#ch: pepper potts

[stonemags]

SUGAR BABY AU

Ch.6 Mishandle

Characters in this series: Reader, Wanda Maximoff, Natasha Romanoff, Carol Danvers, Darcy Lewis, Maria Hill, Kate Bishop, Pepper Potts, Valkyrie, Shuri

Summary:How much can you trust people that are the closest to you? Can you put any trust into strangers? After being tricked so many times, you can be sure to trust one person ... yourself. You should have left it that way, to bad you give second chances like fliers on the street.

Warnings: age gap relationships, sugar mommy/sugar baby relationships, swearing, mensplaning, all story is gonna be +18, you are responsible for your own ass. 

Word count: 8915

A/N: This one is coming out faster this time, to make up for the wait ive put you all on. I hope you will enjoy it. Feedback is always walcome! Previous chapter

Your desk is covered in papers, the screen too bright for your liking, your eyes are stinging after hours of sharp focus on the monitor, but this old computer is not really cooperating with you. Loud noises are distracting, making it hard for you to finish your tasks, and you have a lot of them. Your boss, Loki, has put on you a first adult-ish assignment. It's your chance to no longer make coffee, kind of work, even more that fresh inters came in so they are at the bottom of the chain right now. That's how it works. The amount of work stresses you out but you are not going to let the opportunity slide. You can finally edit a text that will end up in one of the less popular magazines, but it's still going to be out. Doesn't matter how insignificant it will be, your name will be on this work and you need to give a 100% out of you.

 It's been 2 weeks since Carol's party, you haven't seen her or any of her friends since that night and to be completely honest you thought about Natasha and Wanda …. not more than once. When you came home and changed the bandaid on your hand the next day, you reminded yourself of how caring and worried they were, but also very smug and self indulgent, after that… nothing. You had school, work, shifts at the bar and your friends to care about. Not mentioning your phone caller issue that you will have to address and take care of at some point. Your life fell back into place after that night, gym, school, work, repeat. You have to keep the flow going or it's really easy to get lost in this kind of lifestyle. It's like running at full speed, you can't trip. The faster you go the harder you are going to hit.

“You better do it right yn.” That low voice scared you coming from behind your shoulder. Loki was always creepy, not in a perverted way but still creepy. 

“Yes boss, on it.” Short and sweet, don't discuss with him, you have learned it the hard way. It's for the best to make him feel validated. You assume that he had a rough childhood by the way he treats other people and by the not so quiet conversations he has with his brother in the office. You can't help but hear them, all the workers do, and you learned to have some understanding towards him. 

You are at your last working hour, the phone is thrown into the drawer so it won't occupy you but your smart watch is vibrating with the amount of messages you are getting. You ignore every single one of them even when the vibration is traveling up your arm, leaving goosebumps on your skin. Last ten minutes you spend on cleaning your desk and putting your stuff into the bag. As you run down two flights of stairs you think about your plan for the rest of the day. You are done with work for now, you have spent half of the night doing extra work for school to get a little bit ahead and it worked amazingly on your anxiety, or the lack of it. You decide on visiting Steve on your way home, even if you don't have a shift at the bar, you enjoy spending time with him. As someone opens the door in front of you to let you exit first, with a short “thanks” you are outside, changing your plans immediately after you feel the warm sun. At this time of the year it is rare and you are planning on using that antidepressant window. The skin on your face feels like it is covered in a thin layer of warmth getting deeper inside of you, embracing your brain in an endorphin hug. You will visit Steve later, for now you are going to grab a nice coffee from the bike/coffee stand near the park and have a walk with your headphones on, ignoring the whole world. 

“Can you start picking up your goddamn phone!” You turn around just in time to stop an angry Darcy right in front of you. Her face seems worried just as she is angry. Right behind her there is Carol clearly having a laugh at her girlfriend's tantrum. When you see her smile you can help but join and embrace Darcy in a hug.

“Sorry Darcy, work stuff. What’s up, what's so important that you came here?” It's unusual for any of your friends to arrive at any of your work places, from your work friends they know only Steve as they hang out at the bar sometimes, but they dont push to get to know everybody around you and you are grateful for that. Darcy points at the car that her girlfriend is already entering and with a big sigh you throw behind you all the warm sunny plans you had and follow along. The car always smells new and you are wondering if Carol is actually exchanging her car for the same one, just new, from time to time. Seems like something she would do. Leather seats squeak under your touch and you take your place in the backseat and you hate every second of it. It's like wearing leather pants, for you it feels like biting a cotton towel, or having your sleeves getting wet, when you wash your hands. Uncomfortable at least. 

Carol starts driving and Darcy looks at you with a really excited expression on her face. 

“No.” You say to her, making her confused right away.

“I didn't even say anything.” 

“But you are going to, and you are excited, which means i have to do stuff, and you could text me what’s all this is about, but you didn't, so kidnapping me is the only way for me to participate in whatever evil plan you made.” She seems almost offended but it lasts three seconds before she starts laughing. 

“You know me so well.” She is slouching over the back of her sweet so she can face you and it makes Carol uncomfortable, worrying that if anything happens the seat belt would work correctly. With one hand on the wheel, Carol puts the other on Darcy's thigh and turns her around. She turns off music and with a steer voice starts talking. 

“Yn can hear your love, don't do that please.” Darcy takes Carol hand into hers not taking off her thigh, just to confirm that she understood and she is sorry. 

“Yes daddy, I'm sorry.” Carol is rarely mad at Darcy, she doesn't really have a reason to, they made for each other, at least in your opinion, but when she is Darcy will use any pet name she can to melt her girlfriends heart and get on her good side again, and it's clearly working wonders. 

“You are having a date Yn.” Carol informs you and you know this is a way of hers to mess with Darcy, the fact that she wasn't the one to share the news infuriates her. 

“I was supposed to, ugh…. I have an outfit for you at Carol's house and we will give you a ride to the restaurant.” 

“That's amazing, thank you very much… but I have work. My shift at the bar starts in-”

“In two days Yn, I have access to your calendar, don't try anything with me.” Feeling defeated, you slouch back a little bit and let your eyes follow the world outside of the car. Carol turns on the radio again after a minute of silence, assuming that everything was said and it won't be irritating for anyone. For a second you even let yourself sink into music and the outside world. Sun is peeking through the small alleys between the buildings, falling on your face in a pattern. You remember briefly that when you weren't able to fall asleep as a child your parents, or someone, you can't really remember, was taking you into the car and driving a couple of times around the block. Street Lamps or the sun flashing from time to time on your face was making you feel good, safe, comfortable, like there is something so bigger then you and everything around you. You found comfort in unlimitless nothingness and even now as an adult you feel safe. You are able to fight the sleepy state, well maybe you drifted away a little bit, and as you see Carol's house you are fully conscious again, anxiety of what's coming slowly creeping in. 

You enter the house, talk with Carol and Darcy about the last party and upcoming events, work stuff, your studies and Darcy's new projects at her school. You can never fully understand what she is talking about, too much chemical talk but you are so proud of her and happy that she can feel fulfilled with where she is. You are always interested in Carol's work and life, maybe that's why you are the closest to her among all your friends. She appreciates the way you treat her as her, not as Darcy's girlfriend or treat both of them as one, because as close as they are, they are still themself. They help you prepare, get your hair fixed, put a nice outfit together, and Carol even let you borrow some of her perfume. In no time you are back in the car going to the unknown location, to meet with a stranger. You are reminding Darcy that you agreed for half an hour of this show and then you are going to be even. She tries to extend it for an hour, using arguments like “ you can't get to know a person in half hour”, or “ you won't be even able to eat”. As you pull in front of the restaurant you see three Michelin stars in the front of it and you almost choke. 

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME? IN HERE I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET A GLASS OF WATER WITH MY BUDGET!” It was louder than you anticipated and the doorman put his focus on the car in front of him. He started going into your direction but Darcy opened the window at the right time.

“Everything is okay, we just need a second.” He smiled and without any words pointed at the parking spot a little bit further from the main door. Carol took a clue and parked there. Darcy took her seat belt off and turned to you, making you jump. 

“Darcy this is too much, and why do I even have to get so dressed up for someone I will turn down in the first two minutes?” You don't want to do this, and you can't be more clear than that. As bad as it sounds you are planning on being just as honest with your date.

“Give them a chance, Jesus, why are you so negative, they're gonna pay for you.” She got out of the car and opened your door rushing you outside. The restaurant is far enough from your house to have a real struggle with coming back, so you have to rely on Darcy and you are not enjoying this feeling. Just when you stepped outside it came to you what she said. 

“They!? What do you mean by They ?! Darcy is that -'' You can't even finish, Darcy closes your door, jumps back into her seat and as in a getaway car tells Carol to drive. You can only hear a faint have fun coming from her window. You run your hand down your face, taking a deep breath in and decide to get through it as ripping off a bandaid, fast but painfully. You straighten out your outfit, little crevices created by the short ride are easy to clean up and the cleaned up outfit helps you a lot with your confidence. You feel like you will need a lot of it during that dinner. Constant tag and pull with the redheads is exhausting and staying afloat as they try to drown you down feels like a survival chore. You can't help but be angry at Darcy, you know she wants good, you know you promised but you feel a little bit betrayed. You can't really pinpoint why but the feeling spreads uncomfortable through your body, or maybe it's just the cold that went back with the sun setting down. Beautiful purple color of the sunset lets you grab the last bits of energy, hope and the feeling of rest. You know it will end as soon as you turn around to enter the restaurant or when the sun will finally set. It's sad that you can't wait for the latter.  

“Half hour Yn, just half hour.” You talk to yourself hoping it will help you feel the back bone of your character and get through it smoothly enough. What 30 minutes can do right?

You enter the building, or rather you are led by the doorman through two sets of doors. After the second one you are met with a man in a suit, he looks important, you are wondering if that's the owner, maybe a menager, they are always around right? He looks so elegant that his status needs to be at a high level. Little lost in your head you hear him speak when the doors are closing behind you. 

“May I take your coat miss?” Miss? Coat? You thought that this man is… and he is just…. It's going to be long, thirty minutes.. This is not something you enjoy, not something that is a part of your world. You just need to survive this. You are wondering how the man will know which coat is yours. He didn't give you a number nor did he take your name. It's all strange and the coat belongs to Carol, you are worrying now about getting it back later. 

Restaurant seems much bigger from the outside. The building is huge but the dining area pleasantly small. The kitchen must take a lot of space, you think to yourself approaching a Host of the restaurant. Small wooden desk in front of him looks amazing. Golden leaves decorating the legs as a vine. The whole place is in darker colors but it gives a more elegant and fancy look to it. Smell is not overwhelming which is usually a problem for you in the restaurants, not in this. You can hear a light chatter around, 

“Welcome, do you have a reservation?” He asks you with his back straight, his tie carefully secured around his neck. Do you have a reservation? This whole thing feels so out of blue, catching you off guard in every single step, it seems. 

“Um… I….” You can't recall their last name, why can't you recall their last name? You fall back into the memory, you follow the steps of the day you meet them. You went to work, bus ride, Wanda opened the door for you, she had her suit on, her shirt was open, she had a messy bun on top, she had this nice perfume on her, the same she used last time you saw her at the Carols party. You could feel it clearly when she was tending your wound. Darcy introduced them to you. She said their names, they are both lawyers or Wanda is a lawyer and Natasha is in finances, yes that seems correct. Did she say their last name ? You remember now, she didn't but they gave you their card…. which you didn't even look at, before throwing it away. Then it comes to you, you were supposed to text them last time after the accident, they gave you a new card and you actually have it on you at the back of your phone case. It is very embarrassing trying to get your phone out of its case but also necessary. Host is waiting for you patiently, his face emotionless, he was definitely well trained for his job. 

“It should be on the name-” You finally take out a card and look at the last name. “-Romanoff, or Maximoff. One of those.” It's strange to see that they are married, but they still use separate last names, it might be just for business and you decide on asking them if you will have to speak at all. At least it's going to be something to talk about. You smoothly follow the host to your table, moving between the tables you can see all the food prepared for other guests and your stomach lets you know about its empty state. Smell coming from each of the tables will not be very helpful in the next 30 minutes, because there is no way that you are going to let them pay for anything, not with these prices. At the far left corner of the restaurant you can see Wanda and Natasha chatting between each other, their hands together on the table, Natasha is lightly smoothing her wifes hand with her thumb, laughing at something she said. It's the first time they don't seem like big, scary rich assholes, more human than before. You are afraid, or maybe you are sure it's going to drop as soon as they are going to see you. First to notice you is Natasha, she lets go of Wandas hand and stands up to greet you. You don't want to make a scene in the restaurant, so you kiss her cheek as her hand lingers on your waist and you do the same with Wanda. Looking at them, seeing how dressed up they are, you are glad that Darcy made you wear the clothes she prepared, if you would dress yourself, you would for sure stand out, not in a good way. You take your place on an empty chair when Wanda starts speaking to you. 

“I hope you didn't have any problems finding us?” She sounds soft, soft enough for you to find it degrading. 

“Except not knowing your last names it was pretty easy.” You say in a rough voice and that makes Natasha look back to the man that brought you to the table. 

“You didn't have you, I gave him clear instructions. It's not that hard to do the only thing you are here for. I'm going to talk to him.” She drops the napkin on an empty table and stands up. You are not sure how you find your voice, maybe it's the nervous atmosphere that Natasha is adding to, or maybe your empathy for a fellow customer service worker, but you speak up.

“Sit down!” To your surprise, she does with a shocked face, while her wife laughs a little. 

“Can we just order and get this over with? It feels like work.” You ask and that makes Wanda look at you quizzingly. 

“What do you mean baby? Get it over with?” You put down the menu that you were reading and look her in the eyes.

“I promised Darcy that I will be here for at least half an hour. It started five minutes ago and I'm counting the time. I didn't want to be here and I found out just when she dropped me off that I'm meeting with you both.” She looks hurt and you need to address that before it gets more messy, even more that Natasha looks angry. You look between them and continue.

“Look-” You run your hand on your face, as it is supposed to take off the worry. “-I’m sorry, but i'm not looking for dates, or relationships. Any kind of relationship.” You say pointing your finger between them. 

“Can we just spend this 25 minutes talking or whatever and I promise you won’t have to waste any more time on me.” That makes Wanda's face soften. She looks like she is about to say something but Natasha cuts in. 

“Sure, let's just order something.” In the next three minutes you placed an order and as much as they pursued you to get something to eat you didn't get anything. You got a coffee which cost twenty five dollars. You regret that decision, thinking that you would be okay with the tap water. Your stomach starts to hurt with how empty it is and all the smells are affecting it in a horrible way. Wanda and Natasha placed their orders and food came in faster then it took to order it. They are really at the top in this restaurant. They start eating while you enjoy your coffee. Wanda tries to start a light conversation, to make it a little bit less awkward for all of you. 

“So Yn, Darcy told us you were working today, was it a good shift?” 

“Decent, I got my first article to do a final edit to.” You say and take a sip of coffee, looking at Wanda enjoying her pasta alfredo. You feel yourself salivating and you probably look too long at her food, because it makes her wonder if you actually want anything.

“Yn, are you sure you are not hungry?” Wanda says and her wife finally joins the conversation.

“We know we picked an expensive restaurant, let us get you something to eat sugar.” She is about to call the waiter to the table again. 

“No. No, Natasha no, I'm really okay. Please don’t.” She looks at you, deeply studying your eyes, knowing that you are doing that because you are uncomfortable with the prices, but still she doesn't want to go against you, as much as she wishes she could. With each passing time she spends with you, she realizes that you can be destructive for yourself, and she would gladly take that away from you. You feel your phone vibrate in your pocket but you decide to keep it there for the next fifteen minutes. Time feels like it stretches itself, making you feel like it has been over an hour. You keep your fingers on the brim of your coffee mug, trying to make your legs stop shaking, and your muscles twitching. It's not that you are nervous, you are past that, but your medication is wearing off and you can feel it. At this time you would either take a second dose if you were at work, or with your friends, or just people in general, or you would take some actions to make yourself comfortable. Caffeine doesn't help, and it was a bad idea as it just makes you more and more sleepy with every second. Your left hand is laying on the table and the tablecloth feels awful against your fingertips. Material feels like it lingers on your skin even after you pick your hand up, it's too soft and too harsh at the same time, like a used sandpaper sheet. You wish you could pick your hand up but you can't. It feels embarrassing to do so, not because of the action but because of the reason to do so, so you force yourself to keep it that way. Only fifteen minutes longer. It feels like you said it to yourself an hour ago but with the time speed in your brain, it was only a minute. You are physically restraining yourself from counting seconds, numbers help you stay sane but you can't do that right now, if you would, everything that two woman in front of you are speaking about would go into the void, and as a center of entertainment for them right now you can’t allow yourself to drift off, they would notice. Clutter of silverware feels like it's happening at the front part of your skull, Lady at the table on your right has some good insights about new generations of doctors, she is a doctor too, she has her id clipped to her bag. Man to whom she is speaking is sweating a lot, he is nervous and it seems like they are on a date. One girl, a waiter, has had enough of today, she stands at the corner next to the bar, nobody can see her, or maybe nobody just pays attention, except you. Sometimes putting on a work uniform equals disappearing. She is running her hands on her thighs, looking up to the ceiling, she tries to stop crying. That makes you look around the room, a man in a big suit is red on his face, he was just yelling, or arguing since you didn't hear anything before. He shoves food into his mouth like it's going to calm his nerves. 

“Are you even listening?” Natasha calls out and just then her voice breaks through all the loud noise around you. 

“Hm? I'm sorry I just-” 

“Wasn't listening. Look, I understand you don't want to be here, but a little decency wouldn't hurt you. We are trying hard to get to know you, not use you, not sponsor you, not even embarrass you, just get to know you. I don't understand what's so awful about it.” She throws a napkin at the table and stands up. 

“I need to use the restroom, I'll be right back.” She looks at her wife when she speaks, she is mad, you didn't mean to make her mad, or disappointed, you really do appreciate the interest. 

“Nat, I really didn't mean to- '' You are trying to defend yourself but she is already gone, you lie your head low and massage your traps with your hands, it's painful but helpful. You get this uneasy feeling inside your stomach and you can't say if that's the lack of food or the nerves. Just then you realize that you picked your hand up from uncomfortable table cloth and you make a mental note not to put it down at the same place. 

Wanda swallows the food she just finished, your time is almost up and you are grateful for it, even more that since the moment you went into the restaurant you were doing nothing more but disappointing everybody, including yourself. You decide to speak to her, maybe try to explain yourself a little why you are acting that way. 

“Im sorry Wanda.” 

“I know.” A moment of silence lingers between you when she grabs her wine glass, not taking her back off of her chair, stretching her arm out. 

“I'm sorry about her, I’ m not saying she is not right yn, i feel the same way, but my wife is just very frustrated by you.” You hang your head low, like a child being scolded, you tell yourself that you shouldn't care about their opinion, but it matters, everybody's opinion matters and you hate that about yourself. 

“I wasn't aware that I was that irritating for her. That's just an additional reason for why you shouldn't waste your time on me Wanda.” She smiles at you and shakes her head. 

“Sexually frustrated Yn, emotionally frustrated. She really wants to get to know you, and she is being on her best behavior holding back every second we are spending with you.” That makes you even more confused. 

“What do you mean?”

“You are a precious one aren't you?” This time you can be sure it was degrading.You straighten up your posture. 

“That little stunt you did at the party?” She leans in, making you once again lost in the smell of her perfumes. You don't say anything but she can see on your face how oblivious you are. 

“You remember that moment when Natasha went to you to simply try and devour you? That little stunt you pulled with her belt? Please you had to see her reaction, she has the same look every time she looks at you, and to be honest i don't blame her. I had a fun night thanks to you baby, it's a shame you weren't there.” She finishes the sentence and then her wine. You feel like you have finished all the air, it's hard to breathe and it's too warm, and you don't understand those feelings, they put you in a fight or flight state, but at the same time you are glued to the chair, not able to move. Wanda puts her hand on yours and interlocks your fingers, you are not able to stop her or yourself. 

“Yn, breath.” She looks a little worried but at the same time highly entertained. 

“What's going on?” Natasha comes back to the table and her voice brings you back and makes you let go of Wanda’s hand like it's burning you. 

“Oh nothing love, I just told Yn how much fun I had because of her after the party.” 

“Wanda-” Natasha says in a scolding way, seeing the state Wanda put you in. “- I apologize for my wife's sugar. Sometimes she can't keep her mouth shut.” Their holding hands and being so tender with each other, it makes you feel like an intruder. 

“I thought you like it wide open.” Wanda's comment makes you choke on your coffee and it goes down the wrong pipe, sending you into a coughing spree. A girl, the waiter you saw before comes right in to check on you. You assure her that everything is okay, but she still leaves a glass of water for you on the side, sending you a warm smile.  Wanda and Natasha cut the topic seeing in what way it's affecting you and you fall into light conversation for the last couple of minutes. You ask them about work and they can't say much other than it’s classified sounding like from csi miami series, but either way you are very much interested in stories they encounter while being at work. 

Your phone vibrates a couple of more times and at the fifth time you can’t not pick it up. You assume who is trying to reach you but as you pull your phone out of the inside pocket in your jacket you can see that you were very wrong. You have ten messages and five missed calls, all from Shuri, and she never calls you. You immediately get this worried look and they can see it.

“What's going on Yn?”

“Is everything okay?” You don't even pick your head up to look at them. 

“I'm sorry I need to call back. I'm sorry.” You dial Shuri on your phone and call her back without getting up from the table. You just turn your body side to them to get a little bit more private. She pics up after two dial tones. 

“Shuri!? Is everything okay? What's going on?” You are holding your phone with your right hand and playing with the rings on your left hand. Your voice is low trying not to disturb anybody's dinner or conversations, fortunately your table is far enough from others. Natasha and Wanda pay close attention to you, their hands together in a caring manner. 

“Now?” You ask and look at your watch. 

“I'm really far away from the city-” You pinch your nose with your fingers. 

“- I can try to call a cab-” A moment of silence from your side let's Wanda slip a fast question. 

“Is something wrong?” She whispers to you laying her hand on the table close to you. You look at her apologetically. 

“-it's not about the money Shuri. I'm just limited right now. How much time do I have? An hour? Okay, yeah I'm going to figure something out, don't worry about it I got you, just send me the location.” With that you hang up the phone and start looking around to collect your things, which you don't have because everything is in your coat. You look at them and you don't know what to say, you are just about to cut short a 30 minute meeting in which you already disappointed them so much. They are both worried that much you can say but Natsaha is definitely clenching her jaw, it's not a good sign. You try to find in yourself the right words to turn them down one last time, but you can't, not with this level of stress. 

“I need to go.” You stand up looking between both of them. You take thirty dollars from your pocket and put it under your coffee mug. 

“I'm sorry.” With that you leave them and don't provide them any explanation, to be honest they didn't ask. You move into the exit and wait a second for the man to give you your, actually Carol’s coat. You thank him and go outside trying to figure out what you are going to do. 

Natasha and Wanda, a little disappointed with how things went, decided to finish dinner and head home. Fifteen minutes after you left they exit the restaurant and wait for their car to be brought. Just as they receive keys from the worker they hear a loud conversation on the side of the building. Natasha looks around the corner and sees you packing around with your phone in your ear, for a second she thinks about leaving you but her wife walks past her towards you. 

“I understand but I don't have enough cash! You know how far it is, i can cash app the money whats the problem?! No don’t- . Ugh!” Clearly someone hung up on you. You are looking at your phone typing aggressively, you seem worried out of your mind. 

“Okay Yn what's going on?” Wanda asks when her wife joins her and you are surprised to see them. You take a second before you reply.

“I can’t find a cab, it's nothing really. Again sorry it turned out this way.” Your phone rings again and you pick it up so fast that the second ring tone doesnt come. 

“Yes, yes I called. I need a cab to the city center-” You pace around not being able to stay in place, even more that you just got this feeling in your legs that you can't describe. Each night before sleep, when your medicine wears off completely your legs have this tingly feeling, like slight electric shocking waves going through your muscles. It's nothing pleasant. Usually a hot shower helps but the alternative is just to keep moving, so that's what you do. 

“- HOW MUCH? Okay yeah, yeah you too.” You sit down, cross legged at the curb, your left palm is open while your right is holding the phone, lightly tapping it on your left. Natasha crouches in front of you and tries to catch eye contact. You don't look up so she snatches the phone from your palm. 

“Hey!” You reach to grab it back but she already gave it to Wanda that stands behind her. 

“Tell us what's wrong, sugar?” You look between them, they look at you gently, worried, trying to read your expressions while you are breathing heavily with stress, your upper back is tense and you would love to shake it off of you. Without giving them too much information you speak up. 

“I need to pick up someone from the city center and I should be there-'' You look at your watch trying to figure out how much time passed from your conversation with Shuri. “- in forty minutes. I called a couple of companies but they either don't have anybody in the area, or they don't have a cash app and I don't have that much cash on me.” You explain carefully, trying hard not to sound crazy or overemotional, even if you feel your body shaking. Natasha is standing up, it makes you feel like she is hovering above you, and you don't have energy to fight for your phone. To your surprise she stretches her hand towards you and helps you stand up. You follow, and the feeling of her skin on yours is very different from Wandas. It's hard to tell if that's a good or a bad thing. With both of them your whole relationship, if you can even call seeing them three times, a relationship, you had an off feeling but at the same time some connection that wanted to be made. 

“Come on, we’re gonna drive you.” Natasha says with her face straight, she takes the space leaving no room for you to decline. You are in the tight spot, Shuri is counting on you and you are needed, there is a big possibility you won't be able to do this without their help, and oh god how much you hate it. 

“No, i'm going to- i will-” Wanda interrupts your protest already opening the front passenger door for you. 

“You will do what? You are out of options, Yn. Get in.” And you do, with her hand on the small of your back you take the space next to Natasha. For a second you are confused about why you are sitting in the front seat. 

“ Tell me where to go.” Natsaha doesn't even take a look at you, she seems pissed and you don't blame her, you would probably hate yourself in their position. ruining the date, making them do something for you, ruining their day schedule. They both probably have a thousand better places to be right now, and they are stuck with you. Awkwardness of the situation doesn't help the anxiety you have about the passing time, you are scared of running late, always, but in this situation even more. After giving them the address and helping with directions from time to time you are 5 minutes away from your destination. 

“So who is Shuri?” Wanda asks from the back seat, taking your focus off of the road in front of you. 

“Oh she studies at the university with me, she is Tony Stark’s best student.” You explain briefly. 

“That Stark? What a small world.” Natasha comments taking a fast look at her wife in the back mirror. 

“ That's nice, baby, but I meant who is she to you.” Are you imagining things or does she sound jealous? You can't help but wonder. You are not sure what makes you open up in front of them in any way, but you do. 

“She is my-” you make a little pause, wondering what words you should use. “-friend, a really good friend.” 

“Hm a really good one you say?” Wanda is pushing you a little bit trying to bring some more information out of you. 

“Yeah, we were together for two years, she is like family to me. Actually her whole family kind of took me in, as a part of them.” Too much Yn, too much, You bite your tongue, probably a little too late, you are mad at yourself for revealing that much about your past, to total strangers. That was always an issue for you, if someone was willing to listen you were eager to talk. That's unfortunately not a safe thing to do, at least usually. 

“So we went out to pick up your ex?” Natasha is straight forward, and strangely you respect that. At that moment you arrive in front of elementary school. 

“Actually no.” You answer quickly and get out of the car, looking straight at the little boy waiting with his teacher near the gate. You walk in their direction. 

“JUNIOR!” You yell out for him and the moment he sees you, his backpack is on the ground and he runs into your direction. You catch him into your arms and spin him around as he hugs himself close to your neck, securing his legs around your torso. You walk still holding him up to pick up his backpack. You didn't realize that both Natasha and Wanda got out of the car and were approaching you. 

“It's been a while since we saw you miss Yn. Have a nice day.” Teacher sends Junior T’Challa a wave and goes back into the building. You are written down on the list to pick up Shuri’s nephew. It's not the first time for you to do that, but it's true that it's been a while. Boy refuses to let you go as you try to pick up his backpack. Before you can do it, struggling a little bit Natasha snatches it from the ground looking down at you. 

“Yn? Who is that?” Junior asks you and to be honest you hoped that they would already leave. 

“This is Natasha and Wanda, they drove me here, which I'm very thankful for, but now they have to go. Right?” You hope that the hint is not too small. 

“Actually we have the whole day reserved for you Yn. You and this little boy now.” 

“Im T'Challa Junior.” He says proudly, getting out of your arms at the same time. 

“It's Shuris nephew.” You kneel down, fixing his jacket. The water proof material got stuck in the zipper. You take the piece out and zip it all the way up, trying to keep him nice and warm. 

“She got stuck with Profesor Stark.” Boy gets visibly sad after that information. You are thinking for a second if you should do something with him, or just get him home and take care of your responsibilities, which to be honest are piling up. You got three texts about essays that are needed for tomorrow. All for the same class and the same topic, which is the worst case scenario for you. 

“Don't worry, Yn here is actually taking you to the theme park. We are going to have a lot of fun.” Natasha throws information out of nowhere, without asking you, giving you any heads up, and taking full control over the situation, and you thought for a split second to get violent with her. How dare she use a little boy's emotions against you? Yes, sure, it's a nice thing to do, but you told them specifically that you don't have too much time, that you have half an hour for them and that's it, that you don't want to be near them or do more than necessary to keep your promise. Which part of that she didn't get? Wanda notices how angry you got after her wife’s idea, and as much as she thinks about resolving this issue, this also might be a good idea to show you that they are not so bad. She kneels down next to you to get to the boys and your eye level, her eyes are soft, apologetic almost. 

“It's going to be fun, Yn. You’ll see.” Junior gets excited and follows Natasha to the car, you are right behind them with wanda. How are you supposed to take happiness out of his hands? You are not a monster. 

“Cheer up Yn.” Wanda is walking on a very thin line. 

“Cheer down Wanda, this is hopefully the last time I have to see you both.” Leaving shocked Wanda behind, you get into the place with Junior on the back and let Natasha decide where to go. Make him happy, and survive. That's all that matters right now. You would give your life for this boy, what's one day, even if it means you staying up all night to catch up with your work, because of course you agreed to take those additional papers for tomorrow. You need money, lots of it, so you need to work… a lot. Just as you were getting nervous about it and your bank account your phone started going off with text messages. One after another, drilling a hole in your calmness. You don't even read them, you decide to call right away and you can't be bothered enough that you are not alone. 

“What do you want?” Wanda looks at you worried, but smiles at the little boy to keep him calm. 

“No.” Some arguing can be heard through the phone on the other side of the call. Even when you put it on the lowest volume, it's so loud that they can hear. 

“You do want me to starve, don't you?... At the end of the week, that's all I have to say to you. Leave me alone.” You finish your call and mute your phone, of course after filing Darcy and Shuri up on what's happening and where are you going. Wanda and Natasha didn't ask, hoping you will explain what the call was about, it didn't sound good. 

The rest of the day passed good but horrible slowly. Junior had so much fun, riding with Natasha and playing games with Wanda, or sitting down and eating corn dogs with you. Seeing him happy makes you happy, but the mental load that you are carrying with you is heavy enough that you can't relax or enjoy this for even a second. Going through stuff in your head is a normal thing for you, but at the end of the day, when you're actually sitting down to do what you have to do you feel like you went through the same task five times already. It's simply dreadful, not mentioning the lack of any satisfaction when you are actually done. 

Shuri tells you that she is already home, Junior is tired, and you are also so ready to go home. You asked Natasha and Wanda, who were trying so, so, so hard to get to you in any way, that it was irritating at some point, to give T'Challa a ride. Normally you would feel bad about it but it was their idea in the first place. 

Shuris home is a little bit outside of the city, not far from the subway thankfully. When Natasha parks her car at the side of the street, you collect your bag and get out of the car. Walking to the other side of it you zip your jacket up, goosebumps all over your body, reminding you physically how cold it is at this time of year. Street lights give off your favorite time of the day vibe, even if it's far till three am. You open the door on the right side and slowly unbuckle Junior from the seat. 

“Don’t.” You tell Wanda, seeing her undoing her seatbelt, also to go out and help you. Surprisingly she listens to you. You take the boy into your arms and let him hug you half asleep, you hold him up with your right hand and take his backpack with your left. It's heavier than it looks. Actually they both are, or maybe you are just really tired, it's been a long day. you go to the gate with him and Wanda and Natasha are watching your every move. You ring the bell at the gate and later the main doors are open. Two people go out of the house, the older woman takes the boy from your hands and the younger takes the back pack. Redheads can't hear a thing but they can see you talking with the younger woman. 

“I don't know how to thank you. He texted me half way throughout the day, how much he missed you and how much fun he is having.” Shuri is so genuine with you, she always was, pretty tough sometimes, but always real, and you respect that. 

“You know I love this boy, he is family.”

“And you are ours Yn. You have always been, and you will always be a part of this family.” These cheesy moments between you two is not something any of you are used to, even when you were together,” i love you” sounded more like a, “bye i see you later”, rather than “my heart is with you every second when we are apart”. Romanticizing your life much? Maybe, but how can you not, when you want to survive in this world, with your heart intact. Shuri hugs you for a goodbye, and gives you a light kiss on the cheek, which does not go unnoticed by your dates. 

“I don't like it, Wanda.” 

“Would you calm down Nat? You did everything today to push her away, and each moment I've been trying to fix the situation that YOU created, you were shutting me up.” That accusation is shocking for Natasha, and she will not back down from defending herself, even if it's coming from her wife. She almost starts talking again, giving her piece of thoughts on the topic, but she sees you walk away and that takes priority at this second. 

“We are going to talk about it at home.” She points her finger at Wanda, her voice sounds like flowing out through clenched teeth, and she is definitely not agreeing with Wanda. She doesn't even point out to her wife what's happening, she just goes out of the car and walks fast after you, Wanda confused but right at her heels. 

“And where do you think you’re going?” The force with which you turn around makes Natsaha stop immediately. Your eyes are dark, your jaw is clenched, as well as your fists. 

“Natasha, calm down!” Wanda joins you at the side of the road, it's really quiet in this neighborhood, the only sound slicing the silence is the roaring of the car that was left with the engine running. You pinch the bridge of your nose, irritation, exhaustion, this feeling of wasted day get to you, overstretching your patience to the fucking limits. You don’t care, you can’t find in yourself to care, and your promise was fulfilled. You respect and love Carol, but it doesn't mean that you have to feel the same way about her friends. 

“What are you, five?” This is definitely not something they expected of you. Even everything they have heard about you, always patient, collected, good, the view in front of them doesn't fit any of this. 

“How dare you deciding about my day, my plans, and using feelings of a little boy to get me to do something, just because your fucking ego is bruised?” Natasha makes a step to your direction, bringing her finger up to defend herself and her wife. 

“No! I'm not done!” Taken aback she doesn't interrupt you. As horrible Wanda feels about making you feel this way it's really interesting for her to see someone putting her wife into place. 

“For the whole day you are talking so much, about wanting to get to know me, getting close to me, but you did absolutely nothing to make me feel comfortable in your presence. When you gave me the ride, seeing the position i was in, i though, just for a second, this can be good, we can try this out,  and then…then you took your fucking place and made me feel like i have no say in my life.” 

“You are being so dramatic Yn! We gave you and this boy a great day, you should be grateful!” Natasha had enough. 

“I have a test tomorrow, an article to edit, and three essays to write, that should be done by now. And no, I don't have a second deadline, I don't have more time, and I will have to stay up all night, without sleep to get everything done on time. In the morning I have work, then a test at university and then my shift at the bar! You thought I had thirty minutes with you for fun? If that means that im being dramatic then fucking yes, I am dramatic!”

“You are working too much.” Wanda comments with this horribly soft voice of her, condescending reasoning, like it's so simple for her, like she can solve all your issues, if you are just willing to give them all control over your life. You scoff at her like she said something funny. Natasha takes out her wallet, and takes out  two thousand in cash, you never saw this amount of money in cash, well maybe once when you were working in black. 

“Is this enough to buy your time? Your pride? Is that enough for you to get over yourself and let someone take care of you or at least fucking try?” She steps close to you, so close that you feel warmth coming from her body, creating too much of a contrast with the weather, you feel sick. Wanda grabbed her wife's hand, but it wasn't enough to stop her from speaking a couple words too much. You look at the money in Nat’s hand. Couple of papers that would solve your issues for at least two months, something that means nothing to her, that she has too much of, something that would save you. The control that it has over you is not fair, but life isn’t fair, it never was, it never will be, and you are highly aware of it. You look her in the eyes, and you grab at the last bits of your control, pride you have for yourself, those bits of respect that you are trying to save.

“You ignorant fuck, you really dont get any of this do you? Fuck you Natasha.” You leave them and start your long way home, this was a mistake, and you are glad that it's over, finally you can focus on yourself again. All they did since the day you met them is make your life fall apart with every way imaginable. It's good that it's over Yn, you tell yourself and enter the subway, already starting writing your first essay on your phone, the topic power laughing at you, as the universe decided that you are its best comedy. 

Next chapter

tag list : @autorasexy @lizziejolsen @natashaswife4125 @sayah13 @romanoffskisser @lijo-8 @jjiiuuisssagcebrcw @natashaswife4125 @dumbassbitchwithnotits @teenybean, @marvelwomen-simp, @ripofflizzie

#stonemags #natasha romanoff #wanda maximoff x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x you #marvel #shuri x reader #darcy lewis #darcy lewis x carol danvers #carol danvers #wandanat fic #sugar baby au #sugar mommy

[strawwritesfic]

Tony Stark x Female!Childhood Friend!Reader: Brightest [Ch. 17]

Summary: [F Name] [L Name]: Tony’s Stark’s “invisible friend.” She’s invisible in all the wrong ways–at least until Tony spots her years after telling her to get out of his life. With Yinsen’s words in mind, Tony decides to pursue their lost relationship, only to find that [Name] might not be as willing as before. What Tony doesn’t know, however, is that the confusion of her life might end up the best of his.

Ratings/Warnings/Tags: M (love triangles; friends with benefits; sexual situations; non-consensual sex with a significant other (note: I will mark this specific chapter accordingly); cheating on significant other portrayed in a positive light; verbal abuse from parents and significant others; toxic relationships of several kinds; rumors of an inappropriate relationship between an older man and his son’s teenage friend; set in between Iron Man 2 and Avengers (2012); references to characters not yet established in the MCU as of time of writing)

Pairings: Tony Stark/Reader; Justin Hammer/Reader; Tony Stark/Reader/Justin Hammer; Pepper Potts/Happy Hogan; past!Pepper Potts/Tony Stark

Tag List: @imaginesfire; @frostay; @downeyreads; @angelcakes12332; @sleep-i-ness; @jkknoxvilles

Master List

Chapter 17: The Prettiest Girls

Your reflection in the mirror the following morning startled you. Back and forth you paraded in front of the glass for the hour and a half or so that it had taken you to get ready to spend the rest of your day taking photographs for your gallery. You hadn't done anything major, just showered and applied makeup and put on regular clothes as usual.

Okay, so maybe you'd dressed up a little, knowing that Tony would see you briefly in this getup. Putting on your "photography costume" while still inside your parents' home was out of the question. Still, anyone who knew you—the real you, the you not gearing up for a magazine shoot for your father or prepped for another interview that would inevitably turn to questions about your sordid relationship with an older man—wouldn't call this "dressed up." You hadn't exactly donned a ball gown for the occasion; you'd simply forgone your usual no-one-important-is-seeing-me-today standard of sweatpants and a tank top.

But it wasn't your clothes or your face or your hair that startled you about the woman staring at you from the mirror. What was it? Leaning in, you examined yourself from every angle. Nothing seemed different. Your skin had the same blemishes and your forehead the same wrinkles. You even had a zit in a familiar place. On the other hand, your shoulders looked a little straighter. Something in your eyes sparkled. You weren't huddling in on yourself like you usually did before you strode out of your room to discover just what you'd done wrong with yourself this time.

What was it that your mother had accused you of yesterday? Being so happy that someone was bound to notice? Could that be it? Could the significant change in your appearance be chalked up to a sudden influx of happiness?

The blaring tone of your text alert put an end to any further musings on this subject. You leaped as though the noise were a gunshot, all thoughts of happier girls being prettier girls flying far afield. Who could be texting you so early in the morning? A quick mental run-through of the short list of people who bothered texting you at all only made you worry more. Your mother never got out of bed before eleven if she could help it. Your father wouldn't bother resuming speaking relations without being there in person to yell at you. Rhodey wasn't a texter.

You didn't need to be the genius your father wished you were to know just what you would find on that screen once you picked up the phone. Tony wanted to cancel. Of course he did. Why on earth would he want to spend time doing anything with you that didn't involve lackluster sex? Photography was your hobby, and a lousy one at that. He had better things to do with his time than help a mediocre photographer with her work. You should never have pestered him with an invitation. If he hadn't desperately wanted a shower with you, he never would have agreed to join you on today's expedition in the first place.

The dread built up higher and higher in your chest the longer you stood there staring at your phone. You forced yourself to scoop it off the table before the text alert could chime again, but you could go no further. You couldn't look. You had to. You couldn't. You would. Showing up and waiting for him for hours when he had no intention of showing up would only look more pathetic. One gulp seemed to squish your anxiety down just the notch you needed. Only after that did you peek at the screen.

Good morning, Sleeping Beauty, read the message punctuated by a sparkling heart.

Since when had Tony started calling you by the name of specific princesses? As you frowned at this text, another came in:

[Name]? Hellooooo? It's about time to get out of bed, don't you think?

Why was Tony so concerned you wouldn't make it to your prearranged meeting spot on time? You'd never been late to anything having to do with him before.

Are you sleeping? Or are you just too busy to bother talking to me again?

That was when the name above the messages finally caught your eye. Justin was the one giving you a wake-up call. You really needed to pay more attention to the little details, preferably before failing to do so gave you a heart attack. But for once, seeing your boyfriend's attempt to contact you flooded you with relief. Tony wasn't canceling on you after all!

You unlocked your phone to reply, but Justin didn't give you the time to formulate an answer.

What is it that's got you so busy these days anyway? I know your dad kicked you off the project. It's not like you've got anything important going on. Would it kill you to check in with me every once in a while? I haven't heard anything in over a week!

Had it really been that long since you called Justin? Your thumbs froze mere millimeters above the keypad as your mind whirred. No matter how hard you racked your brain—or how far down you scrolled through your recent calls list—you could find nothing to prove him wrong. So caught up in your real project (and finding new places to have sex with Tony) had you been that you'd simply stopped trying to get ahold of your actual boyfriend.

A surge of guilt washed over you from head to toe. Could there be a worse girlfriend anywhere? Sure, you were sleeping around behind Justin's back with his worst enemy, so you really didn’t have a leg to stand on to begin with—but, as your mother had pointed out, that was only a temporary dalliance! The least you could do while this was going on was to make sure your real boyfriend was doing all right from time to time!

Justin, you started to type. You're absolutely—

Hey, do you mind if we get together about an hour early?

This new text did come from Tony. It did not immediately quell your fear that he, too, found your interests too silly to indulge any longer. Your unsent apology to Justin forgotten, you quickly responded to Tony instead:

Why? Do you have something else to do? You don't have to come if you don't want to.

Nice try. You're not getting rid of me that easily, he answered, then followed up with, I just had a great idea is all.

What kind of great idea?

A great surprise idea.

I'm not sure I'm up for one of your “surprises” this early in the morning.

[Name], it's past nine. It's not that early. And anyway, it's not THAT kind of surprise this time around.

You make plans regarding other stuff?

Occasionally. Otherwise, the government would have a completely different reason to want to get their greasy paws on my armor.

Hello??? [Name]???? Justin fired off several rapid texts in succession. Are you ignoring me????

Oh, right! You'd been trying to make amends with Justin before Tony distracted you. Justin must have seen that you had read his text and wondered why you weren't rushing to explain yourself to him.

My surprise has to do with our work. If I can pick you up early, we can start exactly when you wanted to, Tony said.

Honestly, I don't understand what's gotten into you lately. It's like you've turned into someone else. What happened to my sweet little [Name]?

What had happened to Justin's sweet little [Name], you wondered. Your reflection in the mirror certainly seemed to say you'd turned into someone else. You thought you'd only made improvements, but would Justin still love you when he came back from Queens? And how could you tell him how those changes came to be made?

So are you in or are you out? Tony asked.

Your thumbs hovered in place once more. This hesitation only lasted for half a second, though, before you swapped back to your conversation with Tony and quickly typed back: I'm in.

******

JARVIS didn't need to alert Tony to your reply. Tony still grasped his phone in his hand when your answer to his suggestion came shooting back. You were in. A breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding escaped from his chest the moment he saw that. Every day the same scene played out as he waited for you realize what a bad choice he was—but today was not that day. Today you still wanted to speak to him.

"Sir—"

"Yeah, I see it, JARVIS. Thanks. Hey, Pepper."

Tony slipped back inside his lab to find it completely unchanged from when he stepped out to text you minutes before. Over by the largest table in the room stood one of his closest friends, her hand on her chin as she observed the enormous holographic tower blueprint hovering mere inches from her face. Pepper looked up, however, when she heard him speak her name.

"Yes?" she asked.

Tony held up his cell phone. "Heard back from [Name]. She's agreed to meet me a little earlier than we planned this morning, so..."

"So let me guess: You want to me to fetch myself a clean toothbrush and make myself scarce before she gets here."

"Exactly. Minus the toothbrush. I think I've gone through the bulk supply you got me."

Pepper cocked her head to one side and regarded him in that way that only she could. Tony felt as though he were being x-rayed for any inappropriate motivations for skipping out on a business meeting. Then:

"All right," she said, picked up her purse off the floor, and swung it over her shoulder.

"Thanks." Tony opened the door for her before her acceptance hit him. "Wait. That's it?"

"What's it?"

"No argument? No snide remark about my behavior around women? No reminder that the board of directors is out for blood and no amount of garlic will keep them away from me?"

"Tony, you're a grown adult. You don't need me to remind you to do your homework, or wash behind your ears, or to not mix colors when you do the laundry."

"Actually, a reminder for the last one every so often probably wouldn't go amiss."

"Besides," Pepper went on, without acknowledging she'd probably seen his handful of newly-pink dress shirts waiting for ironing on her way to the lab, "we've done enough work this morning that I can let you play hooky the rest of the day. And I like [Name]. I think it's good that you're spending time with her."

"You do?"

"Well, not if my saying so makes you want to spend less time with her. What?" she added when Tony snorted.

"Nothing. She thinks I'll do whatever you say to make you happy. You think I only do the opposite of what you say to drive you crazy. I just can't please anybody, can I?"

"Why does [Name] think you always do what I tell you?"

"Probably something to do with you being so desperate for some peace and quiet that you're willing to send me all the way across the country."

"Is that what you told her? Tony, you know very well that I want you on the clean energy project in Manhattan because you're the best man for the job."

Tony shot her a knowing look.

"And it would be nice to not worry so much about what you're doing in your retirement," she allowed.

"Well, whatever the reason, [Name]'s not crazy about me moving to New York just because you think it's a good idea."

"And her opinion matters to you?"

"Of course it does. I mean," Tony did not like the little smile on Pepper's face, "not as much as how much of a hassle it's going to be to move all my armor up there without anyone noticing. [Name] and I aren't anything serious. Once we're done with our project, she'll be glad to see the back of me, and I'll be ready to sing Sinatra whenever you say the word."

"Really." She didn't allow him to get a single word out to retort. "Be that as it may, I think it's sweet that you're helping her put together a photo gallery."

"Yes, real—who told you about the photo gallery?" Tony asked.

"Rhodey told me."

"Of course he did. Guess you got all my friends in the divorce," he grumbled.

Pepper's smile widened before she leaned in and kissed Tony once on the cheek, much to his surprise. "I'm just glad you're happy, Tony."

"Me, too. I'm glad you're happy, too. You are happy. Aren't you?"

"Yes, Tony. I'm very happy." She stepped into the hallway leading to the stairs at last. "And now I'm going to leave before [Name] shows up. Maybe I'll pick up some coffee for Happy on the way to work, since I have a little extra time."

"He'd like that. Goodbye, Pepper."

"Talk to you soon, Tony."

She vanished quickly up the steps. Tony listened as the sound of her heels faded to the floor level of the house, then disappeared entirely when she exited through the front door. Pepper was gone. For the first time in what felt like ages, he didn't feel bad about her going either. But he didn't have long to think about what might be behind this change in attitude. He had a few things to put together before you arrived.

******

Something was wrong. You couldn't put your finger on what exactly, but nothing around you felt real. Maybe you'd fallen asleep after you got to Tony's house, and everything since had been a dream. Perhaps you'd never arrived at your destination to begin with. Could it be you'd got knocked on the head by someone suspicious of your activities before you'd even left your own home? What were the chances that you'd simply died and somehow earned a happy afterlife?

You could not have asked for a more exceptional morning. The sun shone so brightly that your surroundings disappeared into a haze on the edges. Cool but not cold, you could smell the sea salt on the breeze without its scent overpowering that of the boxes upon boxes upon boxes of sugary doughnuts sitting in the back of Tony's pickup truck stationed in the lot of your favorite photography-taking park.

(Yes, Tony's pickup truck. A modest one, too. "What?" he had asked at your obvious shock at seeing something a normal person would drive pulled from his garage. "It's my getting-out-of-town-unseen car. Rhodey went camping last week, so I asked him to take the truck and not bother cleaning it when he gave it back.")

Around this plethora of breakfast treats gathered a crowd of people. Some wore exercise gear in pristine, eye-searing colors. Plenty others wore casual outdoorsy clothes. Most, however, wore a patchwork in varying colors of fading, gray, or dirt. All of them had been coming and going since you and Tony had set up camp—a few people more than once.

"Hey."

Caught daydreaming instead of paying attention once more, you looked up, hot-faced, to see one such gentleman standing in front of your table. He had on multiple layers of old clothing. The moment your eyes met his, he went on without waiting for you to acknowledge him:

"You saying I have to sign one of these before I can have another doughnut?" He pointed to a stack of permission forms resting on the table next to your elbow.

"Oh, no, sir!" You couldn't scramble out of your fold-out chair fast enough. "Please, take a doughnut! If there's a picture of you here and you don't want it to be used in my art gallery, then don't sign anything. You can just point it out to me, and I'll destroy all my copies of it as soon as I get home."

The man narrowed his gray eyes at the line of photographs on your table. You held your breath. He would not be the first person to yell at you that day, nor would he likely be the last. But you would keep your word and get rid of anything he told you to, whether the subject of the picture looked like him or not. After a few seconds, he snorted and rejoined the throng around the back of Tony's truck.

"Do you even have a picture of that guy?" you heard someone behind you ask. When you looked over your shoulder, you found Tony standing there. "That's about the sixth time he's come over here to ask...and the fifteenth doughnut he's left with," Tony added as the man headed off toward the public restrooms.

"Maybe he's not sure if he wants to give me permission yet. And it's not like you didn't bring enough food for everyone, plus some."

"I don't care how much food he leaves with. It's more about his tone. You're trying to help him out, but he clearly thinks you're up to something."

"I really don't mind. He has every right to be suspicious."

"Yeah, you really look like you're into something nefarious. Money laundering via doughnuts is a crime on the rise in this city, I hear."

"He doesn't know me from Eve," you said. "He might not even know that I took his picture, if I did."

"He could still quit accusing you of bribery."

You let out an incredulous laugh. "Tony, this was all your idea."

"Which just goes to show you that even I come with duds once in a blue moon."

"Well, I think it was brilliant. We need permission to feature the photographs, and now no one goes home hungry. It doesn't matter to me if no one else agrees to let me use their image. A small gallery is better than no gallery at all."

"You only think I'm brilliant. I've blinded you with my good looks and charm."

"I don't think that's it," you said with some feeling. "This really means a lot to me. Thank you, Tony."

"Anything to make you smile, Princess."

Something about Tony's mouth looked different when he used his nickname for you that day. This you could put a finger on: It wasn't his usual sardonic smile. He just grinned, causing your heart to jump straight into your throat. You swallowed it back down at once. What were you thinking? Of course it was still sardonic! If you waited around much longer, he'd probably follow it up with a suggestion to try out car sex in a pickup. Worse still, he might figure out how easily his smile made you weak at the knees. Then he'd pack up, drive away, and ruin an otherwise perfect day.

Before any of that could happen, you moved to put the plastic table between the two of you.

"Could you man the permission slips for a few minutes?" God, you hoped your voice didn't sound as high-pitched to him as it did to you. "I need to go talk to someone really quick."

You didn't wait to hear his reply, though you thought you heard a note of confused acquiescence from his general direction as you stumbled away from the horde jostling around his vehicle.

Away from all the people and noise, you could breathe a little easier. Strange how it took longer for you to get to that point nowadays—and how much more quickly you could come down from it. You slowed from a trot to a walk as you took several deep breaths in and out. Even the air smelled wonderful that day. Above your head, the sun didn't look like it had moved a single inch since your and Tony's arrival. At least another hour of joy lay ahead of you—and more literally ahead of you along the sidewalk you stood on lay the only person other than Tony that you wanted to see.

Gladys sat on a peeling park bench and didn't look up at your approach. A flock of scraggly brown birds hopped around her feet, peeping for and pecking at the remains of the doughnut she held in one gnarled hand. She threw another handful of crumbs without bothering to look up at you. This went on for a couple of minutes before you summoned up the courage to politely clear your throat.

"Hey," you said, a little awkwardly.

"Finally remembered I exist, have you?" was Gladys's reply.

"I never forgot you." You plunked yourself down on the bench next to her. When she didn't protest, you took that as permission to stick around. "I've been running the permission table. Thanks for spreading the word, by the way. I've got about twenty signatures thanks to you."

"Uh-huh."

Another few minutes passed in silence while Gladys fed the birds. You didn't speak up. Having someone to be with that didn't want to verbally spar all the time felt good...although you couldn't help sneaking looks over at Tony every handful of seconds. This your friend noticed. When you looked back at her for the sixth or so time, she had finished with the doughnut and now stared straight at you.

"What?" you asked.

"Guess I can't blame you for being distracted," she said. "That boyfriend of yours is pretty hot."

So were your cheeks after that comment. "He is not my boyfriend."

"Sure he's not. I may not be the smartest person you know, but I've seen a lot of children in love in my day."

"We are definitely not in love."

You must have said that in a convincing enough tone, because Gladys broke out into a loud laugh. "Just sex, then? I wouldn't have known you had it in you!"

"You and me both," you muttered, but this didn't put a dent in her smile.

"Good for you, [Name]. Good for you. He looks like Tony Stark, so he has to be pretty good in bed!"

"He—what?"

"You know, I wonder if he is Tony Stark. Sure looks like him. But you'd tell me if you were dating Tony Stark. Wouldn't you?"

"I can assure you she is not dating Tony Stark."

Once more, then man in question seemed to materialize out of thin air right in front of you. Even Gladys jumped at the suddenness of his appearance.

"Not that I'm offended by the comparison. He's a handsome man." Tony caught your eye, grinned, and added, "Would Tony Stark really be slumming around handing out free doughnuts with his side piece on his day off? I think his women are usually a little higher class than that. Sonny Frisco. Good to meet you," he added as he offered Gladys his hand.

"I suppose you have a point," Gladys said, eyeing the hand suspiciously.

Tony didn't press the point. Instead, he just handed her a small stack of doughnuts he had carried over. "Saw you were low on bird food over here, so I brought you some more. [Name] tells me that's your favorite activity."

"She does?"

"Yeah. She talks about you all the time. It's a real honor to finally meet you."

Gladys looked a little confused, but her suspicion was clearly evaporating rapidly. You could only assume that Tony had the same effect on most people, even when they didn't know who they were talking to. She took the doughnuts from him as she threw an incredulous look at you. Good grief. Alias or no, he couldn't suppress his charm. If you didn't act now, someone would figure out who Sonny Frisco really was.

"You've done a lot for me, Gladys," you said. "Are you sure you won't come to the gallery opening?"

But she had already gotten up to pack her extra doughnuts into her shopping cart. That was answer enough. "I'd just cramp your style. See you around, [Name]. And you," she barked at Tony, who straightened at once. "Even if it is just sex, you hurt this girl, you won't be welcome around here anymore. I don't care how good-looking you are. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, ma'am," he answered.

"Good. Thanks for the bird food."

Gladys bid you her normal farewell of a brisk nod before setting off down the path. You stood to watch her go. Though you hadn't expected Gladys to accept your invitation—she'd feel out of place, and any offer on your part to dress her up for the occasion would only offend her—you couldn't help but feel a little disappointed as you watched her go. Any aspect of your gallery that Tony hadn't provided, she had. It only seemed right for her to be there, too.

Did Tony sense your mood? He wrapped one arm around your waist and pulled you closer. "She's really something, isn't she?"

"Yeah," you said. "She is."

It did not take long for Gladys to disappear from your field of vision. At least the weather would be good for her that night. After a moment or two of looking at the point at which she'd vanished, Tony kissed the side of your head and let you go.

"Ready to get back to work, Princess?" he asked.

You replied by breaking out of his grip and running back toward the table. A short respite had been all you needed. The more work you did, the better for Gladys—and the better for you. You had Tony all to yourself until your gallery was over and done with. While the day was beautiful, while he'd kiss you at random, and while you felt like you were lighting up from the inside, you wanted to keep going for as long as possible. Happiest girls were the prettiest girls, after all, and you had never felt more beautiful.

#fan fic #straw writes #brightest #reader insert #second person pov #tony stark #iron man #marvel #avengers #mcu #tony stark x reader #tony stark x you #tony stark x y/n #iron man x reader #iron man x you #iron man x y/n #avengers x reader #avengers x you #avengers x y/n #marvel x reader #marvel x you #marvel x y/n #mcu x reader #mcu x y/n #mcu x you #tony stark reader insert #iron man reader insert #marvel reader insert #mcu reader insert #avengers reader insert

[darsynia]

Trust Fall | Ch 17a

ARC image by Eury Escodero | screencap from 'neverfeltbetter' wordpress

Story Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Summary: Tony/OC, ‘terrorists made us fall in love;’ IM1 timeline. In this chapter, Tony does some thinking about how he used to treat Pepper as his PA, and Natasha and Emory talk shop.

Length: 3,443

Taglist: @starryeyes2000 @raith-way @arrthurpendragon @themaradaniels @starksbf @chickensarentcheap @tiny-anne

Excerpt:

Pepper Potts had shown up for her job interview in an inexpensive pantsuit that barely fit her, but her makeup had been immaculate, and she was (still is, really) one of the most beautiful non-models he’d ever met. Tony has never told her that he still doesn’t know which part was the tipping point, her looks or her qualifications, but he’s never regretted hiring her. In retrospect, he’s enjoyed watching her expand her wardrobe almost as much as her horizons, over the years.

That thought just reminds him of the image search he’d done of Emory, how she’d always been near Rory, supportive and functionally invisible. Pepper has been that for him for ten years. Has he hurt her in similar ways? He watches her facial expressions alter from concern to gratitude, then tighten into nervousness as if a switch has been thrown. 

“Mr. Stark, I’ve forgotten myself lately, I should apologize. I spent a lot of time with Mr. Hogan during your absence, and he refers to you by your first name--” she stops herself and stands there rigidly, waiting.

She’s shut down into business mode. He won’t have it.

“Apology not accepted,” Tony says, lifting his chin and regarding her sternly. “Tony is my name, and you’ve more than earned the right. Use it, don’t use it, I trust your judgment. I always have.”

Pepper looks at him, her ‘Stark Industries’ demeanor still active but her mouth hanging slightly open. She shuts it and raises her eyebrows. “That was almost nice, Mr. Stark. You must be under-caffeinated. I’ll be back.”

Chapter Seventeen: AU

Tony settles in at his desk, delegating the acquisition of materials and the overview of wire design for Mark II to his AI. That leaves him to solve the problem of stable flight and power conservation himself, but that’s the kind of challenge he’s always relished.

He spends a couple hours altering the design of SI’s Jericho repulsors to mount onto armored boots. As the design takes shape, though, it’s easy to picture the kinds of things that Obie might want to do with it. Tony grabs a flash drive from a drawer and plugs it in, meaning to swap his work over and purge it from the hard drive-- and that’s when he sees that his workspaces are all connected to his home computer. He’d been gone so long he completely forgot about that protocol, implemented after Stane had snooped into Tony’s files and found something he’d been tinkering with but hadn’t wanted to implement. One of those projects ended up becoming the Jericho missile, ironically enough. Remote access with nothing stored at SI was the compromise.

Remote access.

The armored suit he envisions is sleek, streamlined-- and impossible to get into and out of by himself. There are… sacrifices to his dignity he’d be prepared to make for the journey from Malibu to D.C. to see-- and reassure --Emory, but it’s more than three hours one way. Ideally, there’d be a middle ground option, like the flash drive.

Then, Tony remembers that there is.

The house he grew up in.

“JARVIS?” Tony leans back in his chair. “How quickly can we get the Stark Mansion habitable?” For the past five or so years, he’s stayed at hotels in NYC instead. Womanizing in one’s father’s footsteps is a little too on the nose. He briefly considers buying something just outside of D.C. as a fuck you to SHIELD and their list of expectations, but Tony doesn’t want them to retaliate against Emory. Besides, his mansion should be free of agency influence, and he can’t be sure of that in a rental near Washington.

“There are service companies that can be hired to prepare a dormant residence for occupation. Shall I employ one, sir?”

“Set it up,” Tony says, pleased. For the past few nights, Tony’s had trouble excising the images in his head of a particularly incisive, tech-savvy scientist crouched over hurriedly fastening the suit. Replacing Yinsen with a robotic apparatus is too painful to imagine right now. That would require acknowledging his absence from the world, and Tony’s not ready. There’s no sense in designing a robot to get him into and out of the suit without knowing the shape of the place he’d be building it into, and now he can put that off for a while yet.

He roughly shoves back from the desk and starts to get up. A sharp pain arcs through his toe and across his foot, forcing him to sit back down, hard. “What--”

Tony picks up his foot and finds that the sole of his shoe has actually detached halfway, hanging loose at the back. Suddenly the entire thing is too tight. He rips it off and removes the sock, finding the kind of angry, purplish bruising he would have expected to have noticed by now . He shakes his head.

“No way did I have this when I landed -?”

“You kicked your tool cabinet with a lot of force at the end of your call with Miss Autumn, Sir. It is now dented. The adrenaline may have obscured--”

“I get it,” Tony interrupts. He’d wanted to stop hating how it felt to hurt Emory on purpose. As he stares at his favorite pair of shoes in painful consternation, the door to his office opens. It’s Pepper Potts. 

“It’s barely six AM! Are you still on Afghanistan time?” she splutters, clearly concerned.

“We’re twelve hours off, and I hardly need beauty sleep. Wait, are you saying I-- never mind.” Frowning and definitely sleep deprived despite what he’s just said, Tony turns the chair and shoves his feet under the desk. His ruined shoe ends up dragged sideways, its wrecked sole opening wide for her to see.

“If that’s the shoe, what did you do to your foot?” Pepper gasps.

Tony swivels back around, lips twisting sideways as he shuffles his feet back into the light. “Might have broken a toe.”

“Did you fall? Did they miss a head injury?” Pepper eyes him up and down as if searching for other issues he’d kept from her. It’s the kind of presumptuous, caring action she almost never crosses the line for, and it has Tony reassessing how bad his foot looks. This moment feels like home, and fuck, he’d missed his people. Obviously, Pepper has missed him too-- she’s called him ‘Tony’ more in the past few days than in the past three years. That thought animates his impish grin.

“I’m fine. No one casts broken toes. Call in Frank and he’ll tape it up, stick on one of those fancy ice packs we designed for the troops, the ones that don’t burn you and actually stay put.”

“Tony, what--”

“I kicked something, okay? Take it up with the, the whatever. Thing I kicked,” he interrupts, waving his hand dismissively. It works; Pepper whips out her phone, giving him the stink eye as she presses two buttons. Seconds later, she’s speaking to Frank’s receptionist, meaning she’s got the doctor on speed dial, and that’s just insulting.

A quiet beep alerts him to a message JARVIS has wisely flashed onto his screen instead of speaking aloud. A company has been hired to get the mansion cleaned up after twenty-some years of sporadic habitation. In a few days, Stark Industries will send a skilled team out to shift his father’s equipment out of the way and fit out the lab space for him. Tony smiles and leans down to take his other shoe and sock off.

“All right. He’ll send someone within the hour.” She pins him with a look. “You need rest to heal, sir. I can’t even imagine what time you got up this morning.” Pepper looks unhappy, but softens her frustration with practiced deference. It reminds him of Emory, and that stings enough to make him want her out of there. “Promise me you’ll go home for lunch, at least?”

Tony’s off-balance, and his sloppy spin around the axis of normalcy makes him defensive. “Sure. Consider my injured arm twisted. You got something for me? I’m in the middle of designing something,” he says, turning back toward his computer.

“A new weapon? Something you used to escape?” she asks in a small voice. Pepper sounds confused, and who could blame her? Tony knows he’s hard to deal with at the best of times, and this is not that. There are countless design hours, maybe even weeks before he’ll be able to even visit Emory, much less rescue her. He’s new to this hero business, but it seems pretty clear that he could save his assistant right now by explaining himself.

...maybe building Mark II would be easier, in retrospect. He lobs a distraction grenade and hopes it hits.

“Pepper, I’m sorry I ruined your birthday.” 

Tony doesn’t use her first name at work. It’s one of the things she’d asked him to avoid when she’d started, and he’d understood immediately. He’d hired her all those years back because her resume was incredible, so much so that he’d accused her of faking it at the in-person interview. Pepper Potts had shown up in an inexpensive pantsuit that barely fit her, but her makeup had been immaculate, and she was (still is, really) one of the most beautiful non-models he’d ever met. Tony has never told her that he still doesn’t know which part was the tipping point, her looks or her qualifications, but he’s never regretted hiring her. In retrospect, he’s enjoyed watching her expand her wardrobe almost as much as her horizons, over the years.

That thought just reminds him of the image search he’d done of Emory, how she’d always been near Rory, supportive and functionally invisible. Pepper has been that for him for ten years. Has he hurt her in similar ways? He watches her facial expressions alter from concern to gratitude, then tighten into nervousness as if a switch has been thrown. 

“Mr. Stark, I’ve forgotten myself lately, I should apologize. I spent a lot of time with Mr. Hogan during your absence, and he refers to you by your first name--” she stops herself and stands there rigidly, waiting.

She’s shut down into business mode. He won’t have it.

“Apology not accepted,” Tony says, lifting his chin and regarding her sternly. “Tony is my name, and you’ve more than earned the right. Use it, don’t use it, I trust your judgment. I always have.”

Pepper looks at him, her ‘Stark Industries’ demeanor still active but her mouth hanging slightly open. She shuts it and raises her eyebrows. “That was almost nice, Mr. Stark. You must be under-caffeinated. I’ll be back.”

Tony supposes he deserves that. The message is loud if not entirely clear: not here, not now. To show her he understands, he turns back to his work but thrusts his hand out behind him, snapping his fingers.

“Folder?”

“Are you sure?”

He just waves his hand. Pepper slips it into his grasp, the steady but gentle sounds of her heels against the floor as she walks away hinting that she isn’t angry, at least. Tony waits for the door to close before he pulls his arm in and flicks it open.

It’s a file on Emory Autumn, generated at Stark Industries.

Tony can picture the secret smile on Ms. Potts’ face as she steps into the elevator. Pepper 1, Tony 0.

Natasha Romanoff drives like a maniac without shoes.

It isn’t that she’s unsafe-- she makes sure they’re both buckled. But D.C. streets have a different feel than LA ones, and something about this headlong rush is equal parts intimidating and impressive. At one point she slows to a crawl in the middle of the street. Emory looks over, confused, and Natasha nods toward a building ahead of them.

Suddenly, a bike flies out of a side door, skating across the sidewalk and down onto the road as if it has the right of way. Because they’ve slowed down already, the biker zooms across without issue, racing around a corner and out of sight.

“Courier agency. Crazy courier agency,” Natasha explains. “Haven’t needed to use it as a cover yet, but the whole city knows about those guys. They’ll come in handy someday.”

“I’m--” Emory’s throat closes up. She pushes ahead with what needs to be said anyway. “All of this is beyond me. If you need me to smooth over a hurt celebrity’s feelings, I’m your gal. Everything else…”

“I hear you,” Natasha says when she trails off. “According to the file, that’s exactly what they want you to be doing. My job will be to teach you how to stay alive afterwards. If something else grows from that, well.” Her brassy smile as she looks away from the road at Emory is not at all reassuring. The way that everyone at SHIELD dances around her powers while keeping her confined because of them is starting to drive her crazy.

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service means that they go through a drive thru and sit in a run-down parking lot to talk while they eat. Natasha talks, Emory listens. Nothing about Emory’s abilities are mentioned, and Emory doesn’t volunteer anything. It feels a little bit like a game of chicken, but being Rory’s PA has taught her all about how to play those well. By the time they’re finished eating, Emory has a better idea of what’s expected of her in the short term (some physical training, some psychological training, a lot of policies and procedures training), and she’s gained a strong sense of respect for Natasha’s competence.

What’s baffling is how the SHIELD Emory has seen so far can possibly align with the one Natasha Romanoff seems to think she’s working for. Emboldened by a sliver of Tony’s audacious courage, Emory asks what Natasha thinks of SHIELD imprisoning a kidnapping victim without the means to contact friends, family, or former employer.

The agent’s response is to start up the car and head back toward SHIELD headquarters. The rest of the ride is silent, and Emory’s resentment rises with every tenth of a mile. Once back at the complex, Natasha parks and looks ahead for so many awkward seconds that Emory leans over to follow her gaze.

They’re parked in front of a placard that designates the spot for SHIELD parking only. Underneath the words are a sticker that warns that agency vehicles are surveillance monitored.

“I really am new at this,” Emory says sheepishly. She takes off the borrowed boots and offers them to Natasha, realizing belatedly that she should have done it earlier so the other woman didn’t have to drive barefoot. “Take these back, I’m sure you have a long day?” she offers.

“I’ll spend some of it raising hell about isolating you. You’re not a spy, you’re not quite an agent, but you shouldn’t be a prisoner.” Natasha takes the boots and puts them on, waving off the socks Emory offers. 

“I’m not ready to be any of the above! I look like a child in a trenchcoat, I’d make a terrible fake nurse, and… I mean…” Emory shakes her head, gesturing at Natasha Romanoff’s everything. “I don’t even belong in the building,” she mutters.

“A hawk-eyed assassin’s arrow can strike with precision, but his training can be nullified with an unpredictable wind. A spider’s size doesn’t diminish her sting, but she can be blown off course.” Natasha pushes the door open, turning her body away but tipping her head towards Emory to make eye contact for the first time since they parked. “Don’t underestimate what you can do.”

Natasha delivers the words in a tone so matter-of-fact that Emory almost feels chastised rather than encouraged. She sits in the car, shaken, until she realizes that the agent isn’t waiting for her. Scrambling out of the car, she sock power walks across the warm asphalt to catch up.

“How can you say that if I don’t even know what I can do?” she asks, still behind by a few paces. Natasha stops right where the parking lot meets the sidewalk, so Emory does too. The sun-warmed material heats up her feet like an impromptu ‘hot seat’ as they look at each other in the parking lot.

“Did you use your powers to help you and Stark escape the terrorists?” Natasha finally asks.

Emory refuses to adjust her stance, even if her burning feet are begging her to. “Yes.”

“Are you willing to use them to help us prevent anyone else from being blackmailed with that serum?” Natasha asks, the sharp tone at odds with her ‘two office girls at the water cooler’ body language.

“Excuse me,” a middle aged man in a suit says as he sidles past them onto the sidewalk.

“Of course,” Natasha says coyly, a full ten seconds later. The man’s gait hitches, and he clears his throat. Emory can’t help staring at her smug expression, and after another ten seconds, Natasha jerks her head back toward the man as he disappears into the Triskelion’s entrance. “Look at it this way: maybe someone decides to investigate our outing, sees him walk past us on the security footage.”

Emory gives up trying to seem tough and lifts one foot and then the other to ease the relentless sear of the blacktop’s heat transfer. As a result, Natasha steps up onto the sidewalk, moving close to the grass strip that leads toward the building, a small smile haunting her face. Emory gratefully follows, wondering what exactly the agent learned by her capitulation.

“If they ask that man what kind of shoes we had on,” Natasha continues, “There’s a high chance he’ll say black boots for both of us, even under oath. People see what they expect to see.”

“Doesn’t that only last as long as it takes for my proverbial arrow to miss?” Emory asks, enjoying the soothing cold floor of the atrium as they walk inside.

“That’s what the training is for. So you learn how to miss.”

Either something about being inside SHIELD headquarters makes Natasha Romanoff more confident, or her increased gait is another subtle test. Emory’s really close to mentally nicknaming her ‘Yinsen’ for the agent’s ability to make her feel similarly off-balance.

“Don’t you mean how not to miss?” she asks, jogging a bit to close the gap between them.

“Oh, that works itself out.” Natasha hits the elevator button and the doors immediately open. She settles herself against the back corner of the car in a casual position that looks like a photoshoot. “You’re a phone number memorizer, aren’t you?”

“Yes. The phone they put in my room doesn’t call out, though. I already tried,” Emory admits. She doesn’t add how lonely it had made her feel to realize she doesn’t even know how to contact Tony, and avoids eye contact in the resulting silence, until they reach the correct floor.

“Dialing 9 before calling out isn’t hardcoded. That’s your trivia for today,” Natasha says briskly as they walk out. After unlocking Emory’s door, Natasha steps inside and scans the room with a professionalism that has Emory once again wallowing in inadequacy. “New laptop, new phone, new chair, and they brought up your suitcase, good. I’ll write down what you’ll need for training, hold off on getting adventurous until I get you a schedule?”

“I can handle that. It was my job to be the wet blanket, after all.”

“So you’re saying you kept Stark alive, rather than the other way around?” 

Emory walks in, facing away from Natasha long enough to allow a rueful smile whose evidence leaks into her tone despite her best efforts. “No way. The man is a force of nature.”

“So are you, from what I’ve seen. Just need some control. It’ll be easier to teach that to you than to him.” Before Emory can really take in the full meaning of those words, Natasha leans against the doorframe, crossing her arms with an odd kind of satisfaction. “He’s connected to your power generation, isn’t he? Can I be the one to tell Fury?”

“Is this spy blackmail? Make it fun or I’ll sic the director on you? I’d be impressed if I weren’t so intimidated,” Emory tells her. She feels bad when Natasha straightens back up, her face tightening back into that of a SHIELD agent. “Oops. I didn’t mean to reactivate you, ‘Agent Romanoff,’” Emory says, backing into the room while doing the air quotes.

Natasha’s response to that is playful irritation, rather than formality. “That’s Stark talking.”

The implications of that sweeps through Emory like a tiny burst of joy. “The scare quotes were all me, but yeah, I guess you can. Tony’s--” she gasps, realizing the perfect way to put it, given the music Tony would riff to himself when deep in thought. “He’s my current. My AC/DC. The truth is, since the kidnapping I barely know myself compared to who I was before. I don’t want to let you down, but--”

“Okay, that first part is disgusting, I’m out of here,” Natasha interrupts with a teasing frown, reaching for the doorknob. She pauses and makes eye contact, her expression hardening for a frightening three seconds before her features shift back into the recognizable. “I might be Agent Romanoff here, but in the field, I’m called Black Widow. You don’t have to be all things at all times, Ms. Autumn, no matter what Hawkeye will tell you.”

The door clicks shut before Emory can ask who Hawkeye is, but it has to be Barton. It seems like maybe Agent Romanoff brought him up specifically because she wants Emory to think about how to support an archer and a close-combat fighter during their mission, if things go wrong.

Since there’s not much else to do besides go through the suitcase that represents a part of herself she doesn’t want to deal with right now, Emory grabs her notebook and starts jotting down ideas.

Next chapter: Tony gets Pepper's help to remove his old ARC, and Emory learns she can uproot trees with her MIND.

#tony stark x oc #tony stark fanfiction #tony stark x original character #tony stark imagine #iron man fanfiction #iron man #iron man x oc #iron man x original character #mcu #mcu fanfiction #mcu fanfic #marvel #marvel fanfic #tony stark #series: autonomy #ocfairygodmother #fyeahsuperverseocs

[nerdyfangirlmel]

IRONDAD FIC CH 11 UPDATE: HOLD ME WHILE YOU WAIT

CH 11 summary/excerpt:

“Mom, you should have seen it, Spider-Man was all whoosh whoosh— “

“I’m really sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Barton, Miss Potts- I mean Stark, Mr. Lang—“

“It’s Cooper’s fault really,”

“The babies just wanted to see the alpacas––––“

“You're the baby.”

“ I tried to help but Peter had it under control I think,”

“Your royal highness, majesty Mr. T’challa Black Panther, sir—“

“We really didn’t know they wouldn’t like it—“

“ALRIGHT ENOUGH!” Pepper spoke sternly over all of them causing not just the kids to stop moving but the Avengers as well.

#irondad fanfics #irondad fic #irondad #hold me while you wait #mcu peter parker #peter and pepper #clint barton and peter parker #peter and morgan #peter and avengers kids #avengers kids #morgan stark #avengers endgame fanfic #post avengers endgame #clint barton is a dad #clint barton #laura barton #cooper barton #lila barton #nathaniel barton #cassie lang #scott lang #may parker #tony stark

[buckybeardreams]

StarkerFestivals Summer Bingo Masterpost

All my works for this event can be found here or below the cut

Multichapter Fics

The Boss's Sweetheart

Prompts: hurt/comfort, courtship/wooing, impregnation play, daddy kink

Ch: 5/?

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Harry Osborn & Peter Parker, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, Mafia Boss Tony Stark, Italian Mafia, Italian Tony Stark, Sugar Daddy Tony Stark, Sugar Baby Peter Parker, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Insecurities, Protective Brock Rumlow, First Date, Age Difference, Daddy Kink, Hand Feeding, Age Play, Infantilism, Diapers, Daddy Tony Stark, Brat Peter Parker, Top Tony Stark, Bottom Peter Parker, Blowjobs, Large Cock, Anal Gaping, Belly Bulge, Size Difference, Breeding Kink, Come Inflation, Anal Plug, Feminization, Hurt Peter Parker, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Bondage, Forced Orgasm, Multiple Orgasms, Masturbation, Dacryphilia, Attempted Sexual Assault, Guilt, Panic Attacks, Dissociation, Anal Fisting, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Autofellatio, Somnophilia, Safewords, straitjacket, swaddling, Degradation, Masochist Peter Parker, Sadist Tony Stark

Summary: When Uncle Ben's gambling problem threatens to ruin his family, Peter turns to a dangerous man for help, a man who has made it very clear just how much he wants Peter.

Words: WIP

Simple Life

Prompt: Protective Tony

Ch: 1/?

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Adorable Peter Parker, Age Difference, First Meetings, Getting Together, First Dates, Age Play, Daddy Kink, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary: After losing Gwen, Peter finds himself struggling with his life as Spider-Man, so he leaves the city and ends up on Tony's farm. He was hoping for a simpler life, but he never dreamed he'd end up with Tony Stark.

Words: WIP

Forced Hand

Prompt: Secret Identity

Ch: 3/3

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Teen Peter Parker, Brat Peter Parker, Secret Identity, Identity Porn, Fuck Or Die, Sex Pollen, Kinda, mating cycles/heat, weird alien science, handwavy medical shit and alien science, Hurt Peter Parker, drugged sex for medical reasons, Somnophilia, Sedation, Anal Sex, Daddy Kink, Dubious Consent, cum as medicine, Cap is so done with this shit

Summary: When Peter Parker shows up in lieu of his co-worker for an interview with Tony Stark, neither of them are aware of the other's secret identity—And Tony's unaware of Peter's age when they fall into bed together.

Words: 7,602

Born to be a Slut

Prompt: Size Kink

Ch: 3/3

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Minor Tony Stark/Others, Minor Peter Parker/Others

Additional Tags: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Father/Son Incest, Top Tony Stark, Bottom Peter Parker, Slut Peter Parker, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unrequited Love, Mutual Pining, Guilt, Being Walked In On, sexual awakening, discovering porn and masturbation, Coming In Pants, Daddy Kink, Size Kink, Anal Sex, Deepthroating, Blow Jobs, Feminization, Degradation, Anal Fingering, basically Peter's a slut just like his daddy and Tony's only gay for Peter, Embarrassment, Awkwardness, Protective Tony Stark

Summary: Everything was fine until Peter walked in on his dad fucking his receptionist. Now everything was going downhill, and nothing could ever be the same again.

Words: 7,411

Primadonna Peter

Prompt: Free Space

Ch: 2/2

Rating: Mature Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Father/Son Incest, Teen Peter Parker, Brat Peter Parker, Non-Explicit Sex, Secret Relationship, Bickering, Love/Hate, they're both snarky af, Peter's a spoiled brat who knows just how to get his way, sugar Daddy vibes, Slut Peter Parker, Cock Warming, Under-Desk Blow Jobs, Office Blow Jobs, Daddy Kink

Summary: Tony knew the moment he started sleeping with his son that he was so screwed. If he thought Peter was hard to handle before… He clearly didn't know anything.

Because now Peter knew just how desired he was, and there was no doubt that Tony's pretty little primadonna was running the show.

Words: 5,681

Fics & Oneshots

Guilt-Ridden Desires

Prompt: Dubcon

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Father/Son Incest, Teen Peter Parker, Slut Peter Parker, angst & hurt/comfort, Insecurities, Guilt, Dubious Consent, Rough Sex, Angry Sex, Spit As Lube, Anal Sex, Virgin Peter Parker, First Time Bottoming, Service Top, Top Tony Stark, Bottom Peter Parker, sadomasochist Tony Stark - Freeform, Daddy Kink, Emotional Porn, Come Marking, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot Summary: When Tony told his son he could sleep in his room, he didn't expect to come home and find him watching porn in his bed.

Words: 4,553

Selfishly Caring

Prompt: Cockslapping

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Dark Tony Stark, College Student Peter Parker, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Unhealthy Relationships, kinda nephew/uncle incest, Pseudo-Incest, Implied/Referenced Past Abuse, Abandonment Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Age Difference, Slut Peter Parker, Dom Tony Stark, Daddy Tony Stark, Sub Peter Parker, Masochist Peter Parker, Sadist Tony Stark, Dubious Consent, under negotiated kink, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Daddy Kink, Face Slapping, Cock and Ball Torture, Blow Jobs, Deepthroating, Painplay, Subdrop, Degradation

Summary: Tony's never had much interest in his godson, but when Peter comes to spend the day with him at Happy's behest, it takes a turn he hadn't considered.

Apparently, his godson's a total painslut, but their little game takes an unexpected turn, and Tony finds himself caring about him in a way he's never cared about anyone before.

Words: 4,166

Growing Up Codependent

Prompt: Incest

Rating: Mature Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Father/Son Incest, Codependency, Daddy Kink, Age Play, Mutual Pining, First Kiss, Teen Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Wet Dream, Coming In Pants

Summary: Peter’s ready to grow up, but Tony’s still clinging to his baby.

Words: 2,183

Nothing's Off Limits

Prompt: Zombie Apocalypse

Rating: Mature Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Teen Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Peter Parker, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, brief mentions of past rape. beastiality and forced impregnation, The World Is Dark, the fic is not that dark, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

Summary: A world taken over by zombies is a lawless land to live in, and young Peter grew up in the midst of it all, grew up in a world of no morals. But he considers himself one of the lucky ones because, not only is he still alive, but he has Tony looking out for him.

Words: 2,135

In Love With The Babysitter

Prompt: Babysitter AU

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Babysitters, Teen Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Age Difference, First Kiss, Adorable Peter Parker, Brat Peter Parker, Brief mention of underage sexual fantasy Summary: Tony's infatuation with the young babysitter is highly inappropriate, and not unnoticed. Peter knows he can't make a move on a married man, though, but when he finds out that Pepper and Tony have split up...

Well, that changes things.

Words: 2,112

So Soon

Prompt: Royalty AU

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Side James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Kid Peter Parker, Kid Tony Stark, Growing Up Together, Arranged Marriage, First Meetings, First Kiss, Short & Sweet, Implied/Referenced Sex, Trans Steve Rogers, Feminine Peter Parker

Summary:

In the world of royals, arranged marriages are the norm, but Tony's initial reaction to finding out his betrothed is a baby, isn't a happy one.

Luckily, the young boy quickly changes his mind when he meets Peter.

Words: 1,760

Misplaced Feelings

Prompt: Manhandling

Rating: Mature Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Controlling Behavior, Trauma Bonding, Abusive Relationships, Dark Tony Stark, Teen Peter Parker, Victim Blaming, Gaslighting, Emotional Manipulation, Hurt Peter Parker, Rape Aftermath, Non-Explicit Sex, Anal Sex, Virgin Peter Parker, Manhandling, Hurt No Comfort, Angst, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

Summary: Peter struggles with his mixed feelings after Tony forces himself on him, because he didn’t say no… Did he?

No, he didn’t. So Tony didn’t do anything wrong, right?

And if it was wrong, then why does Peter still want him?

Words: 1,744

Fairy Deals Yield Unexpected Results

Prompt: Body Swap

Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Side James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Additional Tags: Fae & Fairies, Fairy Peter Parker, Human Tony Stark, Mission Gone Wrong, Body Swap, Sex Pollen, Kinda, fairy dust makes you trip, kinda drug-use, high on fairy dust, Handwavy Magic, Non-Explicit Sex

Summary: A mission gone wrong ends with Tony bonded for life to one tiny fae Peter.

Words: 1,736

Snippets

Pretty As A Picture

Prompt: In the Lab

Rating: Mature Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Teen Peter Parker, Father/Son Incest, Top Tony Stark, Bottom Peter Parker, Brat Peter Parker, Daddy Dom Tony Stark, Sub Peter Parker, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Anal Sex, Anal Plug, Daddy Kink, Subspace

Summary: Peter's insatiable and Tony's exasperated, but how can he not give his kid what he wants?

After all, Peter's pretty as a picture.

Words: 1,490

Catcalling and Affection Buying

Prompt: Gift Giving

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Italian Mafia, Mob Boss Tony Stark, Italian Tony Stark, College Student Peter Parker, meet ugly, First Meetings, Gift Giving

Summary: Tony can't figure out why Peter keeps turning him down, and Peter just wants the catcalling creep to leave him alone.

Words: 1,047

Rebounds, Friend-Zones, and Happy Endings

Prompt: Rebound

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Rebound, Unrequited Crush, Jealous Tony Stark, friend zone, Friends to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary: Peter knew when he first slept with Quentin that he was just a rebound, but even though he told himself it was just sex, he still caught feelings anyway.

Tony could see it going downhill even before Peter could. He watched Peter fall apart afterwards, and all he could do was offer a shoulder to cry on as the boy he loved cried over another guy.

But in the end, somehow things finally seemed to work out for them.

Words: 1,026

Invoked Rights

Prompt: Droit De Seigneur

Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Quentin Beck/Peter Parker

Additional Tags: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arranged Marriage, Abusive Relationships, Mildly Dubious Consent, Lord Tony Stark, Italian Tony Stark, Hurt Peter Parker, Virgin Peter Parker, Implied/Referenced Sex, Implied/Referenced Murder, Tony has Quentin killed so he can keep Peter as his Summary: Droit de seigneur: The alleged right of a medieval feudal lord to have sexual intercourse with a vassal's bride on her wedding night.

Tony invokes the right to fuck Peter after the boy is married off to Quentin, and then decides to keep him for himself.

Words: 843

Mistaken Desires

Prompt: Gloryhole

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Dark Tony Stark, Teen Peter Parker, Glory Hole, Blow Jobs, FaceFucking, Sex Slave, Objectification, Handcuffs, Collars, Restraints, Bondage, Choking

Summary:

Peter thought he wanted this, thought he wanted to belong to Tony, but he was wrong. This is not what he signed up for.

Words: 742

Good Little Slut

Prompt: Spit Kink

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Father/Son Incest, Slut Peter Parker, Daddy Kink, Blow Jobs, Face-Fucking, Spit Kink, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot Summary: Before breakfast, Peter is always fed a load of Daddy's cum.

Words: 497

No One's Business

Prompt: Netflix & Chill

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Teen Peter Parker, Underage Drinking, Couch Cuddles, Short & Sweet

Summary: Tony gets Peter drunk because he loves how cuddly the boy gets when he's intoxicated.

Words: 390

Caged

Prompt: Superior Iron Man Image Prompt

Rating: Mature Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Implied/Referenced Non-Consensual Drug-Use, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Dark Tony Stark, Implied/referenced underage rape, caged, Cock Cages, Implied/Referenced Violence, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Hurt Peter Parker, Superior Iron Man

Summary: When Tony laid eyes on the young boy, he just had to have him, and there was nothing that anyone could do when he came for him.

Words: 332

#starkerfestivalsevents #starker #ironspider #tony stark #peter parker #iron man #spiderman #marvel #mcu #the avengers #starkercest

[ao3feed-stony]

Thank You Fics Round 4

by sabrecmc

More Thank You Fics!

Ch 1--The Offering (werewolf Tony) Rated Very E

Words: 13792, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Bruce Banner, Pepper Potts, Thor (Marvel), James "Rhodey" Rhodes

Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Werewolf Sex, Werewolf Mates, Werewolf Tony Stark, Lupercalia, Dubious Consent, Extremely Dubious Consent, Consensual Non-Consent, Pack Bonding, Wolf Pack, Whipping

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/45921586

#stony #steve rogers #tony stark #iron man #captain america #fan fiction #ao3 stony feed #stony fan

[every-marveler-ever]

Flufftober Masterpost

FLUFFTOBER 2022 MASTERLIST | @flufftober

So normally I wouldn't put this out till the end of the event but others seem to be putting theirs out now and then updating it throughout and I thought 'well hey, I could do that!' Happy October! I have loved writing these fics these months, and I'll continue updating them week by week.

The end of the month has come and I can not believe I am saying that I have completed this challenge. I wrote a fanfic for every day of October, and I'm actually thinking about doing it again for November. Thank you for your support and for following me along on this journey.

Total word count: 15862

01/10 - (Wearing Eachothers Clothes): Laundry Day | steve rogers/tony stark

02/10 - (“You’ve told your parents?”): Planning For Dinner Before Breakfast | tony stark/james 'bucky' barnes, peter parker/harley kenner

03/10 - (Thick As Thieves): Brothers | steve rogers/tony stark

04/10- (Supporting Silly Quirks/Hobbies): Pinterest Scrolling | tony stark/sam wilson

05/10 - (“oh no, you’re a morning person!”): Stealing Strawberries | peter parker/harley kenner

06/10 - (Candles, Lanterns, Fairy Lights): Date Nights | tony stark/stephen strange

07/10 - (Movie Marathon): Sleepy Movie Nights | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

08/10 - (Shooting Stars): Shine Brighter | steve rogers/james 'bucky' barnes

09/10 - (Game Day (Sports)): Game Day Experience | steve rogers/james 'bucky' barnes

10/10 - (Love Languages): Sharing | sam wilson/steve rogers

11/10 - (Poetry, Art, Music, Craft): Blueberry Mornings | peter parker/steve rogers/tony stark

12/10 - (“You kept this?”): Attic-ness | tony stark/pepper potts

13/10 - (Secret Family Recipe): “Are you cooking?” | stephen strange/tony stark

14/10 - (Truth or Dare/20 Questions): "At 18?" | peter parker/michelle jones

15/10 - (Accidents Don't Just Happen Accidently): Tony Stark Deserves A Cake

16/10 - ("I hate you" - "I love you too!"): In The Middle Of The Field [Game Day Experience, Part 2] | steve rogers/sam wilson

17/10 - (Animal Shelter): The Story of Figaro and Captain | steve rogers/sam wilson

18/10 - (Soulmate AU): How Do You Meet A Soulmate | tony stark/stephen strange

19/10 - (Hot Chocolate): Bundle of Quiet | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

20/10 - (Betime Stories): Mr. Magical | tony stark/stephen strange

21/10 - (Kiss For Goodluck): First Game Expirence [Game Day Experience, Part 3] | steve rogers/sam wilson

22/10 - ("Have you heard?"): Smooth(ie) Moves | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

23/10 - (POV Outside): Background Character | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

24/10 - (All The Hugs): Under Pressure | tony stark/james 'rhodey' rhodes

25/20 - (First Dance): Dancing Away | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

26/10 - (Blankets): Ch 1. Campfire Stories of Sam and Bucky | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

27/10 - (Reunion): Stark Gala Reunion | sam wilson/tony stark

28/10 - (Picnic): Ch 2. The Reason Bucky Likes Pumpkin Patches | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

29/10 - (Leaves): Hues of Leaves | harley keener/peter parker

30/10 - (Dear Diary): Ch 3. Writing Doesn’t Make Much Sense To Sam | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

31/10 - (A Sweet Treat): Ch 4. Elsa Makes Bucky Fabulous And Sam Laugh | james 'bucky' barnes/sam wilson

full masterlist :: every-marveler-ever

Thank you so much to @flufftober for hosting and inspiring my want to write more often (maybe not once a day anymore, but much more often). I can't wait to see what next year may bring.

#flufftober #flufftober2022 #mcu #marvel #masterpost #every-marveler-ever #every marveler ever

[buckybarnesbingo]

BBB Week 29 Roundup!

Title: Cuddling (sort of) Creator(s): nolanfa Link: tumblr Square: C5 - Date Night Rating: Gen Ship(s): Clint Barton & Bucky Barnes Warnings: none Major tags: Lucky, Alpine Summary: Clint and Bucky on a sofa, cuddling with the pets. Word count/format: digital picture

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Title: The Gift that Keeps on Giving Creator(s): scottxlogan Link: ao3 Square: C4 - James Rhodes Rating: Teen Ship(s): Bucky Barnes & James Rhodes (non-romantic), Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark, James Rhodes/Pepper Potts Warnings: sexual innuendo, Supernatural Elements Major tags: Gift Giving, Reluctant Friendship, Mishaps, Adult Content, Monsters, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends Summary: When Tony goes away with a team on a mission, Tony decides to encourage his fiancé Bucky and his best friend Rhodey to get closer to each other with a series of gifts scattered around the tower encouraging them to spend time together. In doing so one of Tony's gifts has surprising consequences as Bucky and Rhodey are forced to work together to face down one of Tony's exotic presents in a grueling battle. When Tony returns will his plan bring Bucky and Rhodey closer together in forming a friendship or will disaster follow? Word count/format: 9952

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Title: Aphrodite Creator(s): lillywillow Link: tumblr Square: U4 - Boyfriend Jacket Rating: Teen Ship(s): Bucky/ Reader Warnings: Mild Adult Suggestions Major tags: Body Insecurities Summary: You feel uncomfortable in everything you own. Luckily, your boyfriend’s jacket fits you perfectly Word count/format: 1261

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More under the cut!

Title: Home run Creator(s): nolanfa Link: tumblr Square: Y5 - [Picture of Bucky and Natasha, back to back, looking badass, guns out] Rating: Teen Ship(s): Clint Barton / Bucky Barnes Warnings: mild violence Major tags: tracksuit bros Summary: Clint Barton and Bucky Barnes being badasses Word count/format: digital painting

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Title: B1- Groceries Creator(s): Late-to-the-party-81 Link: tumblr Square: B1 - Groceries Rating: Mature Ship(s): SamBucky Warnings: None Major tags: Fluff, Boys in love, Bucky Barnes Recovering Summary: Grocery shopping has changed a lot since the 40’s Word count/format: 975

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Title: Stranded -B3 Creator(s): Late-to-the-party-81 Link: tumblr Square: B3 - Stranded Rating: Mature Ship(s): SamBucky Warnings: Brief descriptions of injury Major tags: Angst, Injury, Fluff Summary: Well, Bucky thought, this was just great. This was why he didn’t come on missions often, because if anything was going to go wrong, it was going to go wrong for him Word count/format: 1269

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Title: Insomnia -K3 Creator(s): Late-to-the-party-81 Link: tumblr Square: K3 - Insomnia Rating: Mature Ship(s): SamBucky Warnings: None Major tags: Angst, Insomnia, Implied/references sex Summary: Bucky can’t sleep Word count/format: 835

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Title: Sex outside the bedroom -U3 Creator(s): Late-to-the-party-81 Link: tumblr Square: U3 - Sex outside the bedroom Rating: Explicit Ship(s): SamBucky Warnings: Explicit sexual content Major tags: Leather kink, Frottage, Smut Summary: It’s not Sam’s fault that Bucky’s leather jacket drives him wild Word count/format: 1090

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Title: Oh, It's Magick (double trouble) Creator(s): sassyseme (Ao3), sassysambucky (tumblr) Link: ao3 Square: B4 - moving Rating: Explicit Ship(s): Bucky/Sam Warnings: Hurt Major tags: Magic, Angst, Smut Summary: Sam dreams about moving day with Bucky while he waits for Bucky to wake up. Word count/format: 5k chapter

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Title: Oh It's Magick (double trouble) - Ch 4 Creator(s): (Ao3) Sassyseme, (Tumblr) Sassysambucky Link: ao3 Square: C3 - Free space Rating: Explicit Ship(s): Bucky/Sam Warnings: Sadness Major tags: Angst, Magic, Winter Soldier Summary: The Winter Soldier is in distress and Sam tries to help Word count/format: 4.0k chapter

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Title: Oh It's Magick (double trouble) - Ch 5 Creator(s): (Ao3) sassyseme Link: ao3 Square: B5 - super soldier serum Rating: Explicit Ship(s): Bucky/Sam Warnings: Angst, Failed mission Major tags: Angst, Magic, Hurt/Comfort Summary: Sam goes home alone after seeing to the Winter Soldier and Bucky. Word count/format: 3k chapter

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Title: a wakanda fic - ch 1 Creator(s): (Ao3) sassyseme Link: ao3 Square: K4 - doctor's appointment Rating: Explicit Ship(s): Bucky/Sam Warnings: Omegaverse Major tags: Omega Sam, Alpha Bucky, Fluff/Angst Summary: Sam is an omega who's never given an alpha a chance... hence he is on the run with two. Word count/format: 1.2k chapter

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Title: a wakanda fic - ch 2 Creator(s): (Ao3) sassyseme Link: ao3 Square: U4 - Bucky in a glass cell Rating: Explicit Ship(s): Bucky/Sam Warnings: Omegaverse Major tags: Omega Sam, Alpha Bucky, On the run, Pining Summary: Sam prepares for heat while on the run Word count/format: 1.8k chapter

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Title: a wakanda fic - ch 3 Creator(s): (Ao3) sassyseme Link: ao3 Square: K3 - Insomnia Rating: Explicit Ship(s): Bucky/Sam Warnings: Omegaverse, Angst, Grieving Major tags: On the run, Omega Sam, Alpha Bucky, Heat Summary: Sam's heat arrives Word count/format: 3.2k

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Title: Monster (Hunter) Stories - Chapter7: Bucky’s Cat Creator(s): MuffinEngineer86 Link: ao3 Square: C2 - Nebula Rating: Teen Ship(s): Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes Warnings: back from the dead, tentacles, swearing Major tags: Supernatural AU, vampire, spider powers, orcs, fae, werewolves, monster hunter, cat coffee shop, flerkens, Goose is Fury’s cat Summary: Darcy invited Peter to Wanda’s coffee shop. They talked about adopting cats, which led them to chat about Bucky’s cat Alpine. Darcy revealed to him that Alpine wasn’t a cat. Word count/format: 1261

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Title: why they lost their minds (and fought the wars) Creator(s): liloaufic Link: ao3 Square: Y5 - Cap!Bucky Rating: Explicit Ship(s): Steve/Bucky Warnings: N/A Major tags: Captain America Bucky Barnes, USO Performer Steve Rogers, Cross-dressing, Porn with Plot, Bittersweet Ending Summary: After the death of Abraham Erskine, Bucky wanted to put Project Rebirth behind him. Parading around on stage was not how he wanted to honor the good men who lost their lives, especially when he was fit to hold up his end of the bargain. Despite his best efforts to distance himself from the gaudy mantle, a navy cowl appears at base camp framing a familiar pair of blue eyes. Memories of the best part of his last few years surface, and Bucky is reminded of what he left back in Brooklyn. Word count/format: 10110

#buckybarnesbingo2022 #bbb2022 #bbb weekly roundup #bbb week 29

[stony-ao3-feed]

Thank You Fics Round 4

Read it on AO3

by sabrecmc

More Thank You Fics!

Ch 1--The Offering (werewolf Tony) Rated Very E

Words: 13792, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Bruce Banner, Pepper Potts, Thor (Marvel), James "Rhodey" Rhodes

Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Werewolf Sex, Werewolf Mates, Werewolf Tony Stark, Lupercalia, Dubious Consent, Extremely Dubious Consent, Consensual Non-Consent, Pack Bonding, Wolf Pack, Whipping

Read it on AO3

#stony #fanfiction #ao3feed #superhusbands #stevetony

[adnauseum11]

Northern Attitude Ch 9

“Me too.” She breathed and he looked up at her, her pulse already fluttering under his palm. She shifted above him, moving her legs to bring her hips into better alignment with his. Mac kissed him as her weight settled onto him, making him groan into her mouth, tugging on the base of her braid again. His hands were slow, making a meal out of getting her free from her cardigan and tracing the shape of her body under her shirt. She broke away from his mouth with a gasp when he tweaked her nipples, making her back arch. Logan used the opportunity to tug her shirt over her head, throwing it without looking. She looked down at his intense face, his palms cupping her breasts, her bra tugged low. His eyes were locked on her dusky pink nipples, inches from his face. She watched as his eyes fluttered closed and his mouth wrapped around one tightened bud, her palm instantly cupping the back of his head to keep him close. He groaned against her skin, the sound and vibration making her nerve endings sing. He leaned back, releasing her hard nipple with a pop and undid her bra, tugging the useless fabric from her body and throwing it in the same vague direction as the rest of her clothes. She bit her lip as his eyes stayed locked on her tits and tugged on his hair hard enough to finally break his concentration, the pale ring of blue nearly obliterated by the dilated black of his pupils.

Northern Attitude (48110 words) by Ad_nauseum Chapters: 9/? Fandom: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel (Comics) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Logan (X-Men)/Original Female Character, Jane Foster/Thor, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Clint Barton/Laura Barton Characters: Logan (X-Men), James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Hank McCoy, Bruce Banner, Charles Xavier, Kurt Wagner, Pepper Potts, Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster (Marvel), Sam Wilson (Marvel), Matt Murdock, Nick Fury Additional Tags: no beta we die like women, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Needs Therapy, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, Avengers Compound, Protective Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Captain America Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson is a Gift, Protective Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Frenemies Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson, Sam Wilson is not here for your shit, Human Disaster Matt Murdock, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Past Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Alcoholic OFC, Depression, Suicide Attempt, Canada Olympic Women's Hockey Team Ensemble, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Feels, Genius Tony Stark, Sassy Bucky Barnes, Sassy Steve Rogers, Logan is a Softie (X-Men), Protective Logan (X-Men), martial arts master Logan, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Shameless Smut, Original Character(s), X-Men References, Alternate Universe - X-Men Fusion, SHIP DARCY LEWIS WITH ALL THE THINGS, Therapist Sam Wilson, I'll Probably Keep Adding Tags, Medical Doctor Hank McCoy, Mental Health Issues, Logan has forgotten more about combat than you'll ever know, Logan in love is a dangerous man, hello unstoppable force, meet immovable object, Hockey, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Spy Natasha Romanov, Penis In Vagina Sex, Cunnilingus, Blow Jobs Series: Part 3 of The Labyrinth Song Summary: As former Olympian Mackenzie Drouin tries to navigate life as a new amputee, her freshly minted boyfriend is reluctantly drawn into another intrigue. With the Winter Solider needing intervention before being cleared for field work again, the Avengers are down not one, but multiple members. They turn to Logan for help in filling the gap - only to have things go even further off the rails when worlds collide.

#a03 fic #a03 writer #sometimes i write things #smutty things #escapism #fictional men are better #i have lost control of my life #this stupid fic kept me alive in 2023 #logan howlett #am I doing tagging right? #dialogue is my favourite #smut #smut is fun too #wolverine

[taluhnian]

'cause all that you are is all that i'll ever need

#marveledit #fyeahmarvel #fyeahtonystark #tonystarkedit #pepperony #dailymarvel #f: marvel #m: avengers endgame #ch: tony stark #ch: pepper potts #ship: pepperony #tag: knock #mine: gifs #mine #type: gifs #userphen

[stonemags]

stonemags

SUGAR BABY AU

Ch.7 Fend off

Characters in this series: Reader, Wanda Maximoff, Natasha Romanoff, Carol Danvers, Darcy Lewis, Maria Hill, Kate Bishop, Pepper Potts, Valkyrie, Shuri

Summary: You are trying to be a good friend, helping people that are closest to you to let go of their past. They take priority and even if you get hurt during the process, you need to keep them protected. Who will protect you? Will you let them?

Warnings: age gap relationships, sugar mommy/sugar baby relationships, swearing, fighting, blood, being hurt, arguments, mensplaning, all story is gonna be +18, you are responsible for your own ass. 

Word count: 6913

A/N: This chapter is the last one before a longer break, im not sure when i will post next one, but it will come. Thank you to all for the support it wouldn't be the same without you. I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

Previous chapter

You just woke up, but you can already feel the tension in your shoulders. It was a hard week for you, work, school even Wanda and Nat made days difficult for you. Everybody expects something from you, deadlines are not being kind, and everything is piling up in the exhausting hill of responsibilities. You feel yourself sinking recently and if it wasn't for your whole future at the line, you would probably stay in bed for the next two weeks. Recently even thoughts about your future were too heavy, usually working as a motivator, now they are making you feel like you're at a gunpoint. 

You didn't have to wake up with the sun today, after working till three am at the bar you needed that rest and thankfully everybody made sure not to bother you. You get up from the bed and immediately make it, so you can start your day not feeling guilty about having a mess around you or not being productive. It doesn't happen often but you actually plan on resting today. You put some music on and after meditating and giving offerings you hear a light knock at your door. 

“Hey.” Darcy stands in a doorway, two coffees in her hands. She always looks out for you, even in those small ways, and to be honest you do feel special. She would never do coffee for Maria or Kate. 

“Hey, you okay?” 

“Yeah, everythings okay.” She sits down on your bed, and sets the coffee on the side table. You decide that freaking out about the stains right now is not a good idea. You will deal with it later. To your surprise Darcy is ahead of you and she gets up and grabs coasters and your meds, she hands them to you with your coffee. 

“Thanks.” She nods and sits down at the previous spot. 

“Do you want to talk about your date?” You don't, you know she cares and that's where it's coming from, there is still anger lingering at the back of your head, that she set you up like this. 

“I- '' She looks puzzled, like she can't place exactly how to put into words feelings she has, but you understand. 

“I know.” 

“I was worried that you wouldn't agree to go. I should’ve handled it better, done it differently. To be completely honest, after we dropped you off I had been scolded by Carol already.” She laughs and you can't help but join her. You take a sip of your coffee, happily making yourself believe that it will wake your brain up more, and let her continue. 

“It wasn't nice. I'm sorry, I don’t want to act that way towards you.” 

“Thank you, I appreciate you being honest. I was mad, yes, even now I still am a little bit, but it’s going to pass. I'm just happy to be done with this.” 

“They called Carol after that night, and they didn't sound happy. She didn't tell me anything, at least not that much, but… Yn, what happened?” you don't want to get into it, but Darcy is your friend, she is on your side, and you want her to feel included. 

“Shuri called me in the middle of our dinner. I had to pick up Junior, it was an emergency. There was no taxi, no uber, nothing and this restaurant was so far away.” 

“Yeah, again sorry about it.” Darcy scratches the back of her head, trying to ease down the nerves. 

“They gave me a ride, and then we went to the theme park with Junior.” 

“It doesn't sound so bad.” She is confused, but at the same time she knows that nothing with you is just simply… simple. 

“It wouldn't be if I had any say in that. Darcy I had so much work I did not sleep the night after that. I agreed on extra work, i didnt had any food other that a fucking corn dog with junior that day, and nobody asked me about my opinion.” You start pacing around the room, you always talk with your arms and the more agitated you are the more they are working. 

“Did you tell them that?” 

“Yes I did. After the little family trip of course, I'm not a monster. I couldn't do that to Junior.” She nods in understanding. You both spend 20 more minutes chatting about everything that happens, while you clean your room. You will always happily use a body double to make yourself more productive, and it's so much easier with someone actually next to you. After a nice morning together and more cleaning around the apartment, Darcy told you that Kate asked you to call her and that it was rather important so you called right away. 

“Hey sweetie, you wanted me to call?... Yes ... mhm … no problem i got this, don't even worry about it, I’ll text you after everything … I’m always careful … Yes, I love you too.” You finished your phone call, and as you were sitting in the kitchen Maria could hear everything. She just finished cleaning the dishes after herself, knowing how much you hate, when one of them leaves something in the sink, after you cleaned the whole kitchen. They are really helpful with your hyperfixations. 

“What the bitch wanted?” You roll your eyes at the name that she used for Kate. 

“Be nice. She asked me if I could pick her things up from Val, she left some clothes in her godless danger zone cave.” You answer by not taking your eyes off your phone, already looking for the bus and metro schedule.

“Oh, that should be fun.” Maria goes around the kitchen island and leans her back on it, right next to where you sit. You found that about her pretty early, how flirty and cocky she is, once she feels comfortable with someone. It takes a while, but once she gets to know you, you would never say that she was shy at first. She is touchy, her love language always makes her try to be close to all of you. Some people find it confusing, but you learn at some point. Her smugness it's a part of your daily life and you enjoy the entertainment. 

“Yeah.. you are not going.” You get off the stool and start walking into your room to grab your bag. Your backpack is something you can’t leave the house without, you have a lot of useful things in it, which some of your friends find weird. There was always this sense of journey in you, or maybe running away actually, but this feeling made you always prepare to leave. Your backpack is always ready to help you survive if there is a need for you to.. well you aren’t sure what, but whatever that feeling means, you want to be ready. You have first aid there, a knife, dry pack meals which are not the worst and saved you a couple of times, along with unused metro and bus tickets, just in case and some rope. Sounds like a serial killer pack but all of the things were useful more times than you thought they would. 

You put your shoes on, take your hat and dark jacket off the hook, and as you leave the apartment Maria comes running out of her room. 

“Maria you’re not going.”

“Shut up, we have a bus in 10 minutes, come on.” She put her vintage 90s style jacket on and went out leaving you to close the door. She also learned a lot about you, and how discussing anything with you and trying to convince you of something is usually a waste of time. You respect that and her, the way she talks to you makes you feel safe with her, you know what to expect, there are no games, no double meaning under any words, no malice or anger behind anything. She lays things on the table and you feel safe with honesty. You don't fight her, you close the heavy door, almost tripping over the shoes again on your way out and follow Maria to the bus stop. 

Drive took both of you not more then 20 minutes, Valkyrie lives in one of her friends houses from what you know. There have been a couple of times when you were picking Kate up from there but you never went in, for Val it was an issue itself that you are even in the neighborhood. From what you noticed from the outside there is a flag in the window, which is a red flag itself, cigarette buds pretending to be flowers in the garden and broken mailbox in front. Overall a very welcoming environment. You come up to her door and knock hard on the surface, trying to make sure she will hear you over the loud techno music. You feel nauseous, and you know that will not be an easy pick up, but you would do everything for Kate, even put yourself in dangerous situations so she doesn't have to. You hear screaming coming from the inside, someone yelling over music to open the door. Maria is right behind you, she grabs the right part of your open jacket, which is exactly why you didn't want to bring her with you. In situations like that it's hard enough for you to make sure you are going to be okay, and as sad as it is, anyone coming with you as a support is just an additional responsibility to you. Doors open with unnecessary force. In front of you there is Valkyrie, drunk out of her mind, in the middle of the week, before noon. To be honest if someone would ask you to describe her that's exactly what you would say. 

“The fuck you want?” Off to a great start. 

“Don't make it harder for yourself, give me Kate’s things back and we will be out of here.” She scoffs at you and spits on the ground. That's a comedy behavior and if you wouldn't fear things escalating because of Maria, you would already have a good laugh. Val comes out of the doorway and invades your personal space, trying to dominate you as she is always tired when you meet with her. It was an interesting battle and you were enjoying playing this game with her, till one day when you overheard how much unnecessary shit Kate had to hear from Val after that. She was always jealous of how close you were to Kate, and since that day you tried to be … less with Kate, when her girlfriend was around. You can smell the horrible alcoholic odor coming from Val, since Kate broke up with her it seems like she fell even lower, you didn't think it was possible. You stand your ground not letting any fear get to you, but Maria takes two steps back, not really enjoying the fact that she had to let go of you. 

“Tell this slut-'' keep your cool yn, don't kill her, you promised Kate to be as civil as you can “-that if she wants anything back, she needs to come for it herself. I will make sure that she will have a really nice time with me, time she will remember for a long time.Whore likes it rough, but you should know something about it right Yn?” Valkyrie pushes you to the ground taking you off guard and  she closes the door behind her, laughing. You get up and straighten your clothes, you can feel your facade breaking, almost as you can hear the sounds of cracks in your patience.You can feel your heart beating in every single vain, your teeth are clenched together, tha same as your fists. You never felt so angry in your life, at least you don't think you did. You never felt so angry at someone and yourself, that you let this relationship go for so long, you recall all those moments when you thought that Kate was silently screaming for help, and you weren't listening. At least this, now, in this moment, you can and will make it right. Maria comes up to you and touches your shoulder bringing you back out of your head. 

“Yn-” she grabs your clenched hand “-your knuckles are white.” That's just a second of making a decision, at this moment you knew what it's going to take to make this end, to set Kate free, and you were ready for it the moment you left your apartment. 

“They’re about to get red.” The force of opening and shutting doors behind you makes Maria jump. She stands outside wondering if she should follow after you, she hears the music abruptly stop and then shouting. She takes two steps towards the door and as she is about to put her hand on the cold handle she hears the sounds of fighting, something breaks, sounds of glass shattering hurt her ears. Her eyes get teary and she doesn't know what to do. She won't be able to physically help you, and she knows for sure Val wasn't alone in the house. She stands in the yard and takes out her phone, trying to pick up Pepper's number with shaking hands. She immediately picks her eyes up at the door at the squeaky sound of opening. You come out and really slowly close the door behind you, one hand on the handle and second one holding a bag. Contrast between you entering and exiting the house is making Maria question if the first one even happened. The first thing your friend notices is that your knuckles are actually red, but so is your face and your shirt. She comes to you really fast trying to take a better look at your face.

“Jesus Christ Yn! Are you okay?” She lifts her hand and you grab her wrist stopping her. You lift your head up, letting her take a good look at you. 

“Let’s go, we are walking home.” She doesn't question you, she just grabs the bag from your hand. Maria doesn't comment on your busted upper lip, or greenish bruise appearing under your left eye, or the cut on your right eyebrow that drowns your vision with blood, or even the way you hold your ribcage. She listens to you, but at the same time being so worried about the state you are in she texts Pepper what happened, hoping that she will know what to do and how to help you. You are irritated with your clothes getting dirty and splitting one of your knuckles open. You don't feel pain, you feel satisfaction that you finally got something done, that you finally stood up for someone you love, adrenaline still kicking in keeping you painless, it's a good feeling, probably too good, but that's something you will worry about later. 

On your way home Maria got information from Pepper to just bring you back and everything will be taken care of. You two are one street away from your apartment complex and both of you recognise Peppers car standing on the street. Not really feeling like talking, you tell Maria that you will just head upstairs and take a bath, maybe try to get rid of this already dried out blood from your face. 

“Yn, you look like hell.” You are highly aware of that and Pepper’s comment is really unnecessary. 

“Kate finished her job earlier today. I picked her up. I was planning on picking up Maria too and taking those beautiful girls somewhere out to eat.” 

“Cool, have a nice time.” You can’t tell if that was addressed to you or Maria, or if Pepper was asking your permission, but your face hurts and you just want to go upstairs.

“I'm sorry I can’t leave Yn alone.” 

“Yes you can. Go have fun.” You send Maria a smile forgetting how painful it is for you right now to use any face muscles. 

“But-” 

“Precious, Yn is right, also I don't think that she wants Kate to see her this way, am I right?” 

“Very, I’ll be okay, have fun.” You give your friend a short hug and leave with Kate's bag. Pepper’s comment is right, you wouldn’t want any of your friends to see you this way, that's why you didn't want Maria to go with you in the first place, but you can't help feeling slightly hurt by that. Maybe it’s better for you to be left alone right now, coming up the stairs you worry about Darcy's reaction, she will for sure yell at you for being reckless. 

You enter the apartment and set Kate’s bag in the washroom to immediately wash everything that it contains. You walk around the apartment only to find out that you are alone. 

“Well, for the better i guess.” Talking to yourself is a normal thing, saying out loud a plan for the day, concerns or just letting your thoughts flow outside, airing out your head is something you enjoy with your loneliness. You are happy to be alone, nobody will see you being hurt, nobody will worry, take care of you or freak out at Val. You don't need that, just you and your solitude is enough. 

You go to the bathroom and start undressing, a big mirror on the side wall allows you to see all of your injuries. Bruise is purple by now, and your face is covered in red, you are not surprised that Pepper had this disgusted look on her face. You slowly take your shirt off along with your bra, and just then you can see how dark is your right rib cage. Valkyrie took advantage of this one movement when you stumbled on something and fell in her house. She managed to deliver one kick onto your chest,at least you turned to the side in time and swept her off her feet. You would be happy to say that she looks worse than you, but you can’t, you promised Kate, so you protected yourself just as necessary. It doesn't matter how much you want to see her in pain, suffering for everything she has done. Val didn't have an easy life, but that doesnt give her a right to ruin others. 

You decided on taking a warm shower and then getting some numbing ointment along with some food into your system. You are not sure if you had breakfast today, and your stomach is starting to hurt. You leave the foggy bathroom, covered in your towel and go straight into the kitchen. You start looking through the cabinets for a first aid box you have in the apartment, unaware of someone sitting in the living room. 

“Need help Yn?” You jump at the sound of Natashas voice and a box with medicine falls to the ground spilling everything out. You hang your head low, without even turning around to make sure your towel stays secured around your chest and take two deep breaths. You hear Nat and Wanda get up and move closer to you. You turn around and to their surprise you are in much worse condition than they imagined when Pepper called them. Your face swells a little bit around your one eye, blood luckily only slowly going out of your lips and brow, but you have to still make sure to wipe it once in a while. Wanda covers her mouth with a shocked expression on her face, while Natasha looks just.. angry, but you can't tell if thats because of how you look or if that's just her face, to be fair she is always kind of angry. You don't have energy to play their game, to discuss, talk, talking hurts, you want them gone. 

“Pepper called us.” Ah that explains it.

“Great, she is not here. I'll Let you know when she will come back.” You don't even try to pick up the box, you leave the kitchen and go to your room, aware of your half naked situation. You need to put some sweats on, and take care of yourself. It takes you just a couple of minutes and you are hoping that they are gone by now. You are going back into the kitchen and to your surprise they are sitting by the island, drinking tea and right next to them there is a third mug, yours green one. 

“Yn, how are you feeling?” Wanda is concerned but you don't own her nothing, so you stay silent. 

“Look-” she gets up from her seat to approach you by the fridge, you need to eat something. 

“-I know you are not really fond of us-” You scoff at that under your nose, and you regret it immediately, when sharp pain goes straight into your head. Adrenaline is gone and you can feel everything now. You grab the side of your head trying to keep it at bay. “-but we want to help… let us help.” You think about it, you are tired but in too much pain to go to sleep. They picked the medicine up but you still have to look through it to find the right kind and ointment. Even thinking hurts now. 

“Yn, can you please sit down?” Natasha’s voice is soft, you never hear her speak in this way, maybe once, just once when at Carol's party you caught one moment when Natasha and Wanda were alone. The way they were with each other, spoke to each other, praised each other, this is the voice Natasha used. You are not really sure what's the reason, maybe you are too tired for that right now, but you listen. You drag yourself into the living room and sit down slowly on the couch. Natasha is immediately next to you with a cup of tea and Wanda on the other side holding painkillers, a sandwich and numbing ointment, almost like they read your mind. 

“Darcy told us what you might need, she called and also asked us to apologize that she is not here. Carol took her on a business trip and she will be back in two days.” You nod at the information, warming up because of the tea or maybe the fact that wherever Darcy is she has your back. 

You take your painkillers, eat a surprisingly good sandwich and the last thing you need to do is use the ointment. 

“Thank you for your help.” You make a move to take it from Wanda's hand but she moves it out of your reach. 

“Let me.” 

“No.”

“Why?” 

“Just no. Leave it okay?” You try to grab it again and in that moment Natasha puts her hand on the side of your body, just to try and get your attention, talk you out of being so stubborn, but she doesn't know about your ribcage. The moment her palm lands on your shirt, the sharp pain follows through your whole body, you scream a little not being able to contain your reaction in time. They both look scared while you bend down in half, trying to breathe normally and stop crying. You can’t hold it in, you try by biting your lip, which reminds you that it's still bleeding and the bite really didn't help. You get up, out of their reach, you stand in front of them, looking and feeling like a mess.

“Please just… leave. I'm going to be okay, I’ll handle it, just give me that and leave.” You clench your jaw like your life depends on it. Your tears are mixing with the blood coming out of your lip. Wanda makes sure to stand up slowly, treating you like you are about to break down, crumble into pieces and nothing makes you more pissed than this pity look in her eyes. She wants to say something, not really sure what, but her wife is faster. 

“Lift up your shirt.” 

“Pervert.” 

“Yn.. this-” she points at you and moves her hand around “- all of this,as much as it's cute and admirable, it's pissing me off. You really think this is just about you?” You want to argue back, make your statement, not back down, you are just not sure if you have enough energy for that. 

“No Yn, it's not. What do you think Kate will feel, after seeing her friend suffer because of her. And yes I know she didn't do it, but you fought for her, you really think she wont feel responsible for that?” You stay silent, feeling like a kid being scolded, you feel your chin getting wet with blood and tears. Your ribcage still hurts and makes it hard for you to breathe. You are ready for Natasha to start screaming at you, but she just let her wife take over.

“I'm going to lift your shirt up okay?” You don't fight them, you let her. She slowly lifts up your right side of the shirt revealing dark purple and pink bruises, covering at least three or four of your ribs. 

“Oh..yn.” You look at Wanda and you see one tear falling down her cheek. You cover yourself up fast and take two steps back to put some distance between you two. 

“Satisfied?” Natasha looks sad, and disappointed. You can't read them and that's the most frustrating thing for you. 

“We have a personal doctor, she works for us and has a monthly payment, doesn't matter if she works or not. I called her and she will be here in thirty minutes. Will you please let her take a look at your ribs and face? I promise it won’t cost us anything”  She is actually waiting for your answer, you look between them. Wanda with the ointment in her hands holding it so tightly, Natasha with a phone in her hand and this terribly worried look on her face. Another sharp pain goes straight into your head, you bend down to try and not react too much to it, but they can see. 

“Yes…I…yes, please.” Natasha nods at you and you leave the room, uncomfortable with the situation, you decide to wait for the doctor in your bedroom. 

It takes 40 minutes for the doctor to get to the apartment. At this point you took two more painkillers you had in your room, and you tried to just lie down in a way that hurts the least. You didn't check on Nat or Wanda, they can take care of themselves and as much as you would like to care even a little, the state you are in is hard to do so. Kate and Maria called you to check up on you. Of course Maria told everybody everything. You managed to pull some strength out of yourself to sound well, like you are doing okay ish at least. Seems like they bought it, you don't need them to worry more then they do already. Wanda came to your room to ask if the doctor could come in, you thought she would try to stay with the both of you but fortunately she left and gave you some space. Doctor said that it would be good to do xr-ay of your ribs but they don't seem broken, just really bruised. She stitched your eyebrow and said that your lip will heal on itself, you are relieved that you don't have to go to the hospital, that would probably ruin you financially. 

After the meeting with the doctor you walk her out of the apartment making sure she wouldn't start talking about your state with Wanda and Natasha. Apologizing for the mess at the entrance you thank her and close the door behind her, wishing her a nice rest of her day. You are facing two issues now. First you need to get rid of both women from your apartment and get ready for your shift at the bar. You are not really sure how you will manage, but you have to somehow. You feel presence behind you and you are not ready for questioning, you are not ready for anything right now. 

“What did she say?” Natasha is holding Wanda's hand tightly, trying to calm her down a bit. 

“I'm healthy as a horse.” She just rolls your eyes and that somehow makes you feel bad. 

“I'm sorry, first I really appreciate your help with all that, it means a lot. She said that I should be okay with my ribs, she stitched my eyebrow and lips should heal on their own.” Wanda reaches out with her hand. Very lightly she touches the area around your eyebrow, soft palm is feeling cold on your heated face. You don't know why but you let her get a closer look at your face, Natasha grabs your chin and picks it up slowly to take a better look at your lip. As she lets go her thumb touches the corner of your lips, and you feel her touch linger there even after her hands return to her side. It's hard to explain what's happening with you, pain mixing with the feeling of comfort, hurt mixing with soft touches, that's too much for today, or for the whole month, it's hard to tell, but you start crying out of nowhere. Silent tears escaping through closed eyelids, too afraid of what your eyes might be saying right now. You feel Wanda's hand touch the side of your head, lightly playing with your hair. Normally you would find it awkward. Silently standing at the entrance of the house, nobody is speaking, your eyes are closed and your fist clenched. You feel yourself lean your head in the direction of Wanda’s hand. The sound of your phone ringing brakes whatever was just happening between all of you and you open your eyes, looking scared and embarrassed. 

“I need to pick it up. I'm sorry.” They follow after you into the living room. You look at your phone and the caller id makes your body shiver. 

“What?” You start pacing around, you feel the eyes of both women follow your moves and you are making sure to stay extra careful with how you speak.

“No…Yes, at the end of the week.” You look at them sitting at the kitchen island, not even pretending that they are not listening. 

“That's too much… I need to pay for school this month…No…Well, fuck you back… Listen, you take this or nothing at all, goodbye.” You hang up your phone and grab the side of your head, feeling the pain creeping up your lower back, coming from the tips of your fingers that hold the phone, through your spine into the top of your head. It's sharp but a little less after numbing yourself with pills. Your phone rings again and you are not having it today. 

“WHAT?!” You regret not looking at your phone this time. “Shit, Steve, I'm sorry. Yeah my shift starts at six.” That makes Natasha stand up

 from her chair. She is looking at you as you just said the dumbest thing she ever heard. “Yeah I understand but you know, Darcy can be dramatic. It’s not that bad… No! Listen, I need the money, okay? Don't ask Bucky, I'll be there.” He starts arguing, telling you how dangerous it can be for you, telling you that you might have concussion, or just some head trauma, that he can lend you the money for the day, he is really trying to keep you off of work. As you are about to talk back to him, Natasha takes your phone from your hand and tells Steve that you will call him back in a second. The audacity. 

“You are an adult Yn, right? Then let's talk like adults.” That will be an interesting conversation. You are taking it into the living room, following Natasha with Wanda closing behind you. You sit down on  the couch and they give you your mug filled with warmed up tea. It's even your favorite of the month, chamomile.Something about the smell and taste of it makes you feel calmer. You wait for one of them to start, not really knowing what they are even doing here at this point, you feel ashamed about how much you let them get close to you, maybe a little bit sick even, or maybe it's just because of your head. 

“You should sue her, the girl that did this to you.” It's not a question and surprisingly it's coming from Wanda. 

“No.” You know it might not make any sense to them but you have your reasons. 

“I don't understand you Yn. Why? She hurt you, she did something horrible to your friend, why are you even trying to protect her.”

“I'm not protecting her.”

“You are, and you are putting Kate in danger because of it.” That makes you shut up and listen. For once you let them continue, really taking in what they are saying. The feeling of your throat closing up makes you feel like a kid again and you don't like it. 

“You really think that she will be noble and won’t try to get you back, or Kate. If she would want to hurt you she has at least 3 ways of doing that.” You just look at her not really understanding what she means by that. 

“Kate, Maria and Darcy. They are your soft spot Yn, you would always protect them or die trying. But sometimes you are fighting with somebody bigger than you, something bigger. How will you protect them if you are at work all the time, how will you protect Kate when she finishes her work at midnight and you are not with her. And even if you would pick her up everyday, you can't be at 3 places at the same time. You need help and we can provide it.”

“The question is will you let us?” They are looking at you in a way it's hard to describe.You feel the care they try to give but you can help but follow your thoughts and your gut feeling about the “why” of their intentions. What's in it for them? The thought of your friends getting hurt is crashing for you. It feels like the ceiling is slamming onto your chest making you unable to breathe. You hate feeling hopeless but you are not stupid, you can admit when your power or control over the situation goes thin with how serious things got. You need them and that is the worst thing that can happen to you. Needing somebody gives them control over you, your life, your decisions and it's just a matter of time when they will use it against you. You don't know when, but there will be this one moment, when one of them will cross your boundaries because you own them. They helped you, they were good and nice so it means that there is invisible space to hurt you, to make it even. You just need to trust yourself that you will be able to handle it when it comes, because it will, it always does. People prove you right, but you don't have a choice. 

“I just want her out and far, can you do that? Can you help?” It comes out through your clenched teeth. 

“We can” Natasha seems proud of herself, the sickening smirk on her face makes you believe that she is happy about this whole situation. 

“How much will it cost me?” Everything has a price and you want to know it before you will agree on anything. Wanda tries to comfort you but you won’t fall for that. 

“Yn you don't have to pay us anything.”

“I can't not pay, tell me how much.”

“Dinner, you said that it feels like work on our date. You own us dinner. “ Natasha states and you take a second weighing your options. 

“Okay, deal. I'm gonna buy you dinner.” The idea is not your favorite but you are grateful for the opportunity to pay them back somehow, maybe it will lower down the feeling of guilt you have about them helping you. 

“No,no. You're gonna cook us dinner, at our house, we have an amazing kitchen, wanda will gladly help you, she has amazing taste. right honey?” If Nat is trying to contain her excitement about having the upper hand she is not doing a very good job. 

“Oh yes, we do.” Wanda answers by not taking her eyes off of you, especially your lips. You don’t know if she is trying to flirt with you or is looking at your cut, that's still bleeding a little, you feel the iron taste every time you run your tongue on it. 

“Okay.” This is too important and you know it. Sometimes we have to admit when we lose, today you feel that way. 

Next twenty minutes you spend on walking through the whole process of getting a restraining order against Valkyrie. It takes a lot of talking and paperwork but Wanda is amazing at her job so winning the case should be a matter of a couple weeks. You maily want it for Kate and your friends, you would rather not be on any record but Wanda is really stubborn about it, so you agree. After explaining and taking all the notes they have to take pictures of your injuries.You don;t want them to see you half naked but you understand the necessity of it. You ask Wanda to be the one taking the pictures, there is something about Natasha tak that makes you feel a little unsafe, you can't put your finger on it but it's there, and as hurt as she looks she doesn't argue. Evening came fast, it's getting dark pretty early at this time of year, so you made tea for all of you, as a small thank you towards two older women, that showed you a lot of kindness. You are all sitting in comfortable silence, they made you call off work which you understand, also Steve texted you he will kill you if you would come. You can feel their stare on you but you don't address it, keeping your eyes down on your green mug. The next thing that Wanda says takes you a bit off guard. 

“I know you are scared, Yn... but you are doing just fine.”

“It doesn't feel that way.” You didn't catch yourself in time, you don't know where it's coming from but you feel yourself opening up. 

“You are doing just fine.” Natasha joins in, your shoulders visibly stiff, mug in your hands lightly burn your palms with warmness but you can't let it go. You feel yourself slipping in some way, into the deeper part that is usually kept at bay, out of everybody, out of the outside world, inside of you, reminding you that it exists as clenched fists or stomach ache. You make yourself into a vessel that can only hold that much, each night in some controlling way you let go of some pain, stress or any hard emotions that are filling you up. Today you didn't get much time by yourself and it seems like you're overflowing, and you hate yourself for the stains you make with your sadness. 

“It doesn't feel fine... why doesn't it feel fine?” It's funny how you think anyone can have an answer to that, even more, people that know nothing about you. You hate how pathetic you sound. 

“It seems like everybody is making you reach unreachable standards, they expected too much so now you don't allow yourself any rest because you feel like you need to reach higher. But you are doing just fine, sugar. What you did today was heroic, maybe a little dumb, but you did it out of love and that was admirable” To your surprise what Natasha says actually makes some sense, and you feel it in your work, in your devotion to your friends, or in the ways you try to handle your struggles. 

“It's true.. I think it's true.” You take your eyes from your mug and stare directly at Natasha, to make sure that the things you say flow through every single part of her, to see in her eyes that she actually understands. You swallow the pain, with the lump in your throat and as you reach for the raw part of you, knowing that you will regret it tomorrow you show both of them more true than before part of yourself . 

“It is true Tasha.. and it changes nothing.” Your tone was the one ending this conversation. You see by Wanda's face that she wants to argue, tell you that you are just wrong, so, so wrong about this, but her wife grabs her hand and squeezes it two times with a light smile on her face. You stand up and put your mug into the sink. You move towards your room and they dont stop you. You hear them gather their stuff as you reach your door. You defeated them, proved one more time that nobody can save you from yourself. Good fucking job, be proud. You think to yourself while hearing the entrance door closing leaving you alone in an empty house. To be honest if you weren't stuck in your body you would do the same.

Next chapter

tag list : @autorasexy @lizziejolsen @natashaswife4125 @sayah13 @romanoffskisser @lijo-8 @jjiiuuisssagcebrcw @natashaswife4125 @dumbassbitchwithnotits @teenybean, @marvelwomen-simp, @ripofflizzie

#wanda maximoff #natasha romanoff #wanda maximoff x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #marvel #wanda maximoff x you #darcy lewis x carol danvers #darcy lewis #maria hill #valkyrie #kate bishop x valkyrie #pepper potts

[darsynia]

Trust Fall | Ch 24b

ARC image by Eury Escodero | gif by @dailyclintasha

Story Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Summary: Tony/OC, ‘terrorists made us fall in love;’ IM1 timeline. In this chapter, Tony flies to California to get some of the suit parts manufactured, and Emory learns that even Nat and Clint know about SHIELD’s plans to keep her working for them.

Length: 2,580

Taglist: @starryeyes2000 @raith-way @arrthurpendragon @themaradaniels @starksbf @chickensarentcheap @tiny-anne @thorfics

Excerpt:

“You have magical powers. What are you going to do with them? Be a housewife? Is that what you think he wants?” Natasha asks. She leans forward, her eyes locked to Emory’s.

“Cool it,” Clint says, emphasizing his words with what looks to be a heavy hand on the other woman’s shoulder. Nat goes to turn her head to look at him, but her long red curls are caught under his hand. “What are you trying to do here?” he presses.

Natasha rests a light hand on the hand Barton’s got gripping her shoulder. “I like her, Clint. How many missions might have gone south if you’d lied to me right off the bat, hmm?”

He doesn’t move his hand, and without warning, Nat twists her body sideways. After a tangle of limbs that Emory’s booze-fogged brain can’t comprehend, Black Widow ends up sauntering away toward the bathroom, and Hawkeye’s laid out flat on the floor in front of his own couch.

“Yeah, you go powder your face, I’ll be fine,” he grunts into the carpet.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Sundial

As soon as he hangs up, Tony drapes the towel over his lap so he can track down Emory’s personal effects with JARVIS’s help. It takes a half hour for them to find out that Emory’s clothing is in an evidence locker at the base in California. Rhodey’s base.

Rhodey is in NYC right now, but Tony makes the call anyway. He’s going to be in the area tomorrow and can stop by, if his friend will pave the way. The problem is whether anyone will talk; if there’s a chance Rhodey can arrange for a middle man who can keep their mouth shut, that would be ideal.

Phil Coulson immediately leaps to mind, but he is also in NYC.

“Seriously?” Tony gripes aloud.

“I have it on good authority that prolonged periods of nakedness are uncomfortable. Perhaps you ought to get dressed?” JARVIS says dryly.

“No one asked you.”

“Indeed.”

Tony stands up and stretches languorously, just for JARVIS’s benefit. He walks over and hits DUM-E with his towel for not having obeyed and gotten his pants. Donning the boxers and jeans again, he dials up Coulson’s number and prepares to strategically grovel. It won’t feel as bad when he’s doing it so he has leverage over them if they fuck up.

***

The flight to California goes pleasantly enough, but the gaggle of press that greet Tony, Pepper, and Happy at the airport are more than an irritation. There’s a real chance that someone will get creative with their words or worse, their wallet. He doesn’t want anyone to chase down the reason he showed up at the base and use that to break the story that he and Emory are involved. That’s why he’d asked Phil Coulson if he could use one of their agents to act as a go-between, considering their pre-existing tendency toward secrecy. The agent who meets him on-base with her things is clean-cut, professional, and boring, right out of Coulson’s mold.

There will be some sort of price enacted eventually, but that’s a problem for Future Tony.

Obviously, he has to wait to look through them till he gets back to Malibu, since shots of him parked on-base playing around with a red bra would not go over well with anyone other than Emory. Once he’s home, Tony finds the paper with the word ‘Gulmira’ written on it and instructs JARVIS to pull up a map; there are no satellite images, of course.

Pepper shows up in the lab a few minutes later with hot coffee. “Tony?”

“Yes, Ms. Potts?” He swivels in his chair with an easy grin, to be greeted by narrowed eyes of suspicion.

“What are you up to?”

“Well, let’s see,” he says, standing to take the mug from her. “We’ve got the analysis of SHIELD’s strange habit of executing missions at the same time as some really nasty political stuff. Then there’s the address I just picked up that should lead directly to Emory’s mission site.” He picks up the tablet device that sends the contents of his screen up as a wider holographic display so he can point at the various things he’s mentioning. “Oh, and don’t forget the sweep I ran of Stark Industries’ files to find out that my business partner has got his hands on technology that could paralyze a man with a few seconds’ worth of a specific noise tone. Did I ever tell you about that one?” Tony asks her, pointing at the image of the Sonic Taser on the display.

Mutely, Pepper shakes her head, eyes wide.

“Yeah, we were supposed to have destroyed the prototype, but here we are,” Tony says, cheerfully shrugging. “Hey JARVIS? Did we ever get those earplugs?”

“They’ve arrived at the mansion in New York and await your perusal, sir.”

“Excellent. Now, where was I?” Tony sniffs, nodding at each of the things he’d mentioned so far on the holographic readout. “Ah, right,” he adds sourly.

Pepper had already been speaking. “You mean there’s something else?”

“Besides the fact that Obie never halted production?” Tony says, pointing at the factory output numbers. “Or did you mean the chance he might be organizing an all-out mutiny?”

“I think I need to sit down,” Pepper says.

“Oh sure, here.” Tony rolls his desk chair over to her, lifting his eyebrows as he sees something pop up on the screen. “Well, that’s new. J?”

“Sir, Mr. Stane boarded the jet as soon as it was refueled after your arrival. The flight plan is rather sparse, but he appears to be headed to Afghanistan.”

“Obie, Obie, what are you doing?” Tony muses aloud, yanking the chair away from Pepper right as she was about to sit on it. He sits down in a rush and shoves with his feet, rolling swiftly back to the desk so he can tap out some things.

“You’re kidding me, right?” Pepper says in a tone that Tony is completely certain she wouldn’t have managed without his influence on her life.

“Yeah sorry, duty called. But the shock pulled you out of your thing, right?” he says absently, frowning at the screen. JARVIS is right, the flight manifest is slim, but the more worrisome part is the truck that left their factory earlier that morning whose GPS monitoring tag states it was parked at that same airport for a half hour before being driven back. There’s no record of what was put inside the truck, but vehicle inventory has already marked it as empty and parked in its designated spot. “Right, Pep?”

Her silence pulls him away from the computer to see that the room is also empty.

He’ll pay for that later, but for now, Tony wants to both get his tests done (with the added benefit that Stane won’t be on his ass the whole time. It’s not like he can keep his presence on campus quiet) and check up on what could have been in the truck. The idea that Obie might have flown out to Afghanistan with weapons loaded onto their corporate jet in broad daylight is farfetched, but so is the miniaturized arc reactor in his chest. Tony lives on ‘farfetched.’

Nat drops by Clint’s apartment that evening with takeout and some dvds. What follows is a running commentary about spy industry plot holes in Mission Impossible, told between judicious pauses that catch Tom Cruise’s face in awkward expressions.  As they watch the credits, Emory drains her beer, recognizing mid-gulp that it’s too much, but unwilling to back down in front of the two agents. Over the past few hours, she’d experienced an odd mix of camaraderie and intimidation, peppered with the ever-present need to keep her own powers in check. Now she’s full of Thai food, alcohol, and hints about her companions’ exploits.

She’s not stupid-- all three were probably on purpose.

When Barton gets up to get new drinks, Natasha stretches out her bare foot, poking Emory in the leg.

“So which part is fake? Stark’s reckless affection, or the resurgent party animal?”

Emory is buzzed, but Natasha definitely isn’t. Clint is a toss-up, but she doubts he’s actually imbibed at all, though she’s not sure how he could have pulled that off. After thinking about it for a while under the guise of contemplating Nat’s question, Emory suddenly bursts out laughing. The image of Clint Barton using full-sized beer bottles tricked out to fake pour the same as a baby doll’s illusion milk bottle is just too hilarious for words.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she giggles. “If he enjoys the parties, then the answer is probably both. I didn’t really know him before. But I’m pretty sure that Tony wouldn’t do something just because it’s expected.”

“Well that’s bullshit,” Clint says, hopping over the back of the couch to settle beside Natasha. He licks the thumb he’d held over the open mouth of her beer bottle so it wouldn’t spill, and offers Emory the unopened one, nodding at the bottle opener on the coffee table. “Man would have long since told Fury to fuck off if that were true.”

Emory sets her bottle down on the coffee table without bothering with the opener. She’s impaired enough that even simple machines are a no go. Compared to Tony, she’s probably a lightweight. Scratch that-- definitely. A lightweight about more than just a She shrugs the thought off and refocuses on Clint.

“That just points back to the first question, then, doesn’t it? Meddling would risk my life.” Nat has a point, a clear enough one that Emory can see it pretty well through her brain fog: Tony doesn’t like being under someone else’s control, and yet he’s tolerated being under SHIELD’s thumb solely for her benefit. The thought tosses her hair in a spiral as a burst of energy swirls up toward the ceiling.

Okay, Emory thinks to herself. Alcohol means I can’t control my power. Shocker.

“What does it matter?” she asks aloud. “You won’t have to deal with Tony anymore after the mission anyway. Once we get ahold of that serum, aren’t I in the wind? Literally?” The pun makes her laugh. To play it off, she grabs her beer and the bottle opener, determined to make it work. Before she looks up, Nat says something in a voice Emory’s never heard before. It’s a mix of defensive and angry.

“It’s an act, right? For the mission? You’re not really that naive.”

“Natasha,” Clint says sharply.

The bottle opener falls out of her suddenly nerveless fingers as Emory stares at the two agents.

“You have magical powers. What are you going to do with them? Be a housewife? Is that what you think he wants?” Natasha asks. She leans forward, her eyes locked to Emory’s.

“Cool it,” Clint says, emphasizing his words with what looks to be a heavy hand on the other woman’s shoulder. Nat goes to turn her head to look at him, but her long red curls are caught under his hand. “What are you trying to do here?” he presses.

Natasha rests a light hand on the hand Barton’s got gripping her shoulder. “I like her, Clint. How many missions might have gone south if you’d lied to me right off the bat, hmm?”

He doesn’t move his hand, and without warning, Nat twists her body sideways. After a tangle of limbs that Emory’s booze-fogged brain can’t comprehend, Black Widow ends up sauntering away toward the bathroom, and Hawkeye’s laid out flat on the floor in front of his own couch.

“Yeah, you go powder your face, I’ll be fine,” he grunts into the carpet.

They’re fighting over whether to lie to her. Nat’s admonition about naivete circles back to hit her harder the second time, knocking away the blinders that had been preventing her from seeing that possible truth: if fictional stories about superpowers usually ended with their subjects studied in government labs or making some sort of an agreement to serve their country, how could she expect anything different? The panic that she’s already in too deep starts at her toes and lifts quickly, threatening to overwhelm. Luckily that fear has sheathed her in enough layers of energy to feel comforted by their strength. It’s also a powerful motivator.

“Clint,” she says, the word barely above a whisper.

“What, it’s your turn?” he asks, still face down.

“Kind of,” she admits, unsure if he means with words or weapons-- not that she has much of either. She’d been counting on her life returning to some kind of normalcy once she was through the crucible of this upcoming mission. The horrible truth about that hope strikes her: the act of being put through a crucible changes the material forever.

Her old life has blown away. Forever.

“You could kill two birds with one stone and stomp on my spine, see if you can get the crick out of it,” he suggests, oblivious to her mini crisis.

“Clint!” she groans, annoyed at how lightly he’s taking the situation.

He lifts his head to grin at her. “Might be cathartic?”

“Goddamnit,” she mutters, and stands up, reaching over to brace herself on the couch arm. “Is there a technique to this?”

“Start at the lower back and gently--”

The last word comes out as a groan, because she’d already stepped, rolling her socked foot onto his back just above the belt none too gently. She’d expected it to be harder to balance, but anxiety creates a good blank slate for caring if she falls or hurts him… much.

“Will I have a choice?” she asks, placing down her second foot heel to toe on the last word. Clint isn’t stupid enough to think they’re still talking about his back.

“I’ll make sure you do.”

“And when I say no?” She spins some air around herself to help her balance, jamming down another heel on ‘no.’

“I’ll appeal to your humanity,” Clint says, the words devoid of any of his previous inflection of pain or amusement. It’s the most ‘deadly serious’ she’s ever heard a person be. Emory’s not sure whether she wants to thrust all of the air she has access to down on top of him in fury-- or swirl it around herself so she can run, sobbing, to her room and lock the door.

She hugs her arms to her chest, shaking her head no so many times that her neck starts to ache. Emory feels defeated, but for once, her power doesn’t dissipate with the reversal. “I--” she starts, but drops her arms, speechless.

Clint hasn’t spelled it out, but not only will SHIELD want her, they’ll need her.

What had Nat said to her once? ‘I have a very special set of skills.’

She’s trapped again, but there’s no rescue in sight, because the bars are made up of her own morality.

Beneath her, Clint rolls over. “Emory, stop. You’re going to--” He breaks off and launches up from flat on his back, grabbing her foot and pulling her down.

Emory cries out as she feels a horrible pain and pressure in her scalp before it releases and she falls down, landing half on Clint and half on his couch. She reaches up to feel her head, terrified that she’ll be missing a chunk of hair and skin, but everything’s intact, just very sore.

“You okay?” 

“Yeah. Shaken up, is all,” she breathes, dropping an arm over her eyes. 

“Funnily enough that jump I just did fixed my back up real nice,” Clint says, pulling free of her legs and resting his arms and head on the couch cushion beside her. “Landing, though. Ow.”

“I leave you two for five minutes!” Nat says from across the room.

“Recruitment pitch didn’t go well,” Clint jokes.

Without thinking, Emory kicks her leg toward him. The blow lands; he didn’t flinch away from it. There’s something symbolic about that, but she’s completely prepared to ignore it for her own sanity.

Still, there’s a bonfire of fear that Natasha’s words and Clint’s reiteration have carved into her heart of hearts. Its fuel is realism, and she doesn’t know how to put it out yet. There is one comfort, though. Tony is on her side, and he’s a genius with money and has a complete disregard for authority. If, as she suspects, his loyalty is to her, and not to SHIELD, then if SHIELD turns on her, Tony will be on her side, not theirs.

Next chapter, Emory's woken early in the morning and told it's time for the mission, with no way to warn Tony. For his part, Tony's back in NYC, but something feels off.

#tony stark x oc #tony stark fanfiction #tony stark x original character #tony stark imagine #iron man fanfiction #iron man #iron man x oc #iron man x original character #mcu #mcu fanfiction #mcu fanfic #marvel #marvel fanfic #tony stark #series: autonomy #ocfairygodmother #fyeahsuperverseocs

[nerdyfangirlmel]

Irondad fic ch 8 update: Hold me While You Wait (I Wish That I was Good Enough)

Ch 8 summary/ Exceprt:

“And you,” Pepper said, picking up the girl. “You know you aren’t supposed to be here.”

“It’s my fault, Miss Potts,” Peter said quickly. “I told her to bring me here.”

Pepper raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a stern look that made him shrink back.

“Right,” Pepper said. “You're telling me you went to find my daughter who no one has ever told you about and you had never met and asked her to bring you to her father’s room.”

“Technically she found me,” Peter said. “But I still asked her to bring me here.

“The rooms are coded, how'd you even get in?” Clint asked.

Peter glanced at Morgan and then back up at the two adults staring him down. “I -uh- figured it out. Hacked it. It’s not that hard.”

Or in other words:

Peter doesn’t know it but he’s got a whole team of superheroes and mothers looking out for him. Ft. A Peter and Happy reunion

#irondad and spiderson #irondad fic #irondad fanfics #iron family #avengers endgame fanfic #avengers #hold me while you wait (i wish that i was good enough) #peter parker #happy hogan #peter and tony #peter and happy #peter and pepper #peter and morgan #morgan stark #pepper potts #tony stark #tom holland’s spiderman #spiderman #irondad

[buckybeardreams]

Sucktember 2022 Masterpost

All of my fics for this event can be found here or below the cut!

Multi-chapter Fics

The Boss's Sweetheart

Prompt: Fingers

Ch: 5/?

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Harry Osborn & Peter Parker, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, Mafia Boss Tony Stark, Italian Mafia, Italian Tony Stark, Sugar Daddy Tony Stark, Sugar Baby Peter Parker, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Insecurities, Protective Brock Rumlow, First Date, Age Difference, Daddy Kink, Hand Feeding, Age Play, Infantilism, Diapers, Daddy Tony Stark, Brat Peter Parker, Top Tony Stark, Bottom Peter Parker, Blowjobs, Large Cock, Anal Gaping, Belly Bulge, Size Difference, Breeding Kink, Come Inflation, Anal Plug, Feminization, Hurt Peter Parker, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Bondage, Forced Orgasm, Multiple Orgasms, Masturbation, Dacryphilia, Attempted Sexual Assault, Guilt, Panic Attacks, Dissociation, Anal Fisting, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Autofellatio, Somnophilia, Safewords, straitjacket, swaddling, Degradation, Masochist Peter Parker, Sadist Tony Stark

Summary: When Uncle Ben's gambling problem threatens to ruin his family, Peter turns to a dangerous man for help, a man who has made it very clear just how much he wants Peter.

Words: WIP

Long Distance Jitters

Prompts: Lick, Kiss, Tears, Cream

Ch: 7/7

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Dom Bucky Barnes, Sub Tony Stark, Dom/sub, Protective Bucky Barnes, Adorable Tony Stark, Fluff, daddy bucky barnes, brat tony stark, Daddy Kink, Age Play, Infantilism, Diapers, Hand Feeding, kitten play, mentions of somnophilia, Hand Jobs, Come Eating, Come Swallowing, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Summary: When Tony spirals while across the country from his daddy, Bucky has a hard time with their distance. He just needs to know his baby is okay, and not being able to see him or hold him is frustrating.

Words: 17,478

Perfect Match

Prompts: "You're so pretty like this."

Ch: 3/?

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Bucky Barnes, Omega Tony Stark, Top Bucky Barnes, Bottom Tony Stark, Age Difference, Insecurities, Body Dysmorphia, Self-Worth Issues, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hand Feeding, Adorable Tony Stark, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rimming, Knotting, Biting, Claiming, Misunderstandings, Coming Untouched, Insecure Tony Stark Summary: When Bucky shows up late for their date, he's pretty sure he doesn't stand a chance with the pretty Omega from the dating site. And when he shows up and Tony catches sight of the young Alpha, he's certain that Bucky wants nothing to do with him. After all, how could an Alpha like Bucky want anything to do with an older Omega like him?

Words: WIP

Primadonna Peter

Prompt: Pop

Ch: 2/2

Rating: Mature Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Father/Son Incest, Teen Peter Parker, Brat Peter Parker, Non-Explicit Sex, Secret Relationship, Bickering, Love/Hate, they're both snarky af, Peter's a spoiled brat who knows just how to get his way, sugar Daddy vibes, Slut Peter Parker, Cock Warming, Under-Desk Blow Jobs, Office Blow Jobs, Daddy Kink Summary: Tony knew the moment he started sleeping with his son that he was so screwed. If he thought Peter was hard to handle before… He clearly didn't know anything.

Because now Peter knows just how desired he is, and there's no doubt that Tony's pretty little primadonna is running the show.

Words: 5,681

Fics & Oneshots

Preserving Innocence

Prompt: Innocent

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Father/Son Incest, Teen Peter Parker, Daddy Tony Stark, Brat Peter Parker, Age Play, Daddy Kink, Size Difference, brief mention of infantilism, Light Angst, Blow Jobs, Come Marking, Hand Jobs, Come Eating, Peter wants to be a big boy but Tony wants him to stay his baby

Summary: Peter just wants to be all grown up and seduce his daddy, but it turns out that Tony likes a more innocent kind of seduction.

Words: 4,201

Selfishly Caring

Prompt: Messy

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Dark Tony Stark, College Student Peter Parker, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Unhealthy Relationships, kinda nephew/uncle incest, Pseudo-Incest, Implied/Referenced Past Abuse, Abandonment Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Age Difference, Slut Peter Parker, Dom Tony Stark, Daddy Tony Stark, Sub Peter Parker, Masochist Peter Parker, Sadist Tony Stark, Dubious Consent, under negotiated kink, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Daddy Kink, Face Slapping, Cock and Ball Torture, Blow Jobs, Deepthroating, Painplay, Subdrop, Degradation

Summary: Tony's never had much interest in his godson, but when Peter comes to spend the day with him at Happy's behest, it takes a turn he hadn't considered.

Apparently, his godson's a total painslut, but their little game takes an unexpected turn, and Tony finds himself caring about him in a way he's never cared about anyone before.

Words: 4,166

Lick It Like A Lollipop

Prompt: Lollipop

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Father/Son Incest, Teen Peter Parker, Sub Peter Parker, Daddy Dom Tony Stark, Daddy Kink, Age Play, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Lollipops, Come Marking, light embarrassment, Feminization, Infantilism, Adorable Peter Parker, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot

Summary: Peter sucked on his lollipop, his lips sticky and sweet. While it started off innocent enough, he can't help but notice the way his dad shifts himself in his pants.

And that's when the game begins. Peter's reward for winning this game of innocent seduction is licking his daddy's cock like a lollipop.

Words: 2,939

Yours In Secret

Prompt: Wet

Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Brock Rumlow/Sam Wilson, Minor Brock Rumlow/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Dom/sub, Dom Steve Rogers, Sub Tony Stark, Dom Sam Wilson, Sub Brock Rumlow, Polyamory, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Blow Jobs, Come Marking, Come Swallowing, Come Eating, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Exhibitionism, Voyeurism, Secret Marriage, Secret Relationship Summary: Everyone thinks that Brock is Tony's Dom, but what they don't know is that Tony's married to the good captain, Steve Rogers.

Words: 2,562

Daddy/Boy Time

Prompt: Pop

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Side Brock Rumlow/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, daddy bucky barnes, Mommy Steve Rogers, Dom Bucky Barnes, Sub Tony Stark, Age Play, Infantilism, Diapers, Daddy Kink, Mommy Kink, Feminization, Panties, Blow Jobs, Deepthroating, Come Swallowing, Tony Stark Has Nightmares

Summary: Tony's left at home yet again, but this time he's all alone.

Luckily, he gets to have some daddy/boy time when Steve and Bucky return home.

Words: 1,850

Snippets

Mistaken Desires

Prompt: Hole

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Dark Tony Stark, Teen Peter Parker, Glory Hole, Blow Jobs, FaceFucking, Sex Slave, Objectification, Handcuffs, Collars, Restraints, Bondage, Choking

Summary: Peter thought he wanted this, thought he wanted to belong to Tony, but he was wrong. This is not what he signed up for.

Words: 742

Good Little Slut

Prompt: Spit

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Underage Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Father/Son Incest, Slut Peter Parker, Daddy Kink, Blow Jobs, Face-Fucking, Spit Kink, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot Summary: Before breakfast, Peter is always fed a load of Daddy's cum.

Words: 497

Tease

Prompt: Piercing

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Tongue Piercings, Implied/Referenced Blow Jobs Summary: Bucky's excited about Tony's tongue piercing.

Words: 176

#marvel #mcu #avengers

[jacobbyart]

controversial opinion maybe??? but i dont like tony’s whole “family” plotline with pepper and morgan in last two avengers movie. woops. 

#im still not over endgame apparently #avengers endgame #tony stark #ch: tony stark #ch: pepper potts #ch: morgan stark #nar: avengers endgame #nar: avengers infinity war #uni: mcu #jcby: personal