#everyone would collectively agree that natasha should’ve lived

[shitty-marvel-fan732]

“I’ll Be Here”

Title: “I’ll Be Here”

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female!reader

Warnings: Nightmares, insomnia, mentions of past trauma (nothing graphic)

Word Count: 4,800...because I have no self-control 

Summary: Y/N hasn’t been sleeping well, can Bucky find out why?

The first time I noticed Y/N's insomnia was during an early morning training session. 

She was off to the side, sparring with Natasha as I worked on strength training with Steve. The two women were on the mats, wrestling with one another. I should've been paying attention to the weights in my hands -- something Steve would no doubt scold me for soon -- but as usual I was more interested in watching Y/N. Not because I was totally infatuated with her or anything, just because she was acting a bit off. 

Right. 

Usually Y/N and Natasha were well matched; the two assassins typically sparred for nearly the entire session with neither one getting the upper hand for more than a few moments at a time. Today, however, Y/N was lagging. Natasha managed to pin her in just a few minutes. What's more, Y/N took a few seconds longer than usual to get back on her feet -- normally she was quick to hop up on the off-chance that she was knocked down, but today it seemed like she was moving in slow motion. Confusion rippled through me at the sight of the usually confident and collected assassin lying on the mat looking defeated and tired. Y/N and Natasha exchanged hushed words briefly before Y/N stomped off, grumbling to herself. 

I wasn't tired in the least -- namely because I hadn't even really been working for the last few minutes -- but I felt my curiosity slowly getting the best of me. I stalked off under the guise of getting some water, eyes trained on Y/N's hunched form. I sidled up to her as casually as I could manage and grabbed my bottle. She nodded curtly in recognition of my presence but didn't speak. 

I felt my eyebrows crinkle together in confusion. Y/N wasn't like the rest of the team -- impossibly chatty and self-assured, she was never crabby or tired during training. Realizing I hadn't kept up the act well at all, I sipped from my water almost robotically. While I sipped, I tried to subtly study her face, wondering what could possibly be causing her to act so out-of-character. I noted with concern the deep, purple circles under her eyes and the far off expression on her face.

I opened my mouth to question whether or not she was alright, but was abruptly cut-off by Steve's shout to get back to training. Rolling my eyes, I flashed Y/N one last look of concern before jogging off towards my friend. I'd have to file this encounter in my brain for later. 

After that I began to watch Y/N more closely, trying to figure out what it was that troubled her. She seemed to bounce back by the time I'd seen her later in the day, and I all but forgot my concerns. It wasn't until a few days later that her lack of sleep entered my consciousness once more. 

It was movie night in the tower, and I was bored out of my skull. Everyone had gathered in the tower's massive living room for the weekly event -- Sam and Tony were arguing over which movie to watch, Wanda and Vision were sitting practically on one another's laps as they chatted idly with Nat, Steve sat scribbling on yet another mission report, and Peter was hanging upside-down from the ceiling as he patiently waited for the movie to begin. I was sitting furthest from everyone else, keeping to myself and idly observing the various conversations, when Y/N wandered into the room. 

Though I still internally thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, it was instantaneously clear that something was wrong with Y/N. She looked similar to that morning in the training room -- large bags underneath each eye and a somewhat pained expression splayed across her features.  Maybe it was the way she seemed to move more slowly across the room or just her general aura of dishevelment, but whatever the case she just seemed off somehow. I felt myself growing more concerned by the moment. 

She plopped down into the spot next to me, and I instantly felt my heart rate pick up at the proximity. Heat flooded my face as my mind became a jumble, and I was suddenly thankful that the only other people with super hearing in the room were currently busy at the moment. I tried my best to stifle the stupid little flutters raging inside my belly as I murmured a 'hello'. Y/N rubbed her face tiredly before mustering up a smile and muttering a half-hearted greeting. 

"You doing okay doll?" I asked concernedly. She chuckled lightly, shifting a little in her seat so her head was leaning against my flesh arm. She settled into the position with an ease and familiarity that both warmed my heart and sent me into a panic all at once. 

It was strange, the effect Y/N had on me: on the one hand, she had this ability to calm my entire body with just a single touch, but on the other hand it also made my mind race with over-eager thoughts and feelings. Even now, the feel of the soft skin of her cheek through my shirt sleeve was enough to send tiny pricks of electricity throughout my entire body. But it wasn't the harsh, painful sensations my mind seemed to expect -- Y/N's touch was always gentle, welcomed. Even so, my mind raced with thoughts of why on earth she felt so relaxed around me. Was she just like this with everyone? Did it mean anything? 

"Just fine Buck," her half-joking reply broke me out of my mental musings. "Why, do I look ugly or something?" 

I immediately began floundering, shaking my head quickly and stuttering out apologies so fast I almost missed the soft giggles eminating from Y/N. Even though I was pretty sure she was kidding, I continued to ramble on, unwilling to let her think for a second that she was anything less than gorgeous. Thankfully, she only let me panic for a few moments before lifting her head fractionally and smiling at me. 

"S'okay Buck, I know what you meant," she chuckled amicably before settling back into my shoulder. "I'm alright, just tired as always."

If anyone would've asked, I would've sworn my face was on fire. I hummed lightly in response, not trusting my voice at the moment. Thankfully, Nat saved me further embarrassment by rolling her eyes and laughing. 

"Of course our little insomniac is tired," she quipped good-naturedly. "When's the last time you actually slept Y/N/N?"

I frowned down towards Y/N in concern. She just snickered at Natasha's question, flipping her off as she smiled sweetly. Nat chuckled once more, letting the subject drop and turning her attention back to her previous conversation. Evidently Tony and Sam had finally agreed on a movie, and the lights dimmed as the main titles began to play. 

"You're not sleeping?" I softly questioned. Even though she hadn't been moving before, I could still feel the way she stiffened at my question, and my concern grew. She recovered quickly however, turning her head just enough to look me in the face and shooting me a wary look. 

"Do any of us?" she questioned back. Her face was illuminated by the soft glow of the screen, eyes darkened with a look I couldn't quite place and features as vulnerable as I'd ever seen. The sight of her, so close to my face and so open all but took my breath away. I opened my mouth to respond --

"Hey lovebirds, can you quiet down over there?" Sam interrupted loudly. I tore my gaze away from Y/N to find the entire team looking over at Y/N and I with amused and expectant expressions. Y/N buried her face into my arm at the attention, clearly embarrassed. Unconsciously, my arm wrapped around her frame and pulled her deeper into my side. I glared at Sam and flipped him off with my free hand. He and the rest of the team chuckled before turning back to the movie. 

After the intrusion I was too distracted by the feel of Y/N being tucked into my body to question her any more. Also, she did end up falling asleep during the film, head resting gently across my chest and expression serene. She managed to sleep through the entirety of all 3 movies Tony insisted we watch. Normally I would've left part way through the first, but I would rather die than disturb Y/N as she peacefully slept. She clearly needed it, and the fact that she was cuddled up to me as she did it was just a happy coincidence. 

I chalked her lack of sleep up to a generational difference. Maybe millennials had just learned to get by with less sleep? I wasn't totally up to date with the ins-and-outs of this new generation, but I was fairly sure that insomnia was a common problem. People could say what they liked about them, but I was honestly blown away by the amount of shit that people in this age had to deal with. College cost more than a house would've back in my day, employers were getting pickier and pickier about who got a job, and there was a near-constant threat of some kind of world-wide disaster at any given moment. Not to mention the fact that apparently the arctic was melting? Global warming disturbed me to no end, especially since it was one of the only reasons Steve had been found in the first place. Of course people slept less easily these days, why would Y/N be an exception? 

Currently, we were on our way back from a routine mission. We were the only ones on the Quinjet, sitting across from one another as we flew home. Neither of us said much, both happy to decompress from things silently. 

Studying her face as we sat, I felt the familiar feeling of concern bubble up in my chest at the sight. Her eyes were almost bloodshot, lids weighing heavily as she leaned against the side of the jet like she was fighting to keep them open. The purple bags that I'd first noted all those weeks ago had only seemed to have grown, now sagging low on her face which seemed paler than usual. Her expression was flat, mouth and brows drooping into a very uncharacteristic frown. 

Though I was worried, I wasn't willing to break the comfortable silence Y/N and I had created in the jet. I watched as her eyes fluttered shut and snapped open for a few minutes before she finally succumbed to her tiredness and fell asleep. I breathed out a sigh of relief I wasn't even aware I'd been holding in as I watched her struggle. I wasn't a religious man, but I was suddenly thankful to whatever god listening that she was actually getting some sleep. 

Settling back into my seat, I watched as she slept and internally planned a way to bring her out of the jet without waking her. Seemed simple enough -- she'd slept soundly enough all those weeks ago at movie night that I was able to gather her up into my arms and bring her to her room without waking her. It wasn't exactly difficult to convince myself to help her once more. Outside of the fact that I was legitimately becoming concerned about the amount of sleep she was getting, I would be lying if I said I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of having Y/N in my arms once more. Last time she'd cuddled into me so tightly, like a kitten curling up on your chest. If I concentrated hard enough I could practically still feel her warm body against my torso. The mere thought raised a light blush to my cheeks and made my legs start to lose strength. 

I seriously needed to get a grip. 

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I almost missed the sounds Y/N was making. The soft whimpers reminded me almost like the sounds dogs make as they dream -- small, high-pitched noises that squeaked from her lips as she slept. Her body was still slumped against the metal frame of the jet, but with one glance I could tell her posture had definitely tensed. Her fists were clenching and relaxing over and over, eyes squeezed closed tightly, and every now and then her whole body would jerk around. Fear and guilt pooled in the pit of my stomach as I realized what was happening. 

Y/N was having a nightmare. 

I froze for a moment, unsure what to do, until Y/N let out another cry of pain and terror, louder this time. My body was instantly by her side without even checking in with my brain first before moving. I pulled her onto my lap gently and began rubbing soothing patterns around the expanse of her back with my metal hand while the flesh one delicately cupped her face. She was trembling all over and her fists immediately wound their way into the fabric of my shirt and clenched as she hung on for dear life. 

After a few moments I decided I had to wake her. Whatever was going on in her head was clearly causing her immense fear, and it felt like my heart was breaking with each jerk of her body or whimper of pain. I began softly calling her name, hands still moving gently across her skin as I tried to rouse her. 

It didn't work. 

My gentle prying hadn't woken her in the slightest. In fact her movements had become even more erratic -- she was now thrashing in my arms, futilely trying to fight off whatever she was facing in her dream. Mind whirling, I gripped her tighter and began calling her name louder. 

She woke with a start. Her bloodshot eyes flew open and she instantly attacked me. Her fists flew quickly and landed solidly against my jaw as she scrambled off my lap. She jerked away, back landing against the farthest wall of the jet and posture defensive. Her eyes were wild with a kind of dangerous fire I recognized all too well. 

 I raised my hands up in surrender, not moving an inch from my place. 

“Y/N, it’s me. Bucky. You’re safe, it was just a dream,” I explained slowly. “You’re safe.”

Her eyes darted back and forth for a few seconds, and I could practically feel the realization seeping through her. The fog of terror from her nightmare was slowly fading from her face, giving way to a look of vulnerable confusion. 

“Bucky?” she breathed. Her chest was still heaving with each breath she took and her voice was small. Y/N’s eyes were wide as she searched my face for an answer, and I felt a wave of sympathy roll through me at the panicked, bewildered emotions that were written all over her face. I nodded slowly and began to lower my hands. Y/N sucked in a breath as the final flash of recognition crossed her features and she let out a sob. 

I was up in an instant, arms winding around her shaking body and lips murmuring encouraging words into her hair. I could feel her tears starting to soak through my shirt as she clung against my chest and sobbed. A deep, unsettling weight made it's home in my belly as I listened to her cries. I pushed the feeling down as I comforted her, trying everything I knew to end her anguish. 

Eventually her sobbing slowed, and the jet was silent once more, save for a few hiccups and sniffles every now and again. My hands were still absentmindedly rubbing against her back, but I took her silence as a good sign and I pulled my head back marginally so I could look at her more fully. 

The sight of Y/N's face almost broke my heart in two. Her normally clear skin was now tear-stained and covered in red and pink splotches, and the area under her eyes was puffy. Her mouth was set in a deep pout that didn't suit her at all. Worst of all was the look in her eyes -- her Y/E/C irises looked like a storm cloud, pain and despair swirling within them in a way I was all too familiar with. They looked like the way I often felt during my more dark moments, and the idea that she was feeling anything close to that twisted the rock-like knot even deeper into my lower belly. 

"Y/N…" I murmured emphatically. She sniffled, pulling one of her arms away from its place entangled in my shirt to rub some of the errant tears away from her face. I guided her gently back to one of the benches and we both sat without detangling ourselves from one another.

"Sorry," she whispered almost robotically. "I just...I had…". 

"A nightmare?" I supplied quietly. She nodded, body beginning to lean away from mine as if she was going to pull away. My grip on her tightened marginally, unwilling to let her go just yet. She seemed appreciative at the silent offer of support, and her head rolled back into the crook of my neck easily. 

"How long?" I asked evenly. Though I couldn't see her face anymore due to our position I could feel the way her body tensed at the query. My hands began running up and down her back once more, almost of their own accord. After a few moments her muscles relaxed a bit under my soothing touch, and I breathed a silent breath of relief at the progress. 

"Since Ultron, I guess," she whispered so quietly I almost missed it.  I felt my brows furrow even deeper at the admission -- Steve had filled me in about what had happened in Sokovia, but if I was recalling correctly that was almost 2 years ago. Guilt flooded my chest at the sheer length of time Y/N had been struggling without any help. 

 “I watched...there was a kid, and he…I couldn’t”

“You don’t have to tell me,” I cut her off quickly. Her only response was to burrow deeper into the crook of my neck, seemingly grateful to be spared the task of reliving the nightmare. Though the feeling of the soft skin of her face against my neck was enough to send those embarrassing flutters through my body, my mind was still working in overdrive to try and figure out a way to reduce Y/N’s pain. 

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I...I want to help". 

I felt Y/N's small smile against my neck and I shivered at the gentle movement of her lips. 

"I know you do Buck, but there's nothing to be done," she mumbled regretfully. Almost immediately afterwards she yawned and began stretching her limbs like a cat around my frame before settling back into my embrace. I couldn't help but chuckle fondly. 

The only sounds that filled the jet now were the soft whirring of the engines and the sound of the air passing by the outside as we flew. For a moment I wondered if Y/N had fallen asleep again, but the steady thrum of her heartbeat and the quiet yawns she let escape every now and again told me otherwise. After a few minutes of silence I quietly spoke up once more. 

"I get them too you know."

Y/N's face turned upwards just enough so she was looking me in the eyes. Her expression was guarded, but I could see the spark of curiosity in her eyes. 

"Really?" 

Even though her tone was nonchalant I could easily tell that she cared more about my response than she'd like to let on. I nodded, swallowing thickly and glancing away from her. 

"Yeah. I used to get them back during the war, but they really started up bad after everything with HYDRA," I explained as calmly as I could manage. I could practically feel the holes her eyes were burning into my face as she watched me intently. 

"I still get them sometimes but not as much.”

“Wh-what did you do to make them better?” she asked curiously. I shrugged. 

“I dunno. Therapy and time I guess,” I supplied. Her hopeful expression faltered slightly and guilt fanned through me. “Sorry, I know that’s not exactly what you probably wanted to hear.”

Y/N shook her head, yawning. 

"S'okay Buck, you're just being honest," she mumbled against my shoulder. "Wasn't exactly expecting an answer anyways."

She let out another huge yawn. My hands paused briefly on their circuit up and down the expanse of her back as a thought filtered through my mind. 

"You should sleep doll," I murmured softly against her hair. "I can tell you're exhausted."

Y/N yawned once more and shook her head stubbornly against my chest. 

"S'fine Buck. I've been worse." her soft voice filtered up, slightly muffled by the fabric of my shirt. I frowned. 

"Y/N…" I warned disapprovingly. 

"Seriously, I'm fine!" came her sleepy, half-hearted protest. "Besides, if I do it'll just…"

She trailed off, but the weight of what she was alluding to covered the air in the jet like a thick, wet blanket. The tension in my brows relaxed marginally as I was hit with another wave of sympathy. I tightened my grip on her body into what I hoped was a comforting embrace. My heart lifted and those damned butterflies erupted into a frenzy as I heard her sigh contently. Not even a beat later I felt her burrow herself even further into my arms and I couldn't help but smile at the feeling. 

"It's okay doll. I'm not going anywhere, I'll be here if it happens again," I ventured quietly. After a few moments of contemplation Y/N lifted her head from my chest, and I felt a flash of fear tear through my body. Maybe I'd crossed a line? What if she didn't appreciate my nagging, or thought I was overstepping the boundaries of the tentative friendship we had? I opened my mouth, poised and ready to spew apologies for intruding, but closed it seconds later as I caught the look on her face. 

Her Y/E/C eyes were wide, unshed tears lining them as she looked up at me. Her expression was one of pure adoration, full of hope and cautious optimism. The sight of it almost knocked all the breath out of my body. 

"Yo-you will?" she breathed, voice small and hopeful. Warmth filled my chest and I smiled. 

"Promise." I vowed. Her face split into a lopsided grin and her cheeks flushed with the most adorable pink splotches I'd ever seen. She held my gaze for a few moments longer before her face disappeared into the confines of my chest once more. I settled back into the side of the jet with Y/N's form still gathered closely in my arms, utterly content and pleased with the way things had turned out. 

In no time at all I heard her breaths begin to even out and the beating of her heart slow as she fell back asleep. I sat back, hands still absentmindedly running along her back as she slept with my mind racing as it tried to process the last few minutes. Normally after even the briefest interaction with Y/N my brain would be riddled with self-doubt and anxiety, over playing each second over again and internally cringing at my reactions. But it was hard to form any thoughts that were semi-coherent with her cuddled peacefully against my body. Instead, my mind was occupied by scanning every visible inch of her form, working desperately to try and commit the sights, sounds, and feelings to my memory. 

It didn't take long before the jet landed back at the tower. I paused momentarily before carefully gathering Y/N in my arms and walking out. I made a beeline for her room, ignoring or silencing any of the team we met along the way with a single glance. After the struggle on the jet I’d be damned if one of them woke her. Not that they really tried -- everyone backed off pretty quickly once they noticed Y/N’s sleeping form, irritatingly smug smirks plastered across their features. If it weren't for the sleeping beauty in my arms I was certain that any one of them would've had a litany of teasing comments at the ready. Especially Tony. Poor guy looked like he might have an aneurysm if he didn't get to spit whatever sarcastic jab his brain was cooking up out soon. 

Eventually I made it to her room, and settled her gently into her bed. 

It wasn’t easy. 

Even asleep Y/N was still one of the most stubborn people I knew. She grumbled petulantly in her sleep, and I practically had to pry her off my chest to get her onto the bed. Once I'd successfully detangled my shirt from her fingers' iron grip, I removed her combat boots and brought the covers up over her curled up form. She'd pay hell in the morning from Tony for sleeping in her dirty tac-gear and ruining the sheets, but I sure as hell wasn't about to wake her to change. After I was sure she was settled, I took one final glance at her peaceful face before turning to leave. I made it all the way to the door, finger hovering over the light switch, before I heard her. 

"You said you'd be here."

Y/N was sitting up in her bed, eyes half-lidded and palms rubbing against them tiredly as she piped up. I smiled unconsciously at the sight of her sleepy expression. 

"That I did," I chuckled softly. She raised an eyebrow curiously. 

“So stay here...” she murmured. “Please.”

I nodded, crossing the room once more and dragging her desk chair with me as I went. I set it down next to her bed and settled in before motioning for her to continue sleeping. She blinked a few times, amusement and exhaustion lacing her features. 

"No, you old man," she giggled quietly, patting the empty space next to her. "I meant here as in here."

Now it was my turn to blink in confusion. 

"O-oh," I stuttered. "Is that -- I mean if you want…"

Y/N chuckled again, clearly as amused by my floundering when half-asleep as she was when she was awake. 

"Just get in here Buck."

No need to tell me twice. I shucked off my boots and crawled into Y/N's bed beside her. I paused as I pulled her blankets over my body, uncertain as to what to do next. 

I mean, she seemed like she liked being in my arms back in the Quinjet, but maybe it was different now that we were in her bed? It certainly felt different -- even though the space between us couldn't have been more than a few inches at most, it felt like there was an entire country between Y/N and I. Things were too close, too intimate. I was powerless to make even a single move under the crushing weight of the implications thick in the air. And yet my fingers were twitching against her mattress as they fought the urge to wrap her up in my embrace once more. 

Evidently, Y/N noticed the distance between us. 

She rolled over to her side so that she was facing me. Though she still looked like she was having some trouble keeping her eyes open, there was a glint of mischief and some other emotion in them as she surveyed my frozen form. I glanced down at her briefly, muscles completely stiff and immobile as I silently wondered what the hell I was going to do next. 

Y/N giggled once more, the sound sending the butterflies in my core crazy. She mercifully closed the space between us as she settled into my side. Her head nestled against my chest and her arms threw themselves around my frame like I was a pillow. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief, muscles relaxing considerably as I wound my arms around her and pulled her flush into my side. 

"Thanks," she murmured sleepily. Her eyes were already closed and I could feel her heartbeat slowing as she fell asleep once more. 

"Anytime Doll," I whispered fondly, nose nuzzling into the hairs atop the crown of her head. I yawned, suddenly extremely aware of just how tired I was. I leaned my head down against Y/N's and closed my eyes too, sure that for once I'd be guaranteed a good night's sleep. 

#Bucky Barnes #James Buchanan Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky fanfic #bucky #bucky barnes x f!reader #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x reader fluff #bucky barnes imagine #bucky imagine #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky x y/n #bucky x female reader #the winter soldier #the winter solider imagine #marvel fanfiction #marvel one shot #Marvel MCU #mcu x reader #mcu imagine #MCU

[blindtaleteller]

GROUNDED: Favorite (ouch) exerpts : Ch. 5 - Youth

�� Something, happened. “

                             “ Question is  what.. “ from Clint was in business mode and leaned in closer behind him to try and keep it between them. Not that it would last long, with the crowd. “ ..isn’t that his doctor? The one that met us at the bridge? “ That, took Tony’s eyes further back down the great hall; and her appearance drew his brows together on his own face. Skirts up in her hands and running; straight for Thor when she saw him. Completely unlike Eir. Distraught. Almost a little panicked and, nearly out of breath: as though she had run all the way from Loki’s halls. “ Uhm.. maybe we should head over. “ from Natasha as the noise of the crowd picked up from that end. Sending the creeping feeling that much more securely up his spine.

  “  ...yeah.  “ wasn’t even fully out of his mouth before Thor and not just one; but every honor guard in the room started making the way she’d come at a similar run: and Eir raised her hand spotting them “ Anthony! “ she had to breathe, between after the run. “ It’s Loki! “ putting a stop on his heart and a thundering explosion of conversation to a start around him. He was moving without the need for another word. “Just him! We’re trying but.. “ and he was past her, making a full sprint for his Jaded Hall. He knew she was trying to be right behind him after that. Heard the sound of her footsteps as heavy on the tiles as his were, but faltering a bit.. Likely from the tire of the run just prior.

His head was in the worst possible places when he came down it. Passing not just his usual guard but the presence of most of Odin’s personal guard as well. Buzzing by twice the extra faces, spears and shields. The door to Lolo’s bedroom feeling too far away as he saw through the doors that had been left open and almost into the one beyond it, where one guard was leaning, trying to get a view of whatever was in there.

He had to slow down once he got to the sitting room door, he knew: if he wasn’t going to bowl past it and into the bed or anyone else inside. As it was, he very nearly ran straight into Iona; spooking her a little out of a look to somber for him to like it at all. “ How is he? “ the first thing breathed hard out of his mouth from the run. Tony  knew it sounded more demand than question, and took a few more breaths before taking her shoulders, forcing himself to be gentle with the freckled brunette and starting to move her aside. “ I’m sorry.. Sorry, Iona. Just.. I can’t take this roller coaster right now okay? Just tell me. “ He could hear other footsteps, a little slower, a little less quick, from the hall. A glance: Eir had fallen behind. “ Ser, I.. you must be quiet, please.. “

That didn’t help, and she snatched his arms; careful but firm. Caught his eyes from the turn they were making into that bedroom. “ He sleeps. “ okay and that calmed him for a moment until she said “ Again. “ in that particular way. With that particular look. “ My lady will.. Ser.  Go in.  My lady will explain what she can, when she joins you. “

He felt like the floor was crumbling out from under him. More so as he turned that way, and she the other; probably with the intent to meet Eir there in the foyer. It was quiet, but and as he came in, he could hear Thor’s tones. His eyes were stuck on that bed though. On the man who, had just the day before yesterday been smiling at and joking with him. He had, still looked frail in his sleep. Frail, but well; yes, beautiful. Still did right then. If not for the differences in stillness he’d come to recognize and even fear a little he might have expected him to just turn his head and yawn before sitting up. Dark hair against ivory pillows, against the near shade of his skin. The weight he’d lost though it didn’t seem as much when he was animated? That much more noticeable. “ ...you  must have known  how he would react, father;  why?  Why would press this,  now ; when you  know  he is not fully recovered? Eir,  and Iona, and  every healer  from the waters had warned us. You  knew-- “

          “ I thought I might reach through to him with reason. “ Fingers laid out over the quilt on either side. The monitor slipped back into place at the end of one. “ That  perhaps, he might see the futility of such attachments, where they lie now. “  Futility..?  “ That he would take even into better consideration his own health, for that matter. Take the offer; to mend his place  here, with  us.  “  The place you sent him out from not even in chains, but with chains in him?  “ With his family; his  own people. I was wrong. “

              “ Didn’t stop though, did you. “ was the sentence that made it out of his mouth. “ You pressed.  Kept  pressing.  Didn’t you?  Because the king’s got  to  have his way; whether it hurts or kills the people around him in the worst of ways;  isn’t that right? “ His eyes tore up the space between where he was on that bed, and where Thor and his father stood, nearer the window. Thor… actually surprised him a little in that he had a hold of his father’s coat at the front, was letting go of the bunching, white knuckled grip when he did. “ He said  something once, about the last time you lost your temper at him; really lost it. It hit me just now;  that’s what the feeling is I get from you. That’s what feels  so wrong, about you. That he felt that  every word  and  look  told him things he should’ve seen coming  a few ages  later. That he was happy and found it elsewhere, so  you would not be  until that happiness was in ashes if it wasn’t in your hands. “

                  “ Stark, you do not know what-- “

                                                             “ Thor,  leave us. “ cut thunder britches short. “ And take the guard with you. To the hall proper. “ allowed no interruption in the staring contest they were having, or for argument. “ I needs  have words  , with young Anthony.  Tell others; until such a time as the King  leaves  his son’s hall: none but Eir and her apprentice are to set foot  within.  “

          “ Father, Tony does not-- “

                                “ Do I: make myself,  clear? “ was almost growled at him, breaking briefly from his daggered gaze at Tony to ask Thor as a warning. “ Or, is there need to call Rorkin into these rooms to take you in hand: rather than vice versa? “

And that was that. Just the slightest hesitation, and Thor was on his way out without another word; the weight of his admonishment and more dragging behind him. Kicked puppy, just didn’t cover it. “ Close the  doors, on your way out. “ just as stony, though; as the old goat started to consider a seat on the windowsill, he did have the forethought to gentle it a bit. “ I’ve no want for our conversation to become a public affair. “

The door shut. Tony heard a conversation. Eir. Asking the big guy to go out with Iona,find their friends. To take them aside and explain what had happened. Odin met his eyes with the one he had left. Up through his brow and all but expressionless. He wondered briefly, if he could see the seething cold hate that was splintering up in him; while they waited for the blast radius to clear. There wasn’t another word for it. And he was tempted; really, terribly,  frighteningly tempted: to forget about the repulsors. Jolt forward. And shove the twisted old bastard back first out the open window behind him with his own two hands.

   He had to look away, just thinking it. If he did that; he couldn’t say who he was with certainty if, he did. And if he couldn’t.. He didn’t know who Lolo would wake to; but it wouldn’t be the same. For that, for him and for everyone else who mattered in his life.. The satisfaction wouldn’t be had. Focus on the man he’d come here for. Kept, coming here for.

        He was alive. There was that. But they’d had that conversation too, him and Eir. The possibilities and examples of how long, he could be like this. “ You just..  Couldn’t leave it   be.  Could you? “ snapped out the moment he heard the deeper in double click.The outermost door closing behind Odin’s blooded son.

            “ You don’t know him as I do. Nor will you ever,  truly.  He may, recover.. largely in part because of you.  Especially you; Anthony. “ Tony thought he heard a sound at the door, but ignored it in favor of trying not, to give into the back and forth pulse of rage. “ But in the end; if I let him  go:  if he lived out this  fantasy,  what then? “

                           “ How  we’re  connected, is  more  than a fantasy. And you  know it.  If it weren’t; you wouldn’t be  nearly  as threatened by how  close we are  now. “

                “ You’re right. “ Pulled Tony’s head back a little, maybe more so for the repeat in a much more gentle tone. “ You are, right. “ surprised him, just a little. But he was weary enough of Odin by now not to let his guard down. And the firmness in his words was back, though the softer tones were weaving into them with what Odin said next. “ A very smart man.. and yet you miss the point. You are what.. forty? Fifty at most? Charging, towards the beginning of the end of your prime. While, at thirty or forty times your years; Loki, has barely begun the first steps into his. “

                                   “ Thirty five point seven, actually. “ raised the old man’s brow. “ Times, my age. So. This is where it came from. “

                 “ I beg your pardon? “ It wasn’t funny, how the old man had just; pulled that almost-fistfight right back up in Tony’s mind, clear as day. Fresh as if it had been yesterday.

“ When we  came  to collect your  other  kid? His girlfriend, and you know: stop the-- “ a hand waved off towards the ceiling. “  --elves?  I got stuck sitting in on a  very   similar  argument between brothers. I  didn’t  agree with it then.  Broke my heart  hearing it, actually. Here he was, this guy;  alive as he was,  all the joy --even as twisted-sweet as it’d turned out--  all  , the joy to give when he.. doesn’t  even  try? And you  what?  Thumped into his head the idea that .. because  some  lives are shorter than yours, he should  ignore them?  Not  cherish  what he gets  while he’s got it?  “

And okay. All right, so that rage was.. Flipping into something else. And even though he had finally caught his breath after that dead run: it felt like it was still coming up short. “ How  dare  you. “ He opened his mouth, and Tony had to drive it in again. “  How, fucking dare   you   ; sir.  “

     “ You would rather that light were snuffed out watching you  die?  “ did, put a little skip to his thoughts. “ Mm. Yes.  That.  Even if you do not, die in battle;  what.  You would have him watch you wither, and age, and fall into weakness  before  death? “ He had nothing to that.  How could he still have nothing for that?  “ And, you  know  him yes?  His passion.  His  greed  too I think, keeping hold of  everything  he decides is his. Tell  me,  Anthony.. what would he turn to,  before  allowing that to happen? “

And … wasn’t that a thought. But worse was that he was able to pick out the immediate next in Tony’s. “ I think young man, that even those outside  might be able to guess that the better question would be;  what wouldn’t he , do? “

           “  Nothing.  “ Nothing, except: looking over at him right then? He couldn’t buy it. “ There’s not a damned thing, he  wouldn’t  do to keep what’s his, on his own. Not when it comes to  what matters ; but? “ Odin’s eye almost narrowed on him. He took a deep breath, and just .. let it go. Looked right back. Made sure he saw it. “ He’s  not  on his own.  Not any more.  “

            Eir chose that silent challenging moment to come in; closing the door quietly behind her. “ I suppose, not. Lady Eir. “

                    And Tony needed to know, in the interim. “ How’s he doing? “

     But the thing was; she didn’t answer. At all. His eyes had shifted back to Loki; when Odin had addressed her. The quiet though; pulled his head her way at a slow tug. More for the warning bells going off. Most men in a relationship know the kind. Well probably at least some women too, he thought. The ones where, you can’t see it; but feel the risings of a person’s temper so sharply once it’s in the room that, you just  know  when you look, that at least half of actual hell is about to break loose, and you’re pretty much dead if you get in it’s way?  Yeah. That kind of warning bell.

And when he did look? If he thought the stare-down between  him  and the old goat had been bad?  Nah, no comparison..  

         And that, was when Tony realized he was pretty much still in the ‘dead zone.’  And almost immediately took a step back, and then to the side. Because and hells if he  didn’t  have the experience; it was the nice, classy, and kind ones that  saved it all up  for a proper nuclear explosion when they got really pissed.

      “ Well? How is, he? “ was, not what he was expecting the same. Especially not from Loki’s physician? “ The boy can see for himself. “

“ Mm! I have eyes in my head as  well.  I know  very well  how I left this room; and this was not, out of  all things  what I expected to return to. “ only sort of confused Stark a little more...

Read All of Chapter Five on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26158483/chapters/64297735

#thinking about this one today #tony mad #Mixology #Lokiverse #GROUNDED #tony stark #frostiron #loki #loki x tony #tony x loki #frostiron fanfiction #pansexual characters #bisexual characters #angst

[loveforpreserumsteve]

Not Without You (Canon Divergence Stucky Fix-It-Fic)

Eight:

So, there was a change of plans. At first, Steve was sure that the compound was the best place. Where they could call some of the others who were off-planet and come up with a plan. Only, when Scott started theorizing about a possible time machine did Steve understand where they really needed to go.

Even if Steve did feel bad about bothering him at home.

With a blue Iron Man helmet in one hand and Morgan in the other, Tony paused on his way to the cabin when he spotted the van. A curious look was on his face before Steve opened the door. Really, Tony should've realized who it was considering he parked next to Natasha's black Audi, and only a select few knew where thee Tony Stark and Pepper Potts settled down.

"Uncle Steve!" Morgan cheerfully greeted, wiggling out from Tony's grasp as she raced over to him.

"Hey, Bug," Steve smiled, effortlessly lifting the little girl into his arms. Hugging her close as he looked past her to her father and asked, "Nat update you?"

"Yeah," Tony confirmed, displeased as he crossed his arms and briefly glanced down at the ground. Returning his attention when he heard the Langs climbing out of the van, he admitted, "When she told me who you were with, I thought you'd finally lost it."

As Morgan pet Steve's scruffy beard, Steve took her hand in his and playfully blew a raspberry to her palm before he conceded, "I thought I lost it too. This is Scott and his daughter, Cassie."

Kindly, Tony grinned and waved for the trio to follow him up the porch steps, "C'mon. Maguna and I were just about to have some lunch." Teasingly, he looked back at his daughter and joked, "A handful of crickets on a bed of lettuce."

On Steve's hip, Morgan exaggerated a look of disgust by scrunching her tiny face, and giggled when Steve mimicked her as he affectionately touched his forehead to hers. All the while, Cassie mocked, "Rich people eat the weirdest things."

Glancing over at her, Steve grinned and winked. Having grown fond of the teen within the last two and a half days, Steve even decided to drape his arm around her shoulders. Giving her a familial squeeze before dropping his arm, he gave Morgan's cheek a kiss then set her down.

"Wasn't expecting you until later," Nat greeted Steve, arms crossed along her chest and her longer hair braided behind her.

"Mr. Leadfoot here sped the entire way," Cassie answered, almost bashfully as she stared at Natasha in awe. Of course, knowing Natasha, he knew that it wasn't uncommon for people to be stunned by meeting Black Widow in the flesh.

"Captain Noble? Breaking a law?" Tony feigned skeptically as he lingered by the door. Peeking inside, he asked, "Food? Something to drink?"

"Sure," Cassie easily agreed, taking a seat on the outdoor furniture.

"That's really nice," Scott smiled, joining his daughter.

"Would you like some help?" Steve asked, lingering by the door along with Tony.

Tony smirked, "You're the one who will need help if you don't come say hi to Pepper, first."

Steve nodded and followed the shorter man into the house. Nonchalantly, Pepper was sitting comfortably on the sofa, reading. Steve was always pleasantly surprised with how easy the Stark-Potts lives had gotten since stepping away from avenging. Of course, Steve imagined that if Bucky had survived, they would've also settled down in a cabin that Steve built.

"Here's our favorite lumberjack," Pepper greeted with a warm smile as she bookmarked the novel. Gazing up at a disheveled Steve, she commented, "Long time, no see."

Heat spread across the apples of his cheeks, and Steve scratched at the back of his neck as he apologized, "Sorry, Pep. You know I was on a… mission."

"No need to apologize, big guy," Tony surprisingly assured, patting Steve's broad shoulder on his way to the kitchen. Pulling down some glasses and a tray, Tony informed, "Everyone deserves a year of self-discovery. Or five."

A smile tugged at his lips as he looked down at his boots. Although they all knew Steve wasn't searching for himself, Steve liked the sound of that better than what it really was. Especially with how pathetic the truth made him appear. Pity even colored Pepper's expression because she knew it too. Of course, she, herself, had been desperate like Steve once. Okay, more than once, Steve allowed. Tony, after all, did have a habit of narrowly escaping death.

When Steve heard the sound of a blender, he snapped his attention over to Tony. While it had taken a while for Steve to get used to the taste of some of the health shakes that Tony made the team, he'd be lying if he denied that he missed them. He had even bought a blender and tried to make them, but could never get the proportions right.

"Now, get over here and put those muscles to good use," Tony teased, as he poured the blended beverage into a pitcher. Placing it on the tray with the glasses and waiting for Steve to carry it back outside.

Following Tony, and smiling down at Morgan, Steve set the tray on the table. Casually noting how Scott was pacing and Cassie was sitting on the edge of her seat as though she was about to jump up at any minute to either stop her father, or join him. Glancing over at Nat, he could tell that she was figuring out what to do too.

Kneeling, Tony got to eye level with Morgan and suggested, "How 'bout you pick out some pretend clothes for later?"

"Okay!" Morgan quickly agreed, rushing inside of the house.

As he straightened out, Tony crossed his arms and gestured, "Alright, let's hear it."

Nodding to himself, Scott quickly went into relaying the Quantum Realm and how one has to be really, really, really small to get there. Having already heard it the night before, Steve didn't pay too much attention to Scott's explanation of how long it felt versus how long it actually was. Instead of getting his hopes up at the suggestion of time travel -- actual time travel! -- Steve chose to pour himself some of the healthy shake. Catching Cassie's eye, he poured her some too.

"Now, we know what it sounds like," Scott finished, eagerly studying Tony.

"Tony," Natasha started, "After everything you've seen, is anything really impossible?"

"You're telling me this doesn't sound crazy?" Tony questioned, quirking a brow at her.

A smirk played at her lips as she reminded, "I get e-mails from a raccoon, so nothing sounds crazy anymore."

Tony silently agreed with that, still not looking convinced. Especially as he argued, "Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck Scale. Which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition. Can we agree on that?"

While Tony looked over them, he took their silence as confusion, and he wasn't really that far off.  Steve, for one, didn't know what they were talking about. So, Tony reiterated, "In Layman's terms, it means you're not coming home."

"I did," Scott protested.

"No," Tony corrected, "You accidentally survived. It's a billion to one cosmic fluke. And now you wanna pull off a… What do you call it?"

Holding her head held high, Cassie proudly answered, "A time heist."

"Yeah, a time heist," Tony confirmed, his tone softening with the teen. Steve looked down at his shake, not wanting to see the hurt and defeat on his teammate's face from the memory of the teens he lost.

Then, in a moment, Tony's stance and expression hardened. Always choosing aggression whenever hurt, and now was no different as he mocked, "Of course, why didn't we think of this before? Oh, because it's laughable? Because it's a pipedream?"

Cassie's jaw clenched, but she didn't sass. Instead, she kept her focus on her untouched drink and tried to reason, "There are stones in the past. We can go back and get them."

"We can snap our own fingers," Natasha added.

"Bring everyone back," Steve softly tacked on.

"Or," Tony dissented, "Screw it up worse than he already has, right?"

"I don't believe we would," Steve refrained from clenching his jaw. Desperately needing Tony to see the smallest of possibilities. It was the only thing keeping Steve holding on. If this didn't work, he didn't know what he'd do.

Sadly, Tony smiled at Steve as he admitted, "Gotta say, sometimes I miss that giddy optimism. However, high hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said time heist. I believe the most likely outcome would be our collective demise."

And just like that, Steve could feel the last bits of his heart shatter. Although Steve and Tony didn't always see eye-to-eye, Steve still cared for Tony. Hell, in a different life, he would've been Uncle Steve to him too. Always trying to care for Tony in Howard's memory. But if Tony didn't even think there was a chance…

Lost in his own thoughts, Steve tuned out their bickering. Trying his hardest to not spiral down to that lonely, dark hole he had been in in the beginning. Finishing off his shake, he set the glass down before he could break it. Knowing that Pepper wouldn't be too happy with him if he did so.

Holding onto the porch railing, he saw Morgan race out of the house and climb onto Tony. Gladly, Tony hefted the little girl onto his hip and turned for the house. Steve knew that this couldn't be it.

It just couldn't be.

A little -- okay, a lot -- desperate, Steve grabbed onto Tony's arm. Pleading, "Tony, I get it. And I'm happy for you, I really am. But this is a second chance."

Holding Morgan just a little closer, Tony declined, "I got my second chance right here, Cap. I can't roll the dice again." Then, a little softer, just for Steve, Tony added, "Really, Steve, I'm sorry."

Thickly swallowing, with tears building in his eyes, Steve nodded. Letting his hand drop, just like his heart as Tony walked inside of the cabin and Steve hurried back to the van. Leaning against the vehicle and burying his face in his hands as his breathing started turning to pants.

Cautiously, a hand touched his back and Nat's familiar voice attempted to comfort him, "He's scared."

"He's not wrong," Steve breathed out, peeking over at the petite woman.

Cassie crossed the drive and asked, "What are we gonna do?"

"We need him," Scott sighed defeatedly.

"What, are we gonna stop?" Cassie demanded, looking over the adults in front of her. Wondering if she finally saw the avengers for what they truly were. For what he was.

Natasha kept rubbing Steve's back, bringing him back down. Making it easier for Steve to remember who he's supposed to be. He's Captain America, god damn it! So, he rationalized, "We're gonna need a really big brain."

#not without you #stucky #steve rogers #bucky barnes #steve rogers x bucky barnes #marvel #fanfic #wattpad #ao3 #canon divergence #post infinity war #endgame au #nomad steve #angst #hurt/comfort #fix it fic #otp #eventual happy ending #uncle steve

[of-a-chaotic-mind]

Just Like A Stark Part 2/8

Summary: While taking frustrations out on a punching bag, Vic accidentally reveals their super strength.

TW/CW: Angst, anger, hurt feelings, idk I’m still not quite educated on these things.

Requested?: No

Word Count: 904

A/N: So I think I’m gonna find a way to wrap up the Avengers Protect Series and switch to this one. Talk to me in the comments peoples! Requests Open as always!

PART 1

Vic’s POV 

     It's been well over a month and there's been no sign that the syndicate might be moving in on me. It's another sunny morning as I sit at the kitchen counter. Tony had given me a room to stay in while I’m in town and is even letting me assist Happy in security. Fed up with the millions of thoughts and worries flooding my mind, I toss my half-eaten toast into the garbage and chug the last of my coffee. Already in my workout out clothes, I walk swiftly towards the elevator. Upon entering the elevator, I hit the button for the gym and begins planning my workout. 

     Upon entering the gym, I quickly scan the room. Steve, Sam, and Bucky are all rotating on the bench press while cutting up and laughing amongst themselves. I find Clint and Natasha sparring in the boxing ring. This leaves my favorite spot open. After putting in my headphones and choosing a rock and roll playlist, I wrap my hands. Once wrapped and ready, I realize that with a gym full of people I'll have to go easy on the punching bag, so I begin with a slower pace and only about a quarter of my potential force. 

     Within time, I have built up a reasonable speed and made it to half force. My mind begins to clear and my focus settles on the bag in front of me. After a while, I lose focus of how fast and heavy I'm punching. I only stop when I knock the bag clean off the stand. As the realization hits, I look around to see who all might have noticed. Unfortunately, I’m met with all five pairs of eyes plus my brother's. 

     I remove my headphones and begin to explain, "M-military training, right?" The shock written on every face proves that they don't fully believe that it's just because of my military training.  

     Steve is the first to speak up, "Vic, I think we all can agree that isn't simple military training." It's now that the lightbulb smacks Tony over the head and he grabs my wrist and begins tugging me to the lab. 

     "Tony what are you doing?" I ask, shocked at his sudden change of behavior. He pops on sterile gloves and begins pulling out a kit to take blood.  

     "I'm taking some of your blood to test it because obviously you're not going to inform us of what happened to you," he snaps.  

     "Tony, 'I was forcibly injected with a prototype super soldier serum,' isn’t exactly the best coming home opener. And we've been so busy lately that I haven't really found the time to tell you guys." The surrounding audience is in shock.  

     "Super soldier serum?" That's kind of something you should've told us about when you came back from being Missing in Action!" Tony bellowed. I turn to storm out of the room, leaving our audience in shock. 

     Once safely locked away in my room, I take a hot shower and then curl up under my blankets with my room’s PA System blasting rock and roll to drown out the thoughts in my head. Sometime during the playlist, I fall asleep. A knock on the door brings me out of my slumber. I ignore it, assuming it is Tony coming to ask more questions. Then F.R.I.D.A.Y. lowers the volume to alert me, "Miss Stark, Mr. Rogers is at your door. Would you like me to let him in?"  

     Out of curiosity I sit up and responds, "Go ahead." 

     The door is unlocked and Steve enters, "That was quite a show."  

     I rub my face, "Sorry, he hit a nerve that he doesn't realize is there."  

     Steve gestures to the end of the bed, "May I?"I nod so, Steve takes a seat on the end of my bed, "He's worried. I know how he feels. You think you've lost the closest person to you and then one day they show back up again. Except your enhancements weren't as noticeable as Bucky's. Which reminds me you should talk to Buck; I think you two will have a lot in common." I look down and scratch my head. "Look, I didn't come to scold you. I didn't come to try to convince you to talk to Tony. I just came to reassure you that he didn't mean to hurt you and that there is someone that understands you." With this he leaves the room. 

      The next morning, the team had scheduled a family breakfast of sorts. I get dressed and join the team in the kitchen. The smell of coffee is strong in the air as everyone seems to thrive off it. I collect my breakfast from the spread of food on the counter and begin scanning the room for where to sit. I notice Bucky sitting alone in a corner of the living room. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days and ignores the others as they happily chat. I decide to sit in the chair next to him which was likely vacated due to the death glare on Bucky’s face. I send a small smile his way as I settle into the chair and begin eating. Surprisingly he doesn’t shoo me away. Instead, he smiles back at me and asks how I slept. The two of us carry on a nice conversation as we finish our food and head for the gym.

PART 3 || Masterlist

Taglist:

#bucky barnes #avengers #captain america #steve rogers #tony stark #iron man #winter soldier #avengers imagine #avengers imagines #avengers series #bucky barnes imagine #tony stark imagine #marvel #marvel imagine #marvel imagines #just like a stark

[too-attached-to-fiction]

Grief | Peter Parker

Masterlist here.

Warnings: angst, endgame spoilers, general sadness

Word count: ~1,150

A/N: not gonna lie writing this made me tear up a lot. Haven’t written a kilt of angst but here?

After everything, the Avengers as a collective whole decided to stay together before splitting off again. This meant that everyone, even Cassie, Pepper, Morgan and Happy, was living in the compound. The Wakandans and the Guardians had left to their respective bases, Carol going to explore the infinities of space. Thor went back to Norway to check up on his favorite Valkyrie, but he remained in New York with the rest of them.

They were by no means a family. Dinner was never eaten together, and breakfast time ranged from midnight to three in the afternoon. But it was nice to know you weren’t alone.

You’d been there, with all of them. Fought aliens. Ran on adrenaline.

Watched Tony Stark die.

You weren’t close with Tony the way everyone else was. You were new to the team, only joining shortly after Peter was added. The two of you were the youngest: you at seventeen and Peter at sixteen.

Still, Tony has a profound impact on you. You missed his teasing and snappy comebacks, the snacks he’d hidden everywhere. Whenever you found a granola bar in a mildly hidden place, you couldn’t help but cry.

The funeral was hard for all of you.

You stayed with Morgan and Pepper the entire time, gently stroking Morgan’s hair during the sermon. She’d asked a couple of times about her father, but you had simply shaken your head and gave the top of her head a kiss. Just like Tony did.

The others witnessed your grief. You heard them talk in the kitchen, late at night.

“They’re only kids. What can we do? There’s no way we’re sending them back out to patrol the city the way they are.” You’d heard Scott argue one night.

However badly you were taking it, Peter took it much worse.

The first few nights he insisted on sleeping on a separate bed in Pepper’s room, too afraid that another parental figure might leave. Pepper herself had told you that some mornings she woke up, holding the boy close.

You ended up waking the entire complex up due to your nightmares, unconsciously using your sonic scream as you writhed in bed. It took a few days for Dr. Banner to find a solution, and even though the walls were pretty sturdy, your screams would still echo around the compound.

Scott and Hope were often awake for that. Most nights Banner drugged you, but when you didn’t want to take the pills, you ended up sandwiched between the couple.

Other nights, when the couple were on patrol, Bucky and Sam would appear, mumbling calm words. They’d promised Steve that they would take care of you no matter what. And they did exactly that, staying until sun rise. For you they put their rivalry aside.

You hadn’t seen Peter for a month until you stumbled into the kitchen around one in the morning, looking for Hope and Scott again. You really hated those pills Banner gave you.

“FRIDAY, where are Hope and Scott?” You asked as you looked sleepily around the kitchen.

“Asleep. Would you like me to alert them that you require their assistance?” The AI spoke softly from the speakers.

“That’ll be unnecessary. Thank you.” You sighed, rubbing your eyes. Tugging open the freezer, you pulled out a carton of ice cream and set it on the adjacent countertop. You froze and whirled around as Peter spoke up.

“Pepper’s asleep too. She’s been the strongest out of all of us.” Peter said quietly, staring at the marble counter top. “I don’t know how. Sometimes I’ll hear her cry but most nights she’s quiet.”

“Steve and Pepper set up therapy sessions. The therapist is an ex-SHIELD psychologist and she should be coming in tomorrow. Apparently she’s staying with us.” You informed him, grabbing a bowl from one of the cabinets overhead. “Ice cream?”

“What flavor?”

“Moose Tracks.”

“Sure.” You grabbed another bowl and opened a drawer to grab the scooper.

“You doing okay?” You asked softly, your eyes flickering up to meet his. “You don’t have to answer.” You focused on scooping the ice cream out and into the bowls. His eyes seemed so full of hurt.

“I miss him. He... He gave me everything.”

“What was it like, being... being trapped?” The question nearly came out as a whisper. You’d been with the team on Earth, traveling back in time to retrieve the stones before Thanos. Clint returned without Natasha. You were closer to her, and it took all of your strength to not fall apart in the final battle. She should have been there with a cocky grin. She should’ve been one of the women who had stood by you when you were surrounded by the army.

But she wasn’t, and that was just another painful stab at your heart.

“I was just asleep. And when I woke up, Doctor Strange had figured a way out.” Peter shook his head. “School starts in two months. What am I supposed to do?”

You passed him a bowl of ice cream, shoving the frozen food into your mouth. “Keep growing. That’s what he would have wanted.” You sighed, rubbing your eyes again. “I haven’t even thought about school. I’m not even sure I’ll go to college after this.”

“One day at a time, right?” His voice sounded so broken.. you were pretty sure if you looked at him you’d start crying again.

“Pete?” You asked after you polished off your bowl of ice cream and put the carton away. “Could you sleep in my room tonight? I just don’t want to be...” alone. I don’t want to be alone and be terrified that everything will be gone when I wake up.

Peter seemed to understand what you were saying, putting his bowl in the sink and nodding. He followed you back to your room and was headed for the couch when you spoke up.

“Do.. do you mind if we share a bed? I promise I won’t try anything and it’s big but I can’t..” once again, you trailed off and he seemed to understand, the both of you crawling into bed at a slow pace.

You didn’t remember either of you falling asleep, but you woke up, it was early afternoon. Peter’s arms were wrapped around you, tugging your body close to his. You turned in his grip, wanting to see his face.

“Thank you.” You whispered, and he gave a small grunt, opening his eyes a little.

Gently he tilted his head down to meet yours, and pulled you into a gentle kiss, which you accepted pretty quickly.

“Stay here?” He mumbled. You couldn’t agree more.

Scott and Hope had went into your room later to find you and Peter, fast asleep in each other’s arms. For the first time in a while, you looked safe in his embrace.

#endgame spoilers #endgame #tony stark #hope pym #scott lang #sam wilson #bucky barnes #steve rogers #avengers endgame #peter parker imagines #avengers imagines #angst #marvel imagines #spiderman imagines

[samingtonwilson]

Relationship Tutor: (15) Physical Cosmology

relationship tutor masterlist

Summary: College AU. Bucky, a relationship novice, asks for your help in dating your friend. Unable to say no to him, you agree despite everyone and everything telling you not to.

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Warnings: language, SMUT, 18+, quite fluffy

A/N: i know, i don’t know why i decided to use this story as an opportunity to post smut for the first time either fkgdjfhgkj anyway, last chapter before the epilogue so thank u to all of you that decided to read this story. it means a lot to me! also like, PSA, pls use condoms when u do the do. 

It felt a bit unbelievable— like some sort of cosmic prank.

You couldn’t wrap around him the way you did, you couldn’t render every other remotely pleasant thing he’d ever felt in his life so obsolete. He thought for a moment that heaven might even pale in comparison, that nirvana was achieved the longer he stayed there with you, within you, surrounded by you.

You’d asked him if he was sure. Eyes clear, pupils dilated, you’d asked if he was sure about doing this with you and Bucky knew he’d never nodded a breathless “Yes” with so much honesty and certainty in his life.

How could he not be sure? How could he not want this— want you— with everything in him?

For a first time, it was only slightly clumsy. Clothes torn off your bodies within seconds, the two of you were reduced to quick breathing, starved looks, and the need to be closer, much closer, just a little closer.

But teeth bumped into teeth during sloppier kisses and your bra strap snapped against your skin almost painfully on his first attempt at the removal of the offending material.

He wanted to take his time with you, memorize the planes of your face under his lips, taste every inch of your skin. But as he made a move to lower himself, you shook your head and told him there would be time— “all the time in the world”— for that later, long fingers and rough palms slipping between your legs instead.

As he pushed into you, filling every inch with an intoxicating thick warmth and staring into your eyes as if he was still not as close as he wanted, he managed to hit the crown of his head against your headboard. “Jesus.”

You bit your bottom lip to keep from laughing but gave up when he took his hand from you to rub against his scalp, his eyes narrowed in a glare. “Sorry, sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he grumbled, leaning down to bite at the skin of your neck as he hilted inside of you.

That distracted you for a moment but he couldn’t help smiling back as you quipped, “I’ll get it padded for next time.”

As you continued to laugh, he nearly pulled out and drove into you firmly to change the focus and an embarrassingly loud moan left your swollen lips— loud enough that you were sure the elderly couple in Tokyo, Japan would actually call to complain this time.

“Bucky,” you attempted to scold, but the result was a breathless, scandalized mess.

“Are you okay?” he asked, snickering.

Of course, his chuckles were clipped and short-lived when you managed to roll him onto his back, burying him even deeper as you slowly let your hips undulate against him so his self-control was tested in absolutely every way.

Hands gripped at your hips and smoky blue eyes burned into you, the sounds leaving his lips influencing the speed with which you moved.

Eventually, though, he resorted to pulling on the thin chain you wore around your neck, lowering your lips to meet his as he propped himself onto his elbows.

“I love you,” he sighed into the column of your throat, leaving bites marks and bruises, groaning when your walls contracted around him in response. “I love you so much.”

Finally speechless, you only nodded and placed your hands against his chest, intending to take back a bit of the control you’d relinquished. But when you sat up and your back was against his raised thighs, his feet flat on the mattress, you let his rough hands guide you up the length of him only to push you back down as he thrust up into you.

Your eyes fluttered shut and the hitching of your breath, the whimpering, the fingernails that dug into his skin had him doing it again, and again, and again until you were repeating his name like no other word in any language could convey the way you were feeling.

He had to stop himself to breathe, to shudder, to collect himself a few times with shaky exhales— especially when he felt how close you were, especially when he got ahold of that necklace again and brought your lips back to his.

As he kissed you, he did as you’d done to him and rolled you onto your back, nestling between your legs— but he let himself take a second.

Because you were real under him. Those teasing remarks about how many people he’d been with before you and those completely ridiculous but enlightening relationship lessons were real. The tears in your eyes as the two of you fought over withheld confessions that seemed so relieving now were real, the feeling that had washed over him when you pushed him away after he told you that he loved you was real.

So he captured your lips again, pouring into you every ounce of fear, pain, and utter agony he’d ever felt thinking he could lose you, thinking for those terrifying few minutes that he had lost you, that you might never want to see him again.

He switched the rhythm then, barely moving in and out in favor of grinding into you, staying deep so every nerve in your body crackled and came fully alight. He watched as your eyes slid shut and smiled to himself when your legs wrapped around his waist, heels attempting to keep him in place as if he could will himself anywhere else.

Hands everywhere, kisses everywhere, the feeling of you everywhere. It was all too much, slowly managing to become even more.

He leant his forehead against yours and sighed out your name, his vision growing blurry around the edges. “Baby, open your eyes.”

So you did, brilliant irises meeting his own and a whimper leaving your lips as the friction grew particularly rough, walls pulsing around him. “Buck, I’m—”

“I know, doll, I know. I’ve got you,” he said as he pulled out a bit, punctuating his sentence with a firm thrust so your back arched further off the mattress.

Your response encouraging and sending him closer and closer to his own end, he repeated the action as he bit a trail up your neck, soothing the warm skin with his tongue until, all at once, you seemed to snap, walls contracting and relaxing in waves around him.

In your haze, you brought his lips to yours and kissed him so he could swallow every one of your cries, breaking the kiss soon thereafter to calm your stuttering breaths. You then pressed your lips to the sharpness of his jaw, to his neck, and bit down as he reached his end as well, the involuntary noises leaving his lips making a smile stretch over yours.

He let his weight sag into you for a few moments, intending to move away when your arms wrapped around him tighter and you breathed deeply into the crook of his neck. “I love you, Bucky.”

Despite the slight aftershocks of the waves of pleasure he had yet to fully overcome, he felt something flip deep inside of him. That insecure part of him thought fleetingly that the breathy confession may be a result of postcoital bliss, one glance into your eyes disproving that immediately.

He pressed light kisses to your shoulder and collarbone. “I love you.”

You tried to hide the soft wince that left your lips as he pulled out of you and fell beside you onto the mattress, tying up the condom and shooting it perfectly into the trash bin by your desk as he immediately lied on his side so he could face you again.

He traced your profile with his gaze until you turned to look at him, back still flat against the bed. You nodded upwards when he continued to stare. “What?”

He opened his mouth to reply but shrugged a shoulder and laughed instead, leaning towards you to press a chaste kiss against your lips.

You shifted so you were lying on your side as well, smiling as his arm wound around you and pulled you into his body. Using your fingers, you decided to trace his features, following the height of his cheekbones, to the slope of his nose, to the swell of his lips. You smiled as he kissed each fingertip. “I left the pasta in the microwave.”

He cocked an eyebrow, sighing contentedly as you kissed the tip of his chin. “That’s what you’re thinking about? I give you some of my best work and you’re thinking about the pasta you left in the microwave?”

“It’s really good pasta,” you defended, laughing loudly when he roughly grabbed your hips and pressed your back into the bed as he held himself above you.

He kissed your forehead, each of your temples, and the tip of your nose, mumbling, “You’re hurting a guy’s ego.”

“Good,” you replied in a slightly bratty voice, smiling when his eyes met yours. “I can’t even leave a party without you thinking it has something to do with you.”

“But it did have something to do with me.”

“That’s beside the point. Point is that you thought that in the first place.”

He frowned in consideration. “Speaking of which, I threw that party for you.”

“Wow, Jay Gatsby,” you snickered, sighing as feather-light hands skimmed down your bare sides. “What was supposed to happen at the party?”

“I was going to tell you everything in my room before Wilson showed up and ruined it all.”

You slapped his chest and gasped in playful offense. “Don’t talk about my Samara like that. After everything I told him, he was just looking out for me.”

He found himself counting the bite marks and bruises he’d left littered over your skin, dragging the tip of his nose over them as an unfamiliar, almost animalistic warmth filled him. “What’d you tell him?”

“That I kissed you and you kissed Natasha a few hours later.” You shrugged. “And that I left you two here to have sex.”

He mulled that over for a second. “Maybe he should’ve been angrier at me.”

“He warned me against helping you— kept telling me to get out of it. It’s like he could see how much all of it was just breaking my heart and wanted me to stop whatever masochistic satisfaction I felt.”

“It broke your heart to help me?”

You nodded, looking away from him. “Probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

There was no air left in his lungs when you met his gaze, your eyes a bit sad and watery. “I didn’t think you felt the same way. My feelings, my problem, remember?”

“Baby, you could’ve said no if it was hurting you so much. I would never want to—”

“I know.”

When he was lying beside you again, lying on his side with his arm around your waist and facing you just as before, you set your hand under his chin and pressed your thumb against his lips lightly. “I told Sam you were my leather jacket.”

“Your what?”

You wrinkled your nose and nodded. “S’a metaphor.”

“Explain it.”

“Sam has this leather jacket he drives to DC for every time he thinks it needs restoration. He goes six hours there and six hours back just to make sure his leather jacket is treated the way it should be— that it’s happy, for a lack of better terms.”

He nodded wordlessly for you to continue.

“You’re that leather jacket for me,” you laughed a bit, rolling glistening eyes at your own absurdity. “I was and am willing to metaphorically drive six hours to make sure you’re happy— seeing you happy makes me happy. So if I have to put myself in a painful situation to make sure you’re happy, I’ll do it.”

It took a few moments of staring at you, of trying to understand you and this new form of reality, for him to even form words. And when he did, all he could say was, “Fuck.”

You clicked your tongue against the roof of your mouth a few times, shaking your head with a teasingly disapproving expression. “I pour my heart out to you and that’s all you have to say to me?”

“I-I don’t— I don’t—” he shook his head and took a breath, exhaling your name. “I just love you.”

“Yeah, I got that.” You took your hand from his skin and motioned to the area behind him. “Hand me my shirt, please.”

He nodded and complied, handing you the black and grey flannel shirt and sitting up beside you as you did up the buttons. “You really think you’re going to be leaving here any time soon?”

You made a face over your shoulder as you hopped out of bed, pulling one of your socks on and searching for the other momentarily. “I’m hungry! Aren’t you?”

“I am, but I was thinkin’ about eating somethin’ else,” he replied with a suggestive wagging of his eyebrows.

You scoffed and looked up from your phone to offer him a glare of disgust. “Terrible, corny, gross.”

“It isn’t even a time to be eating!”

“Yeah, because that makes a difference to me.”

He got out of the bed to pull his boxers on and stumble over his own feet as he followed you out of the door, picking his strewn sweater up from the hall to pull it over his head. “You know, we’ve completely violated every step you told me I should follow.”

“Every step for what?”

He walked into the kitchen to see you rummaging through the refrigerator again, bottles and jars clanking together. “Relationship development.”

“So this is a relationship?” you asked, standing up straight and shutting the fridge. “There’s no fucking pasta sauce left and I nuked whatever’s in the microwave to the point that it’s dry as hell and tastes like rubber.”

He patted your ass three times when he approached you, prompting you to turn around with narrowed eyes. “Sit down. I’ll make you something.”

You raised a single eyebrow, hopping to sit atop the counter. “You can cook?”

“Barely, but I apparently know more than you do,” he said, only half-joking. “Also, yes.”

You hummed questioningly.

“Yes, I want this to be a relationship.”

You frowned and dropped your gaze to your phone again.

Bucky set the carton of eggs in his hands aside and tilted his head. “What?”

You shrugged a shoulder, biting your bottom lip for a moment. “I just— I’m not really looking for a relationship right now.”

His mouth fell open. He hoped everything that suddenly surged through him wasn’t visible until— “You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

He pushed at your shoulder. “Don’t do that again. I almost had an aneurysm.”

“I love you, stupid. Of course I want to be with you.”

As Bucky kissed you, his fingers combing through your hair, he felt you toy with the waistband of his boxers.

“I thought you wanted to eat something.”

You shrugged, letting your lips trail down to his neck to bite and mark his skin just like he’d done to you. “That can wait.”

EPILOGUE

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#bucky #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x reader fluff #bucky barnes x reader smut #bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes imagine #bucky x reader #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes x reader au

[imaginetonyandbucky]

little bit of me, little bit of you

Part II | Part I | Part III

It has to be a coincidence—a weird, improbable, very uncanny coincidence—and Bucky really, honestly tries to convince himself of that, at first. Because even in a world with actual aliens living and working among everyday humans, super soldiers and superheroes running around New York, and hot dogs costing more than two fucking dollars, what are the chances that Bucky, somehow, had a child with current crush more than a decade ago without either of them remembering anything about it?

They’re pretty slim, is what they are.

Bucky has ample reason to doubt that he was in any way involved in creating Gabriel, and one of the biggest one is Steve. Bucky’s memory is, admittedly, still full of holes and untruths, but Steve’s known Bucky since they were toddlers, and he’s always been excellent at remembering even the most asinine things, even long before he got the serum. If there’s one other person aside from Bucky who’d see any potential similarities between Bucky and Gabriel, if there were any, it would be Steve.

But Steve hadn’t said anything before moving Bucky into the tower, and had only tilted his head, shrugged, and said, “Huh, you think so?” when Bucky had made a joke that wasn’t really one about how Gabriel could be his little brother or cousin, looks-wise.

So, Bucky tries to let the whole thing go. And fails, miserably.

(More after the break!)

He can’t explain why, or how, but he just knows. He knows there’s something more here, something he can’t recall, something just beyond reach, that was stolen from him, and he’s determined to find out what, exactly. And get it back.

The very first thing he learns—and probably should’ve expected—is that tracking down baby photos of someone who’s supposed to have died over seventy years ago, and has no more living relatives is a huge pain in the ass. He does eventually find a few, in a private art collection centred around the Howlies, of all places, but the owner is more than happy to send him copies in exchange for one of those tacky autograph cards Avengers PR insists they all carry around with them.

Once he has the pictures, carefully laid out on his kitchen counter, Bucky has to admit that he can’t blame Steve for not noticing. At first glance, Gabriel looks like Stark, just like his brothers, and doesn’t seem to have anything in common with Bucky at six, or fifteen, or twenty. They all have the same colouring, the same basic facial structure, even the same cheeky smile. Stark’s gene game is pretty strong, to put it short.

But it’s there, in the details, the resemblance that had initially thrown Bucky so much; that stubborn hair whorl that seems nearly untamable, the dimple in the left cheek that only ever makes an appearance during full-on belly laughter, the tiny little beauty mark under the right ear, some of the distinctive mannerisms, like the way the both move, sometimes, when they tuck their hair behind their ears, or try to hold back a smirk.

None of it is obvious, though, not unless someone’s actively looking. And Bucky can’t seem to stop, once he has admitted, to himself at least, that Gabriel has to be his.

Natasha’s silence is simultaneously skeptical and judging when Bucky calls her up to ask for a favour. He doesn’t delude himself that he won’t be interrogated about his sketchy behaviour eventually, but Nat promises to get him the HYDRA mission reports involving the Winter Soldier from the year before Gabriel’s birth, and that’s all that matters.

With that done, all Bucky can do, unfortunately, is wait. He briefly considers just flat out asking Tony about it, but he doesn’t actually think Tony knows much more than he does himself, as unlikely as that sounds. Tony hadn’t seemed like he’d met Bucky before, when Steve had introduced them, or acted like he was hiding something, or keeping secrets. And they might not have known each other for too long yet, but Bucky refuses to believe that Tony’s the sort of person who would lie like this, about his own child.

Before Bucky can drive himself crazy by overthinking the situation, and going over what little evidence he has again and again, Tony himself actually, albeit unknowingly, gives him his next clue.

The boys are parked on the couch when Bucky walks into the penthouse, not arguing or bickering for once, but all talking at once and over each other at the smiling man on the screen of the tablet that sits on the coffee table in front of them. Gabriel is talking about his science project, while Max whines about how unfair Tony’s being about something or other, and Theo just throws out all the Spanish words he’s learned recently, from the sound of it.

“Come on,” Tony says, appearing in the kitchen doorway, “they won’t even notice you’re here. They haven’t talked to Léon in a while, I think they’re updating him on literally everything that’s happened over the last two months.”

They settle at the kitchen table, where both Tony’s tools, and a cup of coffee for Bucky are already waiting. Tony’d suggested moving their maintenance sessions up to the penthouse a few weeks ago, as long as no bigger machinery or anything was needed. It’s definitely more comfortable, and usually ends with Bucky staying for lunch or dinner, and then a movie or games with the kids. Or just the food, movie, and games, more and more often.

He’d jumped at the chance to get to know Gabriel the first time Tony had invited him to stay for grilled cheeses and creamy tomato soup—it had been Theo’s day to choose lunch—but it’s not only his curiosity that keeps him coming back. He’d grown up in a huge family, with five sisters and little cousins always around, and he misses it. Still having Steve helps, a lot, but playing, snuggling, or roughhousing with the boys just settles something in Bucky, and always manages to calm him down or cheer him up, depending on what kind of day he’s had.

And getting some quality time with Tony is a definite plus, too.

“So,” Bucky says, once Tony’s knuckle deep in the wiring of his arm, and conveniently not looking at Bucky to see how much he’s currently failing at being subtle, “I’m assumin’ Léon is the famous Tío Léon?”

It’s not that Bucky’s jealous, because he’s got neither the right nor a reason to be—he gets to see the boys and Tony at least three to four times a week, these days—but Tío Léon is a constant topic of conversation in the Stark household. Still, he doesn’t expect the question to make Tony pause, and chew his bottom lip for a moment before sitting back, a strangely intense expression on his face.

Bucky is about to apologise for overstepping when Tony says, “He’s their father. Max and Theo’s.”

Even though he’s not sure why, Bucky can tell Tony’s being defensive. He must realise it, too, because a moment later he deflates, breathing out in one long whoosh, and sheepishly rubs at the back of his neck. “Sorry. I—not everyone’s happy with our arrangement. I keep getting shit for it still, which. I can brush it off easy enough, but I don’t want my kids too see or hear any of that.”

“Fuck those people,” Bucky says, frowning, and Tony snorts, the last of the tension leaving his shoulders. Then he points at Tony, and warns, “I’m not puttin’ a dollar in the jar for that, the boys didn’t even hear.”

“Fair,” Tony allows, but the silence that follows is uncharacteristically awkward, for them.

It’s Bucky who breaks it after a moment. “You don’t have to, obviously, but you can tell me, if you want. I’ll listen. An’ only judge you quietly.”

“Asshole,” Tony quips back, smiling again as he kicks Bucky’s foot. Then he groans, tipping his head back, clearly embarrassed when he says, “Theo was my midlife crisis, I think. I just. Woke up one day, and realised I was almost forty, and that if I wanted more kids, I should probably get on that. Léon was happy to help out again.”

Bucky has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying something dumb like, “I bet he did,” but he manages.

“And Max—I was an only child, and I hated it,” Tony sighs, absently playing with the small drill in his hand. “I didn’t want that for Gabriel. And having children had always been a vague plan for the future, so. After Gabriel, I knew I definitely wanted more, and I didn’t want to wait forever. And so we had Max.”

“But you’re not together?” Bucky guesses, trying to not sound hopeful. “Anymore?”

Tony shakes his head. “Never were. We met in college, kept in touch over the years, hooked up sometimes when we were both single. I love him, as a friend and the father of my children, but it was never more, for neither of us. He agreed to help me, uh, make Max and Theo, but he never wanted to be a dad. Which was perfect, really, since I wanted kids, not a boyfriend.”

It feels like he’s pressing his luck, but he most likely won’t get another chance like this one. Hiding his trembling hands under the table, heart feeling like it’s about to beat out of his chest, Bucky asks, “And what about Gabriel?”

- Potrix | AO3 

A/N: This is now officially a story full of cliffhangers, I guess? Also, I’m thinking of Oscar Isaac when I talk about Léon. Just imagine how gorgeous those kids have to be? Part III on Monday! 

#winteriron #tony x bucky #tony stark #bucky barnes #kid fic #mpreg #past mpreg #getting together #misunderstandings #hydra fuckery #tiny adorable versions of tony #prompts #potrix

[bazypitchandsimonsnow]

Christmas Presents (Children Part 6)

Rating: T

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 3341

Summary: Christmas morning with all the Snow-PItch extended family there.

Read on AO3

Simon

“Daddy? Daddy? Daddy?”

I crack a single eye open. It’s still dark out, but there’s a sunshine bright grin right in front of my face. His dark blue eyes are lit up with joy. I try to smile as much as I can, considering I just woke up.

“Morning Ebb,” I mumble. “What is it?”

“It’s 6am. You said we could come get you up at 6am.”

I sigh heavily. “Yes, we did tell you that, didn’t we? Where’s your sister!”

“Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!” Tasha shouts as she runs in and jumps on our bed. I’m jolted up violently with the first bounce, making me wheeze. She marches back and forth across our mattress. Baz groans and puts a pillow over his head.

“Five more minutes,” he grumbles

“Papaaaaa!” Tasha whines. “You have to get up! It’s Christmas!”

I chuckle, rubbing his back. “Well kids, Papa had too much ‘grown up drink’ last night at dinner and he’s not feeling so great.”

“Awww, Papa!” Tasha flops down on top of him. “Don’t be sad, it’s Christmas. No one should be sad on Christmas.”

"Yeah," Ebb chimes in, crawling up over me to see him and digging a knee into my lungs (wonderful). "No sadness on Christmas. Not allowed."

Baz chuckles, rolling over to hug them both properly. He strokes her curly black ponytail and holds Ebb’s little hand. “Don’t worry, little puffs, I’m not sad. Just a bit groggy. How about you two go wake up everyone else while Daddy and I get ready?”

“Okay!” Tasha chirps. They both slide to the floor takes her hand. “I’ll go to Aunt Penny and Uncle Micah’s. And you go to Aunt Agatha’s. Okay, Ebb?”

“Okay!” He replies. They run off together giggling. I prop up on my elbow to smirk down at him.

“You’re so evil,” I whisper playfully.

He grins wide, obviously pleased with himself. “You did marry a plotting vampire, Snow.”

“Yeah, and after all these years you’ve still got it.”

“Damn right.” He leans up and quickly presses his lips against mine. His smile soft and warm and everything I could ever want. “Merry Christmas, Simon.”

I tap my forehead against his. “Merry Christmas, love.”

“Gah! Tasha! Stop jumping!” Penny’s voice carries perfectly from down the hall.

“For Crowley’s sake, Ebb, I’m up, I’m up,” Agatha moans.

Baz and I both giggle like schoolboys who’ve pulled off the ultimate prank. “Santa should’ve given us both coal,” I say.

“Hm, you may have a point. But...”

“Stop shaking me, Tash!” Gil groan-yells.

Baz chuckles lowly. “It’s too funny.”

I laugh with him. “Agreed.”

We gather in our flat’s living room. Tasha, Ebb, and Gil sit on the floor next to the tree, whispering to each other giddily. I go around to the adults with much needed morning coffee.

“Morning, Pen,” I say with large shit eating grin as I pour. She stares daggers at me through frizzy green bangs.

“Your children are nightmares,” she grumbles.

“And your child has thrown up on me six times over his life. Call it payback.”

She grunts and sips her coffee. I pour for Micah too, who gives me a brief glare over his own mug. Even his usually pleasant demeanor is overridden by tiredness. Next I stop at Agatha. She came all the way from California to spend Christmas eve and Christmas day with us. But from the look of murder in her eyes she may be regretting it.

“Merry Christmas, Ags,” I say cheerily.

“I was right,” she mutters, “you did have demon spawn.”

“Yup! You should see them on April Fool’s. They’re lethal.”

“Aleister Crowley, no thank you.”

“Daddy?” Ebb asks from the floor. “Can we open presents now?”

“Yeah, we want presents,” Gil adds loudly (he’s still pretty loud even at twelve.)

“Gil,” Micah says sternly. “Manners.”

Gil groans. “Can we open presents now, please?”

“In one minute,” Baz says from behind the camera. He’s been setting up his tripod for the last five minutes. “I want to get a good picture.”

Agatha puts a hand to her heart. “Aw Basilton, you’ve gotten so sentimental in your old age.”

“I’m only a month older than you, Wellbelove.”

“Still, it’s so cute. Tasha, Ebb, your father is adorable. No matter how scary he is, always remember that.”

“That’s what Daddy calls him!” Tasha giggles. “He also calls him hot, and se-”

Gil claps a hand over her mouth (he's old enough to be aware, thank Merlin,) just as I choke on my coffee. If Baz had more blood in his system, his face would be beet red. Penelope tries to contain her snickers unsuccessfully. Agatha doesn’t even try. Micah just looks away and drinks his coffee.

“Let’s take the fu- darn picture,” Baz mutters. He sits next to me and whispers in my ear. “We need to watch our conversations around the children better, Snow.”

“Apparently.”

“Light’s blinking,” Micah says. “Everyone say cheese!”

“Cheese!”

The flash goes off with all of us smiling. Ebb tugs on my pants. “Can we open presents now, Daddy?”

I ruffle his dark curly hair. “Sure thing, love. You and Tasha and Gil can hand them out.”

“Yay!”

The three kids start handing out presents. Penelope receives a tea cozy from me and a necklace from Micah, both of which she loves. She and Baz exchange books, of course, as they have on every Christmas for years. Gil gets a new chemistry set from Baz and I, as he blew up his last one. Weirdly, Agatha and Baz give each other small Troye Sivan posters. They give each other a strange knowing look. Penelope and Micah gift me with cherry oven mitts. Baz groans at them with a slight smile at them. Agatha gives me a pile of American chocolate, because she knows I love it. In exchange, I give her a new book on horses she'll certainly love. Tasha gives everyone each a small book she wrote herself, and Ebb gives us some of his favourite rocks from his rock collection. Ebb gets more Legos to add to his already enormous collection, and Tasha gets lots of books from both everyone. She buries her nose in them immediately.

Once all the gifts are open, I turn to Baz with a questioning look. He nods.

“Tasha,” I say, making her look up from her novel, “come up here for a second.”

“Okay.” She puts down Harry Potter and scrambles up in between us. I carefully tuck a stray piece of her black hair behind her ear instinctively. It’s familiar, comforting me for this ensuing conversation. “What is it?”

“Darling,” Baz starts, “we’d like to give you one more present.” He reaches behind the sofa and pulls out the thin, wrapped present.

Tasha eagerly rips the paper off. She looks at it confused. “What’s this? It looks like Daddy’s wand.”

Her observation isn’t incorrect. The wand is very similar to Baz’s, white bone with a leather handle. “Yes, it does,” I say. “This was your grandmother’s wand.”

“The one I’m named after?”

“Yes, Papa’s mother, Natasha Grimm-Pitch. She was a very good mage, and she was headmistress at a special school just for mages. Like you and Ebb and Papa.”

Tasha furrows her brow. “Okay? Why are you telling me?”

“Because,” Baz chimes in, “we were wondering if you would like to go that school eventually. It’s called Watford. A lot of mages go there. You would learn how to use your magic better up there, and you’d need your own wand to do so. Hence, we’re giving you your grandmother’s wand.”

“What’s Watford like? Did you go there? Is it nice?”

Oh shit. Baz and I give each other a nervous look. Penelope and Agatha share the same expressions. We all know Tasha is still too young for the whole story of our time at Watford. Me and Baz have talked about it about a bit when needed, but with none of the truly gory details. I honestly don’t know what to tell her.

“Sweetheart,” Agatha says softly, sliding to the floor in front of Tasha, “to be perfectly honest, no, it wasn’t nice when your Dads, Aunt Penny, and I went. There was a lot of bad stuff going on that we unfortunately got involved in. Even though we didn’t want to.” Tasha’s face scrunches up, along with my heart. I open my mouth to speak, but Agatha puts a single finger up to stop me. “But, it’s not like that now. It’s much nicer. All the bad stuff is gone, mostly thanks to your Dads and Aunt Penny and Aunt Penny’s Mum. She was headmistress for years after a very bad man and she fixed what he did.”

Penelope moves to sit next to Agatha, putting a hand on Tasha’s knee. “Yeah, there’s nothing bad there now, we promise. My Mum got rid of his bad things, but kept the few good things. You can go there and learn to use your magic and have fun with other little magicians just like you. Funny enough, the current headmistress is a woman named Trixie. And I know for a fact she’s very nice, because we were roommates at Watford. She’s a bit high strung, sure, but she makes sure Watford stays a pleasant place to be now. Gil can tell you, he’s in his second year there.”

“Yeah!” Gil shouts, popping up from the ground. “It’s great. There are so many other mages there all together. It’s unlike anywhere else. Also you get to live in a dorm with a roommate, and there are really fun and interesting classes. Oh, and the food there is the best. Especially the sour cherry scones.”

“Agreed, Gil!” I say, earning a soft chuckle from the others.

Baz puts an arm around Tasha and she leans into him. “So, little puff, what do you think?”

She looks up at him with big round hazel eyes. “Do I hafta go?”

“No, no of course not. You only have to go if you want to. Neither Daddy or I will force you.”

I rub her back up and down, something I’ve done to comfort her for years. “It’s your choice, love. We’ll support you matter what. Promise.”

She turns the wand over in her hands, lips twisting in contemplation. “Will I live there? Away from home?”

“Yes. But we can come visit you or you can visit us on weekends. And mobiles are allowed now, so you can call us anytime you like. Plus, Gil will be there, so you’ll know at least one person. It’s still up to you, though. Whatever you want, darling.”

“Do I hafta choose right now?”

“No,” Baz says. “Not right at this moment. You wouldn’t even have to go there for another two years.”

She nods slowly, just like Baz does when he’s thinking. “Okay. I’ll think about it.”

“That’s great, love.”

Tasha holds up her wand. “Can I keep this though?”

“Sure. Just be careful. It’s quite old and very precious to our family.”

“Of course.” She jumps to the floor with flair. “Ebby! Gilly! Let’s go play in the snow! I’m really good at those kinda spells.”

The two boys look at us for permission. Baz, Penelope, Micah and I all nod. They jump up and follow Tasha to the coat rack. Baz sighs, just a little wistfully.

“I’ll go watch them,” he says. “Make sure they don’t blow anything up, or reveal magic to Normals.”

I pat his shoulder. “Good plan, love.”

They all bundle up and shuffle out the door. I let out a shaky breath and relax against the sofa. That conversation had been terrifying me for months. Penny grabs my hand, and I squeeze it once firmly.

“That,” I sigh, “went much better than I thought it would.”

Agatha nods. “Yeah. I was worried she was going to freak out more about possibly living there.”

“Me too. But despite her volume level and rambunctiousness, she’s a lot like Baz, very logical. She knows living there doesn’t mean we’re abandoning her.”

“You think she’ll end up wanting to go, though?” Penelope asks.

I shrug, shoulders coming up to my ears.”Maybe. She seems to like the idea of learning more about magic, but she’s still wary. We’ll see, I guess. It’s up to her.”

“Yeah, we’ll see.” She tugs me up. “Let’s see what those hooligans are up to now.”

We all go to the window facing the terrace. They’re all standing in corner away from most of the other apartments so they’re mostly hidden. The still dim sunlight helps. Tasha is whipping up a trail of snowflakes and making it dance in figure eights in the air. Baz catches it from her with his own wand, making his own patterns. Gil uses his magic to help a giddy Ebb build a snowman. My family is absolutely fantastic.

“Hey, Simon,” Micah says, voice wondering. “If Tasha has Headmistress Grimm-Pitch’s old wand, what are you gonna give Ebb?”

I laugh slightly. This is something Baz and I have already discussed. “Well, we actually still have my old one, so he’ll get that. He’ll probably use it better than me.”

“Definitely,” Agatha says with a shit eating grin. We all laugh. I knock her shoulder. Okay, my family is full of arseholes, but they’re fucking great.

After hours of chatting, playing with presents, and spell casting practice for Tasha, we eat Christmas dinner together. With lots of wonderful noise. We have to tell Tasha to put her new wand down to eat (something she does very reluctantly). Gil regales us all with tales of his Watford antics. He’s not fighting a super villain like we did, but he likes to play pranks with his roommate. They’ve got some good ones. Like replacing the sugar in the kitchen with salt, or releasing snakes at a school picnic. Ebb, Natasha and I howl with laughter. The others rolls their eyes while shaking their heads.

“He’s done well, but it’s no chimera,” Baz whispers in my ear. It sends me into another fit of cackling.

Eventually, the sky gets dark, and we gather around the gas fireplace together with hot chocolate. Baz gets out his violin, and Micah gets out his guitar. They take turns between playing and singing. Micah’s voice is full and warm, strangely complementing Baz’s usual eerie violin tune. Baz’s melodious singing tone weirdly goes with his guitar strumming. Penelope tries to join in at one point. But she has a truly terrible voice, and it just sends us all into giggles, even her.

At Penelope’s off key rendition of Jingle Bells, Ebb tugs at my sleeve. His eyelids are drooping heavily.

“Daddy, I’m tired. Can I go to bed?”

“Sure thing, sweetie.”

Tasha leans against me, cheek pressed into my bicep. “Me too, Daddy. I’m all Christmased out.”

“Perfectly understandable, love. It’s been a long day. Baz? Little help?”

Baz puts down his violin immediately. “Sure thing.”

I scoop up Ebb, his little arms wrapping around my neck. Baz takes Tasha as she’s heavier and he has vampire strength. We walk them carefully up the stairs. With lots of effort and help from us, they get changed into their pyjamas. Ebb falls asleep clutching his dragon stuffie that Tasha passed down to him a few years ago. I gently close the door behind him, just as Baz does the same in Tasha’s room. We turn to each other with matching smiles.

“Tasha tried to cuddle the wand to sleep,” he chuckles.

“Merlin,” I sigh, “even if she doesn’t go to Watford, she certainly loves magic just as much as you.”

“Very true.”

I let out a long yawn. “Y’know, I think I’m Christmassed out too.”

Baz yawns too. “I’m feeling quite sleepy. Let’s say goodnight and get to bed.”

“Sounds good.”

We tell the others that we’re off to bed. Micah says a kind goodnight. Penelope half heartedly waves, as she’s also falling asleep. Agatha calls us old men while dozing on our couch. (She’s immune to irony.) Gil is already passed out on the floor on one of our throw pillows.

Baz and I go through our usual evening routines then crawl into bed together. The warm blanket feels perfect after a long day. I let the heat of it whisk me off into comfortable sleep. But as I’m drifting off, Baz shakes my shoulder.

“Hey, Snow,” he whispers, “don’t fall asleep just yet. I still haven’t given you your Christmas present.”

“Mm,” I grumble. “Gimme it tomorrow like always.”

“Snow.”

“Ugh, fine.” I sit up, glaring at him as best I can. “What is it? If it’s sex, I’m too tired.”

“No, it’s not sex, you dirty minded git. It’s this.” He hands me a folded piece of thick paper.

I sit up against the headboard and unfold it. My eyes go wide. It’s...me. A sketch of me done in pencil. I’m sleeping on a desk, head pillowed in my folded arms. It’s from Watford, as I’m in my uniform and my hair is much longer. I turn to Baz with my mouth hanging open. He’s smiling in that kind, soft way he only really does around me and our kids.

“Wha...what is this?” I whisper.

“While I was getting my mother’s wand at Hampshire, I came across this in my old room. I went through a drawing phase in sixth year. And, well, I mostly drew you, as I was...”

“Terribly obsessed with me?” I quirk an eyebrow.

He swats my shoulder. “Shut up, you were just as obsessed with me. Anyway, most of my sketches were shite, but this one was pretty good. You look pretty cute. Drooling all over your desk.”

“I don’t drool!”

“Sorry, love, you definitely do.”

I humph and turn back to the sketch. It’s not perfect, but it’s rough in a way that’s beautiful. Sort of fascinating in it’s rawness. I can really tell it’s by Baz. He focused heavily on my freckles and moles (he loves them) and my wild curly hair. It makes me sort of want to grow it back. I love it, so much.

I turn to Baz, cupping his cheek. “It’s wonderful, Baz. Thank you.”

“Welcome, darling. Happy Christmas.” He leans forward and kisses me. Our lips move slowly, but we smile between every peck. I feel it all the way down to my toes.

When we pull apart, I carefully place the drawing on my bedside table and open the drawer. “Well, if we’re giving presents now, I should probably give you these.”

I had him the two pieces of stiff paper. He looks at them with narrowed eyes. “Opera tickets? You hate the opera.”

“Yeah, but you love it. Look at where it’s playing though.”

He sighs and looks more closely. “Playing on May 30th at the...Teatro alla Scala.” Slowly, he lifts his head, grey eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. “That’s...that’s in Milan.”

I grin very, very hard. “I know.”

“W-Wait, what?”

“Well, we haven’t a trip that’s just the two of us in a long time. So I thought, ‘hey, why don’t we drop the kids with Penny and Micah for Easter break and go to Italy for a few days? Then you can watch your weird screechy sing play and I can stuff my face with Italian pastries. Win win!’”

I stare at him grinning for a long second, him staring back bewildered. Suddenly, he throws his long arms around me in a crushing hug.

“You are absolutely ridiculous,” he whispers into my ear. “I love you so much.”

“Love you, too. Merry Christmas.”

He pulls back, smiling in a way that makes my heart leap. Putting the tickets aside, we curl up under the covers together. Baz holds my waist tightly, nose pressed into the back of my neck. I watch the snow slowly fall outside our window. I happily fall asleep with my husband snoring softly behind me and watching the snowflakes sparkle like magic.

AN: This fic is so cheesy you could pair it with crackers :D Yeah I love me good ol' fluff. Plus some discussions about Tasha going to Watford. I think Baz and Simon really would suggest it but leave the decision up to her. Since they didn't get much choice growing up, they'd make sure she'd have that. That's my take. Tomorrow we have the finale: anniversaries!

#carry on countdown #coc 2017 #carry on #snowbaz #simon snow #baz pitch #penelope bunce #agatha wellbelove #micah #christmas #fluff #children #mysnowbazfic

[morseyyy]

Ruby Keener part four. Phase one.

Over the course of the next few days, Tony, Bruce and Ruby worked together to build the transporter that would send them back in time as the others rounded up the team. Rocket and Banner went to New Asgard to collect Thor, and Natasha went to Tokyo to find Clint, who they were kind of worried about.

By the time everyone was back at the compound, Ruby couldn’t help but regret everyone’s presence as it was easier to work when they were alone. “Hand me a wrench,” She said to Rocket, who was under the testing chambers tightening a bolt. If you had told her five years ago that this is where she’d be right now, asking a raccoon to help her make a time machine, she would have laughed and called you crazy. But now, she was actually enjoying herself a little.

“Demanding little human, aren’t ya?” He muttered before holding out what she asked for, laughing when she snatched from him out of spite.

“Ratchet,” Tony yelled from across the room as he made his way towards them. “How’s it going?”

Ruby snickered as Rocket grumbled. “It’s Rocket. Take it easy, you’re only a genius on Earth, pal,” He said bitterly.

They both looked up when they heard a burp, Ruby’s eyes widening when she saw Thor looking worse for wear. “The fuck happened to him?” She asked quietly, going back to her work.

“He’s depressed,” Rocket answered from underneath the metal, just able to make out her face. “A lot of us are.”

Ruby looked down and met his eye, uncontrollably pitiful as he looked at her. “I think everyone is, even if it’s just a little.”

“You got lucky though, right?” He said, glancing back at where Tony spoke to Thor. “You and your dad are both ok,”

Ruby frowned before she realised. “Oh, Tony’s not my real dad, him and his wife adopted me when my family died in the vanishing,” She explained, making Rocket cringe.

“Shit kid, I’m sorry,” He said quietly. “My family died too, so I get it,”

Ruby blinked quickly, riding her eyes of the tears that formed there. “It’s ok, we’re getting everyone back, so it’ll be ok,” She said, trying to reassure herself.

“Yeah, yeah we are,” Rocket said unsteadily, watching as she screwed the last plate into place.

“Ok, this is the first and only test we can do-thanks to Scott-“ Ruby said, pointedly looking over at Lang who cowered. “So, we’re gonna have to get this right the first time.” She looked up at Clint who stood in the new suit designed by Tony, on the testing chambers. “Clint, you ready?”

Barton nodded, holding his thumb up.

Ruby breathed in as she turned the dial, “Alright, we’re going in three," She said, flicking switched and doing one last check of the coding. “Two, one.” She finished, slamming her fist down on the button and watching as Clint vanished.

She waited a second, looking at the green light that lit up the screen. “Returning in four, three...” She trailed, reversing the palidium levels and slamming her hand on the button again.

Clint reappeared, hunched over on his hands and knees and groaning. Nat was the first to get to him, pulling him up to stand and muttering reassurances as he caught his breath. “You ok?” She asked.

Clint looked at Ruby and tossed her an old baseball glove. “Yeah, it worked. It worked.”

She grinned like a mad man as Tony clapped a hand down on her shoulder, kissing her temple. “Little genius,” He said to her.

“Okay, so the "how" works.” Steve said, addressing them all in the living room. “Now we gotta figure out the when and the where. Almost all of us has had an encounter with at least one of the six Infinity Stones.”

Tony huffed. “Well I'd substitute the word encounter for damn well near been killed by one of the six Infinity Stones.” He said, holding a coffee to-go cup in his hand.

“I haven't,” Scott interrupted. “I don't even know what the hell you're all talking about.”

“Regardless, we only have enough Pym Particles for one round trip each, and these stones have been in a lot of different places throughout history.” Bruce said as he leaned his hands against the table.

“Our history. So, not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in.” Tony added, meeting Ruby’s eye briefly with a look of boredom. She rolled her eyes.

“Which means we have to pick our targets,” Clint clarified.

“Correct.”

Steve nodded with them. “Let's start with the Aether. Thor, what do you know?”

At his words, they all looked to the corner where Thor sat in a chair, clutching an empty can, sunglasses over his eyes and shirt ridden up on his stomach. Natasha frowned when he said nothing, “Is he asleep?”

“Nah,” Ruby said. “I’m pretty sure he’s dead.”

It took them three full days to figure everything out. Talking about the stones was more difficult for them than they had imagined since almost every encounter had lead to death or grief. They had been thinking so hard that they began to miss stuff, like at one point; Nat, Bruce, Tony and Ruby all lay in one of the conference rooms that was a mess of papers and empty take out dishes.

“That time stone guy,” Nat trailed, having never actually met him.

“Doctor Strange.” Ruby said, having some a lot of research regarding him when she was like thirteen-just after Tony had told her what happened on Titan.

“Yeah, what kind of doctor was he?” Nah said.

Tony groaned, his chest vibrating under Ruby’s head. “Ear-nose-throat meets rabbit from a hat,” He said unfondly.

“Nice place in the village though,” Bruce said.

“Yeah,” Tony agreed. “On Sullivan Street?”

He hummed. “Hmm, Bleecker,”

Natasha froze. “Wait, he lived in New York?” She asked.

“No, he lived in Toronto,” Tong said after scoffing. “Were you even listening?”

“Guys, if you pick the right year, there are three stones in New York.” She said, sitting up from her place lying on the table.

Bruce day up too. “Shut the front door,” He said, changing his curse words when he remembered Ruby was in the room. But she just rolled her eyes.

And then, they had formed a plan. Tony, Steve, Bruce and Scott would go to New York in twenty twelve; Rhodey, Nebular, Clint and Natasha would go to Vormir and Morag in twenty fourteen; Thor and Rocket would go to Asgard in twenty thirteen. Ruby couldn’t help but think it’d be a miracle if they pulled this off.

She zipped the back of Tony’s suit, smoothing the leather down over his shoulders as he turned to face her.

He looked at her as she avoided his eyes. “This is going to work,” He reassured.

Ruby moved away from him, folding his cardigan he had been wearing and laying it down on the bed. “I know,” She said, glancing around the room. It felt weird to be in Tony’s old room in the compound, like she was invading his mind. She had been staying in Peter’s room during her time here, which was even more strange, since she’d never actually met him but Tony talked about him so much that she felt she already knew him.

“It has too,” He added, his hand pulling at her elbow to make him face her.

She nodded, finally looking at him. “It will,” She said, forcing a smile onto her lips. “I have faith,”

He smiled sadly before letting out the breath he had been holding in and shaking his head lightly. “God, I’m so proud of you,” He said. “My little girl, all grown up.”

She smiled, tears brimming her lower lash line. “Couldn’t have done it without you, Dad.” She said, making his breath hitch.

In all the time they’d been with each other, she’d never called him ‘Dad’. She’d referred to him as her father a million times, but never to his face. Never really meant it until now.

He pulled her into him, pressing his lips to the top of her head as they trembled. “I love you so much,” He whispered. “If things go bad-”

“No.” She said firmly, going rigid in his arms. Her hands clutched the back of his suit shakily, as if she was terrified he’d disappear. “I won’t let you leave me too,” She forced out.

He nodded against her head, unable to form words. A knock at the door made him look up, to where Steve lingered, watching the two of them. “When you’re ready, Tony,” He said softly, slipping back out when he nodded.

The two of them walked down stairs together, joining the rest of the team as Cap gave his usual speech about honour and heroism and all things great. “He’s pretty good at that,” Rocket said when he finished as they all lined up in a circle on the testing chamber.

“I know right?!” Scott said excitedly.

Tony looked back at where Ruby stood next to the control panel. “You heard the man, Kiddo,”

Ruby concentrated on getting it right, which was difficult since there was more than on traveler and more than one location but she managed it, and she twisted the dial, triggering the tractors.

“Tractors engaged!” She yelled over the noise.

She double-triple checked everything before counting down and pressing the button, watching as they all shrunk and vanished. The next ten seconds were the longest of her life, the silence of the room was echoey as she waited, flicking switches and waiting for the nine green lights that told her she could press the button. When she got them, she slammed her hand down and they reappeared, well most of them.

Their suits dissolved, revealing various different outfits that Ruby thought questionable as she ran up to the platform, counting the stones. Six, they got all six stones. But then her eyes fell to where Nat should’ve been standing, then to Clint who looked down in shame.

“Clint, where’s Nat?” Bruce asked but Clint just looked up, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Ruby inhaled shakily, her chest constricting as the rest of them looked away in grief. But she couldn’t mover her eyes away from where she was supposed to be standing, not even when Tony put down the brief case he was carrying and pulled her into him. She just sobbed quietly, face turned sideways so she could still look at where she had been.

#wanda maximoff #pietro maximoff #vision #t’challa #tony stark #thor odinson #shuri #scott lang #sam wilson #rhodey

[ladyknightskye]

The 13 Ghosts of Darcy Lewis (13)

Summary: Halloween is one of Darcy’s favorite holidays, but the spooky fun is about to be hijacked. Now, Darcy must traverse a nightmare vision of the Avengers Compound and collect the 13 ghosts of the Avengers before midnight or else the spell will never be broken. However, she’s going to have some mighty monsters to fight - the Avengers themselves.

Author’s Note: Now it’s Pepper’s turn to be awesome.

Chapter 13: Empathy (Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde)

Characters: Pepper Potts, Bruce Banner, Hulk

Relationships: Pepper Potts & Bruce Banner

Warnings: None

           While Darcy was wrangling her own pair of ghosts, Pepper found herself in a position that she had always hoped to avoid. Instead of going through the forest – Pepper had seen her own share of horror movies thank you very much – she decided to go around it. That meant going near the lab buildings, which she hadn’t even thought to be wary of. However, the proof of her folly was currently standing in her path, his bulk blocking her it.

           “Shit,” she muttered, staring into the flaming eyes of none other than the Hulk. Quickly, she thought back to everything Tony had ever told her about the Big Guy. Her mind instantly latched onto something Tony had mentioned to her once almost three years ago.

           “It’s amazing Pep,” he’d moaned while laying across their bed. “He just lets Romanov mosey up to him and calm him down! Meanwhile, if any of us get near him he growls! He punches Thor every time!”

           Think, Pep, think. Why? Would the Hulk react to any woman like that? Why would men set him off? Time to find out. “Hey, Big Guy,” she said in her most soothing voice. It was the voice she used on Peter and Tony when they got mopey. “How’re you doing?”

           The angry tilt of his eyebrows lessened, and his grimace slowly left his mouth. “Good,” he said, his voice an inhuman rumble.

           “Good,” she said, her enthusiasm only slightly faked. She smiled brightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied the gray figure of his ghost. She couldn’t tell who it was, but she thought maybe she had an idea. She and Betty had become good friends, and she knew being scientific geniuses wasn’t the only thing Bruce and Tony had in common. Suddenly, inspiration struck. “Do you know me? Pepper? Tony’s fiancée?”

           Hulk cocked his head, eyes curious now. “Yes,” he answered.

           She held out her hand. “Nice to meet you,” she said, adopting the tone and posture she used on new business associates. It seemed to work as Hulk gingerly used a finger to shake her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

           “You . . . Don’t think I’m Bruce?”

           The full, grammatically correct sentence caught her a little off guard, but the sharp businesswoman in Pepper was too savvy to be totally surprised. “No. You’re your own person. Maybe a little angrier than most people would like, but you are you.”

           Hulk blinked his eyes and then slowly, gently, reached out to touch Pepper’s face. She allowed the intimate touch, sensing that this was what he needed. Empathy, she thought, was the key to being good at wheeling and dealing, and that empathy served her now. Another hand came into her field of vision, and though she didn’t recognize the man, she still smiled at him. The ghost laid his hand on her wrist. He didn’t say a word, but she knew that he was grateful. She looked back up at the Hulk, and then felt a heavy weight on her wrist. When she looked back down, the ghost was gone, and a chunky bangle rested on her wrist.

           “Thanks.”

           Pepper smiled. “Glad to see you back Bruce.”

           Bruce Banner stood before her in a green shirt and purple pants, his glasses perched on his nose. “I, uh, have no idea what’s going on right now.”

           Pepper laughed, and proceeded to tell him all about their crazy night, including the fact that Fury was a raging lunatic and Steve a vampire. “So Steve basically sexually assaulted Darcy and ran off with her? And you thought it was a good idea to go off after them alone?” he asked incredulously. She was so glad that he wasn’t going to dwell on the whole we’re-currently-stuck-in-a-spell part.

           “I wouldn’t call it a sexual assault. Just . . . I have the feeling that Steve would like to eat her in other ways.” She decided to never tell Bruce how much she enjoyed sharing TMI with him. His face did interesting things when he was embarrassed and disgusted at the same time.

           Then his face smoothed out. “Well, it’s not like we already didn’t know that Steve and Bucky had a thing for Darcy.”

           “And Bucky?” Pepper asked. “Steve, everyone knows about. But Bucky?”

           Bruce gave her a look, and a sad smile. “Well, I think me and Natasha are really the only ones who suspect, and maybe Clint, Fury, and Hill, but you know, none of us feel the need to share. Spies and reclusive scientists and all that . . . But I watch Bucky sometimes. He’s really careful not to show it around other people, but he watches her a lot. And there’s this look in his eye.”

           Pepper nodded, suddenly scouring her brain for anything she might have seen herself. “But how would that wash with Steve being interested?”

           She received a droll look. “I guess me and the super secret spies are also the only ones who realize that Steve and Bucky have been in love with each other since 1940, too.”

           “What?!” Pepper nearly shrieked. “Shut up!”

           Bruce laughed, beginning to stroll down the path towards Steve’s house. “Come on Pepper! You ever think about how touchy-feely they are with each other?”

           “I live with Tony Stark,” Pepper replied flatly.

           He turned back to her and nodded with an agreeing frown. “True. But beyond the Tony touchy-feelies. You’ve never noticed how they . . . orbit? Kinda in the same way that Natasha orbits Sam or Vision orbits Wanda?”

           She stopped and thought about that, and found herself seeing exactly what Bruce was talking about. “Holy crap,” she muttered. “So, do you think they want to include Darcy in their, um, thing?”

           Another droll look. “Oh yeah. Yeah they do.”

           “Okay,” she said skeptically, “how do you know?”

           “Walked in on them talking about it once.”

           “No way!”

           “Way.” He laughed. “You should’ve seen Steve’s face. I let them think I hadn’t heard a thing, but I totally did.”

           Pepper laughed, and the two of them amicably walked down the concrete path from the labs around towards Steve’s house. “Pepper,” Bruce said upon hearing a shrill cry in the night and the answering howl of another creature, “what do you think’s happened to the others? I don’t see anyone else, and the Compound was crawling with people.”

           She shrugged. “I don’t think we’re . . .” She trailed off when she peered into the pond outside of the labs. The party had taken over the conference side of the main building, as well as the bottom floors of the lab wing and the sculpted gardens that ran between the two buildings. Hill’s house was situated beside the garden, but had a little lawn and gate between it and the main gardens. Looking down into the water, she didn’t see her reflection, she saw two of the janitors, whose names she unfortunately didn’t know, laughing and giggling with drinks in hand. “I don’t think we’re in the same reality anymore.”

           Another howl in the night sounded closer than before. Bruce looked into the trees that bordered the other side of the gardens, leading out into the miles of jogging trails. He held out a hand to Pepper. “Come on, we need to find Darcy.”

           She took his hand, grateful for the warm feeling of another human being in this nightmare.

#pepper potts #bruce banner #13 ghosts of darcy lewis

[hellomissmabel]

Dark Bloom (For a moment, I was lost part 1)

MASTERLIST

Based on one of my favourite albums “For a moment, I was lost” by Amber Run.

This part is inspired by the song Dark Bloom.

Your best friend Caroline is none other than @mrshopkirk!

Pairing: Tony Stark x reader, Howard Stark x OC!Julia

Summary: A devastating loss brings you closer to the man you are destined to be with, but a family dalliance keeps you two apart.

Word count: 2.464

Warnings: Angst. Other than that, you’re safe.

A/N: I wanted to do something different and as it turns out, Dominic Cooper is one hell of an attractive Howard. Please excuse any historical errors and even the timeline that may or may not be entirely accurate. And yes, Julia is in fact my granny’s middle name. I really hope you enjoy this little fic series! Let me know of you want on or off the tag list.

A/N: There will be of course more Julia x Howard moments in the future!

He was completely different than you had imagined. Indoctrinated by all the infamous stories that went round, you had allowed your mind to coax an image of the man now standing in front of you, an image that fit the gossip on the streets but, much to your glee, was nothing but utter bunkum.

“Y/N, please stop running,” Natasha pants on your left, her hand gripping your shoulder with such force it slings you back a few steps.

“What did he say now?,” the redhead asks, voice low like a whisper. “Did Tony do something stupid again?”

You huff at her question. “He’s an arrogant son of a bitch.”

Nat lowers her head, her gaze locking on your white trainers. Her eyes are thoughtful when she looks up again, speaking in a hushed tone. “He’s afraid of losing you,” she states calmly.

“I should’ve never come to Stark Industries, damn it,” you groan in frustration, stomping your feet on the gravel below. “I should have never let him in my heart. Those Stark men are all the same.”

“Y/N, remember what Bucky said before you make any rash decisions.”

Come a little closer Feel it begin Just don’t forget to turn the lights off So we can a love a little darker

You met Tony in a rather unconventional way. Only recently confronted with the loss of your parents in a car crash, you and your best friend Caroline took it upon yourselves to make the inventory of your parents’ possession’s. Halfway through your mother’s belongings, you found a little jewellery box sitting on the top shelf of her wardrobe. It looked vintage and rather expensive, skimming your fingers over the delicate woodwork you tried to get a feel of the history imbedded in this little treasure.

Your curiosity finally got the better of you and soon enough the box was sitting next to you on the bed, your fingers travelling through the photographs and the letters collected inside. You recognised the woman on them immediately, having been compared to your grandmother far more than you can likely remember. You have the same hair colour, the same eyes, the same posture and the same height. Your mother used to joke that you looked more like your grandmother’s daughter than she did and upon her early death, one day you found yourself staring in the mirror, locking eyes with the reflection of a ghost.

There were countless of letters addressed to and from a man named Howard and this instantly peeked your curiosity. Caroline spurred you on and before you knew it, you found yourself reading through the words your beloved grandmother had exchanged with this mystery man. He always signed his letters with the same initials, H. S. and he always called your grandmother the girl in the pink sundress. Their exchange spoke of endearment and affection and you wondered how much this man had meant to your late grandmother. It was only when Caroline fished a stray photograph from between the pages of your granny’s diary, that your eyes fell on those of Howard Stark.

Your grandmother, Julia, was a trained nurse and born in the early 1900s as the only daughter of a privileged man who often held very exquisite parties for other rich people. Because that’s what you do when you’ve got too much money to spend, throwing parties and paying for numerous extravagant pleasantries. It was at one of these parties that Julia met Howard Stark, having been invited by her father for dinner and drinks afterwards.

Julia was wearing one of her favourite dresses, a pink sundress that in all modesty fell just below the knee and was in line with all the latest trends. She was easily the most beautiful woman at the party and from the first moment Howard stepped in, he was lost. Not one minute did he leave her out of his sight and when the opportunity arose to engage in a curt conversation with Julia’s father, he gladly took it with both hands.

She knew who he was and more importantly, what he was known for. A womanizer first class. Julia vowed she would stay clear from such characters yet she couldn’t help but sneak a sideways glance in his direction, marvelling at how dapper he looked from afar and wondering if he was even more enchanting up close. Little did she know that the exact reason her father asked Howard to be there that very evening was to make him a ‘business’ proposition he simply could not refuse. Or so he thought.

Julia’s father is a proud man who likes to take a risk every now and then. But risks have a tendency to turn out sour and over the past two years he had to cut his losses considerably. Julia never experienced any of it yet she did not remain absolutely oblivious to her father’s sudden involvement in her personal life. He became very adamant in his inquiries about who she was speaking with and who she was going out with. Julia’s a pretty girl but she’s never had a fella before, simply because she does not want to waste any time on the wrong man.

To say that Howard was surprised at her father’s bold proposal was an understatement. Yet Howard did say yes immediately, telling her father he wanted to hear it from Julia herself that she agreed to grant her his hand in marriage. It was the beginning of a beautiful affair, something that was meant to be but not meant to last. Howard loved Julia and Julia loved him in return, but other people soon stood in their way. Julia’s father did not mind although he too noticed the dirty looks the couple received on their way to their respectable destination. And then the war came, changing everything and everyone.

‘Cause I worshipped you, oh I worshipped you Like I’d always wanted to ‘Cause you, you’re a dark bloom You brought me down to my knees and I’m haunted by you

As a nurse, Julia spent most of her days at the hospital, tending to the wounds of many sick soldiers. Howard kept himself busy with the weapons manufactory and often visited the front lines. She was worried sick all the time and expressed her concern in the many, countless letters they exchanged during their time apart. Nevertheless, the moments they shared diminished and the feelings they harboured vanished into thin air the longer the distance separating the two of them and in his final letter, Howard eventually tells her to not wait for him.

When she broke down, her father assured her he would find her a more suitable suitor yet she refused fiercely, claiming her heart only beats for one man. Living a secluded, lonely life, Julia has lost the strength to continue living her life. Writing one last letter to Howard, she confesses to him that she has always sheltered that pink sundress she wore the day they first met. He never wrote a reply, instead cleared his desk from all trinkets and reminders of her existence and created a heart of steel for himself.

About a year later, young Julia treats a severely wounded soldier from the 107th with the uncertainty if he will ever make it through the night. But the man is determined to make it back home to his little brother and against all odds, his recovery is not the only miracle. During the days she spent nursing Jim as she learnt his name was, he talks about his regiment and about his duties as a sergeant. He tells her about Captain America and how he saved most of the men in his regiment. Slowly but surely she is falling for the handsome chap and a little over 6 months later he asks her to be his wife.

Julia married her sergeant and had one daughter. She never saw Howard again, yet often spoke of him to her baby girl. Jim didn’t mind as he understood the sting of love, having been rejected by his own sweetheart back home because she couldn’t take the wait any longer. The three of them made it work and lived a comfortable life until one day, after the daily newspaper had arrived at her doorstep, she dropped her cup of tea on the ground in shock, the headlines reading about the untimely death of Howard Stark and his wife, leaving behind their young son, Tony.

Tears started to flow freely, cascading down your cheeks and the contours of your face once you finished immersing yourself in the story of Julia and Howard. Determined to do right by their love, you picked up the phone and rang Stark Industries, demanding to speak to Tony Stark himself, personally.

Step out into the blue I’m invited by you Oh, I worshipped you, oh I worshipped you Oh, I worshipped you, now I’m haunted by you

This is how you came face to face with the man that stole your heart in a similar way as Julia. He had cordially invited you to one of his parties and in line with the dress code, you picked up a peach coloured dress with simple embellishments that channelled the forties fashion decade. Not one minute after you had set foot in the main room, your breath hitched in your throat at the sight of the genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist. Unbeknownst to your dazed senses, Tony had his eye on you from that moment on as well.

There was no other woman who could enchant Tony Stark that evening as much as you had, sharing only one dance partner as he twirled you around to the rhythm of whatever song they played next. The evening ended with a chaste kiss on the balcony, the view of the New York skyline stretching out before your eyes as they fluttered close upon meeting Tony’s lips. You promptly knew why your grandmother had fallen head over heels for Howard so quickly, a deep and sensual kiss causing your toes to curl in delight.

Fall a little further You smile a little wider Just don’t forget to turn the lights off So you can love a little darker

From then on, your days were different to say the least, Tony rarely left your side and you spent little time apart. If Tony was a king, then you were his queen and he made damn sure everybody at the tower knew how much he loved you. Taking you on countless romantic dates, each new one outmatching the previous, you relished in the experience of love at first sight. He’s not what you envisioned him to be, being fed lies by the media about his colourful persona. Yes, he is in every way just as much a ladies’ man as his father. Nevertheless, his commitment to you makes him someone else entirely.

However, his desire to sweep you off your feet also prevented you from breaking the news to him about why you had contacted him in the first place. You had talked for hours on end about everything you had in common and everything you had not, never steering the conversation in the direction of Julia and Howard’s dalliance because it simply didn’t cross your mind. Tony as well couldn’t allow this spark to die out as you had awakened a flame inside of him that none of his previous lovers had succeeded in and it reeled his mind with hope. Maybe you are the one.

Yet when the opportunity arose for you to finally disclose the romance your grandmother Julia shared with his father, he albeit closed to door to his heart right in front of you. He accused you of feeding lies to him, of tricking him into falling in love with you only to sell off your story to the highest bidder. “I bet it will make one hell of a novel,” he had thrown at you with a vicious grin, carding his hands through his messed-up dark brown hair, eyes red-rimmed with exhaustion taking its toll on your paramour.

Besides your best friend Caroline, only two other people knew about your family history. As Tony’s unofficial girlfriend (outside of the tower, you wanted to keep things on the down low because of Tony’s high profile job as well as character), you often roamed the tower at night and usually ended up at the swimming pool, just floating in the clear blue water as the moon shone down on you with its illuminating rays of tenderness.

Bucky, forced to stay awake by his shattering nightmares, regularly joined you on a nightly escapades and as there seemed to be an easy connection between the two of you, one evening you had shared with him Howard and Julia’s love story. As for Natasha, being the best spy you’ve ever come across (not that you have but that’s merely a detail), naturally she found it out all by herself.

'Cause I, I worshipped you, I worshipped you Like I’d always wanted to, always wanted to 'Cause you, you’re a dark bloom You brought me down to my knees and I’m haunted by you

Both of them reacted in a mixture of surprise and astonishment so naturally you expected Tony to be slightly thrown off as well. What you did not expect was for him to give you the silent treatment whenever you were in the same room and a cold shoulder once you tried to reach out to him. It tore you apart.

“You want some advice, kiddo?,” Bucky had softly offered when he found you curled up on the edge of the swimming pool. Silently you gave him permission to speak his wisdom, never anticipating his next words.

“If Julia had waited for Howard and Howard had fought his way back to her, neither you or Tony would ever have existed. The way I see it, Julia sacrificed her love for Howard to you could be with Tony.”

“I don’t understand, Buck. You hate Tony, why would you say such things?”

Bucky slung his arm around you and tucked you into his side, your body still wet from your swim and leaving wet stains behind on his red Henley. “Because it’s obvious you are as madly in love with him as Julia was with Howard.”

You look up to meet his eyes, the same reflective green-blue as the water below, tickling your feet and coating your body with little droplets. “I might not be his biggest friend but everybody deserves their shot at happiness.”

Oh, I worshipped you, I worshipped you Step out into the blue, I’m invited by you Oh, I worshipped you, I worsipped you Oh, I worshipped you, oh, I’m tortured by you

Part 2: Spark

Tagging: the ever-wonderful @beccaanne814-blog @avengerofyourheart @a-little-hell-to-raise @unpredictable-firecracker @marvelingatthewonder  @mrshopkirk @hardcorehippos @iiharu-kunii @knittingknerdy @winterwolf57 @winterboobaer @shamvictoria11 @thedragonblood @hymnofthevalkyries @feelmyroarrrr @justareader @ourpeachskies @austinamelio @howlingbarnes @4theluvofall  @themcuhasruinedme@theoneandonlysaucymo @hymnofthevalkyries @amrita31199 @kiwi71281 @jaegers-and-kaijus @katbird787@spaceprincessofmanygalaxies

#marvel #marvel imagine #marvel fic #marvel fan fic #marvel fanfiction #fan fiction #fan fic writing #marvel fan fiction #my fan fiction #howard stark #dominic cooper #tony stark #tony x reader #robert downey jr #robert downey junior #rdj #avengers #the avengers

[imagine-mcu]

The New Avenger: Ch. 4

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Word Count: 1815

Your heart pounded with excitement as the elevator lowered into the training room. The doors opened, and Nat and Tony got out to join the rest of the team standing before you.

The first thing you could think was: Wow, this is so weird. Seeing the Avengers on TV versus seeing them in real life were two totally different things. For one thing, they were all in normal clothes. You never really thought about it before, but you assumed whenever they were together the trained and lived in costumes 24/7. It was silly, but the thought never really crossed your mind. Second, you were somewhat disappointed that the Hulk wasn’t here. But then again, the Hulk was an indestructible war machine with anger issues. The man who stood before you, Dr. Banner, looked like a calm and collected person. That wasn’t so bad. Lastly, they were all absorbed in Dr. Banner’s iPad, which was playing some sort of cat video. In a word, they looked... normal.

Natasha cleared her throat loudly, and everyone looked up. “Guys, I’d like you to meet (y/n), the new Avenger.”

You smiled awkwardly and waved, trying to keep cool. But you had to admit it was extremely intimidating having the Earth’s mightiest heroes all staring at you.

Dr. Banner hastily set down his iPad and shook your hand politely. “Welcome, (y/n)! I’m Doctor Banner, but you can just call me Bruce.”

“He turns into a big green guy when he gets mad,” Tony chimed in helpfully.

You ignored him. “Nice to meet you, Bruce.” You turned to Hawkeye, whom you recognised from this morning. “And it’s good to see you again, Hawkeye.”

The corner of the archer’s lips turned up into a smile. “Just call me Clint, (y/n). Hawkeye’s too long. Besides, that’s just my code name for when I’m in the field.”

“Got it,” you said. You had to make a mental note to write down all of these people’s names.

“And I am Thor!” Thor stepped in. He stretched out his hand to you, and you went to shake it, but instead he grabbed you by the hand and pulled you into a bear hug. Hey, at least he’s friendly, right? “It is nice to meet you, (y/n). I hear you’re quite good at magic.”

“I... wouldn’t consider it... magic,” you choked out. Just when you thought your eyes would get squeezed out of their sockets, he let go. You caught your breath and said, “It’s more of a... mutation.”

“(Y/n)’s an enhanced,” Steve explained. “With the ability to control ice.”

Thor stared at you in wonder. “Ice? Like a... frost giant.” He studied you closer. “Only tinier. And more timid. And not blue.”

“I’m human,” you reassured him, and he relaxed. You smiled and addressed everyone, “It’s good to meet you all. I hope you guys know that I’m excited to be here and ready to be a part of this team.”

“That’s good to hear. We don’t need another Tony on the team,” Steve chuckled.

Tony frowned. “Hey!”

Steve patted him on the back. “Kidding, Tony. I was kidding.” He focused his attention back on you. “So! Tour done, check. Meet the team, check. All that’s left is for you to show us what you can do. Think of it like an audition.”

You blinked. You weren’t prepared for this. “An... audition?”

“Initiation,” Steve clarified. Nat smiled knowingly.

Bruce nodded and picked up his iPad. “You have the whole training room as your stage. We’re interested in seeing the full extent of your powers. You can start whenever you’re ready.”

“Um... okay.” Six pairs of eyes were trained on you, waiting expectantly. Suddenly it felt very hot in here. You tugged at your shirt collar. An audition? The full extent of your powers? Heck, you didn’t even know your limits! But you’d gotten this far, and you weren’t about to chicken out now. You took a deep breath to calm yourself and walked to the middle of the room.

You spent a moment deciding what to do first. Then you swept your hand out in front of you and focused. Instantly the floor around you grew a thin layer of very slippery, glossy ice. You raised your arm quickly, and sharp jagged stalagmites made of ice rose from the floor. You heard someone gasp and looked over to see Clint, eyes wide. Next to him, Bruce nodded to himself and typed something down.

Keep going, Natasha mouthed. You’re doing good.

Feeling reassured now, you continued. You started with the simple things first- you summoned a snowball, then a blast of cold wintery air, then frost that covered the window at the back of the room. Then you moved onto more advanced tricks, like generating a miniature blizzard that covered the entire room, then completely freezing a training dummy, and finally summoning an icy weapon. You tried for a spear again, recalling how you did last time, but when it appeared, it still wasn’t formed right. It looked like a spear that had been made by 3 year olds in arts and crafts. The tips of your ears turned pink in embarrassment.

“I think I’ll call it there,” Tony said. He was shivering, and his teeth were clattering. “I’m cold. I should’ve brought a coat.”

You willed for the failed spear to shatter, and it did. With a final wave of your hand, you imagined all of the ice, snow, and frost to disappear. Your thoughts were made into reality, and soon the training room was back to normal, as if the past ten minutes hadn’t happened.

Thor clapped excitedly, like he’d just watched a great show. “Bravo, (y/n)! That was quite impressive! Are you sure you’re not a god?”

“Nope. Human,” you smiled.

Bruce finished writing down whatever it was in his iPad and looked up. “You did well, (y/n),” he commented. “We can help you work on and refine your skills. I think we can all agree that that was enough to-”

“Now hang on a second.” Steve’s brow creased. “I’ll admit that was impressive, sure. But out there, in the field, you won’t be able to just stand there and do your thing. People will come at you, try to fight you. You need to prove that you can at least somewhat handle your own in combat.” He turned to his teammates, as if expecting someone to contradict him, but nobody did.

Your mind went spinning. Fight... an Avenger? Fighting street thugs in the back alley of a Starbucks was one thing. But these people have been training basically their entire life to fight, and some of them have heightened senses or super powers. You had the power to make instant Popsicles. Was he serious?

“Um... what?”

Clint nodded. “I agree with Steve. I’d like to see how (y/n) does in combat.”

“Well, (y/n) against who?” Tony asked. “Not me; I can barely feel my fingers.”

“Well, it was Steve’s idea, so I think Steve should be the one (y/n) fights,” Bruce said logically. “Any objections?”

Nobody spoke up. It was obvious that this was not how Steve hoped things would turn out, but he couldn’t back out on his own idea in front of his team. He gritted his teeth. “Alright, fine. We’ll duel in the boxing ring.” He headed for the weapon wall first and grabbed an unpainted iron shield meant to simulate his actual one. Then he jumped into the boxing ring, which was at least five times bigger than a regular ring, and waited.

“This is insane,” you muttered under your breath. Why couldn’t you have an easier opponent, like the arrow guy? You headed over with reluctance. You crawled between the ropes and stood in one corner as Steve took the other. The other Avengers gathered around with newfound anticipation in their eyes.

“I’ll call it,” Natasha announced. “(Y/n), ready?” You wanted to say No, this is nuts! I’m out of here!, but you swallowed your fear and nodded. “Good. Start in 3... 2... 1... Go!”

Steve didn’t hesitate for a second. He leaped at you with incredible speed for someone his size. You did the only thing you could think of- you bolted to the side. But he was a super soldier. His senses were as sharp as knives. He kicked out his leg and caught you behind the knee, forcing you to fall over. Great. It hasn’t even been five seconds yet and you were already down. You barely had time to catch your breath, however, as he slammed his shield down.

You rolled to the side, and his shield collided with the ground. You hoped he would go easy on you, since you were a newbie after all, but that was evidently not the case. You jumped to your feet and raised your hand. Razor-sharp icicles shot out of your hand like deadly projectiles, but he managed to deflect every since one with his shield. Then he positioned his shield in front of him and charged in attempt to knock you over. You dove out of the way at the last second, only to have him kick out his leg once again and catch you behind the knee.

Damn. That move was annoying. If only he couldn’t use his feet...

That gave you an idea. You scooted backwards and shot both hands out, aiming for his feet. Suddenly they were encased in a block of solid ice. But as soon as he realised what had happened, he tried to break it with his shield. The ice started to crack, but you shot out another wave of ice, this time doubling the size of the block around his feet. With his regular shield he might be able to break free, but alas the iron training shield could not compare.

“Ironic,” you heard Tony say. “Since he’s trapped in ice again.”

Out of the corner of your eye you saw Natasha elbow him, but you weren’t focused on them. Your eyes were trained on the supersoldier. Steve, aware that he was stuck, went to throw the shield at you. More in panic than actually planned, you moved your hand up and a thick wall of ice rose out of the ground in front of you. The shield collided with the wall and stuck there. Defenseless, without a weapon, and immobolised, you realised you had the upper hand over Captain America.

You waved your hand over the ice surrounding his boots and it melted without a trace. “Um... sorry.”

Steve looked at you open-mouthed. “Sorry? You’re... sorry?”

A wave of anxiety washed over you. After all, you just froze America’s greatest soldier for the second time now. “Am I... am I off the team?”

Steve blinked. “Off the team? No, (y/n), you’re on the team.”

#fanfic #fan fiction #steve rogers #captain america #tony stark #iron man #natasha romanoff #black widow #clint barton #hawkeye #thor odinson #thor #bruce banner #hulk #avengers #avengers fanfiction #marvel #marvel fanfiction