?” 

The blonde man would hum, and his blue eyes would shift over towards you a moment before going back to his paper. “Y/N, don't rush it. You were there for a year. I'm not putting you in the field before you're ready. Here, what do you think?” He would flip his pad around and of course it was his way of saying, No. Not Now. Maybe not ever.

Sam often had you over to his apartment to help with meals. You figured it was to make sure you were eating properly. At least one square meal. When you asked him, he scoffed. "Actually taking these cooking classes, I make enough for two. Lets face it, your better company then I could ask for. Besides Steve and Bucky are not adventurous like you. They wanna boil everything." Sam snorted, stiring his jambalaya. "Chop this up." He said quickly, handing you a knife. You always felt safer with something, Sam noticed this the first time you joined him, and you flinched when he drew out a butchers blade. From then on, you were set on chopping duties. You began to really look forward to cooking nights with Sam.

"No girlfriends to have cooking dates with?" You would tease when you set to chopping and Sam would give you that grin of his.

"Sure, I just test them on you first Precious. Gotts make sure they are decent enough to feed to others."

"Yea, I'm real Precious if your using me as a gineau pig." You stick your tongue out st your friend, but secretly you don't mind.

Tony, he was more energetic. Often you would be sitting down in his workshop, laughing at his attempts to improve the Ironman suit. It became a habit to keep a fire extinguisher nearby. “Tony, I don't think you should try this.” You said warily as he put on his new thruster boots. “Aww come on, what's the worst that can happen?” He grinned, and winked. 

He ended up shooting around the room like a balloon just untied, crashing into walls and bouncing off the floor. When he finally came to a stop, his feet were on fire. 

Jumping down with the extinguisher, you yelled “Tony!” and covered him with the foam, once it ended and the billionaire blinked it away, swiping the foam off his face. 

“I had it under control Y/N.” 

“Sure you did.” You squirted him one last time to retaliate before putting it away, and holding your hand out to him, helping him up. 

“Payback Y/N, payback.” Tony glared before pulling you into a hug, getting you covered to. At first it was fine, until you didnt feel Tony anymore and you struggled. Tony immediately let go, and you covered your face in shame. “Im sorry, I'm so sorry Tony.” He shook his head and gently grasped your wrist just enough to uncover your face. “Y/N, it's okay to feel like that. I should have asked first.” You gave an apologetic smile and he winked. The good thing with Tony was that he moved on from your attacks like they never happened, and for that you were forever grateful to your friend.

Bucky, he was the only one that you would find wandering late at night, like you were. When everyone else was fast asleep, you would be pacing the tower, afraid of sleep. It would happen, eventually. Your body would give into its demands, and you would go under into your nightmares. But until that happened though, you found ways to distract yourself. Sometimes it was video games on mute, you would bake muffins for the teams breakfast, get lost in Tony's library he allowed you access to. It was in these wanderings you found Bucky, bumping into him in random places. 

Eventually you two started to really get to know each other. Your late nights would be spent together. You opened up more and more, talking about what Hydra and Brock did to you during that year, Bucky making similar confessions while you two sat outside, away from the confines of the building. Quite a few times you both watched the sun start to come up far off to the east, and Bucky's arm would settle over you while your head tipped onto his shoulder. 

“Buck, I don't know if I will ever just be okay. Steve doesn't seem to think so.” 

“Doll, I came back from it.” He simply said, and you looked up at him, giving a half smile. 

“Your stronger than me.” 

His brow arched as he looked down at you. “That's not true. I had help, Steve, Shuri. I could have never done it alone. Why I know you will come back from this. Your not alone.” 

It gave you something to think about the rest of that day. 

You were so tired after two days going, you couldn't help but pass out, exhausted. You fell into bed in your sleep shorts and a tank, curling up while the world faded away. 

The nightmares though, flashbacks of all those times you were helpless, unable to fight back and could do nothing more than hold back your screams. It never helped, they still fell from you till you were horse from it, rolling from your bed as visions of various doctors plagued you, Hydra Agents beating on you, and Brock he was always in the darkness, watching with anticipation. When he would finally step from the shadows, you knew it wasn't just a nightmare anymore. It was hell. It was what sent you hiding while you were still sleeping. 

This night the jarring motion falling from your bed woke you, before Brock could get to you. Covering your head, you sobbed into your knees, so completely at a loss of how to fix yourself. Your shoulders shook, and you huddled there on the floor for a moment till your legs and back started to ache from being hunched over. Sniffling, you grasp the side of your bed and pull yourself to sit on the edge, wiping the tears from your face. The room felt cold. Reminiscent of your time with Hydra. No warmth, dark shadows stretching like they were reaching to claim you, in which you withdraw your feet off the floor, trying to talk yourself through what you felt was another oncoming panic attack. You had to get out of there, there was no way you could sleep in here tonight. 

Grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around your shoulders, you edge around your bed, trying not to let yourself get psyched out that Brock might be hiding in your room, he wasn't. He couldn't. It was impossible to break into Stark Towers, right? Into the living room you went, looking over your shoulder at what was your bedroom. Even your couch felt too close to the memories. 

It wasn't even a thought, you eased into the hallway and started down familiar doors. Steve, Natasha, Wanda… when you paused in front of one. It had no special markings, nothing to signify to any other that it was a special door, but for you it was. Hesitating for a second, you reached out and gave a quick rap of the knuckles, waiting. 

Bucky heard it, that quick knock knock. He never slept deeply, always aware of his surroundings, years of training and his own deep rooted fears that something was going to happen. When he opened his door to you, the blanket you had on you just about swallowed you, and your face peeked out, red rimmed eyes and ruddy cheeks. He knew you had been crying, were about to start crying as you were standing there. Bucky stepped back to let you in. 

“Sorry Bucky, I just… don't want to be in my apartment tonight.” Your head dropped as you stepped in, and he softly shut the door behind you. 

Standing there for a moment, you didn't know where to go from there, and he stepped in closer, encircling his arms around your cocooned blanket and you could feel the rush of a sob squeaking from you, pressing in against his t shirt. Bucky tucked you in close, feeling his own eyes prick with tears feeling you break in his arms, your shoulders shaking and even the blanket couldn't seem to keep you feeling safe now. But his arms did. They were strong and hard, encircling you. “Come on Doll, your exhausted I can feel it.” 

You didn't struggle as he led you down the small hallway to the back bedrooms, and  expected him to put you in a guest room that you knew all these apartments had. But he didn't. 

He brought you right into his room, and sat you on the edge of his bed. 

“Are you okay unwrapping from this?” He questioned, his hands resting on the blanket where you clutched it around you like a protective shield. You sniffled and dried your face on it momentarily before nodding, letting your grip go. He eased it off, and folded it. Resting at the end should you want it back. 

“Give me two seconds Doll.” He disappeared into his closet and with the door half shut, pulled on a pair of sweats over his boxers, and switched out his tear wet shirt for a dry one. When he came back out, you were right where he left you, feet dangling over the edge of the bed, and your fingers clasped in your lap. When he came around and stretched out, half propped up on pillows, you looked over your shoulder at him. “Can you leave the light on Buck? Just a little bit?” 

“Of course Y/N. '' Reaching to the lamp, he turned it on a softer setting and saw you visibly relax your shoulders as you looked around, and could still see all the corners of the room. Pushing back to get in the bed, you tucked yourself in against your friend's side, letting your head fall to his shoulder. 

“They must have been pretty bad this time.” Bucky said as he lifted a blanket over the two of you, and you nodded. “I kept seeing Him in the dark, coming for me.” Bucky was well aware who you were talking about, having shared with him before some that had happened to you. You lifted Bucky's arm and placed it around your shoulder, his palm pressing against your arm and tucking you in closer, dropping the softest of kisses on top of your head. “Even when I was awake, it was like he was just out of sight, waiting for me to drop my guard.” 

“We won't let him get to you Doll, not again.” 

There was a soft shuffle of blankets as you got comfier against him, and your arm locked around his middle, your voice muffled against his shirt. 

“I know Buck, that's why I came to you.” 

#jtargaryen18s4k #bucky barnes #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes x you #sebastian stan #marvel #marvel fan fic #bucky fic #bucky fanfiction #trauma #sam wilson #tony stark #natasha romanoff #clint barton #steve rogers

[dannyboy-writes]

Red stains darker in the snow

The white lights blinded you as they took you to questioning, every cold hall the same sad shade of grey, and at every corner a guard posted. So monotonous. 

Your arms ached from the pressure a random agent was applying, and you couldn’t help but notice the stares coming from every inch of the room. 

Everyone but her. 

On one of the never-ending corridors they opened a steel door into an interrogation room, where they left you there for some time. 

There was close to nothing in the room. One metal table to which you were cuffed to, one very uncomfortable chair on each side of said table, and a mirror. 

As you fiddled with the cuffs the door opened, letting Bailey- or Bell- Barton in with a frown, who looked at the mirror after sparing you a glance, and sat.

“y/n l/n, is that even your name?” He asked, dropping the file.

“Who knows,” you shrugged.

“...fugitive in fifteen countries, twenty two states, wanted for terrorism, murder and the hijack of a high tech plane,” he started as you reminisced on previous assignments. “Where did you take it, the plane.”

“Plage de Carras.”

“Hmm, France. Was it nice?”

“Lovely,” you said with a smile. “You should go, you look like you need more sun.”

He smiled, “I wouldn’t gloat much if I were you. Where you’re going there’s not that much sun.”

“Well, I doubt you found anything at the apartment,” you said as his smile dissipated into the straight line it was at the beginning. “And there’s nothing you can trace me to… So, how would you arrest me? Unless SHIELD has fallen into the dark side of intelligence, alongside Hydra and the CIA-”

“The CIA isn’t Hydra,” he interrupted.

“How not? Hidden government organization, check; based in world domination, check; has multiple hidden bases and severe human rights violations, check and check. 

“Would you stop with the mind games,” he said, resting back in the chair.

“They’re not mind games-” you started.

“You’re a liar,” spat Barton as you looked at him.

“Am I, though?” You nonchalantly asked. 

“You told her you’d change, you’d be better.”

“Oh, that you mean. No, yeah, that was a lie,” you chuckled. “But it’s not like it was a ‘lie’ lie, I mean, she knew I wasn’t going to change. I don’t think it counts as a lie that way, do you?”

“Yes!” He snapped, hitting the metal table. He pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke in a calmer voice, “It counts. Maybe not to someone like you, l/n, but it does.”

“Ooh, not to someone like me,” you mocked. “We’re all the same, Barton. You, her, me. We all sell ourselves, our information, our skills. You do it for your precious America, she used to do it for Russia, I used to do the same. It doesn’t matter who you do it for, you do it. Your SHIELD is not so different from the Red Room, or where I grew up.”

“Where was that?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” you stated. “The point is, Barton, in this line of work, you have to lie, or you die. It’s that simple. And if you think Natasha over there, behind the mirror, doesn’t lie, you’re dumber than I thought.” 

She had to be behind it, or listening somewhere. She should’ve had the courage to sit in front of you, but apparently she didn’t. Madame B. would be disappointed. 

Barton said nothing, and you continued, “She is behind there, isn’t she? Waiting, calculating. Trying to crack what I’m doing.”

“Maybe,” he said. 

“Well, there’s no need to dwell too much on it. I can tell her myself.” 

“You can tell me,” he said as he scraped the chair to the floor, making you wince.

“Now, where’s the fun in that.”

At that he left, maybe thinking you would crack under the pressure of nobody… What a dumb plan.

A few hours passed and as you were stretching your muscles, the door opened again, this time, with a familiar tone of red walking in. 

“I was beginning to think you were a no show, Red,” you said while she sat in the chair.

She said nothing. 

“What’s wrong, cat got your tongue or something?”

“No, I’m fine,” she said, reading the file Barton had left there. 

There was not much in it, only a few minor inconveniences; still, there were some things that you’d rather forget there too.

“Your new team sucks at making files, by the way. There’s nothing there,” you started, tapping an old rhythm on the table. “I’ve noticed you, Red. You’re becoming sloppy.”

“Maybe I wanted you to notice, hmm. Ever thought of that?” She retorted.

You scoffed, “Now, why would you want that? Got a death wish or something?” 

“You wouldn’t.”

“I’m a changed fella, time does crazy things,” you snickered. 

“Why are you here, y/n?” She finally asked.

“I mean, it’s not like I chose to be here. If I had, there would be less cuffs and more beaches,” you said, tugging the restraints. “Although I do enjoy cuffs under the right circumstances… Remember?” You smirked.

“Fondly,” she met your eyes for the first time since she walked in, making you smile. “So,” she started. “What’s your plan?”

“There’s no plan,” you shrugged. 

“Bullshit.”

“I’m serious, no plan. Not a single thing, nada.” 

“No plan,” she said, as you nodded. “So, you knew the team was there…”

“Yup. They’re very sloppy.”

“You let them capture you…”

“Clearly.”

“All for nothing,” she finished.

“Well, not for nothing. I just said I had no plan,” you said.

“So what for then?”

“I was bored,” you stated, wandering your gaze around the room.

“Bored?”

You nodded, “Bored.”

“What, do they have a bad retirement plan at Hydra?”

“Very funny,” you said, a resigned smile on your lips. 

“I’m going to ask again, then, and don’t lie to me. Why are you here?”

You took a deep, sharp breath before saying, “I need help.”

“Help?”

“Yep.”

“I’m sorry, I thought you said you needed help,” she said in disbelief.

“Well, there’s no need to be smug about it,” you said. “I’m only human, Nat.”

“Doubtful. Go on, help with what?”

“As you know, I’m a wanted criminal in many places,” you said, stopping for her to nod. “And, as you also might know or figure out, some of those places want me to go to their little dark prisons.”

“Which is understandable, considering everything you’ve done.”

“What about what you’ve done, huh Red? You don’t get to pay for those?” You accused, and when she didn’t say anything, added, “Joking.”

“Anyway, as I was saying, some of them want me imprisoned, most want me dead. And it’s catching up, and I can’t avoid it all on my own. So, I’m here in search of help,” you concluded.

“Why should I help you, y/n? We haven’t seen each other in years.”

It was a fair argument.

"I mean, you don't have to help me. By all means, you're free to let me go. In fact, you should. I don't bring anything good to this situation. I'm a fugitive with zero information on anything and a target bigger than my back. Just me.”

She stared at you for a second, “It's not like we had much before.”

“True, we were great,” you mused. “Whatever happened to us?”

“You kept working for Hydra as I left the KGB and joined SHIELD,” she reminded you.

“Well, it’s not like I had much of a choice, Natasha,” you said, getting serious. “You left without saying a word and I had to deal with the consequences. That mission was mine too and you messed it up. Just packed and left. I was left to fend for myself, and try not sell you out.”

She was quiet. Probably had no idea you had suffered for her departure; or that you didn’t sell her out, even if it would’ve meant much less pain for you. 

“I thought about doing it,” you continued. “Sell you out. It would’ve solved many problems.”

“Why didn’t you?” She asked without a second thought.

Now you were quiet. Very quiet.

“I- I guess I wanted something good to come out of that mess. I don’t know, I wanted to think you were out, and it was something less to worry about. But it backfired,” you finally said.

“Backfired how?”

“Well, you became the mission after your little escape. And who better than me to find you,” you scoffed. “I mean, they knew everything, Red. Every single thing. Every secret code we had, every place we met at.”

She shook her head, “There’s no way, how would they know?”

“I have no fucking idea how! But they knew,” you shook your head. “Now, there’s no need to get into that. Will you help me?”

She took a deep breath and nodded, “Yes.”

As you were thanking her a knock on the glass stopped you. Natasha left the room and met with a very angry Clint Barton.

“What are you doing, Tasha?” He asked while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“They need help, okay. I have to,” she said.

“You don’t have to do anything. They made their choice a long time ago.”

Natasha only shook her head.

“Why do you still have their back?” He asked.

Ah, the million dollar question.

“We go back, Clint. They've saved me countless times.”

“They’ve tried to kill you as many times as well,” he added.

“You don’t get it. It was my fault,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow for her to continue.

“When I left. When I decided to go with you, I- I didn’t even think of bringing them with. And they suffered because of that choice I made.”

“It’s not your fault,” he said and she looked at him. “Whatever happened to y/n when you left is not your fault.”

“But it is!” She shouted. “It is. And now they need help, and I’m not gonna turn my back on them again, Clint. I can’t.”

Barton was about to say something but he stopped himself. “Okay,” He started. “We’ll help them.”

-

Natasha entered the questioning room some time after leaving you with your thoughts, this time accompanied by Barton. 

“We’ll help,” she only said.

“We?” You asked.

“We,” said Barton. “I’m not going to let you be alone with her.”

“Scared I’ll steal your girlfriend?”

He grabbed the collar of your shirt, “Now, let me be clear with something l/n. Just because we’re helping, doesn’t mean I’ll let you run around like a child in a park. Do you understand me?”

“I understand,” you huffed, throwing your body backwards to get out of his grip. “So, when are we leaving?”

“Leaving?” They both asked in synchrony. 

"You didn't expect us to stay here, right? There's gotta be a safehouse somewhere harder to infiltrate than this place,” you said.

“This place isn’t easy to infiltrate,” Barton defended.

“It is. I did it twice,” you admitted. “Hypothetically speaking, of course.” 

Barton unclasped the cuffs, "Hypothetically speaking, huh? Was that a confession?" 

“No, simply a statement on the security of this place,” you shrugged.

“There’s a safehouse up north,” Natasha said. “But it’s cold this time of year.”

“Please, Red. You grew up in Russia, you gonna tell me a little snow is too much for you?”

“I don’t remember it was me whining about the cold in our stakeouts,” she retorted.

“No, that was because you stole all my jackets and covers and I was left with nothing but light sweaters,” you bickered back while Barton cursed to himself for getting in this mess with you both.

“Alright you two,” he interrupted. “We leave tomorrow.” 

You shook your head, “Now.” 

“We need to prep everything for the trip, and tell Fury about-”

“You’ll tell no one nothing,” you almost shouted, banging your hand on the table. “You can’t,” you said more calmly. 

“Why not?” Natasha asked. 

“Because- It’s imperative that no one knows about this.”

“We can trust Fury,” said Barton. 

“You can’t trust anyone,” you spat. “Not if you want to live. We leave tonight. Is there a car we can take?” You asked, looking at Natasha who was silent.

She knew you were right. After all, not long ago, SHIELD was infiltrated by Hydra. 

“There’s a car,” she said, while Barton stared at her. “That’s how we stayed alive.” 

He sighed loudly in defeat as you stared blankly at the metal table. “Okay, we take the car and head north to the safehouse. Then what?”

“Then we wait,” you said. 

“Wait for what,” asked Natasha.

“For my contact.” 

The mildly hard part of the plan was escaping from SHIELD headquarters, but even that wasn’t so hard. Next, you all found your way to a car parked at the last level of a parking lot, under some dusty blankets. 

Natasha started driving and when she got tired Barton took over, while she slept on the back, which made the car’s habitacle a tense place. 

Neither Barton nor you said a single word for the time Natasha was asleep; there wasn’t even a single stare between the both of you. 

When Natasha woke up you decided you were going to drive a bit, to get your mind busy on something; so with Natasha as the copilot you took the wheel, and it wasn’t until she was sure Clint was asleep that she spoke.

“Okay, what are you not saying?”

 “What,” you asked.

“Something is different,” she started. “What is it?”

“You mean besides the fact that multiple governments want me dead?”

“I don’t buy that. Countries have wanted you dead for years, why does it matter now?”

You sighed staring at the newfound snow on the route, “It’s nothing.”

She wanted to say something, to protest against your lack of answer but she didn’t.

You got to the safehouse after almost an hour of thick, sickening silence, and Natasha would’ve preferred a millennia of quiet instead of what she heard. 

One piercing bullet sound, and you falling to your knees.

While Clint left to find whoever had fired the gun Natasha froze still in the white before falling to her knees with you, cradling you.

“You’ll be okay,” she said, applying pressure on your abdomen. “Everything will be okay.”

You managed a crooked smile and a reassuring look before placing your hand on her cheek, “It’s okay, Red. It’s okay.”

She held your hand and kept repeating the same four words on and on, and she didn’t realise when you drifted off to sleep until it was too late; when she was covered in your blood on the white snow. 

She stayed there, by the car, covered in a mix of blood and snow and hugged you. It wasn’t until she saw Clint coming back with defeat plastered on his face that she realised what’d happened. 

He helped her into the safehouse and brought your lifeless body, covering it with a sheet. 

“Did you find whoever did this?” She asked after a long time of silence.

“I only found the gun,” he said.

“We’ll find them.”

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff imagine #marvel imagine

[visionsofus]

Regarding Scarletvision prompts.....I’m such a sucker for the trope where one member of a couple goes apeshit and all protective/NO TOUCH when they think the other member is grievously hurt, maybe something like that with Vision instead of Wanda? With potential fluff/comfort once things are fine. Your fics are wonderful!!

anon you are totally speaking my language with this prompt!! I absolutely love this trope so much too (and was actually halfway through writing one where Wanda loses her shit). Decided to go with Vision for this because we don’t often see him lose his cool in canon. Thanks for this request!

Really hope you enjoy! 

| read on AO3 here | send me a scarlet vision prompt |

Wanda and Vision’s Mixtape Track #17: Can You Feel My Heart

One year into being a fugitive Wanda gets cornered, Vision sees the news in real time and runs to her aid. Aka Vision going apeshit when he thinks Wanda is dead.

Warnings: angst, references to guns and blood. 

“Vision, look at me,” Tony said waving a hand in front of Vision’s eyes in an attempt to get his attention. “You can’t go. You understand that right?”

Vision dipped his chin in acknowledgement even as his brain ran furious probability equations through and through again. But they came back low again, and again, and again. There was only going to be one option.  

“Yeah, I don’t know about that,” Rhodey said from his seat before the flatscreen occupying half the wall of the strategy room they had gathered in. “Tony, this looks pretty bad.”

Vision turned his head and his gaze to the lights flashing across the screen, a live news report of everything that was going down in New York.

Tony swore at the sight before them, and Vision put a pause to his maths in shock. The camera was tracking a hooded redhead through a crowded street, suddenly zooming in on the individual’s face as she turned her head to look over her shoulder.

“Wanda Maximoff has been a fugitive since 2016 when she was decreed an international criminal by the United Nations,” the news reporter said over more footage of Wanda blending in as best she could with the crowds of the city. “While Maximoff has evaded capture for over a year, authorities now believe they are close to apprehending her.”

At this Vision had to quickly let go of the chair he was sitting in, lest he split the arm rests in two.

“We go live now to New York. Please be aware the next clip could be distressing to some viewers”

Tony scrambled to turn the news off even as Vision overrode his authority, ordering the compound AI to keep the report running.

The scene changed once more, and Vision watched as the crowd parted around Wanda as she engaged in a close combat fight with a man clad all in black. Her red magic had him restrained immediately as she spun around, a clear attempt to identify her best exit route. From that moment Vision knew her chances of getting out unharmed were dismal. In those precious seconds another agent was at her back, smartly keeping his distance and instead engaging her with his taser. Wanda’s head snapped up as her body jerked, but she somehow managed to twist around and send the man flying away. All around her agents emerged from the throngs of people trying to get off the main street. They began to close in like a pack of predators.

“Vision—” Tony said reaching out, but he was too late. Vision had risen without thinking when he saw the first taser, his legs moving of their own accord so that he had phased through the wall and was flying out away from the compound in moments. He’d never pushed himself to see how fast he could really travel and now he’d need every ounce of power to get to Wanda’s side in time.

The world was a blur, even to him. The only thing that kept his worries at bay was her in his head, the closer he got the louder her cries grew. He didn’t know how she was doing it; she’d always needed direct physical contact for her voice to be this loud in his head. He reached the streets of New York with her voice as his guiding light.  

‘I need you.’ She was weaker now. ‘Hurry.’

He was close now, all she had to do was keep talking.

‘I hear you, I’m coming for you,’Vision thought back, but he couldn’t say for certain if his voice reached her.

It didn’t matter though, he had arrived.

Vision managed to slow himself down enough to land, though his feet shredded the asphalt beneath him. Bullets flew his way immediately but he sidestepped easily and used the mind stone to blast two agent’s guns to pieces in their hands. The few bystanders left at the edge of the arena now before them, realised this was their indication to leave. They were quickly replaced by what must have been a hundred soldiers.  

Another agent took a run at Vision, electrified baton raised but all it took was a well-placed foot to send him to the ground. Vision continued walking forward, reading for the next onslaught even as Wanda’s voice echoed in his head again. ‘You shouldn’t have come’.

That made him angrier. He didn’t blink as he took out the next three agents before disarming two soldiers who’d mistakenly decided to try their luck against his inhuman body and the power inlaid in his forehead. They’d had enough difficulty restraining Wanda with carefully directed electrified pulses that had her incapacitated, on her knees in pain. They tried the same, turning the pulsing weapons his way but the energy passed harmlessly over him as he phased, carefully avoiding it. He was almost at her now, if he could just get to her side and get her out of the square, away, safe, alive. It was all he could think about.

Someone must have figured that out because next thing Vision knew, all weapons were trained on Wanda.

“Stay right where you are,” a voice crackled over a loudspeaker from a waiting cop car.

Vision didn’t stop until someone took a carefully aimed warning shot and he heard Wanda cry out in pain as she was hit by something. He didn’t know if it was just another pulse or if it was something more final.

The loudspeaker crackled again. “You take one more step and we won’t be taking her into custody, she’ll be going somewhere much more final.”

Vision had been learning a lot about feelings in the last year with Wanda. He’d experienced joy, love, lust, longing. He’d discovered these were warm emotions. Now he knew what rage tasted like.

Rage was cold, so cold. Rage made him irrational. And he was about to discover what happened when he turned that rage against others.

Wanda was on the ground again, clutching at her knee. So, it had been a bullet then. Vision’s shoulders trembled with unrestrained rage as she locked eyes with him, and a bloody, desperate hand reaching out.

And Vision exploded.

Eye-witness accounts would later say it was like the street had come to life. Others would say they thought a Chitarui ship had broken free from beneath the city, that the street had risen from the ground like a huge snake. Others still, would describe the red man, who had supposedly faced down two hundred members of the defence force, as impossibly fast, the yellow energy crackling around him like lighting. They’d say it felt dangerous, it was an ancient power that made the hairs at the back of your neck rise and your gut scream at you to run in the opposite direction. Those testimonies would never reach the news because no one could believe them.

Vision himself couldn’t be entirely sure what happened. He only recalled that he acted without thinking, his movements entirely guided by the immensity of rage crackling through his blood, calling to the stone at his forehead.

The stone, which so often sat dormant at his forehead, acted without his control. The power spread throughout his body and in his anger, he raised his hands, the golden light phasing and crackling about his arms, and thrust them towards the ground with a cry.

The soldiers didn’t have time to use Wanda as bargaining tool as he did this. As the power hit the tarmac the street shuddered and cracked. It didn’t reach the surrounding buildings, restrained only to the street and those who tried to weaponize Vision’s lover. She’d already been used that way once; he’d never let her be trapped again.

With the armed forces in varying levels of disarray, some injured while others just stunned at what they had seen, Vision darted towards Wanda.

The news would later say that an unidentified man and woman arrived on the scene some point into the chaos, but they would never be able to identify the individuals. Something about their cameras conveniently cutting out just in time.

Steve and Natasha raced for Wanda, lying prone and vulnerable in the middle of the street. They’d sent her out for the regular grocery run but hadn’t anticipated her getting caught. Afterall, they’d been in New York often in the last year and had never had problems like this. Vision was quicker and again it was as though the stone acted on his emotions. It took him a moment to recognise Nat and Steve past the caps pulled low over their heads and the masks taking up lower half of their faces, but by then the stone had already done what he must have deemed necessary, at least subconsciously.

As he reached Wanda’s side, throwing himself to his knees beside her and desperately surveying her body for injuries, a barrier appeared crackling in the air around them. Whatever irrational part of him that had seen his old teammates as a risk, wasn’t going to quieten down until he was sure Wanda was safe.

Steve didn’t manage to stop in time and went flying off the barrier. Nat helped him to his feet even as they both hesitated behind the crackling ring of gold energy. Vision didn’t know how to lower the barrier, but at that moment it was the least of his concerns.

“Wanda,” he whispered lifting her carefully and drawing her into his lap. He supported her shoulders and laid a hand against her cheek even as her eyes cracked open. Her lip trembled even as she winced, trying to sit up.

“You weren’t supposed to come,” she said, coughing slightly. “I had it covered.”

“Evidently,” he murmured absentmindedly looking over her knee, glad it had only been grazed by the bullet. The rest of her was fairly scratched up from hitting the ground so many times, but she was remarkably okay. “You know I couldn’t stay away.”

“We promised,” she said, and Vision saw the tears welling in her eyes. “We promised we wouldn’t put each other at risk.”

Vision sighed, if she had the time to worry about him in her state then she really had to be okay. His relief was immeasurable as he dropped his shoulders and pressed his forehead to hers lightly, taking comfort in their shared breaths, evidence they were both still alive. He had thought the worst for a moment.

As he closed his eyes the barrier around them dropped and Steve and Nat were finally able to get to the pair.

“We need to leave, now,” Steve said with all the authority of the leader he had once been. “They’ve called for reinforcements and with the guns their bringing in, we won’t stand a chance like this.”

Vision helped Wanda stand but when she staggered on her injured knee, he immediately scooped her up.

“You understand the decision you’re making her, Vision,” Nat said as they started away from the scene they had caused. “There’s no going back now, are you staying or coming?”

“Staying is not an option anymore,” Vision said without hesitation. His decision had been made the moment he left the compound.

Wanda sighed sadly but rested her head against the crook of his neck in defeat. “You’ll lose everything.”

“As long as I never have to lose you.”

#Wandavision fanfiction #scarlet vision fanfiction #wanda x vision #wanda maximoff #the vision #scarletvision angst #whump #you all keep asking for angst #so I deliver #Vision is OP is this one #visionsofusfics #also I have 11 prompts waiting in my inbox so I promise I've seen y'all and I'll get round to them asap

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Skin Deep - Part 3

Author’s Note:  The story continues!  I appreciate everyone’s patience as I got this third piece of our tale completed.  I hope the wait will be worth for all of you! As always, please re-blog, share, comment and so on!  I’m accepting tags, so let me know if you want to be a Minx! I am also getting ready to celebrate a milestone here on Tumblr, so stay tuned for details!! I wanted to take a moment and send some specific love to two of my followers who, just by doing what great fan-fiction readers should, made my little life complete.  First, @iluvsumbucky​ ... this one, she read every chapter of “The Testing Kind” over 5 days and left the most meaningful, heartfelt reviews.  I can’t tell you how much it meant to me to see those comments and know that you loved my story as much as I loved writing it. Which brings us to @iamverity​ ... perhaps the single most thing a writer can hope for is someone to tell you that their work makes you feel.  I was paid this compliment and swear to strive for that in all my output going forward. Also, always, much thanks to @sammy-jo1977​ who had to listent o me whine while this one came together. Skin Deep Part 1 Skin Deep Part 2 Pairing:  Loki x Reader, Steve x Reader, Natasha and Bucky are around Summary:  Picking up where part 2 ended, Loki’s back... What will Steve do to keep you as his own?  How far will you go to find the truth? Warnings:  Angry, yelling, darker Steve.  Mentions of smut, property destruction, confrontations galore.

“PET!”  Watching you crumble, Loki was a blur of manic motion, moving with speed spurned by fear.  Knees scraping the antique rug, those long fingered hands cupped your head, keeping it from hitting the floor as Loki managed to catch you just in time. Malice, so foreign on his tongue, dripped from Steve as he rushed forward, “She’s not your pet, Loki.  Not anymore.” Crouched over you, protecting you in your delicate state, Loki stared down America's Man with a Plan.  Long hair swinging wildly, “Well, she’s certainly not your doll, Captain.”  Jostling for position, pushing close to you, Steve elbowed Loki harshly, “Like Hell!” With a flash, fully armored, Loki stood with you draped limply in his arms.  “Out of the way, Avenger.  You don’t want to fight me, not right now.”

Moving, keeping Steve in his sights, Loki stepped backwards, making his way toward the open door.  Steve, stomping forward slowly, intending to close the distance and eager to have you back in his arms, “Let me have the girl, Loki.” Growling a warning, Loki snarled, “Absolutely not.” “Loki, just walk away.  Leave her, just like you did before.”

“Captain-”  A sharp shock rocked through Loki’s back forcing his body to lock up.  Almost frozen from the burning heat blasting through him, his arms grew heavy, beyond his control.  There was no scream, only the perfectly round “O” of his mouth as the pain clamped onto each of his muscles.  Unable to support you any longer, Loki felt himself tipping forward, Steve stealing you to safety and out of his grasp.  Loki’s world went black as his arms were emptied of your weight. Gently, sweetly, your passed out figure is laid on your soft bed.  Straightening, Steve tucked the blanket under your arms, “Thanks for the assist.” “Sorry I’m late.” 

“Still, thank you.”  Natasha holstered her weapon, a strong taser with tech from Tony modified to take down an Asgardian, and cuffed the wrists of unconscious Loki.  “Think you can help me get him out of here?  Steve?”  “Hmm?  Oh, yea.  Sure.”  Distracted, Steve was looking down at you, grazing a hand over your cheek, tucking hair behind your ear.  It looked loving and tender to Natasha. “She’ll be fine, Rogers.  It won’t take us long to-” “He was me.”  

Softly spoken, Natasha barely heard the words, her head bent towards the alien god at her feet.  But something about his tone had her chin lifting.  “What do you mean, Steve?” “Shape shifted.  Glamoured.  However he did it...  Loki looked like me, sounded like me, was… me.” Natasha had an idea of where this was headed.  Bed sheets were rumpled, you were in a robe, your hair askew.  The unmistakable smell of sex filled the space.  Almost unrecognizable, Steve’s voice echoed a hurt that she had never heard before.  Not when he’d woken up, a man out of time and out of friends.  Not when Bucky was found, brain washed but alive.  No, this Steve sounded broken.  Wounded.  And wasting precious time. 

“Steve, let’s talk about this later.  Help me move Loki.  Fury will be here to collect him tomorrow at first light.” “She loves him, Nat.  Even as me.  She and Loki… they just…”  Looking back at you, tracing the swollen curve of your hard kissed lips, “They are perfect for each other.” “What are you saying, Rogers?” His sigh was a heavy, cumbersome thing.  “I’m saying… Let's get Loki secure.”

----

Fluttering open, you took in the lengthening shadows across the ceiling of the room you and Steve called your own.  The room where Steve had coaxed you away from your physical dependence on Loki’s love.  The room where Loki, appearing as Steve, forced you to reacquaint yourself with his addicting abilities.  Hearing Steve’s even tread on the stairs, you sat up just as he cleared the door.  Meeting Steve’s concerned gaze with your own, a gentle smile playing on his full lips, “Hey doll!  Welcome back!” 

Crossing to your side, long strides bringing him near, Steve lowered himself onto the bed.  Taking you in, Steve clasped one of your hands in his own, his fingers locking on yours.  Soothing, smoothing the damp hair off your cheek, “You fainted.” Your mouth was dry.  Unable to trust your rusty throat, nodding, you acknowledged his statement.  Fainting wasn’t something you did, but under the circumstances, you gave your strained mind a break.  With a cracking whisper you asked, “Loki?”  Steve’s look clouded at the name, as if he’d swallowed something disgusting, “He’s gone.”

Struggling, your loose robe falling open, a shrill tone that you didn’t recognize coming out of you, “Gone?  Loki just left?” Steve won’t look at you.  Maybe he can’t, but that doesn’t stop his words from sounding so strange.  You ask again, not understanding, “Loki’s gone?” With that, Steve focuses solely on your tear filled eyes, not the reddened skin of your clavicle or the indigo fingerprints rising on the surface of your breast.  Pulling your robe over you, covering the marks of passion on your shoulder for your sake, Steve shrugged, “Yes.”

Shaking Steve off, hands waving him away, “But that doesn’t make sense.” Scooting back, surveying you darkly, “It doesn’t?” “No.  I mean-”  Swinging your legs over the edge of the bed, a guilty look on your face at the appearance of purple on your inner thigh, “Why would he show up… and do what he did?” This type of behavior wasn’t like him.  This wasn’t Loki’s style.  He calculated, maneuvered, contemplated.  Risk over reward, pros and cons.  

No, he had come back with a plan.  Loki had come back for you.  As he’d promised you years ago, Loki was back and you had betrayed him.  You had betrayed him by falling into Steve’s bed.  You had let Loki down.  Would he be able to forgive you?  Could you forgive yourself? Fingers laying over your own, Steve squeezed them tight, misunderstanding the tears in your eyes.  “I’m sorry he hurt you, doll.  I should have been here sooner.” “He didn’t hurt me, Steve.  I mean, not physically…”, jerking your hand free, standing on wobbly legs, your sadness flashed into anger.  As you paced the room, Steve was forced to keep calm, even as he wanted to explode.  The marks of Loki’s love making were still fresh and just knowing that someone else had put them on your body made Steve’s pulse pound.  What’s more, you didn’t seem to care that you looked like a well used harlot, parading around, shoving Loki’s prowess down his throat.  With a raised tone, unfamiliar to you, Steve groaned in frustration, “Doll, look what Loki did to you!  He took advantage!”

That made you pause.  Did Loki cross a line?  Yes.  Coming to you as Steve, taking you to bed, making you feel all those delicious, dirty things… Things that Steve would never consider doing.  Things Steve wouldn’t be capable of doing, not to you, his perfect doll.  You should have known something was different about your stand-in Captain.  But, hadn’t it been a perfect combination of the two men?  Remembering it made your head swim, “I don’t know why Loki did this.  I don’t know why Loki… wasn’t himself.” “He’s not the only one.” scoffed Steve.

“What the hell does that mean?” Sighing heavily, resigning himself to the unspoken resentment he felt, “Nothing… I… Nothing.  Forget about it.  Let’s focus on tonight, ok?” Moody and on edge, you didn’t want to let it go, “Oh no.  You said it.  I want to know what you meant.”  Your hands found your hips, arms out like chicken wings, the air around you snapping with unchecked energy.

“Doll, let’s not.  Not right now.” “No.  Let’s hear it.  You clearly have something to say.  Say it.  Use your words, Steve.”  It was a phrase Steve loved to use on you when he felt like his sexual endeavors deserved more praise.  Now, you used it to goad him. "You let him-" Steve looked anywhere but at you, the memory of your body tight against his own, as a spectator, not participant made him bristle, “-have his way with you.”

Opening and closing your mouth, unable to find the words, shaking in your own unchecked fury and frustration.  "I thought it was you!"

"Did you really?", gravel filled and low, Steve’s anger simmered just under the surface of his perfect pout.  

You had a flashback, Steve stalking towards you, an almost predatory look on his handsome face.  He called you “pet”, pulled you to him with hungry hands, touched you in more than three places.  What you thought was, No, no I didn’t really think it was you.  But what you said was, "Y...yes.  Why?" 

"You've never been like that with me… so loose, so playful.  Loki could have asked you for anything.  Anything and you'd have done it."

It was a stinging truth, it’s acid filled tentacles wrapping around your heart, squeezing tightly because you definitely would have done anything that fake Steve had wanted.  Real Steve was right about that.  Dragging in a deep breath, almost afraid to ask, but needing to know, "How long were you watching, Steve?"

"Long enough.”

Searching his brooding eyes, you looked for the familiar light of the sensitive Steve you’d so recently grown to enjoy.  He was nowhere to be found.  Adding a pleading note to your voice, almost contrite, "It was you as far as I was concerned.  He tricked me, ya know?"

"You weren't complaining, in fact, it was the exact opposite.”  Rage snapped in Steve’s frosty glare as he finally lost the iron grip of his emotions, “You came for him!  Twice!" Matching his volume, “I came for you!” Mocking you, your breathless words of passion, “I won’t break Steve!  Please, Steve!  Don’t Stop!” “Steve!  Not Loki!  Steve!!  You said it yourself!” On his feet now, crowding you closer to the wall, his voice continued to rise. “You knew it wasn’t me.  Don’t lie!  You knew.  And… and you fucked him anyway!  Ah!”  Spinning, Steve yelled as his fist went through the door of your armoire, wood splinters and paint flying every which way. Ducking, you jumped out of the way, shouting too, "Jesus, Steve!  What are you doing?!” But Steve was on you in a heartbeat, using his super size to his advantage, “When did you know?  When did you know it was him?  When did you realize you weren’t fucking me?”

And there was the real issue, the thought hitting you like a freight train.  Cold, pea green, you touched my toy, jealousy.  

“Steve…”, his grip on your upper arms was vice tight, the vibration of his furious frenzy frizzling your confidence.  Your voice sounded so small, but it somehow reached through his envious green fog, “Stop, baby… please?” Deflating before you, Steve’s chest rose and fell as his breath evened out,  “Answer me.  Did you know it was Loki?” Catching your bottom lip between your teeth you nodded, whispering, lying, “No… I really believed it was you.” And that was the right answer, because Steve pulled you to him then, his mouth no longer spouting spite.  “Doll… I love you.  Seeing you with… anyone else, I just couldn’t…”  You heard him trail off, his grasp of you tighter than needed, but you didn’t dare move.  “I know honey.  I know.”  Feeling him press a kiss to your temple, Steve’s lips moved over your cheek before capturing your mouth with his.  You let him kiss you, kissing him back, eager to end the hostilities without any more destruction.  Placated, Steve’s chin rested on your head, “People are still coming over tonight.  It’s too late to cancel.  Will you be up for that?” Easy now, sweetly you responded, “Everything is pretty much done.  You just have to start the grill, babe.”  Laughing low, “Ok.  I’m going to get cleaned up and head out there.” Stepping out of his arms, looking up at him demurely, “Sounds good.”  Somehow you even managed a smile, normal and light, as if the afternoon hadn’t been filled with shrieks and shouts. Hugging you snuggly once more, Steve reached the door before turning back to you, “You need to shower.  You smell like him.  And, doll?” Frozen in place, you risked a glance at Steve, “Yes?” “Please keep yourself covered up.  You’ve got bruises everywhere.” Once Steve was gone, your resolve eroded completely.  Loki had disappeared again, Steve had lost his damn mind, and you had the nagging suspicion that everything was wrong.  Under the surface of all of these events, these wild happenings, was a connection that you couldn’t see.  Tears fell, hot and hard, scalding your cheeks. Over your sniffling you heard Steve’s steps on the stairs, thumping him towards the back yard.  Pushing yourself up off the floor, you saw the super soldier making his way to the shed, the little storage area seated between the house and the tree line.  Swiveling his head, checking for onlookers, Steve entered the security code, your first date, and stepped inside. Now, it wasn’t weird that Steve went to shed, per se.  It was his, on his property, and full of his stuff.  What made it weird was the glowing green light that flashed quickly through the windows after he was inside. Keeping vigil over that little shed for more than twenty minutes, eager to see Steve step out of that small space, your mind races.  What was going on in there?  What could he possibly be doing that would take so much time? Again, the windows glowed green and suddenly Steve was outside, shutting the door soundly.  He looked towards you, to the window you were gawking out of, but the sheer curtain hid you.  Satisfied, Steve moved to the patio, setting up the grill for his guests. Shivering through your shower, you quickly cleaned up, your hands running over the tender skin where Loki left reminders.  Steve wasn’t wrong.  You were covered from neck to knee with bruises and bites, stings and smacks. But how delicious it had been earning each and everyone of them.  

-----

He felt the familiar strain of shackles before opening his eyes.  Hands behind his back, some sort of water fed device from the feel of it, kept him from full use of his magic.  Loki knew then that Thor had provided inspiration for his current condition, even if it was unintentional.

Another set of cuffs.  Another version of prison.  Passing through his brain was a floating thought, What did I do this time?

Unable to dissect his predicament further, Loki heard the thumping steps of a visitor coming his way.  "Agent Romanoff… always a pleasure.  Are you the one responsible for my current-" shifting in his bonds, "-state?"

"You brought this on yourself, Loki."

Tilting his head, dark hair cascading downward, "Really?  And exactly how did I accomplish that?"

Natasha spread her feet, toeing the edge of Loki's cell, "I told you there was an easy way to do this.  Seems like you enjoy doing things the hard way."

Chuckling, if only she knew the truth of her words, "I do like it hard.  And rough.  And wild.  Just ask Rogers' woman.  Isn't that right, Captain?"

"Shut up, Loki."

"Why should I?  You have me here, trussed up like a stuck pig, bound and helpless.  What more can I do?"  His tone reflecting false innocence that neither agent believed, Loki smiled widely, seeming almost content in his confinement.

Steve ignored the rising ire Loki provoked.  Turning to Natasha, "Can you go and check on her?  She should be showering… getting dressed.  Make sure she…"  Now he glowered in Loki's direction, "Make sure she doesn't look like a whore."

Loki's answer was a raised eyebrow.

"You boys play nice until I get back.", her last words before retreating up the stairs, leaving Loki and Steve to stare at each other.

For a long moment neither spoke.  There was a lot to say, maybe too much, but both warriors were willing to wait the other out.  It was the equivalent of circling an opponent, only no one was moving, there was no parry, no thrust.

Loki, seemingly at ease, knew he could wait out the Super Soldier.  Roger’s approach was so utterly American, so typical of Midgard, Earthy.  No, it was clear that Steve didn't understand about patience.  Timing.  Not like Loki did anyway.

For his part, Steve was already battling a fierce fighter… himself.  When he told Nat that you and Loki had something special, something other, that wasn't a lie.  Steve would have to be blind or stupid not to realize the depth of feelings the two of you shared.

So the question circling his star spangled brain was this:  did loving you mean letting you go, even if that meant Loki won?  Or lying to keep you as Steve's own?

No answers came.  And that, the inability to settle his feelings once and for all, made Steve vibrate with uncontrollable anger.  Mad at himself for letting Loki get under his skin, under your skin, had Steve clenching his fists at his sides.

Furious at Fury for forcing him to use you, trading your broken heart for weapons technology, had Steve's toes tapping.  That he knew in his heart what he had to do, what the right thing was, even though Steve would lose everything… well that was the last straw.

As the electric bars Loki was kept behind fell, the deity couldn't help taunting, "Interrogation time, is it?"

Steve's answer was more feral grunt than words.  Loki followed him with his gaze until Steve crossed behind his broad back and out of sight, “You really think you love her.”  

"No."  

Loki's single syllable stalled Steve.  Had he heard the fallen God right?  Was it this easy to win you away from Loki?  Steve faced his captive, forcing Loki to look up at him, practically sneering, "No?"

“Love is too small a word.”

Shaking his head at the sweet sentiment, Steve's voice laced with unshed emotions, “I love her, Loki.”  Pounding on the skin over his heart, voice lifting with his bubbling anger, “Me.  I love her!"

Looking ahead, shrugging, Loki focused on the man before him, clearly in crisis.  Anyone else might empathize with the dear old Captain.  Not Loki.  What did Steve's feelings matter to a God like him?  

"Why couldn’t you just stay away?”  Questioning Loki, Steve wasn’t sure he wanted an answer, or, more precisely, wasn’t sure he could handle it.

Twisting now, coolly appraising your conflicted consort, Loki snorted, “You know why.  Why couldn’t you find your own girl, Captain?  What right do you have to take what is mine?”

“She’s not yours, Loki.  Not anymore.”  Bristling, Steve's words were steel, biting, brittle but it was a shallow shield.  Closing his eyes he saw it all play out again.  A loop of you, lusty eyes half closed, legs spread, lips parted as his body double brought you to paradise.  

As if he knew where Steve's mind had drifted, his half smirking smile rising, Loki cocked his head.  “Oh, I don't know about that.  She didn’t feel like yours when I had her cumming on my cock.”

Rocking on his heels as if he'd been struck, Steve challenged, “Do you have to be so crude?”

“Does that offend you?  I’m terribly sorry that my honesty is so odious.  Shall I lie to you instead?”

“I’m going to enjoy watching Fury dissect you.”  It was a threat, plain and simple.  Still, Loki wasn't convinced of its authenticity, no matter how much Rogers wanted him to cower.  

“Is that the plan then?  Cut me up, figure out ways to use me?”  Now, that was a troubling thought.  Torture was not something Loki enjoyed, having been on the receiving end of its hellish torments a time or two, and he had no plans to return to a testing chamber, thank you very much.

Nodding negative, Steve smiled back coldly, “There’s also all those Asgardian weapons, Loki.”

“Ah!  That sounds more like your Mr. Fury!  Drain my brain for technology that no one on the planet could hope to control.  Great idea.”

It was then, without real consideration, that Steve drove his fist into Loki's jaw knocking the once King of Asgard onto his side.  Loki, powerless to stop the sucker punch, had no choice but to accept the blow and allow momentum and gravity to do their best work.  His lip, exploding in a spray of blood, filled his mouth with warm copper, staining his leather doublet.

Spitting a wad of torn tissue and clotting red onto the cellar dust, "You son of a whore!  I thought we were doing so well!"

Steve, kneeling in the dirt, squeezed Loki's shoulder, pulling him upright.  Seeing the broken skin on his foe's face made him feel better.  Drawing back, Steve watched as Loki raised his chin, offering it up to the serum soaked soldier as a target.  Happily, Captain Rogers obliged him. Swinging his left arm, connecting with the sharp cut of Loki's right cheek, Steve felt the bone break under his hand.  Knuckles met nose as blood gushed over Loki's handsome face in a macabre cascade.  Still, Loki made no cry, offered no pleas.  Wordlessly he allowed Steve to pummel him, absorbing the blows of bitterness, stoking Steve's anger.

After a punishing pop that made Loki's ears ring, taunting, Steve offered, “I can do this all day.”

Wheezing through his broken nose, gurgling through the fountain that was one his face, “It takes a God, Rogers.  You’re still a skinny boy from Brooklyn compared to the cosmic forces at play here."

Pushing Loki flat to his back, towering over him, Rogers's own breath coming in pants of exertion.  "I could kill you.  For what you did today.  For what you've done."

"Is it your sense of misguided morality that stays your hand, Captain?"  Loki slurred through his split lip, one irritated eye swelling, as Steve flexed his rapidly healing fingers.

"No.  I told you, Nick wants you… alive."

"And you're always the good soldier aren't you?  Doing as you're told, no matter what you know is right?"

Turning his head away, Steve didn't want to see the consequences of his actions etched on Loki's face, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Then let me go."

Slowly closing his eyes, Steve sighed, "Right.  Ya know, I'd have to be insane.  After what you did today?"  

"I came back for my lady."

Another flare of furious feeling flowed through Steve, instinct making him kick into Loki's ribs.  "She's not your lady!  God damn it!"

Curling into the new wave of pain inflicted on his person, “Oof!  Do what you want to me, Captain, you and Fury won't be the first.  Just-"  Loki, hiccuping softly as a lone tear tracked over his mottled skin, "-just, please.  Don’t hurt her.  It’s not her fault.”

Cold blood, coursing through his veins, pounded in Steve's ears at the idea that he might harm you.  “I would never!  I could never!  She thinks you’re already gone.  Left her behind like before.  And I’ll pick up the pieces... again."

Turning to leave, Steve's final blow, the most crushing, "She’ll never even know you’re down here, Loki.”

---

Digging through your shattered chest, towel clutched around you, desperately you searched for something to wear that hid as much of you as possible.  There was no sense in upsetting Steve further.  You weren’t entirely sure what he might do, not anymore. Mind whirling a mile a minute, your head was at war, silently cursing Loki and Steve equally for their behavior throughout the day.  Who was the more infuriating?  Right now you couldn’t decide between Loki’s cruel but carnal return, and Steve’s super soldier psychosis.

"Hey lady!"  

Snapping your head up with a shriek, "Damn it, Nat! You scared the shit out of me!"

Laughing lightly, stepping into the messy room, Natasha kept her eyes on you.  "Everything ok?  You seem… tense?"

Feeling your lower lip wobble, "Oh?  Do I seem that way?  And no.  Nothing's ok." 

"Tell me.  What happened?"

Flopping down to the bed, a dress clutched in your hand, you turned your filling eyes to your best friend.  Gulping quickly you started retelling the events of the last couple of hours.  Loki’s disguised return and almost immediate departure.  Steve’s over sized, out of character outburst, and the visible wreckage it had left behind.

Natasha let you prattle, bobbing her head and offering "No!" and "Oh my god!" and "What?" at the appropriate moments in your story.  Where the hell was Fury?  It was dangerous keeping Loki so close to you, didn't he realize that?  There was no telling what lengths he would go to in his quest to reclaim you.

When you had finished, finally reaching the moment she had found you, she was a million miles away.  "Natasha?  Earth to Nat?" 

Blinking herself back into the moment, "I'm just speechless.  Like, wow."

“I know, Right?”  Expecting some sort of response or advice, you scanned your friend’s face but something felt off.  Natasha’s eyes kept drifting toward the window, keeping the shed in sight, waiting for something.

And suddenly a thought popped into your head.  Something you didn’t want to ask, something you were afraid to answer.  Steve’s shindig was still an hour away from beginning, everyone was supposed to come up from the city together.  So, why was she already here? Feeling you shift away from her, just an inch or two of distance on the bedspread, Natash knew you were putting pieces together.  It was something she had seen before.  The moment a captive subject realized she wasn’t the good cop or the bad cop.  

“I’m going to need my sandals.  I think they’re in the room across the hall.  Hang here a minute, ok?”  Sounding bright and breezy, you went to stand, stopping with Natasha’s forceful tug on your wrist. “No.” “No? Come on, Nat…”  Pulling free of her grip, well trying to, your false smile slipping as you took a step backwards. Shaking her head, the woman who was your best friend swung you back towards the mattress, “Put on your dress.  Do your makeup. Finish getting yourself ready.” You were meeting the Black Widow for the first time.  Calculating, poisonous and cold.  Shivering at Natasha’s icy tone,  “Are you asking me or telling me?” Cocking her head, sending her blunt bob swinging, the look she gave you was answer enough.  “You’re going to sit here until Steve comes to get you.”

“Can you… will you at least give me the room?”  Natasha gave you a half nod before exiting, shutting the door behind her.  Waiting to hear her footsteps, a sign that she had drifted downstairs, you were disappointed to learn she was standing guard.  Of course it wouldn’t look that way to anyone but you.  No, to everyone else it would seem like your bestie was waiting for you to finish up, eager to get the party started. Pacing to the window, looking down like a princess trapped in a tower, you saw Steve chatting with Bucky the unsurprising first to arrive.  Your gaze kept drifting to that shed, more than certain that it contained the answers you needed, and that somehow, someway, you had to get into that space.  But first you had to get dressed.  

Drawing panties up your legs, you started getting yourself put together.  Next came the matching bra, the cups covering the fingerprints Loki left behind.  Shrugging into your maxi length wrap dress, the emerald green one with a sash belt that felt like a soft tee shirt, you at least felt pretty even if your heart was heavy. Willing yourself not to cry, you swiped eye shadow over your lids just like you’ve done countless times before.  Mascara, a pop of red lipstick, but no blush.  You didn’t need it.   

As you push your earring into place the door creaks open.  Steve, looking sheepish, rests a hip against your dresser watching you do all the little things that complete your look for the night.  He’s smiling sweetly, adoringly, in a way that’s meant to prove that he’s ready to put the day’s events behind you both. “You look… beautiful, doll.” “Thank you.”  Keeping it simple, you don’t let your stare linger on him, instead you sink down to buckle your strappy sandals in place.  Kneeling down at your feet, Steve lifts the second shoe, Prince Charming style.  And if today hadn’t been today, you might have felt moved by his gesture.  Now, more than ever, if solidified the idea that you were a kept thing, the princess, locked in a castle tower to be hidden away from the rest of the world. 

Only Steve wasn’t your prince.  He was the Lord of the Manner, to be obeyed in all things, keeping you behind closed doors.  Natasha, she was his enforcer, the knight guarding his treasure.  Oh, how you wanted to be rescued. Mortified and hurt, feeling trapped like a pent up tiger in a cage, you turn towards the door, "Where do you think you're going?" At Steve’s words you pause.  Worry must show on your face because he leans into you, brushing a kiss across your temple, wrapping your hand in his.  “You can’t go anywhere without me.” And it’s meant to reassure you.  That’s what Steve’s body language wants to convey.  Protector, defender, keeping you safe and secure.  On the landing you’re flanked by Natasha, pinned between them both, as you make your way down to the small gathering of guests already sipping sangria under the pretty lights you put out.

Pepper is the first to grab you and for a beat Steve doesn’t let go of your fingers, instead pressing a possessive kiss to the back of your hand.  “Don’t you look beautiful!  Captain, you can’t keep her all to yourself, you know!”, gathering you to her in a tight hug is almost enough to make you cry.  It’s the love you had expected from your best friend but been denied. Warily, watchfully, Steve works the crowd.  He’s poured beers for the boys and slapped steaks on the grill.  Natasha is chatting with Clint, but you feel her eyes on you just the same.  No one else is aware of the scrutiny you’re under and you realize that you’re dealing with two super spies who are great at what they do for a living.  Getting to the shed unnoticed is going to be difficult, but you’re going to make it happen even if it kills you, and it just might. Soft music is playing, the air is honeysuckle scented and in some other dimension, tonight is perfect.  Still, you can’t keep your thoughts on the party.  You’re waiting for a chance to sneak away, even as you make small talk with Wanda, “Oh, thank you!  I’m glad you like them, it’s a family recipe.” “Doll?  Got a second?”  You’d hardly have thought that Bucky Barnes would be your salvation, and yet, it’s his soft voice that pulls you away from the group in a way that doesn’t arouse suspicion.  Setting down your own glass, you tilt your head to Bucky, flashing Steve a small smile.  He returns it with a little nod, giving you the go ahead before you follow Bucky into the kitchen.   Reaching into the cabinet, you grab two shot glasses and the bottle from the freezer, “I kept the good stuff for us!” Bucky, chuckling low, pours out two icy vodkas.  Clinking your glass to his, you tip the alcohol down your throat, enjoying the white hot burn as it hits your belly.  Holding your cup out, Bucky refills it, “You ok, doll?” “Yea?  Why?” Raising his dark eyebrows, “You’re quiet.” “So?”  Defensiveness laced your response.

“Um… that’s just not like you.  I thought that tonight you’d be… relaxed.” Twirling your recently emptied shot glass, purposefully not looking into the brilliant blue eyes in front of you, “I’ve just got a lot on my mind today.” “I can imagine.  Steve told me about… Loki.” “He did?  What did he say?” Another heavy pour, another downed shot, and Bucky answered, “That he had come to see you.  Riled you up.” “That’s it?”

Bucky, catching your gaze held it, “No.  He’s afraid of losing you.  He loves you so much, you know?” “Ha!”  It burst out of you, unrestrained, and once the uncomfortable bubble popped it couldn’t be stopped.  Laughing uncontrollably now, you clutched the counter, knees buckling as you tried to stifle the giggles.  Hearing Bucky join you, that chortle of his gaining strength as the vodka took hold, only kept your own laughter going. “Bucky!  I’m gonna pee my pants!  Oh god!”  

Keeping your knees locked, scuttling to the bathroom, you ducked inside.  You heard the Winter Soldier fix himself another drink and shut the freezer door, “Doll, I’ll see you outside!”

Letting yourself out the front door, you snuck around the side of the house, entering again through the wide gate.  From this side, the shed was easy to access, and just far enough away from the noise of the party to keep you hidden from view.  You were also trusting Bucky to report your need for the bathroom, buying you a few minutes of snooping time, before you’d need to be back under the watchful eyes of Steve. Punching in the security code, the lock clicking gently, you pushed into the small room where all the landscaping and hand tools lived.  Smelling of gasoline and mold, the place was neat, but dirty, built solely for storage.  You were ready to give up your searching when you noticed footprints in the dust.  

Not just Steve’s boots either.  No, there was Natasha’s feminine foot shape as well as the long tapered outline of a third person’s shoe.  But that didn’t add up.  Following the tracks around a small work table you noticed a rug, still kicked up at the corner, where the footprints stopped.  Now, you were no Nancy Drew, out there solving the case of the extra footsteps in the shed.  It just all was too perfect, the clues matching up too well to be an accident. Rolling up the carpet revealed a small latch that sprung free with little effort.  In the gloom below, glowing faintly, was the same green light you remembered from Steve’s visit here.  Something about that light was familiar to your person.  It called to you and after swallowing a small wave of fear you used the narrow ladder like steps to descend into the murky space below. You didn’t need a flashlight.  What was in front of you illuminated the whole cellar with ghastly green light.  Narrow columns of light stretched from floor to ceiling, crackling with power, keeping you away from the shadowed prisoner on the other side. Realization, hitting you like a brick, brought burning bile to your throat.  You recognized the figure on the floor in front you, even with his purpled face and swollen eye, “LOKI!” “Oh, hello pet.” Getting as close to the shimmering bars as you safely could, “Oh god, Loki!  What’s happened?  I thought you left?  Steve told me you left!” “You thought I left?  That’s ludicrous.  I just got back.”, voice still rasping, Loki surveyed you from his good eye.

“What’s happening here?  I… I just don’t understand.” Sighing deeply, Loki rolled his still visible eye, “Can you turn off these ridiculous bars?  I can’t use my magic with all this… interference.” Spying the control panel across the room, you studied it for a moment before entering a set of numbers.  It wasn’t difficult to crack Steve’s code.  This one was your birthday.  Instantly the laser grid dropped, giving you access to the battered man cuffed on the dirt floor.  Wasting no time, you flung yourself towards Loki, your arms circling his neck as you kissed his split lips.  Falling into the dirt beside him, you clung to Loki, squeezing him until he begged to be let go. “Pet!  Please!  The cuffs, if you can release them I can heal myself.” Looking at the fancy restraint holding Loki’s wrists tightly, you didn’t find a keyhole, but rather a complex latch mechanism.  Pulling your earring free, you used the post to push open the catch, a whirring sound rising as the metal and liquid let go.  Laughing, “That should not have worked.” “It was created by men who don’t take women into account.  Of course your female magic would best them, darling.”

Loki turned your face to his, cupping your cheek, “Oh gods, I missed you.” Scalding tears began to flow, “I’m so sorry Loki.  I knew you were coming back.  I knew it… and still…” “Hush.  Hush now.  You were purposely misled, pet.  Rogers, Romanoff, Fury.  I was communicating with them the entire time.  And for their own reasons they kept you in the dark.”  Rocking together in the dank gloom of the shed, you let Loki hold you which is exactly what he had wanted to do for years now.

---

“Buck?  Where’s our girl?”  Trying to keep his voice light, Steve was battling internally, feeling that familiar pulse of anger start to throb. “Bathroom.  Give her a minute, we were hitting the Goose pretty hard.” Natasha was already on the move, pushing through the screen door, stomping through the kitchen.  Finding the bathroom empty, like she knew she would, Nat stopped for a second.  Where would you go? Steve was already moving towards the shed, knowing, somehow that you’d find your way there eventually.  “Just going to grab more champagne!  Hang tight!  Bucky, don’t let that chicken burn!” Meeting Natasha at the door, the two Avengers wordlessly agreeing to a covert attack plan, Steve entering the pin code.  Soundless, they sweep the space, finding it empty.  Steve, stopping short at the edge of the carpet, the cellar door still open to the darkness below.    

Lifting his wide eyes to Natasha, “They’re gone.” 

~ Part Four Coming Soon~ My Like Minded Minxes:  @sammy-jo1977 @vodka-and-some-sass @just-random-obsessions @brokenthelovely @lots-of-loki @thefallenbibliophilequote @iamverity @iluvsumbucky @unadulteratedwizardlove @wolfsmom1 @procrastinatinglikeabitch @mizfit2 @shxdowofdarkness @nonsensicalobsessions @ahintofkiwistrawberry @alexakeyloveloki @jessiejunebug @rorybutnotgilmore @crystalizedcaramel @lokislittlecorner @scrumptious-finicky-illusion @capcapcapsicle @jamielea81 @caffiend-queen @thenatalie 

#loki x reader #loki x you #steve x reader #steve x you #dark steve rogers #loki smut #steve rogers smut #marvel #marvel smut #MCU fic #loki fanfic #steve rogers fanfiction

[awedbynature]

A Christmas Debt

Characters: Loki x Reader

Category: Chaptered Story

Genre: Romance/ Friendship/ Love

Synopsis: The reader renders a great service to Loki unknowingly. Not used to being in anyone's debt, our favourite God of Mischief offers a strange favour in return. Will the reader trust him enough to take up the offer?

Previous Chapters: Chapter One

P. C. Pinterest

A/N: Thor's story, as recounted by Loki in this chapter, is an actual tale recorded in the Norse Mythology.

Also,

There's kind of a gift hidden within the chapter. Click the coloured text below to find out!

______________________Loki_____________________

Chapter Two

'He did what?’

You try to shush Natasha the best you can. She is incredulous at the news. ‘Y/N, this is Loki. He has a million wiles. I don’t want you falling victim to any one of them.’

‘I know,' you sigh. ‘But it is such a tempting offer.’

Nat rolls her eyes. She has never fully trusted Loki, not even after all the missions they have served together. Loki had been vital to some of the crucial operations the Avengers have been to, and most of them have given him their grudging trust. Not her. But that’s how she is.

You take another sip of coffee. It’s almost midnight and most of the others are lounging around, stuffed with cookies and fudges and in most cases some amount of Tony's prized liquor collection. Loki is not there. Probably in his room.

Just as you're taking another sip, savouring the aroma of the richly baked beans, Wanda saunters up to the counter. She is new to all this but looks like she’s enjoying every bit of it. Wanda is closer to you in age than Pepper and Natasha. She is more like a best friend to you than a sister, unlike Nat and Pepper.

She pours herself a cup of coffee and casually throws a hand around your waist, leaning against the counter and taking in the scene before her.

‘I saw Loki go after you,' she frowns. ‘What was that about?’

At your nod, Nat tells her everything.

Her eyes widen at the mention of the offer. ‘Did he really say that?!’

You nod wearily.

Wanda puts down her cup with a decisive thump and turns to you. ‘Well, I, for one, am totally in for it!’

'Really?!’ you can see Nat rolling her eyes again.

‘Of course,' continues Wanda. ‘What’s the harm? You don’t have to worry about your siblings ribbing you at dinner anymore! Isn’t that a huge plus?’

'B-but what if they ask for details? How we met and all?’

‘Then you make up some shit. Tell them you two met on a mission, or something. It’s not like you’ve to lie to them forever. It’s just one day!’

You heave a sigh, torn between taking up and declining the offer. But the prospect of being made the butt of jokes at the dinner table holds less appeal than blatant lying on your part. In the end, Wanda wins. You give a tiny nod of acquiescence.

‘I don’t like the idea,' Nat grumbles.

Wanda huffs, rolling her eyes. ‘She’s going to be fine. Now c’mon and show me what you’re going to wear tomorrow. We need to work on that first.’

You let her drag you off to your room, all the while thinking how best to approach Loki without appearing pathetic and pitiable. It’s just for one evening, you convince yourself. After all what do you have to lose?

***

You should not have listened to Wanda. You should not have let your depressed, lonely heart dictate your decisions. With so many things happening last night, you have hardly had a moment to think if you’d be alright with this entire charade. But now, cooped up in the cab and speeding towards a possible disaster, you feel a familiar dread creeping up your limbs and settling in your stomach. All of a sudden, being the object of pity and mild ridicule seems much more bearable. You give an involuntary shiver.

‘Are you alright?’ Loki casts a concerned glance your way.

'Mmhmmm,' you choke out, hugging your arms and giving them a rub.

Loki arches an eyebrow. ‘Pardon me, Ms Y/SN, but you most definitely do not sound alright.’’

'I'm fine.’

You relapse into silence. The cab has left the city and is speeding down a suburban road now.

Your morose thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a chuckle. You turn to find Loki laughing quietly to himself. Somehow the sight of him being so relaxed and graceful irritates you.

‘Do you find this funny?’

‘No. You just suddenly reminded me of my brother,' he says, passing a hand over his face to wipe away the remnants of his grin. ‘I had that feeling of—what do you Midgardians call it—something that seems to have happened before?’

‘Deja vu?’’

'Yes. It was the only time I had seen him nervous. More nervous than a bride on her wedding day. How fitting since he was actually in a wedding dress.’

What!

He chuckles some more, as an image of his hulking brother in a short wedding dress flashes across your eyes. Despite yourself, you snort, feeling the prick of curiosity.

'Why was he dressed as a—’

‘As a bride?’ He finishes for you. ‘It’s a hilarious story.'

‘It begins with my oaf of a brother having his precious Mjollnir stolen from him. Under mysterious circumstances.’ He winks and folds his hands behind his head.

'This happened when we were barely adults but considered ourselves grown up enough to venture out in search of adventures. One day, Thor woke up and found his hammer gone. Thor being Thor, immediately suspected me. Not that I’m saying I stole it. There was not enough evidence and so he discarded the idea eventually. But his hammer was truly gone and he was feeling helpless without it. Fearing the Allfather's wrath, he came to me for a hasty and discreet solution. I used all in my power to locate the hammer. At last we received news that the king of the ogres had stolen it and was demanding Freyja's hand in marriage as ransom.’’

'Who's Freyja?’

‘She is one like us. A goddess. She was considered the most beautiful among the Aesir for her golden hair and her deportment.’ His eyes take a faraway look, perhaps remembering his childhood friend.

'Anyway. So the ogre king was demanding something absolutely impossible for us to grant, yet the stakes were too high. What do we do? We decided to take the advice of the Gatekeeper of the Realm, wise Heimdall. He thought long and hard and decided that someone should dress up as the bride and go and retrieve the hammer. But none were brave enough to volunteer. So it finally fell on Thor to be the bride. ‘But my beard, and my figure!’ he exclaimed incredulously. Nobody heard him, poor thing. They decked him up in the finest bridal clothes and jewellery and wove flowers into his hair and put a veil over his disgruntled face—beard and all. You would not have found a more reluctant bride in the nine realms, nor a more muscular one. I was to dress as his handmaid, but that was not difficult. I could easily shapeshift into a young maid.’

By now, you are wheezing, clutching at the driver’s seat to keep yourself from toppling over. Loki cocks his head, observing you with eyes dancing with mirth, a smirk playing on his lips. He is definitely enjoying telling the story as much as you are enjoying listening to it.

'What happened next?’

'The ogres were foolish enough to believe us. They led us to the wedding banquet where Thor polished off most of the food without any help. His exuberant eating did raise suspicion and quite a few eyebrows but I managed to quell them before it got out of hand.’

'When their king announced that it was time for the wedding, they brought in Mjollnir and placed it in Thor’s lap. And the rest is history. I can assure you, none of the ogres lived long enough to tell the tale.’

Both of you dissolve into hearty chuckles. Loki heaves a sigh and instantly turns serious, ‘Please don’t tell Thor I told you this story. He’ll have my head in a platter if he finds out.’ There is a twinkle in his eyes but his face has gone back to that expressionless mask that all are used to seeing.

'You have my word,’ you reply, suddenly remembering with whom you’ve been acting chummy.

The scene outside is rapidly changing. Clusters of suburban houses and complexes have given way to long stretches of greenery. Which means you’ll be arriving any moment.

With a jolt, you realise that you had completely forgotten about your anxiety and apprehension. You feel more relaxed now, more yourself. Because of Loki. He was looking out for you. He knew you were nervous and wanted to put you at ease.

For the first time, you look at Loki in a different light. He is very much the roguish, evil, beguiling demigod that once almost destroyed an entire city, but somewhere underneath all the barbs and untruths lies a heart that still cares.

'I'm not sure this is a good idea,' you finally voice your anxiety. ‘What if they find out that this is all a lie, a pretence?’

Loki lazily crosses his legs and regards you with a piercing gaze. ‘Ms Y/Sn, perhaps you’re forgetting whom you are with. I have lied our way out of far more life-threatening situations numerous times. Thor lives because of my lies. This is nothing.’

‘What if they ask how we met and our answers do not match! I’ve watched too any sitcoms to know where that’ll lead.’

‘Then tell them the truth.’

‘Of course not! How am I supposed to tell my family that I met my apparent boyfriend after he was captured and imprisoned for masterminding the destruction of a whole city! They would rather watch me die single.’

‘Fine,’ he concedes. ‘Tell them we met during an operation.’

You fiddle with the hem of your dress, not fully convinced. Wanda had insisted on your dressing elegantly, and you had ended up borrowing one of Pepper’s gowns. If anything, it only makes you more nervous. You feel like you’re dressed in borrowed feathers.

‘Don’t fret, alskling,’ he says after some time. ‘The main trick of telling a lie is confidence. People are more likely to believe a bald-faced lie over a stammering truth.’

The cab finally rolls to a stop. Heart in your throat, you look at the familiar house, the neat lawn in front now decked with Christmas decorations, the old whitewashed fence and the ancient sycamore with the tire swing still hanging. Nothing much has changed around here.

‘Allow me,' the soft, crisp words bring you back to the present. You turn to find Loki coming round to your side to hold the door open. His face has taken a softer expression, the perfect look of a man in love and happily so. Slipping in and out of façades comes to him as easily as breathing. No wonder they call him the God of Lies.

He holds out his hand, his lips drawn into a smile. ‘Come, Ms Y/Sn. Let us show them.’

Well, here goes nothing, you take a deep breath, and step out of the cab.

To be continued...

Chapter Three available now

Tags: @lucywrites02 @lilyofthesword @country-cowgirl-101 @benji-booxx @loki-hiddlestoner3024 @outlawangel2020 @thefallenbibliophilequote @idontknowstudios @just-the-hiddles @myraiswack @noturningbacknow @natandersonnla @twhiddlestonsstuff

#loki #loki marvel #loki odinson #loki stuff #mcu loki #loki fluff #loki fandom #loki (marvel) #loki fanfic #loki x reader #marvel #loki romance #romance #loki in love #love #romancing loki #fluff #thor movies #thor #god of mischief #god of lies #god of trickery

[shinymooncolor]

Hi!

Hope you’re all doing well this fine Friday. Here’s part 2 of the sweater weather chat #13!

As usual, we owe this entire fandom and world to the amazing @lumosinlove 💓

Thank you to @frombeauxbatons and @siriuslyqueer for being so cool!

Also - to avoid confusion. A Finn is a Finnish person and Finn is our love Finn o’hara 😜

Link to part one 💖

Sergei is still mad about his hair. He’s also got sweaty glitter in his eye. Ava is adorable. Nado and Kuny hosts an after party. Their cat is adorable and spoiled. Nado is being stalked by a drone. Blizzard is a lucky man. We discuss dick pics. Logan wants to be supportive. O’Knutzy jerseys!!!!! Olli has a team of protectors cause he’s a precious moomin.

—

“JACKIIEEEEEE”

“Oh, looks like we have a young lions prospect joining us as well. Nice to meet you, young lady, what’s your name? And here we have Kris LaVolie, Pascal Dumais and Henrik Sunnquist as well”

“Jackieeee wanna pwayyyyy”

“Sure kiddo - bye”

“Seems like LaVolie junior has more important things than press. Gentlemen, hi! How’re you enjoying this event today?”

“I think it’s great! Great to be able to support charities and show some support in general and it’s always fun to be able to bring my little girl to skate”

“She looks like a natural! And you two vets - what’s it like seeing this in the nhl?”

“It’s great! We’ve, or well me and sunny, have been in the game for a long time and it seems like the league is ready to move into the 21st century with the rest of us”

“I’ve been trying to figure out what happened to Ivanov’s hair. Do you know?”

“Well I don’t personally. I do like the color - mixed with his blonde it’s nearly the color of my home. Yellow and blue”

“Did you dye his hair then?”

“I would never! You’d have to ask him yourself. Hah”

“Well he’s been avoiding me so far”

“Oi Sergei!!”

“Well with that bellow it seems we’re finally joined by the final third in the trio of lions veterans today - sergei - we’ve had a lot of viewers ask us about your choice of hair color today? Is it a statement or?”

“Is stupid prank. I’m find out and make regret. Also I’m full with glitter and it sweats into my eye”

“That sounds uncomfortable but you all four look good - are your families here as well?”

“Yes, most kitted out as well. We had some trouble with my youngest who refused to wear anything but a paw patrol onesie but other than that Celeste managed to wrangle the other three into their jerseys”

“They think it’s fun and the glitter was a hit. Sergei’s daughter dumped an entire box of glitter on Logan and kuny. It was funny”

“Thanks guys, you look like you’re ready to get back out there”

“See ya”

“Wait, Logan, interview?”

“Hey”

“Logan! We’ve had multiple asks about your jersey and the name which seems to be on the back off Leo Newt and Finn O’Hara too?”

“Uhm, yeah, it’s an inside thing”

“Ohh okay, our viewers were wondering. Are you enjoying today’s event?”

“Yeah. Feels good to be out and supporting you know? Like there’s a lot of kids out there who’s scared and if I can help one I want to”

“Yes definitely. We’ve had so many positive comments come in. And here we have Olli Halla joining. Or... heh well. He’s got Logan in a headlock now”

“Olli! How’re you today?”

“I’m good thank you, how’re you?”

“Very well, just been asking some questions from viewers. Are you enjoying wearing the rainbow colors? We’ve had a lot of question regarding your relationship status?”

“Ohh Ollibear is a precious, single moomin and he’s got a team of protectors. Whoever wants to woo our precious baby Finn has to go through a series of tests to even be considered”

“Shut up timmy”

“Well here we have Timmy Jones as well, joining Logan Tremblay and Olli Halla”

“I think we all look good in rainbows and I’m happy to support this cause. Mental health is important and we have to use our platforms to make sure everyone is seen and heard and validated”

“Aww Olli you’re making me cry”

“Shut up lo, go play with Finn”

“Haha you’re all just jealous cause I look best in rainbows”

“That was Logan Tremblay. Now, timmy, how’re you feeling about today?”

“Get to wear awesome colors, get to skate for fun and it was fun to do glitter wars in the locker room”

“Well with that I’m gonna end the transmission for now. Do send in more questions. We’re back after a short break”

—-

Nadotheman: oiii glitter after party at our house!!! Bring your families and babies. Pets welcome too!!!

Blizzard: this is not another surprise party for your cat right?

RussianGod: it was anniversary for first month very important say so in lily baby book.

Prongstar: are you using our baby books to raise a cat?

KrisVolley: that explains a lot. They send me weekly updates. Do you have a baby book for her too?

Timmyforrealz: of course, I’ve seen it. You know they have a photographer every month. They do parties for her every anniversary and they went through an agency to get a cat sitter

Ollibear: it’s cute. Though I don’t need the daily updates on her mice eating skills

Nadotheman: she’s so talented! How’re you not impressed? She hunted and killed it herself... you don’t complain when we have some stupid kid party. You all breed like fucking rabbits... baby showers, christenings, birthdays ahhhh... so many babies... we get to celebrate our cat too...

Prongstar: did you steal my baby book? To raise a cat. That’s weird

Nadotheman: calm down she’s a kitty and we didn’t know how to raise her. At least my baby sleeps through the night.

Prongstar: don’t compare a kitten to my baby.

CarbO’Hara: hahahahaha poor James. His kid being upstaged by a spoilt kitten.

RussianGod: she’s not spoilt. She got good parents

Sergei_81: you are weird. Baby cat is not baby human.

Talkiewalkie: I did enjoy the circle of life themed cat name giving party. The snacks were really good!

DumoDad: celeste, Anya and linnea want to know if there’s going to be anything x-rated? Otherwise we’re all not going.

Nadotheman: that was one time and I had no idea she was a stripper

LeWilliam: how do you accidentally order a stripper?

Prongstar: it’s Nado. I wouldn’t put it past him. He did accidentally adopt a penguin in Pittsburgh and he’s joined like three pyramid schemes?

Ollibear: that’s why he’s got an accountant now 😂 that is one of the best memories of my life, when Nado’s mom came and yelled 😂😂😂

Siriusly: I spent $150 on a stupid cat present and she spent the rest of the evening playing with the box it came in... she’s definitely your cat...

RussianGod: best cat best cat parents best after party stop whiny

Logantremblayzzz: we’re in!!! Is the jacuzzi on?

Nadotheman: you’re not doing sex stuff in our jacuzzi

Newt-leo: we’ve all seen the photos of you doing it though. Little hypocritical

Nadotheman: well stupid drone stalking me.

Sergei_81: we bring vodka. And babies. They want play street hockey? Is March. They crazy

Talkiewalkie: oh I’m in for street hockey!! Also does that explain the amount of dick pics we’ve received?

Nadotheman: what happens on Snapchat stays on Snapchat... you’re all dirty voyeurs...

Ollibear: thought you promised to keep this pg-13?

DumoDad: that’s the pArty not the chat. I don’t think we’ve exhausted the topic of nado’s general sluttiness

Nadotheman: oi. I’m not a slut I’m sexually expressive and ya lot is all just jealous.

Nadotheman: also no one is chasing kuny? He’s dating around as much as me and he’s also sent dick pics

Blizzard: the difference is that Kuny is always naked or semi naked and well we’ve all seen his. And most of his bragging is in Russian anyways

Sunnysideup: hah if you understood you’d be ashamed. And also want to lock up your daughters.😂😂😂

RussianGod: is the accent. They all think they fix me hehe

Prongstar: I’m not even missing being single at all 😳

Blizzard: me neither 😜

Nadotheman: you’ve got Nat. I think you’ve won. Hands down. Your wives are all cool but Nat.... damnnnn 🙏🏻

Blizzard: id say back off but. What can I do 😜💖💖

—-

#lumosinlove #lumosinlove ocs #sweaterweather #sweaterweatherchats #sweater weather #sweaterweatheroc’s #sweaterweatherchatsnr13

[iamnotoriginalphil]

Love Letters (Steve Rogers x Reader)

Synopsis: While Steve is away on a long mission, you exchange some letters.

Words: 1596

Warnings: like one swear word

**GIF not mine**

Steve,

Did you know the place on the corner does those bagels you love? I got one on the way to my meting this morning and it made me think of you. I know I used to give you a hard time for liking them, but I see the appeal now. I wish you’d been there to share it with.

I saw Tony last night. Pepper forced him to come around and check up on me. I don’t know if you put her up to it but it was nice to see someone. He said you’re somewhere in Europe now. He didn’t tell me much. I hope you’re safe, even though I know that’s pointless. If people need help you’ll be putting yourself in the firing line.

I think Diego is beginning to realise you’re not going to be home for a while. He sits in the window watching, waiting for you to walk up the street. He sits by the door, staring at me as if it’s my fault. I tried to tell him I had nothing to do with it. He doesn’t believe me.

I liked the photo you sent in the last letter. Bucky certainly looked pleased. Tell him the cute girl in the coffee shop asked about him. I won’t say what she asked though.

Come home soon.

I love you.

Sweetheart,

I told you about the bagels. You never believed me but now you’ve seen the error of your ways. When I’m home we can share one and I’ll rub it in your face how good they are.

I watched a beautiful sunset this morning. It reminded me of our second date, when we stayed up all night at the top of Tony’s tower. Sitting with you under that blanket made me realise that I was falling in love with you. I had never experienced anything that made me happier and all I wanted to do was spend the rest of my life with you. In that moment you became the future I was fighting for.

Tell Diego I’ll be home soon and he better be nice to you or I won’t let him sit on my lap once I’m home.

Bucky keeps bugging me to ask what that girl in the coffee shop asked about him. He also wants to know how she looks. And if she’s still asking after him. And what she’s said about him.

I hope we’ll be home soon.

I love you.

Steve,

Please see the enclosed photo. That should let you know how I feel.

I went to the beach with Thor today. He said Loki needed some sun and apparently I’m the only one he hasn’t tried to kill so I was the only one willing to go with him. It was… eventful. Long story short, Loki should not be trusted with rock pools. But to hear the whole story you’ll have to come home.

Diego says you can go fuck yourself and he’ll do whatever he wants, laps be damned. He is also demanding food and if he doesn’t get it he’ll hold me hostage.

If Bucky wants to know anything about this girl he can come home and ask her himself. Tell him to grow a pair and asked her out. She’s obviously into him. Don’t tell him that last bit. It’ll only inflate his ego.

The other day I found this picture I must have taken after a long mission. You were still in uniform but lying face down on the bed, deeply asleep. You looked so peaceful. Even with the drool. I miss waking up to you. I can’t wait for you to get home.

And don’t think I didn’t notice you ignoring what I said about Europe!

I love you.

Sweetheart,

You’re killing me over here. You can’t show me something like that when I can’t have it. You’re torturing me.

I hope Thor wasn’t putting you in a dangerous situation with Loki. That snake can’t be trusted. Certainly not with something as precious as you. I want to hear all about it when I’m home. I’ll be holding you to your promise.

Diego shouldn’t use such bad language around a lady. If he’s holding you hostage I’ll come rescue you. He’s no match for me.

Bucky says thank you. I do not.

Please don’t show anyone that photo. Especially not Tony. Or Bucky. Or anyone really. Please.

Europe is lovely, but not as lovely as you. When I’m done working, how about you join me here? We could travel and sightsee. We could go to all of those countries on your list, see all the cities you’ve dreamt about. There’s more to the world than New York City. I want to show you the world. I want to experience the world with you.

I want to experience everything with you.

I love you

Steve,

I don’t think there’s any need to get so worked up over a picture of a bagel. You’ve seen one before. It’s nothing special.

Nat came over yesterday. She’s still passed out on the sofa with Diego sitting on her. And she says she’s not a cat person. Liar.

We went out last night to that bar you like, the one that we met in. It’s nice to know that when time continues on the important places stay the same. They still sell that beer you like. I got one and immediately regretted it. How can you stand that stuff? It’s disgusting. Being frozen must have ruined your tastebuds. You’re a freak. I want you to know that.

Their nachos are still horrible and soggy and gross. If we go back, I’m going to force you to have them, just so we’re even.

I beat Nat in darts (but I think she let me win) so when you come back, dinner is on me. And by that, I mean I’m buying you gross nachos and terrible beer.

Tell Bucky I said hi, and that I haven’t seen his girl. But if you guys are gone too long, I might ask her out and we’ll ditch both of you. It would serve you both right for being gone for so many months.

I promise no one has seen the photo. Except Nat. And maybe Clint. Last night is a bit of a blur. But Tony definitely hasn’t seen it. And I’m guessing Loki hasn’t but it’s always hard to tell with him. If he mentions it then I guess we’ll know.

I want to see Europe. I want to see you. I want

I miss you.

I love you.

Sweetheart,

You have no idea how special that bagel is. I would get rid of Bucky’s other arm for one of them right now.

I will endure any gross nachos as long as I’m with you but I will not hear any insults against the beer. It’s not my fault you never learnt to appreciate a fine drink. You know I hate to tell you that you’re wrong but sweetheart, you’re wrong.

I can’t believe you showed Nat the photo. Especially after I asked you not to show anyone. Although it does explain the series of text messages she sent me. She also sent me a very nice picture of you. I especially like how you appear to be mid snore in it. It would be a shame if I shared it with Bucky, or Tony, or Clint. That would be terrible.

Bucky says ask the girl out. He sees no problem with two beautiful women enjoying each other’s company. Although, he said it in a less gentlemanly way. And I’d rather you stayed my girl.

We can see Europe as soon as I’m done on this job.

I miss you too.

I love you.

Steve,

Looks like Bucky is going to be armless because you won’t be getting one for a while.

How does it feel to be wrong? Because that’s what you are. I hope you enjoy your nasty beer and gross nachos. I’ll be enjoying something much better.

Nat showed me the photo she sent. If you show anyone I’ll

You looked up from the letter. The sunlight was beginning to fade, the warmth of the day disappearing from your loft, gifted to you from Tony supposedly as a way of keeping Steve out of his hair. Or so he said.

Diego meowed at you from the kitchen. You pinched the bridge of your nose, squeezing your eyes shut. He brushed against your ankles.

“I know. I’ll be there in a second. I just need to finish this.”

“You certainly do.”

You stood up so fast the chair toppled over itself with a clatter. Diego darted away from you with a hiss, his tail inflating. You pressed your fingers to your mouth as you took in the figure standing in the doorway,

“Honey, I’m home.”

“Steve,” you breathed.

You ran, launching yourself at him. He caught you up in his arms, lifting you from the ground. You were laughing, tears falling from your eyes as you pressed your face into his neck.

“You never said you were coming home so soon,” you said.

“I hope you’re not disappointed.”

You laughed, pressing your lips to his. He kissed you back like you were the oxygen he was so desperately missing. You couldn’t catch your breath. Your heart felt as if it was too big for your chest. You never wanted the moment to end.

“Now I believe you owe me some nachos and beer,” he said once he’d put you down.

“Indeed I do.”

Tags: @libellule2001​

#writersmonth2020 #Steve Rogers #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers oneshot

[xxx-cat-xxx]

Broken Bottles Form A Star

Characters: Natasha & Clint

Word Count: 2k

Tags: Natasha Romanov is not a Robot, Clint Barton is a Good Bro, Friendship, Alcohol abuse, References to sexual coercion, Vomiting

Summary: Clint isn’t sure whether he can fix any of this. He knows for certain that she doesn’t want him to. But whatever mess Natasha is, part of her has become his mess by now.

A/N: Thanks so much to @whumphoarder​ for beta reading!

Natasha is still wearing her rented $3,000 evening gown. In the run-down pub, the shimmering green fabric laced with precious stones makes her stand out like a peacock in a crowd of ravens, but apparently she’s been slumped over the bar long enough that the regular crowd stopped paying attention. Most of them have congregated around a table in the corner, playing cards and taking turns cursing loudly in a language Clint only knows fragments of.

Make-up is smeared all around Nat’s eyes and her head is essentially lolling on her elbows, almost hitting the top of the counter every few seconds before she drags it back up. It can’t have been more than three hours since they separated—Clint in search for the best beef stroganoff that Saint Petersburg has to offer, Nat ostensibly to meet an old friend. He should have never believed her in the first place, given that Nat’s use of that word invariably involves quotation marks, but he has to give it to her that she managed to get hammered very efficiently in the brief period since then.

He plants himself squarely in her field of vision, knowing better than to touch her. “We’re leaving,” he states.

Nat squints hard to force her eyes to focus on him, then opens her mouth as if to object. Instead, her shoulder hitch and she belches a mouthful of alcoholic breath into his face. Clint wrinkles his nose but doesn’t move an inch.

She swallows thickly. “‘S place’s a shithouse,” she announces before slipping down from the barstool without any of her usual grace.

“Exactly.” Clint is secretly glad for her lack of resistance; the last thing he needs after today’s mission is making it into the local news for the bar fight that would certainly start if it looked like he was taking her away against her will. He locates Nat’s coat on the stool next to her and places it over her shoulders. 

“Put that on,” he orders. She doesn’t make any attempt to move, so he does it for her, managing to stuff her arms into the sleeves like he’d do for a child, but doesn’t bother with the buttons.

The bar has fallen silent. All eyes follow Clint as he throws a bunch of bills on the counter, hoping it’s enough for the impressive row of shot glasses lined up next to the assassin, and positions her arm around his shoulders. Nat isn’t heavy; he could have easily picked her up and carried her, but even in the intoxicated state she’s in, he doubts she would have let him.

Instead, he takes on most of her weight as they step out into the freezing night air. His motorbike is parked in the shadows around the corner, out of sight of drunkards who could get silly ideas.

“So, what was this about? Not a fan of ballet, huh?” he jokes while they slowly shuffle through the icy rain, mostly to fill the silence. "Yeah, it's a snooze-fest."

Her face darkens momentarily, just long enough for him to register it as something to remember. She doesn’t reply, but suddenly tries to pull away from him, which only makes both of them slip on the wet snow covering the ground.

“Fuck, Nat,” he swears. “Work with me here.”

Her face is stony. He helps her onto the bike, orders her to keep holding on to him while he speeds up to the limit, mentally preparing himself to catch her in case she passes out during the twenty-minute drive to their motel.

She doesn’t. “Stop. Clint, stop,” she moans instead when they’ve barely covered a third of the way. He’s momentarily happy that she is lucid enough to remember his name, but then he more feels than hears her cough wetly into his shoulder. Swearing under his breath, he stops the bike a second too late. There is already liquidy vomit soaking through the front of her gown.

“Fuck,” she mutters before gagging again.

“It’s alright,” he sighs. “Just get it out of your system.”

Nat doesn’t even bother to get down, just grabs his jacket for balance and bends over the side of the bike as she throws up again. It’s far from the first time Clint’s seen her get wasted; she’s drunk agents twice her size under the table. But it is the first time he’s witnessed her overdoing it to the point where it makes her sick, and that worries him. 

He racks his brain to figure out what is different about this mission, but he comes up empty. If anything, it was easier than the other ones they’ve tackled together in the half a year they’ve known each other, and it definitely involved less violence from both sides. They infiltrated a Tchaikovsky ballet performance to incapacitate a former US illegal arms dealer with poison―not enough to kill him, but enough to make it impossible for him to make a run for it when the police will storm his apartment tonight after their anonymous tip-off.

Clint’s distaste for high culture coupled with the jetlag meant that he dozed through much of the remaining show while Nat seemed to grow more and more tense beside him. He mentally berates himself for not realising something was off before she went on to her personal pub crawl.

But the self-reproach can wait for later―the priority at the moment is to get her somewhere safe and comfortable. “You done?” he asks when the current round of puking seems to be over. Nat hiccups and nods, still panting short, warm clouds of breath into the air. 

“Hold tight.” Clint pulls her back upright and kickstarts the engine. “Give a warning if you need me to stop again.”

She does so when they have almost reached the motel. This time he has to grab her around the waist to keep her from toppling off the bike altogether while the heaves wrack her frame. He’d almost be impressed at the sheer amount of liquor she brings up, if it wasn’t straight-up worrying.

Nat’s swaying dangerously by the time he opens the heavy door to their temporary stay—a shady room and a half with a mouldy bathtub and hidden surveillance cameras outside each window. She steadies herself against the wall to kick off her high heels, then seems to almost fall asleep there until Clint peels her out of her coat and lets her lean against him as they enter the room.

“Let’s get you into bed,” he directs.

She only gags in response.

“Okay, fine. Or barf a little longer first,” he sighs, turning them around 180 degrees to get to the bathroom. It’s another fifteen minutes before she is completely empty. By the time the retching ceases, her eyes are teary from the shear strain of vomiting so much, mascara collecting in a half-circle above her cheekbones and making her look even more like a ghost.

Something about it pulls at the strings inside his chest. He gets up to wet a washcloth, then kneels down next to her. “Hey,” he says almost softly, “You’re gonna be alright.”

“I’m fine,” she replies hoarsely, automatically.

“Yes. Of course.” He wipes the make-up and mess from her face, stroking the hair away from her sweaty forehead. Surprisingly, she lets him, even leans into his palm for a moment and closes her eyes. It’s so unlike Nat to seek comfort like this that he’s momentarily lost for what to do. It’s clear that she wants to stay right where they are, but he can’t let her fall asleep on the bathroom floor in a puke-stained dress.

He swallows. “Nat,” he nudges. Her head rolls to the side and she blinks at him once before her eyes fall shut again. “Nat,” he repeats, “I’m going to take off your dress.” He waits a beat, and gets no response. “Are you listening? I’m gonna help you take off your dress now, okay?”

She gives the slightest approximation of a nod and he hopes that this passes as consent.

Leaning her against the cleanest part of the tiled wall, he ever so carefully peels her out of the expensive fabric. She is wearing plain black underwear beneath it that is luckily unstained. Clint goes to fetch a shirt from her backpack in the bedroom. When he returns, there’s a hazy smile on Nat’s face that doesn’t reach her tired eyes. She looks up at him, and before he realises what is happening, she has clumsily pulled down one of her bra cups, revealing her breast to him.

“What are you doing?” Clint says, taken aback. “Nat, what are you doing.”

She pulls the bra straps down from her shoulders, her fingernails leaving marks on her bare skin on the way down. “Whassit look like,” she slurs, almost aggressively.

“Stop. Stop this, I’m serious.” He takes a step back, his shoulders hitting the door frame.

“Don’t tell me you don’t want to,” she says in a tone that borders desperation.

“I― I don’t know, Nat. But not now. Not like this.”

“You took me home. You helped.” She laughs, until he realises she’s crying now, so quietly that it’s only discernible from the dampness on her cheeks. Her shoulders hitching, she mutters, “‘S nothing personal.” 

And the thing is, he believes her. But he doesn’t know whether that makes the situation better or worse.

“It is for me,” he says quietly.

Whatever is wrongly wired in her brain to make her think that she has to pay for a few scraps of comfort and a drunk ride home with sex, he can’t begin to understand. He wonders whether there has been anyone to ever respect her, her body, the boundaries she seems to be so bad at setting herself. Clint isn’t sure whether he can fix any of this. He knows for certain that she doesn’t want him to. But whatever mess Natasha is, part of her has become his mess by now.

“Nat.” He makes sure he has her attention. “You don’t owe me anything.” He hands her the t-shirt, waits till she has clumsily put it on, then extends his hand to help her up. “Let’s go to bed, okay?”

He doesn’t hold her when she drifts off. There have been times when he’s done that, for the practical reason to keep her warm after the substantial blood loss from a bullet wound while waiting half a day for the med evac, or to ease the shakes from the pneumonia she caught on that one cursed mission in Montana, when she’d been almost delirious with fever. She returned the favour on the flight back from New Zealand where he’d been in solitary confinement for almost a month after an assassination gone wrong—had provided him with the simple, unconditional human contact he’d been craving for weeks. 

But tonight, holding her would feel like taking advantage, even if that’s not how she sees it.

Clint keeps still for half an hour until he’s sure she’s fully out, then gets up again to pee and wash the puke stains out of the dress they have to return before their flight back home. Once he’s done, he sets up his laptop and starts working on the mission report, omitting any details of what happened after the ballet performance. When he finally falls asleep in the early morning hours, he dreams of ballerinas and dying swans.

The next day, Nat is admirably functional. She must have slipped out of the bed without Clint realising because he wakes when he hears her dry heaving in the bathroom. It sounds painful, but when she emerges half an hour later, showered and dressed in clean clothes, she looks almost as impeccable as ever, despite the mother of all hangovers she must be nursing.

“When is our flight?” she asks, nothing about her giving away whether she remembers all the things they didn’t do last night.  

Clint regards her for a long moment. “2:30. I call window seat.”

He knows he should probably address the previous night. He wants to believe that it was a one-time low, but something about the almost routine style with which Nat dry-swallows the aspirin he left her on the table and covers the paleness of her face with foundation makes it impossible to believe that. He doesn’t want to think about what would have happened if someone else had taken her home last night.

He should really talk to her—he knows that. But then, the fragile relationship he’s built with her in the last few months rests firmly on the principle of noninterference. Keeping out of each other’s pasts is how they have successfully navigated their partnership up till now. It isn’t his place to bring up the topic if she doesn’t, he decides―at least not yet. 

Instead, he carefully stuffs the green gown into a plastic bag, makes sure there is a full bottle of painkillers in his hand luggage, and tosses her a pair of sunglasses.

#nat & clint #hurt Natasha #natasha & clint #alcohol tw #vomiting #sick natasha #natasha romanoff is not a robot #clint barton is a good bro