#stark lakehouse

[marvelous-writer]

Sleepless Autumn Nights

Summary: In which Peter can’t sleep while he’s staying at the Stark cabin but he isn’t the only one.

Whumptober Day 9: Tossing and Turning & Day 10: Alt. #15: Tears

@whumptober @whumptober-archive

Rating: G

Word Count: 3,168

Genre: whump, hurt/comfort, fluff, humor

Link to read on AO3

It’s close to four-thirty as Peter finds himself lying in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling in his room at the cabin. He’s been lying awake in bed since eleven-thirty once he came upstairs after watching a movie in the living room with Tony and Pepper after she put Morgan to bed.

That was five and a half hours ago.

Five and a half hours of him blinking up at the dark ceiling, his exhaustion weighing him down but his brain not allowing him to sleep.

And this isn’t the first night he’s experienced this.

He’s been having a difficult time going to bed for weeks now, getting a mere couple hours here and there every night but it’s been getting progressively worse these past few days, resulting in him getting an hour or two at night or even in the day like yesterday when he fell asleep on the couch playing a board game with Morgan.

Peter lets out a sigh as he rolls over on his side, facing the window in his room. He can see the moonlight reflecting on the tips of the pine trees outside since he’d forgotten to draw the curtains, he was so tired earlier.

He still is.

His body is crying for him to just pass out but he can’t stop his thoughts from racing. He’s been worrying about the whole college situation, worrying that Ned and MJ are away at college with their new friends and they’ll forget all about him, if MJ has met anyone at college that’s better than him and she wants to date them instead, he’s worrying if he’s making an impact on the city as Spider-Man and if he’s doing enough, if he’s good enough, he’s worrying about keeping his family and friends safe, and he’s worried that he’s just a failure in life and he’ll never amount to anything because he’s just such a mess!

Peter’s thoughts are racing a mile a minute, causing his head to start hurting from it and the growing exhaustion weighing him down.

He lets out another sigh as he closes his eyes, balling his hands into fists where they lay on the mattress underneath the warm covers, escaping the chilly autumn air blowing in through his window he also forgot to shut.

He tries to ignore the tightness building in his chest, the all-too familiar crippling anxiety that threatens to completely take over him.

Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. He repeats in his head.

Peter lays there for a few long minutes, trying to focus on the sound of the lake, hearing the water softly sloshing up against the wooden dock in hopes it will calm his mind and let him doze off.

The sound usually does the trick… but not tonight.

No surprise there.

Peter lets out a frustrated groan as he rips his pillow out from underneath him and shoves it over his head, letting out a loud, muffled groan.

Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to freaking sleep.

He’s so exhausted all he wants to do is just pass out.

The tightness in his chest grows and he swears that he can feel his heartbeat starting to increase. He tightly bunches his comforter in his hands, mindful not to rip it, as he lays there, feeling like he’s on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Something’s wrong with him.

Maybe he’s just going crazy.

“Peter you appear to be in distress and are showing symptoms of a panic attack. Shall I get Mr. Stark for you?” Friday’s voice softly comes through the speakers on the ceiling, casing him to flinch at the suddenness of it.

Tony always knows what to do in situations like this and he’s an expert at helping Peter feel better. But he’s probably sleeping and the last thing Peter is going to do is wake him up, and risk waking Pepper up in the process. He’s not a baby, he can take care of himself. At least that’s what he keeps telling himself.

Peter lets out a sigh as he tosses his pillow away from him to the other side of his bed as he sits up, scrubbing a hand down his face.

“No, I’m good, Friday.” Peter says.

“Are you sure?”

He nods as he throws his comforter off his legs and gets out of bed. “Yeah . Thanks though.”

Peter stands there next to his bed for a few long seconds, debating on what he should do. Maybe he should look up some online colleges like Matt had suggested a few days ago. He glances over at his clock and sees that it’s just about five in the morning.

He lets out another sigh adds rubs his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment before he drops his hand.

Might as well stay up now. He thinks to himself as he grabs his Midtown hoodie from the back of his desk chair and shrugs it on over his t-shirt, feeling a shiver race through him as his feet pad on the cold hardwood floor on his way to his bedroom door. He grabs his laptop from his desk as well.

If he’s going to stay up and look around at potential college options, he definitely needs some coffee to focus.

It’s dark as he steps in the hallway, now with the moon having moved from where it was half and hour ago. He quietly makes his way towards the stairs and heads down, being mindful to avoid stepping too long on the particularly squeaky steps so he doesn’t wake anyone up.

When Peter reaches the bottom step, he walks over to the kitchen, letting out a yawn as he flips the lights on. He gently places his laptop on the center island countering before he goes over to the Keurig coffee maker and takes out the water reservoir and takes it over to the sink to fill it up with water. When it’s filled, he brings it back and snaps it back into the machine as quietly as he can before grabbing a single serve k-cup and popping it in. He takes out a mug from the cabinet above and puts it under where the coffee will soon drip out from.

Peter leans his hip against the counter, folding his arms over his chest as he lets out a long, silent yawn, just as the coffee maker warms up and starts to make the coffee. He winces at the loudness of the whirring noises it makes as the coffee starts to dribble out and into his mug, praying that it doesn’t wake anyone. He’d hate to be the reason for anyone to lose sleep.

It takes only a few minutes until his mug is full of black coffee and he grabs it, adding a splash of milk to it before he picks it up and takes a sip. A slight cold shiver races through him as he sips at the warm drink, heading back to the counter to retrieve his laptop so he can bring it in the living room. Peter places his mug down on the end table next to the couch and flips the lamp on, illuminating the room in a soft, golden glow before he plops down on the comfy chaise section of the couch.

He crosses his legs together and places his laptop on his lap before opening it and turning it on, sipping at his coffee as he waits for it to boot up. When it does, he goes on the internet to Google and searches ‘online colleges in NYC area for both biochemistry and engineering.’

Unfortunately, it seems as though MIT doesn’t offer any online programs but the ones that do are Empire State, Columbia University, Barnard College, NYU,  Hamilton College and SUNY College.

Peter lets out a sigh as he looks at the long list on one website, deciding to take a deeper look into NYU and Columbia’s online program from the good reviews and the cost. Thankfully, he got quite a few scholarships when he graduated from Midtown, so that will definitely help with getting in to one of these schools if he chooses to go.

And it’s not that he doesn’t want to go to college… it’s just that his life is so crazy and he’s such a mess he just hasn’t decided what exactly he wants to do with his life.

He’ll figure it out, one way or another.

He has to.

Peter winds up getting lost online, writing a few notes down in his notes on his laptop on the online bachelor degree program at NYU for biochemistry and engineering. He could always major in one and minor in the other, but that’s going to be a lot of work he’ll have to do. But he would have more career options, so that could open a lot of doors for him. He rubs at his eyes a few times that are growing increasingly heavy and achy from staring at the bright screen light, no matter how much he dims it. His eyes are always more sensitive when he’s tired, especially with his powers and heightened senses.

He’s so invested in reading an online article on one of the programs, he doesn’t hear the squeaky floorboards on the stairs before the main living room light is flipped on, causing him to jump in his seat and look up, only to see Tony standing at the bottom of the stairs in his slippers and bathrobe, looking like he had just woken up.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Tony says with an apologetic smile.

Peter lets out a shaky breath, offering him a small smile. “It’s okay.”

Tony takes a few steps into the living room and stops in front of the coffee table, studying Peter before he eyes Peter’s now empty coffee mug on the nightstand. “How long have you been down here?” He asks.

Peter shrugs as he looks at the time on his laptop screen before he closes his eyes and yawns, stretching his arms up over his head. “An hour or two.”

Tony’s frown deepens into one of concern. “Did you even go to bed?”

Peter drops his arms and looks up at Tony as he walks over and sits down next to him on the couch. “Would you believe me if I said yes?”

“Oh, Pete…” Tony says sympathetically before he lets out a small sigh. “We’ve talked about this plenty of times, kiddo. If you’re having a rough night, you can come to me.”

Peter shrinks back into the couch a little. “I know… I just didn’t want to wake you up.”

“Why?”

Peter shrugs as he picks at a loose piece of lint on the sleeve of his hoodie. “I don’t want you to lose sleep because of me and my stupid problems.”

Tony reaches over and places a hand on his shoulder, giving him a soft, concerted look. “Peter, your problems are my problems and they are not stupid. What’s an hour or two of lost sleep for me when you’re not getting any at all, hmm?”

Peter bites the inside of his cheek as he looks off to the side, unsure of what to say to that.

“Whatcha reading?” Tony asks after a few beats of silence as he looks at Peter’s laptop that has NYU’s engineering degree program up on the screen.

“Uh… just looking into some college options,” Peter says, giving a one shouldered shrug, looking up at him.

“Yeah? What schools are you looking at?” Tony asks as a smile pulls at the corners of his mouth, looking back at Peter. “Are you thinking about going?”

Peter bites the inside of his cheek again, harder. He knows Tony wants him to go to MIT more than anything in the world but Peter doesn’t want to be away from home. He just doesn’t know how to tell him that without breaking his heart.

Matt’s wise words from a few days ago echo in his mind: “As for Tony, knowing how much he loves and cares about you… I think if you told him the truth he would understand. You just have to be honest with him, Peter.”

Peter closes his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath.

Just tell him the truth. Be honest, like Matt said.  He thinks to himself.

“I…” he starts, feeling the tightness in his chest once again as he licks his lips. He opens his eyes and looks at Tony. “I don’t want to go to MIT.” He blurs out before he can convince himself not to say it.

Tony doesn’t react for a few seconds, long enough to worry Peter.

“That’s okay.” Tony simply says, clearly not upset at all by it, taking him completely off guard.

“A-And… you’re… okay with that?” Peter hesitantly asks.

Tony frowns. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” He asks.

“W-Well… I know how much you wanted me to go a-and you and I went on a tour a while back.”

“Of course, I went there but I want you to go where you want to, Pete. This is all about you. You’re the one that’s going, not me. I’ve already done my time.” Tony says with a chuckle.

Peter feels his chest tighten at the mention of going. “A-About that… I… I have been thinking… what if I… tried going online?”

Tony raises his eyes brows as he nods. “Yeah? That could be a good option.”

Peter frowns, blinking in surprise at how okay he’s being with all of this. “You’re… okay with that?”

“Of course I am. I know a lot of people who’s kids are doing online college.” Tony says with a smile.

“Oh…” Peter says as he looks at the screen blankly, starting to feel like a complete idiot for making such a big deal out of this and not talking it over with him sooner.

“I’ve wanted to talk to you for awhile about college… but I know how hard things have been for you lately, Pete,” Tony says, leaning his head down to the side to meet his eyes. “I haven’t wanted to push you making any decisions and I’m still not. I think you taking a gap year is a great thing. You need a break, Pete. And whatever school and whatever form of attendance you decide on, you have my full support.”

Peter just looks at him for a few seconds, letting his words sink in.

The next unexpected thing happens.

A lump forms in his throat as tears immediately spring to Peter’s eyes.

Tony must notice because his brows pull together in concern. “Awe, Pete, is that why you’ve avoided talking about college whenever I mention it to you?”

Peter blinks, feeling warm tears slide down his cheeks. He wipes them away with his hoodie sleeves as he nods. “I-I know how much you wanted me to go to MIT a-and how important that is t-to you. But h-honestly… I don’t want to go away to college and dorm. I want to stay h-here, with you a-and everyone. I’ve just… I’ve lost s-so much… s-so much time with you, Morgan a-and I’ve been going and going for so many years, e-especially after the blip.”

Tony’s face falls as he leans forward and takes Peter’s laptop off his lap and puts it on the coffee table before wrapping his arms around Peter in a tight, warm hug. “Awe, Pete… why haven’t you told me all this?”

Peter wetly sniffs. “I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“Pete, there’s nothing you could ever do that would disappoint me. I’m so damn proud of you—and I can speak for May too. We all love and care about you so much and if you want to stay here and do college online, then I’m going to do everything I can to help you and make it happen. Whatever you need, kiddo you’ve got it. Okay?”

Peter nods against Tony’s shoulder, weakly smiling at that as warmth blossoms inside of him. “Okay.”

They remain like that for a few long moments until Tony pulls away. “Is that why you haven’t been sleeping?”

Peter frowns. “How do you know about that?”

“Pete, I’m a dad and you’re my kid. I know these things.” Tony says, giving him a knowing look with a warm smile.

Peter shrugs. “I guess it has a lot to do with it but… there’s just so much going on in my head, I can’t… turn it off, you know?”

Tony nods. “It sounds like you’re dealing with some insomnia. I have a fix for it after years of experience under my belt but coffee isn’t it.” He says, gesturing to Peter’s empty mug on the coffee table.

Peter sheepishly smiles at that. “Well… I did need it for some research?”

“Uh huh,” Tony says as he gets up from the couch. “Come on. It’s six fifteen and you need to get some sleep.”

“But I-”

Tony raises an eyebrow and gives him his famous Dad look.

Peter lets out a sigh, his shoulders dropping. “Okay...” he says as he stands up, his whole body feeling weighed down and achy with exhaustion.

He follows behind Tony as they head upstairs, blinking as he clears his vision when it blurs out slightly on him. He thankfully makes it up the stairs without any trouble, despite how heavy his legs feel, following Tony down the hallway to his room.

When they step inside, Tony goes over to the window and shuts it, as well as drawing the curtains. Peter gets into bed without even taking his sweatshirt off, shivering at the feeling of his cold bedsheets. He feels the bed dip next to him and he turns his head as Tony settles down next to him.

“All comfy?” Tony asks him.

“Mmm, not yet…” Peter says as he wiggles closer to Tony until he’s at his side, resting his head on his shoulder. “…now I am.”

Tony chuckles at that, the sound rumbling in his chest against Peter’s ear as he pulls the comforter up over Peter’s shoulder. “Close your eyes and don’t try to force yourself into falling asleep. Just try to let it happen.” He says.

Peter closes his eyes, listening to the sound of Tony’s heartbeat against his ear and inhaling the familiar and comforting smell of him, feeling a wave of calmness washing over him.

They stay like that for a long while, and Peter feels himself actually start to drift off. He can faintly hear Pepper downstairs in the kitchen, starting her day but it’s soon drowned out as another powerful wave of tiredness washes over him, pulling him in deeper.

He feels Tony’s warm hand start to card through his hair and Peter lets out a long, content breath at the soothing sensation.

“Sleep tight, kiddo.” He hears Tony softly whisper to him before falling asleep.

#whumptober2022 #no.9 #tossing and turning #no. 10 #alt. 15 #tears #whump #spider-man #peter parker #Tony stark #Iron Man #stark lakehouse #Peter Parker whump #hurt/comfort #emotional hurt #irondad #spiderson #Emotional Hurt/Comfort #angst with happy ending #marvel #mcu #spider-man no way home #myfic

[mostly-marvel-musings]

Typical Stark - Epilogue

A/N: Now we can say goodbye to this series. This was such a treat to write. I’ll miss this series! Leave a comment, like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

Pairing: Tony Stark x Fem! Reader

Warnings: Death by domestic fluff.

Word count: Just a bit over 1k.

Typical Stark Masterlist

.

“Tony, not like that!”

“You know, one of these days you’re gonna have to start trusting your husband, Y/N.” Tony sighed, watching you hunch over to redo all of his work in your garden.

“Oh yeah? Say that to my peonies you killed last week.” you huffed, brushing hair out your way before staring pointedly at him, quieting any further arguments.

It was a sunny day at the lakehouse. Your house that Tony surprised you with right after you came back from your honeymoon.

It was away from the city, still close enough to commute to the Avengers compound. Surrounded by nature and all the calm and quiet you didn’t know you needed. A throwaway detail you never realized your husband picked up on. You’d mentioned to him once how it had been a dream of yours to have a house by a lake, a big garden where you could grow your favorite flowers and vegetables.

The man never ceased to surprise you.

“Mama!”

You heard your five year old cry before her tiny but urgent footsteps caught up to you two, her brown hair billowing in the breeze as held up a glass for you.

“We made you lemonade.” she explained with a proud grin, making you smile adoringly.

“Did you now? Thank you, my love.” You’d been wanting a drink to cool down anyway, stomach grumbling a little with hunger as you stood up. The sudden movement made your head spin a little as you stumbled, reaching out to hold Tony’s arm.

“Whoa. You okay, hon?” he rubbed your back, eyes full of worry.

“Yeah. Just a head rush. I’m fine.”

You took a big gulp of the drink, feeling better already before picking up your daughter and settling her on your hip, giving her a big kiss. You settled her on your lap as you sat on a wooden bench in your garden.

“Is it good, mama?” her big brown eyes that she’d inherited from her father bore into yours as she waited for an answer, giving you her biggest grins when you told her you loved it.

“Where’s my drink, little miss?” Tony asked as he gave Morgan a little tickle, causing her to squirm and giggle in your arms.

“You made the pretty pink flowers wither and die, Dada. No lemonade for you.”

You had to stifle a laugh watching Tony pull a face at his daughter. It was a delight watching the two of them interact. In more ways than one, Morgan had taken after Tony, but more often than not, you saw glimpses of yourself in her too.

“Wither and die? Why are you growing up so fast?” Tony shook his head at the both of you in faux exasperation.

Hearing Peter call her inside, she wiggled out of your grasp and ran back inside, leaving the two of you alone. Sighing, you put your feet up on the bench, leaning back and closing your eyes, letting out a groan as Tony gave you a quick foot massage. Baby Stark number two was still a long way but you were already exhausted.

“Ugh, my feet are killing me today.”

Back in the house, you could see Peter Parker and Morgan scuttling around in the kitchen, your daughter waving at you both from the window, making you chuckle.

“Seems only yesterday we brought that tiny little bundle home huh?”

You hummed in agreement, both of you recalling the day your daughter was born. It had been the longest fourteen hours of your life.

.

“I swear to God I am never having sex with you, Tony Stark.” you glared at the man who was quite frankly terrified of you in the moment, watching you pace about the hospital room, wildly uncomfortable and irritated with everything.

“Let’s not make promises we can’t keep, honey.” he did his best to calm you, rubbing your back gently as you stood gripping the back of a chair. Your contractions had been coming along steadily, each one worse than the last. The doctors had informed you hadn’t dilated the required amount yet, so there was still time for the baby to come.

This one was bad though, you felt like your stomach was being wound tight with hot iron bands, the pain came in waves, draining you of your energy. The nurse placed her hand on your belly, letting you know it was time before carrying you out to the delivery room in a wheelchair; while a panicked but excited Tony followed you right out.

“You’re doing so great, sweetheart. Keep pushing.” Tony winced in pain at your grip on his hand, kissing your sweaty, matted hair while you screamed in agony.

“I hate you, Anthony Edward Stark! You better run for your life when this baby comes out.” you gritted your teeth, tears rolling down your cheeks as you panted, resting back just for a moment before it was time to push again.

The doctors and him shared a sympathetic look, he was sure they’d heard it all and probably worse.

“I love you too, Y/N. Come on, time to meet our little girl now, yeah? Push.” he wiped your sweat away, encouraging you every step of the way, chuckling at the angry threats you threw at him.

One final push and she was out, you fell back against the chair in exhaustion, eyes closed before you felt a soft and warm tiny body placed on your chest, who was wailing angrily.

She had a mop of dark brown hair, red face contorted, tiny hands balled up in fists. The most beautiful baby girl. Your baby girl.

Wrapping her up in a little bundle, the nurses handed her to Tony, who looked down at her part in awe and part in disbelief, his eyes brimming with tears looking at his child opening her eyes that perfectly matched his for the first time.

A moment he’d never forget.

“Welcome to the world, baby Y/L/N Stark.” he whispered, bringing her over to you as more tears streamed down your face.

“We made her, Tony.” it felt like you could gaze at her forever, every little wiggle, every face twitch of hers left you awed.

“We did. I think it’s safe to say she’ll be getting her looks from her father.”

Typical Stark.

#tony stark x reader #tony stark fanfiction #tony stark imagine #tony stark fluff #tony stark x y/n #tony stark x you #tony stark fic #typical stark #tony stark #marvel fanfiction #the stark squad #mostly marvel musings

[stark---contrast]

Take a Chance on Me

@stevetonygames team Future | Total blackout (24 prompts) | MCU (Endgame fix-it) | 4.2k words | Rated T | Tw: internalized ableism

After wielding the Infinity Stones, time seemed to move differently for Tony.

Maybe it was because of the snap that nearly killed him. Maybe it was a residue of time warping to different decades. Maybe it was elation due to the fact that they'd actually succeeded.

Or maybe Tony was just getting old.

The world was safe again and he could finally rest. And so time ticked away, seasons came and went, and before Tony knew it, Morgan was already seven and three years had passed in what felt only like months.

During that time, Pepper had moved back to the city: first merely for weekdays and then one day permanently. At least the divorce was a smooth, relatively painless process—not that Tony had expected anything else where Pepper was concerned.

Tony had debated on leaving the lakehouse but found he couldn't. Morgan deserved to keep her childhood home during the weeks that she was his, and Tony liked being near the rebuilt Avengers compound. The occasional winged figure soaring in the skies or the muted explosions of a new superhero generation being trained were tangible proof that he'd actually made a difference.

It was a somewhat solitary life. Even with Morgan, the bots and the damn alpaca scurrying about, Tony's social circle had been drastically reduced in the last decade. Conferences and extravagant parties had given way for a workshop in the garage and falling asleep to cartoons at 8 PM. Tony didn't even have to wear a disguise in public anymore: he'd simply fallen out of the general population's perception. 

It was a blessing and a curse. On one hand, Morgan wouldn't have to grow up in Tony's shadow like he had in Howard's. In fact, most of Morgan's classmates were much more awestruck over Pepper, the renowned CEO of Stark Industries, than Morgan's dad with the weird arm who picked her up from soccer practice and sometimes built robots.

On the other hand, Tony was alone a lot of the time. And after years of first living with the Avengers and then with his wife and child, he didn't do so well with loneliness anymore.

Sometimes when it got particularly bad, he'd put on the armor's helmet and play a 360 degree recording of the latest Avengers meeting at the Compound and, yes, he knew full well how sad that was. Tony had retired of his own free will and had a new family now, a daughter who required his full attention and who he loved more than anything else in the world.

But if Tony's eyes still started misting inside the helmet whenever he saw Natasha's empty chair in the meetings, that was nobody's business but his own.

Still, it wasn't like the house was empty even on the weeks Morgan was with Pepper. Rhodey visited almost every weekend, marathoning LotR with Morgan or having beers with Tony on the porch, reminiscing about the good old days like the two old geezers that they were. Happy didn't come by as often now that he no longer had to drive Tony places, but when he did, he usually brought very welcome cheeseburgers and wholly unwelcome dating advice with him.

"You know, Pepper works fifty hours a week and still has time to date," Happy said.

"Well, anyone would fall for Pepper," Tony said around a bite of beef patty and cheddar cheese. "She just has to show up on a date and say one sentence and bam, boyfriend acquired. Not very time-consuming."

"At least she's putting herself out there," Happy insisted. "But if you want to keep being a hermit, there are a bunch of apps—"

"Yeah, because surely I'd be a hit on those," Tony huffed. "Not so much genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist these days; more like single dad, amputee in chronic pain, lost half of my assets in the divorce and spent the remainder rebuilding the Compound. What a catch!"

"The right person won't care about any of that," Happy said. "You just have to take the plunge. Don't you wish you had someone to share your life with?"

"I have Morgan," Tony simply replied, though that wasn't the entire truth.

Because there was also Steve.

Steve was the reason Tony had only lost an arm instead of his life, leaping across what felt like half of the battlefield and flinging himself at Tony to share the burden of the stones. Realistically, probably most of the burden; they knew from the Guardians that even just one stone could give five enhanced individuals a nasty zap when using its power. And nanotech armor or not, Tony was only a baseline human.

After Thanos' army faded away, Steve was the last thing Tony saw before he passed out and the first thing he saw when he woke up. Tony had stared at Steve's dumbstruck face hovering near the hospital bed, rasped "Please tell me nobody kissed me," and Steve had laughed. Just like back in New York.

Except this time, Steve didn't go on a fuck-you-all roadtrip after and leave Tony to deal with the collateral (and emotional) damage. Instead, he'd decided he was personally responsible for the upkeep of Tony and Pepper's lakehouse, and also picking up Morgan from kindergarten when Pepper was busy and going grocery shopping as long as Tony couldn't drive and feeding Gerald the moody alpaca that had already kicked him in the shin—twice. Steve would show up every few days and Tony would pretend to be annoyed even as Morgan squealed and ran out into the driveway to greet him. Clearly, Steve was bored after passing on the shield to Sam, and helping Tony "Designated Charity Case" Stark was either his way of feeling useful or apologizing to Pepper for crippling her husband.

Probably both.

To his credit, Tony did try to fight Steve on it the first few months, but he really should have learned by then that there was no out-stubborning Steve Rogers when it came to doing the right thing. Tony had fully expected Steve's wellness checks to stop as soon as he received his prosthetic arm and finished his physical therapy, but that was almost two years ago and Tony still had leftovers in the fridge from when Steve cooked dinner for him and Morgan last weekend.

If anything, Steve's visits had only become more frequent over the years, which had made some sense after the divorce, but not so much now that Tony had almost full mobility of his arm back. Still, Steve was a big help and Morgan obviously loved him, so Tony had grown kind of fond of their weird little routine and wasn't about to ruin it by demanding Steve's motivations.

Of course, other people weren't as willing to ignore the subject.

"So… you and Steve," Bruce said when he was visiting for his semi-regular science talks with Tony—which more often than not ended in tea and Avengers gossip and raiding Morgan's cookie stash. The Hulk's personality might lie dormant, but his appetite did not.

"There is no me and Steve," Tony huffed. "There's just Steve and Steve's guilt complex. He likes collecting sad people missing an arm; it's kind of his thing, if you hadn't noticed."

"Uh-huh," Bruce said.

"I'm telling you, that guy sees someone with a prosthetic and immediately whips out the adoption papers," Tony kept going. "But hey, if he wants to waste his life mowing my lawn and washing my dishes, I'm not about to complain. Having your personal supersoldier is a lot cheaper than paying for a gardener or cleaning service—and much more efficient when it comes to chopping firewood, too."

"Right," Bruce said. "So who are the flowers from, Tony?"

Tony kept his face carefully neutral and resisted the urge to glance at the bouquet he knew was sitting in a vase on the coffee table. Steve had brought the flowers a week ago and they were starting to wilt, but Tony kept "forgetting" to throw them away.

"Morgan likes flowers," Tony said in explanation.

"I doubt Steve would bring your kid flowers that mean 'Please give me a chance'," Bruce said, because of course he happened to be fluent in flower language. "Have you ever considered he might be sticking around for some other reason than guilt?"

"Jesus, Bruce, let the man bring some platonic flowers!" Tony exclaimed. "You know you're perpetuating toxic masculinity, right? I'll file a complaint to Avengers HR and sic Carol on you."

Bruce rolled his eyes so hard Tony thought he saw a flash of green in them. At least the Hulk would have laughed at the absurd notion of Steve trying to court Tony.

"Anyway, as I was saying about the particle collider…" Tony started, then went quiet as he heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle pulling up in the driveway.

"Oh look, Steve's home," Bruce deadpanned.

"Ha ha, very funny," Tony said. He checked the calendar on the fridge only to confirm what he already knew; it was indeed Tuesday, and Steve wasn't supposed to come by until Friday to help Tony unload the hay bales he'd ordered for his ungrateful alpaca. "He probably just broke his phone or something and wants me to fix it. Sit tight, I'll be right back."

Tony didn't wait for Bruce's reply before walking out on the porch. Steve was already getting off his bike, but rather than the dirt-stained jeans or a sinfully tight t-shirt Tony was used to seeing him in while he did his handiwork around the property, Steve was dressed in a leather jacket and had even styled his hair.

Oh, and on top of looking unfairly good he was also carrying a bouquet of red tulips.

"Tony!" Steve's face lit up and he practically jogged up to meet Tony. "How was your day?"

Tony blinked. "It's Tuesday."

"Yeah, uh…" Steve's smile turned sheepish. "I just thought I'd swing by to see if you wanted to grab dinner together? Oh, and I drove past a florist on the way—here, these are…I mean, you can have them. If you want."

Steve shoved the flowers at Tony and he grabbed them more out of reflex than anything else.

"...Thanks?" Tony said, regarding Steve skeptically. "I'll have to say no on the dinner, though."

"Oh," Steve said, his face falling like Tony had kicked a puppy instead of declining to eat with him.

"I have a week's worth of leftovers to get through because you made enough to feed a small army. Remember?"

Steve frowned. "You didn't throw them away?"

"Well, somebody who grew up during the great depression has taught me not to waste food." Tony smirked. "But hey, you guys have a good time."

"...What?"

"Oh come on, you're clearly dressed up," Tony said, gesturing to all of Steve. "It's obviously some kind of group outing that you wanted to invite the resident hermit to. No need to keep up the act."

Steve was quiet for a beat—probably embarrassed Tony had seen through his white lies—before he seemed to deflate.

"Yeah," Steve said. "Sorry. It was a dumb idea. Have a good night, Ton—Bruce!?"

Tony heard the doorframe creak as Bruce squeezed himself through it.

"Hiya, Steve!" Bruce chirped way too cheerfully. "Funny seeing you here."

Tony glared at Bruce. Bruce resolutely ignored it.

"Yeah, you too," Steve said and, geez, he even pulled out the fake Captain America smile. "Sorry for intruding, I didn't see your car. Weren't you two supposed to be meeting next week?"

"Oh, yeah, Tony just rescheduled a few days ago," Bruce said, the traitor. Thankfully, he didn't know that the reason for Tony's urgent change of plans was because the five days without both Morgan and Steve would have been miserable otherwise.

"And it's no biggie, I was just leaving anyway—Jen's picking me up from the main road," Bruce had the audacity to lie, because Tony was supposed to drop him off later in the evening. "There's a few cups of coffee left in the machine if you want it."

"Actually, I was just…" Steve nodded awkwardly at his bike.

"Yes, see, he's leaving," Tony said. "You both were, but somehow you're still right here—"

"Oh, speaking of Jen," Bruce interrupted, "she keeps bugging me for your number," Bruce told Steve, then grimaced. "In…not so child-friendly terms."

Tony bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from commenting on that delightful bit of information. He'd only met Jennifer once, but she was an absolutely stunning woman, not to mention could match even Steve's strength. If Steve took her up on that offer, they'd make one hell of a couple. She'd be lucky—Steve would be lucky to be with her, of course.

"Sorry." Steve gave a little half-smile. "Not interested in some one-time thing."

"Yeah, I thought so," Bruce said, then looked at the bouquet Tony was now clutching a little too forcefully. "Nice flowers, by the way. Red for undying love, right?"

"Oh, here we go again," Tony groaned.

"Uh," Steve said, his face steadily approaching the color of the flowers. "I just thought they…looked nice."

"I'm sure," Bruce said. "I assume they were out of flowers that said 'Tony, you idiot, there is no group outing, I was asking you out on a date'?"

"Oh my god, Bruce, get in the damn car and I'll drive you—wait, what?" Tony said, the words only now registering.

"Have fun!" Bruce said and—Tony could only describe it as fled—the scene.

And so Tony stood there on his porch like an idiot, with the offending tulips in his hand and a dolled-up, fidgeting and completely silent Steve in front of him.

"That's the last time I let Bruce into the cookie stash," Tony finally said.

That seemed to snap Steve out of his stupor. "Yeah, I…didn't expect that. At least not from Bruce."

"Sorry about him," Tony said. He held out the bouquet. "You should probably take these back, huh? With the 'undying love' and whatnot."

Tony tried for a grin. If he just didn't think about Bruce's words, he might survive this conversation with his dignity intact. Steve would laugh and sheepishly take the flowers and leave, and Tony could back inside and casually scream into a pillow. As you do.

But because Tony's life was never easy, Steve didn't accept the flowers. He just stared at them, then at Tony, then flushed all the way up to his ears and cleared his throat.

"No," Steve said, stubbornly keeping eye contact even though he was clearly dying inside. "No, I don't think I will."

"O-kaaay," Tony drawled, slowly withdrawing the bouquet. What the hell was up with Steve today?

"Unless…unless you're actually rejecting me," Steve soldiered on through his visible discomfort. "And I've been too dense to notice it all this time."

Tony opened his mouth to ask if Steve was having a stroke and promptly closed it. There was clearly something going on here that went deeper than Tony saying no to getting pizza or whatever with Steve, but like so many times before, they were just talking past each other.

"Steve," Tony said levelly. "Why are you really here?"

Steve stood up a little straighter even though he was still ugly blushing.

"Because I thought you were free and wanted to take you out to dinner," Steve said.

Tony squinted at him. "And you…dressed up and brought flowers—"

"Clearly should've picked the 'I'm asking you out on a date, you goddamn idiot' flowers instead," Steve huffed.

Tony blinked. He stared. He tried to process the earth-shattering discovery that Steve actually wanted to court him.

It didn't make sense. Tony had questions. He also still wanted to scream into that pillow. There was so much to talk about.

Of course, what came out of Tony's mouth was, "Language, Cap."

Steve's face did something funny at that: like his body couldn't decide whether to laugh or cringe. Smooth, Tony.

Eventually, Steve did burst out laughing, though it had a hysteric edge to it. Tony could relate wholeheartedly.

Tony cleared his throat and Steve stopped laughing. "What I meant was: hi, my name is Tony Stark, single dad missing an arm and owning the world's rudest alpaca," Tony rambled. "And you're Steve Rogers, literal human perfection, standing on my porch and expecting me to believe that you being here is anything more than pity."

"What?" Steve said. "C'mon, Tony, you can't really believe that. It's been over three years." Tony shrugged, and Steve's eyes went wide. "You mean…all this time you thought—"

"Yes? No? In my defense, I tried not to think about it at all, because I liked having you around and the idea of being your good deed of the day kinda put a damper on that."

"How…" Steve said, then shook his head. "Doesn't matter. You're wrong. I started helping you because you're my friend, and then I stuck around because…well, I liked being here."

"And now you want to go on a date. With me. Romantically," Tony clarified.

Steve nodded. "Yes."

"Why?" Tony asked.

"Why do people usually go on dates?" Steve shrugged. "I wanna be with you, and I really think we could be good together."

"But you're…this," Tony, again, gestured to all of Steve. "And I'm…" He glanced down at his workshop tee and grease-stained sweatpants; a far cry from the suits and booty jeans he'd worn in his prime. "Well, I definitely put the 'dad' in 'dad bod'."

Steve just kept looking at him. "And?"

"And you don't want someone like me!" Tony exclaimed. "I'm irresponsible and frankly terrible at relationships, always have been, and I miss being Iron Man and don't know what to do with myself the weeks Morgan's at Pep's." Steve didn't seem phased, so Tony took a shallow breath and quickly continued, "Sometimes I spy on Avengers meetings and cry, and my shoulder still hurts from the stones and the burn scars look hideous and I have nightmares from the wormhole and—and, oh, okay, we're kissing now—"

Steve, apparently done with Tony's pity party, took the liberty of cupping Tony's cheek and leaning in to kiss him. Which, all things considered, was probably the most effective way he'd ever managed to shut Tony up.

Tony's brain was too fried for him to do much more than stand there and let himself be kissed. To be fair, this was the most action he'd gotten in almost three years and he'd never realized how much he'd missed it. The kiss was little more than a soft press of their lips but the simple intimacy of it was enough to flood Tony's body with happy chemicals.

Eventually, he did manage to kiss back, but Steve still pulled away much too soon.

"Are you done?" Steve asked, and it really was quite persuasive when murmured against Tony's lips.

"...With the self-loathing or the kissing?" Tony asked. "Because I was kinda just getting started with the latter."

Steve chuckled and pressed their lips together again and, okay, wow, it really was that easy.

They were both much more confident this time. Steve kissed with meaning, Tony pulled him closer by his stupidly sexy leather jacket, Steve rubbed his thumb over Tony's five o' clock shadow and Tony tilted his head to make the slide of their lips easier. He might not have kissed anyone in years, but he could totally do this—it was like riding a bike, right? He just had to play it cool.

And then Steve lapped at the seam of his lips, and, really, how was Tony supposed to not clutch his jacket and let out a pathetic moan?

That was apparently the cue for Steve to break the kiss, but luckily he didn't look weirded out by Tony's desperation; in fact, he was blushing again and even panting a little, which was a pretty nice ego boost considering how much it took for Steve to get winded.

"Sorry, I, uh." Steve cleared his throat and took a step back and Tony bravely resisted his body's urge to scream no, no, no, come back! "I got a little too into that," Steve said.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Did it look like I was complaining?"

"Well, I still have some things I need to make clear," Steve said.

Oh, boy. Tony straightened his back and steeled himself for the good ol' "Tony, you're so great—except for those five hundred flaws of yours that mean we'll never work out" spiel.

Steve took a deep breath and started, "You're the bravest, most heroic man I've ever met and I'm sorry it took me over ten years to realize that."

Tony blinked. That was a weird start to friendzone someone.

"You have a brilliant mind but more than that, you have a big heart," Steve said. "You care so much about everyone around you, even if they hurt you—" 

Steve winced and Tony felt the phantom sensation of Siberian snow on his face and something heavy pressing down on the suit's arc reactor.

"When I came here three years ago, I expected you to scream in my face, and I wouldn't have blamed you," Steve said. "Instead, you helped me. You trusted me. You forgave me. And then you saved the world—again." Steve smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners; Tony had never noticed the wrinkles before. "And after, you let me be a part of your new life. You let me be a part of Morgan's. And, god, Tony the way you are with her… How could I not fall in love with you?"

Okay, well, that was just unfair. Tony had been just about ready to accept that Steve wasn't about to dump him before they'd even gotten started, but now he had to process the fact that Steve apparently loved him too. Despite all of the bright red, painfully obvious warning signs.

Maybe Happy was right. Maybe the right person wouldn't care.

"I can't even describe how much the last three years have meant to me. How much you mean to me," Steve said, his pretty blue eyes staring deep into Tony's. "And if you'll have me, I promise I'll do my damndest to make you happy."

Tony still wasn't quite sure if this was real. Maybe he was dreaming or Bruce's tea had a little extra something.

But hallucination or not, there was no reality where he'd ever be able to resist Steve Rogers spilling his heart and asking to date Tony.

"Okay," Tony said.

Steve blinked, then gave him a hesitant smile. "Really?"

"Well, my kid already loves you, and that's like 90% of my dating criteria these days," Tony said. "I also might have been planning on exploding the workshop roof on purpose so I could get you to come back before Friday, because not having you around freaks me out and five days is way too long."

Steve's smile widened and he stepped closer again. "I know the feeling. I barely managed two before I needed to see you."

Tony's heart did funny things at that and since Steve was already right there, Tony figured he might as well steal another kiss.

Steve made a happy little sigh when their lips met and Tony felt like an absolute idiot for not pulling on this thread sooner. There had just been too much at stake, with their rocky history and Tony's injuries and the divorce and Morgan—

Shit. What if Steve didn't understand how important Morgan was in all this?

"Full disclosure," Tony said, pulling away. "Morgan still has complete veto rights. She says no, this ends right away."

Rather than nod grimly like Tony expected, Steve smiled sheepishly. "Well, actually…I don't think Morgan's opinion will be a problem."

Tony stared. "Please say you didn't tell my kid you wanna bang me."

Steve took a moment to look at Tony like he was an idiot. "Your child," Steve started, "was the one who came up to me two weeks ago and said 'Daddy still doesn't know you love him. You should bring him flowers'."

Some kind of noise escaped Tony's throat; a quiet wheeze in the spirit of Holy shit my seven-year-old daughter tried to set me up with Captain America.

Steve chuckled. "Yeah, that was my reaction too."

"Why…what…how?" Tony managed.

"I've heard from multiple sources that I'm not as subtle with my feelings as I think I am," Steve said, then got a mischievous glint in his eye and added, "and Morgan's always been smarter than her old man, anyway."

Tony barked out a surprised laugh at the unexpected sass.

"Oh, really?" Tony said around a grin. "That's how it's gonna be with you, huh?"

Steve smirked. "Maybe."

"I can already tell you're going to be a menace," Tony teased. "You're lucky you're cute."

"I thought I was 'human perfection'."

Tony snorted a surprised—and extremely unattractive—laugh. Steve merely grinned, and, god, when was the last time anyone but Morgan had made Tony laugh like this?

"Well, mister Human Perfection," Tony said, brushing his hand against Steve's. "Still wanna have dinner with me? I've got cold coffee and leftover casserole."

Steve smiled and laced his fingers with Tony's. "Sounds like a plan."

That was when Steve pulled him close and kissed him again, and Tony decided he could definitely get used to this.

#stony #tony stark #steve rogers #starkfic #mcu #stevetony games 2023

[harlskeener]

in their universe, harley stands alone at tony’s funeral. after ten years of having known each other, harley has to stand there. staring blankly hollowly ahead. shuffling uncomfortable in an ill-fitted suit. around a majority of people he has never met before as he mourns a mentor, a friend, a mechanic. 

he has to stand there while people talk about tony stark — this larger than life man who has left behind a larger than life shadow cast on all of their lives, a footprint on all of their hearts — as he only ever thinks about tony the mechanic.

the man who crash - landed in his garage after everyone in the world thought he had died. the man who gave him a way to defend himself against bullies. the man who praised a throwaway idea he had on what the iron man suit could have even if he likely already thought it. the man who let him oversee and aid in the recovery of jarvis despite only being eleven. the man who took out the one thing keeping him alive just to try and save a kid he never met as harley had to scramble to put it back. the man who gave his garage an equipment makeover as a thank you. the man who would stay in his life and check up on him. the man who did more than his own father figure ever could.

in their universe, harley has to go back home and reconcile with the knowledge that the world got everyone back but the people standing in pained agonised silence at the stark lakehouse didn’t. 

but in another universe, tony gets to do more. 

he gets to be a constant in harley’s life by sending him equipment and checking up on him, but he gets to stay in his life, too. 

in another universe, tony gets to see him grow up from this sarcastic child who might be a little too blunt for his age to a young adult who has finally had the opportunity to flourish away from a home that only ever stifled him. harley can credit tony for inspiring him, for making him want to explore his love for technology and mechanical engineering. harley developed a love for cars, and he chose to come back to work with tony. to return to working by his side in what used to be stark motors. to walk the same hallways where tony’s father tried to make the first flying car. 

harley was enlisted by tony to join the worldwide engineering brigade. he got to attend stark expo in hong kong with doreen. he and doreen got so inspired by the iron wing and decided to create the web slinger vehicles because of it. he is accredited to making the automation system behind the vehicles and works in designing and debugging. he wanted to put heated seats and a potato gun attachment on the web slinger vehicles. 

he made a repulsor blaster in both iron man and rescue colours. he still has dorky potato gun names inspired off of disney puns. he makes a whole assortment of potato - powered and potato - firing weapons including his own stun blaster gauntlet. his locker has a sticker of iron man and stark racing on it with his name spray - painted. it’s been 39 days since the last potato gun incident. he has a spider bot he uses to fight peter during their web battle potluck. his potato guns are all over avengers campus. 

he gets to go to a school where he can learn and grow with people who think the way he does, who have a love of science the way he does. he is listed as one of the avengers’ allies, sorted under iron man’s allies. 

in another universe, he’s the mechanic’s assistant.

#harley keener #tony stark #iron dad #marvel #iron man meta #anyways i'm not pretending to be okay i'm killing myself !!! #marvel theme park universe you will ALWAYS be famous. #can't believe mtpu had tony adopt harley /real ! #i did this instead of working on my term paper. srry about my demons #ch: harley keener #ch: tony stark

[parkerpenny]

you said forever and ever (who knew?)

Summary: "If someone said 3 years from now, you'd be long gone, I'd stand up and punch them out, 'cause they're all wrong."

Staring out at the still water, Penny felt as if she was being mocked. How could something be so still, so peaceful, when she felt like she was being torn apart from the inside out? Penny has known loss, sections of her life, all land-marked by grief. Standing by the lake, at Tony's funeral, she refuses to face reality. A reality where she came back to life and Tony Stark didn't.

But while Penny grieves her father-figure, Pepper makes sure that Penny knows she hasn't lost a family.

Word Count: 3.4k

Relationships: Penny Parker & Pepper Potts, Penny Parker & Tony Stark, Penny Parker & May Parker, Penny Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Penny Parker & Happy Hogan, Penny Parker & Morgan Stark, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts

Read on AO3

Title from: Who Knew? - P!nk

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Staring out at the still water, Penny felt as if she was being mocked. How could something be so still, so peaceful, when she felt like she was being torn apart from the inside out? She remembered how it felt to turn to dust. Her whole body tried to fight it, tried to stitch itself back together. Tried to prevent the inevitable. It hurt like hell, feeling yourself crumble. Somehow, this hurt worse.

Penny has known loss. Her whole life has been marked by loss after loss. It defines her now. Sections of her life, all land-marked by grief. She isn't sure she would know herself without it. Her parents, her uncle Ben...

Tony.

A hand on her shoulder brings her back to the present. She wishes it hadn't. She wishes she was quite literally anywhere else, anywhere but where she was. The lakehouse... Tony's lakehouse...

Tony's funeral.

She half-expected herself to break down, waiting for clarity to pierce through her veil of blissful ignorance. It didn't. Truthfully, Penny wasn't entirely sure she was even in control of her own body. Maybe it was a trauma response, her brain's way of protecting her from what would likely be her undoing. She knew if she lingered on it for too long, she would have to face reality. A reality where she came back to life and Tony Stark didn't.

She turns her head slowly, glancing at the owner of the hand on her shoulder. Rhodey. The man looked as if he had aged about 15 years. He held a deep pain within his eyes, but the look of resignation on his face was enough to tell Penny that he had been mentally preparing himself for this day years before she ever knew him.

"Hey, kid. I'm glad you came. Tony would've wanted you here." Rhodey looked away for a moment, his eyes shining in the afternoon sunlight. "You meant the world to him, Pen. I hope you know that. He loved you so much."

Penny knew these words were meant to comfort her. She racked her brain, trying to remember how one is usually expected to respond to these types of things. Instead, she just blinks, mumbling a barely audible "thanks." Rhodey looked at the young girl with a sort of sadness, one that Penny couldn't decipher. She realized belatedly that she didn't care.

As Rhodey walked back towards the cabin, Penny took a brief look around at the crowd that had gathered while she was off in la-la land. All her childhood heroes gathered in one place, and she couldn't bring herself to feel anything other than the emptiness that had consumed her since she left the battlefield. All of her heroes, except one. The only one she wanted to see.

Images of that final battle flash in front of her eyes, and the girl doesn't waste her time trying to blink them away. She can't run from them any more than she can run away from the tragedy that seems to cling to her like a plague. The portals, the aliens, the bodies.

Mr. Stark.

She had run to the man, unable to believe that it had really been 5 years like the wizard had said. She barely had time to take in his appearance, but a quick glance at his face proved that time had indeed gone on without her. His hair had taken on more grey than she had seen, as well as a few new wrinkles. None of that mattered to her, not when she hardly had time to get a word in before the man had wrapped her up in a tight embrace.

Tony had hugged her as if his life depended on it, and maybe in some way it had. The way he looked at her as if her very presence was a miracle, as if he thought he would never see her again. He held her close, like a father would his own child, kissing her cheek and cupping the back of her head as if she would fade away from within his arms, telling her how much he loved her.

When she closes her eyes, Penny still sees the look in Tony's eyes. When he had the gauntlet on his hand, the flashes of inconceivable pain, the rage, the fiery determination. She also sees the aftermath. The blank, faraway stare that should never be associated with a man as full of life as Tony Stark. The way she knelt at his side, whispering to him, begging him to be okay, The way his lips tugged up into an almost unnoticeable smile as he heard her voice.

Nothing could drown out the haunting echo of Tony's heartbeat, slowing down steadily until it came to a stop. Penny didn't think she would ever go a day without hearing it.

Footsteps approached her where she stood by the lake. She could tell without looking that it was May. "Pepper is asking for you, honey, They're ready to start the service." May said gently, tucking a strand of Penny's hair behind her ear. Her aunt wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly as she guided the girl towards the cabin where everyone had gathered.

Somewhere in her mind, Penny was screaming, crying, for a father that wasn't even hers. For the man who took care of her, who loved her like she was his own flesh and blood. On the outside, Penny looked like the poster child for indifference. She had run out of tears to cry, resigned to the cold feeling of numbness. She was so far away, she wasn't even sure it was worth her time to try and fight her way back to the present. It was as if she was watching her own life on a TV screen. She had no control. Penny decided to just surrender to it, and let her consciousness drift as it pleased.

She had done this before, she knew the drill. Funerals weren't an uncommon occurrence in the life of Penelope Parker. As she looked around, though, she spotted a small figure, clutching the hem of her mother's dress. Morgan Stark. Tony had had his own daughter in the time Penny had been gone, and Penny couldn't even bring herself to care. She felt for the little girl, who looked alarmingly like her father. The same curious, brown eyes and dark brown hair. She knew what it was like to lose a parent at a young age. She couldn't help but feel responsible. There had to have been something she could have done differently. Something that would have made sure Tony was standing here himself, right now, comforting his daughter.

As Pepper and Morgan walked through the group towards the lake, carrying a wreath with Tony's old arc reactor in the center, Penny felt nauseous. She didn't even get a chance to say a proper goodbye to Tony. Just like her parents. Just like Ben. Maybe it was the Parker Curse. Penny never having the chance to tell her parental figures exactly how much they meant to her before they were cruelly ripped away from her. She realized with a startling clarity that she barely remembered her own parents. Morgan was about the same age as she was when her mother and father died. Would Morgan even remember Tony? Would she remember his face? His voice? His laugh?

Tony deserved a happy ending, more than anyone else standing around. After everything he had been through, everything he had seen, he still managed to put everyone else before himself, while always taking the brunt of everyone else's blame and frustrations. She felt bitter. What right did Captain America have to be upset about Tony's death? Or any of his friends for that matter? Steve almost killed Tony in Siberia. Penny had seen the aftermath of that. She had seen the haunted look in Tony's eyes. The way he never seemed to fully let his guard down around them even after the Rogues were pardoned and moved back into the Tower. She saw how it had affected him, and Steve had the nerve to offer condolences to his grieving widow and daughter? When he could've prevented this from happening?

Penny ignored the burning hatred simmering in her chest, and focused instead on the water. As Pepper and Morgan set the wreath afloat, she didn't bother to watch it. She instead paid attention to the way the water rippled, the smooth, glassy surface of the lake disrupted.

The reflection of the trees began to warp, and Penny couldn't help but relate to that feeling. She felt as if everything was warped, because surely this was all just a bad dream right? She would wake up any minute in her bedroom in the Tower to the smell of Pepper's pancakes, listening to Tony cursing up a storm because she wouldn't let him have his 3rd cup of coffee at the ripe hour of 10am. Penny would smile to herself and make her way into the kitchen, a day with her found family ahead of her. Maybe her and Mr. Stark would work on her Spidergirl suit in the lab. Maybe they would order Thai food for supper. Maybe they would invite May over, and Happy and Rhodey, for a family dinner. Maybe they would end the night as they usually do, watching some sort of movie while Penny curled into Tony's side, drifting off as he combed a gentle hand through her hair.

But this wasn't a dream, and Penny wasn't that naive.

As the crowd of mourners began to disperse, Penny didn't budge. She didn't even react when Happy pulled her into a hug. She didn't move when countless Avengers gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. She did flinch as she heard Pepper's voice from her side.

"Penny, sweetheart, would you like to come inside? There's something I'd like to show you." The woman said in a soft tone, reminding Penny of how gentle the woman would be with her whenever she stayed at the Tower. Pepper became a second mother to her, and she hadn't had the courage to be alone with her for more than a few minutes since her return. Looking around slowly, Penny noticed Morgan's absence. She must've had a curious look on her face, because Pepper assures her that Morgan is with Rhodey, feeding Gerald, who Penny would later learn, to her surprise, is an alpaca.

Penny, unable to formulate a coherent sentence to refuse or get away from the situation, stays silent as Pepper guides her toward the lakehouse. Pepper doesn't say anything as she shields the girl from the other guests gathered in the living room and kitchen, but instead steers her up the stairs and into the hallway. They pass a spare room, a room with a child's drawing on it and a sign that says "Morgan" in what Penny assumes is the little girl's own writing, and a larger door that she assumes is a master bedroom.

They come to a stop in front of a door at the end of the hall, just beyond Tony and Pepper's room. The door is plain, but a small spider symbol next to Penny's name in that same child's writing has her heart hammering in her chest. She turns to Pepper, confusion lacing her expression. Pepper smiles encouragingly, nodding towards the door. "Go ahead, open it." She says quietly.

Penny lifts a shaking hand to the doorknob, turning it slowly. She opens the door, revealing a fully decorated room. A bed sits in the middle, decorated with a dark duvet and several Spidergirl and Iron Man plushies. There is a desk in the corner, a fully stocked bookshelf, posters lining the walls, Lego sets waiting to be built. It looked like it was all ready for someone to move into.

"When we were drawing up the plans for this house, Tony refused to build it unless we built it with enough rooms for the whole family. A room for us, a room for any guests, a room for Morgan, and a room for you." Pepper said, not bothering to cover up the emotion in her voice.

Penny looked at her questioningly, her ears ringing with the implications of what Pepper was saying. "I- What?"

"Well, we couldn't build a house if we didn't have enough rooms for both of our daughters, now could we?" Pepper placed a hand on the girl's back, rubbing circles in a practiced and comforting motion.

All Penny could feel was shock, and fear, and disgust with herself. "Ms. Potts, I- No. I can't- I can't stay here. You can't possibly want me to stay here." She said, her tone weak but bitter, avoiding eye contact with the woman.

"Of course I do, Penny, why wouldn't I? You're family. Tony always thought of you as the daughter he never had. So did I. Then when Morgan came along, the only thing he talked about was how much you would've loved her. Morgan grew up with stories about her sister Penny. You are just as much our daughter as Morgan is." Pepper said as if she was simply stating facts. Facts that Penny refused to let herself wrap her own head around.

The teenager could only think about Morgan having to grow up without her father. Knowing that Penny was the cause of it. Knowing that if Tony had never tried to invent time travel to get her back, Morgan would still have a dad. That thought brings in a new wave of nausea, and Penny isn't sure how much more of this she can take.

"You don't understand! This is all my fault! Morgan is going to grow up without a dad and you've lost your husband and it's all because of me! If I was faster, I could've grabbed the gauntlet from him. I could've been the one to-"

"Penelope May Parker, don't you dare finish that sentence, do you hear me?" Pepper cut her off with a steely edge to her voice, holding the girl in place by her two arms. Penny stared at her wide-eyed, shocked, but reminded of the way Pepper would sound on phone calls when using what Tony had called her "CEO voice."

"Yes, Tony invented time travel because he thought it would give him the chance to get you back. Yes, Tony knew that doing so would possibly cost him his own life. But Penny, you have to know how much he loved you. He would've moved heaven and earth if it meant getting the chance to see you again, to give you the chance to grow up to be the amazing young woman we both know you would be. And he did. He did what he did fully aware of the possible consequences."

"He wanted nothing more than to be here with you. To watch you be a big sister to Morgan, to watch you graduate high school and go off to college and lead a new generation of great minds. He wanted to see you change the world like he knew you would. But if he had to give up the chance to see it for himself, to make sure that you would have the chance to do it in the first place? Well, that was a no-brainer for him." Pepper said firmly as Penny continued to stare at her, tears welling up in her eyes.

The woman sighed before continuing. "Penny, you and Tony are so much alike it scares me. You're both crazy smart, you're both kind souls, but the two of you also have the most outrageous selfless streaks I've ever seen. I won't sit by and watch you drown in guilt and regret over this, and you know Tony wouldn't want that either. So yes, I do expect you to stay here. Whenever you want. You can visit on weekends, school breaks, hell, you can move in tomorrow if you wanted to. But May needs you, too. So I will be as patient as I can and wait for your visits whenever you feel like coming up, okay? Do you understand me, Penny?" Pepper finishes softly, cupping Penny's cheeks and wiping a stray tear from her face.

Penny struggles to form a sentence, so she does the next best thing. She wraps her arms around Pepper, hugging into her tightly and crying in earnest into the woman's black dress. Pepper rubs a soothing hand up and down her back, holding her gently and whispering words of comfort to her. As Penny's tears taper off, Pepper guides the both of them towards Penny's new bed, sitting them down on the foot of the mattress. She brushes Penny's curls away from her face and smiles softly.

"You know, when Morgan was born, we only had a first name picked out for her. Tony and I decided that we would choose a middle name when we saw her." Pepper said as the younger girl remained tucked into her side. Penny smiled softly, the image of Tony and Pepper holding their newborn baby heartwarming. She always knew they would make the best parents, after all, she had spent so much time wishing that they were her parents before she had been dusted.

"What did you guys decide on?" The girl asked. Pepper glanced down at the girl in her arms and smiled. "The minute Morgan opened her eyes, Tony started crying. I thought something was wrong, but he just looked at me and said that her eyes reminded him of yours. He said they were the same chocolate brown. We decided pretty quickly after that what her middle name would be," She paused.

"Morgan Penelope Stark."

Penny sat up so fast she almost fell off the bed, tears immediately springing to her eyes as she looks at Pepper with shock. "You- you guys- you named her after me?" She whispered, voice thick with emotion.

Pepper smiled and nodded. "Yeah, sweetheart, we did. We named her after her beautiful big sister. We told her stories about Spidergirl, and more importantly, the brilliant and kind young lady behind the mask. Her favourite bedtime story was one that Tony would tell her about Spidergirl and Iron Man's adventures in the big city. You can't even imagine how excited she is to meet you. I asked her to give you some space at first, until I had a chance to talk to you."

Penny didn't try to stop her tears from falling this time. She couldn't even explain how she was feeling. Tony and Pepper had truly loved her, they really did think of her as their kid, so much so they named their own daughter after her. They built her a room in their house even though they thought she was dead. They carved out a place in their new lives just for her, knowing that she may never have gotten the chance to even take that place.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a hesitant knock at the door. Happy pokes his head in. "Sorry to interrupt, but Little Miss wanted to say hi." No sooner does he finish his sentence, when a small face peeks through the gap in the door.

Pepper looks at Penny, an unspoken question on her face. Penny understands, and nods. Pepper turns her attention towards the door. "Morgan, you can come in sweetie."

Morgan pushes the door open and toddles in slowly, looking up at Penny. "You're Spidergirl, right? You're my sister?"

Penny glances up at Happy, and back to Pepper, who has tears in her eyes. Penny turns her focus back to the little girl, and nods. "Yeah, I am. I'm Penny. It's nice to meet you. Morgan."

Morgan doesn't take long in jumping into Penny's arms, clinging to her like a koala. Penny wraps her arms around the young girl and a strange warmth fills her entire body. She knows, in that split second, that she loves this little girl. That she would do anything in her power, anything at all, to protect her. She imagines this is how Tony must've felt about her.

"I'm so happy you finally came home, Penny. Mommy and Daddy missed you a lot." Morgan said innocently.

Penny saw Pepper wipe away a tear out of the corner of her eye. If Penny tried hard enough, she could almost see Tony standing in the corner of the room, gazing softly over at his two girls, right where they belong. With each other. She makes a silent vow to Tony, wherever he may be now, that she will keep Morgan safe.

"I'm happy too, Mo. Really happy."

And somehow, she can tell that Tony already knew.

#mcu #marvel #peter parker #spiderman #female peter parker #pepper potts #morgan stark #penny parker #irondad #irondad fic #marvel fic #mcu fic #tony stark #fem! peter parker #marvel fanfic #mcu fanfic #fanfiction #angst #hurt/comfort #whump #marvel fanfiction #spiderman fanfiction #writing #parkerpenny writes

[talesofadragon]

𝐉𝐢𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐏��𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬

Synopsis: Bucky thought he was fine. He was a free man, had established a strong friendship with Sam, and was finally done with his mediocre therapy sessions with Dr. Raynor. But after an unexpected talk with Pepper and a guilt trip down memory lane, he realizes that he’s nowhere near where he wants to be. Having no other alternative to clear his overcrowded mind, Bucky decides to take Pepper’s word for it and seek professional help once more. But instead of wrinkles, thick glasses, and an obnoxious notebook that matches the old woman’s personality, he finds someone that’s nothing like he expected. Someone that might just be the cure to his shattered mind and maimed heart.  

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Therapist!Reader

Warnings: Angst | Fluff 

Word Count: 3.2K

𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 - 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏

···

GIF by falcvns

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 did I get myself into?

Bucky asked himself once more, having foolishly agreed to go through this. It had already been a good ten minutes or so since he sunk into one of Hudson Clinic’s surprisingly comfortable chairs as he impatiently waited for the secretary to call his name. 

The room was overcrowded, people coming in and coming out of the baby blue doors behind the secretary’s desk, but even though there was a lot of activity going on within the beige-colored room, Bucky had not moved an inch. He sat with his back against the chair and his hands clasped in front of him. An exhale left his lips as his mind tugged him back to the moment he found himself agreeing to this nonsense in the first place. 

TWO WEEKS AGO 

“I’m not sure about this,” Bucky whined again, stepping backward, just about ready to be anywhere but here. Sam rolled his eyes, albeit dramatically, adjusting his grip on the casserole in his hands. 

“Bucky,” he said, wincing at the distressed face Bucky pulled. “Look, I get why you’re so worried, but you need to man up and stop stressing out over nothing. It’s just a friendly dinner.”

“With the Starks.”

Sam scoffed. “Yeah, and Clint. And Bruce and Wanda. If Pepper didn’t want you here, she wouldn’t have bothered to extend you an invite. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. So, stop stalling and ring that damned bell already.”

Bucky let out a long exhale, his chest deflating and his eyes closing in the process. His blue eyes gazed at the bell and then at Sam, the man’s insistence reminding him of Steve back in the 1940s. Reluctantly, and after a good minute of planning his escape route, in case things go south, Bucky rang the bell, and the two men were quickly met with the friendly faces of Pepper and Morgan Stark. 

It came as a surprise when Bucky received a call from Pepper, who invited him over for dinner at the Starks’ lakehouse. At first, he declined without a second thought, but Pepper was adamant about not taking no for an answer. She quickly explained that she had also invited all the remaining Avengers, where this dinner would be a good opportunity to reconnect, especially after what happened recently.

After a stern talk from Sam and a chicken parmesan casserole from Sarah, the two men were ushered to the back of the lakehouse, where Wanda, Bruce, and Clint were all waiting for them. And as much as Bucky hated to admit it, it had actually been a lovely dinner and not as morbid or half as catastrophic as he thought. 

An hour or two later, after Pepper brought out the drinks, Bucky retreated to the edge of the lake. No one seemed to notice his absence. Everyone was busy chatting with Morgan or nursing their own drinks with clouded minds.

“Thank you for coming.” A gentle voice sounded behind Bucky, challenging his previous thoughts. His grip tightened around the glass, shoulders visibly tensing at the additional presence. “I know it’s harder on you than most, but I really appreciate it.”

Bucky nodded once, his gaze never leaving the lake. He opened his mouth, praying for his voice to come out as steady as possible. “I should be the one thanking you, Pepper. I’m sorry about everything.”

“I know.” 

Pepper smiled gently. Her feet moved, leading her to a wooden bench while her eyes roamed the area. She looked at Morgan, who happily chased Sam, then her eyess landed on the tent Tony had built and would often spend hours hiding away from the world with their daughter. 

“How… how are you two?” Bucky asked as Morgan’s excited giggles echoed across the area. His lips involuntarily twitched the louder they got, but his eyes remained laced with the melancholy that he never seemed able to shake off. 

“We’re okay.” Pepper took a sip from her drink, tracing the rim with her finger. “It was hard at first… really hard. Between Morgan missing her dad and my struggle to go on after all that happened. But then, it got better.”

“With time?”

“Oh no,” Pepper snorted at Bucky’s reaction. It was obvious how fed up he was with the notion that “time heals all wounds.” Much as she was.

He furrowed his brows, moving to the side to get a better look at the woman. “Then, how?”

Pepper glanced back at her daughter, the ocean blue in her eyes intensifying as she saw her happy. “I decided to seek some professional help. At first, it was supposed to be some impartial third-party advice to help me find my footing, but then it became an anchor, you know?” The look Bucky gave her told her he didn’t know. “My therapist helped me rationalize all that happened and find the pieces of happiness I sometimes overlooked. She’s the one who suggested all this, actually. She said it was good for me, and Morgan, to connect with a piece of Tony’s legacy and remember that there’s a bigger family than just the two of us.”

“She sounds better than Raynor–my old therapist,” Bucky clarified when he saw the look of confusion that crossed Pepper’s face. 

She hummed, taking another sip from her drink. “I used to have a lot of nightmares; Morgan did too. But ever since I started those therapy sessions, there’s been a sense of calm in my life. A sense of… meaning. I don’t feel so lost anymore.”

“That’s really great, Pepper.” Bucky smiled before gulping the last of his drink. “I’m glad you’re both okay.”

He was ready to withdraw to his apartment and end the conversation there. Yet, as soon as he took his first step back, Pepper’s words planted him in place. “Are you okay, Bucky?”

“I am,” he replied almost mechanically. The smile on his face could’ve fooled anyone, but it didn’t seem to have any effect on Pepper. She shook her head, and he swore he felt like a toddler getting caught by his mother at this moment. 

“You’re not looking me in the eyes, and you haven’t attempted to go anywhere near Morgan since you got here.”

Bucky gulped, his hands suddenly becoming sweaty. “I… that’s not true.”

Pepper raised her eyes to Bucky’s level. Instantly, his cerulean orbs darted away from her own, failing to prove her wrong. “All this guilt you’re harboring will not do you any good.”

“I’m fine, Pepper,” Bucky stated aloud, unsure who he was trying to convince. 

He thought that he had succeeded–that his words were bold enough to get Pepper off his case. But as the night went on, he noticed her stares and concerned glances. Then, it was Sam’s. For a moment, he wondered if the two had talked, but then he brushed it off. He studied Clint as he sat Morgan on his lap and started telling her stories about her father. Bucky’s eyes immediately fled before Morgan’s chocolate brown hues–which reminded him too much of Tony, Howard, and Maria’s–could find his cold ones. 

A single night at the Starks proved as disastrous as he had thought it would be. Those a couple of hours led to a series of nightmares ranging from his days as the Winter Soldier to the fight between Steve and Tony, which resulted in him losing his initial prosthetic . He saw the image of Tony as he snapped his fingers and saved the world before he took his last breath. He relived the moment Steve confessed that he’d be going back to the past to live the life that was stolen from his hands. Bucky relived every scar, battle, and war he suffered through, waking up with a start each day and fighting sleep each night. 

Eventually, and after a week and a half of this slow torture, he reluctantly picked up his phone and called Pepper. 

Hudson Clinics. Y/N Y/L/N. 

That’s all she said before Bucky called the place and booked an appointment.

PRESENT TIME

“Mr. Barnes,” the secretary finally called, catching his attention. The woman, who looked like she was in her forties, adjusted her glasses and pointed to the first door on her right. “Dr. Y/L/N is ready to see you now.”

Bucky politely nodded and leisurely strolled to the door. Stares and whispers followed behind him, but he didn’t spare them a second thought. After a knock, followed by a quiet “come in,” Bucky pushed the door open, his eyes greeted by the natural sun rays that peeked through the large window walls. He took a tentative step inside, feeling himself enveloped by the scent of sweet lavender and delicate sage. 

Bucky’s blue hues traveled across the room, unconsciously comparing it to Raynor’s old office. Unlike the white walls and the fake greenery, Dr. Y/L/N’s office held a sense of tranquility with its cream color and a vividness perfectly accentuated by the light blue and yellow furniture. It was vast and inviting with a medium-sized couch in front of a series of abstract paintings that seemed to come to life each time the sun peeked through the windows. 

On his right, Dr. Y/L/N was already rising to her feet, a genuine and heartwarming smile painted across her features. “It’s lovely to meet you, James,” she greeted, waiting for the man to cross the threshold. 

Between his anxiety and shock, since she clearly didn’t look as old as Rayor, it took a good couple of seconds for Bucky to let go of the metal handle and step closer to the doctor. He waited for her to extend her hand, but she remained still as though she was waiting for him to initiate contact. “Hi,” he breathed, reluctantly extending his right hand. Without hesitation, the doctor shook it with care, her smile unwavering. 

“I hope the wait wasn’t too long. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Dr. Y/L/N gestured to the light blue couch while she grabbed herself a notebook and a pen. Bucky took a few steps forward, sinking into the soft surface. He exhaled loudly, leaning back–he made a mental note to ask about the couch’s brand and buy at least two for his apartment’s living room.  

Bucky opened his eyes and glanced at the doctor. Her smile was there, confident and honest. Her legs were folded on top of one another, her notebook now resting on the table. “Um.” Bucky cleared his throat, blinking. “I’m not sure how this is supposed to go.”

Dr. Y/L/N let out a small laugh, her Y/E/C filling with mirth. She raised her eyes to catch a glimpse of Bucky’s cerulean orbs, and immediately, a warmth filled Bucky’s chest. It hadn’t even been two minutes since he walked into her office, yet he had managed to find something akin to peace the moment he pushed the metal handle down to open the door. 

“It’s okay, James,” she assured him. “I know that this isn’t by any means easy, and you may not know where to begin or what to say. But this space right here is your safe space. Feel free to begin wherever you see fit, and I’ll help you make sense of your thoughts.”

Normally, Bucky would have scoffed. He would’ve raised an eyebrow and leaned back, giving her an unimpressed look. But there was something about her soothing tone and her unrestrained words that made the tension in his shoulders ease. 

“You probably already know who I am–”

“I don’t,” Dr. Y/L/N cut him immediately. Bucky was taken aback, a prominent scowl taking over his features. She saw him fiddle with his fingers, his mouth opening without any words coming out. “Unless you tell me your story, whatever I saw or heard does not matter much to me.”

Bucky audibly gasped, his tall and firm stance faltering for a second. He looked at the woman in front of him, his mind struggling to string along a sentence, let alone a word. With a quick shake of his head, and an unsteady inhale, he interlaced his hands and shifted slightly backward. “My name is James Buchanan Barnes,” he whispered shakily. Dr. Y/L/N offered him a reassuring nod, encouraging him to continue. “I was born in 1917 and am a former World War two veteran. During a mission, my unit and I were ambushed by a terrorist organization known as Hydra and were consequently abducted by them. During that period, and without our knowledge, they had injected us with the Super Soldier serum with the intent of increasing our physical strength and making us their personal assassins. After being freed by Steve, Captain America, in 1943, an unfortunate incident hindered our mission against Hydra. I found myself back in their clutches with a prosthetic arm and a mind that was anything but my own. They turned me into a ruthless, massacring, assassin by the name of the Winter Soldier.”

Throughout the entire monologue, Bucky kept his eyes focused on the glass table in front of him. His lashes met for the briefest moments before he dared to look at Dr. Y/L/N. Surprised etched itself on his features when he didn’t find her in her seat, her notebook open with fresh ink on one of the pages. 

He heard her hum, finding her pouring a glass of water. Her heels clicked against the parquet flooring before they fell silent when they met the furry carpet. She handed him the glass of water, her fingers high enough to not touch his. Bucky dipped his head in a silent thank you, sipping on the water just as she sat down. “James, you described the Winter Soldier as a ‘ruthless, massacring, assassin.' Are these your own words? Is that how you perceive this… side of yourself to be?”

“Yes,” James replied, his glass of water still wrapped around his fingers.

“Alright, and what about you, James? How would you describe yourself before this whole ordeal happened?”

Bucky thought the question over with the smallest hint of surprise. It had been decades ago since he was anything but the Winter Soldier. His brows knitted together, trying to go back to the days when he was Sargeant Barnes rather than the cold-blooded menace Hydra has created. When he finally got a peek at the past, he looked back at Dr. Y/L/N. “I was… outgoing, curious, brave, and spirited, I guess.”

“And now?”

“Damaged,” he looked away, trying to evade the doctor’s eyes. 

“Do you remember your time as the Winter Soldier?”

“Yes,” he said, his gloved fingers curling tighter around the glass in his hand. He took one large sip, Dr. Y/L/N writing another line in her notebook. “I frequently have nightmares where I relive everything. I see people’s begging eyes, hear their pained whimpers, and feel their dread as I creep closer to them before ending their life with my hands.”

“You used a first-person pronoun, James,” Dr. Y/L/N noted. Her voice didn’t sound accusatory in the slightest. It was more as if she had come to a conclusion and was sharing it. “Do you think you and the soldier are one?”

Bucky didn’t take a moment to reflect on her words. “Yes.”

She noted this down in her notebook. “What is the one word that best describes the Winter Soldier?”

“Monster.”

Bucky could hear the ticking of the clock and the scraping of Dr. Y/L/N’s pen. Once she wrote the word in her notebook, an action that was grounding rather than irritating, Bucky had deduced, she extended her hand to take the empty glass. With another candid smile, she stood up and walked to her desk, pouring Bucky another glass of water. 

“Oftentimes, James, monsters tend to be a subjective belief born out of a plethora of negative emotions, above them all, fear. This fear is as introspective as it is outrospective, leading us astray in our pursuit of finding our self-worth.”

“What are you insinuating, doc?” Bucky asked, his face a picture of confusion. Perhaps he had misjudged the woman, wasting his time in seeking help from someone that clearly didn't understand him as she should. 

“May I ask you a question?” She handed him the glass of water without sitting down. Bucky nodded with a raised brow. When he sipped his water, only then did she sink back into her chair. “You said that you relive everything through your nightmares, feeling people’s trepidation. But has the soldier ever felt anything at all during these occurrences?

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? No thrill? Guilt? Anything?

“Nothing,” Bucky confirmed once more. 

Dr. Y/L/N clicked her pen once before tucking it away with her notebook. She turned to Bucky with the same confidence and calm front she displayed when he first walked in, as if his story had not fazed her–impassive to the threat he considered himself to be. 

Bucky played with his zipper, looking between her and his left gloved hand. He could feel himself sweating, his left knee jerking in anticipation of whatever was about to come out of her mouth. With an awkward clear of his throat, Dr. Y/L/N reached out to the side table, pulling open the drawer to grab what 

appeared to be a small notebook.

“I’m going to give you an assignment.”

“What?” Bucky made a face. Was she for real? Does she think of herself as a school teacher? “I’m sorry, I think I misheard.”

Dr. Y/L/N chuckled, merriment lacing her voice. “You heard me correctly. I want you to talk to any of your friends and ask them about an event that made them see themselves in a different, more specifically, negative light.”

“Why would I do that?” he grunted, the shy amount of respect he had for the doctor hanging by a thread. 

“All in due time, James,” Dr. Y/L/N replied. She placed the notebook on the glass table separating her and Bucky before nudging it closer to him. “You can seek someone who has had a similar experience to you or someone who had a different one. During our next session, you and I will explore why this little exercise is a critical part of your therapy.”

Bucky’s tongue met the inside of his cheek. He reached forward, inspecting the leather-bound notebook in his hands. He flipped through the white, empty pages, eager to be filled. Bucky’s nose scrunched at the scent of the fresh paper, his gaze meeting the doctor’s. “And what’s this for?”

Dr. Y/L/N stood up, reaching for her own notebook. “Sometimes, our thoughts are more clear and less threatening when they are laid bare on paper.”

Bucky nodded his head, accepting the vague explanation. Since the notebook was small, he tucked it in his back pocket, standing up to take his leave. Once he reached the door, he hesitated. Turning his back, he spotted the doctor a few steps away from her desk. “What makes you think there’ll be another session?”

Dr. Y/L/N smirked, placing her hands on her desk and resting her weight against the wood. “Curiousness has no cure, James. Nothing in this world is strong enough to erase its trace.”

Bucky bit on his tongue, looking down at his shoes. He gave Dr. Y/L/N an imperceptible wave and then walked outside her office. He took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts. Between his mind telling him it was useless and his consciousness edging him to give it a try, Bucky just knew that Dr. Y/N Y/L/N was bracing him for the ride of a lifetime. But was he ready for her to rock his entire world?

------

It's official! I'm absolutely obsessed with Bucky Barnes!!

I'm so excited about this piece. I know I have like 5 series with a WIP status, but I couldn't help myself! I was inspired to write this fic, and nothing was going to stand in my way.

What do you think, witchlings?

Don't forget to send in your Marvel/Harry Potter requests!

Until next week xx

#bucky barns imagine #bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky x y/n #bucky x female reader #bucky x you #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #marvel mcu #avengers fanfiction

[imdoingsortagay]

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist

Being Natasha’s Housewife

- Headcanons about being Natasha’s stay at home wife

Bring your girlfriend to work day

- Your girlfriends deciding to bring you into the office as a way to help their coworkers unwind from their stressful jobs

Haunted house date - 

Going to a Halloween haunted house with your girlfriends

Love thy neighbor

- The mailman accidentally leaves your package with your neighbor on accident and she decides to open it.

Natasha’s first Halloween - 

Natasha, just recently joining S.H.I.E.L.D, get taught by one of her new friends about the holiday of Halloween.

Pervy!Manager Nat Headcanons- 

thouights about Pervy! Manager Nat who works at stark’s company

Trip to the lakehouse

- When you and your girlfriend go to her lake house for the weekend to relax, what happens when she sees her neighbors are also here as well?

#natasha romanoff x reader #lizs writing #Natasha romanoff smut #natasha romanoff

[every-marveler-ever]

Pebble Skipping 

Fluffuly 2023 | 🌝 @fluffuly2023 | Day 19: Pebbles

Peter Parker Bingo 2023 | 🕠 @pparkerbingo | Bodega

2023 masterlist :: (ao3 link)

RATING: General WARNING: Waking up early after being jet lagged.

Waking up in the lakehouse is exactly what Peter needs. It has more benefits than his apartment in Boston, and it’s the holidays, a perfect time to get away. | peter parker/harley kenner

luffuly 🌝 2023 | ptpkb 🕠 2023

It’s cold outside, which is because of the winter holidays, Peter is sure there is snow but to actually know that he would have to wake up and move away from the excellent, warm, comfort he has found in his bed. His bed at the lakehouse, his (third?) home.  

Peter ultimately prefers the lake house, it is quiet compared to Boston, and New York has always been his home even if he isn’t in Queen’s anymore. Just out of New York, the lakehouse allows for quiet and a small working farm that Gerald likes to eat from, a perfect match. 

The lakehouse also comes with some added benefits that his apartment in Boston doesn’t have. 

“Peteeer,” Morgan whines from the bottom of Peter’s lake house bed, she’s adorable and Peter’s little sister, but it’s not really the best noise to wake up to, “Harrrrleeeeyyy,” but hearing his boyfriend's name along with his does bring a small smile to his face.  

He can hear Pepper’s laugh from the doorway, the laugh that he has come to love after not hearing it for 5 years, “Morgan I think the boys are still jet lagged from their flight last night, let them sleep.” Peter thanks the gods that put Pepper Potts in this world because she just gets it, she lets them sleep when needed and still forces them to participate when necessary, it is a great balance. Especially when it comes to Stark Industries' work. 

The frown on Morgan’s face can be heard by the two boys waking up slowly, holding on to each other, because they know the little girl better than herself. She squints, “But Daddy said they were here so they can play pebbles with me,” Harley giggles from the bed. Pepper shoots them both a look that Peter catches but shakes his head at, Morgan much too interested in her mum (and her dad being in trouble) doesn’t notice. 

Pepper bites her tongue, not knowing if she will laugh or berate when she finally comes up with her comeback, “Did he?” She asks, to Morgan’s continuous nodding, Tony should be proud of his honest daughter. 

Both boys know for sure that Tony is in trouble from the sound of Pepper turning around and heading out of the bedroom, little feet following closely. Knowing they’re gone leaves Harley and Peter to burst out into loud laughter. The laughter that they are sure Morgan can hear, but is much to focus on her dad being told off to care. 

“You feel like throwing some pebbles today,” Harley asks Peter turning to lie so they are facing each other. Pepper is right, they are jet lagged and they only touched down at 10 pm last night, but they are both MIT students who aren’t aware of what a bedtime is and so the small tiredness they feel doesn’t seem that extreme.  

Peter smiles holding onto Harley, prepared for the day, “sounds like a great day.”  

The lakehouse is perfect for Peter, it has a lake they can skip pebbles across and a great family to go with it, a brilliant selling point. 

Every-Marveler-Ever Navigation | Bingo Masterpost

Cards: (🌝 2/31) (🕠 5/25)

#fluffuly #fluffuly2023 #pparkerbingo23 #day 19: pebbles #peter parker #harley keener #harley x peter #harley keener x peter parker #morgan stark #pepper potts x tony stark #tony x pepper #pepper potts #bingo fill #every-marveler-ever #every marveler ever #marvel

[briefhandsstudenttoad]

Pepper Potts x Tony Stark smut ??

I've already responded to this request however I sadly forgot to save it to my drafts so this is my rewritten work which is hopefully as good as the original 😂 Thank you very much for the request though - keep them coming for all marvel characters!

🔥💕 I miss you

After Captain Marvel returns Tony to Earth he's a different man and Pepper feels...alone. That is until Tony decided to show her just how much he has missed her. TW. P in V smut, oral, Tony feeling sad about himself but very fluffy.

4 minutes

Pepper slammed the lakehouse door shut behind her as she heaved the shopping bags through.

It had been a few months since Thanos snapped and Tony had since returned from Titan to his now wife who is currently 7 months pregnant.

☆-----------------------------------------------☆

When Captain Marvel had brought Tony back he was merely a shell of the man he had once been after having lost almost everything.

Peppers pregnancy however had brought some hope for him though, a new purpose for him. He had meaning again.

A new optimism arose within him and he felt the need to move on from his past and focus on the future - a bright one where he no longer had to worry about the responsibility of being a superhero and his main worry will be baby names.

With this new optimism however came new downfalls.

He shut out the remaining avengers.

He blocked as many past memories as possible.

He didn't allow himself the opportunity to greive.

And he also didn't allow himself to be intimate, physically, emotionally, socially and sexually which left Pepper feeling a little...alone.

He simply changed himself. He was no longer Iron Man or Tony Stark - billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist. He was just Tony Stark, a normal expectant father without any worries.

☆-----------------------------------------------☆

Pepper made her way to the nursery where she knew Tony would be and sure enough he was on top of the stepladder, paintbrush in hand, creating the most extraordinary intricate work any nursery had ever had.

He turned smiling at her showing of all of his sparkly white teeth.

"Hey honey, what do you think?"

"Oh Tony it's beautiful, it really is. I love it".

Tony made his way down the ladder and headed over to his wonderful wife to place a light quick kiss on her lips.

Pepper was quicker though as she suddenly felt the urge to deepen the kiss to show him just how much she missed and needed him. She held him by the back of his neck and pressed him to her hard.

Tony felt different though. Her feelings were not reciprocated to him and he was suddenly overwhelmed by so many emotions.

Guilt. Shame. Doubt. Regret. Sadness. Anger.

Because it was all his fault.

Why did he get to enjoy his life with his loved ones whilst the other half of the universe is gone? Whilst their families are all mourning why does he get to celebrate?

No. It didn't feel right. He couldn't do this.

He pulled away and walked out of the room and Pepper heard him mutter something about 'needing fresh air' although there was no doubt about the strain in his voice.

☆-----------------------------------------------☆

Pepper lay in bed wide awake a few hours later. Dinner had came and went, spent mostly in an awkward silence over the events earlier. She just didn't know how to bring the topic up.

Tony stood in the doorway of the bedroom gazing at his wife who had her back turned to the entrance. He rarely slept in the same bed as her anymore due to the extremity of his insomnia and if he did sleep he opted to choose the couch where he wouldn't wake her in case of a nightmare.

Pepper tossed and turned so uncomfortable in the bed due to her swollen pregnant stomach - god nobody said it was this hard.

"Peps?"

She gave a slight jump and turned to find her husband. The bed dipped a little as he sat on the side of it, stroking her arm.

"Can we talk about before Tony, please?" Pepper begged. "I just want to understand".

"Pepper it isn't fair. It's all my fault. How can I enjoy my life with you when all of them don't even get a life? It should have been me".

Even in the darkness Pepper could catch the shimmer of tears in his eyes and the sob he choked back.

"Tony don't say that. We've all made mistakes but that doesn't mean we should be punished forever - everyone deserves a second chance. It's nobody's fault and you couldn't have stopped him so stop blaming yourself". Pepper cradled his face and she felt wetness fall into her palms from the tears that began to drip down.

"Thanks peps...I think that's what I needed to hear" Tony sniffed.

"Come here". Tony lay down into Peppers arms and that's how they lay for a few minutes. Just embracing one another in silence, unlike the awkward one at dinner, this silence had a calming atmosphere.

After a few minutes Tony looked over and gazed into Peppers eyes. They were a deep ocean blue and he missed them so much because this is the woman who he had fallen in love with yet also hurt and neglected so much these past few months.

He kissed her. For the first time in so long properly - with true love and passion.

He carefully climbed over on top of her, so as not to squish her baby bump and continued his kissing.

"Tony you don't have to do this".

"Mmm. No I want to - as long as you're comfortable that is" Tony quickly added to which Pepper gave an excited and rushed nod.

He gently lifted her nightdress over her body and discarded his clothes aswell and Pepper immediately revelled in the sight.

The baby hormones had been driving her crazy for this for so long.

Tony took off her underwear and kissed her all the way down her body, showing slightly more love to her stomach before continuing his journey downwards. When he got to her heat he planted another quick kiss and let her wrap her legs around his neck as he got to work sucking and licking as he just let her use him. He could've got off from just that alone.

Pepper was an absolute moaning mess. Tony was so experienced and she forgot how it felt to be treated like this.

Her mouth gaped open fully wide as she tried to moan but she was left utterly speechless as Tony stayed there attacking her bundle of neves.

When he had finished she felt so tired out and sensitive yet she still wanted more. Tony came back up to kiss her on the lips again and his beard was all dishevelled and wet even though he had a big smug smile plastered on his face.

He slipped into her so easily and let out a groan in her neck. He held her for a moment. He was on top of her and inside her. One hand cradling the back of her head, the other holding her baby bump and he realised that this is how he wants to be forever. And they stayed like that for a few seconds just staring at eachother before Tony realised that he needed to move.

He tenderly moved in and out of his beautiful wife as they both whispered sweet nothings to eachother and kissed one another through passionate exchanges.

Suddenly Pepper clenched around him and he let out a guttural groan onto her lips at the unanticipated tension and they both stilled for a moment before he continued again.

They used to have quite a high sex drive but they had never made love quite like this before. This was something new.

"Peps...i need to..."

Tony stared directly into Peppers eyes as he pushed one final time into her and released his all inside her - rubbing her gently so she could join him in the pleasure and sure enough she clung to his neck as she also reached her climax.

Their eyes connected as he dragged them both through their highs and pulled out of the very exhausted and stimulated Pepper.

☆-----------------------------------------------☆

And that's when Tony came up with the plan.

The plan to bring everyone back.

#doctor strange #tony stark #marvel #marvel requests #bruce banner #bucky barnes #captain america #peter quill #pepperpotts #peter parker #natasha romanoff #black panther #black widow #wanda maximoff #clint barton #sam wilson #marvel fanfiction #marvel smut #marvel headcanons #marvel fic #loki #thor #ant man #captain marvel #steve rogers #avengers headcanons #avengers fic #avengers endgame

[vilyanenyavilya]

The Sorcerer Next Door

���I didn’t see a TV here. I have every channel and streaming service available and F.R.I.D.A.Y. to track down anything unavailable. What do you do all day?”

Loki had a big smile again, “Think of ways to irritate you. It’s been immensely entertaining.”

Summary:

Tony’s retirement was supposed to be quiet. He got married, moved out to the lakehouse, and rescued some alpacas. It was a little boring, but it was fine, really.

He did not expect his neighbor to turn out to be a familiar mischievous enemy-turned-ally who was nursing injuries from the Battle of Wakanda. He also did not expect to end up embroiled in a real life Game of Thrones with death on the line for both him and Loki.

Retired or not, Tony was still Iron Man. It was game on.

Chapters: 19. Words: 84k. Complete!

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Teen

Tags excerpt: Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War, Fix-It of Sorts, Enemies to Friends, Developing Friendships, Abduction, Tony has a bad time in a cave, Protective Tony, Protective Loki, Happy Ending

(It’s done!!! Hope it’s enjoyable!!!)

#tony stark fanfiction #tony stark fanfic #loki fanfction #loki fanfic #tony stark #loki #mcu fanfiction #ao3 #ao3 link #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #loki marvel #my fanfiction #loki x tony friendship

[fanfic-corner]

Hi! Hope you don't mind me asking but do you know any good fics where Peter gets threatened/bullied by an SI employee and Tony comes to the rescue? tysm for your time and feel free to ignore this ask if I'm bothering you 💙

That's a brilliant request, and don't worry, I love people asking for fics :D

I think there's only one I know of that fits all those specifics, so I'll put that at the top. But I've added a couple of other fics set at SI that you might enjoy!

Burying the Past by blondsak, killerqueenwrites, and S0lstice (8k)

They’ve practiced this, gone through scenarios over and over again. It’s been a possibility, a lurking threat, ever since Peter first wormed his way into Tony’s tightly-guarded inner circle. “I’ll find you,” he’s said, a hundred times. “Just keep your head down and stay alive.”

But nothing in the world can prepare Tony for the camera to pan around slowly until it finds a scuffed sneaker, dusty jeans, a Death Star shirt – and Peter’s slack face pressed into the dirt.

look closer (c l o s e r) by GalaxyThreads (23k)

"Tony wants to scream.

He wants to yell and shout and rip apart these non-teachers, demanding to know what happened, who hurt his kid, what the heck is going on. How this stupid field trip turned into a nightmare from hell and Peter is bleeding and scared and Tony doesn’t know what to do. How to fix this."

AKA: the field trip to SI from hell, because it's not a good thing an entire high school knows Peter (allegedly) works at SI. (one shot, gen)

In the Blowing, Cold Wind by Odd_I (15k)

And that left Peter an hour and a half to ponder his future. Should he say no to it, and work at a lower company? It would be less emotionally taxing on himself, but it would be worse on his resume. Plus, it wouldn’t look good for him to turn down such a huge opportunity. What would he say? Or should he just say yes?

It wasn’t like Mr. Stark was known for mingling around interns, or on the lower levels. Or… well, with any of his employees. He mostly just kept to his lab, and ever since having Morgan he split his time between the lakehouse and the tower. But even when he was at the tower he stayed on his floor. He wasn’t even CEO, Pepper was. So the chances of running into him were low. So incredibly low that it was simply almost impossible.

— OR —

One year after the events of No Way Home, Peter is a college student trying to make his way thorugh life. But when one of his classes offers a placement at Stark Industries, he finds himself at a cross roads. It would look good on his resume, it would be good for his future, but how could he go back to Stark Tower after losing everything? When Mr. Stark won't even remember who he is.

But... as long as he avoids him, it'll all go fine, right?

I hope you enjoy these! And if anyone has any other fic recommendations that fit this trope, please share them!

#mcu #marvel #fic recs #irondad #peter parker #tony stark #peter parker & tony stark #ao3 #ask tag

[foreversecrets]

When Ransom Submitted to Tori

Part of my Rogers Family Expansion series

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x Victoria Stark (OC)

Summary: His family has never asked him for anything his entire life, but now they may just ask far to much for playboy Ransom Drysdale.

Rating: General

Victoria adored her family, let's make that abundantly clear-she would do anything for her brother, niece, and her sister-in-law. But, she wanted nothing to do with the family business. She’d watched her father and brother growing up, their actions reason enough for her to want nothing to do with the mafia world. A decision they wholeheartedly supported when she went to college and eventually became a math professor. Honoring her wishes, the family kept her out of the business, that is until today.

Victoria doesn’t know what to say as she places the contract back down on her brother's desk and rubs her temples. How is she supposed to process the reality that an archaic practice is something her brother is urging her to accept? An arranged marriage. Her eyes linger on the picture of the youngest Rogers brother, he’s not unattractive but his appearance and personality are irrelevant when the core of the matter is choice. She didn’t choose this, granted Tony was asking not telling her but the reason this contract was even drafted was the Rogers Family is massive while the Stark Family has narrowed down to only four members. The probability of the Starks becoming an extinct lineage drastically falls if they do not receive the favor of the Rogers. What stronger alliance than for them to become family?

“I won’t make you do this,” Tony promises. “Rogers and his wife have been trying for a kid, I could agree to Morgan marrying their first born but-”

“But she’s a toddler and none of us wants to set her future for her.” Pepper snaps looking at her husband, clearly peeved with this whole arrangement. “Not that we want to do that to you but we wouldn’t ask this if-”

“It’s alright Pep, I understand.” sighing Victoria looks at the terms again, if she does this it's for life. 

Neither her nor Ransom can terminate the marriage at any time and she herself will be unable to have children with anyone other than Ransom. Bodily autonomy will remain a decision by both parties at all times so she is reassured she will never have to bear a child. But the file on Ransom describes him as a pompous, spoiled, unemployed member of the family meaning he wasn’t invested in the mafia business like her and she doubted he’d want children anymore than she does. She’d always loved her role of being the cool aunt but the idea of having a kid herself that was a lifelong commitment and responsibility had never been appealing to her.

“I want the lake house,” she looks at her brother. If she’s doing this she wants to be able to escape for a day or two from her husband instead of being trapped in a home she may or may not get along with.

“Well-” Tony starts only to be interrupted by his wife. 

“Whatever you want.” she promises. In reality it was a cheap price to pay for Victoria’s future, she could ask for so much more and Pepper would willingly give her whatever she desired. 

“And I demand you two have another child.” she laughed, rising from her seat. Tony was clearly eager to fulfill that while Pepper rolled her eyes and excused herself from the room. “So, when do I meet Ransom and when is the wedding?”

“We will iron out the details tonight, our families are getting together for dinner at Steve’s tonight.”

Nodding, she promises to be there before heading home to her apartment, needing to mentally prepare for the evening. When she enters her tiny but cozy studio apartment she absolutely adores, a sadness rises. Ransom will make her sell her furniture, she doesn’t imagine he’d allow her to completely rearrange his abode. Prepahs she can convince Tony to move her furniture to the lakehouse and sell what is already there. Questions of what her new life would look like once she moved in with Ransom started to pop into her head. One of the reasons none of her previous relationships worked out was her love of privacy and hatred of sharing her space, maybe that’s why she asked her brother for the lakehouse. That and her commitment issues that Tony had always promised her would fade over she found the right partner, Pepper had been the blessing to mix that in Tony along with so many other issues her brother had. Everytime Tony found there was improvement that Victoria needed to make in her life would magically be solved once she found the love of her life. Once upon a time she would have rolled her eyes at his reassurances but now she finds herself regretting that she’d never get to prove her brother wrong or right. 

Then her thoughts shifted to Ransom, would they have a normal happy relationship or would they just be two adults cohabiting? She didn’t want to live a loveless life, where her husband and herself would have a string of lovers but never truly getting that happily ever after. Monogamy, though something she’d always been afraid of, was something she craved. She’d seen the way her parents loved one another, the way Tony loved Pepper and she had to admit she was envious. Failing time and time again maybe this arrangement wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to her. It was Ransom or no one now, she really hoped this would work out for the better. 

Pushing all thoughts from her mind, she decided to take a nice hot shower and doll up, the process always relaxed her and boosted her confidence. She’d never dolled up for a man before, always doing it for herself because she liked the way she felt afterwards. But more often than not she went without makeup so that would be something Ransom would have to deal with. It also gave her an edge when she wasn’t sure what she was walking into. 

Tony offered to pick her up for dinner but her car was a lifebuoy should things go south, so she took the address from her brother and began the journey just outside the city. Rogers Estate was too over the top for her tastes but it was far cozier looking than Tony’s luxury penthouse. When she pulled up there was only one car parked, a light colored beamer she assumed belonged to Mrs. Rogers. She couldn’t imagine a massive man like Steve Rogers cramping into the driver seat when he could easily afford a more spacious vehicle. When she knocked on the front door she began regretting it, wishing she’d waited for her brother to arrive before going to the door.

“Oh! You’re here!” the excitement in the women is above what she would expect for some household staff, leading her to believe the woman was Mrs. Rogers. “Please come in! Ransom and Steve are locked up in the office but should be joining us soon.”

“Thank you, this is for you” Victoria held out a bottle of wine that would not serve everyone attending dinner. Tony had said both families would be in attendance, meaning all the Rogers and their partners. 5 Starks and 14 Rogers. Joseph Rogers really needed to have a vasectomy earlier-who the hell wants to have 9 kids! Granted the Alder and Levinson’s had been twins but still, to have 9 children all so close together!? Her hips hurt just thinking about the 7 women who had the misfortune of contributing to Joseph Rogers brood. 

“Thank you!” Mrs. Rogers' look of genuine gratitude endeared Tori, even more so when she could see the woman mentally scolding herself. “Where are my manners! I’m Annie.” Tori shook the woman's hand and offered her name though it was clear who she was. 

“I begged my husband not to be so medieval for this alliance, you just say the word and I’ll stop this whole thing.” Annie whispered into her ear, making Tori laugh again.

Amused Tori questioned her, “You’d go against Mr. Rogers?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time, my husband learned early on what battles weren’t worth fighting me on.”

Tori tried to maintain her composure as she tried to picture this ball of sweetness ever taking a raised tone of voice with her bulky husband who probably stood a good two feet taller than herself.

“How else would they solidify the alliance?”

“A contract! They love the damn things so much I don’t see why they are complicated matters.” Oh Tori was absolutely in love with Annabelle Rogers. This arranged marriage would be worth it if it meant she got to interact with Annie on a regular basis.:If you need the arrangement to end, just say rosebush and I will get you out of this.” Annie conspired.

“We will see how the evening pans out,” Tori finally breaks and offers a chuckle. “Rosebush, I got it.” she smiles.

Annie dotes on Tori while they wait for everyone to join them, getting to know Annie in the span of about an hour and a half. She understands why Annie is so positive and nurturing, she grew up outside the mod world with a normal little middle class family she adored. She had the life Tori had only imagined as a kid, what would an uncorrupted childhood have been like, one where she hadn’t seen her first murder at 7 years old? 

“Babydoll?” a voice calls out Tori assumes it belongs to Steve Rogers.

“Here comes trouble,” Annie winks at Tori. “In here honey!”

Tori stands for introductions as Steven and Ransom enter the room, her eyes instantly falling on her intended. His face is still red, his brow furrowed, whatever he was discussing with his brother (she suspects it to be the marriage) he was not happy about it. Steve gives his wife a quick peck on the lips before shaking Tori’s hand in an introduction.

“And this is my brother Ransom.”

Tori puts her hand out towards Ransom who looks at it only a moment before sneering and walking towards the opened wine bottle and grabbing a glass for himself. Either oblivious or not caring about the tension he has caused he indulges in the sweet dessert wine as the doorbell rings. Steve Rogers is apparently adverse to awkward situations because he scurries away as quickly as possible to answer the door himself. Annie takes a deep breath before addressing Ransom again. 

“Here’s how this is going to go, we give it a try and if we find ourselves incompatible, be the terms of the contract we can just be roommates.”

Ransom annoyance transforms into curiosity. “I have a one bedroom home.” 

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

She watches as the tension slowly eases from his shoulders, he takes a deep breath as his face morphs into a neutral expression. He walks over, she maintains her composure and allows him to take her hand to place a quick kiss to one of her knuckles. A relieved breath escapes her as she offers him a kind smile. Regaining his posture, conversation doesn’t resume but the room is lighter now, while it doesn’t resume until her niece and brother enter the room.

“Who's ready for dinner?” 

#ransom drysdale #ari levinson #steve rogers #frank adler #andy barber #lloyd hansen #curtis everett #james bucky buchanan barnes #sarah rogers #mob au #mob boss steve rogers #mob frank adler #mob andy barber #mob lloyd hansen #mob curtis everett #mob ari levinson #mob ransom drysdale #mob james bucky buchanan barnes #arranged marriage

[ecoamerica]

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[willowbot2000]

My Least And Most Favorite Irondad Spiderson Tropes

Favorite Irondad Spiderson Fanfiction Tropes

Anorexic Peter/Peter with an eating disorder- I read this really cool one, I don’t remember the name or the author, but inside of it, Peter was purging himself and he wouldn’t eat anything with bread for some reason.  Tony finds out because Peter passes out while going on a run.

Abusive partner/Guardian- My absolute two favorites of these fics are “Please Understand” by Jipseebree and “Hindsight,” by elphreak they are masterpieces.  I originally read those like five years ago, and I recently read them again.  I really recommend them if they also like that trope.

Caring for the other person after a bad fight- I don’t really have any recommendations for this one, but I do really like this trope.  It’s always so heartwarming.

Sickfic- I love this one.  Especially when Tony gets called to Peter’s school to pick him up.

Cuddles- Literally what I live for.  It’s so cute, especially if they’re watching movies together.

Intoxicated Peter/Tony- I read one of these where Peter gets intoxicated on a roof and tries to jump off it, but Tony stops him.

Peter being scared and confused in hospital- I don’t know any good ones for this one either, but I’ve read so many of these and they’re so good.  I remember reading one a while back where Peter ends up ripping the IV’s out of himself while trying to run away.

Concussions- There aren’t many of these and I wish there were more.  I love this one, especially when Peter confuses Tony with his Uncle Ben and he has a breakdown.

One of Tony’s suits gets hacked- I read one, I think it was called “Taxi” where Tony’s suit gets hacked and Tony has to watch the suit beat up Peter.

Peter staying at the lakehouse with the Stark family to deal with something traumatic (ex. After Far From Home, After May dies, Bad time settling in college ect.)- I also love these.  I read one where Peter comes to stay with Tony after Far From Home and Tony has to remind Peter every few minutes that he’s not in an illusion or else Peter has a breakdown.

Torture fics- I’m reading this one called “Someday (I’ll make it out of here)” by the-color-pomegranet.  It is literally the best torture fic I’ve read.  It’s like forty something chapters, but I promise it’s worth it.

The Avengers make fun of Peter and Tony gets angry at them- I read one of these where they make fun of Peter for not knowing how to shave and so Peter tries to shave on his own.  He ends up cutting himself and so Tony steps in and shows him how to shave.

Least Favorite Troupes

Baby Peter- I would like them if they all weren’t written similar with Peter doing something that normal Peter does all the time, but Tony is scared about bc he’s a baby, like Peter crawling on the ceiling and Tony trying to get him down in fear of him getting hurt

Field Trip/Peter’s friends meeting Tony- I used to like this trope, but I feel like it’s been a bit overdone.  I also honestly think if Peter actually visited the Tower/Compound with his class or friends, Tony and the other Avengers would just treat Peter like another kid visiting the tower/compound in fear of giving away his identity.

Movie Night with Avengers- I also feel like this trope has also been overdone and they all are similar.  It’s just the Avengers cooing over Peter or telling Tony he’s such a dad and in these fics in particular, Tony always ends up having custom made pajamas for him and Peter that are Spider-Man or Iron Man onesies.

Harley and Peter being siblings- I honestly don’t know why I don’t like this one.  I have a similar opinion on the fics with Nebula or Wanda being his older sisters.  I think it’s just bc I feel like those characters wouldn’t get along with Peter’s bubbly additude.  Harley is usually written as a grudge emo boy, Nebula is really cold, and Wanda is always in a sad depressed mood in the most recent movies.  Like I could see Peter and Morgan getting along bc they have similar bubbly personalities.

Fics that take place during olden times- I don’t really like these ones, like the medieval, old wild west, and just writing them in the past.  I feel like it takes away from their characters.  Especially with Tony since his whole personality is based around him being a genius with futuristic technology.

#irondad #spiderson #fanfiction

[scribblesforthemad]

There and Back Again - Part 10

Many, many thanks to @skyfall8600 whose excellent Sucked In series not only inspired this one, but brought me out of a years-long writing slump! The first few parts of this series are heavily inspired by her work, while diverging more significantly later on. Regardless, I wholeheartedly recommend her work, and thank her for allowing me to use a few of her excellent ideas!

series warnings: swearing, misogyny, canon-typical violence, fluff, insecurity; sfw but gets a little ~steamy~ in a couple places

part ten warnings: swearing, making out (sfw), fluff

The ride to Reefer Rick’s passed in dejected silence.

The five of you were packed into Steve’s BMW; you were squished in the backseat with Dustin and Mike, while a dazed Eddie rode in front with Steve to give directions to the lakehouse. No one had spoken much since Chrissy’s death; everyone was wrapped in their own memories of the horrible contortions and bleeding eyes.

After watching it so many times in the show, you thought you would be able to handle it, but seeing it in person—in reality—was a far cry from CGI on a screen in your living room. You bit your lip to stop it from trembling, and your knuckles were white as you gripped the boombox in your lap. The stupid, traitorous boombox that none of you had thought to check.

You blinked back tears as you thought of poor Chrissy. It just wasn’t fair; no one should have to die because of a faulty boombox. And yet, that was exactly what had happened. You had had a whole month to prepare, and knew the future by heart, but it hadn’t mattered: Chrissy had still died on that ceiling, and Eddie would still be wanted for her murder. Was your nightmare right? Would your presence make any difference at all, or would every death proceed in front of you just as it had onscreen—first Chrissy, then Fred, then Patrick…and Eddie. You took a deep breath, trying to quiet the emotions raging inside you. The boombox was faulty, you reminded yourself. That’s the only reason it didn’t work. We’ll get another one, test it, and everything will be fine.

You hoped.

By the time Steve pulled into Reefer Rick’s driveway, you had managed to calm yourself and collect your thoughts. As much as you hated to bring him into this, you knew it was time to tell Eddie the truth—about everything. After witnessing Chrissy’s death, he was owed an explanation.

Leaving the boombox and cassette on the seat, you got out of the car, careful not to slam the door; the last thing you needed was attention from neighbors. Moving as quickly and quietly as possible, you led the way to the boathouse. It was creepier than you remembered, the stark shadows of the surrounding trees falling on the building like the long, clawed fingers of Vecna. You shivered. Finding the door unlocked, you carefully swung it open, motioning the others inside.

“Come on, guys,” you whispered. “It’s safe here, I promise.”

Eddie let out a strangled laugh.

“Safe? A girl just floated up to my ceiling and was snapped in half, and you’re telling me some random boathouse is safe?” Your heart broke to see the pure animal panic in his soft brown eyes.

“Shhhh,” you soothed, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “I promise I will explain everything, but we need to be quiet. Please, Eddie,” you said, practically begging. “I swear on my life that I will explain, but first we need to go in the boathouse.”

Eddie stilled under your touch, but his expression still looked wary. After appraising you for a long moment, he nodded, and allowed himself to be led into the building.

Inside, it was cold, dark, and damp, as you knew it would be. Shining your flashlight around, you saw that tools, old beer bottles, and bits of rope lay scattered across several workbenches, while a covered canoe sat alone in the center. Kicking aside the garbage, you managed to clear a space big enough for the five of you to sit. Slowly, you lowered yourself to the ground, finally allowing your exhaustion to overwhelm you as you sprawled on the wooden floor. Steve, Mike, and Dustin joined you, finally followed by Eddie, who drew his knees up tight to his chest in gesture that nearly made you break down. After a few minutes of tense silence, he looked up—directly into your eyes.

“You promised me an explanation,” he said simply, his gaze never leaving yours. “What happened to Chrissy?”

You took a deep breath, glancing around at your friends. How to begin?

It was Dustin that saved you.

“You know how people say Hawkins is…cursed?” he asked, his voice steady despite the events of the night. “They’re not…way off.” Eddie’s eyebrows knit together, but he stayed silent. “There are other worlds. One of them is a world hidden beneath Hawkins, like a darker version of it. Sometimes…it bleeds into ours.”

“Like, ghosts and shit?” Eddie asked, hands still locked around his knees.

“Not exactly,” you said, trying to be as gentle as possible.

“There are monsters,” Mike said, speaking for the first time since the events at the trailer. “We thought they were gone, but then…” he trailed off, looking at you. You sighed. It was now or never.

“The world that these monsters come from—we call it the Upside Down. But Eddie,” you said, swallowing hard, “that isn’t the only other world.” You took a deep breath. “You know how I said I just kind of…ended up in Hawkins? Well, that’s because I’m not from this world. I’m from a world where all of this,” you said, gesturing to your surroundings and the events of the night, “is a TV show, in the year 2022. I don’t even know how I got here.”

Eddie’s face remained unchanged; you supposed there was only so much shock a person could experience in a single evening.

“It’s true, man,” said Steve, folding his arms over his chest. “Last month, she came barreling into Family Video and told me the same story. I didn’t believe her at first, but then…well, she told me some things that she couldn’t possibly have known. Private things, and things about the Upside Down.”

Eddie looked from you to Steve, struggling to comprehend what you were telling him.

“A TV show?” he asked, his voice unsteady. The boys nodded, sympathetic to his situation—after all, they’d been through the same thing, and under much less traumatic circumstances.

“That’s the reason we were at your house,” you said gently. “From watching the TV show, I knew Chrissy—” Your voice broke on her name. You swallowed, then continued. “I knew she was going to die. We went there to try and stop it, but…we couldn’t.”

“Was it…was it one of those monsters?” Eddie asked, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “Are they invisible or something?”

“It was the man who controls the monsters,” Dustin broke in. “When Chrissy went into that trance, he basically put her under a spell.”

“Like…like Vecna?”

You nodded.

“Exactly like Vecna,” Dustin said. “Actually, that’s why we came over an asked for your DMing notes on him last month—we wanted to see if there were any hints in the lore about ways to defeat him.”

“While the parallels aren’t exact, D&D has been a really good way of understanding the monsters that come from the Upside Down,” you said, wanting to avoid any confusion. “Vecna’s real name is Henry Creel; he used to be human, but he’s been banished to the Upside Down for a long time. Now, he’s using his powers to try and come back—that’s why he killed Chrissy,” you explained, running your hand through your hair. “Her death opened a gate between this world and the Upside Down. He needs three more before he can come through, but…” You hesitated. “It certainly puts Hawkins in a lot more danger than it was in yesterday.”

Eddie put his face in his hands, struggling to comprehend the enormity of what he’d just been told. After a long moment, he inhaled sharply, and turned to look at you.

“So—tell me if I’m getting this wrong, because I deeply hope that I am—we,” he said, circling his finger to indicate himself, Mike, Dustin, and Steve, “are all characters in a TV show which you,” he pointed at you, “somehow fell into.” You nodded, confirming his statement and waiting for him to continue. “And from watching this TV show, you know that there are monsters underneath Hawkins, which killed Chrissy to try to get through to kill more people?”

“That’s pretty much it,” admitted Dustin.

“Great. Great!” Eddie said, sarcasm radiating from his voice. “Thought I must’ve missed something, but I guess I got it straight.” The five of you sat in silence for a few moments, the gentle lapping of the lake the only sound. “So what do we do next?” Eddie asked, startling everyone.

“You mean, you believe us?” asked Mike, incredulous.

“Look, man, I just watched Chrissy Cunningham float up to my ceiling and be broken like a rag doll,” Eddie said, his face losing whatever color it had left. “You’re offering me an explanation, and the only other one I can think of is that I’ve gone batshit fucking crazy, so.” He swallowed. “TV and monsters it is.”

The amber light from your flashlights reflected off of Eddie’s eyes, which were glassy with exhaustion, fear, and grief.

“Oh, shit,” mumbled Steve, glancing at his watch. “It’s five past nine. Mike, we have to get you home so you can catch your flight in the morning.” Mike and Dustin cursed under their breaths, slowly standing and dusting themselves off. “I’ve got to drop Mike off first, but you’re at Robin’s tonight, right?” Steve asked you, making his way toward the door.

“You’re just going to leave me here?” asked Eddie, a slight tremor in his voice. “After everything?” The boys looked uncomfortable; clearly, they had been planning on doing exactly that. But as you looked at Eddie—at the tear tracks streaking the grime on his face, the way his knuckles still shone white as he gripped his knees—you knew you couldn’t leave him.

“I’ll stay here, Steve,” you said softly, causing Eddie to look at you in surprise and Steve to raise an eyebrow. “I can answer any more questions Eddie has,” you added hurriedly, and Steve nodded acquiescence.

“We’ll bring you guys some food in the morning. Just—lay low, okay?” You nodded, and with that, the boathouse door closed behind them, leaving you and Eddie alone in the near-darkness.

A moment later, you heard the rumble of the BMW’s engine, and the crunch of tires on gravel as Steve and the others drove away. You shifted uncomfortably on the wooden floor, not knowing what to say. An eternity could have passed, and you wouldn’t have known it, the boathouse was so still and quiet.

Finally, Eddie looked up at you, the pained, ironic ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

“So,” he said, his voice still scratchy. “How on earth did you manage to fall into a TV show?”

You gave a nervous laugh, wiping your nose on your sleeve.

“I have no idea,” you admitted, wringing your hands. “I just fell asleep on my couch one night, and…woke up here, in the woods.” Eddie shook his head, bemused.

“That’s fucking crazy. You know that’s fucking crazy, right?” he asked with a bitter laugh.

“Believe me, I know,” you said, smiling sadly. “It’s nuts, but it happened. So, I figured I should make the best of it. Try to—to save people,” you said, your shoulders slumping. “Bang-up job, I guess.”

“Hey,” Eddie said, scooting closer to you. “At least you’re trying. If it were me, I would’ve started running from this shithole and never stopped. I might be a lot of things, but I am no hero.” Your stomach tightened, remembering another time when he said—would say—those words.

“Maybe I should have,” you said, feeling a hot tear fall from your eye. “Maybe it would’ve been better if I’d left well enough alone.” You sniffled. “Remember when I had that nightmare, the night I stayed at your trailer?” you asked, and Eddie nodded. “I dreamed that…that Vecna was talking to me. He said that I wouldn’t be able to change anything, that I couldn’t keep anyone safe, no matter what I knew.” A wild laugh escaped your lips as you stared at the man in front of you, looking just as scared and confused as you felt. “That’s why I’ve been avoiding you the past few weeks—I wanted to keep you out of all this. Keep you safe.” You wiped your nose. “Fucked that up too, huh?”

“That’s—that’s why you’ve been avoiding me?” Eddie asked, his voice incredulous. “To protect me?”

You nodded, burying your face in your hands. “If the stupid boombox had worked, you would’ve been annoyed at Mike and Dustin for interrupting your deal, but nothing else. Chrissy would still be here, and you’d be safe. You’d never have had to know.” You held back a sob, though the lump in your throat was becoming painful. “I knew I couldn’t be around you anymore after that night in your trailer,” you said, looking up at him with a sad smile.

“Why?” he asked softly, looking genuinely puzzled. “Did I—did I scare you?”

“No!” you said quickly, shaking your head so hard it hurt. “No, it was wonderful. But I’m in the middle of all this, just by my presence here,” you said, wishing it weren’t true. “Spending time with me would’ve only put you in more danger.”

“But Dustin, Mike, and Lucas are involved, too,” Eddie said, still confused. “They still came to Hellfire, every week, like always. How would spending time with you have been any more dangerous?”

Your bitter, watery laugh filled the boathouse. God in heaven, this was not like any of the fanfics you had read.

“Because they’re your best friends, Eddie,” you said, looking him straight in the eyes. “And after that night in your trailer, I knew I couldn’t—” You took a shaky breath, gathering your courage. “I knew I couldn’t be just friends with you.”

Utter shock covered Eddie’s face as he tried to take in your words. Fearing you had made everything worse, you rushed to explain yourself.

“I’m sorry, it wasn’t fair to spring that on you,” you said, talking too quickly. “I just, through the TV show I feel like I’ve known you for so long, and I completely fell in love with your character the moment you were introduced, but then I met you, and you were so much…so much more, so much kinder, and considerate, and handsome, and—”

The feel of Eddie’s lips on your own cut you off.

You were so stunned that at first, you didn’t respond, frozen in shock at his actions. He quickly pulled away, scanning your face with a worried expression.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking crestfallen. “I shouldn’t have—”

This time it was your lips that stopped his words, chasing away any remaining shred of doubt. His strong arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to him as you buried your hands in his dark curls. The kiss was frantic, needy, each of you seeking reassurance that the other was there, alive and well, ready to face the horrors outside as one.

Your bodies sought each other out, and your skin began to tingle as you pressed yourself against him. Gradually, the kiss became slower, gentler; waves of warmth cascaded through your body as Eddie deepened the kiss, cupping the back of your head with his large, calloused hand.

Finally, you broke apart, foreheads resting against one another. Eddie reached up for your face, his thumb wiping away the remnants of your tears with a feather-light touch.

“I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I saw you, Siren,” he whispered, a small, shy smile playing across his lips.

You smiled back, though a gnawing worry was making itself known through the utter relief of kissing Eddie.

“But what if I’ve brought you into dangerous waters?” you asked quietly, remembering the earlier events of the evening, and those that were yet to come.

He took your hand in his and brought it to his lips, his eyes never leaving yours.

“Then it’s a good thing we have a boat.” He pulled you to your feet before reaching to pull the tarp off of the canoe, revealing a small but surprisingly clean vessel. Climbing carefully into the center of the craft, Eddie knelt before offering you his hand, which you gladly took. After a few moments of shuffling, you managed to find a comfortable sleeping position in the boat.

Eddie lay on his back down the length of the canoe, his head resting on some spare coils of rope in the bow. You lay curled next to him, your head on his chest, where you could hear the steady beat of his heart—even if it was elevated from nerves and the events of the night. He wrapped one arm around you, steadying you from the gentle rocking of the boat, and pulled the tarp over both of you with the other until you were cocooned in blue plastic.

The two of you lay there through the night, fending off the nightmarish events of the evening with gentle caresses, tender kisses, and the solidity of each other’s presence. Though you had walked through hell—and still had plenty more to go—you felt immeasurably stronger, immeasurably braver, knowing you had Eddie by your side.

#eddie x fem!reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson #eddie munson/you #eddie munson/reader #stranger things 4 #stranger things x reader #stranger things x you #stranger things imagine #stranger things fic #sfw fic #sfw #lucy's there and back again

[walkingsaladshooter]

Spotify shuffle tag

Thank you @grimmpages!

As always, feel free to play if you want to!

First ten songs that come up when I shuffle my liked songs on Spotify:

Lost Boys - Paper Bird

Teeth White - The Staves

Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Breakfast With Lou - Jesse Jo Stark

Swim Until You Can’t See Land - Frightened Rabbit

Say It, Just Say It - The Mowgli’s

Long & Lost - Florence + the Machine

Something That You Said - The Bangles

Square 9 - Frightened Rabbit

Lakehouse - Of Monsters and Men

[mkstrigidae]

I wish you would write a fic where we see a slice of life of your sassy Targ siblings in the APWH verse

ASDSAFHLAK HOW DID I FORGET TO ANSWER THIS

Friend, I can promise you, there is a trip to the stark family lakehouse coming within the next few chapters that will have SO much sassy targ sibling bullshit. This is definitely one that would be fun to write though- maybe I'll do a separate little Targaryen family holiday piece where we get to see house targ dysfunction junction at full steam. Aerys is the angry grandpa who everyone rolls their eyes at and Viserys is just a complete asshole and hot mess with a trust fund. He's probably like, a crypto NFT bro. Or something. Rhaella divorced aerys years ago and is living her best life somewhere else, Dany is always arguing politics with everybody, and Rhaegar is moping because his kids ditched him to go hang out at the beach near dragonstone. Everyone has white hair and Rhae always jokes that family reunions look like an AARP convention. They're an absolute disaster. I love them.

Send me an anonymous ask completing the sentence “I wish you would write a fic where…”

#ask memes #just apwh things