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#and already putting in a good word for him in via Bruce
nerdpoe · 4 months
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Lucius Fox is in the drive thru for some coffee, and like. He's just. He's had a time, okay?
He's stuck on some equations in regard to the amount of torsion a joint would go through if it's half in his dimension and half in another, and it's driving him up a wall.
He's been up for like forty-eight hours, he's tired, he's thirsty, he just wants a coffee, and also how to solve this dilemma.
He doesn't expect the barista in the drive-thru he's ranting about the engineering issues to actually provide decent feedback, and give him a few alternatives.
So he rushes to the pick-up window, not even caring to order, to look at this godsend of a barista.
It's a scrawny kid with black hair and blue eyes, looking startled. Boy can't be more than eighteen.
He asks what college the kid is going to, or plans to go to.
To his absolute horror, the kid-Danny, according to the nametag-says he can't afford college. That he'd had a stint in highschool where he just hadn't been able to focus, and his parents had spent every penny they had on their own inventions.
So that was why he was a barista; because if he worked there for four years, they would offer tuition assistance.
Which.
No. No no no no no.
Lucius pulls around to march into the store, Bruce Motherfucking Wayne already blearily on his phone.
He is getting this kid, and any friend of his, into college.
If Bruce won't foot the bill, he will.
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lordgrimoire · 1 year
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The Goonion would like a Word
Bruce had never had an experience like this before, letters of ransom from any of his rogues? Certainly! But the Goonion only ever left messages when they were paying bail for their own, and he was becoming worried as to why Jason’s Goons had posted a message to him via The Goonion.
“To Batman of Gotham, New Jersey, United States of America, We would like to have a word with you in regards to a pair of Meta Adjacent individuals we would like to harbor here in Gotham, we are only extending the courtesy to you regarding them due to the fact that the United States Government refuses to acknowledge them as people due to their conditions, the Boss said he would tell you himself, if he has not already he likely will soon. Suffice to say a family of three is coming to Gotham as their last chance at a safe harbor and we would prefer it if you did not get on their cases. We hope to receive your response without any broken bones, The Goonion, Gotham, New Jersey Branch.” Tim was staring at the paper, the stationary of The Goonion, with confusion, Dick, Barbara, Cass, and Stephany seemed rather accepting of it, and Damian was confused. 
“What is this, Goonion?” His youngest asked, staring at the paper as Bruce read over the return address, the Iceberg Lounge, a server named Thomas. 
“Ah, we haven’t told you about them yet have we?” Dick began, sitting back. “They’re nice folks, help get the Goons payed and are usually the ones to put their feet down when Rogues get outta hand for normal folks, for instance, the Joker does not have the stamp of approval for, many reasons. But primarily it’s due to his former Henchmen, including Harley, snitching on him to the Goonion.” Dick typed something into his phone, Damian’s own device pinging in his pocket, likely more info. “The Goonion has an odd relationship with us, we don’t go after them and they try to keep things regulated, Jason could probably tell you more, and it seems from the letter we do have to talk to him.” The door to the cave opened, and while Bruce looked up to see his second son come walking down the steps he seemed, tired, run down even.
“The Goonion already got to you? Good on them.” Jason huffed as he sat next to Damian, ruffling the boy’s head much to his exasperation and attempted swatting. “Situations fucked, the letter doesn’t even touch on the bigger parts but it gets, real fucky like, possibly gonna want to get Uncle Clark and Aunt Diana in on it fucky, definitely Constantine as well.” Well Bruce knew his flags rather well and if Jason was advocating for not only a League intervention but one headed by John Constantine? Bruce decided to address the original topic first. 
“They can stay, but they will have to answer questions.” Jason huffed and leaned back. 
“Ground rules then, the two younger kids? Meta Adjacent? They have a similar situation to me, and it turns out Ra’s is playing with not even a tenth of a full puzzle with the Lazarus Pit.” Everyone around the table stiffened, save Alfred who had come in behind Jason with a tea service, as Jason took a sip from the mug placed before him and nodding to Alfred. “Thank you. The details are spotty but the abridged form is this, the Lazarus pit is the remains of a bunch of people from a dimension to which we all go when we die, the residents therein call it the Infinite Realms since it services everyone that means every Person who has a faith or doesn’t has a place there. Furthermore these three’s parents who passed recently in a Government Sanctioned raid made a Portal to the Infinite Realms, and Lazarus Water? Corrupted, dirty, a literally soul eroding form of what makes up matter on that end of the divide, Ectoplasm.” Jason withdrew a vial from his pocket, a bright green and sluggish substances was held within. “This is pure ectoplasm, The Parents, a pair known as Doctors Jack and Madeline Fenton, introduced me to a Doctor from the Infinite Realms, suffice to say I am feeling much less angry and far more at peace with things, though apparently being angry is normal for the type of “Dead but Brought Back” I am.” Jason placed the vial on the table and slowly pushed it to Bruce, taking his hand back when he reached for it.
“Jazz, the eldest, is a student at Gotham University, or she is now, identities and the like will be handled later but for the younger two it’s time for some non starters, because apparenlty if you ask an Ecto Entity or anyone touched by the Infinite Realms how they died it sets off a “I Must Kill You Now” trigger in their head, essentially forcing them to suffer their deaths all over again until they deal with who or whatever asked the question, so no being a little nosey punk about it Tim.” Tim jolted at his name being said instead of Jason’s nickname for him but he nodded when he realized that his elder brother hadn’t looked away from him. Bruce was still proud the two had started to mend things so well, but as he stared at the vial a question swirled in his mind.
“Why did the Goonion send a letter then?” Jason stiffened slightly and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Alrighty, so you know how I’ve been going to College classes since a year ago? I met Jazz at one of them, as Jason Todd, son of Bruce Wayne and card carrying member of Red Hood’s Goonion. This was, sometime around Spring Semester, soooooo” Steph lunged up, mouth open with a squeak until Cass pulled her back down. Jason sighed and continued. “We started dating last year, she wants to be a psychiatrist and maay have started working for The Goonion in Star City when one of their guys ended up on her mentor’s patient bench. Her academics are already transferred to Gotham U but she’s still looking for a new Mentor.” Bruce made an affirmative noise at that, encouraging, Jason was holding something back, the younger siblings hadn’t been named yet. “The Goonion hired her former mentor and Jazz followed them in since they have really good benefits, and she has experience with the whole Capes and Crooks thing already. Though she told me she would rather she and her siblings explain that.” 
So, Jasmine Fenton, after being a student for at least a year in Psychiatry, became a Goonion Psychiatrist, and then when her Parents died she takes her younger siblings, one of whom is rather recently adopted into the family by the looks of it, and flees her hometown, one Amity Park Illinois, which has a disturbingly blank file in the League databanks. “Yeah,” Jason began, looking over at the Batcomputer, scanning the total lack of data from two year ago on. “The Government locked their hometown down quick, they have a branch called the Ghost Investigation Ward, who managed to get a law in before our current Shining Dome of a President, was sworn in, apparenlty old Lex has been trying to rip that law to shredds since he found out about it and there’s something akin to a coup attempt going on from the GIW towards Lex. I looked into those guys already, I think it would be wiser to side with the current President and not a bunch of Loons who would dissect Uncle Clark and his kids if they got the chance.” Damian jerked slightly, turning to face Jason.
“What?” 
“Yeah, Krypton is dead it’s a dead world, by some of the smaller parts of the Anti-Ecto Acts that means that all Kryptonians are ecto-beings and by that law have no sentience, and are just emotions imprinted on ectoplasm, given the fact I died once they would pick me up as well in a heartbeat, for “disposal” as they call it.” The room had become Still, Dick seemed furious, staring at the damning lack of info alongside a pale Tim, Damian who was still staring at Jason realized just why his brother had looked back to him and was also looking at Cass, they had been brought back by the pit, they were by Federal Law non-sentient. Bruce felt the arms of his chair bend slightly under his grip before breathing out his frustration. 
“You have a plan?” Jason nodded, he seemed to be expecting worse, you really didn’t give him a reason not to, and began speaking.
“The Goonion will be dealing with protecting people who fall under the acts, we just need the JL to take this problem and light it on fire, drag it into the public eye and raid a few of the GIW’s bases that may have people, both from our side and theirs, in captivity. I will be going tonight to get Jazz and her Siblings from a bolt hole of theirs, an Aunt in Arkansas whose bound to be investigated is hiding them, I just need to borrow something.” Bruce allowed an eyebrow to climb up his forehead, he wants to borrow the Batplane for it.
“I’ll allow it, go and get them once it starts to become dark out, I’ll expect you back by dawn, do you have a place set up?” Jason blinked at him before nodding. 
“Yeah, one of the safer corners of Crime Alley, closest part to Gotham University, three bedrooms, two bath, someone maaay have helped me pick it out.” Bruce nodded, he would get nowhere in trying to guess which of his other children, Alfred, or any of Jason’s friends, or even some of their own collectively reformed Rogues could have helped Jason in this, but suffice to say it was a safe harbor and one backed by some rather tough figures. The Goonion alone would give anyone trouble, but with them being in Crime Alley that meant that they were essentially in an invaders nightmare. Dead ends, construction, dilapidated or abandoned buildings, it was a natural ambush site. Jason then put a box on the table, it was a scanner of some sort. 
“One of the reasons they’re coming here is this,” he flipped a switch and the machine began to frantically beep, practically sounding a long tone before Jason flipped it off again, “Gotham sits on a similar point to Amity Park, and as such we are LOADED with ambient ectoplasm, constantly stirred up by magic based curses of one sort or another it essentially blinds ectoplasmic tracking devices.” Bruce nodded, accepting the device as it was pushed down the table to him. “Jazz had apparently decided that they would run to Gotham if things went sideways like this anyways, we’re the closest ambiently effected city to Amity not ringed by GIW outposts and scanners.” Bruce paused in his observing of the machine, the GIW had surrounded other cities that had high ambient ectoplasm?
“Where?” Jason pulled out a small notepad.
“Well, Jazz wouldn’t tell us, but the Goonion has it’s ways, The GIW has encircled the following cities, Salem, Boston, and Springfield of Massachusetts, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia and Gettysburg of Pennsylvania, Chicago Illinois, Savanah Georgia, D.C., and then San Francisco and San Antonio of California and Texas respectively, I asked for this list at 6 this morning, I was handed this current version at Noon, these were just the overt ones. Metropolis, Bludhaven, and Gotham, are currently not surrounded, there are locations between them but not many.” Bruce stood, watching as addresses were placed on the table, each assigned a sticky note and details. 
“You should get ready to go get Jazz and her siblings, we’ll deal with this.” Bruce tapped on the sticky note closest to him. Jason nodded and stood, following Alfred out of the Batcave as Bruce looked to the rest of his family. “We have targets, we have details, Tim, dig up what you can on the GIW, Damian, Dick, Cass, Stephanie, your with me, we’re going to raid as many of these places as we can tonight, Barbara,”
“I’ve got comms, got it.” She interrupted, rolling over to the Bat computer and preparing for daylight operations 
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dotthings · 1 year
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"Of Butchers and Betrayals" giving me a lot of Alfred-adjacent feelings.
Uh oh. Harvey’s experiencing lost time. That shot of Harvey waking up on his office couch, lying on his side so we only see half of his face—the composition of that shot. The foreshadowing. He didn't remember checking out the key. Did Harvey kill Mayor Hill and can't remember doing it, or are we meant to think Harvey killed Mayor Hill...and Harvey did something but it wasn't killing him. There's a mind-altering drug right in the episode, but I'm thinking that's a misdirect wrt Harvey. I'm inclined to think his experiencing lost time is real and part of his genuinely unraveling psyche, while the The Court is also manipulating him. Taking advantage of his mental state.
After her scene with the Mayor, I kinda figured already that Cressida was with the Owls, so it’s not like this is a shock to me, but I feel bad for Turner. Cressida was his Alfred (by her own words). Alfred’s among my favorite DC characters and Cressida’s betrayal is making me think about Alfred and I'm having sads. Turner’s devastated—Cressida’s every bit as important to him as Alfred was to Bruce. I'm thinking how Bruce would react in some AU where Alfred betrayed him and I'm flinching.
The owls are in the house. Ouch.
Cressida does seem genuinely terrified of the Owls, so there may be more to her backstory and how she's trapped. Which doesn't lessen how bad that betrayal is. And it may just be part of the act.
“Gotham was their city. Your father was a threat to that.” I’m suspecting this is not about Batman. Bruce himself was a threat to the Owl's grip on the city and was up to something--maybe having to do with how Bruce can help Gotham in ways beyond being a vigilante. Something that could loosen the Court’s grip on the city systemically. Whatever it is, it scared the Court.
Canonically, Bruce isn’t just a vigilante, he uses his wealth to help the people of Gotham via The Wayne Foundation. So maybe this is picking up on that theme. The good he can do beyond just being a vigilante. Why wait though, why put it in the will?
Carrie saving Turner. Big damn hero. ROBIN FTW.
Turner can’t just go back to his old life. Sometimes you can’t go back. You can only go forward.
Row sibs <333
Watching Steph and Harper’s friendship develop is going to be interesting.
Duela being jealous because the OTHER kid of a serial killer had a more nurturing serial killer dad than hers was. Duela’s a really fun character and there’s something twistedly poignant about her. She wants to have this persona of the unhinged criminal but she’s actually vulnerable, lonely, has abandonment issues, and she has a soft heart.
Talon’s a pretty badass villain.
Appreciation for this easter egg:
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brokentoys · 2 years
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to  fit  my  own  timeline  and  ideas,  and  events  of  hush  happened  very  early  on  in  eddie’s  career  as  riddler. which was only a year ( or less ) after he became the riddler. no one took him seriously because he was Fresh Meat, ( and also due to the debacle with Sphinx, which you can read here ) and thus, it's also why bruce didn't think eddie was capable of being the "mastermind" type. because bruce saw eddie as an incompetent victim of vulnerability, and mental illness. and eddie REALLY did want to show everyone that, despite his blunders in the past, he's still capable of being just as threatening as the rest.
this was the first Real Major thing eddie was able to pull, because he had also finally gathered enough money to do so. ( although, he did have a good amount put up from his GCPD days. ) although, some of the rogues wanted to have their doubts, the offers eddie gave us too good to refuse - especially to someone like tommy who has a personal agenda against bruce - and this was the time when bruce learned to accept that riddler is indeed a threat.
eddie was able to decipher batman's identity via lazzy pit because it was already something he had suspected ( even before he became the riddler. ) - but due to his many mental illnesses, eddie kept questioning himself, and due to delusions, and cruel voices, it caused him to constantly second guess if he's right about bruce. although the lazarus pit was used to cure eddie of his terminal cancer, it granted eddie a, as he put it in his own words, "sense of clarity." at first, it seemed he was "cleared" of his mental illnesses, and could think without all the paranoia, all the self consciousness. he was able to convince himself, with all the evidence he's compiled, that bruce is indeed batman. ( unfortunately, for him, his mental illnesses did return not long after. )
by default, my eddie knows that bruce is batman. since, i, uhm, hated the hush sequel and do not view it as canon on this blog. also, funny enough, hush is really the only comic i consider as canon on this blog ( albeit a few changes to match my portrayal ) but as i've said before, if i write with any bruces who don't want my eddie knowing. then i'm okay with being flexible with this bit. CX
also, one last thing. eddie was proooobs 25-26 during hush. ( as he likely became riddler when he was 25 ) so, it happened around 4-5 years ago - as eddie is currently 30 rn.
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ao3feed-brucewayne · 1 month
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Resting In Your Arms Tonight
by alchemistsarego After being exposed to a chemical that has already hospilitilised Tim Drake, Dick Grayson is put on medical supervision that he very much does not need because he is perfectly okay. The nausea is just because he had something dodgy to eat and the dizziness is because he just hasn't had enough to drink. Not wanting his family to be needlessly hovering over him, Dick goes to his apartment in Blüdhaven instead when he absolutely feels perfectly fine and does not need help what-so-ever because he is the eldest and the others always look to him for reassurance. Okay, maybe he's a little bit sick but it's not that bad, really. He's fine. Words: 8343, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 23 of What's A Little Bafam Without A Whole Lotta Trauma? Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen Characters: Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Whump, Dick Grayson Whump, Sick Dick Grayson, Vomiting, Seizures, Confusion, Hospitalisation, IVs, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Sequel to 'Shaking In Your Arms Tonight', can be read separately, no beta we die like jason, Seriously lots of vomiting, Yikes, Dick does not have a good time, batfam via https://ift.tt/U8lr7ha
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rynne311 · 3 years
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The Gun
Summary:  There are far too many ways for the meet the family date to go wrong, especially when there are lost guns and misunderstandings involved.
Word Count: 1136
You had desperately wanted to make a good impression.  You'd never really made it to the 'meet the family' phase of the relationship before and you didn't want to mess this up.  It was intimidating enough sitting in the expansive drawing room with all eyes on you.  The idea that just by opening your mouth you'd probably end up putting your foot in there was daunting.
Dinner had seemed to go well enough.  None of the potential fights Jason had warned you about had actually happened, which you couldn't tell if that was a good sign or not.  If they had fully welcomed you into the family, they would let their guard down and let stupid fights break out, but you tried to remind yourself that this was only a first meeting and that evenuality would come along before you knew it.  
You didn't have time to over think it before your phone started ringing, and knowing that work didn't call unless it was important, you excused yourself from the room to answer.  Jason studied your face as you excused yourself, trying to gauge if this was going to be a 'we get to leave' kind of work call.
"What do you mean you lost the gun?" You questioned as you rounded the corner out of the doorway.
"And you're sure someone didn't just leave it on a shelf?"  Your voice carried no matter how much you tried to hush.
Jason could sense Bruce's eyes narrowing in your direction. It didn't take much for him to know what the man was thinking.  Jason had already heard enough of it with his own track record.  
"You're just going to bring someone here who apparently has such a blasé attitude about deadly weapons that they appear to be routinely left around for anyone to find and discharge," Bruce lectured.  "It's bad enough that you disregard my feelings on the matter, but it is another thing entirely to bring strangers here who obviously do the same thing."
It seemed the writing was on the wall, and judgements already made.  He was disappointed, but not surprised.  The night had gone far too well, and it was only fitting in his mind that Bruce would take something good in his life and twist it into something terrible.
"And you wonder why I've been in this relationship for well over two years, and this is only the first time I've brought Y/N here. So definitely not just a stranger," Jason countered.  He could feel the anger rising, and as much as he was trying to keep things relatively sane in the manor for your visit, he couldn't help as his voice kept growing. "You just love to take things out of context and villainize them, especially if it has anything to do with me and anything I love. I mean, c'mon Bruce, you really live to the expectation on this, I just can't tell if it's living up to it or down to it."
Jason's bellowing had you abruptly hanging up the phone running back into the drawing room.  You'd only seen him this angry a couple of times, but this time was different, you could see the pain it was stemming from standing right in front of him.  There was always a distance to it, something he only had to prove to and remind himself, but this time was different.  This time the manifestation of his personal shortcomings stood chest to chest to him in icy judgement.
"I think there may have been a misunderstanding," you hurried to begin to explain. Your voice grew progressively more stern, more protective. "I manage a store, and sometimes I or some of my associates accidentally leave our scanner gun on a shelf while changing stock around or checking inventory.  I make sure the entire store takes safety very seriously."
Jason knew what was going to happen next if he didn't intervene.  It was a self-fulfilling prophecy he supposed.  He had warned you of the high probability of a fight breaking out during your visit, but he had been sure it would have been between his brothers, not you going toe to toe with Bruce.  Without interrupting you, he started guiding you to the door.  His hands on your shoulders only served to embolden you.
"You should know part of the reason I wanted to come here and meet you tonight was to thank you for the generous Wayne Foundation scholarship I was awarded for college. I only got through two years before my mom got sick, and because it was just the two of us, I left school and started working in a store, the one I manage now, to help keep everything going. But yes, thank you for the opportunity, however ultimately unfulfilled it may be."  You couldn't veil the sarcasm in your voice anymore.  If you were to be judged, you were going to play into it.  You weren't necessarily proud that you were willing to stoop that low, but here you were taking satisfaction in the way Bruce's face fell slack as you got the last word in.
It was quiet as the car passed through the long driveway from the manor back to the main road.  You both needed to cool off and put some distance between yourselves and the house before breaking the silence.  You were more than a little surprised to look over to the driver's seat and see that Jason wasn't brooding. 
"He's probably still standing there dumbfounded," he speculated in awe. "Nobody ever has the nerve to stand up to him like that."
"You were holding your own when I walked back in," you countered.
"Okay, no one who hasn't had to endure living with him has ever had the nerve to stand up to him like that," he corrected himself.  "Once he's over the shock, he's going to respect the hell out of you.  You might even end up with a job offer."
You didn't hide the small smile as you turned to watch the passing streetlights.  It had been a long time since you had impressed someone like that, or at least a long time since you felt that you impressed someone, Jason is the first to tell you how you impress him every day.  You glanced back to him and rebutted, "I actually like my job. There's no way I'm leaving just because I made a rich man feel like an ass."
"I know all of that, and that's what'll make you turning it down so much better," he mused.
You didn't miss how he chuckled and smiled to himself at the thought.  There was a complicated relationship there you only hoped to one day understand. In the meantime, you had no doubt you and Jason could be enough for each other. 
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shreddedparchment · 3 years
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A Wife for Thor Pt.23
A Royal Invitation
05/02/2021
Pairing: King!Thor x Reader          Word Count: 5,960
Warnings: fluff, slight angst, language
A/N: I hope you all enjoy this one. It took me forever to get out after several life events that just couldn’t be ignored or put on the back burner. I had a lot of fun in the second half of this chapter and I hope y’all find it as entertaining as I did. Let me know what your favorite parts are! I’d love to know. As always, thanks for reblogging if you happen to do so. xoxo
Please DO NOT repost my stories on any other sites or blogs.
REBLOGS are always welcome!
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The city is in celebration for three nights after you come home.
They’re not necessarily celebrating your return although that is part of why they’re happy, but the baby. The baby is already so loved. The baby is the city’s hope and future.
You can feel their exuberance when you and Thor take a walk through the city, flanked by Valkyrie with Loki on your left walking just slightly behind you.
He’s busy but smug and keeps his fingers moving swiftly across the screen of a tablet provided by Tony Stark who’d left the city taking Bruce with him back to the United States on Avengers business.
What Loki is doing, what's got him so glued to his tablet, you don’t find out until the evening of the first day of celebrations.
As your people’s cheers, laughter, and music filter in through the long wall of windows that Thor’s had thrown open to let the joviality in, Loki crosses to the long couch across from the one where you sit with Thor.
Legs thrown across his lap, Thor’s hands gently massaging your calves and feet, you lean back against the cushions that Thor set up against the arm for you.
The sitting room is long, rectangular and faces the East side of the palace. You can’t see the entire city and have more of a mountain view than on the West side where your rooms are and you can see the expanse of the ocean.
Like the rest of the palace, it’s decorated in a mixture of wood and silver steel. The chandeliers above are carefully carved and wired, the lighting kept dim. The seats are also wood but covered with soft cushions for lounging and restful naps.
There’s a slightly simpler look to this sitting room. Relaxed.
Before you’d taken your break from being Queen, you hadn’t spent much time in this part of the palace. Nothing had called to you. The garden had been the only spot you’d sought out but this sitting room is quickly becoming your favorite.
“I like it in here,” you confess, smiling at Thor who’s still squeezing your foot gently.
He smiles and meets your gaze, “Why’s that?”
“Because Jane was never in here,” Loki supplies, swiping left on his tablet then turns it to face both of you. “We’ve got more energy signatures. New ones.”
You and Thor sit up a little straighter.
“What quadrant?”
Loki purses his lips and then turns the tablet back towards himself cutting off your look at a map of the night sky.
“All of them. Whatever it is, it’s jumping around. I think perhaps they know we’re watching.”
Swallowing hard, you scoot closer to Thor, pulling one of your legs down as you twist to face Loki a little better. Thor takes hold of your thigh instead as it rests over his and wraps his other arm around your waist, eager to have you close.
Both of you haven’t stopped touching each other since your return last night.
“What does that mean? If they’re trying to confuse us, then they’re headed for us, right?”
“I won’t let anything happen to you or our little one, cherub,” Thor’s reassurance comes softly, his smile confident but soft. “Whatever this is, we’ll be ready for it. Have you sent the data to the others?”
“Sif is coming in for a debrief and we’ll send her to relay the specifics in person. It will need some explanation and Fandral will probably only skim the information if we send it to him via email.”
“We must have all of our troops trained for whatever attack is to come. I’m not going to let someone jeopardize our place here on Earth. We will protect our people but we will show the humans that we will defend them too from any threats to come,” Thor declares, his voice deep and determined, even angry.
He doesn’t like someone threatening his new home. Not after what happened to Asgard. The stress is in his eyes and you lean against him which you’re glad does what you want.
It distracts him.
“I had Stark build you a safe room. He called it a panic room, I think? So, should something happen, you’re to go in there and lock yourself in while we deal with any threat.”
You nod but push yourself back again to rest against the arm of the sofa while stretching out your legs again. It feels good and you sigh heavily as you rub your belly. Sitting scrunched up like that had been annoying.
“I have been training though. Even pregnant. At home, Loki would spar with me and help me with my technique. The short swords aren’t heavy anymore.”
Thor looks at his brother who sits smiling proudly at you before he notices the edge in Thor’s electric blue eye.
“It was all done safely. She and the baby were never in danger. I thought it was foolish to have her out there without her swords and the training to go along with them. Just because she left didn’t mean that she could slack off. Don’t give me that look. You know as well as I do that she needs to know. Even carrying your child, it’s important for her to know. One might even say especially because she's carrying the heir."
Loki’s voice grows steadily more subdued. Sad. Like a bad memory is playing itself over in his mind.
“I was too late, Loki,” Thor interjects, drawing your gaze to him too. He also looks sad. “And if you hadn’t been in that cell you’d have been long gone. Neither of us could have saved her. And you’re right. I know how important it is.”
Thor looks at you and takes your feet back in his hands, “I’m glad you trained. Once our child is born you’ll have to show me those skills of yours.”
Despite the playful nature of his taunt, you can see that he and Loki are both still in the depths of their grief. They must be thinking of their mother.
"So, these energy signatures, you still have no idea who could be causing them?"
The question is pointless. You know they don't know but it's something to say when all you can do is worry silently.
“I have theories,” Loki admits, exchanging a careful look with Thor. “But nothing concrete. Nothing that would put you at ease.”
“I don’t need to be put at ease, Loki. I need to know if there’s something to worry about. This doesn’t just affect our family but our people. If we need to warn them, we can’t be hesitant. Earth deserves a heads up, too.”
This is your job right? The voice of both your new Asgardian family and the people of Earth? This is why you were required to marry Thor.
Thor’s hand increases in strength around your foot as he tries to calm you.
“You’re right, cherub. Loki only means that there is no evidence to prove his theories so until we can find something to link these strange power surges to what he thinks it might be, then we should play this safe and hold off on raising any alarms. Isn’t that right, Loki?”
“Mm,” Loki agrees, nodding.
You frown, pulling your leg off of Thor’s lap to sit down properly and face both brothers. They sit up a little straighter in response to your own rigid back, your hands on your lap.
This isn’t right, whatever they might think.
“No,” you shake your head and watch as Loki puts his tablet down.
Thor scoots forward, reaching over to take your hand. You let him because he’s not trying to comfort you anymore. Instead, this reach is one of support and when you look at his singular eye, the patch on his empty socket gleaming softly in the dim light of the room, you can see he’s intent on listening and understanding.
If Jane has made any positive impact on you and Thor, it’s this. He’s really listening to you.
“Thor, you and the Asgardians are a unique people. You’ve all had it hard and I’m not trying to say that your struggles haven’t been difficult, but by nature, just by the very way that you all are made and born, you are stronger. It’s in your body’s makeup.
“For someone like me, if I were to jump from that open window, I would die. If you or any of the other Asgardians jumped from that window, you’d probably ache for a while, maybe a few would even get a few broken bones or cuts but they’d be superficial wounds.
“You know from experience how fragile humans are. Both of you,” the look you give Loki pulls his gaze down to his feet. “We’re unprepared for anything other than each other. We need more of a warning than you. We need time to prepare.”
It all falls into place in your head and with confidence you turn to look at Thor, turning your hand over to take his in your own hand.
With a quick squeeze, you scoot just a little closer to him, “Thor, I need to speak to the ambassadors. We need to schedule an official meeting to give them the rundown on what we’ve been doing here and what we’re keeping an eye on. Because, knowing Tony, I’m sure he hasn’t said anything to anyone outside of the compound?”
Loki sits back, crossing his legs as he shuts his tablet off, “No. Stark is as preoccupied about raising the alarm as we are. But now that you mention it, I suppose both we and he are not looking at this from a regular civilian of Earth’s point of view.”
“Y/N,” Thor calls your attention back to him, “This could backfire. We could be doing more harm than good by sharing with them the information we’ve gathered.”
You shake your head, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m jumping the gun here. The last thing I want to do is cause a panic. But I don't think that’ll happen. It’s not like we’re going to leak it onto the internet. We’re going to meet with the ambassadors and provide this information to world leaders so that they can prepare the way they see fit. Trust me, these prime ministers and presidents and kings aren’t going to just announce to their people that some alien threat is on the way. They don’t want to look out of control or unprepared.
“We need to give Earth’s humans a chance to defend themselves. Even if they end up needing our help, they deserve to know.”
Loki and Thor are silent for what feels to you like a long time. In reality, you know it must only be seconds. However, this is the first time you’ve pushed back with them. This is the first time you’re speaking on behalf of the human race.
It makes you nervous and anxious. Will they let you be Queen in this sense? Or is it all just show?
They look at each other, staring and communicating silently before Loki gets to his feet and turns his tablet back on.
“Well, if I’m to set up a meeting with the ambassadors, NATO, and the UN I should probably get started.”
Your heart explodes with pride. They’re letting you really rule! You’re making a difference. True change. Your excitement mingles with a sudden terror as you realize that your choices are going to affect what will be millions if not billions of people.
Luckily, Loki’s words also serve to distract you from your trepidation.
“Wait, Loki,” you hurry to your feet and scurry to his side before ripping the tablet from his hands and hiding it behind your back.
“Hey,” he protests, reaching around you to try and grab it.
You hurry back to Thor and instead of sitting beside him you plop yourself onto his lap and sit as close as you can to trap the tablet between your bodies.
You can hear Thor’s heart begin to pound. Aside from those kisses yesterday, this is the closest you’ve put yourself to him since you got back. He’d slept with you in your shared bedroom, but he’d laid facing you and you him, a good six inches between your bodies.
He wraps his arms around you, placing his hands along the swell of your tummy. You can almost feel him glowing with happiness.
“As eager as I am to give Earth a heads up, I also think you need a break. The energy isn’t going anywhere and the Warriors Three and Sif are on the watch. Please do me a big favor and just take a day or two? You’ve been at it like crazy since I left the palace and it would make me so happy if my baby’s Uncle Loki would take a breather. He’s gotta be strong and in tip-top shape if he’s going to keep up with his future nephew.”
“Or niece,” Thor interjects. “She’s right, Loki. Rest. We’ll get back on this in two days and you can set everything up then. The city is roaring with celebration. Go out and enjoy it. You always loved a good party.”
Loki glares at the pair of you, “Using the future prince or princess is blackmail. And if I’m out there, what will you two do?”
Thor smiles at him, reaching between your bodies to grab the tablet from where it’s hidden. He sets it aside and his other hand trails over your side before wrapping around your waist to cup your bump again.
“I’m sure my queen and I will find something to keep us occupied. Making up for lost time, perhaps?”
Your neck burns but you grin up at Loki who fixes you with a knowing smile, “Of course. How silly of me. Well, let me not keep you from reacquainting yourselves with each other. If you have need of me, I will be around. Just call.”
“Have fun, Loki,” you call after him.
As he shuts the door, Thor tilts your head to the side, pulling you back against his chest fully so that he can kiss you without prompting.
“Sleeping beside you once more was dreamlike, cherub,” Thor tells you, low and full of want.
“And what would make it more real for you?”
“Shall I show you?”
And he waits, like the jerk that he is. He literally just dangles the carrot in front of you. His hard body pressed against your back, the heat of his legs seeping through your clothes to your skin.
His hands trace tantalizing circles around your stomach but make the slightest tickles to the fold of your pelvis. You hate him!
“Oh my god, hurry up, dummy.”
That’s all the invitation he needs. In an instant you’re in his arms as he settles you on the sofa, his hands already yanking and pulling at your clothes but when your tummy is exposed, he drops to his knees and worships your pregnant body with gentility and softness.
At least until you growl and yank him up to finish what he’s started.
~~~~~~~~~~
The sheets against your skin feel soft as silk. They’re slightly sticky but that’s more to do with your own body’s sweat.
“Why are you up?” Thor’s voice is heavy with sleep.
It’s thick and rough. It makes you smile and your ears burn because he sounds delicious and you missed mornings like this.
“I’m hungry,” you admit.
Thor tumbles from the bed, dragging with him the heavier faux fur blanket that sits at the foot of your bed for decoration usually. He wraps it around his waist and pulls the cord by the door.
“I already called them, puppy,” you assure him, and he smiles sleepily at you before moving towards you.
“I missed my term of endearment. Why a dog?”
As he reaches you, you open your sheet and his eyes roam the length of your naked body before he gets all handsy and dives into the sheet with you, eventually settling his hands on your bum. No groping, just resting. Then slowly he trails his fingers up along the sides of your back up to your shoulders and back down.
It leaves your skin full of goosebumps and you shiver. He misinterprets it and instead of stopping his stroking, he uses his flat hand to create friction instead.
“It’s not a dog, it’s a puppy. They’re cute and they’re kinda, I don’t know, like...clueless?” You laugh because that’s not the word you were looking for but it’s what comes out.
“Uh, excuse me, I have plenty of clues,” Thor argues, but he doesn’t seem offended.
“That’s not the right word,” you laugh again. “I don’t know how to describe it. I just want to squeeze you and cuddle you because you’re like this big blonde golden retriever only sexier.”
Thor makes his thinking face as he tries to pull up the picture of the dog breed you just compared him to, and he nods slowly.
“I think I can live with that,” Thor smiles down at you then leans to meet your lips.
You kiss him eagerly, your bodies both humming with anticipation even though you spent the last two days--practically--in bed.
Both of you know that there’s a time when this lust might not necessarily fade but dull a bit? Then again, it is Thor and he’s ravenous for you almost all the time.
You chuckle against his lips and he pulls back to look at you.
“What has you laughing so adorably?”
You let go of the sheet and before it can fall, Thor replaces your hands with his own to hold it up around you both. With free hands you’re able to trace the length of his arms, tracing the large curves. His skin is so damn soft.
You’re still not sure if that’s a Thor thing or an Asgardian God thing? What you know is that you love it and your fingers eat it up every time you touch him.
Whatever laugh or trace of humor you had falls away as you start to really look within yourself and examine why you’re so happy.
You shove your arms underneath his and wrap your arms around him, small whisper slaps of his skin as your hands are splayed out along his wide back. You press your ear against his chest. The thud of his heart is strong and slightly speedy, probably in response to your sudden shift in mood.
The swell between both of you, the little life kicking in response to your mood pulls both your attention for a few seconds before you find your voice.
“I missed you, Thor. More than I thought I would. Way more than I ever knew I could.”
The somber tone of your voice has him giving you a nice gentle squeeze. He likes having you right there right up against him just as much as you like being there.
“Well, you were very angry with me,” Thor reminds you. “I didn’t know your face could make those expressions. That day at your home?”
You hug him tighter, staring out at the small bloom of sunrise in the distance. It’s very slightly starting to glisten on the still ocean line.
“I was angry. But it was more than that.”
“I know,” Thor kisses the top of your head. “I hurt you. What I said, I-I didn’t mean it, cherub. I promise you. It was a temporary insanity. The moment you came into that room after I said what I did, I knew that I could never go through with it. And if you’d told me that we were expecting a child-”
“I couldn’t,” you sigh, leaning back to look up at him. “In my head, if I told you then after what you'd said that I was pregnant and you chose to stay with me, I would live the rest of my life wondering whether you chose me because you really loved me or because I was finally going to give New Asgard their heir.”
Thor’s face crumbles a little, brow scrunched, mouth pulled down at the corners as he shakes his head.
“I will always choose you. Not because you are the mother of my children, but because you are the love of my life. The one I did not expect. The one that I can never chance to lose again. I’m sorry that I ever made you doubt me.”
Staring into his eye, the intensity of his gaze, you know that he means what he says. He loves you.
Even though you can’t admit it to him because your reconciliation needs all of the positivity that you can both muster, in your heart, you can’t help but wonder if you can truly trust him.
~~~~~~~~~~
The days go by like routine after the Asgardians find that they have to go back to their jobs and lives.
As much as they all love a good party, Thor and Loki included if the last two days are any indication, they know they can't keep going and must get back to life as usual.
Thor at first makes an attempt to stay with you. The last few months of being without each other makes it difficult to be apart and for Thor especially, with the baby.
He hates leaving you. He wants to be there for every kick and every shift.
His largest grievance is that he can't listen to your laugh when the baby kicks and it feels weird. This you only find out because Loki, in his annoyance with the constant trips Thor makes him do to check on you when he's in his meetings.
Although you believe Loki, you take all of these little indicators of Thor’s love with ease but with the knowledge that it might very well be fleeting.
You try not to think about it and instead just allow yourself to enjoy the fact that Thor does indeed love you and you love him too. Even if it may not be forever. Even if it can change. Even if the future is now a little less certain.
Your meeting with the ambassadors approaches quickly. It takes a month to set it up. Longer than you'd thought and it doesn't take long to understand why.
"This is the third time they've pushed the meeting back," you gripe, moving over to Loki’s computer to look over his shoulder at the surprisingly very short email.
Please inform Her Majesty, the Queen of Asgard, that we are unable to meet with her as previously scheduled this week and will be in contact as to the next available day.
Should any true trouble arise, please tell Thor that we are more than happy to meet with him.
Sincerely,
Earth AMB Mark Coates
You're seething. You've never been this angry. Never this absolutely heated. Not even with Thor and what happened with Jane can compare to the absolute rage flowing through your veins.
"They don't seem to take you seriously," Loki realizes. "Because you're a woman?"
"Partially, probably," you growl as you move back around his desk to sit in the padded armchair by the window where you'd been watching Thor visit with the Valkyrie.
He's not there anymore though and you can see Hilde and her girls relaxing a little. Adjusting their armor, laughing, sitting and talking. Now that their inspection is over they can breathe.
Why they get so nervous you don't understand. Thor’s such a fanboy. He gushes about them constantly.
"What other reason might there be?" Loki asks, rising and moving around his desk to lean against it casually, hands shoved into the inky black pockets of his slacks.
His jade vest is unbuttoned and the sleeves of his dark gray button-up folded up to his elbow.
Summer is almost here and it's getting hotter.
You don't answer right away. Hands slowly stroking your belly, trying to calm down for the baby's sake. Feeling that upset can't be good for him.
You take a long deep inhale and with a heavy sigh release the stress.
"My Queen?" Loki urges, and you smile.
Realizing he's calling you by your title to reaffirm your place among them to make you feel better, you turn your smile on him.
"You've always been my biggest supporter. You and David," your smile falters. "I miss him."
"Is he still in Baghdad?"
"Yeah. He’s in deep so, no contact. I hope he's okay."
"You know, you do have a part time Avenger as a husband and the best magician for a brother-in-law. One word and we'd be happy to assist with your lawyer's extraction."
"Which is why I don't ask. If he needs help, David will let us know. He has his panic button."
The gift had been given to you by Tony who had made it for you to press when you and Thor had been estranged. An easy way to call for Thor if something should happen.
Your brother-in-law nods.
"I suppose it would be a little like nepotism. Fine. What should I do about the misogynistic email?" Loki wonders.
"He's not exactly a misogynist. Not completely anyway. The ambassador blowing me off has more to do with me specifically than it does with me being a woman."
This seems to set Loki off more than if the ambassador was doing this because you're a woman.
"What right does he have to snub the Queen of Asgard? Doesn't he know what that might do to relations between Earth and our people?"
You shake your head, smiling because his anger makes you feel better.
"No, he doesn't. Because to the world my marriage to Thor is show. It's a necessary political move. They don't care whether Thor and I love each other and Jane and Thor’s relationship was so publicized that it’s hard for them to accept that Thor might actually love me.
"Thor went to extreme lengths to protect Jane in the past. Public displays of affection like that aren't forgotten easily.
"To the ambassadors and probably most of the world, offending me doesn't mean an offense against Thor. To them, I'm a queen in name only. No real power here."
Loki huffs through his nose, standing straight with his hands at his waist before he turns to walk back behind his desk.
He stops for a moment, thinking hard you guess, then whips around and stomps towards you before shoving his finger towards the windows.
"I know it has been a while for me, but I can very easily open another tear in space over New York. Or wherever you need me to. I might need a bit of time to locate the power and forces to do it but I will show the people.of Earth what happens when they underestimate the love of the Asgardian people for their queen."
Leaning back in your chair, you keep your arms around your bump as you watch Loki make his threat.
"That's a bit much for a dude who just thinks that my political marriage is just that, isn't it?"
You keep your face clear of amusement, because it really is very sweet of him to be so upset for you. But you can't help the small smile that stretches your lips.
He deflates, moving to other armchair across from yours and sits but leans forward with his elbows on his knees.
"It's shameless disrespect, Y/N. We cannot let them get away with it. You are Asgardian now. A slight against you is a slight against this Kingdom."
"I know, Loki. But-"
Behind Loki his office door opens. It faintly creeks and through it pokes Thor’s searching gaze.
He looks confused as he scans the room until he spots the two of you and with a little skip in his step and a wide unfettered smile, he shuts the door and moves towards you.
"Hi," you smile at him widely in reaction to the loveable look on his face.
"Hello," Thor replies, his voice low and quiet as he leans down towards you.
"You finished early today," you observe, voice just as quiet.
"You know I hate being apart," Thor whispers and presses his lips to yours.
His kiss is so soft and slow.
He pulls away too quickly and as your heart stutters, you reach up to hook your hands into the sides of his chest plate and pull him back down for another kiss.
He'd worn his full uniform today for an early meeting and the inspection of the Valkyrie. He looks so good but with his hair growing in, now just past his shoulders.
He still has the two small braids you'd worked in on the left side of his head and he looks so good, you might jump him later. If you don't pass out for an afternoon nap.
He pulls away again, this time smiling brightly.
"Will I always get this welcome if I come home early? I might have to shorten my days."
You chuckle as he moves around you and stops by a side table where Loki keeps a few weapons on display on a stand. He starts to remove his harder pieces of armor and places them aside.
"What has you looking so stern, brother?" Thor asks, keeping his back to you both as he moves onto the leather pieces that keep his chain mail from shifting.
Loki sits back, sighing heavily as he considers how much to tell Thor.
"Something I should worry about? Come. Tell me and lessen your burden."
"He's upset for me. That's all."
You hear the clink of Thor's mail as it falls on the table then he's moving around your right to squat by your chair so that he's below your eye level.
"Upset for you? Why?" His look of concern is upsetting and pleasing at the same time.
You purse your lips and look at Loki.
"It might be easier if I showed you," he says then rises and moves to his desk to get his tablet.
Thor reaches out to place his hand on your belly and you place yours over his.
He smiles at you then leans down to kiss your tummy while you run your fingers through his hair and try to ignore the utterly breathtaking and heartaching butterflies that his sweet love on your baby gives you.
"I missed you," he whispers to you.
Again, your heart stutters. He’s so easy with his words. These declarations feel so good but that little voice in the back of your head also makes your heart ache.
You just smile at him. Unable to speak when you feel like you're glowing and grieving at the same time.
"Here," Loki holds out the tablet and Thor stands then takes it.
He moves to the loveseat across from your and Loki's armchairs and plops down before reading.
You watch him, admiring the out of armor look. His black leather pants are just as hugging as they always are. His top, a dark gray long sleeve made with breathable fabric leaves no room to wonder just how defined his muscles are.
He's Asgardian perfection.
He breathes in deeply then exhales loudly, a passing shadow of rage overcoming his Godly features before he tosses the tablet at Loki lightly who catches it easily.
Thor spreads his legs a little, tapping his heels as he throws his left arm along the back of the small sofa, his other hand resting on his thigh.
"Write the bastard and tell him I'm requesting the meeting then. Then my cherub and I will both be waiting to give him both the information he needs to warn Earth and a piece of my mind."
You look down at your feet, heart pounding and stomach tumbling with nerves.
You don't want to be the reason any rifts come between New Asgard and Earth. The whole purpose of the position you hold is to protect the citizens of this city.
"Thor," you warn, turning to meet his gaze only when you know you can handle it.
"He wants me to contact him, so I will. In fact, send a raven instead. Do the works. Scroll. Seal. And when they arrive, give them a royal welcome with trumpets and a guard."
"Thor…"
"They will not disrespect you and find warm welcomes in my home. You are my wife. My Queen! Even if all they assume is between us is political agreement, they should respect the title you hold. We may not be above them, but we do outrank them an they need to know that you are not to be messed with.
"The fact that I love you only makes my resolve stronger."
"Okay. I get it, puppy. And I'm grateful to both you and Loki for standing up for me. With your tempers, no one would believe you aren't blood related. Sheesh."
You gran hold of the arms of your chair and groan only a little as you push yourself up onto your feet.
"Oof," you reach back and place your hand on your waist.
Thor’s arm immediately extends out towards you. Beckoning you to his side.
It takes you a moment but you get your footing back and move for him. As soon as you're within reach his arm is around you, helping you sit down carefully.
He doesn't let you sit back all the way. He pushes you to your left so that you'll shift and sit angled while he sits up straighter and turns to face you.
With gentle but firm hands he starts to work out the kinks and knots in your back.
Unintentionally you moan with relief. Thor’s eyes are on Loki though.
"What was your idea?"
"I offered to open another tear in space above whatever city she deemed proper. With the allowance of time to find both the power to do so and the army to lead through it."
You can't see Thor expression but when he speaks, his disapproving sounds fake.
"I'm not sure even idly that threat is in good taste. But I understand the sentiment."
"Do you really want me to make all of that fuss to make the ambassador come and meet with you?"
"Yes. I think he needs to be humbled. He may be in a position of power and my Y/N may owe her marriage to their insistence and meddling, but she is Queen and they are speakers for Earth. They would not have jobs had we not come to live here. Their disrespect of our Queen is a slight on our people.
"The moment I took Y/N under my banner is the moment she became Asgardian from the tips of her cute toes to the top of her irresistible head. And with our child on the way, they should know better."
Loki gets to his feet and moves towards the door, "Very well. One royal invitation coming right up."
As he leaves, Thor’s focus is diverted completely to you.
"Does that feel good, love?"
You only moan in return.
Thor chuckles and keeps going for a few minutes longer before you push back towards him and he lets you rest your back against his chest.
You can't be scrunched forward too long before your stomach begins to feel squished.
You look straight up at his face and he smiles.
"Hi," you tell him.
"Hello."
You smile.
"Was the massage satisfactory?"
"Mmmm, it was great. Your hands are godly, puppy."
Thor chuckles at the pun but leans forward to kiss the tip of your nose.
"And you, my sweet cherub, are a Goddess. And I will make sure you are treated as such."
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liquid-luck-00 · 3 years
Text
Connections 11
Chapter 11
@maribatmarch-2k21 Day 3: Warmth
this is based on @thepeacetea  daminette soulmate au
Ao3 *** Masterlist *** First *** Previous *** Next
~~~~~~~~~~
Once they were comfortably settled into their hotel and penny caught up on the magical kids’ front did Jagged start the conversation.
"So, want to tell me why we came to Mexico besides the warm weather?"
"Apparently there is a hidden gift for the next ladybug and black cat." Damian explained calmly.
"Magical scavenger hunt!" Mari exclaimed excitedly.
"So where do we start?" Jagged seemed as eager as Mari to solve this.
Tikki now moved to sit on Mari's shoulder. "Micazoyolin and Ocelome tended to split their time between the Aztec and Mayan empires for ceremonies and since most of the Aztec temples and locations were destroyed, I would start with Mayan areas as we are in the Yucatán peninsula. Try starting with the pyramid at Chichen Itza."
"Good idea Tikki," Penny stepped in, "but how do we explore without being questioned?"
"If I recall correctly Hawkman is an archeologist and may be able to help." Damian supplied on his phone, most likely contacting Bruce to ask Hawkman.
"Okay so while we wait for an answer what should we do first?" Jagged asked but looked like he was about to jump on the walls. Mari looked just as ready to follow his lead without hesitation.
"Why don’t we all take some time to relax in the resort and catch the dinner show of Joyã by Cirque Soleil?" Penny supplied in an attempt to save the room.
"Okay!" Mari answered.
"That is acceptable," was Damian's response.
With that the two ran out to the beach practically outside of their villa.
It didn't take long to hear back from him, so two days later they took a day tour of the pyramid and stayed to wait after nightfall, but they didn't wait long.
"Hello, Batman said to meet a group..." Hawkman began.
"They know," Damian cut him off. "We require your expertise."
"Have you ever heard of the gems of the Ladybug and Black Cat?" Mari asked.
"Yes, I have, a long time ago in ancient Egypt. I met one, a weilder of the ladybug." he hummed in thought. "You, little one, remind me of her."
"That would be because I'm the ladybug of this generation." she smiled.
They had begun to walk towards the Pyramid. "So why call upon me?"
"The kids were left something by the previous holders, and we were hoping to have someone with experience to help." Jagged sounded like an actual adult, but his grin, and bouncing gave away his excitement.
They were a few steps from the top of the Pyramid. "Then it would be my honor to aid you."
"So, what are we looking for?" Damian asked Tikki who was now flitting around the temple area.
"I don't know. They must have done this after giving up the jewels."
It looked like she wanted to add more but the ground began to glow red forming a complicated, but vaguely familiar symbol. The center then opened up revealing a shoot.
On 3.
3
The two ran and jumped into the slide barely registering their names called by Jagged and Penny. A rustle at feathers told them Hawkman managed to come after them. Seeing as the magical hole in the ground, ceiling, has now closed. Tikki joined them a few moments later with a huff.
"I told your Dad and Penny to go back to the resort and get some rest. And that you will make sure they get back safely." the small goddess then dove into a lecture of how reckless and dangerous that was and so on.
"So, where are we?" Mari asked once Tikki landed on her head.
"This Pyramid was built upon two others. I am assuming this is the second. It maybe that what your looking for maybe in either the first or even underneath it."
Now that they knew what to expect they checked the two top floors of each and dropped through the second and inner temples.
"Hello. Seeing as you have reached this far, means you are true souls of the Ladybug and Black Cat." Ocelome spoke, appearing before them.
"It's good to see you again Ocelome, Micazoyolin." Damian nodded.
"It is nice little cub." she removed her headdress and put it on him.
"Oh, you are adorable, Tikki it’s been far too long." Micazoyolin also placed his headdress on Mari, once Tikki noticed what he was doing. "Follow us."
They led the trio to a cave that opened into a cenote, a large sinkhole filled with exposed fresh water, a magical bridge of light across the cenote to the far wall. Which opened to reveal a tome and two ovals of obsidian laced with gold. Marinette was reaching to one of the stones when Micazoyolin stopped her.
"The stones will amplify your magical and physical abilities. They will also extend your lives, longer than the Miraculous already would. Those are our gifts to you, should you accept them." He explained.
What do you think?
You are bearable enough to spend longer with.
She rolled her eyes at him, together they reached out and each touched one. Mari's gained a red sheen while Damian's gained a green one. The stones flew up and swirled around the two before settling just above their shoulder blades on the center of their backs. Ocelome then handed Marinette the tome.
"Be warned when the last page is turned then closed the book shall return here. As will the stones when you finally rest." Micazoyolin added. "to await the next pair to find them."
"What if we want to come back to see you again, we have to go through the pyramids again?" Mari asked the two older holders.
"No little bug you can always find us here. This island is hidden not far from the Playa de Carmen." Micazoyolin comforted the small girl.
"How did we come so far it didn’t feel that long of a walk?" Damian brought up.
"Magic can make even the longest journeys short." Ocelome responded.
"Is that how you could split your time between the two empires?" Damian jumped in again a muffled yawn laced his words.
"That is correct cub. The same goes to you, Hawkman, if you ever want your questions answered we would not mind you coming to visit." Ocelome offered.
"It would be rude of me to not take you up on your offer. Now I think it is time to get these two in bed, it has been a long night it seems." Hawkman accepted the offer, taking a child in each arm and taking to the sky.
Both Damian and Marinette were leaning on one another against Hawkman exhausted, as the time ticks close to four in the morning, the headdresses they were still wearing protected them from the breeze as Hawkman flew them back to the villa via Tikki’s instructions.
The rest of their stay was spent in the warmth of the sun and questions of the stones and the tome. But above all the warmth that radiated from their stones comforted them as there was a minor tug towards the other, connecting them further.
***
Okay so to clear up any impending confusion, true holders for the miraculous are perfect souls for a particular miraculous. This does not mean the Ladybug and Black Cat are soulmates just because Mari and Damian are. The twins, Micazoyolin and Ocelome, are that Fraternal Twins, but their souls are connected to the Miraculous. But they weren’t each other’s soulmates
Next
~~~~~~~~~~
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bigskydreaming · 3 years
Text
Making an additional post to respond to @fuyunoakegata’s response to @fiyaerrigan’s post here without derailing or going too far afield from the OP:
I think an additional thing to consider that the other kids had by benefit of Dick being the eldest is......every single one of them to varying degrees had Dick to look to as a precedent for like.....reassuring themselves that their presence in Bruce’s life wasn’t a temporary thing. Dick’s constant or recurring presence was an affirmation of permanence - that no matter how bad things got between Bruce and one of his kids, since things HAD been very dicey between Dick and Bruce for awhile - Dick still was there, at the end of the day.
Now, the obvious sorta exception to this is in Jason’s POV, with it being a sorta exception cuz there’s a couple different ways you can play this. By emphasizing how much Bruce and Dick were on the outs from Jason’s POV while he was living with Bruce, you CAN cast doubt on the idea that Dick was proof things would never get so bad with Bruce that he would just stop being part of their lives. And then this in turn can be used as a sort of explanation for why Jason was so convinced that there was no coming back from a lot of what he’d done by his return to Gotham, even without the events of UTRH....like, you can make the case that this is why Jason escalated things to that extent period. He thought reconciliation was never truly ever an option.
But by the same token, you can also use the fact that Dick IS reconciled with Bruce by the time of UTRH to seed doubts about this in Jason’s head, because he DOES remember just how bad things were between Bruce and Dick when he was younger....and if they could come back from that, maybe it WASN’T just wishful naivete to think that there could be a future for Bruce and Jason’s relationship as well, y’know?
To cycle back to the beginning though....it should be acknowledged imo that Dick never had the benefit of this proof of permanence, this security blanket of knowing that no matter how bad things got with Bruce, there wasn’t truly a point of no return. That WAS in doubt for him a lot of the time. Which gives him all the more motivation to see what we so often see evidence of in the comics - Dick going above and beyond to stress to his siblings that they aren’t temporary in his eyes, and their connection is not just limited to being via Bruce. They’re his siblings with or without Bruce in the picture.
Now to respond more directly to what @fuyunoakegata had to say in that last reblog addition, I think the fact that Dick is so good at translating what Bruce leaves unspoken is actually a key part of the conflict between Dick and Bruce at so many points. Because the thing is....Dick should never have HAD to become that good at it. He became good at it by necessity, because Bruce does leave a lot unspoken and taken for granted, and at a certain point Dick realized he’d just have to fill in the blanks himself.
But given that Dick was the traumatized kid that Bruce chose to take in as an adult - no matter how young of an adult he was - there’s an inherent disservice in not recognizing that it should never have been on that kid to feel HE had to be the one to bridge the communication divide between himself and his guardian when said communication felt lacking. That is the responsibility of the guardian or parent, its literally a key part of the sense of security its their job to offer the traumatized orphan in their care.
That’s not to say, however, that its not realistic for this to happen this way - and for reasons that actually have nothing whatsoever to do with Bruce, and everything to do with Dick. Because it is possible that Bruce just never quite clued into just how much Dick was assuming the burden of translating Bruce’s intentions into actual communication and filling in the gaps where Bruce was leaving stuff unsaid.....because as I’ve said before, for all their similarities and parallel tragedies, a key part of Dick’s tragedy that Bruce simply couldn’t relate to, was the abandonment fear of being sent away for not being good enough or being too much of a burden. Bruce has HUGE abandonment issues due to his own tragic loss of his parents - but his abandonment issues tend to be more geared around losing people to tragedy or death. 
Now from a parental standpoint, he does have fears of driving his kids away by not being good enough for them or by hurting them in various ways, true.....BUT the specific overlap he lacks is that he’s never really identified from the perspective of a child, with that fear of a parent or guardian not wanting to deal with him or be burdened by him anymore. When he was raised by Alfred, he feared losing Alfred in a variety of ways, but not really so much by driving Alfred away or making him sick of him....because there has always been at least an implicit awareness, even while acknowledging that Alfred basically raised him, that Alfred still technically worked for the Wayne family, and Bruce simply wasn’t ever in a position to feel quite as dependent on Alfred and say...his ‘whims’ or whatever, as other children might in regards to their own parents. Alfred’s loyalty is readily apparent and of a more....fundamental sort than most others can claim, y’know?
So I think one of the key divides between Dick and Bruce, a NATURAL area of oversight for Bruce, who tends to take for granted at times how much he and Dick are alike in certain ways.....is that it wouldn’t necessarily ever occur to Bruce just how much Dick feared being a burden who could and might be sent away at any time he became too difficult to be worth putting up with anymore. And by not realizing how big a role this played in Dick’s thoughts as he grew up, its natural that Bruce wouldn’t necessarily notice just how almost....eager Dick was to jump at filling in gaps in communication himself rather than risk having to insist Bruce clarify himself or his intentions in order to be understood instead. Dick didn’t want to give his guardian any reason to send him packing - so he voluntarily took up the role of Bruce-translator early on, before ever even alerting to Bruce that there was anything about his communication tendencies that might be lacking and left Dick occasionally grasping for assumptions to fill in the blanks.
But see, the problem that naturally arises from this sort of inherent miscommunication or oversight, no matter how understandable it is....is that it over time builds in an expectation or even reliance on Dick doing the majority of the work and emotional labor when it comes to understanding each other. And the precise problem this creates lies in when Dick for whatever reason - such as believing Bruce has already as good as cast him aside and no longer wants to be burdened with him - like, if for whatever reason Dick STOPS doing the majority share of their communication, if he no longer sees a reason to translate Bruce’s thoughts into actual words of affirmation and read approval into his actions or assume the best of Bruce’s intentions......if Dick basically just stops TRYING here, because he’s convinced there’s no longer any reason to try and the worst has already happened, the very thing he was going above and beyond in filling in Bruce’s gaps in communicating himself in order to avoid happening in the first place....
Then Bruce is going to flounder, naturally, because all of a sudden its going to seem like nothing he says or does in the ways he’s always been used to communicating himself like, seem to be getting through to Dick or leaving him with the same understanding or awareness of Bruce’s true feelings that he’s grown used to Dick having, based just on whatever Bruce DOES actually do or say.
So from Bruce’s perspective, its going to be like nothing he says seems to make any impact on Dick or convey to him that Bruce does in fact still love him and care....BECAUSE Bruce hasn’t quite realized yet just how much Dick has HAD to fill in those blanks for himself, because Bruce’s actual communicating of them has not actually involved ever FULLY expressing those sentiments.
Hence, their complete communication breakdown after Dick was fired and/or Jason was made Robin and adopted without consulting or even alerting Dick to the fact beforehand, or reassuring him that this didn’t actually say anything about Bruce’s feelings for his eldest. As well as Bruce’s seeming obliviousness as to why.
And another thing I want to add here is that I always tend to push back a lot against people bringing up how young Bruce was when he took Dick in, and how that explains his lapses in parenting....
Because the thing this fails to take into account IMO is that like.....by and large, and with obvious occasional exceptions like Robin: Year One.....its almost unanimously agreed that Bruce was at his BEST as a parent to Dick - whether thinking of himself as his father yet or not - in their early years together. So I don’t see how Bruce’s young age can excuse his later lapses in parenting Dick, when it was at his YOUNGEST, that Bruce was at his BEST in parenting Dick. To me, his age has nothing to do with it. The difference in Bruce’s effectiveness in being a parent to Dick at various stages in my mind lies entirely in the fact that in those early years, Bruce was most consistently putting in his most effort into being there for Dick, being the person Dick needed him to be, etc. 
Basically, those early years were so good between them, compared to other periods, because even with Dick assuming more responsibilities than he ever should have had to - but for completely understandable reasons ie Bruce simply not REALIZING Dick was so desperate to not be a burden he was making sure Bruce never realized there was a problem here at all -  the bottom line was it was in those earliest years that Bruce most consistently TRIED. He put his best foot forward. He did the WORK.
And thus the problem in the later years of Dick’s youth, IMO, had nothing to do with Bruce’s own relative youth - it was that I think Bruce had just gotten comfortable with their dynamic and lost sight of how much of that was due to his own EFFORT. He started to take Dick for granted, and thus defaulted more towards frustration when he didn’t understand why Dick did something or where he was coming from....where previously, he would have been more patient as he applied his intellect towards trying to figure out for himself WHY Dick was acting the way he was or what it might signify.
BUT. The point of all this digression is like.....me working my way around to how there’s not JUST an opportunity for Dick to buttress Bruce’s lapses in parenting for his younger siblings, and for them to benefit from him having gone first.....BUT, if people WANT there to be....there’s also every bit as much to fix or address a lot of the flaws in Bruce and Dick’s relationship via Bruce learning from things with his younger children like....an awareness of WHY he and Dick grew apart and how it can be addressed.
For an example.....with Jason. I’ve commented before on how a lot of authors doing revisitations of Bruce and Jason’s early years together in fic actually do a GREAT job of showcasing how patient Bruce is with him, and understanding of his history and why he behaves in various ways or reacts to things differently than Bruce would or expects.
And a lot of focus is put on how in the comics, when Bruce talks to Dick about why he took Jason in, he describes himself as having seen Jason as being a lot like him, and thus thought he could help him with his anger, etc.
See, I have always, ALWAYS, called bullshit on this point. (And that’s aimed at the comics canon btw, not fic writers).
Because uh, I just don’t see it at all. First off, Jason has always had even less in common with Bruce than Dick did, and second like, the only thing that Bruce has ever pointed to as feeling similar to Jason in....is Jason’s anger.
And like....early Jason, even after the post-Crisis origin retcon, like...wasn’t that angry! His supposed anger issues come from all of like, two different stories and that’s it. And I don’t buy that Jason was the first kid in all the time Bruce had been Batman by that point, that like, Bruce saw as a kindred spirit due to just being ANGRY. Umm, no. Sorry. That doesn’t track for me.
Especially because like....when Bruce first encountered Jason? When he first MADE the decision to take Jason in? First when meeting him stealing his tires, at which point he took him to Ma Gunn, and then after finding out that was a criminal front and deciding to take Jason in himself? Jason was like....literally not even angry in any of those encounters, lol. He just wasn’t.
Jason was scared. He was defiant. He was stubborn. He was proud. He was vulnerable. He was doing his damnedest not to show it. He was a lot of things.
What he wasn’t.....was...angry.
And so I truly don’t believe that Bruce took Jason in for reasons that had anything to do with identifying with him and seeing himself in Jason.
I think Bruce looked at that tiny young vulnerable but proud, spirited and defiant kid before him, utterly unrepentant about stealing Bruce’s tires and then hitting him with a tire iron and then with the Ma Gunn storyline....
And Bruce saw a young Dick Grayson reflected in the boy before him. 
Bruce missed Dick and took Jason in as a kind of do-over, a chance to fix the mistakes he barely understood making with Dick to lose him from his life or drive him away in the first place....and just resolved to do BETTER this time. To not make the same mistakes. To be patient, understanding, to try and get why Jason did and thought the things he did instead of just making his own assumptions.
And the painful irony is that despite Bruce’s best intentions in the comics, history DID repeat himself. He and Jason became estranged, even before Jason’s death - by Bruce projecting himself and his own issues and viewpoints onto Jason rather than see Jason as an entirely different person from him. He grew to take Jason and their dynamic for granted the same way he did with Dick. A significant element of the Garzonas story that never gets talked about is that after they captured Garzonas the second time, after Gloria’s suicide and before taking him into the police where Garzonas ended up just walking again....
Bruce stood back and literally encouraged Jason to take out his anger and frustration on the man. The same way Bruce sometimes did with criminals himself. He literally stood there and watched as Jason vented his anger by beating up Garzonas further.
And THIS is the heart of why Bruce reacted the way he did with Garzonas’ death, I think. Especially when you couple it with how much of Bruce’s reactions in UTRH are based around how HIS entire reason for being unwilling to kill the Joker is because he doesn’t think he could just stop there, couldn’t pull himself back from doing it again. I think Bruce just ASSUMED that Jason had pushed Felipe to his death, because he projected himself into Jason’s shoes, and saw that moment playing out from how he feared HE HIMSELF would have reacted in that moment, if he were say as young as Jason still was at the time, and frustrated by how futile everything felt. He assumed the worst of Jason, because he identified with Jason, and in that moment, was projecting his own worst assumptions of himself in a parallel moment of intense emotional frustration and anger.
Like I said.....he drove Jason away by making the same mistakes he’d made with Dick in essence - he projected too strongly on identifying with them and thus viewing their actions or choices through the lens of how he would behave in similar circumstances and WHY....and he stopped doing the WORK of keeping in mind that they were very different people from him with very different reasons for choosing the things they choose, different histories, different priorities, different contexts.
So the point is like.....instead of letting things play out like that, since fic IS an opportunity to improve upon canon, you can draw upon literally ANY of these ideas, and like.....examine what happens if not only Dick helps his siblings in their relationships with Bruce by drawing from his own experiences with him and the mistakes there.....
But you can also examine what happens if Bruce is helped in his relationship with Dick by drawing from his experiences with his younger children and using those to identify mistakes he made with Dick specifically, and address them even now....instead of just writing off his relationship with Dick as the best it’ll ever be now and damaged beyond further repair and so instead devoting himself to trying to just do better with his younger kids.
Because see what happens then, if you use Bruce’s patience and understanding while raising a young Jason, and awareness of just how different Jason is from him....to glean for HIMSELF, without having to be told by others....an awareness that no, maybe he took in Jason for reasons that had far more to do with regrets having to do with Dick than because of identifying with Jason just himself. And from there.....a simple examination of his relationships with Dick and Jason respectively, like, even just to wonder what’s so different about his differing dynamics with the two and why is so much better now than the other...that’s literally all that’s needed for Bruce to become AWARE of how patient he is with Jason and his seeming idiosyncracies, to acknowledge the work and EFFORT he puts into building and maintaining his relationship with a young Jason....and from there....the realization that....holy shit, he’d taken Dick for granted, and THAT’S why things broke down between them. He’d stopped TRYING to understand Dick the way he was working so hard now to understand Jason, and instead just started getting frustrated with the fact that he so often DIDN’T understand Dick, period.
And once you have Bruce HAVE that epiphany, GAIN that awareness....
Its the easiest thing in the world to just write him GOING to Dick and just like...acknowledging this. Owning his faults. Admitting that he took Dick for granted and put too much reliance on Dick doing most of their communicating, fell back on it being easier that way and stopped placing importance on being the one to take the LEAD in their relationship and addressing its flaws, as the PARENT.
And just saying.....its not too late to fix this. If I can do it with Jason, if I could do it with you in the first place, I can do it again. All I need is for you to give me the opportunity to try to do just that, to do better, and instead of demanding that or expecting it from you or even just hoping for it but never actually voicing it....here is me asking for it, but letting you know I understand if you don’t trust me with that or want to risk yourself like that again.
And whammo zammo, you’ve got yourself a road to a healthier, happier Batfam, and it doesn’t require actually vilifying anyone or expecting anyone but the patriarch of the family to like....take the actual wheel.
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ad1thi · 3 years
Text
2020 fic recs!! [Part 2]
part 2 of my 2020 fic recs!! as before, ive limited this to five fics per month; and fics are ordered by the month they were published. This spans fandoms and ships, and hopefully you find something you like!! credit for the idea goes to @iam93percentstardust
***
July
this is the start: @capnwinghead
Clark and Bruce continue raising the Wayne children and encounter a number of challenges along the way.
great minds (love alike): @starklysteve
Steve’s eyes flicks down to Tony’s knees on the floor.
“Are you – are you proposing to me with my ring for you?” Steve asks incredulously, eyes wide and confused.
---
Or, Steve finds Tony’s ring for him, Tony finds Steve’s ring for him. Panic happens.
Marvels Unsolved: @iam93percentstardust
Marvels Unsolved was never supposed to be this popular. It started off as a novelty web-series about Tony trying to convince Bucky about the existence of the supernatural—he firmly believed that if science could turn Uncle Steve from an actual shrimp to the god of muscles, then magic had to be out there—and then they’d started talking about an unsolved crime from the early 20th century after filming an episode one day, forgetting that the camera was still rolling, and had ended up with enough footage to make a second episode about real crimes. They had stayed pretty unknown throughout that first season but then true crime podcasts had exploded in popularity and Unsolved along with them.
it’s a small world after all: @maguna-stxrk
“Great speech.”
Smiling at the compliment, Tony turns around. “Thank y—”
And nearly drops his champagne flute.
His world comes to a stop.
They had only spent a night together, but Tony would recognize those baby blues anywhere.
It’s Steve.
Steve from Tony’s London business trip. Or, as Rhodey has become accustomed to calling him—The Soulmate That Got Away.
you’re in my blood, you’re in my veins: @nethandrake
Tony always figured that if they ever were to break up, it would be like a blaze. Scorching and hot and all-too blinding. Intense like the two of them have always been.
Instead, they break up on a Tuesday, with the rain pelting the windowpane and the midnight silence stifling.
August
Five Times Danny said he’d marry Steve (plus one): @five-wow
Danny humphs. “Look, all I’m saying is, I think I’d probably have married you by now.”
“I’d marry you, too,” Steve says.
Or: An experiment in how many times you can say something before you have to put your money where your mouth is.
Family (You’ve Always Had It): @/SunnyQueen
A black Camaro and a scowling blond was not what Junior had been expecting.
“Hi, sir. You didn’t have to pick me up.”
The blond looked up from the screen on his phone and groaned, completely ignoring Junior's statement. “You are right, I didn't have to."
Ode To Yoga Pants: @riotfalling
OR the continued terrible mating dance of Bucky and Tony, AKA when betting on your friends stops being fun
Through The Years: @hawkbucks
Tony brings home Natasha one day, proclaiming her to be his new sister.
Natasha takes this all in stride.
The broken road that led me home to you: @just-fandomthings
A documented list of conversations between Steve and Danny via text and phone call following the events of 10x22 "Aloha." (Where, even thousands of miles apart, Steve and Danny can't go without talking to each other.)
September
someday, we’ll pass it on to you: @starklysteve
Steve smiles.
Reaching up, he flattens his hand against his son’s far smaller one, curling gently around it. “You wanna be like him?”
“Da!” Peter agrees again.
One year old, and you already know who’s the best of us, Steve pauses to reflect, all his fears chased away by a fierce pride. “Your Dad’s coming home real soon,” he promises, “you should tell him that.”
---------------
Or, five times Peter did the repulsor pose as a toddler
+ one time he used the repulsors as an adult
Classic Sci Fi: @notdoingsohot
Bucky wakes up to Steve telling him he's lost his memory, but not to panic, it'll only last a few days. Easier said than done when the last thing Bucky remembers is fighting Hydra with the Howlies in WWII.
He tries to make the most of it however, and there's this guy... Tony Stark. It's pretty clear the guy hates Bucky's guts, which is unfortunate because god damn is he a sight.
He tries to figure out what he did to wrong Stark, but everyone just tells him he doesn't want to know.
They were right.
Blooms in Frost: @/Diomedes
Tony coughs up his first petal on the sixth of July. He has been married to the love of his life for two years.
Bury a Hanahaki corpse in earth and it will beget the most beautiful garden. All that love, it is said, must go somewhere.
Hanahaki AU: Established relationship
------------------------------------------
A Single Thread of Gold: @lovelyirony
Rhodey doesn't believe in love at first sight or any of that cheesy shit. He just wants someone who is nice, dependable, and safe.
Tony Stark is Housing Service's little problem for the school year, and now he's stuck in Rhodey's room because he's exploded the last two dorm rooms he's been in and won't live off-campus.
high roller, place your bet: @machi-kun
“Would you kiss Stark for a hundred bucks?”
“I would pay a hundred bucks to kiss him.”
October
press my luck: @omg-just-peachy
But... Steve is almost ten years his junior, and he could be with just about anyone, looking and acting like he does. And then there’s the not so small fact of Tony’s name and net worth and the fact that, okay, Tony had paid for Steve’s grad school tuition, and now he’s worried Steve feels obligated to stay. Or something.
Or, Tony is a billionaire, Steve is a grad student, and they learn to let themselves be taken care of.
see it with the lights out: @starklysteve
Tony goes on a business trip, and he does not - not at all - get jealous of Dodger hogging his husband's chest, a territory otherwise known as Tony's pillow.
(or, Steve goes on an Instagram spree and Tony misses home)
adulthood is looking both ways before you cross the street and getting hit by an airplane: @starkslovemail
It was a perfect plan, if Peter did say so himself.
The Buy In: @dracusfyre
For the ImagineTonyandBucky prompt: Mafia AU with Tony as the Boss (except he's a really good one, making the streets safe, keeping drugs away from kids etc) and Bucky as the detective sent to go undercover to catch him out but ends up realizing he's actually doing more good than harm and they end up falling in love
trinkets of your affection: @starklysteve
Kissed him once for every year I loved him, Steve had written.
By that count, Steve owes him five more kisses now.
Tony traces the words, hands trembling, and tips back a shot of Howard's ancient whiskey. None of it burns anymore.
One day, he'll have lived more days without Steve than there are words in the diary.
For the first time since he'd woken with shrapnel in his chest, Tony fears the future.
----------
Or, five things Tony keeps to remember Steve by, and one thing Steve gives him to remember.
November
“Hey Tony”: @riotfalling
Steve points out that Bucky never calls Tony by his actual name. Bucky doesn’t believe him, until he does.
Remembering You is Hard to Do: @lovelyirony
“The future’s crazy, honey-bear.”
Jim looks up.
“Why do you call me that?”
“Call you what?”
“Honey-bear. It’s weird.”
“Inside joke we have,” Tony says, chest tightening. “We thought those couples that have the lovey-dovey nicknames were ridiculous.”
overheard your heartbeat (calling me yours): @starklysteve
"Tony - "
"I wish I could promise to come home this time," he feels the armor crawl back down his arm, continuing unnoticed over Steve's red gloves, then up the blue uniform as Tony fights to keep Steve's gaze firmly fixed on him.
The last eyes Tony might get to see, and he wants to be lost in them.
In the end, his entire life boils down a few simple things: "JARVIS, take care of him for me."
----------
Or, Tony overhears a phonecall where Steve proposes, a battle happens, and a paper ring settles some misunderstandings.
i (really, really, really, really, really, really) like you.: @nethandrake
For as long as Steve can remember, he's been crushing on Tony Stark. The thing is, he's pretty sure Tony doesn't know Steve exists. And how could he? Steve's scrawny and little. He's a nobody compared to Tony who's Mr Popular and the son of a billionaire.
Or at least he thought so until Tony swings by the bakery Steve's mother happens to own to enlist Steve's help in finding the perfect Valentine's Day card.
The perfect Valentine's Day card for someone who isn't Steve.
One Song (My Heart Keeps Singing): @iam93percentstardust
When Thor is old enough to understand what a Heartsong is, he goes to his mother to ask her why he can’t understand the language his is in. He listens as she tells him about the first soulmates who couldn't understand their Heartsong until the day they meet, excited by the thought of a grand adventure, one that will take him across the cosmos in search of his One.
He’ll search all the Nine Realms if he has to.
December
Swiping Right: @s-horne
“Ouch. Definitely a hard pass for that one?”
Steve startled at the sudden comment from the row of chairs behind him and turned around. He’d been passing the time in the airport lounge by swiping through Tinder and had gotten lost in his own world. It was almost jarring to be pulled away from the screen of hot men and back into reality where the PA was screeching and there was noise everywhere.
Adjusting to the difference, Steve frowned. Wait, he knew that face. Oh, shit… he knew that face.
“No, no, it’s fine,” the man said before Steve could get out anything other than an embarrassed sort of yelp. Waving his hand through the air, the stranger smiled ruefully. “I get it. It’s the beard, isn’t it? True be told, it was a weird winter choice that year and I knew it would come back to hurt me.”
Steve didn’t know what to say. He knew it must have shown on his face and could feel himself flushing, panicked and embarrassed all at once. What were the odds of swiping left on someone literally sat behind him?
set your flight path home (to me): @starklysteve 
Tony puts down his welding torch. “I’m building you a plane.”
Stepping carefully over the gears and tools scattered about, Rhodey slowly makes his way to him.
“And when did you become an expert on how to build a plane?”
“Last night,” Tony grins.
---------------
Tony builds a plane, and Rhodey teaches Tony how to fly it. Or he would be teaching Tony, if Tony didn't distract him so much.
I Want A Man With A Slow Hand: @thefourofswords
“Can I ask you a question?” he asked on their way to a crime scene, because no time like the present, and Danny believed in ripping off band-aids.
“Why not?” Steve replied, eyes on the road. “You’re gonna even if I say no.”
“What do you like in bed?”
*
Danny undertakes a very important mission to get Steve laid. For his health. Ahem.
same time next year: @omg-just-peachy
“I forgot to ask. When’s your flight home?” Steve asks, draping his arm over Tony’s shoulder and settling in against him.
Tony ignores the knot that forms in his chest at the idea of it, leaving Steve again for his own impersonal apartment, his piles of books and projects and the nights without sleep.
“Day after tomorrow.”
Steve huffs a little sigh, then brings his lips to Tony’s neck. “Well, we’ll have to make the most of it, won’t we?”
Or, four (4) Christmases with two (2) idiots who can't admit they're in love.
rearrange my heart (to fit your smile): @starklysteve
"You dare," Howard's chair makes an ugly noise as it scrapes against the stone floors, the chatter of the room shifting into hushed whispers and stolen glances. "I am your father and your King!"
"My King is my husband," Tony tips his chin up, defiant. "And I refuse to hear you suggest that my husband has been anything other than good to me."
Next to him, he feels Steve's shoulders stiffen in surprise.
Howard's fist slams loud on the table. "Your husband does not even love you!"
Tony jerks back, burned. He knows that. Knows that Steve did not marry him for love – does not need any reminder of the cold truth, of what he desperately yearns for and can't even hope to have – but the harshness of Howard's words was scalding, and Tony can't afford for this to go any further.
----------
Or, King Steven marries Prince Tony, Tony is pretty sure he shouldn't panic when he falls in love with his own husband, and Steve tries his very best not to cause diplomatic crises.
Keyword: try
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miraculouspenta · 3 years
Text
A Cat's Falling From the Sky?!
Day 15 & 27
@daminette-december2019-2020
Masterlist
Warning, contains bad parents Tom and Sabine
Loss, Failure, and falling were all that was in Marinette's thoughts. Loss, she had to count her losses all because no one believed her. Because she wasn't good enough. Failure, she had failed to show people the truth because she was blind. Because she was naive. And falling, she was falling, both literally and figuratively. Figuratively because she was losing a battle inside her. A battle whether she was worthy of the miraculous or not. Literally, because she was falling. Using the cat miraculous, she had asked Kaalki to take her away. Away from the pain, the hurt the constant abuse. She didn't expect to fall from the sky as she walked into the portal. She was really tired, she had just finished the final battle, switching between both creation and destruction miraculous.
She felt her consciousness slip from her and her life flashes before her eyes. 'At least I did good with my life', she thought bitterly. She tried to reach for the baton on her back but she was simply worn out. She figured it was best to at least try to brace herself for impact before she passed out. But instead of hitting the ground, she felt herself getting caught by a strong pair of arms and heard a small whisper, but she couldn't make out just what. She drifted off unconscious soon after.
The patrol was easy tonight. A few muggings here and there but it was handled quickly. Damian thought the night would end like this, peaceful. That is until Red Hood said something through the comms. "Yo, B?" the anti-hero said, "There's a cat falling from the sky, a person. It's a person. Looks like she's already only half conscious." "Catch her, then we can question her in the cave.
Red Hood rushed over to and caught the girl, "You alright Ms?" She was already unconscious. Red Hood carried her to the cave but he was quite surprised by how light she is. When he reached the cave the others were already waiting and her earrings started beeping apparently. He walked to the med bay and laid the girl down. The beeping quickened and soon green light envelopes the girl leaving just a normal girl lying on the bed. Alfred however, thought otherwise. When the light had taken over her body, Alfred had came to the conclusion that the girl wore the black cat miraculi which means the girl wields great power. Nothing however could prepare him to see who exactly was this girl.
Alfred couldn't mask his shock, it was his beloved goddaughter. Marinette now 17 years old was laying on the on the med bay bed. "Alfred?" Bruce's voice snapped him out of his shocked state, "Anything a problem?" "None Master Bruce," he answered, "I just wasn't expecting my goddaughter to be someone chosen to wield a miraculi nor that she would fall from the sky." Alfred started to check her pulse and breathing as Bruce along with the boys, excluding Dick who was fangirling and Damian who was still changing, stood frozen at his answer.
"You never told us you had a goddaughter," Bruce finally said. "I didn't see the need to, Master Bruce," Alfred stated simply and watched as Marinette's eyes started to flutter. He put his hand over hers as her eyes opened. "Parrain?" she slurred a bit. "Oui mon cher," he replied before giving the girl a hug. "What happened?" she asked switching to English.
"You fell from the sky apparently," Tim answered. "Oh," she said, "Kaalki? How did the portal end up in the sky?" A horselike creature came out and said, "It looks like I got the coordinates wrong guardian, I'm sorry," the kwami said. "It's alright Kaalki," she put her hands out for her, "We were all tired yesterday." "To the brink of exhaustion actually," Alfred said, "Your muscles are really weak." "I'm fine," she said but the yawn that escaped betrayed her. At that moment Damian had entered and saw her. The girl's hair was disheveled but that had somehow made Damian blush. "You can stay here for the time being," Bruce said. "Don't you go adopting her, Bruce," Dick said, "We all know your little adoption problem." The group laughed and Damian frowned at the thought of having her as a sister.
"I wouldn't want to impose, Monsieur..." she paused, "I'm sorry but it seems I have forgotten to ask for your name, I'm Marinette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng." She stuck her hand out to shake his. "Bruce Wayne, but please call me Bruce." The girl nodded but before she could continue her previous sentence Alfred cut her off, "Marinette, I know you came here via miraculi and as much as I'd love to have you here, I must ask won't your parents notice?"
"They won't," she replied sadly, "They kicked me out, Parrain." Tears were forming in her eyes as she remembered how her parents had believed Lila instead of her. "Ok then, Master Bruce?" Alfred turned to face him, "Would you mind keeping her company?" Bruce nodded and Alfred walked out the door with the boys behind. Damian could only hope his father doesn't adopt the girl. 'I want her to join the family another way.'
875 words
Ckfkwpqlqndlwmskandie, I'm so so sorry, my parents surprised me that we were going out for the day and couldn't get connected to the Internet. And I know I haven't posted' The School's Anti-Hero' because I apparently forgot to write down the draft and my stupid brain forgot what it was. I may do a part 2 of this.
XOXO
~𝓔𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓷
@miraculouslydumb @mialuvscats @bumblebeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee @guessmyname17
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lala-ladybug · 3 years
Text
Healing Hands: Chapter 3
Happy finals week, ugh. As always, reblogs are appreciated!!
Jasonette Sword Art Online AU
Read here on AO3
Tag list: @iloontjeboontje
First | Previous | Next
Chapter 3: Well shit Babs, maybe I like ponies
Marinette sat on a rock and paddled her bare feet in the water. It was a beautiful day, the sun was warming the top of her loose, dark hair and the ocean in front of her stretched for miles and miles.
A noise disturbed her peaceful moment. A distant cry, probably a seagull.
She sighed and leaned back on her hands to breathe in the smell of--
Marinette choked. Why was there smoke in the air?
The cries grew louder as she looked back at the water before her. She started when she saw that they came from her friends, who were in the now-tumultuous water, trying to keep themselves afloat. They were only a few yards away, she could make it if she just--
A force around her waist tugged her hard as she leapt to her feet. Her face collided with the concrete beneath her-- the top of a building, she realized. If the water level was up this high, then....
From where she lay, she could see directly down into the water. It was no longer clear, but a deep crimson. There were dozens of figures scattered about, some still struggling and some motionless. She scrambled to get up as her eyes snapped to Alya’s hand disappearing below the waves.
That damn force jerked her to the other side of the building, farther from her friends.
“No!” Marinette cried out desperately. The force released her and she whirled to find her attacker.
A flash of red caught her eye, and--
Oh.
It was Ladybug.
Marinette shook her head, not understanding. If that was Ladybug, then.... No, it couldn’t be Ladybug, because she was Ladybug. She fumbled for her earrings, but felt nothing.
Ladybug stalked deliberately up to Marinette and pushed her to the ground. Marinette landed on her hands and knees, both of which were now shaking.
“Look at them,” it was her own voice that spat so harshly from Ladybug’s lips. “Look at them.” She grabbed Marinette’s hair from behind and forced her head up.
Marinette could now see Adrien, Kagami, Luka, and Chloe in the ocean in front of her. Their lifeless faces floated just below the surface, the bloodied water doing nothing to conceal their frozen expressions of terror.
Marinette sobbed and closed her eyes. Ladybug pulled sharply on her hair again, and looked into Marinette’s eyes.
“Look at them. Don’t you dare take your eyes off the mess you’ve made. You will never be able to save them all,” Ladybug’s eyes, her eyes, blazed with the vehemence of her words. She opened her mouth to speak again, but a loud beeping sound was all that came out.
Marinette gasped and sat up in her bed, the alarm sending her heartbeat into a frenzy. Tikki flew up next to her as she slumped over with a hand over her eyes.
It was just a dream.
Another Kwami must have turned off her alarm because the beeping had stopped, but Marinette could still hear the echoes of her friends’ dying breaths ringing in her ears.
“Marinette... are you okay?” Tikki placed a delicate paw on her chosen’s arm. “We heard you cry out while you were sleeping.”
The girl lifted her head and gave the little god a shaky smile. “It was just a dream.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Tikki floated back down to where the other Kwami were piled on the side of the bed with similarly worried expressions on their faces.
Marinette exhaled a bracing sigh. “Okay.... It was Syren. Or-or Chat Blanc, I’m not really sure.” The Kwami exchanged a look at that. This was not the first time she’d had a nightmare about water. “But Ladybug was there, and she was attacking me.”
Tikki looked especially concerned about that new piece of information. She opened her mouth to say something when Marinette’s phone lit up with a call. The ringtone was Alya’s.
Marinette picked up, trying to control the shaking of her hands. “H-hey girl, what’s up?” Her tone was deceptively cheerful.
“Hey Mari! Just checking to see if you’re awake. Nino and I are ready, he even put on the goggles already!” Marinette instantly relaxed as she heard Alya’s excited voice bubbling out.
“Yeah dudette, they feel really weird. But comfy!” Nino must have leaned over to pitch in.
Marinette shook off the last vestiges of the nightmare with a giggle. “Yeah, it’s kind of tricky to get the headset to fit over your glasses, but you’ll get used to it!”
“Well if you’re not ready yet then you’d better hurry up, girl! The game launches in five minutes.”
Marinette scrambled to check the time. “Oh crap! I gotta go, see you guys soon!” She hung up and rushed to untangle herself from her blankets.
“Good thing you set three alarms, huh?” Tikki followed her down from the loft and watched her brush out her hair.
Marinette stuck her tongue out at the god of creation.
* * *
Red Hood stalked into the Batcave, nearly running Oracle over as she wheeled herself up to her station at the Batcomputer.
“Woah Jaybird, don’t let me get in your way there,” Babs glared at his retreating back. “Asshole,” she muttered to herself.
Jason hurled his helmet onto the floor of the bathroom and began shucking off his suit with far more force than necessary. He started a shower and looked over his new wounds in the mirror. He’d been stupid, so damn stupid, on patrol.
“Red Hood, report in,” Batman’s gravelly voice cut through on his comms. “Hood, you are not to engage alone. What is your location?”
But Jason couldn’t hear him. The only thing he could hear was blood rushing in his ears, but it wasn’t his blood. No, it was the blood of every monstrous, corrupt asshole in this city. And he wanted it to run on the streets.
The Joker had sent thugs out to a meet-up. Well, Red Hood could send them back in a casket. He crouched beside a gargoyle and watched for the arrival of the van he’d tailed. There were only two men. They left the vehicle and waited outside, lighting cigarettes. Too easy.
Red Hood swept down the building, guns never leaving their holsters. He wanted this to hurt. Them or him, he wasn’t sure. But he got his wish as he beat the two men to a pulp. He wasn’t sure how far he’d have gone if not for the arrival of the gang the Joker’s men were supposed to meet with.
They slashed his back with knives. Shallow wounds, easy to manage. By the time Red Hood turned to face them, the others had arrived-- Batman, Nightwing, Robin. And boy were they pissed.
Jason winced as the hot water hit the cuts on his back. He rolled his shoulders and just let the steam ground him. He didn’t kill again, even if every time that green-haired bastard got involved, he went off the rails.
He would get to choose his own path, not the one Bruce wanted for him, but damn well not the one Thalia wanted for him either. This story was his, he reminded himself while gingerly toweling off. Even if he couldn’t look his own reflection in the eye.
He gripped the countertop, staring down as he let his hair drip into the sink. No, he wasn’t feeling desperate enough to see if his eyes were green again.
Damnit, he had to apologize to Babs. He felt calmer now, but he’d been a real dick when he came in. Jason dressed quickly in sweatpants and an old shirt, then padded quietly back to where he knew his sister would be at the computers.
“Hey,” he said, knocking softly when he entered to announce his presence. Barbara didn’t respond for a moment. She was leaning forward in her chair, typing something into one monitor while listening to police chatter, then nodded to herself and sat back.
“Hey.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Robin told me what happened on patrol.”
Jason scowled. “That little tattletale.”
Barbara offered him a reassuring smile. “That little tattletale is the only reason I didn’t hack into your bank account and order a damn pony.”
“Well shit Babs, maybe I like ponies,” Jason snarked back, but his heart wasn’t into it. “Listen... I’m sorry about earlier. If replacement talked to you already, you know what kind of mood I was in, but that’s no excuse.”
Babs turned her chair to face him and held out her hand. He stepped forward and took it, and she said, “We know you’re trying, Jay. Stuff like this? This is who you are. A year ago, you wouldn’t have been caught dead apologizing to me!” She cringed. “Ah, no offense.”
He chuckled. “None taken, it’s about time you started getting in on the undead jokes.” He patted her hand before walking away back to the main space of the cave. “But thank you, it means a lot.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth!” She raised her voice and turned back to face the computer.
Dick and Tim were already waiting in the cave. Tim was fiddling with some beds and what looked like opaque ski goggles. He always fidgeted when he was nervous.
“Hey replacement,” Jason shouted across the room. He noticed Dick bristle, but cut him off before he could get the patented older brother speech. “How much time ‘til the launch?”
Tim’s eyes lit up, and damn him for caring, but Jason just didn’t want them to be afraid of him.
* * *
Connor and Zatanna were washing dishes in the Cave’s kitchen after dinner. Connor heard the distant sound of someone arriving via zeta tube. He let Zatanna know as they finished drying their plates, then followed her to go greet their visitors.
Wally and Artemis staggered into the room, both weighed down by overflowing boxes of equipment.
“Oh thank god, please help me!” Artemis said, spotting Connor. He obliged and easily took the heavy box from her. She rubbed her arms and smiled gratefully as he held it aloft in one hand.
“It must be so handy having him around,” she sighed to Zatanna.
The magician giggled. “It certainly has its perks, but....” She lifted her hands and said clearly, “Flesruoy egnarra.” The contents of the boxes, some assorted cots, VR headsets, and computers, floated up and placed themselves into a neat formation. “A girl can get by by herself.” She gave Artemis a fistbump.
The zeta tube activated and they all looked up to watch it. The AI announced Wondergirl, and Cassie Sandsmark walked out. She looked up from her phone and waved. “Oh hey guys, whatcha doing?”
Wally zoomed around the set-up Zatanna had created. “We’re just setting up to play this new virtual reality game that’s coming out at midnight! What about you?”
“Oh, what a coincidence, I was just--”
Cassie was cut off by the zeta tube activating again. This time it was Bart, carrying Jaime bridal style, and running at full speed. He skidded to a halt, put a very ill-looking Jaime down, and ran a hand through his windswept hair.
“So totally crash! What’s poppin’?” He made finger guns at Connor, Zatanna, and Artemis.
Zatanna started explaining, “Well, like were just telling Cassie, there’s this new video game coming out at midnight and we--”
She was interrupted by the screech of a green pterodactyl swooping in from the zeta tube. It circled once around the high ceilings of the hollowed-out mountain, then landed and shrank into Beast Boy.
“Just a heads up, Arsenal’s right behind me and he’s a little angry-- oh what are you guys doing?”
Connor was getting frustrated now. “We’re trying to get set up for this new video game that’s launching in five minutes, so if you guys wouldn’t mind--”
A small explosion sounded from the door to the exterior of the island. Roy burst in amidst a cloud of dust.
“Hope I’m not late, I lost my phone.” He sounded like he was in a bad mood.
Bart whispered to Connor, “He means he destroyed his phone.”
Roy dusted off his pants, then looked to Wally and Artemis and asked, “The hell are you doing here?”
“AUGH,” Artemis had had enough. “We’re here to play the video game coming out at midnight! If you want to join us, fine, but if you don’t then get out.” She pointed to the zeta tubes.
Garfield tried to placate her. “Sheesh, it’s just a game! No need to get so worked up.”
Jaime gave him an incredulous look. “Weren’t you just throwing a tantrum yesterday about Bart kicking your ass halfway to Bialya in Smash?”
“...Noted.” Garfield answered.
“Well, looks like we’ve got plenty of hands to help get everyone set up. Let’s get to it!” Cassie expertly maneuvered the two teams away from setting off their more explosive members. They distributed headsets and assigned reclining positions without further delay.
* * *
Marinette put the headset on and laid down on her bed.
“Ready to go back?” Tikki asked her.
She gave the little god a grin. “Definitely.”
In the distance, the bells in Notre Dame chimed six times, but Marinette couldn’t hear them. Her mind had gone somewhere far, far away. Somewhere new.
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ultimatetornshipper · 3 years
Text
Daminette December Day 7
@daminette-december2019-2020
((Note: If you’re a confused little muffin who saw our ship in the top 100 list and you want to know what in the ever loving fuck we are, feel free to dm me or mention me in a post or even to send an ask. do be warned tho that if u send me hate i will block and report u (and not just to tumblr, to everyone I know who is part of this fandom). our little sub fandom is not a toxic space and no one is allowed to make it one or there will be a fucking war))
And we’re back to our anxiety induced in denial Damian. I love this kid. Tho I do wanna make him slightly more… how do I say this… like cold? I dunno maybe I can bring that in with other people and his interactions. I just wanna write him with his proper grammar and what not and like lbh this boi is already a simp for Mari. But I don’t wanna let things happen too quickly, y’know?
Anyway, maybe I should make the theme of this chapter the fact that he has absolutely no chill. Lmao, I think that’s hilarious ngl. Also I’m just gonna pretend certain things existed back then for the sake of my sanity I can’t keep coming up with words that make sense for explaining what a thing is without saying the actual word because it didn’t exist yet. The hologram in that one chapter was hard enough bruh
Ok here we go, thanks for reading! I hope u enjoy it
Princes and Pedestals
Chapter 7 – Chill
Previous
Next
Damian rolled the ring between his fingers as the morning light filtered through his windows. She’d put the choice in his hands, it was a kind thing to do, smart too. It made sense, if this role was as important as she made it sound it needed someone who could commit to it.
The miraculous was the kind of black that seemed to stretch on forever. It had a bright green paw print on it. He hadn’t put it on yet but from what he could gather it’s kwami would appear as soon as he put it on.
He'd be one of the leaders of an entire Order. He had no idea how big it was. His mother had raised him to lead but that was an entirely different organization. How would Marinette react to that? Could he handle the responsibility?
These thoughts had been plaguing him from the moment he picked up the ring.
But that wasn’t what got to him the most. She was just so… good. She had even agreed to move her entire court to Gotham for his sake. To uproot her entire life and move everyone involved just so that he could stay with his family.
There had to be a catch.
There always is.
He sighed, overthinking everything wasn’t going to help him make this decision.
There was only one thing he could do.
He put on the ring and a bright light caught him off guard. A small floating cat like being appeared in front of him.
“Kid?” he kept his eyes closed as though he didn’t want to see who was in front of him, his voice breaking slightly.
Slowly, the kwami – Plagg if he remembered correctly - opened his eyes. Damian stared at him as disappointment flitted across the creature’s face.
He lifted his brow and asked, “Hope to see someone else, Plagg?”
He chuckled slightly, sadness lacing the sound, “My previous holder, thought maybe I'd get the chance to say goodbye this time,”
Damian frowned, “What do you mean?”
Plagg frowned, “You don’t know about my previous holder? Who gave you my miraculous?”
“Marinette did,” he said, simply, “She actually just gave me the chance to consider the offer of the position, I have the rest of the day to get to know you and make my decision,”
Plagg seemed to consider what he said, he then sat down on the bed in front of Damian. He explained the basics of the miraculous to him, the phrases he needed to use as well as what those phrases would do. The things he’d need as well as what behaviors he might pick up.
“Purring?” Damian said in a disbelieving voice, “You’re telling me I might start purring in my civilian form?”
Plagg cackled, “Yeah, don’t worry it’s not that bad,”
“Tt, what exactly is the purpose of it? In fact what exactly is my purpose? It seems like she has the leadership thing under control,”
Plagg seemed to sober up at the question, he flew up right in front of Damian’s face and looked him in the eyes, “Her job is to lead and look after her court,” his look sharpened and he narrowed his eyes, “Your job is to look after her, your job is to protect her, your job is to see her. Your purpose is to make hers as easy as possible. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll have other official responsibilities and you will rule alongside her, but your real job? Your purpose? You have to help her remember that she’s only human and that that’s okay,”
Damian stared at Plagg, the kwami stared back. It couldn’t be that simple, could it? There had to be something. Some kind of catch.
Before he could grill the kwami, Dick burst into his room.
Damian could see his brother’s clear panic and immediately stood. Dick’s eyes found his, “She’s gone,”
Damian felt himself spiral, memories flew through his mind. All the times he or any of his siblings had been taken. Cass didn’t speak for a month after the last incident. Jason’s “secret" panic attacks had increased tremendously. Tim stayed up for nights on end, only sleeping when he passed out. Damian sparred for hours and hours, hating the feeling of being useless. 
His father and Dick weren’t in Gotham at the time and Selina was helping Harley with one of her ‘projects’.
When they got Steph back after a week, she was so shook up that she kept waking up screaming from nightmares for months.
They all blamed themselves.
“Her kwami showed us a letter she left but someone could’ve faked it to buy time, they’re searching the village,” Jason said, coming into his room, holding a piece of parchment.
Damian barely registered the way Plagg seemed to study his reactions. They needed to find her, it was already afternoon, who knows how far gone she could be?
They spent hours scouring the castle. Before he knew it the moon was rising and they were all gathered in the living room, going over possibilities.
“I’m going to go get Alfred and Bruce, this has been going on long enough, it’s time to call in back up. It’s already passed nightfall and she’s not back yet,” Dick walked out of the room, barely two seconds passed before he shouted something to them, “Guys I found her!”
They were out quicker than a lightning bolt. He ignored his siblings as they all flocked around her. He took her in.
She was wearing a cloak, which Jason quickly took and gave to a passing maid. She wore one of her black dresses. Her hair was in a braid.
But the cloak was dirty, the dress had tears and the braid was messy.
But it was her eyes that got him. The blue irises looked like someone had taken every drop of sadness in the world and left it in them. They were red rimmed and puffy and there were black bags under them.
She’d been crying and she hadn’t slept. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out.
Somewhere along the line, they moved back into the living room. Cass was sitting next to Marinette on the couch and the others were arguing.
Damian couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was here. She was safe. She wasn’t taken.
Cass tapped his arm, he turned to look at her and she started signing. (a/n ok yeah I know that sign language might not have existed but do I really care?)
Get her out of here, she’s tired, Cass signed.
Damian nodded and after asking her permission and scolding his siblings, he escorted her to her room.
Plagg whispered something to her that he couldn’t hear. 
Then she apologized for scaring him and he explained his thought process. She explained that he would’ve been able to know via their miraculous whether she was in trouble or not. He made a mental note to ask Plagg more about that.
When they got to her room he opened her door. She was about to go in but he grabbed her hand, stopping her. She looked at him expectantly. He searched her gaze, he had so much he wanted to ask her, why she’d been crying was at the top of that list.
But she looked so tired, and Damian just couldn’t get himself to form the words. Instead he bid her goodnight and went back to the living room where his siblings were waiting.
All eyes turned to him when he entered. He didn’t know what to say. Instead of thinking his words through he blurted out the first thing he thought.
“She didn’t flinch when our eyes met,” he said. They all stared at him for a few seconds. Usually they would’ve laughed at his bluntness, Damian is certain, but there was something about the haunted look on her face that sapped all humor out of the situation.
Jason was crouched in front of the fire. Stephanie sat on one of the chairs while Dick leaned against its armrest. Damian was next to Cassandra on the couch and the five of them sat in silence.
Millions of questions danced through the air, the answers all just out of reach.
Little did they know that they weren’t the only ones with questions.
Outside, three pairs of eyes were watching the oblivious siblings closely.
Damian felt a chill go down his spine and turned towards the window. He walked over and stared out into the forest, he didn’t see anyone but the uneasy feeling wouldn’t leave him.
He closed the curtains.
The smallest of the three chuckled slightly, “She got herself a paranoid one, huh?”
“We need to head back,” the only guy out of the three said to the others.
They nodded and followed him deeper into the forest.
Taglist:
@animegirlweeb @loysydark @toodaloo-kangaroo @forgottenfriends @wolf-for-life @heyitsbugette @f-rget-lt @fusser90
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ao3feed-brucewayne · 5 months
Text
At The End of The Day (I choose you)
by icouldsleepforever Then she lifted her head and her eyes landed on him. In the next moment, she was up and clinging to his leather jacket as if it were a lifeline. There was a desperation in her eyes as she started pleading. “Please. I need your help! They took my little sister. Please, she’s only seven years old. I- I couldn’t stop them. Please! I can’t lose her. I can’t!” Green filled his gaze. What kind of scum kidnapped a defenseless seven-year-old. He took a deep steadying breath and gently put his hands on her shoulders. “Easy, easy. Take a breath. What’s your name? Tell me what happened. Who took your sister?” Jason took her appearance in. She had a big forming bruise on her cheek and there was a wound on her temple, the blood already dried. Her knuckles were bloody, and Jason was sure that whatever had happened, she had not gone down without a fight.   Or: I decided Jason deserves happiness, so I'm giving him a girlfriend and a little happy virus to shower him in affection. Words: 3659, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M, Gen, Other Characters: Jason Todd, Original Female Character(s), Original Child Character(s), Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Duke Thomas, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Alfred Pennyworth, Talia al Ghul, Bruce Wayne Relationships: Jason Todd/Original Female Character(s), Jason Todd/Original Character(s), Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Duke Thomas & Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown & Jason Todd, Batfamily Members & Other(s), Talia al Ghul & Jason Todd, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd Additional Tags: Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason Todd-centric, Protective Jason Todd, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Resurrected Jason Todd, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd Gets A Hug, he gets soooo many, Jason Todd and Damian Wayne Meet in the League of Assassins, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Good Parent Talia al Ghul, Talia al Ghul is Jason Todd's Parent, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Damian Wayne Has a Heart, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Dick Grayson is a Ray of Sunshine, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake Gets a Hug, Good Sibling Tim Drake, Duke Thomas is Signal, Good Sibling Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain is Black Bat, Good Sibling Cassandra Cain, Cassandra Cain and Jason Todd are Siblings, Stephanie Brown is Spoiler, Good Sibling Stephanie Brown, Developing Relationship, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, But mostly fluff, Accidental Child Acquisition, as in the child decides you're family now, sorry Jason, no beta we die like robins via https://ift.tt/X4eO9MF
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loving-barnes · 3 years
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RED, SUS! - BUCKY BARNES
(A/N): I mean, come on, I had to write one where the team is playing Among us.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x f!reader
Summary: Tony calls everyone to play the current video game trend - Among us.
Warning: language, a bit fluff at the end
Words: 2800+
FULL MASTERLIST
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RED, SUS! - BUCKY BARNES 
The gaming world was absorbed by the new game. Everyone was streaming it, playing with friends. It was the perfect game to play during a pandemic. Unfortunately, the illness got into the Avengers compound too. Some of the agents and workers were in isolation due to the virus. Also, even though some people could be considered as Gods, this nuisance got them too. Clint remained isolated in his room, Natasha and Wanda were sick too. Their symptoms were mild, fortunately. 
Tony’s orders were strict: social distancing for at least 14 days; checking via FRIDAY if anyone was in the kitchen; no gatherings or work meetings; those not affected had to be prepared for urgent or unexpected missions; masks were necessary for the hallways and common rooms and many more.
Every day, between two and five in the afternoon, they had to remain in their rooms due to obligatory disinfection that was happening in common rooms, hallways and other rooms. 
They were in the middle of their two-week personal lockdown when Tony sent everyone a message to log onto their laptops. Y/N was reading a book, slowly falling asleep when it happened. She checked her phone: Conference call, urgent, now. 
Y/N knew Tony pretty well. These types of messages never meant discussing work or missions. It was something for his amusement - mostly. Unwillingly and without a choice, she turned on her laptop and joined the conference call. 
Natasha: Hey, YN, you joined!
Y/N waved with a hand and then scratched her neck. She looked like a mess - baggy jumper, hair in a bun and her face looked sad and tired. In conclusion, she didn’t care less. The team saw her in her worst already - drunk and almost dead. 
Sam: What happened to you, Y/N? You look terrible. 
Y/N: Shut it, Wilson. I am well. This is my pandemic outfit. 
Bucky chuckled. She knew it was him because she could recognize his voice and other sounds anywhere. 
Steve: Tony, what is the meaning behind all of this? 
Tony: I’m glad you asked. Now that you are all here, and as you can see, I wanted you to join me in an adventure like never before. 
Y/N: Tony, I will not drink with you while being on a conference call. 
Tony: Y/N, I am not a madman. I don’t believe in virtual drinking. No, this one does not involve alcohol. All you need is your brain and the ability to lie. 
Natasha: Sounds interesting, continue. 
Tony: There is this new video game called Among Us which is an online multiplayer game. This game is pretty simple, there are crewmates or impostors. Crewmates have to do tasks to win and Impostors have to sabotage, fake tasks and kill to win. The goal of the game is to identify impostors and vote them out - yes, there will be meetings where we have to vote out someone or skip. The meetings also happen when someone reports a body. 
Both Wanda and Y/N made a sound that reminded of howling. They were interested. 
Bucky: Come on, you really called us to play some stupid video game. 
Wanda: Hey! Shush! I want to play. I am so bored in my room. I need some distraction. 
Y/N: Yes, exactly. This sounds so good. Let’s play, everyone, please.
Steve: Honestly, I am bored so I will join. However, I need instructions. 
Tony: Not a problem, buddy. I have already installed the game and sent you everything necessary. Just to explain one last detail. We will be on a conference call while playing. But, once the round starts, everyone has to mute their mics. When a meeting is called, you have to unmute and we discuss who to vote out and why. Once you are dead, you have to stay muted until the end of the game. At the beginning of every round, you will see whether you are an imposter or a crewmate. Don’t forget, impostors have to lie. 
Y/N: Give us ten minutes to check the materials and to start the game, alright? We have some people that are not too good with this type of technology. 
Y/N mocked Steve and Bucky especially. They were friends and she occasionally had to tease them. And when Sam was getting on her nerves, she would treat him the same way, if not even worse. 
Clint: Oh, that is easy. 
Natasha: Finally, something that will keep me occupied for more than ten seconds. 
Bruce: Do I have to play? 
Tony: Yes. Ten people are needed for two impostors and for it to be fun. You are playing, Banner.
Y/N: Does everyone understand? 
The team simultaneously agreed, each person with a different tone. Y/N turned on the game, as well as the rest of the team did, putting on the code Tony had sent them. She spawned in a lobby, as a little lime figure. 
Tony: You can also customise colours and accessories by coming to the laptop and using it. 
Y/N quickly did as Tony informed them. She changed the colour to purple and put a golden crown on. It was adorable and it did represent her a little. When she was finished, the rest of the team was in the lobby. They also customised their figures to represent them. 
Y/N: Oh my god, this is already so much fun.
Tony: Just to clarify - the crewmate’s vision is lower than the imposters have. The kill cooldown is 30 seconds. Voting time is 120 seconds, etc. You can see it on your left. I am starting the game and don’t forget to mute your mics. 
Y/N muted her mic as the game started. She was a crewmate. They all were standing around a table. She started to move to the right. That was when she noticed a map on the screen. When she opened it, a blue map appeared with yellow exclamation marks. When she ran to the first room, she noticed a chair was illuminated with yellow colour. 
"Alright, asteroids," she mumbled and did the task. 
Other players passed her, or stayed near her, even Bucky’s character did. His figure was white. When she moved, he moved with her. “That’s sus,” she commented and moved down the map to find another task. Bucky was still with her until the lights went off. 
“Fuck,” she whisper-shouted when the light around her was just a tiny circle. Several figures were around her and a report button appeared. She quickly clicked it. 
A board with all the names showed. Wanda and Sam were dead. She quickly unmuted her mic to talk to the rest of the players. “What the fuck was that?”
Tony: Where is the body?
Y/N: Down in the O2 I believe. The lights went off and suddenly, so many people were around me. Just a report button appeared. 
Steve: Who was there except you? 
Y/N: I saw Bucky, who was following me - by the way, sus, Barnes. You did your asteroids way too quickly. 
Bucky: I didn’t have that task, I just wanted to stay with you. 
Tony: Sus!
Natasha: Steve and I were in the admin. That fucking card swipe. I failed it like ten times! 
Y/N: Anyway, I think I saw Sam, Bruce and Clint with us. Now, Sam is dead. 
Clint: What if it’s you?
Y/N: How dare you, Barton? 
The time was slowly coming to its end and it was time to vote. Y/N had no idea who did the kill. She quickly voted skip. 
Bruce: We can skip because there are still eight of us. 
Tony: Banner, sus. 
Everyone skipped except Tony, who voted Clint. No one was ejected and the game could continue. They reappeared in the cafeteria around the table. This time, Y/N went down, because her map showed her she had some task there. Again, Bucky followed her. He stayed at the very beginning of the room while she went in and did the card swipe task. She was lucky to finish it on her second try. Once she was finished, Bucky was nowhere to be seen. 
She moved to the wires task. She heard the door to the cafeteria close. When she cleared the task, Bucky was again with her. Maybe he was just protecting her. She had no idea. 
The reactor was called. It was time to fix it. Bucky and Y/N moved through storage, under the electrical where they were met with Natasha, Tony and Bruce. They all moved to the reactor where Vision was. Everyone stacked on the upper reactor while Y/N was down alone. The reactor was saved and a body was reported. Natasha and Steve were killed. 
Bucky: What the hell happened? Natasha is dead and there are like four of us. 
Y/N: Was that a double kill? 
Tony: No, it was only Nat. Captain was killed somewhere else, obviously. 
Bruce: Most of us were together except Y/N, Bucky and Clint. 
Bucky: Y/N and I were in admin, doing our tasks. 
Tony: What about you, Vision? 
Vision: I am afraid I was alone most of the time. I did see people on cameras where I spent most of the time this round. 
Y/N: Clint, what about you? 
Clint: I was in… I don’t know the name but I came from the upper side of the map. 
Tony: I saw Steve going the way where medbay is. 
Y/N: Barton, you killed Steve!
Clint: No, I didn’t. 
Tony: Barton, get out of here. 
The voting was quickly coming to its end and almost everyone voted. Clint was the last one. He refused. When the time was up, the gang voted for Clint and he was ejected. 
Bucky: That’s what you get.
Y/N: That’s sus.
The game continued and Y/N was almost done with her tasks. Bucky was most of the time with her, again. When the lights went out again, she had decided not to go into the electrical. She didn’t want to die. It had been a long time since something happened. No bodies were reported, the taskbar was almost full. Alone, she quickly ran to the cafeteria and pressed the report button. When the board appeared, Only Bruce, Bucky and her were alive. 
Y/N: What?!
Bruce: Bucky, how could you? 
Bucky: Honestly, Bruce, I saw you kill Tony. Don’t blame me for this. 
Y/N: Oh no.
Bruce: Y/N, please don’t believe him, please. I am not the impostor. I was about to report the body when you hit the emergency button. 
Bucky: Wow, you are such a good liar. 
Y/N: No, don’t do this to me. 
Both of the men voted for each other, leaving her to decide the fate of the game. Who should she vote out? Bucky was with her most of the time and she did not see Bruce a lot. It made sense it was Banner. However, Bucky could be very good at this, using tactics like being in a field. 
Bruce: Y/N, you have to vote - vote for him. I am a crewmate. I saw him kill Tony in the lower reactor. 
Y/N: I mean, to be honest, Bucky was with me almost the whole game. I don’t think he would be able to do this. 
Bruce: No, Y/N, don’t do this. He needed you as an alibi. 
Bucky: How the hell would I do that? I was by her side the whole time and did my tasks. 
Y/N quickly voted for who she believed was the killer. When the results had shown, she voted for Bruce. For her, it made a lot of sense. How else would Bucky be able to do it? The rest of the team unmuted, screaming her name, laughing and making scenes. After a few seconds, the revelation came - they lost. Bucky was, in fact, the second impostor. 
Y/N: I mean, fuck both of you. What the actual fuck. You fucking tricked me!
Tony: Kids calls it marinating. 
Bucky: I am sorry, doll. You were the perfect person to stick with. 
Y/N: Again, fuck you. 
Bucky: You wish.
Sam: Wow, can you feel the sexual tension? 
Natasha: Sam, why do you make such stupid comments. You are such an intelligent man. 
Y/N changed her colour to Red, taking Wanda’s colour. She didn’t mind because she changed it into yellow. The next few games were funny. Two rounds Tony was an impostor. First with Steve than with Bruce. Two hours later, it was Y/N’s turn and she was paired with Bucky. 
“Holy shit,” she mumbled and sighed. This was her moment and she wanted to win, fast. She created a strategy. Before she could play by it, her phone rang. Bucky’s name appeared on her screen. “Yes?” 
“Well, what a dream team,” he chuckled. “What is the plan?” 
“First two kills, at random. After the first report, we will make a graveyard,” she said. “Honestly, that is going to be quick and funny.” 
“Sounds good. Where are you now?” he asked. 
She looked at the game and then at a map. “I am in admin, pretending to fail card swipe. I will turn off the lights once someone enters and then vent.” 
“I see Sam!”
“Kill him,” she encouraged him and turned off the lights. Vision came into the admin alone. 
They both took their opportunity and killed both people. Y/N vented into the cafeteria and went to weapons and Bucky quickly went into the comms, pretending to do a task. A few moments later, Sam’s body was reported. 
Natasha: Where is the body?
Wanda: Between O2 and shields. I think that is shields. 
Steve: Any suspicions? 
Y/N: I was passing by the cafeteria from medbay. When the lights were off, no one was around me. 
Tony: Bruce and I were in the reactor, doing the Simon says a thing. And I will fucking kill you for the report because now I have to do it again. 
Clint: Barnes, where were you? 
Bucky: On my way to storage. Did my quick task in coms. 
Bruce: So, no one is suspicious? 
Natasha: Honestly, we can skip. There are still eight of us. 
They all agreed and skipped voting. No one was ejected. When Y/N muted her mic, she went back to the call she had with Bucky. They both were laughing about the situation. “It’s a graveyard time.” 
“Where should we do it?” Bucky asked. 
“Reactor. After the first two kills, we will call the O2. During it, someone will come, searching for a body.” 
They both ran together into the reactor. Wanda was following them. She was about to become their first victim. After they arrived at the reactor, Bruce was also there, working on his Simon says. Their kill cooldown was almost at the end. 
“Come on, Buck, now!” 
Simultaneously, they killed Bruce and Wanda. Y/N waited almost ten seconds and called the O2 as she mentioned. Bucky quickly closed the doors around them, to slow them down. Their kill cooldown took thirty seconds and they needed time. 
The O2 was called off. They noticed the door around them opening and Tony was the first one approaching them. He reached the reactor and Bucky killed him. “One more and we win.”
“We have to hope someone else will come, otherwise they will call the button,” she explained. 
They were lucky. Steve and Natasha were on their way. Y/N quickly approached them and killed Steve. With that kill, the game was over and the impostors, Y/N and Bucky, won. 
Clint: What the fuck?
Natasha: How did you do that? 
Tony: They did a graveyard! 
Sam: Fuck you, Barnes, for killing me.
Bucky: It was my pleasure. 
Y/N: Oh my god, this was hilarious. Oh, my favourite round of all we played today. 
Bucky: Same. 
Tony: Want another game? 
Y/N: No, I want to take a break and make something to eat. We have been playing for hours. Let’s play tomorrow. 
Natasha: You are right. I need to take a nap after this. 
Steve: It’s almost seven. 
Natasha: My nap will take until tomorrow morning. 
Y/N’s phone beeped. She looked at the screen again. There was a text from the other impostor. Can I come over and watch a movie with you? It made her smile. 
Only if it involves the good popcorn you make and some kisses - she replied. They had been dating for over a month and things were going great. The team had their suspicions but they had decided not to meddle in their private life. Steve was happy and Tony was overly protective of Y/N but didn’t say a word. 
Y/N: I have to go. I am going to watch a movie. 
Clint: Oh yeah? Can I join? 
Y/N: No, I would like to enjoy it alone. 
Nat: Huh, that’s sus. 
Y/N: What is sus about it? 
Nat: Watching a movie, alone. Why would you want to watch it alone? 
Y/N: Because no one is making stupid comments during the movie I want to watch. 
Tony: Red, sus. 
Y/N: Alright, bye-bye friends. 
She ended the call and put her laptop on the night table. Rolling her eyes, she made her bed and went to the bathroom. Bucky would come any minute and she wanted to set the place. 
Who would have known this game would bring the whole team together? 
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boop-le-snoot · 3 years
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PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 27
First time reader click here
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TWs/Summary: If you read carefully, you knew this; if you didn't: reader was drugged at the party. Hangover from Hell ft. boys being cute, Loki being best friend material and reader fully integrating him into the Gen-Z community via Monster energy drinks and depressive music whilst being sad. I live for Loki/reader friendship tbh.
So folks, this is the last big plot thing before the endgame. I reckon it's about 10-15 chapters left until out happy ending and the next bit is going to focus on developing reader's and Stephen's relationship. There will be smutty parts too - either chapters or interludes, idk, depending on how well they'll integrate into the story.
I love y'all.
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Ow, was my first thought upon waking up. My head throbbed something fierce, the pressure behind my eyelids was unbearable and my mouth tasted like a bog on a sunny summer's day. I was warm, from both sides, and one of the bodies felt foreign in everything besides the smell - sandalwood leaked through the lead curtain of alcohol and sex.
Needless to say, I had trouble piecing together the fine details of last night but had enough coherence to remember our... Activities. I was sore and Strange's long arm was still possessively draped over both me and Tony. The luck was on my side as I carefully wiggled out of his grasp, padding to the bedroom on quiet feet. The sorcerer barely moved, only grumbling briefly at the loss of my warmth and immediately quieting, shamelessly snuggling into Tony.
I would have not exaggerated if I said it was the worst hangover of my life. It was baffling, really, because I'd gone way wilder and didn't suffer half as much after effects; my first attempt to brush my teeth ended with my face resting against the toilet bowl, my empty stomach rejecting what little liquid in it was left as the room spun on its axis. That was incredibly embarrassing and I hoped my boys wouldn't wake up to witness my best impression of a bum - and they didn't, both men still sound asleep and interwined like snakes when I put on the shirt closest to me and departed in search of coffee.
My mood only worsened. Steve and Bucky were already up, shoveling an impressive amount of eggs and bacon, as Bucky quietly teased Steve about his own hangover. The blonde man was slightly greenish, disheveled - we traded equally glum looks and nodded to each other in silence. The smell of food made my stomach churn and I retreated, one black coffee in hand, towards Bruce's lab, having been informed by Friday that neither Tony not Stephen planned on waking up.
"Morning, Princess," Bruce smiled kindly, pushing his glasses out of the way to hold me close and give me a sweet kiss. "Had fun? The boys still asleep?"
I giggled at Bruce calling Tony and Stephen boys. "Yeah. I wouldn't be wearing Stephen's shirt if he was up and about, I think." I pointed out the obvious.
Bruce chuckled, holding my face to give me a long, thoughtful look. I stared back, hoping convey my respect and adoration without having to say a word; like Tony, I wasn't particularly apt when it came to talking feelings. Whatever Bruce was looking for, he found it, and sealed it with another kiss, twice as long and twice as sweet. We stood like that, my head on his shoulder and my arms firmly holding him to myself, until the elevator dinged behind the glass wall, revealing a shirtless Stephen and Tony in his pajama pants, both men bickering animatedly.
"Aw shit, here we go again," I rolled my eyes, unhappy about the possibility of the magic being broken. I rather preferred all three men to be like yesterday: friendly, kind and relaxed.
"I will kick them out if I have to," Bruce shrugged, turning me around to face them.
Tony smiled, seeing me, stopping mid-conversation. "Princess, I am disappointed in your lack of manners. You left me with Merlin and he is mean." The engineer unceremoniously snatched me from Bruce and smooched me, hangover breath and all.
"Gross, Tony," I rolled my eyes, giving the man a light shove in the chest. "Morning, Steph," I addressed the third man who had gone back to his usual stoic expression. Just to see his resolve crack, because I loved pushing his buttons, I gave him a good morning kiss too, and was unexpectedly blown away by the eager response from his side. As I pulled back, I noticed his cheeks dusting a light pink.
"I came to get my shirt but I think you'd rather keep it," The sorcerer's fingers caressed my skin beneath the collar of his shirt, voice still low and scratchy from sleep and those magnetic eyes fixated on the exposed flesh of my chest, no trace of previous awkwardness.
"You sure 'bout that?" I pushed one of the sides off, exposing my shoulder, seeing Tony gulp the remainder of my coffee, one hand already messing with the screen that Bruce was focused on. "I think I look better without it," I would never miss an opportunity to tease the uptight man.
"Quite," He grinned, "It's a shame I didn't get to see much last night..." Two could play this game, okay.
"Oh, but you will," Tony piped up suddenly, a hint of smugness in his voice barely covered by Bruce's fond chuckle. I really didn't know what to say, suddenly overwhelmed with the attention, my emotions amplified by the hangover - party drugs tended to exaggerate my anxiety on the comedown.
And what a comedown it was. My social energy ran out very quickly so I complained about a nasty headache and retreated into my room, Bruce's gentle hands pressing a bottle of Ibuprofen into my own. Despite my attempts to tame my rioting body, it got worse before it got better and shortly before lunch, I had thrown up twice more. Pissed off, I ran a bath with cold water and sat in it until I felt somewhat human to prepare myself for a journey to Wanda's apartment - as a last resort, I was going to chug on of Pietro's Monster energy drinks that I knew he kept hidden there.
The retrieval was a success. Cans securely hidden in the kangaroo pocket of Tony's oversized hoodie I had thrown on, I had to make a haste detour to throw up once again - the closest bathroom was in Loki's apartment and I only managed to knock twice before throwing open the door and making a mad dash for the porcelain throne, a very confused Asgardian following my movements with raised eyebrows.
"Hangover from Hell," I croaked once the first wave subsided. Loki nodded in understanding, waved a hand to summon me a water bottle and shut the door behind himself.
As I sat there, desperately trying to understand why was I feeling like utter shit... It clicked. Bile rose to my throat once again, and I just dry heaving, mulling my revelation over and over again.
I didn't take any drugs. I had been drugged. My memories became hazy and dream-like shortly after someone had given me the drink... Someone, who? It was a split-second moment; Sam, even in his drunk state, didn't keep his eyes off me for too long. Maybe it had been someone the team knew? Possibilities began playing out in my head. Cursed was my overactive brain - the anxiety from the leftover drugs was making me panic.
"Fuck, FUCK," My hands shook - I only noticed it because I had spilled water on myself, adding cold and wet to the unpleasant sensations I was already experiencing. "Why am I such a fucking fuck-up." Taking a drink from a stranger seemed downright idiotic now. Middle school bullshit.
"Are you alright?" Loki's worried voice interrupted my inner monologue.
"Yes," I replied, voice cracking. "No. I don't fucking know."
The door all but flew open, the Asgardian taking several long strides to take a good long look at me. The frown on his face tells me all I needed to know about my physical and mental state.
A slender hand tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "What happened?"
I laughed tersely, feeling tears to begin welling in the corners of my eyes. "I'm an idiot," Seeing his face get annoyed briefly, I conceded: "I got drugged yesterday. My drink."
The hand that he had slid between my shoulder blades froze. I felt his whole body go rigid and his nostrils flare, the smell of ozone and something foreign - magic - filling the small space. The air around us became charged with the power of his anger. "Pardon?" His voice was dangerously quiet.
I physically fought with the need to flinch away from him, settling for lowering my eyes and staring at the dark stain on my hoodie. "I got carried away dancing. Someone handed me a drink and my stupid ass just shotgunned it," I confessed, picking at the wet spot. "And I can't tell anybody because I had a threesome with Stephen and Tony," I suddenly realised, my voice raising in pitch. "They're gonna think I didn't want it and feel bad. You know how Tony blames himself for everything under the sun..." Another wave of dizziness and nausea hit me as I leaned against the wall closest to me.
"Alright," Loki conceded after a brief pause. "We absolutely are telling the others. I'll make sure they understand," The Asgardian stated firmly in a tone that bore no argument. Seeing me lift my head to protest, he interrupted me before I could say anything: "Did you... Did you want it?" He asked me, hooking a single finger under my chin to look me in the eye.
I nodded, feeling my face heat up.
"You're not lying. The team knows of my ability to detect lies. Nobody will blame anyone..." Loki trailed off, obviously already plotting something. I wished it were a prank both of us were conspiring on instead of... Trying to make sense of this cluster fuck of a shit show. The circus called, they seemed to have left their clowns behind. "Although I will have a word with Sam." The Asgardian muttered darkly.
"No, it's not his fault. I just got too relaxed, I need to pucker up and be responsible for myself," I protested, damn well knowing it wasn't the Bird's fault. Everyone was drunk and I should've known better.
"It's not yours either," Loki sneered, seeing right through my self-loathing. It took a deep, slow sigh for him to calm down. His expression softened and the hand that was on my back resumed the gentle stroking as he scooted closer to me to press my side against his chest. "Vile people of this kind aren't exclusive to Midgard. It could have happened to anyone."
I nodded, my logical part briefly taking over as the waves of nausea and dizziness waned. I stifled a giggle, coming to another sudden revelation. "You holding up my hair as I barf out my hangover? That makes you qualified for the position of my Best Friend," I stated with a snort.
Loki chuckled, relaxing bit by bit. "I accept the position," His voice was unusually soft and a little bit shaky; I chose to tactfully ignore it. "Shall I call for assembly in the war room?"
I sighed, the dread and anxiety creeping it's way back in. "Can we just... Wait a bit? I have something- hold on-" I rummaged around my pocket, taking out two cans of Monster. Loki eyed them curiously and I extended one to him. "It probably won't do much for you but for me it's a last-resort hangover cure." I popped open the metal cap, seeing him do the same. "Be warned though, it tastes kinda funky if you're not used to it," I announced the disclaimer but it simply egged Loki on.
The scrunched up face he made was pretty funny. "It's sour but sickeningly sweet at the same time? I can't tell," He briefly eyed the written ingredients on the can.
"There are a bunch of flavors. Pietro likes the plain one, I like the purple one better, it's not so tongue-burning." I paused to inhale loudly. "If this is what college life looks like, I don't want to go," Mustering up my courage and gathering my balls in a knot, with one broad motion I closed my nose and poured the carbonated acid down my throat until my eyes watered. "Gimme a minute," I hiccuped, trying to keep it down.
Wide-eyed, Loki took a chaste sip of his own drink, eyeing me warily. He looked part impressed part disgusted with the little stunt. "I am pretty certain that is counter-productive."
"Caffeine make brain and body go skrrt," I argued back. "Friday, play my "grant me the sweet release of death" playlist. I'm upset," I announced and the AI obliged silently, the first notes of Placebo's 'Exit Wounds' beginning to play. If I was going to mop in a stranger's bathroom, I was going to do it with style. Even if said style was just simply stealing in my own misery with emo background music.
Loki stared at me, I stared back, both of us lost in our respective minds. At one point, he began swaying to the music slightly, resting the cool tin of the can against his cheek; I followed suit, mouthing along to some of the lyrics. It took us about a dozen songs to finally finish the liquid acid that was Monster energy drink and my ass felt like the bathroom tile itself: flat and hard.
"Do you ever feel like the universe just hates you for no fucking reason?" I groused, taking Loki's outstretched hand and slowly feeling the blood rush back to my legs.
"You wouldn't believe," He rolled his eyes in solidarity, vanishing away the empty containers. "Norns, give me a Hel-damned break."
I laced his arm through mine as we exited his apartment, feeling considerably less upset than I was before. I couldn't protect myself, but one look at Loki's sullen, irritated expression was bound to scare off anyone who dared to interrupt our mission.
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