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tomhollandfics · 3 years

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Peter Parker [Favourites]

this is an overview of some of the best peter parker fics out there - this list covers all tropes

* = smut

* Don't Hold Back - @hollandcrush

two hormonal students wander into a room during a frat party, what could possibly happen? maybe you discover that under his heart made of pure gold lurks a hidden powerful, dominant side

Sunset Lovers - @duskholland

you’ve never met your soulmate, but you know his handwriting like the back of your hand...literally - every word your soulmate writes on his skin appears on yours, and vice versa - you’re desperate to meet him, but until the universe decides to introduce you, you’re stuck with scribbled smiley faces and chemistry formulae

Was It Worth It - @kelieah

reader and peter are married with a baby, after every mission she questions if it “was it worth it” but as she becomes muddled up in a dangerous mission, peter doesn't know if it is worth it anymore

Disappointed - @dlwritings

the events of endgame have taken their toll on peter - unfortunately, this means you’re left picking up his broken pieces, and you’re not sure how much more strength you have to help him

His Plan - @dlwritings

you’re far too shy to tell peter how you feel about him - you always have been, he’s shy about it too, but decides to bite the bullet and confess a couple things to you on the school trip to europe - his plan doesn’t, however, account for you feeling the same

*The Storm - @starlordsandrockets

peter parker was the last person you wanted to be partnered with for your class presentation - now you were forced to spend the day with him but your loathing soon turns into something quite different when the day is over

Just For Tonight - @cloudybarnes

peter accidentally tells the avengers he has a girlfriend and now they all wanna meet her. in an attempt to not look like a liar, he recruits his best friend y/n to fake date him for the night so he can introduce them to her

* What Good Boys Do - @vampireinbusiness

can you do one about shy peter and his love for readers short skirts like he gets so flustered seeing her in them but he always touches her and him going down on his knees to eat her out with them on

Remember That Night - @tinyyoungblood

peter spends a night on omegle and comes across a sleeping girl. peter decides not to skip her - he reads to her and talks to her about his problems, and when she finally wakes, they lose themselves in endless conversation until she hits him with the “see you in a different life, bye peter

Better Half - @ptersmj

where you fall asleep on peters lap after a mission and he just takes care of you?

Trouble In Paradise - @ptersmj

peter loves giving y/n hickies - when they at a pool party with the rest of the avengers, everyone starts teasing her about them

Honor - @itsapeterthing

your best friend peter parker who has a secret crush on you catches your boyfriend cheating with another girl

Invisible String (Series) - @peterbenjiparker

you were content with the way your life was, until you woke up with a red string wound around your fingertips and the red string just had to link you to your best friend, peter - now you were subjected to a possible life of no love as you watched peter, your soulmate, fall for someone else all the while getting fucked over by the universe in the worst way possible

Drunk On You - @peterbenjiparker

peter calls you from a frat party after getting drunk to get over you while you were out on a date

* Your Mess - @peterbenjiparker

peter got drunk at flash's party and you have to take care of him

* Wet Dreams - @selfcarecap

what the title says - also, friends to lovers

Time After Time (Series)- @softspideys

peter parker is your worst enemy, but he’s also your soulmate. life is funny that way

Sweet Dreams, Parker - @marvelousmrsmarvel

being a full-time student is exhausting in itself, let alone being an avenger as well. you and peter both knew the feeling a little too well. so, when peter is losing sleep over finals week, you step in to help get his sleeping schedule back on track

Of Sleep & Safety - @florenceyelena

in which peter parker slumps into your room exhausted and you have to try and get him into bed despite the height difference between you

Can't Lose You - @ms-misery

you're trying to get over your best friend but no matter how hard you try you just can't seem to do it

* Secret - @celestialbarnes

you and peter have been dating for a few months now, and in order to keep your dad and the team in the dark, you two sneak around, not knowing that the entire team already knew, everyone but tony of course, chaos ensues

Cuddles - @parkersdoll

peter has a bad day, all he can think about is you

Can't Escape (Series)- @asonofpeter

life moves fast out in the suburbs, you live the perfect life with your mother and father but when you start to crave for more meaning in life than just westview, your mother does every thing in her power to make sure you don’t leave - can you ever imagine what’s on the other side of ellis avenue?

* Vacation (Series) - @scarletspideyy

it’s peter parker’s senior year class trip, all he wants is a break from the stress of high school and his spider-man duties - to his surprise, he gets the vacation he always wanted but it doesn’t come without its own personal trouble; love

* Break It In - @simplyparker

peter gets his first car, and you want to have some fun

Hopelessly Devoted To You - @spiritualchange

what can he say, peter is just devoted to you

* The Birthday Boy - @noobsquasher

it's peter's birthday and you celebrate it by giving him a memorable lap dance

Perfectly A Little Late - @t-lostinworlds

with all things college, two jobs, tutoring on weekends and another at the bakery downtown, you're one busy girl - peter completely understands that of course, admires it even but it doesn't make it sting any less when you just so happen to forget about his birthday

Kiss Me More - @celestialholland

you and peter make out for the first time

* Pretend I'm Not Here - @thighs-of-betrayal-blog

peter asking you to touch yourself in front of him like you do when you're alone

Caffeine - @waitimcomingtoo

peter’s shyness makes him an easy target at his new job, but one co-worker always stands up for him

* Rings, Rings, Rings - @vintagemulti

in which your boyfriends newfound love towards jewellery affects you more than you expected

Halftime - @eloquenceflores

your cute nerdy bf takes care of you during the half-time of the football game you’re cheering at

#tom holland x reader #tom holland #tom holland smut #tom holland fluff #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland x y/n #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfic #tom holland fic #tom holland one shot #peter parker #peter parker imagine #peter parker x reader #peter parker fluff #peter parker smut #peter parker angst

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yuttikkele · 3 years

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(long post)

i’ve been making my own little spider-man/marvel universe based off the comics, so here’s some headcanons starting off with the coffee bean gang:

— first off, appearances and interests. i like to think that everyone has at least two main things in common with another person, so i listed those as well.

peter: 5’9; you can only see his build when he takes his shirt off; fluffy brown hair; soft blue and golden brown heterochromia; other than that, typical parker; interests: science, comics

harry: 6’0; scrawny ginger with lots of freckles; sides of his head shaved with the fluff kept on top; green eyes; interests: comics, fashion

mj: 5’8; built kinda beefy; has scarred tanned skin with lots of freckles; her hair is bright red, long, and straight. she’s not exactly white? y’know? mixed. interests: athletics, music

gwen: 5’5; small and pudgy; has an undercut with middle parted short blonde hair; sometimes there’s berets in it. interests: music, science

flash: 6’2; mixed with light freckles; has natural blonde hair shaved with lighting strikes on the sides; he usually chooses to dress punkish in public, but in private he likes to show him feminine side. interests: fashion, athletics

now that that’s out of the way, i cannot continue without addressing the ptide

harry is obviously gay and he knows it. no one else does, though

if they can’t tell who spiderman is based on his voice, how would they know that harry is gay?

exactly

peter is obviously bi and everyone else knows it, but not him

cinematic parallels

mj is on the demiromantic spectrum and hasn’t dated anyone since the first grade (she dated harry, and they both regret it. peter laughs about it to this day). she’ll fall in love if it’s the right person

gwen is also bi

flash is pan but hasn’t accepted it yet

now to miscellaneous headcanons that i come up with randomly

gwen doesn’t die in this universe because she and peter never date (she isn’t really romantically attracted to him either)

i like to imagine peter and harry as childhood friends, but you can do enemies to friends to enemies to lovers if you want

everyone at midtown is dense as heck, and this includes peter

(under the cut is just more headcanons and some drawings of them)

harry and gwen geek out over stuff that the other three just don’t understand

to tamper a little bit, harry has arachnophobia

and gwen’s the kid who picked up spiders as a little kid and threw them at people

whether harry has a crush on peter or not is up to you ;) but i can tell you that peter has a type, and it’s redheads

peter absolutely nerds out when it comes to science, but if it’s anything other than that, he’s clueless

like, what compound reacts to this substance? all on that. where the comma goes in the sentence? no idea whatsoever.

MJ: Peter, what’s 9 times 8?

Peter: What? Like I’m supposed to know that off the top of my head?”

MJ: *sigh* Peter what’s the formula for gravity?

Peter: Oh! That’s simple, so-

and peter is absolute garbage at spelling (unless it’s science related ofc). can’t spell worth a flip AND has terrible handwriting.

meanwhile gwen excels in every subject

mj and harry aren’t the brightest (mj having As and Bs while harry has more Cs than As). flash can barely keep his grade above a 55, but he’s not totally stupid

i don’t want to pull a dirk from bazaardvark, but flash liked physics

i mentioned earlier that mj has a beefy build. that’s because she’s super athletic

she can (and will) outrun you.

even peter with his spider powers has a hard time keeping up

sadly for peter, he is not coordinated for any type of sport despite his acrobatic abilities

MJ: Pete! You should try out for a school sport! I’m sure you’ll be great at it!

MJ, after she watched Peter play a minute of basketball: please, peter, never touch a pigskin.

mj and gwen also participate as cheerleaders. mj is a base and, well, gwen holds a sign. mj also loves doing flips on the mat.

overall, the girls love playing powderpuff football the most

and that’s because mj DOMINATES the field with it

and gwen enjoys absolutely cutting lose with face paint on

all the boys are secretly glad that they don’t have to face them

for the powderpuff game, peter makes sure to dress up and cheer for the girls even though he looks like an actual goose while doing it

he can do surprisingly good cheerleading jumps which everyone is surprised at

peter, your spidey is showing

everything else looks terrible

flash also participates in the cheerleading, but he’s more focused on winning the womanless beauty pageant

he’s won each year he’s participated and doesn’t plan on losing that streak

he looks stunning every year, wonder why…

harry doesn’t participate in any of this until his friends force him to one year

he ends up winning the womanless beauty pageant, and is on bad terms with flash for at least a week

he blames it on peter

i don’t know how this got on the topic of homecoming, but i’ll roll with it.

their first homecoming, they all decide to go to the dance together as a group.

flash went with them when he couldn’t find a willing date. since they weren’t that close at the time, this dance definitely strengthened the friendship bonds.

one year, mj asks peter to the dance, and peter was so shocked that he wasn’t able to speak for a couple minutes

mj, the most beautiful girl in school, who hasn’t been seen in a relationship in years, who is also my best friend? THAT mj? just asked ME out to homecoming???

mj eventually took the blushed stuttering as a yes

cue gwen, harry, and flash looking at them and being like, “they grow up so fast”

at the end of the dance, mj gives peter a smooch on the cheek

harry has to hear about it over the phone all night

Harry: So you liked MJ??? and you didn’t tell me?

Peter: Well, it would’ve been awkward… yknow…

Harry: Peter, we dated for like five days.

mj and peter’s relationship never really goes anywhere, though, it does bring their friendship closer

this may or may not be because i’m a sucker for gwenmj

anyways, like i said, peter has a thing for redheads

so one night he has a crisis about harry and mj because he realizes that they’re both drop dead gorgeous

by chance, gwen texts peter about something and eventually they facetime and peter ends up spilling his heart out to her

gwen keeps her lips sealed

i’m thinking of making norman osborn a woman because other villains are genderbended, but never norman. but also i like man norman because he’s 10x more hatable.

harry loves his dad for like the first half, but it’s hard for him to love him after a while.

flash’s place is a dump

he has an older sister in college though, and sometimes he’ll stay with her

they’re always there for each other, and when she finds out flash actually made some friends, she’s so proud of him

they all love the avengers. if there’s anything that connects them besides friendship, it’s the avengers.

peter’s always talking about iron man, gwen talks about how much mj looks like black widow, mj thinks hawkeye deserves more, harry knows almost as much about each of them as peter, and flash thinks spiderman’s still better than all of them

gwen 100% thinks steve rogers and bucky barnes are married, but no one else in the group sees it

peter does soon find out what she means when on an unscheduled mission with them one day

he’s begging them to just kiss already. it’s hard to watch

the gang does end up becoming involved with spiderman’s antics from time to time

gwen was handed a web shooter once, mj has been saved multiple times, harry, ofc, sees him almost every other day, and flash turned into venom once

harry’s the first to find out about peter when trying to kill spiderman. harry unmasks peter and is shocked, allowing spiderman to escape

once gwen heard spiderman say “with great power comes great responsibility” she knew exactly who it was

mj connects the dots after gwen

and they have to straight up tell flash for him to get it

in the end, they’re all a bunch of idiots who love each other

Here are drawings of how I think each of them look (yes these were Inktober drawings)

Peter Parker: honestly, i just tried to combine all the versions, but he’s just a basic white boy

Harry Osborn: inspired by the comics and spectacular spiderman versions

MJ Watson: inspired by the MSM2017 and MCU versions

Gwen Stacy: inspired by the comics and spider-gwen versions

Flash Thompson: inspired by the MSM2017 and Ultimate Spiderman versions

#spiderman #spiderman headcanons #spider man #peter parker #mj watson #Harry Osborn #flash thompson #gwen stacy #coffee bean gang #ack #text post #parksborn #gwenmj #marvau #marvel #marvel hcs #hcs

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keijislove · 3 years

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Dance the Night Away: Peter Parker X Reader

A/N: This ain’t following any particular timeline – let’s just say... idk, after Far from Home, maybe?

WARNING: use of the ‘P’ word (Flash being Flash)

Peter walked down the hallway amidst the chatter, trying to reach his locker as the crowd grew thicker and thicker, making it impossible for him to even see properly. Which was until a hand seized his wrist and pulled him through, letting go of him as he smashed into the storage compartment with force enough to make his brains rattle.

“Oops, sorry,” you said with a sheepish smile.

Peter had turned to thank whoever it was, but, catching sight of you, he groaned. Not that he didn’t like you – you and Peter had been best friends since you were eight years old. Recently, however, a banner had been put up by the senior girls announcing that prom would be taking place the following Saturday. And with only about five days left, you had taken to pestering Peter into going, hoping that if you’d fling the question unexpectedly, Peter would get scared into answering. You had, however, no luck so far.

“Y/N, I know what you’re going to say,” Peter warningly began, “And I don’t wanna hear it.”

“But I wanna say it,” you said, “And that I shall. Peter, come on! It’s a crucial life experience! I mean, you’re studying all the time these days, and I get it, you have a clear view of your future, and I’m happy for you. But pleeeaaaaaaase, just do it for me? It’s one night, Peter, come on! One night where you have to let go and just have fun! After that, we can go back to making circuit boards together like we used to, but just this once? C’mon, don’t tell me you’re turning me down.”

As you took a deep breath after this whole rant and Peter took one look at your sincere smile, he sighed.

“... Fine,” he mumbled.

Your eyes grew wide. Surely you’d misheard?

“What?” you asked, “Louder, please?”

“Fine!” Peter bellowed loudly so that a dozen heads turned in your direction and people began snickering.

Not caring in the least, you flashed a wide smile before engulfing Peter into a huge hug, speaking, “Thank you so much! It’ll be the best experience of your life, Peter!”

“Yes, that means better than your spiderman stuff,” you whispered in an undertone as Peter said a disbelieving, “Come on!”

Needless to say, you had finally convinced Peter to go to prom. Now came the hard part. Truth was, you had liked Peter since you were both, what, fourteen? Convincing Peter to go to prom was a task for the strong, but asking him to be your date? No way would he feel the same. Peter had never ever hinted, that your relationship could be more. In fact, he felt rather frantic to prove it couldn’t be more – something that convinced you that you did not belong together and that, someday, you would have to get over this silly little crush. Still, seeing Peter go to prom with any girl who made him happy was enough for you.

“Right, now that we’re going,” you said the following morning, when he’d found you standing next to his locker, waiting for him to arrive.

Peter sighed, “Mm hmm?”

“We need dates,” you ignored his disinterest.

“Do you have one?” asked Peter.

“It.... it’s complicated,” you muttered.

Peter crossed his arms, “Listening.”

You shot him a glare before sighing and telling him, “There’s... there’s this boy I like. I was really hoping he would ask me to homecoming back then, and I turned down anybody who asked me just to chase that blind belief. Guess what? He didn’t ask me. And I know he won’t now, but I don’t know... something inside me still hopes he would.”

“So, you’re scared to say yes to anyone in case he asked you but scared to say no to everyone in case he doesn’t ask you?” Peter clarified, causing you to laugh.

“Sounds about right.” you muttered, “But hey, enough about me, what about you? We need a date for you. Do you have anyone in mind?”

“Not really,” Peter shrugged.

“Okay....” you said slowly, “Well, I’ll just list off people you would be happy with as they come to my mind... maybe you can ask one of them.”

“Fire away.”

“Okay... well, there’s Emma Jones from my biology class,” you began, “And she’s really nice.”

“Not my type.”

“Oh,” you frowned, “Okay... Alyssa from P.E?”

“The one who said spiderman sucks? No thanks.”

“Zoe from English?”

“Nope.”

“Ava from chemistry lab?”

“Meh.”

“... MJ?” you asked in defeat as Peter incredulously looked at you (A/N: sorry MJ, I love you <3).

“Okay, fine,” you snapped, “I’m done helping. Let me know if you find someone?”

Peter gave another nod as the two of you made your way to class.

------

You were panicking. Two days were all that were left, and so far, you had turned down countless boys including Flash Gordon who had swore and made rude hand gestures at you as a way to handle rejection. You didn’t know what was wrong – why was this impossible hope of Peter asking you still clouding your possibilities of a relationship?

Peter knew nothing of this – yet he annoyed you. If he was too blind to notice that you were madly in love with him, why did the very sight of his face make your brain go empty?

Now with one day left and nobody to ask you, you slumped moodily throughout the day, not talking and sitting silently at lunchtime, stabbing your potatoes pretending that it was your feelings for Peter.

“Okay you’re freaking me out now,” Peter said as the two of you were walking home and you still hadn’t opened your mouth.

“No date – again. God, this is just like homecoming,” you groaned.

Peter looked surprised.

“I thought a lot of guys asked you?”

“They did!” you moaned, “It’s just – that guy, I don’t know why he has this effect on me. It’s like – we weren’t meant to be together or maybe I wasn’t meant to go out with anyone ever.”

“Hey, that’s not true,” said Peter with something new in his expression. Behind the terribly unconvincing ‘concerned best friend’ mask, you saw a flicker of something... smugness? No, you were dreaming. You hadn’t eaten all day – this was probably a side-effect.

“You know what, I’m gonna grab a sandwich at Delmar’s,” you muttered, “I haven’t eaten since morning. Do you want to come?”

“Sorry, I promised May I’d come home,” he sheepishly said, “She wanted me to go get an outfit with her.”

“Oh,” you snickered, “Good luck with that. See you tomorrow!”

“See you.”

And with a heavy heart, you walked away from your only chance of having the person you cared about most as your date to prom.

--------

“Oh god, what was I thinking?” you muttered, staring the reflection of you in a(n) F/C dress with your hair styled <inert preferred style here>.

“This is stupid!” you said to no one in particular, before taking a deep breath and walking to the apartment across from yours and knocking on the door.

The door opened to reveal Peter.

“Oh, good you’re here, this will take just a second, May wants to –” he stopped abruptly, staring at you with eyes round as saucers.

“Um,” you began, he still kept staring.

“Earth to Peter, you still in there?” you snapped your fingers in front of his face as he blinked and turned a delicate shade of red.

“You – you look nice,” he managed to choke out.

“Thanks...?” you said, walking inside and taking a seat on the couch.

“Okay, um, M-may will take us there in her c-car, she’ll be h-here any moment, let’s just w-wait.”

“Pete, you having a stroke or something?” you asked in concern.

“No, I’m fine.” (A/N: he’s not 😉)

As if she had sensed Peter’s need to be rescued, Aunt May came walking into the room. She stopped at the sight of her nephew staring slightly at you, who was examining a coffee mug on the table. Smiling to herself, she cleared her throat.

Both of you jumped in surprise.

“We’re ready to go,” May stated, as the two of you got to your feet, following her to the car.

----------

“This was a mistake, wasn’t it?” you asked, looking at the doors of your school gym which were closed ominously.

“Why?” asked Peter in surprise, “I thought you wanted to go?”

“I do,” you admitted, “But – we don’t have dates, it’ll look so... lame.”

Peter scoffed, “Y/N, do you really need the dimwits that attend this school to justify how many cool points you have?”

“Not exactly,” you said in surprise, feeling slightly better.

“Yeah, come on, let’s just do it. Together, okay?” asked Peter as you nodded.

You both took nervous, deep breaths before pushing the doors open to reveal the commotion inside.

--------

You two were walking across the gym, interestedly examining the decorations ang pulling faces at the couples which were making out, till you bumped into something hard.

“OOF!” you groaned, falling to the floor.

“You okay?” Peter asked hurriedly, pulling you to your feet. As you both turned to look who it was, you were surprised to see Flash standing there with his mouth hanging open.

“No way,” he said, gaping, “HEY EVERYONE, LOOK! IT’S DATELESS L/N AND PENIS PARKER!”

You groaned as a million heads turned your way and slowly, the laughter broke out, jeers of the obscene names Flash had called you now echoing off the walls.

“Haha, real funny, Flash,” Peter said sarcastically, but once he saw your near-tears expression, he seized your wrist and pulled you out of the gym into the open.

“Come on,” he pacifyingly said, “Don’t cry over him, Y/N! He’s not worth it.”

“This is homecoming all over again,” you groaned, struggling to contain your tears, “School dances were never meant for me. Let’s just – let’s just go home and finish making that model spaceship we were working on.”

“Sounds like a worthwhile night to me,” Peter shrugged, tossing a brave smile your way, “You don’t need prom to be happy, you know. Let’s go.”

And so the two of you walked home, talking amongst yourselves, being the best friends you’d been since eight.

Best friends.

The sound of that word made your blood boil hot. How naïve were you? This was absolutely perfect – a million guys on the planet and you chose to fall for one who would never see you the same way.

As your apartment building came closer, Peter cleared his throat and spoke, “Wait in the living room with May for ten minutes. I have a surprise for you.”

“Seriously?” you asked, taken aback.

“Yeah, why not?”

“What is it?” you asked curiously.

Peter cocked an eyebrow.

“Kinda missing the point of a surprise if I told you what it was.”

“Makes sense,” you agreed, “Okay, but make it quick. I’m dying of curiosity.”

“You’ll live for another ten minutes,” Peter assured you.

Your curiosity was now bubbling to the surface like boiling water threatening to spill. You thought of what Peter could possibly have to surprise you, and you stopped to sit on a couch in the living room next to Peter’s aunt.

After exhausting every possibility (each as unlikely as the next), Peter finally dragged you ti the door of his room.

“... I’ve seen your room before, you know,” you laughed slightly.

“That’s not the surprise,” Peter playfully rolled his eyes, “Okay, close your eyes.”

“Jesus, Peter,” you snorted as his hands placed themselves over your eyes, “You are such a drama queen.”

“Open them... now!”

And you opened your eyes to see that the usual clutter surrounding Peter’s room had been cleared away, leaving some space for god-knows-what in the middle of it.

“Wow, you finally cleaned your room!” you exclaimed, “That is a surprise.”

“That’s still not the surprise!” Peter whined, “C’mere.”

He grabbed your hand and pulled you close as your brain clouded with confusion. What the heck was going on?

Peter threw his phone aside as a light waltz began playing through the air. Peter placed one hand on your waist and the other one to grab yours as your confusion cleared away.

“You said you wanted to go to prom,” Peter stated as you two swayed on the spot, moving slightly to the music, “You didn’t say where. Now we’re away from judgy eyes, we can be weird.”

“Seriously, Peter?” you giggled at his dorkiness, “I never knew you were so cute.”

The words had slipped from your mouth before you had time to think them through. You were praying he didn’t hear you, but a hitch in his breath made your heart drop.

“You – you think I’m cute?” Peter asked, blushing furiously.

“Well,” you sighed, there was no backing out of this, “... Yeah, I do.”

You looked down, refusing to meet his eyes.

“And the guy you wanted to get asked by...?” Peter didn’t need to finish his question; he knew you understood.

“Yes,” you whispered, tears brimming at the corner of your eyes once more.

You sucked in a deep breath and looked up, “Look, Peter, I know you don’t feel the same and it’s honestly okay –”

“Shut up,” Peter mumbled, his lips brushing over yours. Your lips brushed together a few times as the both of you melted into the addicting sensation, not aware of the surroundings, not caring in the least. To Peter, all that mattered in that moment, was you.

You two pulled apart after a while, both blushing like crazy with no idea what to do next. It was you who spoke first, shyly.

“I – I think it’s a good thing we’re alone right now. That would be an embarrassing yearbook photo.”

#peter parker #peter parker imagine #spiderman #spiderman imagine #spiderman x reader #peter parker x reader #peter parker x you #peter parker x yn #spiderman x you #spiderman x yn #fluff #angst #prom #dance #cute #marvel #marvel imagine #mcu imagine

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nativehueofresolution · 3 years

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i think it’s so fascinating how mj is someone who is naturally empathetic and easily picks up on the feelings of others, but she is not someone for whom being kind is always easy or automatic. it’s a skill she has to work for, and something she gets better at as she grows. and it’s part of why i love her so much.

(image heavy meta under the cut)

mj in general is uncannily perceptive and finds it second nature to put herself in someone else’s shoes--part of the reason being an actress makes perfect sense for her character. in spectacular spider-man 85, there’s a small gag where mj tells peter he looks troubled, and peter responds “tell me about it”, only for mj to go “okay!” and immediately list off the reasons why he’s upset. peter notes that mary jane “read [him] like a book” (keep in mind at this point they’d been broken up after peter’s failed first proposal and had fallen out of touch, and mj still doesn’t miss a step).

with peter/mj being one of the cornerstone relationships for spider-man, it’s not hard to find moments throughout their time together where mj reads peter in a way no one else can--she’s one of the few people in the world that peter completely opens up to. but i think it’s notable that she still is attuned to peter’s emotions before they become close. she’s there for peter as they grieve over gwen together--most famously in the epilogue for tasm #122, but also in lots of smaller ways. she’s the only one who notices peter struggling to get through school after gwen passes, and she seeks him out when he isolates himself, repeatedly inviting him out of his shell.

(tasm #124)

but we don’t just see her do this with peter; she also steps in to help liz after harry dies, despite the way their relationship fractured once mary jane started suspecting harry was acting as the goblin.

(web of spider-man #101)

she sees past may’s folksy surface and seeming frailty, acknowledging the many difficulties she’s endured and the will of steel she has.

(spectacular spider-man #186)

she uses her class clown routine to help cheer gwen up after her father dies.

notably, she also is the first one to realize gwen has run off after flash gets into a fight, and she volunteers to be the one to go after gwen--admitting that even though it’s unlikely she’ll get through to gwen, she still feels like she has to try. meanwhile peter, the guy gwen was on the verge of marrying, was too caught up in his own feelings to check in with her.

(spider-man: death and destiny #2)

she defends peter and harry for being standoffish after gwen dies and harry overdoses.

(tasm #125)

she has a real sense for when people are hurting or in need, and when you put all of this together, mj starts to sound like a saint. and she is an incredibly compassionate and supportive person! but harry’s above reaction- while cruel and possessive -- isn’t coming out of nowhere. the end of their relationship was pretty terrible. mary jane flirted with peter a lot after gwen left him to go to england, and it clearly made harry feel hurt. there are lots of ways you can interpret her actions--she never considered their relationship to be serious, her feelings for peter were already present, she was trying to give harry a reason to end things between them. x-men/spider-man #1 has gwen suggest it’s a sort a reverse psychology mind trick to keep harry’s attention on her (something peter also suggests in another issue), and mj more or less agrees with her. regardless of her motive, she’s told multiple times that her behavior is hurting harry, and she keeps doing it. his anxiety about their relationship is part of what leads to him to start taking drugs. when she does eventually dump him, mj tells harry he’s “always been good for a few laughs”, but shouldn’t let it go to his head... words clearly designed to sting.

to be absolutely clear, harry had lots of his own issues that had nothing to do with her (including his deep insecurity that could often make him an insecure jerk), and mary jane isn’t responsible for anyone’s actions besides her own. but i do think it’s notable that she was dismissive of harry’s feelings and the fact she was hurting him, even though it’s repeatedly made clear in other issues mj does love harry as a friend; interestingly, she also had similar, though less extreme, behavior with flash when she and peter were dating.

(mj in tasm #97 / mj in tasm #162)

the difference here is that we get more insight into mj’s feelings and mindset, as her character has become more developed. when peter confronts flash about flirting with his girlfriend, he learns mary jane had been hiding the fact she and peter were seeing one another from flash. both of them are upset (peter acts just as petty and jealous as harry did), and mj describes just seeing peter again as “something that took more courage than i thought i had”. but she shows up anyways, and she and peter actually communicate with one another.

(tasm #165)

mj flirting with flash is just a reaction to all the messy and contradictory feelings being that come with being in a relationship, and the specific issues that are present in a relationship with peter. but the fact that she can explain all of this peter shows she’s still pretty in touch with her emotions, and it seems like a part of her suspected all along something like this would happen, as she tells betty in tasm #130 that she doesn’t want to fall in love with peter because she likes him too much. she’d rather keep things simple, even if it damages the relationship.

(also, just to be clear-- mj wants a real relationship. in web of spider-man #6, when she and peter are split up, she bemoans her single life and thinks longingly of what it would be like to be married and start a family. of what it’d be like to be with peter. but she cuts herself from this dreaming, because she says it’s useless to think of something she’ll never be brave enough to pursue.)

another prime example of this ‘being alone is easier’ attitude is how she acts around her sister gayle - whether it be leaving her to do the chores while she danced and played when they were growing up, or refusing to live with gayle after their mom died and running off to aunt anna’s. by the time we get to mj’s backstory, we as readers have started to get inside her head and listen to her inner monologues, so we know at this point that mary jane cares deeply about her loved ones and is acting out of fear and self-preservation because of the trauma she’s been through. but mj is also careful to show none of that to her sister, instead just putting up a “party girl” wall.

(spider-man: parallel lives)

mary jane is, once again, the only one noticing her brother-in-law feels trapped by the news of expecting a child, and it reminds her all the abandonment and forgotten dreams that have caused her family so much pain. in this case, empathizing with timmy - seeing his pain - caused mary jane to rudely brush off her pregnant sister, because she couldn’t handle being vulnerable about her feelings or getting involved in another tense family fight. it’s easier just to keep them at arm’s length.

(spider-man: parallel lives)

yes, mj can read people... but that doesn’t automatically mean she’s going to know how or even want to reach out to them. that’s the emotionally heavy stuff we know terrifies her. she’s just as likely to self-sabotage as she is to reach out to someone if she knows they’re dealing with something serious.

why do i bring this up? because it makes mj a richer, more human character, and it also makes her acts of kindness even more meaningful. it is very hard for mj to let herself become emotionally involved. even when she can read someone is hurting in a situation, she doesn’t automatically become considerate or comforting, even with people she loves.

that’s why her choice in tasm #122 is so outstanding--it’s not what mj wants to do, but she makes the choice to commit to peter and stay there for the hard parts. she chooses to be peter’s friend, she chooses to rekindle their relationship and marry him, she choose to stay with him even when their marriage is harder than she ever imagined. she’s a fierce friend to harry, even after everything that’s happened between them. she welcomes him back to school, she doesn’t give up on him when he’s the goblin, she notices he’s living out of his store when norman cuts him off and makes sure he has a place to go. she becomes so close with may that, after peter’s presumed dead, may calls mj peter’s great gift to her, and the reason she has to keep on living. she helps keep gwen’s memory alive. she chooses the people she loves. the fact that she fails, that she’s scared, doesn’t make her stop trying. she does it over and over again, and that’s what so heroic about her.

(tasm #275)

#mary jane watson #mj watson #petermj #peter x mary jane #spiderman #meta #marvel #kaitlin speaks

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thejilyship · 4 years

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11. A Step Behind You

Hey everyone! I wanted to post this last week, but I only just got the internet situation figured out, so thank you for your patience! This is the third prompt that I’ve written for Jilytober from my list that you all voted on!

Muggle office romance au

WC: 2.2k

James just wanted to get home before Sirius, Remus and Peter ate all of his mother’s Christmas biscuits.

He had tried to steal a couple before heading into the office, but Mia Potter had insisted that he had to wait until tonight and then kicked him out of the house after she caught him in the kitchen ten minutes later, again, trying to knick a biscuit before he had to go to work.

Also, he was angry that he had to be in the office this close to Christmas in the first place.

He typed away at his computer, wondering why his boss had been so adamant that he wanted James in the office, when he clearly could have finished up these reports at home.

There were a few other people scattered through the office, looking just as miserable as he felt.

He was falling into a hypnotic state, hearing nothing but the sound of the keys at the ticking of the clock. Still thinking about the Christmas biscuits.

And then, out of the corner of his eyes, a flash of red.

His breath hitched and he whipped his head around, spotting her rushing down the hallway.

He didn’t know her name, he only saw her every few weeks, and he’d never been able to work out which department that she worked in. He didn’t want to be a creep either, so he couldn’t try too hard. He had just kept hoping that they would eventually run into one another.

Now, she was carrying a watering can.

And that just felt like the kind of thing he was allowed to follow her down the hallway to ask about.

He jumped up from his chair, work and biscuits pushed from his mind, as he followed after her.

“Excuse me!” He called out, spotting her at the other end of the hallway.

She stopped short, her hair swinging back and forth like a pendulum in her plait. She spun around to face him. “Yes?”

“What are you doing?” He asked, his hand jumping to his hair now that she was looking directly at him. Her eyes were green. He hadn’t noticed that before. They were a brilliant shade of green as well.

She looked down at the watering can and then up at him. “I’m surprised no one else has asked me yet,” She gave him a small smile and his heart skipped in his chest. “I came in to pick up my plants before Christmas break, but then I noticed that almost everyone in my office left plants here, so I thought that I would just water them so they’re not all dead when everyone comes back next week.”

“Oh,” James blinked, not knowing what he had thought her answer was going to be, but the one that she’d given him was just so damn sweet. “Would you like some help?”

She smiled again, dimples forming at the corners of her mouth. “I’d love some help.” Then she waved for him to follow her and turned around, continuing down the hallway.

James jogged after her so he could catch up.

And he found out that she worked on his floor.

For the last few months, all he had to do was follow her down this one hallway and he would have found out that she worked in billing, on the same floor as he did. How had they not ran into one another?

“My name is Lily, by the way.” She said, turning to look over her shoulder as she stepped into the first cubicle in the room and then turned to carefully pour water on a fern on the corner of the desk. “I’m not sure that we’ve met before.”

“We haven’t.” James said, and then he furrowed his brow. Did he say that too quickly? “I’ve seen you around before, but I didn’t know that you worked just down the hall here. My name is James.” He knew that he needn’t have said all of that and he could feel his ears warming.

Luckily, she didn’t notice his embarrassment, because she was now focusing on a second fern on the other side of the desk. “Well, I walk past your office almost every day, so I’ve definitely seen you around before.” She looked up and smiled at him, and then she was off to the next cubicle.

He blinked after her and then followed her again. “What can I do to help?”

Lily shrugged her shoulders. “I was hoping that you wouldn’t get wise on me, but I only have one watering can. I was hoping to keep you around for the company so that I could ask you for a favor in a few minutes.”

James had already been intrigued by this girl but she had him on her rope now. He crossed his arms over his chest. “The company? And what if I have important things I should be doing right now?”

She turned to face him fully, smiling with her dimples again. “Then you probably wouldn’t have offered to help me water plants. Here,” She handed him the watering can and then riffled through the top drawer for a pad of sticky notes and a pen. “Go to the next one, I’ll be right there.”

James didn’t even question why he was listening to her, he just did as he was told. Which, if anyone who knew him could see him just then, they would think that was very strange. James Potter never did something just because he was told to do it.

But now he was watering plants, and Lily was following behind him with the sticky notes and the pen.

“What are you writing?” He asked after the fourth desk.

“Goodbye notes.” She said, drawing a very embellished heart.

“But they won’t see these notes until they see you again. Aren’t we watering the plants because-” He stopped and pushed his glasses up his nose. “You said that you were coming to collect your plants.”

Lily nodded. “I did say that. I got a new job that I started after the new year. My last day was yesterday.”

James frowned and Lily smiled at him.

“This is where most people would congratulate a person.”

“Right,” James nodded, “Right of course, congratulations! Where is your new job?”

“At a primary school a few blocks west of here,” Lily smiled. “I’ve finally gotten my degree finished, so I get to start teaching!”

“In the middle of the year?”

“Yes,” Lily grinned. “One of the teachers went on maternity leave a week ago, so I’ll be taking over her classroom until she gets back.”

“Well that worked out perfectly!” He should have tried to talk to her before today.

“Yes,” Lily was still grinning and James’ heart was still jumping around in his chest. “I’ve actually had a string of good luck lately.”

And now she was about to tell him that she had a boyfriend and demolish his hopes even further.

“Like when you asked me what I was doing. That was lucky.”

James narrowed his brow. He hadn’t been expecting that. “Why was that lucky?”

“Because I’d never had a reason to go into your office, so I’d never had an opportunity to talk to you before. And I’m never going to have a reason to come back into this building, so,” She shrugged and the peeled off the sticky note and stuck it to the pot that James had just watered. “I don’t know, I’ve got nothing to lose here so I might as well be honest, yes? I think you are rather handsome.”

James blinked at her, taken aback at her straightforward comment, but also completely shocked that she had noticed him in the same capacity that he had noticed her.

“Biscuits?” He said stupidly and Lily wrinkled her nose in confusion.

“Excuse me?”

“I- I,” His hand was already buried in his hair at this point and he furrowed his brow. “That isn’t what I meant to say.”

“I thought not,” Lily nodded and then started tapping the pen on her pad of sticky notes. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable-”

“You didn’t.” He said quickly. “I think my brain just- listen,” He dropped his hand from his hair to his side and thens et the watering can down on the desk. “I have obviously noticed you around the office before, and a moment ago I was just kicking myself for never trying to catch you in the hallway.”

She was smiling again, and James took that to be a good sign. “And you said biscuits because…”

“My mum is having a holiday biscuit party tonight. I’ve been thinking about them all day.” He shook his head. “Which sounds dumb, but I’m trying to ask you if you’d like to come with me. Unless that’s a terrible idea. I’m saying it outloud and it sounds like it might be a terrible idea.”

Lily’s smile disappeared. “Is it a terrible idea?”

“I just asked you to come to a family Christmas party for a first date, that definitely sounds like something that will scare you off.”

“But it’s a biscuit party.”

“Yes.”

“I like like biscuits and I’m not afraid of meeting people either. How many biscuits could I eat before people look at me weird?”

James started smiling again. It felt very nice to know that his intuition about this girl had been right. “I mean, so long as we don’t see the biscuits that you eat again, no one is going to look at your weird.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So you want to come then?”

“Yes,” Lily nodded, poking his arm with the end of the pen.

“Do you have an ugly Christmas jumper?”

“Of course.” Lily bounced on her heels and James laughed. “I love Christmas parties and it’s been a while so I’m very excited. Let’s finish up here so I can get home and change!”

James laughed again and nodded, “Alright, let’s go.” And he picked up the watering can again and headed to the next desk, now even more anxious to get off work.

He still didn’t think that it was a good idea to bring Lily on a first date where not only Remus and Peter would be, but also Sirius and his mother. It actually seemed like a terrible idea when he remembered that Sirius and his mother would be there. It was almost a guarantee that they would scare her off.

“Are you sure you want to come? I can take you-”

“I’m sure I want to come,” Lily cut him off, peeling off another note and sticking it to another coworkers desk. “The fact that you’re second guessing so much only makes me want to come more.”

“Giving me a hard time already? We haven’t known each other for more than twenty minutes.” James sighed as he moved on to the next plant. “You’re going to fit right in at this party.”

She looked over at him, her eyes sparkling. “I knew I was going to like you.”

“Yeah, well, just remember that when my mum starts asking you how many kids you want.”

She laughed out loud, startling him slightly, but then he was chuckling along with her.

“Six.” She said suddenly, looking back at her sticky notes.

“Six?” James’ eyes widened.

“Four?” Lily offered, looking back up at him. “I’m not entirely sure, but I know it has to be an even number more than two. I was one of two, and my sister and I don’t get along. I think if there were a few more siblings, then we would have had more people to fight with and it would have been spread out more.”

“I was an only child growing up, so my mother will be thrilled with that answer.”

“Excellent.” She poked him with the pen again. “Alright, I think that’s everyone. Can you help me carry my things down to my car? I don’t know how I managed to accumulate so much stuff over the last year.”

“Of course,” James set down the watering can and followed her to a counter on the back wall that had two boxes, one full of plants, the other full of books and trinkets. The contents of either box could comfortably fit into the other. “This isn’t so much.”

“I had a bigger box that I took home with me yesterday.” Lily admitted. “But I uh,” She cocked her head to the side and eyed him before picking up the box with the books in it. “I wanted to make sure that I had enough stuff left here for two boxes so I could ask you for help.”

“You know,” James picked up the box of plants. “For someone who hasn’t had the nerve to just walk into my office and talk to me, you’ve got a lot of nerve.”

Lily laughed, “Yes, well, you’re bringing me home to meet your family. My confidence has been bolstered.”

And as he followed her down to her car, carrying a box of plants that she’d packed separately just so she’d have a reason to talk to him, his heart skipping happily in his chest and his cheeks already sore from all the smiling he’d been doing, he had a feeling that he was stepping into the rest of his life.

Because he was quite certain that there weren't many places that he wouldn’t follow Lily.

#jily #jilytober #muggle au #jily au #office romance au #jilytober 2020 prompts

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rejectofsociety · 3 years

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Febuwhump: Day Four (I forgot to post it yesterday, leave me alone)

Prompt: Impalement Alternative - “Please Come Back”

Summary: Peter and Michelle’s relationship has been having issues for as long as their daughter could remember, and it’s been wearing her down.

Word Count: 3693

Warnings: None

Written for: @febuwhump

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞　　∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

Maizie's memories of her parents mainly consisted of fighting and yelling. She wasn't doing any of the fighting or yelling, but her parents were always hard at it while the little girl was curled up in her bed with her sheets over her head as she drew pictures. She drew pictures of her motaher and father being happy together— happy in ways that she felt they never really could be.

She wasn't sure why they really were together because when she had preformed in a school play at age six and all the children greeted their parents backstage, the parents seemed happy to be together. They held hands and smiled and kissed each other on the cheek— Maizie didn't even know parents did that! She thought they were all bitter and disgusted with each other to the point that they despised being in the same room together. In fact, her father almost always slept on the living room couch while her mother slept in their bedroom. Some nights, Maizie would creep out of her room and crawl into bed with her mother or join her father on the couch— those nights were the nights where she slept best.

Sometimes she didn't know if her parents realized how much she hated their fighting. The way their harsh words lingered in her ears and their loud voices shook her to her core left her feeling distraught after every fight. There were nights where she was certain her parents had forgotten about her, being too caught up in their own squabbles. Some nights, one of her parents would storm out of the house and she would cry herself to sleep, not knowing if they'd ever come back. But they would. The next morning, they would come back and simply say they needed to go to her uncle, Ned's, house to cool off. She occasionally imagined herself storming off; just snatching her backpack off the ground, racing towards the door with a loud "fuck you!" (whatever that meant), then running off into the night. Her parents normally took the car, but Maizie couldn't drive yet.

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞　　∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

"Dad," Maizie called one night when she was nine and laying in her father's arms.

"Yes?" Peter muttered softly.

"Why do you and Mom hate each other?" She asked.

Peter's eyes widened a little and he looked down at his daughter, "May, we don't hate each other. We just..."

"Hate each other?"

"No, no. I just said-" he sighed and shook his head, struggling to find words that were gentle enough for her.

"Why are you and Mom still together if you hate each other?"

He tightened his grip on her slightly and stirred under the blanket, "I guess..." he suspired quietly, "Maizie, your mother and I were too young to have kids when you were born-"

"Then why did you have me?"

"Um- well," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "uh- we didn't plan on having you. It just kinda... happened. But I don't regret it, because I love you. A-and your mother loves you too, she really does. So we stay together so we can take care of you— neither of us can really do it alone."

"Oh..." his words still didn't make full sense to the girl: how did someone accidentally have a kid? How could someone be 'too young' to have a kid? How could someone not take care of a kid alone? Her friend's father could do it just fine.

"Does that make sense?" He asked, sensing her confusion.

"No," she admitted.

"I'll... try to find a better way to explain it," he sighed.

"How old were you and Mom when I was born?"

"Your mother was eighteen, I was seventeen. We had hardly been dating for a full year," he laughed softly upon remembering how young and dumb they had been.

"But then you got married, right? Aren't moms and dads supposed to be married?"

He shrugged, "not all the time. And no, we're not married."

"Really? Why not?"

"Never really got around to that part, I guess."

"Oh..."

"Do you have anymore questions?"

She hesitated with a list of questions in the back of her head, "...no."

"Good. Now go to sleep, it's been a long day."

Maizie nodded silently then nuzzled into her father's touch. She loved him but she also knew he wasn't great with explaining things. It was like he had too many thoughts and too many explanations— all of which were the same, just worded differently— and he couldn't organize them into a few sentences. Her mother, on the other hand, could spit out sharp and precise answers effortlessly.

"Mom, why do you hate Dad?" Maizie asked the next morning as her mother drove her to school.

"I don't," she replied quickly, "I love him."

"Then why do you fight all the time?"

"Because he's annoying and a bad listener," Michelle clenched her jaw at the thought of her boyfriend, "and the only way I can get him to listen is by yelling at him."

"Oh..."

Michelle felt a twinge of guilt twist her stomach into knots, making her sigh softly. Truthfully, she didn't like Peter all that much but her daughter shouldn't have to live a less than decent childhood just because her mother had made a handful of mistakes. Michelle loved her daughter and wouldn't trade her out for anything. Yes, her life had been made much more complex when the little girl entered the world, but that didn't make it worse. The only thing making her life worse was Peter. Why? Because she wanted to give her baby girl the life she deserved, one where she never shed a tear and felt loved every second of her day. What was preventing her from doing just that? Peter fucking Parker. And yet... she could never find the will to let him go. Maybe she was waiting for him to end things, just to make sure they really weren't in love. It was as if she were waiting for every single tiny drop of love for him to drip out of her heart, just out of fear of ending things too soon.

"You know... I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but you are not one of them," Michelle said as she pulled up in front of the school, "and I just want you to be happy."

"Then stop fighting," Maizie simply stated, the words sounding too mature and formal as they left her young mouth.

Before Michelle could reply, the girl opened the car door, clutched her backpack, and hopped out the car. Michelle gnawed on her lip as she listened to the car door close once more.

"I love you," she murmured to the empty space.

Anxieties rolled around in her mind as she pulled away from the school. The drive back home was mentally excruciating. With nothing to fill the silence, every thought in her head was tied in some way to Peter and their daughter, but not in the usual loving way. The thoughts were painted with brushes of helplessness and worry while also centered around a realization she had always hoped she could never have to come to: her daughter wasn't happy with her life. Nine years old, and she already couldn't stand her parents— she couldn't stand Michelle.

Upon arriving home, Michelle instantly sat on the couch and texted Peter.

—

Michelle: can u come home?

Peter: no I'm at work

Michelle: tell them something came up. We need to talk

Peter: fine. Be there in 20

—

She tossed her phone off to the side then stood up and began pacing. Her mind raced as she began making a list of what her next steps would be. She needed to be thoughtful with the way she approached this. She could not have her daughter being unhappy in her home, not when it was a completely avoidable situation.

What if we can't fix this? She thought in horror. She stopped her pacing and stared ahead blankly, I guess... she eventually concluded, if we can't find a way to fix this, we'll break up. We'll finally break up and Maizie can visit him on weekends. It seemed like an obvious solution and something they should probably have done long ago and they really had no reason to be together. Maybe somewhere in their hearts they were still the same, stupid teenagers who fell head over heals in love.

"Something has to change between us," Michelle stated the moment Peter walked through the front door.

"Obviously," Peter retorted, making his way to the kitchen where Michelle waited, "so, where do we start?"

Michelle raised her eyebrows, "just like that? You're agreeing that quick?"

"Of course. You think I don't want this relationship to last? I love you and I love Maizie, I don't want to lose either of you," he spoke firmly

For the first time in a long time, a small, saddish smile spread across her lips, "I'm glad we can agree on something. It's been a while."

He nodded, "yeah, it has."

"But I was thinking that we can't do this ourselves. I mean, this is the longest we've talked to each other without fighting in a long time."

"It's kinda..." his voice trailed off as he thought about their situation, "...how did things get so bad between us?"

"You don't listen to me," she spat, "I told you I needed you, and you chose the city. I told you you needed to be a father and you chose to be Spiderman."

Guilt twisted in his stomach and he grimaced, "I..."

"You're completely oblivious," she hissed, "you didn't even realize what you were doing."

"Michelle, please calm down. I can quit being Spiderm-"

"I don't think you can," she deadpanned.

Peter raised his eyebrows at her, annoyance flaring in his chest, "if you think I'm a bad listener, you clearly haven't met yourself."

"Really? You're gonna pull that shit?"

"Yes, I am. Our relationship has gone to shit, and you can't keep trying to force all the blame on me, just because you wanna be right!" he snapped.

Michelle grit her teeth, but before she could open her mouth to spit a reply, Maizie's stressed and crestfallen gaze flashed through her mind. She stepped away from Peter and forced herself to draw in a deep breath. Peter watched her with sharp eyes, making her skin crawl with a strange amount of self consciousness.

"Please don't look at me," she quietly requested.

Peter immediately averted his gaze to his feet. Michelle gave a soft sigh of relief and leaned against a kitchen counter.

"That's one good thing about you," she observed.

"Hm?"

"You can keep me comfortable," she explained, watching a small smile twitch onto his lips, "you keep Maizie comfortable too."

"Thank you," he mumbled, still smiling softly, "you can still make me smile-- that's a good thing."

"Not as much as I used to though," she commented, somewhat regretfully.

"But you still do on occasion, and that counts for something."

They went quiet, avoiding each other's gazes as they thought things through. Peter rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, as if trying to relieve the tightness in his muscles. Michelle's eyes wandered to meet him and she sighed quietly.

"Your neck hurts?" She guessed.

"Yeah," he mumbled quietly.

"Come here," she took his hand in one of hers then lead him to their couch.

She nudged his blanket off to the side and gestured for him to sit down. He obeyed then she sat next to him, turning him sideways slightly then sitting next to him. She placed her hands on the base of his neck and tenderly pressed her fingers into his muscles, feeling the tension and knots in the fibers.

"What do we need to do?" Michelle asked as she massaged his neck gently.

"Um..." he thought for a moment, "remember when Betty came back from college and she and Ned were having relationship issues?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"They got a counselor and things started to get a lot better between them," he continued then groaned softly when he felt a knot relax.

"I don't..." she sighed and hesitated, her hands still expertly working through his tense muscles, "I don't know about a counselor."

"Why not?" He wondered patiently.

"I don't know, it's just..."

"Embarrassing?"

"A little."

"Would you rather be momentarily embarrassed and love me a little longer, or-"

"Fine, let's do it."

He smiled softly, "good. Now- shit," he groaned, "that one felt good."

She chuckled, "I can tell."

"Heh, yeah um... I'll text Ned and ask which counselor he and Betty went to— I remember they liked her."

She nodded then leaned forward and lightly kissed his neck. Her lips tickled his skin then made a gentle warmth bloom and spread across his body, enveloping him in a beautiful sensation he had missed.

"You haven't kissed me in a long time," he hummed.

"I know," she sighed, "... let's get an appointment as soon as we can. I miss loving you."

"I miss loving you too."

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞　　∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

How Maizie had left her school without anyone noticing was beyond him. Sure she was quiet at school and generally kept to herself, but wasn't it literally the school's job to keep the kids safe and inside? Maybe it wasn't, but that's not what Peter was thinking about at the moment. What he was thinking about was the call from her school reporting that she had been marked absent, followed by confusion and anxiety, calling Ned, calling May, calling Betty, they called everyone only to be filled with the dreadful realization that their little girl had run away. It was the most gut-wrenching feeling either of the parents had ever experienced.

You failed. You failed. You failed. How could you let this happen? His mind chanted endlessly as he swung through the city on swift webs. His eyes observed every detail of his surroundings, desperately searching for his daughter.

His spider-sense screamed suddenly and his eyes darted to the ground to spot Maizie crossing a road. Her head was down and expression scrunched up as she fought back sobs. Tears instantly rushed to Peter's eyes and he swept down to her and scooped her into his arms. She yelped slightly in surprise but didn't fight back, only watched in wonder as Spiderman swiftly carried her to a roof.

"K-kid," Peter shakily croaked out, holding the girl close to his chest as his body trembled.

"Spiderman?" she looked up at him, her voice was wobbly, "wh-what's wrong?"

Peter took a moment to hold his daughter and gratefully take in her precious existence. She was here in his arms— unharmed and alive— and he wasn't letting go. He was never letting her go.

"Y-your father told me he couldn't find you," he managed, "it scared me. I-it scared your parents worse."

"You know my dad?" she sniffed.

"Yeah, we work together."

"Oh. He never told me that," Maizie said as she wrapped her little arms around her second favorite superhero— War Machine was her first favorite, Captain America came third.

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows under the mask, "I'm almost offended."

She managed a tiny giggle then sniffed again. Peter looked down at her and brushed a few tears off her cheek gently. Maizie buried her face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her a little tighter. I need you home, May, he thought desperately, how can I get you back?

"You smell like my dad," Maizie mumbled, her voice slightly muffled.

"I hope that's a good thing," Peter replied softly, his shaking muscles and palpitating heart gradually beginning to relax.

"It is. Smells like home," she drew in a deep breath to calm herself then raised her head to look up at Spiderman.

He nodded then hesitated, gently stroking her hair with one gloved hand, "why are you running away?"

Maizie's entire body began to quiver and her breathing grew shaky, "I-i'm having a r-really really b-bad day," she managed and Peter could see the tears beginning to roll down her cheeks, "a-and I don't wanna go home if my parents are just gonna fight. A-all they do is fight! I just wa-wanna play together but they j-just wanna yell."

Peter's heart broke a little more with every word that left her mouth. Her hands clung onto his body and she rested her cheek on his chest like a pillow.

"Your parents are going to try to stop fighting," he said softly, "they told me."

"They've said that before," she mumbled, "they're lying."

Peter let out a shuddering breath and considered every word as it left his mouth, "they're serious this time. They're getting help. Do you know what a counselor is?"

"Um... I-i think my school has one. She helps kids when they're sad or mad."

"That's good. Do kids seem to feel better after talking to her?"

She nodded, her tears slowing down once more, "y-yeah."

"Good, I'm glad," he sighed softly, "your parents are going to see a counselor. I can't speak for your mother, but your father really needs this. He loves you and your mother so, so much but he's really... he's really sad and he's mad too— just like the kids your school counselor helps."

"Why's he so sad?"

"Because... it's complicated. But he wasn't ready to be a father when you were born, and he knows he's made a lot of mistakes and wrong decisions, y'know? A-and he feels like a bad father and he takes it out on your mother. He knows it's not fair to either of you and he loves you so much, but sometimes he forgets what he's supposed to be doing," he rambled, "he forgets that he isn't just Michelle's boyfriend, but he's your father and he has to take care of both of you. Does- um... does any of that make sense?"

"Kind of, yeah," she nodded slowly, "but he's going to fix that, right?"

"Yes. He's going to fix that as soon as possible."

Maizie sighed in relief then furrowed her brow, "how do you know all this?"

Peter hesitated before replying, "um..."

What was the logical explanation for a superhero knowing the emotional conflict of a random civilian? Spiderman was friendly, but he wasn't exactly a therapist. Besides, Maizie was smart for her age— it wouldn't take her long to figure out the truth.

With a quiet sigh, he gripped his mask and pulled it away from his face. Maizie watched him, and instantly recognized her father. Her heart skipped a beat anxiously and she immediately began making a mental list of apologies.

"A-am I in trouble?" she asked frantically.

"No," Peter promised and she sank deeper into his touch, "just... Maizie, we need you. Please come back."

She paused, considering every word Spiderman— her father— had spoken to her. He sounded so sincere and desperate— she knew her family loved her, it was just a matter of them acting like it. Really, she never thought her parents would care enough to show her love and the fact that her father had just proven how much they both cared about her was more of a shock to her than the fact that he was leading a secret double life as a superhero.

"I... I wanna come back," she decided.

Peter let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and hugged the little girl tightly. Maizie buried her face in her father's neck and instantly felt herself comforted by his protective warmth. Panic suddenly rose in her chest as she realized what she had been about to give up— warm hugs, home cooked meals, a cozy bed, snuggling when she couldn't sleep, endless and unconditional love, and so much more that she couldn't even begin to list.

"I wanna go home!" She cried, "I wanna go home right now!"

"Sh, it's okay," he gently hushed her, stroking her back with one hand, "it's okay, May. Let's go home. I can carry you."

She nodded rapidly, "p-please."

"Yeah, lets go," he sighed softly.

After slipping his mask back on and holding Maizie in the most secure way possible, he stuck a web to a building and swung through the gentle breeze. Peter simply swung as calmly and in-control as possible— he just wanted to get home. He didn't use any of the playful or fancy tricks he used to use when he and Michelle were younger and he'd take pleasure in making her scream and laugh as they swung through the city. He hadn't done that with her in years. He missed her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him as she switched between terror and pure joy every few seconds.

Finally, the two arrived home. Despite being in his suit, Peter didn't mind walking through the front door seeing as no one was out and about to see him.

The moment Michelle spotted her daughter, she rushed to her and knelt in front of her. Maizie threw her arms around her mother's neck and hid her face in her curls. Maizie rambled her apologies and cried while Michelle held her closely.

"Maizie, calm down," Michelle hummed softly, "it's okay, I'm not mad. I'm just happy you're here."

Maizie sniffed and nodded, "o-okay... I love you."

"I love you too," she hesitantly let go then kissed her forehead, "can you go to your room and get cleaned up?"

She nodded again, hugged both her parents one more time, then made her way to her room.

Michelle stood up and looked over at Peter as he removed his mask. Their cheeks were stained with tears, their curly hair was a tousled mess, and their eyes were reddened with exhaustion.

"We're a mess," Peter observed.

Michelle smiled and walked to him, "yeah, we look like shit."

They exchanged soft chuckled and Peter brushed Michelle's hair out of her face. His fingers lingered on her cheek and she let out a quiet breath and placed her hand over his, closing her eyes lightly as she savored his touch.

"I love you, MJ," Peter promised.

"I love you too."

31 notes · View notes

ambivalent-anarchy · 4 years

Text

Too Cheesy

Gender: Female

Pairing: Peter Parker x reader

Warnings: Sickening fluff and insanely cheesy pick up lines.

Summary- Ned agrees to stay at Peter's house and help him find the perfect pickup line to ask out his crush with before spring break. But what happens when his crush tags along and also wants to help? ---------------------------------------

"Nah Peter, too corny."

Peter Parker was standing in the middle of his room, his best friend Ned sitting on his bed, cradling their death star in his hands. Peter scrolled down the screen of his phone. "Okay, how about this one?" After reading, Peter looked to the wall and gave a smug smirk, as if he were actually looking at someone. "Hey [Y/N]... are you religious? 'Cause you’re the answer to all my prayers."

Ned cocked his head to the side. "Is she religious?"

"I dunno, I never really asked before," Peter answered, breaking out of his assumed position.

Ned scrunched his nose a bit. "Well, we probably should stay off of religious pick-up lines then."

"Right," Peter agreed, looking back to his phone again. He scrolled a bit more. When satisfied, he looked up at the wall again, raised his eyebrows with an award winning smile before he recited another.

"Life without you would be like a broken pencil… pointless."

"Wow..," Ned said. He pointed and nodded slowly. "I think that's a keeper. Try it again just to make sure though. Oh- and this time, make it more personal."

"Okay," Peter said, going back over the line in his head. He assumed the position and instead of a smug, gave a small smolder.

"Wait," Ned interrupted. "Does this one even make sense? I mean- a pencil still has a point even when it's broken, right? Unless, of course, it's the bottom half, but that would only work if it's a clean break. A-and-"

Suddenly, realizing how completely ridiculous he must look, Peter grimaced. "Ned, why're we doing this again?!"

Ned rolled his eyes. "C'mon Pete. It's because pickup lines always work!"

"A-are you sure? Cuz that doesn't sound right."

"Dude, I'm telling you," Ned defended. "I saw Flash walk right up to Sydney and gave her the perfect pickup line and he immediately got a date! Flash of all people! If he can, you certainly can!"

Peter rolled his eyes. Ned was seriously comparing him to Flash? There were tons of reasons as to how Flash got with Sydney. "But Flash is popular and rich and stuff... I'm just me."

Ned scoffed. "Well..." He looked up with a carefree smile. "If it makes you feel any better, if I were a girl, I'd totally date you."

"..thanks..." Peter said, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward. He looked around the room with a nervous chuckle. Ned, apparently not realizing the awkwardness in the room, hasn't looked away and continued to smile at his friend.

Finding his voice, Peter spoke up. "So, um, what was Flash's line anyway?"

"Uh-uh man," Ned answered. "You gotta find your own! Sydney probably already told the whole school, so you'd just be a copycat. Your line needs to be original."

Peter raised his eyebrows. "We're literally looking this stuff up from the internet, Ned! That's not original!"

"Just trust me. Now read another."

"Okay..." Peter begrudgingly agreed. He was regretting this whole thing more and more each second. He took a deep breath and recited his next one.

"[Y/N], my love for you is like dividing by zero– it can't be defined."

He looked to Ned, who was silently contemplating the words.

"...I kinda like it," Ned finally said.

"I don't know," the scrawny teenager sighed, throwing his phone onto his bed. "It needs to be really good! Not mediocre. Tomorrow is my only chance to tell [Y/N] how I feel before spring break starts. I can't back out!"

"Pete, relax. We'll just add it to the list. Now do another-"

"Peter!!! [Y/N]'s here!!!"

The two teenagers froze. Their eyes widened at his aunt May's voice. They looked to the door, then to each other.

"What is she doing here?!?!," Peter whisper-shouted, two seconds from panicking.

"It's your apartment, you tell me!," Ned whispered back, arms flailing wildly.

"She can't be here!," he yelled to himself, pointing towards the door you could be walking through any second now. "She can NOT be here!"

The two quietly went back and forth as you came closer to his room. Normally, you were always more than welcome. But today, unbeknownst to you, Peter's home was probably the one place you definitely shouldn't be.

You poked your head around the doorframe. "Heyyyy fellas!"

They froze, looking to you with their mouths zipped shut. "Why so tense?," you asked, a small smile playing on your lips.

"No reason!," Peter yelled.

"Hey [Y/N]." Ned gave a wide smile.

You return it with a wider smile that certainly betrayed the rest of your face, that held only confusion. "Uh, what's going on, guys??"

They looked to each other, then to you, then to each other again. Ned broke away first this time. "Peter's trying to find a pick-up line to tell his crush was tomorrow!," he spat out quickly, earning an excited gasp from you.

Peter's jaw stopped to the floor. If he were a computer, he would've definitely been crashing right now. "What the hell, Ned?!," he practically screamed, his voice cracking a bit before he covered his face with his hands.

"So, whose the girl?," you asked, pushing through them and climbing onto the top bunk to sit.

"Uh-"

"DON'T. SAY. ANYTHING!," Peter hissed out through gritted teeth.

It didn't take you too long to realize the tension in the room. "Uh, should I come back another time or something?"

"That would be ideal," Peter mumbled under his breath.

Your eyebrows scrunched together in annoyance. Why were they being so weird and vague?

"Okay, did I do something? Is that why you're acting so weird, Pete? I mean, I was gonna try to help you out so you won't make a complete fool of yourself in front of this girl, but-"

Ned dropped the death star as he excitedly clapped his hands together. "That'd be perfect, actually!!"

Both you and Peter groaned as you looked at the peices on the floor. "Ned!"

"At this point that thing needs to stay at my house cuz when it's at either of yours it always breaks!," you laughed.

"Umm..." Peter looked away and took a deep breath. "[Y/N]?"

At this point, he had no idea nor any control over what was going on and the only words processing in his mind were what the fuck.

His crush was not supposed to be here while he was practicing what to say to his crush tomorrow.

"Yeah, Pete?"

But you were here now, and you didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon.

So what's the worse that could happen?

"C-could you maybe, um, help me with this?"

"With your girl problems? Sure. I mean, if we leave it your hands, the poor girl won't even know what hits her."

Ned bit his lip, attempting (and failing) to hide a fit of laughter. "She sure won't!"

"Dude!," Peter hissed, nudging his shoulder.

"So what've you got so far?," you said, watching Peter expectantly.

"Uhh.." He blew out a heavy breath. Welp, he thought. Guess we're doing this now. He picked up his phone and awkwardly read off the line.

"My love for you is like dividing by zero– it can't be defined.."

He looked back up at you, frozen as statue. That was so embarrassing. You smiled and giggled a little. "That was so cheesy!"

"Oh..," Peter mumbled. He'd actually thought that one was pretty good.

"That's only because he's not doing it like he did a second ago," Ned, ever the oblivious one, noted. "C'mon! Do it the way you did it before [Y/N] came in here."

If looks could kill, Ned would surely have been maimed and then ran over a bus by now.

Peter sighed. He looked up to the wall right above where [Y/N] was sitting and gave his best smolder.

But before he could get a word out, laughter erupted the room. "PETE WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!," [Y/N] shrieked, practically falling off the the top bunk of the bed with laughter. "Girls' want a genuine smile, not some James Bond wannabe look!"

"Y-you don't think it looks cool?," he asked, cheeks red as beets by now.

"Frickin' goofy is what that looks like!," she responded. "Gimme your phone."

Peter's face fell. Wow, he thought. I'm way off. No way I'm gonna get her now, except...He looked to Ned, who was practically just spectating the whole thing at this point. Their eyes joined, and they could both tell they'd come to the same conclusion.

What better way to find out exactly what to say than by finding out by who you're going to say it to?

[Y/N] scrolled down a few until she found one that she liked. "Ooh, this one's pretty good." She looked up from the phone. "Now, watch me and I'll show you how it's done." She hopped down from the bed and said the line straight to Peter's face, biting her lip and smirking.

"Hey you, apart from being sexy, what do you do for a living?"

Immediately afterwards, she broke out of it. "See?," she asked. "That's how it's done." [Y/N] tossed the phone back into Peter's hands before sitting back down. "Now do that."

Peter sucked in a quick breath, lightly tugging the bottom of his gray shirt. "U-uh, um, yeah okay.."

That was hot, was all he could really think at the moment. She's so frickin hot.

Scatterbrained, he stood and looked back at you. "U-uh.. -oh, here's one..." He shook his head slightly, as if attempting to shake the jitters out. "A-are you a cam-mera? C-cuz.. you sure do make me sm-mile," he stammered, ending with beyond awkward fingers guns.

[Y/N] chuckled, biting back a small smile. "Ya know, you're just too cute sometimes..."

At that, Ned's jaw fell to the floor. Peter's face turned a shade of red you didn't believe was even possible.

"Uh, u-um, ah, heh, thanks..."

"Hey yo, my mom's texting me," Ned suddenly announced. "I gotta get home. See you two tomorrow." He smiled at [Y/N] and then looked Peter square in the face with a shit-eating grin. "And good luck Pete!," he said, earning a middle finger from his best friend.

After the door closed, [Y/N] frowned. "What's up with you two? Are you guys fighting?"

"Nah, Ned's just being..." Peter trailed off, shaking his head slightly. If he were to elaborate, he could risk telling you. Better to play it safe. "So was that one good?"

"I mean, it'd be nice if you could g-g-g-get it out!," you mocked with a smile.

"No stuttering then," he concluded to himself. "Stuttering's a turn off."

"Well, not exactly," you corrected. "I actually think it's kinda cute when you do it." Noticing his intense blushing, you grabbed his hands to give comfort. "Just relax. No stuttering. And keep eye contact. Got it, Pete?"

His cheeks reddened as he looked away, desperately trying to redirect his focus from your turned up lips. "Oh, u-uh um, thanks! That's great, ya know! L-lets, ah, just get back to the th-thing- uh, the line..."

And so you did. You helped him til eleven o'clock at night. You went over about fifty. Until there was no way he couldn't have a perfect one to show the girl.

Until the next morning.

Spoiler alert: he didn't find a line.

When you left the indecisive teenager, he'd looked like he was on the right path. He had an entire list of good choices you'd picked out with him, along with practiced ways to do each one.

But, when he woke up and looked back at the list, each one just felt wrong.

Cheesy.

Overused.

Corny.

Lame.

You wouldn't like it. You'd already heard it. It wouldn't feel special to you if he'd told you something you'd already picked out for yourself, even if you didn't know you had.

You'd reject him. And more? Because you were a nice person, you'd probably still want to be friends.

Which was definitely way, way worse.

"Peter!," May yelled. "Engine's being turned on in five! Be there or you'll have to swing to school!"

Perer told you he'd tell his crush the line by the lockers during homeroom.

You couldn't wait. 'This is gonna be so awesome,' you thought, scanning the halls for his curly brown hair and wrinkled jacket.

'Of course, this girl better be worth his time or I'm gonna frickin' tackle her....'

The night before, Peter had told you nearly everything about this mystery girl.

He gushed about how she was perfect. Beautiful. Everything he ever wanted.

And you felt happy for him.

But deep inside, you knew that whoever the girl he'd chosen was, you wouldn't approve. Because deep down, you wished that it would be you.

But you and Peter were friends. Since the sixth grade. If anything was ever gonna happen, it surely already would've.

And It wasn't gonna happen...

And when this girl said yes (it's Peter Parker, why wouldn't you?), you'd have to watch them hug, kiss, give inside jokes, and everything else couples did.

And because he was your best friend, you'd have to just sit there and be happy for him.

"Miss. [Y/L/N]. Come on, get to class!," your homeroom teacher yelled, standing by the door, holding it open for you to walk into the classroom.

"Must be late again...," you mumbled, looking around the halls for Peter one last time before making your way to the door.

"[Y/N]!"

You whipped your head to where the voice was coming from. It was Ned, running down the hallway.

"Yeah?"

"He's gonna do it!," he yelled. "He's about to ask!"

You turned towards your teacher. "Um, can I go to the restroom please?"

"Yeah sure," the teacher replied.

Once the door closed, you ran to meet Ned in the middle of the hall. "Ask? Wait, on a date or to actually be his girlfriend?"

"TO BE HIS GIIIIRRRRRRLLLLLLLFRIEND!!," he yelled, shaking you by your shoulders back and forth frantically.

'Wow,' you thought, eyes wide. 'Peter's actually getting some balls now.'

This was it. And you were gonna hold your tongue and watch it happen.

Ned looked over your shoulder as he practically gasped for air. "He's coming! He's coming!"

You pulled his arm a bit, attempting to pull him to towards the wall. "Don't we need to hide? They don't need an audience!"

Suddenly, using his strength against you, Ned turned you around quickly for you to come face to face with Peter.

"Where's the girl?," you said, looking around curiously. After you were met with silence, your curious smile went away. "Pete, where is she? Where's she at?"

"I-it's...um, [Y/N] it's always been-heh. It's you," he answered, looking into your eyes shyly.

Ned could've bursts from joy right then and there. You could feel his grip on your arms tighten out of excitement.

But you didn't care, because you were sky high yourself. "So all that, yesterday? That was all about-"

"Yeah. You."

You sighed, practically frozen. "Major fucking plot twist, dude.."

He tilted his head. "'Saw' level?"

"More like 'Shutter Island' level," you answered.

"Ooh, that was a big one," Ned added brightly.

You shifted slightly. "So, um, what was the line you chose?"

"Oh!," Peter laughed. "How could I forget? Uh-" He grabbed your hands gently. "Okay." Hey blew out a long breath. "Relaxing. No stuttering. And keeping eye contact," he reminded himself aloud before he slowly and tenderly recited the line he'd chosen.

"[Y/N], ahem, um, If I had a penny for every time I thought about you, I'd have exactly one cent.."

You frowned. "Hold on, I don't get it. That means-"

"-Because you never leave my mind, sweetheart."

Raising your eyebrows, your heart warmed and you covered your hand over your mouth. That was one you hadn't chosen. You'd never even heard it before. He'd found it himself.

Noticing your reaction, Peter tensed. "W-was that too much? I'm sorry if that was too much! The last thing I would want for it to be is too-"

"That was perfect, Peter."

He paused. "It wasn't too cheesy?"

"Just a little cheesy," you said, pinching your fingers together and giving a quick wink.

"On a scale of one to ten?," Ned asked.

"Ned!," Peter scolded, quickly sliding his finger over his neck as a warning. He then looked back to you with a timid smirk.

"So, ah, does this mean you'll be my girlfriend?"

"Hmm, I guess it does, huh?," you giggled and turned to walk away just as the bell rang for first period.

"Sooooo, how'd it go?," May asked, poking her head around the doorframe of Peter's room.

When Peter turned towards her from his bed, May knew the answer before he even uttered a word.

He was staring up at ceiling twiddling his fingers and grinning like a madman.

"She said yes, May..I-i didn't think she'd actually say yes!"

May smiled. "Well, that's good!"

"Our first date's tomorrow and- Oh God! I might need to find another line to tell her! I'll use the math one this time since she was so excited about acing that test earlier today. Oh my gosh what if- what if we kiss?! That'd be SO awesome! Right, May? Ooh man, what am I gonna wear?? Ned said to wear a tux. But it's just a movie date, not prom! Jeans and a t-shirt should work, right? What if I get there and I'm underdressed?! Why is this stuff so hard?!"

Aunt May watched as the young boy frantically vented to himself and shook her head. "God bless him..."

She looked down at his desk in the corner of his room. On it was a small journal. It was opened to a page labelled 'Pickup Lines To Tell [Y/N]'

Underneath it were lines separated into sections based on 'coolness,' 'nerdiness,' and 'sexiness.'

May furrowed her eyebrows. "Hon, you know pick-up lines never work, right?

"Well May," Peter sighed, leaning back into his bed. "There's a special girl out there that would beg to differ.."

331 notes · View notes

libsterslobsters · 3 years

Text

Bring It On Home..

Summary: The battle against Thanos is over, and the Avengers are the winners. Those gone for the past five years have returned home, including Bucky. But what changes have taken place in the reader's life since she lost him, and can things go back to the way they were? Or do they have to find a new normal?

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x fem!enhanced! Reader

(Reader is able to see bits and pieces of the future, can understand all languages, and process information at an abnormal pace, as well as being a super soldier)

Warnings: mild angst, fluff, maybe a hint of smut (blink and you'll miss it) mentions of the events of Avengers: Endgame, strong language

*************************************************

She knew it would happen before it did. Her damnable knack for seeing shards of the future let her know that Tony Stark would get the stones, and what’s more, sacrifice his life for both friends and people he had never met, but there were so many screams on the battlefield that day, when her agonized cry escaped her as she rammed her knee into the groin and her knife into the jugular of one of Thanos’s goons (the same one who nearly killed her five years ago, actually) no one heard.

She’ll carry that secret to her grave. Goodness knows Pepper doesn’t need the worry of wondering if it somehow could’ve been avoided (it couldn’t have), if she somehow could have saved him (it wasn’t possible). She briefly thinks about telling Steve once the dust settles, but then she catches sight of a familiar flash of silver, and what’s more, the man in black attached to it.

She’s not sure if he’s seen her before she takes off, running the fastest she ever has, but there’s no way he could miss the sound of her footfalls once she’s nearly on top of him, and he manages to catch her when she nearly topples over from stopping so abruptly in front of him. He looks the same as last time she saw him, her Bucky, but she’s sure she looks much different. Her mind rapidly runs through everything she could say to him, everything she should let him know, but what comes out is five simple words:

“You came back to me.”

He doesn’t get the chance to reply before heart-wrenching sobs echo from the woman in the Iron Man suit, who nearly keels over next to her dead husband. She’s not sure who reaches Pepper first, her, Steve, or Rhodey, but as Rhodes pulls her up to lean against him and Steve shields them from prying eyes, she’s the one to remove the helmet from Pepper’s head and dab at the tears.

She doesn’t see him again except for briefly passing in coridors for several days after that. Steve’s patching up holes in what’s left of their forces, explaining that they’ve been gone for five years, and here’s how they were brought back. Rhodey’s putting out publicity fires. Pepper doesn’t have the huge circle of friends she enjoyed in the days before she and Tony ran off together to start a family, and although they don’t know each other well, she stays with the grieving widow and along with Happy and Peter, entertains Morgan.

Since she hates to leave Pepper for more than an hour at a time, remembering her own grief years earlier, Steve has taken to dropping off fresh clothes for her every day and taking what needs to be washed home with him. That’s who she’s expecting when there’s a knock on the door of the room she’s been staying in for the past week and a half.

That is, until the door opens and her heart skips a beat. It’s him.

He offers her a smile, but it’s nervous.

“Hey. Steve said he was gonna stop by and drop these off for you, but I was in the neighborhood, so I thought-” Stopping short, he holds out the brown paper bag she assumes has the sweater she asked for and the workout wear.

There’s so many things she wants to say to him. So many things he needs to know. That she missed him so much she thought cutting out her heart would be less painful. That not a day has gone by when she hasn’t woken up, expecting to see a good morning text from “Barnes” as he’s still listed in her phone. That she hasn’t deleted any of the voicemails he sent her. That she’s kept moving forward because she had to, but it felt like she was hollow, just a shell of herself.

Instead, she ignores all logic and reserve, and goes with her gut instinct; wrapping one arm around his neck, grabbing a handful of hair to bring him down to her level, and kissing him the way she used to, like no time has passed and no changes have occurred. It’s only when a “thunk” from the bag hitting the floor reaches her ears that she realizes what she’s done or has a moment of doubt. But then, he’s pulled her closer, and she’s not the only one going for broke.

She manages to break away long enough to gasp out,

“Sorry. Is this-”

“This is okay. Yeah. This is good.”

That’s all she needs to hear before dragging him into the room with her and kicking the door closed.

___________________________________________________________________________________

This is stupid. It’s the thought at the forefront of Bucky’s mind. They dated for three years, and he even worked up the courage to ask her if she’d marry him before Thanos attacked. There’s absolutely no reason to be nervous over a simple dinner date. It’s stupid. But he is nervous. Sure, for him, it’s been a grand total of two weeks since the battle where he turned to dust, but for her, it’s been a long five years. Who knows what’s happened in that time?

All of those concerns are put on pause as he catches sigh of her stepping through the diner doors. At the time, when he changed into one of Steve’s nicer button downs, blazers, and a pair of slacks (he’s pretty sure all of his clothes are still in Wakanda… or possibly thrown out by now, since it is five years later), he felt stupid, but now… yeah, he’s still underdressed. Of course, that would be true if she turned up wearing a potato sack, because it’s her, and to his mind (which he can’t guarantee is objective, but dammit, he can’t be far off) she’s the most beautiful creature to ever walk the face of this earth.

He’s barely stood up from the booth (no nicer places were available since literally everyone is trying to catch up with long-missing loved ones, and besides, he’s fairly certain they don’t take Wakandan currency in New York) before she catches sight of him, and that smile that could rival the sun peeks out again as she makes her way over. Does he hug her? Does he shake her hand? What’s the protocol when you’re meeting up with the woman who may or may not still be your fiancee for the first time in five years for her, and a few weeks for you? Who you’re sure as hell, absolutely, head over heels in love with, but who knows if she still feels the same way?

He doesn’t get to do either because she pecks his cheek, and before he can recover, slides into her side of the booth.

“You clean up just as nice as I remember.” He needs to say something in response. Words. He knows plenty of them. It’s just the using them that’s the problem.

“You too.” Did part of his brain disappear in the dusting and not come back properly? Is that why he’s completely tongue tied around her?

The situation definitely doesn’t improve when a waitress comes over to take their order and, as they fold up their menus and hand them over, he gets a good look at her left hand. Oh.

“Hey-” He doesn’t realize he’s been just staring until she reaches across the table and lightly grasps his arm. “-you alright there, Buck? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Maybe he has. Maybe he’s hallucinating. Or maybe-

“You kept it on.” She looks confused for a moment, and then a flush rises to her cheeks.

“Of course I did.” Her eyes lower to study the table, and her hand drops away. “Of course.”

“For five years.” Why is he saying this? Can’t he just accept anything at face value?

“Yes, um-” She clears her throat nervously. “-it wasn’t on my finger the entire time. I had a scare around four months in where I thought I’d lost it, and after that, I wore it on a chain around my neck, but yes. I kept it on.”

He wants to tell her how amazing that is, how he’s floored that it meant that much to her, he meant that much to her. But again, she’s the one to speak before he can.

“You can have it back. That is, if you’d rather…” She stumbles over her words, then sighs. “If you’d rather it not mean what it used to mean anymore.” Wait- “I know it’s only been a little while for you, but it’s been five years for me. I’ve gotten older, and I’m rough around the edges in places I didn’t used to be. Plus, I’ve changed a lot, and you might not to be tied down to who I am now-

“Keep it.” Her mouth falls open at the interruption, but she quickly snaps it shut. “That is, if you still want it to mean what it used to mean.”

She frowns slightly.

“I do. You wouldn’t believe how much… it’s only… are you sure?” Of course he’s sure. “If you wanted to take some time to think about it, or if you didn’t want to try at all, I’d understand. No hard feelings.” She laughs sadly. “I mean, who knows? You may not even like me anymore.”

That’s what finally pushes him past embarassment, past any worry about making her uncomfortable. Damn being eloquent. He just needs to say it.

“I don’t need time. I’d already thought about it when I gave the ring to you in the first place.” This time, he’s the one reaching across the table, taking her hand in his. “Doll, I knew we were both gonna change eventually. That’s just what happens as time passes. And my mind’s still made up that I’m gonna love each person you change into. I just wish…” Should he say this? Now or never. “… I wish I’d been there so we could’ve changed together.” She doesn’t look convinced. Alright, time to make things a little ridiculous.

“Are you still the girl who uses the humane mouse traps, has terrible taste in music, and drinks tea because coffee gives her the jitters?”

“Yes and no.” That’s not the answer he was expecting, but at least she’s smiling now. “I still use the no-kill traps, my taste in music was never terrible, excuse you, but coffee doesn’t give me the jitters since the super serum.”

“The what?!”

“Oh, right. You missed that part.”

It’s a long explanation, during which he has to almost completely shut down so he won’t show how much it’s affecting him, hearing how close she came to death that day, but by the end he’s even more certain of his decision.

“Then it’s just as I thought. You may have changed here and there, but at the core, you’re the same girl I fell for in Romania. And I’m still sure I want to marry her.”

Before she can stop it, a tear runs down her cheek. As she wipes it away, she asks,

“Really?”

“Really.” He nods. “But hey, from the sound of it, you’re a bad-ass now. You sure you want to marry an old man?” It works, and she laughs.

“Well, every bad-ass needs a sidekick, and you’ve got the credentials.”

He’s not sure why he asks, because it doesn’t matter, he wouldn’t blame her if there was someone else, but he needs to know just to put it to rest in his own mind.

“What, there weren’t any other applicants?”

“Nope. I held the position open for you.” He’s never been more excited to start a job in his entire life.

___________________________________________________________________________________

“Did you know it was going to happen?” They’re in the back of one of Stark’s (or rather, Pepper’s) SUVs on the way home from Tony’s memorial service. The only major difference from the trip down is that Steve’s gone. He’s gone. Traveled back in time. She doesn’t know for certain, but she’s pretty sure he went back to live his life with Peggy. And now Bucky’s asking her if she had a vision, saw it coming.

“No.” That’s not entirely true. “I saw…” She sighs. “Something confusing, and I still don’t think it’s happened.”

He doesn’t say anything, but she knows he’s waiting for her to explain. Still, she takes a few moments to arrange her thoughts in a way that’ll make sense to someone on the outside. Finally, she thinks she has it figured out.

“I saw you sitting on Steve’s bed, and you were upset. I saw myself sit down next to you to try and comfort you. I didn’t know it would be because of this, but-” she starts to take his hand, but stops herself. What if he’s angry? “-I knew it would be sometime today, because of what we’re wearing.”

It’s quiet, deadly quiet, then-

“When?” It’s one word, but she knows what he means.

“Right after Bruce pushed the button.” Maybe she should’ve mentioned it, but she was hoping she was wrong, that Steve wasn’t going to die going back to return the stones to their proper timelines. Turns out she was indeed wrong. He’s not dead. In fact, he got a life.

“Okay.” She frowns. Surely that can’t be it.

“Okay?”

“Yeah.” He nods. “It’s not like we could’ve stopped him, and I can’t blame him, ‘cause if it were me, that’s what I’d do. But-” He sniffs hard, and that’s when she realizes she’s not the only one trying not to cry. “-I’m gonna miss the punk.”

This time, she gives into her instincts and entwines their fingers, metal against flesh.

“I know you will. I know.”

___________________________________________________________________________________

Even if they’ve lost their leaders, the world doesn’t stop spinning, and work doesn’t stop for the Avengers. Sooner or later, they have to regroup, take up the mantle of protecting Earth again. Bucky is surprised when not just Sam, but Rhodey as well asks him to be part of the team. Not just him, he mentally adds. No, they want her too.

“Is this gonna be an issue? You two working together?” She turns in his direction, an eyebrow raised in response to Rhodey’s question. He thinks he knows the answer.

“No. The plan already was to work together until one or the other of us drops.”

Sam cackles.

“Thought that thing on her finger looked familiar. Man, you couldn’t come up with a diamond? Not even a little one?” He catches her rolling her eyes, and fights back a laugh.

“How dangerous do you want her left hook to be, Sam?”

“Good point.”

It’s easily decided that he’ll be part of the main force, and she’ll be in the reserves. That means she’ll keep her job at an upstate community college, teaching English to adults, and he’ll… be doing a lot of paperwork.

What’s not so easily decided is when and how they’re going to make things official. His suggestion is they wait a year for the dust to settle and then do things the old fashioned way, white dress, church, and tux included. Hers is that they walk down to city hall and sign papers. In the end, it’s Pepper who makes the decision.

“Of course you’re having a real wedding. Don’t be silly. And you’ve already waited five years. Why would you want to wait one more?”

She makes polite protests on both their behalves that courthouse weddings are quick and easy, or if they waited a year, they could save up, sort more things out, but Pepper’s not having it, and in the end, they’ve set a date six months in the future, and the widowed Ms. Potts as elected herself the wedding planner. Bucky’s not at all sure about this (Pepper’s a multi-billionare after all, her tastes are probably a little on the extravagant side, and their idea of a “fancy” date has for the most part consisted of “not wearing sweats or pajamas and going somewhere that’s not the sofa in your appartment or mine” y’know, since they’re broke and have been in hiding), but then she pulls out the,

“Please. I need a project to concentrate on that doesn’t have anything to do with… you know. And, I’m paying.”

So of course, neither of them can say no. And really, if the options are wait a year or wait six months, he’ll take the shorter option any day.

He’s been staying in Steve’s apartment (knowing that he’s the one who killed Stark’s parents, he couldn’t bring himself to stay in Avengers H.Q.) since his best friend payed through the next month, but eventually, he has to figure out something else. He may be working for the good guys now, but the price on Brooklyn apartments has just gone through the roof since most people want their old places back, and it’s more than he makes.

He tries not to let on that he’s starting to get a little worried about things (is there anywhere even remotely nearby available at a price he can afford), but eventually it does come up that he’s apartment searching. She has an immediate, rational response:

“Then just move in with me.”

His poker face really must’ve gone to shit (at least around her), because she laughs and, catching a piece of popcorn on the edge of her tongue, asks,

“Come on, Buck. You’ve signed up for the rest of your life. Do you really think we’ll be sick of each other in five months?”

That’s not it, not by a long shot. It’s just that back in his day, moving in together without a trip to church and the exchange of both vows and rings was a way to guarantee whoever the unlucky girl was would be painted as a scarlet woman. It’s archaic, and logically he knows no one bats and eye now, but he still has to ask,

“You sure, Doll?”

She nods.

“Yeah, I have a couch that pulls out into a mattress. Or, if you promise to be a gentleman and keep your hands to yourself, you can have the empty side of my bed.” It’s a joke, and he knows it.

“Sorry. Can’t promise that.” His own smirk matches hers.

“Well, then, I guess I’ll just be charitable and offer it to you anyway.”

#marvel #avengers #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x oc #bucky fic #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #the winter soldier #captain america #fluff #angst #series #standalone

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shelbsterthegryffinpuff · 4 years

Text

Crash (Sirius Black/reader)

Based on the song Crash by You Me At Six

Word Count: 2342

Warning: There is a bit of swearing. Sad.

Note: It is very short, I wrote it in the middle of the night. I am very new to this but I hope you like it!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How about Hogsmeade this weekend?" Sirius asked, pulling Y/N from the conversation she was having with Lily. She turns around and smiles at him. Butterflies filled his stomach as her bright smile captivated him.

"Hello to you to Sirius. What about Hogsmeade? We always go, is there a change in plans? Lily, Remus, and I needed to replenish our chocolate stock." Sirius laughs and looks between the two girls.

"I mean, just the two of us." He shifts on his feet and flashes a grin as her smile widens.

"Like a date?" She asks.

"Yeah, like a date." He agrees. She turns quickly to the redhead behind her, and they exchange a hushed conversation. He once again shifts on his feet, waiting for her to respond. Lily's green eyes stare into him, making him feel uncomfortable. They glared at him, giving him the best friend talk. If you hurt her, I will kill you. You break her, I break you.

“Wait, where you say you've been?

Who you been with?

Where you say you're goin'?

Who you goin' with?”

Three months later:

Sirius' arm rested around her shoulder as they sat on the couch in the common room. They sat leaning into each other, watching the flame crack in front of them. She subconsciously played with his hand, like she did when she was lost in thought. They sat in quiet as everyone had already headed up to bed. Sirius stared at her soft features, lit from the warm fire. Her eyes were fixated on the fire, her eyebrows scrunched.

"What are you thinking?" He asks softly, grabbing her attention. Her face relaxes as it moves from the fire to him.

"I am just wondering how I am going to make it through the rest of Potions without wanting to die." Sirius pulls her into him until she is laying against him.

"The same way we are going to get through this year. Together."

"Someone is a tad cheesy tonight."

"Only when I am with you," Sirius smirks, knowing what strings to pull.

"They weren't kidding when they said you were a hopeless romantic." She giggled. Their silence continued for a couple more minutes before she spoke again. "Is it alright if we reschedule our date this weekend? A couple of us wanted to go to Hogsmeade and hang out. You can have a boys day there."

"Who is a couple of us?" He looks to her, and she continues to play with his hands once again.

"Lily, Marlene, Mary, and one of Lily's other friends." She stated simply.

"Who is her other friend?" She remains quiet before responding.

"Severus." Y/n bit her lip, knowing what he might say.

"First name basis, huh?" Y/N sits up and looks at him, confused.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Her face was scrunched again, upset at his words. "I'm sorry I felt that it was nicer to call someone by their first name."

"Really, you didn't even want to tell me who it was in the first place, first name or not," Sirius grumbled.

"Maybe because I know you don't like him, and I thought you would feel better if I didn't tell you. I thought it would make you feel better." She argued, pushing herself a bit further away.

"So you thought not telling me would solve everything. I totally wouldn't assume that you were hiding something." He felt something build up inside of him. His jaw clenched as he stared back into the fire.

"What has gotten into you?" When he didn't answer, she went upstairs.

Keep me on my toes, keep me in the know.

She avoided him the next morning and sat next to Remus. She didn't speak a word to the group who had eventually become her second family. She thought about the conversation that night and the insinuation he made about her. Did he really think she would jeopardize what she was waiting for two years for? Sirius sat beside James, staring at the food in front of him. He moved the food around his plate. Something felt different inside him, she wouldn't do that. Would she? Thoughts ran through his head, unstoppable at every conclusion. Everyone liked her, what if he makes a move on her and she doesn't stop him. He could do it out of spite because of me. He was pulled from his thoughts when James nudged his shoulder. Remus and Peter left, probably with Y/N.

"Alright, why are you moping? What happened between you two?" He asked. Sirius contemplated for a moment and spoke.

"She wants to break our date to hang out with the girls and Snivellus." His voice growled when he said his name. "But instead, she called him one of Lily's friends to hide that he was going."

"At least she tried to do that, Lily tells me and then proceeds to lecture me about how we treat him. It's not like she would do it to make you angry. That is when you should worry." James explains.

"Do you think she would cheat on me? I feel like she is being distant ever since we started dating. She is beautiful; what if she falls for any guy that sweet talks her? Like I did." Sirius slumped in his seat.

"She wouldn't cheat on you, mate. She isn't that kind of person. She likes you." James reasoned. James let out a sigh and stood, patting Sirius' back. "If we don't leave, now we are going to be late, and Lily will lecture both of us to detention, for fun. Go talk to her, make things right." Sirius sat next to James once again and watched her as she sat next to Lily talking. Deep in conversation, they continued. Lily looked back to see Sirius and sent a glare in his direction. He knew they were talking about him. Sirius knew he had to talk to her. And he did.

I'll wait for it to start, I'll wait for it to end

Keep me on my toes, keep me in the know

Another couple of days went by, Sirius sat in the library with Y/N as she studied for potions. She was consumed with the page in front of her and left him to his thoughts. She wasn't at lunch when they ate. Marlene told them that she had to do something so she wouldn't make it. Why didn't she tell him herself? He wondered what she had to do that she didn't tell him about in person. Was she hanging out with Snivellus? Or maybe the Ravenclaw boy that has been too friendly to her? The only way to find out was to ask.

"Where were you at lunch?" He asked. Her face turned from the paper and onto him.

"Oh, I had to talk to Slughorn about my grade. He said that he thinks I am going to need a tutor." She responded. "Didn't Marlene tell you? I asked her to tell you I wasn't going to make it."

"She said you were doing something. I just wondered why you didn't tell me." Her expression scrunched up again.

"I got the message to you, why is it that I have to tell you everything that I do?" Anger filled up inside him.

"I just wanted to make sure you are safe."

"How am I not safe? I can take care of myself." She shoved her paper into her bag and stood.

"Just so you know I'm going to the bathroom, I hope that is okay." She snapped, leaving him sitting at the table.

Spent behind bars

Oh, it's sad to think we just let it be

Prisoners of love

Their arguments seemed to be more common, they can't go a week without one.

"You don't trust me! It's like no matter what I do, it isn't up to your standard! So what is it? Am I not as perfect as you expected me to be?" Y/N asked, her face red and tight.

"I never said you weren't up to my standards! You mean everything to me." He tried to stay calm, but he couldn't lose her.

"Really? In my eyes, if I'm not accused of being a whore, I am being accused of lying." Her voice broke, and he could see the water welling up in her eyes.

"I didn't accuse you of being a whore! Even though you go through friends like one. You would rather blow off your own boyfriend to hang out with someone he hates."

"What are you, ten? Maybe if you wouldn't be an ass to him for no reason, then you could see that he isn't too bad. Is it such a bad thing to have friends?" She stepped closer, and her face grew red.

"I have every reason to be a jerk to him; after all, he is stealing my girlfriend from me, and it is bad for you to have friends who are all male. Are you gathering a future date list just in case?" He growled. She shook her head and let out a weak laugh.

"He isn't trying to steal me, you are doing a great job of pushing me away. So much for not accusing me of being a whore. I loved you, Sirius. I would never do anything to hurt you. Maybe if you weren't so worried about yourself and how things made you look, then you would've known that. I loved everything about you I have for years. I watched you make out in the corner with so many goddamn girls, and I had to sit in front of you at lunch and look you in the eyes. I had to hear you gush about every one of them and that being one of them for just a moment made me think that just maybe I got what I have always wanted. Instead, I get accused of cheating and lying. You have always treated me as second best, and it is no different now because I am second to you. You try so hard to find a flaw or to try to find a reason to leave because you were afraid it would hurt you. Am I right?" Her eyes were red, and cheeks stained with tears. "Did you ever really even care?" He opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him again. "Save it. I'm done, we are done."

But when I looked at her I thought of only you

If only there was proof I could use to show it's true

It was their last year at Hogwarts. Sirius hadn't talked to Y/N for a year and a half, their breakup spread throughout their class. The famous Sirius Black was called out in front of many of their classmates by his best friend. He continued like he usually did after breaking up with someone. Sirius tried to act like it never happened, but every time he saw her, her eyes red from crying, his heart broke again. He loved her, but he never wanted to lose her. Marlene asked him out at the beginning of the year, and they have been dating since. She was more of a make-out now talk later kind of girl. At least with Y/N, she didn't have to touch him all the time. She gave him more space. He would see Y/N hanging out with Lily, Remus, and Mary, but all he wanted was to run to her. As soon as she would see him, she changes direction, or Lily would stare daggers at him. Marlene could usually tell when he was off. She tried to cheer him up, but he always pushed her away. He seemed to critique her. Like he was trying to make her like Y/N. He always thought about her. The one he screwed up with. The way she smiled when he called her name, the feeling he got when she kissed him, the comfort he got from being around her. She meant everything, and he was so worried about losing her that he ended up losing her.

Tearing down those walls, nothing's in our way

I said, nothing's in our way

Crash, fall down

I'll wrap my arms around you now

Just crash, it's our time now

To make this work second time around

He had to be there for James, it was their first child and his godson. He didn't even think she would be there. It had been years since they broke up, and he lost what he thought he loved the most. She sat in their living room next to Lily, holding the baby in her arms. She was talking with her baby voice to the blue bundle. Remus sat on the arm of the chair, looking down at the baby. James ushered Sirius over to the couch, and his eyes locked with Y/N's beautiful bright smile didn't falter. The butterflies filled his stomach again as she beckoned him over to hold the small child. She talked between Remus and Lily, and her voice, long forgotten, made him remember why he fell in the first place. He eventually gave Harry back to Lily and went to the kitchen in search of tea.

"It is nice to see you, Sirius." Her charming voice pulled him from the cup he started. He turned around and smiled.

"It has been a while. How have you been?" He asked, leaning against the cupboard behind him.

"I've been great, I have been working at St. Mungo's since we left Hogwarts. I don't think I have had a day off since." She laughed. He stood back up and grabbed the cup from behind him.

"Maybe you could tell me about it over a cup of tea?" He offered her the tea. Her smile widened as she nodded, accepting the cup.

"Still haven't lost your charm, I see."

"Only when I am around you."

Oh, crash, fall down

Just crash, fall down

#harrypotter #Sirius black #sirius black/y/n #sirius black/reader #sirius black x y/n #sirius black x reader #marauders x reader #marauder x y/n #marauders

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phoebehalliwell · 4 years

Note

so apparently my brain will not let me rest until I figure out the Prue/Roger dynamic, so: Prue's right out of college when she gets hired at the museum and she gets partnered with a senior curator, Roger. Roger flatters Prue first professionally, then personally, and when Prue is hesitant because he's married, he spins some line about how his marriage is over in everything but name. Prue, young and only having one real relationship before, falls for his charm and they start sneaking around 1/?

at the office. at some point Roger does divorce his wife, he and Prue are together publicly, and then he proposes. somewhere in there, he makes a move on Phoebe, who rejects him. Phoebe immediately goes to Prue, but Roger insists that she's lying, "Prue, don't you think I love you, I left my wife for you." Prue, habituated by years of this kind of emotional manipulation, chooses Roger over Phoebe. This pretty much destroys her relationship with her sister. Prue and Roger continue plans for the wedding until Grams dies, at which point Roger calls off the wedding because he didn't sign up to be anyone else's emotional support. Prue, spends her days angry at Roger, Grams, and Phoebe for abandoning her, and spends her nights secretly wondering if there was anything she could have done to keep any of them with her.

hmm an inch resting yarn you have spun here but i’m gonna offer you another one: pure was popular in high school she was like really fuckin cool and she could very easily have been any man of her choosing. there was no settling for her, she was prue motherfuckin halliwell. so she went for what her heart always wanted and dated her childhood sweetheart andy trudeau. and like,, they were the It Couple in their heyday and it was definitely that passion head first our love will never die dramatic but also just kinda silly love. and that sorta sets the bar. then she’s off to college presumably at this point still trying to pursue a career in photography and she’s like having fun she hangs out with the artists and free spirits and people who were misfits in high school and draws them in with her undeniable queen bee energy but like. she knows her stuff. she doesn’t get by on looks and popularity, she’s really good at what she does. so now we bring in college boyfriend no. 1 who cupid name checked as alan, and we’ll say this really is a relationship of two artists and they’re both amazed by each other’s work and the soul and heart and spirit in it and in them it’s definitely the most pretentious of prue’s relationships but it’s like the kind where they “break into” the local art gallery after hours (alan works there and has a key, so it’s not like it took a lot of masterminding) and like slide around polished hardwood floors until they fall down laughing that type of vibe. but now we’re encroaching on prue’s blue period. for starters, piper’s get ready to y’know apply for college this that and the other and like grams is all concerned about how much college costs blah blah blah with paying for both prue and piper and the same time yada yada yada and prue sorta realizes how sorta tight the money situation is what with the cost of education and the house and this that and the other and she’s starting to realize that this photography career is Not the move bc like this house needs a breadwinner if they want to keep it blah blah blah so life already blows when she has to go pick up phoebe from a party which she’s not like happy about but like you know at least phoebe isn’t drunk driving maybe this is a chance for them to bond as sisters for prue to impart some wisdom on her chaotic younger sister but no of course not of course they have to get in a huge argument and prue doesn’t hit the breaks in time and the car gets totalled and phoebe lands in the hospital and like now prue’s sorta spiralling and she like wants to quit photography and she feels horrible about everything and alan who is again i must harp on pretty pretentious is like no u can’t quit ur family doesn’t understand you it’s not about the money it’s about the art use this pain to make something amazing to which like sorry king,,, but it is about the money. the manor has been in the family for decades and prue can’t lose it. and with piper’s college, phoebe’s hospital bills, and grams’s failing health... it’s 100% about the money dude. and fuck turning your pain into art fuck glorifying suffering and fuck you. so now prue’s p cut off she’s pretty isolated she’s all down in the dumps blah blah blah she changed majors to whatever major it was she needed for like museum jobs bc at least this way she can make bank but she’ll still hold a piece of art close to her and she like drowns herself in her work like she’s not just gonna be this major (art history?) she’s gonna be the fuckin best she’s gonna be the top of her class blah blah blah yada yada yada. but y’know flash forward an amount of time and her roommate’s like hey babe. i get like life’s shit i get u got to be the very best like no one ever was but like. you have not left the apartment in four months. you haven’t smiled in probably twice as long so like. idk do something?? that makes you happy maybe???? and prue’s just like :/ bc what made her happy was like photography but now she has very mixed emotions around that and her roommate’s like what did you do for fun in high school like what did you do after school and prue’s like idk cheerleading practice and her roommate’s like word well then go to cheerleading tryouts time skip we really see prue return to all her old glory and climb up the lil cheerleading ladder blah blah blah and in this renaissance of hers she also scores a new love interest who’s basically the opposite of alan enter tom peters the star wide receiver. and i think this relationship for prue was really just like fun it was tipping her toes back into the water it was learning to smile again it was just like a good time fun simple no concerns about the future just like vibing right then and there and then that ended just sorta naturally and they both graduated and it’s time for prue to leap into the professional world and she’s never left california so when she gets a job offer in london she jumps at the chance blah blah blah she’s working she’s having fun she’s defining herself enter eric from london who i’ll say is like a Business Man he’s like a this that or the other idk maybe a museum investor like the young son who just took over his dad’s business that sorta vibe and like eyes meet breath catches there was just this click but it like took them months to get together it was just this dance this game of cat and mouse until prue finally like took the bull by the horns and just like went for it and i think that would be her like most “adult” relationship like dates were going out to fancy dinners not breaking and entering or picnics on the empty football field these were like two professional adults like dating but you know they hit a year and then some and we’ll say like prue is maybe like 24 25 and this guy’s maybe 29 or whatever and they’ve attended friend’s weddings bs they’ve hit that era where everyone’s getting married and suddenly this cloud’s hanging in the air like baby are you my forever girl like is this it fifty years from now to i still come home to you put you know what let’s push that to the back of our minds but now eric’s like 30 and his family’s like dawg,,,, r u gonna be like a spinster or something are you gonna put a ring on it or not and prue (after many many international phone calls to piper) has decided yes she’d do it she’d stay her and be with this man she loves and eric decides prue’s just not the girl for her. so uh. ouch. blah blah blah prue’s had her fun in the uk but it’s like time to return home piper’s just graduates college or whatever and found a job in the city if prue follows suit they could room together which is when she gets the job at the museum where roger works at. and blah blah blah prue’s like amazing as always and of course she catches roger’s attention bc how could she not and he’s constantly pursuing her and prue keeps turning him down at first bc she’s not really interested and then like he’s her boss and then like it becomes a sort of game but now all her friends from high school are getting married and marcia from homeroom has a baby look and the lil pumpkin on her christmas card and fuck what am i doing so you know what yes roger i’ll be your date to the new years party and here’s the thing roger knows prue is really impressive like she’s amazing at her job and she’s a total babe like he shows her off all the time and prue’s like you know receiving this really high praise and you know roger also has cash to spare so it’s like it’s not bad and she doesn’t well love him but he clearly loves her so she can be satisfied and you know her high school reunion is this year and if there’s one thing she would love it would be to write (nee halliwell) on her nametag, to show she got the job, she got the guy, and she’s living pretty in pac heights. so when roger proposes, she says yes. and piper’s happy for her and phoebe thinks roger’s a sleaze and grams is lukewarm but what does grams know about a long lasting marriage and what does phoebe know about anything so blah blah blah she goes to that high school reunion with a big ol rock on her finger and this that and the other and like to be perfectly frank coming home to roger is not like the highlight of her day there’s not this comforting glow when she falls asleep next to him but it’s like. she’s committed. she’s gonna see this through. besides, they’re already working on the guest list and venue and everything like she’s in it now there’s no turning back now and it’s fine like roger’s fine he’s perfectly palatable and she’s encroaching on 30 so. well whatever prue and roger host an easter party and it’s so cute she’s in a darling floral dress dazzling roger’s stuck up parents and eating finger sandwiches when she hears voices coming from the bedroom and is like gonna pretend to ignore it when she catches piper’s eye and piper has that uncomfortable look on her face and she realizes she can’t find phoebe anywhere and Where Is Roger and she busts in on the two of them looking disheveled and phoebe’s like prue- and prue’s like i don’t want to hear it and roger’s like baby- and prue’s like not now and she turns to phoebe like i think it’s best you go and she looks at roger like we’ll talk about this later your parents are wondering where you are so piper drives phoebe home and phoebe’s telling her about how she went to confront roger on being a whore and also like a spineless sleazebag and she was gonna tell prue when he totally started hitting on her and trying to kiss her and then prue broke in and piper’s like uh huh uh huh bc like. she doesn’t like roger all that much. and she agrees with phoebe. but still this thought sorta lingers at the back of her mind like could phoebe have done something? purely to get back at prue? no she wouldn’t. probably. meanwhile roger’s like your sister was totally hitting on me blah blah blah and prue’s like we can talk about it later right now we’re hosting a very nice party and i’m not going to have you ruin in and roger’s like see that’s what i love about you and prue’s like yeah cool and now whenever she comes home to roger she’s just like 🙄 and she’s like complaining to piper about how like she like doesn’t really want to marry him but it’s like too late now the venue’s booked and the save-the-dates have been sent out and piper’s like it’s not too late until you say i do. do you really want to be married to that sleazebag? and prue’s like :| and piper’s like you can call off the wedding and prue’s like :| and piper’s like i’m just saying and prue’s like does he remind you of dad? and piper’s like what? and prue’s like i think roger’s just like victor. i think i’m about to make the same mistake mom made. god, i always wondered how she could have married such a douchebag and here i am about to do the exact same thing! and piper’s not really commenting bc she doesn’t really remember dad but what she does say is you haven’t made that mistake yet so prue’s like you’re right. and that night she calls of the engagement.

#charmed #prue halliwell #prue x roger #💌#margaretsminiessays

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ryleighisapanda · 4 years

Text

Love Ain’t

Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Warnings: slight smut? just at the very, very end, and cursing

Genre: slight angst?, fluff, bestfriend to lovers

Summary: Peter and [Name] are forced to confront their feelings about one another when she turns to him for comfort after being stood up.

Inspiration: @spiderbabyparker‘s long-ago (when you were still lovely-parker, haha) ask sent to @petersshirts - “Stark!reader getting stood up on her date and rushing to her room crying when she gets back from her date leading to Peter (her best friend) going to comfort her, and he kisses her forehead and says “it’s okay babe” and they end up admitting feelings for each other?”

Notes: So it’s a little different from the ask, but I hope it’s still up to par :)

At the time, [Name] wasn’t even sad. She was pissed. She had put way too much time and energy in to be stood up like this - no call, no text, nothing. Not to mention she had bought a new dress specifically for this occasion (she blamed her dad for raising her to believe a new outfit had to be bought for every event).

[Name] plopped down on the spinny bar stool and flagged down a waitress. After ordering a milkshake and cheese fries, she pulled out her phone and opened TikTok. Already her “grwm: date edition” video had a couple thousand views. There were those stupid comments like “first” and “early”; annoying ones like “legend has it she replies if you’re early” (what do you even say to that??) and “bet she won’t reply” (guess what, you’re right); heartwarming ones like “omg where did you buy that dress??” and “can i be that pretty”; and then excited ones like “let us know how it goes!” and “someone remind me to come back”.

When the waitress came back, [Name] thanked her and gave her exact change. [Name] scrolled through her For You Page for the next hour, long after she’d finished her shake and fries. She probably would’ve sat there until the diner closed had it not been for a TikTok Flash had posted featuring - are you fucking kidding me? - Lance Thompson, Flash’s cousin but more importantly: [Name]’s date.

[Name] had tried giving Lance the benefit of the doubt. Maybe his phone had died, and his car had broken down. Maybe his mom had gone into labor. Maybe he’d been attacked by a pack of sewage rats while taking the subway.

The last one was a bit extreme, but after seeing that Flash’s video had been posted a mere seventeen minutes ago, [Name] wished it had actually happened. She clicked on the tag that led to Lance’s account -- for why, she didn’t know. She didn’t know what she expected to find, but multiple videos of her was not on the list. She clicked on the most recent one, a video taken just the other day.

“Lance, I’m cold,” [Name] had pouted, tugging on Lance’s hoodie sleeve.

Lance raised his eyebrows, but after seeing [Name]’s wink and playful smile, he knew what she wanted him to say. “Well, damn, [Name], I can’t control the weather!”

After a giggle and a combination of pouty lips and puppy dog eyes up at him, Lance had yanked off his hoodie and given it to [Name] before planting a kiss on her lips.

The bittersweetness of watching the video proved to be more bitter than sweet after [Name] read the caption: week five of making the snobby rich girl fall in love with me before giving her a taste of her own medicine.

Snobby? Her own medicine? Confusion washed over [Name], but it was nothing compared to the heartbreak she felt. She wasn’t in love with Lance by any means, but she had started to genuinely care for him.

This small heartbreak would take a little time to get over, but there was one person who could make it just a bit more bearable.

To say that there was no privacy between Peter and [Name] would be an understatement. After May had told her that Peter was in his room, she’d walked in without even knocking. Without a word, really, because her heart hurt so much, she didn’t feel like talking.

“[Name]!” Peter exclaimed, surprised yet happy nonetheless, to see her. “How’d your da--” He didn’t need his Spidey sense to tell him that that question was better left unfinished.

[Name] went to Peter’s desk where she kept a drawer of the things she’s needed before that she couldn’t snitch from Peter (bras, panties, etc). Been through this routine a million times, Peter turned his back to [Name] as she stepped out of her dress, pulled on a sports bra, and stepped into a pair of his sweatpants. [Name] threw her hair up into a bun, then yanked the scrunchie out and hoped Peter would play with it; that always seemed to put her at ease and content.

After crawling under the covers and wiggling her way into Peter’s arms, [Name] finally mumbled, “He stood me up.” Peter didn’t say anything, just started twirling a lock of her hair. She closed her eyes for a minute, enjoying the moment. “He doesn’t even like me. He put it on his stupid TikTok.”

“Are you serious?” Peter’s temperature was rising; he never liked this guy from the beginning, and him being Flash’s cousin didn’t help his case.

“Yeah, something about giving me my own medicine?” [Name] picked up Peter’s phone from his chest and went to Lance’s TikTok. “I didn’t even know he had an account, and now there’s all these videos of us being all cute together and his caption is always the same: “week whatever of making the snobby rich girl fall in love with me before giving her a taste of her own medicine”. I don’t even know what that means.”

“Let me see.” [Name] gave Peter his phone and watched him scroll through the videos, even the ones without [Name] in them. “Who records the videos? The ones of you and him?”

“I dunno, I never really paid attention,” [Name] sighed. “I mean, in all those videos, we’re with our friends.”

Peter paused a video [Name] herself had recorded; it was some football TikTok Lance and a couple of his buddies had done. “Who’s this?” Peter asked, pointing to a guy with dyed black hair and one dangly earring.

“Braxton?” [Name] looked up at Peter. “That’s Lance’s best friend from, like, Kindergarten. Why?”

Peter didn’t answer for a minute; he was concentrating on something. “Do you remember that party your old friend Lorelai threw back in middle school? The one her parents sent her away to some troubled behavior school because they couldn’t keep her under control?”

“She preferred Rory, but yes,” [Name] answered. “Where are you going with this? That I had a lapse in judgement when it came to friends and hung around the wrong crowd during my preteen years?”

“Well, you did, but no,” Peter chuckled; this provoked a small chuckle from [Name] as well, which meant Peter was doing something right. “Remember the kid with the round glasses and freckles and carrot top hair?”

“Yeah,” [Name] furrowed her brows and thought back to that dreadful night. “I didn’t like him, but she knew he liked me, so she forced us to play Seven Minutes in Heaven. I didn’t wanna hurt his feelings so I let him kiss me, but then I dodged him at school and avoided his texts. Oh gods, the rest of that semester was SO awkward and embarrassing.”

“[Name], that’s what Lance is getting you back for,” Peter realized with a heavy sigh. “That kid was Braxton.”

All the color drained from [Name]’s face. She felt like she’d been sucker punched in the gut. Maybe Rory was right; being nice did backfire.

[Name] didn’t feel like talking anymore. She grabbed her phone and pressed play on her previously made breakup playlist. As the songs spoke the words she felt, [Name] synced her breathing to Peter’s and fell asleep to his heartbeat.

Not long after [Name] had fallen asleep, her phone rang. Peter picked it up off his stomach and saw that Mr. Stark was calling. Peter’s face burned; Mr. Stark and May both had seen he and [Name] cuddling and sleeping on the same bed or couch or even chair, but when it came to Mr. Stark, Peter still felt as if they were caught doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing--even though they weren’t even together. Not wanting to make Mr. Stark wait even longer, Peter slid his thumb across the screen. “H-Hi, Mr. Stark.”

“Peter. How’s she doing?” At Peter’s scrunched eyebrows, [Name]’s dad elaborated, “May told me she’d come over visibly upset and looking for you. Don’t tell me it was that boy.”

Peter pursed his lips, but there was no sense in being vague; Mr. Stark already knew. “Yes, sir. Apparently he’s been playing her all this time.”

Mr. Stark groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Peter?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Take care of her, will you? And one more thing.”

Peter raised his eyebrows.

“She loves you more than she realizes. Remember that.” And just like that, Mr. Stark was gone. Peter refused to let himself think about Mr. Stark’s last message. He’d morph it into something it wasn’t, and his and [Name]’s whole friendship would be ruined.

The first thing [Name] noticed when she woke up was that Peter wasn’t there. She rubbed her eyes, which were irritated from crying, and looked around his room. He was nowhere to be found. He was most likely in the bathroom and grabbing a late-night snack, but that didn’t soothe the ache in her heart that always came when Peter wasn’t around.

[Name] grabbed her phone from the nightstand and checked the time.

Oof. Too bright.

She turned the brightness down. 2:16.

As it always did, the picture of Peter made her smile. They’d done the chubby bunny challenge, and Peter had stuffed so many marshmallows into his mouth, it was impossible for [Name] not to snap a picture.

The events of last night felt like a faded memory, even the hurt. Peter always managed to do that, somehow, make everything else disappear. Some lucky girl was going to have an amazing husband that would make a wonderful father.

Maybe MJ.

Hopefully [Name] herself.

[Name] dropped her phone. She ignored it as it clattered to the floor. Consciously, she had never thought of Peter as anything but a best friend. But now everything--the way her face lit up when he walked in a room, the tingling down her spine that accompanied Peter’s breath when he whispered in her ear in class, the giddiness in getting ready for their friend dates, even the occasional dreams of them together that she’d refused to acknowledge--all made perfect sense.

Peter walked into the room then, his shower hair now curling in ringlets.

“I love you,” [Name] blurted, before her fight or flight had a chance to stop herself.

Peter’s face warmed as blood rushed up his neck and on his cheeks. He seemed happy for a split second, before he laughed nervously. “Uh, yeah, I love you, too, p-pal.”

[Name] shook her head vigorously. She was filled with so much adrenaline now that she’d have a panic attack if she didn’t release it. “No, not like that, I’m in love with you, Peter. You make the world disappear and there’s only me and you, and every time you put the suit on I lose my shit worrying about you, but then you come in my room every night to assure me that you’re okay, and I’m always thinking about you, and it pains me if I ever think you might not be in my future. You weren’t my first kiss, Peter, but I want you to be my next and the one after that and the one after that until it’s my last. Stark is a very infamous and honestly really cool name, but I don’t want it forever, I don’t want anyone’s name but yours, Peter Parker, and I love you so much it hurts, and I may have only just realized it now but I’ve loved you for so much longer and now that I think about it, you may not even feel the same, and I very well could have just jeopardized our who--”

No longer was Peter standing by his bedroom door. It was closed now, and Peter was hovering over [Name], his hand around her throat. “Do me a favor, baby girl, and stop talking.” He smashed his lips against hers, and when he pulled away, he raked his teeth along her bottom lip.

Peter rested his forehead against [Name]’s, his eyes closed; they were both breathing heavily. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he admitted breathily.

“Then get back here and do it again.” [Name] grabbed a fistful of Peter’s shirt and pulled him back down to her.

Needless to say, there was not only a meeting of the minds and souls that night, but also the bodies.

tagged: @marvel-lously @k-a-t-h-r-y-n-sbin @lilyholland

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #reader insert #spider-man #spider-man: homecoming #spider-man: hoco #sm: hoco #tony stark #stark!daughter #stark!reader #tom holland #slight smut #fluff #slight angst

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monabela · 4 years

Text

I'm back! well I guess on this blog it's not odd that I don't post for a while but still. I'm back! and since it's @aphrarepairweek2020 and I made best friends with a little girl on my mail round when she followed me through two streets and helped me put mail in mailboxes, this is the perfect time to indulge this ship that I'm not sure is actually a thing or I made up myself, and some kidfic (sort of)! this is for day 2, thunderstorm :0

~~~

(rain’s a part of) how life goes

pairings/characters: Poland (Feliks)/Sweden (Berwald), Sealand (Peter), Ladonia (Lars)

word count: 2419

summary:

Even if Feliks is still unsure of how he fits into the lives of Berwald’s sons, there is only one thing he can do when one of them is afraid of a thunderstorm.

~~~

Feliks is just about to put in his earbuds to listen to a podcast, when he hears a small, unfamiliar sound over the rain clattering against the windows, crashing into the sea somewhere near. He puts his phone down next to his crossed legs. Listens.

He can still hear the shower, barely, so it can’t be Berwald already. Maybe he dropped something, in there. His depth perception is awful without his glasses; Feliks wouldn’t be surprised. Hopefully, he’s almost done cleaning by now, anyway. Taking a shower during a thunderstorm isn’t the best idea, and Feliks feels a little guilty, since he was the one who dropped his drink on Berwald.

Thankfully, they’ve been dating long enough now that he doesn’t feel the terrible embarrassment he’s sure would have overwhelmed him in the beginning.

It seems to be silent now, or relatively so, given the downpour outside.

A clap of thunder, and another noise just out in the hall. Feliks half-turns to look over the back of the couch as the living room door opens, and a small, pale face peers through the gap, single blue eye wide. Ah, of course.

“Dad?” comes the usually so loud voice of Berwald’s eldest son, now just above a whisper. Feliks laces his fingers together in his lap, and takes a deep breath.

“Your dad’s taking a shower, Peter,” he says, smiling in what he hopes is a reassuring way when the boy spots him. Both Peter and his younger brother Lars know him well enough by now—he’s spent enough time around their father lately—but Feliks can’t deny that being around the boys still makes him a little nervous, if only because he knows they mean the world to Berwald and he’s terrified of somehow doing wrong by them. Having kids was never something he seriously thought about, because he just didn’t think he would be any good with them. The little Oxenstierna family is doing their best to prove him wrong.

“Oh,” Peter is saying, and he is already closing the door when the thunder rolls again, and he practically sprints into the living room instead, halting next to the couch. He’s clutching the hem of his pajama shirt with his small fingers, knuckles whitening. Feliks shakes his thin hair out of his face, meeting Peter’s eyes.

“Are you…” He tilts his head, assessing how Peter appears to be trying to control his fear. “Did you want to check on your dad, Peter?”

Peter nods vigorously, grateful, and Feliks can’t help but smile.

“Is he afraid of the thunder?”

Nodding again, Peter shuffles a little closer. His pajama shirt has a pirate ship on it, and the pants are printed with tiny rapiers and skulls, but he is no longer wearing the eyepatch and hat he had on this evening, when he insisted the trampoline in the backyard was his pirate ship and tried to get his brother to walk the plank multiple times, in increasingly loud pirate brogue. Lars kept refusing, of course, and Feliks had been tasked with distracting Peter. He could probably do so again, even if there’s no way he’ll go out and try to do tricks on the trampoline again like he’s seventeen and still dreaming of a career in gymnastics. Not in this weather.

More thunder.

Peter winces, hands wringing into his shirt. Feliks’s heart clenches. With how boisterous he is, it’s easy to forget that Peter is still just a six-year-old boy, who wants his father to comfort him during a storm even if he’s too proud to admit it.

“I’m afraid of thunder, too, you know,” Feliks tells him, which isn’t true—thunder is one of the few loud noises he actually doesn’t mind—but that doesn’t matter.

“I’m not!” Peter insists, even as he climbs on to the couch next to Feliks, who grasps his shoulder to steady him. “I’m a pirate, an’ pirates are never afraid!”

“Yeah? You must be worried about your ship, like, with all this rain, right? The waves must be huge.” Feliks holds his breath while Peter sits close to him, pulling his legs up on the couch and wrapping his arms around his knees.

“My ship is undestroyable,” he declares. “It’s called—it’s called Storm Dee-mise!”

That one’s Feliks’s fault; he inadvertently taught Peter the word demise just this afternoon as he tried to think of a name for his trampoline ship, and the boy has used it in all the names he’s come up with since then, of which there have been about twenty. He’s got a very vivid imagination.

“An’ it’s got cannons that’re louder than the thunder, an’ the sails—” He cuts himself off at a particularly loud roll of thunder that seems to shake the house and follows the lightning almost immediately. He scoots closer to Feliks, who tentatively holds out his arm at just the right height for the boy to duck underneath it. After a second, he does so, nestling himself against Feliks’s side.

God, if his twenty-year-old self could see him now, Feliks thinks. Or even his thirty-four-year-old self of two years ago, when he’d first been introduced to Berwald through mutual friends, most of whom had been as surprised as Feliks himself when they started dating. Partly because Berwald had children, and Feliks supposes he’s never been known for his great social skills, whether with children or adults, and partly because everyone still remembered that he had been very intimidated by the tall man when they’d first met. And Feliks says strange things when he’s intimidated.

There’s only so much time you can spend awkwardly standing next to each other not knowing what to say while your friends blather on, though. And once they started, it proved difficult to stop.

“Hey, Pete,” he says, softly, and he thinks it’s the first time he’s called the boy that, the first time it’s felt appropriate.

Peter looks up at him from underneath his arm, blue eyes mirroring his father’s. Feliks has no idea where those dark eyebrows he’s currently drawn into a frown have come from, though.

“Are you still scared?” Peter asks manfully.

“A little.” Feliks shakes his hair away again. “Do you think I could come onto the Storm’s Demise?”

“’Course.” He burrows further into his side and the couch cushions at another clap of thunder, following the lightning flashes ever closer now.

“I bet you can’t even, like, hear the thunder belowdecks, right?”

Peter nods against his ribs. Still cautious, Feliks reaches for the mop of blond hair hiding his face, and cards his fingers through it. It’s all sticking up even more than usual. He must have spent some time tossing and turning in bed before this. For a young boy, it’s far too late to be up, especially after all that trampoline excitement. It’s not something Feliks thinks he would have even known a year ago, but he’s concerned about it now.

“Your dad would like to be on the ship too, I bet.”

“Lars can come too,” Peter mumbles through a yawn, and he glances up with half-lidded eyes when Feliks can’t help but chuckle at that.

“Good! That’s good, Pete. You look after your little brother.”

“He’s only five. He’s a baby.” The words are mumbled into his hoodie. Well, Berwald’s hoodie. Maybe Peter finds the fact that it smells like laundry and wood as comforting as Feliks does. “I’m six years old.”

“Yeah, you are. Do you know how many years old I am?”

Peter looks up appraisingly, silent for a long moment save for the rain pounding against the glass like an unwanted stranger. The sound of the shower has stopped, but Feliks couldn’t say how long ago that happened.

“Dad’s forty years old,” Peter eventually says, thoughtful. Berwald is thirty-nine, but it’s almost his birthday, so that’s fair. “You must also be forty.”

Fair enough.

“Almost,” Feliks replies, and Peter smiles proudly, probably glad to have worked out that puzzle, and he still winces when there’s more thunder, but is still smiling when it’s over.

“Uncle Søren is thirty-seven,” he starts recounting, “an’ Ashleigh is six also and Refik is seven an’…”

Feliks tunes him mostly out while he lists the ages of all the neighborhood children, his grandparents—which he’s pretty sure are wrong, because he’s met Berwald’s parents and doesn’t think either of them looked anywhere near a hundred-and-twenty—and then who knows who else. He just ruffles the boy’s hair every once in a while, when there’s more thunder, even though Peter barely seems to notice at this point, caught up as he is.

Not for the first time, Feliks catches himself thinking that Peter has inherited his father’s logical mind, to be so fascinated with numbers, and then, definitely for the first time, he thinks, well, there’s something I can help him with when he’s older, because Feliks likes numbers too. They’re nice and straightforward, don’t change values depending on context. He thinks about helping Peter or Lars with math homework in a house he designed, at a kitchen table Berwald has built, and it’s a bit of a terrifying thought, but not so scary that he refuses to think it. Not so scary that it can’t be a silent hope.

He would have locked it away, not so long ago. The Oxenstiernas are teaching him things in more than one way. Or maybe he’s just finally growing up as he nears forty.

“Feliks?” A heavy hand on his shoulder. Feliks startles out of his daydream. Looks down at Peter, who is silent now, and—oh, he has fallen asleep tucked against him, one hand grasping the hoodie.

Swallowing heavily, Feliks shifts his gaze up, to where Berwald is smiling down at him. His eyes are bright in that way that Feliks has realized by now suggests warmth. It’s easy to mistake it for judgment, or indifference, but he knows now that Berwald cares deeply about many things, his sons above all. You just have to know to look for it.

“Everything okay here?” he’s asking now. He reaches over to where Feliks is still absently stroking Peter’s hair and pushes it out of the boy’s closed eyes. “Pete couldn’t sleep?”

“I convinced him I was the one who was scared of the thunder,” Feliks whispers, briefly wondering if maybe that was the wrong thing to do—because surely, it’s important for Peter to learn that it’s okay to be afraid of things himself—but Berwald smiles, familiar laugh lines forming around his eyes.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, sure, like…” He doesn’t know what to say, so he just looks down at the boy peacefully sleeping against his side. “Of course. He’s… Of course.”

Berwald walks around the couch silently and gazes down at the two of them, seemingly similarly lost for words. He has already changed into his pajamas. Quite unexpectedly, Feliks is out of breath at how quaint this all is, and how much he wants to keep it. He blinks rapidly as Berwald crouches down. The man rests one hand on Feliks’s leg while he gently touches his son’s forehead with the other, callused thumb smoothing away a frown as it appears. Peter doesn’t wake. Berwald looks up at Feliks, who chews on his lip until he reaches up and cups his jaw.

“Okay?” Berwald asks, his voice deeper than the rolling thunder but infinitely more soothing.

In response, Feliks smiles, and untangles his fingers from Peter’s hair, careful not to jostle him, to run both hands through Berwald’s short hair instead until he’s cupping the back of his head and Berwald is leaning up with his leg as leverage to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. He smells like shampoo now. Feliks smiles, ruffling his hair this time.

“Alright,” Berwald mumbles, pushing himself to his feet, dropping a kiss on top of Feliks’s head as he goes, “let’s get him back to bed. ‘S too late to be up.”

Nodding, Feliks shifts so Berwald can gather his son into those strong arms of his. He could probably pick Feliks up with the same ease, but it’s never come up. Peter sniffles and curls into his father’s broad chest, but doesn’t wake even as thunder rolls again.

As Berwald moves towards the stairs, Feliks decides to follow, turning off the lights in the living room and carefully closing the door so it doesn’t rattle in the wind that will inevitably creep in. While Berwald tucks his son back into bed, Feliks brushes his teeth, changes into his pajamas, and uses the bathroom, and they meet again on the landing in front of Berwald’s bedroom, where Feliks smiles softly and starts to whisper something about Peter, when Berwald leans over and kisses him, grasping his face with those big hands.

Feliks hooks his fingers into the man’s old T-shirt, smiling into the closemouthed kisses pressed against his lips.

“Thank you,” Berwald mutters, again.

“It’s nothing.”

“’S not, Feliks.” His gaze is intense in the low light coming from his bedroom, blue eyes nearly transparent behind his glasses. “You know it’s not.”

Of course it’s not, but…

Not sure what to say, Feliks just presses his face into Berwald’s warm neck, standing on his tiptoes, breathing in his clean scent and listening to his steady heartbeat. The man rests his chin on top of his head, folding him into his arms. It feels secure, in a way that few things have done in Feliks’s life, and he think he might understand how Peter felt, safe from the thunderstorm. He isn’t the boy’s father and will never be, but maybe, maybe, Feliks could mean something similar to him.

Thunder rolls. Feliks swallows.

“You’re doing great,” Berwald says softly.

He wants to muffle words into the man’s neck, wants to tell him he loves him, and may very well love his sons too, but Feliks can’t bring himself to say it quite yet. It’s a truth he didn’t think he’d ever get to say, so it can wait a while longer. Just a while.

It won’t be long.

A small noise, down the hall. They both look at the wide blue eyes underneath a mop of ginger hair, peering around the bedroom door with Lars painted on it in a child’s clumsy hand, the s backwards.

“Dad?”

Berwald kisses Feliks’s forehead and trails his fingers down his arm as he walks over to his youngest son. Feliks smiles, and wanders after him.

#aphrarepairweek2020 #svepol #Hetalia #aph poland #aph sweden #aph sealand #fin #w: 2500 #u: human #I was gonna go with a different name for sweden #but i think for now i'll only do that when he's a background #character #maybe #is this named after the only vienna teng song i know?#maybe.#u: rpw

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tripsonflatground · 4 years

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Is it just me, or is it kinda capitalist that in order to get new superheroes, people kill off or age up the old ones and then put the new heroes in the same role/identity? Like, they killed Peter Parker to have Miles Morales. Bucky Barnes and Falcon/Sam Wilson both became Captain America after the death or age & retirement of Steve Rogers, depending on whether you’re looking at the comics or the MCU. Batman goes through Robins and Batgirls like it’s going out of style (and seriously, why does Dick Grayson let other people be Robin? That was a personal nickname from his birth family, right? Why would he give something so intimate away?). Replacing someone else and living up to their legacy rather than making your own path was a whole plot point/theme in Spider-man: Far From Home!

There are exceptions to this, like X-23 and Wolverine, who have managed to have some form of a father-daughter relationship in the comics (although, if memory serves, I believe he’s been killed in recent comics and she replaced him as Wolverine - though I haven’t read anything recent, so I might be wrong, and in the film Logan they killed him off). And things like Conner/Superboy from Young Justice being created with the idea to replace Superman doesn’t count in the same way because it was a villainous plot and Con didn’t end up following through. And there’s a new Ms. Marvel now that Carol Danvers is Captain Marvel, which is a much better alternative considering that Carol wasn’t using that identity anymore.

The idea I’m trying to get at, if it isn’t clear, is that the costume identity, AKA Spider-man, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc. seems to me the thing that’s given value while the person behind the mask is more recently being treated as expendable/dispensable. Which doesn’t make a ton of sense to me, because the person created the mask, and so much of themselves and who they are and what their goals are drove the reasons behind the creation of the identity and the way they behave in that identity. It’s like being a kid and trying on your parents’ clothes or getting hand-me-downs, even if it fits, you didn’t exactly choose it, and you look different wearing it. And I’m calling this capitalist because it feels like capitalism. If we equate being a superhero to a job, which in many ways it really is, especially if you are employed by an organization to do it like SHIELD, then the value is being placed on the role/job, and not with the labor. Capitalism doesn’t give a shit who’s doing the job and how they’re being treated as long as it’s getting done. Employees in the service/retail industry get treated like shit and don’t get paid enough but that will never change unless people have other options and aren’t desperate enough to accept those conditions and get something better. Recently, with the deaths and/or replacements of superheroes in order to have someone else fill the identity in comics and films, the individuals behind the mask, who are the real source of emotional connection and relatability, not the mask, seem to have become dispensable in the eyes of the creators.

And I do get that it’s a shortcut and an attempt to bring in new audiences by putting more modern characters into recognizable roles. But why does the original character have to *die*?

Yeah, superhero-ism is a dangerous occupation, sure, but doesn’t death seem like the most extreme option? It’s not as if there aren’t other possibilities:

1.Having characters be located somewhere else other than New York City or its fictional equivalent (Metropolis, Gotham, etc). There are other major cities in the US where crime happens, let alone other cities in the world. Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, Philadelphia. Who doesn’t want to imagine a Spider-man or a Batman with a Boston accent? Wouldn’t it be a cool storyline if other Kryptonians not related to Superman escaped Krypton and eventually made it to Earth and moved to different cities and took up mantles and eventually the Kryptonian race could start rebuilding on Earth? Talk about a really interesting and positive way to show a diasporic community. And also, it doesn’t make any sense statistically that the majority of the world’s superheroes are in the US. Put some in Toronto, Paris, London, Cairo, Sydney, Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow, Rome, Athens, Rio, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Seoul, Istanbul, etc. If the Olympics happen there, then there’s probably a lot of people that need saving and crime happening. It’s especially dumb with the alien invasion stories where they show the audience aliens popping up in places other than NYC and suddenly the heroes have to get other there, like unless you got super-speed or teleportation, it’s going to take a while, and how are you even going to communicate with the civilians if there’s a language barrier?

2.Having characters be from other dimensions. Marvel and DC have a history of playing with alternate timelines and multi-verse theory. Into The Spiderverse was a super-popular movie that inspired tons of people to make their own Spidersonas, and the lesson that can be taken from it is that you can take a character and make it still feel unique or individualistic even if you’re using similar themes. Maybe instead of the dimensions having evil versions they have to fight or being fucked up in some other way, make the new version of Wonder Woman or Iron Man or whatever be from an alternate dimension and end up in the main because of science/magic, or a dimension-hopping villain they’re fighting, or an accident, or to get help from other versions of themselves, or even escaping from an apocalypse/doomsday from their own universe. It’s so easy to either send them back to their own universe when you decide you’re done playing with them or keep them around if you want them permanently. Wouldn’t it be fascinating if the Captain America we’re familiar with met a Captain America from an alternate universe where he fought in the American Revolution or for the Union in the Civil War or even in WW1 or Vietnam?

3.Having female characters take on feminine versions of the identity, or vice versa, or non-binary characters find a way to have a gender-neutral version. This has been done with Hulk and She-Hulk, Superman and Supergirl, Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel back when Captain Marvel was a dude, Spider-man’s daughter May was Spider-girl at one point, Batman’s cousin or something is Batwoman. There’s also been some adjacents, such as AntMan and Wasp or Wolverine and X-23. There are definitely ways that you can use a familiar identity to put more female and non-binary superheroes out there. I mean, military titles (the Captains) or even names like Black Panther, Green Lantern, and Flash aren’t even gendered. You can feminize names if you want to, but I’m pretty sure the female Hawkeye is just straight-up Hawkeye. People like Thor I feel differently about because Thor’s an actual mythological character, not something Marvel came up with, but you could just use a different Norse god/goddess? And yeah, Dr. Strange is the man’s actual name so that’s also a little different, but if he had a daughter or a non-binary child who also got their doctorate, they are in fact entitled to call themselves Dr. Strange rather than something lesser. Not to mention, that whole alternate universe versions point I just made? Yeah, these can be characters from gender-bent alternate universes or a universe where humans are androgynous or something.

4.Have multiple characters use the same secret identity. This would be the perfect concept for twins or friends with the same build. The bank’s been robbed but A is on a date? B can totally show up at the scene! B got really hurt in their last fight? A’s got them covered. There’s a bit of risk to it, like if people recognize they have different voices or someone notices them at two different crises happening at the same time, but that’s just what makes the challenge of pretending to be the same person interesting. And it could get even more complex if you had triplets doing it, or four college roommates, or whatever. It’s also a great excuse to be able to write deep interpersonal relationships and identity struggles. Hell, can you imagine how much scarier multiple Batmans would be? They could play even more on the “you never know where he’s going to be next or what shadow he could be hiding in” thing, like, just when the crook thinks he’s lost Batman, another comes out out of nowhere.

And if superhero writers don’t want to do any of this, there’s also the C-List and D-List heroes that maybe got introduced in like the 70′s or 80′s or whatever but didn’t take or ended up being a blip in another character’s backstory. If you want more modern superheros connected to the major ones so you can use them in the same stories, it is totally valid IMO to try revitalizing these obscure concepts. I have a vested interest in seeing if Monica Rambeau shows up as her hero identity Photon in the Captain Marvel sequel. This idea is still using what you have, but it doesn’t capitalize the lives of the characters you have or make them expendable in any way. In fact, it’s also kind of like recycling, or the opposite of capitalism, because you’re trying to use alternative resources or all of your resources instead of very specific ones to the point of over-saturation.

Look, I’m just very tired of superheroes getting killed off to be replaced by someone else using the same identity or because it’s edgy or dark or whatever. Even a debilitating injury that leaves them in a wheelchair or blind or deaf is a hell of a lot more interesting. Once a character’s dead, they’re dead, there’s nowhere else you can take them unless you bring them back to life (which admittedly happens a lot in superhero universe) or have them hang around as a ghost or something. It’s boring, it doesn’t give the audience any closure and just messes with their emotions for shock value, and it promotes toxic capitalism.

#superheroes #marvel #dc #capitalism #killing characters #alternatives to killing characters

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und-erstand · 4 years

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Not Another Sterek Fic Rec!

You can find my other rec lists here!

I’m baaaaaaaaaaack! Has it really been years? It has, but you’d never know it with quarantine. I, like may others, have had a lot of free time recently so I’ve been going back to my (sterek) roots. Please enjoy a list of some of my favorite fics! These are all ones I haven’t rec’d yet. If you’re interested in my previous lists you can find them at the link up top!

Propriety and Pursuit by JenyaKeefe

Stiles has never wished for a husband. Completely innocent of physical desire (except during his yearly heat), he doesn't know what he would do with a husband, if he had one. But others manage it somehow, and even seem happy. And Stiles knows his duty.

Wolf in the House by JoeLawson

“What? It’s totally an improvement. He’s not scowling, or dating bad guys, or slinking around in unsanitary places. Still a bit paranoid, but what can you do. At least he’s a lot easier to get along with when you can buy his affections with ear rubs.”

“And you always wanted a dog,” Sheriff added wryly.

“And I always wanted a dog.”

Spirit grows when love goes away by LunaCanisLupus_22

Jerome slid his hands into the pockets of the jacket and met Derek’s eyes over Stiles’ head one last time. Then his eyes flashed and his smirk grew more pronounced, teeth sharper over his grin.

There was no denying it now. Derek had been right. Jerome didn’t like him. In fact, he was pretty sure that he wanted Derek out of the way completely.

Feel it like a fever, burning through the night by LunaCanisLupus_22

“That was my favourite fern,” Deaton declares and Stiles glances at Scott for clarification that such a ridiculous statement just came out of his boss’ mouth.

“You could have just told me not to touch it,” Stiles points out sensibly, squirming inside with something he refuses to believe might be guilt.

Not about the dumb plant, but the instant devastation he’s currently overwhelmingly and inescapably capable of. He can destroy with one touch now.

This is going to complicate things so much.

Bittersweet and Strange, Finding You Can Change (Learning You Were Wrong) by WithMyTeeth

When perpetual loner and failwolf extraordinaire Derek Hale finally loses patience with his meddling family, he grabs a confused Stiles Stilinski, unsuspecting diner patron and herbal medicine student, off the street to pose as his new boyfriend. Hijinks ensue.

The Darkness Inside by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella)

The sheriff watched him for a moment, then he sighed and turned slightly. He reached out to open a cabinet door beside him, and pulled out a shelf. It was on a track, so it rolled out of the cabinet fairly easily, and held a small CCTV. Derek frowned and inched his chair to the side a little bit so he could get a better angle.

He was looking at a teenager, or someone at least young enough to be the same age as Scott. He was sitting on a bed in what looked to be a larger room, the area he was in surrounded by four glass walls, with his legs crossed and head tilted.

He was also staring directly into the camera, as if he knew someone was watching. A creepy smile slowly slid onto the teen’s face, and he held up one hand, wiggling his fingers in a slow, eery wave.

Derek felt his mouth run dry. He didn’t know who this kid was, but he didn’t like him.

“Who is that?” he asked quietly.

“That,” said the sheriff, “is my son.”

Where You Still Remember Dreaming by yodasyoyo

“What’s your name? I can’t keep calling you Balto.”

“What’s yours?”

“Stiles.”

Derek raises an eyebrow. That isn’t his real name. There’s no way. But now he thinks about it, he has a vague memory of someone, probably Uncle Peter, telling him that with the fae, names have power. “I’m Miguel,” he says.

“Lie.”

“Are you trying to tell me your real name is Stiles?”

Stiles runs his tongue across his teeth and considers Derek carefully. “Fair enough,” he says, “Miguel it is.”

Grabbing his groceries and pocketing the change, Derek turns to leave; he’s nearly at the door when Stiles calls out, “By the way, Miguel, if you’re interested, it’s two for one on bags of kibble at the pet store down the street.”

Derek doesn’t look back, doesn’t hesitate, just raises a hand and flips him off on the way out.

Seat Belts & Gravity by calrissian18

People leave in Beacon Hills, give up on the town, the people, on life itself. And he and Derek are still here, six years later, still able to drink a beer and share space. It’s kind of remarkable in a really understated way.

It seems wasted now by DaaroMoltor

It's been months. Months of lonely days and lonelier nights. And Stiles can't understand what he did wrong.

Sweet Buns by skoosiepants

Stiles hasn’t seen Derek Hale this close up for over a decade. He looks almost exactly the same, except somehow he seems even bigger and broodier—criminally handsome, with soft-looking dark scruff, heavy brows, light hazel eyes. His gaze zeros in on Stiles almost immediately, and his scowl lightens minutely in what looks like surprise.

Stiles is acutely aware that he has melted butter and cinnamon all over his face, and tries to surreptitiously wipe it with the ends of his sweater-sleeve.

tell me a piece of your history (that you've never said out loud) by doctorkaitlyn

Upon their first meeting, Derek and Stiles don't get along. Stiles is still cresting the waves of a reckless adolescence, using his father’s influence to keep a (mostly) clean record. Derek is brusque and unfriendly but otherwise impossible to read. They end up as partners at a search party by pure happenstance.

They are, quite potentially, the worst possible pair.

But that's before they find the body.

Into You by reillyblack

"You know that girl I met at the pack mixer Derek dragged us to last week? Cindy? Yeah, she says that in her pack, and in a lot of packs, they have... like..."

"I don't think it's true. I think she was pulling your leg, man," Scott interrupts, looking a little guilty.

"Have a what?" Stiles presses with exasperation. "Should we have it too?"

"Oh, dude," Isaac dissolves into laughter again. Stiles flicks him on the nose this time and is met with a growl and a flash of yellow. "Ok, ok... the alphas have, like, one pack member that they... you know."

"Can we all be big boys about this?" Stiles rolls his eyes. "That they... what?"

Landslide by reillyblack

Beautiful? Check. Dismissive? Check. Hated him? Double check.

Stiles was doomed to develop a crush of epic proportions.

#sterek #sterek fic rec #holly's rec #eternalsterek

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pickybearcub · 4 years

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Getting to know Spiderboy: Chapter 17

Pairing: Peter Parker x OC Genre: Friendship/ Adventure/ Family Warnings: Flashback chapter

Story Summary: Ten minutes. Ten minutes was all it took. She found his backpack in the alley and left before he got there. Now, before Peter knows it, Ned thinks he has a secret girlfriend and Spider-man has to be her kibble runner.

Catch up here

1932 - Kamar-Taj

After that… After she'd shown the Ancient One a glimpse of the future. Of the coming Titan… The Sorcerer Supreme disappeared for several days.

That had terrified Renny more than anything. Had she unintentionally turned away the only person who could possibly help her?

She panicked when the Ancient One didn't return four days later. The whirl of her emotions made her control slip and she became practically useless with spells. To stave off the feeling of helplessness, she pored her time going over the books in the library again. Maybe she had missed something…

It was on the eighth day when she jolted awake on a library desk that she turned to see the Ancient One looking at her, a hand on her shoulder. Renny didn't know what to say. She wanted to apologize, but the woman spoke before she could.

"You showed me barely a glimpse of your knowledge, and already it has proved a burden on my mind." The Ancient One was no stranger to seeing terrible futures. She stopped many of them, after all. But she had not seen the level of loss and destruction like what Renny had shown her. It was also beyond what she knew to be her demise. "I can only imagine what weight you must feel crushing your shoulders." The woman's eyes seemed tired, but she showed no other outward indication. She sighed, standing straighter, pulling her shoulders back and talking with the authority and power that Renny was used to hearing.

"I will give you access to the Book, but only under my supervision. It will not leave the library. Whatever notes you make, you can store them only in your mind. None of it will be written down." Renny could only nod while sparks revealed a hidden doorway in the wall. As she followed after the Ancient One's trailing robes, she prayed that her memory and her grasp of the mystic arts were good enough to master the spells that she needed. She was no Stephen Strange, after all. She didn't have his incredible intelligence or his photographic memory.

Access to the Book of the Vishanti did give Renny the spells she needed, however, she still needed to learn them properly. Not being able to take down notes made things incredibly slow going. Yes, she could practice as much as she wanted to on her own, but she could only correct herself if something went wrong when the Sorcerer Supreme corrected her, or when she had the chance to look through the book again.

It took several more months for her to grasp the major spells, and many more to modify and perfect them for her specific use.

All in all, she had spent almost eight years in Kamar-Taj preparing and learning what she could before she requested her leave.

The Ancient One nodded, putting her hands once more on Renny's shoulders.

"You will need to search for a proper place to construct your own sanctum. In this endeavor, I cannot help you. My place is here, in Kamar-Taj." The woman then turned and looked out to the horizon where the sun was just beginning to rise.

"Thank you." Renny's voice shook. The Ancient One was more than a teacher to her. In a world where she had lost everything and everyone she knew, the woman had become a sort of grandmother to her. "I would never have been able to get this far without you. God knows I would have probably died a long time ago if you didn't help me." The girl's smile was watery, but she dared not turn to the Sorcerer Supreme, only keeping her eyes forward as well.

"You are most welcome. I thank you as well for what warnings you were able to give. There will be many dark times to come, but knowing that you will be doing what you can to protect those who will stop it, it brings me peace." The woman let out a slow breath, Renny thought it was meant more to calm her than the Ancient One. "You have come far, but there is still so much further to go… so much to do, and you may not even see the end. Take care, little one." The woman's pale eyes flicked to the girl for a moment before tracing the mountain range again. "Kamar-Taj will always be open to you. Just so you know… Try to visit at least once… before the end."

Renny choked on a sob and felt the tears gather at the corners of her eyes, ready to spill. She didn't have the heart to even comment on the nickname this time. "Of course I will…" She managed to whisper hoarsely before moving to unclasp the vambraces on her arms. She'd gained enough control without the artifacts over the more recent years, even if her spells were incredibly taxing without them. It would be difficult, but not impossible. She would manage.

"Keep them." The Sorcerer Supreme said simply. "You are aware, they would have never worked if they did not choose you in the first place. They are yours. To help you in your quest."

A quick nod and Renny conjured a portal to New York and stepped through before her tears could slip down her face. She knew that a moment longer standing beside the woman who she considered a grandmother, even a mother-figure, she might not build the courage to leave again for a long time. The girl could not stop herself from looking back though.

The smile on the Ancient One's thin lips was wistful. When the portal dissipated a second later, Renny collapsed onto her knees and sobbed, letting her tears flow.

She couldn't deny the feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her that that could be the last time she and the Sorcerer Supreme would see each other.

1943 - Belgium

"Think she's comin', Steve?" Bucky said, loading his rifle.

"Can't see why not. If she showed up all the way at the HYDRA base for you, of course, she'll be at the raid." Steve answered, strapping his shield to his back.

"Who you talkin' about there, Cap?" Gabe Jones piped up.

Steve and Bucky shared a look and a sly smile.

"Just a friend." They answered.

It had been over eight years since they first saw her… Well, since Steve first saw her anyway. Bucky swears that he'd seen her somewhere before.

The girl who showed up like a fairytale. Because what other word could there be for her? A girl who'd barely aged the whole time they knew her. She always looked to be nineteen, maybe twenty or so. The way she appeared and disappeared in a blur or flash of sparks...

1936 - Brooklyn

When Steve was being bullied, seeing her face or the glint of her wide bronze bangles at the corner of the alley meant that help was coming. She would lead Bucky to him, or some other adult who would chase away the bullies.

When Bucky and Steve went on a double date and Bucky would spend too much on his dame, they would see glimpses of her as they walked home, their path completely safe.

The two young men spent quite some time keeping quiet about the girl they both thought was part of their imagination until they both came to the revelation that they both saw the same girl.

Bucky was flipping through one of Steve's sketchbooks when he noticed a recurring sketch of a familiar figure.

"You've seen this dame around town, Steve?" Bucky asked innocently, wondering if maybe the girl flitting through his peripherals was based on some girl he had seen in passing.

"Uhhhh…" Steve scratched his head. "Not really. I just made her up... I think…" He added belatedly.

"Does she wear these bracelets on her arms?" Bucky asked intently, hoping to God that he wasn't being crazy.

"Like wide bronze bangles?" Steve asked, eyes widening.

There was a moment before Bucky continued. "Brown hair?"

"Grey eyes?" The blond confirmed.

"Well… I always thought they were a little more blue." Bucky chuckled.

"Gosh… I thought I was crazy." Steve breathed.

"You and me both, buddy."

Bucky ran a hand through his hair and Steve scrubbed a hand over his face, both relieved.

When the two had come to terms with the existence of the strange girl, they began to see her more often… rather, they noticed her presence more. Among the faces of a crowd, in their classes and the library, in the reflection of a shop's glass window, or the glint of the wide bronze bands on her forearms disappearing around a corner.

They never saw more than extended glimpses of her, sometimes the occasional pause and smile before she disappeared again.

Oh, the two knew for sure she was there. There was always a tiny doubt niggling at the back of their minds though. They could never come close to her.

The night after Sarah Rogers funeral was the night that rule was broken. Steve had refused Bucky's offer to stay at his house. So they both stayed at Steve's for that night instead. The blond had been so caught up in mourning, who could blame him, he had missed paying his bills. Sometime in the middle of the night, the heat went out.

Renny had been watching them, knowing that grief sometimes made people do stupid or irrational things. She appeared in the dark apartment where the two had fallen asleep talking in the living room. She draped blankets over them, but when she felt just how cold the air was and saw Steve shiver in his sleep, she sighed.

"Silly boys…" She muttered, before casting a spell over the living room to make it warm. Again, she pulled the blankets to the two young men's chins, smiling fondly. "You're lucky you two have each other." After tucking the blankets securely around each of them, she walked around and checked that the windows were all secure for the night.

The magic for the heating spell she used would need her energy to continue to produce warmth, so she had to stay in the apartment. She still didn't have a handle on casting remote spells or letting them absorb latent energy and magic instead. Already, she was feeling tired.

Long term spells

Remote activation

Modifying spells to be powered by latent magic

Her list of things to practice was getting a bit long, even if she did spend quite a while training. Well... the best way to find out exactly what she needed was through personal experience, right?

Extending the warming spell to the kitchen, she sat on the chair by the dining table. She'd leave before they woke up tomorrow.

Feeling the steady trickle of her magic, she rested her head on her folded arms, soon closing her eyes.

"Oh gosh! It's her Buck! Wow… It's really her…"

"Shhh, Steve. You'll wake her. Maybe I should bring her to your room? That doesn't look comfortable…"

…

"My room's freezing. It's weird, only the living room and the kitchen are warm. I think the heat went out."

"How can it be warm then? Think she did it?"

Renny felt herself being lifted into the air but felt too tired and lazy to open her eyes. The new position was much more comfortable and she snuggled into her pillow.

"Oh, okay… wow… the dame's really warm."

"Like a fever?" The voice sounded concerned.

"No, she looks fine. She's just… really warm." The hold on her shifted slightly and she snuggled further into her pillow. "Ow! Hey!"

"Bucky!"

Renny's eyes fluttered, and when she stretched and huffed, her feet were slowly and gently set on the ground. When her eyes finally opened and her vision cleared from the fog of sleep, she was met with the sight of the two young men she had been watching for the past year. They both stood with their hands up. Steve almost looked as scared as he was cautious, like a deer caught in headlights. Meanwhile, Bucky tried his best to look at ease and assuring, a hesitant smile on his face. She tilted her head as she looked at them. Her mind was a bit slow this morning.

"Uhmmm…" Steve was at a loss for words.

Bucky said the first thing that came to mind. "Uh… Morning, Sunshine?"

Suddenly, it occurred to her that they were looking right at her… that they were talking to her… That wasn't exactly part of the plan.

With a small squeak, she stepped back through a portal to the fire escape outside and snapped it shut the moment she was through.

"Wait!"

"Please!"

She heard the two boys scuffle inside.

"You scared her off!"

"I scared her off?!"

"You didn't have to whack me on the dang head!"

"Language!"

Renny immediately had to portal away before she ended up giving away her position with the laugh that was forcing its way out her throat.

"Well, that proved for sure that we're not crazy…"

"Yeah…"

Bucky and Steve agreed as they both lay on the floor of Steve's apartment after their little tussle over their argument.

"Do you think she'll come back?"

"Now that she knows we've really seen her?" Bucky shrugged. "I don't know Steve. But if she's stuck with us this long… maybe. It's nice knowing we have a guardian angel watching our backs."

"Guardian angel, huh? Think that will help me enlist?" Steve smiled at his best friend.

Bucky chuckled, nudging Steve's arm with his elbow. "Let's go to Goldie's gym for a week or two. That'll help you enlist."

---

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