#everyone deserves a friend like tasha

[tough-girl9]

Do you have any Data fic recommendations from Tumblr or Ao3? Just curious if there are any you read that you’ve really liked. If so, share with the class ;P

I'm so sorry this has been sitting in my inbox for months. Let's just say that the last four months of my life have been...interesting...and I have been too tired to do much of anything sadly. But as to your question! Yes, yes, I do have a few recommendations of Data fics I've enjoyed.

Data Goes to Therapy by Captain Toad. As you can guess...it's about Data finally getting some therapy. It's a series of "missing scenes" following episodes like "The Offspring", "The Most Toys", and "Brothers" (aka the ones where Data needed therapy). It's sweet and cute, has great characterization of Data and Deanna, and is well written. Currently in progress.

Failsafe by Sourboi. Oh boy, prepare for the feels on this one. It's a post-"Brothers" one-shot with Data and the rest of the Enterprise crew dealing with the implications of Data's one-man take over of the Enterprise. It's contemplative and heartbreaking and soft and has great characterization of Data.

Maintenance by Humbae. This is a longer one-shot about Data's early days on the Enterprise and the origins of his friendship with Geordi. It's from Dr. Crusher's perspective and explains a bit about why she knows so much about Data's inner workings along with Geordi. It deals with the prejudice Data faces and the neglect and isolation he's received from humans, and it's both sweet and heartbreaking. As with the others, it has excellent characterization and is very well written.

It Never Happened Except That It Did by Spectre_the_Zombie. A sweet, sensitive handling of Data and Tasha's friendship after the events of "The Naked Now." I like to believe that they were able to discuss what happened, and this story gives the reader just that. Tasha gets some much-needed therapy and everyone is able to handle a painful, awkward situation like the professional adults and friends that they are.

Best Friends by Rowena Zahrei. A super cute and fluffy origin fic for Data and Geordi's friendship. Really great characterization and in character dialogue, and a short feel-good read.

And finally, a bonus Lore fic: Cursed Treasure by SoongTypeDisaster. Kivas Fajo is out of prison and wants revenge on a certain android, but the android he ends up capturing is not Data. In which Fajo gets exactly what he deserves and Lore is deliciously conniving, manipulative, and scary. Great characterization and wonderfully satisfying.

Thanks for the ask! Hope you enjoy some of these fics.

#ask answer #ask tough-girl9 #fic rec #rec list #fanfiction recommendation #star trek #star trek tng #star trek the next generation #data star trek #data soong #lt commander data #lieutenant commander data

[bloomingflowersthings]

Roadtrip sniffles

Pairings: sick! Kate Bishop x reader, WandaNat, Yelena is there too

Summary: When you finally get some time to unwind from work and travel with your friends, it seems that a certain archer is not feeling too hot.

Notes: Sorry about the title lol, also, thank you guys for the support! it seems like you really enjoyed my last fic and all i have to say is thank you!! I would like to announce that my requests are open, so if you have any ideas please send them in!! hope you like it! <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The last mission exhausted the avengers. The team had to implode a Hydra facility and everyone worked a lot for it. After debriefing at the compound, Cap decided that everyone deserved a week off to recharge their batteries.

Tony and Pepper decided to go on vacation, Thor returned to Asgard, Clint went back to his house and the rest were just chilling around the tower. So you and the girls decided to spend your week off at the beach. It would be fun and a way of bonding with each other.

Wanda, Natasha and Yelena were in one car and you and Kate were in the other, since you both were taking Fanny and Lucky.

“Are you ready Kate?” You asked, while attaching Lucky’s harness to the seatbelt

“Yup, just have to grab my backpack real quick” The archer called out, entering the compound to grab her things

After making sure both puppies were safely secured, Kate was already entering the car, backpack in hands.

“I’m glad we’re doing this, it’s a great opportunity to relax!” You said, starting to drive

Kate nodded, putting her seatbelt on “It’s- Hh gonna be -Hhh fun!” she managed to say between hitching breaths.

Without taking your eyes off the road you asked: “Darling, are you okay?”

“Hh’Tsshh! Hhxngtt'shh! Hh'iTshh!" She stifled a set of sneezes in her elbow.

“Bless you!” you giggled, not thinking much about her outburst, “there’s tissues in the glove compartment if you need them.”

“I’ll be alright” Kate said, while yawning.

“You tired? maybe you can take a nap, it’ll be a long road trip and the dogs are already sleeping”

“Maybe I can take a nap, you should wake me up when you want to switch places”

“Shush, just rest for now” You knew Kate had to be exhausted. She had a rough final’s week since her roommate managed to catch a nasty cold and she had to take care of her while studying. And when she got to the compound the archer was training nonstop, some rest was seriously overdue, even though she would never admit she was tired.

Glancing over at her the first thing you noticed was the dark circles under her eyes poor thing… However, another thing caught your attention towards her features. She looked pale, and her nose was red and chapped. Was she getting sick? Refocusing your thoughts on the road, you decided to brush it off, she just had a rough couple of weeks, that’s all. right?

About an hour later, all of you decided to take a pit stop at a cafeteria. Wanda was carsick, Yelena was hungry and the dogs needed to pee. Turning off the car you looked over to your girlfriend again. She looked so peaceful that you didn’t want to wake her up. Until her nose started twitching…

“Hhep’tSHHIEW!” She ducked her head inside her shirt, sneezing loudly into it, “Hh’uptSHHIEW!”

“Wow Katie! bless you! you alright?” You asked, concern slipping into your features as you rubbed her shoulder lightly.

“Yeah, i’m fine! it must be allergies or something.” she said, while rubbing her eyes.

“Hmm… I’m keeping my eye on you.” You said while narrowing your eyes as she gave you a light playful slap on you arm.

After the both of you took the dogs out, you finally reunited with the rest of the girls.

“Pleaaaase, i’m begging, just take Yelena with you I can’t take one more minute having to be in the same space as her” Natasha said as her sister shoved her lightly

“Sorry Tasha, it’s either Yelena or the dogs” You said chuckling.

“I still prefer the dogs” The redhead said, while shrugging dramatically.

“Haha very funny sestra.” Yelena said while rolling her eyes, a big grin plastered on her face.

“You doing better Wands?” You asked, noticing that the witch wasn’t as pale as before

“A little, just needed some air.” She said, smiling as natasha rubbed her shoulder.

“Kate needed a little air too, right Kates?” You said, bumping her hip.

“Hhup’tshiew! Hh-’iishiew! HHe’TSHHIEW! whew! excuse me!” Kate said, her cheeks glowing red with embarrassment.

“See, the mini archer is allergic to cheesy couples, you are a threat to her health!” Yelena said, gesturing to Wanda and Natasha.

Everyone laughed and blessed Kate and you all headed inside the cafeteria (which thankfully was pet friendly) to grab some snacks.

After everyone finished eating, you all started to get ready to get in the cars again.

“Yelena, i’ll be in control of the music now, your musica taste is good, but a little old.” The widow said, tired of hearing “miss american pie” for more than ten times in a row.

“My music isn’t old! it’s good quality music!”

As the sisters argued, Kate was rubbing her nose, trying to get rid of the annoying tingle in her sinuses.

“Hh-itshhiew! HhH’uptshiew! sorry, i’m gonna grab some tissue real quick” The archer said.

As soon as she entered the restroom, Wanda approached you.

“Y/N, i’m sensing some discomfort in her, is she feeling well?” she asked you, concern clear in her features.

“I don’t think so, but she won’t admit it, and I don’t wanna pressure her” You answered, honestly.

“Make sure to take care of her”

“I will”

as Kate returned, Natasha spoke: “So, everyone is ready to go?”

Everybody agreed and you got in the car, in your original positions.

“Wait, you don’t want to switch places?” Kate asked. You had just recently overcome your fear of driving, so she wanted to make sure that you were confortable.

“Thanks baby, I’m good!” You answered, if you said you were relaxed, you would be lying, but she clearly needed the rest.

“Hh-itshhiew! HhH’uptshiew! ugh sorry” she said as she reached for the tissues.

“You’re not feeling well, are you?” You said, pure love showing in your words.

“I’m not feeling too hot” The archer admitted.

You reached her forehead, frowning at the heat radiating from her. “I have to disagree with that, you’re really hot baby, I think you’re running a fever.”

“It wasn’t that bad, I thought I could sleep it off on our way to the beach, I’m really sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, I’m always gonna take care of you, now try and sleep a little sweetie.” You said, giving your girlfriend a quick kiss on her temples.

You sent the girls a message to tell them the situation, and gave one more look at Kate, who was already asleep. She looked so peaceful, and beautiful, you couldn’t understand how she could look like a angel even while sick.

A few hours later, all of you finally arrived to the beach, and Kate was still in deep sleep. Feeling her forehead, you noticed that she was significantly warmer than earlier.

You decided to let her sleep for a little longer while you grabbed your things.

“How’s the little Bishop doing?” Yelena asked

“I think her fever spiked, she’s still sleeping in the car.” You answered

With everyone’s help, you quickly got your things inside the house.

“Kate, we’re here, c’mon, let’s get you inside” You said, while helping her out of the car.

She leaned against you, shivering as you got upstairs and sat her on the bed.

“I’m gonna make her some soup” Wanda said. “I’ll help you” Yelena added, and they both went downstairs.

“Y/N, I think she needs a shower in order to break that fever, you should help her out while I’ll go out and buy her some medicine” Natasha said, worried about her friend’s state

As the redhead exited the room, you turned to your girlfriend, who had fallen asleep again.

“Kate? how about we take a shower?” You kindly asked, gently massaging her scalp

“I’m too cold…” the archer answered, her voice was already hoarse and congested, making you wonder if her throat was hurting.

“It’s your fever that’s making you feel funny, but a quick shower might fix that, and i’ll be with you the whole time” you offered.

She nodded in approval and you helped her up, heading towards the bathroom. You turned on the shower, making sure to adjust the water temperature. You helped her out of her clothes.

As soon as she touched the water, her shivering intensified, and you felt guilty. You made sure to wash her body and hair and her chills became almost nonexistent, which meant that her fever probably broke.

“Thank you Y/N, i’m a little better now” Kate said, looking at you lovingly, and you noticed that she wasn’t as flushed as before.

“You welcome kitten, now let’s get you in the couch so you can eat and rest a little.”

As you finished helping her in her clothes and wrapping her up in a blanket, Wanda and Yelena returned with a tray of soup for everyone. It smelled amazing and everyone was hungry. They sat on the enormous sofa along with you and the dogs. You all decided to watch friends while eating.

“Even though I can’t fully taste it, this soup is amazing, thank you girls.” Kate said.

“Don’t mention it” Wanda replied

“I bet my macaroni and cheese is better, but this soup is tasty” Yelena said

“So y’all making a little party without me?” Natasha said, leaning against the doorframe, pharmacy bag in hand.

“Actually, we were just waiting for you to get the party started, come sit with us” You said, tapping the cushion.

Kate took a dose of the medicine and started to feel a little drowsy, she snuggled closer to you, closing her eyes.

“Thank you for taking care of me, girls.”

“We are your family, We’ll always take care of you.” you said while kissing her forehead.

She was glad to have a big loving family.

#sickfic #snzfic #sick! kate bishop #sick! kate bishop x reader #kate bishop sickfic #kate bishop x reader #wandanat #yelena as a third wheel

[talentdelunecomic]

Arc 2.5

(Part 2) (foreword)

That night is the anniversary party. Jupiter, Eight, and Aidyn are busy with all the usual hosting business, so Fae stands in the corner and tries to be unnoticeable enough to keep anyone from coaxing them out with cake. Talent de Dal’s members interplay and bounce off each other like beams of light, like projections, unreal and happy. Fae finds themself reconsidering their previous line of thought—the effects of their time at TDD cannot be solely negative, not with their fellow ex-gladiators  smiling so contentedly and engaging with each other with such ease. Maybe Fae leaps too quickly to the worst possible conclusions. Or maybe cynicism should be their burden and theirs alone.

Maybe Jupiter wanted to clear the air before confessing her feelings. Or maybe it really is too early to look for romance.

…Maybe they should talk to their sister.

Later, once everyone has thoroughly enjoyed the cake and gone to bed, Tasha finds Fae in the greenhouse.

“Hey, so…” Tasha runs a nervous hand through her glowing hair. “Are you okay? You were, like, really quiet at the party tonight.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

Tasha flinches at their tone and Fae tries to gentle it, as impossible as that feels, currently. “I know it’s uncomfortable for you to talk to me,” they say. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, and you shouldn’t feel guilty when you walk away.”

Tasha’s mouth twitches; she stares at the ground and takes a deep breath. Fae turns back to the plants and waits for her to leave.

Fae whips around, stunned at her sudden grit.

“You’re totally putting words in my mouth. Can you let me speak before assuming I’m uncomfortable and forcing myself to be here? I mean, like, now I’m uncomfortable, but that’s just ‘cause you’re being kind of rude.”

Fae blushes. Oh. That’s exactly what they were doing. How embarrassing. They duck their head and choke out, “I’m sorry.”

Tasha sighs. “And you don’t have to say sorry like I’m gonna smack you. Jeez, you always act like I’m the one scared of you, but I think it’s really the other way around.”

Still a bit flustered, Fae glances up at her. “You…aren’t afraid of me?”

“No. Why would I be?”

“Because…” they stutter out. “Because I… I hurt you. I was cold. I acted like I was b-better than you. I acted— I acted like you deserved to be in pain for trying to run away.”

Tasha cocks her head to one side. “Um, Fae…” she says softly, a wrinkle of concern in her brow. “I never really thought of it that way.”

Huh?

Fae is lost. Is there…any other way to think of it??

“You were in a bad situation and you tried to, like, teach me how you survived it,” Tasha says. “So when I didn’t want to do that, you lashed out.”

“But…no, I…” That can’t be right. Fae has to take responsibility for their actions, don’t they? Isn’t that the problem?

Tasha shrugs and combs through her hair again. “Sure, I got hurt, but I don’t think it was anyone’s fault? I mean, obviously it was Heele’s fault, and everyone who went to those horrible matches, but not you, and not me.” She looks Fae in the eyes. “You get that…right?”

Fae wraps their arms around themself. …It’s almost unthinkable. They sigh shakily, “Tai, I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry.”

Tasha’s expression flickers into utter confusion. “Uh…” She laughs incredulously. “Who’s Tai?”

“I…” Fae whispers. “She’s…my little sister.”

Tasha blinks cluelessly. “Oh! I didn’t know you had a sibling. I guess our names are similar, huh?” She giggles. “Are our personalities similar? You know I’m older than you, right?”

Despite everything, Fae laughs.

…It’s a relief.

“Yeah, I guess you are,” they chuckle.

---

The next morning, before lunch, everyone gathers to see their friends off. Aulani, Matt, Zacharie, and Tasha have packed their things, and they talk excitedly—well, maybe not so excited in Zacharie’s case—about the next steps they’ll be embarking on. Spider and Fae and the rest of the ex-gladiators are there to say goodbye. Jupiter, Eight, and Aidyn are there to remind them that they’ll always have TDD’s full support. Rivergirl is just there for the transportation soul-stream. A lot of hugs are exchanged.

Then, the time comes, and Rivergirl gathers Aulani, Matt, Zacharie, and Tasha up in her arms. “Alright, my dudes,” she says, swaying them back and forth. “You’re about to experience the most radical ride of your lives. Can you dig it?”

“Sorry?” Aulani asks.

“She’s asking if we’re good to go,” Zacharie sighs.

“Can! You! Dig it?!” Rivergirl whoops.

“Yes we can!” Tasha cheers.

She’s insane, Zacharie mouths to Aulani.

As expected, their departure is bittersweet. Fae is surprised to find he’s a little sad to see his ex-cellmates go. It’s true, they were never all that close, but they lived through the same horrors together. That has to count for something.

And so, as awkward as it feels, Fae waves to his friends as they leave.

After a silent moment, the remnants of their group start to make their way back to the TDD base. Fae turns to follow them, but he doesn’t make it more than a couple steps. Aidyn calls out to him.

---

They sit in the shade of the treeline, enjoying the early fall breeze. Aidyn told Jupiter and Eight to return to the base, that he and Fae would hang back to wait for Rivergirl’s return. It’s a pleasant morning, but the air tastes like anticipation.

Fae gathers up their courage. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Right!” Aidyn scratches at the back of his head, bashfully. “So…I heard that yesterday, Jupi brought up your sister. Are you doing okay?”

Fae’s stomach sours a bit at the reminder, but they don’t feel nearly so low, this time. “I’m fine,” they answer honestly, shrugging.

“But not great?”

Fae frowns, but relents. “…No, not great.”

“You know…” Aidyn shifts in place. “You don’t have to talk to her if your relationship is strained. Or maybe you just don’t want to. There are a lot of us who’ve cut contact with our families, more than you’d think. No one would judge you.”

“Is that the case for you?” Fae asks, genuinely curious. “What about Jupiter and Eight?”

Aidyn barks out a wry laugh. “They cut contact with me!”

Misstep. This is a sore topic. “You don’t have to—”

“No, no, you’re all good.” Aidyn softens instantly. “I’m… It’s easy to joke and avoid things when they make you uncomfortable. Sometimes you just think about it all so much that you need a break. But, well…” He laughs again, self-deprecating. “I guess, for someone who calls their Talent ‘Converse’, I’m not all that great at communicating.”

“I think you’re pretty great,” Fae says quietly.

The vitiligo turns Aidyn’s blush multi-colored, and it is unfairly distracting.

“…Well, Jupi doesn’t talk to her family either.” Aidyn recenters himself. “And I think Eight is still in touch with theirs, but I’m not sure. We don’t really mention this stuff when we’re around each other.”

“Maybe you should,” Fae says tentatively. Aidyn’s eyes drop to the ground; he seems doubtful.

They press on. “My sister’s name is Taisha. I’ve always called her Tai.”

Aidyn stares at them.

“She’s three years younger than me. Fifteen, right now, but she’ll be sixteen soon. I should wish her a happy birthday, because she was always so excited for this one. In movies, every girl wants a big ‘Sweet Sixteen’.”

“Yeah,” Aidyn says, like he’s nearly too focused on them to speak.

“My dad was self-absorbed and cold, so I had to raise myself and Tai. Mom died when we were young, and I’m fairly sure he didn’t like thinking about her. Tai took after her, so he generally ignored her. But I took after my dad, so we argued. We argued a lot.”

Under Aidyn’s unwavering attention, it feels like it’s okay to continue.

“Even though we fought, I think that deep down, my dad almost respected me. He felt like he was raising me right because I was stubborn and I had a temper. Like he was raising me into…” Their stomach twists. “A man. Just like himself.”

Aidyn reaches out, and Fae holds his hand. It’s nice.

“So that’s why our first big blow-up fight came around when he learned that Tai would let me try on her dresses.”

“That sucks,” Aidyn whispers. It’s ineloquent, but that’s part of the reason Fae likes him. Sometimes, the most straightforward words are the ones you need to hear.

“I was so mad,” Fae admits, “I just wanted to break something. And then, I— My Talent—”

“That’s when you got it?” Aidyn asks, eyes wide.

Fae nods, trying to ignore how red-hot their face feels. “I took down our entire house. Completely leveled. I dragged Tai outside, but our dad was left behind. I don’t know if he even made the connection; it’s possible he just thought there was an earthquake. But he was still inside when everything came down, and for a second, I wasn’t even upset. ‘Serves you right,’ I thought.”

They exhale shakily. “But Tai cried. And she went back to try and move the rubble, even though dad had never done anything kind for her in his entire life. And then…I got mad at her as well.”

“People started coming by. I realized what I was doing and I knew I had to leave. I…didn’t want to break my little sister.”

It surprises Fae, how quickly tears spring to their eyes in that moment. Usually, their emotions build and build and they teeter on the verge of crying for a long time. This feels less painful. More like letting go of the pain you never realized you were clutching so tightly. Like crying at a poignant movie scene. It’s not so bad.

They wipe their eyes without letting go of Aidyn’s hand. “I was on my own until Heele found me. You know the rest from there.”

“Hey,” Aidyn squeezes their hand. “Fae? I don’t think you’re self-absorbed. Or cold. And you might have a temper, but you’re working on it. I think you’re a really good person.”

Fae holds their breath against the instinct to deny him. “I’m trying to be a better me,” they allow. “A kinder me. A healthier me. A happier me. More like myself. So…I’m glad you think I’m succeeding.” They fail to hold back a smile. “Thanks.”

Aidyn smiles back at them, so warmly the whole world feels softer. “I should be thanking you. Maybe…we could all stand to open up more, like you said. Your advice is always the best. You’re so reliable, Fae.”

The words are familiar. Fae flusters.

“And speaking of opening up…” Aidyn’s smile turns nervous, and his face grows redder and redder. “There’s something Jupiter and Eight and I have been trying to ask you. It’s just— The timing has never been—”

“I’m listening now,” Fae says, and the butterflies in their stomach are climbing up their chest. “Try me.”

Aidyn sits up straight, takes in a deep breath. His cheeks are the same color as his hair, but he looks like he’s placed a bet and he’s liking his odds. “Fae. All three of us care about you…a lot. Would you be willing… Have you ever heard of—?”

…Of course. The timing is never right. And yet, Fae feels so light and happy that they can’t help laughing. The glow in Aidyn’s eyes, the way he’s looking at them, it feels like a winning bet. An affirmative 8-Ball answer. A homemade cake.

Fae is still growing, and it might be too early, but…

They think they’ll talk to their sister.

#talent de lune #TDL #Arc 2.5

[thegeminisage]

tng update time. last night we watched "datalore" together and this morning i caught "angel one" on my own

datalore: not terrible!! i felt really bad for data the entire time of course. kind of delighted to find out he is amnesiac-adjacent in this episode, at least as far as not knowing where he comes from or why. i've gotten used to thinking of him as friend-shaped but lore reminded me of just how creepy he actually does look because he was making the creepy faces

the planet and lab were cool though it was hilarious that one of the pieces was just an ass with the crotch faced away from us to protect data's modesty lol

i liked the bit about data having an off switch.it is ironically such a human vulnerability. we have those too! it's called head trauma.

ik what i said about picard not being a dick anymore but i noticed he IS still a dick sometimes and it's mostly to either wesley (valid) or data (may he DIE). i was glad data told him not to call lore "it" and that he APOLOGIZED. he should apologize to data more often

lore is literally just a data who is better at masking btw. like thats all it is. he thinks using contractions makes him allistic and he's like ha ha look at me i'm better than you meanwhile he has to use a little laser to remove his own facial tick and his special interest is murdering humans and good for him

one thing i HATED about this ep was once again wesley made a valid point and everyone told him to fuck off. meanwhile whenever hes fucking around they let him do whatever he wants. this is making me CRRRAZY. all this stuff about you would have listened to me if i was an adult!! i'll kill the little brat myself

however the episode was immediately rescued by the appearance of this meme:

which sent me immediately into screaming hysterics because i was NOT expecting to see it in its original format here. i quite literally had to pause the episode and explain this meme to catherine with tears running down my face

angel one: not as bad as the skip/watch lists led me to believe (i didnt have to play it on 2x speed for example) but still pretty fucking terrible. oh what if WOMEN were in charge wouldnt that be WEIRD AND SCARY? meanwhile the women are wearing what pretends to be "no makeup" in 1987 and theyre super fucking hot

i thought that blonde chick was rthe one from tos's backdoor pilot and even looked it up but no she just moves her face the same way

riker's slut outfit really was something. he was such a good sport about it that i thought it was kind of mean of deanna and tasha to laugh at him but considering how women are treated on this show they deserve to actually. tasha especially.

absolutely bonkers that he tried to turn the head woman down and she slept with him anyway. close encounters of the space babes riker version??? quite literally the man said i'm not an object to be seduced and then he got seduced. wild

anyway, the morals of this were all over the place. they cant remove these people bc theyre not bound by the prime directive but they literally are interfering with this planet's system of laws etc...also the fact that like everyone is arguing for gender equality when the genders are reversed is all well and good when they live in a utopian society where genders are equal but we live and star trek was made in the real world where the genders are NOT equal so it just comes out sounding like but what about the meeeeen?? i mean. what about them?? sorry.

i. HATED. the b-plot of this episode. everyone's like oh no i wonder how this virus spreads! and then they allow worf to stay on the bridge while he does those dad sneezes. maybe this episode should have been before the other to explain data's sudden hyperfixation on learning to sneeze lol. like ik all infectious disease media hits different post pandemic but jesus christ we had more sense than that even BEFORE the pandemic

tonight we do 11001001, and then i'm doing the next FOUR on my own...rough.

#personal #tng lb #star trek blogging #ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THE KIND OF DEATH YOU'VE EARNED LITTLE MAN?

[vibesfc]

love island thinkpiece that no one asked for: the ekin-george dilemma

george's behaviour was problematic regardless of whether ekin-su touched him or not simply because he continued to touch her after she asked him to stop. ekin saying she was too hot seemed to me like a fake excuse to leave the bed and evacuate an increasingly uncomfortable situation.

iirc ekin friendzoned him three times: in bed, on the terrace and at the recoupling when everyone was saying goodbye (and she probably did it off camera as well). she clearly wasn't interested in his advances, and the fact that she had to repeat herself shows that george didn't respect her boundaries. he took her rejection as an invitation to try and change her mind, rather than for what it was: a rejection. his actions were not okay; his persistence was not sweet or "cheeky", it was dangerous. george 100% knew that "we're just friends" = "no". like, this is not a novel strategy. she was clearly using the friendzone as a way to reject him with limited conflict/awkwardness.

besides, i don't think anything significant happened anyway because the producers would have exposed her if they had any evidence to support their very vague allusions (cf. tittygate, multiple pool boners, extensive footage of bits being done under the covers, ekin's balcony etc).

they (george, producers) are exploiting ekin's femme fatale persona for clout by acting coy and encouraging speculation. i'm certain that the reason they haven't definitively confirmed anything is because there isn't anything to confirm. just because a person is confident in their sexuality does not mean they are willing to have sex with whomever ffs.

her storyline with davide and jay – which she consented to – is not an acceptable reason to throw ekin-su under the bus. imo this is starkly different from the typical drama of islanders fighting or hooking up with one another. to pedal this narrative as a source of entertainment, when the situation is so ambiguous and ekin is so uncomfortable, is seriously unethical.

i understand that love island is a controversial show and would not exist without chaos/conflict, but a line does need to be drawn somewhere and the producers have overstepped. the amount of slut-shaming i've seen directed towards ekin-su is atrocious and undeserved (not that slut-shaming is ever deserved lol). if you're going to stir up rumours like this, at least give her a chance to speak as well.

sidenote, who exactly is the well-being officer on the island? they're obviously not very good at their job. love island is a psychological hellscape and, if they're going to use the contestants' misery for entertainment, they should at least have experts on hand to help them through the experience. it's ridiculous that psychologists arent consulted until after the series is over.

this is my first season watching love island. while i loved the show to begin with, and obviously remain hyper-fixated on it, i don't know if i can in good conscience continue to watch the programme. it's tricky because, eight seasons in, one can only assume that applicants understand what they're signing up for and have, therefore, implicitly permitted the public to pick their very person apart. yet, the level of distress seen in islanders is far greater than what they (or anybody) should be expected to handle.

as i've mentioned elsewhere, the lack of silliness and sincerity and true friendship (which was present in seasons passed) is depressing and draining. not to sound like a broken record, but there is a difference between dami, for example, receiving public judgement for his actions in casa (which he chose to pursue knowing the consequences) versus tasha being reminded again and again that 4.5 million people around the country (or however many viewers there are) do not like her.

likewise, ambushing ekin-su with these rumours and inviting public slander for a narrative she has no control over – and a situation we're not even sure took place – is out of order. the amount this non-event has been criticised, to the disadvantage of ekin-su and no one else, is unwarranted and unfair. surely there is a way for the producers to make the experience fun on both sides, for viewers and contestants. genuinely, my favourite moments of this series have been (in no particular order):

the boys "pranking" the girls with a fake female bombshell (davide)

danica teaching the islanders how to twerk

danica's resilience

gemma calling ekin over to scream about chocolate

gemma telling luca to concentrate while she's speaking

ekin putting makeup on luca

ekin crawling around the terrace

ekin's enemies to lovers arc with davide

jay counselling davide about his feelings for ekin

indiyah and ekin slyly helping the other girls with their hair and makeup in the background

all of indiyah and dami pre-casa amor

indiyah standing up for herself post-casa amor

indiyah's friendship with danica

heart-rate challenge

ikenna's twitter handler

memes

despite the drama that took place, not one item on this list required any great manipulation or falsehood by the producers (that i'm aware of, at least) and were imo the best parts of the show.

#love island #theres been a lot of heated debate on reddit re: ekin and george #which led me to write this #im not posting it there bc redditors are scary and mean #this ended up being way fucking longer than anticipanted #im probably making it too deep #like jacques i too blame adhd for my behaviour #*

[lovedaymorbid]

What are your thoughts on the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead? The good, the bad? What do you think about the upcoming tv adaptation?

Tell Us👁👄👁🍿

Ooooohhh bestie.

I started the series right after Shadow Kiss (book 3) came out. Found book 1 in Walmart and made my mom but it for me. Over a decade later and this series still has my soul in its clutches.

I adore the series in the way it was centered around Rose and Lissa and their friendship and love for each other and the problems that come with being each other's person.

And who is not a fan of the untouchable love interest with an accent? Dimitri is literally the reason I like men and influenced my type of guy. Am I married to a nonbinary person the complete opposite of Dimka? Absolutely. Changes nothing.

What I am not a fan of (like everyone else) is the age gap between Rose, Dimitri, and Adrian. I am 24 and I LITERALLY CAN NOT even think of finding a 17 year old attractive. Like yeah yeah different worlds and they have to grow up faster to be guardians but wowza. I re read the series this year and was appalled at some of what happened while Rose is underage (the cabin scene yes and jfc Dimitri she is your student and you're also her best friend's guardian c'mon). Adrian's character honestly rubbed me very wrong for the longest time. He gave off nice guy who needs therapy vibes. I haven't read the spin off with Sydney and Adrian so he could have redeemed himself. Idk.

Also hate how Rose treated Eddie. Like he honestly went above and beyond when he did not have to multiple times and she barely thanked him.

Lissa also not that appreciative of her friends.

Loved Jill.

Pour one out for our friend Mason.

Tatiana was that bitch.

Rip to Robert that crazy bitch deserved better.

I believe Tasha could have been either #1 Ally or and even better villain. Her being brought down to a woman scorned and having "her man" stolen by a teenager was literally the worst choice.

About the show: I'm interested. I like the cast for the most part except with Lissa. I love the representation but Lissa (and most royals) are Eastern European decent (hence the names and most being from/around Russia). I wonder if they'll just nix that or work with it. I do hope they age up Rose and co and lower Dimitri to like 22 or 21. Make it like a 2-3 year age gap and not 7 ffs.

I'm sure I have more but that's all I got currently at 3AM.

#vampire academy #richelle mead #asks #lissa dragomir #rose hathaway #dimitri belikov

[lingeringscars]

?? give me

send ❔ and i’ll list a couple muses that i’d like to throw at yours! / always accepting

maya & mariana/stef/layla/spencer. gay is all i know.

mason & shane. i do think they'd be neat. also maybe finch but I would have to think about that.

link/amelia & one chicago. crossover of my dreams.

amber & everyone is unhelpful but hello??? callie. mariana. vanessa. idk everyone.

alberta & gigi/sonya/mal/june. some guardians and sonya.

callie & harper/thea/christian. :')

daisy & logan. i cannot remember if we talked about them but i want it so bad. the parallels. the not being able to control powers and it overwhelming them. daisy just deserves to help so many people with learning to control their powers.

angeline & harper. thank u. also luna?? and lydia. i think they could all help her in different ways. sydney is currently bribing people to tutor her, so maybe spencer too. shauna!!!!!!!!!!!!! needing to adapt to society.

deborah/tasha & jacinda. moms doing their best for their kids and also mechanics. jacinda is also a cook.

mermia & june. we haven't really talked about them. i also think lydia here too. thank you.

mikhail/sasha & valerie. i'm thinking about sibling duos and val being protected from the supernatural and just. lots of thoughts.

tasha & prue. they deserve to be in love that is ALL. i have been saying you have been saying we agree. i think even dax has been saying. we're RIGHT. i also think any of my ouat muses could be fun to play with. valerie. taking care of someone who is closeish to your age after parents deaths. val & hayden have a v ozeraesque relationship. it'd be a lot.

octavia & finch/stiles/ruby. i'm right. also octavia & eden/june/mal but like. t/100. at least until i can figure out how to v/a eden (unless i u know. have. in our messages at some point.)

simon & sonya/lydia. i'm literally so curious about this. spirit users with someone who was manipulated by spirit. lydia who was held captive... sonya who turned ... what we talked about w/ lydia & bellamy. i am LITERALLY so curious.

claire & eden. my little geniuses working together. jake. tell me they would not be besties i dare you. reina. the things you do for knowledge. lydia. knowledge is power but also lydia as a mean girl turned someone who helps. lydia and miranda both having similar powers and it giving credence to things that are happening.

eve & lydia. i think. they should date? i just care a lot about the transformations is all. also see above about lydia and miranda. mariana. i'm not sure but i do think similar energy. spencer. spencer said eve is my favorite barista. marian & jacinda can also work with her.

kara & spencer/serena. they should hook up at some point.

malia & finch/ruby/logan. struggles with powers. struggles with society. struggles fitting in. rachel/shauna/fatin. having horrible things happen to you and needing to readjust to society once you return. christian. murdering parents who try to kill you, too.

allison & christian. hello we could do something so fucking hot here with allison coming back and christian's parents... june. being manipulated by the people close to you about the deaths of the people close to you. inej. knife wife and bow gf. thea. not having any hobbies. moving around and not having friends. pleasing parents. hehe so much there. faran. intensity about your own thing.

alex & june. i am sooo right about them. i can't explain this outside of like becoming weapons. fighting from the inside. learning about corruption. using your wealth and power. losing your families because you were betrayed by someone you trusted.

liars & glass house. i just know that they would all hang out thanks. specific: hanna & stiles like we have been saying. aria & peyton/jess. emily & gigi. they can work together at the brew. alison & ryan. ryan giving her a chance when she returns. mona & layla. something about layla & carrie and layla giving mona a chance in season 3 because she was sick and needed help and they aren't so different. caleb & tyler. they would be so fascinating.

echo & alina. not having a home. being manipulated by someone in power. not having an identity to hold onto that can really be yours.

hayley & jacinda. and vanessa. yaaa. whew okay for jacinda like she gives up her daughter because she believes it is the best thing for her, and I think it would be such an interesting dynamic.

jo k. & jacinda. mom friends. i also think emma s. i think they could really help each other. sylvie. more friends.

isabella & layla/bellamy/spencer/rachel. this is about parents. this is about mental illness. this is about not being trusted.

josie & harper. that arc when josie leaves the school and goes to a regular hs. i think they could get into loads of trouble. i think it would be loads of fun.

lizzie & lydia. also aurora and lydia. i think these could be a dream come true for me.

nicki & elsa. maybe their medical student runs overlap idk. they have such different personalities i think it would be very interesting to see. theo. i see no reason why they wouldn't overlap sometimes because hospital/first responder stuff.

laurel & lydia. i don't know i'm just right. but god valerie. younger siblings who have died and come back. protectors. caretakers. maybe ironically val decides to go to law school once she and hayden move.

sam & fei. they/them icons. doing what you can to protect your family. loving your family intensely despite their flaws. supernatural worlds.

scott & hope m/kaitlyn/finch/glass house. in the spirit of supernatural creatures coming together and forming a pack. in the spirit of trying to save people and failing. in the different perspectives and mindsets.

#terrifyingstories #let the record show that i wanted more

[gays-the-final-frontier]

Every Shot of Tasha Yar (26/x)

The Naked Now (S1E3), gifs 021-030. HD versions of all gifs are available upon request.

#Tasha Yar #the definitive gif collection #excuse my while I just #*gently runs fingers over tasha’s face* #see this is why I love her #she really does handle the situation well #she connects with him #she stays calm #she offers support #she gets him to a safe place (sickbay) #everyone deserves a friend like tasha #my gifs

[infernalodie]

how about maddy x daughter reader where the reader is teenager and she ends up in an abusive relationship but tries to hide it and stay with them, and maddy notices all the signs and gets worried and tries to help her or something

k

Thank you for the request and I'm so sorry that I may break yours and everyone else's hearts with this one...

𝐌𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 (𝐩𝐭.𝟑) || 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐳

"𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘻𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶"

Inspo: Vai Mahina - An Innocent Warrior Auli’i Carvahlo - Know Who You Are Adele - My Little Love

Summary: Maddy had always been afraid of the cycle repeating itself. Having to see you go through what she did when she was your age. But she never thought that worse would come.

Warnings: Physical abuse, verbal abuse, brief alcohol addiction section, and overall a painful read and heartbreaking one.

Part One - Previous Part

Words 3337

DNI IF YOU'RE YOUNGER THAN 18 OR SENSITIVE TO THE TOPICS ABOVE!

“You’re just an annoying bitch, Y/n!”

Dread and anxiety clung to your heart and lungs every time you stepped into that house. A thick cloud of smoke filling your lungs and eliciting a feeling of suffocation. If not from the anxiety than from her girlfriend, Tasha, who gripped your throat and squeezed tightly. Her bottom teeth stained with blood as she grunted, applying more pressure to your wind pipe. Pressing the end of her fathers Glock to your temple and likely creating a bruise.

“You think you can hit me without getting hurt?” She questioned. “Is that what you fucking think?” Tears streaming down your cheeks with whimpers being choked out. Utter gasps and pleas that fell on your girlfriend’s deaf ears.

Hand desperately trying to tap out, beg her to relieve her hands from your throat. But your strength was slowly slithering from your grasp. A cold chill running up your body and stopping at your hairline where it stayed. Eyes fighting to stay open and stare at the girl who proclaimed loved you. Your eyes rolled back into your head as darkness slowly invaded your vision and mind.

But just as you were about to dive head first, Tasha’s hand pulled away. With a sob, you coughed and gasped for air. Only giving a moment as you tried to push her hands away. There was a struggle with a gunshot going off before two arms grabbed you and tossed you to the side. Your feet backpedaled as you stared at her with wide eyes. Then when you took another step, you met nothing.

It all felt slow mo. Your body slowly fall back as your hands desperately tried to reach out for Tasha’s. Your heart getting caught in your throat as the air blew your hair out from behind you and into your face. And the last sight you had was the small pendant around your pinky finger from your mother. Before you were plunged into darkness.

You had never understood why you had deserved such treatment. Everyone loved you. As outspoken as you were at times and aggressive, you were kind to the ones that you loved and cared about. That’s how you had made so many friends and had even created a somewhat normal relationship with your father. He was still an asshole for abandoning your mom and proposing the idea of aborting you. But at least there was something there instead of nothing.

A lot of people praised you for being like your mom though. Aunt Jules continuously telling you that you can sometimes have that snarky attitude when you get angry. The next you are as sweet as an angel. But then again, your mom did say that your dad used to be angry all the time. There was some similarities there.

But one person who’d managed to break through those defenses had been Tasha. She sat in front of you in Calc and had rich brown skin that you stared at most of the time. Picking apart every piece of detail that was given to you in each different outfit she wore. She had a muscular build, but nothing that would draw the attention of judging eyes. She was fucking perfect. You had found no imperfections in her shoulders, back, arms, legs- God, you fucking loved those legs! She perfumed perfection at it’s core, and you had been hopelessly hooked.

She played for the girls basketball team and you remembered the first time she had ran into you. It’d been a harmless conversation and nothing truly enlightening. Just a simple question if you would be coming to the game for their first game of the season as everyone else was going. Of course, you said you would and she gave you that famous smile that had rocked your world. That had been one of the first times a girl left butterflies in your stomach and teasing comments from your friends.

You did show up for the game and cheered. Eyes fixated on Tasha and how she dribbled the wall. The way her legs clenched when jumping up for a rebound or shooting from the three-point line. And you had nearly shot out of your seat when she won the game with a shot near the East Highland logo at the center of the court. Watching as her and the rest of the team celebrated their first game and first win of the season.

Only, she had found your eyes and smiled widely. Giving you a friendly wave which you shyly returned.

“Mom, I’ll be home soon.” You paced in one of the empty halls of the high school with your phone pressed against your ear. Down the hall pass a few opened double doors, parents and kids were talking and making their way outside. It was already 9 PM and you were seriously late for your curfew. Not to mention the fact that you had to be home and get enough sleep to actually talk to your Aunts who would be visiting from New York. “I’m just out with Kelly right now.”

“Oh, really?” Maddy asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Hi, sweety!”

Hearing Aunt Rue’s voice made you close your eyes. Leaning against one of the walls with you sighing. “Okay,” you said. “So, I’m not hanging out with Kelly. She decided to go over and hangout at Aunt Lexi’s place to be around Sam. I’m at the girl’s basketball game.”

At home, Jules spun around from the cabinet to look at her wife and Maddy in surprise. As much as you went out with friends, the least expected place you could be was for a basketball game.

Maddy, being the most confused, braced her hands along the edge of the island. “Why are you there?” She asked. “I thought you hated basketball.”

“Oh, I do, mom,” you laughed. “A person invited me to come. It was the fi-”

“Oh, my God!” Jules exclaimed. “Do you have a crush with one of the girl’s on the basketball team?”

You pushed yourself off the wall and started waving your hands in the air, looking like a damn fool. “No!” You exclaimed. “No, no, no! I do not have a crush with anyone on the basketball team. I just wanted to go and watch it.”

“Good on you, Y/n,” Rue praised. “It’s better than one of the guys on the football team your dad coaches.”

A groan slipped past your lips as you heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Turning your head to find none other than Tasha with a warm smile. “Hi.”

You damn near dropped your phone at such a beautiful sight. But managing to compose yourself, you smiled before turning away. “Okay, I’ve gotta go. Okay, love you. Don’t call me again. Love you, bye!”

“Wait, Y/n-”

The phone call ended with you turning to Tasha with a nervous smile. “Hi.”

“Hi.” She laughed softly as she adjusted the strap on her bag.

There was painfully odd amount of awkwardness as the two of you didn’t know what to say to one another. Nodding to yourselves, hoping the other would come up with something to converse about. But you hadn’t had anything in mind considering the fact that you hadn’t expected Tasha to actually come over to you. Maybe just a simple greeting as she was leaving, but not come over where you were all alone.

Pursing your lips, you jutted a thumb over your shoulder. “Pretty crazy game you guys had- Hmm!”

Tasha’s hands cupped your face her lips pressing against yours. Almost instantly causing you to melt into it and reciprocate.

When she pulled away, she let out smile. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

From that night on, your guys’ relationship had been instantaneous. A lot people hadn’t expected you to date someone like Tasha. But it was happening and there wasn’t much you could say on it. It wasn’t like you regretted it because the way she treated you was enough for you to deal with the constant questions of why from everyone.

The one person you hadn’t had the confidence to tell was your mother. She often questioned you quite frequently when you started to come home later than usual. Damn near 3 AM is the only time she would see you throughout the day sometimes and it was scaring her. But the more she persisted, the larger the divide she created. An ocean between lands.

You’d just wanted to be happy and be happy with the girl you loved. And each day, she was making that difficult.

Maddy was stood in the kitchen preparing dinner when she heard your footsteps moving down the stairs. “Hey, sweetheart,” she called. “I’m going to be making us some tacos. I was wondering if you wanted to-”

She glanced up to find you not even acknowledging her existence or what she had to say. Only seeing you fully dressed up with your keys in hand.

A frown pulled at her features as she quickly followed you. “Y/n, where do you think you’re going?”

You stopped short of the door, back facing her as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m going out.”

“Like hell you are!” Maddy said. “You’ve been going out night after night and sometimes not showing up at all! I’ve been easy on you, but this has got to stop.”

Finally, you turned and faced her. “You did this all the time when you were my age,” you pointed out. “Why can’t I do the same?”

“Because I said so, Y/n,” she seethed. “Give me the keys.”

Maddy watched as you stared at her before shaking your head. “No.”

“Y/n.”

“I’ve gotta go.”

“You aren’t going anywhere,” she stated.

“Bullshit, watch me.” This tone and selective words you had chosen had never been used on her before. It shocked her at how surprisingly collected you seemed to be. The hollow look in your eyes scaring her even more than you already had.

“Watch your tone!”

“I ain’t watch shit with you!” You spat. “Leave me the fuck alone- Don’t fucking touch me mom!”

All she could do was gasp at the bruise that had been revealed just barely from your left arm sleeve. Noticeable hand prints that had turned all different shades of purple and orange. It was brutal and made Maddy’s stomach turn.

Her lips parted as she pointed to your arm, mouth closing and opening, trying to concoct the words stuck on the tip of her tongue. “Did she do that do you?” She asked. “Did your girlfriend fucking do that do you?”

When she tried to step closer, you stepped away. “Step near me again and I swear to God I’ll beat your fucking ass!” You warned.

“Y/n, has she been hurting-”

“Fuck you!”

Maddy felt her chest tighten as you glared at her with nothing but hatred and resentment. “Fuck you!” You repeated. “I fucking hate you! Don’t be jumping to conclusions when you decided to fuck an asshole who had red flags all over his ass! I can’t fucking stand you being on my back all the fucking time with you being so fucking protective and shit!”

“My job as a mother is to be-”

“Well I wish you weren’t my mom!” You cried. Mascara smeared and streaming down your cheeks. “I wouldn’t be this way if you didn’t have to go and date an abusive asshole who I can’t even stand being related to you! I wish you would just fuck off and get out of my life! I fucking hate everything about you!”

Tears streamed down Maddy’s cheeks as she nodded, licking her lips as she stepped forward in hopes of restraining you. But as she took the first step forward, you cold-cocked her across the face. Sending her flying to floor as she held her nose that started to drip with blood.

“Fuck off me, bitch!” You yelled. “Don’t fucking call me or talk to me! Stay out of my fucking life!”

She had watched you leave with the whole bottom half of her face covered and smeared with blood. Tears streaming down her face as she continued to cry out for you to come back. Pleading for you to just talk this out. If only she’d known...

“As you’re a minor, Miss Martin, you will be tried as an adult with the total of 45 years in jail for the first degree murder of, Y/n Perez,” The Judge announced. “With the chance of parole being given after 20 years of your sentence is carried out.”

Maddy sat there, lips parting as she inhaled shakily with her eyes lifting to Tasha. Finding the girl sitting there emotionlessly with her lawyer on the other side of her. Her heart had sunk to the floor as she grabbed a handful of her shirt at the center of her chest. Feeling a pair of arms wrap around you with the additional sound of yells filling the court room.

“You killed my daughter!” Nate yelled. “You fucking murderer! You took everything from me! You deserve death you fucking bitch! I fucking-” Guard ran over, stopping him from sprinting at Tasha who stared at the man fearfully. “I’ll fucking you! Why did you have to do this? Why?! Why my baby girl?!”

Nate had begun to be pulled out of the court room with police quickly rushing over to Tasha to get her out of immediate danger. Meanwhile Maddy had folded into Jules’ arms with sobs racking her body. Your last words echoing in her mind like a broken record.

Maddy doesn’t know how long that house has felt so cold without your warm presence being there. Her heart aching every day and reminded of the last few words you two had shared together. She wanted to make it up to you. Make what things right and support you in any way she could. She had even gone as far as to contact Nate and ask if he’d seen you at school. When he said that you hadn’t been showing up, her anxiety rose.

Thankfully, Nate had given her the name of your girlfriend, Tasha Martin. So, after a few quick google searches, she had figured out where the girl lived. When she finally arrived, she spotted your car parked out front the large house. Getting out, she started walking towards the front door with her eyes scanning the neighborhood.

But her body froze up when she heard a scream and the loud crack of gunshot. Her head snapping in the direction of the front door, she ran over. “Y/n?” She called. “Y/n?”

She didn’t care to knock on the door as she busted through. Gasping when she found you laid out right at the bottom of the stairs to her left with a red patch of blood surrounding the side of your abdomen. A whimper escaping your lips as you turned your head to find your mom.

“Mom?” You whimpered as Maddy snapped out of her momentary shock.

“Y/n!” She said. “Hey, what happened? Wha- What happened, Baby?”

“I- I don’t know.” You cried when your mother pressed her hand to the wound.

“I know it hurts, sweetheart, i know.” Maddy’s eyes snapped up to the top of the stairs to find the culprit. Tasha with a pistol in her hand as she stared at you in shock. Despite the bloodlust Maddy felt, her worry was focused on you. “Call 9-1-1, please!”

Tears stuck to your cheeks as you held onto your mother shirt for dear life. “I wanna go home, mom!” You cried. “I wanna go home, please! Please, take me home, mommy!”

Maddy held a hand on your wound, feeling her hand drenched in your blood as she nodded, tears feeling her eyes. “We’re going to go home, baby,” she cried. “I promise you, I’ll get you home. Please, someone help us!”

Your eyes fluttered, about to close until Maddy cupped your face. “Look me in the eyes, honey.” She only got a cry in response, the adrenaline and shock not having even kicked in before and after the gunshot.

A sob escaped your lips as you shook your head. Tears staining your cheeks as you began to cough, sending waves of pain to your stomach. Blood started to erupt from between your lips with each cough and staining your teeth and lips.

“No, no, no.” Maddy reached up, wiping the blood as your head tried to stay up. Lulling back every other second as you cried.

“I’m sorry for what I said,” you cried. “I’m so sorry, mommy.”

“Don’t apologize, baby,” Maddy sobbed. “Just stay awake, all right? Just keep your eyes on me!”

You whimpered as the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. Maddy glanced back for a moment before looking back at you and seeing your lifeless eyes staring up at her.

“Wait, wait, wait!” She lifted you into her arms, cradling you just like she had done when you were a babe. “Hey! Someone help! Please, someone!”

She rocked you side to side, hoping that it would wake up up as she tucked your face in her neck. “Don’t do this me, Y/n,” she whispered. “Please don’t leave me.”

Bottles surrounded the coffee table with a drunk Maddy’s feet knocking a few over. The left over contents from some spilling onto the carpet, but she couldn’t care enough. Her eyes fixated on the screen of the movie you two used to watch all the time.

Sipping from her new bottle of beer with her vision wobbling. Head lulling side to side as she tried to steady herself to he best possibility. Hearing that familiar deep hum emerge from the speakers of the TV. Heart aching even more with a new wave of tears brimming in Maddy’s eyes. Besides your room she hadn’t dared to touch, this one of the only reminders of you.

It was late at night and Maddy had just gotten into bed. On the brink of passing out until she felt the shift in her bed. Looking over her shoulder to find her 8 year old daughter sliding into the sheets.

“Hey, honey.”

You opted for a hum, which made Maddy raise a brow and turn over. Wrapping an arm around you and pulling you flush to her chest. “Couldn’t sleep?”

She earned another hum in response. As tired as she may have been, Maddy had promised you when you were 6 that if she had trouble sleeping, she would sing you your favorite songs. She would easily admit that she cared more about your well-being then her own.

So, she softly pulled you away just enough she could look into those beautiful eyes of yours. A small smile on her lips as she tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. “Do you remember how the song goes?”

That made a large smile appear on your lips as you nodded. “Yup!”

The sheer look of excitement had Maddy letting out a soft chuckle. Hand resting on your cheek and stroking her thumb across your cheek bone soothingly. “I have crossed the horizon to find you.”

Although you were adorably slightly off queue with her, Maddy continued. “I know your name,” she sang softly. “They have stolen the heart from inside you. But this does not define you.”

When you first heard the song, you had made the surprising observation of connecting it with your mom’s and dad’s past relationship. It had damn near brought tears to Maddy’s eyes as she nodded in agreement and spent most of that night talking about the man. Nothing venomous leaving hers or your lips. Just pure sorrow of what could’ve been.

“This is not who you are.” A smile formed on Maddy’s lips as she nodded towards you.

With a large adorable smile, you sang, “You know who you are.”

#maddy perez daughter #euphoria #maddy perez #euphoria hbo #euphoria imagine #alexa demie #maddy perez x reader #maddy perez being a mom #maddy perez x daughter!reader #x daughter reader #x daughter!reader #maddy perez angst

[hotdoghotdiggidydog]

Bruised & Used

Bottom!Natasha x Top!Reader x Top!Wanda

Summary: Natasha likes to push your buttons. What happens when she gets more than she bargained for?

Warnings: Smut, choking, Safe Word, Spanking, Hair Pulling, GxG (if that even needs a warning?), Crying, Orgasm Denial, Subspace

————————————————————————

Natasha’s POV:

Today’s Wanda’s birthday which means Stark’s throwing a party. Y/N has been very mean and hasn’t touched me for the last 3 weeks. She told me she would touch me when she felt I deserved it, but it’s been too long and I need a release. So, I’ve designed a plan with Wanda.

Third Person POV:

Natasha walks down stairs to join the party. She’s wearing a tight dark green dress with nothing under. It stops just below her butt meaning that if she were to move a certain way or position herself in a way, people would see.

She spots Wanda across the room sitting on the sofa as she talks to Rhodey. Natasha looks around the room trying to find you, and spots you at the bar talking to Carol.

Everyone knows Carol has a thing for you and Natasha hates it. She hates that you were too oblivious to notice the way her hand would stay on your arm a little too long, or the way she looked you up and down while biting her lip.

Natasha could feel herself already becoming upset.

“Tasha, come here love.” Natasha hears Wanda’s voice in her head.

She makes her way over to Wanda and gets pulled into her lap. Wanda wraps her arms around Natasha’s waist, pulling her closer into her. Rhodey has moved his attention from Wanda and turns to Thor, talking about some mission.

“Are you sure you want to do this Nat?” Wanda asks, using one hand to stroke Natasha’s thigh.

“Yeah, look at her. She hasn’t even noticed I’ve come downstairs.” Natasha turns in Wanda’s arms to look at her and crosses her arms with a frown on her face.

“I see that, but are you sure making her jealous is the answer?” Wanda asks, concerned for her best friend. (Maybe more than her best fiend?) She knows how you can be when it comes to Natasha going against her rules.

“I don’t care what’s the right answer. I’m tired of her thinking she can just ignore me. Punishment or not.” Natasha says.

“Okay.” Wanda pushes a piece of Natasha’s hair behind her ear and leans in and starts kissing her neck. This elicits a gasp from Natasha.

“Is this okay?” Wanda asks while still peppering kisses along her neck.

“Yes.” Natasha can’t help but feel needy. She hasn’t been touched in what felt like forever.

Wanda settles her hand on Natasha’s upper thigh, running it up and down, squeezing the flesh occasionally. This causes Natasha to buck her hips unintentionally.

Natasha feels embarrassed at her reactions to Wanda’s small actions.

“Natasha it’s just me,” Wanda chuckles, sucking on the spot that makes Natasha let out a small moan. “You don’t have to be embarrassed.” Wanda trails her hand up further, making her way up Natasha’s dress.

“Wanda,” Natasha let’s out a whine. She feels pathetic. Wanda hasn’t even touched her properly and she already can feel the tightening in her lower stomach.

“She’s looking over here. She doesn’t seem too happy.” Wanda sees you over at the bar, still talking to Carol. She looks Natasha up and down taking a notice of Wanda’s hand on her thigh, below her dress. She sees you let out a chuckle as you take a sip of your drink and roll your eyes and continue your conversation with Carol.

Y/N doesn’t mind sharing Natasha with Wanda. She has plenty times before, seeing how much Wanda care about her. However, she already knows what Natasha’s trying to do. So, she’s not going to let the red head get satisfaction from her losing control.

“Never mind, she doesn’t look like she really cares.” Wanda moves her hands up further, feeling the heat radiating from Natasha’s center. “No underwear?” She finally touched Natasha where she needs it.

Natasha quickly hides her face in Wanda’s neck and lets out a small moan. “Please Wanda.” She bucks her hips, trying to earn more friction against Wanda’s finger that’s currently circling her clit at a torturing slow pace.

“Jesus Nat, you’re soaked.” Wanda speeds up her movements, only a little. She starts kissing Natasha’s chest where Natasha’s dress cuts low, exposing a lot of her cleavage.

“Wanda, please. I need it.” Natasha whines. She knows she sounds desperate but she can’t seem to help it.

“I see that. What do you need Tasha?” Wanda asks, a small smirk plastered on her face as she cups Natasha’s chin, forcing the red head to make eye contact. Natasha’s eyes are blown, almost black. Her hair is a little out of place creating a natural messy look. Her baby hairs stick to her hair with sweat.

“I need you.” Natasha whimpers as Wanda’s hand completely stops.

“That’s not how you ask for something, sweet girl. You know how, so let’s hear it.”

“I need you to fuck me Wanda, please.” Natasha puts her face back in Wanda’s neck. She feels Wanda’s hand meet with her center again, this time, circling her entrance.

“Good girl.” Wanda kisses Natasha’s cheek as she slowly slides two fingers in her. Natasha let’s out a moan.

Wanda makes sure to look around the dim room, and is relieved to find that no body noticed them except for you.

You and Wanda make eye contact and for a second, Wanda’s scared you may kill her on the spot for allowing Natasha to break a rule. However, she’s instantly relieved when she sees you with a smirk on your face as you motion for her to continue.

Wanda leans closer, places a kiss right behind Natashas ear and whispers, “looks like your girlfriend wants us to put on a show.”

Natasha goes to look towards you, put is instantly denied when Wanda wraps her hand around her hand around her neck, and pulls her in for a kiss.

Wanda’s fingers pick up pace and Natasha almost falls apart when she feels Wanda’s fingers curl, hitting her sweet spot. Natasha let’s out a shudder and bites on her lip trying to keep her noises in.

“You’re so responsive. How long has it been since she’s touched you?” Wanda asks, she continues to hit that spot that makes dots cloud her vision.

“3 weeks.” Natasha chokes out, overwhelmed by pleasure. “Please. I need to cum. Please let me cum Wands.” Natasha’s pleading, tears in her eyes as she tries to hold off her orgasm.

“I don’t think Y/N would appreciate you coming without her permission.” Wanda slows her movements, and is rewarded by a whine from Natasha and tears that fall from her eyes.

“I don’t care what she thinks. Please don’t stop.” Natasha’s thoughts are completely distorted, only focused on her release.

Wanda shrugs and continues her movements. Natasha’s eyes close and her eyebrows furrows, signaling she’s close.

Right as Natasha’s about to cum, she is pulled from Wanda’s lap by her hair. Natasha let’s out a whine.

Y/N grasps Natasha by the arm once she’s standing on shakey legs. Before dragging Natasha to the nearest bathroom, she gives Wanda a high five, both of them exchanging a chuckle. Wanda knew Natasha was in deep trouble the second Your eyes met Nat’s.

Once you both enter the bathroom, you immediately push Natasha into the door, wrapping your hand around her neck. You are quick to lock the door.

“You’re such a needy slut aren’t you? Do you like whoring yourself around in front of everyone? You like the way Wanda touched you? Don’t lie to me, or you’ll make this even worst for yourself.” You move your hand off of her neck.

Natasha gasps for air and coughs from the sudden intake of air. “No.” Natasha knows she made a mistake as soon as she hears you let out a chuckle.

Before she can blink, she’s pushed against the counter, her hip bones hitting the edge. You push her body down so that she’s leaned over the surface.

“What color baby?” You rub her backside.

“Green.” At her response, you immediately push her dress up and get to work. At the first hit, Natasha let’s out a cry. Damn you and your strength.

The second hit has Natasha trying to wiggle her way out of your grasp. You are quick to grab both of her arms, moving them behind her back, grasping her wrists making it impossible for her to get away.

“No, please. I’m sorry. Pl-” she’s cut off by the next hit you land to her butt. This one makes her body jerk forward and her let out a sob. She has tears streaming down her face as they fall down to the counter.

“You know what to say if you want it to stop.” You take a moment to give her an opportunity to tap out, rubbing her backside. After a moment you continue to hit her.

“I can’t believe you would do something so stupid. You’re lucky I don’t have Wanda come in here and watch how red I can make your ass.” Natasha only lets out a sob in return.

Natasha was close to tapping out many times. She didn’t like to say the word, only have said it once before. She hated disappointing you. (Even though you’ve told her a million times that safe wording would never make you upset.)

On your 28th hit, her legs give out for a moment almost making her fall.

You land another one to her, she screams. When you’re about to do it again, you hear her yell out through sobs, “Red. Red.”

At those words, you immediately let go of her wrists and turn her around and pull her into your chest. You move your hand to rub her back side, but is stopped by Natasha letting out a cry and moving your hand right before your hand can touch her.

“Shhh, it’s okay baby. I got you. You did so good. I’m so proud of you for telling me when it got too much. You’re such a good girl.” Natasha continues to sob in your chest.

“No I’m not. I’m bad. I’m sorry for being bad, mommy. I won’t do it again. ‘M sorry.” Natasha tried to hide her face further into your chest as she tightly holds your shirt in her hands.

At her words, your eyebrows furrow. It’s unusual for Natasha to slip far enough in submission to call you mommy. You cup her face, wanting her to look at you. However, she keeps her eyes focused on the ground.

“Look at me love.” Natasha looks up and meets your eyes. “You aren’t bad. You just made a mistake. You are my good girl. You always will be.” Natasha still has tears falling out of her eyes. “Okay baby, Cmon, no more tears. Lets go to the room. I’ll have Wanda bring up some water.”

Natasha wipes away her tears, and tried to compose herself. The aching gets worst when she feels you move her dress back down, covering her. She starts to feel tears well up in her eyes again. You understand her distress as you look at your work. Her butt and top thighs are covered with red and purple dots in places where her blood vessels broke.

“Shhh, I know pretty girl. Let’s get you upstairs. Cmon.” You walk out the bathroom with Natasha holding onto your arm for dear life. Her gaze on the ground as she feels some of the avenger’s eyes on them. Everyone knew what was happening in the bathroom once they saw Natasha being dragged into it.

They knew better than to comment on anything. You make eye contact with Wanda, motioning for her to get some water. Wanda nods and gets to action and heads into the kitchen.

You head up the stairs with Natasha still clinging onto you. Once you arrive into your room, Natasha immediately goes to the bed and lays down on her stomach, careful to not further hurt her butt.

As she lays down, you get a clear view of her center, noticing how puffy and swollen it is. She’s so wet it has leaked on the inside of her thighs.

“Aww baby. I’m so sorry love. Cmon, let’s get you out of your dress. I’ll take care of you.” You make your way over to her and undress her. She never leaves her position, making sure her back doesn’t touch anything. As you go to set her clothes in the dirty clothes basket, the door opens.

Wanda let’s out a gasp as she enters the room. “Holy shit Y/N. Did you have to hit her that hard?!” She makes her way over to Natasha who in between sleep and awake. Wanda sits beside Natasha’s head and runs her hands through her red locks. The side of her head is wet from the tears the streamed from the side of her face when she was leaned over the counter.

“I didn’t mean to hit her that hard. I just wanted to see what her limits were. I stopped once she called safe word.” You make your way to Natasha, laying next to her, she immediately cuddles into you.

Wanda gets up from the bed and goes to get lotion. Natasha sees what Wanda has in her hands and immediately cuddles further into you and let’s out a whine.

“Cmon Tasha, I know you don’t like this part but it has to be done.” Wanda says. She has tended to Natasha’s after math a couple times before. She was used to seeing Natasha’s body. She has gotten permission from you to have her own fun with Natasha many times before.

Wanda gathers lotion into her hands and softly touches Natasha. She coos when Natasha let’s out a soft cry, and moves her hand to cover her butt.

“Has she talked at all?” Wanda asks you while she rubs the lotion onto Natasha.

“Ummm, only a little bit.” You stroke Natashas back, running you fingertips along her spine. Sometimes Natasha got so far into her sub space, she’s in a sort of trance and becomes completely lost in contentment, only seeking comfort from either you or Wanda.

“Nat, baby. Can you hear me?” You tap Natasha’s shoulder, trying to get her attention. No response.

You and Wanda look at each other confused and concerned. Natasha has always answered when asked a question.

You softly cup her chin, “are you okay, love?” For a moment her eyes move from eye to eye until she comes back to reality and nods her head.

You and Wanda let out a relieved sigh. Wanda wipes her hands on a nearby towel. She moves back into the bed. She moves towards Nat and lays her hand on hers. Natasha immediately squeezes it, scared she’ll leave.

They lay in silence for a couple minutes until Natasha let’s out whimpers and starts to wiggle around. “Natasha baby, what’s wrong?” Natasha just lets a whine and cuddles further into you.

Wanda looks down at Natasha’s body and immediately finds the problem. “She needs you.” Wanda moves your attention to where hers is. You both see Natasha’s thighs pressed together as she tries to seek friction.

“Aww baby I’m so sorry. I forgot about your reward. Watch out so I can help you.” You try to move her so that you can get out from under her, but she just hold you tighter and moves her hand from Wanda’s, holding your shirt with both of her hands.

“Okay okay. I’ll stay here.” You move your attention towards Wanda, “can you go get her favorite from the closet?”

Wanda nods and goes to retrieve it. She comes back with a wand vibrator.

She separates Natasha’s legs, and sets the vibrator on the bed. When she sees Natasha’s center, she’s speechless. “Holy shit. She’s dripping onto the bed.” Neither of you have seen her this wet.

Wanda softly touches Natasha’s clit as best as she can while she’s lying on her stomach on top of you. The softest touch has Natasha crying in relief. She’s finally getting touched.

“Shhh it’s okay sweet girl, we got you.” Wanda grabs the vibrator and places it between Natasha’s legs. She turns it on the lowest setting.

Natasha is immediately overtaken by pleasure. She’s already on the edge. She pleadingly up to you, asking for permission.

“You can come whenever you want baby.” With that, Natasha let’s out cries of pleasure as she’s finally granted what she’s wanted for the past three weeks.

Wanda moves the vibrator away for a moment. Letting Natasha recover. Then, she places it back against her center and turns up the setting. Natasha is letting out gasps, legs slightly shaking.

You run your hands through her hair, knowing it makes her relax. She’s moaning like crazy at this point. Wanda turns the setting up one more and Natasha cums almost immediately. Her vision goes completely white and her hearing goes away. She’s completely taken over by pleasure. Her eyes are rolled to the back of her head, her mouth open in a silent scream. She’s never had an orgasm this intense and this different.

Little did Natasha know it was because she’s squirted for the first time ever. Wanda and you look to each other in awe as you see Natasha’s release spilling onto the bed. You look to Natasha and see that she’s passed out, tears stain her cheeks.

You and Wanda take action. You move Natasha into Wanda’s arms as you quickly get changed into pajamas. You strip the blankets on the bed and put them in the washing machine you had in your walk in closet. You grab wipes from the bathroom and start to clean Natasha.

You then grab an extra blanket and wrap it around Natasha’s naked body. You take her from Wanda’s arms and you both walk to Wanda’s room.

Once you enter, you lay Natasha onto her bed, making sure her butt doesn’t get hit by anything. You make your way into bed next to her and pull the blanket over you both. Wanda gets dressed in pajamas and makes her way next to the both of you on the other side of the sleeping girl.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., can you turn light to 5% please?” The light go almost completely out, barely able to tell that there was a bit of light.

You and Wanda immediately fall asleep.

There was an unspoken rule between the two of you. Natasha wasn’t only yours or hers. She was equally both of yours, even if Natasha was in a relationship with only you. It was an interesting dynamic, but one that you three understood.

#natasha romanov #natahsa romanoff #natasha and yelena #natasha x reader #wandanat x reader #wandanat #wanda maximov #wanda maximoff #the avengers #mcu imagine #lesbian #gxg imagine #wanda mcu #wanda marvel #wanda x natasha #wanda x reader #loki x tony #loki imagine #tony stark #x y/n #bucky x reader

[mostlymarvelsstuff]

Bleeding Out, part 2

Summary:  Wanda kicks Thanos around, Steve time travels, Natasha returns 💖

Word count:  3078       WandaNat Masterlist    Marvel Masterlist       Bleeding Out Masterlist

“Clint! Where's Tasha?” she asks, god give him the strength for this.

He stares at her a moment, not quite knowing how to say this or even if he could. His silence speaks volumes to the Sokovian, as does his expression.

He looked at me like that when Y/n died…no. “No, please no. She can’t be gone, not her too.”

“I’m so sorry…I tried…tried so hard to keep her alive. She sacrificed herself so we could bring everyone back.” he states between sobs

She screams and her world goes silent, if the archer said anything more she doesn't hear him. All she can hear is her heart breaking, shattering more than she even thought possible. Natasha was her everything, quite literally, was all she had left. Her parents. Her brother, Pietro. Her girlfriend, Y/n. Her friend, Vision. And now her girlfriend, Natasha. All taken from her, cruelly. Someone had to pay for it. No, not someone, just him.

Before Clint could even try to comfort her she flies off, angrier than he’d ever seen her. Sadder too. He knew where she was going and he knew she could win. Give him hell Wanda. For Nat.

She lands in a cloud of dust and swirls of red magic. Her eyes aglow, the pain she feels feeds her hatred for Thanos beyond anything she's ever felt.

“You took everything from me.” she tells him

“I don’t even know who you are” he scoffs

She tilts her head, “You will.”

She levitates, hurling massive chunks of debris at him. He slices through them as if they were paper. She tosses orbs of her magic at him, causing him to stumble but still he does not submit. Instead he swings his sword at her, she catches it with her magic but he pushes against her, confident he can overpower his enemy. But she sends his sword flying from his grasp, one blade now broken before she hurls him into the sky. Tearing bits or armor from him, crushing other pieces.

His defeat is upon him, he can sense it, but he will not allow it. “Rain fire!” She attempts to block the blast but it sends her flying through the air and away from the Mad Titan. Her blood boils in anger for him and his army. The rest of the battle is a blur for her, her powers consume any enemy in her way.

They end up winning, but the cost was high, Tony and Natasha. Her beautiful beloved Natasha, both gone now, both heroes who sacrificed everything for a cruel miserable world that didn’t deserve them. She breaks down then, everything feels too heavy. Like she's bearing the weight of the world on her back and finally it's cracked.

Clint knows it’s not the weight of the world on her back, but the weight of the grief on her chest. He scoops her up, puts her in a car and takes her away from the battlefield, away from anything that may consume her and brings her back to Tonys cabin. He sits down with her by the waters edge and lets her cry. Her hands clutch at his chest as her sobs wreck her, and Clint cries with her.

Once she's exhausted herself of tears he carries her inside and up to the spare bedroom where Pepper waits. She changes Wanda into more comfortable clothes before tucking her in. Wanda is too drained to comprehend what was going on so she doesn't thank her, but Pepper understands, because if it wasn’t for Morgan she would be in the same place Wanda is.

“Thanks Pepper. We’ll be out of your hair tomorrow, I’ll take her to the farm. Being with me, Laura and the kids will hopefully help.” he tells her as he snuggles up on the sofa

“Of course Clint. I’m sure it will help, to a degree. It won’t fix how she feels though.” she tells him

“I know…I’m sorry about Tony. He was a good man.” he says

She nods, “He was the best.”

Clint awakes the next morning far too early, to use the restroom, a small commotion outside gains his attention. Seems Bruce, Bucky, Sam and Steve plan on doing some time traveling. He better look into this.

“Morning fellas. What uh, what's going on?” he questions

Steve quickly checks behind the man, “The girls still asleep?”

“I would hope so, it’s only five in the morning.” he answers, “Now answer my question, gramps. What are you guys doing?”

“Steves returning the stones, to the time and place they belong.” Bruce answers

Clint harbors no love for these stones, but he can’t help but feel a small tug in his chest at the thought of not being able to see that small amber stone ever again. A soul for a soul. That's what the floating creep had said to them, and when he held that stone, it was like he could feel Natasha. To be rid of it, was to be rid of the last bit of her. He didn’t like that idea very much, but he liked the idea of keeping the stone even less. It wasn’t her, not really, not in the way that he wanted or in a way that mattered.

“Can I just see her- it, one last time?” he asks, voice cracking with sadness

Steve knows the one he is referring to, he picks up the case and pops it open. Gently he picks the amber one up and hands it to the archer. Clint holds it in his palm, gazing at it as if it might really be her, but it's not. It’s only a rock with the power to bring untold misery. He curls his fingers around it as his tears fall. He squeezes it in his grasp, like it somehow would crack open and magically Nat would appear in front of them. He knew that wouldn't happen, but a man can dream right?

“Have a safe trip Cap.” he solemnly says, handing back the amber stone before turning to return to the cabin and the sofa

“Why didn’t you didn’t tell him?” Bucky asks after Clints out of earshot

“Because we have no guarantees this will work. I don’t want to get anyones hopes up, especially since they are trying to grieve right now. A failure would only make things worse.” Steve replies

“Ready Cap?” Bruce asks

He nods, grabbing the case and stepping up on the platform. His helmet covers his head and he nods to the large green scientist, “See you guys soon.”

Then he's there, his first stop. The compound minutes before his great ‘whatever it takes’ speech, stupid speech cost him a dear friend and the following battle cost him another. But now they were right there with his past self, getting ready to save the world. He clears his throat, gaining their attention. Everyones weapons point to him, suspicious of two Steves.

“Easy.” he says

“Who the hell are you?” past Steve questions

“You. About three days older.” he replies

“Prove it.” Clint states

Steve holds up the case and opens it, showing off all six stones to the stunned heroes before him.

“So it works then, we win?” Nat asks and he finds tears in his eyes at her voice

“We end up fighting Thanos again but yes, we win. We bring everyone back.” he tells them

“I sense a ‘but’ coming, because if you win then why come back to the past?” Tony says

“Because I came to see my friends, and hopefully bring them back home.” he admits

There's a silence as the heroes take in what the man says. Some of them don’t make it, that's what future Steve is saying. Their eyes glance around the room at each other wondering who they lose, all but one afraid to ask.

“Who?” Rocket questions

“Hm?” Steve asks, caught a bit off guard

“Who doesn't make it?” Rocket clarifies

Steves eyes fall to the floor, “Vormir requires a sacrifice in order to get the soul stone-”

“It was me, right? Tell me I did it.” the archer asks

Steve smiles sadly, “You certainly tried, she wasn’t going to let you though.”

“Oh.” The Russian breathes out, “Then when Wanda comes back, she's alone?”

“She is. She nearly killed Thanos all on her own for it. But she's miserable Nat.” he admits

She smirks, “That's my girl,” her brows furrow in thought for a moment, “I don’t want her to be alone and I can’t say I’m looking forward to dying either, but if I leave won’t it change the outcome?”

“If taking the stones from the past didn’t change anything, then this shouldn't either. At least that's what Bruce told me.” he answers

She nods and looks around to her friends, all of them affected by the news of her death. The looks on their faces tell her to go, to live, to be with Wanda.

“Ok, I’ll go with you.” she tells him, walking over to join him. He smiles, glad to have her back by his side.

“We lost more than just Nat though, didn’t we?” Thor asks

Steve nods, “Tony, you saved us all. You used the stones and snapped to rid us of Thanos and his army. But it caused injuries that were unsurvivable.”

“My girls, how are they handling it?” he asks

“Pepper is strong, she has Happy and Rhodey to help her through it but she misses you so much. Morgan is struggling to understand that you aren’t coming back.” he answers

“The kid, Peter, he comes back?” he asks

“He does, and he's one hell of a kid. He's a wreck without you.” Steve tells him

He sighs, “Well then, that settles it. Can’t have my family being all depressed without me. Let’s go Cap.”

“Glad to hear it. The two of you really don’t know how much we’ve missed you. Before I can take you home, we have these to return.” he says, the three of them head off

Vormir, 2014

“Geez, what a welcoming planet.” Tony annonces upon their arrival

Steve nods, “Clint did say it lacked charm.”

“I died here? Great, charming really.” Nat says, looking around

“Let me guess you’d prefer dying in an avalanche or explosion, something cool. Am I close?” Tony teases, causing her to glare at him

“Shh. We aren’t alone here.” Steve says, stopping their banter

“Welcome. Tony, son of Maria. Steve, son of…a bitch. And as for you, Natasha, daughter of Ivan..I just watched you fall.” the stonekeeper says

“How do you know my moms name?”

“What the hell are you doing here?!”

She shrugs, “Different daughter of Ivan.”

“I know everyones name, I am cursed to guard the stone thanks to my failure at your hands Rogers, and impossible. Ivan had but one daughter.” the stonekeeper replies

“It doesn't matter how she's here. What matters is the soul stone and since you're apparently its guardian, here.” Steve says retrieving the stone from its case and handing it to the perplexed keeper before signaling it was time the three moved on

Morag, 2014

“Who's the unconscious idiot?” Nat asks, stepping over Quill

Steve waves her off, “Not important at the moment.”

“Right. Sorry.” she replies as the three of them head into the temple where they replace the power stone in the orb before leaving

Asgard, 2013

“Holy shit.” Tony exclaims

“No wonder Loki was so…”

“Entitled?” Nat offers

“That's one word for him.” Tony jokes

“Excuse me.” a womans voice suddenly says, startling all of them, even Natasha who hadn't heard the woman, “I’ll take that from you now.” she says pointing to the reality stone

“Thor said you might offer help.” he says, handing over the stone

She simply smiles at them, “Best be off, three mortals are very noticeable here.”

“Right, of course ma’am.” he replies

“Just Frigga will do. Give my son, my love.” she says as the three move on

Camp Lehigh, New Jersey, 1970

“Wait, why are we here to return the space stone? I thought we were grabbing it in New York with the mind and time stones.” Tony asks

“Well, things didn’t go according to plan. Oh, and Peggy and Howard are here so-”

“My dads here?” Tony says, looking around suddenly as if the man might sneak up from behind them

“Yes and future you already had one awkward run in and talk with him, so let's try not to do it again.” Steve tells him before turning to Nat, “Think you can put these back without being noticed?”

She rolls her eyes, “I’m a Russian assassin and spy, tell me where they go.”

New York, 2012

“Wait, are we really going to hand the mind stone off to HYDRA?” Tony asks

“Yes, remember we’re going forward to 2023, all of this will already be dealt with by then.” Steve replies

“So wheres the time stone go?.” Nat asks

“Sanctum Sanctorum.” he replies

“Stranges place?” he asks, Steve nods, “Well why don’t the two of you return the mind stone and I’ll return the time stone to save, well, time.”

“Alright, here. Just be-”

“Careful with it. I got this Cap.” he says with a smug grin before heading off

The other two head into the tower avoiding everyone they can. As far as Steve can tell they're only four doors away now so it should go smoothly. He turns to tell Nat exactly that when laughter from down the hall grabs her attention.

“Y/n…” she whispers as Steve shoves her and himself into the nearest doorway. He leaves the door slightly ajar letting them see when the people who could spot them pass by

“I can’t believe Steve actually helped you up onto one.” you say with a chuckle

“Honestly me either.” 2012 Nat replies

“How did you drive, er, pilot it?” you ask

“Very carefully.” you give her a look, “Ok fine, I had knives in the aliens shoulder blades to help me control it.”

“That sounds more like you.” you say with a laugh as you both pass the slightly ajar door and head on down the hall

Natasha watches fondly, a sad smile on her face, “That's when I knew I was starting to have feelings for her. When I found her after everything that had happened that day I was so relieved. I wish we could have gotten more time with her.”

Steve takes a moment to look at this friend, tears run down her face and he can tell it's taking everything in her to not run after you. To hug you and hold you and never let go of you again. So he decides, it was only fair. He came back to grab the heroes that died and damn it Y/n was one of those heroes. He’d talk to Bruce, he’d come back for you.

With all the stones returned they can finally head home. The look of joy on Buce, Sam and Buckys faces when they see three people standing on that platform was something Steve will never forget.

Present Day, 2023

“The girls and Clint are in the cabin-” is all he gets out before the two take off

Tony practically tears the front door from its hinges as he enters, a startled Clint falls off the sofa and hits his head.

“Damn you Tony” he grumbles as the inventor runs by heading up the stairs to see his wife and daughter. It’s then the archer realizes what he said, “Tony?!” he says before sitting up only to gaze into those emerald eyes of his best friend

“What, no hello for me?” she teases

Hes up and hugging her before she can say anything else. She whispers sweet phrases in his ear as he cries. Finally he lets go, “How?”

“Steve came and got us from the past. He said Wanda's back, where is she Clint?” she asks eager to see the woman she's missed for five years

He leads her through the house until they come to the guest bedroom door, he knocks loud enough to wake her, “It’s me Wanda. I’m coming in ok? I have a surprise for you.” he says opening the door

“I don’t want a surprise” she grumbles, her back facing them as she lies in bed

Nat walks into the room, within arms reach of the bed, “You sure?”

Wanda bolts up in bed, tears fill her eyes at hearing the other womans voice. Please don’t let this be a dream. She thinks as she turns around to find her girlfriend standing there with her own tears in her eyes

“Hi” she manages before the Sokovian tackles her in a hug.

They fall to the floor together but Nat doesn't mind, she just sits there holding the younger woman as she cries into her chest. Clint watches for a moment before he closes the door, intent on heading home to greet his own family who he had simply talked to over the phone instead of going to see straight away because he couldn’t leave Wanda alone and Laura had understood once he explained.

“I thought I lost you too.” Wanda cries into Nats chest, she runs a soothing hand through her hair

“I’m right here now dorogoy(sweetheart). Five years without you was hell.” she admits

“One day without you was hell, I can’t imagine five years. I’m so sorry Tasha.” She says looking up at her girlfriend

“It’s not your fault. I’m just so glad I have you back.” she says before connecting her lips to Wandas. They share a slow passionate kiss, both enjoying having the other by their side once more.

“I’m definitely not complaining, but how are you here?” the witch asks

“Steve. He went back in time to grab me and Tony. Then we went with him to return the stones to their proper places in time.” Nat explains

Wanda can tell Nat has something on her mind “What is it moya lyubov'(my love)?” she asks, cupping her cheeks

“When we went back to 2012, I saw Y/n…leaving without her, it’s like losing her all over again.” she admits, a few tears escaping

Wanda gives her a sad smile, “Oh Tasha, I miss her too. So much.”

They hadn’t noticed the door open while they were talking, Steves voice startled them slightly, “I have a solution for that.”

#natasha x y/n #natasha romanoff #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x y/n #wandanat #wanda x natasha #marvel #fanfic #marvel fanfiction #wandanat x y/n #wandanat x reader

[shurisneakers]

a harmless drabble more on the angsty/hurt and comfort side of things? 🥺

a/n: sigh. welcome to chaos week update #2 :)) last one is out this friday and im exhausted pls keep me in your thoughts or send me doughnuts. either works hey, just a shoutout to the anon who has a presentation today. i hope it all goes well :)

warning: lot of swearing, angst, anxiety, self esteem issues, sick bucky, but it gets lighter at the end dw

word count: 8.4k (we established like seven parts ago that these aren’t drabbles anymore)

Previous Part  || Series Masterlist

He probably shouldn’t be even awake right now.

But he was.

With a vengeance.

Over fifty hours of a recon mission paired with the additional stakeout due to people not doing their jobs correctly made sure it was a very long two weeks.

The last stretch had been a bit of an adrenaline rush, a lot of explosions and walking away like a badass even though the combination of heat and leather had him sweating buckets. He hopes that the same high would keep him going for at least another few hours before he crashed for the next three days.

“Buck, you’re gonna be exhausted by the time we reach. Can’t you push it to tomorrow?” Steve tries his level best to reason with him, knowing that Bucky in particular had volunteered for a lot of the mission assignments when others were too tired or occupied to pursue it.

“She’s busy tomorrow. School’s got some dance planning committee happening.” Whatever your inator was, he could punch a hole through it and be done for the day. “It’ll be 20 minutes tops.”

“No point arguing with him, Cap. He’s whipped.” Clint’s kinda delirious. He’s almost fallen over twice already, Bucky’s metal arm being the only thing that stopped it from happening. Maybe Clint’s head deserved to hit the floor a couple of times after that comment.

“Shut up.” He fiddles with the solar system bracelet around his wrist, shoving all the beads to one side before thumbing them back. Not a very convincing argument but the same adrenaline is starting to wear off faster than could conserve. “I’m not.”

“Just go on Tuesday or something. ’s not like you wait for the weekend to see her anymore,” Clint throws in a rebuttal much to his annoyance. “Didn’t you meet her after school that day?”

“She said she was going to hypnotise some birds to go shit on someone.” Fuckin’ Jeff.

“Yeah, but then you walked her home afterwards.”

“It was a part of the negotiation.” A trade off, even.

He wonders if the thread that linked all the beads would ever wear out with how much he played around with it, but so far it showed no signs of giving away.

“Negotiation, date, whatever you wanna call it. The point still stands.”

“It’s your fourth mission this month, bud,” Steve interrupts before Bucky’s glare burns holes into Clint’s face. “You need to relax.”

The quinjet takes a sharp turn and Bucky feels like he’s gonna throw up. Motion sickness was a rarity, only showing up in cases where his body was on the verge of crumbling due to fatigue.

He takes a swig of water, shoving down any signs of distress. “Swear on Barton’s life, I'll take a break after this.”

“Motherfucker, I know you’re lying.” Clint whips around in his seat. “Take it back right now. You’re gonna get me killed.”

“Maybe you deserve it,” Bucky quips back calmly.

“That’s fair.” Clint pauses. “But I’ll take you with me, Jimmy.”

Bucky scowls at the nickname. He absolutely loathes it, which gives this piece of shit all the more reason to use it.

“Can you both shut up?” Nat groans from her seat, doing everyone a favour.

“Whose side are you on, Tasha?” Her blonde and begrudgingly admitted best friend asks.

“Whoever pushes you out of this plane in the next five minutes, Clinton.” She smiles sweetly at him but it drops abruptly. “Steve, just let him go, he’s a big boy now. But you’re finding your own way home, Barnes. I’m not picking you up again.”

She picked him up twice a long time ago and one of them was when you called her over to thank her and return the microchip she got you from the lab.

Back then he knew that the team kept in contact with you occasionally, but not to the point where he had to wait half an hour for Nat to stop telling you about the tech behind her photostatic veils so he could finally go home.

“You guys are great,” Bucky mumbles sarcastically, getting up to go punch in the new coordinates. “Best fuckin’ friends a fella could ask for.”

They still have a long way to go. Bits of conversation takes place, but a two week long mission tends to drain the life out of even enhanced human beings so it’s mostly quiet. The longer he sits idly, the longer the weariness sets in. He could take a walk but he’s not sure he could make an entire lap.

Clint's head droops as he slips in and out of sleep again. Bucky considers letting him hit the cold, hard ground in an act of revenge.

In the end, he sticks his arm out again, pushing him back into his seat.

Steve lowers the jet for him at the street outside your lair, enough for him to jump out and not lie on the ground in pain. Still, it takes him a little longer to stop the dizzying when he lands, before he rolling his shoulders and walks to the door.

The lair’s lit up in shades of yellow and red for a change. Even the pillars with the bubbling liquid were a flaming orange to match whatever theme you had going on.

You were in the smack middle, dressed like a completely authentic firefighter.

“You’re back!” you cheer when he opens the door. You follow it up with a quick clearing of your throat, dropping your voice lower to sound more serious. “You’re back.”

He can’t think of anything to say so he just walks to the middle of the lair, a few feet away from the raised platform. His backpack is still with him, a few grimy and tattered clothes, empty guns inside and other essentials inside. But there’s a separate paper bag that he’s holding in his hand.

“I got you something,” he informs to the best of his ability, holding it up. He wonders if you even heard it, considering how coarse his words had sounded.

“What is it?” You jump down from the platform to meet him midway.

“Open it.” He extends it forward.

He’s a little nervous when you pull out a t-shirt from the bag, ‘I love Philippines’ printed against the plain black, the love represented by a bright red heart.

“You bought me a souvenir.” Your eyes widen when you twist it around to look at the words.

“Yeah.” Could he sit down for a few minutes, maybe? Your chair looks real nice. “There’s some chocolate in there if you want.”

“You’re so cute, oh my God.” You hold it up against you, checking out the fit.

He can feel himself smiling but he isn’t exactly sure if he is.

“Thanks, sarge.” You half consider wearing it right now but you don’t want to ruin it with what you have planned. “I love it.”

Bucky gives you a thumbs up, arm dropping to his side when it takes more energy than it should.

“Did you come here right after a mission?” You notice the beads of perspiration lining his forehead. “Is that why you’re all sweaty?”

He just ‘mhm’s in response. He didn’t even notice how hot he was feeling.

He forces himself to pay attention when your fingers wave in front of his face.

“You okay?” You’re a step closer than he remembers you being a second ago. “You look kinda pale.”

“’m fine.” It feels like gravel scraping against his throat. “What d’ya have planned for today?”

You look entirely unconvinced. “Aren’t you supposed to be hibernating right now?”

“Nah.” Did he land 2 minutes ago or two hours ago? How long has he even been here? “Slept on the jet.”

Accidentally, before snapping awake thirty seconds later when turbulence hit.

“Okay,” you say hesitantly. “If you say so.”

You march back to the platform. He lets the backpack fall to the ground, exhaling in relief at the sudden weight off his shoulder. He walks over to leave it by the wall, well out of the way so that neither of you trip.

You stretch your arms out and declare something about subverting expectations and turning things into water so you could float giant paper boats but he only catches bits and pieces of it. He supposes the subverting expectations had to do with the theme of the lair and your costume.

“Where, uh-” If you had mentioned it and he wasn’t paying attention, this was going to be embarrassing, “-where is this... thing?”

“You’ll have to find it.” You grin. “A little game.”

He blinks rapidly, the words taking some time to register in his brain.

“It’s here somewhere?” He looks around, the bright colours bringing on the early signs of a migraine.

"You will never-" you begin to cackle but pause mid-sentence, "Bucky, are you sure you're fine?"

He nods with a slight wince, beckoning for you to go on. His shoulder pressed against the concrete for support, centring his balance accordingly.

"It’s around here.” You sound more disinterested, instead, eyes trained on him in worry. “But there’s this whole ‘floor is lava’ thing going on, it’s gonna get a little crazy.”

“Ah.” Jesus, had it been over sixty hours since he’d been awake? What fucking day of the week was it?

“Listen, can I get you something? Do you want some water or-”

His legs nearly buckle under him in a flash.

"Can we just take 5?" He slides to the ground along the wall, leaning on his palm to stay upright.

"Shit, Buck." You immediately leap off your platform to get to him. “What’s happening to you?”

“‘m fine,” he groans, trying to push himself up again.

“Clearly you’re not.” You drop to your knees by him to get a picture of what exactly was wrong.

"I have super healing.” He clenches his eyes shut. “I'll be fine, just- just give me a minute."

"You're sick, James.” He can feel your hand press against his forehead, a welcome coolness against the heat. “You're burning up."

Alright. Maybe he isn’t that fine.

“I’m callin’ Hill.” You dig around your firefighter’s outfit for your phone. “This is why we don't see each other until you've gotten some rest, Bucky. We could have just rescheduled.”

His eyes blow open, hand reaching out to grab your wrist. "No, no.”

“What?” you ask, eyebrows furrowing.

He shakes his head. “Don't take me back there. They won't let me go on missions."

"Well, they shouldn't, not if things like this are going to happen," you bite back, finger hovering over the contact.

"Please,” he pleads, "Please. I don’t know how else to make up for it.”

“Make up for what?” Your determination falters.

“Everything.” His eyes close again. “Don’t call them.”

“Fuckin’ hell,” you breathe out. “How do I help you, sweetheart, you gotta tell me.”

You check his temperature again, biting your lip to quell what feels a lot like rising fear because panicking wouldn’t help the situation. His skin burns under yours.

“Just leave your hand there,” he says under his breath. The ground was cold, God, he wanted to lie down. “Feels nice.”

Sleep looks like she’s finally catching up with him, a race that she inevitably always won. She’s a sneaky one.

He doesn’t try to resist this time, letting it consume him.

Something under him is plush, soft. It’s not dissimilar to the seats in the common room.

He can barely rotate his body, every muscle feels like it's on the verge of tearing and fuck, he's barely conscious but he manages to pry his eyes open.

“Easy there, Buck." It's you, even though he's moving in and out of consciousness he can tell it's you.

The room's too bright. The world's too bright. The panic builds in his chest.

"Where am I?" His words come out slurred, eyes squinting painfully.

“My couch," you sound gentle, calming. "You're safe. Go back to sleep."

Okay. He trusts you.

He passes out before his head hits the pillow.

Bucky doesn't dream. He has nightmares, yeah, but those had begun to lessen in frequency after he started working on them a few months ago.

This isn't a nightmare.

It's a dark, navy blue sky, pristine white ground and a mist swirling around with the strong wind. He swears he can feel the cool droplets collecting on every inch of him. He doesn't feel nervous... just strange.

It’s uncharted territory.

There’s not a lot going on otherwise.

He takes a step forward, and another, and another when nothing happens. It’s a slow walk against the low howl of the draft, but it looks like there’s no one around for miles.

He stands still for a second. Lets the world move around him.

He’s alone anyway.

“Bucky.” He jerks awake again, hastily pulled away from the nothingness. “Slow down. Breathe. It’s me.”

“How long have I been out?” he croaks out. It feels like five minutes between since he shut his eyes.

“About two hours.” He hears a clink as you set a tray down on the table beside him. “Sorry for waking you up. Just thought you needed some water.”

He can’t lift his head up. It’s bordering on humiliating. “I can’t-”

“Got you a straw,” you break in gently. “But I’m gonna need you to take these for your fever. You’re still burning up pretty bad.”

Something pokes at the corner of his mouth. He figures you’re holding up the glass for him. The straw’s helpful, and hell, you were right. His throat was absolutely parched and the water sliding down feels like a respite but he can’t get more than a few sips in.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t-” he begins in a long series of apologies to come, hoping the throbbing in his head would go away.

“Get some rest, Buck.” You knew that if he started he wouldn’t ever stop. “We’ll talk about this later.”

There’s the sound of a light switch clicking and he’s left in silence for a few seconds.

He should have just gone home. He should have listened.

But he wanted to give you the t-shirt.

He’s been walking for what seemed like hours now.

The inky dark horizon seems endless, the white ground crunches under his feet.

Is this what fever dreams were really like?

Or is this what his normal dreams are like? He can’t really remember the last one he had.

He doesn’t know what he’s headed towards but something in him tells him not to stop. There’s an unspoken destination to get to.

“Where are you going?” A voice asks from around him. No matter how ominous it was, it doesn’t seem to unnerve him.

“‘m not sure,” he admits, his pace not faltering.

It doesn’t ask anything further so he keeps treading.

It’s a minute before something catches his eye. A light appears in the distance. His heart lifts.

Something warm. Inviting.

Fire?

The closer he gets, the clearer it becomes that it is a fireplace. It stands alone out there, several logs of wood accompanying it with an axe leaning against them.

The flame’s dull.

He gets to work.

His forehead feels cool. He thinks that either his dream was had transcended into reality or he’s sweat right through his shirt and condensation was working wonders.

His hand shifts up to wipe at his skin. It comes in contact with cloth instead and it takes him a moment to realise that it was a wet hand towel laid across his forehead.

He hasn’t been like this in years. He sure remembers laying soaked handkerchiefs on Steve a lot when they were boys, nights of flu and stomach bugs keeping Bucky up in palpable fear until his friend’s fever broke in the early hours of the morning. He can’t recall the last time someone had done it for him.

He can hear you tinkering with something in the other room. His senses seemed like they were gradually making a comeback, but along with them came the most excruciating headache.

A small groan escapes him when he tries to flip over, hands flying to his temple to try and relieve some of the pressure. The serum was good most of the time. But for all the epic moments of energy and healing it gave him, the inevitable lows crashed down just as hard.

But a headache was good. If this was the worst he had been feeling all day, then he knew from experience that it was going to be over soon.

“Where does it hurt?” He didn’t even notice that you had stopped building whatever you were, now crouching a few feet away from the couch.

“My fuckin’ head.” He turns over to press his face against the sofa cushion, hoping that the darkness would help in some way.

He can feel your fingers run through his hair, pushing it away from where it stuck to his face. His teeth unclench slightly, just for a second, before another wave hits him.

He begs to go back under.

It’s snow, he realises. The white ground is snow.

“Why don’t you sit down for a while?” it cajoled again. The voice doesn’t have a physical form but he can feel it follow him around like a little friend.

“Can’t.” He’s been hacking away at the wood for too long now, using the bits to keep the flame going, keep it alive before it dies out on him.

“Can’t or won’t?”

He leans against the hilt of the axe, breathing heavily. He’s exhausted.

“Won’t.” His voice is quieter, eyes downcast.

The wind doesn’t give up around him. It hugs him like a blanket, adding to what could easily turn into misery.

“What do you think is going to happen if you keep at this?”

Warmth. Something to break the monotony of the blue around him. Maybe the heat would invite someone to sit with. Redemption.

“I don’t know.” He brings the tool down hard on another block, breaking it into half before he throws it into the fireplace.

“You’re not seeing what you’ve already created,” it points out delicately. “Wait for a second, watch the fire.”

He wipes his brow, taking a step back. His muscles were aching, shortness of breath finally catching up to him.

If it gives up on him, he’d have to work twice as hard.

But the fire continues to crackle, seconds, moments, even minutes later. Just as bright.  

Has it always been?

“Yes, it has.” It reads his mind.

At what point did it stop mattering how much he tried to keep it alive?

“A long time ago.” It didn’t make sense. “So then why are you working so hard towards it when it’s already here?”

Something is kneading on his head. It’s foreign and should definitely set off alarm bells but it's nice. It feels good.

"Hey, B." You’re on a single seat couch adjacent to his, welding gloves on your hand. Do you ever take a break? “You look better.”

"Hi." He reaches up, coming in contact with metal this time. "What's on my head?"

"Synthesised Message Inducer."

A message inducer?

"What messages were you sending me?" Is that why his dream was so fucking weird?

"Well- none," you confess. "I read the label wrong. Turns out it’s a massage inducer. Don't know what evil I can do with that but it’s helpful.”

No wonder.

"You mentioned a headache before you passed out again so I just thought that-" you gesture to it with a flick of your hand. "Is it making you uncomfortable? I wasn't sure-"

"It feels good,” he murmurs, trying his best to straighten up. "Thank you."

“You look less pale.” You smile, although it looks strained. “You hungry?”

“Don’t think so.”

“There’s some Gatorade on the table. Saltines too, if you can stomach it.”

He knows he should eat. His metabolism needs it.

You push yourself off your couch to go sit beside him. He sits up straight, back leaning heavily against the couch when you land next to him.

He takes three out of the bowl of saltines you offer him. Breaking it into little pieces, he pops a few in his mouth, chewing slowly. A quick sip of Gatorade washes it down for momentary satisfaction but he knows it won’t be nearly enough to fill the hunger that will eventually hit him the minute he’s a little healthier. His body’s energy was being entirely spent in fixing him up.

“Steve called, by the way.” Of course, he did. Mother.

“Did you pick up?” He twists the cap back onto the bottle.

“Let it ring all the way through.” You take it from him and leave it on the floor beside the couch, lifting your legs to keep onto the table.

“He’ll call back later.”

“I think it’ll be fun to reject Steve Rogers’ call.”

Oh, it definitely is. Gets him all riled up.

“How you feeling?” You sneak a glance at him.

“Better than this morning.” An hour more and he’d be good to go.

You nod, looking down at your lap. "You scared the shit out of me, you know.”

"I'm sorry." Guilt. It’s guilt that might just eat him alive. “Really.”

“I know what you’re thinking.”  You wave it off. "Don’t. I'm just glad you're okay."

There’s a beat of silence where he’s not quite sure what to say. There’s a certain tension that hangs in the air between you both. He can feel the drowsiness creep on him again.

“But you need to tell the team, James,” you say softly. “You need to talk to someone.”

He doesn’t react too much. He knew it would come up eventually.

Bucky exhales uneasily. “I know.”

“Will you?”

The million-dollar question. He doesn’t want to lie and tell you that he absolutely will because he doesn’t know.

His head cautiously rests on your shoulder. You don’t hesitate for a moment before shifting to make him more comfortable, leaning your cheek on his hair.

“I’m gonna pick up next time Rogers calls.”

“Yeah?”

“Gonna tell him you got held up on our date.” He feels your chest rise and fall with a small laugh. He smiles against your shoulder.

“They’ll get on my ass.”

“You should get bullied, it’s good for character development.”

Some date.

He can’t even stay awake longer than five minutes at a time.

He’s still cutting the wood fervently, throwing blocks upon blocks into the fire to keep it alive, keep him alive.

“You know you don’t have to keep doing this, James,” it’s being a voice of reason but he can’t afford to listen to it. “You’re not gonna find something new that you don’t already have.”

“What do I have?” he asks desperately, planting his feet in the ground, hand gripping the axe tightly.

“You know what.”

He does. “Don’t say it.”

“Accepta-”

“No.”

“That’s going to keep burning.” It’s true. “You’re just going to kill yourself trying to keep it.”

He has to earn it. He has to do something to be worthy of what it was giving him because if it knew the kinds of things he’s done, things he has to make up for- it’d extinguish a long time ago.

“You don’t.”

“I do.” No matter how long he stays still, it shows no sign of flickering.

“The fire’s still alive.” It’s calm despite how frantic he was turning.

“I’m useless here,” he says defeatedly against its insistence. “I don’t deserve it.”

“Maybe you don’t.” It stings. “But maybe you do. Either way, it’s giving it to you, no strings attached.”

He lifts his axe over his shoulder again, ready to bring it down.

“You don’t have to offer a service to have worth.”

He halts, body frozen. His chest constricts almost painfully.

“Sit down for a while,” its command is kind, almost caring. “Let it come to you.”

“Fuck,” it escapes him like a small prayer.

The axe drops to the ground. He shakily takes a seat.

It’s a kitten.

On his chest.

Bucky stares right at it and it unflinchingly stares back.

He’s not really sure if he’s still dreaming or not.

He hesitatingly uses a finger to scratch behind its ear.

“Hello,” he whispers. It leans into his touch, pressing itself against his palm. “Where’d you come from?”

"You're awa- ah, jeez, I'm sorry." You walk into the room, finally changed into an oversized cardigan and out of your lab coat, "She's clingy."

"It's okay." He likes it. “This is your cat?”

“Yeah. Finally, about time you two met.”

He folds his legs to give you space on the couch. You sit next to him, a cup of something warm in your hands. There’s music playing softly through the apartment, tracks definitely from the 80s. He recognises some of them from the playlists Sam had been sending to catch him up.

“You look good as new.” His temperature had gone down a while ago and his headache had subsided after thirty more minutes of sleep and an Aspirin.

“Feel normal.” Praise be to the serum. “Think it’s over.”

“You need some more water?”

“I’m good.” He’s fucking starving, though. “What have you been up to all day?”

“School stuff.” You relax into the seat. “Inators to kick your ass when you’re not unconscious on my couch.”

“Winter Formal prep?” He flinches when the cat digs her claws into his chest but it doesn’t hurt that bad, arching her back before snuggling back.

“Yeah. Turns out I’m chaperoning.” The cynicism in your tone has him believing that maybe it’s not your activity of choice. “Yay.”

“When is it?”

“Pretty soon. The planning committee’s all excited.” You take a sip out of your mug. “I get one day to recuperate.”

Maybe he should leave you alone for the next few weeks. Maybe a month. Possibly forever.

“I’m sorry,” he says for the umpteenth time that day but at least now he’s properly conscious.

“I know you are.” You don’t sound mad at him. “You don’t need to be. What are frenemies for?”

He lingers a little longer on the word, reevaluating what exactly this thing was at this point.

“Plus you brought me a present.” You gesture to yourself and he realises only then that you actually have the shirt on. “That makes it pretty even, I think.”

“You sure?”

You know it’s an unspoken way of asking if you want him to get out and never come back, judging by the way his lip was caged between his teeth.

“Absolutely.” You finish whatever you’re drinking, leaving it on the coffee table. “And you fixed my generator last time you were at the lair so, you know, an eternal debt or something.”

Well, it nearly electrocuted you and him so it’s not like it was a difficult choice to make.

“I think she likes you.” You raise your eyebrows at the cat who had dozed off on his chest a while ago when he wasn’t paying attention. “Traitor.”

“She has good taste.” He didn’t think he was a cat person, having grown up with his neighbour’s dogs and the human equivalent of a spunky Golden Retriever.

“She has terrible taste. Unless she likes me, then she’s basically Gordon Ramsay.”

“You keep telling yourself that.” He retracts his hand back to his side, fully intending not to disturb her. He probably wouldn’t be able to move from that position for the next few hours out of compulsion.

The ease slowly returning to your conversation takes off some of the edge he was feeling.

“Something feels wrong about today.” He stares off to the side, turning his face to the wall.

“Aside from me having to use all my Grey’s Anatomy knowledge on you?” You snicker. “Web MD told me you had Pneumococcal Meningitis.”

“No. I don’t think you’ve said enough bullshit for today.” There’s a certain quota that’s been set.

“I did, you just weren’t awake to hear any of it.” There’s a smile on your face finally and the relief he feels is immeasurable. “Told you all my hopes and dreams.”

“Yeah?” He raises an eyebrow, head inclined ever so slightly to look at you. “What’d that include?”

“To start, I’d like a pony.” You pull your knees up to your chest, circling your arms around it. “Then a private island.”

“You’re startin’ small.” The corner of his lip tugs upwards. “Real humble.”

“You know me, queen of humility and all that.” You brush his comment aside. “But you know what‘s actually wrong?”

He hums in curiosity.

“I haven’t hit on you all day.”

Ah.

“‘M sure it’s hurtin’ pretty bad,” he says in amusement.

“You have no idea.” You sigh loudly. “How else will you know about my undying love for you?”

“Get it out of your system then.” Months ago he wouldn’t have even dreamed of encouraging this behaviour, but here he was.

“Don’t think you can handle it, buddy,” you tease, eyes crinkling.

“Why, because I have a fever?” He smiles playfully. “Just means I’m hotter than usual.”

You press your lips into a straight line to avoid smiling back. “Mr Barnes, are you flirting with yourself?”

“So what if I am?”

“That’s my job, sir.” You huff. “You gonna have me unemployed now?”

Begrudgingly, he thinks you do your job very well, so no, he’s probably not going to.

He shakes his head slowly instead, stopping when he feels the movement send a shot of pain up his neck. Certainly slept the wrong way.

There’s a faint spell of victory on your face. “You hungry? Been a while since you ate anything.”

“Kinda.” His stomach lining was going to digest itself but he’d never tell you that.

You’re about to open your mouth and tell him that he was a wholeass snack and you were starving when the front door’s doorknob jiggles.

The key turns, finally pushing open and accompanied by a voice that can only be described as peeved.

“Y/N, did you forget the fuckin- oh mother of God.” Some guy covers his eyes instantly, retracting back to the doorway. “You coulda warned me you had a guy here. Is he clothed?”

“Unfortunately, he is.”

“Sir, are you clothed?” he asks aloud instead, ignoring your cry of betrayal.

“Uh, yeah.” Bucky clears his throat awkwardly. “I am.”

“You have no faith in me, Jake,” you grumble, not even meeting his gaze in greeting.

“Fuck off, Y/N,” he replies like it’s a habit, peeking through his fingers to look at who was in the living room.

Oh, this was Jake. Roommate Jake that you’ve mentioned to him a few times before, mostly in complaints.

Roommate Jake’s eyes squint in an effort to discern who was on the couch.

“Anyway come meet-”

“I see.” Recognition finally settles on his face, paving way for immediate displeasure.

“This is Sergeant Ba-”

“I know who he is,” he says dryly. “Why is there a superhero in our apartment? Nice to meet you, by the way.”

Bucky simply waves in acknowledgement, feeling pretty helpless. He tries to sit up straight but the cat simply latches onto him, dragging herself further up his chest and settling there.

“We’re having a sleepover.” You nudge Bucky’s knee with your elbow. “We just did each other’s nails. Do you wanna join?”

“I’ll pass, thanks,” he retorts curtly. “I’m gonna go change. Make sure we still have a home by the time I return.”

Oof.

“Left you some pasta in the microwave,” you call out, face scrunched in anticipation.

Jake stops down the hall. “You didn’t do the laundry today, did you?”

“The pasta is really good,” you say alternatively.

“Again, fuck you,” he reiterates before a door opens and closes. “I’m gonna have you evicted.”

There’s a stupidly big grin on your face when you turn back to Bucky. “I was just fuckin’ with him, I did the laundry.”

“He hates me,” Bucky states, pulling you out of your self-induced haze of pettiness.

“Ah ah, correction; he doesn’t hate you,” you emphasise, wagging a finger. “He hates all of you. The entire team.”

Bucky’s nose crinkles.

“Don’t look so confused, I warned you about this a while ago.”

He vaguely remembers you telling him to come find out the reason.

“Why?” If it was an anti-superhero agenda, it wouldn’t be the first time Bucky had encountered one of them.

“He has one of the worst jobs in the city.” You smirk. “He works in insurance.”

Oh.

“Every time aliens destroy New York, he works overtime.”

Oh.

“‘Hi, thank you so much for calling Gold Star Insurance, how may I help you? Oh, Shmulk used your car as a landing pad?’' you mimic, hand pressed to your ear like a phone. “‘Yes, we can set you up with a claim. Lemme just transfer you real quick to-’”

“I don’t sound like that.” Jake’s voice carries over from the kitchen.

“No one said this was you,” you fire back, rolling your eyes. “God, Jake, the world doesn’t revolve around you.”

“It will once I change the locks on all our doors, Y/N.” His voice is muffled as he opens the fridge, burrowing his head inside. “Did you finish my fucking yoghurt?”

It’s like your ears perk up the way you whirl around to the direction he was. “Admit you ate my cereal, bitch.”

“I don’t even like your shitty cereal,” he shouts back, shutting the fridge door. “You ate my damn yoghurt. I’m adding it to your rent for this month.”

“Fuck your yoghurt.” You sound a little too proud for someone who supposedly didn’t have anything to do with it.

There’s silence until he pokes around the corner, phone in his hand.

“Did you eat dinner?” Jake asks normally.

“No. You ordering?” The way your tone shifts almost gives Bucky whiplash.

“Yeah. Pizza?”

“Sounds good. I’ll pay.”

“Nah, I got it. You paid last time.” He punches in the number. “Sergeant Barnes, would you like some pizza?”

“No, I-” He’s well overstayed his welcome. He probably has a few therapist appointments to make, a few missions to cancel from his schedule.

“Yes, he would,” you interrupt. “Order another large please, Jakey.”

“Cool.” He walks away, speaking into the phone.

“Get dessert,” you yell after him.

He shouts a muffled agreement back.

“Hope you like pepperoni.” You return your attention to Bucky. “That’s his default for people he doesn’t know.”

“Uh, yeah.” He doesn’t quite know what to say after all that. “He seems nice.”

“He’s an asshole.” Your eyes shine in excitement. “I love him.”

The cat paws at his chest, demanding the attention Bucky hadn’t been giving her all this while. He scratches her back again before she goes back to sleep.

“Sergeant Barnes, are you injured?” Jake walks back into the room. “Did one of her dumb machines do this?”

“He’s fine.” You shoot a look towards Bucky who nods in confirmation. “And my machines aren’t dumb, they’re stupid.”

"Is he going to die on our couch?" Jake turns to him. "Are you going to die on our couch?"

"No, he isn't," you say, a tick of annoyance in your voice.

“I really am fine,” Bucky adds on, switching between you and him.

"We could get court-martialed, you know."

"We'll just go on the run." Your eyes shine. "You and me, living it up as criminals. We'll even bring Fondant."

He looks at you in disdain. "We're taking the cat with us?"

"You love her, shut up."

“She sheds everywhere.”

"Your cat's name is Fondant?" Bucky dares to speak up in the middle of whatever this was.

"Among others." Jake sighs. "It was Vaseline this morning, Daisy yesterday and probably will be something stupid like Q-Tip tonight."

You let out an ‘ooh’ in excitement. "Q-Tip is a good one, Jake."

"That was an insult, not a suggestion," he shoots back. "You can't even decide on a name."

"You call her Airpod.”

“She’s small and white and I can never find her anywhere.”

“That's the worst name. What if I went around calling you Shit Stain, huh? Because that’s what you are,” you accuse, adoration highlighting your face when you look at her. "We need a good name, something worthy of her."

"Sergeant Barnes, since you're here would you like to weigh in on the situation?"

Not really. But he's starting to take a liking towards the little thing that was fast asleep on his chest. 

“You can just call me Bucky,” he says instead, figuring that since he was crashing on your shared couch, Jake could at least get nickname privileges.

“You know what, you’re right,” you start, ignoring his white flag. “Bucko here should pick a name.”

“Uh-” Bucky didn’t know this was still the topic of discussion, considering how fast the both of you had been bickering back and forth.

“Stop pestering him,” Jake carped.

“Let him speak, bro, holy shit,” you exclaim, throwing your hand up in a ‘what the hell?’.

“Like you’re going to actually use it. Don’t get his hopes up too high.”

“Maybe I will.” You scowl at Jake, giving Bucky a smile. “No pressure sarge, it can’t be worse than Airpod.”

It can if Bucky tries hard enough.

Jake was right, though, it is tiny and white. Snowball was too common, Frostbite was too violent and you had already used Daisy once-

“How about Alpine?” He scratches under its chin. She turns her head up in contentment.

“Alpine,” you test how it feels on your tongue. “Alpine.”

“It can be something else, I don’t know-”

“I like it.” Something about it feels right. “I really do.”

“A normal fucking name. Hallelujah.” Jake crosses his arms across his chest. “If you change it now I’m getting a dog.”

“Nice one, sarge.” You pet her back, grinning when she leans into you.

“Glad to be of service.” Your fingers brush against his for a second and he freezes. He doesn’t even think you notice the mini contact, already busy in firing off a new insult at your roommate.

“Sergeant Barnes, in case you need to kill her at any point, I can tell you her schedule.” Jake glares at you.

“He already has my schedule, so you can eat shit.” You flip him off. “He and I are besties.”

Bucky still has the certificate you mailed him about your promotion from strangers to best friends. It was definitely tacky, but he appreciated the gift card you sent along with it.

An hour later he’s stuffed with so many carbs, his mother would be proud. His diet doesn’t usually consist of copious amounts of pizza but fuck it, he probably needs the energy for the lecture he was going to receive later on.

His lips taste like strawberries from the chapstick you forced him to use, his hair tied back in a little bun because the cat wouldn’t stop playing with it and he’s about halfway through listening to a conversation about why insurance workers had it harder than lawyers while living in a city full of superheroes.

“They get to sit up there in their fancy little air-conditioned rooms but we’re doing all the groundwork,“ Jake rants, eyes still trained on the rerun of an old football match playing on the TV.

“Right,” Bucky acknowledges. It’s not like he has any say in this, he wasn’t the one cleaning up the mess. He had spent his fair share of hours helping cleaners clear up debris and discarded alien rubble from Avengers battlegrounds but he certainly should start investing more time into it. 

“And don’t even get me started on the fuckin’ landlords-”

“Is he still talking?” you interject, rounding the corner from your visit to the kitchen to get some water.

“I’m sorry I’m more interesting than you,” he shoots back without a break. “Anyway, as I was saying-”

You had a glass in one hand Bucky’s phone in the other, a constant stream of buzzing drawing his attention to it. He already knew what it was. 

“Shut up for once in your life, Jake. Bucky, catch.” You toss his phone at him and he catches it with one hand. “Your phone’s been blowing up Mr. Steal Your Girl. Who are you cheating on me with?”

He unlocks it to find his notifications drowned by a series of texts. He ignores the ones from Steve and Sam’s number is still blocked, so that leaves him with only one option.

From Clint

steve’s trying to convince sam to send redwing after you lol

From Clint

i told him he should check in with every morgue in the city

From Clint

ok he spent half an hour doing it lmao where are you

From Clint

if you’re alive can you get me some pringles on the way home

From Clint

sour cream and onion

From Clint

nat told me i shouldn’t have said that. my bad.

From Clint

*when you’re alive can you get me some pringles on the way home

From Bucky

no

From Clint

i’m telling steve you died on a bridge

Bucky locks his phone again, shoving it into his pocket. “I think I should go.”

“Aw, already? You can take Jake’s bedroom if you want,” you offer earnestly. “He can sleep on the asphalt.”

“We have a guest bedroom.” Jake rolls his eyes. “And you can stay over if you need to, Sergeant.”

“Nah, I think Steve might end up here soon if I don’t let him know I’m alright.” The man needed to get laid. It had been too long.

“Well, why don’t you just tell him you’re fine?” Jake is logical, his suggestion reasonable.

Bucky stops to really think about his answer for a moment. 

“It’s funnier.”

Bucky tries to lift Alpine off his lap and onto the couch so she can continue her nap. She opens her eyes briefly before arching her back and jumping off him without so much as a second glance back. Is this what feeling used is like?

“It was nice meeting you.” Your roommate holds out his hand and Bucky takes it firmly, shaking it and responding in kind. “You should visit again. Could use some reinforcements against this crackhead.”

“No one likes you,” you respond, handing Bucky his backpack. “Go add some numbers or cry in a corner or something.”

Jake sends a middle finger and a sarcastic smile your way before disappearing into the kitchen to get the garbage bags.

“Can’t keep America’s Golden Boy waiting.” You hand Bucky his backpack on the way out. 

“He’s anything but America’s Boy.” Bucky scoffs, opening the door and stepping out, “Punk’s broken just about every law under the sun. Not exactly patriotic of him.”

“A rebel with a cause.” A lightbulb goes off in your head. “I know someone who might like that.”

“You’re plannin’ on setting Steve up?” It was probably about damn time. “Good luck.”

“He’s gonna need it, not me.” Your lips upturn in a smirk. “Speaking of your teammates, who’s picking you up?”

“I’ll probably walk.” He inhales deeply, lips pressing inward in a line. “Could use some air.”

“Are you serious?”

He looks at you quizzically. “Yeah.”

“All you superheroes and your lone wolf complexes,” you say under your breath, digging around your cardigan pocket for something.

You ask for his hand. He gives it to you, slightly confused.

“You’re crazy if you think you’re walking home after all that.” You tug his metal arm up slightly to get a better grip on it. 

When your eyes fall on the galaxy bracelet he still has around his wrist, your gaze softens almost immediately. “You kept this?”

Bucky clears his throat, feeling the heat creep into his face. “Steve’s not the only one who needs luck.”

“Sure isn’t,” you agree, moving the bracelet down gently before snapping a new contraption around his hand.

It’s designed to look like a digital watch but he knows exactly what it is.

“Thought you never made two of the same thing.” He stares at the teleportation device that fits snugly around his wrist.

“Yeah, well, your clone getting kidnapped can really change a person,” you murmur. “Made two after the whole thing just in case, but you should have it.”

“Y/N-” he begins, ready to argue.

“I want you to have it,” you interrupt. “Could be helpful on missions. Late night booty calls too, makes the commute less.”

Like he was getting a ton of those on a regular basis.

“I’ll return it next weekend,” he promises, clutching his backpack a little tighter.

“No, you won’t.” You shake your head. “This store doesn’t accept returns.”

He opens his mouth to argue.

“If anything comes out of there that isn’t ‘Y/N you’re the love of my life, please be my girlfriend’, don't even bother,” you warn seriously. 

He shuts his mouth again.

You weren’t going to let him have his way, your stubbornness taking the front seat. It’s slightly infuriating, but he supposes that came with the gig. 

“Thank you,” he says, voice quiet, “for everything.”

“Don’t mention it,” you make a callback to what he said to you months ago. “You glued popsicle sticks together for three hours, ‘tis the least I could do.”

“Still.”

You can tell it’s something he isn’t used to doing, judging by how serious he was. 

“Don’t go all soft on me, Barnes.” You punch his shoulder playfully. “Could even say it’s an evil scheme in itself, making sure your frenemy is fine enough to get their ass handed to them next time.”

“Friends.”

“What?” you ask, not sure if you heard him right.

“We’re friends,” he repeats.

It shouldn’t make your stomach flutter but it does and it’s despicable. 

“Give me two more weeks and we’ll add ‘with benefits’ as a suffix.” Using humour as a way to cope with the sudden surge of your heartbeat maybe isn’t the best way to go about things.

“It’s gonna take a lot longer than that.” He counters, buckling the strap of his backpack across his sternum.

“But you’re not denying that it can happen.” A grin spreads across your face. “It’s just gonna take some time.”

He stops his movements, hand still on the watch as he adjusts the coordinates. “Sure. Whatever you say.”

“Bucky Barnes, you are playing hard to get.” You laugh and he smiles wide and free.

“You gotta put in the work.” Not much, judging by the way he’s looking at you.

“I will wear you down someday,” you swear. “You will admit that you have feelings for me.”

He purses his lips out in contemplation. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” You snort. “Get home safe. And get some sleep.”

“Bye Y/N.” He takes a moment longer to linger on you before pressing down on the watch, blipping out of your view.

You let out an exhale, eyes dropping to the area he was standing just a minute ago.

What a day.

“He your boyfriend?” Jake asks, handing you a bag as you shut the door behind you.

“What? No,” you mumble to yourself, arms crossed over your chest.

“I know you. You don’t just give your inventions away to just anyone,” he continues even when you push past him, “and you especially don’t make stuff twice for them unless they’re Director Fury.”

“I didn’t make that watch for him.” You couldn’t exactly hand out freeze rays and air bending tools to random people. They’d have to have insight into what you were doing in the first place and the only people from your citizen life were T and Jake.

“You’re a terrible liar.” He scoffs. “I saw the blueprint on the table. You built that shit today.”

“They just happened to be there.” You pick up a pizza box, shoving it into the trash. “I was editing a prototype.”

“Y/N, I love you occasionally but you’re full of shit.”

“Beginning to doubt the first part, J.” You hand him the used glasses to take to the sink.

“Look me in the eye and tell me you’ve never built him anything before this.”

You spin on your heel to face him, staring him straight in the eye.

He waits. Your mouth opens to say something before closing it again.

“Your face is ugly.” You press the bag full of garbage into his hand. “Why do you even care so much?”

“Because I’m one of your only two friends, you loser.”

“I have more than two friends.” You huff. “Alpine.”

“Alpine is a cat.”

“Alpine is my best friend and I love her.”

“She is a cat,” he repeats. “Listen- shut up, that cat doesn’t love you- I don’t want anything to happen to you. Your life is fucking weird as it is, just wanna make sure his heart’s in the right place.”

You had already been kinda kidnapped once, what’s the worst that could happen?

You don’t tell Jake that, though. He’d send out a search group the next time you were late.

“He’s good.” You sigh, hand resting on your hip. “And nothing’s going on between us anyway so you got nothing to worry about.”

“Like you don’t have the biggest crush on him.” He swings the bag over his shoulder. “Just because I just choose to ignore you on purpose doesn’t mean I’m ignorant.”

“Yeah, well, I have a crush on someone new every week so your point is invalid.” You put your hands on your waist. “Stop being so mean to me or else I’ll fall in love with you too.”

“God, no. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.” His face twists in disgust as he exits the room. 

“You’re comin’ with me, boy,” you reminded him. “Alpine too.”

“Just for the record,” Jake’s voice resonates through the apartment, “I probably hate him the least out of all of them.”

You let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I figured.”

all proceeds to my ko-fi go towards me trying to get a life or at least some doughnuts <3 (and fix my really fucked up phone)

requests used in this chapter 

Next part

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #mcu fic #bucky fic #bucky barnes fic #bucky fluff #bucky barnes fluff #bucky angst #bucky barnes angst #harmless fic #winter soldier x reader #Winter Soldier #bucky barnes

[randomshyperson]

Wanda x Reader - The one and only

Gif is not mine, another day falling in love with her.

Summary: You have always loved Wanda in secret. When Vision dies, she loves you back. But you are also the one who can bring him back. Prompt from @stay-casual

Warnings: Fluff, angst, death, insinuation and brief mention of smut (no sex though)

Words:  13.036k // Read on AO3 too

Marks: @mionemymind @abimess

Notes: Hope everyone like this, let me know if you don’t. Sorry for any typos. 

//-//

You loved someone who was not meant for you.

It was a bitter truth you had to accept.

Being an enhanced human, a Hydra experiment, and having spent years under physical and psychological torture by Nazi doctors, pain was not exactly something you were unaware of. You got used to it. You were always down to earth anyway, accepting things as they were.

When you joined the Avengers, you just hoped to help those in need, figuring your days of emotional stress were over.

But then you met Wanda Maximoff.

She was something you didn't understand in the first instant. When she tried to get inside your head, fighting as your enemy, you resisted and almost broke her neck. You saw fear in her eyes, and realized in that second that you would never again try anything that would hurt her. When her brother fought you, and you saw her worried expression, you surrendered. Steve and Tony scolded you for letting them get away, but you just tried to understand why your heart was racing when the witch looked at you before she escaped.

You fail to save Pietro however, and had to watch Wanda collapse. Never, even after so many battles, you felt so helpless. 

But you did everything in your power to be there for Wanda. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't want to allow it, but you used all the favors they owed you to get Pietro's body not treated as an experiment, but as a civilian. And then you organized the whole memorial service. You didn't speak to Tony for two weeks, because he simply wasn't interested in the matter and you wanted to punch him in the face every time you remembered.

The ceremony was simple and small, and while Wanda was finishing paying her respects alone, you took the dirty dishes into the kitchen. Natasha was sitting at the counter and nodded slightly when you entered.

"You care about her." She said after a moment. You continued to wash the dishes, without sketching any reaction.

"Yes."

"No denying it?" she teases, but you remain impassive.

"I have no reason to lie to you, Natasha." You say with a smile. "We are friends, I trust you."

"Are you complimenting me to make me feel guilty for teasing you?"

"Maybe." You say laughing lightly, and Nat smiles.

"Something's bothering you." She says after a moment. You sigh, finished washing the glasses to turn around. You cross your arms and lean your back on the sink.

"If I hadn't organized everything, you would all treat Pietro like an experiment." You say seriously and Nat looks away. "I guess I was just disappointed in the way you all acted about it. Pietro was our teammate, and he sacrificed himself for Clint. If I didn't say or do anything, he'd be in a lab right now."

"You're right." Nat says next, holding your gaze. "But I don't know what to say. Everything has settled down now, and honestly most of us wouldn't have the power to get his body back."

You let out an impatient sigh.

"Right, Natasha." You interrupt and she blinks at your serious posture, but you just have an almost disappointed look on your face. "I should have known that you guys pick the fights you're going to fight. I just hoped that all members of the team would have the same importance."

"Y/N..."

But you just give her a sad smile, and turn around, leaving the kitchen. When you walked back to Pietro's grave area, you noticed that Wanda was kneeling on the ground, leaving some flowers. Vision was beside her, and when she stood up, she allowed him to hug her. Swallowing the bitter feeling in your stomach, you forced yourself to think that you were glad that he was there for her.

//-//

It doesn't take long for you to realize that you are in love with Wanda. It's not in your place to confess it, though. 

She is your friend, and your teammate. And more importantly, she is in a relationship with Vision. You were never the jealous type, because you were never possessive, and honestly, you just hoped that Wanda would be happy. And if Vision was responsible for that, that was enough for you.

When Steve and Tony start fighting, and the team splits up, there is not the slightest possibility that you will stand up to Wanda. So you throw your weapons on the ground, and Tony looks at you incredulously.

"Have you lost your mind?" He asks.

"I'm not going to fight with my friends." You say simply turning your back on him as you walk to the other side of the parking lot.

"She really changed sides in the middle of the fight?" You hear the boy dressed in red ask impressed. But you don't care.

"If the deal divides us, there's something wrong with it" You tell Steve when he accepts you as an ally. He smiles and then you are helping him, not fighting any of your companions, just deflecting blows and preventing them from hurting you.

Natasha lands a punch to your face, and your natural instinct is to knock her down. Before you can apologize, she assumes a provocative expression.

"Too bad I wasn't Wanda." She sneers and you roll your eyes, assuming a defensive stance as she stands up. 

"I don't want to fight you, Tasha" You say as you defend the blows. "Please, this isn't right."

"You don't just want to stand against your girlfriend." She taunts almost hitting a blow to your face, but you hold her leg up in the air.

"Why are you insisting on this?"

She releases herself from your grip, and you return to defending her attempts to punch you. 

"I just don't think it's fair."

"What are you talking about?"

"You should tell her. Wanda should know." She explains and then you hold her fist closed, preventing her from hitting you. She tries with her other hand, but you stop her again, restraining her. Your faces are close together. 

"No." You say seriously as she tries to break your grip. "She doesn't need to know."

"You deserve to be happy too." She says before breaking free by hooking her legs around your waist. You loosen her wrists to avoid being knocked over as you struggle.

"Tell her" Nat ordered again and you let out a sigh, knocking her to the floor and falling on top. 

"She has already found her soulmate" You reply with a sad smile, immobilizing Natasha "Now please stop fighting".

Nat hits you in the ribs, and you let out a grunt of pain. She manages to immobilize you next.

"You are unbelievable." She comments with a slight smile, and then she lets you go. "Always making me make the worst choices, darling."

You laugh  in surprise when Nat helps you up. You think Tony is complaining that it is not fair that people switch sides in the middle of the fight, but you are not listening. You watch Vision and Wanda interact from some distance away. And then you are helping Steve to the plane.

//-//

The fight is over and you are laughing, but not with happiness.

The government wants to arrest anyone who didn't escape from the parking lot, and they are coming. So you are holding Tony Stark by the neck.

"No one is going to touch her." You warn him, and there is only fear and surprise in the man's eyes, "How can you treat your friends like that?"

You saved James Rhodes' life during the fight, and so this is what you use against Tony.

He laughs when you put him down.

"What exactly are you asking me for?"

"Time." 

"You made that choice when you chose your side."

"That's too easy for you to say, isn't it, Tony?" you retort with irony. "If you take off the armor, you are no longer Iron Man, and the deal doesn't affect you. We don't all have that choice."

Tony looks at you with annoyance. And then he puts his hand to his ear.

"They've gone north." He warns the agents over the communicator. You look at him one last moment before turning, running back outside.

"Vision, let her go." You warn the man and he looks at you in surprise, probably trying to understand why Tony let you go. 

"I don't understand."

"They're up north, Vision." Tony says appearing at his side. "We couldn't reach the fugitives in time. Our colleagues have fled north."

Vision gives Tony one last look before letting go of Wanda's arm. 

As Wanda walks over to you, you signal to your the rest of the captain's team that you have also been contained. You find the Ant-Man is injured. 

"They also stole the transport vehicle in warehouse 23, the keys were in the cabin." Vision says next and you exchange a look with him, thanking him. And then you run.

//-//

Being an out-of-state fugitive is quite stressful, but you get used to it. 

There are no fixed locations, or very long term accommodations, but you try to stay positive about the whole thing.

You all can't stay together, so you have a cell phone that connects to Steve's and Sam's. You stayed in the same hotel room as Wanda for three weeks, then Vision contacted her.

They were trying, and then you let her try it alone. Natasha agreed to run away with you, and you made sure to check on Wanda every week, but she was always fine. 

T'Challa agrees to let you stay in Wakanda for a while after the government almost captures you. 

Your powers are difficult to control after the agents hit you with a strange weapon, and the people of Wakanda seem to be the only ones able to help you.

You don't like to owe favors, but you think they are good people. 

Bucky is free when you meet him. You become close again, and it is good to see him rest.

It is Shuri who discovers where your abilities come from, and you finally understand why you have always felt connected to Wanda and Vision. Your energy came from one of the jewels, as did their power. You don't know how Hydra got access to this, and you don't understand why Thor doesn't tell you all the things humans don't understand, but you realize that these mystical stones are too dangerous.

You talk to Shuri, and then to the council and the king of Wakanda. They all agree that no human should have access to such power. You help her build a machine that can separate the stone and Vision's body. 

"How do we destroy it?" you ask her as you are putting the finishing touches on the equipment.

"Maybe you can." She says and you deny it with your head.

"No, I don't think I can." You say. "But maybe Wanda can. It's her thing, and it's her stone too."

Shuri nods and you get back to work.

Unfortunately, events move faster than you do. 

//-//

There is an army controlled by a purple man. 

That is the only information Steve gives you through the communicator. You hugged Wanda tight when she arrived in Wakanda, and she was happy to see you, but she also seemed upset. You knew it was because of Vision.

"Hey buddy, it's going to be okay." You told him with a smile as you helped him climb into the machine you built.

"Thanks, Y/N" Vision said to you.

You didn't stop fighting for the next few hours.

There was a moment, on the battlefield, that you felt something in the pit of your stomach. When you destroyed your opponent, your hands and eyes were glowing even after you stopped throwing your power. Your stone was here. 

You knew something was wrong, so you ran to where you were being pulled.

Some opponents tried to hold you back, but you defeated them easily, feeling much stronger than you ever had.

"No!" you exclaimed angrily as you launched your energy at the creature that was supposed to be Thanos, preventing him from reaching Wanda. He used the golden gauntlet to hold his power, but you kept him busy long enough for her to destroy Vision's stone, an energy field pushing you away when she did. You fell to your knees afterwards, exhausted from having held out against your own stone for so long.

Thanos slowly walked over to the redhead, and you struggled to move toward her.

"I understand, child. Better than anyone." He said and you choked, fearing that he was going to hurt her. 

"You could never." She replied angrily still on the floor.

"Today I lost more than you could ever imagine".

"Leave her alone" You muttered stumbling toward her. You are feeling a sharp pain all over your body, but managed to stand. Thanos smiled at you wryly.

You raise your fist toward him, but he just raises his golden gauntlet.

"I felt you." He with a wry smile. "In my hand"

"You will feel my fist on your face in a second." You retorted angrily and he laughed. You are almost reaching for him, but you frown when you notice the green glow on his gauntlet. The time stone.

"One second is all I need."

You blink, and you're not there anymore. You are halfway again. And then you understand what he has done. When you run back to where Wanda was, a golden light throws you away. This time, it wasn't Wanda who destroyed the stone. 

"No. No" you repeat to yourself as you run back, your body no longer aching like before, and you stumble among the trees.

You were going to attack Thanos as soon as you saw him, but Thor hit him first. Then you were running to Wanda, kneeling beside her.

"He's gone." She cried beside Vision's body. You couldn't feel his stone anymore, and your own face was wet with your tears.

You placed your hand on top of Wanda's next, and looked forward. Thor had struck Thanos in the chest and was saying something to him. 

Then you gasped in surprise as the titan raised his fist. 

"No!" you exclaimed getting up, but he snapped his fingers. You launched a wave of energy at him, but he used his gauntlet to defend himself. "What have you done?" you shouted rushing to reach the fallen titan. 

"The necessary thing." He whispered before using his last breath of energy to teleport away. 

You turned to Thor at the same instant, but he is not looking at you, but at Steve. 

"Steve?" A male voice calls out, and you watch Bucky walk toward you all. But he turns to dust midway.

"W-what?" you whisper breathlessly, taking a step forward. Steve kneels on the ground in the same place your friend was and looks at Thor in confusion. 

You look at Wanda immediately and feel your heart soar when you notice that the same thing is happening to her.

"Wanda?" You cry running to her, but by the time you arrive, she is gone. There is only Vision's body.

You can't feel either of them anymore.

//-//

The world is in complete chaos during the blip. There is no more S.H.I.E.L.D, and many other deals. And then there's a company that wants to take Vision's body away, and you destroy their trucks, and Steve has to calm you down for twenty minutes.

"No one is going to touch him." You say only as you release yourself from Steve's grip, and ignore the startled looks from the agents of S.W.O.R.D. You kick them out of the Avengers compound, and say that Tony Stark may be dead, but they had no jurisdiction there. If they had a problem with that, they could fight you.

It took 23 days for Tony Stark to come home. You hug him first when he gets off the plane. And you are impressed that it barely takes two hours for him to start talking shit.

"I told you guys we needed armor around the world..."

"And here we go again." You mumble impatiently as you take the focus away from the discussion to the tablet in your hand. 

You are startled when Tony collapses to the ground, and the team moves to rescue him. You don't worry, because you feel he is fine.

"Tony always has to make a scene." You comment to yourself shaking your head slightly. "Hey, you," You call out to the metal girl you don't know while the other avengers are out of the room, "help me find your dad."

//-//

The team is trying to locate Thanos by analyzing planets that fit Nebula's description. You feel a sharp twinge in the back of your neck and then you are getting up towards the scanning equipment.

"Y/N, what is it?" Steve asks worriedly as he notices her movement.

"I found him." You say a moment later. 

The team is impressed, but you swallow dryly.

"I felt my stone." You explain to them. "And then I didn't feel anything else. We need to go to him."

The Avengers exchanged worried looks, fearing what you were implying.

Soon you were all on a spaceship, heading for an unknown planet.

When Thanos confirmed your suspicions, the stones were destroyed, you sobbed.

"Wanda. She..." You said breathlessly turning to leave the cabin. You sat on the ground, trying to normalize your breathing. She's gone. Your friends are gone forever.

//-//

Your way of experiencing grief is unconventional.

You try to balance managing the chaos that the world has become while splitting chores with Natasha, and going to a few community therapy sessions. Steve is acting strange, but you make sure he eats properly.

There are no tears. You feel that if you start crying you won't stop, so you just work. And you help those who need it. And you have movie nights with Natasha, and you try to remember things that are worth living for.

There is a secret project too, something that is not progressing, but that you don't give up on. The machine you created with Shuri in Wakanda was destroyed in battle. With the world in complete chaos, you didn't have enough time to put it back together, especially with the current state of Wakanda. But you kept the projects going. Part of you didn't know if your lack of absolute dedication was because you believed Vision wouldn't want to live without Wanda. You wouldn't and you didn’t.

So there is this side project, to rebuild the machine and try to restore Vision, but it falls by the wayside after a few months. You keep the papers in a safe in your room, and start accepting more missions.

Tony has given up the hero's life, just as you always said he could do. You are not angry with him, though. And you visit him not so regularly, and agree when Pepper says that Morgan is the cutest kid in the world.

Steve becomes a kind of group therapist, and you want to tell him he needs a degree, but Natasha pokes you in the rib, and you just nod as you listen to the story.

Clint is different too. Losing his family has completely messed him up, and he has become a vigilante of sorts. You find Natasha crying often after you discover that he has been murdering people, and you always hug her until she stops. 

As time passes, your pain becomes numb, and your nightmares stop happening. You think it is because Natasha lets you sleep in her bed now.

//-//

Five goes by much faster than you realize.

You are somewhere in Georgia, investigating a lead on a possible terrorist group forming, when Nat calls you. Scott Lang was alive.

When you return to New York, you discover that you have to go back in time.

Your friends want to know if you know anything about how Hydra had your stone, but you have no memory of that time. And with no time, they decide to just follow the right date and place that Rocket provides. You accompany Nebula, because it might be helpful to get a feel for where your stone would be.

You hug Natasha before she leaves with Clint to get the soul stone.

"You're getting sentimental" She teases when you let go of her.

"I know" You retort with a smile. "Just be careful, Tasha."

"I'm usually the one who tells you that." She says in the same tone, squeezing your hand lightly before turning away. 

When Nebula takes you and James to a place called the Temple of the Power Stone, you can barely breathe. 

"I can feel it." You say to the two of you as you walk to the stone. 

"How are we going to get it?" James asks as he looks at the repository where the stone is placed.

Nebula is sticking her hand in the protective flame next second and you let out an impressed hiss.

She hands the stone protector to you, and you nod in appreciation.

"Let's synchronize then." You say as you form a small circle. 

"Wow, that always feels weird" You joke as you appear in the Avengers compound again, now on your time. But your smile dies when you look around, and can't find Nat. "Clint...where?"

He just denies it with his head, and you feel your heart soar. This can't be true, you think in desperation. 

"No. Nat... She can't." You say breathlessly, falling to your knees. Steve is touching your shoulder next. But then you release yourself from his grip, rushing to get out, feeling yourself suffocating. 

You end up on the pier of the complex, thick tears streaming down your face.

It doesn't take long for the team to catch up with you.

"What do we do now?" You hear Tony ask. Steve sits down on one of the empty benches.

Bruce, in his Hulk form, is further away and looks just as upset as you.

"Did she have a family?"

You let out a short laugh at Tony's question.

"She had us." You retort trying to control your tears. 

"Why are you guys talking like she's not coming back?" Thor asked angrily. "We have the stones, we will bring her back."

"It can't be undone." Clint said next, nipping in the bud the shred of hope that had risen in your chest. You sobbed. "She sacrificed herself for the stone, her soul was the price." He says looking forward. He lets out a breathless sigh. "It should have been me."

"You bet it did." You retort bitterly as you get up and walk away. No one follows you this time.

You go directly back to Nat's room. And you stay there for two days. When you calm down, and decide to take a shower and try to eat something, on the way out of the bathroom, you stop in front of her closet.

She would hate for you to take her clothes without asking, but you are wearing one of her leather jackets anyway. Wanda used to steal them too, and you both used to joke that it was because Nat had a wonderful fashion sense. 

Now you had lost your two friends, and you were alone. You tried to control your sobs. Her sacrifice had to be worth it. So you put on her clothes and went out into the living room.

//-//

The team was arguing when you came in. You just blinked in surprise when you noticed the iron gauntlet. Tony really did it.

You tried to argue that you could handle the gauntlet's power too, but Bruce insisted that since he was made of gamma ray in his Hulk form, that was what he was there for.

And then he snapped his fingers. 

You looked at Clint in surprise when he took a call from Laura. 

"Honey?" He whispered tearfully and you felt your heart soar. And then something exploded and you were creating a force field to save Clint from the rubble.

When you were finished falling among the remains of the completely destroyed Avengers compound, you checked to see if the archer was okay, sighing with relief when he opened his eyes.

"Stand up." You ordered helping him to stand. "We have to find the others."

"The gauntlet." He warns pointing to something among the stones that glowed in the dark a few feet away from you. Before you could walk towards the item, a noise caught your attention.

Clint aimed an arrow from the direction of the sound, and you choked as the space creatures moved in the dark.

"Go." You shouted to him before starting to attack the beings as he ran to reach the gauntlet and leave the place, you following him with some delay.

You almost died a couple of times though. And when you reached Clint again, there were two Nebula's with him, and a green girl.

"What's going on, people?" You asked confused, and then let out a surprised exclamation when you realized that one of the Nebula's had a gunshot mark on her chest.

"I'll explain on the way, we have to get out of here." Clint spoke pulling you through the halls.

"Wait, she killed her past self? Isn't that going to be a problem?" You exclaim as soon as Clint explains it to you and he shrugs his shoulders. "May I ask why you are green?" You say to the strange girl next to you and she looks at you reproachfully.

"Why aren't you?"

"Touché" You retort smiling, "I am Y/N."

"Gamora."

When you reach the battlefield, things are chaotic and you barely have time to notice your surroundings and you are already fighting again.

Your heart races when you realize that everyone is back. But you don't have time to talk to anyone now, as you are busy fighting.

A red glow catches your attention, however. Completely taking your attention is the right thing to say.

"Who's got the gauntlet?" You hear Steve ask over the team's communicator, but you don't wait for the answer; you're headed toward Wanda.

When you find her, she has the titan trapped in her magic. You choke with excitement at seeing her again, feeling your eyes water.

But then a loud explosion catches your attention. Thanos has activated the airstrike, and you are running toward Wanda, reaching her just before one of the missiles reaches you two.

"Whoa, hi!" She greets you in surprise as you roll on the ground together. A mixed force field between your and her magic surrounds you, protecting you two from the attacks. You let out an exclamation of happiness, raising your hand to her face, wanting to confirm that she was really there.

"God, it's really you." You gasp with emotion, letting your tears flow. Wanda probably doesn't understand what is happening, but she hugs you back as you bury your face in her neck.

This can't last long, though. You take one last look at her face before standing up, the force field still surrounding the two of you as you help her to her feet.

However, when you go to ask her how you could take down the ship, someone does it for you.

"Wow, that's cool" You comment with a smile watching Carol destroy the entire ship with one blow.

"I think you're drooling." Wanda scoffs lightly making you laugh awkwardly. 

"Shut up."

And then you are fighting again.

You have the impression that you are losing. But then Thanos' army is turning to dust before your eyes and you are exchanging a confused look with Wanda.

"Tony snapped his fingers." Steve says into the comm and you choke in surprise. Then you are running halfway across an open field until you catch up with your friends.

Pepper is kissing her husband's cheek when you arrive.

"S-Steve, what?" - You ask and he just shakes his head, thick tears in his eyes.

You gasp and then there are arms around you. It takes a moment for you to hug Wanda back. And when Steve takes Tony's body, she holds your hand.

//-//

Your hands are shaking as you step out of the shower. 

You are staying at Tony's house, as are some of the others, while the compound area is being restored and Pepper organizes the funeral. 

The laundry on your bed is Natasha's last set of clothes, and you don't want to cry anymore, but your face is wet anyway.

You finish getting dressed, but remain sitting on the bed in the room you are sharing with Wanda. The redhead enters a moment later, but you don't look at her.

Wanda sighs slightly and sits down beside you.

"Do you also have the feeling that everything is a bad dream?" She starts after a moment, you blink in surprise feeling a bit distracted and forcing yourself to pay attention. "Like the pain is so overwhelming, it's easier to think it's all temporary. Because there' s not the slightest chance you can survive this for much longer."

"Yes. I feel exactly like that." You agree smiling faintly. "But that's grief. No matter how impossible it seems now, it gets better." 

"How can you know that?"

"Because I already lost you once."

Wanda blinks in surprise and then looks straight ahead. You don't face her either. 

"How was it?" she asks after a moment, almost in a whisper. Clearly not exactly sure whether to ask that or not. You let out a dry laugh, running your hand over your face to wipe away the tears.

"What kind of question is that?" you retort and Wanda lets out a sigh, apologizing, but you shake your head. "You know exactly how I felt Wanda. Because you lost Vision too."

Wanda swallows dryly, looking at you with a frown. You stand up, leaving no room for questions. 

You leave the room next, it was better to try to eat something.

//-//

Steve Rogers is going back to the past. And he will stay there.

He confesses this to you on the eve of Tony's funeral, and you push him by the shoulders, before hugging him tightly. Bucky also cries when he tells him.

No one else must know, not yet. You go back into the room you share with Wanda and mask your tears. She probably thinks it's because of Nat, so she doesn't press you to talk.

When the ceremony takes place the next day, you entwine your arm with Steve's. You were about to lose the three leaders of the Avengers all at once, and it looked like your heart couldn't take it.

But Steve smiles, and squeezes your hand lightly, before going to talk to Potts. You walk to the edge of the lake at the cabin, joining Clint and Wanda.

"I wish there was a way to tell her." Says the man after a moment. You clench your jaw, knowing exactly who he is talking about. "Of telling her that we won."

"Natasha was sure we would make it." You say half hoarsely, trying to hold back the cry. "She trusted us. That's why she did what she did."

Clint nods slightly, not holding back the tears that were falling from his eyes.

"She knows." Wanda said next. "They both know."

Clint slung an arm around Wanda's shoulder and one around yours, embracing you both. You allowed yourself to cry some more.

//-//

There are no more Avengers. At least not for now.

The world is in complete chaos with everyone coming back after five years.

You don't want to think about how many responsibilities you will have to take on when you are a hero again, you just want to get some rest.

Your first stop is Vision's grave. The restoration of the complex took a few weeks, but Potts was kind enough to take care of everything.

You took Wanda there as soon as everything was ready.

"I know we haven't talked about this yet, but, I got it back." You tell her as you walk together to the spot Potts showed you on the map. "After Thanos activated the missiles, I worried that something had happened, but the restoration team was able to map everything out again." You counters by leading her around the place. 

Wanda just listened to your words, saying nothing. She seemed surprised by everything.

You reached a small hill, where there were two small metal and rock tombstones. On the first gravestone you made a few years ago completely recovered by Potts' team and already with slightly rusty lettering, it read "Pietro Maximoff - Brother, Friend and Hero. You are loved beyond words and lost beyond measure." On the second, a newer metal, and with gold lettering, it read "Vision Maximoff - Friend, Lover and Hero. To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."

"I used to bring flowers, but..."

You fell silent as Wanda hugged you. You reciprocated the hug for a moment, until Wanda let go, smiling weakly at you before turning around, kneeling on the graves.

As she ran her fingers over the letters, you cleared your throat.

"I know you two weren't married, but since Vis didn't have a last name..."

"It's okay." She interrupted in a whiny voice. "Thank you."

She stood there for many minutes. You don't mind waiting. And when she allowed it, you hugged her again, wiping away her tears.

You returned to the compound just as the sun was setting.

//-//

You were going to help Wanda to have a proper grief.

She had the same quirks as you, unhealthy habits of disconnecting from reality. 

You wouldn't want that for her. Vision wouldn't want that.

The day after you took her to Pietro and Vision's grave, you appeared in her room in the morning. A tray of breakfast in your hand. 

"I don't want to get up." She grumbled against the pillows when you entered the room without knocking, opening the curtains.

"I know, but it's almost ten thirty and you need to eat something." You said, leaving the tray on the bedroom table.

The first day she resisted. But two weeks later, she was already on her feet when you came into the room. You always ate together, and you made a point of taking her for walks, and spending time doing the things she liked, for example watching old TV series together.

"Potts called me." You said as you two shared coffee. "She wants me to take over the compound."

Wanda let out a surprised exclamation and you laughed lightly.

"Yeah I know, it's a lot." You say. "But Tony left the command to Steve. And Steve left it to me."

"Are you sure you want this?" She asked looking at you. You shrug.

"It's not about wanting it, Wands," you say. "I am who I am after all. These powers are with me for a reason. Maybe I can use them to do something good."

Wanda nods slightly, looking at you in a way that makes you embarrassed.

"And what does the government think of all this?" She asks and you sigh, running your fingers through your hair.

"They want to control everything of course." You tell her. "Potts is trying to keep everything classified as private property, but after Thanos, that's pretty unlikely."

"I guess the treaty of Sokovia was inevitable after all." She then comments, and you grumble in agreement.

"I would like to enjoy the rest of my vacation, though" You say with a smile, making Wanda look at you.

"What do you want to do?" 

"I'm torn between a quiet weekend at a spiritual retreat or getting completely drunk in Las Vegas."

Wanda laughs.

"Okay." She says smiling, "Let's do both then."

"Oh, you like both then?"

"Oh, yeah."

Wanda replies wryly, and you notice her cheeks flush slightly, suggesting that she understood your insinuation. You laugh, going back to eating.

//-//

Sam has been calling you for a few hours, and you left an automated message on the answering machine that says "I'm on vacation, if it's life or death, send a letter".

You are driving to Las Vegas now, humming a pop song on the radio with Wanda in the passenger seat.

 "Now that you are Tony's heiress you will spend the money on gambling, I suppose" She teases making you laugh.

"I'm not Tony's heiress." You counter laughing. 

"Oh, yes, sorry, Miss Avengers leader."

You laugh at the teasing, then turn up the volume. You and Wanda sing at the top of your lungs.

When you park in front of the first big casino you encounter, Wanda has a mischievous grin on her face.

"I bet I win more games than you do." She says stopping in front of you.

"Can we use our magic?" You ask in the same joking tone, and she nods. You let out an excited exclamation. "Game on."

//-//

You two are thrown out of the casino a few hours later.

You both laugh as you run away from the angry security guards and get into the car quickly, many small coins falling out of your pockets. You drive through town, until you find a bar that seems crowded.

"Ready for the second half of your vacation?" Wanda asks with amusement as you get out of the car, making you laugh. Parties aren't really your thing, but you had said you wanted to drink after all.

The girl at the door looks at your clothes with a judgmental eye, but you think Wanda may have used her powers to get you two into the club.

The atmosphere is extremely noisy and with lots of lights, but you are not bothered when you start drinking.

"I think this is the worst way to go through grief" You comment before you and Wanda pour a shot of vodka together.

She laughs lightly afterwards.

"It's fun though." 

And then she is pulling you onto the dance floor. You are too drunk to care about the closeness. You laugh as you dance together.

As the nightclub is beginning to empty, you and Wanda stumble out, visually drunk.

"Where's the car, Wands?" You ask between giggles, Wanda shrugs her shoulders, leaning on you to be able to walk.

It takes many minutes for you to find the vehicle. And when you do, Wanda passes out in the back seat. You use the rest of your sobriety to throw a jacket over her body, before sitting down in the front seat and falling asleep.

The next morning you both have a very bad migraine, and decide to have breakfast at a dinner on the way back to the compound.

Sitting on opposite sides of the same table, you drink some orange juice while Wanda steals a piece of your pancakes. You don't mind.

"Where are we going to spend the last stage of your vacation?" She asks curiously, and you rest your face on your hand while propping your elbow on the table.

"I don't know." You say. "I don't think I know anywhere quiet."

Wanda stands thoughtfully for a moment.

"We could rent a cabin."

"I make minimum wage."

Wanda laughs rolling her eyes. But she becomes quiet next, her expression serious.

"I can split the bill with you."

You raise a curious eyebrow.

"May I ask where the money comes from? Please don't say drug dealing."

Wanda laughs, looking away. 

"Shut up." She retorts the next moment. "So what, you'll take it?"

You look at her suspiciously. You weren't going to pressure her into telling you what she didn't want, wishing to give her privacy. 

"All right, Wands."

Wanda smiles at you, raising her hand. You give a "Hi-Five" and the waitress looks at you curiously.

//-//

Maybe renting a cabin with the woman you've secretly loved for years wasn't your best idea, but you're handling things well.

You were only going to stay three days, and if you could disguise that you completely melted when Wanda touched you or how cute she looked when she woke up, you'd be fine.

The cabin had two rooms, which was the best thing for your sanity.

After you had finished unpacking, you decided to prepare something to eat.

"How do you know how to cook this?" Wanda asks in surprise as she joins you in the kitchen. "By the way, how do you have the ingredients to make it?"

"I bought it on the way, smarty pants" You replied with amusement, moving around the kitchen to prepare the Sokovian Stew. "And I've cooked it for you before, I don't understand the surprise."

Wanda laughed lightly, remembering.

"Sorry, you're right." She says leaning against the countertop as she watches you cook.

"Come here and see if the seasoning is good." You tell her a moment later as you are stirring the pots. 

You raise the spoon toward Wanda, expecting her to take it. But she just brings her mouth close to the cutlery, and looks at you as she tastes the food. You swallow dryly, feeling your heart race at the intensity of her gaze. You almost choke when she lets out a groan of satisfaction.

"It's delicious."

"Uh." It is the only sound you are able to produce, as Wanda looks up at you with an innocent smile. You quickly face the pot again, trying not to embarrass yourself so much.

"I'll set the table for us."

//-//

"Are you sure food is not your love language?" Wanda asks suggestively when you hand her a mug of hot chocolate. You are on the veranda, a few hours after dinner. You laugh lightly.

"My what?"

She settles into the seat she is sitting on, turning her face to you as you sit down next to her.

"Your love language." She explains with a smile. "There are several, one of them is cooking for the people you love."

You frown slightly, growing thoughtful.

"That's hardly mine, Wands." - You reply. "I hate cooking."

"What are you talking about, you always cook for me!" She retorts with a mix of confusion and humor in her voice, you shrug.

"It's because it's you." You say looking away.

"What does that mean?" She asks and you sigh lightly, taking a sip of your chocolate. Wanda looks at you incredulously. "You're not going to tell me then. Okay."

"Tell me more about these love languages." You ask next trying to change the focus of the subject from yourself. 

Wanda seems excited to talk about it.

"Okay, I think there are five kinds." She starts with a smile, you're just happy to hear her say anything. And she sounds absolutely adorable when she talks about something that gets her excited. "They are words of affirmation, quality time, touch, acts of service, and gifts."

"What happened to cooking?" You tease and she pats your shoulder, laughing.

"I guess it comes into gift giving" She says thoughtfully. "But I read somewhere that it was like a sixth language".

You make an understanding noise with your mouth, but Wanda interprets your lack of reaction as a lack of interest, and apologizes that she is boring you. You frown.

"Hey, what are you talking about? I love this idea!" You assure her, and she smiles shyly after a moment. "I was just wondering which language I fit best in. That is, if I'm the one who decides that?"

"It's not a decision really." She says. "It's more of an analysis in how you behave. Usually the people around you notice."

"Oh, right." You grumble in agreement. "You really would make a terrible analyst then." You tease and Wanda laughs, pushing you lightly and making a face when she almost knocks over your hot chocolate. You laugh. "That story that I cook to show my love, not a thing."

Wanda rolls her eyes amused and then looks at you curiously.

"Oh yeah, and what do you think your language is then?"

You think for a moment.

"I have no idea." You confess and Wanda laughs looking away, "That's harder than it sounds."

"Take a guess."

"Um... I don't think they are words of affirmation." You say and she looks at you expectantly, wanting you to talk more about it. You smile awkwardly. "I never know what to say, so that would be the last language I would think of."

Wanda smiles, biting her lip and shaking her head slightly.

"What else?"

You inhale deeply, thinking. 

"Well, I'm not the best gift-giving person." You counters. "Maybe quality time is a good option, but I'm not sure either. I'm pretty anti-social."

"I think quality time might be your thing." She says with a fond smile.

You raise your eyebrow curiously.

"Why do you say that?"

"Look around you." She replies with a smile, and you understand that this is exactly what is happening now. You give a shy little laugh.

"Can I make it official then?" You ask and Wanda laughs.

"I don't know, don't you like the others?"

"I forget which ones they are." You confess and Wanda laughs. 

"Touch and Acts of Service." She clarifies and you nod in understanding.

" Okay let me think about it." You begin running your fingers through your hair quickly. "How can anyone know that touch is their thing?"

"I guess if the person likes to be touched." Wanda says and you raise your eyebrow in confusion. "Like, if you like to give hugs or cuddle."

"Do some people not like that?"

Wanda laughs.

"I think we have an answer." She says and you smile, shrugging.

"No, seriously. I don't know." You speak. "I guess I have no problem with touching people I like, but I can't tell if that would be my language."

"Okay." Wanda says and you look at her curiously as she picks up your mug and places it on the table along with hers. She moves a little closer to you, and entwines your hands together. You swallow dryly.

"Do you like that?" She asks gently, and you look into her eyes, glowing green. You nod shyly, and Wanda smiles. She releases your hands to slip her arms over your shoulder, and you melt into her embrace almost instantly. "Is that good?"

"Yes." You whisper with flushed cheeks. Wanda releases you next.

"I think we have a winner." She jokes, and you giggle awkwardly. 

"What about you? What's your language?"

"Definitely quality time" She says and you smile. 

"I think words of affirmation are your thing too."

Wanda looks at you curiously.

"Why?"

"Because you're nice." You say. "You say nice things all the time I mean. You are an affectionate person."

"Maybe words of affirmation are your thing." She hits back with flushed cheeks, you laugh awkwardly looking away.

"What happens if people have different love languages?" You ask after a moment. "Do they fight?"

Wanda sighs lightly, thoughtfully. 

"I don't really know." She replies. "I think they each show their love in a different way, and if they talk, there's no reason to fight."

You nod in agreement and then straighten your posture, extending your hand to Wanda.

"Miss Maximoff, I swear I will try to show my affection to you with words of affirmation and quality time" You tell her in a fake serious tone, and Wanda joins in on the joke, agreeing to shake your hand.

"I swear I will try to show my affection to you with touch and also with quality time." She repeats the pledge, and you both look serious for a second, before laughing.

Neither of you realizes that by proposing to act outside your comfort zone for each other, perhaps acts of service are the best suitable love language for you two.

//-//

The second day at the cabin is like heaven on earth.

You wake up early, have coffee with Wanda, and walk a short trail with her until lunchtime. You cook again, and she teases you about it. In the afternoon you play monopoly, and cards. She makes you tea, and then you two sit on the sofa, each with a book, just enjoying each other's company.

It must be about ten o'clock at night when Wanda starts to yawn. You two are already lying on the couch, and you poke her ribs with your foot and she laughs lightly.

"Go to bed." You tell her with a smile, and she looks quickly at you.

"I don't want to sleep." She says and yawns next, making you laugh.

"Of course you don't."

Wanda laughs and then closes the book, placing it on the small table beside the sofa. She buries her body against the cushions afterwards. You laugh as you look at her.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want to get up." She replies by closing her eyes. You laugh, closing the book and sitting down. You place the book on the coffee table, and when Wanda yawns again you sigh. 

"Come on you big baby, I'll take you to bed." - You tell her as you approach. Wanda lets out an exclamation as picks her up and carries her, blushing as she places her hands on your neck. You were laughing and didn't realize it.

When you reach your bedroom door, Wanda uses her powers to open the door, and you look at her quickly to thank her, which is a mistake, because you realize how close you are. It's hard to reach the bed without shaking now.

"Here we go." You mumble clumsily as you lay her down on the bed. Wanda doesn't let go of your neck however, and you swallow dryly. "Wanda?"

"Can I kiss you?" she asks breathlessly, and you feel your stomach drop. Your bodies are very close together, as you bent down to place her on the bed. Your hands are stretched out beside her neck, to keep you from falling on top of her.

"Are you sure?" You reply in the same tone, your voice husky. Wanda nods biting her lips lightly, her face very flushed.

You slowly advance against her and she meets you on the way. You both sigh as your lips touch. It is as overwhelming as you ever imagined it would be.

Wanda nuzzles the back of your neck lightly and you slide your tongue against hers, changing the intensity of the kiss.

She sighs, pulling you down and you shiver as you rest your weight against her.

When you pull away to take a breath, your foreheads stay together.

"Wanda..." You start breathlessly, trying to decide what to say.

"I like you." She confesses in the same tone, her voice husky. You feel your heart race. "Is that okay?"

You let out a short laugh, nodding. You kiss her again, smiling against her lips. 

You kiss for several minutes, and when your lips are swollen and you are hot, you part. It's still early for this, you don't want to press Wanda.

"Maybe I should go to my room" You whisper against her lips, finding hard to reason with such closeness. Wanda kisses you again, making you sigh. You are almost giving up on the idea of getting up when she breaks the kiss, biting your lip as she does so.

"Goodnight, darling" She whispers and you melt at the nickname, but smile, starting to get up. Wanda is still lying there, just as affected by the make-out session as you are, and you just smile shyly at her as you say goodnight and go back to your room.

You both have silly smiles on your faces as you fall asleep.

//-//

There is a delicious tension in your relationship with Wanda now.

You got up early on your last day, and went into the kitchen to make breakfast for the two of you. While you were preparing coffee, Wanda woke up.

She stretched, and seemed to hesitate slightly about what to do next, but you were already handing her a cup of coffee and kissing her cheek before walking over to the table. 

You sit in silence, glances and smiles stolen between the small talk.

When you have finished eating, you turn on the television, and Wanda sits down next to you. 

"Come here" you ask softly, and she smiles as she approaches, cuddling up to you. You watch some silly movie together, and you like to feel Wanda laughing against you.

In the afternoon, Wanda is the one who prepares lunch, and you lean on the counter when you finally decide to look at your cell phone. You sigh as you look at the number of missed calls and notifications. There are at least a dozen messages from Sam saying that something was wrong.

"What is it?" Wanda asks when she notices your expression.

"Dever calling us" You reply with a mixture of weariness and irony, shaking the cell phone. Wanda exchanges an understanding look with you, and you put the cell phone on the counter, sinking your face into your hands. She gives the pot one last check, and you are slightly startled when she moves in front of you, gently pulling your hands away from your face.

"I just wanted to stay here forever" You confess and let out a short laugh "I know it's selfish, but I just... it feels like my whole life I've been fighting." You tell her with a sad smile. "This must be the most at peace and content I've felt in a long time"

Wanda raises her hands to caress your cheeks.

"It's not selfish." She says tenderly. "I know exactly how it feels, darling. Ever since I was a child, Pietro and I went from one fight to another." She tells you and you let your hands rest against her waist. "I can't thank you enough for giving me moments like that."

You smile, shaking your head slightly. Then you sink your face into Wanda's neck and she hugs you back.

Now that your cell phone is no longer on silent, it doesn't take long for another call to come in. You grumble when you let go of Wanda to answer it. 

Sam is saying something about a new Captain America and you are frowning, but smile when Wanda presses her fingers against your forehead to get you to stop grimacing.

"Are you listening to me?" Sam asks half impatiently on the other end of the line. You had been silent because Wanda is the most beautiful woman you have ever seen and she is standing right in front of you, smiling.

"Of course, Sammy." You then reply, raising your free hand to Wanda's cheek caressing her skin. "I'll come back to the compound tonight and then we'll talk better."

"Okay, just hurry please." He asks and looks tired. "Things are a mess".

You hang up and move forward, kissing Wanda intensely. She sighs against your lips, and you wish you could call Sam again and tell him you're not going anywhere. 

//-//

When you return to the compound again there is a lot of work.

You find out that Sam is going to become the new Captain America and you couldn't be prouder.

You are no stranger to the idea that he should be the new leader of the Avengers, as Steve was. It feels right and you tell him so.

He seems surprised that you refuse the leadership, but you assure him that it was never really your thing, you would be happy in solo missions and other activities. 

Besides this, things with Wanda were going in a direction you never imagined.

Part of you kept repeating that she would never look at you if Vision were alive, but you suppress these thoughts as much as you can.

You start going out frequently, casual encounters that leave you two with flushed cheeks and racing hearts. There are some kisses. But in general, Wanda is already so much a part of your life that nothing has really changed. You live together in the complex, and spend almost all your free time together. 

There are many missions now, many people needing help.

Four months after you started to go out, Shuri calls you.

She apologizes for not getting in touch sooner, explaining how complicated things have become in Wakanda as well. You assure her that it's okay and that you would like to visit her when you can. She has a mysterious tone when she says that she needs your help with a project, and that she would have more information in a few days. You are curious and thoughtful as you hang up the cell phone and walk back to your room.

Wanda is strangely quiet the next day. You don't understand what is going on, but when you check the calendar, you bite the inside of your cheek. It was the anniversary of Vision's death. For you it had been five years, but for her, only a few months. Sighing sadly, you prepare something hot for her to eat.

When you arrive in her room, she has a sad and thoughtful countenance and is slightly startled when you enter without knocking, but you just smile and put the tray of soup on the table.

"I brought you some food, baby" You say tenderly and Wanda looks at you just for a moment. You notice a piece of paper in her hands and have a curious expression. "What's that?"

Wanda's eyes immediately fill with tears, and you blink in concern. She holds out the paper to you.

It is a house plan. It is stamped "property sold" with the date close to when you traveled to the cottage. You understand where the money came from now. But what catches your eye is the scrawl in red in the center, which reads "To grow old together, V."

Swallowing dryly, you fold the paper again, leaving it on the table before returning to Wanda.

"I'm sorry, I just... I just miss him and it seems like everything changed all at once"

"No, Wanda. It's okay." You assure her as you sit up and wrap her in a hug, which made her cry, but also relax her immediately. "I wish I could take this pain away from you, but I can't. I'm really sorry for the life you two couldn't live together."

Wanda sobs against your T-shirt and while you soothe her to sleep, you decide what you are going to do.

//-//

Shuri called. So you were going to Wakanda, Bucky next to you on the plane. 

You teased him one last time about his new name "white wolf" before you got off.

You hugged your friend tight before you two left for the laboratory.

"I managed to recover the wreckage of your machine" She tells you with animation. You push down any insecurity as you smile, and hand her the projects that have been locked away in your room for five years.

You will work together again. It will take some time, due to the amount of tasks, but you will have this as your main project.

After three days, you and Bucky return home.

Before you enter the compound, he calls out to you.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks with a worried look, you nod.

"They belong together, Buck." You say with a bitter taste in your mouth. Bucky has an almost pitying look on his face and you hate it, so you are changing your stance. "Don't say anything to Wanda, though. I can't give her hopes like that and fail. She can only know if I succeed."

Bucky nods in understanding and you walk back.

//-//

Your heart and your body belong completely to Wanda Maximoff. You eventually realize this when you return to the compound, and even though you are secretly working to resurrect her dead boyfriend, you can't resist her.

Perhaps the best choice would have been to end things between you, but all you can do is completely melt in her presence. You laugh at her jokes, engage in her conversations, and fall apart in her kisses.

The trips to Wakanda become more frequent over the next month, and you begin to miss Wanda terribly when you are away, but you use this frustration to work.

It's May, and you'll need to travel again just three days after you arrive, and by the way things are going well, this should be your last trip to Wakanda. 

"Okay, Shuri, thanks for letting me know. I'll get everything ready." You tell her through the hologram in your room and she smiles before hanging up. You are startled when you notice Wanda at the door.

"Are you leaving again?" She asks annoyed and you nod sadly. 

You hope that Wanda will not be as upset as she has been the last few times. You obviously don't tell her the reason you go to Wakanda so much, and Bucky covers for you by saying it was confidential. It has been enough to maintain the logic that the less people knew, the less dangerous it was, and Wanda believes it.

"I'll call you while I'm there" You tell her trying to soften her annoyance as she walks into her room closing the door.

"It's not the same." She mumbles moving closer only to pass her arms around your torso. "I miss you."

You feel your heart soar as you hug her back. You know that the sentence refers to the new distance you have put between you, and part of you wants to confess everything. But you hold your words back.

"Everything is going to be okay, Wanda." You tell her disguising any sign of your recent need to cry. "This is going to be the last time."

Wanda then releases you, looking at you tenderly. You smile back, and she moves in to kiss you.

You know those kisses. The ones she only gives when you are alone, or when you have been apart too long. Kisses that are dangerous to cross barriers that you didn't know if she was ready to cross, and that also make your body hot and take your breath away.

Going out for almost seven months, this was the only line you hadn't crossed yet. Honestly, your cuddling sessions were borderline. But there were so many other things about your relationship that sex really wasn't the focal point. 

And then you had Wanda kissing you like this and you couldn't resist.

Letting your hands slide down her body, you felt her sigh against your lips as you squeezed her ass, pressing her forward against you.

You began to walk with Wanda around the room, exchanging passionate, hot kisses, until she stumbled on the bed and you fell over her body on the mattress.

When your clothes came off, you reached for one of her hands and entwined it in yours on top of her head, kissing her neck as you trembled at the sound of her moans.

Wanda came on your fingers, moaning your name with her eyes closed and mouth open as you kept your free hand entwined in hers. You looked at her with adoration, thinking she was absolutely perfect.

You came against her thigh, and then she came in your mouth a few moments later. You repeated it one more time until your bodies were too tired to do it again. 

You woke up first the next day, and while preparing coffee, you felt your face getting wet. You were going to lose her again. But you quickly wiped the tears away. She was never really yours to lose.

//-//

Bucky didn't come back to Wakanda with you, and you figured he had some other mission. You also insinuated that he was spending a lot of time outside the compound with Sam, and laughed when he got flushed and told you to go fuck yourself.

When you arrived at Shuri's lab, you didn't sleep properly for two weeks.

//-//

Non-Reader Pov

Bucky nodded slightly when Wanda entered the kitchen. She had been really upset these days, feeling lonely. But Y/N made the soldier promise to check on her girlfriend often and keep her company, so that's exactly what he's been doing.

After coffee, he suggested that they walk around the compound for a while, and the witch accepted.

"You know, I think Nat would like to see you two together." Commented the soldier with a smile. Wanda grumbled in agreement, slightly distracted, but then she assumed a confused expression.

"What do you mean?" She asked and Bucky blinked curiously. "How did Nat know that Y/N liked me?"

Bucky let out a short laugh also confused by the conversation.

"What do you mean, Wanda? Everyone knew all along."

Wanda stops walking, blinking with confusion.

"Bucky, what? No, Y/N and I only fell in love after Thanos, what do you..."

Bucky laughs in disbelief and confusion.

"Whoa, she really didn't tell you." He says surprised and at Wanda's expression, he straightens his posture, putting his hands in his pockets as he looks at her. "Look, maybe it wasn't the best idea for me to be the one to tell you, but I imagine since you're together now it won't make much difference." He says, sighing slightly. "She's been in love with you ever since you joined the Avengers. You were the reason she fought alongside Steve when he defied the law for me. Everyone always knew."

Wanda shook her head, surprised and incredulous.

"Bucky what are you saying?" Wanda muttered more to herself than to the soldier. Bucky just looked at her curiously.

"All these years, and you never knew." He said surprised.

Wanda felt her eyes fill with tears.

"But... Why didn't she say anything?" She asked holding back the tears. "I... She's been with me all this time, and... how could she not have said anything?"

Bucky shrugged. 

"You had Vision, Wanda. She didn't want to make things awkward." He says. "She used to tell Natasha that loving you was enough. She never needed you to love her back."

Wanda gasps in surprise and cries, running her hands through her hair. Thousands of memories flashing through her mind at once. All the times Y/N was by her side, their escapes from the tower, their pranks, their jokes. The way she always stood up for her, helped her on missions, in training. How she blew up the TV set in the briefing room the day the government agent broadcast the report of what happened on Sokovia to the team in an attempt to shock them with Wanda's mistake. Pietro's grave, the way she took care of everything and assured Wanda that she was happy to help. But mostly in the way she always smiled when Wanda told her about Vision, how she supported her when they were on the run, and how she didn't leave her side when she was grieving. 

Wanda couldn't imagine how much it must have hurt to watch the person you love, loving someone else.

Wanda let out a dry laugh, finally letting the tears flow. 

"All this time, and she loved me in secret." She mumbles breathlessly. "How could she bear it?"

Bucky looked away.

"Well, she's always tougher than most."

Wanda shook her head, laughing sadly.

"Take me to Wakanda."

//-//

Reader Pov

You did it.

"Shuri, is this really happening?" You ask with a mixture of surprise and excitement. Your eyes completely glaze over in front of you. 

The door to the machine you created then opened, a metallic noise filling the room. It took the machine man a few seconds to open his eyes, and when he did you held your breath.

"You really did it." Shuri said to you impressed and looking forward as well.

"We did." You retorted taking a step towards the being that was looking at you with curiosity. He seemed to be getting used to the idea of being online again. "Vision?"

The question escaped your lips firmly, although your heart was racing.

Vision moved out of the machine, looking around.

"I'm confused." The male voice filled the room. "I think I've been asleep. My last memory is of a field."

You gasp, feeling your eyes fill with water.

"I can't believe you're here, buddy" You tell him, stepping forward to hug him. Vision doesn't respond however, still appearing to be in shock.

When you let go, you are smiling.

"I'll explain everything to you, Vis."

Shuri leads you to a meeting room, and she keeps checking Vision's functionality signals while you talk for a bit. You tell him about the blip, about his death, and a little about Thanos. He is different, maybe it is the stone. He seems more mechanical and logical than ever, talking about statistics and asking about social impacts. You just think he needs to get used to the world again.

"There's someone coming to see you" Shuri announces after a moment while fiddling with her computer. 

"T'Challa wants to check if we are eating properly again?" You joke and Shuri laughs, but then she frowns.

"Actually it's..."

The door to the room then opens. You get up from your armchair in surprise to see Wanda standing there. She looks at you with adoration in her eyes, but her expression falls completely when she notices who is beside you.

Her face is a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and confusion. You swallow dryly, ignoring the urge to cry, and force yourself to smile shyly.

Wanda walks towards you slowly.

"I've been working to bring him back, Wanda." You explain in a husky voice. "To bring him back to you."

Wanda's eyes are filled with tears, and she gasps as Vision rises from the armchair, looking at her curiously. 

"How...?" Wanda asks breathlessly, but she sobs then moves forward to embrace the robot. 

You feel your heart break, because it is over. You smile however, nodding to Shuri lightly as you leave the two of them alone.

When you reach the hallway, your hands and legs are shaking and you lean on the wall to keep from falling to the floor. Bucky is joining the two of you as Shuri looks at you with concern.

"Everything okay?" She asks touching your arm lightly. You nod frantically.

"I did what I had to do." You say breathlessly, holding back tears. "She...She's happy."

Bucky exchanges a look with Shuri and then he is asking if he can hug you. You nod slightly and when he does, you collapse.

//-//

You are avoiding Wanda.

It's childish, but you feel your heart ache every time you think about seeing her, so you're trying to buy time to only talk to her again when you can show that you're happy for her.

It has been two days since she arrived in Wakanda.

You and Bucky are in rooms in the same hallway, and you know that Shuri has set up facilities for Vision and Wanda to be together. You haven't seen her yet, and it's all due to the fact that you accepted whatever task the king had to keep you well away from the castle.

You returned very late to your room on the third day, and Bucky was waiting for you in the hallway.

"You two need to talk." He said, following you into the room as you sighed.

"I know, Buck." You grumble taking off your jacket. "I just need time, I...I think I'll crumble if I see her again"

Bucky runs his hand across his face, slightly impatient. 

"No, you don't understand." He says. "You just brought her dead boyfriend back, you can't just ignore her."

You throw yourself on the bed, closing your eyes.

"I'm really considering alcoholism now." You grumble, and Bucky laughs lightly. 

"Talk to her." He says before turning to leave.

You take a while to fall asleep after that.

//-//

You see Wanda again. At a safe distance. Your heart feels like it is going to jump out of your chest.

She and Vision go out for a walk just before lunchtime. You look at them from the balcony, their silhouettes in the field of flowers. It's beautiful. You don't realize that you are crying.

Walking to Shuri's labs, you intend to accept some project, but she has a worried look on her face when she looks at you.

" There' s something wrong." She comments by showing you a graph that you don't understand at first. "While you were behaving like a child, we had some problems." The teasing makes you blush slightly, but you are too worried to respond. 

"What happened?"

Shuri sighs weakly.

"Wanda and Vision talked for a few hours. And then she realized what we didn't anticipate." She explained as she changed the chart. "Without the mind stone, Vision is just a computer program. There's nothing human in him anymore."

You blinked in confusion, and let out a short laugh.

"What are you talking about?" You ask, but before she answers you are talking again. "Vision was always a computer. His love for Wanda was his humanity."

Shuri shook her head in the negative.

"The mind stone created a connection with Wanda." She explained. "Without it, he is just a set of algorithms. He remembers everything he experienced, but he can no longer feel."

You gasp in surprise and then sit down on the floor, trying to understand exactly what you had done.

"I think our mistake was not accepting death." Shuri said after a while. "We can't reverse something like that. We should know."

"I can't believe I did that." You commented with a dry laugh. "I brought him back only for her to lose him again. My god what the fuck is wrong with me?"

Shuri walked over to you, kneeling in front of you, and placing a hand on your knee.

"You didn't know, okay?" She said trying to reassure you. " Your intentions were the best".

"That doesn't matter now". You grumble bitterly.

Eventually you get up, and decide that you should apologize.

Shuri tells you that she will handle everything with Vision, that she would ask him if he would like to continue to exist, if he had a purpose, or if he would like to be deactivated. You told her to make sure that he knew that he would always have a place on the Avengers team, and she smiled saying that Wakanda would also accept him.

//-//

Your heart was racing when you knocked on Wanda's door.

She used her powers to open it, and you walked in, finding her sitting on the bed, pensive.

"You finally decided to talk to me." She teased looking at the television. You swallowed dryly, twiddling your fingers nervously.

"I talked to Shuri." You begin with emotion showing in your voice. "She told me about...about everything. I'm so sorry Wanda." You cry. "I didn't know this was going to happen, I didn't mean to hurt you..."

Wanda blinks confusedly getting up as she approaches you, raising her hands to your face.

"It's okay." She assures wiping away your tears.

"No, it isn't. I brought him back only for you to lose him again, I can't believe I could do that to you, I'm sorry..."

"Stop. No." Wanda says shaking her head, her eyes filled with tears. She swallows her emotion as she looks at you tenderly. "You gave me a chance to say goodbye to him."

"Wanda..."

"I didn't have that chance before." She continues with a sad smile, "I am grateful for it."

"W-what?" you sigh breathlessly with incredulity.

Wanda smiled, stroking your cheek lightly.

"All this time, and you've been loving me in secret." She spoke tenderly, and you felt your face heat up.

"How...?"

"It doesn't matter." She interrupts shaking her head slightly, the look in her eyes is one of pure adoration. "I still don't understand how you can hide this from me, and..."

You shake your head, letting the tears flow.

"I just wanted you to be happy, Wanda." You interrupt with a smile. "It didn't have to be with me."

Wanda gasps slightly, and moves forward to kiss you on the mouth. The kiss doesn't last long, however, and she breaks away to bring your foreheads together.

"I love you." Wanda whispers against your lips, you sigh in surprise. "Sorry it took so long."

You let out a short laugh, hugging her. When she hooks her arms around your neck, you lift her off the ground, and Wanda lets out a giggle. You spin around, smiling, your chest exploding with happiness. 

//-//

On your last day in Wakanda, you visit Vision.

He is in one of the castle rooms, looking contemplative, and pours you a cup of tea.

After you talk about what he wants to become, you hug him goodbye and he looks at you curiously.

"I never directly asked you what your motivation was for doing all this." Vision begins with a curious posture. "Shuri told me about your affection for Wanda, but I never understood precisely."

You look away from the floor, kind of awkwardly.

"I thought you two were soulmates." You say to him, and Vision observes you for a few seconds before speaking.

"How could we be soul mates, if I never had a soul?" He asks and you raise your face in surprise. Vision just smiles slightly as he puts his hand on your shoulder. "I wish you had told her how you felt in the beginning. It would have prevented so much suffering."

"Hey, we would feel your loss even if Wanda liked me..."

"I was talking about you." He interrupts with a smile and you fall silent, not knowing what to say next. "I hope you'll be happy together. You have a high level of compatibility."

You laughed at the mechanical way Vision spoke and gave him one last hug before leaving in farewell.

//-//

You return to Wakanda the following year. Many things are different now, from your address, to Wanda's rings, and your last names.

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[mviswidow]

i'm glad you texted me; part two

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Word Count: 1.2k

Prompt: Hii! Im not sure if you are taking requests but could you write a sequel to Im glad you texted me maybe where R realizes that she has feelings for Wanda and it makes Wanda all happy and giddy 🥺🥺.

part one

You woke up confused after a dream about making out with Wanda that made your head want to explode. You became alarmed when you realized the arm around you was hers, the hand you were holding: also hers, and the leg in between yours also belonged to her.

You closed your eyes and took a few deep breaths, smoothing your hair back, before you did your best to untangle your limbs without waking her up.

Carefully, you made your way to the bathroom and closed the door behind you before sighing, washing your face, and looking at yourself in the mirror. Did you like her? Since when is this a thing? Is this why Nat always teases you about - oh my god, you totally like her. You groaned quietly, putting your head in your hands, your thoughts overwhelming you. All you could do was pray that Wanda wasn’t awake because you were sure as hell that if she was, she’d be able to hear what you were thinking.

You went through your top drawer to find your hairbrush and brush through your hair before brushing your teeth. You put your things away and your eyes flicked over to the other side of the bathroom counter, where she kept her toothbrush. The one she used when she slept over in your room.

Did she like you back? Your heart raced at the idea and you couldn’t believe that you thought thinking about whether or not her lips were soft could be ‘casual’. Wanda was beautiful, like- absolutely, incredibly stunning. There was no doubt about it. You loved everything about her, you just hoped she was feeling the same way you did.

Something about the disappointed look on her face before she noticed you’d opened the door and come back in told you that maybe she did.

Her eyes lit up when she saw you and she smiled without hesitation, holding her hands out for a hug.

You giggled and complied, although your pulse was pounding in your ears. Her chest pressed against yours as you sat in her lap felt different now and you felt a little guilty for thinking about her this way when you hadn’t had a conversation about how you felt about each other.

“I thought you left,” she admitted, fingers twirling the ends of your hair mindlessly.

You shook your head, “How could I do that when we’re supposed to spend the day together?”

She smiled brightly, the corners of her eyes crinkling a little, and ducked her head, “You’re right, sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Wands,” you eased yourself off of her and stretched your arms up for a moment. “Go get ready, alright? I’ll make us breakfast after I change. Maybe if you don’t take forever to get ready it won't be cold this time,” you teased.

Wanda snickered while rolling her eyes and walking past you, “Okay, Ms Y/L/N. I’ll see you in a bit.”

You waited until she closed the door on her way out to release a breath you’d been holding and you tugged a change of clothes on, settling on something casual, a simple long sleeved shirt and nice jeans.

You looked around your room and grabbed your phone, shoving it in your back pocket, and looked at yourself in the mirror for a moment before leaving your room and racing down the corridor to Natasha’s room as quietly as you could.

You knocked insistently until she opened the door with a glare, but her lips turned up in a smirk when she saw your flustered expression, and you had a feeling she knew what this was about.

She let you in, closed the door, and made the way to her bed with crossed arms and a raised brow, “Are you here to admit something?”

You groaned and ran your fingers through your hair, “I like Wanda.”

A smile spread on her face and you avoided her gaze, letting your eyes drop to the floor as you leaned against the wall, “Finally. I thought she was going to figure out you liked her before you did.”

Whining dramatically, you said, “God, is it really that obvious?”

Nat scoffed, smile still intact, “Oh, definitely. Everyone on the team knows. You guys stare at each other all day. And during missions you’re all like, ‘I thought you might die! I’m so glad you’re okay, please marry-’”

“Okay, I get it,” you grumbled, sinking down to the floor and hugging your knees.

“Listen, just ask her out,” she sighed, expression softening as she got off the bed to sit across from you. She took your hand in hers and rubbed your knuckles, “You make her really happy, Y/n/n. And I know you love her a lot. You both deserve this. Wanda’s been through a lot and I think she’s too afraid to tell you how she feels. I mean, I know even if you didn’t like her back you wouldn’t push her away, but she’s lost a lot of people. I don’t know how she’d react if she lost you, too.”

You chewed the inside of your bottom lip and nodded, “You’re right. Thank you, Tasha.”

Natasha smiled again before standing, tugging your arm to get you standing, and pulling you into a quick hug, “Don’t mention it.”

“I’ll see you later,” you waved as you opened the door and made your way to the kitchen.

You’d finished making breakfast in a short 10 minutes and set Wanda’s plate of blueberry pancakes in front of her usual seat as you took a bite of what you’d cooked for yourself.

Surprisingly, Wanda finished getting ready quickly and made it into the kitchen shortly after you put water bottles in front of her seat and in front of you.

You smiled, seeing her tuck her hair behind her ears as she walked in wearing a dark blue dress and her usual combat boots, “You look nice.”

You enjoyed observing the way she blushed while she sat down and hummed once she was able to smell the pancakes, “Thank you. You look really good- I mean, you look nice. Also.”

You raised an eyebrow and she cleared her throat, starting to stuff her mouth with the pancake so she didn’t have to talk to you.

“Do you feel any better?” you asked, watching her play with her rings nervously.

Wanda nodded, giving you a grateful smile. “I feel a lot better, my stomach ache is all gone.”

You stayed silent for a few moments, trying to psych yourself up enough to ask her, but she noticed your furrowed brow and pursed lips, “You okay?”

“I think I’m in love with you.”

Um, okay. Better to just get it all out at once, then?

Wanda dropped her fork as her eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened. You watched her mouth open before a hopeful smile broke out on her face, “Are you really?”

“I’m pretty sure, yeah,” you nodded, a nervous chuckle coming out.

“I’m definitely in love with you. Like, I have been for a long time,” she said, looking way less tense and nervous.

“I only just figured it out, but I know that you’re the most important person to me and I don’t think I’ve been caring about you in the normal friend way,” you bit your lip.

Wanda stood up and walked around the counter, pausing when she was a few feet away from you, “Can I kiss you?”

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[dmsden]

Pulling Teeth - Getting players to interact

Hullo, Gentle Readers. This week’s Question from a Denizen is one I think all DMs have struggled with now and again. The Anonymous submitter says, “Hello! I've been meaning to start a campaign online with a few friends, but even when prompted to make characters or give ideas or anything, they're silent. They express no interest at all, and in previous campaigns have behaved the same way. I want to kick them from the campaign so that they don't weigh down everyone's fun, but I have a hard time figuring out how without hurting anyone's feelings.”

I’m going to blunt about this one, because this is tough, but it needs some tough love. If you have people who are that difficult to pull into activity, then you have people who aren’t really interested in playing. I understand not wanting to hurt feelings, but you have to think about your own experience and your own feelings, too. As has been pointed out many times, the DM is a player, too, and you deserve to be having fun yourself.

If I found myself in this situation, I would have a one on one discussion with each player. Tell them how you’re feeling, and ask them if they actually want to play. Explain to them that, if they do, you need them to be engaged. You need some input from them, if only on the basics of what kind of character they want to play. You can’t decide things like that for them. They need to be involved and at least minimally invested.

The reason I recommend talking individually is that you don’t know what any given person might be going through. At the best of times, there can be job pressure, loss, depression, and other factors that could be contributing to the malaise you’re experiencing. And, to state the obvious, this is not the best of times. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but there’s a lot of fatigue as well from over a year of dealing with a deadly pandemic. I dealt with intense job drama and pressure, the loss of an old friend, depression, and more, and I know I came through in far better shape than many people.

So the person in question may be very interested in playing, but they may not be in the right headspace to be enthusiastic just this moment. They may not realize that you need the kind of input that a game needs. They may not realize you’re looking for info now, instead of a nebulous “down the road” time. A talk with them might reveal this...or it might reveal that they’re not actually interested. If the latter turns out to be the case, be cool about it. Tell them, “No harm, no foul.” Let them off the hook and look for another player who is interested. They might join you for a different game, or they may not. Either way, it is what it is.

If only one or two players are interested, you can seek more players, or just run an adventure for one or two players. You could use the Sidekick rules from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything to bulk out the party with NPCs who can help the group. Small groups can be fantastic. It might be the perfect time to play a roleplaying heavy game of intrigue, politics, and backstabbing, or a game that centers around a small group of rogues planning a heist. A small group is the best time to pull out something unusual that might not work in a larger game.

If no one is interested, then maybe this isn’t the best time to run a game, or at least not to run a game with these folks. Put things on hold. Play board games with your friends instead. Find a group to join via the many tools for finding games. Wizards of the Coast is running fairly regular virtual game tables, and you can get a fix that way. Check out Meetup.com to see if there’s a gaming group in your area that’s putting together players. Go on the Forums at D&D Beyond to see if you can find players, or check out the various Facebook groups for games. I see games being started all the time online, and I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding folks to game with.

I hope this helps, my Anonymous friend. Just remember that you can’t force enthusiasm on your players. If they’re not interested, no amount of cajoling, bargaining, or catering is going to make them interested. Sometimes, the answer is to walk away from the situation and come back to it another time. If you have any follow-up questions, let us know. Until then, may all your 20s be natural.