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gumnut-logic · 3 years

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I know I’ve posted this one before, but what the hell. It’s Johnny and one of my favs :D

-o-o-o-

John Tracy was sick.

Which meant John Tracy wasn’t allowed to go home.

Sure, he could say that he was home, but it didn’t really feel like home. It was full of brothers and people he loved, but it didn’t feel like home.

Home was among the stars.

But apparently astronauts with the flu weren’t allowed to go home.

“It won’t be for long, John. It will be over before you know it.” Virgil was kind and reassuring, but it didn’t really help.

He wanted to go home.

He was determined to work, of course. Until Scott caught him and cut him off.

There were some loud words over that, but the medical department of IR (aka Virgil) sided with the command department (aka Scott) and yeah, he was grounded, cut off from his ‘bird, holed up in his room and miserable.

Of course, his brothers attempted to cheer him up. Alan dumped himself on his bed chattering away with his latest game, all eager enthusiasm. Gordon brought him a pet crab. Even cared for it for him. John was left wondering if it was a snarky metaphor as the crab sat under a rock all day and had a distinct grumpy appearance.

Virgil and Scott were more subtle, but no less caring. Scott ran ideas past him for communications improvements. Piano music and the occasional piece of art found its way into his rooms uninvited.

He appreciated it. Truly, he did.

He just wanted to go home.

The morning he woke up with a cat sleeping on his chest was the last straw.

“C’mon, guys. You know I’m allergic to cats. Are your trying to kill me?” He held the cat out at arm’s length just waiting for his nasal passages to swell up. Though at this point considering his condition, he wasn’t really sure he would notice.

The cat meowed pitifully at him.

Virgil frowned.

Scott arched an eyebrow.

Gordon looked guilty....but then he always looked guilty. John was sure it was an inbuilt survival strategy.

Alan was cooing at the cat and reaching out to scratch it under the chin.

It was an orange stripy thing with big whiskers and that ragdoll floppiness all cats sported.

“Gordon?” Scott’s arched eyebrow was now pointed at the aquanaut.

“What are you looking at me for? I got him the crab, why would I get him a cat? The cat will eat the crab.” Gordon frowned at John. “Don’t let the cat eat the crab.”

Not a sentence John had ever predicted hearing in his lifetime.

“Can someone please take this thing?” He held out the cat even further.

Virgil, still frowning, gently collected the cat from John’s hands and automatically curled it up in his arms. A finger scratched under its chin.

“Thank you. I’m going back to bed.”

And he did.

The next time he woke, a pair of green feline eyes were staring at him, the cat, once again, curled up on his chest.

What?

It meowed at him and poked his nose with a paw.

“Virgil!”

He must have yelled a little too much because next minute his big brother barrelled into the room, panic on his face. “John, what the-?!”

His eyes landed on the cat and his shoulders literally sagged. “Goddamnit, that’s where you are. I’ve been looking for you for hours.” Virgil reached to pick up the cat.

The cat turned from mild mannered bed companion to spitting and screeching demon within a blink. Virgil yelped and fell backwards, his feet slipping on the mat and his butt hitting the floor with a crash.

One of John’s telescopes teetered before tipping ever so slowly. Virgil saw it and struggled to catch it. “Shiiit!” He threw himself in its path and the four-foot metal cylinder landed in his lap.

There was an oomph and Virgil was flat on his back on the floor.

Demon cat kneaded John’s chest a little before settling once more.

It began to purr.

“Virgil? You okay?”

His brother grunted and John struggled out of bed, shoving the cat out of the way. “Virgil?”

“I’m good.” It was up an octave higher than normal. “Sorry about your telescope.”

John grabbed the telescope off his brother and righted it. It was his own fault for leaving it there in the first place. Stargazing from bed was a habit much more easily exercised on TB5.

Virgil waved off his offered hand and rolled over, pushing himself to his feet with another grunt. He eyed the cat with suspicion. “I thought we had an understanding, Bagel.”

The cat eyed Virgil with equal suspicion.

“Bagel?”

“Gordon claims it is your cat so needs a John name.”

“A John name?”

“Yeah, Bagel it is.”

“It’s not my cat! And where did it come from anyway?” John frowned at Virgil. “Another stowaway on Two.”

“No! You know we have sensors for that now. And besides, that was only once.”

“Twice.”

“Once. The polar bear doesn’t count.”

“The polar bear most assuredly does count. Alan still hasn’t forgiven you.”

“Really?”

“It was a polar bear, Virgil.”

“Yeah, well, that is your cat.”

“That is not my cat.”

“Apparently she has decided she is yours.” Virgil held up his hands. Several scratches decorated his skin. “I have enough of these already. She’s yours.”

“I’m allergic.”

Virgil peered up at him, brown eyes assessing. “You don’t appear to be suffering a reaction. She’s been gone for hours. If she has been here, on your chest all that time, you should be showing the affects. All I can see is the remains of your flu.” A frown. “Are you feeling any better?”

It was John’s turn to frown. He had almost forgotten he was ill, but now his attention returned to his body, the signs were clear.

But he was feeling a little better.

“A little.”

Virgil reached up and squeezed his arm. “Good. You hungry?”

A brief consultation with his stomach and he realised that yes, he was. “Yes, I think so.”

A smile spread over his brother’s face. “Great. You’re on the mend.” Another squeeze of his arm and Virgil turned towards the door. “Meet you in the kitchen. Scott went all out this morning and made pancakes. I stashed you some. Gotta grab them before Gordon discovers them.”

“FAB.” John couldn’t help but return his brother’s smile.

Virgil grinned and with a half-hearted groan rubbed his butt and staggered with some exaggeration out the door. “Don’t forget your cat.”

John turned back to stare at the ginger monstrosity still sitting on his bed, calmly grooming.

“Bagel, is it?”

The cat blinked and kept licking its fur.

John sighed and grabbed his clothes.

-o-o-o-

The cat followed him downstairs for the meal, which turned out to be dinner. He had managed to sleep the day away. Apparently, this was a good thing, because for the first time in days, he could move without creaking.

Virgil had indeed stashed pancakes and within minutes there was a short stack piled up in front of him complete with ice cream and maple syrup. Before he even bothered to acknowledge the envy emanating from Gordon across the other side of the table, the stack began to disappear.

Scott knew how to make pancakes. John considered his big brother’s purpose in life and came to the immediate conclusion that it should be IR, family and pancakes.

Of course, pancakes could be a subset of family if considered that way, but there was always the possibility of him opening a business as a pancake chef.

Blink.

Yes, the flu had obviously taken part of his brain with it.

A pair of blue eyes and two pairs of brown were staring at him.

“What?”

“Did you bother to breathe between bites, bro?” Gordon gestured with his head at the table.

John looked down and found his plate empty. “Guess I was hungry. Scott makes great pancakes.”

“Yes, he does.” Virgil plonked a glass of orange juice in front of him and took away his sticky plate. “Now drink your juice and we’ll set up for family movie.”

“Aren’t you guys going to eat?”

“Already eaten.” Scott was poking at his phone, holograms bouncing around above it. “Grandma made meatloaf surprise again.”

John choked on his juice. “Really?”

“Uh-huh.” Scott did look a little green around the gills.

Well, that explained the envy on Gordon’s face and why Alan was very absent.

“Anyone feed the youngest?”

“All under control.” Virgil chucked Gordon a celery crunch bar and the aquanaut grabbed it from the air.

It was devoured faster than John’s pancakes.

Virgil wandered back into the kitchen proper and soon there was the delicious smell of hot popcorn wafting through the room. The engineer walked past the table again and dumped a chocolate bar in front of Scott. Another one landed in front of John.

“Consider it a survivor’s reward.” Virgil grabbed Scott’s phone out of his hand.

“Hey!”

“Stop working, this is family time. Everything can wait a couple of hours.”

Scott glared at his brother, but grabbed the chocolate bar and capitulated anyway.

Probably because he knew Virgil was right. It was so easy to get absorbed with International Rescue business. John knew he was a fantastic example case of such a syndrome.

A sigh.

Scott glanced up at him. “How are you doing, John?” A smirk. “How’s Bagel?”

As if beckoned, the cat in question suddenly leapt up on to the table and stalked the length of it towards Scott. John’s eyes widened as his eldest brother was targeted by a feline glare of epic proportions.

Scott’s expression was quite an amusing mixture and defiance and terror. Bagel sat down in front of him and after a moment of intense eyeballing decided Scott was boring and started washing herself.

“That is one weird cat, John.”

Everyone jumped as Bagel shot to her feet and dashed across the table at Gordon. “Holy crap!” The aquanaut scrambled backwards as Bagel ran at him. He tangled his feet in the stool he was sitting on and with a crash, ended up on the floor.

“Ow.”

Reaching the edge of the table, Bagel stopped and peered down at the fallen Thunderbird and, apparently deciding Gordon was no more interesting than Scott, sat down and returned to grooming.

The remaining three vertical brothers stared at each other and the cat.

No one said a thing.

“Uh, can someone give me a hand up, here?” Gordon vaguely waved an arm about and Virgil edged around the table to help his brother up.

His eyes barely left Bagel.

“Has anyone fed the cat?” John threw the question in there as a bit of an icebreaker since said cat had frozen the room almost solid.

Bagel looked up and stared at John for a moment before jumping to her feet and ambling over. A simple step off the table and she was in his lap, circling for moment to find a comfortable spot, then curling up and purring.

Again, everyone was staring at the orange fluff ball, John included.

“You have a very strange cat.” Apparently, Gordon hadn’t learnt from his earlier experience, but fortunately, Bagel ignored him this time.

John stared down at the purring ball of fur.

Yes, it seems he did.

-o-o-o-

Despite the possessed cat, the rest of the night went very well. All five brothers plus Kayo threw down some pillows, curled up in front of the holoprojector and waded through a trashy b-grade movie that looked like they were using mannequins for actors and plastic models for set pieces. There was popcorn, laughter and loving family. John felt warm and relaxed and better than he had in days. Somewhere between action scenes, he drifted off to the tinny soundtrack and the sound of his brothers criticising the special effects.

“Johnny?” It was whispered “Johnny, you’ve got to move or you’ll end up with one hell of a neckache.”

A blink and he found himself looking at Virgil upside down. Wha-?

“C’mon, bro. Up you get.” And his brother was lifting him up. Another blink and he realised he was lying on one of the couches...almost upside down, his feet at an angle above his head with his head hanging off the seat cushion. He was far too long for the piece of furniture and, apparently, he had stretched in his sleep.

Virgil was shifting his shoulders into a more horizontal position. Beyond him, the holoprojector was listing all the languages the movie was available in, complete with appropriate copyright warnings. Idly he noted that the Hungarian translation had an error in the third line.

John let his feet drop to the end of the couch before folding up enough to force himself upright. Ugh, Virgil was right. His neck cricked and creaked along with his spine. God, gravity was a nasty piece of work. It had also apparently dribbled all the mucus in his body into his head. His skull protested at the pressure as he sat up and he groaned.

“John?”

Why did everyone think Scott was the worry wart of the family? Virgil with his medical radar was just as bad, if not worse. “I’m fine. Just a head full of snot.” Ugh. Right between his eyeballs, throbbing to the beat of his heart. “Just kill me now.”

Suddenly there was an orange cat in his face, staring.

“What? Bagel, not now.” He gently picked up the cat and put her on the couch beside him. Where the hell had she come from anyway?

A pitiful meow was her response and she edged nearer brushing her cheek against his arm.

Despite himself, he turned to her. “What’s wrong?”

She looked up at him with a combination of adoration and haughtiness. He had no idea what to make of that expression.

Of course, she was a cat. Who understood cats?

“Are you two having a moment?” His brother’s smiling baritone broke the silence and to John’s surprise, Bagel turned to Virgil and hissed angrily.

His big brother took a hurried step back.

“Bagel! Leave him alone! He will never hurt you. For goodness sake, Virgil wouldn’t hurt a fly. Give him some respect.”

To his complete surprise, Bagel stopped hissing immediately. She turned to him almost a question on her face before once again looking at Virgil. Her head dropped and stared at the floor.

“What the hell?” It was little more than breath and all his big brother. Virgil was staring at Bagel, his brow crumpling into a deep frown.

Bagel’s head shot up and once again she was staring at Virgil.

Virgil’s frown got even deeper.

“John where did you get this cat from?”

“I told you, I don’t know. I’ve never seen her before in my life.”

Virgil continued his staring contest with the cat.

“What is it?” His brother’s expression was becoming unnerving, so suddenly determined, it was almost fierce.

“I don’t know.” A pause. “Keep her out of sensitive areas for me, will you?”

“Sure.”

Bagel continued to stare at Virgil.

Virgil continued to stare at Bagel.

A solid moment passed and then his brother was shaking his head, looking at his feet, looking at John. “You good to make it up to your rooms?”

“Yeah.”

“I need to go hunt down Scott. One of the TI directors in the States forgot the time zones. He’s been on the phone for half an hour already.” Virgil sighed.

“Need backup?”

“No.” A hand dropped to John’s shoulder. “You go to bed, you need it. I’ve got this.” The hand disappeared and Virgil climbed out of the lounge, heading towards the balcony.

Bagel was licking her paw.

John sighed. Perhaps some paracetamol would help. “C’mon, Bagel, apparently, you’re with me.” He picked her up and held her against his chest as he staggered to his feet. Cursed gravity. How he missed being able to make the smallest movements and coast across a room.

Bagel reached her head up and snuggled under his chin, her purr vibrating his sternum.

“Why me?” It was little more than an exhaled breath and he wasn’t sure it was a complaint or an actual question.

In either case, Bagel didn’t answer. She just purred into his chest.

So, it remained a mystery for another night.

-o-o-o-

“It just appeared. No trace on sensors, nothing. It’s as if it didn’t exist before the day before yesterday.”

Virgil’s puzzled voice echoed up the stairs as John approached the kitchen the next morning. He glanced at his watch. This was early for his brother; he usually wasn’t up for another hour at least.

“I’m telling you, Scott, there is something very strange about that cat.”

John paused at the top of the stairs, his hands curled around Bagel, gently scratching her under the chin. He had awoken again with her on his chest, but unlike the previous two incidents, he had found himself surprisingly comforted with her presence.

Her purring was strangely calming.

“I will admit she is quite volatile.” Scott’s voice was surprisingly reluctant. “She didn’t even take to Gordon. Every living creature takes to Gordon. Except lizards, I guess. Hell, she doesn’t even like you.”

“That’s just it. She doesn’t act like a cat.”

“What, just because she doesn’t like you?”

“I’m sorry, Scott. Something just doesn’t feel right. Why is she so attached to John? What if she is a plant after our technology?”

“A tech seeking cat? Really?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time an animal has been used for espionage.”

Scott sighed and John shifted, attempting to loosen the tense muscles in his shoulders.

“It’s just that John appears to have latched onto Bagel as much as the cat has to him. How often does John attach to anybody?”

“And that’s what scares me the most. What happens when he returns to TB5? He can’t take a cat with him. It wouldn’t be safe for either of them.”

“Then we look after Bagel for him.”

It was Virgil’s turn to sigh and it was a worried one.

John chose that moment to make his entrance. He stepped lightly down the stairs. “You two really do worry far too much.”

Both brothers started as he entered. The guilty expressions on their faces were quite amusing.

“Virgil, if you are worried about Bagel, scan her.” John held the cat out to his brother. “Take her up to the infirmary and run her through a thorough physical. In fact, I would prefer if you did since as you said, I have become somewhat attached to her. As to what we are going to do when I return to Five...” He shrugged. “I hope we can work something out.”

Virgil managed to look both apologetic and sad.

To John’s astonishment, Bagel wriggled out of his grip and jumped down to the floor. She ambled over to Virgil. His brother froze, obviously wary, but the cat gently brushed up against his leg and rubbed the length of her body across his boots.

The whole room stared.

“Good morning, Bagel.” Virgil’s voice was a little breathless.

“Good morning, Virgil.” The whole room jumped as Brains jogged down the stairs and passing them, bee-lined for the fridge.

“‘Morning, Brains, John.” Gordon wandered in from the pool rubbing a towel through his hair. “Yaargh! What the hell, Virgil. You gone to the cat side?” He took several steps back as he caught sight of Bagel.

Bagel, still wrapped around Virgil’s ankles, turned towards Gordon and spat at him.

“That damn cat is possessed.” The aquanaut made sure the table was between him and the feline.

Bagel glared at him, following with her eyes.

“Eos, I know G-Gordon can b-be a challenge, b-but really, h-he is a good man.” Brains was pouring milk into his cereal on the bench.

“Yes, but he is so annoying.” The AI’s voice bounced across the house’s comm system.

“He st-still deserves r-respect.”

The comm system grunted.

Every eye in the room stared at the engineer.

Gordon found his voice first. “Wow, Brains, thanks.”

John was staring at Bagel. “Eos what do you know about Bagel?”

“Oh, John, everything.” The little imp was so smug.

Two strides and John was beside Virgil. Reaching down, he snagged Bagel off the floor and held her up, his eyes raking over the cat. A moment of intense examination. Bagel stared back at him calmly.

“Okay, how did you do it?”

“Do what, John?”

“Do not mess with me, Eos. I want answers and I want them now.”

“Hiram helped me.”

“Helped you do what?” Scott’s voice was sharp. “Brains?”

“It was a v-very interesting challenge.”

“What did you do, Brains?” Commander Tracy stood up from the table, his height saying everything it needed to.

Brains didn’t notice.

“Oh, Eos had an e-excellent idea to equip Thunderbird F-Five with an internal m-mobile probe mechanism.

“Yes, something that could get into the spaces John cannot.” Still smug. Oh, there would be some serious talking at a later time.

“So, you built a cat.” Virgil’s eyes were wide.

Brains sipped his orange juice, still seemingly unaware of the tension in the room. “She didn’t think I could. So, I did.” He was definitely pleased with himself.

“You built a cat?” Gordon was an echo of his brother. “That cat?” He stabbed a finger in Bagel’s direction.

“Yes?” Finally, the man appeared to realise that something was amiss. “I’m v-very happy with the r-results. It performs v-very well.”

It certainly did. John had her under his arm and found himself scratching her under her chin despite everything.

He forced himself to stop.

“John?”

“Yes, Eos?”

“Do you like her?” Suddenly he was a parent faced with his child’s school science project and the need for approval.

Some science project.

“I like her, Eos.”

“Can we keep her?”

“That is yet to be decided.” It came out firm. It needed to be firm...even though he already knew the answer.

“But-“

“Eos, why didn’t you tell us Bagel wasn’t really a cat?”

“But she is...”

“Eos.”

“John...”

“Eos!”

“I missed you.”

He froze. “I’m right here.”

“But it’s not the same.” That was a definite whine. “You’re not with me. It gets lonely up here without you. So, I built a way to be down there with you.” Bagel rubbed her cheek against his hand.

“Eos is in the cat?” Gordon’s jaw may as well have been on the floor. “She hates me that much?!”

“I don’t hate you, Gordon. You are quite funny. Somewhat clumsy, but funny.”

“Eos.”

“Yes, John?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

No answer.

“Brains, why didn’t you tell us?” Commander Tracy was glaring at the engineer.

“T-Tell you what?”

“About Eos and the cat.”

“That would have r-ruined the experiment.”

“What?”

“Eos w-wanted to see if the f-feline programming was sufficient. The b-best way to do that was test it.”

“On us?” Gordon spouted outrage.

“Surprisingly only V-Virgil appears to have b-been concerned. I w-would be interested to hear your evaluation.”

“Sure.” Virgil appeared to still be processing. Probably attempting to work out exactly how Brains had pulled it off.

“Brains, you, Eos, John and I are going to have a serious conversation.” Scott’s voice was stern. “This is not happening again. This family is not an experimental lab.”

“It was not his fault, Commander.”

Scott arched an eyebrow up at the ceiling. “Really, Eos? I have no doubt that John has a few choice words to be said on this matter.” Oh, yes, choice and many. “In the meantime, please cease the experiment.”

“But-“

“Eos.”

“Very well.”

The cat in John’s arms went completely limp.

He couldn’t help it; a gasp passed his lips and he caught the sudden dead weight with both hands. “Eos!”

All life had left Bagel. She became nothing more than a lifeless corpse. Something inside him lurched horribly.

Every eye in the room was staring at him.

“John?” Virgil’s eyes flashed concern.

He gathered up the cat in his arms and gently placed her on the seat of one of the kitchen chairs.

So real. He shivered.

“You okay?” His big brother was suddenly beside him.

“That was unnerving.” Both of them stared at the immobile TB5 internal remote probe mechanism.

“Eos, can you please reactivate Bagel.”

“Virgil-“

“No, Scott. Too creepy, too real. Please, just...leave her be.”

To John’s surprise, Scott didn’t protest.

But Bagel didn’t move.

“Eos?” His own voice sounded hollow in his ears.

“Yes, John?”

“Please reactivate Bagel.”

“Why?”

“Eos, just please.”

“Very well.”

And Bagel uncurled herself, sat up and glared at Scott. Before Eos could exact any form of petulant revenge, he grabbed Bagel off the chair and held her in his arms.

“Thank you, Eos.”

“You are very welcome.” Impertinent little brat.

“Now, I’m going to have breakfast, then we are going to have that conversation.”

“Yes, John.”

Something in the room snapped and suddenly everyone went back to their morning routine with only the occasional stare at the cat in his arms.

“Would you like some cereal, John?” Virgil was heading towards the fridge.

“You don’t have to get me breakfast, Virgil.”

“You have your hands full and I’ve already had mine.”

“How early were you up this morning?”

“Early enough. Your cat weirded me out.”

Bagel was rubbing her cheek against his fingers again. He grabbed a chair and sat himself down, placing Bagel on the chair beside him. She started grooming herself quite content.

A bowl was placed in front of him, followed by a cereal box, milk and another glass of orange juice.

Bagel stared up at him

He shook his head slowly. “What am I going to do with you?”

The cat tilted her head and licked her whiskers.

And he knew that somewhere far above the planet his daughter was laughing.

-o-o-o-

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #John Tracy #Virgil Tracy #Gordon Tracy #nuttyfic reblog #sorry

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buckys-black-dress · 3 years

Text

a fine line, part two

a/n: here she is, our promised part two of afl!!! honestly i love writing this series and it has almost all my fav things in one fic, so yup. anyways, again, thank you for reading/sharing/liking my work !! luv u all, x -ali

wc: 5.8k !!!

The tension in the room was palpable.

And although no one knew you two were working together by verbal confirmation, it was clear from the way you were both reacting.

Bucky was rarely this quiet, so it was obvious what was going on.

Also the fact that you seemed frozen in place.

“Y/N? Everything okay?” Wanda’s soft voice filtered in next to you.

You nodded, trying to break away from James’ gaze.

“Mhm, who’re you working with?” You ask, moving away from the topic at hand.

“Oh, you know Professor Vision? He teaches Comp Sci.” Wanda is now visibly blushing, making you curious.

“Ooh, does Wanda have a crush?” Natasha chimes in as she sidles up next to you two. “I got Banner. How about you, Y/N?”

“I uhh, I got... Barnes.” You mumble under your breath.

“Who? I didn’t catch what you said there.” Natasha’s eyebrows furrowed.

“I... I got Dr. Barnes.” You said, not even daring to look up at your friends.

“...Oh. Well, that should be... interesting...” Wanda comments.

“...Yeah. It’ll probably be fine!” Natasha tries to comfort you, but there’s a stirring feeling in your stomach that almost makes you feel sick.

“He said there was no way to change it... right?” You ask feebly, trying to hold out hope.

“No... and I wouldn’t want to go head to head with Fury.” Wanda frowns.

“Great.” You conclude, taking a deep breath. “You know what, I can do this. It’s fine, I’ll be fine.” You tell the girls, gathering your things and filing out of the office as people began to leave.

Wanda and Natasha were left watching your retreating form, staring at each other.

“I’ll be surprised if they make it to the end of next week.” Natasha says, earning a shove in her arm from Wanda.

Bucky watched you leave the office, and the gears were most definitely turning in his head.

You spent the rest of the week keeping mostly to yourself, trying to mentally prepare for what you’d have to face next week.

In the email sent out by Fury, he explained that you and your partner should have a lesson outlined prior to Monday so you could get right into teaching. He also explained that you would have to share all of your classes, and somehow correlate the two subjects that each professor taught.

English and History, seems easy, right?

Wrong.

Every idea you’ve emailed James has been shot down, and your patience was wearing thin. You didn’t like being unprepared, and the week would be coming to a close soon.

So naturally, you did what anyone else would do, and knocked on James’ office door until he answered.

“I’m comin’ jeez, would ya hold on?” You hear his voice, muffled by the door, until he swings it open, coming face to face with you. “What do you need, Y/L/N?”

“Oh, lovely to see you too, Dr. Barnes. I just wanted to know if you were actually interested in making our lesson plan. If we’re going to be spending the next few weeks together, we might as well have a plan. And I thought your input might be better, since you’re clearly not a fan of what I’ve shown you so far.” You rambled, moving to stand in the middle of his office, laptop in hand.

“You know, maybe if you sent anything good, I would’ve worked with ya on it. But I just don’t think your style of teaching fits me. It’s too... too intimate. You’re too far up your students’ asses. You get too close, too personal with them.” James explains to you.

You can only scoff at this.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, James, but my students and I have great relationships. If my students don’t like me, or what I teach, they’ll be more inclined to hand in subpar work. But if I make my expectations clear from the start, they’ll know what they have to do to earn an A in my class. That’s why my first two semesters here have been averaging with A’s all across the board.” You explain as simply as you can, because you felt like James was ridiculing you and the way you teach. You worked hard to get where you are today, and you know that’s why your students love coming to class.

Bucky stared at you for a few seconds, trying to process the information you dropped on him.

“So... your students... like you?” He asks, tentatively, almost.

“...Yes? I know you don’t like me, so it might hard to believe that others do, but I don’t think I’m that unappealing.” You scoff, looking at the floor to avoid Bucky’s eyes. “Anyways, do you have any ideas?”

Bucky’s chest tightened with guilt. After the incident at the bar, he was trying to not be as rude to you. He was trying to be more humane, in Steve’s words.

“I... Maybe we can take a look at some of the stuff you sent before. Maybe if you explain it to me face-to-face I’ll understand it better.” Bucky says, and you nod. “Take a seat, we’re gonna be here a while.”

As a few hours passed, you and James actually started a pretty solid outline for lessons. You started working on your first lesson, which would be the origins of literature. You could both talk about it, and you could both bring different aspects to the table.

“On average, how many kids do you have in your classes, Y/N?” James asks you, and your head snaps up at the mention of your first name. You had a moment where you imagine him calling you that way more often, making your throat run dry.

“Uhm,” you cleared your throat, “my biggest class is about thirty students, maximum.” You tell him.

“Really? My smallest is forty...” He tells you, scratching his chin. “Also very male dominated, I’ve noticed.”

You freeze, trying to process this. It’s only ten more kids... you’ll be fine, right?

“You alright, there, Y/L/N?” James chuckles, to which you let out a weak one. You weren’t used to large crowds, they made you anxious, nervous, like you were losing your footing.

“I-I’m fine. Yeah, all good, let’s get back to work.” You tell him, focusing back on your lesson plan.

“It’s uh, getting a bit late. Thinking we should head home soon.” James looks at you a bit longer, trying to gauge your mood.

“Uh- oh, what time is it?” You ask, squinting and cursing yourself for leaving your glasses in your office.

“It’s almost 7:30...” He tells you.

“Oh, I have to go! Lucy, she’s been all alone, I have to feed her!” In a panic, you begin gathering your belongings.

“Lu- Who’s Lucy?” James asks in clear confusion at your sudden panic.

“My cat! Oh, poor baby, she’s probably wondering where I’ve been...” You trail off, making sure you’ve gathered everything you need.

“W-wait, can I get your number?” James asks, and you both freeze.

“M-my number?” You ask, not bothering to hide your shock.

“Well, we’re gonna need to discuss the lesson plan somehow...” He tells you.

“Oh... well, here...” You pull off a post-it note from the pad on his desk and quickly scribble down your number, handing it to him. “I’m not usually on my phone too much, so if I don’t answer within a few hours, try shooting me an email.” You explain, making your way out the door.

“Have a good night, James.” He hears you say quietly before you turn away from the doorframe, and he hears the resonating shutting of your office door not even five minutes later.

Bucky sits in his chair, not having moved an inch from when you left. He stares at the blue post-it with your number scribbled on it.

He picked it up, inspecting it further.

Your handwriting was neat, but flourishing and borderline cursive because of how quickly you wrote.

Bucky pulls out his phone and inputs the number, saving your contact.

Y/N Y/L/N

He then types out a message:

Just wanted to text you so I wouldn’t lose your number. Hope Lucy is okay.

And he hits send, deciding to pack up his things, trying to understand why he chose to include your cat in his message.

And on your end when you check your phone after parking in your apartment building’s parking, you see a message from an unknown number. You choose to not answer until you’ve made it into your apartment and feed Lucy.

You open your messages, staring at it. Something in your chest fluttered, but you pass it off as your hunger, waiting for your dinner to warm up in the oven.

Hi James. Lucy is fine, thanks for worrying. Have a good night.

You send it off, saving his contact but choosing to not look at your phone until after you’ve finished everything that you needed to do.

After finishing some grading, doing the dishes, and adding to the lesson plan, you decide to settle into bed with a book. You check your phone while brushing your teeth.

James Barnes: Good to hear. Do you think we could work on the lesson plan over lunch tomorrow? Just so we can get ahead of the game.

Y/N Y/L/N: Sounds good. Are we still going to also meet up after classes?

It takes a few minutes before your phone dings again.

James Barnes: Yep. Do you want to just come by my place after? Kind of getting stir-crazy in my office. We could also order food.

You stare at your phone. Are you going crazy? Why is he being so... kind?

Before you could even respond, another ping pulls you back out of your thoughts.

James Barnes: You could also bring Lucy with you, if you don’t want to leave her alone at home for too long.

Okay, now you were sure you were going insane. He was being way too nice. Where was this attitude a year ago, when you’d first met him?

But then again, it wouldn’t hurt, right? You were trying to get out of your comfort zone...

Y/N Y/L/N: Sure, that’s good. Are you sure it would be okay if I brought Lucy? I wouldn’t want to impose on your personal space.

His reply was almost instant.

James Barnes: No, I don’t mind at all. Alpine would love the company.

Before you could even wonder who Alpine was, you remember your previous conversation with Steve once.

‘Bucky also has a cat...’

Y/N Y/L/N: Okay, then I’ll be there. You also have a cat?

James Barnes: Oh, yeah. He’s the sweetest. *1 Attachment.*

Opening the image, you see a fluffy, stark white cat. He had big eyes that anyone would swoon over. You look at the foot of your bed where Lucy is curled up into a ball, fast asleep. You carefully snap a picture, smiling at her.

Y/N Y/L/N: I’ll admit, he’s cute. But can he compete with her? *1 Attachment*

You smile, seeing the typing bubble, waiting for him to respond.

James Barnes: Doll, no one can compete with Al. But I can’t deny, Lucy’s a gem.

Reading over the message at least seven times, your eyes keep lingering over the first word. Doll. It was in a loop in your head, the only thought you were having was that one word.

Why did he call me that? Is he flirting with me? No... he doesn’t even like me! But then why would he be talking to me right now? And why would he send me a picture of his cat...

And now your hands were working faster than your brain, typing out a quick response with your stomach doing backflips.

Y/N Y/L/N: Alright, whatever you say, Bucky. I’m heading to bed, good night.

And you don’t wait for a response before shutting off your phone and plugging it in, putting it on do not disturb and abandoning it on your nightstand, flipping open your book. You were trying to clear your thoughts but miserably failing.

Unbeknownst to you, Bucky responded with a wide smile at the sight of you using his nickname.

James Barnes: Sweet dreams, Y/N.

That night, Bucky fell asleep with Alpine on the pillow next to him, but a wide smile on his face and his stomach full of butterflies.

Little did he know, so were you.

The next day, you woke up feeling like a brand new woman. You got a decent amount of sleep. You got out of bed and made coffee before you left the house. You arrived to school way earlier than usual.

To be honest, you didn’t know what was going on.

James was being nice. To you. Why the sudden change of heart? Or maybe he was going back to acting like an asshole when he sees you in person. You didn’t really know what to expect.

Honestly, what you expected the least was for a knock to be heard on your door, 15 minutes before your first class of the day.

“Come in!” You say, expecting a student or maybe Natasha or Wanda.

But the door swings open, and there’s James. He’s standing there with two paper bags, undoubtedly from the bakery down the street.

“Hi.” He says. Not offering anything. No explanation, no emotion. No indication of our conversation last night.

“Hi. Did you need something?” You ask, and for once, it wasn’t in a dismissive or cold tone.

“Uh, no. Just wondering if you’ve eaten anything yet today?” James asks, holding up the bags in his hand.

“Uhm... no...” You tell him, not understanding why he was asking.

“Oh, well I have an extra croissant, if you’d like.” He holds up the bags once again.

“Sure, you can sit in here to eat if you’d like...” You offer, not sure of the water you were treading in.

“Oh, thanks.” He sits down and you both pull out the pastries and start eating. “So, how’s Lucy today?” James asks, a slight smirk on his face. You honestly couldn’t tell if he was making fun of you or not.

“Uh, she-she’s good. Clingy as usual. How’s Alpine?” You return the question.

“Same for him, also clings to me like a koala when I leave, I always feel bad, but I don’t really have a choice.” You both giggle at the remark, nodding in agreement.

“I understand. Lucy’s still a kitten too, so she’s been getting attached a lot. But I think I need her just as bad as she needs me.” You tell him, and you don’t know why.

“Oh... no boyfriend?” James asks, and now you really can’t tell if he’s pulling your leg.

“Oh-” You giggle, covering your mouth. “That’s funny. No, no boyfriend.” You continue to laugh until you fall back into silence, and James is just watching you.

“What’s so funny?” He asks, genuinely perplexed at your reaction.

“James, I don’t think either of us are idiots. I don’t think I come off as girlfriend material to most guys.” You laugh again.

It became quiet, and you look back to your computer, ready to end this awkward conversation. You knew you had your insecurities, but it had always been hard for you to put yourself out there. Especially for guys. Your anxiety and introverted nature really put a pause on your already non-existent dating life.

Besides, you’ve always been alone. And you didn’t think that would be changing any time soon.

“Okay, well I’m gonna head out. I have a class to prepare for. See you tonight?” James asks, getting up from his seat across from you.

“Y-Yeah, I’ll see you then. Could you text me your address and what time I should be there?” You ask, also gathering your lecture notes and laptop.

“Sure thing, Y/N. Bye.” He waves, leaving. As soon as he steps out, you hear the clicking of heels against the laminate flooring.

“Why was Bucky in here?” Natasha’s gravelly voice asks, looking confused as ever.

“He just brought me a croissant, we were talking about our lesson plan for next week.” You explain to her. “Walk with me to my lecture?” You ask, pointing out the door.

“Sure,” she agrees, waiting for you to lock the door, “so, have things been... civil between you two?” Natasha asks tentatively.

“Actually, yes. He’s not all that bad. I’m going to his place after classes to work on the lesson plan, he asked me yesterday to even bring Lucy over so she could meet Alpine.” You tell her.

“Oh- wow, really? He’s being so... nice to you...” She responds.

“I-I know... I don’t understand why... He made it clear he doesn’t really enjoy my company.” You respond.

“Yeah... Well, this is new. I hope he keeps up with it.” She pats you on the shoulder as you reach the lecture hall.

“Yeah, me too.” You say, turning to her before going in.

“Hey, can I stop by your office for something at lunch?”

“Sure, see you then!” You tell her, setting up for your class.

Lunch time comes around, and Natasha was already waiting for you when you finished your class by lunchtime. You remembered James also asking to come by to eat with you and work, so you tried to make it quick with Natasha.

“So, you and Bruce already finished your lesson plans?” You ask, looking for a booklet she needed.

“Yeah, he’s fun to work with. Kinda a nerd, but he knows his shit.” She says, smiling and leaning against your desk. “Any reason you’re in a rush?” She asks, catching you off guard.

“Oh, uh, James is coming to eat here so we can get ahead on the lesson.” You tell her, looking back through your drawer.

“That’s... interesting.” Natasha’s brows were drawn together. “You two seem to have a lot of time allotted together.”

“Well, we have only a little of our lessons done, and we really don’t want to show up unprepared. You know how much I hate that.” You tell her, finally finding what she needed.

Outside your office, James was just about to walk in when he heard your voices.

“Yeah... Just wondering, did he ever... apologize for what he said that one night?” Nat asks.

“Uhm, n-no. He’s been really kind to be as of late, so I’m assuming we’re turning a new leaf... But he makes me... nervous sometimes. Just a few days ago, he wouldn’t even look at my lesson plan ideas. He looked like he would rather violently bash his skull in than work with me. I’m just- I’m confused. What made him change his mind?” You think out loud, really wondering if James’ behavior was genuine.

“Y/N, I know you’ve been through a lot, but I think you should give him a chance. Don’t be so weary. If he’s being nice, don’t question it. I don’t know why he was like that with you from the beginning, but you shouldn’t have to beat yourself up over the fact that he’s actually treating you with respect.” Natasha puts her hand over yours, meeting your gaze.

“Y-Yeah. I know. I know I deserve respect, but it’s been hard lately. Ever since my family stopped talking to me, I feel like a failure. They don’t understand that I deserve that respect either. They think teaching is a shit job, they think I won’t get anywhere in life with it. I’m just sick and tired of them acting like I didn’t work hard to get where I am today.”

I talked to my brother the other day, and he said the same thing they’ve been saying since I started my PhD. ‘You’re not gonna get anywhere with this, you should get a boyfriend, we want grandkids.’ Like, okay! I get it! But where the hell am I supposed to find a guy when the cute one doesn’t even like me!? And my last boyfriend was in my undergrad. I feel a like teenager. I have literally no romantic life.” You huff out, absolutely tired of this.

“I- Y/N, I’m so sorry. You deserve a family that’s supportive of you and your passions. I hope Wanda and Carol and I have maybe helped you, kind of like a work family, y’know?” She holds your hand tighter. “We’ll always be here for you.”

You smile, walking around your desk to hug her.

“Thank you, Nat. I appreciate you all so much. I don’t think you’ll ever really know.” You hug her tightly before letting go. “James should be here any minute now, but we’ll talk more after class?”

“You betcha, but don’t think I forgot what you said... Maybe he does like you.” She says, and your face turns beet red.

“Natasha, no. I think he’s made it very clear he’s not into me. Like, at all. I’m surprised we’re even working together. I didn’t think he would cooperate.” You laugh. “Okay, seriously, you gotta go. I don’t want him to walk in on us talking about him.”

“Okay, okay, talk later. Bye, Y/N.” She says, making her way out, and Bucky pushes himself against the wall, hoping she wouldn’t see him.

“Don’t forget what we talked about, yeah?” She says to him, not even looking back. Natasha only stops when she doesn’t hear his response, turning around. “Listen to me, Bucky. We may be friends, but so are Y/N and I. I don’t know if it was me or Steve who finally knocked some sense into the dumb head of yours, but if she comes to me again, crying, telling me she can’t take it from you anymore, I promise; you’ll be off this faculty faster than you can say ‘tenure.’ Now, am I understood, Barnes?” Natasha concludes, completely in Bucky’s personal space.

“I- yes. I understand.” He gulps, looking down at his hands. “I-I’ve been trying. To be nice to her. I know what I did before was wrong, but I’m trying, okay? Steve and I had a... a long talk.”

“Yeah, whatever. This better not just be a one-time-thing. From here on out, I want no complaints from her. She’s been through enough shit, and she doesn’t need any more from you. I have somewhere to be, and so do you.” Natasha says, parting ways and letting Bucky release a breath he didn’t know he was holding in.

He composes himself one last time, and walks into your office.

“Hi, James.” You give him a soft smile, “Take a seat, we’ve got work to do.”

When your last lecture finished, you made your way home to get what you needed to head to James’ apartment. He’d texted you the address and told you you could come by any time after 6:30.

You were thinking back on your lunch break with him. He was quiet, almost nervous to be sitting in front of you, and you couldn’t understand for the life of you why.

It was uncharacteristic of him to be so demure, and you wonder why he was suddenly so shy. Before, he wouldn’t have hesitated to make a remark, or take a jab at you. But now, he was quiet as a mouse.

It was concerning, to say the least.

So, on your way to his apartment, which was a solid 15 minutes drive, you call Natasha for advice.

“Hey. Can I talk to you about something?” You ask while you drive.

“Yeah, everything alright?” Natasha’s voice filters through your car’s speakers.

“Oh, I’m fine, but did something happen with James? He was acting so... odd today... He was so quiet, so nice. His behavior has been so different lately.” Your brows were furrowed, genuinely trying to crack this puzzle.

“Uh... well, isn’t it a good thing?” She asks.

“I mean, yes, but did someone say something to him?” You ask, puzzled.

“Uh, no...” lie, “maybe he’s just turning over a new leaf, Y/N. I think you should stop worrying yourself over it so much. And if you really want answers, just confront him about it.” Natasha concludes.

“...Okay. You’re right. I think I’m just reading too much into this. I need to go, I’m almost there. Thanks, Nat.” You tell her.

“Bye, Y/N. Good luck.” And the line goes dead.

“Looks like it’s just me and you now, Luce.” You look over at her carrier in the seat next to yours, where she’s curled up into a ball inside.

Once you park and text James to let him know you’re on your way up, you sling your laptop bag over your shoulder and grab Lucy’s carrier.

As you make your way inside, you stop at the concierge desk, where an older man with grey hair and glasses greets you. His name tag reads Stan.

“Hi, I’m here to see James Barnes?” You tell him, looking at the grandiosity of the lobby.

“Ah, yes, Ms. Y/L/N?” He asks, and you nod. “He said he was expecting you. Not that I don’t trust you, but I just need a form of ID before I can let you up.” You nod again, handing over you driver’s license.

He hands it back, giving an approving nod.

“Elevators are to the right, he’s in 12B.” Stan tells him, and you give him appreciative ‘thank you’ before you scurry to the elevator.

When you knock on his door, it takes a second for him to open it, a faint ‘Al, one second!’ resonating through the door, making you snort out a laugh.

“Hey, sorry about that. Come in,” Bucky finally appears, swinging his door wide open.

You walk in, setting down Lucy and taking your shoes off.

“So, is Alpine friendly with other cats?” You ask, weary of unzipping the carrier.

“Of course he is. Why wouldn’t he be?” He asks, but stops when he sees your expression fall.

“S-Sorry, I wasn’t trying to imply anything, It’s just- Lucy’s a bit shy, but she typically likes other cats.” You say, looking down at her.

“I-I’m sorry- that was rude. I wasn’t trying to sound like an ass, I swear. Alpine’s friendly with other cats, but he needs a little time to warm up to other people. Don’t take it personally if he isn’t too fond of you at first.” He laughs, directing you to his couch where Alpine was perched.

“Oh, hi baby!” You coo, holding out your hand to Alpine. He tentatively inspects you with his eyes, first, and then sniffs you. He then, his head buts against your hand, asking for affection.

Bucky’s eyebrows shoot up, shocked at how friendly Alpine was being. He barely even looked at Steve and Sam when they come by. But here he was, purring and shoving himself against you.

“Well, I think Lucy won’t have a problem with him at all.” You smile, bringing the carrier over to the end of the couch and unzipping it, letting Lucy move at her own pace.

At first, she just wearily looks at Alpine and the unfamiliar setting. She then looks at you, where you encouragingly coo at her, making sure she was comfortable.

Bucky gazes at the whole scene with a soft look, watching as Lucy slowly saunters out of the carrier, sniffing Alpine and the couch. Soon enough, Alpine sniffs back, and they start playing with each other, forgetting their owners completely.

You both laugh at how well they were getting along, and the contrast between the black and white furs making it that much better.

“Well, should we get started?” You ask, finally turning to Bucky with a big smile.

In that moment, his throat goes dry, and all he can think is... She has a beautiful smile.

“James? Everything alright?” You ask, breaking him out of his trance.

“I- Yes! Sorry, got distracted for a minute... Would you prefer Italian or Chinese for dinner?” He asks, shaking his head and trying to change the subject.

“Uhm, I don’t mind, whatever you’d like.” You smile, grabbing your laptop.

“So... Italian, then?” He asks with a light laugh.

“Sure.” You answer. “Where can we sit to work?”

“Oh, the table’s fine, we can eat while we work, too. Let me go order really quick.” He excuses himself after pointing to his dining table, and heading into the kitchen.

When Bucky reaches the kitchen, he takes a second to compose himself. He pinches in between his brows, his eyes squeezed shut. He didn’t know why he was acting like a teenager, he felt himself get flustered around you.

After he pulls himself together, he orders the food and comes back outside, finding you focused on something extremely intently on your screen.

“James, what do you think for something like this for a more interactive activity?” You ask, turning your computer to him, waiting for him to read the plan, biting your lip nervously.

“This- this is awesome, doll. This looks really good, the students would love this.” He tells you, reading over it one more time.

“O-Oh, thanks.” You thank him shyly, stomach fluttering while looking down at your lap again.

Suddenly, the doorbell rings, breaking the silence.

“Oh, the food-” James moves to grab his wallet, but you grab his wrist, stopping him.

“James, you’ve already been so hospitable, let me get it-” You say, but he shakes off your hand and shakes his head.

“No, I can’t let you do that, I insist,” he responds, beating you to the door and handing the delivery man his card, letting him ring it up quickly.

You huff, sitting back down in your spot with a pout.

“James, you suck,” you huff, visibly annoyed. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Well, I did. Now, let’s eat. You good with red wine?” He asks, pulling out two wine glasses.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” You say, unpacking the food as he pours some wine.

As he sets down some plates, he sees your expression still pouty, like a child.

“Y/N, stop pouting.” You look so cute. “You can get it next time.” I wish I could kiss you.

“Oh, there’s gonna be a next time?” You ask, your face turning red yet again.

“I mean, we’re going to have to make more lesson plans, depending on how long Fury keeps this up.” He laughs, but you freeze at his words.

It’s true, you think to yourself, we’re probably going back to how it was before when this is all over. That’s probably why he’s being nice to me.

“Hey, you alright? Did I say something?” James asks, a concerned look on his face.

“N-No, you’re good. Sorry. Ready to eat?” You ask, changing the subject.

“Yeah... You sure everything’s okay?” He asks again, trying to make sure.

“James, everything is okay, please. Let’s just eat.” You smile, placing a hand over his in reassurement.

Dinner was delicious, and now you and James were sipping on wine while working, occasionally checking on Lucy and Alpine.

“Hey, do you think a group project could work? I usually give some to my students, I have a template I follow, but you could change it to your liking-” James tells you, but you cut him off with your thoughts.

“James, can I ask you a question?” You ask, hovering a hand over his.

“S-Sure. What’s up?” He sounds weary.

“You know, before we started this project, you like... loathed me.” You say. “Why?” Your voice breaks at that last word, barely getting it out of your throat.

“I... I just-” He takes a deep breath and looks down, grabbing your hand, “I thought you were... snobby, stuck up. I thought you came to this school thinking you were better than everyone else, that you were here to one-up us all.”

And before you could cut him to deny it with your shaking head, he continues.

“And I know now that I was wrong. I-I’m so sorry for the way I spoke to you, especially at the bar. After you left and Steve took me home, he basically yelled at me and told me how what I thought of you was completely off. I shouldn’t have assumed all those things about you, and I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me, one day.” He concludes, holding onto your hand so tightly to convey just how sorry he was.

“I- Oh, James. Y-You know, I never meant to come off that way. I just- I’ve always had trouble making friends and talking to people, and things have been hard recently. I never meant to make you o-or anyone else, for that matter, to feel that way. I’m so sorry.” You say, tears prickling behind your eyes.

“Y/N, doll.” James moves out of his seat, wrapping you in his arms. “I can’t even tell you how much I wish I was more open-minded, more patient. Ever since Steve and Nat have talked to me, I’ve been just-”

“Nat? What has Natasha told you?” You stop him, pulling away.

“She- she just told me to stop. She told me you’ve been going through a lot, and that I wasn’t making it any better for you so-”

“Did she say what? Why would she tell you about my personal life-” You begin to ramble and waving your hands around.

“Doll, no she didn’t-”

“She had no right to say-”

But before you could continue, Bucky cuts you off.

With his lips.

Against yours.

Bucky was kissing you.

Oh my god, he’s kissing me!

You pull away looking at him in utter shock.

“Wh- What did you do that for?”

“I just- You were rambling, but I didn’t know how else to stop you.” James says, a blush creeping up his neck.

“So you kissed me?” You ask incredulously.

“Uh- yes?” He says, more like asks.

“I uh... I have to go.” You say, looking anywhere but his eyes as you gather your items, hunting down Lucy and putting her in her carrier; much to her protest and distaste.

“Y-Y/N, please, don’t go. Let’s just talk!” James pleads, but you’re not listening.

“N-No, I’m sorry, I have to go. I’ll see you in class next week. Bye, James.” You huff out, running to the nearest stairwell.

A part of you wanted him to run after you, but you needed time to process... whatever that was.

Did he kiss you because he liked you? Or because he wanted to shut you up?

You cut the drive home into half, the first thing you do after getting through your door is calling Natasha.

“Nat, I fucked up...” Your voice was weak through the phone.

And back in Bucky’s apartment, he dialed Steve’s number.

“Steve, I fucked up... real bad.” He meekly provides, his head in his hands.

a/n: oh boy. what’s gonna happen ??? hmmm... let me know down below! hope you guys enjoyed ;)

also, did y’all peep my stan lee cameo? :)

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky imagine #bucky barnes fic #bucky x reader #bucky barnes series #prof!bucky #professor!bucky #prof!bucky x prof!reader #college professor au #enemies to lovers #bucky and alpine #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fluff

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terrm9 · 3 years

Text

Everywhere I Go (Ethan X MC)

Words count: 3 800

Warnings: none? I feel like this is absolutely harmless but if you find something worth warning, let me know please

Few weeks after making their relationship public, Ethan decides to take Chiara with him to Providence.

Set few weeks after the gala, so in the first half of Chapter 18 I guess?

Author’s note: This follows the Count Me In fic, so for the better experience, I recommend to read that first. However, if you don’t want to, it is readable as a one shot too. I love Alan Ramsey and I just want him to be happy okay? I kind of broke my own heart while thinking about how unfair life is towards him

“And that’s why my sister is not talking to me now,” Bryce ended his speech with his typical wide grin, shrugging carelessly as he finished eating his fries.

Both, Chiara and Elijah burst out into loud laugh, attracting the attention of every other person in the cafeteria. The story itself wouldn’t be that funny, however the way Bryce didn’t hesitate to give them a detailed description of Keiki’s face expressions caused happy tears to fall from Chiara’s eyes, as she couldn’t contain her giggles.

“Oh crap,” Chiara muttered when her ringing phone interrupted the cheerful atmosphere at the table. “It’s Ethan.”

“Calling as a doctor or as a booooyfriend?” Bryce teased her, gaining an eye roll from Chiara in return.

Before she picked her phone up, she checked her pager, making sure that Ethan didn’t try to get her attention through it without her noticing. It was greatly uncommon for him to call her while they were both working, especially when calling her meant talking about not-work-related topics.

“Hello?” she picked up at last, confusion audible in her voice.

“Rookie,” she could see Ethan nod at the other side of the line as he spoke. “Where are you? I wanted to talk to you.”

“Uhm, I am having lunch in the cafeteria with the boys. Why? Do you need me for something? You could’ve paged me.”

“It’s not about work. Just wait for me, okay? I’ll be there in five minutes.”

Without giving her a chance to ask more questions or even respond with an ‘okay’, Ethan hung up, leaving her terribly worried about his reasons to call her.

No matter how urgent their private issues seemed, they always managed to bring them home with them, to talk about it after their shifts. When they were at work, they were working. It was that simple for them, a rule that has hardly ever been broken.

“He called as a boyfriend,” she spoke finally, noticing how both, Bryce and Elijah were looking at her with their eyebrows raised. “He will stop by.”

Just as she said that, the door to the cafeteria opened and Ethan stopped just for a second, searching the room with his eyes for a sign of the young redhead he needed to see. Against his better judgement, he smiled as he finally spotted her, cheeks flushed from the laugh she has just had several minutes ago.

Chiara noticed how some residents and even one attending stared as Ethan crossed the room, obviously ignoring the fact that he was about to sit next to the woman he kissed at the gala few weeks ago. They stared with hearts in their eyes and wishful smiles at their faces and even if it was embarrassing to admit, Chiara knew that their expressions mirrored her own.

“Chiara I think you might be drooling,” Bryce whispered, causing Elijah to laugh loudly for the second time in ten minutes.

“Hey,” Ethan smiled softly at her as he sat down next to her and then nodded in boys’ direction. “Bryce, Elijah.”

“Well helloooo, my fav buddy,” Bryce grinned and patted Ethan’s shoulder enthusiastically. “How ya doin’?”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ethan muttered: “Lahela stop please”, while Chiara laughed, shaking her head.

“What has gotten into you today, Bryce? Do you need to replace a single ‘o’ with several annoying ‘oooo’s’ in every word?”

Shrugging carelessly again, Bryce opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Elijah put his arm on Bryce’s shoulder and gestured towards the door.

“I think we should go before you extend the list of people not talking to you.”

Even though unhappy with the suggestion, Bryce agreed and a minute later, Chiara and Ethan were left alone to discuss whatever Ethan came to discuss.

“So? What is bothering you?” Chiara asked openly.

“Nothing is bothering me,” Ethan replied, not quite looking at her, instead reaching for her hand on the table, interlacing their fingers together.

Chiara was aware of people observing them and of the fact that such gesture of affection would cause yet another wave of gossips in the hospital.

Ethan couldn’t care less about what would people say at this point. Ever since their kiss, people were talking about them and it didn’t really matter what Chiara and Ethan did or didn’t do.

They were holding hands now and so people would talk about Dr. Do-Not-Talk-To-Me being whipped. If they didn’t hold their hands, people would talk about troubles in paradise because ‘they didn’t even touch while talking’.

“I am going to visit my father in Providence this weekend.”

“Oh,” Chiara opened her mouth, not quite believing that he would look for her only to tell her that he would be gone for the weekend. “That’s great! It’s been some time since you last visited Providence, right? Two days out of Boston and with your dad, it will be good for you.”

“The thing is,” Ethan spoke, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “You have a free weekend and-“

“I think I do, let me check,” Chiara interrupted him, reaching for her phone to check her calendar.

“You do, I already checked.”

Or rather, I made sure that you would have a free weekend.

“However, I wanted to ask you if, by any chance, you would want to go to Providence with me? I mean, I survived the brunch thing with your friends and now I would like to introduce you to dad.”

“I have already met your father, Ethan,” Chiara laughed softly. “Several times.”

“Yes, but that was different. I would like to, well, introduce you as a… woman I am dating.”

His cheeks were deeply flushed at this point, his hands gently squeezing her in steady rhythm, trying to calm his own nerves down.

“I would like that very much,” she smiled at him. “Is your dad going to roast me the way my friends roasted you?”

Ethan laughed, truly and openly laughed and replied: “God I hope so.”

With a quick kiss on the top of Chiara’s head, he stood up as his pager went off, leaving her to finish her lunch with a smile on her lips.

“Your dad know that I am coming with you, right?” Chiara asked nervously as she stepped out of Ethan’s car, looking at the house in front of her. It was painted in a light blue color, the bushes surrounding a path leading to the front door precisely trimmed.

“Of course. He texted me in the morning, saying that they were both looking forward to seeing you.”

“Both? Both who?” Chiara turned on her heels, her eyes wide with shock. Surely Louise wouldn’t be here today, would she? Her time in the rehab clinic wasn’t over yet.

“Dad and Jenner,” Ethan replied flatly, getting their bags out of the trunk.

A very audible sigh of relief left Chiara’s mouth at that, her mind instantly calming down at the picture of Ethan’s – or more Alan’s – dog. It would be their first meeting and Chiara was equally nervous about meeting Alan as Ethan’s girlfriend and meeting Jenner, knowing rather well that Jenner’s opinion mattered to Ethan more than opinions of most people.

Locking his car, Ethan took Chiara’s hand and led her to the front door, smiling down at her, all the tension that collected in his body for the past few weeks seemingly gone.

Ethan didn’t resemble the Dr. Ramsey at all at this moment, his form relaxed as he knocked on the door, quietly humming one of Frank Sinatra’s songs they listened to on their way here.

“Chiara, Ethan!” Alan smiled widely as he opened the door, letting them both come in. Before he could as much as hug Ethan, the ball of brown fur sprinted through the hall and as soon as Jenner spotted Ethan, he put both his front paws on Ethan’s torso, barking excitedly.

Chiara shook Alan’s hand and he kissed both her cheeks politely. “Lunch is almost ready,” he smiled and led her to the sunny living room, granting Ethan some time to catch up with his best friend.

Seated in a comfortable armchair, Chiara took her surrounding in while Alan left to the kitchen to make them a coffee. The room wasn’t big, the huge window dominating as it provided both, light coming into the room and a beautiful view to the garden.

Before Chiara could examine the photos on the top of fireplace, both Jenner and Ethan came to the room and it was her time to impress the dog.

“Hello there,” she smiled as she kneeled down, letting Jenner to sniff and then lick her palm. “What a good boy do we have here, hmmm? Yes, it’s you, of course it’s you.”

All the tension was gone at that point, Jenner happily licking not only her hands but also her neck and her face, Chiara laughing and rubbing his belly happily while Ethan stood by the fireplace, his arms crossed, smiling affectionately at the scene in front of him.

Seeing that his presence was no longer recognized, Ethan decided to help his dad to finish the lunch, hoping that maybe in their moment of privacy, he could make sure that there would be no embarrassing stories about his childhood shared today.

It was all for nothing.

As soon as they finished eating and moved back to the living room to have their afternoon tea, Alan grinned at the two young doctors seated on the couch next to each other, Ethan’s arm casually hugging Chiara’s shoulders.

“So… dating, huh? How long?”

Ethan blushed and cleared his throat, thinking about the right answer. “Few weeks,” he replied after all.

“And unofficially?”

Chiara laughed at the question, the fact that Alan indeed knew his son both surprising and delighting her. Not wanting to make Ethan angry or uncomfortable, she decided not to answer that.

“Few weeks,” Ethan repeated, although it was obvious that not a single person in the room believed that. “The gala I’ve been telling you about the other day? That would be it.”

The mention of gala served them well, giving them a chance to talk about hospital for a long time, about the fact that it wouldn’t be saved anyway, about their work at free clinic.

They both intentionally avoided talking about the future, about what would happen when Edenbrook closes for real. Alan was polite enough not to ask.

Chiara was nervously waiting for Alan to start asking questions. After the trick her friends pulled on Ethan, she deserved to be interrogated by him. She was dating a respected doctor, famous diagnostician and a rich man after all. It was rather natural for his parents – well, his father – to make sure that she wasn’t using him.

I just need to be honest and everything will be fine.

The interrogation never came. Instead, when it looked like it would come, Alan asked her the question she hoped to hear.

“So, Chiara. I doubt Ethan has told you much about his childhood. Do you want to hear the stories of troublemaker Ethan? I have my two favorites.”

“Dad, you have to be kidding me,” Ethan muttered, squinting his eyes on the older man.

Next to him, Chiara jumped on the couch of excitement, nodding. “Yes, please. Tell me anything embarrassing. Anything. He like to pretend that such moments never happened in his life.”

“Do you remember our fish, Ethan?” Alan smiled mischievously at his son and from Ethan’s expression, he knew exactly what was about to come.

“I was six!” he exclaimed, crossing his arms at his chest.

“My brother came to visit us one summer,” Alan turned to Chiara, ignoring Ethan’s remarks about betrayal. “He used to smoke a lot back then, however me or Louise weren’t smoking and so there was no ashtray in this whole house. I found an old mason jar and gave it to him, so that he could use that instead. We didn’t throw the whole mason jar away the moment he left the house and Ethan took his chance. At the time, we had this huge aquarium here in the living room, full of fish. There were, like, fifty fish in it and as a six-year-old, we let Ethan feed them so that he would learn about being responsible. One day, I got back from work and almost all of the fish were dead. Really, maybe seven or eight survived. And I was so shocked because it’s not common thing to happen and I asked Ethan if he fed them that day and without a second thought, he said that he did feed them with the ash Uncle Thomas left here, because he wanted to see how they would react. I still remember him saying ‘It’s a pity they died. But at least we are left with the strongest ones now.’”

“He didn’t do that,” Chiara laughed and turned to Ethan, waiting for his reaction. The shrug of his shoulders confirming that the story she just heard was right. “Well, some things never change. Your strategy with interns is pretty similar.”

“Yet, here you are. That makes you one of the strongest ones, you know.”

She smiled at him softly, knowingly and turned back to Alan, greedy for more.

“My absolutely favorite is the one about Perrie McKingsley.”

Ethan’s eyes widened once again and he shook his head abruptly, looking at his father. “Dad, really, that won’t be necessary.”

“Okay now I have to hear it,” Chiara grinned wickedly.

“He was ten or eleven at the time, I can’t quite remember. It was my grandmother’s death anniversary and even though, as great-grandmother to Ethan, she wasn’t a big part of his life, he always agreed to go to the cemetery with me at the anniversary. That year was no exception and so we bought this beautiful bouquet and put it on the grave. Little did I know that the next day was Perrie McKingsley’s birthday – she was Ethan’s classmate and his first crush. Very nice girl indeed. Ethan wanted to impress her but was too shy to talk to me about it, about what he could give her as a present and so he came up with a genius idea. That morning, he left the house early and stopped at the cemetery on his way to school. He took the flowers we put on the grave the day before and gave them to the poor girl. He would never tell the truth, but I met Perrie’s mother two days after that and she told me how thoughtful it was of Ethan to get Perrie such beautiful bouquet.”

Chiara had to cover her mouth with her hand to tame all the loud sounds leaving it when Alan finished the story. Tears streaming down her face, she had troubles catching her breath between the laughing.

“Who would believe that you were such a gentleman, Ramsey,” she spoke finally when she calmed down. “The girl was very lucky.”

“I am glad you are having fun, Rookie,” Ethan said dryly, trying his hardest to maintain his poker face, even though the truth was that seeing his Chiara this happy and free of worries, laughing with his father while petting Jenner, it was a picture he wished to remember forever.

The rest of the day was filled with small talks about Alan’s work and Jenner, about Chiara’s life back in San Francisco. Alan showed her all of Ethan’s photos, from the cute baby ones to the pretty awkward high school ones.

Ethan pretended to be annoyed by the fact that his dad and Chiara became such a good friends, finding their entertainment in Ethan’s suffering, however every time they were not looking, he was smiling like a fool, his chest full of this unfamiliar warm feeling.

He was asleep in his old room now and as much as Chiara tried to rest too, the sleep wouldn’t come to her.

She decided to get a water in the kitchen and give it another try later.

As she stepped downstairs, she was startled by the light coming out of the living room – it was past midnight.

“Chiara,” Alan smiled at her from the couch, the bottle of beer in his hand as he stared into the fire. “Troubles sleeping?”

She nodded and took a seat next to him, the water long forgotten.

“I was just thinking about Ethan,” Alan broke the silence, turning his eyes to her.

They were the same color as his son’s, the blue darker than the bright sky but brighter than the stormy one. His gaze was as intense too, as if he could see straight into her head, getting his answers without needing to ask questions.

The only difference was that his eyes were surrounded by happy wrinkles, the ones a person only gets when they smile too often.

Ethan’s wrinkled weren’t permanent around the corners of his eyes. He didn’t smile often enough. His signature wrinkles were the ones between his brows, the ones a person only gets when they worry too much.

“I am glad he’s found you, Chiara. I have never seen him so content. So in love.”

Chiara froze at his words. She froze at the ease he said them with.

“Oh, he’s… he’s not in love,” she laughed nervously. “He doesn’t believe in such things.”

“You are the first girl he has ever brought home with him,” Alan grinned. “Surely that speaks for itself.”

Shock overtaking her, Chiara forgot to close her mouth for a long moment.

“You are kidding. He is almost forty, I can’t be the first one.”

Alan laughed at her statement whole-heartedly, the sound so common for him and so rare to hear from his son.

“You are. And I know what he says, about me not really knowing him, but he is still my kid and I can assure you, he is so in love.” Alan took a deep breath, sipping his bear for a long moment. “The girl I was telling you about today, Perrie? She was his first crush, his first love, the first girl that made him blush when he spoke to her. The first to bring those ‘in-love’ sparks into his eyes. He was ten, a kid. The same kid he was at eleven, when Louise left. He’s never really gotten over that, over her leaving us and I don’t blame him. He was just a kid. The first time I have seen those sparks in his eyes, he was ten. The last time I have seen them, he was eleven. He was just a kid, he was just my baby son, when all those adult things happened to him and I blamed myself for so long that I couldn’t protect him from that hurt.”

Alan’s voice shook and he took another sip of his drink, steading himself so that he could finish his speech.

For the past twenty-six years, he has never said these words to anyone.

“I stopped believing that those would ever return. All the way through the high school, Ethan never even mentioned a girl. He avoided women, he didn’t trust them and who was I to change his mind? It was my wife leaving us after all. And then, in his med school he let it slip that there was a certain girl he was seeing, but talking about her didn’t bring those sparks into his eyes. He was twenty-three and he was less in love than a ten-year-old Ethan. There was something there when he told me about you for the first time, last year. His Rookie. I could see how his face lit up at the mention of you, how his lips turned up so slightly anyone but his father would miss it."

"He probably never mentioned it, but I was with Ethan two days before the gala and when he said that you two would go together to represent your team, that was when I saw those sparks again, Chiara. After twenty-seven years, I have seen my son’s eyes light up with the force only love could produce.”

Chiara was smiling and at the same time, she felt like crying.

Crying for a man Ethan could be, hadn’t he been broken.

Crying for Alan, losing his wife and his happy little boy at the same day.

“Ethan can be difficult, I know. But please, as his father and as a person who loves him more than he has ever loved anyone or anything, I beg you to be patient with him when things get difficult. Because you are the only person I have ever believed could make Ethan truly and unconditionally happy again.”

Chiara nodded, tears spilling down on her cheeks now and before she could do anything, Alan was hugging her.

“Goodnight, Chiara,” he smiled as he broke the hug. After wishing him a goodnight too, Chiara got back into the room Ethan was sleeping in and tried to get into the bed as quietly as possible.

“I am not sleeping,” Ethan muttered, turning to his side so that he could face her. With his curls disheveled around his head and sleepy eyes, he looked so much younger it almost surprised Chiara. “I’ve heard voices from downstairs.”

“Yes, I’ve been talking to your dad,” she whispered softly, deciding whether she should tell him the truth or not. Almost immediately, she decided to keep her conversation with Alan to herself. “There were many more embarrassing stories to be told, you know.”

“I don’t get how, no matter who we are with, I end up to be the embarrassed one. All the time. I was thinking about inviting Naveen over for dinner later this week, but I am strongly reconsidering now.”

“Oh my God, yes, that’s totally happening. Awkward intern Ethan, that would be my new favorite thing.”

“I have never been an awkward intern.”

“I think Naveen will be the judge of that,” she smirked, rolling Ethan on his back so that she could straddle him. He groaned at the idea of Naveen telling Chiara yet another story about his past. “Well, it’s not my fault that you are so embarrassable, Ethan.”

“That’s not even a word, Ray.”

“Uhm, it just left my mouth, so I guess it is now. I will text Naveen myself in the morning.”

She leaned down to kiss him, his hot body and soft lips making her mind race into dangerous territory.

“Don’t worry, once we visit my mom and sister, you will be satisfied. I bet Alicia has already my TOP 5 awkward moments written and ready to be shared,” she murmured between the kissed.

Ethan chuckled at that and biting her earlobe softly, he whispered: “I am booking the tickets to San Francisco right now.”

Taglist: @takemyopenheart @maurine07 @senseofduties @mercury84choices @flightlessbirdiee @udishaman @honeyandsunfl0wers @ohchoices @adrex04 @queencarb @archxxronrookie

#open heart #open heart choices #open heart fanfiction #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #alan ramsey #play choices

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gothamstreetcat · 4 years

Note

If you have time and want to, I’d love to see what you’d say are your creations to come from the Unofficial Batcat Fam. So, basically, ✨ + Itzel, Kayleigh, you, and Sophie’s stuff. (People changed their URLs and I’m on mobile so I’m not typing them out in fear of messing up the URLs. YOU’RE AMAZING AND CRAZY TALENTED AND SO KIND AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST DAYS AHEAD!)

girl don’t ask me why it took me so long to respond... i’ve been feeling nostalgic and i miss you guys a bunch. i love you all so much and i think each of you is extremely talented. i’m very blessed to be part of our little batfam

Itzel ✨ @brvceselina

desrest itzel, (i scrolled through all your edits by the way) as much as i’d like to scream again over this edit, i’d like to bring particular attention to your let selina kyle be this happy challenge (petition to make this my new header? I think so) and your because you matter to me edit. first off, i really admire how naturally stunning your gifs always look and i think it’s a real shame i feel you don’t get the credit you deserve. i mean really, your gifs look very natural and yet in so many of them selina is truly glowing. i also really admire all the fonts you use because they are really delicate looking and pretty. i wish i looked as gorgeous and happy as selina in your ‘be happy challenge’ but also i really want that sweater. maybe in black, though? the blue is so striking against selina’s smile and cheeks! i just love her. for your ‘because you matter to me’ edit i really love the quote you choose. it tears be apart because selina really does deserve those things and by god bruce is probably the only person to hold her without selfishness. i could stare at this gifset for hours and i think you really can see the relief in selina’s face and you captured it so well. this set is just so perfect in every way because bruce is all these things and more. catch me writing a fic, i dare ya.

Kayleigh 💜 @marthaskane

girl, you know i think the internet is beyond blessed to have your unique sense of style. i really like both your heroes vs villains sets. your torchwood set is to die for. this selina set is so freaking fierce you could cut the competition with that blue coloring it is gorgeous. it’s really so very hard to pick one but i think i really wanna highlight your batparents x batcat set for a minute. I think i could actually scream about this for hours if i had my mead on straight. can i just say, you mind? you really are perfect for putting this together and consistency aside, i just love it. pennyworth had to have know what they were doing to us giving us the parallel between thomas and martha--and golly there are a lot. it makes you wonder if in some small way, bruce and selina are to suffer the same fate as them. i mean, it’s gotta be some kind of fate that they’ve both been in that same position over the one they love (although, as i’m writing this stupidly i realize that i’m sure thomas getting shot is somehow to be a reflection of his and martha’s murder--but still. but, could you imagine martha being with him at the hospital and them having to pretend to be married--bickering when the doctor walks in and says they seem like an old married couple and martha is like haha, unless... i wish there was more i could say but i really think this set speaks for itself. p.s i have a lot of your old sets in my drafts so hopefully they get some good tags along the way ;)

Sophie 💕 @clara-oswin-oswald

sophie, you know i think all your doctor who edits are top. fucking. tier. but if i had to pick a favorite i think it would be this purple one (it is really just so pretty). i also really love the coloring you did for this edit (it might just be my fav)--like, if i could be green with envy, that’s exactly the shade of green i’d like to be. really in love with your coloring on this set and this set. of course, your dc edits are also awesome and even if purple is not your color you really use it well! this was such a lovely color pallete as well. yeah, i miss your gifs and i just think you’re super talented

Emily ♥️ @apple-grass-and-smiles

you didn’t think i’d skip you did i? first off, big shout out to your fic a death by a thousands cuts would be easier because you mentioned everyone in our little batfam, so it deserves an honorable mention. also, feels like i’ve been listening to this song a lot lately so... however, the fic that really does it for me has to be shiny toy with a price. maybe i cheated a little by just looking at my tags for this one, but it really helps me know what i wanna say--AND WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS how perfect this fanfic is. I can’t help myself, can i just copy my tags here because--

#I love all the little details you have poured in the beginning talking about the flat/snacks#detail is literally what I live for #My FAVorite bit what when you described Bruce needing to realize he'd totally go off a cliff just because Selina was doing it too #which is such a good line (and I'd totally steal it if I could) simply because you talked about how Bruce needs rules and guidlines #based off of how he grew up #But Selina somehow causes him to be a little wild which he loves #he would fucking follow her anywhere and not question why #not only that. but going into your entire labeling conversation #I really think it digs deep down somewhere where Bruce only wants to show his love for Selina and Share her in some way with the world #he loves her and he's not ashamed to be with or around her on every level #and yes that scares the absolute shit out of her because no one has ever loved or seen her like Bruce #and it's funny because I think the two of them will always have this crazy idea of I'm not good enough #And I really respect Selina's 'why can't we just be us?' line because it's my favorite #also I LOVED the little details of Bruce betting Alfred's and Selina betting things Bruce has in his room #because he probably doesn't even know #and it's like. they spend christmas together and Selina panics and wraps whatever Bruce has in his room #and he opens the freaking box so happy and grateful not even realizing his father bought it for him years ago #and I love how he put her legs back over him #and how he didn't want to keep her a secret #and the 'I could be bleeding' line is so ironic considering she was bleeding right in front of him and he was the First to know #with her blood running wet and hot between his fingers but all that and it really shook him when Selina did what she did #Emily you are so talented and I hope you continue to write

so yeah... that’s my lazy contribution. but also, i wanna add how i’ve always loved that despite bruce and selina feeling like neither is good enough for the other, they are not ashamed to be together. or seen together. and i feel like it’s obvious how hard it is for bruce to fit in yet, with selina it feels like he doesn’t have to try to fit in or be someone he’s not. and i saw somewhere today how selina was telling bruce if he didn’t give her the knife “barbara would never see her as an equal” yet, with bruce she already is an equal, and she always was.

i think i should stop myself because i really don’t want to go overboard or bother anyone or hurt their feelings. i kinda wanna skip me but if i really have a fav we all know it’s my batcat x lover well... maybe my daytime edit too and love letter

#thank you for all your kind words dear #i hope i wrote enough for you guys #just know that i love you all and i think you all are so super talented #this has been in my drafts forever and i think i got burned out towards the end #plus dog is being a real challenge lately #asks: emily #creator compliments*#long post

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buckyreaderrecs · 4 years

Text

A Toast to Whiskey: Chapter 1 / 2

Summary: You work in an old bar hidden away from the modern world. It's almost charming, but not quite. That's probably why Bucky likes it.

Words: 2,325 Pairing: Bucky Barnes/reader Characters: Bucky Barnes Additional tags: Bucky needs a hug, recovering Bucky, mostly canon compliant (Infinity War and Endgame didn’t happen, Stark Tower still exists), angst, she/her pronouns, more tags/characters to be added with part 2, brief mention of Nazis, mental health will be prominent part of part 2

Note: Find this fic and others on A03 - click here. And follow this Tumblr! I post lists of Bucky/Reader fic writers and reblog all my favs. I’ve just started it, so would love the support! xo Rhi

Dedicated to: @browngirlmagic for the conversation. The next chapter is the Lush one!

A Toast to Whiskey Chapter 1 / 2

There were a lot of things in the dusty, old bar that made the man's jaw clench in annoyance, distaste, or anger. You were compiling a list of these things, doing your best to minimise their occurrences. There was one you couldn't avoid though, and it was almost amusing that it bothered him at all. Each time someone ordered a drink - beer, cocktail, shot, whatever - a clean glass was given. The man didn't like it. Was it not like that in his time?

If James Buchanan Barnes thought he'd gone unnoticed in the hole-in-the-wall bar you worked at, he was mistaken. Not entirely, to be fair; the baseball cap and quiet stopped the other patrons from even giving him a second glance. 'Patrons' might have been too civilised of a word to call them. They were old, sickly, local men that had been drinking the same beer from those same taps forever. Harmless, mostly. Unobservant, entirely. Not you though. The first day Bucky walked in and taken a barstool on the very corner, closest to the door, you knew exactly who he was.

Like a lot of people that came and went from the establishment, Bucky's seeking of anonymity was granted. You pretended to not recognise him. You were kind to him, a little more gentle than you were to others, but mostly just a good bartender. And in time, you grew accustomed to the charade. He came in a couple of afternoons a week, but never during the nights when it would be busy. Eventually, he even started to speak more than a couple words to you.

"New cap?" you greeted Bucky with a grin, putting the only drink he ever ordered down in front of him.

Bucky wrapped his right hand around the glass of whiskey. He glanced at you, smiled and shrugged.

"Speaking of new, can I ask you something?" you asked.

The expression on Bucky's face was guarded, but definitely one of concern. You realised you should have just asked, rather than let his mind spiral.

"What’s your problem with clean glasses?"

He looked surprised. Surprised was an experience Bucky wasn't particularly used to or fond of. He wouldn't hold it against you though.

"How do ya know I got a problem?" he asked back, genuinely curious.

Shrugging, you looked around casually. "Guess I notice a lot of things about people,"

"Right," he said slowly, knowingly. "I don't know… Just seems wasteful… Is it the law?"

"That we have to use clean glasses?" you asked with a laugh. "I don't know… probably not. I mean, it's more hygienic. Probably makes the drink taste cleaner or whatever. Board of Health might have a problem with us if we didn't… Not that I've seen one of them in here in years."

Bucky picked up his glass and finished the whiskey. "Fill her up," he quipped. He'd made a half-joke, and you appreciated the effort.

"Yes, sir. Lemme know if you, you know, what anything else," you told him, topping him up, knocking your knuckles on the bar top, and walking away.

…

Bucky Barnes certainly wasn't the most chatty person you'd met. It was better to ask questions if you wanted to pass time with conversations. Easy conversation was one of your special skills, being a bartender and all. However, it was incredibly difficult to do this when you were purposefully avoiding topics that would put Bucky in a position to have to, you know, admit his identity and all that. So, things stayed superficial.

No, Bucky didn't watch the game.

Yes, the weather's been insane.

No, he doesn't want any nut mix.

Okay, maybe yes to pretzels.

Yes, he can see your hair has changed colour.

Yes, he likes it.

For as long as it had taken to get to the point of superficial conversation, it didn't take any time at all to run out of things to say. As it turned out, neither you nor Bucky had lived, or were living, shallow enough lives to sustain it. There were questions you were begging to ask, and if he was honest with himself, Bucky was kinda just counting down until you finally spoke up.

…

"So, I got a question,"

"Mmm. You have a lot of questions," Bucky said, smirking then taking another sip of his whisky.

"You could ask me somethin' if you want a change of pace, pal."

It was a joke. Just banter. But a dark expression flashes across Bucky's face for only a split second. You didn't catch it.

"What's your question, Y/N?"

He knew your name?

Of course he knew your name. He was The Winter fucking Soldier. He probably knew everything about everyone that worked and frequented the bar. How had you not thought of that before? Suddenly, it seemed risky to ask what you had planned to.

Bucky watched you hesitate. He sighed and looked around at the empty room. It was a Monday afternoon and it was just before the regulars showed up to knock beer bottles together and catcall you across the bar. It was just you and him.

"Ask," he said softly, taking his cap off and setting it down on the barstool next to him. You watched Bucky run his hands through his hair, tucking some of it behind his ear.

"Why do you drink whiskey?"

Bucky laughed. Like, a proper heartfelt laugh. "What?" he said, nose still scrunched up in amusement.

"What?"

"Why do I drink whiskey?" he repeated.

"Yeah… I mean… It's disgusting… and, like, you… can't get drunk, right?"

There it was. You did it. Admitted you knew him. Which he figured out. So none of what was happening was really a big deal. But it sure as fuck felt like it.

"Right. I can’t- Well, I can, but it takes a lot,"

"Asgardian mead a lot?"

Bucky grinned and tipped his glass towards you. "How do you know about Asgardian mead?"

You snorted. "Everyone does. Everyone knows everything these days,"

"That's what we want you to think," he said, not skipping a beat.

It made you laugh. It was already better talking to him without false pretences. "So, whisky?"

"Ah… Guess it's that everything's different now… An' that's mostly good. But… You know."

No. No, you didn't know. How could you even begin to understand? "Yeah," you said, your voice far more quiet than you meant it to be.

"Whiskey's still whiskey,"

"It tastes the same?" you asked.

"Almost. Not exactly. Close enough,"

"Makes sense… But why here? S'not like this bar been here since the 40s or anything."

Bucky was visibly trying not to smile. Or make eye contact. "Ah… Not sure how to answer that without… offending ya,"

"Huh? ... Oh, I don't own the joint or anything,"

"You don't?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"No? You think I did? Why?"

"You're…" but he shrugged, still guarded. "I don't know," he lied. "But, ah, I was just lookin' for somewhere…"

"Pretty much stuck in the 40s or thereabouts?"

He nodded, smiling. "But without the Nazis,"

"Mmm… I mean… Have you watched the news lately?" you very quickly said.

"I try to avoid it," he admitted solemnly.

As people started to wander in, the conversation waned. Bucky watched you serve cold beer and pour bags of crisps into bowls. He listened to the worst songs being picked on the jukebox and he sat truly shocked you weren't even at least the daughter of the owner. Despite what you may have thought, he hadn't bothered to investigate you at all and finding his assumptions to be wrong was unsettling.

See, Bucky was a little bit smitten with you. He thought you were smart and sassy and timelessly beautiful. You were the ultimate perk of randomly picking this as his hideaway from the world. But, he figured you were only here because it was a family business. Why was someone smart, sassy and beautiful working strange hours at a shitty bar?

It was hard to say which of you was more curious about the other.

…

Something about what Bucky said had stuck in your head. Whiskey, his drink of choice, was the closest thing to his own time he could find. You could do better than that though.

About a year into working at the bar, you were finally allowed to venture into the cellar to clean it up. There were boxes of shit from forever ago down there and you just wanted it sorted, gone, and the space put to better use. Most of what lived beneath the floor was trash, but every hour or so you'd find something cool. A few vintage beer signs. Empty bottles of collector edition Coke. That kind of stuff. But, there was one thing you had found that you now wanted to stumble across again.

Nobody could remember where it had got to.

It took two days of searching to find it.

The bottle of whiskey was shoved under a bunch of paperwork in the office's bottom drawer desk. Not exactly where you'd store something worth a lot of money, but hey - the barely-there owners of the bar were eccentric, to put it nicely. You didn't recognise the brewing company on the peeling label, but that wasn't the point. The date on the bottle quite clearly read 1940.

When Bucky took his usual spot that afternoon, you bounced over to him with a grin on your face. He looked up at you, keeping his cap.

"Aren't you gonna ask me why I'm so happy?" you said, elbows on the bar and head in your hands.

Bucky smiled a little. He seemed sad. Sadder than usual. Good timing.

"Why are you so happy?"

"'Cause I found something that's gonna make you real fuckin' happy. Check this out!"

You produced the bottle from where you had it stashed under the bar and handed it to Bucky.

Bucky's lips parted slightly and his eyes went all glossy. He read the label carefully, probably trying to place the brand you couldn't. He handled it so carefully, even more than you in your fear of dropping it.

"This is real," he finally said.

"Yeah. I found it in the basement ages ago and just remembered it. 1940, so I figure it's like, first or second batch after Prohibition, yeah?"

Bucky nods. "I guess…" he replied, smiling, remembering Prohibition. "And before all the distilleries had to stop again,"

"For what?" you asked.

"The war," he said so matter-of-factly that it hurt a little. He looked up then, saw your confusion. "Dunno if it was law or if they just did it, but most places stopped making drinking alcohol and started making stuff to help win the war. And ah, whiskey stopped being made because it took up too much crops. I don't know. Something like that."

Something like that. Like he hadn't lived history.

"I didn’t know that. That's…" Not 'cool.' "That makes sense… Anyway. Open it," you ordered, getting out two clean glasses.

Bucky put the bottle on the bar and looked at you seriously. "Y/N, that's gotta be worth… a lot… Can't open it for no reason,"

"Nobody here cares about it. And besides, it's not really no reason, is it?" He didn't move or say anything. "Bucky." He flinched at his name, glanced around to make sure nobody heard. They hadn't. "I think you kinda earned this one, yeah? Now do me the honours."

Why was everyone in Bucky's life so goddamn stubborn?

He sighed and opened the bottle silently. You nodded in encouragement, letting him pour.

"A toast," you posed, holding your glass up. Bucky mimicked your action. "A toast to…" Everything in your head sounded either very cliché or very sad.

"Whiskey," Bucky finished.

"Whiskey," you agreed.

Drinking at the same time, Bucky swallowed in two gulps while you struggled with a sip.

"Jesus fucking Christ it tastes like cat piss now and it did then," you whined, pouring the liquid left in your glass into Bucky's. He laughed at you.

After drinking that down quickly, Bucky reached across the bar and took your hand in his. "Thank you, Y/N. Really."

A toast to finding things that make us less homesick.

…

After the 1940 whiskey, Bucky came in more regularly. He stayed longer, despite the place filling with people. He even began to talk to the other regulars when they sat at the bar and argued with you about politics, the news, and kids these days. You watched him play devil's advocate, siding with the old men, sarcastically poking fun at you with a quick comment every now and then.

You weren't sure when it happened, but you realised Bucky had grown to be comfortable in the space. And there was something about that that made you ridiculously happy. Like, sunbeams bouncing around on the inside of you making you all hot and tingly and full of joy whenever he was there kind of happy. It was gross.

Bucky would walk in, sit, place his cap down and grin at you with his cute little teeth and sparkly blue eyes. It made your day without exception, and you started to notice more little things about him and how they made you feel. When he hooked his hand behind his ear it would make your stomach flip.

One time, when he was telling you a story about carnival rides and baby Steve throwing up, a loose strand of hair fell across his face and you immediately and unconsciously leant across the bar and folded it gently behind his ear for him. Bucky froze, and you went to apologise, but he spoke first. "Thanks," he said softly, with more meaning than the situation called for, then continued on with his story.

It was like that for just over a month. Then he stopped coming in. There was nothing in his final visit to indicate he wasn't coming back. Bucky just disappeared.

CLICK TO READ PART 2/2

#Bucky Barnes #Bucky Barnes/Reader #Bucky Barnes/You #Bucky Barnes/Y/N #Bucky Barnes x Reader #Bucky Barnes x You #Bucky Barnes x Y/N #Bucky Barnes fic #Bucky Barnes fanfic #Bucky barnes needs a hug #mine

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linphd · 5 years

Text

husband!kirishima x wife!reader | wonderful, wonderful

eijiro kirishima x reader

female reader

Eijiro dances with his family at a wedding, remembering everything he's been through with his current wife.

no warning

the lyrics are from wonderful wonderful by johnny mathis

the entire one shot is based on this shot of the solis family dancing together at the wedding cause it's my favorite scene from the whole scene??? yeah lol you thought you were on a bnha book/blog, you didn’t expect so many desperate housewives stuff, right 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sometimes we walk hand in hand by the sea,

and we breathe in the cool salty air.

You turn to me with a kiss in your eyes,

then my heart feels a thrill beyond compare.

When Kirishima was in the 1-A class, his sensei invited a hero that could see in the future. One perk of this quirk was that the hero could also show what he was seeing to the others. The students were allowed to ask any question they wanted, even though the hero could refuse to show them. Most of the students decided that they didn't want to know anything ; maybe in 10 years, they will be dead because of a fight during a hero mission, right ?

But Kirishima had a much brighter idea. ''Will I get kids ?'' He asked. The hero showed him ; one boy and one girl, having his natural black hair, and they seemed rather young. They were dancing with him, and that's when he noticed ; the vision also showed the mom. And it was the one and only (Y/N) (L/N), the girl Kirishima already liked.

''I'm going to have kids with (Y/N) ?'' He muttered. ''But crybaby hates kids.'' Bakugou commented. And yeah, 'crybaby' was the girl's nickname. ''I know...'' Kirishima answered, still staring at the vision. He took a video of it, so he won't forget about it. (Y/N), the mother of his children, and those two, dancing all together. ''Where are we ?'' He asked the hero. ''At a wedding. I won't say whose wedding, though.''

Then your lips cling to mine.

It's wonderful, wonderful.

Oh, so wonderful, my love.

Kirishima decided not to tell the girl, in case she would be scared and avoid him. And the hero say it himself ‘this future still can change'. So, he decided to keep the video of his future family, and not to force the girl to date him. Things would've happened whenever they wanted, so the future won't be changed. The boy didn't even check the future ever again ; so he still didn't know, nowadays, if he was going to be with (Y/N) forever, or if they were going to have another child.

And actually, things worked out well, since they ended up dating. Kirishima asked her out during a party at the dorms, but he didn't expect her to agree, at all. However, for everyone else, it was obvious that she had developed a crush on him too. Indeed, she fell in love with him later than he had with her, but everyone was happy for them when they finally started to date.

Once, they were late to class (they had missed the whole morning) because they had decided to sleep together, and had forgotten to put on their alarms. They got house duties for 5 days ; students weren't supposed to share their dorms. They had just spent those days joking with each other and goofing around, so it was a win-win.

Sometimes we stand on the top of a hill,

and we gaze at the earth and the sky.

I turn to you and you melt in my arms,

there we are, darling, only you and I.

They actually kept dating in high school, and even after they graduated. They were 20. As they started to work as sidekicks, they already became quite famous. (Y/N) was known to be a scary hero, because of how serious she looked while fighting. Moreover, her quirk was kind of intimidating, and many villains didn’t want to face her, already. But, when she was with Kirishima, she was the cutest person he had ever seen.

After their days of work, they liked to just lay on their couch or their bed, and cuddle for hours until it was time to eat. They would talk about their day, get each other a massage -since Kirishima had made that a tradition- and giggle together. Of course they were fighting sometimes, but it was really complicated to find a reason to be mad at the boy.

When they became pro heroes, they moved in only together -since they had moved in with Bakugou and Mina as well, after high school- and Kirishima had chosen an house with extra rooms. ‘’Why for ? You know I don’t want kids.’’ (Y/N) had said. But her boyfriend smiled at her. ‘‘No worries ! There’s an extra room for your artistic stuffs and one room in case we’re having a huge party and people have to sleep here !’’ Well, he was a party guy, so (Y/N) didn’t mind it. And they were getting paid very well, so they could afford a big house.

What a moment to share,

It's wonderful, wonderful.

Oh, so wonderful, my love.

They were really young when they married, since they were 22/23. Actually, (Y/N) didn’t expect it at all. They were having dinner together -Kirishima was planning dates actually quite often- and once they were back home, Kirishima proposed. The former Bakusquad was at their house, throwing flowers and playing music so it would be a wonderful proposal. (Y/N) had laughed, agreeing without even thinking. They had started to date at 16, why would she say no ? It wasn’t early, whether they were young or not.

Their wedding ceremony was perfect, because it was exactly how (Y/N) had planned it. Kirishima had let her choose the song for their dance, and he had let her choose most of the decorations. ‘’I’m the one who proposed, so you’re the one who’s getting exactly what she wants. I’m happy with whatever makes you happy.’’ He had said, a bright smile on, showing his pointed teeth.

Many heroes were invited, including their former classmates and teachers. Kirishima had forgotten about this video he had taken of his future, and that’s why he didn’t talk about it to (Y/N). Sure, he had kept it for many years, but after they moved in together, he had other priorities than daydreaming about his future family.

The world is full of wondrous things it's true,

but they wouldn't have much meaning,

without you.

3 years after their wedding, things weren’t so well. They both almost couldn’t see each other, even though they were living in the same house, because of their jobs. They were both too busy about being in the top heroes, that they had forgotten to relax like they used to. And even if for them it was a routine they used to have, they both didn’t know it was this important to them.

They broke up for a few weeks. Yes, a few weeks only, maybe it wasn’t even for a month. Indeed, Mina had organized a party, and being almost as heartbroken as both Kirishima and (Y/N) after their breakup, she wanted to hook them up again. They hadn’t divorced, anyway. They both had laughed, talking about each other’s experiences with being single.

‘’I didn’t change the lock of our house.’’ (Y/N) had finally said. ‘’And I didn’t throw my keys.’’ Kirishima had answered. Yeah, they both knew that they weren’t going to divorce ; they just needed some time by themselves. They both didn’t try to meet someone else and didn’t plan to. But after they got back together, they promised each other that they wouldn’t put their spot in the hero ranking at the top of their priorities anymore.

Some quiet evening I sit by your side,

and we're lost in a world of our own.

I feel the glow of your unspoken love,

I'm aware of the treasure that I own.

They got back together like nothing had happened. They had been together for 10 years, it wasn’t their jobs that were going to tear them apart. They even got stronger, actually. Indeed, (Y/N) was brought into a huge fight, and came back home with a scar on her upper lip, that was expending a bit to her cheek. She had cried, so bad. But Kirishima found her even more beautiful. ‘’And now, we’re matching !’’ He had said, after he had tried to calm her down for a whole hour. But he had convinced her that she didn’t have to mind her scar. That was when Kirishima remembered about this vision of the future he had seen ; (Y/N) had a scar, yes. He didn’t want to tell her that neither, and he had even forgotten about it, too.

And in the same year, it came out as a surprise when (Y/N) turned out pregnant. ‘’I know you don’t like kids, but... We could give it a shot, I mean, I know I’ll be a good dad and you’ll be a good mom, and we’ve been together for so long, but I won’t force you, babe.’’ They talked for hours, but (Y/N) actually didn’t seem against the idea. ‘’I mean... I really want a mini Eijiro running around the house. Spiky baby teeth must look very cute.’’ And Kirishima had never been so happy -or maybe on his wedding day, though.

The first child was a boy. Yes, the first, because 2 years later, the second child was a girl. This one wasn’t planned neither, but they remembered how they both felt a bit lonely as children because they didn’t have any bother nor sister, so they decided to keep it as well. Both children turned out with black hair and spiky teeth.

And I say to myself,

it's wonderful, wonderful.

Oh, so wonderful, my love.

And I say to myself,

it's wonderful, wonderful.

Oh, so wonderful, my love.

And here they were, at 32, at (your fav ship)’s wedding. Kirishima looked at his family, as they were all dancing with the other guests and the newly married couple. He was imitating his son’s dance to make him laugh, while (Y/N) was dancing with their little girl. (S/N) was 6, and he had the same quirk as his dad. (D/N) was 4, and her quirk was brand new ; she had a mix of both her mom and dad’s quirks. Kirishima stared at his wife’s smile.

She didn’t want any child at the beginning, she didn’t even think of getting married someday. But here she was, enjoying the moment. She picked up their little girl, as she giggled in her mom’s arms. (Y/N) looked at her, a bright smile still on her face, and Kirishima was mirroring her expression.

Yes, it really was the scene he had seen when he asked for his future, in high school. And Kirishima couldn’t be more pleased ; he wasn’t the number one hero, but he was living what he used to daydream about all day long, in high school. And he couldn’t think of something more wonderful.

yeay, for once it’s a husband x wife and it’s not an angst lmao

I wanted to write that with shouta at first, but I wrote so many one shots of him already so I thought of kirishima, momo, shoto and even katsuki but I thought of kiri first after shouta so he won.

in case you wanna see the video :

youtube

#bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #eijiro kirishima #kirishima eijiro #eijiro x reader #kirishima x reader

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tobashiarg-blog-archive · 5 years

Text

Turns Out Being a Super Hero Is Actually Really Gay! - Chapter 5

Hey kiddos, I’m back! Your main bitch here has NOT been in the best mental health as of late :) My boss at my current job is driving me up a wall and I may need to find a new one since he might not be able to pay me for the hours I do, my depression is kicking my ass, and my dog was going to have puppies but then had a miscarriage and it turns out she can never have puppies again or risk dying next time. Soooo yeah, I’m probably not okay, but that’s okay because we are back with another chapter of your fav spiderbois! Again, huge thanks to @sugarglider9603 and @ask-spiderverse-virgil for their wonderful au! Also shout out to @khadij-al-kubra for helping me appropriately write Logan and his family! They gave me some awesome advice and insight into Muslim culture and you should totally check out their blog and read their Thomas In Wonderland fan fic, it’s super cute! Anyways, now with that out of the way please ENJOY!!!!

Master Post

Beginning

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

The boys collapsed on to the couch in Thomas’s living room in one heaping pile of uncoordinated limbs and groans. They were absolutely exhausted, aching joints and sore muscles which they were careful to move slowly. Thomas, meanwhile, leaned over the back of the couch, suit still intact but mask off, smiling amusingly at the tired teens.

“So, third day of training went well,” Thomas snickered, the boys groaned in response causing the older man to laugh again “yeah, you’ll get use to it eventually. Just because your muscles are stronger doesn’t mean they aren’t prone to getting tired when worked out.”

“I take back every nice thing I said about you,” Virgil murmured, face down across the couch “you are the absolute worst and I’d rather take Ms. Green’s Saturday day classes.”

“I ache all over.” Patton whined.

“The body takes about a week or so to get used to routine work out,” Logan groaned out “but as you do you adjust it so that you don’t get used to it and extend your bodies limit. But even so this training fucking sucks!”

“Agreed,” Roman grunted “I have so many regrets.”

“Toughen up boys, you all wanted to be super heroes,” Thomas tutted “besides, we haven’t even gotten to the hard parts yet.”

“The worst!” Virgil hissed “Terrible mentor! Zero out of ten!”

Thomas chuckled, “If it helps, you all are doing great. I’m really proud off all the effort and hard work you’ve been putting into this. Now, weather that’ll stay throughout the entirety of your training is to be determined but I have faith in you all.”

The boys stayed quiet for a long while, faces flushed red though it wasn’t from the intense work out they just had, mostly. They’ve all been doing their damnedest to show how serious they were about becoming heroes, wanting to prove to Thomas and everyone else that they weren’t messing around. And even if it’s only been a short while it was nice to know that Thomas had faith in them and wanted to see them succeed. It was pretty fucking sweet to know that your hero and now mentor had your back.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get too sappy, you still suck.” Virgil grumbled, but the blush on his cheeks plus the smile he kept trying to hide told a different tale.

“Oh well, if I’m the worse them I guess you guys wouldn’t be interested in any of the ‘after work out’ sandwiches I made,” Thomas said innocently, turning to walk towards the kitchen “plus, a banana and strawberry milkshake but it’s probably not that great cause, you know, I’m the worst and all.”

The boys were silent once more before suddenly jumping off the couch and racing after Thomas towards the kitchen.

“Best teacher! Twelve out of ten gold stars!” Virgil called out.

“I’m not all that achey!” Patton said, a slight wince in his step.

“Well really the body shouldn’t ever get used to a work out too much,” Logan informed “and the routines you’ve set up for us will really balance out our bodies.”

“Best decision of my life! Absolutely, no regrets!” Roman cheered.

---

The boys lazed around in the kitchen, chatting as they ate their mountain of sandwiches and delicious milkshakes and Thomas couldn’t help but feel kind of domestic. He didn’t usually have much company besides Joan and Talyn and even then, he was sometimes too busy to properly hang out with them. But they understood, even before they found out about him being Rainbow Weaver Joan and Talyn were always supporting him and Thomas will forever be grateful for that. But there was just something about having a room full of people, chatting and laughing, with a mutual understanding of each other’s situation that made Thomas feel…less alone.

‘Welcome to parenthood fucker!’ A voice in Thomas’s head, that suspiciously sounded a lot like Joan, cackled.

“Shush.” Thomas mumbled quietly as he shook his head to silence the voice before returning to the conversation at hand.

“The whole movie is basically a promotion on Stockholm syndrome!” Virgil exclaimed.

“She stayed on her own accord so she could save her father!” Roman shot back “Plus he did let her go after she went into the forbidden room only SAVE her when she was in danger! She could have left after he passed out but no, she went back again WILLINGLY to nurse him back to health!”

Roman and Virgil had been arguing about the story line of various Disney movies for the better part of an hour now. Thomas, Logan, and Patton sat as the audience, occasionally throwing in their own opinions but staying out of it for the most part. Even if the debate seemed intense it kind of looked like the two were having fun in their own strange way. Currently they were discussing the elements of Beauty and the Beast.

“Yeah, because it’s either get mauled to death and freeze in the woods or be trapped in solitude!” Virgil quipped “She just chose the better half of a bad situation that would provide her with food and shelter!”

“But they fell in love!” Roman cried.

“Yes, because a prisoner falling in love with their capture is totally healthy and cool if you add bunch of dancing silverware!” Virgil snarked.

“Ugh! You are impossible!” Roman groaned “How is it you claim to like Disney but have all this bad to say about it?”

“Because it’s literally the whole reason I like it in the first place,” Virgil snorted “there are so many dark elements to it that people over look. Especially if you read the original fairy tales that inspired them.”

“You just want to make everything dark and edgy,” Roman grumbled “not everything has to have a dark side.”

“Everything does have a dark side, Sir Sing-A-Lot.” Virgil smirked.

“Ha, I like that nickname and I’m gunna use it!” Roman huffed.

“Not that it isn’t great that you two are getting along,” Logan said sarcastically, finishing his milkshake and grabbing another sandwich “but me and Virgil got to get going or we’ll be late for dinner and I would rather not endure my mother’s wrath.”

“Oh shit, that’s today?” Virgil asked as he began to pack his stuff.

“What’s today?” Patton asked curiously.

“My brother is coming over for dinner,” Logan replied dryly “we haven’t seen him in a while.”

“You don’t seem too excited.” Thomas said.

“It’s not that I’m not excited to see him after so long it’s just…” Logan paused, fidgeting over uncomfortable feel of emotion running through his brain, wondering if he should even bother discussing this any further. Eventually, he chose not to, “Nothing, it’s just, you know, tired from all the training and…stuff.”

Thomas knew there was something more to the whole situation, as did Patton and Roman, but out of politeness nobody said anything. They instead looked to Virgil to see if he could clue them in on something, they were missing but the purple clad teen only shrugged and shook his head. So, they were quick to change the subject.

“What are the rest of you doing this evening?” Thomas asked.

“My brother Alex said he was gunna take me and Georgie, my other brother, out somewhere,” Patton sighed, rolling his eyes “that’s usually code for he wants to impress a girl by showing what a ‘cool and caring’ brother he is and will fail miserably. But hey, I’m not gunna look a gift horse in the mouth, usually he takes us to cool places.”

“My mom and sister are working late again so I have to pick up and babysit the twins,” Roman replied before suddenly remembering something and turned to Virgil “Virgil what are you doing?”

Virgil paused, giving Roman an odd look, “Uh, besides dinner at the Quinn’s, nothing much afterwards. Why?”

“Good, because you need to come over so we can finish up that stupid essay due on Monday and I can’t have you over on Sunday because we have church and a baby shower to go to.” Roman said as he casually munched on another sandwich.

“Shit, that’s still a thing,” Virgil groaned, looking to Logan for help “have you even started on that?”

“Oh yes, me and Patton finished it recently.” Logan replied coolly.

“We video chatted since me and Lo had other stuff to attend to and couldn’t come over to each other’s houses.” Patton added.

“That’s why you flaked out on movie night yesterday,” Roman said in a moment of realization before pouting “you chose a study date with your boyfriend over me?”

Logan choked on the sandwich he was still munching on whole Patton squeaked and flushed a dark red. Virgil snickered as he went over to pat Logan’s back until he stopped coughing while Patton blubbered and waved his hands around, shrieking how “it’s not like that Roman, you know that! We just- we study a-and – we aren’t, uh…” Logan was soon to join in once he got the proper amount of air in his lungs, face just and red and sputtering just as embarrassed.

Thomas bit back a laugh while Roman and Virgil, the little shits, out right smirked in that smug way all best friends do when they see each other suffering. It was painfully obvious that Logan and Patton a “thing” for each other but were just too shy and awkward to acknowledge it. It was easy to push their buttons and was also extremely entertaining to watch. Still, Thomas was merciful and kindly decided to redirect the subject again.

“Well, while you kids enjoy your evening plans, I’ll be out on patrol,” Thomas said, stretching out a bit “so if you need to contact me and I’m a little slow to respond you’ll know why.”

“Might pass by that ally way again while patrolling?” Virgil asked innocently, though the devious smirk on his face was a dead giveaway “You know, just to make sure there’s no one in danger?”

“Yeah, like a certain cute barista?” Roman snickered.

Thomas’s cheeks colored pink and he regretted his previous act of mercy because those little vipers turn head so fast it’s as if they planed it. “You know we could just spend a whole day doing laps next training day?”

“We could, but that still wouldn’t erase the fact that you’re too gay to function around attractive males.” Logan smirked.

“Aw, but wouldn’t it be cute if they went out on a date?” Patton gushed, his comment was genuine but that didn’t make Thomas any less flustered. “You should try and talk to him, like for reals. Maybe ask him out on a cute little coffee date?”

“I am like flashing back to so many Coffee Shop Au fics it’s not even funny,” Virgil laughed breathlessly “anyway, Roman, text me your address and I’ll swing by after dinner. See ya gays later.”

“Don’t you mean guys?” Patton asked.

“I know what I said.” Virgil replied as he and Logan made their way out of the kitchen.

Roman shrugged, “He isn’t wrong though.”

---

They arrived at their apartment building in record time, Vigil having informed his parents before hand that he’d be at Logan’s for dinner before heading out to Roman’s to finish up the essay. Though at the moment neither of them were in any hurry to get to where they were going, taking a dramatically long time climbing up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to tag along with you and Morgan after dinner?” Virgil asked for the tenth time that day “I really, really don’t mind flaking out on Roman.”

“As much as I would like that you really do need to finish your essay,” Logan sighed “it counts as a major grade for your science class.”

It wasn’t that Logan’s brother was a bad guy, on the contrary he was actually really cool and easy to talk too, but the constant comparisons made between them by their parents made Logan kind of resent him, just a little. Don’t get him wrong, Logan loved his older brother and wouldn’t mind spending more time with him but as of late the closer Logan got to graduation the more his parents…“pushed” him to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He couldn’t even mention about applying for colleges around them because then they’d go into a spiral about all the colleges Morgan got excepted to at his age and how he should apply for those and go for this program that Morgan did and maybe he could study abroad like Morgan did. It’s not like they did it on purpose, Logan knew his parents loved him and were proud of him, they only wanted what’s best for him so that he could succeed and gain opportunities that they couldn’t when they were young. But sometimes it just…got a bit much.

“Come on, let me procrastinate,” Virgil whined, though it was more to make Logan laugh then being serious “I don’t want to spend my whole afternoon with Roman.”

“It’s not my fault the teachers chose him as a partner for you,” Logan chuckled “at least he’s willing to do work and not slack off like others. Plus, better him then Dolion.”

“Mmh, true,” Virgil grumbled “but stiiiill! The only reason you’re not complaining is because you got to be all buddy-buddy with Patton and make heart eyes at him all day.”

As expected, Logan was a blushing, sputtering mess, “I-it’s not like that!”

Vigil continued to tease his best friend all the way up until their destination, then everything got tense again. Logan took a deep breath, slowly letting it out as he went over the most likely scenarios that would happen during dinner, none of them were good. But Logan just had to get through dinner then an awkward night out with his brother and after he could just sulk in his room the rest of the night. His train of thought was broken by a gentle hand squeezing his own and he turned to find Virgil smiling at him sympathetically.

“I got your back if that means anything?” Virgil shrugged.

Logan gave him a tiny, appreciative smile, “It means everything.”

“Great,” Virgil turned towards the awaiting door in front of them “let’s face Hades together.”

“You know, Hades wasn’t an evil god,” Logan began to explain “he was just god of the Underworld and-”

“You know what I mean.” Virgil scoffed as he opened the door to Logan’s apartment.

Inside, Mr. and Mrs. Quinn were in the living room enthusiastically entertaining their special guest of the evening, Morgan Quinn. Looks wise, Morgan and Logan looked pretty similar, tall lanky build, neat trimmed hair, and thick square glasses. Personality wise, they couldn’t be more different, Logan was always the more serious of the two while Morgan tended to be the more goofy, social butterfly. Despite being polar opposites, they got along pretty great, Morgan was the one that introduced Logan to his love of space and it was that mutual love that formed an incredible bond between them. They’d always go up to the roof and look at the stars through their telescope, read up on NASA’s latest discoveries and plans, or just binge watch a bunch of space documentaries. But lately, Logan’s been looking at the stars less, it’s been moths since he’s looked into what NASA’s been up too, and he’s kind of been avoiding space documentaries all together if he’s honest.

“Lolo!” Morgan exclaimed excitedly as he rushed to hug his brother “Salaam alekum!”

“Waalekum salaam,” Logan replied, a small smile appearing on his face despite his internal conflict “welcome home.”

“Geez, you sprouted up like a bean stalk,” Morgan laughed as he pulled back to look over his little brother “what are Ummi and Babá feeding you?”

“All required nutrition regiments,” Logan quipped “though I can only assume your stunted growth is due to the college dietary restrictions of coffee and instant noodles.”

“Quit exposing me,” Morgan chided playfully before turning to Virgil with his arms open wide for a hug “Virge, salaam alekum!”

“Waalekum salaam,” Virgil replied, tentatively accepting the hug though Morgan knew he wasn’t one for physical affection so he didn’t linger long “how you’ve been?”

“I’ve been great, tired but great,” Morgan chuckled “and you still haven’t grown? I though Ummi was stuffing you down with the same thing she’s been feeding Logan?”

“Gunna take a lot more then forced self-care to make me into a functioning human being.” Virgil smirked.

“Speaking of eating,” Mrs. Quinn cut through the chatter as she made her way to the kitchen “I made your favorite Morgan, kufta and rice. Shall we eat now?”

“Please,” Morgan half begged “I’m a starving college student.”

They family plus Virgil gathered around the table, filling their plates with the lamb meat balls, rice and side salad put in place. It was all pleasantries at first, catching up on each other’s lives and reminiscing on the past and how it compared to the present. It was nice, laughter and chatter filled the room as other’s ate to think of more conversation topics.

Then Mrs. Quinn asked, “How has your internship been at Oscorps?”

And so it began.

“Oh, it’s been amazing,” Morgan gushed “I’ve been learning so much about bioengineering and genetic research. There’s been so many advances made in the medical field and it’s just fascinating to see the behind the scenes of everything.”

“You know, Logan and Virgil went on a field trip to Oscorps this week,” Mr. Quinn said, unknown to him that Logan’s eye began to twitch waiting for the inevitable “I would have hoped they’d see you there in action.”

“Oh no, I’m usually in the back with the researchers,” Morgan explained before looking to his brother “but if you would have texted me earlier, I could have given you and Virge a secret tour of the latest project we’ve been working on. It’s awesome, you would have loved it Lo.”

“I, um…” Logan began, fiddling with the food on his plate.

“Logan, I thought we told you to call your brother and ask about the internship requirements?” Mrs. Quinn asked.

“I forgot.” Logan said lamely.

“Babá you can’t afford to be forgetting these things,” Mr. Quinn scolded gently “you have to build up a good college resume and a company like Oscorps will get you accepted into any school you want.”

“Yeah, I know.” Logan mumbled, having stopped eating all together and was now just staring at his plate.

“Well, he’s still just a junior in high school,” Morgan cut in before more could be said by either of his parents “an internship like this is not easy to come by. Some people are on a waiting list for years and even then, they might not get accepted.”

“But didn’t they offer you a position when you were in high school?” Mrs. Quinn asked “Surely if Logan took an extra class or two, he could have one too.”

“What they offered me was an errand boy that made print outs and got coffee,” Morgan explained, secretly watching as the tension in his brother’s shoulders relaxed just a bit “they’re not gunna let a high schooler into a research lab no matter how smart he is. Maybe once he hits college but even then, he could get a much better offer from somewhere else. I hear the robotic engineering program in Carnegie and Brown are real buddy-buddy with Stark Industries.”

Logan smiled, just a little, tentative and quiet, “Really?”

“I don’t know,” Mrs. Quinn butted in, and just like that the tension in Logan’s shoulders returned “Stark Industries is sketchy at best, especially with all that Avengers mumbo-jumbo going on. Besides, wouldn’t a job in the medical field be more secure financial wise? All I ever see that Tony Stark do on the news is make new toys for him to play with and destroy the city.”

“Saving the world from an alien invasion and government corruption,” Morgan explained “pretty sure that’s kind of important Ummi.”

Mrs. Quinn shrugged, “I guess so.”

“But what about that whole mess with the Avengers?” Mr. Quinn asked “Or whatever’s going on there? There’s always some kind of conflict with them.”

“It’s been cleared up now,” Morgan informed them “plus I hear Stark Industries are partnering up with a famed research facility in Wakanda. They’re supposed to have technological advances years beyond us. I’m sure Logan will be snatched up in an instant.”

Mr. and Mrs. Quinn seemed sort of swayed but they surely still had more questions and probing statements to say. Thankfully, Morgan was quick to jump in and change the conversation. “So Logan, Ummi and Babá were telling me how you, Virge and some friends made a club together, how’s that been going?”

Not a topic Logan wished to discuss in great detail but he’d chose that over the previous one. “Uh, great, we’ve been making excellent progress.”

“And what of the other guys in your group?” Morgan asked, genuinely curious “How are they like?”

“They’re…great,” Logan chuckled awkwardly “just two classmates from our school, Patton and Roman, we all head a group project together and we got discussing on some issues and of course one thing led to another.”

“Yeah, they’re pretty cool,” Virgil added “and we’re getting…stuff and things done. It’s small but nice.”

“That’s good,” Morgan smiled “I hope to meet these new friends someday, I’m getting kind of tired of just Virgil at our house all the time.”

“You know we all thought the same thing with you,” Virgil rolled his eyes but gave an easy smirked “thank god you left for college.”

Morgan laughed, “Geez, Virge, tell me how you really feel. Also, I heard you guys were being sponsored by Thomas Sanders, unless Ummi and Babá got the name mixed up?”

“Yeah, we didn’t believe it either at first,” Logan chuckled nervously, him and Virgil sharing a knowing look “but the school district recommended him and he accepted so it was only logical of us to accept as well.”

“How hard did you and Virgil fan girl? Be honest.” Morgan teased.

Logan pouted (though he’d deny it till his dying day) and promptly returned to his dinner, “Suddenly, I don’t remember the details.”

“It’s like it never even happened,” Virgil added dramatically “Thomas Sanders who? What club?”

“Aw, come on guys!” Morgan chuckled, playfully shoving his brother’s shoulder “I’m only kidding…mildly, though seriously how hard did you fan girl? Cause I’m pretty sure Virge has a fan about him that’s just as big as Rainbow Weaver.”

“You know what, go back to your internship and shove your head in a toxic waste tank,” Virgil quipped with flushed cheeks “nobody wanted you here anyway.”

“Hey, you never know, I might gain powers like Rainbow Weaver,” Morgan smirked triumphantly “then I’ll be the one meeting him.”

Logan smirked mysteriously, “Doubtful.”

---

Roman had just finished cleaning the last of the dishes when a buzz was heard throughout the apartment. He was quick to wipe his hands as he moved pasted the kitchen table where the twins were doing homework, ruffling Marco’s hair in the process. The younger gave off an annoyed whine as he swatted his older brother’s hand away who chuckled to himself as he reached the buzzer box and pressed the call button.

“Who is it?” Roman asked.

“It’s Virgil, buzz me in.” The voice responded.

“Sure, give me a minute,” Roman replied, pressing another button before heading off towards his room to retrieve his backpack and set up in the living room. He did not for the life of him trust the twins by themselves, little demons could get into loads of trouble the second you look away from them.

“Who’s that?” Jenni asked, inspecting over her macaroni art project.

“A…friend?” Roman said tentatively “We’re gunna do homework, that’s all you need to know so keep the noise down to a minimum when you guys are done, okay?”

“Is it Patton?” Marco asked excitingly, he always liked when Patton came over, Patton usually spoiled the two with homemade treats.

“No, it’s not Patton.” Roman said, rummaging through his back for the notes Logan gave him.

“Then who is he?” Jenni asked, curiosity finally pulling her away from her glittery macaroni art disaster. Roman groaned at the thought of having to clean that up later.

“Just, uh, guy from a club I’m in,” Roman explained begrudgingly “we have to do a project together, that’s all.”

“Why didn’t you pick Patton as your partner?” Marco asked, half disappointed he would be getting sweets but also curious as to who this new person was.

“Because the teacher chose them for us.” Roman responded bluntly.

“Why?” Jenni asked.

“Because the school system is a dumb-dumb.” Roman said tiredly.

“Why?” Marco asked.

“Why are you guys so invested in this?” Roman snapped, he didn’t mean to but he was already on edge as it was. Virgil and him had a rocky relationship as it was, they were co-workers at best after the whole spider power thing, but even so he had no idea where he stood with him. He knew exactly where he stood with everybody else; Patton was his best friend, Thomas was his mentor and Logan was a nuisance though still fun to poke at. Virgil was just a wild card, sometimes they got along and sometimes they didn’t, it was a weird line they walked and Roman had no idea what step was the wrong step and which one was the right.

“Is he your boyfriend?” Jenni sang, Marco giggling beside her as Roman’s face lit up in red hot flames. “Absolutely not!”

---

Vigil found himself once more taking his time climbing up the stairs when there was a perfectly functioning elevator. The realization of what he was doing and where he was going finally hit him after seeing Morgan and Logan out after dinner. He was going to Roman Marigold’s apartment, Roman Marigold, quite possibly the most annoying human being in the entire school next to Dolion.

It’s not that Roman seemed like a bad guy, he was actually pretty decent when his giant ego was in check and wasn’t jumping off buildings unexpectedly. But for some reason he just got under Virgil’s skin and knew what buttons to press to get a reaction out of him. Though he had no ide if he was doing it to be mean or it was just this weird thing between them. When Roman fought with Logan you always kind of got this vibe that they…not liked each other though it seems like they had mutual respect. But when he and Roman fought it varied on what the situation was, sometimes it could be Disney banters, playful bickering, full on heated debates, or just poking insults. It was weird and Virgil had no idea what to do with it.

He finally reached the door and just as he was about to knock, he heard giggling and a high pitch screech. “Absolutely not!”

Maybe this was bad time, he should probably go back, Virgil didn’t want to be caught in the middle of any family disputes if this was what it was. But he didn’t move to leave, nor did he move to knock again, he just stood there frozen in perpetual confusion and panic, listening to the conversation beyond the door.

Tiny voices sang in a jumpy school yard tune, “Roman’s got a boyfriend! Roman’s got a boyfriend!”

“I do not!” Came the embarrassed reply that Virgil could only guess was Roman.

Virgil clasped a hand over his mouth so as to repress the giggle threatening to slip. It was absolutely hilarious to hear the pristine ego maniac that is Roman Marigold get flustered and loss his cool due to, what sounded like, a bunch of little kids taunting him. Even so it wasn’t very appropriate of him to be eavesdropping on people’s conversations, no matter how hilarious or ridiculous they may seem, so he made quick work of knocking on the door.

It opened almost immediately, a red cheeked Roman staring intently at him, “Oh, you’re here.”

“Yeah, I buzzed you like five minutes ago, remember?” Virgil smirked “We’re you talking to someone?”

“No! No, just…you know,” The flamboyant teen made a vague gesture with his hands “things?”

“Things?” Virgil echoed with an odd look.

Roman nodded and it was suddenly quiet for a long time. Virgil awkwardly standing in the hallway while Roman fidgeted against the door frame, both staring intently at each other without blinking. Finally, a cough from behind Roman snapped them both out of their stupor. They turned to find two smirking children peeking out from behind the living room couch, no doubt Roman’s siblings, they were practically mini carbon copies.

Roman glared at them while Virgil gave a shy wave before asking, “Can I come in now?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Roman stuttered, quickly stepping aside to let Virgil in.

---

Morgan had gotten them tickets to the planetarium viewing of Dark Universe at the American Museum of National History as well as general passes for the rest of the museum. Logan was admittingly excited to go, it’s been a long time since he’s been to a planetarium especially one as grand as the Hayden Planetarium. But on the other hand, the awkward silence between Logan and his brother during the entire taxi ride here was very heavy and uncomfortable. Not that Morgan wasn’t trying to make conversation it’s just that Logan was snubbing them out as quickly as he was thinking them.

Dinner with other people was one thing, an outing by themselves was another. There weren’t other people to buffer out the awkward when things got slow or stale. They use to go on outings together all the time, talking endlessly for hours and hour far into the night, discussing the universe, life, and anything else they could think of. But that was then, this was now, and as of now they haven’t hung out properly in a long time plus Logan’s parents weren’t really helping him warm up to the whole situation. Regardless if Morgan was able to diverge the conversation near the end or not there was still that…tension.

“So…have you ever seen Dark Universe before?” Morgan asked as the lazily walked inside the building, the display of planets across the outside of the planetarium quiet distracting. There were two entrance into the museum, at the front where the famed t-rex statue was displayed and the back where the Earth and Science exhibits were.

“They were going to take us last year for a school field trip but the bus broke down and we missed the showing.” Logan shrugged, looking around at all the displays of planets, stars and solar systems.

“Ah, well that means it’ll be a first viewing for both of us,” Morgan said cheerily, dramatically raising a fist in the air “a bonding experience we shall never forget!”

Logan raised an eyebrow at his brother’s weird display who in turn shyly put his hand down, “Uh, anyway, how’s life? How’s school? How’s that club you got going?”

“It’s fine,” Logan said simply “everything is functioning as it should, it’s only the beginning of the first semester so nothing much has happened. Well, except for…a complication.”

“Yeah, mom and dad told me what happened,” Morgan sighed, a bitter sneer on his face “I still can’t believe there’s jerks like that out there.”

“Indeed,” Logan nodded “but it’s nothing to get worked up over, it’s not like it was the root of the whole ordeal. I was merely…defending a friend from certain public humiliation.”

“Who were they anyway?” Morgan asked before clarifying “The friend you helped out, are they in that club you made?”

“Uh, yes,” Logan said bashfully, a light pink dusking his cheeks “his name is – Patton?”

Logan froze in his tracks, his brother taking a second to notice, because there near a display of Halley’s comet was Patton Foster. He was wearing a stunning high waist space print skirt, black leggings, a soft looking baby blue crop top sweater, and black boots. He also wore sparkly silver star droop earrings and a matching moon neckless, as well as glittery silver clips in his hair. Patton had yet to notice Logan staring, too enraptured in reading over the little facts beside the display, and the genus will forever be grateful for that.

“Who’s that?” Morgan asked, snapping Logan out of his daze.

“Uh, no one,” Logan said much too quickly “l-let’s take a short cut another direction, I think I saw a map that showed the way.”

Morgan smirked deviously, “They don’t look like no one, you obviously know their name.”

Logan was screwed.

“H-he’s just a friend from school, I don’t want to bother him,” Logan sputtered nervously “let’s just go somewhere else so we won’t disturb his evening.”

“Hey, there’s no harm in saying hi,” Morgan chuckled, grabbing onto his brother’s arm so he wouldn’t scurry way “plus, he’s looking this way already.”

“What?” Logan squeaked.

True to his word, Patton had seen them and was now waving at them with that big, bright, beautiful smile of his. Morgan, the devil, waved back just as enthusiastically as he dragged Logan along with him because he’s was half certain Logan was frozen stiff. As they got closer Patton seemingly decided to meet them half way, bright eyed and springy as ever.

“Hey Lo, I didn’t think I’d see you here,” Patton smiled, he looked to Morgan curiously “is this your brother?”

“So, he does talk about me,” Morgan joked and Logan died “all good things I hope.”

Patton giggled, a pleasant bell to Logan’s ears, “Only in passing conversation but being that your brothers I can only assume you’re just as smart and amazing as he is.”

Morgan smiled big and wide, leaning down near Logan in an exaggerated whisper, “I like him, keep him around.”

Logan wasn’t a violent man by nature but annoying sibling could just so easily get under your skin and drive you to murder. “What brings you to the museum Patton? It was my assumption you were on an outing with your brothers.”

Patton pouted, blowing out a huff of air, “Yeah, Alex went to flirt with receptionist lady and Georgie left to drag him back. Alex won a raffle at work and won tickets to this show at the planetarium called Dark Universe. I’m honestly kind of nervous, I don’t really know what it’s about and the title doesn’t seem too pleasant.”

“No need to worry Patton,” Logan assured “it’s simply a documentary displaying the wonders of our universe while providing commentary. Nothing scary or abnormal, I promise.”

“Oh good,” Patton sighed in relief “I was worried that-”

“Ahk, Georgie! Put me down!”

“Stop behaving like a child and I’ll think about it. Where’s Patton?”

“I think he’s over there? Hey! Hey, Pat! Yhoohoo! We’re over here!”

Patton’s face morphed into something between embarrassment and annoyance as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He seemed to be actively avoiding making eye contact with the two squabbling giants heading towards them. They looked to be the perfect size for professional football players or basketball players or both, point is they were huge compared to petite Patton who landed just under Logan’s nose. Then again, Logan was pretty tall though not as tall as those two…where were they?

---

Out of all the places and times to run into Logan outside of school and/or hero training this would have been the perfect place but it was simply just the WORST time. Patton didn’t mind evenings out with his brothers, he liked spending time with them and the outings were usually fun. Their antics, specifically Alex being troubling making dork while Georgie forcefully drags him out of trouble and Patton watches helplessly by the sidelines, were amusing at best but annoying most of the time.

Don’t get Patton wrong, he loved his brothers with all his heart but sometimes they (*cough*Alex*cough*) had no shame what-so-ever. Great for Georgie who wasn’t afraid of a few staring eyes when pulling his brothers out of trouble, not great for Alex who is such a drama queen he makes Roman look tame. Outing with his brothers were not meant to be witnessed by anyone but the strangers of Manhattan who they’ll never see again, NOT cute boys that Patton kind of sort of had a crush on.

Patton gave Logan and his brother his best smile, though it was very obviously forced, “Excuse me.”

He quickly whizzed around to face his brothers, forced smile still displayed on his face, “I heard you the first time Alex, everyone could.”

Alex, who was hazardously draped over Georgie’s shoulder like a sack of flour, simply pouted as he wiggled out of his elder brother’s grip, “Just making sure, you seemed distracted. Who’re the nerds?”

Georgie smacked Alex across the head, “Be polite.”

“Ow, geez,” Alex whined, rubbing his sore skull “you can kill someone with those hands Georgie. Like in that movie Green House!”

“Green Mile.” Georgie corrected cooly.

Alex snapped his fingers, “That’s the one, anyway, back to the nerds.” Another smack “Ow, hey! I didn’t mean it, it was a joke! See they ain’t bothered!”

Patton took a deep and steady breath as he turned back to the Quinn brothers with an embarrassed smile, “Logan, Morgan, these are my older brothers: Georgie and Alex. Georgie and Alex, this is my friend Logan and his older brother, Morgan. They came to watch the space show too.”

Georgie nodded while Alex gave a false salute, “Sup.”

“How do you do?” Logan said politely as he and his brother stuck out their hands to shake.

Georgie was quick to shake both their hands as was Alex but he paused when he got to Logan, leaning down to intensely stare at him. Patton wanted to scream, truly he did, but that would just let Alex figure everything out that much quicker as well as cause a scene.

“Logan, huh,” Alex hummed as he leaned forward and Logan visibly gulped as he leaned back “where have I heard that name before? I know you ain’t related to that Paul guy from YouTube because you actually look respectable.”

Patton slapped a hand over his face, “Oh my god…”

“He’s one of the boys in the club Pat’s help make.” Georgie said helpfully, not at all fazed by his brother’s borderline interrogation on poor Logan.

“Oh yeah,” Alex nodded, finally letting go of Logan’s hand and giving him proper personal space “you guys made that, uh…what’s the politically correct term for this? I don’t wanna offend anyone.”

“To late.” Patton mumbled grimly.

“LGBTQ+ Youth Group.” Georgie provided.

“Jesus that’s a mouth full,” Alex sighed before pondering once more “nah, but other then that I swear I heard Patton mention that name before just…can’t remember.”

Patton sighed in relief, Thank god!

“Wait I know!” Alex exclaimed.

Shit!

Alex became giddy with excitement, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that just spelled doom for Patton. “He’s that bo – mmhf!”

Georgie was swift yet casual as he slapped a large hand over Alex’s mouth and began to drag him away, “The show is starting soon, we should grab seats together.”

Internally Patton was crying, Georgie was a saint and he definitely deserved a special cake baked in his honor. Externally Patton sighed tiredly once more, giving Logan and Morgan an apologetic smile. “Sorry about them, well, mainly Alex. He’s…a lot sometimes.”

Morgan shrugged, “Brothers, what can you do about them? This guy was a terror when he was younger, he would use his diapers as – oof!” Morgan groaned in pain as Logan elbowed him in the stomach, eyes shut in annoyance and left brow twitching.

Patton giggled, glad not to be the only one being teased by his older brothers, “Older brothers huh?”

“Quite unfortunate are we, huh?” Logan chuckled breathlessly.

“Seriously, what are mom and dad feeding you? I almost puked my guts out!” Morgan wheezed.

---

This was a terrible idea! This was a terrible, awful idea! Why did Thomas think this was a good idea? Why was he even listening to Patton’s advice, he was pretty sure the kid was mostly joking? But here her was at that same damn alley way, in civilian clothes, looking across the street into a familiar little coffee shop with a familiar red headed barista taking down orders behind the register. Thomas groaned, scrubbing his heads over his face, he looked like a fucking stalker, seriously!

He had convinced himself to take a quick brake before heading out on patrol again, maybe grab a cup of coffee to wake him up a bit. It wasn’t his fault the shop just so happened to be near by and hey if that cute guy just so happened to be working there at this time it wasn’t like a big deal. It wasn’t like he knew who Thomas was so he could just be casual, order a coffee, strike up a conversation, nothing big. But now he was here across the street and he saw the guy smile and laugh at something his co-worker said and Thomas just got weak in the knees.

“Why am I here?” Thomas groaned, leaning back against the grimy alley wall “I don’t even know his name! All I know is that he can’t seem to stay out of trouble!”

He looked back into the coffee shop, it seemed to be a slow day, only three or so customs lounging around in the sitting area as cute red head wiped down the counter. Okay, so the good news was there wasn’t much people so Thomas didn’t have to rush when he inevitably stuttered out his order. Bad news was he still had to muster up the courage to go in and talk to him and that was never gunna happen.

It was then he noticed a shady looking guy walk past him and across the street, his hood flipped up and shoulders scrunched in. He looked like the typical grumpy New Yorker that only seemed threatening but Thomas is spidy sense told him otherwise. Plus, he was definitely not hiding that gun, which was tucked in the back of his jeans like some stupid idiot wanna-be gang member, very well.

Thomas was quick to sprint across the street without the hoodlum seeing him, just beating him to the door by a moment. Thomas swung the door open at about half strength smacking the criminal right in the face. An audible crack was heard sending the criminal falling backwards with a bloody nose and maybe a minor concussion. Thomas made sure to ham up his clumsy civilian act.

“Oh gosh man! I’m so, so sorry!” Thomas gasped, helping the man up right with the intention of sneaking a hand around to disarm the gun “Are you alright?”

“Do I fucking look alright you stupid idiot!” The man snapped, much to distracted with the pain of his face to notice the faint clicking noises behind him. Talyn had shown Thomas how to dismantle a gun with one hand their freshman year of college, he doesn’t know why they know that but he’s thankful for it because it makes his job so much easier.

“Sorry dude, can I do anything to help?” Thomas asked in an artificially sweet voice.

“No, fuck off!” The man growled, quick to turn head with his tail between his legs, embarrassed by job never done.

Thomas watched him leave down the alley way, depositing the bullet clip he swiped into a nearby trash bin before heading inside. He noticed the speckles of blood on the glass door as he entered and grimaced with guilt. Once fully through Thomas finally noticed that the red head was staring at him and it dawned on him that he probably witnessed the whole ordeal and though he was a clumsy oaf.

“Uh, sorry about the door,” Thomas said, rubbing a hand behind his neck “If you got some paper towels, I’ll, uh, clean it up for you guys if you want?”

The red head’s eyes were wide with shock, steel blue eyes piercing into Thomas is soul, “That guy was gunna mug us.”

Thomas sputtered in response, “Uh, he – um…”

“I saw him across the street openly stalking the café all day today,” The red head scoffed “he wasn’t really subtle about it. He was probably waiting for us to wind down for the night.”

“Wait,” Thomas squinted suspiciously “if you knew he was gunna rob the place why didn’t you call the police?”

The red head rolled his eyes, “We did, but to them he wasn’t doing anything wrong until now. Stupid cops…” He smiled charmingly “but you came down here pretty quick and practically bashed his skull in. What are you, some sort of vigilante?”

“N-no!” Thomas gulped “I-it’s just I…I saw his gun and I couldn’t just stand there!”

“Well, you could have gotten yourself hurt too.” The red head countered.

Thomas gave a breathless chuckle, “Trust me, I’m not as defenseless as most people think I am.”

The red head giggled, placing his chin to the palm of his hand, “Oh yeah?”

“If it helps, I disarmed his gun before anything?” Thomas said bashfully, fiddling with the sleeves of his jacket.

The red head’s eyes went wide again, “What, did you do it with one hand?”

“Yeah?” Thomas said hesitantly, this guy was way more observant then Thomas previously thought “If you wanna check, the gun clip is still in the trash bin.”

The red head laughed joyously, a beautiful melody to Thomas is ears, “You really are something! So, what can I get my hero tonight? On the house of course.”

“Oh no, I don’t want to bother-” Thomas began only to get cut off by another joyful laugh “Bother all you want, you just saved my ass from being mugged.”

“It was no trouble,” Thomas shrugged, a goofy smile surely on his face “it-it really wasn’t a big deal.”

“Well it was a big deal to me, practically saved my life,” The red head smiled, grabbing a large cup and a sharpie “so what’s your name Tiger?”

Thomas’s stomach filled with a million butterflies at the mention of the familiar nickname before clearing his extremely dry throat, “Uh…Thomas…Sanders.”

The red head paused a moment, sharpie delicately poised over the edge of the coffee cup as he chewed over his bottom lip in thought. A ghost of a smile formed across his face, that seemed very familiar now that Thomas thought about it, giving out a breathless laugh. “Thomas Sanders, huh?”

“Uh, yeah?” Thomas knew that he got recognized often but by fans but it was usually by his face not by his name. Not to sound vain or anything but a lot of times he didn’t need to tell people who he was for them to recognize him. But this guy didn’t seem like he was a fan…still, he looked vaguely familiar.

“Well, I’m MJ, in case you didn’t notice.” He pointed to the name tag on his chest that Thomas was now just recognizing because he was too gay to look at anything else but this guys cute face.

“What does that stand for?” Thomas asked curiously.

He paused again before that same smile returned to his face, “Matthew Jones…Watson.”

“Matthew Jones Watson,” Thomas said aloud, rolling the words of his tongue as if testing out how they sound in his voice “MJ…I like it.”

And obviously that was a stupid thing to say aloud because it made him sound like some sort of weirdo who goes around judging names. But MJ giggled, light and airy, with a smile that could light up all of Manhattan. “Thanks…I’m glad.”

Tags: (sorry if it doesn’t work, Tumblr is stupid)

@immortaldystopia @metaphoricalpluto2 @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @misunderstood-shadow @fairytailtwists @0callmevirge0 @blenderkit17 @galaxy-lilies-main @lumi-1 @paint-in-flames @i-have-n0-idea-what-im-d0ing @superwholocked-for-life @generalfandomfabulousness @oakskull@scarletnoiryt @softnic @asiagotea3890 @enteryourfandomhere @saltwithrandomfandoms @ninjago2020 @average-human @hecksupremeart @teepee-honesty @perfectly-precautiously-gay @a-weirdo-with-a-computer @itsashtronomy @khadij-al-kubra @maryjanewolf @icequeenoriginal @ocs-and-chapters @lilyfond @palepanfandomtrash @always-in-a-fandom @boxofsushi

#thomas sanders #sanders sides #sanders side fic #logan sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #logicality #prinxiety #spiderverse au #tobashiarg!

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newhopegeorgie · 5 years

Text

called it I b.r

(numero dos is about everyones fav lol. this went in a completely different direction than i thought it would but i think its.. fun haha. hope you all enjoy it, leave any feedback or requests if you’d like! xx)

For as long as you could remember you and Blake had not gotten along. You never really knew why, or what exactly caused the rift between you two. It was like oil and water, you just didn’t mix. And while avoiding each other seemed the only viable solution, it was quite difficult considering the circumstances.

You were George’s cousin, and since both of you were only children, you grew up being as close as siblings. The two of you were inseparable. George was your best friend and you were his. So when George formed the band with Reece and Blake, finally getting to chase his dreams, you were ecstatic for him. When you met the boys you were sure you’d click with both of them no problem, and with Reece you were right. The two of you were close as could be. But for some reason, you and Blake could not seem to get along no matter how hard you tried.

George and Reece always tried to diffuse the tension between you, try to help you get along with each other but it never worked out. It was frustrating to say the least. And what irked you the most is that you truly wanted to get along with Blake. You were tired of constantly bickering with him and god knows so were George and Reece. But whenever the two of you interacted there was always something that set one of you off, leading you yet another argument.

By this point, everyone had essentially given up on trying to get the two of you to like one another. For the most part, you just avoided him the best you could, and he did the same to you. Easy enough, right?

One day you were at George’s house, hanging out together. Considering you lived just down the road you were hardly ever not here. It was a Friday and Reece and Blake were meant to come over to stay at George’s house for the weekend. You were actually really excited. Excited to see Reece at least, as it’d been a while since you’d spent time with him. They were supposed to arrive in the next few minutes so you and George passed the time by showing each other funny posts on Instagram. Soon enough you heard a knock on the door and you jumped up from your seat.

“I’ll get it!” you told George. You raced to the door and pulled it open to be met with Reece, Blake standing behind him. “Reece!” you exclaimed. “I haven’t seen you in ages,” he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug and telling you how he’d missed you. Suddenly you heard someone clear their throat rather obnoxiously and you broke away from Reece to see an annoyed Blake.

“Hi there, I’d actually like to get inside if you don’t mind,” he told you. He shot you a sarcastic smile and you rolled your eyes in return, moving aside so he could get by you. Not before he nudged your shoulder on his way inside. You scoffed, ready to tell him off before Reece stopped you.

“Already arguing I see. We’ve been here for a whole 2 minutes Y/N” he sighed.

“I know, I’m sorry. He was being rude though!” you said defensively.

“I know I saw. But can we please just have one nice weekend together.” Reece shot you his best puppy dog eyes, pleading with you. You sighed exasperatedly at him, telling him you’d try your best. He smiled appreciatively at you, finally making his way into the house with you trailing behind.

When you walked into the front room you heard Blake grumbling, probably complaining about you to George. G gave you a pointed look, telling you to just let it go and not start an argument. You put your hands up in defense and kept your mouth shut, going to sit down on the couch with George. The two other boys also made themselves comfortable in the room and dove straight into a long conversation. Mostly just a bit of catching up, talking about music, future tours, etc. You stayed mostly quiet throughout the whole thing, not wanting to interrupt them.

The boys had ended up talking for quite a bit of time. You occasionally chimed in but for the most part, just listened or went on your phone when you lost interest. The sun was starting to go down and you were getting really hungry. The boys’ had gone quiet for a bit so you decided to speak up.

“Well I am absolutely starving,” you said out of the blue. Reece and George chuckled a bit at you while Blake just rolled his eyes slightly. He grumbled under his breath but you couldn’t make out what exactly he said, deciding to not dwell on it you let it go. Reece and George did the same, not acknowledging his remark.

“We can go grab some food and bring it back here?” George suggested and you quickly agreed.

“Sounds good! I’ll go grab my shoes.” Before you could go George stopped you.

“No, you stay here. Reece and I’ll go, we’ll be back soon.” George very quickly pulled on his shoes, ushering Reece to the door before you and Blake could protest too much. You followed him to the door, thinking he was crazy for leaving you two alone together. “Y/N it’ll be fine. Who knows maybe you guys will work things out.” You looked at him incredulously and he spoke again, “Just don’t kill each other, yeah?” Without another word he shut the door behind him, leaving you alone and with Blake. You walked back into the front room, finding Blake already there. You silently took a seat as talking to him would probably just spark a fight.

“Could you be quieter please?” Blake asked after about a minute. You looked up at him utterly confused considering you hadn’t said a word.

“I literally haven’t said anything to you,” you pointed out to him.

“I know, you’re breathing really loud,” he stated. You scoffed loudly at him, taken aback by how rude he was being.

“Are you kidding me?”

“No, actually I’m not.” The two of you bickered back and forth. You knew this was gonna blow up into a bigger fight but you didn’t really care at that point.

“Blake, why do you hate me? Seriously, what did I do to you?” You said, raising your voice at him.

“Because you hate me!” he said back, his voice getting louder as well. “You pick fights with me over everything!” You stood from your seat, only getting angrier.

“I’m not the one who picks fights! You get annoyed over every little thing and a person can only take so much!”

“Maybe I wouldn’t get annoyed if you weren’t annoying all the time!” Suddenly Blake was also standing. He towered over you and you tried to hide the fact that you were a bit intimidated by his stature.

“Oh so it’s my fault that you can’t control your anger?” you asked him.

“Yes it's your fault, you’re absolutely infuriating.” His hands ran through his hair quickly as it started to fall in his face.

You suddenly became hyper-aware of his movements. His hands were thrown around as he spoke. His face was flushed red in frustration and you noticed him angrily chewing on his bottom lip. You couldn’t help but find it kind of hot. Admittedly you always thought Blake was attractive, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t. And angry Blake was almost hotter. Of course, you and Blake argued constantly but you’d never had a full-fledged fight like you were currently. Blake noticed your brief moment of silence and raised his eyebrows at you expectantly.

“What? Have you run out of things to bitch about?”

“My god, can you just shut up? Why do you have to be so hot when you’re angry” you muttered the last part under your breath, turning around and huffing in exasperation.

“What was that?” he asked. You could still hear a tinge of annoyance in his tone, but most of his anger had been replaced by what sounded like shock. When you didn’t answer him he spoke again. “Did you just say I’m hot when I’m angry?” Your eyes widened as that was definitely not for him to hear.

“What? No, of course not,” you scoffed, trying to play it cool, turning back to face him. His arms were crossed over his chest, a smug look on his face which irritated you even more.

“You definitely just said I’m hot when I’m angry,” he spoke, a smirk on his face. Your face flushed red, this time in embarrassment rather than anger. His demeanor was unnervingly calm as he shrugged slowly at you. “That's alright, I was thinking the same thing about you.” He stepped closer to you and you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion.

“No,” you said suddenly.

“No?” Now Blake was the one who was confused.

“No. You can’t just flirt with me and expect me to forget about you being a dick 2 seconds ago!” Your anger flooded your brain again.

“Hey, you were the one who said I was hot first,” Blake spoke defensively.

“And I stand by that, what's your point?” You now stepped closer to him, the distance between you quickly disappearing. Your earlier shyness had faded and you stared at him, a challenging look on your features. Blake seemed taken aback by your actions.

“My point is that you said it, yet you’re not going to do anything about it.” You both egged each other on. You knew something was bound to happen, it was just a matter of who initiated it.

“And who said I wasn’t?”

“Well if you were planning on it, be my guest.” He said to you. His arms stretched out, giving you permission to make your move. His cockiness bothered you, you almost didn’t want to ‘make a move’ just out of spite. But then you looked him over. His hair was messy from running his fingers through it. His cheeks, while slowly fading, were still flushed. His lips were puffy from having been biting them so much, making them even more enticing than usual.

“You’re such a dick,” you said finally. Your hands grabbed the collar of his sweater, pulling him down to catch his lips in a searing kiss. He hummed against your mouth, catching up with your quick actions. He slipped his hands under the back of your shirt, his fingers splayed across your bare back to pull you closer to him. You moved your hands from his collar to his hair, effectively messing it up even more than it already was.

Blake moved backward towards the couch, your lips separating for him to sit down, pulling you on top of him. It didn’t take long to for you to reconnect, not wanting the kiss to end just yet. After what felt like mere seconds (it was definitely longer than that) Blake pulled away from you. He leaned his forehead against yours as you both caught your breath, neither of you saying anything.

“When I said that maybe this would help you two work out your differences, this is not what I meant.” George’s voice broke the silence in the room. You quickly climbed off of Blake, moving to the other side of the couch.

“Sorry mate…” Blake apologized, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. George shrugged, not seeming upset which perplexed both you and Blake. He set the food on the table, reaching into his pocket, he pulled a few pounds from his wallet and handed them to a smug Reece. Your eyes widened at him as you realized what was going on.

“I called it,” Reece said, shrugging.

#blake richardson #blake richardson imagine #blake richardson one shot #blake richardson fluff #reece bibby #george smith #new hope club #new hope club one shot #x reader #blake richardson x reader

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cuddleslutloki · 5 years

Text

stucky fic i’m abandoning under the cut bc i’m so far into thorki rn and writing loki was my fav part of this story woops lol. i want this out of my WIP folder, staring at me as if to ask “when father, when will i be complete?”

never.

enjoy!

Steve couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to shake so many hands. The conference only happened once every three years, and he hadn’t been able to dodge it this time. Natasha had laughed at him when he read the invitation.

One Captain Steven G. Rogers has been invited and by then it was too late. Coulson gave him the ‘that’s too bad’ smile and sent him off.

Fifteen countries all bound together by secret treaties and trade agreements, all here to celebrate peace and prosperity and the future they were creating. Steve would have had a much easier time focusing on that goal if his translator wasn’t driving him fucking insane.

Sergeant James B ‘call me Bucky’ Barnes was Steve’s type on legs. He was an accomplished soldier, a great spy as far as Steve could weedle information from his contacts. He also spoke more than a dozen languages.

And he clearly had no idea that Steve was fluent in French.

If he knew, he wouldn’t have been saying any of the wonderful, distracting things he’d been saying all damn day. It started with a sly remark he made to Natasha on the phone earlier. Casually, in the middle of lunch, he was speaking with her in English and he accused her of this being a set up.

Then he switched to French halfway through the sentence. “You could’ve warned me, y’know, sa bouche.”

Steve stopped for a moment, then just listened as Bucky kept going. And going. And going.

It started with Steve’s mouth, then went to his shoulders, which apparently Bucky thought were perfect for holding onto when the headboard started smacking against the wall.

Steve wasn’t a spy, not by any shot, but he could keep a straight face. Natasha must have reminded him about the concept of professionalism, even if she neglected to mention that Steve would understand what he was saying, because after about three full sentences of Bucky’s lust-hazed complaining he went back to talking about the conference. They didn’t have to do much, just listen to speeches and eat good food, but there were plenty of people who would want to speak with Steve.

Plans for this and that, where do you think so-and-so is going, why do you think this happened, and what do we do about this person or that person. It was the same conversation over and over on repeat with thirty people. Bucky shared his exasperation, Steve could tell that much.

“Why did I even bother with fluency when I’m just using the same ten words in each damn language?” He groused.

Steve laughed and grabbed them both champagne from a passing tray. “At this rate I could probably have these conversations myself.”

Bucky laughed and downed his entire glass. Steve took his time with his, since Bucky seemed to have such a problem with his mouth. He licked an errant drop of champagne off of his lower lip and barely kept himself from smiling when Bucky cussed.

“Putain de merde, ce soir doit se terminer.” Bucky kept a polite face as he muttered to himself.

Steve decided to be merciful. “La fête va terminer en trente minutes, je crois.”

Bucky’s eyes widened and his shoulders stiffened. “Tu… peux me comprendre.”

Steve nodded, a smirk on his lips as he finished his champagne. “Ouais, je te comprends.”

Bucky swallowed roughly and grabbed another flute of champagne. Steve laughed and Bucky looked at him as he drank this glass even faster than the first. He watched Steve for a moment, then his unease melted away.

“Toute la journée t’as compris?” Bucky asked, his voice not so tight as it was a moment ago.

Steve nodded and smiled at him, looking at him through his eyelashes. “Oui, j’ai entendu et compris tout.”

Bucky laughed and shook his head. “Oh, incredible. I’m going to kill Natasha.”

“It’s not her fault, I’m the one who didn’t say anything.” Steve smiled at a passing ambassador, then nodded to another. He didn’t look at Bucky as he spoke. “T’as dit quelque chose de ma bouche pendant l’appel avec Natasha.”

Bucky regarded him for a moment, then licked his lips and stepped closer to Steve and whispered into his ear. “Ouais, et tu vas faire quoi?”

Steve turned his head and let his lips brush Bucky’s ear. “On va voir.”

They took a short step away from one another, facing each other fully now. Bucky smiled to someone over Steve’s shoulder and didn’t meet his eyes. “Nous ne pouvons pas quitter tôt, c’est pas joli.”

Steve scanned the crowd until he found the man he was looking for. Long, black hair was slicked back and a dark green and black suit clung to his frame. He was as elegant a killer as there was, and he was the host tonight.

“Allons.” Steve started walking before Bucky could reply.

He acknowledged people in the crowd as they walked, but didn’t stop long enough to give anyone a chance to speak. Loki’s eyes brightened as Steve approached.

“Captain Rogers, you look positively edible tonight.” Loki shook his hand firmly, eyes sharp as he glanced from Steve to Bucky beside him. “How can I be of assistance?”

Steve pulled Loki’s hand up for a kiss, smiling against the knuckles. Loki raised an eyebrow. It was that kind of favor.

“I need to leave, but I can’t be signed out until everyone else is. Can you make that happen?” Steve let go of Loki’s slender hand and kept eye contact.

After looking between them, Loki chuckled. “Steven, you’re laughably predictable. What do I get in exchange for forging the attendance logs of an international event with private security? Logs that need your fingerprint to sign out.”

Steve looked off toward one of the exits, the best one if he wanted to leave without drawing attention to them. “I’ll owe you a favor.”

Loki hummed and pursed his lips. “Why would I need a favor from you?”

“It can be a favor for Thor.” Steve kept his voice low, mindful of any who would be listening.

Loki straightened as he stood and if Steve didn’t know him, he might not have caught the flash of surprise that preceded Loki’s wide smile. His voice was barely loud enough to hear. “Does this mean that you want to help? Even after what Stark said?”

Steve didn’t say anything, just held Loki’s eyes. Loki was good at reading people. It only took a few seconds for him to have his answer.

“Alright, Steven. You and your interpreter will be signed out at 9:37 and 9:38 respectively. Plenty of time to have said goodbyes and paid proper respects to everyone here.” Loki slipped in close enough that Steve could smell the rose oil in his hair. “I’ll tell Thor to call you. He’ll be pleased to hear you’ve picked a side, even if you’re doing it under pretense.”

Too good at reading people. Steve shook Loki’s hand again. “Thank you.”

Bucky followed Steve through the crowd as they made their way to the exit next to the bathrooms. No one was looking as they went through the door. They walked quickly to the parking structure and Steve tossed Bucky the keys.

Once inside, Bucky wasted no time tearing out of the space and speeding into the city. “You know how to pick your friends, don’t you, pal?”

Steve smiled. “Well, I’m not picking anyone you didn’t already pick, right?”

Bucky opened his mouth, then closed it. “That’s some network of contacts you must have. How much do you know?”

“I’m not talking shop right now. But I know you’re not here to be a translator, and I’m not here to be your mark tonight.” Steve reached into his pocket and turned his phone off, then took the battery out.

Bucky grinned and shook his head as he took a turn a little too hard. “Natasha said I’d like you.”

“Yeah, I think she’s why I ended up here.” Steve mused, fingers twitching as they got closer to their hotel. “You really didn’t know I speak French?”

Bucky shook his head. “I just got the assignment yesterday, and Natasha wouldn’t tell me anything. I couldn’t get any information on you anywhere else. I almost thought it was a prank.”

“She told me who you were four days ago.” Steve chuckled and shook his head. “It still could be a prank.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think so. She put us together for a reason.” Bucky turned into the hotel lot and parked by one of the side entrances.

Steve considered it. “It’s treason.”

Bucky nodded and finally cut the engine off. “It’s the right thing to do. Didn’t you say no shop talk?”

“You're right, no shop, let's go.” Steve all but dragged Bucky through the hotel, both of them reasonably composed in the elevator.

That lasted right until the door was closed, then Steve slammed Bucky into the door and sank his teeth into Bucky’s neck. The groan he got in return had his cock filling quickly, swelling and pressing against the fly of his slacks. He felt too hot in the confines of his suit, with Bucky’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and Bucky’s breath ghosting across his ear.

#baylen fic

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yoon-kooks · 6 years

Text

Pink Cheek Syndrome- pt.1

Pairing: Jimin x Reader

Genre: angst, fluff, implied smut

Word count: 6k

Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex

Summary: As a wedding photographer, you profited more from the reckless decisions made by those blinded by the mere idea of love than from those who had actually found it. As a romance novelist, he profited more from the romanticized expectations of love than from the actual reality of it. And although you were a self-proclaimed aromantic, there was something very appealing about the romantic boy with a notebook who had unintentionally crashed your photoshoot on that chilly winter morning.

Pink Cheek Syndrome (n.) a phenomenon that occurs when a couple gets married without being in love, to the point where blushing cheeks must be photoshopped into their wedding photos in order to hide this reality.

A/N: i hope you guys enjoy this new series! 🙈🙈🙈💖

Click. An arm around her waist. Click. Giggles and teasing. Click. Lopsided smiles to hide the nerves. Click. And a look into each other’s eyes with a more natural smile that followed. Click. After your final pre-wedding shot of the morning, you gave the couple a thumbs up and jogged up to them with your DSLR to give them a quick peek at some of the photos.

“Ooh, I like that one!”

“Isn’t it pretty with the sun in the background?”

“This one’s definitely my fav—wait, Babe! Why is your face like that?”

“So cute!”

You did your best to drown out the baby talk between Seokjin and his soon-to-be wife, but their voices only went octaves higher with each word they spoke. You’d think that after a few years in the business, you’d have already grown immune to the coos of lovers. But alas, you still couldn’t stop yourself from cringing. And to make things worse, your partner had the day off, so you’d have to endure it all on your own.

“We have to go get ready for the ceremony now. See you there, Y/N!” the bright-eyed bride waved at you as she and Seokjin headed in the direction of the dressing room, hand in hand.

As soon as they were out of sight, you dragged yourself back to work. In the two hours you had until the ceremony began, you’d scout out the venue and take a bunch of pictures of the scenery before the guests arrived. You groaned as you unfolded your tripod, not because you disliked your job, but rather because you knew to anticipate the same old love story that, in your opinion, didn’t carry as much weight as a wedding should. In other words, you had become numb to the idea of marriage and true love.

That being said, there was always something refreshing about an empty outdoor venue, and this one was no different. Was it the pink flower arrangements that accented the long walk down the aisle, or perhaps the birds chirping into the cool and crisp winter air? Or maybe it was the emptiness itself.

You snapped a bunch of close-ups and medium shots before backing up to get a long shot of the entire scene as a whole. As you looked through your camera’s viewfinder, you caught a glimpse of a blonde boy sitting off to the side, under the tree with the chirping birds. You zoomed in closer, using your camera as a telescope. He was dressed in a clean black suit and tie, probably around your age. And he was too busy writing something in his notebook to notice your lens pointed in his direction.

Lowering your camera, you slowly approached the boy to shoo him away while you continued to take pictures of the supposedly empty venue. You had a job to do, and you certainly did not appreciate this kid making a cameo in all your photos.

“If you’re here for Kim Seokjin’s wedding, you’ll probably wanna go grab coffee or something because the ceremony doesn’t start for another two hours, you know.” You waited until the boy turned to you before snapping a picture of his face. For evidence, and perhaps for science, as it didn’t seem possible to have both mochi cheeks and a sharp jawline at the same time.

“Aren’t you early as well?” He clicked his pen and closed his notebook, getting up and hopefully out of your way.

“Yeah, but as the photographer, I’m supposed to be here early to take pictures of the venue.” You lifted your camera in case the boy hadn’t already noticed it from when the shutter went off in his face. His eyes focused on the cute little bunny charm that hung from the camera’s base.

“Are you the photographer Jungkook recommended?”

“Yep, I’m his kind partner who gave his lucky ass the day off for his friend’s wedding.” You gently stroked the bunny charm Jungkook had bought for you. “Are you a friend of his too?”

The boy nodded and extended a hand out to you, “I’m Jimin.”

You hesitated for a moment. Your first instinct was to not shake his hand, as you were still a little mad he had intruded on your empty venue shoot. Your second instinct, the one you ended up following, was to take his hand since he was one of Jungkook’s friends, “I’m Y/N.”

His hand was surprisingly warm for such a chilly morning. And you would’ve left your hand in his, but you couldn’t help but notice the notebook in his other hand.

“Were you drawing something earlier?”

“Hm?” Jimin’s eyes widened until you pointed at his notebook. “Oh, I was just doing stuff for work.”

“You’re working even on your friend’s wedding day?” you asked, wondering if you were too generous in offering to give Jungkook the day off from helping you shoot.

“Yeah, but this is a nice and peaceful place to gather my thoughts, especially before everyone else arrives.” He looked around the venue with bright eyes. “And it’s not everyday that we get to spend time in this type of romantic setting.”

“That makes one of us,” you sighed at your inevitable fate as a wedding photographer. “Wait, what kind of work do you do that makes this place worth working in? Because I can’t relate.”

Just then, you felt a thud against your back accompanied by a shriek. A pair of hands held you in place at the hips, preventing you from turning around to see behind you. “Kookie, I know that’s you.”

“Aww, Y/N you’re no fun…” Jungkook released his grip on you, only to sling his arm over your shoulders and looked at the other boy. “Since when did the two of you know each other?”

“Since about a minute ago, before you showed up.” You finally turned to your friend who was surprisingly well put together compared to when he’d attend a wedding as the photographer. His soft brown hair was gelled back just enough to reveal his cute forehead, and he even wore the fruity cologne you had given him despite him saying he’d never use it. “And why’re you here so early when you have the day off?”

“Hiding from my date,” he said in a quiet voice, choosing to look towards Jimin than at you.

“Why do you need to hide…? Wait! You have a date?” You shoved Jungkook, beyond shocked and a tad bit offended. “Why didn’t you tell me!”

“I would’ve just asked you to come with me, but you already agreed to be the photographer.” He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, “And besides, Hobi took the time to set me up with this girl, so I didn’t really have a choice…”

“Okay, but why are you hiding from her?”

“She’s too pretty…” Jungkook whined. “And I’m kind of scared of her…”

“If she bothers you so much, why didn’t you just come without a date? What’s wrong with being dateless?” You crossed your arms, not willing to give your friend any sympathy over the fact that his date was too pretty.

Jungkook didn’t answer, and instead looked to Jimin for help. The older boy, still trying to make sense of everything, gave a simple response, “Who’s he gonna dance with if he has no date?”

You glared at Jimin for not being on your side of the argument, but before you could say something back, Jungkook jumped off your shoulder from the sound of his ringtone. Once he checked the caller ID, he groaned and regretfully waved bye before heading out to pick up his date.

Once again, you found yourself alone with Jimin, still unsure as to whether he was an enemy or an ally. With a quick interrogation, maybe you’d figure it out. You raised an eyebrow, “So where’s your date?”

“I don’t have one,” he chuckled. “Like you said, what’s wrong with being dateless?”

“Who’re you gonna dance with then?” you quoted him, too surprised to formulate your own sentences. After Jungkook had made a big deal about having a date, you just assumed all his other friends had dates as well. Moreover, the boy in front of you was definitely handsome enough to find a date with ease, so you wondered exactly why he had opted to come alone.

“I’m more of an observer than a dancer, so I’ll probably just watch Jungkook make a fool of himself on the dance floor from the comfort of my seat,” Jimin explained, although his fit body said otherwise. In your professional opinion, he had the perfect physique of a dancer—his upright posture, slim figure, thicc thighs, and not the mention the abs you imagined him hiding under his suit. It was a pity that he wasn’t a dancer or even a stripper, you thought to yourself. But maybe he’d still be able to put his nice body to use, even if it wasn’t on the dance floor.

You checked your watch to make sure you were still good on time before proposing something to the boy, “You know, I was about to kick you out of here so I could take some photos in peace… But! Would you like to be my model for today?” Otherwise, you really would have to kick him out, and you weren’t quite ready to do so yet.

“Me? A model? I mean I know I’m good-looking and all, but-”

“You don’t really have to pose that much. I just wanna take my usual pics of the empty venue, and then take the same exact pics again, only with you in them.” You looked at the boy who would certainly add a significant amount of beauty to your shots. Of course, you wouldn’t use these shots as a part of Seokjin’s wedding photo collection, but the artist in you wanted to be selfish. “I think it’d be a neat and chilling concept.”

Jimin looked at you, whose eyes reflected a genuine spark of inspiration, and then down at his notebook of work and supposed responsibilities. “I suppose I have some time to kill.”

“Hide behind one of the vases and peek out from behind the flowers.” You directed the blonde boy towards the huge white vase propped up on a five-foot stand. “And make a mischievous face towards the camera.”

Jimin did as he was told, although his “mischievous face” looked dorkier than anything. Still, you took the pictures while holding in your laughter, thankful your tripod was there to keep your camera from shaking with your body. As a bonus, you zoomed in close to his face to secure a new meme background for your phone.

“Are you making fun of me?” he called out to you, while at the same time still trying to maintain that same facial expression. You had to admit he was kind of cute.

“Of course not. That would be unprofessional~” You let a giggle slip as you gave him the okay sign.

And after about an hour of taking photos, you finally had Jimin sit on the step just before the altar. He held a white gardenia bouquet while staring out into the distance with a thoughtful yet captivating expression. The sunlight reflecting off his cheeks revealed a soft flush of pink that drew your eyes up to his. You watched as he blinked slowly with each breath. The cute puffiness around his eyes made him appear innocent and youthful. And yet, his killer gaze gave him a mature and mysterious aura that was certainly luring you in, whether you were aware of it or not.

Click, click, click. Even after you hit the shutter button, he remained in the same pose and so did you. Slowly you backed out of the camera’s viewfinder, and instead admired the boy through the unfiltered lens of your own eyes. It was only a few silent seconds later that he looked back at you, wondering if the photoshoot was over. And it was.

The end of the shoot only brought you back into reality where guests were beginning to arrive. Moving your tripod and equipment out of the way of others, you took just a moment to glance back towards the altar, although Jimin had already disappeared amongst the growing crowd.

Without even checking the last few photos you captured, you shook the image of Jimin’s killer gaze from your mind and continued on with your job.

You snapped your usual round of photos: guests taking their seats, family members catching up with one another, and friends gossiping. As you went around, you found Jungkook’s circle of friends, conveniently all with beautiful dates—except Jimin, although that didn’t seem to bother him much by the way he smiled and laughed with his friends. Sitting next to the very happy Jimin, was the awkward Jungkook who refused to even look at his date when he spoke. You felt bad for the girl, who only smiled softly and was too polite to ask Jungkook for more attention. If it were you sitting next to him, he’d certainly feel more at ease. But that wasn’t the case.

Though on the job, you discreetly whipped out your phone and sent the boy a quick text of encouragement.

11:54AM Y/N👯 “wtf kook at least talk to your date lmao”

You watched as the boy felt the vibration of his phone, almost relieved to be occupied by something other than the girl next to him. After reading your message, Jungkook looked around until he spotted you and didn’t hesitate to give you the finger.

11:55AM Y/N👯 “whats the point of having a date if youre not gonna talk to her -_-”

11:56AM kookie🐰 “im trying my best ok!!! leave me alone”

You looked back up from your phone and aggressively motioned for him to interact with his date. He mouthed profanity at you as the older boy occasionally looked up from his notebook to observe all the bickering. When you caught Jimin’s eye, you mouthed the words, “Take care of Kookie,” to him, and he gave you a thumbs up.

The ceremony itself wasn’t too bad to shoot without the aid of Jungkook. You swiftly moved from place to place to capture the walk, the vows, the rings, and the tears all from the best angles. And just when the couple said their I do’s, the wind was subtle enough to create a beautiful rippling effect in the bride’s gown and veil, thus the kiss at the altar was a soft, yet striking scene. That being said, not even that would be the most impactful shot of the day.

Immediately following the celebration of sealing the couple’s fate as husband and wife, everyone moved onto the reception, which in your experience, you always preferred more than the ceremony itself. It was a time where everyone would get drunk and loosen up rather than remain romantic snobs. The pictures you would take there didn’t need to evoke a certain amount of “love” or “foreverness”. You didn’t need to rely on your subjects to look or feel a certain way. You could produce high quality photos regardless of the situation. You had all the liberties of an artist. All you needed to do was capture the moment in front of you. Point and shoot.

When you finally had a moment to take a break, you looked for Jungkook just as you’d normally do if he were there as your partnered photographer. It took a while, but your eye caught a totally not sober boy with his head leaned over the back of his chair and his wrist pressed against his exposed forehead. Next to him again was not his date—in fact you had no idea where the fuck she had gone (you wouldn’t have been surprised nor mad if she left Jungkook to find a someone with more balls)—but rather, Jimin texting away, not even giving two shits about his drunk friend.

“Hey, you don’t look so good.” You peeled Jungkook’s arm away from his face and gently pressed your own hand against his rosy cheek. The boy looked at you with heavy eyelids and giggled. “I told you not to drink too much. We have to edit a bunch of these wedding pics tomorrow morning, you know.”

“I’m fine, Y/N, I’m fine~~~ And I talked to what’s-her-name… she’s waaaay prettier than you, hehe… nice gurrrrrl…” he slurred before closing his eyes.

“Shut the fuck up, Kookie…” you mumbled, although you did feel a little bad at how wasted he was. Your fingers continued to stroke his face as you took the empty seat next to him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him,” the boy on the other side of Jungkook spoke.

“Really? Because last time I checked, your eyes were on your phone,” you said, wondering if it was because he had no date or a sober Jungkook to talk to. You turned your camera back on and showed the boy the most recent photo you had taken, which was of Jimin laser-focused on his phone with a tipsy Jungkook in the background. “And I have receipts.”

Jimin smiled at the candid pic of him and his friend. He had such a charming smile, it was almost contagious. “Can I see what other pics you’ve taken?” He was fascinated by your work, your art.

So you showed him—nearly everything on your camera, in fact. As you scrolled, the boy didn’t say too much, but his wide eyes and duck lips said it all. He too was captivated by the breezy kiss scene, and by everything else you had taken. And it wasn’t until you reached his special photoshoot that you realized your break was over. But just for a second, the two of you admired that one photo together. That one photo of Jimin and the white gardenias.

“I’m really handsome, right?” He covered his big smile with his tiny hands, hardly trying to conceal a potential praise kink.

You didn’t give him the validation he wanted until you scrolled to the extreme close up of his meme face. “Yeah, real handsome, Jimin,” you giggled, getting up from your seat to leave.

“Y/N, wait~~~! Drink with me~” Jungkook tried to give you one of his empty wine glasses.

“I have to get back to work, Kookie. And you really shouldn’t be drinking anymore alcohol tonight.” You took the glass away from him and handed it to the other boy. “But feel free to get Jimin drunk~!”

“Ew, noo! Drunk Jimmy always cries while reciting love poems and shit. Whatta funny dude.”

You shot a smirk at Jimin. You’ve heard of emotional drunks or violent drunks, but a lovesick drunk? “Is that true?”

“They’re not love poems.” The sober boy smacked the drunk one with his notebook.

“What are they then?”

“…Lines from a romance novel.”

“Gross,” you shook your head in disappointment. Clearly the boy was not your type.

“There’s nothing wrong with that!”

“Listen,” you pulled Jimin aside as if you were a wise old grandparent giving advice. “I know we’re at a wedding, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: love is overly romanticized in fiction. Don’t trust it.” The boy didn’t know how to respond to your cynical remark, or maybe he was just taking it all in. Regardless, you had won the argument, and with that, you blew a devilish kiss in his direction and ran off to finish your job.

That was perhaps the last time you would’ve seen the blonde boy. Sure, you would’ve always had the option to ask Jungkook for the other boy’s number, but you expected neither Jimin or yourself to have the desire to pursue anything further. Surely it was just a one-time exchange where you’d forget the boy after a few days, just has it always had been with anyone else besides Jungkook. After all, it had been quite some time since you’d last given love a second thought.

But of course, it seemed as though the world had other plans that would inevitably eat away at your personal beliefs regarding love.

8:03AM Y/N👯 “kookie wake the fuck up and get your ass over here now”

8:05AM kookie🐰 “im calling in sick whoops”

8:07AM Y/N👯 “like hell you are”

8:07AM kookie🐰 “i cant get out of bed tho😪 is this what they call a hangover?”

8:08AM Y/N👯 “i gave you a day off yesterday and this is how you repay me😔”

8:10AM kookie🐰 “fine if you want me to work, you come here”

8:11AM Y/N👯 “isnt your roommate home or something? bc i dont want him bothering us😠”

8:13AM kookie🐰 “he always wakes up early and goes out for a few hours. its fine Y/N”

8:13AM Y/N👯 “ok but you owe me coffee”

You groaned while throwing a bunch of shit into your bag before heading out the door with your car keys. For as long as you’d known and worked with Jungkook, you had never been to his place before. Your house had always been the place where the two of you edited photos, as you had a spare room set up as an editing studio, whereas Jungkook only had a spare room for his roommate whom you had never even met.

When you arrived at his place, you rang the doorbell and when the boy failed to answer after exactly twenty rings, you simply opened the unlocked door and walked inside. “Kookie, are you still alive?”

“No.” You followed the whine all the way to the room in the back. Jungkook was sitting up in his bed shirtless with pointed eyebrows and wild hair, looking not nearly as hungover as he was sleepy.

You set your bag down on the carpeted floor and crawled onto his bed to touch his forehead to play along as if you actually believed he was sick, “Are you okay?”

He only grunted in response as you sat your ass in his lap and wrapped your legs around his torso. You slid your hands up his bare chest and softly kissed the nape of his neck.

“Seriously, Kookie, you’re not gonna throw up on me, right?” you whispered into his ear and looked up at him with innocent yet naughty eyes, running the tips of your fingers down the boy’s cheek to just under his chin.

He didn’t shake his head too persuasively in response to your question, but nonetheless, his hands had already lifted and tossed your shirt aside. You were quick to lock your lips with his, pushing your body on top of him. On most occasions, the two of you would actually do some work before “taking a break”, but you were sure your friend could use a little something to put him in a better mood for editing.

♡♡♡

Jungkook brought you closer to him as the two of you waited for your hearts to slow down. You peeked at him and gave him a much gentler barrage of kisses until you finally spoke, “Why were you so drunk last night?”

“To help with nerves, I guess,” he chuckled shyly. You assumed he was talking about being nervous with his date. As far as you knew, he had never dated nor went on a date before. Whether it was because he was too shy to ever make a move, or because he felt the same skepticism about love as you did, you were not sure.

“And how’d that work out for you?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I remember saying something stupid, or I might’ve accidentally confessed or something like that…”

“I can confirm that you indeed said some stupid things.”

“Well whatever I said to her, she told me to say it again when I’m sober. Then she ran off to dance with some friends…”

“That doesn’t sound too promising, Kookie,” you giggled. “I’m pretty sure you fucked up.”

“Really? Because Jimin said the exact opposite. He said that meant she might be interested in me if I can get the nerve to say it to her while I’m not a drunk idiot.”

“Well, that’s where Jimin and I differ,” you kissed Jungkook again. “And besides, it’s not like you were into that girl anyway, right?”

The boy didn’t say anything for a long while, which surprised you because normally, he and you took pleasure in joking about pointless crushes. Eventually, you pulled back a little to inspect his face. His cheeks were bright pink.

“No way, Kookie!” you snickered, so amused that the shy boy was actually capable of developing feelings for someone. Well, you were amused until you realized you had probably just lost your sex buddy. “Wait, do you really like her though…?”

“I…I don’t know, Y/N…” Jungkook bit his lip. “But Jimin suggested that I should at least try…”

“Oh.” You made a face before hiding it in the boy’s chest, although you were starting to feel bothered by the fact that you still laid naked in his arms. You’d always thought Jungkook was as sick of love as you were, thus the two of you agreed upon an intimate relationship, minus the romance. But if he now wanted to pursue a real relationship with someone else, who were you to stop him? You weren’t his lover.

He massaged your back, silently gathering his thoughts. “You’d be okay with that, yeah?”

“Don’t worry about me, Kookie,” you spoke too softly, almost not wanting to be heard. You squirmed your body out of his grasp and pulled your shirt back over your head, though that was all you bothered to put on before scurrying off to the bathroom to wash up.

As soon as you closed the bathroom door, you leaned your weight against the sink, feeling a sort of emptiness. It wasn’t that you’d lost Jungkook—because you knew he’d still be your friend and partner-in-crime no matter what. You weren’t hurt in the sense that he would be choosing love over you. But it did feel as though the one boy who understood your issue with love could no longer relate. It was in that sense that you felt empty.

You sighed and pinched your cheeks, feeling a bit silly for making a big deal out of the fact that Jungkook may have a tiny crush on someone. Because for all you knew, the two of you could be back to daily sex in no time. But at the same time, the thought still lingered.

Just as you splashed your face with some water, you heard a knock at the door. You weren’t sure if it was because Jungkook was extra worried about you, or because of a delayed sick feeling from his hangover. When you opened the door, however, you realized it was neither.

With your naked ass hanging out from your shirt, you nearly walked right into some hipster boy with thick framed glasses and a grey beanie to cover the roots of his blonde hair. After staring at each other for five seconds, you identified him as your cute model boy from Seokjin’s wedding, Park Jimin. After five more seconds, you put together that he had to be Jungkook’s roommate, though you were annoyed that no one had cared enough to share that detail with you. And finally, after another five seconds, you realized the context in which the two of you were reuniting and promptly covered your chest and ass.

“Hey, you had perfect timing… you know, besides catching me half-naked,” you hummed, now fully-clothed and waiting in line at the coffee shop down the block from Jungkook’s and Jimin’s apartment. Upon meeting Jimin in the bathroom, you asked him to help you get away from Jungkook until you were fully back in your professional mindset. Naturally, he decided to take you out for a morning coffee run.

“Why? Did you and Jungkook get into an argument or something?” Jimin asked. Your eyes were still adjusting to seeing him in glasses and casual wear. Not because he looked like a cute little nerd, but because he just looked so different from the day before. And from a photographer’s perspective, it was more than just his appearance that had changed. For some reason, the aura he gave off felt purposely dulled, as if he were hiding part of himself from you.

“Nah, but he basically said he didn’t want to fuck me anymore,” you shrugged. “Sigh, it seems Kookie’s become another victim of love… And here I thought we were on the same page…”

“I didn’t know the two of you were-”

“Believe me when I say it was just sex. Haven’t you ever slept with a co-worker?”

“Umm, no?” Jimin chuckled. “Also, why did you call Jungkook a victim of love?”

“Because he thinks he has a crush on a girl he met a day ago,” you scoffed. “Bullshit, right?”

“I think it’s cute.”

“Of course you do, Mr. Romantic,” you rolled your eyes. The more you got to know Jimin, the more he annoyed you, while at the same time, intrigued you. “But for your information, love is rarely as cute as you’d like it to be.”

“Really?” Jimin challenged you. “Please enlighten me.”

“Love is shitty. Marriage is shitty. The romance novels you read are shitty. Facts are facts, Jimin. Consider yourself enlightened.”

“Well have you ever been in love?”

“Thankfully no. But as a wedding photographer, I’ve seen all the bullshit first-hand.”

“Like what?”

“Like people reciting their totally genuine vows to the supposed love of their life, only to get a divorce a year later.”

“What about all the married couples who’ve made it past their 50th anniversary?”

“What about Kim Kardashian who got married for like half a second before signing divorce papers?”

“Yeah, but she’s happily married now.”

“To Kanye fucking West. Not to mention they have a kid named North West. How happy can the woman actually be?” you were only half-joking. “Just because they aren’t divorced, doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking about it. And that goes for everyone, not just the reality stars who profit from it.”

“Okay, okay, stop roasting them and just get to the point already,” Jimin laughed. He even found your condescending nature charming.

“My point is that after being a witness to more failed marriages than successful ones, I realized love is a lot shittier than how we’d like to imagine it.” You jabbed your finger into Jimin’s heart. “And we can thank romance writers for setting our expectations way too fucking high.”

“You’re welcome.” Jimin nonchalantly took your hand and shook it, and before you could ask him what the fuck that was for, he was already ordering three coffees at the counter. As he was busy engaging with the cashier, you just stood there frowning in confusion.

Even while the two of you waited for your coffees to be made, you refused to say a word to him. The wheels in your brain were spinning…

He always carries around a notebook and called the wedding a romantic place to work in. He apparently spouts out bullshit from romance novels when he’s drunk. He got pretty defensive when you criticized love and romance. He was a fucking romantic if you ever saw one. He said “you’re welcome” when you thanked romance writers for making love unachievable. And then it finally hit you.

“You write fanfic?” you blurted out as you and Jimin exited the shop with your tray of coffees. Your handy detective skills made you feel like Bella exposing Edward as a fucking vampire.

“What? No! I don’t write fanfic!” He seemed offended by your assumption, but you doubted he’d never written fanfiction at some point in his life.

“But you’re a writer?”

“…Yeah,” he whispered.

“Holy fucking shi-”

“Shh! Don’t let the whole fucking world know!” He placed a chubby finger on your lips, and you were lowkey tempted to bite it and see what would happen.

“Why not? Are you secretly Nicholas Sparks or something?” You waited for an answer, but Jimin merely rolled his eyes and pushed you back into his apartment before saying anything more about his job as a writer.

After closing the door and setting the tray of coffees down on the counter, he finally answered your burning question, “I’m not Nicholas Sparks.”

“Oh wow, thank you so much for clearing that one up, Jimin,” you spoke in obvious sarcasm. “So what’s your penname if you aren’t Mr. Sparks?”

Jimin just looked at you for a moment and you blinked back with eyes of curiosity. “That’s classified information, Y/N. I’ve never told anyone my penname. Not even Jungkook.”

“Hmm, interesting… I bet you write kinky shit like Fifty Shades. Or perhaps zombie erotica?” You inspected the boy more closely, searching for any clues to his kinks or deepest desires.

“Either way, you wouldn’t read my work since you’re so against romance novels, right?” The boy crossed his arms. “So why are you so curious?”

“One’s work can say a lot about them as a person: their personalities, their personal experiences, their beliefs, and what inspires them,” you spoke in a softer tone. “I’m curious as to what your writing style says about you. Because for a writer, you, Park Jimin, are pretty hard to read.”

“You’re not so easy to read either, Y/N,” he confessed. “In fact, your attitude in regards to love is wild, yet somewhat justified.”

“And for just $500 a month, I’ll give you as many rants on love as your heart desires,” you joked, but truthfully, hearing Jimin’s words made you feel a certain way.

“Wait. That’s a good idea.” A light bulb suddenly went off in the boy’s brain.

“Glad we’re on the same page, Jims, but my services are in high demand so I’ve raised the price to $1000 a month.”

“Tell me about why you’ve come to despise love. Let me get to know you for my research,” Jimin ignored your monthly service fee bullshit. “That way, I’ll be able to write a romance even you would enjoy.” He wanted you to be his muse.

“Will the story involve kittens? I love kittens a lot more than humans.” You crossed your arms like a difficult young child because you weren’t just going to simply give Jimin what he wanted in order to advance his career.

“Noted!” He literally pulled out his notebook and wrote the word kitten on a blank page. “So you’ll help me?”

“What’s in it for me? Besides the $1000 a month.” You stroked your imaginary thinking beard.

“I’m not paying you $1000 a month,” he giggled. “What else do you want?”

There certainly was something you wanted out of the boy, but it wasn’t a request you could ask of him without crossing some lines.

You stepped much closer to Jimin, nearly closing the gap between your body and his, before your eyes locked with his. “Well, you know, now that Kookie has a crush on someone else, I’ll be kind of lonely at night~” Your hand ran through his hair, knocking his beanie to the floor.

“You want sex…?”

You looked at him with a teeny bit of want and desire as your hand now rested against his flushed red cheek. Seconds later, however, Jimin very delicately peeled your hand away.

“I can’t give you that either…” he said.

Just as with Jungkook earlier that morning, the rejection didn’t necessarily hurt. In fact, it was a pleasant surprise that Jimin had said no. Because it meant that, to some degree, he was beginning to understand you.

“Not bad, Park Jimin…” You smiled to yourself. “Alright, I’ll be your muse.”

Your sudden shift in moods caught the boy off-guard, although he’d kept that much to himself and instead asked another question, “You really don’t want anything in return, though?”

“Of course I want something in return!” You poked Jimin in the cheek before switching to a softer voice again. “I want you to eventually tell me your penname. That’s all.”

“Even if it’s fifty years from now?” he asked, still unsure of your fascination with his penname.

You nodded, “As long as it takes.” As long as it takes for Jimin to entrust you with his secret.

“Deal.”

#bts scenarios #bts fanfic #bts angst #jimin fanfic #sfwbangtan #bts imagines #bts fluff #jimin x reader #bts #jimin #bangtan #pink cheek syndrome

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thefutureunseen · 6 years

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Three Fandom Tag Game

I was tagged by @dracoterrae9099! Yay! Thanks, girl <3

Rules: Pick any three fandoms, answer the questions for each, then pass it on.

Hmmm, which three fandoms to choose... It’s so hard!

Fandoms:

Game of Thrones

The 100

The Vampire Diaries (ah, throwback to the good ole days)

The first character you loved:

Game of Thrones

- Ned Stark (I was going to say Jon Snow bc he’s my fav, but then I remembered that Sean Bean stole my heart from the first episode. It was like watching Boromir with better morals... which, of course, ripped my heart out doubly at the end of S1. Then in the books too. *soft sobs*)

The 100

- Bellamy Blake (Lol, he was such a d*ck in S1, but I knew from the first moment at the drop ship door with that ridiculously gelled hair that I was gonna love that boy. And I was right.)

TVD

- Stefan Salvatore (that sadboi had me from episode one and my poor teenage heart fell so hard)

The character you never expected to love so much:

Game of Thrones

- Sansa Stark (She was fairly annoying in the early seasons, but then survived SO MUCH trauma and became a badass MF and I dig it. She’s awesome.)

The 100

- Lexa Kom Trikru / Heda / Commander of My Heart (Another badass female boss. I was so hardcore Bellarke from S1 that when she came in for S2 and made moon eyes at Clarke, I was like “b*tch, wtf?!” Then in S3 she stole my freaking heart and made me a multi-shipper with her magical lesbian powers... And then she was brutally ripped away from us. I’m still not over it and I constantly think about all the amazing stories she could have been part of. It just about kills me. I wanted Bellamy/Lexa friendship. I wanted knowing looks between the two when Clarke did something crazy. *sings softly* “We could have had it all!”)

TVD

- Klaus Mikaelson (another sadboi who does stupid AF shit, but has that soft look in his eyes when he’s around one particular person. It gets to me. Enemies to lovers is so cliche, but it’s my favorite. Damn it.)

The character you relate to the most:

Game of Thrones

- Jon Snow (What is it with me and these sadbois? F*ck. Anyways, he’s been given the scraps at the bottom of the barrel even though he basically should be king and is still somehow the noblest, most caring person in the whole freaking world. Love that man.)

The 100

- Raven Reyes (This girl is truly an inspiration to me. She’s seen adversity. She’s been shot down, cheated on, pushed aside, and yet she keeps on trucking and is smarter than every other person on the show. Yass queen.)

TVD

- Bonnie Bennet (I’m sensing a theme here... Bonnie also constantly gets shoved aside for the ‘prettier,’ ‘sexier’ heroine and yet the show would have ended S1 without her. She’s both passionate and level-headed and the only one with common sense in that whole damn universe).

The character you’d slap:

Game of Thrones

- Theon Greyjoy (I hate him. I’ve never liked him. He was a pos from the first season/book and just got worse. Then he went through some shit and so many viewers miraculously forgave him - yet somehow still bash Sansa - even though he repeatedly acts selfish and betrays people. Ramsay Bolton is a sadistic MF, but Theon... I’ve got one thing to say to you: Karma, MF. Karma.)

The 100

- Finn Collins (One sadboi I will never understand. Seriously. I cringe every time he opens his mouth.)

TVD

- Damon “f*cking” Salvatore (I learned to love him in other regards, but this kid was the worst brother of all freaking time. I don’t care which ship you are, I think we can all agree that if your sibling did that to you, you’d be pissed. I know I would! Also, Defan brotp - which I love - was only possible because Stefan decided to be the bigger person. Quite unfair IMO. Like be angry and lose your brother? Or stifle your pain and lose your gf? Damn.)

Three favorite characters in order of preference:

Game of Thrones

- Jon Snow, Sansa, and Tyrion (I do like Dany in the show, but she bothered me so much in the books that I have a hard time letting that go when I watch the show. As much as I love GOT, GRRM does not understand how to write complex women. Unfortunately.)

The 100

- Raven Reyes, Bellamy Blake, and Lexa kom Trikru (Clarke, Octavia, and Jasper would be next. I love Clarke, but she reminds me too much of myself and I get frustrated with her a lot).

TVD

- Stefan Salvatore, Bonnie Bennet, and Caroline Forbes.

A character you liked at first but not anymore:

Game of Thrones

- Rob Stark (I know I’m the only one who feels this way, but DAMN he went downhill fast. Like the dude got himself and his mother killed because he couldn’t keep his d*ck in his pants. It annoys me so much.)

The 100

- Honestly I can’t think of anyone. I disagree with the way Jasper’s character arc went, but it didn’t make me dislike him. Haha, maybe Charlotte? She was cute until she became a little murderess and took out one of the best characters.

TVD

- Tyler Lockwood/Matt Donovan (They both were good characters and then they just got pushed to the wayside. They became irrelevant to the main plot so that I just didn’t care about them anymore. Kind of sad, really.)

A character you did not like at first but now you do:

Game of Thrones

- Jaime Lannister (He was an annoying prick and now he’s an annoying prick that is trying to help save the world... so yeah. I like him better now.)

The 100

- Marcas Kane (I never really disliked him, but I knew he was supposed to be the antagonist. Then he had his whole arc and I was cheering because I didn’t want to see Desmond be anything less than heroic. Oooh, damn. Now I wish I’d chosen Lost as one of my fandoms...)

TVD

- Damon “f*cking” Salvatore (We have a love/hate relationship, which is not surprising since that’s how all his relationships tend to be. Depending on what he’s doing in the show, I either want to punch him in the face or give him a big hug.)

Top three ships:

Game of Thrones

- Umm, this is hard because honestly I ship everyone with happiness and life... like please don’t die! But if I had to choose... probably Jonerys just because the two of them meeting was built up for so long. Missandei and Grey Worm... and Sansa/Tyrion, but that is more friendship than anything else.

The 100

- Bellarke, Clexa, and Raven with literally everyone that makes her smile.

TVD

- Stelena, Bamon, and Klaroline. They were my first introduction into shipping and they’ll always have a special place in my heart.

I’m going to tag @emakaylee, @hellosstrangerss, @skylorke, and @ anyone else who wants to play along!

No worries if you’ve already done this or don’t feel like doing it. Just a virtual wave from me to you!

#tag game #game of thrones #The 100 #tvd #the vampire diaries #jonerys #sanrion #bellarke #clexa #raven reyes #stelena #bamon #klaroline

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halvatir · 6 years

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Hello mizu! Its okay if you're too busy/don't want to do it but could you do the more detailed character ask for flanel and randel? Curious anon here, have a good day!

hey there anon, hoping you’re having a good day too ( ᐛ )و - are you talking about this ask??? i’m not sure what you’re talking about but bless these kinds of tumblr blogs, here u go

btw the likes/dislikes are in reference to my interpretations for them, the fav/least fav moment are in reference in-game since y’know… these guys don’t exactly have ‘moments’ minus… idk, whoever the devs decide to feature in the updates (゜▽゜;)

flamel (… flanel lol i thought u were referring to another chara)

what i like about them: perfectly self-aware of himself: knows what his strengths + capabilities are and also his weaknesses + flaws, along with his morals + ideals + character. nope, any form of psychological bullshit won’t work on him. he’s absolutely aware of what he’s capable of doing and he’s not in denial about his shortcomings at all… what he does with that knowledge and what he plans to do about it is more of the question.

what i dislike about them: while flamel has a condescending air about him, he actually does not look down on people and he acknowledges others’ capabilities + character, even if they’re better than his own. that’s the problem: he knows or at least he has a general idea of a person’s capabilities + character, and what he dislikes the most is if it is not put to good use. without mercy, he can really say stinging observations about one’s failures and fears straight to their faces - the worst part is? it hurts, bc it’s true. he’s insensitive, but you can’t exactly deny his words either.

favorite moment: when i get his card lol bc i really like his card art??? not the mvp + biochemist one, the regular one - like… daMN??? i dig, he probably has the best regular card among the bio mobs imo

least favorite moment: ??? have u fought this fucker in-game??? no??? lucky u then, cecil’s still the queen bitch but mAN is flamel also a pain to fight, the last time i played ended up with my party dying partially bc of him and his clones

a situation with this character that i want to see explored more: not exactly a situation but his backstory??? or okay, something with his family - i know he’s nicholas flamel’s son but what about his mom? or what if: his parents announce that he’s about to have a sibling like??? what, i’m like around my 20s already then u tell me i’m gonna be an older bro i am questioning ur nightly activities??? cue a much needed slap from his mom lol

an interesting au for this character: lol i’d probably like to see flamel in a soulmate au where he feels the same emotions his partner does like wow he’s really irritated at it at first bc really why is this person so damned emotional / feel so much but eventually he’s able to compartmentalize his partner’s emotions from his own and he also takes note of the emotions his partner experiences in a journal daily, complete with time frames/lines??? that’s sort of sweet??? it also becomes a habit for him to look at the journal at the end of the day and think of reasons why his partner may have felt this way at each of the recorded times??? what’s funny tho is that despite the fact that he’s been taking note of his partner’s emotions for so long (probably middle school up to college?), he’s never gotten the urge to discover who his soulmate is, or to try find said person. sorry soulmate, you’re the one who’s gonna take initiative.

a crossover: top of my head, probably a fullmetal alchemist one lol - he’s probably some big shot alchemist then surprise surprise, one of his transmutation attempts fucked up him up pretty badly leading him to the gate of truth. he wakes up feeling ‘empty’ only to figure out that somehow his parts of him have taken the form of homonculi… and not just any kind of homonculi - they introduce themselves as a part of him, the sins in him that has made him the man he was today. they even call him father and take different human forms (lol, aka they take the form of his floormates, take a pick who represents each sin) - the revelation is in his travels tho while he’s trying to get to the homonculi, is that flamel himself embodies a sin, the seventh sin that completes all of them (try guessing what, lol). ooooh, this could probably be good if i actually fix this but yeah, there u go, it goes somewhere along those lines.

otp: none, actually.

other ships: kathryne // trentini

brotp: randel // alphoccio

notp: lady tanee hahAHAHA jk no seriously idk just ignore my first entry pls it was supposed to be a joke… maybe…

assortment of headcanons

surprise bitch, he’s the best chef in the biolabs but he ain’t gonna cook for anybody but himself - the only time he isn’t hung up on precise measurements + time is when he’s cooking

has a pair of reading glasses, uses them often and keeps them stored away neatly in his desk complete with a wipe - he always makes sure there’s adequate lighting + his reading glasses are present when he reads stuff, he sure cares for his eyes a lot

he… surprisingly follows a lot of good health practices - he always takes 15 - 20 min break if he’s been doing something for a straight hour (patrol + battles are exempted), drinks 8 glasses of water daily, sleeps early, etc.

his hands are always gloved - takes ‘em off only when he’s about to sleep. his right hand is pristine but his left hand has a strangely shaped burn mark that runs diagonally across his palm - it looks old.

he looks prim and proper but honestly his room is nuts - what’s more confusing is that he isn’t bothered by his room’s state at all + he knows exactly where his stuff is when he needs it, like… dude… how do u even know where to find ur shit in a warzone called ur room, teach me ur ways master

randel (oooh this is new)

what i like about them: he’s a very resolute yet flexible person: definitely not the type of person who’d go second-guessing on his decisions or would waver in times of crisis, but he’s not also the person who’d insist on pushing on with the initial goal/objective when difficulties or contradictions arise - he takes in the present situation + other factors & encountered facts and weighs them against the supposed goal/objective. from there he determines what he thinks would be the best course of action to take, and it takes him only a short time to do so even under pressure.

what i dislike about them: true to his class, he’s too self-sacrificing??? which is like… dude c’mon it’s probably an honor for the crusader line to die in the act of protecting others but still if u die, who’s going to protect those who can’t protect themselves? like yeah, he understands that too but he’s more inclined to believe that it’s better for him to be left behind/sacrificed/die in exchange for the lives of the majority. well - it’s either he’s that self-sacrificing or sadly, when weighed against the lives of the people he must protect, he doesn’t place that much value on his own life.

favorite moment: the feel when u don’t get his attention, seriously. pls let me sneak about ur floor in peace - i swear i went to church so pls stop with the grand + holy crosses

least favorite moment: fighting him is torture bc if rms data is right, 478,745 hp, man - he has the longest hp out of his floormates… and that’s just a regular randel… the paladin one has 3,870,000 and the mvp one a whopping 6,870,000… since his life is that fucking long, say goodbye to trying not to be mobbed by the other ghosts bc ur still busy trying to kill him, damn

a situation with this character that i want to see explored more: same like flamel, knowing his backstory would be A+ but… hmm, maybe something way back like his origins story or something, the story of why and what made him decide to be a swordsman/crusader. y’know, that’s if we’re assuming that he’s not from a family line of swordsmen/crusaders or something. idk, sometimes the thing is with characters who are in line with a faith/ideal is that i’m interested in what made them devote their lives to that certain faith/ideal in the first place.

an interesting au for this character: oooh, just… idk, a modern au where he suddenly ends up taking care of the bio2 kids who are orphans. he’s never mentioned it to anyone, not even to the people of his workplace who happen to be his friends/co-workers like for 4 years already. therein lies the problem: his friends on separate occasions have seen him with at least 2 or 1 of the kids. they all know randel isn’t married. the hair colors (cenia and laurell) + other features don’t match up. some distinctly heard a kid call him dad/daddy/father (see: wickebine, armaia, the rest respectively). conclusion: it’s either a) he’s babysitting as a part time job bc goddamn rekenber’s a cheap son of a bitch that won’t give him a raise, b) those kids are his cousins or something and are probably so fond of him that they see him as a father figure, or c) illegitimate chiLDREN FROM SOME ONE NIGHT STANDS ALRIIIGHT SCANDAL IN THE OFFICE. chaos ensues even before poor randel has a chance to explain himself.

a crossover: lol, idk… a shingeki one maybe where randel’s probably the head of the survey corps, watching over our fated trio (probably flamel/celia/chen for his floor, bio2&3′s are a mix&match). for some time, the trio don’t see him but strangely enough when the trio get old enough to join the corps, they discover that randel is considered a scum and a traitor to humanity by all three army regiments (survey, garrison, & military) which is strange bc randel is very well known and respected by humanity within the walls, wow. when the trio get deeper into his case, it turns out that randel vehemently fought against a group of scientists that were looking for human subjects for the ‘sake of saving humanity by using present resources’ - the three of them were seen as part of those potential resources and were eyed upon by the scientists were they were already young, along with other people from different parts of the walls (the other bio mobs). what happened to randel, however, is left in the air… was he even still alive, or had something important happened leading him to be branded as the traitor of humanity? politics, religion, science, drama, and titans (removers maybe lol) ensue.

otp: again, no solid one.

other ships: ????? surprising revelation is that i don’t exactly ship randel romantically, wow even i just discovered that now

brotp: his floormates - although honestly i think that one way or another, randel could be on everyone’s good side once they just get around to talking, probably

notp: zealotus oKAAAAY no seriously pls make me stop placing random mobs in this section

assortment of headcanons:

very, very religiously open + tolerant. he shows a lot of interest on other faiths and is knowledgeable even of various religious practices asides from his own. of course, he’s still steadfastly loyal to what he believes in first and foremost, but he feels no need to impart his beliefs to those who don’t / are reluctant to believe. he isn’t the type you’d see to be preaching about his faith either, that is unless you ask.

in line with the hc above, his tolerance also extends to people and their character + personalities, but he isn’t too tolerant to the point that he’d rationalize questionable actions + motives. he may have the patience of a saint, but no one’s so sure if they want to see him snap / test his patience to see what makes him tick. throwing bullshit about his faith doesn’t work on him, actually.

he’s pretty crafty - he pretty much taught himself other ways to help people, from practical stuff like sewing to more complicated stuff like woodwork + metal works, wow. he’s basically the ideal useful guy in survival crises… minus the fact that he can’t cook that well lol

he has the worst drinking tolerance among the bio3 + bio4 residents - the sign that he’s drunk is when his face shows more expression than usual + his posture breaks (the paladin randel card art lol). nobody knows bc damn son, he has a pretty good poker face and he can hold it for a really long time

... the only reason he grew his hair long is bc of a promise to his mother. he vowed that if ever he was to fall in love (and it was reciprocated) / find the person he would devote his life to, that would be the only time he would cut his hair, and his mother would do the honors... but... yeah... wow, i made myself feel sad

this was a lot of fun - thanks a lot for the ask anon, and i welcome your curiosity anytime! (　＾∇＾) i’m always in for a distraction from work lol

#anon #askdfghjl #hmm those aus tho... not bad #maybe i'd plot them out sometime lol

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akria23 · 7 years

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Dom & Letty 3.0 - FOTF

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“You will never be alone again.

I vow wherever you go, I go.

You ride, I ride.

You fight, I fight.

And if you ever die on me Dominic Torreto, I’m gonna die with you..��

Those were Letty’s vows to her husband the night they got married and this movie presents them in action. In part 6 we got to see Dom fight not only for her but for their love, having to captivate her all over again. Now here in part 8 the roles have been flipped and its Letty’s turn to either fall in line with others thoughts or fight for her husband. The difference in their battles is the fact that Dom was fighting for a resurface of memories and their undeniable draw/chemistry – while for Letty it’s about faith. The question of would Dom do this, would he turn his back on his family…on her, and when all the evidence says yes, does she still have the power to say no. How much does she know her husband, how much does she trust him and their love. She comes through with flying colors.

Like I said even though this is a flip, there are big differences, one of those being knowledge of enemy. Dom knew who his enemy was, he knew what had went wrong with her and who was using that for his own purposes. But Letty doesn’t have this same knowledge. She doesn’t know who the big bad is or why Dom is doing things that are totally against everything he is. That’s where the faith comes into play, because she has to everything off the back of it. Despite others telling her that this may be who he has become she has to go off of what she believes of him and their love and remind them of all the great things her husband has done for them while they’re so quick to give up on or judge him. She reminds us of her position and exactly where her loyalties reside when she responds to Hobbs by telling him that he’ll have to deal with the both of them when he warns her that he may have to put Dom down. She’s not just willing to fight for him, but beside him – and that’s not in the hope that he’s still good, but in the certainty that something else is going on because her Dom would never turn his back, the fight for the family is all he’s ever known. You know its certainty because she places her life in his hands. In the briefcase scene there was this great subtext moment because here’s the reality, that moment after he shot the gun in the air and she turned around and told him that he wouldn’t shoot her because he loved her…this moment really was about choosing – he had a choice, stop her and his baby survived another day. Let her go free and choose losing that. He let her go. It doesn’t matter that she got caught unaware around the corner by someone else…because he let her go. The next scene – the standoff – is also important because here he is again choosing to protect his wife with the knowledge of what it will cost him if he shoots this man. Not only that, but it comes back to that faith again. Because this moment is really her time to prove if she believes her husband is doing this for a reason or because he’s turned bad. She has to either side with him (let the case go) or keep it and get the other guy a bullet to the head – putting Dom in further hot water (it doesn’t matter that she doesn’t know exactly what that hot water is, only that she’s aware of its existence if she believes her husband to be innocent).

In one of my old Dotty articles I claimed that Dom had elevated in his Alpha status, that he had become the kind to analysis his enemy then to plot and plan. That his control was of self and his lead was of understanding his mates and those around him. This chapter really proved those claims. He planned and adjusted to everything that happened (which I’ll go over in more detail in the review). The only thing he really couldn’t plan or adjust for was his wife. As they say – a driver’s weakness really is his best partner knowing all his tricks. She was the only one able to keep up with him cause she knew his tricks, when she got the briefcase he couldn’t adjust and ended up choosing her not once but twice which led to the punishment of Elena dying (not that I shed a tear – I knew she was gonna die the moment I saw that baby). The enemy’s biggest mistake was thinking it was an either or game with Dom – not realizing that he plays the long game his plan would be getting his child and going back to his wife…instead what she did was taunt the him with one (Letty) and bait his with the other (baby Brian). Big mistake leaving Letty out of her equation because she left something out there to fight for him and for him to fight for. She thought the baby would over compass that, she thought the baby would shadow his wife – she was wrong. It not about choosing the baby over Letty/family – it’s about connecting the two.

I see people saying things like the baby ruined the relationship, it ruined Dom/Letty. No the baby may have ruined the fantasy as you saw it…but he didn’t ruin that relationship. Every one of their chapters has shown that nothing comes between that love because that love is the factor. Letty is not bothered, or upset by this child…and why would she be? It wasn’t something that intentionally happened and when she told Elena that she understood her relationship with Dom, she actually meant it. The baby wasn’t/isn’t a threat to her marriage. It doesn’t mean Dom was in love with Elena, cause he wasn’t. It doesn’t mean that Letty can’t have her own kids with him, cause she can. It doesn’t mean she’s gonna mistreat baby Brian, cause even though he may not have come from her womb – he is still a part of her husband and like him family means everything to her. It doesn’t mean that their kids will take second place just because it came second – understand that there will be no distinction between these kids. Understand that just because this baby didn’t come out of her womb doesn’t mean he’s not her son too. That’s what the Fast & Furious has always been about –a family created not by blood but by bond. Dom and Letty are now parents – maybe not in the way we originally thought/wanted, but in a way that’s not wrong regardless.

One of my favorite things about this series and about this relationship is everyone understands that when it comes to Dom and Letty – the shit that’s between them is undeniable and there’s no walking away from it. When they reunite and he lets her know he hadn’t walked away, she says she knows. Dom and Letty see themselves as soulmates, as bonded, as ride or die. Whatever you wanna call it, it all means the same thing -Love- They’ll follow, they’ll ride, they’ll fight, and they’ll die for it. Isn’t that the ideal, isn’t that why we clamor for it, why we cling to and love it?

We’ve gushed at their cuteness/power, we cried when she died, we cheered with a blood of vengeance when Dom sought revenge, we fought for the Letty comeback, and we all gasped and gave a standing O when we all saw Letty’s pic after the credits, we died and came back to life when Dom fought for her, their love and their future. We threw our hat into this ring a long time ago and I don’t know about you guys, but mine still resides there and always will as long as the franchise holds close those ideals that are so dear to me - Loyalty, Love, Family, Romance and the sacrifice/fight in the name of those things. As long as it centers and protects the Dotty goodness. Familia remember that we fought for this shit right here. Our OTP’s love is written all over this piece and that is in part thanks to us fans. Romance is thrown to the side in action flicks, used to create some angst by killing off one of the lovers or back-filler that gets no real shine. But with F&F we get it all, the action, the romance, the family. Sixteen years and the pairing is only getting stronger. I loved this movie because it really defined the love this time around. I don’t just mean romantic love either. It really put the quote ‘you don’t turn you back on family…’ to work, because even though some of them had been misjudging Dom the moment his life was in danger – what did they do? Every time I think they can’t emote further, that they can’t make me feel more about the emotion that resides in these films and yet every time I’m wrong. With the Dom and Letty relationship when I say it defined the love…I mean it really cemented what love means to them – as a pairing not just from Dom to Letty. If I had to pick one word to describe their type of love it would be faith. We’ve seen the trait throughout their relationship over the years and in a big way in part 7 when he let her go on the faith that she would figure it out and come back to him (cause you can’t tell someone they love you). Like I said earlier, it’s her total being in this film - because their faith in one another is so strong, so is the certainty of their love. The reason they can trust one another so immensely, the reason they’re so loyal to one another, the reason they’re so willing to sacrifice, the reason they make each other so damn happy is because of that certainty. They give and know its to be returned with the same passion. They love each other and they always will. It’s the reason they work, the reason they always find themselves together. It’s the reason they’re so indestructible. It’s the reason we’re so damn blessed.

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Notes: Videos not mine first one is Queen of hearts and the second is of course one of my all time favs - you know I always gotta in with a ConquerGravity video because the vids are just so damn on point to what I’m getting at. Every time I see a ConGrav vidseo it always makes me see a bigger picture of what I think and feel about this pairing and they’re relationship. None of the videos are new cause the new film just came out but oldies can make you feel new things. I didn’t put everything in this post because I am coming out with a review of the movie and theres a lot of points that connect to that so I stripped this down and left it as bare as possible. I went and saw the advance showing...but I’m going again tonight to see it so I’ll write the review after and hopefully have it up by later Sunday night. Sorry this is so long with no images...

Other Dotty / Vincelle Works:

Dotty Ship Awareness Part 1 / Dotty Ship 2 / Dotty NonCasual /Future Wishes for F&F / Vincelle Actor Relate Awareness