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#t: cap america
awnterslder · 2 years
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okay okay last ooc post for a while because i wanna write but y’know what i can’t get out of my head ?? bucky dreaming about the universe where he’s buckycap and waking up with that insane amount of stress and pressure of everything the shield stands for and the standards held weighing down on his chest :/ 
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brittany4sure · 2 years
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ryfionline · 2 years
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Trying
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Warnings: allusions to fertility issues, unwanted touching, and other possible dark elements. Proceed with caution.
Note: I got carried away with Blind Offer but here is another Corrupt a Wish! Ft. our boys Steve and Ransom!
Please leave some feedback so I know you want me to do more of the wishes I got. Otherwise, I find it hard to keep my motivation.
Wish Corrupted: I wish Ransom would be a simp for me despite the fact that I’m Steve’s girl 😏 by @stargazingfangirl18
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“He’s in his office, writing again,” you keep on hand on the door as you speak to the man on your stoop. “Something about a book deal…”
You grin and Ransom’s cheek dimples. Nothing more. Sometimes it feels like he only tolerates you because you're attached to Steve. You try to give them their space, to stay out of the way. You’d hate to spoil this for your husband.
“Right, so..” Ransom tucks his hands into his russet jacket and looks over his shoulder, “you sending me back out in that?”
“Not at all,” you step back, “come on in.”
He looks back to you with that expression you can’t read. His eyes speak more than his features but they are cryptic. There’s a light behind them you can’t quite place. He steps inside, rivulets on his jacket and a few sparkling droplets caught in his dark hair.
“Can I get you a tea? Coffee?” You offer, balling your hands to keep from wringing them.
He unbuttons his jacket and hangs it from a hook. He smooths his hands over his hair, the rain seeping into the strands. He faces you and tilts his head.
“Got anything stronger?” He asks.
You try not to show your surprise at the request. It’s three in the afternoon. On a Tuesday. Your liquor cabinet is rarely opened even on the weekends. It’s more decorative than practical.
“You like gin, right?” You venture.
His lash flick and he narrows his eyes at you, a ripple in his forehead. He plants a hand on the wall and bends as he thumbs off his wet shoes. He keeps his gaze pointed at you, “you remember?”
“Lucky guess,” you shrug.
“Lucky,” he looks around the entryway, “I’d say so.”
You try not to betray your doubt. It’s hard to tell with him what is meant as a compliment or shade. He speaks in riddles. You almost want to suggest he takes up writing himself. It is in his blood.
“I’ll go see what we got,” you say and spin on your heel.
You’re quick to flee the stolid pressure of his persistent gaze. It’s as if he’s weighing you, judging your worth each time he sets sight on you. It wouldn’t be the first time someone thought you weren’t good enough for Steve. And how could you be? How do you live up to the Captain America?
You go to the cabinet in the dining room and unclasp the door. You peruse the bottle and find a tall bottle of gin. You slip it out over the tops of the other bottle and gently close the cupboard. You bring it to the kitchen and search for a suitable glass among the crystal.
“You got club soda?” Ransom frightens you as you pull down a tumbler.
You turn your head, looking at him from your peripheral. You sidle over to the fridge, “might…”
He crosses the tile as you search and you feel the door shift. As you close it, his hand follows, staying flat to the metal as he peruses the calendar stuck to it with a magnet. The squares are crowded with clusters of your and Steve’s writing. You highly doubt he has any concern for your doctor appointments.
“Busy,” he comments.
“Yep,” you agree as you open the can of soda, “sorry, I don’t have any citrus.”
“It’s fine,” he comes closer as you pour the soda over the gin and the clear mix bubbles to the rim. “Thanks, doll.”
He reaches and slides the glass towards him. For a moment, looming so you can smell the bergamot in his cologne and feel the warmth radiating from his ivory knit. He backs away as he brings the glass to his lips.
“I should go find the old man,” he declares.
“Right,” you move the half-empty can and cap the gin, trying to contain yourself.
You listen to him retreat. His steps are lazy and carry no urgency. You glance over to make sure the kitchen is empty and you lean on the counter.
Doll… only Steve calls you that.
💕
Ransom stays for dinner. It’s not unusual. You don’t even have to ask as two hours pass without a peep from the office. That’s how your husband spends his days lately; burrowed away, writing, grumbling over his laptop, and occasionally calling for help. You smile each time he tells you typewriters were so much simpler.
As you bring out the serving dishes to the table, Ransom chats about some editor’s meeting, Steve looks over as you place the roasted potatoes down, he lets his hand wander to your lower back and smiles up at you. He’s in a better mood than usual.
You touch his shoulder, too shy to kiss him in front of Ransom. You just hate how he’s always watching. The last time to gave your husband a peck on the cheek, it resulted in a snort and a mean joke about PDA.
You go back to the kitchen and grab the pan of drumsticks. You stop as you pass the fridge, staring at your writing, the highlighter over the letters. A few more days… The specialist will be able to figure it out. They have to.
You shrug away that thought and continue into the dining room. You place the last piece of the meal and claim your seat. You sit and wait to take a serving of potatoes until Ransom and Steve get some, then scoop up some grilled asparagus, and a single drumstick.
“Sorry, could I trouble you for another drink?” Ransom asks before you can lift your fork.
“Oh, of course, I forgot,” you push your chair out and grasp the arms as you stand, “Steve?”
“Just water for me.”
You nod and hurry back to the kitchen. Your stomach is roaring with hunger. You pour the rest of the soda in a new glass with the gin. Then you fill a glass with water from the filter on the fridge. You return and give each man their drink.
“Thought you were cutting back,” Steve remarks as Ransom swigs his drink greedily.
Ransom pops his lips and lets out and ‘aah’, “well, I’m only on number two. Usually I’d be at the bottom of the bottle.”
“Fair,” Steve shrugs. He doesn’t drink, even if he did, it doesn’t have any effect for him. You stopped drinking months ago so you could… Well, it hasn’t helped, has it.
“So, first draft when?” Ransom chortles as Steve answers with a growl. “I’m teasing. You’ve made good progress. I mean, the whole world just can’t wait to hear the story of good ole Cap from the man himself… and my grandfather is especially looking forward to it.”
“Mm,” Steve chews, jaw tight with irritation. No, how quickly his good mood flies away. “Deadlines… I am very aware.”
“He’s been working hard,” you offer, “he’s in his office everyday. I think you’re the first guest we’ve had in a few weeks.”
Steve nods but doesn’t comment. Ransom takes another drink. “Must be hard for you,” he remarks, “lonely.”
“I told her to invite Wanda over,” Steve snips, “if she’s lonely, she’s free to solve that problem.”
“Yikes, sorry I said anything,” Ransom cringes, “lighten up, old man.”
“Would you stop calling me that?” Steve huffs, “it’s not funny.”
“Well… you’re what…a hundred or something now? Pretty damn ancient if you ask me–”
“Hugh,” Steve snarls.
Ransom’s grin disappears in an instant. He puts his glass down heavily and leans forward. The men glare at each other. Then suddenly, they’re laughing at each other. You don’t get it. You can’t figure out if they actually like each other or not. It does your head in.
“Mathematically speaking, you’re old, but I’m sure the wife will say you’re spry and youthful in spirit, huh?” Ransom winks in your direction.
Steve sucks back his last laugh and rolls his eyes, “don’t be gross.”
“What? It’s a compliment.”
"It's none of your business," Steve warns.
Ransom laughs again. Steve doesn't and you keep your head down. You can't wait for him to finish this book, hopefully that will be the end of this relationship; professionally and otherwise.
💕
Ransom leans heavily on Steve. The supersoldier shoulders the man with ease as he drsgs him up the stairs. The upstart heir to a bookhouse empire babbles drunkenly.
"So, I get out of this meeting and see my fucker uncle–"
"Language," Steve girds, swiftly ignored as the story continues with similar profanity.
You follow behind, clasping your hands together anxiously. This isn't how you thought the night would end and you know the change in plans will upend Steve. You swallow a dread-filled sigh as your husband angles the houseguest into the spare room.
He as good as tosses Ransom onto the bed. You can tell he's annoyed.
"What were you doing feeding him drink all night?" Steve accuses as he faces you, hands going to his hips. That posture, great, now you're in trouble.
"It was only two," you sputter, "really– you can check the bottle."
Ransom giggles and lets put a belch, "I dropped a few xanny after that idiot uncle of mine got in my face."
"Really?" Steve twists to sneer at the sprawled man. Ransom is so pathetic it's almost impossible to hate him.
"What? Taking the edge off. You should try a few, old man."
"Go to sleep," Steve points at him and turns, marching towards you.
"I'll get some water…" you offer softly.
You precede him out, ready to scurry away from his roiling wrath. He catches your arm as he pulls shut the door. He tugs you back to him, lowering his voice.
"Are you…" he stares at you, his meaning in the angle of his jaw.
"First day," you know he checked the calendar.
"Good," he lets you go and exhales deeply, "I need it."
You nod. He used to be romantic about. Now it's just another chore. Almost mechanical.
"I'll just grab that water and–"
"I'll be waiting," he grits as his throat constricts.
You touch his chest and kiss his lips, "then I'll hurry."
His chest rises and he swallows loudly. He turns away first and you flit away. You know better than to keep him waiting.
You go downstairs and find a fresh glass from the cupboard. You watch the clear water flow into the crystal and balance it carefully to keep it from sloshing over the edges. You come back upstairs and gently tap on the spare room door.
With no answer, you let yourself in, assuming that Ransom's succumbed to his Xanax cocktail.
He's on the bed, just as you left him, eyes closed as he breath subtly under his sweater. You near the night table and set down the water. As you do, you feel a pinch on your ass.
You squeak and recoil. Before you can retract completely, Ransom catches your wrist and yanks you towards the bed. You hold firm, teetering but not succumbing.
"What are you doing?" You touch his thick fingers.
"You're too good for himmmm," he drawls out, "you know that?"
"Ransom--"
"No, it's true. You're so sweet, dolllllll."
"Don't call me that."
He snarls and you're suddenly flung forward with his strength. He pulls you so you collapse onto the bed, against him. You whimper, but not loud enough to be overheard.
"And pretty and..." He caresses your cheek as you turn your face away, squirming as he wraps you up in his other arm, "and perfect. The way you make my dick hurt..."
He rolls his hips and you shove against his shoulder, "get off."
"Shhh, baby, I know you want it too. He doesn't treat you nice. He can't give a baby, but I will--"
You struggle as he grabs your chin and rolls, pinning you to the mattress as he leans over you. Helpless, you writhe, kicking your legs as he smothers you in a sloppy kiss. He tastes like gin.
You bite his lip and he snaps back. You take the opportunity to shove him away and you scramble up off the bed. He reaches for you again but you stay beyond his reach.
"Sleep it off," you hiss and twirl away from him, off kilter as you try not to show how unsettled you are.
You flick the light switch and shut the door, leaning on it as you touch your lips. Hopefully, Steve doesn't taste the gin on you. Not like he really kisses you during anymore.
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fox-guardian · 6 months
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Asking about the stoker swap au, are we likely to see the whole America Thing? If not, will Trevor&Julia and/or Gerry be showing up at some point? Or is it going to be more like canon only this time Danny's there?
i haven't gotten that far in my planning but it'll probably go down smth like this
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[ID: Several images making up a digital comic of Jon and Danny drawn on a brown background. Jon is a short, thin Arab man with dark curly hair pulled into a loose bun, with a mustache and beard. He is wearing half-moon glasses, black stud earrings, a t-shirt, shorts, socks and sneakers, and a sweater hanging off one shoulder. His right hand and the front of his neck are bandaged. Danny is a tall, beefy Latino man with short hair and a cut in his brow and he is wearing small hoop earrings, a button-down with the sleeves rolled up, a sweater-vest, trousers and dress shoes. Both Jon and Danny are riddled with circular scars. Jon is colored purple, and Danny is yellow.
Jon is walking while looking through papers as Danny leans in behind him, grinning.
Danny: (all caps) Heeeey Jon~! Jon: Hello, Danny Danny: Heard you're going to the U.S. Jon: That is correct Danny: And I'M coming with you~ Jon: You CANNOT come with me, Danny. It could be very dangerous and I don't want you to get hurt. (smaller text) or for your brother to kill me (normal text) And besides, the plane tickets and lodging have been booked already Danny, holding up a finger: Firstly, going with a buddy is much safer, and I don't want YOU to get hurt (smaller text) you've been kidnapped twice already Jon, glaring: mmgh Danny: (normal text) And secondly.... (Danny grins) hee hee Jon, anxious: Wh- Danny what have you done? Danny, close up and drawn with more detail and a shadow over his eyes: HEE HEE Jon, offscreen, fearful: DANNY
They are now drawn in less detail and merely headshots.
Danny, holding a hand to his chin, smug: I got my own tickets. And lodging. With you. Sasha helped me find the plane you'd be on and which hotel, so we can stay together for the WHOLE TRIP Jon, one tear falling from his eye, accepting death: (small text) even if I get back in one piece Tim is still going to murder me
end ID]
~~~~
so yeah it'll be Roughly just the same as canon only danny is also there. i want there to be Some difference but idk what it'd be. maybe danny will get jon to burn the whole book of the trapped dead to free everyone in there and then that'll be a whole thing but idk
(also i KNOW that's not how jon's lil world tour happened in canon but idc funny sillies etc)
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nicestgirlonline · 4 months
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Underneath the Tree
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Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader 
Warnings: Lightly smutty! Minors DNI! Angst and romance mostly
Work count: 1.4k 
Summary: Dating Captain America during Christmas time certainly has its cons, but Steve is always there to make it up to you
a/n: ARE YOU EXCITED FOR SOME OOEY GOOEY HOLIDAY FICS??? I'm so excited for you to read this one. My first time writing Cap! Lots of Christmas fluff! Reblogs and comments are so so appreciated! Love you all <3
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There’s a certain amount of Christmas Spirit that is expected from Captain America, that became clear the first year of dating Steve. Tree lighting ceremonies, Christmas parades, children’s hospital visits, charity galas, Christmas parties all across the country. 
Christmas had become a marathon month where you saw less of your boyfriend in person and more of him in glossy PR images. You couldn’t go with him given your full time job. Everybody got a piece of your boyfriend but you. This year you were hoping it would be different, but here you were. decorating the tree by yourself. Partially out of an empty boredom and partially from loneliness that comes this time of year. 
It was nearly midnight when you heard the lock of your apartment click, followed by the clattering chaos of Steve coming in. You could tell he was trying to be quiet, fighting against the noise from entering his bag of presents as well as his shield. 
“Oh, you uh, you already got the tree decorated?” Steve asked, clearly disappointed. You had resisted decorating it for nearly a month. Steve and Bucky chopped down real trees after thanksgiving and it filled the apartment with a wonderful pine scent. You two put the lights on right away, bright multi-colored bulbs that made the room glow yellow, red and blue. But putting up the ornaments was something Steve had wanted to do together. Unfortunately, you didn’t get to be together much during the Christmas season. 
So it stood tall and empty in your living room. A gloomy reminder of your lonesomeness most nights. He had promised you two would decorate it before Christmas, but that deadline was fast approaching. 
He had lifted the huge sack of presents over his shoulder. You wanted to laugh seeing him in his Captain America get up, with a Santa hat and presents over his shoulder. He looked adorable but exhausted.  He placed the gifts under the tree and took off his helmet. He ran his hand through his messy helmet hair then turned to you to give you a kiss. 
“Well, it's going to be Christmas in eight minutes. So I figured I had to at least get started.” You said dryly. He sent you a sad smile. 
“Thank you for saving the popcorn at least. It’s the best part of the tree.” He picked up the popcorn garland that he insisted on each year. A throwback to the old-fashioned decorations he loved. He had lost the argument about tinsel but popcorn garland was a mainstay. 
“You should get some sleep Sweetie. You’ve got the ABC Special tomorrow.” Even with the smile on his face, you could see how tired his eyes were. There were dark bags expertly hidden under some TV make-up. He scoffed. 
“What are you talking about? We’ve got to get this place decorated. I promised before Christmas.” He said already starting to get the garland strung up. “Any of the ornaments left? There’s room up at the top of the tree!” 
You smiled at him. Your frustrations and resentment twisted in your stomach. It was nice that he was trying. 
“I saved you the cutest one.” You handed him his personal favorite. Winter Fighter, a bootleg Bucky figure with both arms painted silver and no eyes. It made Steve laugh hysterically when he first saw it. You started to collect them, until you had a tree with nearly only ugly, knock-off Avengers merch. The red and yellow Mcdonald’s looking Metal Hero, Nordic Space Hero who had brushable blonde hair, the twisted plastic face and bulging eyes from the Commander USA ornament.
He hung the remaining ornaments with care. You really didn’t know how he still had the energy. 
“I love Christmas. I always have. For a long time I didn’t really celebrate it because I didn’t have anyone to celebrate it with. So I'd filled my calendar with all of this - stuff.  All of December I would get to see so many people and make their Christmas’s special. ” 
“Except I haven’t really been here this year, have I?” 
You shrugged, you didn’t want to fight but you didn’t want to lie either. 
“I’ve seen like thirty Christmas tree lightings this month. But this is the only one that has actually made me feel anything.” 
“Because it's so ugly and cheap?” You joked, lightly elbowing him. He doesn’t laugh, instead he grabbed your arm and brought you into him. He moved his hands to your waist. 
“Because it's ours. I hate that I’ve been away from you so much. I keep celebrating Christmas with everyone except the one person I love most.” His voice broke slightly. You could hear his sorrow. You hugged him
The two of you embraced, you felt tender and vulnerable as you swayed in the soft light of the tree. 
“This is all I wanted this year, just to be with you.” you whispered to him. He squeezed you tighter, you snuggled into his warm chest. 
“Well, I guess there’s still time to return all these...” He sighed, gesturing with his head to the gifts overflowing under the tree.
“Hey!” You grabbed his chin as he chuckled at your indignation. “Let’s not get crazy here. You still have some things to make up for.”  You kissed him again. He tilted his head and parted your lips with his tongue. He gently cupped the back of your head, his other hand going to your hip bringing you tightly against his body.  He pulled his lips away, to lean down and scoop you up in his arms.  You let out a squeal as he swept you up in his arms, placing your arms around his neck.  He brought his lips back to yours as he started to carefully make his way towards the bedroom. 
“Wait, wait!” You cried out. Steve stopped in his tracks, his head tilted to the side. 
“I thought we were making up for lost time?” 
“It’s just…the tree finally looks so good.” You said sheepishly, biting at your bottom lip. “It’s kind of romantic, don’t you think?”
Steve beamed. He bent down to nuzzle his nose against yours. 
“Yeah Sweetheart, I think it looks great.” He spun around to place you down on the couch instead. He crawled over you, warmth radiating off of him as he boxed you into place. His lips met yours again, slowly moving against yours. His tongue teasing against your lips, asking for entrance. You wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders, hugging him closer, you’d missed him so much. You clung to him, hitching one of your legs over his, both of your lips dancing together. 
You reveled in being surrounded by Steve for the first time in weeks. You basked in every part of him. The smell of his cologne, a cedar wood and musk, the sound of his breath hitching as you lift your hips to reach his, the roughness of his calloused hands and the gentleness of his lips. 
“I love you,” he breathed. 
You gazed into his blue eyes, filled with warmth and affection. His beautiful face was illuminated by the twinkling lights of the tree. 
“I love you too Steve.” Glancing at the clock, you could see it was past midnight now. “Merry Christmas.”  He glanced over his shoulder at the clock then back down at you. You could tell what was weighing on his mind. He was the Star - Spangled Christmas Man, he had places to be in about six hours. He cracked his neck then eased back down on to his forearms over you. 
“You know, I think I’m starting to feel a little sick.” You cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Excuse me?”  He let out a few performative coughs before burying his head in your neck. He started to slowly press kiss down to the base of your throat. 
“I think I’m far too sick to even think about going out tomorrow. In fact, I think we are going to have to cancel all of my engagements, until the new year.”  He continued his kissing down from your throat to your clavicle.  
“Hmm well if it's that serious sweetheart, maybe you should just stay in bed all day tomorrow.” You suggested. You let out a happy sigh as his lips continued down to your chest. He snaked one hand down your legs, cupping your pussy and snapping your panties off. 
You tangled your fingers in his blonde hair and you started to push his head further south, which he quickly obliged. 
You knew you couldn't have your boyfriend all to yourself all of the time. But you’ve been very good this year, and you deserved it.
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hitlikehammers · 1 month
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just the facts
rating: t ♥️ cw: Lady Applejack's enduring awesomeness ♥️ tags: established relationship, rockstar!eddie, teacher!steve, rockstar husbands, steddie in their 20s, erica sinclair, steve and eddie stay local until the entire party is safely graduated, slice of life, softness, canon fact: erica coins term 'dumpster fire' for the ages, SCOOPS TROOP FOR LIFE 🍦🍨
for @steddielovemonth day fifteen: Love is Co-Parenting (@shares-a-vest)
still the boys who grow into the husbands in je ne regrette rien but let’s roll back to the early 90s ♥️
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“So, Stanford?”
She raises a brow around the straw in her mouth when Steve speaks and god: she’s grown up so fucking much, but that look, when Eddie glances back to the table as he listens in to their conversation: that look’s the first time he encountered the formidable half-elf a fucking lifetime ago when he was an asshole and she schooled him from the start—he should have been better prepared for the emotional whirlwind to come, at least, from there; or if nothing else, more mindful of the foreshadowing.
And he thought himself some masterful storyteller, Jesus fuck: he was both cocky and naive.
“When I go to law school it’s gonna be on the east coast, so,” she slurps noisily, unbothered, around the ice in the glass; “cover both bases.”
“Take the country by storm,” Steve nods with that warm grin that melts liquid in Eddie’s chest, every time, every day, never stopping: “very you.”
“Can’t run until I’m 35 which,” Erica shrugs, but then she flips her hair and shoots that grin that holds all the fucking secrets: “America without Erica is a travesty,” she’s got her thumb and forefinger pinched as she emphasizes the syllables hard, then snorts so derisively she might as well be the originator of the term; maybe, like, in a past life or something.
“I could run right this minute and do better than what’s there now,” she rolls her eyes and snaps her wrist decisively before stating, y’know, the obvious:
“Just the facts.”
Eddie catches Steve’s lips curl down, brow furrow as he words something out and he’s so fucking gorgeous, he’s so goddamn precious, and Eddie’s heart just kinda flip-flops around to watch him like this, relaxed and soft and happy and proud and a little bit piqued by the innocuous, and they all worked damn hard to get here, but, like.
Here is incredible.
“He just got into office in January,” Steve points out, and Eddie grins as he gathers their orders and arranges on the tray for balance, loves how he wasn’t even worried for what his partner was mulling over with the crinkle in his brow, didn’t even pause to think it was something bad and that’s such a…a new normal and Eddie wants to leap into the air and whoop for the joy of it, but: kinda got his hands full.
Maybe later.
“Plenty of time to impress me, and fail to,” Erica’s scoffing in reply before she huffs: “considering the dumpster fires that preceded him.”
“The what fires?” Steve asks, eyes so big, so fucking pretty.
“I said what I said,” Erica leans back in her chair, crossing her arms and…it’s so comfortable. It’s so innocent, the whole scene, the three of them here, and Eddie loves this, he loves them, he’s just…
It’s a life he never imagined, y’know? It’s a reality he didn’t even factor in when spinning the wheel of possibility in his head, and yes, okay, they went through hell for it, he almost died for it, but he found a family in it; he found the love of his life in it—on balance there’s no fucking question as to where he landed so far toward the good that ‘good’ seems kinda insultingly inadequate as a descriptor at all.
He needs to think up a better word, for sure.
“M’lady,” Eddie bows as he unloads the tray when he gets back to the table, presenting Erica’s five-scoop tower of ice cream with a flourish: “many effusive congratulations to you,” he settles the bowl in front of her and leans to drum his fingers on the cap with the floofy tassel they’d badgered her to bring for photos; “on to new adventures far afoot,” Eddie continues, unloading Steve’s banana split—a true treat more for Eddie to watch him eat than for Steve to taste himself, because fucking hell—and then his own hot-fudge sundae with whipped cream topped higher than the fucking glass, before he plops down next to Steve, the pair of them side-by-side across from Erica in the booth as he grins at her, because shit: he’s fucking proud, too:
“The denizens of Palo Alto will stand in awe of your grandeur,” he gestures with extra grandiosity with his spoon before he grabs the cherry, glances around for safety before offering it straight to Steve’s mouth, pulling the stem out teasingly when Steve bites and hiding the full stretch of his smile behind a big shovel-full of chocolatey-flakes on the whip.
And he and Steve are quiet, but don’t really dive in because they’re watching, waiting: Erica rolls her eyes at their antics, even if they were subtle, and goes for a bite herself, and okay, moment of truth—
Her eyes speak for her again, then, but to get very, very big as she stills, then slowly takes the spoon from her mouth and pins them with a stare:
“This is,” her mouth works around a whole lot of silence as she stares at her perfect quintuple-scoop array, because it’s all one flavor. And it’s all a flavor she mostly ragged on for being annoyingly on-brand that first summer, Eddie’s heard the stories, but still asked for extra samples of it every goddamn time, to when he and Steve had both been talked more than once to drive out to the nearest location and ‘fulfill the contract’ sworn that fateful July, a task that got more difficult every year as the chain thinned its numbers, until there weren’t any on this side of the state, then none on this side of the border, then just: none in the Midwest, period, and Erica?
She could try to hide it all she wanted, but she was sad. Because that girl had a favorite. And this, here?
Fucking U.S.S. Butterscotch? Hell yeah, it is.
“Called in a favor,” which Steve probably means to sound like he leveraged Eddie’s currently less-than-moderate celebrity or something, but what actually means he charmed the minimum wage high schooler in Portland, because Scoops Ahoy was out West now, and only had about 10 locations left—but he’d convinced the kid to let him buy a whole gallon, paid a premium for cold storage shipping, and then bribed the owner here with ample documentation of proper product preservation and transfer prior to sale, plus a couple crisp Benjamins, to convince the guy to sell it for one day, only to Steve and his guests—given it was a licensed product the parlor wasn’t a retailer for. The favor was the real power behind what passed for the Harrington charm for all those years and it was simply genuine and full-bodied Steve: charming, god yes, charming as fuck but good and kind and earnest and determined, pushy and snarky but more often wielded for the benefit of others than for himself—not to mention persuasive with those puppy-dog eyes.
Because, like, fuck: all these years and Eddie’s still weak for those goddamn eyes.
He lets himself stare at Steve and just, take him in for a little while until Steve feels his gaze—doesn’t take long, they’re aware of each other as a default mods—and lifts those impossible eyes for Eddie to drown in and feel warm inside his veins when they light up for the smile Steve flashes his way.
Fuck, but Eddie loves him.
“When are you coming to visit, then?” Erica breaks the spell; licks her spoon clean before aiming it at them pointedly. They glance at each other—she kinda means the world to them, they’ve grown close with her especially once all the other kids skedaddled, and Eddie thinks he’s not…he’s not surprised, and he thinks he knew she’d want them to visit. He thinks Steve knew that, too.
But he knows, like he knows his own heartbeat and Steve’s even better: Eddie knows Steve feels just as warm and touched and like, fucking moved a little by how she treats it like a given.
“When do you want us there?” Steve asks and yeah, he’s smooth about it, composed and shit, but Eddie knows his voice inside-out and backward. He can hear the emotion stayed back underneath.
“When are you planning to move?”
They don’t even really pause at the way she knows without them saying; she’s the only person who hasn’t outright suggested they get the fuck out of Hawkins, finally. Kinda like they never had to say they were staying until all of their family was accounted for and on their way in the world, safe and sound and whole.
“Nothing’s in stone, yet,” Steve offers, poking Eddie’s foot under the table.
“But you’re looking,” Erica, again, already knows; doesn’t pose it as a question.
“Yeah,” Eddie smiles down at his sundae, and links his hand with Steve between them on the seat; “we’re thinking Chi-town,” because that’s been the front-runner for a while, now, of the cities they’ve considered. Because it doesn’t even have to be forever, they don’t have to commit to a place and never leave—because the only forever-thing in all of this, in anything, is them. Just Steve and Eddie, them two: together.
Wherever they end up.
“Mmm,” Erica considers before scooping another spoon of mostly-butterscotch swirl: “I can see that.”
“You can, can you?” Steve volleys with a smirk, and she lets him goad her into laying out how she knows them, how she sees them, because…it’s maybe strange but then maybe not but it’s always felt special, with her. Maybe because she’s grown up more than any of them, for Steve and Eddie to watch. Maybe because she’s so goddamn smart, that her observations come out near-unchallengable.
Maybe because they both know she loves them, and she knows they love her, and it’s never been…awkward, like it had been in spots with the shitheads over time. It was just understood.
“Big but not huge,” Erica ticks off the reasons for her assessment; “music scene’s decent,” she nods to Eddie, who nods back gracious; “good schools,” she leans to Steve, and yep, that was a huge factor, whether Steve could love his job; “liberal…ish,” she eyes them, and how close they sit, meaningfully before tacking on: “familiar weather.”
Steve huffs a little laugh and Eddie just beams at her: not a single thing wrong there. She’s got them dead to rights, and he kinda loves that about her; so much.
“Semester ends first week of December,” she focuses back on her bowl and speaks with authority, like whatever she’s proposing isn’t a suggestion, just a notice: “if you guys are still here,” she shakes the full spoon in her hand and raises an eyebrow: “I expect ice cream.”
Steve just nods as she pops the spoonful in her mouth whole-on.
“Scoops Troop for life,” he agrees and Eddie perks, always ready when that label pops up.
“Plus honorary trooper,” he chimes in, and Erika grins around her spoon a little as Steve leans close and can’t kiss him here, but Eddie knows well what it means to feel Steve’s breath against the line of his neck like he’s jest stretching past him, like it could be innocent as Steve murmurs low—
“Always.”
And can feel the heat rise in his cheeks, and the flutter in his chest, because…because he’s in love, goddamnit, and it’s been one of the most incredible surprises to learn that he can love so big, and get love so big back in kind, that the feeling never fades, he can always feel weightless and boneless and overwhelmed in the best of ways for just this man near to him, just the pitch of his voice and the promise of his breath on Eddie’s skin.
“You’re cute,” Erika says, the judgement in her tone tempered low as her lips still quirk; “and this is delicious,” she points her spoon again at the remaining ice cream and the tiny puddle it’s melting between the remaining scoops. “So I’ll allow it,” she nods to their pressed-together shoulders and goes back to eating, but never loses the tiny grin and he and Steve both know how much that means, from her.
“But if you’re already there,” she continues when she starts collecting the saucer bits at the base of the bowl: “Chicago’s a decent layover spot, probably,” she shrugs; “but still, here or there,” and she pauses with intention before narrowing her eyes with intention:
“Ice cream.”
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tag list (comment to be added): @pearynice @hbyrde36 @slashify @finntheehumaneater @wxrmland @dreamwatch @perseus-notjackson
♥️
divider credit here
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skeelly · 3 months
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"when im fat and old and my kids think im a joke"
"who cares if im pretty if i fail my finals??"
"who's your daddy?" (IYKYK ;))
"im tired and it's winter"
"i wish i could block me out"
"wanna die"
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hi!! welcome. i suggest putting a seatbelt on and i will pay for your therapy, dont worry. :)
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☘ "hi, it's me. im the problem it's me.": im kristen! you can call me kristen or kris. minor (im 14 if you really wanna know). she/her. intp-t. ambivert. 🇵🇭. reader (sort of). notes app writer (sometimes). i could not care less about my dumb typos so deal with it. i suck at math. biiiiiggg ophelia wilde fan. delulu swiftie no.9273737277. rodrigoxpartidge's biggest supporter. claire rosinkranz is the reason for my existence. gracie abrams ily. "how long can we be a sad song?". im married to grayson hawthorne. mirrorball//tolerate it girlie 4 life. stromboli fan until the day i die. nick girlie by heart. pjo stan at this point. harry potter simp. hermione granger is my mother. sherlock and enola holmes stan. "no body, no crime". haylor (sorry not sorry). one direction is my life. FREE PALESTINE. kenji, my spirit animal. jude is so ughhhhh perfect. javery shipper cause jameson for avery, grayson for me :3. massive k!nye west hater so if you like him, please leave. but i love rap. certified professional procrastinator. capricorn (not a believer in those things though). i love reading poetry. correct grammar = non existent. i can (technically) fluently speak 3 languages. i can speak (basic, not much) about 5 languages?. piano enthusiast. very big sport girly (football *soccer. america football can kiss my toes. that sport sucks*, f1, volleyball, badminton, basketball, tennis and hockey fan). walker scobell is perfect and i love him. c²>>>>. sharl leclerc. max the axe. oscar paistry. ankara messi. sewy. leah is my bestie. dior is the best artist no cap. pookie nation frfr. charlie's luke is best luke. andrew is underrated. olivea is jusssttt.
☘ rappers i like//listen to: eminem, lil skies, ysbtril (does he count?), nicki minaj, doja cat (:3), cardi b (rarely), dominic fike (does he count? yk, melodic rap). tbh idk who else lol.
☘ all around favorite artists: taylor swift, olivia rodrigo, claire rosinkranz, gracie abrams, the weeknd, doja cat, lil skies, ysbtril, selena gomez (?), harry styles, niall horan, louis tomlinson, zayn, liam payne, one direction, clairo, conan gray, lana del rey, one republic, why don't we, the neighborhood, billie elish, ariana grande, abba, michael jackson.
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☘ navigation?:
rambles: #kristenstedtalk
anything i don't proof read: #i didn't proof read this lmao
grayson hawthorne: #loml
cringe posts that idk why i posted: #/j or #post to delete?
asks: #askaroo or #ty for answering <3
sturniolo triplets: #stombolis
☘ follower count (as of march 20): 313 (im actually not sure lol)
☘ DNI: racists, homophobes, sexists and anyone that's ok with any form of discrimination
✼  ҉  ✼  ҉  ✼   ҉  ✼  ҉  ✼   ҉  ✼  ҉  ✼
☘ safe space for: everyone lol
☘ my other accounts: @crysten my writing and other stuff @skeellymellows book rants (AAAH I CANT TAG)
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☘ books/movies/series: harry potter, pjo, aggtm, tig, sherlock/enola holmes, little women, black beauty, tsitp, better than the movies. hp, pjo, enola holmes, tsitp, gilmore girls, gossip girl, mean girls, legally blonde, little women, hunger games (haven't read the books), marvel (barely lol), secretariat (my favorite :>>). tbh idk what else lol
☘ my people:
@gergthecat (scouty) #evil batman sourdough guy #bread man #george
@stvrgirl111//@stvrlighhttt (mare) #maree
@mqstermindswift (quason) #nickyy
@urbanflorals (em) #walkers wife
@nqds (NADS) #nads! or was it #NADS! ??
@reminiscentreader (JAS) #theworldneedsmorepeoplelikejas
@sophiesonlinediary (fifi) #fifi <3
@myster3y (kiaraah) #kiaraah
@regisdvmb(reggggg) ✶ @coco6420 (cocoo) ✶ @eddiethebanished (finn :)) ✶ @themidnightarcher ✶ @starchasers-stuff ✶ @what-about-wendy (wendy <3) ✶ @lucinda-008 ✶ @foaming-sea ✶ @lonelycatsblog ✶ @good-old-fashioned-lover ✶ @my-mind-is-frozen ✶ @dandelions-fly-in-summer-skies ✶ @baboland ✶ @blocked-zombieartist ✶ @sturn-wrld ✶ @swiftieannah ✶ @weeping-in-the-willows ✶ @s1xseasonsandamov1e ✶ @the-red-archer ✶ @svnflowermoon ✶ @helpimhopelesslyinlove ✶ @doyoujustnotwantto ✶ @atwtmvftvtvsgavralpsss ✶ @oh-whale13 ✶ @bonesofnixie ✶ @art-of-fools (stephanieee) ✶ @percabeths-blue-cookies ✶ @imthatweirdratinthecorner (a rat <3) ✶ @letmeseeallthefrogsinthecity ✶ @that-multi-fandom-hijabi (novaaa) ✶ @rachellelizabethhdare ✶ @sluttypoetsdepartment ✶
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general-sleepy · 10 months
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Just plain babbling about shorthand
Since reading Dracula might be the first time or one of the first times that people have heard about shorthand, I thought I'd take this thin excuse to infodump. Because I find it fascinating and want to share. (Warning ahead of time, watch out for how many darn times I say "for example" in this post).
For some background, shorthand systems of writing have existed for millennia, but in the English-speaking world, the two most common and well-established systems of shorthand are Pitman and Gregg. Odds are that the Harkers are writing in Pitman. It's the older system (created in 1837) and is to this day more common in England and the Commonwealth. Gregg is more common in America and was introduced in 1888, either only a few years after or a few years before Dracula takes place. There were also numerous other less popular systems floating around at the time.
Pitman and Gregg and most other shorthand systems are phonetic. (Teeline is a more modern shorthand system based on a simplified alphabet, which is also quite popular). Simply put, each sound is reduced to one stroke of the pen. In Gregg, for example, the sound "k" (which includes the letter "c) is a medium-sized forward arch, "a" is a large circle, and "ch" is a short, downward diagonal line. So, instead of writing "catch" you just combine the symbols for "k-a-ch." Instead of "become" you just write "b-k-m." (These "words" are known as outlines).
Some shapes represent multiple sounds. For example, a small circle stands for the vowels in "bit," "bet," and "beet." A large circle stands for the vowels in "cap" and "cape." This might sound like it would be confusing rather than simplifying, but it's generally clear from the context.
There are a bunch of other means which allow you to write more quickly. Common words are further shorted into "brief forms." For example, "the" is represented by "th," "after" by "a-f," and "were" by "e-r." Some common endings or beginnings are also abbreviated, so that "sh" at the end of a word can stand in for "-tion" and "f" can mean "for-" or "fore-" at the beginning of a word. Thus, "Permission" is "p-r-m-sh" and "forgive" is "f-g-v." Common phrases can be combined into a single outlines. For example, for "to be" you can write "t-b" instead of "t-u[space]b." "I have not been able" can be "a-v-n-b-a." (The large circle "a" is the brief form for the word "I" in one of the rare quirks of Gregg that isn't basically intuitive).
Pitman Shorthand is very similar to Gregg (or, more accurately, Gregg is similar to Pitman). Other than using different symbols (for example, in Pitman "k" is a short forward line) Pitman differs from Gregg mostly by its use of the thickness of strokes to differentiate sounds. For example, "g" is also a short forward line, with the only difference being that the line for "g" is drawn thicker than "k."
I learned shorthand absolutely because of Dracula, though for convenience I learned Gregg. As of right now, I'm pretty out-of-practice, and honestly I was never particularly fast. (At my best, I probably was on average as fast writing shorthand as cursive longhand; I think faster than printing, though).
If you're at all interested, I really recommend learning some form of shorthand. It's useful in note-taking or when you don't want people to be able to read your writing (if, you know, you're kidnapped by a vampire or trying to write fanfic at work). It's also just a fun hobby and a nifty skill to be able to say you have.
In my opinion, if you want to learn shorthand, Gregg Simplified is a solid option, because the materials are accessible and the system is a good middle-ground between easiness to learn and quickness to write. I taught myself just following along with the Gregg Shorthand Manual Simplified. The book is broken up into 67 short "lessons." I did one or two lessons a week, maybe a few hours of work, and I was "fluent" in less than a year. I also bought a Gregg Simplified Dictionary, but all you need is the Manual.
(Note that the manual is written both assuming you're probably some kind a secretary and in the fifties. So, you'll learn brief forms for super-useful phrases like "dear sir" or "remit." For practice, they have you read and copy these sample letters in shorthand, and it's almost hilarious how almost all the letters to men are about business matters and the letters to women are advertising sales. There is one spectacular letter that's a man writing to a newspaper to cancel his subscription, because he's moved into a house in the suburbs with another man who gets the same paper. I'm legit tempted to go through the manual again just to find that letter.)
Fun fact! The fastest shorthand stenographer ever recorded wrote faster than the fastest typist.
Also fun fact! It's not uncommon for individual people to invent their own brief forms based on words that they use commonly. So, Jonathan might have been writing "c-a-r-p" (or the Pitman equivalent) for "Carpathian" or Mina writing "t-b" for "Whitby" or both of them writing "v-a-m" for vampire. And I'll bet credits to navy beans they had specific brief forms for their favorite trains.
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rhoorl · 7 months
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Delta Landscaping | Chapter 3: Watch the Show
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Series Summary: In this AU, the boys of Delta Force start a new business post-Colombia. 
Rating: Explicit (18+) - putting this here as a blanket rating even though it doesn't apply to all chapters
Word Count: 4.4k
Series Masterlist
Chapter Summary: Connor and the boys fix Lucille’s fence giving the Neighborhood Watch its first opportunity for an in-person thirst fest. 
A/N: Thank you again for all of the love on the first two chapters. I am having a lot of fun writing this and interacting with you!
BMW Group Chat
Will: Hey. Benny said that Connor wanted to come over and help with Ms. Lucille’s fence. 
Megan: Yeah - you guys good with that?
Will: Affirmative. Wheels up is 0800 if he wants in on the Home Depot run.
Benny: Cool it Captain America. 🙄 Megan does 8 a.m. work tomorrow for him?
Megan: 😂 Yeah I’ll let him know. I think he’s looking forward to it.
Benny: Sweet! We’ll probably use Frankie’s truck but Connor can ride with me if that’s cool with you.
Megan: Yeah sounds good! About what time do you think you’ll start working?
Will: Probably a little after 9, shouldn’t take too long to get the stuff.
Megan: Ok cool.
_____________________
Neighborhood Watch Group Chat
Megan: ⚠️⚠️ Will said the guys should start working on Lucille’s by 9 tomorrow.
David: HELL YES! Who’s bringing what? Ty and I can bring mimosas. 🍾
Olivia: I can go for a donut run in the morning on the way back from soccer with the boys.
Melissa: I got the fruit salad! 🍓🍍🍉🥭
Katie: Anyone want a fancy coffee? I’ll run to Starbucks … just text me what you want.
Megan: Cool, it’s settled. See you all tomorrow!
_____________________
“You ready for today?” Megan sipped on her coffee, trying to sound nonchalant while eyeing Connor as he rolled into the kitchen.
“Yeah, should be fun.” He made a beeline to the fridge, grabbed a jug of orange juice, and turned around to inhale the breakfast Megan made for him – scrambled eggs and bacon. “Thanks, Mom!”
Bucky was immediately at Connor’s feet, looking up at him, begging for food.
“Despite what he tells you, I already fed him today. And I gave you a slice of bacon, mister!” Megan shook her head at the greedy pup before heading to the sink to rinse off her plate. 
While her back was turned, Connor raised his fingers to his lips making a shushing motion as he snuck the pup half a piece of bacon. 
He cleared his throat to cover up the sound of Bucky scarfing down the treat. “So, these guys used to be in the military or something?” 
“Yea. Will says they were in for like almost 20 years or something but retired a few years ago. With that being said they’re probably punctual as hell so don’t be late!”
“Yes, mom. I’ll head over there right after I get a few more bites.”
After he finished his breakfast, Connor grabbed his phone and wallet, gave his mom a kiss, and gave Bucky some head scratches. He looked at the time, smiling that he was 15 minutes early.
As he walked over to 319 Mulefall Court, he saw a green truck pull up. He recognized the two men who got out, they were Benny and Will’s friends, but he just couldn’t remember their names. The taller guy was in jeans and a gray T-shirt with a blue baseball cap and aviators. The other guy, who was a bit shorter, wore black shorts and a white V-neck shirt that was a bit tighter fitting than the taller man’s shirt. 
Benny walked out of the garage and greeted the two men with a handshake and hug and was dressed comfortably in black and white basketball shorts, a cutoff concert tee, and a black backward baseball cap. He spotted Connor walking over and waved at the boy. 
“Hey, bud!” Benny called over. “You're early, nice!”
“Ha yea, I uh… I didn’t want you all waiting up.”
“All good. Hey I’m not sure if you’ve officially met them but these are my friends Frankie and Santi – or Fish and Pope, whatever’s easier for ya,” he chuckled.
“Nice to meet you boss,” Santiago extended his hand for a firm handshake. 
“We’re excited to have an extra set of hands,” Frankie smiled, giving the boy a handshake too.
“Well, thanks for the invite.”
“You know, for being the one always up my fucking ass about being on time, Will is late. Oh shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to swear in front of you. Fuck!" Benny smacked himself on the forehead laughing.
“Ha, it’s all good. I won’t tell my mom if you won't,” Connor winked.
“Good man!” Pope chuckled, slapping Connor playfully on the shoulder as they all laughed.
“Hi, Connor!” a soft voice called from across the street. 
Connor turned to see Aria walking her dog. He tensed and immediately felt his face getting red. Aria was one of the prettiest girls in school and also his biggest crush.
“Uh…h-hey Aria!” He rubbed the back of his neck, giving a small wave.
“I like your dog!” Benny called over. “Is that a Rhodesian Ridgeback?”
“Yea! No one ever knows what kind of dog he is.” She was impressed at the man’s astute observation.
“Yeah, we used them on missions before. Those dogs are badass!” Benny smiled.
Aria stopped as her dog sniffed the grass, looking over to Connor and the men in the driveway. “Um…you all off to do something fun?”
Connor was frozen and didn’t know what to do. He felt tongue-tied, intimidated by her and the three men behind him who were most likely scrutinizing his every move and probably ready to make fun of him when this encounter was all over.
I bet none of them have trouble talking to girls.
What he couldn’t see was that the three men behind him were exchanging looks and smirks, remembering what it was like to be in high school, faced with talking to a pretty girl. Hell, depending on the woman they still acted that way.
Frankie gave Pope a nod, using the unspoken language they had mastered after decades of friendship.
Pope cleared his throat, “Uh, yeah actually we are. Connor here is helping us build a fence!”
“Build a fence? Wow, cool!” Aria smiled, looking directly at Connor.
“Yeah, he does a lot of work for Ms. Lucille. It was his idea to have us help, wasn’t it Connor?” Benny came up, slapping a hand on the boy's shoulder.
“Uh.” Connor glanced over to Benny who gave him a look and a squeeze to the shoulder. “Uh, ye-yea. It’s not a big deal, should be pretty easy.”
“Cool, well, don’t work too hard. I’ll see you around!” she waved and continued on her walk.
Connor immediately turned around and took what felt like his first breath in minutes. Benny’s arm was around his shoulder and he braced for the guys to give him a hard time before seeing Will come out of the garage.
“Hey, Connor! Sorry guys, I was talking to Joel. Ready to go?” Will smiled, walking over to give the boy a handshake.
“Yeah, let’s do it! I like your shirt,” Connor pointed to Will’s blue Tampa Bay Lightning dri-fit shirt.
“Thanks, man, you ever go to a game?”
“I’ve only been to like two, but I’ll catch them on TV when I can.”
The guys chit-chatted with Connor for a few more minutes before Benny cut in.
“Ok, so since there’s five of us, I figure we could take two cars. Fish, you good driving Will and Pope? I’ll take Connor.”
All the men nodded and got into their respective vehicles.
Benny didn’t say anything to Connor as they got into his car and buckled in. He reversed down the driveway and headed for the entrance of the neighborhood. 
As they reached a stop sign he looked over to Connor, “So…you like her?”
“Who?” Connor kept facing forward, but his eyes darted around. He wasn’t really used to talking about girls with anyone.
“That girl with the Rhodesian. You think she’s pretty right?”
“Uhh…”
“Dude, you practically froze,” he chuckled, glancing over to see the boy was clearly nervous. “Hey, it’s all good, man I get like that too. A pretty girl will have that effect on you no matter how old you are.”
“Really?”
“Ha yea. One time, I got so nervous to walk up to a girl at a bar that I tripped and fell flat on my face,” he laughed. “But it worked out for me, I still got her number," he smirked at the memory. "There’ve been times we’ve had to practically push Fish over to a girl to get her number, the guy gets so shy. Oh and don’t even get me started on Pope. You see the guy and he looks like he’s super suave and shit, but he's had his moments too. Don’t let him fool you,” he glanced over with a wink.
Connor let out a nervous laugh. “Ha, yeah…I like her…I’ve liked her for a while.”
“Then why don’t you ask her out? Do you have her number? Is that a thing you even do anymore or do you like message on social media or something?”
“Ha, yeah I have her number.”
“Ok, and?”
"Well, for starters, she's older than me. She's gonna be a senior this year."
"Ooo an older woman? Nice," he winked. "Nothing wrong with going out with someone older than you. Still doesn’t explain why you just can’t ask her out."
“I can’t, man. She…she…what if she says no.”
“Well, what if she says yes?” Benny glanced over. “Does she have a boyfriend or something?”
“No, at least I don’t think so…I think she and one of my teammates were talking last year.”
“But not anymore right?” Connor shook his head. “Ok, then!”
“I don’t know. She probably isn’t even into me, you should see my teammate. He looks like a younger version of Will…not that I'm calling him old or anything,” Connor chuckled.
As they reached the stoplight Benny assessed the boy in his passenger seat. He couldn’t really tell based on the baggy Orlando Magic T-shirt, but it looked like Connor was a bit on the skinny side. He could relate, he was a string bean when he was younger, so he could only imagine what Connor felt like comparing himself to other guys, especially if his teammate did in fact look like a younger version of his brother. 
“Do you lift?"
Connor nodded, "Yeah I try, don't really know what I'm doing though … clearly." He motioned to his bicep.
"Wanna…wanna start working out with me?
Connor looked over at him confused, “Wait, what?”
“Yeah, like this summer, do you want to start working out with me? I was a personal trainer for a little while and I did some MMA fighting too for a bit, so I know my way around a gym,” he offered with a smile.
“Uh, y-yea that would be cool.” 
“Nice, well we’ll figure something out,” Benny continued as he turned into the Home Depot parking lot. “Welp looks like we’re here.”
___________________
“Lulu, where are you?” Megan called as she walked into Lucille’s home. She knew the rest of the crew would be showing up any minute.
“In here,” Lucille called from the kitchen.
“I should have known,” Megan mumbled to herself as she made her way to the kitchen.
When she turned the corner, she saw Lucille arranging some muffins and pastelitos on a tray.
“We’re going to have so much food!”
“Well, don’t look in the fridge, then” Lucille smirked. “I made some things for lunch for the boys… papa rellenas and croquettes, and of course empanadas for Benny. I just need to fry it all up. Don’t say anything to David, he’ll want to take it all home!”
Right on cue, they heard the door open, knowing instantly it was David and Ty based on the noise.
“We’re here bitches! Let’s get this thirst fest started!” David shouted in a sing-song manner as he and his partner made their way into the kitchen. “We brought a few different juices - orange, pineapple, and your favorite Lulu, guava!” He said, kissing Lucille on the cheek as he set several containers on her counter.
“I also brought my binoculars,” Ty showed off a large pair of binoculars he used for birdwatching. 
“Eres demasiado.” Lucille shook her head as she wiped her hands on her apron and gave the man a kiss on the cheek.
Megan laughed, amused at the two characters who just walked in. 
David and Ty had been together for 10 years and moved into Torrey Hills a few years ago. At first, they were quiet and kept to themselves, unsure how the neighbors would feel about a gay couple living next door. Suburban Tampa was a bit different than Miami, where they previously called home.
They were excited but a bit nervous when Megan and Lucille invited them over for coffee for the first time. But the four of them quickly became thick as thieves, even Julio found the little posse’s antics hilarious. 
“Knock, knock!” Melissa was the next to arrive, with her elaborate fruit salad in tow. “I haven’t missed anything yet, right?”
“No, girl, they are still out at Home Depot,” Ty said as he poured her a mimosa. “Light on the juice, just how you like it,” he winked.
Olivia came frantically through the door a few moments later with an assortment of donuts. 
“Where’s Diana? I was hoping for some baby cuddles,” Lucille pouted, seeing Olivia sans her nine-month-old.
“She’s taking a nap. Chris is watching CJ and Max, leaving momma to have the morning to herself!” She smiled and greedily reached for the mimosa Ty made for her.
“Where the hell is Katie?” Megan asked, looking at her phone to see if Katie backed out.
___________________
“Ugh, I should have asked for another tray,” Katie mumbled to herself as she parked her car. She walked over to her passenger side door and grabbed the tray of drinks along with a few bags of breakfast sandwiches and pastries. 
She decided to walk over to Lucille’s since it was only a few houses over. She had just reached the porch when she heard a couple of cars pull up.
Shit. I knew I should have gotten here earlier.
“Hey, Katie!” Benny called over to her from the car window he had rolled down.
“H-hi Benny!”
“What’re doing here? You all having a party while we work?” he chuckled as he got out of the car. 
She saw Connor and then turned to notice Will, Frankie, and Santiago getting out of a truck, all smiling and waving at her. Will, in particular, looked over at her curiously and she was thankful for her sunglasses so he couldn’t see that she was checking him out.
“Uh, yeah something like that. It’s been a while since we got together and uh…we…uh… wanted to keep an eye …things…like…Connor,” it was the best she could muster and she immediately regretted it.
“Keep an eye on me?” Connor asked confused.
“Oh, not in a bad sweetie, uh…” she was getting more flustered. “There’s some stuff I need help with around my house too so, uh, we figured we’d see how you do. Might need to hire your little crew here,” she smiled hoping she had recovered.
“So, like a trial run of our services, then?” Will smirked.
“Uh, y-yea, something like that. I should probably get inside. If David’s sandwich gets any colder he’s going to freak the fuck out. Shoot, sorry Connor,” she blushed, turning quickly and dashing up the steps.
Once she got inside, she slammed her back against the door, trying to catch her breath. 
“Katie?” Megan asked as she walked around the corner. “There you are! Wait…what happened?”
“Ugh, the line was long and I knew I was running late and was trying to get back here before they did, but I didn’t and shit, I was awkward as fuck in the driveway. And now they know that we’re all here,” she rambled.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did you chug six espressos on the way over here? It’s all good. Besides, I wasn’t trying to hide the fact that we were over here, they’re going to be able to see us through the window silly,” she laughed.
Katie let out a breath, realizing she was spiraling. “You’re right. Sorry, Meg.” She smiled.
“C’mon let’s go before David calls dibs on the best seat.”
__________________
“I can’t believe we are watching this … and for free!” David laughed. "This is better than that time we went to the Magic Mike show, right Melissa?"
Once the guys got all of the materials and tools settled in the backyard, they made pretty quick work of mending Lucille’s fence. They took out some of the panels that were rotting or damaged. Will and Frankie taught Connor how to cut the different pieces of wood, while Benny and Santiago sanded some pieces down.
However, the crew inside wasn’t paying attention to the progress of the repairs, instead, they were admiring the view.
“Ok, but like, I’ve never had a thing for forearms before but holy shit,” Melissa said as she reached for one of the guava and cheese pastelitos.
“Those are for the boys!” Lucille slapped her hand as Melissa rolled her eyes.
“Ok, so before today I thought I was more of a Benny guy, but Santiago, phew!” Ty fanned himself. “The shirt is basically like a second skin it is so drenched.” His eyes were pressed to the binoculars. 
“I think he has the cutest butt,” Melissa chimed in.
“A Benny guy? It’s like they’re a boy band and you’re picking your favorite member,” Megan threw her head back in laughter.
“I am fully on the Will train, but he’s all yours Katie!” Olivia smirked as Katie blushed.
“Well, we all know who I am a fan of!” David glanced over to the group. 
“You just have a curly hair with a hat kink, babe,” Ty teased.
“No! Well… okay, yeah I guess. But his hair baby, look at it. The way it just like peaks out from under his hat. Gimme,” he snatched the binoculars from Ty. 
They see Frankie remove his hat, running his fingers through his hair before returning the hat to the top of his head.
“Also the way his sweaty curls are sticking to the back of his neck? Ay yai yai yai! I just want to bite it.”
“He reminds me of my Julio when he was younger,” Lucille cut in, looking at Frankie fondly. “He was quite the stunner, you know.”
The group continued to look on as the guys moved on to start nailing some of the planks in place. Olivia snorted, laughing to herself, the mimosas starting to take their effect.
“What’s so funny?” David asked.
“I mean, I just … my mind is in the gutter, no thanks to you,” she pointed at him. “But, like with them using the nail gun, I can only think of dirty puns.”
“What, like how long it’s been since you've been nailed?” Ty smirked.
“She has three kids, Ty, I think we all know she fucks,” David chuckled.
“Ok, everyone, my son is literally using the nail gun right now, can we not?” Megan put her hands over her ears shaking her head.
“I just think it’s so sweet how they’re including Connor, it would have been so easy to have him do something small but he’s been involved in every step,” Lucille smiled warmly as she looked out of her kitchen window.
"Ugh, yes! They're getting sweatier now. I’ve never been more grateful for the Florida heat," David raised his hands in praise.
___________________
“Ok, that should about do it, I think,” Will said as Connor put the last nail in. He pulled his shirt up, using it to wipe the sweat from his forehead. 
“Nice, this looks great. That was fun…Uh, thank you guys. I honestly don’t know if I could have done this on my own.” Connor said as he looked at the four men.
“Oh, I’m sure you would have figured it out, man. You picked things up really fast,” Frankie gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 
“Do you think our audience liked the view,” Santiago motioned over to Lucille’s back patio. 
“Well, you sure were flexing anytime you could Pope. Could you get a tighter shirt next time?” Benny joked as Pope slapped him on the chest.
“I can’t help but put on a show pendejo, especially when I have an audience,” he winked. “And don’t give me shit, your brother was doing it too. I saw you eyeing Katie, Ironhead.”
“See,” Benny said under his breath to Connor, raising his eyebrows.
“She’s…nice. And she needs help with her house. It’s not in as bad of shape as ours, but I can tell she has a few projects just from the outside alone. I can only imagine what’s going on inside.”
“Yea, you’d like to know what it’s like inside, wouldn’t y-, oww!” Santiago yelped as Will hit him upside the head and Frankie shook his head laughing.
“Dude, can you fucking cool it in front of the kid,” Will motioned over to Connor who was doubled over laughing along with Benny at the scene in front of them.
__________________
“Oh shit, Will has a six-pack?!” Ty said from behind his binoculars. “Do you want a look, Katie?”
“I can see just fine from here,” Katie smirked. It was obvious that Will was a fit guy and she was grateful to get a little peak at what he was working with. Although she wasn’t usually attracted to blondes, there was something about Will that she was drawn to.
“It looks like they’re about done, so I’m going to go out there,” Lucille grabbed a tray and a basket with water bottles.
“We can all come!” David started to get up.
“Wait. Maybe just Lulu and I go out there first, we don’t need to overwhelm them with all of this…energy,” Megan chimed in.
“Ok, but we’re all coming out at some point,” Melissa laughed, eyes still focused outside taking in the scene.
_____________________
The glass sliding door opened and Lucille and Megan walked out with water and snacks in hand.
“This looks great, boys. You did amazing,” Lucille beamed, she loved seeing Connor so proud of himself.
“Connor did a great job, he’s a natural, Ms. Lucille!” Benny squeezed the boy's shoulder as he smiled at him. 
“Yeah, careful Megan, or we may need him to come over to our place to work on some stuff,” Will added.
“Oh, I’m sure that would be totally fine,” Megan smiled. 
“Who are all of your friends?” Santiago motioned toward the house with his chin.
“Ah, that’s our little crew. We get together every now and again, you’ll like them. We’ve become a little family,”
It was true, this specific group of neighbors had become pretty tight-knit, getting together for Super Bowl or Stanely Cup parties, celebrating birthdays, hosting barbecues and game nights, and just generally looking out for one another.
“We actually were thinking of having a pool party soon, you all in?” Megan asked.
“Hell yeah, we’d be down!” Benny smiled, excited to be included.
“Even us? I mean, we aren’t technically neighbors…” Frankie asked.
“Ay, por favor Francisco,” Lucille shook her head, lightly slapping Frankie’s arm.
“Of course! You two basically live here!” Megan chuckled.
“Is it settled, are we down for a pool party?” David yelled from the porch, waving at the group in Lucille’s backyard.
“That’s David,” Megan rolled her eyes, laughing and shaking her head. Turning back to the house she gave a thumbs up, signaling for the rest of the crew to join them.
***
Everyone shook hands with each other and started talking. Will managed to work his way over to where Katie was standing.
"The fence looks great!" Katie glanced over to Will and she surveyed their handiwork. "You just casually know how to fix fences?"
"Ha, well not entirely. I definitely had to call and get some pointers from my cousin, he's a lot handier than I am, but I can manage just fine," he smirked.
"Well, that's good to know," she felt her face getting red.
"So, you said you needed some help around your house? What projects d'you have?"
"Oh, there's a ton. Seriously, I need to get off of Pinterest because every time I open that damn app I add something new to my list," she chuckled.
"Ha yeah, I've heard it has that effect. My...uh…ex used to constantly be on that…" he trailed off as if he was reliving a memory.
"Was she into home repairs too?"
Shaking his head, "Ah no…wedding planning." He picked up the hem of his shirt again, wiping his forehead.
Seeing his stomach up close made Katie's eyes almost bug out of her head, but she tried to keep her cool.
"Ah yea, been there done that." 
***
“So, the party is at your place then?” Santiago asked Melissa, lingering a little bit longer with his handshake and eyeing her up and down.
“Uh, yeah, my fiancé and I just finished our pool, so it’s a great excuse to have people over,” she blushed, biting her lip and looking down. 
“Oh,” Santiago withdrew his hand. “N-nice, we’re…uh…looking forward to it.”
Melissa snapped out of it and cleared her throat. "Hey everyone, is tomorrow too soon of notice for the party? We can do it next Sunday if that's better?"
A cacophony of "No, tomorrow's great" and "Let's do it" rained down, which then turned into everyone chatting about what to bring. Once everything was settled the Neighborhood Watch crew went inside to clean things up as the boys and Connor collected all of their things.
___________________
"Thanks again for letting me come and help you guys," Connor said after they got everything situated back in Will and Benny's garage. "I had fun."
“You did great, man! And seriously, if you want to help us with other stuff that's cool. Sounds like Katie may have some projects," Will said as he wiped his hands.
"Oh does she, now? Those projects in her bedroom or what?" Benny started to tease his brother, but Will punched him in the stomach. "Ow!"
"You made plans to see what she needs help with?" Santiago raised his eyebrows at Will who shook his head.
*Well, figure it out tomorrow at the pool party then," Frankie shrugged.
As Connor started to head back, Benny stopped him. "Hey, wait. Here gimme your number. I'm serious about what I said earlier. If you wanna get started working out, just let me know, but…don’t feel like you have to." He handed the boy his phone and Connor put his number in.
"Thanks. You aren't going to go all drill sergeant mode on me are you?"
"Ha, nah. I used to train all kinds of people, it's not a one-size-fits-all approach." Benny offered him a warm smile.
"Sweet. Ok, well I guess I'll see you all tomorrow then?"
"Yeah, sounds good. See ya bud!"
Next Chapter
A/N: I can't remember who made the comment that rather than a reader insert this is a group insert, but hopefully the Neighborhood Watch is fulfilling that role! We’re headed to Melissa’s house next for a pool party in the next chapter! 
I’ve loved the asks I’ve received about this universe! In case you missed it here are the two most recent ones:
The Cars: The boys' cars are mentioned in Chapter 2, but it wasn't specified who owned which car, now you know!
Vanity Plates: Going off the cars post, I received an ask about whether the boys would have vanity plates on their cars.
Let me know if you want to be on the tag list moving forward!! Apologies if I accidentally left you off, I added it all manually … just let me know!
@goodwithcheese / @gemmahale / @trulybetty / @patti7dc / @periodtsparadox / @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin / @maggiemayhemnj / @mysterious-moonstruck-musings / @avastrasposts / @meveispunk / @chaoticfestninja / @beholdbebravethings / @casa-boiardi / @katw474 / @linzels-blog / @laughing-in-th3-purple-rain / @primosworld / @lynnchun / @anoverwhelmingdin /@lilmizmoz / @pedrit0-pascalit0 / @titlee78 / @noisynightmarepoetry / @inept-the-magnificent / @perennialdoll247 / @for-a-longlongtime / @readingiskeepingmegoing / @harriedandharrassed / @musings-of-a-rose / @anavatazes
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arlana-likes-to-write · 4 months
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Lightning Bug - Chapter 24
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Warning: self harm, mention of past trauma, angst with fluff, Natasha and Wanda being good parents
Word count: 3.1k
“Stephen,” America said. You stood up slowly, but the room began to spin. “Hi. This is-” You lunged to the side, throwing up the food Wanda made for breakfast in a bowl next to the stairs.
“She’s throwing up in the cauldron of the cosmos.”
“Yeah,” America said slowly. “I’m surprised it took her this long.” She started to rub your back. “You threw up much quicker.” You stood up, and a red cap brought you a glass of water and a napkin.
“Uh, thanks,” you took the items from it, and the cap returned to its proper place around Stephen’s shoulders. He was wearing all blue with a brown belt around his waist. The most striking thing about his appearance was a necklace around his neck. You took a sip of water. “Hi,” you waved. “Sorry about that. I’m Y/n,” you introduced yourself.
“I know who you are,” oh. Okay. Well, that was ominous. “What were you thinking?” He turned his attention back to his pupil. “You could have gotten separated or, worse, caused an incursion .” America sighed, looking down at her feet.
“I know, I know. I wasn’t thinking.” You weren’t the biggest fan of how he was talking to her.
“Hey, chill,” he looked at you, and you heard America quietly say your name in a warning. “No one got hurt. We are back in our correct universe,” well, you hopped you were. “She made a mistake. It happens.” The man crossed his arms.
“I don’t have time to explain the complexity of the multiverse to another child.” You never wanted to slap an adult more than you do now. “America knows it was more than a simple mistake.” You disliked how quiet America was being. It was so unlike her. You wrapped your pinky finger around hers. Stephen’s eyes followed the path of your hand, and you saw his eyes soften at the gesture, but his mask went back on quickly. “I believe your presence is being requested at the tower and America,” your friend raised her head. “We will discuss the consequences of your actions later.” He raised both hands, and orange sparks surrounded the both of you.
You yelped as you fell through the portal Stephen created. Instead of hitting the ground, red magic surrounded you and America and gently rested you down. You stood in the common floor kitchen with a very amused Black Widow looking at you. “Imagine our shock,” she began. “That Vision gave you the day off because you weren’t feeling well, and FRIDAY tells us you and America left the tower,” you cringed at her tone and looked down at the floor.
“You must be feeling better,” Wanda added.
“It’s not her fault,” America defended. “I woke her up to hang out with her,” Natasha said your name, and you looked at her. You saw a playful twinkle in her eye, indicating she wasn’t mad at you.
“Go to your room and get some sleep,” you nodded.
“Yes, ma’am,” you looked at America, interlocking your hand with hers. “Sorry you got in trouble,” you squeezed her hand.
“No big deal,” she shrugged her shoulders. You smiled at the couple, pleading with your eyes for them to go easy on her, and took the stairs to your floor.
You took each step slowly, your body was still sore, and the adrenaline was wearing off. “There you are,” you looked up to see Bruce walking over to you. You smiled at the doctor, ignoring the concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” you headed towards the kitchen and grabbed a glass to fill with water. “Do you need something from me?” You sipped on the water as Bruce flipped through the clipboard he was holding.
“I’ve noticed you’ve been going through many batteries,” he said. Your fingers tightened around the glass you were holding. “I’m glad you are using it, but I want to ensure you use it safely.”
“I am,” you said. The lie ticked the back of your throat. “I use it in the morning and sometimes at night.” It wasn’t a total lie since Maria liked to use the machine during training. He nodded.
“Well, I wanted to give you this too,” he took a piece of paper and slid it across the counter that separated you and him. “It’s a list of places that have used the batteries.” It was a list of hospitals, schools, and clinics that you never heard of before. It made you smile. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.” You giggled.
“Will do,” you said. “Thank you, Bruce.” The doctor waved as he left towards the elevator. Sighing, you cleaned the glass you used and walked into your room. You dropped the paper onto your nightstand. Lying to Bruce did not feel right. It was like when you first moved to the tower. All these lies were stacking up on each other; you crawled into bed and wrapped the blankets around you. You prayed for a dreamless sleep.
*
“I can’t believe she traveled the multiverse and got out of her lessons,” Natasha laughed, cutting up some vegetables for Wanda. “In the same day! I’m a little impressed.” Wanda smiled, resting her hand on the small of Natasha’s back as she walked over to the fridge.
“Are you impressed or jealous America took her?” Wanda asked.
“Both, honestly,” the witch laughed and kissed her cheek.
“Well, we did tell her to be a kid. Ditching class and getting into trouble does fall into those categories.” She wrapped her arms around Natasha’s waist and leaned against her back. It made it a little tricky, but she made do. She would never deny the feeling of her girlfriend’s arms around her. It was calming as she felt every beat of Wanda’s heart and breath. “You don’t think we were too hard on her, right?” Her girlfriend asked. It was a delicate balance that Natasha was unfamiliar with. They needed to enforce some rules, but she refused to be like the young girl’s biological parents.
“I don’t think so,” the Black Widow said. “But we’ll check in with her after she’s gotten some sleep.” Natasha was worried about her not feeling well. Wanda nodded, kissing Natasha’s shoulder.
“She’s special,” Wanda mumbled. Yeah, Natasha couldn’t agree more.
*
Sweat poured down your back as you tried to catch your breath and stared down the machine. You needed to do it tonight. You woke up from a nightmare involving America, and at dinner, those scenes danced around your head. It was awful; it was the only way you could find a word to describe it as America’s screams echoed in your mind, and you were the one that caused them.
“Whoa,” you placed your hands on your temples as the room spun. You shut your eyes tight and felt your body fall to the ground. A pained groan left your lips, and you opened your eyes. The room was no longer spinning, but your head was pounding. This was a new feeling. It made you feel weak, and you hated it. Maybe this was what it felt like when you hit empty. On shaky legs, you stood up and covered the machine with the sheet.
You needed to go to sleep. With every step you took toward your bedroom, your legs felt like lead. You had half a mind to fall asleep in the hallways, but you figured that would raise many more questions. Suddenly, you were standing before a door that wasn’t yours. Wanda and Natasha. Before you could knock or turn away, the door opened, and you were staring at the Slovakian. “Oh, hi.”
“Your nose is bleeding,” you instinctively went to touch it, but Wanda grabbed your hand. “Come with me, and I’ll clean it.” Wordlessly, you let Wanda drag you to the kitchen and sat on the stool. She quickly wet a towel and sat down next to you. “I made sure it was warm,” she said, gently whipping the blood off your face. It was warm, but a shiver still went down your spine. “Did I hurt you?” She pulled away.
“No, you didn’t,” you whispered. “Just not used to this.” You didn’t elaborate, but Wanda nodded as if she understood.
“You know,” she smiled. “You remind me a lot of Pietro. He was very protective of me and the other kids,” you remembered her telling you about him. He was killed when they fought against Ultron while saving Clint and a little boy. “He would steal food for us when we couldn’t afford it.” You smiled.
“Sounds like Caleb” she tossed the towel in the sink and walked around the counter to the other side to clean it and her hands. “How do I remind you of him?” She was quiet momentarily, focusing on washing the towel and her hands. It amazed you that on the most straightforward task, she chose to do it the mundane way instead of a wave of her hand, and the mess would be gone. You believed she needed to keep her hands busy whenever a painful memory arose.
“He never wanted anyone to worry about him. He kept every worry and pain to himself and covered it with a smile,” she shook her hands dry. “Why are you up?” She asked.
“I could ask you the same thing,” she playfully rolled her eyes at you. “I couldn’t sleep,” you admitted as Wanda grabbed two mugs and filled the electric kettle. “I haven’t been sleeping well since I told everyone what happened to me,” she placed tea bags in the mugs. “Every time I close my eyes, I relive everything.” The water began to boil, and she filled each mug. With her magic, she made two spoons appear.
“When was the last time you slept?” You chuckled, pressing down the tea bag with the spoon.
“I sleep every night, Wanda,” but an intense feeling of guilt ran through you. Gently, she tapped her finger against your hand, but you refused to look at her. “I’ve been hurting myself,” you whispered. “Not in the same way before, but it’s the only way I’ve been able to sleep.” Once again, she tapped your hand. You gathered the courage and looked at her. There was no judgment in her green eyes. Instead, there was love; you’ve seen mothers look at their daughters like this.
“Thank you for being honest with you,” she said. “How have you been doing it?” You took a sip of the tea.
“The machine Tony and Bruce made me. I’ve been using it to the point my powers are depleted,” you explained. “It’s the only way for my mind to shut off,” you bite your lip and trace the mug’s rim. “I just came from there, and I think it’s what caused the bloody nose. I’m so sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” She asked. She was frowning when you looked up at her.
“I promised I wouldn’t do this anymore,” you whispered. “And I broke it.” You heard a slight hitch in your voice, which Wanda also heard. She quickly rounded the kitchen counter and pushed away a few tears that fell with her thumb.
“Healing isn’t linear,” she said. “It’s messy and complicated. Sometimes, you take one step forward and three steps back, but that’s okay. I’m not mad at you, sweetheart, and I’m proud of you for being honest with me,” she wiped a few more tears and kissed your forehead.
“You’re the only one that’s ever done that,” you admitted. She tilted her head, a little confused by your statement. “I’ve seen my mother do it to Henry a few times and random families on the street, but you are the first to kiss my forehead.” Her green eyes softened, masking the anger you saw that wasn’t directed at you. It was directed at the shitty deck of cards that life gave you. She kissed your forehead one more time and grabbed your hand.
“Come on, you need sleep,” you felt your eyes get heavy as she led you to the couch. She sat down first and encouraged you to cuddle against her. Your head rested on her chest, listening to the steady beat of her heart. It was soothing. A blanket was pulled up to your shoulders, and her hand began to draw circles on your back, but you moved to look at Wanda.
“You and Natasha would make perfect parents,” you told her. “Have you ever thought about having kids?” It would be adorable to see a mini Wanda and Natasha running around. Wanda smiled.
“Maybe one day, once we are done with all the Avenging,” you nodded. That was understandable; their life was so uncertain. “Besides, I think we have our hands full with you lot here,” she ruffled your hair, which caused you to giggle.
“Night, Wanda,” you turned on your side and closed your eyes. The feeling of Wanda’s hand on your back and the calmness of her heartbeat helped you fall asleep in no time.
*
When Natasha reached over to pull her girlfriend closer, she found the spot empty and cold, which was not expected. They made a promise to one another to wake the other person if they had a nightmare. Frowning, she got out of bed and pulled on a sweatshirt. The tower was always cold, and she hated it. The cold reminded her of Russia, where her life was changed forever. She walked out of her room and found her girlfriend on the couch. “Hi, malen’kaya ved’ma (little witch),” Natasha whispered, walking over to her. The witch was awake, running her hand through Y/n’s hair as she was fast asleep. The sight warmed Natasha’s heart as she knelt behind the couch and kissed Wanda’s shoulder. “Everything okay?” Her girlfriend hummed.
“Yeah, she just needed some cuddles to help her sleep.”
“Is she okay?” Wanda sighed but nodded.
“I think she will be. We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Natasha wanted to talk about it now, but she learned not to question her.
“Do you want to move her to our room?” Wanda nodded and moved her hand to the young girl’s back.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Wanda whispered, gently shaking her awake. “Can you wake up for a second? Then we can go back to bed?” The girl groaned, blinked open her eyes, and rolled onto her back. Her eyes flickered to Wanda, then Natasha.
“Your girlfriend is a comfy pillow,” the girl mumbled. Natasha smiled.
“Don’t I know it,” she said. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” The girl stood up from the couch, taking the blanket with you. The Black Widow was surprised she didn’t fight them when they laid her in their room. When Wanda opened the door, she crawled into the middle of the bed and under the covers. Her eyes closed as soon as her head hit the pillow, and she fell asleep. Natasha chuckled.
“Glad we got the bigger bed,” Wanda smiled and got onto her side of the bed. Immediately, the teen searched for her warmth. The sight made Natasha smile.
“Are you joining us?” The Black Widow nodded and got in bed. “What’s on your mind?” Natasha gently brushed the young girl’s hair out of her face.
“We should ask her soon. Make this little family official.”
*
Wanda set down a plate of eggs and pancakes in front of you. “Thank you,” you said. “For breakfast and last night.” Natasha set a tall glass of orange juice next to the plate. “Honestly, it was the best nights sleep I’ve gotten in a while.” The Black Widow smiled as she watched you pour syrup over the flood and cut into the pancake.
“No need to thank us,” she said. “We are here whenever you need us.” You nodded; it was a concept you were still trying to learn. “Actually,” Wanda stood next to her girlfriend. ‘We do want to talk about something.” Your stomach dropped, and you placed your silverware on the plate.
“You aren’t in trouble,” Wanda added, but her assurance didn’t help the anxiety spike. “We think it would be good if you see someone to talk to about everything you’ve been through.”
“Like a therapist?” You questioned. The couple nodded. “I don’t know.” You hated opening up to a stranger when it took you forever to tell the Avengers.
“It’s something you don’t have to decide right now, okay?” Natasha smiled. “Just something to think about.” She ruffled your hair, and it brought a smile to your face. The couple began to discuss their plans for the day - a meeting, a training session, and what they would do for dinner. You knew you were damaged, a little broken from everything you’ve been through, but you weren’t sure if talking to a stranger would help.
“Just the family I’ve been looking for,” Sam said, stealing a piece of a pancake from your plate. You stuck your tongue at him as he sat down next to you. “I’m guessing you’ve gotten presents for Barton’s kids,” he told the couple. Natasha nodded her head. “What the hell did you get them? AJ's birthday is coming up, and I have no idea what to get.” You were not sure what birthdays were until you lived on the street and read a book where the main character had their birthday with friends and family. It clicked, then. Once a year, Henry had friends over, your mother made a cake, and he went to unwrap colorful presents. He was celebrating his birthday, something you never got the pleasure to do. Once a year, you lay in bed and listened to a party no one invited you to.
“Hey,” you were pulled out of your thoughts by Natasha. “Where did you just go?” She asked. All three of them were looking at you.
“Nowhere,” you said, but Natasha gave you a pointed look. “I was thinking about birthdays. I never celebrated mine.”
“Well, when it is?” Now, that was a great question. You tilted your head.
“I’m not sure,” you slowly said. “I guess my parents would have had to tell me or Caleb, but no one did,” you shrugged. “It’s fine,” you quickly added. “I went this long without a birthday party. I’ll be fine.” You ignored the look on their face and focused back on your breakfast. A birthday party sounded fun: presents, cake, and being surrounded by people who cared about you. But you were fine without one. Right?
_
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brittany4sure · 2 years
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Classic Merch
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Hi, community of wonderful people. Kindly click on the image below to check out our merch store for more beautiful designs. We have a whole collection of unique designs made specially for you. God bless you as you patronize us.
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slashtakemylife · 3 months
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Peggy lives under the shadow of Steve, even when she's the main lead
With the release of What If and Peggy Carter taking on the role of Captain America, Marvel is very likely patting their back on their "feminism" and how they've given us a badass female leader that can have her own spotlight however it's very easy to see how we are still seeing this story through a males eyes and male focus only.
1. The curse of being Cap's girl, she can only be his
Honestly the misogyny on Peggy's character actually begins since the first movie but we'll get into the little details later, the first glaring ones to me begins ever since the Cap 2 movie, when they show Peggy as old she has pictures of her kids but none of her husband, why? We are even told she's had a good life, a full life, so where is her husband?
Because in the patriarchal way, Peggy Carter, even as an old lady who has lived her full life and is basically allowed to... is still Steve's. It's more likely they didn't want to show who "filled his shoes", so to speak, this imaginary man, this husband who got to have Peggy, "bested" Captain America and you can't have that can you? I know it may sound stupid but we are dealing with a male's worldview.
It even shows when in her interview you can see how she still hasn't quite gotten over Steve, she even seems to reluctantly say, "That's where I met my husband", in that interview you can see she is still affected, aka she hasn't gotten over him but then you got to remember, she's married now, she's supposed to be over him, why is she still so affected? Why does she speak of her husband like an after thought? Why did she even marry a man when clearly she wasn't over her last? Peggy isn't the kind of woman to marry just because she had to, you know she would only marry a man she fully loved, not just to not be a spinster.
The answer is that in the male worldview, no one can supplant Steve Rogers but not because Steve Rogers is someone you can't forget but because in the male eye, Peggy is Steve's property, for someone else to have her it means they "won" over Steve and you can't win the representation of maleness. Peggy at best got second scraps, yes you heard it, Peggy's husband is just supposed to be a "second best" beside Captain America, I'm sure he was a lovely husband and father but no man can ever "best" America's representative of maleness, remember this is the worldview from a male perspective.
The only time Peggy ever gets some agency is in her show and there's a beautiful scene at the end of season 1 where we literally see her tell Steve good bye, she gets over him, by season 2 she is well over Steve, she's still affected, mind you, of course she misses him but he is no longer her world, in fact she can now flirt and get into the idea of finding new love and she does in Sousa.
It's really unfortunate when the Cap's girl curse gets landed on them because Steve was never supposed to come back into her life but then he did and of course this means crashing all her progress, they didn't just made them break up, they killed Daniel Sousa, there had to be no trace of competition so Steve could very joyfully land in the past and fit into her life as if he never left
Steve Rogers never gets over Peggy but Peggy did but since Steve wants Peggy, the writers took that progress back and made her love him again no questions asked.
2. On Captain Carter
Wow Marvel is sure patting their back thinking they nailed "feminism" when they grabbed Peggy Carter and turned her into Captain America.
In the first episode, they do get it mostly, she is bigger, she's strong and she leads the Howling Commandoes but there's one little trick that lets you remember, this is still a man's world.
Steve's Hydra Stomper.
In the original format, aka the movie, they sell Peggy to us as a top agent, and she is, we get some badass moves from her at the beginning but once Steve finally gets into his role as Captain America, she gets placed behind the scenes, it's the classical "woman in a high position" but really the real high position is Philips, Peggy at best is only seen removing little flags from maps but we never actually see her in combat until the end but of course she had to be there, otherwise how will we get to the final kiss scene amairight?
We should've expected the same treatment right? Especially since there's a very telling excuse for Steve to stay behind lines and be the master behind it, he's skinny now, he isn't fit for battle at all but he can still help coordinate the Commandoes right?
Wrong.
You can't leave Captain America, even in his skinny form, out the battle, what is he? A woman? Those double standards are what hit me, no one cared if Peggy Carter joined the fights, she doesn't have to, she's not supposed to, we all know she's Cap's girl, she's not a soldier so no one bats an eye but when the roles are reversed, it's inconceivable that Steve takes his assigned role as a love interest.
How interesting it is that when male characters are placed in the love interest role they just have to fight to be interesting right? It's almost offensive to put a man as just a love interest that does nothing but be there right?
I am also glaring at you Gwen Stacy, Gwen Stacy as Peter Parker's girlfriend is literally just a girl that got caught by the baddie and Spiderman accidentally killed but when they reversed the story and now it was Gwen as spiderwoman and Peter the boyfriend... He turned into a lizard, yeah the boy couldn't just be the boyfriend and I'm not even sure if he was the boyfriend or just the friend which also, red flags! Peter can have girlfriends but Gwen can't.
Back to Peggy, if they had only shown that first episode, it would've been good, some minor double standards with Steve's Stomper but meh, I'll live.
The real treat is the sequel, I'll also make an honorary mention on how also in other episodes they still grind Steve hard and show you she is very much in love, not a fancy, she hard loves him, not even Steve showed that much fanatism, but hey, back to topic.
My biggest glare to this episode starts with the Watcher himself, he says he never does sequels and honestly he's right, he shouldn't because the result is honestly shit, from a Peggy character pov
They copy the plot of Steve Rogers story instead of making a new one for her.
Yup, you heard me and fine she wasn't going to deviate much I know but they seriously stuck way too much into Steve's story up to the point where it doesn't work and yes I'm glaring at you Winter Soldier arc.
The Winter Soldier arc works so well because Steve and Bucky have history together, Steve and Peggy have just feelings, the relationship between Steve and Bucky and Steve and Peggy are severely different, in both cases.
For Peggy it is because she is a strong willed woman, she's had to fight her way everywhere, Steve sees her as an equal and both understand what it is to constantly be fighting to prove to others who you are because by being a woman/weak man, everyone looks past you, they undermine you, that is the Steggy dynamic.
Bucky is very different, he's exactly the opposite, he's a man of his time, he's charming, healthy, strong and noble but he isn't too moved to act the way Steve is, he isn't as strong headed as Steve is, he's been blanketed by society but thanks to Steve he gets inspired to stand up for others, remember that while Steve tried to enlist, they had to draft Bucky. One of the things about their relationship is that Bucky treats Steve as an equal too but not an equality of same struggle like he and Peggy, Bucky merely treats him as a friend, he pushes Steve out of his comfort zone, I mean he put him on the Cyclone, they rode on the back of a freezer truck, Bucky drags Steve into his adventures and treats Steve like a friend, not a sickly kid and then later on its Steve the one that has to repay the favor when it's Bucky the one's that the Winter Soldier. It's loyalty to their years of friendship and Steve knowing Bucky's character the best.
So no you can't just exchange roles and honestly the fact that if you see every single episode of What If, you quickly realize that while they may all start from a slight deviation, it leads to completely different scenarios totally outside of any MCU story.
Yondu not keeping Quill doesn't form a slightly different Guardian of the Galaxy, it generates an entire new Avengers team, they even get rid of Jotunheim and Asgard as an after thought, there's absolutely no step to step plot in any MCU movie, it's a brand new story
Same as Iron Man after the New York battle not going through the hole, it launches him into a crazy Space Race in Skaandar and while yes we get a repeat of characters and themes and places, it gets rebranded and adjusted to the characters it has, that being Tony Stark and even delves with other character's themes such as Gamora and Tony striking a friendship and both getting rid of Thanos.
This doesn't happen with Peggy, they reuse Steve's storyline, again and even pull other movies move by move, the episode is an interesting take but too close from the plot of the movies while every single one of them has deviated and found new interpretations of the characters under different scenarios, with Peggy this doesn't happen and they are trying to fit her neatly in Steve's story with slight changes but NEVER does she ever get out of the mold of being intently focused on Steve.
Even Natasha points on her dating like "what if he's named Steve?", Peggy also will never look at another man, it being her own version of "Sharon Carter", which we must remember Steve shared a kiss with, we won't ever get a whiff of a "Sousa", maybe a grandkid or something, nope you bet we never will because while Steve can, Peggy must certainly can never, she's is solely and only Captain America's girl, Steve Roger's love interest.
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cap-ironman · 4 months
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2023 Captain America/Iron Man Reverse Bang Masterlist
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After months filled with creativity being crafted into fanworks, this year's Reverse Bang is finished! Thank you to all of our fantastic participants—congratulations on posting, and we hope you had a great time working together, whether this was your first Cap-IM RBB or not!
Here’s the final list of our 11 fantastic artwork entries and their accompanying works, all created specifically for this event. Enjoy exploring the new Stevetony content, and remember to show your appreciation through kudos, comments and sharing if you haven't already!
Mind the warnings for each individual work on their AO3 page, please.
Masterlist under the cut
Honesty is the best policy by BladeoftheNebula and Hkandi (Gen, MCU, art and 7549 words) ★ Team Masterpost
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Steve's friends are throwing a Valentine's party and want to set Steve up with a date there, as he's one of the few single ones in their circle. Stubborn as he is, he decides to put in some effort himself and puts a tragically honest flier up on campus, not actually believing anyone will reply. Imagine his surprise when someone actually does!
For What Good is a Man by Perlmutt and ATOASTBW (E, MCU, art and 15,921 words) ★ Team Masterpost
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It's Tony 58th birthday, but despite it being his special day, he's filled with uncharacteristic self-doubt. Luckily, he had his friends and family to cheer him up.
In particular, his husband was more than happy to prove his love for him, in more ways than one
just like binary stars by Fluffypanda and ArabellaAM (Gen, MCU, art and 16,105 words) ★ Team Masterpost
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Tony's kingdom has been at war with the northern barbarians since even before he was born. When his men finally capture one of them, Tony's ready for everything: he's ready to learn their language, to get all the information he can about them and to finally win this war.
But falling in love with one of them? That's the one thing he wasn't ready for.
Not Part of the Plan by KappaMairi/Askafroa and AvengersNewB (T, MCU, art and 9001 words) ★ Team Masterpost
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Omega Tony was not planning to go against the plan: to mate with Tiberius Stone, take care of his alpha's needs, to remember at all times that he was just an omega. Tony was not planning to fall in love and yet, somehow, Steve Rogers happened to him.
Only Paintings in the Building by ironycap, BladeoftheNebula and Neverever (T, MCU, art and 5,885 words) ★ Team Masterpost
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His life would be a lot easier if he could just stick to painting other things. Landscapes for example. Landscapes were nice. But then again landscapes didn’t have that glint in their eye, or that body that had been built from hard engineering and years of trying to do good. They didn’t have that inherent charm and good looks that won them Sexiest Man of the Year four times. By comparison, landscapes were a joke. Steve causes himself a whole heap of trouble when he starts to paint pictures of Tony.
Push by ralsbecket (T, MCU, art) ★ Team Masterpost
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remember to remember me by xWinterDreamsx (T, MCU, 5267 words)
“Look at me. Look at me.”
Tony looked. He looked and he felt, for a moment, that this can’t have been the first time he got lost in those blue eyes. It felt familiar, in a way he didn’t understand.
Reaching Out For Your Hope_ART! by KakushiMiko (Not Rated, MCU, Art) ★ Team Masterpost
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Reaching Out For Your Hope by Becci_chan (T, MCU, 10,569 words)
Steve knew Tony could see and sense everything about him, but Steve had no idea what was going on in Tony’s head. He just hoped he got his point across. He wanted to help as well. Maybe they could support each other, have each other’s back in case of a fight.
Safe Haven by zappedbysnow and Gottalovev (M, MCU/Avengers Assemble, art and 20,868 words) ★ Team Masterpost
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It's been three months since the Battle of New York. Four since Steve woke up in the future. Everything is still too fast, too bright, too glib. And then, as if it wasn't enough, Steve is dragged through a portal into an alternate universe. Other Him is happy, though, and that feels like hope.
Soar the skies, scorch the lands, build a halo of stars and lightning- ART! by KakushiMiko (Not Rated, MCU, Art) ★ Team Masterpost
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Soar the skies, scorch the lands, build a halo of stars and lightning by Shipperslist (T, MCU, 14,770 words)
Crown Prince Anthony Stark does not want to be a king, and even less he wants to be Bound to a Guardian in some supposedly magical ritual. Turns out that he likes being the victim even less and…well. The Binding might not be so bad after all.
The Starkphone Sex Tapes by jetblackfeeling/wingheads (E, MCU, art) ★ Team Masterpost
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The Starkphone Sex Tapes by purpleicedteas (E, MCU, 5563 words)
Steve finds porn too unrealistic to watch.
Tony gives him a helping hand. And mouth.
unravel by jetblackfeeling/wingheads (E, 616, art) ★ Team Masterpost
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Spill into my hands by Missy_dee811 (E, 616, 7811 words)
As always, a flirt. “It’s nice to see you, Tony,” he said. Tony smiled. “You, too, Cap,” he said.
(Thor, Steve, and Tony agree to restart the Avengers. All is going well until there's a misunderstanding and Steve has to come to terms with the feelings he has for Tony and what they'll mean for them, and the team, going forward.)
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chrisdrysdale · 1 year
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I’m keeping it
chris evans x fem!reader
anon requested: “chris coming after a long time working home to find the reader wearing his clothes from old movies + plus need some reader and dodger fluff”
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He was gone too long, far too long. You missed him like crazy, you were so pissed off that you couldn’t take the time off work to go with Chris to film. You missed his touch, his smell.You missed it all. You just wanted him back. You had only moved in with him recently, luckily enough he trusted you to watch Dodger while he was gone. Dodger was amazing, he kept you company most nights when you were alone.
You looked around the bedroom and couldn’t find anything. You walked over to the storage room and opened it but you were shocked to see boxes stacking to the ceiling with the names of movies he’s been in scribbled on, on the side with a black sharpie. You took a look in the box marked “What’s your number?”. The box was the lightest and filled with the least amount of clothes (obviously) and giggled as you looked through, laughing at the tiny blue boxers. You moved onto “The Gray Man” box, smiling at all the tight knit polos. You dug to the bottom of the box and pulled out something that felt strangely small. You laughed when you saw it, the blue and white polo, shrunken down in the wash with “For Dodger” written on the tag. Dodger ran in and began sniffing your leg. “You want to wear it?”. He jumped and panted making you smile. You sat down on the floor with him and slipped the jumper on. You ruffled his hair and kept laughing. “You’re so cute!! You match your daddy!” Dodger sat down and you scratched his back. You turned your head slightly before whipping your head around and smiling once you noticed the box marked “knives out”. You smirked and quickly opened it, gasping at all the sweaters filling the box, some you haven’t even seen before. You squealed and grabbed his famous cream knitted one and threw it on, the wool engulfing your body. You giggle and pulled the neck up to your nose and inhaled, his scent filling your nose.
You pulled another box out, marked “Marvel”. It had clothing from both the MCU and his work as Johnny Storm. Leather jackets, t-shirts and all. You gasped as you saw a large A sticking up from the bottom of the box. You quickly pulled it out. You giggled loudly as you put Captain America’s helmet on your head. You closed up that box and scooched on your bum over to more boxes. You opened up 3 more, “The losers” “Snowpiercer” and “gifted”.
You pulled another box out, marked “Marvel”. It had clothing from both the MCU and his work as Johnny Storm. Leather jackets, t-shirts and all. You gasped as you saw a large A sticking up from the bottom of the box. You quickly pulled it out. You giggled loudly as you put Captain America’s helmet on your head. You closed up that box and scooched on your bum over to more boxes. You opened up 3 more, “The losers” “Snowpiercer” and “gifted”.
As you moved those boxes there was a loud crash beside you making you squeal. When you looked to where the noise came from, you gasped as you saw Cap’s shield lying beside you. You quickly stood up and picked it up, sliding it on your arm. “Woahh”. You giggled and began moving your arms around making fighting noises. Dodger barked up at you. “I know!”. You throw your shield-covered hand up in the hair. “Look at me i’m Captain Americaaaaa-
“Baby?”
You froze as the light spilled into the room.
Well…. this is embarrassing
You were standing there with Ransom’s sweater on with your panties and your Captain America shield and helmet, fist up in the air. (Not forgetting Dodger sitting beside you, dressed as Lloyd) as your boyfriend stood there staring at you with a smirk on his face.
“Chris?”. You teared up quickly and dropped the shield and helmet and jumped into his arms, making him fall over as you kissed him. He held you close and kissed you back, holding your lower back. You panted as you pulled away from the kiss, you stroked his face gently, scratching over his beard. “I missed you”. He smiled at you, playing with loose threads on his jumper. “Sorry…”. You mumbled, looking down.
“No no no don’t be sorry, I loved that you found all this”. You smiled and giggled looking at Dodger slumped beside Chris, still in the Lloyd shirt. You wiped your nose and leaned over, picking up Jake Jensen’s Pink Petunia’s shirt. “I’m keeping this”.
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evilwickedme · 1 year
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So if Superman is Moses and Captain America is David, do you think that Spider-Man is Job?
He's always miserable, with suffering piled upon suffering and loss piled upon loss. But he always has faith in the goodness of humanity and the righteousness of his duty. He maintains his faith throughout all of his trials, and that's what makes him a hero.
(I was thinking about how Judaism and Xianity see G-d differently, and more specifically how they see faith and obedience to G-d differently. In Judaism faith isn't about obedience, and G-d is often an allegory for the world just as the world is often an allegory for G-d — at least that's how I interpreted the fact that 90% of our prayers are thanking G-d for creating a specific aspect of material reality. So if the story of Job is, from a Jewish perspective, isn't about unwavering obedience to a single entity but instead about having unwavering faith in the goodness of the world, then it fits Peter Parker almost to a T, right?)
Wow ok I am SO pissed off that I wrote the answer to this for a full hour and now it's just fucking gone because Tumblr decided not to publish it when I hit post. What the very fuck. So I'm going to try to shorten what I wrote a little and hopefully it'll still make sense. But this is a great ask, for real.
Anyway. I feel like something that's been lost in my most popular posts is that my central thesis when it comes to the Jewish nature of superheroes is not that there's a 1:1 between every hero and a historical, mythological, or Tanakhi figure. The central thesis is, instead, that the very concept of heroism as presented in comics is tied to the Jews who created the genre; it's just very easy to demonstrate these kinds of concepts with direct allegories that have such clear parallels. I actually have a third secret parallel that'll probably never see the light of day, between Magneto and Aher (and like, does anybody even know who Aher is? he's not exactly a well known figure).
One of the reasons I haven't posted this comparison is that it is largely thematic, and therefore requires considerably more explanation, especially for goyim or those who aren't familiar with Aher's story (אלישע בן אבויה fyi if that means anything to y'all). But that's sort of my point - it's much easier to point that Superman is literally Moses and Cap and David serve very similar purposes as characters than to talk about the fact that superheroism is based in Jewish values and traditions: the very idea that heroes are meant to make the world better through action as opposed to sacrifice, the value assigned to every single life (he who saves one life etc), characters becoming better people over time rather than going through dedicated redemption arcs, etc (I can't remember what I wrote here and it's driving me nuts thank you very much for asking).
I gave a lot of context here to the difference between Golden Age and Silver Age writing here but honestly again that took forever and I don't feel like typing it all up, so I'll just point out the basic facts which are that the people creating the comic book industry in the late 30s and early 40s were desperate Jews trying to save their people across the ocean, and also were only about ten or twenty years removed from having lived in the Old Country themselves. Their life and culture was intensely Jewish, they'd grown up in specific Jewish tales. By the time we get to Spider-Man, the situation is entirely different. It's been 25 years of comics (Superman debuted in '38, Spider-Man in '63), and the Jewish foundations of comic books and heroism are already baked in to the genre. Yes, the industry is still overwhelmingly Jewish, but now the separation from a purely Jewish upbringing and Jewish separatism in the Old Country is forty years old. The attempt now is to specifically make stories that haven't already been told - for Spider-Man, the main concept was that there had never been a teen hero before who stood on his own - one that wasn't part of team like the fantastic four, or, more typically, a sidekick.
All these differences actually mean that the coding of these characters is very different. Superman being Moses was intentional; Cap was created as anti-Nazi propaganda. Spider-Man was and is Jewish because he is such a pure example of what Jewish heroism is. He's flawed, he's angry, but he can't help himself from trying to save... Well, everyone. It is, however, important to note that he debuted a long while before Magneto was confirmed Jewish (I don't actually know if he was the first, bc I'm having trouble finding that kind of info easily on the internet, but he's certainly one of the most notable Marvel Jews ever, and he was confirmed as a Holocaust survivor relatively early); it was a whole before Marvel realized you could make somewhat prominent characters Jewish, let alone heroes, and by then Spider-Man was one of their best selling characters, and they're still afraid to this day to alienate readers by confirming him as such.
But moving onto Job - I think I have a very different read of the Book of Job from you, but that's not surprising to me; the Book of Job is incredibly opaque, and I doubt that any two people will interpret it exactly the same. Also, I was raised Orthodox, and I often have very different perspectives on various Jewish things than the typical American Jew. Here's how I view it, though.
Firstly, Job absolutely does not maintain his faith throughout the entire story. Yes, initially he's presented as the most pure person ever, one who has never even been tempted to do a chet (חטא, closest translation is sin; another word would be aveira, which would best be translated as a transgression). And, indeed, it is not his deeds that lead to him losing everything; it is instead Satan who argues to test his faith by taking everything he holds dear away from his - his money, his cattle, his children, his health, his wife.
It's noteworthy, for any goyiche reader, that Satan in Judaism is not the Christian Devil who rules hell. He's an adversary, for sure, but he's more like an opposing counsel; his role is to argue for every human's guilt, especially when someone has committed a terrible aveirah. Forgive me for saying this, but he's essentially a devil's advocate. He can be viewed as the manifestation of yetzer hara on a wider scale (yetzer hara and yetzer hatov are the two natural impulses we all have in ourselves, the first to be selfish or to commit bad deeds and the other to commit good deeds and help others; this is a neutral fact rather than a condemnation of any person, and also I'm massively oversimplifying things here). Also, he's a tattle-tale.
Anyway, back to Job. Yes, at first he does maintain his faith, through the loss of his property, his children, even his health; his wife, before she dies, begs him to curse God, and yet he doesn't. But when she does die, he spends a chapter lamenting the day he was born, regretting that he wasn't stillborn. At first this doesn't look like a direct accusation at God, but it absolutely is, as God is in charge of life and death, but also evidence by the following:
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So Job does lose his faith, because as far as he can tell, he has never done anything wrong in his life ever, and yet he has been cursed to grieve everything he has ever had, and he won't even die.
Most of the book is dedicated to dialogue between himself and three of his friends, who come to the common conclusion that he must have done something wrong to deserve this treatment. But Job remains adamant: I did not deserve this.
The general lesson that many people take from this book is that God works in mysterious ways, blah blah. But like... We know, in fact, exactly why this story happened. We saw it! We saw Satan advocate to try Job! So what's the point of the book?
The point is the Job keeps asking "why". The point is that Job hears that God won't forgive his friends, despite the fact they blame him for his misfortune, and he still chooses to pray for them. The point is that he refuses to take what has happened to him quietly. Not accepting that what happened to him was just, but not accepting others' injustice either.
Ugh. I phrased all of this way better in the first draft. I really truly hate this.
Anyway my point is that Job, despite being far richer than the average Jew by the standards of his time, actually is meant to represent a very common situation: what do you when bad things happen. Do you blame yourself, or do you blame God? Do you let other people beat you when you're down, or do you stand up for yourself?
And the thing is those themes are universal, but they're not really related to Peter Parker in particular. In the shallowest sense, the kind I used to compare Cap and David or Superman and Moses, they do not have similar stories or backgrounds. Job has everything, and he loses it all, and he mourns all of it, including the property and money; Peter Parker is working class, has never had enough money, but we see again and again that he views it as a tool rather than a goal in and of itself. Spider-Man's origin is about learning to battle your yetzer hara, your darkest impulses, and we see Peter again and again trying to do his best even though he's often being pulled by his instincts to use his power for selfish purposes. Job does not ever have to learn any such lesson; he never did anything wrong.
The one thing in common between the two stories is that they both believe that every life has value - well, if Peter is being written by a competent authors at least - with Job praying to save the men who are literally called the "resha'im", the evil ones, and with Peter being the little man's hero. But that can be said about most heroes, especially the notable ones. Hell, there's an entire double page spread dedicated to the concept in Batwoman: Elegy. This is more of another indication of Jewish values making their way into the foundations of superhero comics than it is a similarity between Job and Peter.
Also, I feel like I need to be clear. Our prayers thanking God for creating something? Traditionally are simply thanking God for creating something. I'm not saying you can't interpret it as a metaphor for the world if that's what works for you, if that's how you see God, but God was very literal to most Jews for thousands of years, and I could talk for ages and ages about the schools of thought regarding God and the world and Maimonides and shit.
Speaking of which, we need to discuss the fact that Job is literally just some guy. Like he's not a prophet, he's not a leader or a judge, he's just some rich dude who lost everything, mourned it, and then got it all back. I've talked about this before, but one of the foundational ideas of my thesis is that the similarity between prophets having powers (such as Samson but also really any judge being considered a higher authority despite not even communing directly with God) and superheroes invokes Maimonides' claim that the first degree of prophecy is the need to act for the better good, being unable to ignore the ills of the world and doing your best to fix them - that people who incapable of ignoring that urge (and Peter, despite his occasional selfishness, often prioritizes Spider-Man in his life specifically because of that urge) are possessed by the spirit of God. Literal prophecy, communing with God, cannot exist without this base level. So, in effect, Peter is significantly holier than Job.
Anyway. Again, I've definitely missed some points because of Tumblr's fuck up and I intentionally skipped most of the history lesson that gave a lot of context which I didn't feel like typing up again, but this is most of it. Sorry if this wasn't what you hoped for, but this was a really interesting thing to talk about anyway, and I'm very grateful you gave me the opportunity to think it over.
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